Upon hearing Longdong's words, a flash of brilliance passed through Han Li's eyes. The young woman and the white-haired youth exchanged glances, as if they found his reasoning sound, and neither spoke against it. Yet the young lady in the white robe blinked her beautiful eyes and suddenly spoke: "It's rather strange that other cultivators should appear in such a place. We should press on, rather than complicate matters for ourselves." "Precisely because of these anomalies, we need to understand why these individuals have come here. If necessary, we can simply remain outside the city, gathering information from the outskirts. Should any unforeseen events arise, we won't need to be afraid. Didn't Li brother just mention that there are no cultivators at the level of Lingxu or above within the city? In a few more days, we will enter the One Sky Region. The environment there is extremely hazardous. Should any other unknown dangers emerge nearby, we might well be wiped out entirely. Therefore, caution is always the best policy." Longdong's expression changed, but after a moment's thought, he still shook his head. "With what Brother Long has just said, it truly seems plausible." How about we observe from a distance first, without disturbing the cultivators inside? We can make our appearance only after confirming everything is all right," Xiao Hong proposed a compromise. "That sounds reasonable—it's more secure," Longdong seemed to agree with the young woman's plan and nodded. Han Li stroked his chin, while the white-robed maiden smiled gently. Neither of them spoke further. Thus, they changed direction, once again concealing their trail of light and moved silently toward the small city. Though they had slowed their pace considerably, given their cultivation levels, the distance of several hundred miles was covered in mere moments. Far off, a patch of green appeared on the ground. As they drew closer, the scene became clearer—indeed, it was a sizable oasis, surrounded by low shrubs, and at its center lay a lake stretching several miles in diameter. By the lake, there stood a small city of modest size, enclosed by a white stone wall several zhang high. A single massive city gate, over ten zhang wide, faced the direction of Han Li and his companions, and at the gate, a group of about a dozen individuals dressed in yellow robes were on duty—most of them cultivators at the Jianji stage. Outside the city, near the lake, there were several ordinary folk with no trace of cultivation, moving about and apparently bending down to plant various things. "After carefully employing a secret technique to probe the surroundings, Xiao Hong finally opened her eyes and said cautiously, 'It seems everything is truly normal! Do any of the others have any observations?'" Liangdong gazed steadily at the small city for a while before turning to ask. "No detectable magical fluctuations have been found around the city, and there appears to be no array or spell circle laid out nearby. Moreover, as several of you have noticed, the temperature here feels noticeably cooler, far less hot than in other areas." The young man with white eyebrows added after observing closely. "Indeed, there are some anomalies. Yet the very fact that a oasis exists here is itself remarkable—these observations don't explain much beyond that." The woman murmured thoughtfully. "Why go through all this trouble? Why not simply gather together in the city for a chat?" A sudden, unfamiliar voice echoed from above their heads. Suddenly, a senior Taoist dressed in purple robes appeared in the sky, his kind eyes and gentle expression fixed upon them with a serene calm. Yet what startled the young wife and her companions most was that this Taoist was a cultivator at the Mid-Transcendent stage—thankfully, he was a human cultivator, otherwise they would have fled immediately. Longdong’s gaze lingered on the Taoist, filled with astonishment, yet a subtle note of disappointment flickered beneath the surface. The young lady, upon seeing the other immediately recognize her background, was startled and then exchanged a glance with Longdong. Both of them felt that the person's name was quite unfamiliar—seemingly never heard of before—and thus, their expressions when the other extended the invitation carried a clear sense of hesitation. "My esteemed friends need not worry," the old Taoist said, with a gentle smile, "I have always lived in seclusion, rarely engaging with others, so my name is known to few outside circles. I believe you all have plans to visit the One-Sky Pass, haven't you? Then, I shall certainly take the time to share some thoughts with you. Recently, the One-Sky Pass has experienced some developments—should you proceed directly as planned, the journey ahead will be quite perilous." It seemed the old Taoist had sensed the concerns of the young lady and the others. Though Longdong and the others could not