But the Han dynasty's move clearly came too late! Though the black axe aura seemed mighty and imposing, Lei Yunzi's actions proved even faster. After a cold exhalation, a ripple surged through the thunder array, and in the surge of silver lightning, Lei Yunzi and Han Li vanished. The black ribbon-like aura then rolled once, tearing the thunder array to shreds—yet neither Han Li nor his companion suffered a single strand of hair or hair follicle damaged. The young woman, Bao Shu, did not intercept the Han forces' assault, nor did she show any intention of launching an attack herself. With a gentle sigh, she slowly closed her eyes, as if silently sensing something. Seeing that the assault had failed to make an impact, the Han official frowned, displaying a touch of dissatisfaction. Yet upon observing Bao Shu's demeanor, he immediately fell silent, standing guard beside her without uttering a single word. After an indeterminate length of time, the woman's eyelashes fluttered once, and her eyes opened again. She then softly remarked, "At most, in another five or six instances, I shall leave this man unable to take flight." Now I've pinpointed several possible locations where Cuan Song might have gone. Let's head there immediately. We'll surely meet him again within just a few moments. "Yes, Master Baoshu! How could these spiritual realm beings possibly know of your prowess? Yet, how did the item you've so carefully preserved end up in the hands of the person just now?" Black Crocodile hurried forward to pay his respects, while also expressing a touch of curiosity. "Isn't that rather obvious? When my fragment of the Xuan Tian Rui Ri Blade was stolen by that demonic monkey, I later regained consciousness and discovered that the very same monkey had just perished. Naturally, the fragment—along with the other items it had taken—ended up in the hands of the one who defeated it. During the time before I awoke, several Tian Yun people had ventured deep into the mountain range. The one who killed the monkey was among them. I originally assumed it would be one of the Tian Yun elders. However, due to prior agreements I had made with several of their senior elders, I found it inconvenient to pursue the matter further. But no one could have imagined that this Xuan Tian fragment had ended up in the hands of a human cultivator. It was unclear how he had managed to infiltrate the Magu Jin Shan peak in the first place. Nevertheless, if that were the case, I would certainly recover my treasure. The woman spoke calmly. "Ah, I see. I myself had previously met several of the Tian Yun people. I never expected that among them, some could even defeat a fully established magu ape." The large man's face changed, showing a touch of relief and even some concern. "Well, let's set this aside for now and focus on securing the Tian Tan flower first. Simply by itself, this bloom can help alleviate some of my injuries—it's not something we can afford to let go. Moreover, according to my divination a few days ago, the truly valuable medicinal herb I've been seeking seems to be located in this very region. Black Crocodile, also keep an eye out for it. If I can find that herb and restore my full cultivation power, I'll certainly make good on my promise to you." The woman added, her eyes flashing. "Please rest assured, the black crocodile will do his utmost to assist you in finding that divine herb. However, unfortunately, even you yourself do not know exactly what the herb foretold by the divination is—otherwise, things would have been much simpler." The tall man quickly expressed his loyalty. "Though I have some knowledge of divination, I am not particularly skilled in this area. The unfortunate thing is that both my generals, Yun and Long, have fallen in battle long ago. If they were still alive, I would not have had to personally step forward." The woman in white, her eyes briefly glistening with a touch of melancholy, spoke. "I have heard of the esteemed names of the two generals, Yun and Long, during my time. It is said that though they are not the Sage Ancestors themselves, their powers are such that even ordinary Sage Ancestors must hold them in great regard. Especially Yun's divination skills—said to rank second only to the Sage Realm. Only the luminous master, who attained enlightenment through divination, could possibly surpass him." Upon hearing the names of the two mentioned by the woman, the black crocodile could not help but adopt a serious expression. "Hehe, you even know their names! That makes sense—back then, their fame truly surpassed that of ordinary Sage-Ancestors." The woman smiled faintly, her gaze growing distant as she sank into thoughtful meditation. The Han man offered a polite smile but said nothing more. Not long afterward, the light in her eyes cleared, and she spoke softly: "Let's go. If we don't move now, we'll have to exert ourselves much more to catch up with that young man." The Han man naturally agreed, bowing respectfully and immediately stepping forward, his form swiftly shifting to join the great blossom, standing at a distance of about a zhang behind the woman. With a graceful sweep of her sleeve, the great blossom spun smoothly, releasing countless waves of rosy light, and a rare fragrance diffused from within. "Crack!" The rosy light dispersed completely, and the great blossom vanished entirely. During that period, enormous flowers appeared successively at three or four different locations, only to vanish mysteriously shortly afterward, as if they had suddenly transformed. After two hours