The next morning, Huashishao Elder appeared respectfully in the grand hall on the first floor of the pavilion, reporting to Han Li the words he had conveyed to the Ice Phoenix some time ago. "So it is, then—the Ice Phoenix has indeed been seized by that six-winged frost serpent, and he now holds a strong animosity toward me," Han Li mused, stroking his chin. "The Ice Phoenix indeed said as such, and the six-winged serpent's willingness to serve as a lure is also due to the Senior Master's promise that, for a thousand years, he would ensure no undue hardship be placed upon the Ice Phoenix." Huashishao Elder stated truthfully. "Ah, good. By the way, have I arranged for the several protective treasures I brought to be delivered to the Ice Phoenix?" Han Li asked calmly. "The disciples have already handed them over." "That will do. You may now retire. When the great battle comes, you should seek to remain as far away as possible." Only then did Han Li nod contentedly. Huashishao Elder bowed respectfully and withdrew from the pavilion. For the remaining days, Han Li merely remained quietly in the pavilion, focusing on cultivation and resting, with no intention of leaving. During this time, not only did other great cultivators gradually arrive at Tian Wai Tian, but the merchants of the Alliance began setting up the Er Yi Mi Chen Array at Ming Sha's site. The two celestial treasures serving as the array's core were protected by an intricate network of seals, allowing only Ming Zun and several senior Alliance elders to approach—everyone else was strictly barred from coming near. As for the true spirit cultivators mentioned by Ming Zun, they had vanished without a trace, either hidden away or intending to appear on the battlefield at the moment of battle. Fifteen days later, while seated in stillness within the pavilion, Han Li suddenly felt a ripple of energy before him. A bright red fire ball shot forth, bursting into countless sparks. Immediately, a soft voice echoed throughout the room. "Master Han, the person has now drawn near to Ming Sha's site. We must begin our actions. Please hurry to the hall where we last discussed matters." After hearing these words, Han Li's expression grew serious. With a single hand gesture, he summoned a streak of azure light that shot forth like a rainbow, vanishing completely within a single flash, piercing through the roof. The other disciples, including Yin Gangzi, also cast upon the couple a glance tinged with subtle apprehension. Ming Zun remained seated in his principal position, listening attentively to a middle-aged man's report. "Your two esteemed companions with six wings have, as agreed, guided the ferocious demon to the edge of the Ming Sha site. At the current pace, they will enter the control zone of the Er Yi Mi Chen array within two or three hours. All the disciples and several senior elders have already departed and are now in position. The summoning ritual is fully prepared and ready to summon the true spirits to this location at any moment..." "Very well. Begin the summoning ritual half an hour from now. As for the Er Yi Mi Chen array, no one shall initiate it without my explicit command. All other matters shall proceed according to the original plan. I will soon join other companions at the pre-arranged ambush site, and then everything will be entrusted to my care." Ming Zun, upon hearing this, nodded with satisfaction and issued the instructions. The middle-aged man nodded in agreement and, with a flash of light, hurried away. "Everyone has heard this, I believe," said Ming Zun, his expression serious. "All preparations on our side are complete. As soon as each of you joins in, we will surely be able to subdue this True Immortal. However, let me make this clear upfront—should anyone hesitate at the last moment or harbor other intentions, do not be surprised if I, Ming Zun, turn cold on old friendships and treat you as strangers." "Ha ha, Brother Ming, don't worry—by now, who would dare to hesitate at the last minute!" "Exactly. If anyone should fail to uphold our shared purpose, we will all come together to eliminate them." Several of the senior cultivators immediately responded with confidence. Others quickly followed suit. "Ming Brother, our siblings have both arrived. Yet we haven't seen Xu Jiuling. Has he perhaps changed his mind and decided not to participate in this matter?" The man from the newly arrived couple suddenly asked, his tone cold. The others, including Yin Gangzi, exchanged a noticeable look. "Cloud Dan, please don't worry. Xu Jiuling has already arrived two days ago, though he needed to temporarily refine a powerful secret technique and also received an urgent assignment, so he has not yet appeared." Ming Zun replied politely. He only listened to a few sentences, when a faint expression of surprise appeared on his face, but after thinking it over, he