The young people had just departed from the Wanbao Conference. As for the young girl standing by the side, she was Bai Guo'er, possessing the body of ice essence. She had already been formally accepted as a recorded disciple of Han Li and must rely on his magical power to forcibly suppress the cold toxins within her body for a hundred years in order to survive. It was therefore not unusual for her to accompany him these past few years. Upon seeing the figures appear in the sky, the cultivators from the Gu family immediately became agitated, many of them displaying shimmering spiritual lights on their bodies, eyes full of alertness and scrutiny toward Han Li. This is Xiao, our elder from the Gu family. The True Spirit Grand Ceremony this time will be led by me and my wife." The young wife beamed with delight and quickly introduced the gray-haired elder standing beside her to Han Li. "Ah, so you are Elder Xiao!" Han Li, seeing that the elder's cultivation level was no less than Xiao Feng, the head of the Gu family, did not dare to look down on him and merely nodded respectfully. "It's not much, I've heard of your esteemed reputation for several years now. It's a great relief to us that you've personally come to attend this ceremony." Though Elder Xiao still had some concerns about Han Li's strength, he now appeared naturally composed and showed the utmost courtesy toward him. At this moment, the other cultivators from the Gu family naturally realized that Han Li was the much-anticipated support they had been waiting for. Yet, his youthful appearance surprised them, prompting a quiet murmur of admiration among them. "Both of you need not be so concerned. My journey to the Valley family this time is merely a mutually beneficial transaction between us. However, I notice that Master Tian Li, the Supreme Elder of your family, is not here—this seems to differ from what Xiao Feng mentioned earlier. Has Master Tian departed ahead of schedule?" After glancing at the other Valley family cultivators, Han Li furrowed his brows and asked. "The Tianli Lady was injured in the wilds and is currently in seclusion? That now makes perfect sense—once one's vital energy is damaged, as we such cultivators have, it truly proves difficult to recover swiftly. Nevertheless, this situation has made our original agreement regarding the ranking ceremony rather troublesome," said Han Li, nodding while expressing a touch of concern. "Since the Supreme Elder is unable to step in to advance our Valley's ranking as previously agreed, that specific promise naturally falls through. For now, as long as we can ensure our Valley's ranking remains stable or improves, we shall have fulfilled our commitment," said Xiao Feng Lady, her expression serious and thoughtful. "Ah, even then, the challenge seems substantial. After all, I myself have only just reached the Consolidated Stage—my confidence in achieving this is not absolute," Han Li replied, his demeanor easing slightly, yet still carrying a hint of hesitation. "As long as the senior can give their best, besides the items originally promised, our Gu family has also specially prepared a batch of premium spiritual stones to compensate for any adjustments in the agreement!" Seeing Han Li's expression, the neat young woman hesitated slightly before suddenly withdrawing a storage bracelet from her sleeve and offering it to him. Han Li's mind stirred slightly; upon receiving the bracelet, he cast a spiritual awareness into it, and a moment of surprise flashed across his face. "It seems your family truly values this True Spirit Ceremony, having been willing to invest such an enormous amount of spiritual stones. In that case, Han Li will certainly give his utmost efforts as a guest of honor from the Gu family at the True Spirit Ceremony." After a brief thought, Han Li did not hesitate and smoothly slipped the storage bracelet into his sleeve. Upon seeing Han Li accept the spiritual stones, the woman felt a sense of relief and smiled, saying, "With the senior's presence, our Gu family now finally feels confident about this True Spirit Ceremony." This location is still about a lunar month's journey from the Wàn Líng Platform where the grand assembly will be held. We cannot afford to linger here any longer. Let us set out now! Regarding some specific matters concerning the True Spirit Grand Assembly, I will personally explain them in detail to the senior monks and elders with Master Xiao. "Then that would be most ideal!" Han Li naturally had no objections. Thus, after Han Li joined, the various cultivators from the Valley family ascended into the air, transforming into colorful stream-of-light formations, and took off toward the horizon. Yet on this day, deep within the heart of this wilderness, a group of about fifteen human cultivators stood back-to-back, forming a circular array, hovering at a low altitude. Their talismans were fully deployed, radiating shimmering light halos that enveloped their forms, yet each of them bore expressions of alarm. Among them, the most senior cultivator—a man in a