At this sight, both the young man named Zhu and the beautiful woman expressed satisfaction. Though, with their current attainments, defeating this modest group of Black-Blood Ants was originally like using a bull's horn to kill a chicken—something quite straightforward—such a smooth accomplishment of their first objective was undoubtedly a promising sign. Zhu raised his hand and waved it toward the incense burner. The jade-scented incense inside burned steadily without any sign of interruption, suddenly transforming into a sphere of golden light that settled into his palm. With a gentle twist, it vanished completely. Immediately afterward, a flash of radiance appeared, and in its place, a set of silver-tinged flags emerged. Each flag was only a few inches long, engraved with numerous purple seals and patterns of lightning, exuding an atmosphere of profound mystery. "Now that the threat from the Black-Blood Ants has been eliminated, we shall proceed into the true Frog-Beast's lair deep within the mountain. This set of Xuanqing Heaven-Light Flags—each of you, take one," the young man with silver hair said, his gaze sweeping over several of the cultivators as he spoke slowly and calmly. At once, the three exchanged glances and immediately launched forward. One of them took a small flag from the elder's hands—there was indeed the Li-named elder among them. "All right," the young man said to an elder and a middle-aged man, "except for Zhao and Xun, who will remain outside on guard, the rest of you come with us." Then, together with the beautiful woman, he transformed into two streaks of brilliant light and sped directly toward the great mountain. The others followed without hesitation, likewise activating their flight spells and moving in the same direction. Only the named elder and middle-aged man exchanged a glance, smiled sadly, and then, simultaneously reciting incantations, vanished once more. The other cultivators had now entered the mountain's interior through a naturally formed opening somewhere within the mountain, following the young couple named Zhu. After a cup of tea's time, Han and the others found themselves in a damp, dim underground passage. Throughout the passage, stalactites hung down from the ceiling, water droplets dripped from the walls, the floor was exceptionally slippery, and patches of unidentified green moss grew several inches high. The passageway wound and twisted, continuously sloping downward. Fortunately, this naturally formed corridor was wide enough to allow the group, drifting slowly several feet above the ground, to avoid having to walk through it. Han Li kept glancing around, and whenever unusually large venomous insects flew toward him from certain crevices, he effortlessly pierced them with the red filaments shot out from his fingers, reducing them instantly to ashes. Beside him stood the Xiao Lady. She too displayed a cautious demeanor, her body enveloped in a shimmering white energy shield that appeared and faded intermittently. Whenever any venomous insect struck her, it instantly transformed into translucent ice clusters and fell to the ground. Not only Han Li and the Lady, but the other cultivators as well employed various techniques to eliminate any insect that dared to approach them. Though these insects seemed unimpressive, no one dared to allow even one of them to bite them. After all, the Wild Frontier is full of strange and unusual things—even seemingly climate-neutral toxic insects could instantly kill a high-level cultivator. Such incidents had not been unheard of in the past. As the group descended steadily, fewer and fewer members began to speak, until eventually the entire party fell into quiet. Aside from the constant "puff-puff" sound of insects being extinguished, there was no other sound. The passage itself wasn't particularly dark; the walls occasionally glowed with a soft, pale light from stones of unknown origin, resembling the moonstone commonly used by human cultivators. This made it easier for Han Li and the others to advance. After walking a little further, Han Li suddenly paused, gazing thoughtfully toward the front of the group, as though he had noticed something significant. At the same time, the silver-haired young man leading the way furrowed his brow and abruptly halted, stopping alongside the beautiful woman beside him. Immediately, Han Li and the others heard the voice of the young man named Zhu transmitting through the air. "Everyone, be cautious. I sense two insect beasts ahead, nearing the stage of Immortal, blocking our path exactly. There may be more insect beasts nearby, but I'm unable to extend my spiritual awareness too far to investigate. We must have someone go forward and personally verify what kind of creatures they are. Be careful—don't engage yet!" Everyone was momentarily stunned, but soon one person stepped forward and spoke. "Let me go and check. I may not possess many other abilities, but I have some confidence in my ability to move swiftly and invisibly. I wonder if Master Zhu will trust me." "Ah, it's Brother You! Your mastery of the wind-based technique is truly remarkable—exactly what I've been seeking!" The silver-haired young man smiled brightly upon recognizing the person. This individual was the elderly man with a hat who had previously asked a question at the ice pavilion before departure. Upon hearing this, the elder chuckled softly, and at that moment, a gentle breeze passed by, carrying him completely out of