"If the Grand Master truly wishes to take this man's life and yet returns safely himself, then I would be honored to step in and handle the matter. In that case, no one would suspect the Master at all." The woman with the mask suddenly stiffened in tone. "Should he appear, you need not intervene," the Elder Ao Xiao replied without hesitation. "Why so? Does Miss Linglong know anything about this person?" The masked woman seemed well-informed about the matter involving Yin Yue, and expressed her surprise. "I have always kept this person's affairs hidden from Linglong. She has been close to me, rarely exposed to outside matters. However, recently, she received a message from an old friend, who unexpectedly mentioned this young man's ascension to the human realm as a fully integrated cultivator. That is why she has insisted on accompanying me this time. Should this young man meet with such a sudden fate, even without concrete evidence, Linglong would inevitably suspect me, and the heartache I've carried would become even more difficult to resolve." "Of course, if he dies at the hands of the demonic beings, that's quite another matter!" Elder Ao Xiao's face clouded and cleared several times before he finally spoke slowly. "In that case, things will indeed become troublesome. Yet, having him fall to the demonic forces is not beyond my capabilities either." The masked woman smiled lightly, clearly eager to see韩立 perish. "If I say it's impossible, then it shall be impossible. With the great battle against the demonic forces about to commence, every one of the combined-stage beings is a precious asset—absolutely not to be wasted. Otherwise, compared to this individual, I would rather see Tian Kui vanish from this world entirely, and not have him remain alive to this day." Elder Ao Xiao's expression darkened, and he issued his command with unyielding authority. "Then, I shall step aside from this matter. Otherwise, I truly find myself deeply interested in this celebrated cultivator, said to emerge once every ten thousand years among the human race." After a soft chuckle, the masked woman yielded without further insistence. "Liǎo Yǐng, how many years have you served as my Shadow Guardian?" Elder Ao Xiao suddenly asked this question. "Perhaps five or six thousand years! How could you suddenly ask such a thing?" The masked woman was taken aback, expressing genuine surprise. "Back then, when I rescued you from the flow of time-space, you swore to remain loyal to me for ten thousand years, and signed a soul pact with me on the spot, binding us for that duration. Now, I intend to transfer the remaining several thousand years of our pact to Linglong. What do you think of that?" Elder Ao Xiao said solemnly. "Elder Ao! Though I was deeply moved by your life-saving grace and thus signed the soul pact with you, my primary reason for doing so was your status as a fully established stage being—your strength truly commanded my respect. Otherwise, I would have repaid your kindness in a completely different way." The masked woman frowned slightly, growing somewhat displeased. "Then, is it only because Linglong's cultivation level is still insufficient that you are unwilling?" Elder Ao Xiao said calmly. "Indeed." Little Linglong has grown up under my watch since childhood, and I have grown fond of her. Aside from other qualifications, her cultivation level is rather weak—she must at least reach the Consolidated Stage before I would seriously consider her. You should know our Liao兽 clan's traditions; even I cannot easily break them. The masked lady sighed, appearing somewhat helpless. "Should your concern be solely about her cultivation strength, rest assured—within a century, Linglong will advance to the Consolidated Stage, and there's even potential for her to reach the Great Perfection Stage later on." Old Ao Xiao smiled. "Master Ao, what do you mean by that?" The masked lady's eyes flashed with surprise as she asked. "You haven't realized it yet—Linglong has awakened the Seven-Star Moon Body. With such a talent, do you think my earlier words are exaggerated? However, to prevent any unforeseen circumstances, this matter has remained strictly between me and Linglong, and has never been revealed to anyone else." Old Ao Xiao said seriously. "There truly are such matters. If that's the case, then I would indeed be willing to establish a soul pact with her. However, this would require me to personally verify what the esteemed elder just mentioned." The masked woman pondered for a while, finally nodding with some hesitation. "Very well. With you safeguarding Linglong, I shall have no further concerns until she achieves her full cultivation. The sooner, the better—within a few days, I will arrange everything for you. Once I have confirmed Linglong's Seven-Star Lunar Body, I will transfer the soul pact to you." Elder Ao Xiao's expression relaxed as he spoke. "Since you have spoken so clearly, I shall certainly cooperate. Yet, Elder Ao seems so eager—does this mean you lack confidence in the approaching battle, and thus have prepared a contingency plan for Linglong?" The masked woman nodded, suddenly asking with a touch of cunning. "Hehe. If I lacked confidence, how could I have personally come all this way?" Though I don't know exactly how the magical beings have