"As far as I know, there is a rare and unique mythical beast in the Shuoxiao Desert—the Eight-Legged Mythical Lizard. Though it cannot fly, it moves through the desert as swiftly as the wind. If we can locate a few of these creatures to serve as mounts, we could save nearly half the travel time." The Qianqi Princess spoke slowly. "Since such beasts exist, the route we're considering—taking the inland path—should also be viable. While it takes longer than the coastal route, it's far more stable and secure." The feathered maiden replied thoughtfully. "Lady Ye has underestimated the matter. The core and flesh of the Eight-Legged Mythical Lizard are themselves of immense value. After decades of continuous hunting, this species is nearly extinct. Even the remaining individuals are either hidden deep within the desert or quietly maintained by the major magical clans in the region. If we only manage to secure a few specimens, we might still succeed." Yet, if each person were to find a single one on the spot, it would almost be impossible. The Heavenly Maiden Qianqi sighed, her expression revealing a touch of resignation. "Since such magical lizards are so rare, shouldn't we consider using other spiritual beasts or mythical creatures instead? I actually have several that are particularly adept at land travel," suggested the feathered maiden, her eyes glinting with thought. "However, the Phantom Whistle Desert exerts a much stronger suppression on animals. Even if ordinary beasts are naturally agile, they immediately become clumsy and ineffective as soon as they enter the desert—utterly useless. Only the native mythical creatures of the Phantom Whistle Desert remain unaffected. Among these, the eight-limbed magical lizards are the fastest. The others, even if slightly faster, can hardly match half of their speed." The Heavenly Maiden Qianqi furrowed her brows, stating this clearly. Upon hearing this, the feathered maiden naturally looked disappointed. Yet, upon listening to this, Han Li's face briefly revealed a distinct expression of surprise. This young lady seems to know so much about the affairs of the demonic realm—clearly, the preparations made by the spiritual clans are no less thorough than those of the Long family. Indeed, her knowledge of the regions and powers within the demonic realm may even surpass that of the Long family. Otherwise, the elder of the Long family would have no reason to be unaware of the eight-legged demonic lizard. "If we truly wish to gather the eight-legged demonic lizards, we shouldn't be completely at a loss. In the worst case, we could uproot the major demonic clans and forcibly seize the lizards. With our combined strength, such an endeavor would not be out of the question," said Hui Elder, standing beside the elder of the Long family, with a sharp laugh. "With our current strength, we needn't fear any of the demonic clans unless we encounter their holy patriarchs. However, such a move would create considerable noise and easily attract the attention of powerful demonic figures. Should they decide to keep a close watch on us—or even intercept us directly at the other end of the Huanyao Desert using a teleportation array—then we would certainly face serious difficulties," the elder of the Long family reflected, shaking her head. "That's true. However, should any conflicts arise between us and these major demonic clans, we can either sneak these demonic lizards into our hands or negotiate for them with suitable exchanges—other valuable assets. Though these beasts are rare, can we not offer something of equal value, given our own resources?" Old Master Cangxing expressed a different opinion. "I believe the route through the Huanyao Desert is more reliable!" said the Golden Drum elder of the Ling clan, offering only a brief statement. "I agree with Lin's suggestion—traveling by sea remains the more dependable option. After all, the journey through the Huanyao Desert would take too long, and we're not certain whether the eight-legged demonic lizards can indeed be gathered in sufficient numbers." The young lady, after some consideration, concurred with the bearded man's view. The others, however, remained thoughtful, carefully weighing the pros and cons, and had not yet voiced their opinions. "Master Han, which route do you now favor?" after a moment of shifting expression, the elder of the Long family turned to ask. "Before answering, Han Li would like to first ask Long brother—how long do we roughly need to reach that Huanyao Desert? A few months or several years?" Han Li remained silent for a moment before asking calmly. "Several years? Not quite. From our departure to the Huanyao Desert, it would only take over a year and a half, assuming we make no delays at all. How is it that you have this question, Brother Long?" The elder of the Long family was somewhat surprised. "In terms of risk, I naturally prefer the route through the Huanyao Desert. However, if we cannot gather eight eight-legged magic lizards, the journey will be too lengthy, and compared to the sea route, it might not be worth it. After all, the sea route takes no more than ten years. The time saved alone would more