"You are me, and I am you—what could there possibly be to speak of in terms of hardship? Since you have now emerged, I too can rejoin you." Blood Soul spoke softly. Ice Soul nodded and said no more, then pressed a hand seal, and at once her body radiated a brilliant crimson glow, gradually becoming hazy and indistinct. At the same time, Blood Soul moved her body slightly, transforming into a surge of blood light that shot directly toward Ice Soul. In a flash, she vanished into Ice Soul's form. Immediately, Ice Soul bowed low, her face showing traces of pain. Her body's surface burst with intense blood light, and thick streams of blood erupted from her skin, swiftly dispersing into fine blood mist and fading into the void. After a full cup of tea's worth of time, the pain on her face gradually subsided, and she straightened her graceful posture. Though her face and expression remained unchanged from before, there was a subtle, almost imperceptible shift in her demeanor. "Indeed, Brother Han has such a distinguished reputation within the clan, and has had so many interactions with my blood spirit form. Moreover, it would not have been possible for her to enter this place unscathed without your continuous protection throughout the journey." Ice Purity smiled warmly and spoke slowly. "You have already fully absorbed the memories of the spirit form." Han glanced at the woman and smiled, asking, "Is that really so easy? No, it's far from easy. At present, I have only sealed away half of the memories, selecting and absorbing only the most essential parts first." Ice Purity sighed with a gentle smile. "Your approach is indeed wise. Now that the spirit form has been returned, the Tian Ding Palace no longer holds any of the items we seek. Therefore, let us leave together. No one could have anticipated the early closure of the Tian Ding Palace. With the ensuing chaos, we shall be able to depart safely and unhindered." Han Li nodded, then raised one hand toward a vacant space, and with a flash of golden light, a golden figure materialized and instantly vanished into the sleeve. It was the Golden-Feeding Insect King. At the same moment, Xie Dao Ren also moved without hesitation, pressing a hand seal, and with a thunderous roar, transformed into a streak of lightning that shot toward Han Li, vanishing with a thunderclap within him. "Very well," Ice Po said, promptly agreeing. Then, with a single breath, she expelled a jade tablet streaked with blood, and with a finger pointed toward the void, waves of magical seals rippled outward from its surface. Suddenly, the massive gate, previously shimmering with golden and silver runes, emitted a deep, resonant hum, and waves of energy surged forth from it. "What's going on? Has the Tian Ding Palace closed prematurely? According to our records, it should still be early yet." Two senior cultivators from the Xuegu Men were startled, opening their eyes simultaneously. The elder with deep-set eyes even gasped in surprise. "Perhaps someone has truly inherited the true legacy and treasures of Tian Ding Master, which is causing this change," the short, stout, and oddly attractive woman stood up abruptly, her gaze flashing. "Regardless, let's activate the array first. We don't want anyone to take advantage of the chaos and flee." Upon hearing this, the elder with deep-set eyes narrowed his pupils, then decisively stated. "Indeed, we should be prepared ahead of schedule." The short, stout woman didn't object but nodded in full agreement. Thus, with a single command, the bloodguan disciples hidden throughout the area immediately hastened to activate their array tools. Instantly, the entire spell array surged to life, and streaks of vibrant, radiant silk shot forth from the void, swiftly interweaving to form a vast, expansive silk net that enveloped the entire sky. The entire region was now protected beneath it. As soon as the net took shape, waves of astonishing golden martial energy surged upward, as if thousands of troops were concealed within. Two senior cultivators from the Xuegu Men instantly rose to their feet, their eyes fixed unwaveringly upon the towering gate before them. Just as these people had recently breached a certain area of the central region and were about to begin thoroughly searching for treasures, they were suddenly whisked away by an unexpectedly appearing light array. This naturally left the dressed-in-royal-clothes Han man deeply frustrated, his face looking anything but pleasant. Another group consisted of five young men who looked remarkably similar. These were precisely the Blood-Union Five. "Are they?" The elder with deep-set eyes, upon clearly identifying the two groups, was momentarily startled, displaying a touch of surprise. "Ah, it's the two esteemed Daoist friends from Blood-Bone Sect—the Heavenly Crow and the Earth Dream. What is the purpose behind their actions?" The dressed-in-royal-clothes Han man, after clearly recognizing the elder and the short, plump woman, then glanced around at the grand array and the massive silk net suspended in the sky, immediately frowned and asked coldly. "It's no wonder the Tianding Palace closed early—such a presence of the Master of Array Arts here. I'm sure Brother Feng must have gained many benefits within." The short, plump woman blinked her eyes and then chuckled softly. "Di Meng, do you think the changes Tian Ding Palace just witnessed were orchestrated by me?" The dressed-in-royal-clothes