"The Five Dragon Slicer has long since harmonized with my spirit and mind. Even if it is transported beyond this realm through the power of a single thought, you would still be unable to fully harness its might—no matter how much of the treasure you borrow. And with your body merely a puppet, the situation is even more challenging. I shall pass on a technique that enables you to command the Five Dragon Slicer through the power of your spirit awareness. Though this technique will only allow you to fully unleash the blade's potential for a limited duration, it will be sufficient to repel any external threats. However, once you employ this method, your spirit awareness embedded within the puppet will suffer significant damage—potentially affecting your true form as well. Do you still wish to proceed?" The elderly voice continued. Upon hearing this, the puppet's eyes flashed with a bright green light, then swiftly brightened, before responding after a brief pause: "Should we fail to halt these outsiders, even if we return safely to our clan, we shall face severe penalties. I am willing to sacrifice my spirit awareness and risk everything." "Excellent. That is what I hoped to hear. Listen closely—I shall now directly transmit the technique to you." The elderly voice owner chuckled warmly, then fell silent. Yet the blood-armored automaton's eyes flashed continuously, showing deep concentration as if listening intently to something. After a while, the automaton exhaled deeply, bowed respectfully to the cavern, and spoke: "Thank you, elder, for the technique. I shall now retire and prepare accordingly." "Wait—here, take this pill for the other spirits. As long as they recover their vital energy, they can still lend you their support. I won't take advantage of your young ones." Immediately after the words were spoken, a strange wind surged violently from within the cavern. When the wind subsided, a white jade bottle appeared before the automaton. The automaton was naturally delighted, promptly took the bottle, and then bowed in thanks before retreating. The spirits followed silently, moving out with the automaton. …At the same time, Liu Liu and the others were passing through the canopy of a dense grove of dry trees, where a vast number of skeletons burst forth from the forest in a dense throng. These skeletons appeared to be the remains of some kind of insect or beast—each bearing unusually large front limbs that resembled massive bone blades. Their bodies were enveloped in swirling masses of yellow vapor, surging downward toward the array of puppets and ghost soldiers stationed below. Liu Liu and the others, conserving their magical energy, chose not to intervene. Yet the puppets and ghost soldiers met them with vigorous attacks, unleashing waves of swordlight, blade energy, and gusts of cold, shadowy wind that swept down and shattered the skeletons into fragments. Yet an astonishing phenomenon unfolded: no matter how severely damaged the skeletons became—whether shattered into countless pieces—they immediately reassembled and restored themselves the moment they touched the ground within the dry forest, regaining their original form. Then, they surged upward once more, with renewed vigor. These beings seemed to possess an immortality of their own. Han Li had also remained inactive within the group, yet his expression subtly shifted upon witnessing this scene. Fortunately, the group still had numerous puppets and a large number of ghost soldiers accompanying them; otherwise, such creatures would have been hard to defeat in succession. It was no surprise, then, that Lu Zhu and the others had insisted on bringing so many puppets and shadow troops from the start. Amid the thunderous bursts of explosions, the group flew under the protection of the puppets and ghost soldiers for half a day before finally emerging from the stretch of dry woods. As soon as they stepped out of the forest, the insect and beast skeletons that had been shattered upon impact fell to the ground outside and instantly transformed into clusters of yellow ash, vanishing completely. The other skeletons, seemingly imbued with spirit, immediately halted and then turned back toward the dry woods. Han Li was struck by this phenomenon and silently marvelled. Clearly, there must be some hidden secret within the dry woods. Had it not been for Lu Zhu and the others' urgent focus on reaching their destination, he would have certainly intended to explore further down the path. The group didn't travel far before encountering a vast, dark lake ahead. The lake's surface was as black as ink, veiled in a faint green mist—clearly no pleasant place. Yet Lu Zhu, leading the way, showed no hesitation, charging straight into the mist. Not long after, fresh cries of battle echoed once more through the fog... After a month, despite the near-total loss of over a thousand puppets and hundreds of yin soldiers, Lu Zhu's party finally reached their ultimate destination—Mount Yin Gu, famed for housing the Divine Milk of the River of the Underworld. Several immortal kings gathered solemnly, discussing matters at hand. Han Li gazed toward the distant mountains, his heart heavy with concern. The latter part of the journey had proven more unexpected than anticipated. Though he had always expected the perilous terrain of the Yinhe region to allow him opportunities to escape the company of the ghost widow and others, he now found that despite encountering numerous difficulties, no threat had arisen strong enough to draw away all the immortal kings at once. Moreover, Jinling, the spiritually attuned ancient ape, seemed to have received instructions from Muqing, remaining almost constantly by Han Li's side throughout the journey. What further frustrated Han Li was