"Come. Although your movements were fairly swift, you might have startled others." The imperial-dressed woman suddenly drew her compass close, speaking calmly. With a graceful flick of her sleeve, a rosy glow burst forth, enveloping herself and the black-armored man instantly. They then transformed into a luminous sphere, rising into the air, spinning once before breaking through the atmosphere and speeding off. Their destination was precisely the coral islands ahead. As they glided through the light, the woman's eyes slightly narrowed, her expression otherwise composed. The black-armored man glanced at her face twice, then finally, after a while, asked: "Master, why did the altar suddenly burst apart at the very last moment? Did you sustain any injury?" "Nothing serious. The backlash from the spell was stronger than expected, which ultimately made it impossible to control." "But I myself have nothing urgent. The eight substitute puppets were all destroyed, and until I create new ones, I'll be unable to use divination for a long time." The lady in court attire did not conceal her words, speaking calmly. "Indeed? Then the divination the master just performed..." The black-armored man was startled, murmuring softly. "Rest assured. Though the spell wasn't fully completed, I did obtain some hexagrams. However, the predictions from these hexagrams are rather vague—quite ambiguous, even contradictory at times. Still, one thing is certain: these people are indeed closely connected to my recovery of cultivation. They've been steadily following me, staying close without disturbing me. I need some time to reflect and truly comprehend it all." The lady spoke with a composed tone. "Understood, Master. Then let us go after them immediately!" "These people have not only gathered so many combined-phase beings, but have also traveled such a long distance to reach this remote location—clearly, their purpose must be of great significance." The black-armored man was initially surprised, but quickly composed himself and replied with respect. "No matter what their intentions are, we will simply follow and eventually find out." The lady in imperial robes remained calm and said this with unwavering composure. "Our master has already subtly imprinted upon that human woman, and while they are visible to them, we remain unseen. They simply cannot escape our pursuit." The black-armored man chuckled, giving a warm smile. This time, the lady in imperial robes merely nodded, saying nothing further. Seeing this, the black-armored man promptly fell silent and refrained from speaking. ... Several hours later, high above a vast coral island spanning hundreds of miles. Under the protection of the treasures of the Thousand-Seasons Saint Maiden, Han Li and his companions had come to a halt in their flight, now hovering at a height of several thousand zhang, gazing steadily toward a distant magical fortress in the distance. This magical fortress occupies nearly half the island's area. Its gray walls rise nearly a hundred zhang high, and a series of dense, intricate spells are laid out around it. Even several layers of black light screens envelop the entire fortress. On the city walls, magicians armed with various weapons can be seen patrolling constantly, while in the sky above, some strange two-headed bird-like magical creatures glide and soar nearby. Throughout the central area, squads of magical infantry move back and forth, maintaining an exceptionally vigilant defense. Above the fortress, a vast expanse of black clouds—spanning hundreds of mu—roll and surge continuously, accompanied by thunderous rumblings. From time to time, streaks of silver arcs flash and shimmer, creating a profoundly eerie and ominous atmosphere. "Is this really what Brother Long described as the relatively small number of magical troops stationed here?" asked the Thousand-Season Princess, her tone grave after surveying the fortress. The other several holy spirits also looked visibly concerned. As for Han Li and the ethereal young lady from Ye family, and other human cultivators, though they said nothing, their gaze toward the elder of Long family naturally carried a certain degree of suspicion. "Please don't misunderstand, I only recently dispatched a delegation to investigate here. Originally, the number of demonic cultivators stationed here was far smaller, and the fortifications were merely a modest outpost. The current situation, however, has greatly exceeded my expectations. It seems the demonic cultivators have suddenly sent a large number of reinforcements, which is why the facilities have been expanded so significantly." The elder of Long family smiled faintly and hurriedly explained. "Indeed, I have no doubt that Brother Long would not deceive us on such a momentous matter. Nevertheless, I wonder—what are your plans now? Should we consider relocating to a different passage? With so many demonic cultivators here, and with likely a senior demonic cultivator overseeing the situation, the original plan may no longer be viable." The thousand-year-old princess's expression shifted slightly before finally calming down. "Relocating to a new site, however, may not be feasible in time." Among the magical race nodes I have identified, the one at this location—this passage—is most suitable for us. At other places, even if I manage to reach the realm of the magi, the journey would be fraught with danger. Moreover, while this fortress is larger than others, it is rare indeed that a true magi patriarch would be stationed here. However, the original strategy of infiltration no longer fits this situation. Though the counterfeit magical pearls are remarkably effective at concealing