Given the naturally sociable nature of Hai Dashi, he didn't take long to gather information about the residents of the ninth floor in the bustling marketplace area. Upon hearing it was the Leng family, he immediately took a deep breath, surprised. "Really? The Leng family?" Sitting cross-legged on a rock, Han Li's expression changed, clearly taken aback. "Correct. My disciple has confirmed this. It's not only the Leng family's senior patriarch and one guest elder residing there, but also the current family head and several elders at the Transcendent Realm stage." Hai Dashi frowned, showing concern. "Indeed, this is quite troublesome, though it's not the most pressing issue." Han Li narrowed his eyes, speaking slowly. "What do you mean, Master?" Hai Dashi was momentarily puzzled. "The real issue is that my relationship with the Leng family isn't particularly strong. Originally, I had planned to simply visit them personally and request your younger brother if they were ordinary Consolidated Realm cultivators." Generally speaking, as long as the other party isn't completely out of their mind, they should at least give a certain amount of face to a peer like me. But the Long family's situation might not be so favorable." Han Li's voice carried a certain coldness. Hai, the young lord, looked utterly stunned upon hearing this. "Of course, we don't have to personally go to the Long family to demand compensation—there's no need to say that we're completely helpless. Heh, after all, we've already offended them once. A second offense wouldn't make much difference. Moreover, I might not even let them discover it. Moon Tian, you go back to your quarters alone first. I'll be right back!" With a sharp laugh, Han Li suddenly had a surge of emerald light radiating from his body. His figure flickered, and then vanished completely from his original spot. Hai, the young lord, naturally grasped the meaning behind Han Li's words. His expression was both surprised and delighted. Without waiting to see if Han Li was still nearby, he promptly bowed respectfully and hurried down the mountain. For Han Li, a distance of several dozen miles was merely a matter of moments. Far from Xu Yuan's Yingsheng Palace, Han Li materialized silently in midair. He gazed at the ninth level of the grand palace, yet in his mind, a vast map of a magical array and seal came to life. Though the nine Yingsheng Palaces were situated in different locations, Han had observed that their array and seal systems were fundamentally similar. Although these seals were exceptionally refined and rigorous, for a being possessing several great powers, it was quite feasible to quietly penetrate them and enter undetected. After a moment of quiet contemplation, he suddenly flipped his hand, and a thin, silvery sheet materialized. This was the Thousand-Transforming Face he had received from Liu Shui'er during his time in Guanghan Realm. The artifact was remarkably magical, and after passing through the Dark Beast Forest, Liu Shui'er had been too shy to ask for it back—now, it proved to be just as useful as ever. Han said nothing, simply threw the face forward, then gave his wrist a final flick. A flash of jade light on the storage bracelet caused a fluffy golden animal hide to be thrown out. With one hand forming gestures and the other lightly touching the two objects, he pointed at them successively. Instantly, the translucent surface shimmered, and the silver glow merged into the hide. The golden hide then spun smoothly and rushed toward Han Li, vanishing in a flash. At the same time, Han Li murmured a low roar, his face suddenly transforming. The previously smooth skin suddenly sprouted a long layer of golden fur, completely covering his features, while his eyes flashed with a blue glow, their pupils turning deep blue and filled with an unmistakable aura of fury. Han Li raised his hand to stroke the golden fur on his face, murmuring, "This golden arm猿's hide truly proves effective—this should be sufficient to confuse the Llong family's eyes and ears." With that, Han Li took a deep breath, and a black glow rippled over his body, suddenly revealing two black silk scarves. The two objects spun around Han Li swiftly, then transformed into two patches of black glow that surged toward his body. In the next instant, Han Li's form became blurred within the black light, and ultimately vanished entirely from the air. Standing in place, Han Li lowered his head and examined his now seemingly transparent form, nodding contentedly. Indeed, if the Taiyi Hua Qing Seal had been used, the invisibility effect would have been superior. However, once this seal was activated, it became difficult to perform other feats to break the seals, so he had to forgo this method. With this thought in mind, Han Li drifted silently toward the ninth level of the opposite palace. In a short while, he approached his destination without a sound. Suddenly, a flash of white light appeared before him, forming a translucent white screen, with flashes of lightning rippling across its surface—several faint electric arcs seemed to emerge. Yet Han Li's expression remained unchanged. With one hand, he reached into his sleeve, separated his fingers, and launched several golden electric arcs toward the screen. The silver arc had just taken shape, and before it could emit a thunderous