"The Mage Sovereign! Has the young lady not been jesting? If the Sovereign of the Mage Clan were personally presiding over Iron Sand Ridge, then true blood Master Han would have no need to worry at all." Han said, his face darkening. "Master Han, you've overthought this. If the Sovereign of the Mage Clan were truly present in person at Iron Sand Ridge, how could the Leng family and the Immortal Clan have chosen to take the route through the Huang Xiao Desert? They would have fled as far as possible long ago. As far as my sister knows, Iron Sand Ridge is actually only home to one incarnation—the Sovereign Ling Yuan. It seems that this incarnation once received great favors from the Qing Yi Clan, which is why it has remained stationed there for so long. You yourself, during the battle at Tianyuan City, defeated one of the Sovereign's incarnations. I believe you should have no difficulty in overcoming this one as well. Moreover, with careful planning, our current mission need not disturb this Ling Yuan incarnation at all." The young lady with the feathered robe blinked her beautiful eyes. "Only an incarnation! Yet still, not something to be taken lightly." As far as I know, the connection between the embodied form and the true essence of the magical lineage ancestor is extremely close. This is different from the situation in the spiritual realm. If the true essence of the Liangyuan Saint Ancestor were to reside near the Iron Sand Ridge, then any disturbance to the embodied form here would likely prompt the true essence to swiftly arrive—making the risk too great indeed!" After several changes in expression, Han Li finally shook his head. "Brother Han, please rest assured. Since my sister has made this decision, she must have thoroughly investigated the relevant information beforehand. According to the information I've gathered, the true essence of the Liangyuan Saint Ancestor not only resides at a considerable distance from here, but has been in seclusion, practicing the life-and-death cultivation for over ten thousand years. Moreover, this magical lineage ancestor has previously experienced the demise of several embodied forms, yet the true essence has never once emerged from seclusion. In fact, there are even rumors that the true essence of the Liangyuan Saint Ancestor has already perished, leaving only a few embodied forms active in the world today. Of course, the authenticity of this rumor is difficult for ordinary people to verify—no one da "Then, Brother Han need not worry about Master Lingyuan's true body intervening. It would only be necessary to handle the avatar stationed at Tie Sha Ling." The feathered maiden smiled. "If that's the case, we may still manage something worthwhile. However, I was able to defeat one of Master Lingyuan's avatars in the Spirit Realm back then only because several of my companions provided support and kept the avatar engaged. Otherwise, even alone, I would have found it difficult to hold my own." Han's expression softened slightly. "I fully understand this point myself. That is why, before I departed for the Spirit Realm, I went to one of my closest friends and borrowed a rare artifact—the 'Hun Tian Pearl.' Though this one-time-use item has no other special functions, once activated, it creates its own realm. As long as you can keep the avatar of the demonic lineage occupied for just a moment, I will utilize the power of this artifact to activate a secret technique from the Ye family, which can hold it in place for half a day. With such time, we will have ample opportunity to make our escape." "As long as our human lineage remains undiscovered, I don't think this Lingyuan Sage-ancestor will truly pursue the true-blooded ones relentlessly," the young lady with the feathered robe said with confidence. "Indeed, it seems Lady Ye has been carefully planning this for a long time. Since all that's needed is a brief delay, I have no issue at all. I believe I can manage this, myself," said Han, who exhaled deeply and nodded with satisfaction. Upon seeing that Han finally had no reservations, the young lady felt a great sense of relief, her face blossoming into a delicate bloom. Though she had begun plotting and strategizing even during her time in the Spiritual Realm, she knew that if Han truly refused to assist, she would be utterly unable to secure the Qingluan True Blood on her own—hence, she had initially offered such a substantial cost to secure Han's involvement. Now, the two of them began to carefully plan and strategize together aboard the flying vessel. Soon after, as the flying vessel surged forward, a yellow line gradually emerged on the distant ground, and a vast yellow loess plateau slowly rose into view. It appeared remarkably flat, stretching out endlessly to the horizon. The vessel flashed past the peak of a nearby hillock, and while still conversing with the maid in a flowing robe, Han Li suddenly stiffened, glancing downward toward the window. "What is it, Han brother? Have you noticed something?" the maid was startled, asking immediately, and at the same time extended her awareness outward, scanning the surrounding space with vigilance. "Nothing in particular," Han Li replied calmly, as he returned his gaze. "I merely noticed a low-tier beast hidden beneath the soil—quite interesting. It can blend its presence with the surrounding atmosphere so well that even when I wasn't paying attention, I almost missed it entirely." "Ah, really?" But that wasn't surprising at all. The magical realm's environment was far harsher than that of the spirit realm. Many