"Can it really be taken? Indeed! If I'm not mistaken, these two treasures seem to have been fused and intimately bonded with this Blood-Light Sage Ancestor." Han Li was first startled, but after a moment's pause, a look of doubt returned to his face. "Have I ever told you, that the Purple-Speech Cauldron among these two treasures was actually my own possession?" The elder stroked his beard, speaking with deep significance. "What? There's truly such a matter!" Han Li exclaimed, startled. "Hmph. Back then, I was secretly betrayed by the Blood-Light, forced to conceal my immortal spirit within this Sealing-Monster Lock, only thus managing to evade the enemy's notice. However, the Purple-Speech Cauldron ended up in the hands of that young man. Though he spent over a hundred years refining and integrating my spirit essence into the cauldron, eventually making it his own, my spirit within the cauldron remained distinctly dual—part bright, part dim. As long as this adversary fails to detect the presence of the second, subtler spirit essence, there remains a genuine chance for you to reclaim this treasure." "The elder stroked his beard, his expression darkening slightly. "If you indeed possess such a reserve, then success is truly possible. But I'd like to know—how strong is the divine awareness preserved within the treasure? How confident are you in your chances?" Han Li listened intently, yet remained cautious in his inquiry. "That strand of divine awareness is specially cultivated by me, specifically for situations like this. As long as it remains undetected by the bloodlight, I have over a fifty percent chance of freeing this treasure from its control. Moreover, even if we fail to reclaim it, the presence of my divine aura will significantly weaken its power before Han friend, rendering it no longer a threat." Qi Qi spoke with unwavering confidence. "A fifty percent chance—this is already quite a bold gamble. Since the Zǐyán Ding is secure, I wonder if you also have a strategy for the Cǎiguāng Tower. Compared to the Zǐyán Ding, this treasure's ability to absorb living beings is even more extraordinary and difficult to counter." Han Li nodded, then suddenly asked, "May I ask one more question?" "Although the Rainbow-Light Tower is not mine, it is a renowned celestial remnant treasure in the Sacred Realm, and I have no recollection of how the young blood-scarred man first obtained it. I have seen this treasure several times, and its power is indeed astonishing—even when I face it directly, I cannot be certain of being able to overcome it." Carriage Gong paused, then spoke with a serious tone. "So, then, this treasure is completely beyond our reach?" Han Li's expression grew grave as he said slowly. "The Rainbow-Light Tower may not be broken, but if it can only serve to delay you, that is all it can do. As long as you manage to seize the opportunity to subdue the Purple-Speech Cauldron during this time, and then use that cauldron to counter this treasure, you should be able to defend yourself adequately with the remaining celestial remnants." The elder flashed a glance, then added. "If we can at least withstand it for a while, that will be sufficient. I hope the elder could kindly instruct me on how to achieve this." After a moment of thought, Han Li smiled gently and bowed slightly. "Heh, I certainly wouldn't be bold enough to "You won't truly think," the elder said with a dismissive eye-roll, "that I'll simply and casually reveal the divine awareness techniques and strategies I've used against the Rainbow Light Tower, without any strings attached, will you?" "Oh, then what would the elder propose?" Han Li's expression remained calm, as if he had anticipated this very exchange. "It's simple—fulfill the terms I originally proposed, and I'll fully and honestly disclose both the techniques and the methods!" Qi Qi Gong stated without hesitation. Upon hearing this, Han Li's eyes narrowed slightly. After a pause, he said gently, "Then, if I may, could the elder please outline your terms? Last time, I had to rush off and didn't get a chance to listen carefully." "Rest assured," Qi Qi Gong said, his face now brightening with genuine pleasure and his tone softening, "I'm not someone who demands excessive concessions. My terms are equally beneficial to you." "Then I shall listen attentively," Han Li murmured inwardly, though he silently chuckled—certainly not convinced by the elder's words—yet maintained his composed demeanor. "The first condition is that, after you escape, you must immediately visit a nearby Yellow Springs terrestrial fire site and draw upon this celestial yin fire to extract some of the chaotic dual energies trapped within the Sealing Lock of the Demon-Subduing Device. I will later inform you of the specific method to extract these energies, but you must set aside one-third of the extracted chaotic dual energies for me." The elder spoke solemnly. "Senior, how can you receive these chaotic energies while you yourself are currently confined here?" Han Li's expression changed, and he asked with some surprise. "This need not concern you at all. Though I am pressed beneath the Sealing Lock, I have my own means to accomplish this. All you need to do is simply confirm your agreement." The elder raised his eyebrows. "Requesting only one-third of the extracted energies is indeed reasonable. Very well, I accept this condition." After a moment of hesitation, Han Li finally nodded his assent. "Once this condition is agreed upon, the second one is even simpler—and it will be something that remains uncertain for an unknown length of time in the future." I see you possess great prowess and potential, and perhaps one day you may even attain the stage of a great vehicle dharma. Therefore, I only ask for one promise from you. Should the day ever come when you are capable, help me slay Xueguang, this humble mortal. The elder smiled gently, uttering a statement so subtle yet so profound that it caused even the smallest muscle tremors on Han Li's face. "Are you