that he discovered this spirit ape also possessed a certain spiritual vision technique—no matter what concealment methods he attempted, he found it difficult to escape its watchful gaze. Of course, if he were alone, he could still rely on the extraordinary power of the Taiyi Huaqing Seal to vanish far away. The other party, it seemed, had not yet managed to penetrate or disrupt this seal. After all, as his magical power grew stronger, the concealment effect of this scroll had become vastly superior to what it once was. Yet, without bringing along Yuan Yao and the two beautiful women, he would be unable to erase the four immortal king imprints within his body. Then, how far could he possibly escape? Han Li gazed at the distant gray mountains, his mind constantly pondering. According to what Lu Zhu and the others had described, the so-called "Spirit Milk of the Underworld River" should be located precisely at the heart of these mountains. Although Lu Zhu and the others had never revealed the specific effects of this divine milk, the very fact that even a being at the peak of the Consolidated Body stage was willing to risk his life to enter this place demonstrated its extraordinary rarity. Nevertheless, since the Underworld River region was the sacred sanctuary of the Fu Shou clan, the surrounding area naturally brimmed with formidable restrictions—far from easy to access. It was unclear whether some terrifying seal had been placed there, or whether there were other powerful beings guarding it. Han Li felt a sudden sense of alertness, and at once turned his gaze toward the immortal kings engaged in the conversation. To their surprise, the others were now steadily turning their gaze toward him. Their expressions varied, and a clear undercurrent of irritation was evident—seeming as though they had been arguing among themselves. Mu Qing shook his head repeatedly, while the six-eyed Six-Footed One's green glow flickered, his own face growing stern. The white-haired beauty, on the other hand, appeared hesitant and indecisive. As for the two figures in crimson robes, their faces were partially obscured by the crimson light, making it impossible to discern their expressions. The various immortal kings were exchanging whispers and occasionally glancing at him with their peripheral vision. Han Li felt a weight settle in his heart. The creatures were clearly discussing him! Though he didn't understand the specifics of their conversation, the fact that they were speaking of him now clearly indicated something unfavorable. Han Li pressed down his growing unease, drawing his gaze back and fixing it once more on the distant mountain range, his eyes shifting constantly. After what seemed like a full meal's time, Han Li suddenly heard the cold voice of the Six-Footed One: "Han, come here. We have something we need you to do." Han Li pressed his lips slightly, then moved smoothly, drifting slowly toward them. "Could I know what instructions the senior masters have?" As soon as he reached the side of Xu Lu and the others, he bowed both hands with a calm and composed tone. Xu Lu's compound eyes scanned Han Li's face without any expression, while the expressions of Mu Qing and the white-haired beauty grew somewhat displeased. "Han Brother, take a close look at this object!" Suddenly, Xu Lu raised one hand, producing a dark, round orb from it, which he invited Han Li to examine closely. Han Li was momentarily stunned upon seeing the object—he found it strangely familiar and instinctively wished to focus his attention on it. Yet, as he did so, the dark orb's surface remained utterly still, its surface radiance unbroken. Suddenly, a slender streak of black light shot out from the orb with lightning speed. "That's not good!" Han Li murmured under his breath, attempting to retreat. But at that moment, the air around him suddenly tightened, becoming as rigid as tempered steel, and instantly encased him firmly. It was at that very instant that Mu Qing, raising her hand simultaneously, cast a spell that sealed him in place. Though Han Li was filled with divine strength, under the combined attacks of the two fully-merged beings, he could only emit a flash of golden light, his body trembling slightly before coming to a complete stillness. The black thread vanished instantly, disappearing into his brow. A flash of black light passed over Han Li's face, his eyes instantly grew dull and lifeless, and his expression relaxed, no longer showing any signs of struggle. Yet surprisingly, their consciousness remained exceptionally clear. The two young women were filled with astonishment and anger, yet they could not control even the slightest expression on their faces, appearing utterly motionless. "Our body-control seal is capable of regulating every aspect of a person's physical form, including the precise movement of their inner qi. As long as I do not lift this seal, even though you remain conscious, you will remain mere corpses—living statues." The other blood-robed figure spoke calmly. With a simple flick of their robes, the two figures instantly transformed into sheets of blood light, swiftly engulfing the two young women and shooting them off toward the distance. After a few swift movements, they reappeared at their original location, now accompanied by Yuan Yao and Yan Li. At that moment, Lu Zhu focused his attention on the black orb in his hands, casting a series of spells while murmuring incantations continuously. A short while later, the orb emitted a low hum, then suddenly vibrated and flew out of his hands. After a brief flash, it settled firmly between Han Li's eyebrows, as if becoming a third eye. The surface of this pearl is dark and mysterious, with an intermittent, ethereal glow, appearing extremely strange!