The second layer was far more perilous than the first, yet in the eyes of Han Li and his companions, after studying the map and confirming their location, they proceeded westward. This journey lasted three days and three nights, during which they not only defeated several mid-tier spiritual beasts along the way but also encountered multiple waves of enforcement teams composed of cultivators. The lowest-ranking members of these teams were at the stage of Huashen, while their leaders were none other than saints. Given Jin Yue's status as the senior elder of the Tianpeng Clan, these enforcement cultivators naturally did not pose any difficulties—most of them merely asked a few questions before allowing Han Li and his group to pass unharmed. Nevertheless, observing this scene, Jin Yue's expression grew increasingly somber. To dispatch such a large number of personnel for the sake of a single individual seemed rather unusual. Was there perhaps some deeper significance behind the incident involving the mine's plundering? Jin Yue, having led the Tianpeng clan for so many years, naturally possessed an exceptional level of strategy and foresight. Although her suspicions had gradually grown, she showed no outward sign of concern when faced with the presence of the Law Team. Thus, the three of them smoothly located the entrance to the third level—a concealed underground river. Following the current, after the black essence drifted for several hours, Han Li finally reached the third layer of the Earth's Deep Realm. "With such a commotion, if any other law-enforcement units nearby fail to respond, it would seem we are overly hesitant—perhaps that would not be quite appropriate." Jin Yue said, her eyes flashing. "Then, let's go check it out ourselves," Han Li agreed, though he had no desire to get involved. He knew the woman's concerns were genuine. "As for Lei Lan, she has no objections at all." Thus, the three of them changed direction and shot swiftly toward where the silvery lightning had just flashed. After traveling over ten thousand li nonstop, they finally came to a halt at a high ridge. Standing there, they looked down upon the scene below, each of them displaying a sense of unease. Amidst the scattered stones, a massive crater—several dozen zhang in diameter—stood out clearly. The area around the crater was blackened, and a faint smell of burnt odor wafted out, as though it had been struck by lightning and transformed into this state. Suddenly, Han Li raised his hand and, with a gesture, reached into the air toward a specific spot along the edge of the crater. A sudden "whoosh," and something shot out from beneath the rubble, flashing once before suddenly landing in Han Li's hands. It was a blue short blade, nearly half its length broken, with numerous cracks running across its surface and a shimmering cold glow—clearly a powerful artifact before. "Indeed, there are three souls here who have perished, and it's quite likely that the mysterious figure who plundered the ore vein is the one who took such decisive action." Jin Yue waved her hand, drawing out several more damaged treasures from among the scattered stones, and after a brief inspection, affirmed with confidence. "Such a feat—killing three enforcement officers at once—is no surprise. If he hadn't done so, how could he have dared to act so boldly? No one else has arrived yet, which suggests that there are no other enforcement squads nearby. However, enforcement squads maintain a secret communication method among themselves, so someone will surely come soon. We needn't stay any longer—let's go!" Jin Yue said after a moment's thought. "Your words are sound. The distance to my destination is only a few days' journey. We should make every effort to reach it promptly, so we may rest assured." Han Li nodded in agreement and promptly replied. Lei Lan nodded thoughtfully. Together, the three of them vanished in a burst of light, shooting off as three streaks of brilliant rainbows. It was only after half a day that several dozen light trails approached the giant crater from a different direction. By then, Han Li and the others had already traveled far beyond a million miles away... Seven days later, above a continuous range of dark, towering mountains, Han Li held a white circular disc in one hand, with dozens of golden small swords swirling and dancing around his body, instantly cutting down wave after wave of dark, bird-like monsters resembling giant crows, their bodies severed into countless fragments and falling like a shower of blood. Beside him, Jin Yue had, at some point, a golden mirror appearing before her, from which golden light cascades surged forth, engulfing and shattering the