sight. Indeed, it was that extraordinary technique of Wind Style. The others halted in place, quietly waiting, many of them now showing keen interest in the suddenly appearing insect-like beasts blocking the path ahead. Within just a meal's time, the old man reappeared in the gentle breeze, precisely where he had originally vanished. Had it not been for the focused attention of all the cultivators, most would have thought the old man had never left at all. As soon as the old man had fully materialized, he bowed respectfully to the young couple named Zhu and said, "I've investigated the matter. Ahead are two Xuan Tu beasts—there will likely be some complications." "Xuan Tu beasts!" Upon hearing this, the cultivators along the passage stirred once again. Many expressions of surprise appeared on their faces, even the young couple named Zhu furrowed their brows. Han Li immediately recalled the relevant information about the Xuan Tu beasts. The Xuan Tu beasts were also a type of insect-like creature, not particularly threatening in themselves, yet their appearance here proved to be quite troublesome. For this creature lacks other abilities, yet is naturally proficient in water and lightning techniques, and is particularly timid—any slight breeze or disturbance sends it fleeing at once. More unfortunately, it is also known as the "Drum-Resonant Beast," which emits a strange, resonant sound resembling that of a massive drum when it detects an enemy. The sound is so powerful that it can be heard for hundreds of miles. Thus, several major sects and high-level practitioners among the human and immortal clans have domesticated this creature, placing it at key strategic locations to serve as a sentinel. If it cannot be eliminated with a decisive first strike, it will surely alarm the other insect-beasts throughout the entire mountain range, and the consequences then remain entirely unpredictable. "Indeed, this is quite a challenge! Though I am a Xuangui cultivator, my specialized techniques are not particularly adept at concealment. The Xuanwu Beast excels in both its sense of smell and spiritual awareness. My wife, however, is quite skilled in evasive techniques and is confident in handling one of them. As for the other, another guest will need to step in to deal with it." The young man from the Zhu family pondered for a while before speaking to the group, finally turning his gaze toward the elderly man from the You family. "I must admit, I'm not confident at all. With my wind-flying technique, I can approach them without any problem, but the Xuan Tu beasts are tough—thick-skinned and well-built. My current abilities simply can't guarantee a decisive one-hit kill. If that happens, the entire plan will be compromised." The elder man shook his head repeatedly. "If we can simply bypass it, wouldn't I be suffering such severe headaches? This mountain is home to a massive ley-magnetic stone vein—once one enters the mountain's stone, all beings with spiritual energy are forcibly drawn and immobilized. However, as long as one does not employ earth-transcendence techniques, there's no real problem. 'Ley-magnetic stone vein!' Many listeners gasped, their faces pale with shock. The one who had asked the question now looked particularly distressed. For a moment, no one dared to speak up. 'Master Zhù, if I manage to defeat the other one, shall I be entitled to a share of the true toad's spiritual blood as well?' A lazy voice suddenly emerged from among the cultivators. To everyone's surprise, it was Han Li, standing at the very back of the group. The elegant woman beside him was momentarily stunned. 'How is it that Han Brother is so confident in defeating this creature? If he truly succeeds, then sharing a portion of the true toad's spiritual blood with him would certainly be fair." But should things go wrong...” Upon seeing it was Han Li, the young man named Zhu was quite surprised and hesitated in his reply. Clearly, he still did not have much confidence in Han Li, a mid-stage Immortal cultivator. “Hehe, Senior, please don’t worry. Should I fail, I’ll personally cover any losses.” Han Li smiled calmly. “Han brother truly seems confident. Very well, then I’ll entrust the other creature to you.” Zhu proved to be remarkably decisive—after a brief pause, he actually nodded and agreed. The other cultivators exchanged murmurs among themselves, gazing at Han Li with varying expressions, some openly expressing doubt. “Just to be safe, You brother, please remain hidden and assist Han brother from the sidelines!” Zhu’s tone shifted, and he addressed the elderly man wearing a straw hat. “Agreed. This I’ll take care of.” This time, the elder man readily accepted without hesitation. Thus, after the young man from Zhù family whispered a few words to the beautiful woman, she pressed her palms together in a series of gestures, and suddenly red glows bloomed on her body’s surface, then vanished in an instant, leaving no trace. Meanwhile, Han Li drew out a purple scroll and pressed it against his body; as silver characters swirled around him, he too disappeared without a trace. The old man, however, continued to use the Wind Technique and proceeded to glide ahead. Under the old man’s guidance, Han Li and the beautiful woman flew forward only a short while before reaching their destination. In the broad corridor ahead, two large, plump, white insects lay resting on opposite stone walls, each feeding on an unknown green moss growing there. (Second update!)