Since the decision had been made, the two of them showed no hesitation at all. The elder woman briskly walked down a corridor and entered a room that was unusually simple in decor. Inside, a young man dressed in a white robe, though pale and thin, sat at a stone table, intently studying a book shimmering with silver. "Mother, how come you've suddenly come here?" the young man immediately set down the book upon seeing the elder woman enter, smiling warmly. "Name, get your things ready—we're going straight to Long Family's residence, Yingxian Palace." The elder woman, now radiating affection, spoke to the young man, her tone completely different from her earlier somber demeanor. "Long Family! It seems the person you've captured is quite a challenge." The young man frowned slightly, expressing a touch of resignation. "You know about this already?" the elder woman seemed surprised. "Mother, you've forgotten—though my magic isn't particularly strong, I've awakened the true dragon blood within me and gained some celestial hearing abilities. Even though I haven't left the room, I've managed to catch fragments of your conversations." The young man smiled and said. "Ah, now I understand! Rest assured, Name. No matter what, my father and I will safely transfer that inherited artifact into your body. With this, not only will your illness be cured, but you'll also be able to draw upon the inherited spiritual energy to break through your current limitations—there's a very real chance you could immediately form a golden elixir. As for that young man's superior, once he enters the Long family, he'll absolutely never dare to come knocking." The elder woman reassured him. When the Celestial Mirror Master prescribed the use of inherited items to heal my internal ailments, you two have been diligently seeking out cultivators who possess such inherited artifacts and whose seals remain unbroken. I've always sensed that I would inevitably encounter significant difficulties. Now that we've finally found someone like this, I'm sure my mother won't easily let go, especially after I've urged her this way." The young man paused, then sighed lightly. "What nonsense are you talking! We've both been watching our breath grow thin, barely making it through the next great celestial calamity. It's only because of that desperate hope that we've finally managed to have you—our only child. We absolutely won't allow a white-haired person to see their black-haired one off. As long as that person isn't one of the Three Emperors or the Seven Immortal Kings, with your uncle and grandfather standing by, you're safe beyond doubt. Moreover, you've now awakened the True Dragon blood—making you, by default, a disciple of the Long family. If the Long family fails to protect you, how can they still claim to be the foremost family of True Spirit cultivators?" The elder woman's expression darkened, and there was a clear undercurrent of resentment in her tone. "Very well. Since Mother has made up her mind, we should leave right away. Perhaps that combined-bodied elder will soon catch up to us here." The young man shook his head, but suddenly shifted to a tone of urgency I've carefully examined the young man's body beforehand, yet found no traces left behind." The elder woman was startled, her belief wavering. "Mother, after all, is not a fully integrated cultivator. As I know, fully integrated cultivators possess at least three or four methods to easily conceal the divine awareness imprints planted within them, from the detection of transcendent cultivators. Though I haven't cultivated my own qi in recent years, the numerous treatises and scriptures I've studied have certainly not gone to waste." The young man smiled faintly, with a touch of sorrow. "Name, your reasoning makes sense. Then let us simply pack nothing and hurry off. Father has already gone to fetch the young man." The woman's expression changed, growing increasingly tense. At the same time, in another chamber, the elder with black eyebrows gazed upon a figure lying still on the ground, his expression complex. "Young Daoist, please don't hold our couple responsible for our harshness. In order for my son Name to recover, we must take the inheritance artifacts from within you." And as for you, who has no heirloom to carry on, your very foundation will surely crumble—your life will be nothing short of unbearable. At that point, I will escort you gently and painlessly to the afterlife. The elder murmured these words, his face suddenly transforming into a fierce expression. The person lying on the ground was none other than the young Taoist from the Spirit of the Artifact. However, for some reason, the two elderly women had somehow affected him, leaving him unconscious ever since. Suddenly, the black-mustached elder flicked his hand, and a flash of black light appeared between his fingers—then, a dark, ink-black scroll rose into view. With a quick wrist motion, the scroll instantly transformed into an eerie gray glow and, in a single flash, vanished into the body of the young Taoist. Then, the elder opened his mouth and exhaled a stream of black vapor, within which a jade green bronze bell slowly spun. Raising his arm and slightly bending his finger, he produced a soft, clear sound—“ding-dong”—radiating from the black vapor. An utterly strange scene unfolded before everyone's eyes. The spirit-child, originally lying on the ground, suddenly trembled and rolled over, rising on his own to stand before the elder, eyes tightly shut. At this moment, the young Taoist appeared expressionless, as if a puppet. The elder chanted softly, launching one after another series of hand seals, and the jade-green bronze