jesting, Elder? How could I possibly defeat a being of great dharma rank? Even if such a day should arrive, Xueguang's Saint Ancestral is likely residing within your magical realm. How could I dare venture across realms to confront him?" Han Li shook his head vigorously, refusing outright. "Friend, please do not rush to reject this request! This condition is not binding upon you, nor do I expect you to journey to the Sacred Realm. I merely wish for one thing. Should it prove impossible for you to fulfill this, then naturally, this condition may be considered null and void." The elder's gaze grew serious, and he offered a wry smile. "Then, if that be the case, I am willing to make this promise." Below, I swear by my heart demons: should Master Han one day achieve supreme mastery of the Way and effortlessly defeat that Blood-Light Sage, I shall surely assist you. Master Han's face changed for a long time before he finally slowly agreed and then solemnly swore by his heart demons. Such a vow made by heart demons holds greater binding power the higher the entity's rank. After all, no one wishes to fail at a critical juncture when reaching a milestone, due to a reversal of their heart demons. Seeing this, the elder smiled with satisfaction, yet immediately grew serious and said with care: "I shall first inform you of the secret technique to awaken your divine awareness and the method used against the Light-Capturing Tower. However, the method of drawing upon the Chaotic Qi must be revealed to you only when you reach the Underworld's Fiery Earth. And only after I have obtained the portion of Chaotic Qi that I need, shall I finally disclose the method of refining the two kinds of Chaotic Qi. Do you have any objections to these points, Master Han?" "Indeed, is there anything particularly special about refining the two kinds of Chaotic Qi?" Huan Li stiffened upon hearing this and asked, "What kind of precious essence is the Chaotic Dual Qi contained within the Zhunmo Lock? How could ordinary cultivation methods effectively harness it? Not boasting, but even among the Sage Ancestors of the Sacred Realm, I'd wager no more than three know the technique for refining this Qi." Cui Qi Gong shook his head with an air of dignified confidence. After listening carefully, Huan Li pondered for a long time before finally nodding with a touch of resignation: "Very well, then. I shall follow your advice. The Blood-Light Sage Ancestor's form is not far from me. Once I have dealt with this foe, I will immediately escort you to the Yellow Springs' fiery ground." "Heh, Huan Brother, your choice is truly wise," Cui Qi Gong smiled gently. "I have here a copy of a jade scroll, with the secret techniques and methods fully inscribed upon it. However, this scroll cannot be carried out of the Zhunmo Lock. You will therefore need to memorize and internalize it here, at this very place." With a slight movement of his sleeve, a dark jade scroll shot forth toward Huan Li. "Thank you Han Li did not hesitate. With a single hand movement, he summoned the jade scroll into his hands, placing it gently upon his forehead, and then remained silent, his expression solemn. The elder stood still, motionless. Han Li's face shifted between gloom and composure. After a cup of tea's worth of time, he exhaled deeply, removing the scroll from his forehead, then pressed his fingers slightly, causing the scroll to burst into fragments with a flash of luminous light. "I have now fully memorized the secret technique and method. I had not realized that to counteract the Rainbow Light Tower, a spatial-type artifact of equal kind is required. However, such artifacts are truly rare. Though I possess several that I have received from others, I am uncertain whether there are specific rank requirements for these artifacts, or whether similar seals would also be effective." Han Li asked thoughtfully. "The Rainbow Light Tower is a remnant treasure of Xuan Tian. Therefore, spatial-type artifacts used to influence its power should ideally be of greater potency." However, if the goal is merely to delay time, then regardless of the rank of the treasures, their self-explosion will inevitably have a significant impact. Should the treasures possess seals that stabilize spatial integrity, they will likewise be affected." The elder nodded and smiled warmly. "Ah, now I understand. I'm reassured. The sooner the better—I shall return to the outside and drive back that Blood-Light Sage's avatar right away. By the way, I almost forgot: this Blood-Light Sage's avatar differs greatly from ordinary attached avatars. After taking form, not only does its spiritual power greatly increase, but the full potential of the two treasures also seems to be fully realized. It appears that a typical divine consciousness would not be able to achieve such feats. Moreover, this avatar can even divide into three, manifesting two additional copies. Master, do you know what kind of divine ability this is?" Han Li recalled something and asked the elder. "What? Such capabilities—dividing into three and manifesting other copies? That's impossible! "If a divine consciousness from across the realms had descended, it would surely be impossible to accomplish such feats." The smile on Che Qi Gong's face suddenly faded, revealing a look of disbelief. "I find this rather puzzling as well. The Bloodlight Sage Ancestor already has a manifested form nearby, leading the demonic army. Yet, he has again descended with a divine consciousness, possessing such remarkable abilities. If every sage of your realm possesses such power, our neighboring clans would have long been defeated by your demonic forces by now." Han Li sighed softly, clearly equally puzzled. "Hmph. No other sage possesses such a technique. Allow me to think carefully. I seem to have heard of something similar before, though the memory has faded due to the passage of time, and I cannot quite recall it at the moment." After the surprise faded from his face, Che Qi Gong narrowed his eyes into a thin slit and said.