us from the keen senses and awareness of higher-tier magi, they fall short in resisting powerful wards. With so many wards now in place—some of them particularly formidable—if several strong wards are layered among them, we risk exposure and being absorbed directly into the magi's main forces. Instead, we can simply vanish and fly directly toward the node. Should we be detected, we can then force our way in. With our combined strength, even if one or two magi patriarchs attempt to obstruct us, we can easily defeat and eliminate them. Once we enter the realm of the magi, we shall be as a dragon entering the sea—unreachable and beyond pursuit. After a moment's contemplation, the elder of the Long family suddenly displayed a stern expression and said, "I agree with Long brother's proposal. Our combined strength indeed doesn't need to be overly cautious. A direct, straightforward assault would be the cleanest approach." The bearded man from the Lin family flashed a glint of fierce determination, yet appeared fully in agreement. "However, should we proceed this way, the魔界 and its inhabitants will undoubtedly be made aware immediately. This would significantly hinder our future operations within the魔界." The young woman in flowing robes furrowed her brows, speaking with a touch of hesitation. "The魔界 is so vast; as long as we remain vigilant and avoid the cities where the魔族 are most concentrated, even if they learn of our arrival, they won't be able to mount an effective pursuit. Moreover, the魔族 may not find it unusual at all for foreign beings to enter their realm. As far as I know, many of our spiritual realm's esteemed masters frequently visit the魔界. The魔族 may not necessarily take special notice of us, and thus, they won't necessarily be overly alert to our presence." The elder from Long family, a man named Hui, also spoke with a gloomy expression. Han Li gently stroked his chin, remaining calm and silent. As for the thousand-year saint maiden, she subtly exchanged words with her companions, murmuring in quiet communication. In a short while, she had reached a decision and approached the Long family elder with a serious demeanor, saying, "If we relocate to another place, indeed, the timeline would be significantly delayed. Then, we shall proceed as Brother Long suggests. Should our movements be discovered, we will jointly launch an assault. However, I hope the situation on the other side—the Mysterious Realm—remains unchanged." "Rest assured, all of us, the position of the Mysterious Realm at the node will remain flawless," the Long family elder said, slightly drawing his lips but with unwavering confidence. "Since Brother Long has expressed such confidence, we must not delay—let us act immediately." I will strive to fully unleash the power of this vapor banner, minimizing any disturbance to the local seals and gradually approaching the designated node. The thousand-years-old maiden first nodded indifferently, then spoke with careful deliberation. Subsequently, she pressed a hand seal, and several beams of light flashed briefly before vanishing into the surrounding void, leaving no trace. Han Li's blue glow in his eyes flickered as he used his spiritual sight to briefly scan the area. He observed that the layer of mist around him slightly shimmered before gradually thinning out, becoming increasingly hazy even when viewed with focused spiritual sight. Han Li's thoughts stirred slightly, yet his spiritual glow dimmed. Yet the thousand-years-old maiden remained completely unaware of any such change, gazing at Han Li with deep significance, saying nothing. Instead, she suddenly intensified the power of her artifact, propelling the surrounding mist directly toward the sky above the demonic clan's stronghold. Han Li's eyes narrowed slightly, but his expression remained unchanged. At the same time, those who had also raised their spiritual power—along with Long Family's elder—slowly drifted toward the distant node. At this moment, everyone remained silent, their faces solemn. Though they were not far from the dark clouds hovering above the fortress—no more than a dozen miles away—this relatively short distance had seen them encounter seven or eight waves of magical guard patrols along the way. Yet, under the skillful guidance of the Saintess Qianqiu, the veil of mist seamlessly concealed their movements, making them appear as if they had passed right by these patrols without a single disruption. The magical forces detected absolutely no anomaly. With a single gesture, the cloud mist that had previously enveloped everyone suddenly flashed brilliantly, then solidified into a thick, luminous shield that completely blocked out the surrounding dark radiance. Seeing this, the elders of the Long family and others immediately ceased hesitation, launching several treasures and vast streams of lightning and flame from their hands, which swiftly expanded into broad bands of radiant light and rolled outward. Under the combined force of their attack, the surrounding seals roared and shattered like paper fragments, and all the figures' light forms surged together, transforming into十余 brilliant streaks of light that shot toward the fortress sky at lightning speed. Such a commotion naturally alerted the nearby patrol forces and the entire army of magi stationed within the fortress, which immediately erupted into sharp, piercing cries. Then, countless clusters of radiant light burst into being around the fortress, instantly spreading a dense network of magical seals throughout the sky above the fortress. At the same time, waves of Magian infantry, their faces grim, rode various mythical beasts and surged skyward with formidable momentum.