After witnessing the immense island, the thousand-year-old holy maiden and the elderly scholar Bai Qi, as well as others, could not help but display excitement, yet quickly exchanged a glance of puzzlement before returning to their composed expressions. "Let's go," said Han Li, his eyes flashing briefly. "I've finally been waiting for results from this journey. I hope the Washing Spirit Pool and the Purifying Spirit Lotus truly live up to the legends!" The elder of the Long family chuckled heartily, activating a shimmering aura on his body and immediately transforming into a golden streak, racing toward the island. The elder Hui, without a word, also surged forward as a rushing wind, swiftly following close behind. "Let's go as well," said the thousand-year-old holy maiden softly. She retracted the great vessel, then, with a single hand motion, produced a purple banner. After gently shaking it, a radiant glow enveloped the entire gathering of spiritual clans, transforming them into a swirling mass of purple light and swiftly breaking through the air. Once entering this vibrant, spirit-rich sea, they could now freely employ all manner of flight techniques without restraint. To their surprise, only Han Li and the young maiden remained on the sea surface. Gazing at Han Li with a slight sideways glance, the maiden smiled gently. "Brother Han, now the spiritual treasures are right before us—do you have any plans?" "What plans? Didn't we already agree that the spiritual pool would be shared, and that no matter how many lotus blossoms we find, they would all be equally divided?" Han Li replied calmly. "Others may indeed be willing to uphold their promises, and I naturally hope for that as well. But what if unforeseen circumstances arise?" The maiden's eyes twinkled as she softly spoke. "Rest assured, Lady. Should anything unexpected happen, we will naturally follow the agreement we made earlier—standing together, moving as one." Han Li paused and replied with a quiet tone. "Then I know, Brother Han, that you are a man of your word. Let us then set off. Though this island is sizable, I believe it won't take long for them to locate the cleansing pool with their divine powers." The young maiden in the feather robe sighed with relief and smiled gently. Han Li nodded silently, saying nothing. With a sweep of his sleeve, his body emitted a soft, shimmering glow and rose into the air, spiraling slightly before shooting straight toward the great island in a streak of azure light. Meanwhile, the young maiden pressed a hand seal, and the five-colored feather robe she wore surged forth in swirling clouds of five-toned mist, lifting her gently and carrying her into the air as well. Han Li did not fully activate his flight spell, merely following at a distance behind the spiritual race members and the elder of the Long family. Though he did not know the exact location of the purification pool, he could tell from the evident eagerness of the two ahead that they were well aware of the path. After a while, the group flew over a stretch of plain and several dense forests, and soon came upon a series of towering, elegant peaks, each radiating a fresh, verdant fragrance. Suddenly, the elder of the Long family and the members of the spiritual race halted their flight, stopping just ahead and stepping into view. Han Li's mind stirred, and his speed suddenly surged severalfold, allowing him to materialize beside the elder of the Long family in an instant. Amidst the shifting hues of five-colored mist, the young lady in feathered robes appeared silently at his side as well. At this moment, a clear distance had formed between the spiritual race and Han Li and the other cultivators, as though each party were content to leave the other undisturbed—like water not disturbing water. Clearly, with such a precious, world-altering artifact as the Washing Spirit Pool so close at hand, though no overt hostilities had yet been expressed, both families had begun to feel a subtle sense of vigilance. After all, the stakes were high—any sudden shift in intentions from either side could prove disastrous. And furthermore, they were not even of the same lineage. Yet on the surface, neither the elder of the Long family nor the Thousand-Season Saint Maiden displayed any unusual demeanor. Instead, after quietly discussing the matter with one another before the group of mountains, they both immediately launched their actions together. The elder of the Long family swept her sleeve, and with a flash of golden light, suddenly produced a radiant golden axe, its surface adorned with delicate silvery runes, puls Yet the Thousand-Age Saint Maiden chanted continuously, her body radiating a luminous, milky glow. As she opened her mouth, a milky orb—about the size of an egg—sprang forth, adorned with blood-vein-like magical patterns. Han Li observed this scene intently, his eyes narrowing as he fixed upon the two figures, not blinking once. Clearly, these two had something they had been holding back all along. Then, as the Thousand-Age Saint Maiden pointed at the orb, it immediately emitted a resonant hum and shot upward toward the mountain range. After a few flashes, it came to rest above one of the peaks, flickering intermittently between light and dark. "Liang, it's right there!" the Thousand-Age Saint Maiden