brocade robe at the mid-Lianxi stage—stood at the center of the array, one hand cradling a blue gem and the other holding a pale, misty banner. Despite his position, his face was marked by greater shock and anger than the others, his gaze constantly scanning the surrounding array. At that moment, a yellow-hued gauze wind suddenly swept past one of the male cultivators. Without conscious thought, the man blinked. In that instant, a pale, jade-like hand flashed forth from the wind. "Crack!" The protective light halo of the male cultivator seemed to be torn as easily as paper, and the jade hand effortlessly pierced through his chest. Then, before the male cultivator could emit a cry of pain, a white ice bloom blossomed upon his chest, instantly transforming him into a translucent ice sculpture. The white palm, meanwhile, flashed once and vanished completely from his chest—where it had been—leaving the other several cultivators nearby startled, who immediately cried out and hurled their various treasures in a flurry of impact. Yet aside from shattering the ice sculpture into fragments, no other enemies were seen to move or appear. At that moment, the gentleman in silk robes, at the Lingxu stage, suddenly roared in anger, his blue orb radiating a brilliant glow, and then a column of bluish light erupted from his hands. This beam of light moved with such speed that it struck a point in the midst of the yellow wind in a single flash, causing a flash of white light—immediately, a blurred silhouette emerged, encased in a circle of blue light, visible within the wind. Upon witnessing this, without waiting for instructions from the silk-robed cultivator, the other cultivators instantly tensed, their myriad treasures activated and surged forward, forming a sweeping cascade of vibrant, multicolored light. A loud, heavy crash—the shadow seemed utterly defenseless, torn into fragments by a single surge of five-colored light mist. Cheers erupted instantly from the crowd, each cultivator beaming with exhilaration. Yet only the man in the brocade robe remained expressionless, his face etched with astonishment. Suddenly, he extended his hand into the air, catching a small fragment of the shadow in his palm. To his surprise, it was a hard, jade-like shell, icy to the touch, and swiftly melted into clear water within moments. "No! That beast is not yet dead!" the man exclaimed, his face instantly pale, his voice sharp and urgent. Without hesitation, he waved his white banner, intending to summon protective energy to shield his body. But it was too late. As he listened, a piercing cry suddenly rang in his ears. Then, a sudden chill swept over his neck. Before he could react, his entire head was severed by two thick, snow-white tusks, broad as curved swords. Suddenly, a vast, snow-white giant centipede silhouette emerged without any prior sign or herald. This centipede stretched nearly five to six zhang in length, with six semi-transparent, crystalline cicada wings rising along its back. Its eyes, bright red like blood, glowed with a cold, eerie radiance. As soon as it appeared, it opened its massive maw once more, blasting out a surge of white, misty cold air. The five or six nearby cultivators, unprepared, were instantly engulfed by the wave of chilled vapor. Their protective artifacts and even their own bodies froze and solidified under the flashing white light, transforming into lifelike ice sculptures. The remaining cultivators, witnessing this, were left breathless and terrified. Amidst a sudden, panicked cry of "We must flee!" they all scattered in panic, shooting off in various directions as streaks of dazzling light. The snow-white centipede, however, showed no concern. As its six crystalline wings behind it fluttered simultaneously, it suddenly dissolved into six fleeting silhouettes and vanished. After a brief moment, several remaining cultivators who had fled no more than a hundred paces away simultaneously emitted piercing cries, each severed in two by a beam of white light, utterly unable to withstand it. Under the dense, swirling motion of that white light, the fragmented bodies of these cultivators—including their immortal embryos—were instantly vaporized and their essences completely dispersed. Upon witnessing this, the snow-white centipede silhouette swayed slightly, its vast form shifting, and then six beams of white light flashed forth once more, swiftly returning. Instantly, six translucent, iridescent chitin wings reappeared on its back. Suddenly, a brilliant white light burst forth from the centipede's surface, causing its form to shrink rapidly. When all the beams had faded, a young man in a white robe, his face adorned with strange, silver-and-gold patterns, materialized in place, expression serene and composed. He cast a cold, steady gaze over the surrounding area, then suddenly pressed his hand into the air, vacantly. A surge of white vapor erupted, instantly wrapping the head of the noble man in a flowing, elegant scroll. The tabletop card game "The Journey of the Ordinary Immortal" has been launched!