From a distance, everything on the hills appeared unchanged, as if nothing had shifted at all. Han Li himself had already stood upon the hills, and was now standing right before the half-burnt ancient tree. Gazing at the tree, Han Li recalled the matters mentioned by Longdong and the young wife. According to them, if possible, agents from both human and immortal-fauna clans would personally meet with the recipients of intelligence to convey information that could not be recorded in writing. However, if the situation were too dangerous for a personal visit, the intelligence would simply be left behind. Now that his spiritual awareness had thoroughly scanned the scene, it seemed no one would make the journey personally. Thus, the task had actually become simpler—he merely needed to retrieve the items, and that would constitute a great success. With these thoughts in mind, Han Li extended a finger and, without further hesitation, made a sweeping gesture toward the ancient tree before him. A sharp "psssh!" sound followed, and a blade of jade-green energy shot forth, splitting the scorched tree in two and causing it to collapse sideways. A milky-white jade scroll rolled out from within. Han Li beamed with delight, extending his hand into the air, and the scroll instantly rose, soaring straight toward him. At that moment, a deep rumble echoed in the sky, and a beam of golden light suddenly pierced through the incantation Han Li had woven, rushing directly toward the scroll. Han Li's expression tightened slightly. Without hesitation, he raised his hand, and a flash of green light appeared—immediately forming a glowing green hand above the golden light, which seized it firmly. "Pfft!" came a familiar, light chuckle as the golden light seemed to dissolve like a phantom, broken by the green hand. Yet the jade scroll, which had been flying toward Han Li, paused momentarily. A faint white figure materialized suddenly beside it, and with a casual lift of her hand, gracefully caught the scroll in her grasp. "Ye, friend!" Han Li narrowed his eyes, instantly recognizing the figure—none other than the white-robed young woman named Ye Ying. "Han brother, it seems you've had a smooth journey, arriving here quite effortlessly." The young lady twirled the jade scroll in her hand and smiled gently. "What's wrong? Has Lady Ye encountered any difficulties on the way? I've been waiting for you both at the exit of the First Sky Line and near the forest edge for a long time, yet I've heard no word from you. What has happened?" Han Li asked, his eyes flashing with a touch of concern. "It's quite simple. When I and my companion, Long, encountered the wind dragon serpents in the First Sky Line, we were forced to split up. To escape these creatures, we had to change our course, and along the way, we encountered several minor setbacks. Naturally, you wouldn't have come across us." The young lady smiled gracefully, her charm subtly blossoming. Han Li, however, felt a sudden sense of alertness—something had clearly been implied in her words. Before he could think of what to say next, a flash of green light suddenly burst from one side of the sky, and two streaks of light surged in. As the light faded, two figures emerged—one man, one woman. The man was handsome, the woman radiant as a blossom. They were Long and his wife. "It's you!" "Indeed Two entirely different tones of voice surprisedly emerged from the two of them. The young wife was slightly taken aback upon seeing Han Li already here, while Longdong expressed delight at seeing the white-robed young lady. "It's actually Long brother and Xiao friend who have arrived. I was just a bit faster than the two of you," the white-robed young lady said calmly as she glanced at them. "The items—Miss Ye has already received them," Longdong remarked, his eyes briefly scanning the items in the young lady's hands, his expression half-smiling. Upon seeing the jade scroll now in the white-robed young lady's hands, the young wife's face slightly darkened. "Indeed, I just received this item myself. In fact, it was actually Master Han who arrived first. I and the two of you merely came a little earlier," the young lady said with a clear, bright laugh, speaking with composed ease. "Master Han, is there only this one jade scroll here?" the young wife asked suddenly, after a brief pause. Han Li's mind stirred, yet he remained calm on the surface, nodding gently. Upon hearing Han Li's response, the young woman fell silent, and Long Dong likewise said nothing. But at that moment, the white-robed maiden lowered her head slightly, smiling softly as she idly handled the jade scroll in her hands. For a while, the room fell into complete silence, though the atmosphere in the air grew increasingly heavy, as though heralding the approach of a storm. "Young Miss Ye, might I have a chance to view this jade scroll first? Since we have sent a spy to the Wood Clan, there may well be messages from our own Black Phoenix clan inscribed within." The young woman's expression softened, and she spoke with gentle courtesy. "I'm afraid not. Without revealing to Miss Xiao, the spy we've sent to the Wood Clan is actually a member of our Ye family. Perhaps it would be better if I take a look first, and then pass it on to you." The white-robed maiden pressed her lips slightly, then smiled warmly. Upon hearing this, Xiao Hong's face paled dramatically, and she could no longer maintain her smile, her gaze darkening instantly. "Since we've already obtained