Once the mist had cleared, the spot where Han Li had stood was now empty. The maiden in the flowing robe swiftly scanned the surrounding area with her divine awareness, yet still failed to detect Han Li's presence—her heart must have been filled with profound astonishment. "My friend, do not be alarmed," a calm, gentle voice suddenly reached her ears, instantly making her alert. Without further hesitation, she promptly activated the scroll in her hands. After a flash of purple light, the maiden dissolved into the dispersing purple mist, vanishing completely. The effect of the Taiyi Huaqing Scroll varied significantly depending on the practitioner's level of cultivation. At this maiden's combined body and spirit stage, the effect was far superior to the one Han Li had experienced when he was still at the stage of achieving the Divine and Immortal realms. Unless among the Qingyi clan members there was a peer-level Magus who carefully probed with their divine awareness, the now-ethereal maiden would remain undetected. As for Han Li, after activating the Taiyi Huaqing Seal, ordinary magi lords were completely unable to detect his presence—except for the very highest-tier ancient demons, who were only half a step away from the Mahayana realm. At that moment, the massive flying serpent from afar began to descend slowly toward the space above the misty clouds between the mountain peaks, then paused and hovered motionless in midair. The senior demon leader surveyed the surroundings with a few glances, then pressed a hand seal and raised it toward the ground. A streak of bright green light shot forth, vanishing instantly into the mist. Within a short while, the fragrance within the mist intensified severalfold, and a peculiar ripple of energy spread through it. The mist parted, revealing a clear passage several zhang wide. On the far end of the passage, faint silhouettes of buildings emerged, somewhat blurred. Seeing this, the elder demon no longer hesitated—he stamped his single foot upon the massive serpent below. Instantly, the creature emitted a series of hissing sounds, and as its body shimmered with green light, it rapidly shrank in size. With a simple flick of his sleeve, the elder demon gathered the serpent, which had only been a few When the elder turned and smiled warmly to the young demonic beings, he immediately drifted into the passage. The other demons followed with bright smiles, entering it together. In just a few breaths, the group vanished from sight within the passage. As a result, the mist on either side surged and rolled, gradually healing the passage back to its original state, perfumed with a delicate aroma. The demons responsible for guarding the incantation naturally failed to notice that, at the same time as these young beings returned, two additional, imperceptible figures—unseen and silently trailing behind—also entered the passage and disappeared into it. These colossal trees are uniformly deep purple, radiating an intense and rich fragrance—precisely the source of the aroma in this place. Within the village, numerous wooden structures of varying sizes stand closely packed, ample enough to house over a hundred thousand magi. For the Qingyi Clan, which has always been a relatively small population, this truly constitutes a massive settlement. Within the village, several even larger trees are planted, partially obscuring the smaller, scattered buildings and giving the entire complex a sense of seclusion. After a brief scan of the entire settlement with a subtle blue glow in his eyes, Han Li finally focused his attention on a cluster of buildings emitting detectable magical fluctuations. On the streets near this group of buildings, Qingyi Clan guards patrol with composed expressions. Meanwhile, ordinary clan members maintain a respectful distance, avoiding the area and refraining from approaching casually. The blue glow in Han Li's eyes faded, and his ethereal form drifted down from above the wooden tower, landing silently in a narrow alley where no figures were present. When the final glow dissipated, a young mage of the Qingyi Clan emerged, bearing a face identical to Han Li's. Though this technique of identity concealment fell short of the complete invisibility achieved by the Taiyi Hua Qing Symbol, it was sufficient to obscure the perception of ordinary mages. Han Li smiled gently and strode out of the alley with composed confidence, heading toward the more heavily guarded complex on that side. At the same time, on other streets of the mountain stronghold, the young woman in the feathered robe withdrew her ethereal form, manifesting as a young female mage with composed demeanor, and walked steadily toward a secluded corner. In her hands, she held a blood-red triangular plaque, from which a subtle, faint ripple of energy emanated. In that corner, a strikingly prominent grand pavilion stood clearly visible! ...in a small wooden cottage far from the main settlement, a vibrant tapestry of five hues unfolded across the interior, with two figures seated face to face, meditating within. It was Han Li and the young maiden in flowing robes, who had been investigating the area for two