"Finally out here, though it seems we're still within the Wan Yue Mountain Range." After stepping out of the light array, Han Li glanced around and said calmly. "Han brother, when I cast the spell to transport us, I used all my strength to send us as far as possible. Even if we're still within the Wan Yue Mountains, we should now be near its edge." Bing Po also took in the surroundings, her face glowing with a touch of excitement. After all, how could anyone not feel this overwhelming sense of relief and joy after being trapped here for so many years and finally seeing the light again? "By now, even if others notice something's off, they'll likely be too far gone to catch up. I've just summoned Zhu Guo'er and the others here. Bing Po, what about your plans now? Are you going to set off immediately and return to your clan?" Han Li nodded, then looked at her with a serious expression. "Little sister has only just successfully attained the stage of Great Perfection and must first consolidate her cultivation foundation while simultaneously refining several newly acquired treasures. Therefore, I intend to first seek a secluded location nearby, where I can thoroughly train for several years before returning to reclaim my place within the family." Ice Poress replied without hesitation, as if this matter had long been carefully considered. "Your plan is sound. However, since Xiao Ming and the others are already aware that you have inherited the teachings of Tian Ding True Person, word of this achievement will surely spread swiftly. Ice Poress, you will need to remain vigilant." Han Li nodded in agreement, expressing strong support for the plan while adding a brief reminder. "Brother Han need not worry. Little sister has now firmly established herself as a Great Perfection cultivator. As long as she is not in a dire situation, she will always possess the means to protect herself." Ice Poress smiled gracefully. "With such confidence, Ice Poress is indeed at an advantage. I myself intend to remain in Xue Tian for some time, and may even make a journey to the Thunder Continent." "It might be some time before we meet again," said Han Li, smiling slightly and bowing to the young woman. "Take good care of yourself!" Ice-Purity quickly returned the bow and exchanged a few words of well-wishes before formally bidding farewell, then vanished into a streak of crystalline light. As soon as Han Li saw the woman's light fade beyond the horizon, he raised one hand into the air, and a faint silvery scroll instantly materialized in his palm. With a gentle pinch and a flick of his fingers, the scroll dissolved into a trail of green mist and disappeared into the void. Then, with his own light of departure, Han Li settled upon the head of a mountain below, sitting cross-legged beneath a towering ancient tree, quietly waiting for Zhu Guo'er and the others to arrive. Half a day later, a flash of luminous light appeared on the horizon, and a triangular flying vehicle shot toward them, carrying a man and a woman. It was Zhu Guo'er and Flower-Shi Elder. Upon opening his eyes again, Han Li rose from beneath the tree with a gentle smile. Not long after, the Xuegu Gate reported that all five puppets formed by the Xuehe Five during the battle in the Wan Yue Mountain Range had been destroyed, and the mysterious cultivator who had mastered the Xueshen Technique had also been killed. However, Tian Que and Di Meng, two senior cultivators, had sustained serious injuries in the battle, and only half of the disciples accompanying them had managed to return. Moreover, the renowned array master from Xuetian, the man of the Feng surname, had perished directly in the battle. At the same time, the rumor that Tian Ding's true lineage had been passed on to a powerful cultivator from the foreign continent began spreading throughout the land, prompting many influential figures to take active interest. Yet strangely, there was no mention of Han Li at all—seeming as though no such person had ever appeared in the Wan Yue Mountain Range at all. A young man dressed entirely in black robes, with long, slender eyes, exuded an eerie, ethereal presence. What was even more terrifying was that he held a freshly severed head—its hair loose and flowing—firmly in one palm, while beneath his feet flowed a river of blood that stretched endlessly into the horizon. The face of the head was refined and scholarly, yet unnaturally pale, still bearing the expression of disbelief from the moment it was severed. The blood river was nearly thirty to forty zhang wide, its waters thick and viscous, yet devoid of any bloodsting odor—instead, a subtle, almost sandalwood-like fragrance emanated, instantly invigorating the spirit of anyone who inhaled it. Nearby, several clearly belonging to the same individual lay floating motionless in the river. The young man’s calves dipped well into the water, yet his posture remained perfectly stable, as if standing firmly on solid ground, gazing at the two highest-ranking, fully attained spiritual beings with a tone that bordered on contempt. "What have you done to us? How could our cultivation levels have dropped by nearly half so suddenly? Otherwise, Master Yunyu would never have been defeated so completely at such an early stage. Do you realize that Master Yunyu is one of the senior elders of the Shang Alliance, and that the Shang Alliance is one of the most powerful forces in the entire spiritual realm? By eliminating such a core member of the Shang Alliance, you have already sealed your fate—no matter how powerful you may be, you