Han Li swept his divine awareness over the wooden chest, then lightly touched it with his fingers. After a while, he suddenly opened the lid, and from within, a dark, ink-black orb shot out with a whoosh. This orb spun once before it burst into a swirling band of black mist, then vanished instantly. At the same moment, Han Li felt a slight itch in his palm. With a thought, he raised his hand. Several strange, tiny characters appeared in his palm—only as large as rice grains, faint and nearly invisible. Han Li glanced upward and shook his wrist. In the shimmering light, the characters disappeared completely. After a moment's further contemplation, a surge of emerald light radiated from his body, and he transformed into a streak of green light, spiraling upward and rushing straight toward the entrance of the cave complex. One hour later, the green light streaked through the sky above an unnamed valley at the edge of the mountain range, as if a dragon from beyond the heavens had just surged forth. With a subtle gathering of qi, Han Li's figure floated into the lower reaches of the valley. He glanced downward with quick, attentive movements before drifting gently downward. The valley itself was no more than a thousand zhang in size, and at one end stood a small heap of scattered stones. Han Li landed right before this cluster of stones. "I have arrived as promised," he said, stepping firmly onto the ground and addressing the large stone within the stone heap with quiet composure. "I'm sure you two will now make your appearance." "Heh, Yan Sister, I told you so—this simple form of invisibility will surely not escape Brother Han's notice." "I know Brother Han must be no ordinary adept; this is merely a test on my part." After a light chuckle, the pleasant voices of the two women suddenly emerged from the stone. A shimmer of gray light passed through, and then two beautiful young women appeared side by side upon it. One had skin as pure as snow, a heavenly beauty; the other was petite and exceptionally graceful, both smiling warmly. They were none other than Yuan Yao and Yan Li. The black lacquered box that Han Li received in his dwelling was precisely the artifact crafted from the same soul-nourishing tree fragment originally found in the Xitian Pavilion. Thus, he immediately recognized it. He merely did not know what mysterious spell the two women had employed to silently transport the box outside his private chamber. "Indeed, it is you two, esteemed friends! Yuan, have you been well since our parting in the Luoxing Sea?" Han Li gazed at the two women, his expression briefly shifting, before asking gently. "Brother Han, are you jesting with me? Look at me and Sister Yan—do we not appear perfectly well?" Yuan Yao's smile faded, and she sighed. "That's true. Perhaps I was too abrupt. However, I sense something unusual about you both. Your bodies seem not quite of the ethereal nature one would expect." Han Li remarked, frowning slightly as he sensed the remarkable阴 qi emanating from the two women. "Brother Han, you are quite right. That day, my sister fell into the ghost mist of the Luoxing Sea to save me." We cultivated the Yin-Yang Cycle Technique by drawing upon the ethereal energies of the afterworld. However, this method of human-and-goblin co-training has caused us both to take on this half-human, half-goblin form. Ultimately, it is my lack of a physical body that has burdened Yuan Shīmèi. Yanli said this with a look of sincere regret. "Sister, how could you say that? Had it not been for your timely aid, I would have been lost long ago. How could you have ended up in your current condition?" Yuan Yao quickly responded, her expression shifting to one of surprise and urgency. Yanli could only shake her head with a wry smile. "The Yin-Yang Cycle Technique?" Han Li frowned. "Indeed! It seems that Brother Han is well acquainted with this method as well." Yanli turned her head, her eyes sparkling. "Brother Han, I must confess—I do know something about this technique. To say that you two have lost the qualification to enter another cycle of rebirth would be accurate!" Han Li cleared his throat and said. While Yanli was not particularly familiar to him, Yuan Yao's actions in the past had always deeply impressed him. "Back then, if it hadn't been for our jointly perfecting this extraordinary technique, we likely would have vanished into dust long before reaching the Human Realm. Thus, Yuan Yao doesn't regret at all having mastered this method. What truly impresses me is that Brother Han has also achieved transcendence and ascended to the Immortal Realm." Yuan Yao gave a gentle smile to Han Li. "Given the scarcity of spiritual energy in the Human Realm, I didn't simply rely on ordinary means to cross over into this world. Yet, I wonder—why have you two arrived here? This place is not within the territory of our Human race." Han Li expressed some further curiosity. "My sister has no idea either. Two hundred years ago, when we both reached the peak of our mastery of the Yin-Yang Cycle Technique and just entered the stage of Transformation, we were suddenly enveloped by a powerful gust of negative wind, which carried us directly out of our cultivation grounds, leaving us unconscious. When we awoke, we found ourselves already deep within the Earth's Abyss. There, we encountered the Ghost Elder, a being of ghostly form, who took us under her wing and enrolled us as her disciples." "We had stayed here for a long time, and only then did we realize that we were