"This is the Iron Sand Ridge! It indeed seems quite special—the magical aura here is much denser than in other areas. There must be quite a number of wild beasts thriving here." Han Li stood at the front of the flying vessel, gazing into the distance at the ridge, and murmured to himself thoughtfully. "The Qingyi Clan has always been skilled in beast taming. As one of their primary settlements, Iron Sand Ridge undoubtedly provides them with a steady supply of wild beasts. Otherwise, with their relatively modest population, how could they manage such a vast territory?" The young lady in flowing robes, standing behind Han Li, added. "Beast taming? The Qingyi Clan, relying so heavily on external assistance, may have to compromise on their own cultivation and spiritual abilities." Han Li smiled lightly in reply. "Ordinary Qingyi Clan members might indeed be like that. But among our core clan members, I believe this weakness would not exist. After all, the Qinglun bloodline is no mere title." Upon hearing this, the young lady's expression grew more serious. "Since we intend to deal even with the Bodhisattva incarnation itself, these core clan members' abilities will hardly matter. The living arrangements of the Qingyi Clan, however, are rather troublesome—they cluster in villages, making it somewhat cumbersome to identify suitable targets." Han Li said indifferently. "As long as we don't happen to run into the area where Lingyuan Sage Ancestor is currently stationed by sheer bad luck, we should have no problem infiltrating several villages," Han Li smiled slightly. "I hope so. Unfortunately, I don't know exactly where the specific retreat of the Lingyuan Sage Ancestor's incarnation is located. Otherwise, simply staying far enough away would greatly reduce our risks." The young lady in the feathered robe expressed a bit of regret. "I too hope to avoid disturbing this incarnation of the Sage Ancestor, but ultimately, it all depends on fate. Since we wish to gain some advantage, it's only natural to take on a certain level of risk. After all, there's never a free meal in this world," Han Li said indifferently. "Hee hee. If it were just me, I'd certainly feel a bit timid. But with your help, Brother Han, I'm confident we'll be safe. Let's now enter the Iron Sand Ridge. However, once inside, we won't be able to control this magical artifact anymore—we'll have to proceed quietly and remain concealed." The young lady chuckled lightly, offered a slight compliment to Han Li, and then pointed toward the distant mountain range "This is natural," Han Li nodded, naturally expressing no objection, and stepped down first from the flying vessel. The young lady in the feathered robe chanted a spell, and instantly the flying vessel shrank rapidly within a shaft of black light, reducing to the size of a palm and entering her hand. After further discussion, the two of them transformed into two long streaks of light and soared toward the distant mountain range. A short while later, they vanished completely into the mountains—without trace. Five days later, Han Li was traversing a narrow gully flanked by steep cliffs, his light trail moving with astonishing speed and appearing blurred. With a single flick of his light, he could vanish several dozen paces away. Surprisingly, there was no trace of anyone near his light trail—his companion in the feathered robe was nowhere in sight. Clearly, after entering the mountains, they had taken separate paths. Not long after, the exit at the far end of the gully became visible. As Han Li prepared to make a single, swift leap toward it, sudden, unpleasant bird calls echoed from several stone caves nestled within the cliff walls. Then, several dozen massive, emerald-green magical birds burst forth from the midst and swooped down directly at Han Li, charging with fierce determination. With their wings spread, each bird measured five to six zhang in height, their eyes blazing with deep yellow flames, resembling giant vultures magnified dozens of times. Han Li's face remained calm as he moved through his stream of light, but he slightly raised one arm and flicked his fingers. Instantly, a series of sharp "shrieks" echoed through the air, five strands of green energy shooting out from his fingertips and vanishing as they struck the group of birds. The birds immediately cried out in agony, their bodies dissolving into splashes of blood and scattering from the sky. Han Li's green light, however, passed through them unscathed, untouched by a single drop of blood. Yet the maiden in the flowing robe remained fixed in her gaze for a full hour, her eyes never blinking, as though observing something profoundly fascinating. Suddenly, in the void above the valley entrance, a hazy shimmer spread out, and two winged beings clad in leather robes materialized mysteriously. The two beings carefully surveyed their surroundings, and upon confirming no abnormalities at the valley entrance, they spread their wings and took flight, vanishing into two dark spots within moments, leaving