The blood-lit black scales and Mo Jianli each took the crystal cores, inspected them thoroughly, and upon confirming their integrity, were naturally delighted to accept them. "Since the compensation has now been settled, our clan and all of you have achieved mutual satisfaction in this transaction. However, I wonder—when do you intend to depart from this realm? After all, this world is rather small and cannot comfortably accommodate so many of us, who are at the stage of Great Transcendence." The mother of the Shriek-Spider Clan suddenly glanced at them with a subtle spark in her eyes. "Master Han, please don't worry. We shall be leaving within just a few days. However, the resources of this small Shriek-Spider realm differ quite notably from those of our spiritual realm. We therefore plan to gather more. Will you not object to this?" Han smiled lightly, showing no concern. "Ah, well, as long as you're merely collecting resources, our clan will certainly not interfere in the slightest. However, beyond our own clan, there are quite a few troublesome entities here—don't let them go unnoticed." The woman smiled gracefully, speaking with evident intention. "Oh, one of the beasts you mentioned—could it be the Car-Weeping Dragon?" Mo Jianli's expression brightened at this. "You're aware of this formidable creature, aren't you? Have you even seen it?" The woman was slightly startled, and asked immediately. "Indeed, I've encountered it once. This beast truly lives up to its legendary status as an ancient primordial monster—I nearly fell to my knees at its hands." After a moment of facial expressions, Mo Jianli sighed and said. "Is there another such beast in this realm? Could Master Luo kindly inform me of its lair?" Blood Yan, listening to the woman's words, suddenly looked delighted, even excited, and quickly interjected with a question. "As for the Car-Weeping Dragon's lair—I do know its location, though…" The mother of the Shriek-Spider Clan's eyes flashed, revealing a thoughtful expression. "Don't worry," Blood Yan noticed the woman's demeanor and immediately sensed that his own tone had been somewhat awkward. "I won't leave without making a proper arrangement. As soon as Master Luo shares the information, I'll surely offer my sincere gratitude." Next, the foreign cultivator flipped his hand and produced a small leather satchel, then tossed it forward. The woman extended her jade hands to catch it, scanned the contents with her divine awareness, and then showed a look of mild surprise. After lifting her gaze deeply to Blood Yan, she spoke slowly: "I have a map here that marks the location of Xie Qi Zi's lair. You may take a look at it." As soon as she finished speaking, she raised her hand, and a white jade scroll flew out from her sleeve. Blood Yan swiftly rolled up his sleeve to catch the scroll and placed it gently on his forehead, his expression now serious. Black Scale, standing beside him, also appeared somewhat unusual, with a subtle spark of eagerness in his gaze toward the scroll. At that moment, the blood-draped young girl suddenly smiled warmly at Han Li's position and said: "Among you, several of you are well-known figures beyond these lands. I'm sure each of you carries many rare treasures with you." Why don't we first exchange some resources that our clan has collected over the years, which are not available outside? Then, we can proceed to gather the materials ourselves. This way, we can save everyone considerable time." "Master Ming means we should hold a temporary small trading session right here," Han Li exclaimed, then smiled. "That's correct. Honestly, for most resources and materials available in this realm, our clan should have accumulated a good share. As long as you are willing to pay a fair price, we will certainly be pleased to meet your expectations," the young woman said calmly, without showing any hesitation. The mother of the Shriek Spider Clan listened silently, clearly accepting the suggestion without offering any objections. As for Mo Jianli and the others, they were all greatly encouraged by this proposal. With the limited time they still had left in this small Shriek realm, it would indeed be difficult to collect sufficient quantities of materials on their own. If they could obtain some directly from the Shriek Clan, it would surely be a sound strategy. "Very well. I have a few things on me—I shall exchange them with the noble families." After a moment's thought, Mo Jianli agreed immediately. "My brother also has some assets—he shall exchange as well." Blood Ran and Black Lin exchanged a few words, and likewise agreed. "Since all of you have joined, I naturally won't be an exception." Han Li spoke calmly, without changing his expression. Naturally, there was no reason he wouldn't participate in such a mutually beneficial arrangement. "Agreed. I shall seek a suitable location nearby and begin the formal exchanges right away." The blood-draped young lady smiled gracefully, her demeanor exceptionally charming. Blood Ran and the others immediately assented, and Han Li nodded as well, though his gaze lingered subtly and repeatedly on the direction of the cold pool. This gesture was extremely discreet and went entirely unnoticed by the others. ... Several hours later, on a smaller island not far from the one where