roar, it vanished instantly upon making contact with the golden electric arc. As for Han Li, a hazy glow shimmered over his form, and with a single movement, he seemed to pass through the white light barrier as if it were nothing. Soon afterward, a hole the size of a person appeared within the white light barrier, yet Han Li had completely disappeared. However, this hole rapidly shrank and sealed itself at a visible pace, restoring the barrier to its original state within moments—then, the white light barrier simply vanished without a trace. A short while later, two guards at the spiritual realm stage burst from the grand hall on the first floor of Yingxian Palace, soaring directly toward the scene above. After a few swift movements, they reached the nearby heights. "The fluctuations in the seal indeed originated from here," said one young man in his twenties and thirties, surveying the surroundings with a look of surprise. "But it seems there's no actual issue." "Since there's no issue, it might simply be that a flying bird collided with the seal. Otherwise, our response here would be far more pronounced." The other cultivator was an elderly, thin man with a beard like a goat's and a pair of short horns on his head, his triangular eyes flickering constantly. A shen cultivator! "Brother Gongsun, you're jesting! If even a common bird can trigger a reaction in the Yinxian Palace's seal, then the several master array engineers who set up this array must truly be incompetent." The young man frowned, speaking with impatience. "Heh, even if it wasn't a bird, it could have been a spirit beast that wandered off from the nearby markets, or perhaps a senior cultivator at the combined stage accidentally activated the seal. What could we possibly find out then? To be blunt, even if someone did infiltrate the Yinxian Palace, it would likely be causing trouble for one of the senior cultivators—do you think that's something we could handle?" The elderly shen cultivator chuckled, clearly unwilling to get involved in any minor matters. "Ah, your words, Gongsun friend, do make sense. Since the seal remains intact, we truly needn't press the matter so much. I nearly thought this place was the inner hall of Xuanwu City." The young man's face had been clouded with uncertainty for a while before suddenly brightening into a smile. "Hah! I knew you were a clever one. Come, old friend, I still have a fine spirit wine at my place—let me have you taste it properly when we return." Upon hearing that the young man had abandoned his pursuit, the elder smiled warmly. Thus, the human and the spirit creature now walked side by side, descending together, showing no further interest in the seal. Han Li gazed at the wall, his face displaying a serious expression. These silver glyphs were no ordinary runes—they were manifestations of spatial seals acting upon the wall. Ordinary secret techniques or cultivation methods applied to it would have no reaction at all. Fortunately, Han Li himself possessed certain spatial abilities, making it still feasible to penetrate the wall. With a quick thought, he pressed his palms together in a series of gestures, and suddenly a cluster of black light emerged between his brows. This light spun rapidly before splitting open a streak of blood-like residue, revealing a translucent, jet-black eyes of a creature. The creature's eyes seemed to gaze at the wall for a moment, and then a surge of dark light shot forth, striking the white surface with a flash. A strange phenomenon unfolded. As soon as the dark light touched the white wall, the nearby silver runes instantly dimmed and faded away. Then, with a low exclamation from Han Li, the originally finger-thick beam of dark light expanded into several thick layers. Suddenly, as the white wall trembled, an odd, dark, circular hole about a foot long appeared. With a flash of cold light in his eyes, the dark glow gathering at his brows subsided, and he surged forward, transforming into a streak of jade-green light, vanishing into the black hole. Instantly, the black hole flickered and dissolved on the white wall. Though merely a Jie Dan and a Zhu Ji level disciple of the Long family, he did not immediately resort to deadly force, merely channeling a thread of spiritual power into the two's consciousnesses, causing them to lose consciousness. Han Li made no ceremony, immediately reaching out with his hand toward the middle-aged man. With a dull thud, the man instantly fell into the palm of Han Li's five fingers. A flash of cyan energy rippled across Han Li's face, and he immediately activated his soul-retrieval technique! After a brief moment, Han Li slightly frowned, loosened his grip on the man's head, then seized the woman firmly and performed the same ritual. Upon releasing the young woman, Han Li murmured to himself: "Indeed, the artifact spirit has been brought to the Long family. That old woman is none other than the younger sister of the Long family's headmaster! Regrettably, some of the younger disciples' inner secrets have been obscured by the spells, and the information gathered remains quite limited." "------------ Volume Ten: The War in the Realm of Magic Chapter 1,805: A Grasp, A Punch, A Palm After speaking to himself, it was no surprise that the secret techniques embedded in the consciousness of this couple from the Long