"Thank you, master, for your great generosity. Even if I am reduced to ashes, I will surely help fulfill your present wish!" Hearing this, the black-armored man was overjoyed and promptly expressed his deep loyalty. "Very good. From now on, you need not ask any further questions—just carry out what I instruct. We've already delayed long enough. Now, let's follow those human cultivators immediately!" The dressed-in-imperial-robes woman nodded with satisfaction, glanced toward the distant mountain range, and her eyes flashed with a glint of frost. "Yes, master!" the black-armored man replied respectfully. With a simple flick of her floral robe, the ethereal image of the pink blossom tree shimmered once more and reappeared, enveloping the two within its form. Then, it transformed into a radiant pink light and shot forward in swift flight. At the same time, thousands of miles away in the sky, Han Li and the old patriarch of Long family, along with the rest of their party, were silently and steadily making their way through the air. Though they encountered some minor setbacks before entering the passage, everything that unfolded once they emerged from it matched precisely what the elder of the Long family had originally surveyed. Not only did they step out exactly within the Blood Stone Mountain range of the demonic realm, but outside the passage, there were only ordinary demonic clans stationed there. To avoid drawing attention, they didn't launch a full-scale assault; once they broke free from the encirclement, they simply took off without hesitation, flying steadily onward. The Blood Stone Mountain region was known in the demonic realm for its scarce resources and poor magical energy, and it spanned a vast area—thus, throughout their journey, they saw no trace of other demonic clans. This finally eased the constant anxiety that the elder of the Long family and his companions had carried. After flying continuously for nearly a month, and after defeating a group of previously unknown demonic birds along the way, Han Li and his companions finally broke free of the dark, towering mountain range below, and came upon a vast, exceptionally lush grassland stretching out before them. Everywhere on the grassland, green grass flourished, and flowers bloomed profusely, creating an endless, breathtaking vista. Yet a faint haze of dark gray energy drifted in the lower reaches, clearly more refined and delicate than the thick magical aura found within the mountains. At this moment, upon the elder of the Long family's call, everyone halted their flight and gathered once more to discuss their next course of action. "As per the last wishes of our former Spirit King, the whereabouts of the Washing Spirit Pool and the Purifying Spirit Lotus are located on a mysterious island in the easternmost part of the Magedom's Sea of Origins. While I still hold some clues in my possession, they can only be fully utilized upon reaching that island. Our current priority, therefore, is to reach this Magedom Sea as swiftly and safely as possible. I believe, Long brother, you have already been planning for this, haven't you?" The Queen of the Thousand Years spoke with solemnity to the human cultivators. "Yes, over the years I've specifically gathered information about the Magedom's territories, filtering out vague or inaccurate reports, and have finally compiled some solid results. From our current position, there are three distinct routes we can take to reach the Sea of Origins." But each of these three paths has its own advantages and disadvantages, and I personally cannot yet decide which one to choose—definitely need to consult with all of you. In fact, it's even possible that we may need to try all three routes before making a final decision." The elder of the Long family nodded, responding seriously. "Which three routes are you referring to, Brother Long? Please share them with us." The man from the Lin family asked without hesitation. Han Li and the young lady in the feathered robe, among others, also listened intently. "The first route is for me to proceed straight ahead along this current grassland, entering the Chongyue Great Plain, then cross through several prosperous regions controlled by the major magical clans. By utilizing the teleportation array systems in their great cities, we can easily reach the Magi Sea. Should everything go smoothly, we should arrive at our destination within one or two years. However, the only challenge lies in the fact that the magical clans whose cities have teleportation arrays will surely have their senior elders or even incarnations of the Saint Ancestors stationed there, and they will also have numerous powerful restrictions in place." Even if we use forged magic orbs, we'd have at most a two-in-ten chance of passing undetected in these cities—this, even under the most favorable circumstances," the elder of the Long family said calmly, outlining the first route. "A two-in-ten chance? That's rather low. We cannot take this route!" The young lady in flowing robes raised her brows, immediately expressing her disagreement without hesitation. "Indeed, Your Estege has a point. Though this route takes the shortest time, it does seem rather risky. I also do not favor this path," the Saint Princess said, her eyes flickering several times before slowly shaking her head. Han Li and the other spiritual race members remained silent, yet their expressions clearly conveyed the same sentiment. The elder of the Long family, seeing this situation, was not at all surprised. Instead, she directly proposed the second route: "The second route would be to first proceed