"Thank you so much?" Han Li heard this, and replied, "Then, if my friend does not believe Gu's words, I am not unwilling to pay a certain price first." The man named Gu spoke with a cold, composed demeanor. "Brother Han, only I have studied the celestial magic armor from beyond the heavens can repair it. As long as we work together, not only will my younger sister restore the armor upon her return, but in a few centuries' time, she will also bring you back here to seek the true essence of the mythical creature, sharing it with you." The delicate young woman spoke with remarkable calm and confidence, as though certain that Han Li would surely assist her. Indeed, as she had predicted, Han Li only paused briefly before shaking his head and saying, "Regardless of what happens in the future, I cannot remain indifferent this time. If you are wise, then please make your own way and depart." Upon hearing Han Li's words, the man named Gu was deeply incensed, his expression darkening, and his aura of blood and vitality grew even more intense. Han Li narrowed his eyes, and as a deep rumbling thunder echoed within his body, golden arcs of electricity suddenly emerged, while a faint golden, three-headed, six-armed form gradually rose behind him. At his feet, after dozens of jade-colored flying swords flashed into place, a cold, solemn glow spread out, and a pale blue lotus slowly unfurled. Han Li himself stood with his hands behind his back, his expression calm and composed, gazing steadily at the man named Gui. The Qilin silhouette, harnessing the wind, expanded its form several times over, roaring continuously while steadfastly gazing at the formidable opponent before it. Though the man of the Gui surname had always been exceptionally fierce, his expression grew notably gloomy upon witnessing the united strength of Han Li and his companion. While the strength of the Crystal Clan woman was not particularly daunting to him, Han Li's solo victory over the Xueling had indeed made a significant impact. He had originally estimated only a fifty-fifty chance of prevailing against the Xueling, especially considering that the Xueling was now embodied by a celestial demon king. "Very well," the man said, his eyes flashing with fierce determination. "There's still much to come. I hope that when we meet again, both of you will still be as unharmed as you are today." As he finished speaking, he flicked his sleeve, sending a burst of gray mist flying. The mist spiraled once before solidifying into an unusual, cone-shaped flying vehicle, entirely blood-red, with faint ghostly shadows shimmering within it. The Gu family man flickered slightly and suddenly vanished into the carriage. Immediately, a roar of ghostly wails erupted, transforming the flying carriage into a streak of blood-colored rainbow that shot upward toward the horizon. After a few more flashes, it finally disappeared completely. This one proved remarkably decisive—once he saw his chances of success were slim, he immediately and without hesitation took off to flee. The crystal-kin woman relaxed slightly, then pressed her palms together in a series of gestures. The celestial qilin image in the air dispersed and instantly reformed into a scroll and a small banner, which descended and was then retrieved. Only then did she turn gracefully, bowing lightly to Han Li with a serene smile: "Thank you, Han brother, for successfully repelling that foe. Otherwise, whether we could even leave this place today remains very uncertain." "Hmph. You truly place your trust in me. Don't you fear I might be displeased with you, and immediately turn against you, seizing you and using the soul-searching technique to extract the method for repairing the magical armor?" Han Li glanced at her, then sneered. "Though I've only known Brother Han for a short while, I'm confident that I can still see you as someone who isn't easily unkind or unfaithful. Moreover, though my cultivation level isn't high, I do possess a few refined techniques to seal my spirit essence—should my spirit depart, it would be difficult for anyone to easily obtain key information." Lin Xin didn't seem at all perturbed by Han Li's tone; instead, she smiled gracefully. Hearing this, Han Li found himself momentarily at a loss for words. His primary objective on this journey had indeed been to repair the celestial magic armor from beyond the heavens—something he certainly didn't wish to complicate further. As for the true essence of the Zhenlin, a marvel of such extraordinary nature, he had never heard of it before and now saw no possibility of securing it. Thus, he intended to wait until he had gathered more information before deciding how to proceed. Furthermore, the recent anomalies of the celestial demon king and the啼魂beast had left him both preoccupied and unsettled, requiring careful consideration upon his return. "This time, I'll take all the materials from that Saint-stage demon ape," Han Li said, after a moment's thought, "No problem. After returning, besides repairing the magical armor for Brother Han, my sister will also present another gift in gratitude for your final assistance." How obedient and thoughtful this young lady was—she not only readily agreed but also proposed an additional token of appreciation. Seeing her so considerate, Brother Han gently nodded, his expression slightly eased. "Brother Han, the recent clash must have startled many of the beasts. Let's leave now, so as not to create further complications." After swiftly surveying the vast wreckage scattered across the ground, the young woman's eyes flashed with a touch of mild disappointment before she asked in a questioning tone. "Yes, the commotion was indeed quite loud. Let's go." Han surveyed the surroundings and promptly agreed without hesitation. The crystal-people maiden beamed