Bai Guo'er and Hai Da-Shao had both already reached the initial stage of Yuan Ying cultivation, while Qi Ling Zi's cultivation was even superior to theirs. "By the way, sister, speaking of Master—after he returned from the wild, remote world two hundred years ago, he has once again gone into seclusion and hasn't emerged. Does Master truly intend to make another attempt at breaking through the late Consolidation stage bottleneck?" Hai Da-Shao suddenly grew serious and asked. "I'm not entirely sure about that. Currently, Master's seclusion chamber is enclosed by multiple layers of seals, and even Ice Phoenix Sister cannot approach it at all. It seems that even if Master isn't aiming specifically at the late Consolidation stage, he must be cultivating some extraordinary great ability. That's why he doesn't wish to disturb us." Bai Guo'er replied after a moment's thought. "When Master advanced from the initial Consolidation stage to the mid-late stage back then, it only took him three or four centuries. If he were to achieve the late stage so quickly now, even though we know he is far beyond the ordinary cultivators of his level, it would still be astonishingly remarkable!" Hai Da-Shao seemed to have recalled something "If Master truly achieves the late stage this time, it would undoubtedly be a tremendous blessing—not only for us three, but for the entire human race. Still, I believe this is rather unlikely. After all, progressing from mid-combined to late combined stage requires a substantial accumulation of spiritual power, which typically demands continuous, rigorous cultivation over a thousand to two thousand years under normal circumstances. In just a few centuries, it simply isn’t enough time to refine sufficient spiritual energy." The spirit of the artifact stroked his chin, shaking his head in disagreement. "Hmph, Master Brother. You know Master isn’t an ordinary cultivator—why measure his progress against that of ordinary disciples? If my judgment is correct, Master should only enter retreat when he feels confident in achieving a significant advancement. Moreover, during this period, Tianyuan City and the Three Emperors, along with several other powers, have frequently sent envoys to visit Master. Yet, despite our efforts to relay these messages, we have received not a single reply. This clearly shows that Master is fully dedicated to his cultivation, unwilling to be disturbed by any matter." "White Guo's eyes flashed with a distinct hue, and she spoke with great confidence. "It seems that among the three of us, White Sister has the most faith in Master. Yet, no matter how many times we analyze this matter, we still fail to reach any conclusive results. Moreover, we simply don't know how long Master will remain in seclusion this time—how long it will take for him to emerge. The demonic calamity, on the other hand, is expected to arrive within a few decades. Even if Master is certain, once the calamity arrives, he will likely have no choice but to step out of seclusion and face it." Qi Ling Zi said, waving his hand. "That's true. If that's the case, we'll truly lose out. Should the demonic calamity arrive a little later, Master might not be able to break through his late-stage bottleneck, but he would certainly be able to make further progress in his cultivation." Hai Dashi added, expressing his own sense of regret. "Well, Master's cultivation methods are beyond our ability to discuss or influence. All we can do now is ensure our own survival during the demonic calamity. By the way, Sister, why don't you also join Tiany After all, once the magical calamity strikes, only Tianyuan City remains relatively safe for the entire human race. With her esteemed reputation, I'm certain the elders will treat my sister specially." The Qi Ling Zi looked at Bai Guo'er with a serious expression and said. "Brother Qi Ling's words are most accurate. Myself and Brother have already decided that, as soon as the calamity breaks out, we will relocate all our disciples to Tianyuan City. Though they may only serve as junior guards, with us two overseeing them, they should not be treated as mere expendable forces. If Sister could also join us, it would be even better." Hai Dashi smiled and said. "Tianyuan City?" Bai Guo'er furrowed her brows, showing a thoughtful expression. "Is it that Sister is unwilling, or does she have other plans? This matter should be settled early, for before Master went into seclusion, he already mentioned that once the calamity occurs, he will have other important affairs to attend to and will not be able to stay with us three." Qi Ling Zi asked with concern. "I am not satisfied with the two senior brothers." I recently received a letter from my father. The family branch led by my grandmother has all moved into the Xuanwu Imperial City. My father would like me to join them as well. My younger sister has only a few relatives, and she doesn't want to be separated after the magical calamity breaks out, worrying about each other from afar." After pondering for a while, Bai Guo'er finally shared her decision. "Ah, I see. With relatives to care for, it's indeed difficult for your sister to remain separated. Fortunately, the Xuanwu Imperial City is both stable and reliable. I believe your sister will find it very secure there." Hai, the young lord, nodded with a look of understanding. "Why not bring Liu Feng and Fu Yun with you, Bai sister? They are surely among your esteemed disciples who have achieved the Jian Dan stage—having them accompany you would be quite useful." The Spirit of the Artifact suddenly suggested. "Liu Feng and Fu Yun are precisely the most favored disciples of my senior. How could I possibly treat them as mere attendants and rely on them constantly? Please rest assured, I still have several close attendants who are always by my side." They've been with me for some time now, though still not yet at the Dan stage—they've achieved the Foundation level, and are certainly usable. Bai Guo'er's eyes sparkled as