lower-tier beasts possessed innate survival abilities; otherwise, they would have long since been wiped out by the higher-tier ones. The young woman smiled warmly and replied. Han Li nodded in agreement and said nothing further. At that moment, the flying vessel flashed and swept away the soil slope below, leaving it completely vanished. After a cup of tea's worth of time, the seemingly empty mound suddenly split open, and from within emerged a beast about a foot in size, resembling a hedgehog. Its body was covered in gray-white spines, but atop its head rose several unusually long tendrils. Its two prominent eyes were fixed intently on the direction where the vessel had disappeared, glowing with an eerie red light—clearly showing signs of independent awareness. Above the town, streaks of colorful light constantly dart and glide—some soaring into the sky, others drifting gently to land upon a small plaza at the heart of the town. However, in the corners of the town’s outskirts, several towering platforms rise, each reaching over ten zhang in height. Upon each platform stands a massive, darkly luminous banner, radiating a soft black mist that envelops the entire space above the platform. On these platforms, groups of four or five magical guards stand motionless, expressionless. Centered on the plaza, the town is connected by several crooked streets, flanked by buildings operated by magical people—shops, inns, and such. Countless magical beings move in and out of these structures, and the town appears remarkably prosperous. In an unassuming inn near the edge of the plaza, two magical guards sit at a table close to the window, eyes closed, meditating. On the table rests only a single jade-green wine pitcher and two delicate, porcelain-like wine glasses. A rich,浓郁 aroma of wine wafted from the glass, the wine inside a deep, amber red—clearly a rare and exceptional vintage. The entire inn seemed deserted, save for these two guests, as if the entire establishment had been reserved exclusively for them. "They should be arriving soon," said one broad-shouldered man with several fine braids and large gold earrings, his thick brows furrowed with mild impatience as he glanced toward the square. "According to the information provided by the Eye Mage, the group suspected to be our targets emerged from the Shimmering Desert just one month ago. However, as soon as they left the desert, they split into several groups and took different routes. We are only responsible for two of them. The others will be handled by the other members of the hall. Considering the distance, they should arrive within the next two days. This soil-dragon town is the only place in the vicinity where they can make a stop. As long as they come from this direction, they will surely pause here." "The magical being across from us is a middle-aged Taoist with a refined appearance and dressed in a traditional Taoist robe, who replies with a glance of his eyes. 'Hmph, that's far from certain. What if the target doesn't need any supplies at all and simply flies right past from nearby? Then we'd have wasted our time here.' The broad-shouldered man scoffs. 'Heh, Brother Luo, don't worry. This town is the closest settlement to the Phantasm Desert in this region. If they truly are the target, they should have been lingering in the desert for several decades. When they finally emerge, how could they possibly skip visiting this town to replenish their medicinal pills and crystal stones? Moreover, even if they don't require supplies, wouldn't they want to stay informed about recent developments? They absolutely must come here.' The middle-aged scholar shakes his head. 'Cold brother makes excellent points, yet I still find myself unconvinced.' The man rolls his eyes, speaking with some irritation. 'Oh, shall I then wager with Brother Luo?' the middle-aged Taoist smiles and asks. "What are you betting on?" the broad-shouldered man arched his thick brows, displaying a touch of caution. "Just this one time—how about our fees for our efforts? This deal is quite generous, otherwise we wouldn't have come here at all." The Taoist smiled lightly. "Cold brother, you're certainly well-prepared. I won't be betting on this one. If it were a different kind of wager, however, I'd be quite interested." The man shook his head vigorously, as if drumming it, and narrowed his eyes. "Then, what would Master Luo wager?" The middle-aged Taoist slightly raised a corner of his mouth, smiling with a hint of amusement. "If we're betting, then let's see who among us defeats the target first." The man's eyes sparkled with intent. "Heh, I must admit, Cold brother, my powers fall short of yours. This wager, then, seems unnecessary." The Taoist chuckled. "Why so early, Cold brother? Perhaps my opponent is actually much stronger than the one you're facing!" "Han, with a broad grin, said, 'I've always trusted my own judgment, never in luck!' The Taoist replied lightly. 'Having trained with you in this hall for so many years, you're still so dull—always doing only what you're certain about, never willing to take a single risk.' Han shook his head again, clearly bored. As the middle-aged Taoist listened, a faint smile played on his lips, and just as he was about to speak, his eyes suddenly brightened, fixing on the black flying vessel descending slowly onto the square. 'Exactly! This is the very flying artifact as described in the image!' The Han, seated across from him, instantly stood up, fists clenched tightly, and a series of crisp crackling sounds echoed through the room.