with satisfaction. Immediately, the two of them vanished in a burst of light, transforming into two brilliant streaks—one white, one green—racing swiftly toward the outer reaches of the mountain range. A short while later, the scene fell completely silent, with no trace of anyone remaining. After only a half-day's journey, Han Li and his companion had already slipped out beyond the mountain range. When they settled their light glow, they reappeared at the mountain peak where they had parted ways with Yue Sect. Xianxian raised her hand without a word, and instantly a beam of silver light shot forth, spiraling several times in the air before flashing back into her sleeve. Her expression changed, then she sighed with a wry smile, turning to Han Li and saying, "Indeed, as I had expected—Yue friend has likely already perished. The one who acted was either the person named Gui or the high-ranking beast that was felled by the Xueling's acupuncture. If only we had known this earlier, we would have had Yue join us in entering the mountains. Now, our return journey may come with some risks." "Yue's passing is truly unfortunate. However, even if he had entered with us, he would still not have been able to reach the area where the magical aura flows in reverse. In that case, his demise would still be unavoidable. As for our return, we shall simply retrace our steps. After all, we've already traversed this path once, and it remains safe After a brief pause, Han Li said, "That's all we can do. The sooner, the better. Let's set off right away." The woman of the clan sighed and spoke. Han Li nodded in agreement. Immediately, the two cast their light and took off once more, retracing their path. Han Li and his companion were naturally unaware that, at a distance of countless thousands of miles from them, hundreds of transformed beasts were already en route, rushing toward them along the very same path. Leading the charge was none other than a trusted subordinate of the Saint-level multi-eyed demon—the humanoid beast named Wu Qi, who bore a pair of massive black horns on his head. He wore a black iron armor, his otherwise fierce expression now heavy, frequently glancing at the blood-red orb tightly clutched in his hand. The orb, which should have been crystal-clear and perfectly smooth, now bore a deep crack running from its center, and its light had completely faded. Upon receiving the emergency message from his subordinate, Nine-Yue, the Saint-Rank multi-eyed beast could not spare his attention, yet he was deeply concerned that Han Li and the others might truly escape. Thus, he immediately dispatched himself and gathered all available mid-to-high ranked beasts nearby, heading straight toward the mark left by Nine-Yue. However, barely had he set out when the artifact he had used to track his companions cracked in two. This sudden development sent the beast into a state of alarm. Such an occurrence naturally indicated that his companions had already perished along the way—leaving him uncertain whether he could still succeed in intercepting the fleeing party. Yet, recalling the cold, ominous glint in his "master's" eyes at the moment of departure, the five-year-old beast shivered involuntarily. He had no doubt that if he now returned to his master with this excuse, he would be torn in two instantly. With such thoughts running through his mind, the great beast grew restless and instantly let out a low roar, urging the other beasts behind him to speed up. The magical wind surged powerfully, and as the beasts rolled forward, their pace increased by another fraction. …..In a seemingly ordinary small valley near the edge of the Magi Mountain Range, four figures stood facing each other, motionless. On one side stood an elderly man with gray-white hair and a lady dressed in imperial robes; on the other side, a foreigner with a square-faced appearance and emerald-green hair, and a lean, vigorous man with a wiry frame. All four faced each other with stern expressions, exchanging hostile glances. "You came here simply to drive us away—doesn't that seem rather domineering?" The elder was the local cultivator named Yan who had been present at the Lei Yun Pavilion, speaking calmly. "Hmph. I've chosen this location and intend to explore it myself. I certainly don't want someone standing outside waiting idly for me to arrive." "The Green-Haired beings naturally suffered a significant setback at the hands of Han Li, especially as a transcendent-tier extraterrestrial. Now, they were not backing down at all. 'You've gone too far! This valley was the one we discovered first. How can you just hand it over to you?' the lady in imperial robes exclaimed, furious. 'Why? As beings of our stature, we simply follow the principle of strength—whichever party has the greater power, that party holds the right. If you insist on refusing, then allow me to personally assess your capabilities. Should you be able to defeat me, then this valley shall be yours. Otherwise, you'll have to leave—how far you go, I shall determine.' The Green-Haired being surged with an aura of fierce intensity, speaking with a threatening tone. It seemed entirely prepared to launch a decisive confrontation at the slightest provocation. 'Why do you need to act so urgently? A clear and direct approach: your eagerness to drive us out clearly stems from your celestial disk showing a response to this valley. However, a response from the disk does not necessarily mean that the valley contains the Immortal Sage. This kind of miscommunication has surely happened to you several times in the past few Then, why not enter together and conduct a thorough search to verify the matter before we make our decision? Otherwise, I, Yan, shall never leave here—only to face you in battle." The elder named Yan spoke calmly and simply.