Xiao Ming's expression darkened briefly, and after a light cough, he intended to speak. But at that moment, the silver script on the stone tablet emitted a humming sound, flickered, and then coalesced again into a faint silver pattern. As the entire pattern brightened, a sudden ripple surged at its center, revealing a large circular opening. A figure shifted within, and then two people emerged side by side—man and woman. "Ah, so it's the three of you," the young man said, glancing at the three of them. They were momentarily startled, then settled into a half-smiling, half-ambiguous expression. The woman beside him stared at Xiao Ming and the two others with genuine surprise, her posture now full of alertness. These two were none other than Han Li and the Ice-Purity Immortal. Upon seeing this, Xiao Ming and his companions exchanged glances, their faces now pale with alarm. The scene before them seemed to be exactly the worst outcome they had anticipated. "Brother Han, have you received the true lineage of Tian Ding the True?" Xiao Ming asked solemnly, "No, but the one who received it is my companion. What do the three of you think?" Han Li smiled slightly and said casually. Even if he denied it outright, the others would never believe him—better to simply admit it openly. "Wait, this young lady? Hm, that's odd..." The three were surprised and instantly turned their attention to Bing Po. However, Xiao Ming immediately frowned, showing a look of astonishment. Clearly, he had confused Bing Po with her blood-bodied form and immediately sensed the difference in their cultivation levels. Qingping and Wanhua both noticed this, their eyes briefly expressing doubt. Yet, compared to the fact that Tian Ding's teachings had already been taken by the other party, this minor confusion seemed insignificant. Xiao Ming sighed, speaking with a touch of resignation, "This is quite troublesome." We three came on this adventure specifically to secure the Heavenly Ding lineage. However, since the young immortal lady has already obtained the treasures, and considering your kindness, Brother Han, we won't press our claims any further. How about this: we make a mutual agreement with the lady? We will no longer insist on any claims regarding the precious relics left behind by Master Tian Ding. Instead, we would like to copy the master's techniques, secret methods, and the methods for passing the Great Trial. Of course, we won't expect anything for free—we will surely offer her a price that satisfies her. "That sounds quite favorable. Ice-Pulse Brother, what do you think?" Han Li remained silent, but turned to ask the woman beside him. "I indeed received several techniques and spells that Tian Ding Master once cultivated, but these were directly inscribed into my spiritual awareness through divine soul secret arts. Moreover, they come with binding oaths of blood and spirit—until I achieve true mastery, I shall never be able to transmit these techniques to anyone beyond my immediate circle. Otherwise, my spiritual essence will gradually dissipate, and in severe cases, my prenatal stage of cultivation will shatter and my life will be extinguished. As for the methods of overcoming celestial calamities, however, those have completely vanished. Yet, according to the records preserved in Tian Ding Master's teachings, the reason Tian Ding Master was able to withstand so many great celestial calamities was simply that he once consumed a seed of the 'Tian Lei Immortal Fruit,' a fruit said to be passed down through the immortal realms. Ice-Purity Peacock smiled faintly, and spoke these words, which left Han Li and Xiao Ming all astonished. 'The Tian Lei Immortal Fruit! Isn't this a fruit said to be unique to the immortal realms? If Tian Ding Master indeed consumed its seed, then it would make sense why he could so easily endure successive celestial calamities. But how can I be certain, Dao Friend, that what you After a slight frown, Qingping the Daoist slowly asked, "How would you like to prove this?" The Ice-Purity Immortal coldly countered, "What do you propose?" "I have a secret technique that allows me to gather information from someone's spiritual awareness without impairing their spirit essence. All that is required is for you to open up your inner spiritual sea to us..." "No way! No one would willingly expose their spiritual sea to strangers—what difference would that make, compared to handing over their very lives to others?" The Ice-Purity Immortal's expression changed instantly, firmly rejecting the idea. Such a gesture of entrusting one's life to another, she would naturally never agree to. "Han, what do you think? Even if your powers are extraordinary, you can't possibly leave us empty-handed, can you?" Upon hearing this, Qingping took a deep breath and turned to Han Li, his tone serious and slightly urgent. "If my companion is unwilling to proceed this way, then this matter shall be settled. Should you feel unfulfilled, by all means enter and explore further—perhaps you'll discover something unexpected." "We'll simply be on our way," Han Li said, his gaze flickering slightly, yet he replied with a calm, matter-of-fact tone. "What? Without giving us any explanation, you intend to—?" "What explanation would you like from me?" Just as Wan Hua Lady was about to erupt in anger, Han Li