Hearing Li Han say this, although Zhu Guo'er was rather simple-minded, she still sensed the cautious tone in his words. After stretching her tongue, she decided not to press any further. "When I let Bao Hua leave, there's actually another intention—namely, that I don't want to keep shielding her from disasters indefinitely. Though the Sixth Pole and Blue Cascade Patriarchs withdrew initially, they will surely return after preparing themselves. As long as Bao Hua remains a threat, even if they resent me for spoiling their plans, they won't be able to turn their attention to us. In fact, after the previous ordeal, Bao Hua will only become more cautious. It will thus be extremely difficult for the Sixth Pole and Blue Cascade Patriarchs to succeed in their renewed efforts." Li Han spoke calmly. "With the demonic clans still engaged, this is precisely the ideal moment for us to return to the Spirit Realm. Master Han truly demonstrates far-sighted planning—Guo'er is deeply impressed." Upon hearing this, Guo'er felt a surge of renewed energy. The Crab-Clad Man stood straight at one corner of the flying chariot, his face expressionless, neither showing any emotion nor offering any remarks. "Let's go," Han Li said calmly. "Though I believe Luji and the others will follow the Blossom, we can't rule out the possibility that they might suddenly strike back, turning their attention to us." With that, he suddenly adjusted the inner flow of his spiritual energy, and a streak of jade-blue light surged upward from beneath his feet. The flying chariot shuddered and then carried Han Li and his companions swiftly toward the edge of the dense forest. ...At the same time, far beyond countless miles from Han Li and his companions, the Blossom stood atop an unremarkable hill, her expression fully restored to normal, her demeanor serene and composed—completely unharmed despite her earlier injuries. Behind her stood the Black Crocodile, clad in black battle armor. Though his energy was somewhat weakened and his complexion slightly bluish, he remained motionless, standing straight as a stone pillar. The two remained stationed atop the mountain for half an hour, showing no intention of leaving—seemingly waiting for something. After another half hour, a ripple appeared on the horizon, and a strong yellow wind surged upward, rolling steadily toward the mountain peak. Only then did Bao Hua's expression subtly shift. The swirling yellow wind suddenly subsided, and a figure, now enveloped in golden light, materialized clearly above the mountain summit. "Respectfully bowing to Bao Hua, Master," the yellow-clad figure said as soon as he appeared, immediately offering a formal salute in the air, his voice filled with humility and urgency. "I received the message and set out immediately, even traveling overnight—but still arrived one day too late. I nearly cost your life. I am truly at fault." "This is not your fault," Bao Hua replied. "I originally came to you with another matter in mind. I never expected to fall into the trap laid by Lu Ji and Lan Pu. This time, I shall have to go to your residence and seek temporary shelter from their growing pressure." But these years apart, you've made significant progress in your cultivation, and you're now only a step away from the Sage Patriarch's realm." After a brief glance at the figure, the flower-blossom gently remarked. "Had it not been for the Master's kindness back then, I would have perished long ago—how could I have reached this level today? To now serve the Master once again is exactly what I've always longed for. Though the Six-Extremes and Blue-Flow Sage may be shrewd and cautious, they absolutely won't suspect me. After all, publicly, I was one of the few Magistrate Sovereigns who consistently showed open hostility toward the Master back then, and I've always maintained a strong and positive relationship with the Blue-Flow Sage." The figure bowed slightly, speaking with respectful humility. "Your confidence in yourself is most reassuring—indeed, I believe I've made the right decision in summoning you. Very well. Let us go to your abode right away. Neither the Six-Extremes nor the Blue-Flow Sage will truly yield so easily; they will surely return again." The flower-blossom smiled lightly, then decisively issued her command. "Yes, Master Please come aboard my magical vessel for a while to rest. Should anyone else happen to meet us on the way, I shall handle them personally." With that, the figure in golden light raised a single hand, and instantly a medium-sized flying vessel materialized. The vessel was as pure and refined as jade, and on one side, several prominent magical scripts in golden script of the magi were clearly engraved, subtly revealing the identity of its owner. The blossom inspected the vessel, nodded in satisfaction, then with a gentle movement of her jade feet, led the black crocodile into the vessel and settled into the cabin, where both of them closed their eyes to meditate. Though some time had passed since the last major battle, both had suffered significant depletion of their vital energy, so they naturally made every effort to rest and recover. As soon as the figure in golden light also settled and stood firmly on the vessel, the craft roared to life, blazing into a streak of white light and swiftly gliding forward, vanishing at the horizon after a few swift movements. …Half an hour later, the fluctuations in the sky above the small hill surged again, and suddenly five figures materialized simultaneously from the void. Among them, two were none other than the Blue Falls Sage Ancestor and