Besides Ming Zun, there were clearly three men and two women in the hall. Among the three men, one was broad-shouldered, clad in black armor, with a notably fierce appearance. Another was deeply wrinkled, elderly, and supported himself with a golden dragon-headed cane. The third man, a young scholar in his twenties, was of clear and refined features, yet carried an unusually strange green bamboo cylinder on his back. The two women were quite different in appearance. One had a face as round and full as a full moon, in her thirties, dressed in yellow Taoist robes—she was clearly a Taoist nun. The other had a slightly darker complexion, adorned with pearls and jewels, wearing a light green imperial gown, and her eyes were exceptionally bright and lively. "Ah, Ling Gangzi, you've come late this time," the armored man said, stroking the baldness on his head. "If I'm not mistaken, you've always been the one who loves to engage in battles against the strong—never falling behind." Suddenly, he burst into hearty laughter. "Hehe, when I arrived, I encountered a few minor difficulties and was delayed by a few days. Otherwise, I would have come even earlier than Brother Hua Ying." Silver Gangzi seemed exceptionally familiar with the bearded man, responding casually. "I've long heard of Brother Silver's miraculous body, yet despite meeting him on several occasions, I've never had the chance to see him in person. This time, my opponent is a true Immortal from the Celestial Realm—this time, I believe I won't miss him again." The lady in court attire smiled lightly. "Lady Wu's fundamental divine skill is truly unparalleled in the Ling Realm; what could my own modest abilities possibly amount to?" Facing the lady in court attire, Silver Gangzi couldn't help but feel respectful, forcing a smile onto his face. As for the other three, though they hadn't spoken directly to Silver Gangzi, their gazes were all tinged with gentle smiles, clearly indicating they were not strangers. It's no surprise at all! None of these individuals was not a renowned powerhouse within the Mahayana tradition, and having all lived for countless tens of thousands of years, they naturally had some degree of interaction with one another. In contrast, they found themselves particularly interested in this newcomer, Han Li. Clearly, the prowess of the Moth Mother is well known among the true elite of the Great Perfection stage. "Indeed, no matter how one looks at it, the Moth Mother is an entity that even the immortals cannot truly subdue. With a companion joining us this time, I believe our chances have just grown a little stronger," the bald man marvelled. "Frater Han, you've only recently attained the Great Perfection stage, and these companions may have been less familiar to you before. Allow me to introduce them. This is Daoist Hua Ying of the Giant-Hand Clan, whose skill in concealment is truly unparalleled across the妙绝 Continent. This is Wu Lady of the Gǔ Lí Clan, whose life-force Flame of Zhù Róng is of immense power—capable of boiling the seas and melting mountains..." Ming Zun actively introduced each of them to Han, pointing to the bald man, the court-dressed woman, and others. Though these individuals may not be widely recognized among ordinary cultivators, there is no doubt that they represent the true apex of existence within the spiritual realm. "Brother Ming, this time we are facing a true Immortal—will it not be only us?" "As soon as Yin Gang and Han Li had settled into their seats, they promptly turned to Ming Zun and asked directly. "Of course not. Besides the fellow cultivators here, Cold, a guest from the Jin Shi Clan, Yun Dan Yue Shu from the Tian Chan Clan, and Xuan Jiuling will also arrive shortly." Ming Zun replied without hesitation. "Yun Dan Yue Shu." "Xuan Jiuling." Both Yin Gang and the silent young scholar exclaimed simultaneously. All the others present, except Han Li, slightly flushed, as though deeply impressed and wary of these three individuals. "How extraordinary it is that Yun Dan Yue Shu, two celestial calamities, have agreed to join forces. Ming brother, how did you persuade them, especially the siblings?" the young scholar asked seriously. "Hmph. Even Xuan Ba Ling has now changed his name to Xuan Jiuling—clearly, he has slain another true spirit beyond the realm. Though this man has already become nearly mad in his cultivation, his powers seem to be growing ever more profound and incomprehensible." "I'm also curious—how did you manage to persuade them?" Silver Jingshi asked, his face equally troubled. "It was quite simple. Cloud Dan and Yue Shu, two of them—I only agreed to commit the entire alliance's resources to support them in three specific matters afterward. Happening to be, these two have recently come to us with pressing matters of their own. As for Xuan Jiuling, I never actually tried to persuade him. I merely explained that this time they would be facing a true immortal, and he immediately agreed. Heh—he already considers it a great reward simply to fight an immortal." Ming Zun spoke calmly. "That makes perfect sense. Given that man's temperament, it's quite plausible." Silver Jingshi murmured a few times. The young scholar, after a series of shifting expressions, ultimately remained silent. "I had originally invited several other friends, but they either couldn't make it due to scheduling conflicts or had other pressing commitments. Without them, the chances of this alliance