than offset the relative risks. Therefore, my suggestion is that we consider both options simultaneously." Han Li spoke each word deliberately. "How exactly should we balance both?" the Thousand-Age Princess asked thoughtfully. "We can first take the route through the Huanyao Desert. Once we reach its vicinity, we'll seek out local magical race factions to see if we can gather enough eight-legged dragon lizards. If we succeed in gathering sufficient beasts, we'll proceed directly through the Huanyao Desert. Should that prove impossible, we'll simply return along our original path via the sea—this won't be too late, after all. The round trip won't take more than two years, and within that timeframe, we should be able to endure it," Han Li replied seriously. "Hmm, this approach is indeed quite sound and more reliable. I agree with Brother Han!" The feathered maiden's eyes sparkled with delight as she listened. "This method truly offers a balanced solution," the man with a forest surname nodded slightly after a brief pause, also expressing his agreement. "Qianqi, what do you think?" The elder of the Long family slightly inclined his expression, turning to inquire of the Saintess Qianqi. "I'll need to discuss this with a few of my relatives first, and then I'll return to you with my thoughts." The thousand-year-old holy maiden's face changed several times before she slowly spoke, "This is naturally the right course of action." The elder of the Long family immediately agreed. Thus, the thousand-year-old holy maiden and the other members of the spiritual race gathered together in front of Han Li and the others, discussing matters at length. Meanwhile, the elder of the Long family subtly moved his lips, engaging in private conversation with the elder Hui beside him. "Han brother, your proposal is indeed very sound. I believe both the spiritual race and the old Long master will likely agree with it. However, from the earlier situation, it seems the old Long demon originally intended to proceed through the Huaxiao Desert, while the spiritual race appears more inclined toward the sea route. They may have their own hidden plans, regardless of the final outcome. We must therefore remain vigilant." Suddenly, Han Li heard the soft laughter of the lady in the feathered robe. He glanced at her, only to find her standing motionless, her face showing no trace of any change. "Thank you, Ye Daojun, for the reminder. I will pay attention from now on." Han Li replied equally composedly. Although the young lady in the feathered robe didn't send any further messages, a slight smile played at her lips. Everything that followed indeed turned out to be roughly as the feathered robe had anticipated. After discussing with the other immortal clans, the Saint Princess of Qianqiu and the immortal clans confirmed Han Li's proposal, and the Elder of the Long family naturally had no objections either. Thus, they immediately changed course and sped westward across the grasslands. The Elder of the Long family and the others were unaware that, high above them, some ten thousand miles away, a delicate pink glow shimmered faintly and trailed behind them. … At the same time, in a deeply concealed sanctuary of the Immortal Clans on the Human Realm, a vast array—over ten miles in diameter—was rapidly pulsing and shining brightly across a once-blackened expanse of ground. The entire magical array resonated with a continuous hum, and countless vibrant, large-scale characters surged forth from various points, coalescing into thick, bowl-sized chains that tightly bound a towering figure at the center. This figure stood about a hundred paces tall, clad in an ancient, golden battle armor. Behind him, however, several dozen crimson magical shadows flickered wildly, emitting a variety of strange, sharp cries and roaring sounds. Yet, with both hands raised toward the heavens, he held them aloft at a height of several paces above his palms, where a dense network of silver filaments trembled, supporting a silver orb of roughly one acre in size. The surface of the orb was etched with intricate patterns, and as it swayed, it caused the surrounding space to subtly blur and warp. Though the figure’s face was exceptionally handsome, he now perspired profusely, his expression one of sheer disbelief and intense anger as he gazed upward at the immense silver orb. Eight combined-stage immortal spirits, dressed in varied attire, were visibly perspiring and urgently accelerating the entire array, each one supporting a separate array disc in the semi-sky around the magical formation. Yet, at the very center of the formation, thousands of zhang above, there floated a radiant golden palace, motionless and utterly silent—unusually still and profoundly eerie. "This messenger has already attained the true immortal soul of a Golden Immortal. To think that mere mortal beings below could extinguish me—well, that's nothing short of dreaming. Wait until I break free! I will surely shatter the spirits of all of you, these spiritual servants, and send each of you back into the furnace to be re-refined..." The tall figure roared with fierce intensity, his voice charged with wrath.