One month and two days later, in a temporary pavilion outside the city, Han Li, Long family elder, Qianqiu Holy Maiden, and the others gathered once again. They all looked at the bearded man who had just arrived at the last moment within the agreed timeframe, each displaying a different expression. This Lin family cultivator, now with gray-white hair and withered skin, had transformed from a middle-aged man in his prime into a completely aged and frail figure—resembling someone in their seventies or eighties. More critically, he had lost both of his eyes entirely. The sockets appeared hollow, as though the eyeballs had been forcibly removed. Furthermore, his cultivation aura, compared to his former state, was only one-third of its peak, and he exuded a distinct sense of profound decline. "Lin friend, how have you come to be in such a condition?" said the Lin family elder, finally speaking with a tone of deep concern after everyone else had been stunned. "To be honest, I'm rather ashamed. While wandering through the wasteland, I encountered a group of soul-siphoning beasts that drained half of my vital essence. Fortunately, I managed to escape by sacrificing several of my most precious treasures—my own life force nearly extinguished through self-explosion." The man from the Lin family cleared his throat, his face etched with bitterness. His voice had become rough, almost unpleasant. "Soul-siphoning beasts? These creatures aren't particularly high-ranked—how could they have driven Lin brother to such a state?" asked the Thousand-Season Saint Maiden, surprised. "If these were ordinary soul-siphoning beasts, I wouldn't have been so intimidated. But if it were a mutated, fused-tier soul-siphoning beast—then that's another matter altogether." The Lin family man strained his eyes, then slowly replied. "A mutated soul-siphoning beast!" Upon hearing this, everyone present exchanged a subtle expression of concern. "Indeed. This beast initially blended in with the regular group, indistinguishable from ordinary soul-siphoning beasts. That's why I was unprepared and fell victim to its ambush. Otherwise, no matter how resilient I might have been, I wouldn't have ended up in The man from the Lin family recalled the scene that day, his face growing increasingly grave. "Lin Daojun has indeed been unfortunate to encounter such a calamity. But I wonder what plans you have for the next steps?" The elder of the Long family's expression shifted several times before settling into a firm tone. "Right now, my vital energy has diminished significantly—my spiritual power has dropped to less than twenty-three percent of what it once was. It would no longer be feasible to enter the Huanyao Desert at this point. I must return to the Spiritual Realm immediately to close my quarters for several hundred years, to rebuild my cultivation through rigorous training. Therefore, I no longer intend to pursue those two celestial treasures. Instead, I will rest and recover here for a while, then activate my latent potential through spellwork, and return to the Spiritual Realm along the original route." The man with his hair flowing spoke hesitantly for a long time before finally stating with a touch of reluctance. "That sounds reasonable. Given Lin Daojun's current condition, continuing on this journey carries a real risk of failure. Then, how about this: we remain here for another month, allowing you to recover further before proceeding with the next phase of our plans?" The elder of "Then it must be enough. We of the Ling clan have no objections. Please rest and recover, Lin friend, at your convenience." The Qianqi Princess paused a moment, then nodded in agreement. The Daoist named Hui and the young lady in the feathered robe exchanged a glance, subtly conveying a sense of shared sorrow—something akin to the bittersweet feeling of a hare dying while a fox mourns. After all, among the human cultivators present, both of them were already injured, and one of them, in particular, was significantly less accomplished than Han Li or the elder of the Long family. Perhaps the next one to be forced to withdraw would be either of them. Yet both were seasoned cultivators who had reached the Consolidated Stage, and this thought passed swiftly, leaving their expressions calm and composed once more. Upon hearing this, Han Li's expression subtly shifted, as if recalling something, and suddenly turned to the man with flowing hair, saying, "I have a pill in my possession that might prove beneficial to you at this moment. I believe Lin friend would find it useful. Please take it." As soon as he spoke, he shook his sleeve, and instantly a white jade bottle, several inches high, shot out from within The Lin family cultivator was momentarily stunned, instinctively reaching out to take the small vial, then gazing at Han Li with a look of deep curiosity. It was only natural! Though Han Li had traveled with them for some time, their interactions had been limited, and they hadn't really become close. Now, suddenly presenting him with a vial of pills, this bearded man was naturally filled with astonishment. After a brief pause, the Lin family cultivator struck the lid of the vial with a firm motion, releasing a rich, fragrant aroma that filled the entire room. Everyone present instantly felt more alert. The bearded man quickly brought the mouth of the vial to his nose, lightly inhaling, then immediately brightened, before flipping the vial over and pouring the contents into his palm. To everyone's delight, a pill covered in lush green spiritual patterns rolled out smoothly and came to rest steadily in his palm. "This is a Quenched-Refined Pill!" Upon seeing the appearance of the pill, the bearded man had no further hesitation, immediately exclaiming aloud, his face glowing with exhilaration. This pill was not only exceedingly rare, but most importantly, it was precisely suited to his current condition—enough to replenish half of his lost vital energy, thus eliminating any fear that after his injuries healed, his cultivation level would significantly diminish. The elder of the Long family and the Thousand-Year Saint Maiden, upon witnessing the pill, were likewise moved, for such a remedy was