A few moments later, within the area enveloped by the black curtain, the curtain began to tremble violently, and a continuous series of thunderous cracks resonated from beneath the ground. Centered on the palace on the surface, several massive beams of light surged upward, then suddenly collapsed, causing the ground over a radius of several miles to give way. The palace completely collapsed and vanished, leaving behind a colossal depression in its place. On the surface near the crater, several long fissures, each several dozen feet wide, extended outwards for over ten miles. From within the crater, several roars echoed, followed by clusters of luminous energy darting out and racing forward. One cluster led the way, hundreds of feet ahead, while the others trailed behind, swiftly closing the distance. As they sped toward the entrance of the blue corridor, they all burst through the black curtain. Then, a surge of rushing sounds followed, and they shot off toward the distant horizon. Suddenly, among the trailing clusters, a fierce struggle erupted—each one launched attacks on the others while relentlessly pursuing the leading luminous cluster. One of the luminous orbs suddenly detached itself from the intense battle, altering its course and drifting off alone. In the blink of an eye, the area near the black veil grew quiet once more, silent and still. After a few flashes, Qinghong vanished into the black mist. The scene in the hills was not as desolate as Han Li had imagined. Besides the low gray shrubs growing on uneven ground, several taller trees also flourished. Though these trees were somewhat pale in color, their foliage was exceptionally lush, nearly covering half of the hills. After hovering in the faint black mist for a while, Han Li came to a halt at a hillock resembling a small stone mound. With his divine awareness scanning the surroundings and confirming that there were no powerful spirits nearby, he shook his sleeve and launched a golden, slender sword from his sleeve. The sword swiftly transformed into several beams of golden light, rushing toward a nearby stone wall and slashing furiously. A deep, resonant roar followed, and a large opening instantly appeared. The golden light surged in like a serpentine flow, penetrating the wall. Han Li stood with his hands behind his back at the entrance. After a period of about a cup of tea's worth of time, the golden sword returned to him. Han Li's expression shifted slightly. He flipped his palm, and a stack of small flags of varying colors appeared in his hand. With a single throw, the vibrant hues of light vanished into the entrance of the cave. Instantly, a seemingly ordinary black mist surged forth, blending seamlessly with the surrounding cool, condensed atmosphere, becoming indistinguishable from it. Han Li extended his hand and gestured toward the azure glow behind him; with a subtle movement, he stepped into the mist. The two women flashed briefly within the glow, then gently dissolved into the dark mist as if floating. Though the temporary shelter was not expansive—only about ten to fifteen zhang in diameter—it was profoundly deep, extending all the way to the very heart of the mountain plateau. Once Han Li's figure materialized at the far end of the stone cave and settled cross-legged against one end of the wall, the two women were likewise drawn into the azure glow and laid gently upon the ground. The light faded completely, dissolving into nothing. The two women remained closed-eyed, still unconscious—nothing surprising about it to Han Li! Those crimson threads clearly proved to be strange and eerie in nature. Moreover, to swiftly free the two women from his control, he had forcibly directed a surge of divine辟邪thunder to focus upon their bodies. Yet, as the two women possessed half-god physiologies, they could not endure this intense cleansing without discomfort. Of course, this also stemmed from the relatively weaker physical constitutions of Yuan Yao and her two companions. Should it be someone as robust as Han Li, such discomfort would scarcely register at all. Nevertheless, Han Li was confident in employing this thunderous technique, knowing he had a plan ready to immediately awaken the two women. Amid the faint, shimmering light, the two women's expressions of pain gradually faded, and their complexion improved significantly. Han Li, holding his hands in seals, transmitted one after another intricate spells through the translucent green aura, each entering the bodies of the two women. At the same time, the several silver needles, as the spells were cast, vibrated in a highly regular rhythm, their silvery glow flickering steadily between bright and dim. "Hán friend, is it really you?" As soon as she saw Hán Li near at hand, Yuan Yao's expression relaxed, her lips parting slightly as if she wanted to say more. But Hán Li waved a hand, his expression serious, and said, "Yuan lady, I'll explain everything in detail later. For now, let's check whether you're free from any internal injuries." Yuan Yao nodded solemnly and immediately settled into a meditative posture, closing her eyes once again. Yet, unexpectedly, Han Li managed to appear beside them and save them under such circumstances. After losing consciousness, Yanli could not fathom how Han Li accomplished this seemingly impossible feat, but she knew the process must have been extraordinarily perilous. Thus, her gratitude was deeply sincere. Yuan Yao also bowed respectfully alongside Yanli, though she did not utter any words, her expression of appreciation was evident and unreserved. "Ladies, please don't hesitate to accept this. In truth, much of what I've done has been for my own benefit. I've currently suppressed the imprints within my body, but this state is only temporary. The ghost nuns and others may at any moment activate them. I invite you both to assess whether the ambient yin qi here can assist me in expelling these imprints." Concerned about his own life, Han Li offered no further formalities and directly brought up the matter of the imprints. Upon hearing this, the two ladies exchanged glances and then scanned the surroundings, sensing the level of yin qi present. "The阴 qi here, though not yet as thick and concentrated as we had hoped, still offers a six or seven out of ten chance when it comes to activating the imprints. Brother Han, do you think we should seek another location with more potent阴 qi, or should we take our chances right here?" Yuan Yao lowered her head, pondering quietly before speaking. "Six or seven? That's more than sufficient. If we search elsewhere, we may not have enough time. The immortal kings already know we haven't perished. Once they recover, they will surely activate the imprints to locate us." Han thought for a moment, then decisively replied. Though he had always been hesitant to commit to uncertain ventures, when it truly came down to making a bold gamble, Han never wavered. "Very well. Then I shall follow Brother Han's advice. Immediately, we shall set up the 'Wheel of Gathering Yin Array.' With its power, we can gather an astonishing amount of yin qi within a short period. By combining our efforts and drawing upon this accumulated yin qi, the three of us together will be able to successfully expel those imprints." Yanli nodded in approval at Han Li's decisive manner. Clearly, this young lady also favored staying and acting here. Yuan Yao's beautiful eyes flickered several times before she likewise gave a gentle nod. With such pressing time, there was no room for delay. Once agreement was reached, the three immediately took to the air, flying out of the cave and into the lower sky. Yanli scanned the surroundings with her gaze, then raised her hand. A cluster of dark wind suddenly emerged and coalesced into a compact form, swiftly transforming into a slender, grayish banner. As she tossed the banner into the air, she began murmuring incantations. Under the power of her spell, the small banner spun continuously in the sky, releasing countless threads of gray, ethereal silk that danced and swirled all around. Han Li watched the banner in the sky, his eyes slightly narrowing. To his surprise, so many of these gray threads suddenly converged in one direction, straightening out into a sharp, pointed cone, extending directly toward a nearby small hillock. "There it is!" she exclaimed. "That must be the spot where the ambient阴 energy is most concentrated." "Most suitable as the focal point for the Wheel of Gathering Yin Array." The graceful and melodious voice came from above. Yuan Yao, standing beside Han Li, smiled with delight upon hearing this. Immediately, the three of them launched themselves toward the spot. Han Li remained suspended in the air, on constant alert, while Yuan Yao and the other woman began to construct an expansive array centered on the hill. The glow of this array covered the entire hill and its surroundings. Han Li, hovering above, watched the array take shape below, occasionally stroking his chin, his expression thoughtful.