actually in the spiritual realm, never having had the chance to visit the mortal world once." Yanli paused, a look of mild confusion briefly crossing her face. "The two of you have suddenly come to my residence—shouldn't there be something important at stake?" Han Li arched an eyebrow and asked suddenly. Yuan Yao and Yan Li exchanged glances upon hearing this, and for a moment, both remained silent. After a while, it was Yan Li who, after a brief hesitation, spoke a remark that left Han Li momentarily stunned: "Since both you and Yuan sister are long-time acquaintances, I have no further concealment. We have come to you personally today because our lives are now in serious danger—we have come specifically to seek your help." "Life in peril? How so? As disciples of the Ghost Nuns, shouldn't we be safe from any threats in the Deep Abyss?" Han Li expressed his astonishment. "But the very person who seeks to take our lives is the Ghost Nun herself!" Yan Li exhaled deeply, her eyes flashing with fear. "The Ghost Nun? Indeed, Yuan sister?" Han Li's expression grew serious. Though he believed Yan Li unlikely to be exaggerating, he still turned to Yuan Yao and asked directly. "Han brother, if it weren't for the lack of other options, neither I nor Yan sister would have risked being discovered by the Ghost Lady and come here secretly to see you. However, Han brother need not worry. The Ghost Lady, in her efforts to secure the affairs of the Understream Realm, is currently personally forging several major Yin Armor Ghost Kings and should remain in seclusion for some time. This is precisely our only chance to save ourselves. Normally, we simply cannot leave the Inner Palace." Yuan Yao nodded solemnly, her delicate features weighed down with gravity. "Han brother has long been a generous helper to my sister in the human world, especially in restoring my sister's spirit and protecting her. I've heard this story from my sister many times. This time, with no other means of assistance available, we have come to you. I sincerely hope you will save my sister's life!" Yan Li said, her eyes glistening with emotion, and suddenly pulled Yuan Yao close, rushing to pay a graceful bow to Han Li. Han Li's expression changed instantly. With a sweeping motion of his sleeve, he sent out an invisible, powerful force that instantly materialized in the air. Just as Yuan Yao and Yan Li were about to bow, they felt the air around them grow suddenly still, and with their current levels of cultivation, they could no longer manage to bow. Both girls were both astonished and delighted. They were naturally amazed at Han Li's extraordinary abilities, far beyond their expectations, and delighted that should the other party act, they truly stood a chance of escaping to safety. "Miss Yuan, you have greatly overestimated Han Li. As you well know, my situation is not one of freedom—I am also under house arrest. How could I possibly stand against the ghost nun? Moreover, why must she specifically take your lives? Surely there must be some reason behind this. Are you absolutely certain about this matter?" Han Li, instead of accepting the bow from the two girls, hesitated for a while, his expression shifting, before finally asked in a steady voice. "Misunderstanding? If indeed it is a misunderstanding between me and my sister, that would be truly fortunate. In truth, it was we who personally observed the ghost nun's hidden intentions. The specific details, I shall not go into at this time." But I can tell Brother Han that, when the ghost nuns first accepted me and Master Yuan as her disciples, she had specifically noticed the pure yin qi that had accumulated within both of us due to our cultivation of the Yin-Yang Cycle Technique. The ghost nun possesses a method that allows her to absorb and refine not only our souls but also this yin qi, thereby greatly enhancing her own cultivation." As the beautiful woman spoke, she involuntarily shivered. "Moreover, we have secretly discovered that, prior to us, the ghost nun had previously taken on several other disciples who, like us, possessed ghostly bodies. Yet, all of them have vanished without a trace—mysteriously. This confirms the evidence we hold!" Yuan Yao added, her face pale. "Even so, I doubt that you expect the ghost nun to simply release us merely upon saying a word. Even if I possess some value to her, once I enter the realm of the Underworld River, my very life is at stake." After a brief silence, Han finally said with a flicker of determination in his eyes. "On this point, Brother Han, you need not worry. The method to rescue us, our younger sister has already thought of—something that should be a mere matter of reaching out for Brother Han. Moreover, this time, Brother Han's assistance to us is also an opportunity for self-rescue. We have a plan to temporarily remove the imprints upon your body within the realm of the River of the Dead." The graceful young lady suddenly smiled, a hint of cunning in her eyes. "Indeed? You truly can accomplish this!" Brother Han's face turned pale, deeply moved. "Hah, such an important matter—how could I deceive you on this? I can even reveal the method to Brother Han first, and then let him judge for himself whether it is genuine." The young lady smiled softly and gracefully. "Very well! If the method proves sound and within my capabilities, then I shall take the risk and make every effort to assist you two in your escape." Brother Han stroked his chin, glanced at Yuan Yao, and finally made up his mind.