family were in place. It was customary among larger families to employ such measures for their core disciples, to safeguard against the possibility of vital secrets being disclosed should any of the young members fall into the hands of outsiders. However, regarding the woman in question, this was not a matter of secrecy at all—Han Li naturally obtained the information with ease. Indeed, not long ago, a woman exactly as described by Hai the Young arrived here with three others, and after having an in-depth conversation with the head of the Long family, she was escorted to rest. Among the three others, one of them clearly matched the appearance of the Spirit-Being's disciple. Yet, at present, neither the man nor the woman knows where they are located. Han Li slightly furrowed his brow, gazing at the two unconscious figures lying on the ground. Suddenly, he stamped his single foot upon the earth. A wave of yellow light spread out, forming a deep pit measuring nearly a zhang in depth, appearing silently. He then shook his sleeve, and a surge of green mist surged forth, gently lifting and rolling the couple into the pit. Then, Han Li raised one hand, recited a series of gestures, and lightly pointed at the pit. Instantly, a radiant yellow glow emerged from within the pit, shimmered once, and then vanished—leaving the ground perfectly smooth and undisturbed, as if nothing had ever happened. Only then did Han Li lift his gaze toward the forest's outer edge. There, he observed that everything outside the forest was distinctly different from his dwelling. A soft, hazy mist blanketed the outer area, and within it, a faint, indistinct outline of a city wall seemed to emerge and fade. A flash of blue light danced in his eyes, and as his form shifted, a layer of gray mist enveloped him, settling around his ears. These misty vapors clearly formed a mysterious seal, and upon contact with the gray light, portions of them directly merged into it. Han Li's figure also became hazy and indistinct. After advancing only a few hundred paces, Han Li reached the edge of the mist, his vision suddenly clearing. At a distance, a pale golden castle emerged, enclosed by a wall several dozen zhang high. White-robed cultivators stood in formation—some with swords over their shoulders, others with swords at their sides—along the walls. Within the walls, numerous pavilions and terraces stretched out, forming a continuous landscape. At the center stood a colossal golden tower, soaring hundreds of zhang high. Han Li did not feel intimidated by the possibility of being seen by the Long family cultivators; instead, he focused his gaze steadily upon the golden tower. According to the information conveyed by the two Long family cultivators, the senior Long elder in the late stage of cultivation, along with several other immortals of the clan, resided within this very tower. However, as soon as the elder of the Long family obtained the map of the Sky-Supporting War Vessel from the auction, he immediately invited several of the clan's master array and artifact artisans to gather in the tower, where they began to meditate and study the map without leaving their posts. The other senior elder, who had just reached the Consolidated Stage, had seemingly gone out on business. As a result, the risk of exposure was now reduced to a minimum. Unless the elder of the Long family suddenly and inexplicably used his divine awareness to scan the entire castle with a sweeping gaze, he believed himself unlikely to be discovered by anyone else. With these thoughts in mind, Han Li no longer hesitated and took action. As black light shimmered across his body, he surged forth from the mist and drifted directly toward a section of the city wall. A white-robed cultivator stood upright on the wall, suddenly feeling a gentle breeze brush past his front. He glanced around and used his divine awareness to scan the immediate surroundings, yet detected no unusual signs. A strand of doubt flickered across the white-robed cultivator's face, but he shook his head and soon resumed his original posture. Naturally, he was unaware that, in that very instant, a visitor had gracefully drifted past him and landed lightly on a pristine, immaculate street inside the city wall on the opposite side. Yet strangely, he had closed his eyes and remained motionless, sensing something along the street. After an indeterminate length of time, his expression grew stern as he opened his eyes, murmuring softly in a barely audible tone. "Remarkably, the connection has been severed! Clearly, someone has intervened to block it. In that case, I shall have to go room by room. Fortunately, the area isn't vast, and cultivators at the Lingxu stage are limited to these few individuals—soon, I shall be able to locate them all." As soon as he finished speaking, he moved swiftly, flowing like an intangible breeze toward a cluster of buildings, and vanished into one pavilion. At nearly the same time, in a pavilion far removed from where Han Li was located, an elderly woman and several others, along with a particularly imposing elder dressed in purple robes, were gathered in the same room. The purple-robed elder had just pinned a moon-shaped jade pendant, glowing with an unusual radiance, to the neck of a young Taoist, and now, with a gentle tone, said to the elderly woman: "This