suddenly grew stern and stepped forward decisively. In an instant, a terrifying aura surged forth—so powerful that even a seasoned Great Transcendence cultivator would have been shaken—and pressed down firmly upon the other side. With a series of sharp "thuds," Qingping Dao人 and Wan Hua Lady were unable to withstand the pressure and were forced to retreat several steps. Only Xiao Ming remained steady, though his body trembled slightly, still standing firm—yet a faint glow of blood appeared on his mask. Seeing this, Han Li narrowed his eyes and, without a word, took another step forward, his aura surging once more with renewed intensity. At this moment, Xiao Ming felt as though a primordial beast of ancient times had surged forth and charged straight at him. After emitting a low hum, he was forced to step back instinctively. "Excellent technique, Han brother—during your earlier encounter with Wan Hua, you clearly concealed much of your true power. With such profound magical strength, even the ancient true spirits might not surpass it," said Xiao Ming, though even his naturally composed demeanor betrayed a deep sense of apprehension, his voice cold and measured. Upon hearing this, Qingping Daoren's face turned pale. "With three of us working together, we are likely still no match for Mr. Han. Then, why bring upon ourselves such humiliation? Unless Master Qingping has some means to withstand Mr. Han's thunderous wrath." Xiao Ming replied calmly. "Well... of course not," Qingping Daoren smiled bitterly, shaking his head repeatedly. "Ah, what if we add my wife and I as well?" At that moment, a delicate, mirthful laugh drifted from afar. Suddenly, a ripple of energy surged from one direction in the sky, and two streaks of brilliant light shot forth with astonishing speed. In mere flashes, they reached the near-vacant space before them. As the light faded, a man and a woman materialized in the sky. The man was quiet and earnest, the woman graceful and radiant—none other than the Wugou Elder and Hua Xi Immortal. Seeing two more senior cultivators arrive, the Ice-Purity Daoist sighed inwardly, growing increasingly anxious. Han Li glanced at Wugou Elder and Hua Xi Immortal, his expression remaining unchanged. "How is it that you two have come here?" Qingping the Daoist was utterly startled. "This young sister, I shall have to be more circumspect in explaining," smiled Hua Xi the Immortal, without directly answering. But Xiao Ming, his eyes suddenly narrowing, spoke a sentence that sent both companions into a state of profound alert: "Master Qingping, could you please conduct a brief inspection to see if anyone has tampered with anything?" "Tampering? That seems unlikely. If such a thing had occurred, how could we have failed to notice it?" Qingping the Daoist gasped, yet she knew Xiao Ming would not be speaking in mere formality. With a swift release of her spiritual awareness, she began to examine her body from within outwards. At the same time, Qingping the Daoist, his expression now serious, also raised his hands and recited a series of incantations, beginning to inspect his robe and various personal ornaments. A moment later, Hua Xi the Daoist suddenly cried out, and from somewhere in her hair, she snatched out a small, nearly translucent insect, only half an inch long and as fine as a strand of hair. "The Dust Wasp—how could I have failed to sense it at all? When exactly did you two cast this spell upon me!" The old lady erupted in anger, clutching the delicate insects and crushing them between her fingers, her face blazing with fury. "It must have been before we entered the Heavenly Cauldron Palace—otherwise, how could I have tracked you all the way here? The fault lies with you two for not being thorough enough and leaking information beforehand." The Huaxi Immortal smiled calmly, completely unbothered by the old lady's outburst. "So it seems we shall have to thoroughly clean up our ranks upon our return. Nevertheless, your persistent pursuit has proven to be no mere inconvenience—it's actually a great advantage for us. Brother Han, now that we've gained two powerful allies, have you reconsidered your stance?" Qingping the Daoist quickly regained his composure, his eyes subtly glinting as he directly asked Han. "I shall not repeat a single word I've already said. Either of you leave immediately, or prepare to fight me." Han Li replied calmly, as though he still did not regard the five great cultivators before him. This response not only stirred great anger in Qingping Daoren and Wanhua Lady, but also caused Huaxi Immortal's expression to suddenly darken. "Xiao Brother, what now?" Qingping Daoren, suppressing his anger, asked Xiao Ming. Xiao Ming's gaze flickered uncertainly, clearly deep in thought. After a while, he slowly turned to Han Li and asked: "Given your steadfast stance, I find myself quite at a loss. Though I deeply believe in your incomparable cultivation, I cannot simply allow this Immortal to leave in such a grand manner. I would like to ask you one more time—does this matter still have room for negotiation?" "Haha. If Ice-Purity Daojun could directly duplicate the technique several times, then I would indeed have no need to intervene. But as it stands, I can only make a modest effort to assess each of your abilities." Han Li chuckled and said.