had passed, when a dense forest shimmered with a ripple of light and the pink giant flower reappeared, a soft, low "Ah!" suddenly issued from within the bloom. Then, as the radiance of the flower subsided and its massive petals unfolded, the precious tree and the awkwardly built man stepped forth. "Wait a moment—have you come to confront those two?" Black Crocodile was first startled, then quickly brightened with delight. "No, we simply seem to have encountered some unexpected guests!" the woman in white said, her gaze fixed toward the distant horizon, a touch of surprise evident on her face. "Unexpected guests?" Black Crocodile remained utterly puzzled, hurriedly turning his head in the same direction, only to find nothing at all. His mind began to murmur with growing doubt. But at that very moment, a flash of light appeared suddenly in the heavens, and two orbs of white light emerged without any prior sign, swiftly rushing through the air in a series of flashes—so fast it was utterly astonishing! "Stone Palace, Jade Disk!" The big man had initially paid no attention, but as soon as the light approached and he clearly saw the two massive objects enclosed within, he gasped, his expression now utterly strange. Within the light stood a stone palace and a colossal jade disk! Master Baoshu's gaze upon these two objects was equally complex, though his face remained predominantly composed and cool. The figures within the palace and the disk immediately sensed the presence of the great flower, and at the same instant, their faces paled as they quickly halted the objects. As waves of energy rippled upward from both, four figures materialized simultaneously—none other than the four incarnations of Yuan Sha and Xue Guang. They looked at the white-robed woman of the great flower, and all of them immediately grew visibly displeased. "Miss Baoshu! It's really you!" Yuan Sha's face changed several times before he finally managed to speak, each word coming out stiff and hesitant. "Yuan Sha, it's you indeed. I never expected to see you again, especially here, in the Spirit Realm. It seems our Sacred Rituals in the Sacred Realm have already begun. Yet, I'm not sure I'm worthy of the title 'sister'." Baoshu's expression settled into calm, and she spoke gently and matter-of-factly. "Then, since I still lack a few attendants to handle the daily tasks, I'll take you all," the young woman in white raised her brows, her voice suddenly sharp and cold. Upon hearing this, the three blood-bodied manifestations instantly turned pale. They exchanged glances, as though making up their minds, and before the jade tree could speak further, they roared simultaneously, vanishing into three streaks of black energy that shot straight downward. In an instant, they were absorbed into the jade disk. A sudden clarity followed, and then a surge of black and white energy erupted from their bodies, forming a vast Taiji pattern that shimmered and then faded silently, as if dissolving into nothingness. "The Jade Disk is indeed extraordinary," the jade tree said, her expression grave, "but alas, you are neither its original owner nor present in the body of the main entity. Do you really think you can escape my sight now, without any sense of fortune?" With one hand, she reached upward, as if grasping at the heavens. A truly astonishing scene unfolded! One of the seven blazing suns originally suspended high in the sky suddenly swelled dramatically, distorting and blurring as ripples surged through the surrounding void. A luminous disc of a thousand zhang in diameter emerged, rolling forth with immense presence! The surface of this white sun was brilliantly radiant, raising the temperature of the entire void tenfold—just as if a celestial sun had been forcibly drawn down to near the observer by a woman. "Phantom Sun!" Met with this sight, Yuan Sha's face changed instantly, his voice breaking into an exclamation as his expression grew increasingly unsettled. The Sacred Tree gazed coldly at the woman, saying nothing, yet pointed a single finger toward the colossal sun in the sky. A thunderous roar erupted! The great sun slowly rotated, and countless white filaments shot forth from its surface, piercing through the void beneath, their reach spanning so widely that every region within sight seemed fully enveloped. Yuan Sha raised her hand, and a black ancient mirror floated above her head, transforming into a shimmering translucent screen that enveloped her. Though the light filaments appeared unbreakable, they were only momentarily dampened upon striking the screen, wavering before being held at bay. Yet, observing Yuan Sha's persistent hand gestures, it was clear she could not sustain this defense much longer. At a distance of over a thousand zhang, at the very moment the filaments pierced the void, a sudden burst of sound erupted! As the spatial disturbance rippled outward, a massive jade disc wobbled and materialized. Upon seeing this, the surrounding filaments—displaying a surprising sense of awareness—immediately altered their course, rushing toward the disc in a torrential downpour. In an instant, the entire disc was engulfed beneath a deluge of light, seemingly destined to be completely submerged. From within, a low, blood-red roar of shock and fury rose. The disc spun rapidly, and streams of black and white vapor surged forth, reconfiguring into a grand Taiji pattern, momentarily withstanding the relentless assault of the filaments. (Hmm, the neighborhood lost power yesterday—so I've had to delay updating this chapter until this morning!)