she smiled gently. "Ha ha, since Sister says so, then I and Hai will... " Qi Lingzi smiled slightly, ready to add more. But at that moment, a thunderclap suddenly erupted from the sky above, followed by a tremor that shook the entire realm—the mountain beneath them groaned and shuddered with a deep rumble. As Yuan Ying cultivators, Bai Guo'er and her two companions were naturally unphased by such a tremor, standing firm in their places. Yet their faces instantly turned pale, and without a word, they all turned their gaze upward. There, where the sky had previously been clear and azure, a vast gray patch—several miles across—had suddenly appeared and was rapidly spreading outward. At the same time, a powerful spatial ripple emanated from the patch, radiating outward in all directions. In a matter of moments, the gray spot had swollen to three or four times its original size, spreading out in a hazy, dimming blanket that dimmed the entire world, as though something were rapidly eroding the sky itself. "Magic Spot! There's no doubt about it—this must be the Magic Spot preceding the arrival of the Magic Calamity!" Sea's young lord, pale-faced, suddenly exclaimed loudly. Bai Guo'er and Qi Lingzi stared intently at the spot in the sky, their expressions equally grave. "It's indeed a Magic Spot—unexpectedly, the arrival of the Magic Calamity has come earlier than we anticipated," Bai Guo'er murmured. "It might not necessarily be a Magic Spot, though—perhaps just another similar celestial phenomenon. Whether it truly is, will still need to be officially confirmed by the people of Tianyuan City," Qi Lingzi exhaled, her expression finally easing. "Hmph. What confirmation do we need? If it truly is a Magic Spot, then the entire region wouldn't have just one such occurrence." Sea's young lord shook his head. "Indeed!" "If that's the case, I'm certain everyone within the Three Realms will be aware of this news." The Spirit of the Artifact remained silent before replying. "You two needn't worry too much. The appearance of the magical spots merely indicates that the Magian incursions have just begun—this process is extremely gradual. According to records, it will take at least another six months before the interface's power weakens enough to allow the Magian race to penetrate the Spirit Realm. With this much time, our human race will certainly be well-prepared and won't be in a state of panic." White Guo said, her eyes gleaming. "That's true, yet the Magians can also assemble their forces steadily at these spots, and their initial attacks will undoubtedly be fierce. I wonder how many cities will survive the first few waves of assault." The Spirit of the Artifact smiled faintly, a touch of humor in her tone. White Guo and Hai Dashi exchanged glances upon hearing this, their expressions darkening further, growing increasingly concerned. At that moment, a flash of light appeared on the horizon, and a golden flying vessel shot toward them. On this warboat stretching over ten dozen zhang, several dozen guards clad in dark and deep blue battle armor stood, their expressions serious. After the warboat came to a sudden halt beneath the massive gray patch, the soldiers instantly rose into the air, appearing mere feet away from the patch, then either launched out array flags and discs or drew out strange devices and began rapidly activating them. For a moment, the sky above shimmered with brilliant light, dazzling in its brilliance. Even farther off, streaks of light continued to emerge, as though more cultivators were rushing toward this location. "Let's go," said Qi Lingzi in a steady voice. "The patrol guards from Tianyuan City have arrived. We must return to our dwelling immediately and inform our master first." Bai Guo'er and the other two nodded in agreement, promptly activating their flight spells and taking off toward a distant mountain peak. ... Inside a softly glowing chamber, a towering jade cauldron, standing one person high, stood quietly at the center. Around the great tripod, three figures of "Han Li" were seated cross-legged on cushions, all motionless with their eyes tightly closed. Among the three Han LIs, one shone with golden light, with a steady black aura swirling around his body; another had pale green skin, radiating a steady stream of purple vapor; the third had his hands flatly resting on his thighs, yet a golden glow circulated around his back, pulsing and shimmering, within which countless golden characters rolled and surged. At the center of this glow, seventy-two small green swords darted and chased each other incessantly. Suddenly, all three Han LIs opened their eyes simultaneously, raised their arms together, and gently struck the great tripod. A loud "thunderous boom" echoed, and the lid of the tripod shot skyward, followed by a series of hissing sounds as countless white filaments burst forth from within. Then, the three Han LIs each extended a single finger, pointing at the tripod in the air. The white filaments jetting out from the lid of the cauldron instantly seemed to encounter an invisible barrier, trembling and halting mid-air, as if magically restrained in the void. At that moment, the cauldron roared with a deep hum, and dozens of golden glimmers burst forth—revealing a dozen insect-like creatures, each about the size of a human fist. Their backs shimmered with brilliant gold, adorned with intricate patterns of purple and golden spots, while the area beneath their abdomens became translucent, as if made of clear amber. These insects appeared fiercely aggressive; as soon as they emerged from the cauldron, their sharp mandibles unfolded and they surged toward one another, intent on devouring their fellow creatures. Within moments, the sound of their cries intensified, and waves of astonishing lethal energy spread out from the cauldron's opening. Seeing this, the three Han immediately roared, their fingers flashing with luminous energy, and a series of spells and incantations shot forth toward the living insects.