Moon-Linked Heart Jade possesses a remarkable ability to block divine awareness. As long as the person is not within close proximity, they will be unable to detect the young Taoist. Thus, you and your family may now rest assured and remain at your quarters." "Thank you so much for your generous assistance!" the elderly woman bowed respectfully to the purple-robed elder, expressing her deep gratitude. The elder with the black eyebrows also smiled warmly, while the slender young man by the side remained relatively composed. "You two are truly bold to have dared to challenge a fully consolidated cultivator. Without your name awakening the true dragon blood, I would never have agreed to host you." Even my sister would not be an exception. Moreover, until Father has fully comprehended the War-Boat Map and departed, you must not dare to lay a finger on this young Taoist. Though I personally feel it is feasible, given that this matter involves a potential rift with a senior, fully-merged monster, it's still necessary to consult Father. Should you dare to act without informing him, do not be surprised if I fail to honor our past ties." The elder in purple robes spoke with a slightly stern demeanor. You never didn't know that any Lady of Long family who defied the clan's arrangements and insisted on marrying someone from another clan was never truly considered a member of the Long family. Moreover, your father practices the renowned "Unmoved Dao" technique—there was simply no way he would ever see you again. Once this matter is understood, the name will be retained, and you may then depart on your own. The elderly man in purple robes shook his head without hesitation. Hearing this, the elder woman was deeply disheartened. Though her face fell, she intended to offer further appeals, yet the man in purple robes merely waved his hand and left the room. Now, only the elderly woman, her three children, and the young Daoist spirit guardian remained in the room. "Then, we must follow his advice. Husband, take this young Daoist and send him to the sealed chamber beneath the main hall." The woman paced back and forth, her expression shifting between hope and frustration, before finally said with a touch of resentment. "My lady, there was no need to worry—this entire situation was precisely what we had anticipated all along." "Your elder brother hasn't turned us away merely because he's entangled with the fully integrated elder monster—that's already a great blessing, considering the circumstances," the elder with a black brow chuckled, offering a word of advice. "I know what to do. You needn't say another word—just have the young Taoist stay here for now." The elderly woman, however, seemed unimpressed by the elder's words, only frowning and gesturing with her arm. The elder sighed, closing his mouth and walking toward the spirit of the artifact. "Young man, let me keep your inherited relics for a few more days. Soon enough, those relics will be my own name to carry. By then, no one will be able to stop it." The elder murmured, then, with a single hand movement, a jade-green bronze bell suddenly appeared. The spirit of the artifact, sealed by the secret incantation, remained completely unaware, standing motionless as ever. As the elder was about to wave his hand to activate the bell, a soft, gentle male voice suddenly echoed through the room. "Can no one stop it?" "If I were to stop them, what could I possibly do?" "Not good—the person has arrived!" The elder with black brows instantly broke into a gasp, barely thinking, and threw the bronze bell in his hand. It instantly transformed into a massive bell, enveloping the spirit of the vessel and sealing it within. The elderly woman beside him reacted even more swiftly. Her face paled, and with a sudden sweep of her sleeve, two streaks of dark light shot forth. One immediately solidified into a sheet of black light, lifting the slender young man and swiftly transporting him to her side. The other spiraled and danced above, gradually taking on the form of a single-horned black serpent, its mouth exhaling lotus blossoms of black, shielding both the woman and the young man. Yet, after deeply inhaling, the woman suddenly burst out with a piercing, mournful cry. But the result of her action was only a condescending chuckle. Suddenly, a ripple of spatial disturbance surged above the colossal bell transformed from the bronze gong. A fluffy golden fist materialized from the nearby void and gently struck the gong. A resonant "thunder" echoed, and the green glyphs on the gong's surface surged and rolled, as if the entire structure had been shattered like clay, dissolving into a shimmering pool of green light. Then, the golden fist swung back and delivered a palm strike into the void aimed at the elder with the black eyebrows. Though seemingly light and effortless, the elder suddenly cried out in agony, his body collapsing like a sack and flying backward. Almost simultaneously, another golden, fur-covered hand appeared before the elderly woman and swiftly reached out to grasp her. A sharp "crack" sounded as the black lotus before her and her protective spiritual aura were torn apart. The golden hand seized her neck and lifted her off the ground, her feet now suspended in the air. The woman's eyes rolled back, and her sharp warning cries abruptly ceased.