slowly nodded. Seeing this, Ming Zun's face briefly brightened with satisfaction. Then, shortly afterward, numerous great cultivators gradually took off in their flight, heading toward the prearranged ambush sites. In a short while, the hall was left with only four people: Ming Zun, Han Li, Yun Dan Yue Shu, and the two young couple. After briefly gazing at Han Li with some surprise, the man then calmly said to Ming Zun: "Master Ming, if you truly wish for my siblings to guard the Xuan Tian treasures within the array, the responsibility is truly great. Should anything go wrong, I fear we may not be able to bear the burden." "Ah, you two are being most humble," Ming Zun replied with a smile. "If your siblings are unable to handle it, I can't think of anyone else better suited for the task. This Two-Orders Extinction Array is the very key to the battle's outcome. As long as the two Xuan Tian treasures remain unharmed, the two array foci will remain secure, and the "Master Ming spoke with great courtesy. "My siblings have always stood shoulder to shoulder, each of us responsible for one of the two array focal points. It seems the other focal point will now be entrusted to this esteemed friend. I wonder if he is truly capable and won't let the matter fall apart?" The man nodded, then suddenly pointed directly at Han Li with no hesitation. Han Li smiled slightly, remained silent, and showed no sign of annoyance. "Rest assured, Master Han is no ordinary adept. I have full confidence in him, and I am certain he will do an excellent job," Master Ming said, yawning slightly and vaguely taking over the conversation. "Given that Master Ming has expressed such confidence, we siblings are now at ease. Everything shall be at your discretion," the woman named Yue Shu said, gazing at Han Li with curiosity before suddenly smiling warmly. "Excellent! I shall immediately arrange for someone to escort both of you to the focal point," Master Ming said, beaming with delight, and then lightly clapped his hands twice. As a result, a merchant alliance soldier stepped into the hall and respectfully guided the twin siblings out of the grand hall. "Friend Han, the other focal point of the Two Instruments' Dust-Extinguishing Array is now entrusted to you. Should there be any issues?" Ming Zun then turned solemnly to Han, asking. "Indeed, you have taken great confidence in me. If so, then I shall only be willing to shoulder this responsibility with my life," Han replied calmly after a brief pause. "Ha ha, this is simply the case of those who are capable taking on more work. With your friendship and Yun Dan's shared watch over that focal point for several months, the Two Instruments' Dust-Extinguishing Array is now absolutely secure," Ming Zun chuckled. Han merely smiled faintly, saying nothing further. At that moment, another soldier entered, bowed respectfully to Han, and then guided him out of the hall as well. Once Han's figure had disappeared from the hall entrance, Ming Zun's smile faded, and his brows furrowed, his expression turning thoughtful. "You're certain this true immortal has the means to escape the interface laws' influence and temporarily restore the full strength of the Immortal Realm, aren't you? Otherwise, all this effort of yours would indeed have been entirely unnecessary." Suddenly, a voice from a stranger emerged behind Ming Zun. As his shadow blurred, a second figure slowly materialized from beneath it. Ming Zun showed no surprise at all, and calmly continued without turning around: "Rest assured. Although the combat footage I received from Xue Tian is fragmented and only allows for a somewhat blurred view of the action, the golden divine form he assumed at that moment clearly indicates that he indeed regained his true immortal strength at that time. Otherwise, Bi Ying and the others would not have been so easily overwhelmed. The true turning point of this great battle will depend entirely on whether your final strike succeeds. If not, our fate won't be much better than that of Bi Ying and her companions." "As long as the other party truly regains their true immortality body, how could they possibly withstand the Nine-Heaven Devastation Strike—especially without being on guard? This technique is a genuine celestial secret passed down from our ancestors, specifically designed to shatter true immortals' bodies. Though I have only refined nine true spiritual essences to achieve this single strike, it should be more than sufficient to defeat a newly arrived true immortal." The indistinct figure chuckled confidently and replied. "This is simply unavoidable—how could we expect to deal with a fully empowered immortal without making some sacrifice? Moreover, I've already repeatedly warned them that this immortal is particularly difficult to handle, urging them to exercise extra caution when they engage." Ming Zun replied indifferently.