succeeding are likely to be even stronger." "Master Ming expressed a slight regret. "This immortal from the Heavenly Realm is truly formidable! From the tone of your words, it seems that even with our assistance, you still lack complete confidence. However, based on the ancient texts I've reviewed, the immortals who appeared in our realm during the ancient times—though stronger than the ancient true spirits—never reached the level of being able to match ten of them at once, did they?" The elderly man,拄ing a golden cane with a dragon's head, lightly cleared his throat and then asked with some curiosity. "As for this matter, how could I possibly be unaware? For ordinary immortals, with our collective efforts, we would certainly be more than sufficient. But what if this immortal is truly among the strongest of the immortals?" Master Ming replied, offering a gentle smile of resignation. "Among the strongest immortals?" the elder was momentarily taken aback. The others, upon hearing this, exchanged glances with one another. "Indeed, based on this True Immortal's performance on other continents, I am certain he is no ordinary Immortal from the ancient times who appeared in our realm—rather, he belongs to the elite tier among the Immortals comparable to ourselves and the great Multiplying Masters. After all, he has single-handedly defeated over a dozen Multiplying Masters on the Blood Sky Continent, including even three of our peers—Biyin among them, whose strength is not superior to ours. We must therefore treat him with the utmost seriousness." Ming Zun said solemnly. "Regarding the matter of Biyin's demise at his hands, I naturally am aware of it, and even heard rumors of the joint efforts of the Three True Spirits from the Thunder Continent attempting to counter him. However, I have heard that when this True Immortal appeared on Fengyuan Continent this time, he was accompanied by another being resembling a retainer or subordinate—someone of considerable strength. Could you tell me who this person is, Ming Master? Have you already investigated him thoroughly?" Wu Ling Lady asked, her gaze flashing. "Wu Lady indeed possesses remarkably up-to-date information." Indeed, this time there is a attendant accompanying the true immortal, and as for his identity, our alliance has already verified it to an extent of no less than ninety percent. Should our intelligence be accurate, he is precisely the yang deer among the three true spirits dispatched by the Jiaochi clan at that time. The Master furrowed his brows slightly before slowly responding. "Wait—so it's the yang deer, and it wasn't slain by this true immortal but rather subdued by him?" Everyone was now deeply moved. Han Li stroked his chin, his expression thoughtful. "Yes, that's exactly correct. Now, I believe all of you understand why I have been so cautious thus far. Therefore, in addition to you all, I will also summon four powerful true spirits that our alliance has long honored, and further deploy two of our heavenly treasures to establish the Two-Principles Extinction Array, completely severing the immortal's escape route." "Four true spirits, two heavenly treasures! Your alliance has truly laid out an impressive plan this time," remarked Yin Gangzi, who could hardly contain his astonishment. Others also looked visibly surprised. "This isn't surprising at all. The very purpose of our alliance has always been to maintain stability within the spiritual realm—indeed, even the true immortals of the heavens would never allow any disruption to this balance. Of course, given the extent of our efforts, if we ultimately succeed in subduing that immortal, we will first claim one-third of the treasures from their person. The remainder will then be equally divided among all of you. I believe this arrangement is acceptable, doesn't it, my esteemed friends?" Ming Zun spoke calmly. Upon hearing this, the dressed-in-imperial-robes lady and others fell into a moment of quiet silence, exchanging glances. Ming Zun showed no urgency, simply sitting in his seat and patiently awaiting their responses. Han Li, however, smiled gently and spoke first: "Given the magnitude of your alliance's contribution, taking one-third of the treasures is quite reasonable. Nevertheless, I have one additional condition: if any celestial secret techniques related to the cultivation technique are discovered on that immortal, I would like every single one of you to be granted a free copy of the technique." "Um, Brother Han, your proposal is excellent—I share exactly the same sentiment." "Indeed, I have no objections to the earlier conditions, as long as this additional requirement is met." ...Upon hearing Brother Han's words, Lady Wuling and the bearded man, among others, quickly realized the implications and all expressed enthusiastic agreement. Master Mingzun's expression slightly darkened, but after a brief pause, he readily agreed. With this, everyone now looked satisfied, and the other cultivators now regarded Brother Han with a touch of goodwill in their gaze. After further discussions on specific measures to deal with the immortal, they eventually departed from the hall several hours later. All of them settled temporarily in various buildings within the realm beyond the heavens. Brother Han required no attendants, and on his own, he journeyed to a large stone block several hundred zhang away, where he found a well-preserved pavilion-like structure and settled there.