"The Shura Spider, I've heard a few things about from a great master. When it first emerged in the Shura Realm as a young creature, it already possessed a formidable strength surpassing that of a Yuan婴. As it grew, its powers continuously strengthened—by the time it matured into a full-grown adult, its capabilities were nearly indistinguishable from those of a Great Stage being. Some particularly gifted Shura Spiders might even reach a level comparable to true Spiritual Beings. The Shura Spider you mentioned, capable of extracting threads of time, must surely be an adult specimen, wouldn't you agree?" Mo Jianli said slowly. "Mo Brother's knowledge of this remarkable creature of the Shura Realm is truly impressive. I must not conceal this from my esteemed companions: only mature Shura Spiders can yield threads of time. Moreover, it typically takes three Shura Spiders to produce just one such thread. Of course, if we encounter the particularly powerful ones you've described, even a single one with a crystalline core is sufficient." The King of Spirit replied, with a touch of surprise on his face. Mo Jianli chuckled bitterly and said no more. Xue Ran and He Lin, listening intently, grew even more somber. After a while, Xue Ran finally asked coldly: "The Little Shriek Realm has always been perilous, and the mature Shriek Spiders possess some strange, time-manipulating abilities. Even without the power of a Fully Perfected cultivator, they would likely not be much easier to deal with than a typical Fully Perfected cultivator. To extract the threads of time, each of us would have to slay at least three of these spiders. If the Ling brother finds this unreasonable—just by offering a single Lei Xiao Seal, we are expected to risk our lives, isn't that asking too much?" "Unreasonable? I do not see it that way. Besides the Lei Xiao Seal, I have also brought two Shriek Hearts. Their rarity and value are only slightly less than that of the Seal. Moreover, the Little Shriek Realm has long been renowned for its abundant rare resources. Even if you fail to find the Shriek Spiders, you will surely gain considerable treasures." "These items, you are most welcome to keep—King Wei shall take none more!" the robed elder spoke with his face unchanged. "This is quite different! The Heart of Shura has always been an essential item for entering the Small Shura Realm. Regardless of whom Lord Ling asks for assistance, anyone will willingly offer it without counting it as part of the compensation. Moreover, after the Heart of Shura is divided, we have only stayed in this realm for about a dozen days, having to remain focused on seeking out the Shura Spider. How could we possibly find time to search for other treasures? Haha, Lord Ling, why should you so politely delay us with these empty words? Even if we truly have a lucky break in the Small Ling Realm and manage to find some fine treasures, how can that compare to the risks we've taken? At our level of cultivation, our own safety is paramount. That is precisely why our two brothers insisted on taking the Lei Xiao Seal—to ensure we do not perish during future celestial thunderstorms." Blood Yan chuckled, speaking frankly. Mo Jianli's eyes flashed several times, clearly also agreeing with Blood-Ren's words as a great cultivator from the foreign realm. Han Li and He Lin, on the other hand, displayed expressions that were either half-smiling or constantly frowning. The white-robed elder, after listening attentively, furrowed his brows, glanced at the faces of Han Li and the others, and then said in a thoughtful tone: "Heard this, Xue smiled slightly and immediately agreed without hesitation. "Xue friend, please rest assured. The transportation array has been prepared long ago and is already on the Sacred Mountain. As soon as several of you are ready to depart, we can instantly send you to the Small Shaky Realm. Mo brother, Han friend—what will you decide?" The elder smiled warmly as well, speaking with confidence. After a while of shifting between expressions, Mo Jianli finally clenched his teeth and replied, "Mo here absolutely intends to obtain the Lei Xiao Seal and is willing to venture into the Small Shaky Realm." "Since Mo brother is willing to go, Han will naturally accompany him. However, I have one condition: when returning from the Small Shaky Realm, I will personally determine my destination coordinates—no need for Ling brother to take the trouble." Han lightly stroked his chin and said this casually. "Han friend, what exactly do you mean? Do you not trust me?" The elder fixed his gaze firmly on Han's face, his expression now slightly displeased. "There's nothing special about it. I've simply always been accustomed to having full control over everything unknown. I hope you'll understand and accommodate this. I'm quite familiar with the teleportation array and, with a minor adjustment using my artifact, we shouldn't have much difficulty changing the return coordinates." Han