the Cold Pond was located, the members of the Shriek Spider Clan, led by the woman and the blood-draped maiden, boarded the original black giant eagle and departed, their faces expressing satisfaction. Above the small island, only Han Li and three other foreign Great Transcendents remained, standing still. During the exchange just completed, whether Han Li, Mo Jianli, or Xue Ran Black Scale, each had gained substantial benefits—acquiring many rare resources unique to the Shriek Realm. Though they had also paid a considerable price, overall, everyone had come away pleased. "Previously, we had no idea that these Xiuaro Spiders possessed such rich resources—perhaps the exchange just involved a fraction of what they truly hold. More importantly, wouldn't you agree that the Spatial Stone has great appeal? Its strength in embodying spatial principles is truly unparalleled, even to me, Xue. Should we obtain it, simply by taking turns preserving it for a while, we might well come to comprehend and master the true principles of spatial magic." Blood ignited at the tips of his brows, his words brimming with irresistible allure. Xueran listened, his face slightly pale, but immediately brightened as he yawned and said, "You're jesting! Look at how highly these Shura Spiders value this item—even if we empty our entire family fortunes, they'd never consider making a single exchange. Since Brother Han has decided not to act, then let me simply forget what I said earlier. We have other matters to attend to, so we'll be off now to say goodbye to both of you." As he spoke, Xueran bowed respectfully to Han Li and Mo Jianli. The nearby Black Scale also gave a slight bow. "May you both have a pleasant journey!" Han Li smiled lightly and returned the gesture. Mo Jianli smiled warmly and exchanged a few words of well-wishes. Thus, Xueran and the Black Scale both vanished in a flash of light, each transforming into a streak of long-lasting brilliance, and were gone without a trace by the time they reached the horizon. "Brother Han, what are your plans now? Do you intend to seek out some more rare materials?" "Only after the distant glow of Mo Jianli's retreat had completely faded did he smile and ask韩立 a single question. "There's indeed that intention. I still have several days before I can leave this realm. I'll see if I can find any further opportunities. What about you, Mo brother?" Han Li smiled gently and replied. "Mo Jianli has already managed to obtain three crystalline cores—this is truly a matter of good fortune. Therefore, I have no intention of taking further risks. From now on, I will seek a secluded spot to meditate and rest, patiently awaiting the day of departure. Though your powers are truly remarkable, I believe you will still need to remain cautious during the coming days against the counterattacks of the Shouluo Spiders." Mo Jianli spoke with a serious expression. "Indeed, your plan is most prudent. As for the Shouluo Spiders, I may not be able to defeat them all alone, but I believe they will find it impossible to successfully challenge me." Han Li chuckled warmly, speaking with great confidence. "With such clear resolve, I feel completely at ease. Then, I shall take my leave first." A few days later, we shall meet again in the spiritual realm," Mo Jianli said, his expression relaxing as he smiled and bowed to Han Li to bid him farewell. Han Li did not linger, merely offering a few courteous words of parting, and then watched as Mo Jianli raised his hand to release a small boat. With a gentle motion, Mo Jianli stepped onto it and vanished into a streak of brilliant light, breaking through the air. Han Li stood still in place, quietly observing, until he turned his gaze back toward the distant island where the cold spring had once stood. A strange expression suddenly appeared on his face. He shook his sleeve, and the light from it surged upward, forming a bright azure glow that carried him swiftly toward the island. Within the span of a meal's time, Han Li reappeared above the original valley. Floating in the air, he glanced down at the cold spring's location. He noticed that the coldness of the valley now seemed slightly less intense than before. Yet, due to the removal of the nearby spell arrays, the void around the cold pool remained thoroughly frozen into a vast, translucent mass of azure ice, once again sealing the entrance of the entire pool. Han Li silently gazed at the massive ice block below for a moment before suddenly opening his mouth, expelling a surge of silvery flame that swiftly coalesced into a silver phoenix. While murmuring incantations, he raised one hand and gently pointed it at the silver phoenix in the void. At once, the phoenix bowed its head and emitted a clear call; as its silver feathers ignited, it rapidly expanded in size. In a flash, the phoenix grew to over fifteen zhang in height, its body shimmering with turbulent waves of silver flame, though its demeanor clearly appeared weary. Clearly, the battle it had just fought against the ancient lamp’s summoned purple peacock had taken a considerable toll. Han Li furrowed his brow slightly, but immediately smoothed his expression and spoke, spitting out several clusters of misty, jade-like qi. After a few flickers, they vanished entirely into the massive fire bird's body.