The other combined cultivators heard this and did not find it surprising; most of them nodded in strong agreement. Thus, with the assistance of several elders from Tianyuan City, the silver-haired elder swiftly assigned various tasks. Most of the present beings from both human and elven lineages would be dispatched outside the city to continue eliminating the remaining demonic forces in the territories previously controlled by Tianyuan City. A portion of the group would remain in Tianyuan City to quickly restore all damaged arrays and defensive seals. Of course, the most critical task was to immediately destroy the key "nodes" of the demonic realm pathways in the surrounding areas—ensuring that even if the demons sent reinforcements, they would be unable to arrive near Tianyuan City. Given the urgency of these matters, once the assignments were completed, everyone promptly departed and went about their respective duties. In a short while, the hall was left with only the silver-haired elder Jin and the elder named Cuiweng. This elder was one of the messengers dispatched by the Holy Island, who had secretly discussed matters at length with the silver-haired elder in the hall before drifting away gracefully. Upon the conclusion of the talks, the silver-haired elder beamed with joy, as though he had received excellent news from the old man. Not long afterward, through the concerted efforts of numerous fused cultivators sent from Tianyuan City, a number of the previously lingering remnants of the demonic forces were finally surrounded and eliminated. However, the remaining demonic forces, under the leadership of several noble demonic elders, gradually withdrew from the Tianyuan City region and joined other nearby demonic armies. In this situation, the pursuing forces of Tianyuan City naturally ceased their pursuit, establishing numerous outposts along the border before returning to the city. Thus, the great battle in Tianyuan City finally came to a close. Throughout the entire battle, the human and immortal clans ultimately secured a major victory, though their defensive forces were devastated by nearly one-third, with several senior elders at the combined stage unexpectedly falling in the conflict. Many more at the cultivation levels below the Transcendent stage also perished. Fortunately, the advancing demonic army was successfully repelled, and a greater number of demons were slain than had been anticipated—marking the first significant victory since the Demon Cataclysm. This triumph undoubtedly boosted morale and carried decisive strategic significance for both clans. Even within the neighboring territories under the control of the magical clans, numerous independent practitioners and minor factions have willingly taken risks to flee toward the Tianyuan City region. As a result, the city has easily replenished its manpower losses. With time, it is certain that even if a large force of magical clansmen returns, Tianyuan City will still possess the strength to continue fighting. Thus, everything in Tianyuan City is recovering swiftly, steadily gathering and conserving every available resource. Time flies by, and within a year, the passage of time has passed unnoticed. On this day, a special guest arrived at the stone pavilion where Han Li resided. Upon hearing the news, Hai, the young noble, and the Spirit of the Artifact were both surprised and promptly welcomed the visitor into the grand hall on the top floor. As soon as the guest sat down, he immediately asked the Spirit of the Artifact without hesitation: "I have come to see my master with an urgent matter. Please inform him of it at once." "Reported to the elder, our master is currently in seclusion and has already instructed that he will not receive any visitors." Although the spirit of the artifact felt a little uneasy, he still replied calmly. "Don't worry. I've already made arrangements with your master long before now. Just let him know, and he won't hold it against you." The man spoke with a composed and indifferent tone. "Since the senior has said so, I shall give it a try!" After a brief hesitation, realizing that the person before him was truly no ordinary consolidated cultivator, the spirit of the artifact bravely agreed. Then, he flipped his hand, and a sealed transmission scroll appeared. Bowing slightly, he spoke a few words to the scroll before releasing it with a gesture. ... In the sealed chamber at the base of the stone tower, where Master Han had remained untouched since his retreat into meditation, a sudden flash of golden light rippled through his body. The tightly closed eyes slowly opened. His gaze now sparkled with vitality, clearly indicating that his vital energy had recovered significantly. With one hand reaching out into the void, a soft "puff" sound followed, and a streak of fiery light shot directly through the space, flashing to land in his palm. After a brief mental scan, Han Li's eyes widened slightly, and he murmured, "I didn't expect it to be him. It seems I must go meet him personally now." As soon as he finished speaking, he rose from his cushion, his form blurring momentarily before transforming into a streak of jade-green light and vanishing through the entrance of the chamber. A short while later, the central hall on the top floor of the stone tower settled into stillness, and Han Li stood straight before them. "Greetings, Master!" Upon seeing Han Li, the Instrument Spirit and Hai the Younger immediately bowed with joy. "Rise, both of you," Han Li said, gesturing to his disciples. "Lóng, your arrival time seems off—much earlier than we had agreed. And now that you've come to Tianyuan City, won't the demonic clans take