no trace. Witnessing this, the maiden exhaled gently, her face blooming with delicate grace, yet immediately pressed a hand to her chest, and with a subtle flicker, vanished without a trace from her original spot. Later, after a meal's time had passed, within a secluded cavern thousands of miles away from the valley, the maiden maintained a composed expression, her palm pressed firmly against the head of one of the winged beings. A faint, shifting radiance of five colors shimmered subtly across her face, as she employed an exceedingly powerful soul-retrieval secret technique. Meanwhile, on the ground beside her, another mage lay face down, motionless, as if his fate was uncertain. After a few breaths, the rosy glow on the young woman’s face faded swiftly, and with a gentle release of her fingers, the mage in her hands collapsed, his body going limp as though devoid of bones. "It seems only a peripheral outpost of the Qingyi Clan, with no core clan members stationed here. We’ll have to visit those larger outposts next. But before that, I should inform Master Han of this development." After a moment of thoughtful contemplation, she sighed with a touch of resignation. Then, with a delicate hand, she reached out and gently grasped the air. Instantly, a pale, misty ritual disk appeared in her hands. With a swift series of gestures, she pointed her finger in the air, and then lightly pressed her palm against the disk. A deep resonance followed, and immediately, a bright white glow erupted across the surface of the disk, where several rows of silver script briefly vanished. Then the goddess relaxed slightly, her gaze briefly passing over the two magical beings on the ground, and at once a cold aura swept through her. "Pfft, pfft"—as the sound of subtle movements, the one named Han Li, who had been silently gliding through the air at a distance, instantly sensed something. He swiftly flipped his palm, and immediately a similar magical platform appeared in his hands, bearing exactly the same silver script. Han Li glanced at it briefly, a gentle smile playing at the corner of his lips. He then changed his course of flight and swiftly vanished toward another direction. "After glancing around, Han Li suddenly asked, "It won't be wrong. I've used the soul-retrieval technique on two members of the Qingyi Clan in succession, which has given me the precise location. Unfortunately, both of them have relatively low attainments and aren't very familiar with this Xunxiang Village. Yet, given the size of this village, there must surely be core members of the Qingyi Clan here. However, it's clearly protected by a powerful seal—penetrating into it will likely prove difficult." The young lady with the feathered robe replied softly, her expression serious. "Indeed, judging from the fragrance rising from the mist, the location seems accurate. As for how to infiltrate, I have a plan, though it will require a suitable opportunity. Let us wait here for now." Han Li smiled slightly, speaking with confidence. "That's wonderful! Since Brother Han has a method, I'm looking forward to it." The young lady beamed with delight. Han Li nodded, saying nothing, yet a strange hue passed through his gaze toward the distant peaks. Half a day later, a sound of rushing through the sky reached the horizon, and a colossal flying serpent, several dozen feet long, emerged and swiftly shot toward the mountain peaks. On its back were seven or eight members of the Qingyi Clan, all beaming with joy. Most were young men and women, but at the forefront stood an elderly man with gray hair, whose towering frame exuded a commanding presence. "Good," said Han Li, who had been meditating on a branch, as soon as he saw the Qingyi Clan members. He immediately stood up and calmly addressed the feather-robed maiden. The maiden also rose, her eyes naturally reflecting a touch of curiosity. Han Li said nothing at first, and with a simple gesture of his hand, a object shot directly toward the maiden. The feather-robed maiden was startled, instinctively grasping it, and then lowered her head to examine it. It was a scroll of a deep, soft purple hue. At this point, Han Li spoke calmly, "When you activate this spiritual scroll and follow those people, you will be able to blend seamlessly into their mountain-fortress. As long as the Xunxiang Fortress does not possess any of the several special seals rumored to exist, you will remain undetected. However, please remember: after activating this scroll, do not use any other special divine techniques, or the scroll may lose its effectiveness." As soon as he finished speaking, Han Li extended his hand and, with a simple gesture, summoned another scroll identical to the first, which he then swiftly pressed against his body. To the astonishment of the young lady in the flowing robe, a sudden burst of purple light erupted instantly, and countless purple characters surged forth from the surrounding space, rapidly coalescing into a soft, pale purple mist that immediately enveloped Han Li completely.