bell emitted a series of clear, varying tones. Yet though the sounds seemed ordinary, they gradually stirred the spirit-child, causing him to slowly open his eyes. Initially, his gaze was confused and dim, but it gradually became clearer—though his face remained utterly expressionless. Seeing this, the elder sighed with relief, raised his hand, and gently tucked the bell into his sleeve, then turned and walked away without a word. As the faint sound of the bell drifted from within his sleeve, the spirit-child, who had been motionless, finally moved, stepping steadily and following closely behind. After a brief moment, two streaks of black and gray light surged upward from the mountain, spiraling slightly before rushing toward Jiuxian Mountain. There, clearly visible within the two streams of light, were Huang, the slender young man, and Qi Lingzi. After a few swift flashes, the two streaks vanished without a trace at the horizon. Almost within the span of a meal, a brilliant streak of jade-green light erupted from another direction. As it passed through the small mountain's sky, the light dimmed, and suddenly two men emerged. One was strikingly handsome, the other unremarkable. These were Hai, the young lord, and Han Li. "They're not here!" Han Li murmured in surprise, his spirit sense sweeping down over the small mountain, where the wind had swept away the clouds. "Wait— they've taken my younger brother to another place! Can Master still find them?" Hai asked, sounding somewhat anxious upon hearing Han Li's words. "Rest assured, the divine consciousness imprints I've planted within your and the vessel's spirit are extremely faint, yet they trigger strong reactions at regular intervals. Whenever that happens, I'll know exactly where they've gone." Han spoke calmly. "That's good! Though this person truly dares—how could they dare to openly commit such a bold act of abduction during the Universal Treasures Assembly? Are the enforcement cultivators even paying any attention to this?" Hai Dashi's expression relaxed slightly at first, but then he grew increasingly indignant. "Heh! If it were an ordinary cultivator doing something like this, enforcement cultivators would surely step in to stop them. But when it comes to entities at the Transcendent Realm or above, these enforcement cultivators usually take a more careful look. As for those at the Consolidated Realm stage—well, even if they see such incidents, they often simply walk past without a word." Han chuckled softly. "Then perhaps that elderly woman is indeed a Consolidated Realm cultivator!" Hai Dashi's face changed instantly upon hearing this. "An integrated cultivator should be quite unlikely. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been so careful to avoid us." Han Li shook his head. "That's true too," Hai, the young nobleman, thought for a moment and nodded in agreement. After lingering in the air for nearly half an hour, Han Li suddenly raised both eyebrows: "Found them! They're heading straight for the immortal mountain. Let's go!" As soon as he finished speaking, Han Li didn't even wait for Hai to express his delight, but spun around with a fluid motion, lifting a surge of jade-green mist that instantly enveloped both of them. A streak of jade-green light then burst forth and shot swiftly toward the direction of the Nine Immortal Mountains. ... Three hours later, Han Li and Hai appeared silently above a magnificent, golden and lustrous palace. The palace had ten stories, clearly one of the nine Welcome Immortal Palaces. Han Li frowned slightly, gazing intently at a specific level of the palace, his expression darkening. "Master, did I make a mistake?" "Indeed, the Spirit of the Artifact has been brought here." The sea-sonor's face slightly pale, he asked with some difficulty. Clearly, he fully understood the significance of the Spirit's appearance at this location. "No mistake. At this close range, even a modest array of restrictions cannot block my senses." Han Li said, his gaze flashing. "Then that person must indeed be a Consolidated Immortal. Yet if so, why did Brother appear outside Nine Immortal Mountains initially?" The sea-sonor murmured. "Simple! Either that elderly woman is truly a Consolidated Immortal, and the Nine Immortal Mountains' abode is merely a temporary one—used specifically for behind-the-scenes affairs— or, though she is not a Consolidated Immortal herself, she has some connection with a Consolidated Immortal residing here, and has come specifically to establish a patronage relationship. In doing so, she aims to intimidate our pursuit!" Han Li replied calmly. "Then, Master, what decision has been made?" "Sea Master hesitated for a while before softly asking, 'You go first and find out which family resides on the ninth level here.' Han Li didn't immediately respond; instead, he issued the instruction. 'Understood, Master!' Hearing Han Li's words, Sea Master was instantly energized and promptly bowed respectfully. 'I'll send you down. Once you've gathered information, come to the nearest small hill to meet me there. I'll be waiting for you.' Han Li added one more instruction, then waved his sleeve, and a flash of emerald light instantly enveloped Sea Master, transporting him directly to the ground. Meanwhile, Han Li turned and flew toward a modest hill some fifty li away. Although Nine Immortal Mountains consist of nine towering peaks, there are also numerous lesser-known, unnamed hills scattered throughout the range. After Hai Da Shao's feet touched the ground, he glanced toward Yingxian Palace but did not immediately move toward it. Instead, he took a deep breath and dashed off toward the most bustling area nearby.