"The human cultivator who eliminated Lord Li was surprisingly found right here in Yitian City! He wouldn't have intended to draw us here, intending instead to leverage our strength to capture Yitian City, would he? I've heard that this city is quite different from the earlier human settlements that were wiped out—it's far more difficult to conquer!" The young woman in a pink robe spoke to her companions with growing concern. "Rest assured! Though the old master we've summoned is only a temporarily assigned cultivator and rather independent in nature, he would never deceive us on such a matter. After all, this task was personally assigned by the Great Lord of Bloodlight, and how could he dare to offend him directly? Moreover, if his target is indeed accurate, then even if he needs to rely on our strength once, that would be perfectly acceptable." The middle-aged man in a robe of silvery hair shook his head in reply. "That makes sense. Although we quickly located the site where the three cultivators of Lord Li perished, most of the traces there had already been cleared away. And given the considerable time that has passed, we've been unable to gather much useful information." It's truly a great blessing that we now have accurate news from the old master of the Hidden Valley. Finally, we can report back to the Elder with some assurance." The beautiful woman sighed, speaking with a touch of resignation. "Indeed, otherwise, as long as we hadn't recovered the items lost by the Elder, we wouldn't dare return home. Now that we have a clear direction—and the success rate is surely over ninety percent—we merely need to prepare for a fierce confrontation. After all, these human cultivators have already defeated the Three Masters of the Force. Even with the supreme treasures temporarily lent us by the Saint Ancestor, we must remain cautious when facing them directly. Moreover, since they are stationed within Yitian City, we'll likely need to go to considerable lengths to compel them to emerge." The middle-aged man said, his eyes flashing with cold determination. "Hmph. Once the old master of the Hidden Valley decides to leverage our strength to counter Yitian City, it will naturally be their responsibility to carry out the task." If they can't even manage this, how can they possibly join forces with us? All we need to do is hold the human cultivator who killed Lord Li firmly and eliminate him." The beautiful woman spoke with dignified confidence. "Heh, don't underestimate the old ones, especially the elderly ones. The old master himself has already reached the late stage of Consolidation, just one step away from becoming a Sage Ancestor. As for the young Cold Blade—though not particularly old—he comes from the direct lineage of Sage Ancestor Xue Tian, and is said to possess a unique, icy cultivation technique that even the Sage Ancestor Xue Tian himself has personally praised. Then there's the young lady with the feathered name—she carries the bloodline of the ancient Sage Ancestor Ming Luo, so she should have several strong survival techniques as well. The only one who might be weaker is the one from the Fire Origin City, Master Yin." The middle-aged man spoke calmly, yet in just a few sentences, he clearly outlined the strengths and weaknesses of the several Sage-level cultivators attacking Yitian City, as if he had known all this for a long time. "That does make sense." They all hoped to leverage our strength, and we, in turn, surely wished to draw upon theirs for a moment. Brother, let's move quickly. With such close proximity, I'm certain the elder strange ones have already sensed our arrival." The beautiful woman chuckled warmly. Almost as soon as the woman finished speaking, the dark magical clouds above the distant valley suddenly rolled and surged, then, after a series of drumbeats, a procession of black-armored knights emerged from the clouds. At the forefront of these knights, an elderly black-armored figure stepped forward, standing there with a smile that was both composed and slightly enigmatic. Behind him, the other magical race elders—Cold Blade, the petite woman, and others—followed closely. The petite woman's eyes were slightly narrowed, yet her expression remained bright with a smile, while the young man with a cold demeanor remained expressionless. "Both of you have made it so promptly," the elder chuckled, extending a warm bow to the two middle-aged figures as he spoke, "It truly comes as a surprise to me." "Please, don't be so kind." After receiving the news, we immediately set out overnight. It seems we haven't missed any of our esteemed friends!" The beautiful woman smiled gracefully. "Ha ha, you two are being overly formal. Nevertheless, the day of the assault on Yitian City is indeed drawing near. We'll discuss matters in detail at our valley later." The elderly monster nodded slightly, raising his hand in a gesture of invitation. "Very well. We've actually been wondering—how are you so certain that the person we're seeking is indeed within Yitian City?" The middle-aged man glanced thoughtfully at the black-armored warrior before smiling and replying. Then, with the two massive magical birds pulling at the ends of his black war-chariot, it shot swiftly downward. The black-armored warrior smiled softly