"Looking for a junior?" Han Li, though he had a sense of it, replied. "Indeed, I have a matter to discuss with you. Have you forgotten my earlier transmission?" The blood-robed figure's voice was as stiff and metallic as steel. "The junior certainly hasn't forgotten, Master. What would you have me do?" Though Han Li had many thoughts in mind, he said nothing to dispute it at this moment. "Mu Lady, have you heard? This was promised by Han himself. Can you possibly refuse now?" The blood-robed figure chuckled. "What could I possibly refuse? However, Ground Blood Brother should be well aware of the importance of having Han Master swiftly master the Divine-Defying Thunder. Three months is simply not feasible. I can only offer you one month—otherwise, it will affect our grand plans." Mu Qing sipped her fragrant tea, remaining composed. "One month is simply not enough for my own tasks. The puppet I am crafting is equally vital and cannot be delayed." Why don't we borrow him for two months? That should be enough. The Earth-blood Elder pondered and then said so. "One and a half months! Not even one day more!" Mu Qing spoke coldly in the black light, showing no courtesy at all. "Very well, one and a half months it is! But we'll need to borrow Mu Lady's teleportation array for a while." The blood-robed figure blinked his eyes several times, and finally nodded firmly. "No problem with the teleportation. I'll personally transport you both directly to Blood Flame Mountain, and I'll also come to pick you up when you're ready." Mu Qing's tone softened, carrying a hint of deeper meaning. "Haha, that's absolutely no issue. Young Han, come with me." The blood-robed figure laughed heartily and stood up. ... Half a month later, before a dark mountain on the fifth level of the Earth Abyss, a secret stone platform's teleportation array flashed with black light, and two figures materialized. It was Han Li and the blood-robed figure. Han Li had just regained consciousness from the传送-induced dizziness when he looked around and was momentarily stunned. Standing beside the teleportation array was another figure dressed in a blood-red robe. Upon seeing Han Li's gaze, the figure immediately burst out in a strange laugh. "Master Han, you've finally arrived. My four Purple-Blood Automata require your Divine-Purifying Lightning to be activated. Only then can they truly prove useful in the realm of the Understream." "Purple-Blood Automata!" Han Li's expression grew serious upon hearing this. "Ah, I'll provide you with all the details upon arrival at our quarters," the blood-robed figure said, unusually courteous, clearly eager to involve Han Li. Han Li naturally had no objections and followed the two figures as they flew toward the dark, towering mountain. The mountain stood approximately four to five thousand zhang high, and the two blood-robed figures guided Han Li straight toward the mountain's midsection. Yet, before them, a modest cliff of over a hundred zhang in height suddenly appeared. A blood-robed figure stepped forward, pressed a seal with one hand, murmured incantations, and suddenly raised the other. To Han Li's astonishment, a remarkable scene unfolded. The entire cliff trembled, emitting deep, resonant roars. Amidst flashing black light, it transformed into a colossal stone serpent's head, covered with moss and wild grass. Two massive stone eyes on the head blinked suddenly and opened, revealing bright crimson pupils. A cold, solemn glow swept over Han Li and the two blood-robed figures. Then, the serpent's head slowly opened its mouth, revealing a luminous white pathway. "Enter," said one of the blood-robed figures calmly, stepping in beside his companion. Han Li's expression of surprise smoothed out as he carefully studied the serpent's head before entering the mouth. The inner passage was unusually wide, reaching nearly five or six zhang in height, with the walls constructed from square black stones. At regular intervals, large night pearls, each the size of a thumb, were embedded into the walls, and the passage continued deep into the mountain's core. Some of these puppets shone with brilliant gold, entirely forged from metal; others appeared gray and hazy, formed from compacted earth and stone; while a few moved with graceful agility, carved from solid, living wood. Regardless of their form, all clearly radiated an astonishing spiritual pressure, and several particularly unique puppets seemed to possess the strength of a Huashen-level cultivator. Han Li was deeply astonished after observing several waves of them. With his experience, he could clearly perceive that the Earth-Blood Elder had profound mastery over the art of puppetry, surpassing even the Da-Yan Divine Sovereign in this regard. Of course, this did not mean that the Earth-Blood puppets were inherently superior in talent to those of the Da-Yan Sovereign—merely that the former's cultivation level and experience were limited, and that the abundance of materials available in the Spirit Realm created fundamentally different conditions for comparison. After following two figures dressed in crimson robes, turning east and west several times, and flying for a period of one incense-burn duration, Han Li suddenly brightened, finally emerging from the maze, only to find a vast crimson lake stretching