Upon hearing this, the two Yuan Yao sisters exchanged glances with each other. Naturally, neither of them intended to give up on restoring their normal bodies. "It is my fault for not having considered this thoroughly. As Brother Han mentioned earlier, it seems that you have already passed through space nodes before. If that is the case, and if we can indeed find a more stable one, both I and my sister would certainly be eager to leave this place. However, I must admit that we have no clear understanding of how to locate such nodes." After a moment of silence, the more graceful one smiled faintly and said with a touch of embarrassment. "Regarding this matter, both of you need not worry. I possess certain unique methods in this regard. Nevertheless, it will take a little more time before we can actually begin our search—after all, we must first evade the searches conducted by the ghost nuns and others. Regardless of whether they ultimately succeed in obtaining what they seek, due to the presence of the Fu-Yu clan, they will not remain in this place for long. The optimal window of opportunity for us to search for nodes and make our escape will be precisely between their departure from the Yinhe region and the arrival of the Fu-Yu clan members Now, I'm seeking an extremely concealed spot where we can hide for a while," Han Li said calmly, clearly confident in his judgment. Yuan Yao and Yan Li nodded in agreement, immediately expressing their approval. After discussing it, the three of them continued their flight without pause, swiftly passing through the sky above the nearby area and eventually vanishing at the far horizon. Several days later, Han Li and his companions appeared above a strange expanse of water. The water beneath was deep green with a dark hue, and a faint layer of black mist hovered above it. Even more remarkable was the fact that throughout this endless water body—whether sea or lake—numerous islands of varying sizes were scattered throughout, arranged in a regular, star-like pattern. Han Li and his party journeyed deep into this region for one full day and night, yet still saw no sign of an end. "We'll stay here," Han Li said. "This body of water is so vast—it may surpass ordinary oceans. Even if the immortal kings come searching, they will surely find it difficult to locate us within a short time." Moreover, I have a strong feeling that deep beneath the waters, there are many terrifying things concealed—entities so powerful that even the ghost-maidens and others cannot freely probe them with their divine awareness, effectively serving as a protective barrier for us. Han Li led the group to halt their flight, his eyes flashing with a blue glow as he scanned the dense, thick black mist below, then spoke slowly. These thick, condensed mist clusters they had encountered along the way were numerous, yet under the clarity of his spiritual sight, the black mist seemed to subtly conceal an entire small island beneath it. Although Yuan Yao’s two sisters could not see through the island hidden within the mist, upon hearing Han Li’s words, they showed no hesitation and immediately agreed, following him downward into the black mist. To their surprise, an unexpected event unfolded. Though the mist appeared ordinary, as soon as the three of them entered, they suddenly felt the surrounding mist surge and rush against their bodies, dispersing their inner qi instantly and causing their flight to vanish completely. "Ahh!" Yuan Yao and Yan Li were stunned, their faces pale as they gasped in surprise. Though various streams of luminous energy flashed continuously over their bodies, their forms continued to sink downward into the deeper mist. Yet Yuan Yao and Yan Li had now regained their spiritual power, their faces pale as they once again floated in the void. "What on earth is going on? This black mist seems so terrifying. Had it not been for Brother Han's timely intervention, we would have suffered a serious setback," Yan Li murmured, her face pale. "The realm of darkness, the land of the River of the Underworld—hmm, these two sound quite similar. Plus, with this strange mist that drains one's magical power, there must be some connection between them." Han Li stroked his chin, pondering. "Still, there are differences. It seems this mist here is slightly less effective at sapping one's spiritual energy than the ghost mist of the human realm. While it doesn't fully restore one's power, it still allows one to sense the presence of spiritual energy. On the other hand, when one was caught in that ghost mist back then, they became completely ordinary, indistinguishable from common mortals." Yuan Yao spoke with some uncertainty. "I feel the same. The exact reason might be that this peculiar mist here is less potent than the one in the human realm, or perhaps, as our own cultivation levels have advanced, the ghost mist now appears far less impressive than it once did. Nevertheless, there are some distinctions. The ghost mist of the human realm seems more spirited—it actively seeks out and consumes nearby cultivators. As for this place…." Han Li shook his head, clearly pinpointing the differences. "Indeed, it's just as Han brother described." The black mist here shows no sign of actively consuming anything. Yet, the ghost mist of the human realm can draw people into the realm of the Underworld—does this mist also connect to other realms