what we came for, this place isn't suitable for long stay. Let's make haste and leave the forest right away," said Longdong calmly. "Exactly my thought," the white-robed maiden agreed instantly. The young wife's lips moved slightly, but she ultimately said nothing. Han Li naturally had no objections either. As the maiden smiled, her bright eyes shimmering with grace, she was about to fold the jade scroll in her hands when a soft crackle sounded, and suddenly a streak of silver light burst forth from an ancient tree nearby, rushing with such speed that it reached her back just in an instant. Though she did not turn around, the maiden emitted a sharp, cool exhalation, and with a slight movement of her body, she blurred and vanished from her spot. A moment later, she appeared several dozen paces away, but even as her form began to take shape, a second, even faster streak of silver light shot out from beneath her feet. This time, the maiden's expression did change slightly. With a mere flick of her shoulder, her feet seemed to propel her forward several feet on a spring-like motion, instantly deflecting the attack from beneath her. At that very moment, a sound of rushing air echoed. A thin, nearly invisible strand of translucent light shot forth from the space just inches away, not aimed at the young girl, but at the jade scroll in her hands. The white-robed girl was startled, quickly drawing her hand back, yet still fell slightly behind. "Crack!" The scroll instantly shattered into countless fragments. With a mix of shock and fury, a surge of intense energy flashed across her brow. In a swift motion, she reached out and grasped the transparent light strand firmly, then pulled it sharply toward herself. "Plump!" A colossal insect, nearly translucent in body, was suddenly pulled out of the void. This seemed like a strange creature, several feet long, resembling a giant silkworm, yet its plump body bore two pairs of cicada wings that fluttered vigorously, as though striving to lift it into the air. Yet at the other end of the transparent silk threads, its large mouth was clearly visible—thus, when the maiden pulled it tightly, the creature could not rise at all. At the very instant the jade scroll was destroyed, Han Li and the other two were suddenly struck dumb. Almost simultaneously, several ancient trees nearby burst forth with bright green light, and their ethereal silhouettes gradually dissolved, revealing several green-tinged human figures standing in their place—as though they had emerged directly from the trees themselves. "Hey, I never expected it to be hidden right here! If it hadn't been for you guiding us, we truly wouldn't have found it," said a tall figure, sweeping past Han Li and the others, his words, though clearly human, sounding somewhat stiff. Han Li glanced at the figures' appearances and his eyes widened in surprise. At first glance, these beings seemed somewhat similar to humans, yet their skin was uniformly jade green. Aside from their eyes, which held a faint hint of blue, their facial features were indistinguishable from those of humans. Indeed, it was clear that two of the more slender figures were female. These were the members of the Wood race. What struck Han Li even more was that the long, lustrous silk robes worn by the Wood race were fastened at the waist with a wide band of orange cloth. Notably, the waistband of the tall leader bore an additional silver thread woven into the orange hue. Recalling the legends about the ranks within the Wood race, Han Li's heart suddenly sank to the depths. "Silver rank—you are a Silver-rank Wood Spirit!" As soon as Han Li saw the silver thread on the leader's waistband, the young woman's previously composed expression vanished, her face now pale with dismay. "My name is Mu Rui, a junior Silver-rank Spirit. Since you have arrived here, I hope you will not leave. For now, I kindly invite you to stay with us as guests for a while." The tall wooden race spoke without expression, then raised his hand. At once, the wooden people behind him, each tied with an orange sash, bent their knees and pressed their palms firmly into the ground. A green glow surged outward at an astonishing speed, spreading rapidly in all directions across the hills. Without hesitation, Han Li and the young woman in white robes instantly rose into the air. A thunderous roar erupted from all around, and Han Li's magical barriers and illusions collapsed instantly under the force of an invisible power. As the magic faded, the surroundings of the hills revealed themselves clearly. Lingdong and the young wife instantly turned pale upon seeing the scene. Han Li’s mouth twitched slightly, revealing a faint smile of苦笑, while the white-robed maiden looked unusually grave, her gaze fixed intently on the wood spirit named Mu Rui, her inner thoughts completely unreadable. "This is a wood ape spirit that our clan has only recently studied over the past thousand years. If you’ve seen the jade scroll, you should have found its records there. But now—ahem…" Mu Rui’s face remained expressionless, yet her words carried a tone reminiscent of scorn. "Attack!" A completely unfamiliar voice suddenly erupted from the void. Han Li and the others were startled, still unsure of what was happening, when the white-robed maiden suddenly opened her mouth, spewing a surge of crimson light that instantly split into several crimson threads, rushing straight toward the other wood spirits—except for the silver-tier one. (Second update!)