entirely dispel their vigilance, their expressions softened slightly. However, upon hearing the news of the difficulties at the One-Sky Pass, their faces grew slightly concerned. "Given the elder's kind invitation," said Longdong and the others, "we shall not be able to refuse." Although Longdong had changed his mind and was deeply reluctant to enter the city, he could not find the words to refuse the most courteous invitation extended by a cultivator at the Transcendent Realm level. He could only reluctantly agree. Seeing that Longdong had made such a commitment, Han Li and the others had no choice but to bow to the old priest and accept as well. The smile on Ziyun's face grew ever more warm and friendly. With a cheerful wave of his hand, he descended into the air, leading the group straight toward the city gates. The others, unable to harness their own flight spells, simply used light footwork to follow closely behind the old priest. Though the distance seemed considerable, under their seemingly slow yet eager pace, they reached the vicinity of the oasis in just a short while, and even the children playing by the lakeside could be seen clearly. "Apologies for the inconvenience, friends," said the old priest. "Our family only recently relocated here from elsewhere, and several of our commoner descendants had to be brought along as well." "Beyond that, there are no other notable items, but several rare spiritual fruits from outside the region—friends, I strongly recommend you all try at least a few." The elder smiled and explained to the group. Lóng Dōng and the young wife now began to feel more at ease. In the meantime, the group had already reached the city gate, just steps away. The foundation-level cultivators stationed there bowed deeply to them and then formed two lines, clearing the way. The old man waved his robe and stepped forward first. Lóng Dōng and the others glanced at the gatekeepers, noting that though they bore a respectful demeanor, there was no sign of any discomfort. After a brief hesitation, they too walked past. Han Li moved silently, slowly passing between the two foundation-level cultivators. Everything appeared perfectly normal. Yet, at that very moment, a clear, resonant sound suddenly echoed from the sky, and a burst of silver flame shot forth, striking one of the attendants with a powerful impact. The silver flame instantly expanded, fully engulfing the man. The younger women and others stared, utterly stunned. "What do you mean? I have been most kind in hosting you all. How dare you strike at my junior disciple!" The elder monk who stepped forward flushed and roared, then suddenly shifted his stance, taking a single step that carried him directly in front of Han Li. With one hand raised, a broad hand glowing with a deep red light descended, sweeping down to seize him head-on. Under these circumstances, this tremendous power that meant so much to ordinary cultivators merely caused a slight shift in his shoulders and a subtle distortion of his form, and he suddenly vanished right where he stood. The next moment, he appeared mysteriously twenty paces away. This was precisely the footwork of the Wind-Quick Nine Transformations. With his current physical condition and cultivation level, even without deploying his Wind and Thunder wings, he could easily execute this technique. "Move quickly—they are all puppets possessed by the Shadow Clan!" As soon as Han Lilai broke free, he roared aloud and then flickered, transforming into a streak of jade-green light that surged forward. At the same time, the cultivator enveloped in silver flame emitted a piercing, agonizing cry. Suddenly, a gray shadow erupted from his body, but as soon as it touched the silver flame, it immediately surged and was completely consumed, burned away. From the moment the silver flame emanated from Han Lilai until the elder suddenly launched an attack only to have it shattered and escape—this entire sequence took no more than a blink of an eye. The young wife and Longdong were initially at a loss, still unsure of what was happening, when they heard Han Li's warning and then saw the shadow puppet emerging from the silver flame—there could be no doubt now. Their faces instantly paled. "Move!" Without needing any instruction, the four of them simultaneously radiated luminous glimmers, transforming into four streaks of vibrant light and shooting upward into the sky. Seeing Han Li escape from his own grasp, the old Taoist was momentarily stunned. When he noticed the other four also attempting to flee, he emitted a cold exhalation, then sharply flicked his sleeve toward one of the fleeing light streaks. Suddenly, countless red threads shot forth from his sleeve, tightly ensnaring the streak and then drawing it back—firmly pulling it down from the sky. As the light dispersed, the astonished and furious owner of the streak emerged, wrapped in the dense red threads.