Upon hearing Wen Xin Feng's question, Bi Ying's face briefly flashed with surprise, yet after a moment's pause, she sighed and replied, "Wen Miss is correct—the blood-scarred elder did not lose his true form, but rather his avatar. I only recently received this news, just after entering this world. During his earlier explorations, the blood-scarred elder encountered some unforeseen mishaps. Though he himself remained unharmed, he suffered significant depletion of vital energy. Thus, he dispatched an avatar of strength comparable to his own. This avatar had been meticulously cultivated by the blood-scarred elder over ten thousand years. Now, its destruction in such a battle of strength is truly a great loss. I shall have no choice but to explain this to him when I return." "The fact that only the avatar has perished, rather than the elder's true form, is already a thousandfold improvement. I believe, upon returning, with appropriate compensation, Bi brother will be able to soothe the blood-scarred elder adequately." The silver-armored man gathered the silver arcs shimmering on his body and stood up, adding, "Indeed, I feel much better now." "I hope so." Li brother, are you truly unharmed? Would you need any assistance from me? The green-robed woman shook her head, glanced at the several black ghost heads still firmly biting into the shoulder of the silver-armored man, and asked with a touch of concern. "I'm fine. These demons can't remove them immediately, but once I return and spend a bit more time, I'll be able to directly refine them using my life-fire. However, this battle has indeed cost me several of my life-saving treasures." The silver-armored man smiled faintly. "Li friend, what kind of divine technique did your opponent employ that managed to pressure you so effectively?" Han Li finally asked with genuine curiosity. "That woman possesses no particularly remarkable abilities except one secret technique that allows her to summon and command ghost shadows. These shadows are intangible and formless, and they can directly attach themselves to her body, causing her form to instantly vanish without any harm. Despite employing every secret technique and cultivation method at my disposal, I couldn't overcome this ability, and thus had no choice but to retreat and concede." "The silver-armored man expressed his great dissatisfaction. "Ghost Shadow, it seems this martial technique from the Underworld truly has its unique merits. Brother Lei, facing such an unusual ability for the first time, even if he has been defeated, it's quite understandable." Wen Xin Feng gently comforted him. The silver-armored man shook his head, saying nothing further. "The outcome is now settled. We no longer have a reason to stay here. Let us return to our base immediately. For now, we merely need to wait a few days and observe whether these ghostly beings truly fulfill their promises. Let us go." Bi Ying called out to the group and, at once, folded the chessboard before him, taking the lead to ascend into the sky. The others naturally followed, taking flight. ... A month later, at a particularly secluded lake, the calm, mirror-like surface of the emerald-green lake suddenly split. From within, a massive black vessel burst forth, swiftly gliding through the sky, and after several flashes, appeared at the far horizon. Then, it blurred slightly and vanished completely, leaving no trace. On the massive black vessel, tall, fully armed automata patrolled back and forth along the ship's sides. Deep within the vessel, in a sealed chamber lined with intricate wards, Han Li sat in meditation upon a cushion, holding a pale silver jade scroll in his hands, silently pondering. Shortly after the conclusion of the battle among the powerful, he had returned with the others to the Archive Hall, the headquarters of the Commercial Alliance, where Bi Ying finally delivered the esoteric celestial technique he had promised. The technique, named "Yuan Gang Shield," had been chosen by Han Li after hearing a general description from her. While other techniques emphasized offensive capabilities, Han Li felt confident in his own offensive power, bolstered by his mastery of the Fàn Shèng Divinity and the Xuan Tian Cut-Spirit Sword. Though the name "Yuan Gang Shield" sounded simple, it actually represented a unique method of harnessing the fundamental energies of heaven and earth to form a defensive barrier. Although he was still uncertain about its exact power, as a celestial technique, it undoubtedly possessed its own distinct advantages. The only slight difficulty was... Han Li's gaze flickered as he gently lifted the jade scroll in his hand and pointed a finger at the figure. Instantly, the scroll resonated, and one after another, golden characters drifted out, spinning swiftly before coalescing into a dense, intricate scripture in the space before him. These golden characters shimmered subtly, pulsing and expanding or contracting as if imbued with a certain vitality—clearly the distinctive Jin Zhuan script unique to the immortal realm. Han Li narrowed his eyes, studying the scripture for a moment before frowning and shaking his head. Though he recognized most of the Jin Zhuan characters, the way they were arranged into sentences proved remarkably obscure and difficult to comprehend. He suspected that truly grasping and internalizing the meaning would take far beyond a short period of time. With this thought in mind, Han Li pointed his finger at the scroll once more. "Pffft!" The golden scripture in the air blurred and then vanished entirely. After a moment's reflection, Han Li thought again, then gave his hand a single twist, and a second crimson jade scroll materialized in his palm. With his fingers gently tracing the jade scroll