and also led the others down to the valley floor. For the rest of the day, the black-armored warrior and the other high-ranking magical beings of the demonic clan engaged in an extensive discussion in a grand hall within the valley. When the old master and the two middle-aged couple finally stepped out, they both looked deeply satisfied! ...Time passed in just a few days. On this day, Han Li was meditating in his quarters when he suddenly heard a series of exclamations coming from outside. His eyes brightened, and he immediately rose to walk toward the window. As his sleeve fluttered, a wave of azure light surged forth. The window, previously veiled in a soft golden glow, creaked open on its own. Han Li glanced outside and his face instantly paled. He then shot out like a streak of azure light from the room, and after a few swift movements, materialized hundreds of paces above, gazing upward. There, among the seven suns that should have hung suspended in the sky at noon, one displayed an eerie gray spot around its circumference, slowly spreading inward—like someone gently covering the sunlight with their palm. Below, whether men, women, the young or the old, or cultivators or ordinary folk, all looked pale with fear upon witnessing this unusual celestial phenomenon. Although the upper echelons of Yitian City had made every effort to contain the news—that on the Day of the Five Yangs, the great array would fail—this information nonetheless seeped out gradually, causing widespread anxiety. Fortunately, thanks to the personal appearances of the last two Great Multiplication cultivators from the Four Great Sects, who made earnest promises and assurances, the city's morale was eventually stabilized once more. Nevertheless, even now, when the people saw the phenomenon manifesting clearly in the sky, a wave of fresh apprehension swept through their hearts. Fortunately, almost simultaneously, the bells of Yitian City rang out across the city, and one after another, high-ranking cultivators dressed in the robes of the Four Great Sects launched themselves into the air from various homes. At the same time, waves of fully armed cultivators and human warriors emerged from hidden quarters, pouring onto the streets. They patrolled throughout the city, either in the sky or on the ground, and in an instant, the aura of ominous energy surged throughout Yitian City. Those who had initially been startled now grew calm, their faces relaxing as they followed the patrols' guidance and returned to their homes, no longer venturing out. For a while, the vast city was emptied of all the casual passersby, becoming unusually quiet. Han Li paid no attention to what was unfolding around him, merely gazing intently at the unusual phenomena in the sky, silent and composed. After a meal's worth of time had passed, until the sun itself turned completely gray and hazy, he frowned, then suddenly surged forward as a streak of jade-green light, racing toward a grand hall within the city. Though Yitian City was immense, its residences were conveniently located not far from the main hall. Thus, after just over an hour, the jade-green streak reached the hall's sky and swiftly descended straight to the hall's entrance. "Han brother, you've come a bit late!" A light laugh suddenly echoed from the hall entrance, followed by a graceful figure stepping out— a woman wearing a silver mask. None other than Lady Silver Light! "Ah, it's Lady Silver. I've been observing the city's situation outside, and it seems that Lin Sister and Qinglong Brother have arranged things quite well, with no significant disturbances." Han Li replied calmly. "Of course. Both Lin Sister and Qinglong Master are senior cultivators who have long since reached the Consolidated Stage, and as the Senior Elders of the Four Great Sects, they certainly have no trouble handling such matters. However, the Five-Yang Transformation into the Moon has already begun, and the demonic army is likely to arrive at the city's gates shortly. In this battle, Han brother will undoubtedly be the key force—so I'd urge you to remain especially vigilant." Lady Silver Light's smile softened into a more serious tone. "Thank you for the reminder. Yet, calling Han Li the foremost combat force may be somewhat exaggerated." The merits of Lady Lin and Daoist Qinglong are certainly not inferior to mine," Han Li remarked, noticing a few genuine sentiments in the other's expression and smiling slightly at the unexpected warmth. "Lady Lin and Master Qinglong are unaware of my true capabilities; otherwise, they would have known by now..." To the astonishment, the hall was now densely filled, with over a hundred high-level cultivators at the stage of Transcendent or above gathered together. Hundreds of armored guards stood motionless around the periphery. At one end of the hall, four chairs were arranged side by side—two placed at a slightly elevated level, and the other two positioned adjacent on either side. Remarkably, in the center of the hall, a vast luminous screen materialized, its form solidified through the convergence of ethereal images. At the heart of this screen stood a city that was unmistakably familiar, exquisitely rendered. Surrounding it, clusters of dark mist were slowly advancing, inch by inch, toward the city.