planned their strategy, with our alliance this time alongside several other clans, we now have a strong chance of success. As for more specific details, I'm unable to reveal them. Currently, our actions consist only of essential precautionary measures. Moreover, even without the matter of the magical calamity, I myself won't survive the next lightning surge—arranging backup plans is entirely natural and expected." Ao Xiao, the elder, smiled with dignified confidence. Upon seeing the expression of the man with long hair, the woman wearing a mask flashed a brief gleam in her eyes but said nothing further. At that moment, Ao Xiao's tone grew firm and he suddenly added, "I have no further matters to attend to. You should now depart. The island is likely beginning to investigate the magical clan's spies—make sure your vulnerabilities aren't discovered, or else if they're mistaken, the consequences could be significant. At the very least, your current disguise will no longer be viable." "Yes, sir. Then Ling Ying shall withdraw. The mask-wearing woman nodded, twisted her body slightly, and in one fluid motion, vanished just as she had come—space gently rippled and then settled. Old Master Ao Xiao watched the scene, narrowed his eyes for a moment before finally exhaling softly and closing them again. An elderly man with white hair, carrying two long swords—one green, one yellow—focused his gaze and turned to ask seriously to the elder standing beside him, who bore a scar on his face. "Master Brother, please rest assured. This transmission array is a secret one, reserved exclusively for the elders of Tianyuan City, known to only a few. Had it not been for my personal acquaintance with the guard who oversees this array, and his accidental revelation during a drunken conversation, I would have remained completely unaware of its existence." The scarred elder replied without hesitation. "That's hard to say. The demonic forces have occupied this region for quite some time now; even the most concealed locations may eventually be exposed." The elder shook his head, clearly expressing deep concern. "Yet now Tianyuan City itself is completely sealed off by the demons. If we attempt to break through directly, we would surely be setting ourselves up for certain defeat. Only the route suggested by Li's younger brother remains viable for us to try." Another elderly woman, whose appearance was unusually unattractive, could not help but speak up. "Your sister is right—indeed, we now have no choice but to act. If we continue to hide outside, the Fire Departement will inevitably be wiped out by the demonic forces; the only way to preserve our lineage is to enter Tianyuan City. We must take a risk and make the journey." The elder who carried the sword on his back, his face dark and uncertain, finally clenched his teeth and spoke. "Brother, I fully agree! Our human race has endured countless demonic invasions in the past, and while the three imperial cities have often been unstable, Tianyuan City alone has never fallen. As long as we can enter it, our lives will be secure. I will immediately dispatch my disciples to investigate." Upon hearing this, the elder with the scar on his face was overjoyed. "No need to send ordinary disciples. Should the demonic forces have laid a trap, the regular disciples might not even notice it. It would be more reliable if we ourselves go. Even if we do fall into the trap, ordinary demons would not be able to stop us." The elder stroked his beard thoughtfully, yet spoke with unwavering determination. "Very well, then. I'll follow Brother's advice. I'll go with Brother Li personally to see it through." After a brief thought, the old woman readily agreed. "No. Sister is second only to me in cultivation level within the sect. She should remain here with the other brothers to oversee things. Should anything happen, she won't have to wait for us to return—she can immediately lead her disciples to safety. Brother Li and Brother Yang, you two come with me. One of you has some knowledge of the transmission array, the other is skilled in seal and array techniques—both of you will be invaluable." The sword-bearer, without hesitation, named his choices directly. The scar-faced elder and the other, more scholarly elder promptly stepped forward and nodded in agreement. After giving the remaining members a few final instructions, the sword-bearer then took off with the other two, vanishing in a flash of light toward the distant valley. The remaining human cultivators stirred in response, all turning with growing concern toward the direction where the light had gone. None of the human cultivators present, including the elder who carried his sword on his back, could have imagined that a faint green aura was speeding toward the same destination across the void just a few thousand li away from this mountain peak. In the midst of his drifting light, a young man in his twenties was casually handling a compact, dark little mountain, occasionally glancing around with an air of unconcern. On his shoulder, however, rested a young girl who appeared no older than three or four years, delicate and fresh-faced with a baby-like roundness, one hand clutching the hem of Han Li’s robe and the other gripping an unfamiliar spiritual fruit, eagerly chewing it down.