twice, a faint sense of delight appeared on its surface. This very scroll had been one of the treasures from Tian Ding's true heirloom that he had obtained within the Tian Ding Palace. Originally, he had only intended to copy the recorded method of cultivation contained within, but after the Ice Spirit's heartfelt gratitude for his assistance in retrieving the treasures, the scroll was directly bestowed upon him. The scroll itself contained a profound method of cultivation—specifically, a secret technique for refining the power of lightning, which Tian Ding had once mastered. Since Han Li already possessed the highest-tier lightning ability, the Divine Exorcising Lightning, this method proved particularly well-suited to him. Compared to the Yuan Gang Shield technique, this method was far simpler to comprehend and master. Placing the scroll gently upon his forehead, Han Li resumed his quiet meditation as he had done before. Over the past year and a half, he had already grasped the majority of this method; he estimated that with another half-year of dedicated practice, he would fully comprehend it and then begin refining the Divine Exorcising Lightning. Han Li thought this over, focusing his divine awareness on the jade scroll, then slowly closing his eyes to continue his contemplation. The black giant vessel, meanwhile, sped forward in the direction it had previously determined. …At the same time, within a grand hall at the bottom of the vast lake, Bi Ying sat in her chair, deeply pondering, her expression thoughtful. Before her stood four senior elders from various merchant alliances, each dressed in distinct attire. Wen Xin Feng was among them, speaking slowly: “Then it seems the Xuegu Men have moved swiftly—having already locked onto that formidable demon so quickly.” “Yes. It’s said that several major sects, led by Xuegu Men, have gathered twelve cultivators at the Great Multiplication stage. They plan to set up a powerful magic array along the demon’s path, guiding it into the array and then eliminating it all at once. Yet, for some reason, they have specially sent an invitation to me, inviting me to witness this demon-eliminating battle.” By the way, it seems they've invited Master He from Luotian Valley and Lady Lingyun from Wan Gu Shan." Bi Ying spoke calmly. "Hmph. What else could their purpose be? The Blood Path great sects have always harbored considerable reservations toward us. They're likely aiming to demonstrate their strength during this battle. Otherwise, if Master Jun has already departed, why send someone personally to invite Bi to join them?" One of the elder green-robed figures snorted. "Nevertheless, the Blood Bone Sect and other Blood Path great sects remain the foremost power on this continent by name. We can't very well refuse this request. Mu, how have Luotian Valley and Wan Gu Shan handled this matter?" Wen Xin Feng furrowed her brows. "According to the latest information gathered, both Master He and Lady Lingyun have already agreed to attend the battle." The green-robed elder replied without hesitation. "With both of them now committed, I find it difficult to refuse as well. Otherwise, it would greatly diminish the prestige of our alliance in the eyes of others." Well then, I'll arrange the teleportation array. I'll be heading out in a few days to take a look. I'm also curious—this fierce demon who has sacrificed countless beings, performing such a deeply resented act, must have some extraordinary means that allow him to defy both gods and men. After a moment's thought, Bi Ying finally said this, tapping the chair handle with one hand. "Since Brother Bi has made up his mind, we can't very well stand in his way. But just to be safe, Brother Bi should remain especially cautious." Wen Xin Feng nodded, then added with a tone of seriousness. "Rest assured. For the matter of the battle among the strong, I've already prepared several life-saving measures, none of which I've used in the previous great conflict. Even if I encounter greater danger on that side, I'll certainly be able to escape with ease." Bi Ying smiled gently in reply. Hearing this, Wen Xin Feng and the others finally felt completely at ease. After further discussing the utilization of resources within the small world with the senior elders of the alliance, the others gradually took their leave and departed from the hall. Only Bi Ying remained, sitting quietly in her chair. But now, the elder's smile had completely vanished, and his face grew suddenly uncertain and changeable. "Since the Heavenly Mechanism has appeared, the great calamity should be near. I had always assumed it was connected to the Ten Kings of the Shadow Court. Yet I've managed to survive the battle among the powerful. Is the great calamity still coming, or have my careful preparations already dissolved it without a trace?" Bi Ying raised her head and gazed upward into the void, murmuring softly to herself, then once again fell into thoughtful silence. Deep within a range of mountains not far from the city, Liu Yi and Bing Po were seated face to face on two cushions nestled inside the mountain's core, meditating to restore their vital energies. Every so often, Liu Yi would remove a small vial from his chest, pour a drop of an unknown elixir into his mouth, close his eyes, and quietly absorb the medicinal power. Though both appeared physically unharmed, their evident fatigue was unmistakable. It was only natural—anyone who had been relentlessly pursued by a powerful opponent they could not withstand for such an extended period would surely feel utterly drained, both physically and mentally. "Bing Po, do you think," Liu Yi suddenly asked, her eyes brightening, "that with our current condition, we can still hold on for how long?"