will find it impossible to establish yourself in the spiritual realm moving forward." One of the two Great Stage cultivators, a particularly robust man in purple armor, finally overcoming his fear, suddenly roared at the young black-robed cultivator. "Nonsense! What kind of treasure could merely by its aura intimidate us? Even the Heavenly Spiritual Treasures would absolutely be unable to achieve such a feat." The Han man spoke with force, clearly showing his utter disbelief. "A mere frog from a shallow well—what could it possibly know? Though the Heavenly Spiritual Treasures are indeed magnificent, their power depends entirely on the nature of the realm from which they originate. Treasures born in the smaller realms, like yours, can only muster so much strength. The true awe of treasures born in the vast, grand realms—something utterly beyond the imagination of beings as humble as yourselves." The young man in black robes yawned, his disdain unmistakable. "Your tone is truly extraordinary. I've never heard of such grand realms before, nor have I ever heard anyone claim that the Spiritual Realm is merely a small one." You seem not to be from the spiritual realm, but rather a being from beyond the interfaces—yet even so, do you truly believe that a single individual could withstand the power of an entire realm, and freely roam among us, slaughtering countless beings to perform blood sacrifices? The broad-shouldered man was first taken aback, but then recalled something, and immediately grew more furious, demanding with a sharp voice. "It is impossible to slaughter all the beings of this realm at once. However, if every other great cultivator in this realm were of your caliber, with sufficient time, they could all be eliminated—one by one, not a difficult task at all." The black-robed young man, instead of showing anger at the man's sharp questioning, calmly paused and responded seriously. This remark naturally left the broad-shouldered man deeply embarrassed. At that moment, another great cultivator who had remained silent throughout—the elderly man with a body covered in serpentine patterns and long, narrow pupils—suddenly rolled on the ground and instantly transformed into a massive green serpent with four wings sprouting from its back. With just a single powerful flap of its four wings, the great serpent transformed into a surge of green silk and shot forth. In a mere flash, it appeared instantly at a distance of over a thousand paces, and as it flickered once more, it seemed poised to vanish entirely. "Stupid! Under the power of my Universal Spirit Seal, how could a mere Great Stage True Immortal possibly escape? Seal it!" The young man in black robes glanced toward the direction the flying serpent had fled, and immediately uttered the word "Seal." At that instant, a flash of crimson light erupted above the green serpent. A vast, mountain-sized seal imprint materialized in the air, seemingly descending slowly and steadily. As soon as the colossal seal imprint appeared, the four-winged serpent, for no apparent reason, trembled and froze in place—staring helplessly as the seal imprint crashed down upon its body with a thunderous roar. The moment the seal's power touched the serpent, it let out a piercing, agonized cry. The flying serpent's body, along with the elder's immortal embryo within, instantly dissolved into scattered streaks of luminous light and vanished. After a ripple of bloodlight surged down from the seal, all those luminous streaks were seamlessly absorbed into the seal's ethereal image. Originally somewhat blurred, the seal gradually became clearer and more solid as blood-red light shimmered across its surface. Yet, at the very next moment, a resonant hum echoed through the air, and the seal's image flickered and vanished into the void. Witnessing a companion of comparable cultivation level nearly obliterated in an instant, the broad-shouldered man—though weathered by countless trials and renowned for his unyielding resolve—could not help but betray a touch of despair. The opponent's strength had always been incalculable, and now, his own cultivation was being deliberately suppressed, leaving him with no chance of victory whatsoever. Nevertheless, he would not simply stand by; instead, he launched a desperate, final struggle. As the young cloaked figure's gaze had not yet returned, the tall man suddenly roared, his back flashing with a surge of emerald light, and instantly a colossal form—part dragon-headed, part horse-bodied—materialized before them. Upon appearing, the dragon-head opened its maw, and a thunderous roar erupted, spewing forth countless spheres of vibrant green lightning. At the same time, the man drew his sleeves back, and a dozen diverse treasures shot out from within, each instantly exploding upon emergence. In an instant, a dozen radiant, sun-like orbs surged forward, rolling with unstoppable momentum toward the cloaked youth, as if their power were invincible. Yet, as the man himself twisted his body, his physical form burst into a cascade of blood mist, revealing his fully matured Yuan婴 within. With a single breath, the Yuan婴 instantly absorbed every single strand of blood mist. A flash of blood light later, the Yuan婴 faded completely, leaving only a transparent trace in the air. Facing the dense cluster of lightning orbs and the terrifying golden suns formed from the self-explosions of a dozen rare treasures, the young man in black robes smiled darkly, showing not the slightest intention to retreat, but instead slowly extended his hand from behind his back.