Li's expression remained unchanged. You should be well aware of how hot these talismans are—once I reveal their existence, it's likely that many more colleagues will soon come knocking, and I won't be able to hold onto them for long." The white-robed elder's eyes flashed with brilliance, and without further hesitation, he agreed. "Haha, Ling brother, don't worry. With my brother's bloodline strength, I'm confident we'll find the Shura Spider with at least seven or eight out of ten chances. In just over ten days, we'll each take what we've earned." Blood-Ren smiled contentedly and replied with a hearty laugh. "And when I and Han colleague enter the Small Shura Realm, we'll do our best as well." Mo Jianli simply exhaled gently and said. "Very good. Since none of you have any objections, let's all stay here overnight to make proper preparations. In the morning, I'll escort each of you into that Small Shura Realm." The white-robed elder regained his composure and then clapped his hands several times with a crisp sound. At once, the side door opened, and several young women dressed in imperial robes stepped out, bowing to Han Li and the others before standing respectfully on either side. Xue Ran nodded and, together with He Lin, rose to their feet, following the two women toward the side door. In a moment, their figures had vanished from the hall. At that point, Mo Jianli bowed to the white-robed elder and, calling out to Han Li, prepared to head down to rest. After rising from his chair, Han Li did not immediately depart. Instead, he suddenly smiled and said to the white-robed elder, "Actually, I still have one matter I would like to ask you, though I'm not sure whether it is appropriate to raise it." "Oh," the white-robed elder responded, slightly surprised but with an unchanged expression, "Please go ahead—ask away." "Earlier, I heard some rumors from outside, that since the time the Ling Clan established itself in the Ling Realm, each Ling King throughout history has actually been the same person. I wonder if this is true. Could you tell me, then, what your actual lifespan is?" Han Li smiled and asked a question that surprised Mo Jianli beside him. "Ha ha, I've heard some of these tales myself. But naturally, they're all mere gossip. Women of our race have existed in this realm for already a million years. Even though our Ling clan endures longer between celestial calamities than most other races, how could we possibly live that long? However, there have indeed been several Ling Kings in our history who reigned for exceptionally long periods. Perhaps because of this, some outsiders, not fully understanding the facts, have passed these stories from one generation to another, giving rise to this rumor." The elderly man in white robes chuckled lightly and added a few clarifications. "Ah, now I understand. Han Li, after all, the Ling realm isn't truly a realm of immortals—how could there possibly be beings living beyond a million years?" Han Li nodded happily, and then, together with Mo Jianli, proceeded through another set of female Ling clan members toward a different side gate. As both figures vanished behind the door, the robed elder who had been gazing at their backs saw his faint smile vanish instantly. "Ha, truly a celestial realm! Has this young man sensed something? Yet, how many have dared to directly question me like this before? Not just one or two." The robed elder murmured these words in a voice barely audible. Then, suddenly, he pressed a hand seal. A soft, pale glow shimmered across his body, and in an instant, he dissolved into the air, becoming indistinct. A short while later, deep within the mountain's core, in a perfectly black, unified space, a milky-white light array flashed into existence in the void, and the robed elder materialized silently before them. Han Li glanced around at the dark expanse of space, furrowed his brows slightly, then suddenly shook his sleeve upward with a decisive motion. Immediately, several dozen glowing orbs shot out, spiraling and dancing before settling gracefully in the upper air. Then the elder, with a single hand, swiftly chanted a spell, causing the luminous orbs to suddenly shine brilliantly and clearly illuminating the entire space. At a distance of no more than thirty or forty paces from him, there stood a crystalline ice peak towering over a thousand paces high, its surface shimmering with delicate blue glimmers and partially enveloped by a massive golden seal. Through the translucent ice, one could faintly see a handsome young man dressed in golden robes, unconscious and bound tightly by a series of spell-chains, his forehead bearing a golden pattern that perfectly matched the shape of the symbols etched upon the ice wall. Upon seeing this, the white-robed elder immediately moved forward with several swift steps, extended his arm, and pressed his palm firmly against the ice wall before him. A surge of bright white light erupted vigorously from his palm.