equally rare and hard to come by for them, beings at the late consolidation stage. Had it not been for the circumstances at hand, they might have each harbored other intentions. "Frater Han, this pill indeed proves of great benefit to Lin. However, since you have offered it without expectation of reward, I would like to know your true intentions," the bearded man said, though deeply stirred, soon composing himself and transmitting his words directly to Han. Han Li's lips slightly curled, and with a light laugh, he transmitted his words as well: "Since you've mentioned this, I'll be direct. I actually have one matter that I'd like to entrust to you—would you be willing to assist with this small request?" "Once Brother Han presents the Qi-Infusing Dan, how could I possibly refuse? Please go ahead and speak—whenever I can fulfill your request, I will never hesitate to do so." The man with flowing hair paused to consider, then with a determined resolve replied. "Brother Lin, there's no need for you to sound so strained. The assistance I'm asking for is merely a natural, seamless matter. Recently, I rescued a young human girl in the city. She has a certain connection with me, and I would like you to bring her with you when you return to the Immortal Realm. In the meantime, while I am still en route back to the Immortal Realm to retrieve her, I would also appreciate it if you could take care of her for a while. After all, the journey ahead is extremely perilous, and I simply cannot accompany her all the way. I believe this request should be quite simple for you to carry out." Han Li transmitted his words quietly and calmly. "It's simply that. If this is the case, then there's no issue at all. I can assure you, as long as I return safely to the Spirit Realm, the people entrusted to me by Brother Han will also be unharmed." The man with his hair loose was somewhat surprised, yet immediately agreed without hesitation. "Very well. Then I can rest assured." Han Li nodded slightly, and said no more. With the concern in his mind now lifted, the man hesitated only briefly before promptly tossing the pill into his mouth and swallowing it. Given his current condition, the earlier he took the refined essence pill, the greater the chance he would avoid a significant decline in his cultivation—so he had no intention of delaying at all. The elders of Long family and others had already noticed that the two were communicating through inner transmission, yet all of them wisely refrained from interrupting. They were well aware that Han Li would not have casually offered such a precious pill, and that he must surely have some request for the Lin family's cultivators. But this matter was purely between the two parties, so others naturally couldn't pry into much. With the incident involving the man with his hair shaved off now settled, the next step was naturally to discuss the eight-legged magic lizard. The elder of the Long family spoke calmly, summarizing his recent interactions with the Zhao family. Upon hearing this, the Thousand-Age Maiden, the Feather-Dress Maiden, and others all furrowed their brows. "Then it seems the Zhao family truly has high expectations—how could they dare to demand such an exorbitant price for even a single eight-legged magic lizard? Materials like the Immortal Purple Blood Mushroom and the Ice-Crystal Heart are among the most sought-after in the realm—how could they expect the Long elder to consider such demands?" The Thousand-Age Maiden's face turned as cold as ice. "I think the Zhao family doesn't merely lack interest in negotiation," remarked Han Li, speaking with quiet confidence. "Oh, what did Brother Han mean?" the Feather-Dress Maiden blinked, her expression attentive. Han Li merely smiled and said nothing. "Indeed, it seems that the Zhao family not only has no intention of offering me their eight-legged magic lizard, but may even be aiming to strike at my own assets. After all, my initial offer was so compelling that it had even stirred the interest of Zhao's two senior magic lords." This time, the elder of the Long family stepped forward with a clear, cold smile. "It appears that Brother Long has already been well-prepared all along." The Thousand-Seasons Princess smiled lightly upon hearing this. "Precisely. Since the Zhao family is unwilling to exchange their eight-legged magic lizard, the other three families are likely to see no point in making any deals. Therefore, I have decided to go with the plan—while the Zhao family's two magic lords plot against me, I will draw them away and send my forces to infiltrate their inner halls, directly seizing the eight-legged magic lizard, then swiftly move into the Phantasmic Whistle Desert at night." The elder of the Long family spoke with a touch of stern determination. "That's a splendid strategy. With the Zhao family's magic lords absent, no one else will be able to stand in our way. However, Brother Long, have you already located the place where they keep "Hehe, Lóng has been busy around the city these days—far from idle—and has confirmed everything. The Zhao family has stationed the eight-legged magic lizard at two locations. One is within their sacred grounds, where the magical arrays and seals are so dense that even without the Magistrate of the Magic Realm present, it would be difficult to make headway. The other is a temporary holding site. I’ve learned that two months after the current time, several lizards will return from outside and, by tradition, will stay there for several days. This is precisely our opportunity. Brother Han already has two lizards; if we secure these ones, we should have enough. However, there’s one point I’d like all of you to keep in mind: you may proceed with the action, but try to avoid large-scale combat and refrain from revealing your true power and appearance. Otherwise, should other powerful magical clans from the surrounding regions take notice, we’ll be in serious trouble." After all, we have to cross the entire Huaxiao Desert, while those powerful magical clans can utilize other teleportation arrays to directly block our path at the opposite end of the desert," the elder of the Long family remarked with deep strategic insight.