man frowned, asking directly and bluntly. "Among those who entered, besides you, I can't think of anyone else who could have accomplished this." The short, plump woman replied calmly. Upon hearing this, the dressed-in-royal-clothes man grew furious, yet at that moment couldn't think of anything to respond. At this moment, the elder with deep eyes suddenly raised his voice in a low call toward the other direction: "Where are you five heading? Don't you intend to say anything at all?" The blood-united five, who had been gradually retreating toward the edge of the array, were visibly startled. "We have nothing more to say. Shall you really leave us and the Master of Feng Sect behind?" one of the young men, expression blank, flashed a glint of blood in his eyes. "Indeed, I never imagined that the renowned Blood-United Daoist would now find himself in such a situation. Truly pitiable." The elder with deep, luminous eyes did not answer the young man's question at all. Instead, after a series of vibrant, seven-colored glimmers danced across his gaze, he suddenly sighed deeply. "What does this mean?" the young man's face turned pale as he asked again. "What does it mean? Hmph. Under my Lustrous Illusory Eyes, how could a mere flesh-and-blood automaton escape detection? Let it reveal its true form now!" The elder snorted, his expression growing strangely cold. "Wait—flesh-and-blood automaton!" At this, both the short, stout woman and the dashing man in silk robes were startled. Their eyes instantly shifted to the five blood-fused youths, now filled with profound apprehension. "Heh. Truly, the famed Lustrous Illusory Eyes live up to their reputation. I've refined the Blood God's cultivation to this level, yet still failed to evade your notice." The younger man who had just spoken blinked, but immediately resumed his expression of eerie stillness. Then, one by one, five of the young ones flashed with streaks of bloodlight—each radiating a brilliant blood-spark from behind their heads, which converged in a single flash, ultimately coalescing into a hazy, blood-toned figure. This blood figure glowed with a sinister green light in its eyes, exuding an unmistakable aura of raw brutality. "By decree of the Blood Sky, any who cultivate the Power of the Blood God shall 'die,'" the elder with deep-set eyes declared, his gaze sweeping over the blood figure. He inhaled deeply and then roared. As soon as he finished speaking, he pressed a palm seal with one hand, extending a finger toward the heavens. A thunderclap echoed. Instantly, six crimson lightning arcs rose in the sky, flashing briefly before rushing down to strike the five blood-cultivators and the blood figure in a single sweeping motion. At the same time, the entire magical array hummed with resonance, and towering beams of light surged upward from its edges, gradually forming the outline of a vast, luminous enclosure. The gauze-like network in the sky slowly descended as the primordial energies of heaven and earth trembled. A strange laugh erupted from the blood-shadow figure. With a flick of his robe toward the heavens, six streaks of blood-colored rainbows surged upward, then swiftly converged and shattered into arcs of lightning. As his body spun smoothly, countless streams of blood mist burst forth, enveloping the Five Blood-Heirs and then flowing into a vast sea of blood, rushing steadily toward the edge of the luminous enclosure. Meanwhile, the elder with deep-set eyes grew serious, swiftly changing his hand seals. Suddenly, a brilliant, milky-white sword aura, stretching hundreds of zhangs in length, surged from within him. With a powerful stomp of his foot, the two forces merged into a colossal sword beam, charging directly toward the blood sea. "Master, now that someone dares to cultivate the Blood God Technique, what are your plans?" The short, plump woman, after a quick glance, suddenly asked the well-dressed man. "Hmph. Ground-Thinker, you needn't provoke me. Those who cultivate the Blood God Technique are our bloodline sect's greatest enemies—everyone must be eliminated." Now that I've been brought into this situation, I won't simply stand by and do nothing. The well-dressed giant's expression changed several times before he finally coldly exhaled and replied. Upon giving a single command, the disciples around him instantly launched a variety of enchanted implements, which swiftly darted out and transformed into vibrant, multicolored sigils, dancing wildly in the surrounding void. As the giant chanted softly and urged them on, these sigils began to gather rapidly along a mysterious, intricate path, weaving and swirling in a frenzied manner. In moments, a faint golden spell array began to take shape above his head, shimmering with a cold, sharp radiance—seeming to hold countless blades and spears within it. As for the short, plump woman, seeing her words take effect, she immediately chuckled and raised her sleeve, sending several enchanted animal rings soaring into the air. Immediately after the wailing sound resonated, several dozen colossal blood-colored giant storks materialized and, upon a sharp cry from the woman, surged forward with vigorous momentum to pursue the distant blood sea. As for the towering light pillars seemingly far away at the periphery, they gradually converged toward the center after being fully powered by the disciples of the Xue Gu Gate. Thus, a great battle erupted unexpectedly, unforeseen by either side.