advantage of your absence to eliminate Lóng's stronghold?" He then turned gently toward the visitor, speaking with a calm tone. The guest who was now carefully examining Han Li, with a pale golden complexion and a brief expression of astonishment, was none other than the elder of Long Family, who had once secretly pledged an agreement with Han Li. "I have dared to come so far, and naturally made all necessary arrangements before my departure. As for hearing that you have advanced to the late stage and recently defeated both a Magus Saint-Emperor and a late-stage Magus Sovereign in a great battle—this news I originally found hard to believe. Yet now, it seems to be true. Since you have reached the late stage, your cultivation has surged so dramatically that I find myself falling short in comparison. Indeed, this gives me greater confidence in our original agreement. As for the earlier timing, it was due to some changes in circumstances at that time." After gathering his gaze, the elder's expression remained calm, yet a subtle awe lingered in his eyes. "In the past few years, I've had some rather unique opportunities, which have allowed me to advance so swiftly to the late stage. As for the defeat of the Magistrate Saint's avatar, it wasn't solely due to my personal efforts—my colleagues from the Valley also contributed significantly." A slight surprise flickered on Han Li's face, yet he didn't press further, merely offering a light and concise explanation. "Regardless, slaying a Saint's avatar of the Magistrate lineage is no small achievement among Consolidated Stage cultivators. Moreover, you've only just reached the late stage recently. I'm certain that once your cultivation reaches its peak and your abilities mature, your prowess will grow even further. As for me, I believe I'm not yet your equal." Leng, the elder of the Leng family, sighed and said this. "Hehe, Leng brother is being overly modest. Well, then, could you please elaborate on the specific developments that occurred during that incident?" Han Li chuckled, finally steering the conversation to the point. "This story is quite lengthy." If we stay here…," the elder of the Long family's gaze flickered, briefly scanning the two spirit-ware disciples and Hai's young master, with a touch of hesitation. "You two go ahead and step out. Come back in when I call you." Naturally, Han Li understood the implication immediately, and turned to face the two disciples, saying without hesitation, "Yes, Master!" The two disciples had no objections at all, respectfully agreeing. Then they silently stepped out of the hall. Han Li waved his sleeve, and a streak of azure light surged forth, only to vanish almost instantly. At that moment, a low hum resonated through the surrounding space, rippling with layers of white light that instantly enveloped the entire hall. "All right," Han Li quietly withdrew his spell, smiled gently at the elder of the Long family, "Now, with just you and me here, you may speak freely." "Since Master Han has already opened the seals," the elder said, "I feel completely at ease. Here's what happened." The time we originally agreed upon for entering the realm of the demons seems to be approaching sooner than expected. I have just received word that our two clans are preparing for a counteroffensive against the demonic forces within just a few years' time. Moreover, it appears that the three primordial founders of the demon realm will also descend upon our spiritual realm at that time. Regardless of whether this campaign ends in victory or defeat, we may then have no further opportunity to penetrate deep into the demon realm. If we wish to obtain those two rare spiritual artifacts, we must enter the demon realm before then—only then shall we have a chance. The elder of the Long family's expression grew suddenly grave. "The Three Primordial Founders of the Demon Realm!" Hearing this, Han Daojun's face immediately darkened. "It seems that you, too, have heard of the names of the Three Primordial Founders of the demon realm. These three ancient demons are among the most powerful among the original, ancient beings of the demon realm—far surpassing ordinary demon saint founders. I've heard that several high-level cultivators from foreign clans in our spiritual realm have already fallen at the hands of these three." As the elder of the Long family spoke these words, his eyes Han Li's expression darkened slightly, and he stared at the spot, thinking intently. The elder of the Long family said nothing further, merely waiting patiently for Han Li's reply. "Based on what I know, the three primordial founders of the demonic race never leave the realm of demons. The great cultivators of other races who perished at my hands—seem to have died only after entering the demonic realm. Could you confirm that this information is accurate, Brother Long?" It wasn't until after a while that Han Li finally spoke. "Then, Brother Han, do you have any doubts about what I've just said?" The elder of the Long family didn't seem surprised, and asked back. "It's not that I doubt you, Brother Long. Rather, what you've just mentioned is truly remarkable—so significant that I feel it necessary to be more cautious." Han Li replied, his expression unchanged. "Then, Brother Han, please feel at ease. This information comes from the Sacred Island, and specifically from the words of Master Ao Xiao of the feline race. In his words, do you think there's any chance of falsehood?" "The elder of the Long family stared intently at Han Li's face, speaking each word carefully. 'Master Elder Ao Xiao, has he gone to the Sacred Island?' Han Li was startled, his gaze sharpening as he quickly asked."