or dimensions?" Yuan Yao's eyes brightened, and she grew excited. "That's actually something I'm not entirely sure about! After all, the origin of the ghost mist in the human realm and the Underworld itself has remained a mystery to us all these years." Han Li sighed and said this. "I wonder if the black mist around here is similar, or if other mist formations possess such power as well?" Yan Li, who had been listening attentively, suddenly asked with a flash of her gaze. "That's something I haven't noticed before! The two of you, please wait a moment— I'll go take a look and return shortly." Han Li was momentarily surprised, but quickly raised an eyebrow and said this. With a flash of azure light on his body, he transformed once again into a large azure phoenix. With a single flap of his wings, he immediately shot forward over ten zhang, taking off swiftly toward the distance. Only the two women remained, gazing at each other in wonder. "Yuan sister, Han Master's cultivation "It's surprising that you've even mastered this Fēling Clan transformation secret technique," Yánlì exclaimed in amazement. "Sister, haven't you realized that Brother Han entered the Deep Realm as the Sacred Son of the Fēling Clan? It's not unusual for someone of his status to know such a secret." Yuan Yao smiled gently. "Sister, you may not know—being the Sacred Son of the Fēling Clan isn't something anyone can easily claim. I've heard stories from others about the strict requirements. The branch Sacred Sons must possess not only the true spiritual essence of their respective branches, but also meet numerous other stringent conditions. Even among the Fēling Clan's own members, becoming a Sacred Son is no easy feat. I wonder how Brother Han managed to achieve this and master such a divine skill." Yánlì smiled gracefully. "Ah, now I understand," Yuan Yao nodded, her gaze slightly misty, fixed on the direction where Han had disappeared. Yanli saw Yuan Yao's expression, a flicker of something unusual passing through her beautiful eyes, yet she quickly smiled and said, "Compared to this matter, I'm actually more curious—why, once Brother Han transformed into a great crane, did he immediately become immune to this ghost mist?" "It does seem odd, and I myself am not entirely clear. Could it be that the Flying Spirit Clan's transformation secret has some other, previously unknown power?" Yuan Yao was momentarily distracted by this question, drawing her gaze back, and likewise expressing her bewilderment. "This is hard to explain—perhaps you should ask Brother Han directly. Maybe he knows something." Yanli smiled gently. "It wouldn't be quite appropriate. Matters concerning such deep, intimate powers and techniques—between us, it seems we're not quite at ease in directly inquiring about them." Yuan Yao hesitated upon hearing this. "Ah, with the close friendship between my sister-in-charge and Brother Han from their early days, shouldn't this be a minor matter? We're not aiming to uncover his specific techniques or formulas. We merely wish to understand whether this ghost mist holds any particular countermeasures." "But I'm not particularly familiar with Mr. Han, so it would be more appropriate for my sister to ask." Yanli spoke this with ease. Yuan Yao furrowed her brows, thought for a moment, and then nodded silently. Half an hour later, the sky flashed with a pale blue glow, followed by a clear cry, and the large blue phoenix shot back again. After a few swift movements, a sudden gale rose, and the phoenix appeared before the two women. Then, as the blue light faded, the phoenix vanished, leaving behind Han Li's form. "Has anything unusual been observed in those black mist patches?" Yanli asked eagerly. "It's not all of them—only certain portions are capable of absorbing spiritual energy. Most of these are dense, thick patches of mist that have condensed into larger areas." Han Li replied seriously. Upon hearing this, both women looked visibly surprised. "Shall we enter the black mist and investigate further?" Yanli breathed out, asking with a sense of determination. "By right, we ourselves are already in trouble, so it would be unwise of us to delve deeper into this matter. These black vapors possess a magical ability to bind and dampen spiritual awareness. If we can find a way to retreat into them, even if the immortal kings are as powerful as they are, they will be unable to locate us. The only concern is whether there might be some danger lurking deep within these vapors." Han Li said, hesitating slightly. "As long as we can evade the search of the ghost nuns and others, taking some risks would be well worth it. After all, didn't you, Brother Han, become a koupeng and grow immune to these ghost vapors?" Yan Li replied with a smile. Han Li smiled gently, yet had not yet found words to speak when Yuan Yao, after a brief pause, asked: "Brother Han, your transformation technique originates from the Fei Ling clan, correct? Why, after your transformation, do you no longer feel the restriction of these strange vapors on your spiritual energy? Could you share the reason with us? Do we also have any means to avoid losing our full spiritual power while immersed in the mist?" (Apologies for the delayed update of this Hehe, this chapter was quite challenging to write since it brought in more human-world elements. To ensure proper continuity and呼应, it took a bit more time.