"Both of you have stopped us here simply to win us over and bring us into your fold, haven't you? I have long admired the Great Beast Sovereign's Hall, but I have no intention of joining any other faction." Han Li narrowed his eyes and delivered his refusal without hesitation. "That is truly a pity. Our Hall is actively seeking like-minded companions to undertake a grand undertaking. Should you join us, you will surely have no regrets." The middle-aged Taoist furrowed his brows and gently reiterated his appeal. "Thank you for your kind offer, but I am not inclined to be bound by any obligations." Han Li naturally reiterated his refusal. "Since your intentions are now firmly set, I shall say no more. As for why we have come here, the matter is actually quite simple. Some time ago, our Hall received a commission from a client who has paid a substantial sum to engage us in a task involving you all. However, since your party has remained deep within the Huanyao Desert for an extended period, the matter has been delayed until now." No need for misunderstanding, Master. Although the Hall of the Beast Sovereign has accepted this commission, we do not intend to engage in any battles or conflicts with the several parties involved. All that is required is to pay the agreed compensation and dispatch personnel of the corresponding rank to strike once against the target. Generally, when facing peers such as Master, we merely engage in a few exchanges of techniques—sometimes even extending an invitation to join our Hall, should the occasion be favorable." The middle-aged Taoist finally explained their purpose for this journey. "Ah, I see. I have heard that your Hall regularly takes on external commissions. But I had no idea someone would have specifically targeted us. Could Master Cold perhaps share some details on this?" A pleasant voice came from behind Han Li, as the young lady in the feathered robe drifted down and settled gracefully behind him, smiling gently as she asked. "I regret I cannot provide further information. First, our Hall has a strict rule that prohibits us from disclosing the identity of our clients. Second, this commission itself was delivered anonymously. "The master truly has no idea who hired them," the middle-aged Taoist shook his head, speaking with sincere earnestness. "I am truly grateful to both of you for informing me. I assume your companions must have also dispatched others to handle the matter." Han Li smiled slightly. "As long as your companions are also under the Magistrate's authority, it will merely be a matter of mutual sparring." The middle-aged Taoist yawned, responding vaguely. "I see. Then indeed, there must be no issue at all. Your esteemed hall truly stands out among the holy realms—being able to dispatch so many Magistrate elders at once is no small feat, something that most medium and smaller families simply cannot match." Han Li's expression remained calm, though he quietly expressed his admiration. As the middle-aged Taoist was about to speak further, a jade pendant hanging at his waist suddenly emitted a faint glow of white light, accompanied by a soft, resonant hum. The Daoist's face slightly darkened, and he immediately bowed to Han Li, then spoke his parting words to the bearded man. Han Li and the maiden exchanged a few polite phrases, naturally not attempting to detain them. Two streams of ethereal light—one yellow, one silver—shot upward into the sky. After the sound of rushing air, both figures vanished without a trace at the horizon. "Lady Ye," Han Li said, gazing in the direction where the light had disappeared, "do you think what they just said was genuine?" "Most likely nine true and one false," the maiden replied, thoughtfully. "Their demeanor when they first engaged us seemed far from intent on killing us right from the start. But should our strength appear even slightly weakened, they might very well decide to strike hard. The reputation of the Beast Sovereign's Hall isn't exactly stellar among ordinary magi." "Indeed. However, I believe their greatest concern remains—still uncertain about our true capabilities." After all, with Long Dao and the other spiritual clans, we now have nearly ten magistrates among our group—enough to rival ordinary powers in the Magian realm. That's why they've been so cautious! But now, they'll surely be even more curious about our origins. Han Li said this slowly. "Then why not simply keep them here? Otherwise, once they return and report back, they'll become an unpredictable variable in our subsequent actions. With my sister and myself working together, we can certainly manage that." The young lady with the feathered robe flashed a glance, her expression cool and composed. "It's certainly possible to keep them, but they are fully evolved beasts, possessing far greater cultivation and abilities than ordinary magistrates. I only have about six out of ten confidence in that. Moreover, from their tone, it seems the Hall of Beast Sovereigns has sent more than just these two. Long will also have people sent to probe our side. Then, why should we go to all this extra effort?" Han Li shook his head in reply. "That's true indeed." Yet the Beast Sovereign Hall holds considerable influence in the realm of demons. If they truly take the time to investigate us, it would be difficult to conceal the matter. The young lady sighed, her dark