ahead, radiating intense heat. It turned out to be a natural subterranean lava lake! Floating atop this lake was a blood-red palace. Though not vast in scale, the palace spanned over a thousand zhang in width. The entire structure exuded a strong, rich scent of blood, yet it was built with exquisite refinement. A blood-red crystal several zhang in diameter was embedded at the pinnacle of the palace, radiating an eerie, vibrant crimson glow. Han Li was momentarily stunned by this sight. Such a large crystal immediately reminded him of the strange crystal on the Sealing Tower of the Tianpeng Clan's holy city—equally immense and profoundly mysterious. Clearly, there must be an exceptionally powerful enchantment in place here. The blood-clad figure guided Han Li to the edge of the lava lake, where his light suddenly dimmed and settled. Then, one of them produced a yellow bell from their sleeve, which clinked as it flew out, landing in the blood-clad figure's hands. A flash of yellow light followed, and a crisp chime resonated from the bell. As the sound reached Han Li's ears, his awareness grew hazy, and he felt suddenly weak throughout his body. He was stunned, and the Dàyǎn Decree within him surged and flowed swiftly, only then did his awareness suddenly regain clarity. He hurried to step back one pace, his eyes fixed on the two figures in crimson robes ahead. Though he did not believe the two would suddenly attack him here, his alertness remained undiminished. Suddenly, one of the crimson-robed figures turned around, coldly glanced at Han Li, and upon seeing him still fully conscious, a faint expression of surprise flickered in his eyes. At that very moment, within the molten lake before the palace, the red molten rock surged violently, and a colossal creature, ten zhang long, rose from the depths. Its body was armored, resembling a giant turtle, yet its neck was slender and bore three strange, deer-like heads, each adorned with coral-like, vividly red horns. This creature had apparently been summoned by the chime sound; as soon as it emerged from the lake, it swiftly broke through the molten rock and swam toward Han Li and the others. "This is my guardian beast, the Shùguī Beast." This beast is born with the innate essence of fiery spirit, capable of simultaneously releasing three distinct types of spiritual flames. When it manifests in the realm of the Lava Spirit, its power is extraordinary—indeed, even when I first captured it, I found it a formidable challenge. To enter my Blood Flame Palace, one must pass through this very creature." A blood-robed figure chuckled warmly and said this to Han Li. "Your mastery is truly remarkable; I deeply admire you, Master!" Han Li responded, his expression stirred. He then lifted his gaze toward the sky above the Lava Lake. As a blue glow flashed in his eyes, his face instantly paled. At that moment, the Shu Gui beast swiftly reached the shore, its three heads rising in unison and emitting a strange, frog-like chorus. One of the blood-robed figures raised his hand, launching a large, dark, spherical projectile that sliced through the air with a sharp, fishy scent. The beast's head merely swayed, and instantly a surge of crimson light erupted, engulfing and swallowing the black sphere whole. The three heads then emitted several low, melodic calls, as if the creature were delightfully joyful. Then, with a graceful turn, the beast extended one thick, long tail, resting it firmly against the shore. The two blood-robed figures followed the tail, walking steadily and calmly onto the creature's back, then turned to face Han Li, their eyes locked upon him. Han Li sighed inwardly, and with a simple movement, stepped onto the beast's back as well. The other blood-robed figure gave his bell one final crisp chime, and immediately the Shu Gui beast carried the three of them swiftly toward the Blood Flame Palace at the heart of the lake. The molten rock lake was not vast, and in mere moments, the creature brought them to the palace's entrance. The three instantly rose into the air and flew from the lower level to the entrance of the hall. As Han Li's feet touched the ground, the hall door, which had remained tightly shut, suddenly began to open slowly from within, revealing two groups of figures stepping out. One group wore full red helmets and armor, each holding a flaming spear, their entire bodies enveloped in a shimmering flame. The other group appeared as swirling masses of gray mist, with faint black silhouettes emerging and fading, as though they were bare-handed and unattended. Han Li's spiritual awareness swept forward, detecting a clear life energy within these two groups—clearly not mere puppets. As soon as these two unusual groups emerged, they immediately bowed deeply to the two clad in crimson robes. "Open the hall door," one of the crimson-robed figures stepped forward and said coldly, "and I shall treat Master Han most generously!" Upon hearing this, the two groups immediately began to move silently. Most of them returned to the hall entrance, while the others respectfully formed ranks on either side. Remarkably, none of them spoke a word—seeming completely unable to utter any speech at all. Han Li saw this and showed no outward surprise, yet his mind was filled with astonishment! (First chapter update!)