days. They were now engaged in serious conversation. "Then, Miss Immortal has confirmed that the hall hosts core disciples of the Qingyi Clan?" Han Li asked, each word carefully spoken. "Absolutely correct—my artifact has responded strongly! The location you alerted me to, which I initially considered suspicious, not only hosts core disciples but likely several of them. It appears to be a special residence built specifically for the core members of the Qingyi Clan. This is both a good and a bad development," the young maiden sighed. "Indeed, Miss Ye finds it difficult to make progress," Han Li remarked, remaining neutral. "Since this settlement has gathered its core members together, the hall must be protected by numerous restrictions. There will surely be a Qingyi Clan Magus stationed there—possibly even more than one." The original plan indeed wasn't very suitable, and we didn't have much time—we simply couldn't wait any longer," the maiden in the silk robe calmly admitted. "Then, since strategy isn't working, let's resort to strength. I'll hold the magisterial elders for a while; you just need to focus on the core disciples. That should be manageable, right?" Han Li narrowed his eyes and spoke calmly. "With no magisterial elders interrupting us, capturing one of the core disciples is certainly feasible. However, as soon as we begin our actions, if we can't free ourselves quickly, the higher-ranked magistrates will soon pour in. Given the size of Xunxiang Village and the proportion of its powerful members, there will likely be at least seven or eight magisters—possibly even more—of the Magus Sovereign rank, not to mention the cultivators at the Liangxi stage. Moreover, breaking through the village's protective seal will require some effort as well." The maiden nodded repeatedly and added a further remark. "The matter of the seal can be entrusted to Han Li." As for the array of techniques, I have some study, and over the past two days, I've identified several weak points in the outer seals. Speaking with confidence, Han Li said. "Then there should be no major issues. As long as we can swiftly depart from Xunxiang Pavilion, the magi-kings should be unable to catch up with us. The only concern remains the incarnation of Lingyuan Sage, whose current hiding place remains unknown." Upon hearing this, the young lady with the feathered robe beamed with relief. "The incarnation of Lingyuan Sage! It is indeed best if it does not appear—otherwise, we would have to rely on the power of our treasures to temporarily contain it." Han Li remarked, his eyes flashing. "Indeed, that would be the worst scenario! Well, let us set that aside for now. We shall first meditate and rest, and then act when the time comes in the evening. That way, we won't have to worry about delays or complications." The young lady suggested. "Agreed," Han Li said, with no further objections. He then closed his eyes and settled into meditation. The young maiden, her expression shifting between gloom and clarity, after carefully reconsidering everything, finally felt that there was truly no significant issue, and slowly closed her beautiful eyes. "What's going on—have they once again triggered the seal again?" the magical prince muttered, frowning, yet his movements remained undeterred. With a single hand gesture, a strange, sudden gust of wind surged throughout the hall, and his form vanished into the breeze. Moments later, another gust swept through the grand hall, and the prince reappeared silently. Yet as he glanced briefly across the hall, his eyes widened instantly. In one corner stood a figure dressed in green robes, facing the wall where a large black blade hung. Though the blade was merely a decorative piece made of ordinary materials, the figure seemed deeply engrossed, refusing to turn his head. The prince was astonished, yet his expression remained calm. He spoke coldly: "Who are you, and why have you entered this hall at night?" "There's nothing special. I simply woke up in the middle of the night, with nothing to do, and wanted to chat with you for a while." The man in the green robe still looked upward at the black great blade, yet a soft, gentle voice spoke from him. "For a while? You're saying that?" The magical man's eyes flickered slightly, ready to ask for clarification, when suddenly a deep, resonant sound came from the adjacent hall, causing the entire hall to tremble. "Not good!" The magical man's face instantly changed, nearly staggering, and with a series of swift, blurred movements, he dashed straight toward a particular exit, seemingly about to glide past. Yet at that very moment, the man in the green robe smiled lightly, and a thunderclap erupted—electric arcs of pale and bright blue surged around him, and in the flash of light, he vanished entirely. In the next instant, the magical man felt a flash of lightning, and there the green-robed figure stood mysteriously in front of him, launching a rapid series of finger strikes. Instantly, a series of sharp "shhh" sounds erupted. Dense streams of emerald hair shot forth from the fingertips and converged into a jade-colored sword net, sweeping down to cover the oncoming attack.