brows furrowed. "Well, let them investigate then! The demon realm is far larger than the spiritual realm. It's nothing unusual that the Beast Sovereign Hall remains unaware of certain demon sovereigns. They might harbor some suspicion for a while, but they won't take any decisive action. In fact, it will take years before they thoroughly examine all relevant records. By then, we would have already completed our tasks and returned to the spiritual realm. So, unless we take further action, we need only remain cautious." Han Li paused, then slowly expressed his thoughts. "That's all we can do now. I hope our upcoming plans proceed smoothly and that no further complications arise." Upon hearing this, the young lady nodded, a wry smile playing on her lips. "Lady Ye need not worry! As long as your information remains accurate, securing the true blood of the Azure Phoenix should pose no difficulties." Yet I find myself curious—what exactly did those two magi mean when they spoke of the Beast Sovereign Hall plotting something significant? Their tone certainly didn't sound like mere empty words! Han Li said this with a slight gleam in his eyes. "Could it be connected to the Magi's incursion into the Spirit Realm? Or has the current battle already reached a conclusion?" The young lady in flowing robes was momentarily stunned, then suddenly recalled something, her face turning pale. "We only just emerged from the Huaxiao Desert and have yet to learn much about other matters. I hope not! Though we hurried through the small town, others may already have received the news. I hope that when we reach the next Magi city, we will also be able to gather relevant updates." Han Li spoke calmly. He was well aware that, with the thorough preparations of the Human and Spirit peoples, even if they were truly defeated over the past few decades, they would at most be in a defensive position—not suffer such a swift and decisive collapse. Moreover, since entering the Magic Realm, Han Li has come to realize that this incursion into the Human Realm involves only a portion of the Magic Realm's forces—many others appear entirely indifferent to the conflict. Otherwise, even with the most thorough preparations, the Human and allied races would have been utterly unable to withstand the full might of the Magic Realm. Indeed, the highest echelons of the Magic Realm—its Sacred Ancestors—have all dispatched their incarnations to the Spiritual Realm. This is rather unusual. Han Li swiftly pondered this in his mind, feeling somewhat puzzled, yet he concealed his thoughts perfectly. He merely called out to the young lady in the feathered robe and then returned to the black flying vessel. A moment later, the vessel emitted a deep rumble and surged forward, transforming into a streak of black light. "Brother Long need not worry too much. They already know we are not easy to deal with, and surely won't be moved by a mere commission. We should make good progress and press on. As long as we reach the Mystic Source Sea promptly, even if the Beast Sovereign Hall sends out as many reinforcements as they wish, they won't be able to stop us. The Great Ancestor of the Hundred Beasts surely won't personally come after us," said the Senior Hue with a cold laugh. Master Hui nodded promptly, with no hesitation at all! ... On the other side, the Saint Maiden Qianqi and the young Ling-ethnic youth named "Zhi Shui" remained motionless in the air, expression neutral. Not far across, in the empty space, two elder Mago-ethnic wizards—one with a pale blue complexion and the other with a pale red one—hovered, their faces pale, yet their gazes fixed upon the Ling-ethnic youth were filled with profound fear. ... Over the following short period, Han Li and the Feather Robe maiden fully activated the black flying vessel, propelling it continuously for nearly one and a half months, until finally, the vessel came to a halt over a smaller Mago-ethnic city, where they remained for several days. During this time, Han Li and the maiden proceeded separately to gather extensive relevant information, eventually piecing together the general course of events involving the conflicts among the various clans and the Mago-ethnic forces. Upon learning that, despite several major wars between the human race and other clans, and although a few high-ranking holy ancestors of the magical race had finally arrived in the spiritual realm and several of the great masters from the various clans had stepped forward, the situation remained stagnant for some time, both Han Li and the young lady in the feathered robe found themselves greatly relieved. Though the information they had received was only vague and sometimes incomplete, the overall outcome was unlikely to have significant deviations—enough for both of them. Thus, after staying an extra two days in the small town, they took their flying vessels and continued on their journey. Their next destination was the Iron Sand Ridge, where the Qingyi Clan resided. This time, they flew across numerous regions, encountering no obstacles, and journeyed uneventfully for three full months, until finally, in the distance, they spotted a vast range of dark, somber mountains. The trees and stones of these mountains appeared dull and muted in color, giving a sense of unease—almost as if countless magical creatures lay hidden within the mountain range itself.