monsters in great numbers. As for Lei Lan, her expression was serious, her hands pressed together in a series of gestures; as her pair of feathered wings behind her fluttered, a series of silver electric arcs surged and danced, forming a compact network of lightning that completely enveloped her form. Occasionally, some spectral birds would collide with the lightning net and instantly be reduced to ashes with a thunderous crack. After flying for another half hour, the black spectral birds gradually became sparser and finally scattered in a series of mournful, strange cries. Seeing this, the three immediately collected their treasures and techniques, and continued on their way. Along the way, Han Li frequently glanced at the circular disk in his hand, as though it could guide him to the exact location. Suddenly, the white disk in Han Li's hand emitted a resonant hum, followed by a fluctuating glow, and instantly entered an activated state. "We've arrived! It's exactly here!" Han Li quickly glanced at the display on the disk, halted his flight, and exclaimed with great excitement. Upon hearing Han Li's words, Jin Yue and Lei Lan were startled and immediately stopped as well. "This seems to be the location you mentioned, but it doesn't quite match. The space around here appears remarkably stable, with no signs of spatial nodes whatsoever!" Jin Yue swept her gaze around, furrowed her brows, and asked with a hint of doubt. "Jin brother, please rest assured—since that senior mentioned this coordinate, it must be absolutely correct." Han Li raised his head slightly, smiled gently in reply. "Jin brother's confidence is most reassuring. Since I've brought you to this place, shall I now present the second half of the method?" Jin Yue nodded, her expression now serious and composed. "The Senior Elder need not worry—Han Li will surely fulfill his promise. Here is the second half of the method. Please take it." Han Li smiled, then swiftly flipped his hand, bringing a yellow jade scroll into his palm. With a gentle flick of his wrist, he released it. Jin Yue's eyes brightened instantly. With a delicate grasp of her slender hands, the scroll was instantly captured between her fingers. Then, she quickly pressed it against her forehead to examine it. Hán Lì, however, paid no attention to any of this. With a simple flick of his sleeve, five five-colored array flags shot out and spun around him, then suddenly "thumped" into five radiant five-colored light pillars that rose straight upward. Holding out his hand and sequentially casting a series of spell gestures upon the light pillars, the pillars shimmered and instantly formed a vibrant five-colored light array at their center—brilliant and dazzling. Hán Lì murmured incantations continuously, and from his sleeve, a stream of fine-grade spiritual stones—over a hundred in number—flew out and swiftly vanished into the array. Then, he suddenly tossed his circular disc forward, which floated before him. With quick, successive finger taps, he seemed to gently activate the artifact. Lei Lan watched silently, but as the disc began to glow intensely and gradually transformed into a bright white orb, she glanced over at Jīn Yuè. To the woman's evident delight, though her eyes were slightly closed, her face was filled with astonishment, clearly indicating that the spell was genuine. This gave Rayan, the holy daughter of the Tianpeng Clan, a sense of relief. Suddenly, Han Li raised a low voice and pointed with his single hand toward the circular disk. The white luminous orb that had formed from his hand swayed gently and drifted slowly toward the center of the five-colored light array, where it, with a soft thud, seamlessly merged into the array. Since Master Jin is satisfied, everything has been settled. I shall now bid you good day." Han Li smiled slightly and bowed to Jin Yue. "Though I also wish you all the best for your journey!" Jin Yue returned the bow with a gentle smile. "Heh, with your kind words, I hope it will indeed come to pass. Master Lei, I sincerely hope you too will make great progress in your cultivation and soon reach the Saint Realm!" Han Li chuckled and bowed to Lei Lan. "Thank you, Master. I will strive to live up to your kind words." Lei Lan's expression was somewhat complex as she curtsied in return. "The time has nearly come. I shall now be off." Han Li nodded slightly to the two ladies and immediately moved, stepping suddenly into the colorless light array. A series of incantations echoed from within the array. Then the light array suddenly roared, with countless silver glyphs surging forth in a powerful rush. The central white orb swelled several times over, nearly engulfing the entire array.