brightened, speaking urgently. Upon hearing this, the elder of the Long family responded without hesitation, roaring aloud. A golden light surged over his body, revealing a series of golden scales that enveloped most of his form. At the same time, his figure expanded dramatically, and golden dragon horns sprouted atop his head. He had summoned his inner true blood, awakening a half-dragon form. The ancient elder of the Long family, towering several dozen zhang in height, flicked his axe, and within the eye's visible span, the golden axe rapidly expanded, ultimately transforming into a colossal ten-zhang-long heavenly great axe. Holding the massive axe in both hands, the elder launched a fierce, resounding strike toward the distant mountain peak, its circular orb suspended above it. A piercing, high-pitched cry erupted instantly. A surge of golden light burst forth from the axe, sweeping across like a strong wind, then instantly expanding into a vast axe-sweep stretching nearly a thousand zhang—crashing against the mountain peak with the thunderous roar of a hurricane. A tremendous, earth-shaking roar followed, and suddenly, a golden sun of a hundred zhang in diameter burst forth atop the mountain, instantly engulfing the entire peak. Waves of golden light radiated outward, cascading wildly from the blazing sun, and upon reaching nearby mountains, they were instantly reduced to ash and vapor. At this very moment, a powerful ripple surged through the golden light, spreading throughout the void over a hundred zhang in radius. An astonishing scene unfolded. Wherever the fluctuation passed, the void atop the mountains rippled like a lake's surface, then, as the golden light faded and the scene blurred, two even taller, emerald giants emerged mysteriously behind the ruins of the former peaks. Between these two towering mountains, a valley shrouded in a soft, green radiance stood clearly visible. From within the valley, a colossal, milky-white light column rose skyward, piercing the void as if reaching all the way to the heavens. "The Ling Xiao Heavenly Pillar! Indeed, the Xishen Pool must be there!" Upon seeing the valley and the silver light column, the elder of the Long family burst into laughter, immediately transforming into a streak of brilliant rainbow light and rushing forward without a word. Elder Hui also rejoiced, swiftly following close behind. The Thousand-Seasons Princess watched the scene with evident excitement, yet as she glanced at the retreating forms of the Long family elders, her expression darkened slightly. Unconsciously, the palm concealed in her sleeve formed a peculiar, unusual seal. The Zhi-shui, who had stood motionless behind her, suddenly flashed a gleam in his otherwise expressionless eyes, and his two pale hands, previously still, trembled slightly. Yet in the very next moment, the Qianqiu Holy Maiden heard Bai Qi's cold voice—though only a few words—her heart stirred, and her hand seals instantly dispersed. The spirit-born youth's sharp gleam faded once more, returning to his original expressionless state. Just as the Qianqiu Holy Maiden had silently completed these actions, she suddenly sensed something and turned her head slightly, only to find Han Li standing beside her, arms crossed behind his back, gazing at her with a half-smiling, half-uncertain expression. Startled, the Qianqiu Holy Maiden quickly thought through her thoughts, preparing to speak when Bai Qi suddenly spoke coldly: "Brother Han, Daoist Long has already departed. You still haven't moved—won't you fear the treasures will be claimed by others?" "Heh, Brother Han, I truly trust Long." My dear friend, please don't worry—once we find the Washing Spirit Pool, it won't be that easy to enter." Bai Qi sneered. "Indeed, then let us all go together and lend a hand to Long brother. After all, we're still in the realm of demons. The sooner we secure the treasures, the better. Who knows what might happen if we wait too long!" The young lady in feathered robes blinked several times, then smiled brightly. "Of course. If we wish to enter the Washing Spirit Pool, we may well have to work together even more closely." Bai Qi nodded without any emotion, and at this point, the Thousand-Season Princess said nothing at all—seemingly, the leading figure of the spiritual race had unexpectedly shifted to this enigmatic white-lit celestial spirit. Thus, the spiritual race and the others, including Han Li, once again took flight together, heading toward the valley. For beings who had already achieved the combined state, this distance was truly nothing. Not long after, the crowd gradually vanished into the layer of green light enveloping the valley, just as the two elder ancestors of the Long family had done. To韩立's surprise, the green light offered no resistance at all—mere flashes were enough for them to effortlessly disappear into it. At that moment, the figures of the group gradually descended toward a lush, emerald pond situated in the center of the valley. The floating points of colorful light above the pond were notably denser than in any other area, and Long family elder and Hui elder were standing quietly by the pond, engaged in a serious conversation with furrowed brows. "Could this be the Spirit-Washing Pond?" Han Li thought, his heart leaping, and then settled down gently at a nearby spot.