to the heart of the grasslands, then follow the famed Fifth Magic River of the Magic Realm, directly entering the sea. After that, we would traverse numerous sea regions and eventually reach the Magic Source Sea. Given the vastness of the Magic Realm's seas, we naturally won't have to worry about encountering high-ranking magic beings who might recognize us. However, the problem is that the sea creatures within the Magic Sea are equally numerous. Should we encounter vast herds of sea beasts—countless in number—we would only be able to flee in panic. Moreover, the deep seas of the Magic Realm are home to many sea creatures that have attained the rank of Magic Sovereign, and there are even legends of sea beasts reaching the level of Holy Patriarch. And on this route, it would take us five to six years to reach our destination." "Traveling by sea remains rather risky." Although I am not fully familiar with the magical realm's oceans, the prowess of the sea creatures in the spiritual realm is such that even the most powerful races on our several continents are awestruck. Moreover, since we are entirely unfamiliar with the magical seas, we might easily stumble into a perilous region—where our lives would be equally at risk. Brother Long, what is the third route? The young saint of Thousand Springs furrowed her brows, expressing some reservation while continuing to inquire. As for the final route, we will need to follow the western edge of the grasslands, gradually entering the remote, sparsely visited wilderness of the magical realm—similar in character to our own spiritual realm's wild, untamed lands. While it does harbor various land-based beasts, there are far fewer than in the seas. With our current strength, we should encounter no major difficulties. However, the journey to the Sea of Magical Origins via this route will be long and arduous, and we will inevitably have to traverse the famed Phantom Whistle Desert, renowned during the time of the Magical Cataclysm. This desert is one of the Ten Sacred Sanctuaries of the Magic Realm. Regardless of the rank of a master who enters, his magical power will inevitably be suppressed by nine-tenths. Even more daunting, any form of teleportation or enchanted artifact becomes useless within this desert—only by walking steadily on foot can one traverse it. "Ling's elder patriarch said, with a twitching smile. "Are there any particularly powerful beasts or venomous insects in the Huanyao Desert?" Han Li, intrigued, asked proactively. "Actually, there aren't. While the Huanyao Desert hosts some mid-to-low-tier beasts, even with our magical power reduced to just one-tenth, we can easily handle them. The only real threat comes from the famed Huanyao Magic Wind that pervades this desert. However, while our magical power is suppressed, our spiritual awareness remains completely unimpaired. Though these magic winds present some challenges, with a bit more caution, we can manage them adequately," the elder patriarch replied confidently after a moment's thought. "Then, all we need to do is simply walk through this desert for a while, spending a bit more time than expected. Li Brother, why make such a grand, separate arrangement? Surely there must be some underlying reason!" Han Li asked gently. "Five or six decades—too long. This is simply too prolonged. By the time we reach the Sea of Magical Origins, the magical calamity in the realm may already have ended. Moreover, the longer we delay, the more unforeseen complications are likely to arise along the way." The man with flowing hair firmly rejected this option. "Since Brother Lin finds the duration too lengthy, which of the first two routes do you consider more favorable?" Yet the elder of the Long family calmly asked in return. "The first route poses the greatest danger. The second, while also carrying risks, can still be managed with careful attention—we have a reasonable chance of success. Should our luck be good, we might even encounter no sea creatures at all and reach the Sea of Magical Origins smoothly." After a moment of shifting expressions, the man with flowing hair finally resolved to speak. "Ah, traveling through the sea route is indeed acceptable. Brother Qian and Brother Han, what do you think?" The elder of the Long family said nothing further, merely turning to inquire of the two, Qian and Han. Beyond the nearly silent white light of the Holy Spirit, only these two—this one and the late-stage cultivator from the Long family—remained, and naturally, the elder of the Long family placed greater weight on their opinions. "The second route appears indeed more reliable than the first and the final ones. However, if the time required to follow the third route could be shortened a bit, it would actually prove to be a more secure choice," Han Li sighed lightly and replied calmly. "I also believe that, under these circumstances, taking the sea route is not entirely unreasonable. But Brother Han, perhaps you haven't heard—actually, crossing the Phantasm Desert doesn't take anywhere near fifty or sixty years. There's another method that can cut nearly half the journey time, allowing one to traverse the Desert in just about thirty years. Yet even thirty years might still seem rather lengthy for us," the Saintess Qianchou suddenly smiled and said. "Oh, what is this method? Please elaborate, friend. I must confess, I was unaware of such a matter. "The elder of the Long family listened intently and hurriedly asked, 'Indeed, I'm quite surprised.' 'As for me, I would also be most grateful for a detailed explanation!' Han Li's expression brightened, showing clear interest.