the young woman, one of the Six Polar Embodiments. The two women standing beside the blue-robed woman were also in their thirties. One wore a yellow robe, the other a red robe—similar in style—and their faces bore a striking resemblance to the Blue Falls Sage Ancestor. Behind the young woman stood a short, dwarf-like man dressed in a Taoist style, with a half-shaft of beard down to his chin, carrying a mulberry-red wooden sword on his back. As soon as the five figures materialized, the Blue Falls Sage Ancestor waved her sleeve, and a flash of white light burst forth from within, launching a white figure into the air. After a brief flicker, it transformed into a small white fox. The fox swiftly circled the hill several times, gently twitching its nose before suddenly vanishing in a flash back to the blue-robed woman’s side, where it emitted a series of strange, melodic calls. "The precious blossom indeed had stayed here, and besides the black crocodile, it seems there's a third person who has appeared." The Blue Cascade Sage, taking in the young fox, spoke solemnly. "A third person? Isn't it possible that the human youth merely parted ways with the blossom formally, while secretly returning?" The young woman was startled, her expression growing even more somber. "No. If the youth's aura had been detectable, the fox sage would have sensed it immediately. This newly appeared figure must have employed some secret technique to mask most of his aura. Yet he underestimated my fox's abilities—though the residual aura I perceive still carries a familiar touch, suggesting someone I've encountered before." The Blue Cascade Sage replied with a cold smile. "Then, if the sage has seen this person before, he must be one of our own from the demonic realm—likely a long-time ally concealed by the blossom. In that case, matters are now becoming quite troublesome." The speaker was a dwarf sage standing behind the young woman. Though he was short in stature, his comical manner of shaking his head while gently stroking his long beard and mustache made him appear especially amusing; yet no one seemed to chuckle or show any signs of mockery. Instead, the blue-robed woman replied seriously: "Master Fu need not worry. Although the Blossom previously reactivated the Xuan Tian Spiritual Realm, this very act has caused her vital energy to dwindle even further, and she will be unable to recover her spiritual power in the near term. As long as she does not immediately breach the boundary and depart from the Sacred Realm, even if she hides temporarily, she will pose no real threat. I am certain she has now been concealed by the new arrival. Given that this person has appeared so swiftly, it is no mere coincidence—most likely, they are a high-ranking magical race residing nearby. We simply need to investigate one by one, and we will surely find them." "Your words, Sister Lan, are most sound. Master Fu is my most trusted subordinate; his abilities are such that even I cannot match him in any of his feats. Moreover, Sister Lan has summoned her two incarnations as well. Should any unforeseen events arise, the Blossom will surely remain within our grasp This time, no matter what, we must ensure her complete disappearance. Lady Blue, whom exactly will you begin to investigate? If necessary, I won't hesitate to have up to a hundred killed—absolutely no one will be spared." The young woman, her eyes flashing with resentment, spoke. "Of course, I'll start with those few who have long-standing ties to Bao Hua—those are the ones with the strongest suspicions." Lady Blue replied without hesitation, clearly having already thought this through. "Lady Blue, could you also dispatch a few more personnel to temporarily shut down the teleportation arrays in the nearby key cities? Without these arrays, even if Bao Hua attempts to flee, she won't be able to go far." The young woman, her eyes gleaming with strategy, added. "This plan is sound. I'll immediately put it into action. The city governors in the surrounding areas have some connection with me—they should comply. Of course, with your added authority as the founder, they'll even more surely follow through." "The blue-robed woman spoke calmly. "No problem. I'll accompany you and offer our recommendations to the lords of several nearby cities." The young woman readily agreed. "Very well. We shouldn't delay any further—let's act immediately. Not far from here, in the vicinity of the Copper Bell Mountain, there resides a magus lord of considerable suspicion. Let's begin our investigation with him. We hope the precious flowers and their companions can remain hidden behind his abode." The blue-robed woman, unwilling to linger any longer, changed her tone slightly, her expression now cool and slightly frosty. Then, with a sweeping motion of her sleeve, a wave of azure light surged forth, and the group suddenly vanished into the void. Time passed slowly, and in the blink of an eye, six months had elapsed. On a stretch of yellow loess hills near the wilderness, nestled among a series of rolling hills, stood a massive fortress, its walls soaring to a height of a hundred zhang. The fortress spanned an area of ten li, resembling a small town in scale. On the towering walls, squads of fully armed patrolling soldiers could be seen moving subtly. In the surrounding void of the fortress, various hues of glowing light shimmered, clearly indicating a multitude of magical arrays and restrictions had been set in place. Higher up in the sky, a vast expanse of dark magical clouds hung motionless, occasionally radiating powerful waves of disturbance.