A deep emerald sword light unfurled, and deep within the valley below, a thunderous roar erupted, followed by intense tremors that rippled through the space—suddenly, a clear, misty spatial fissure surged upward. "Go!" Han Li shouted, pressing a hand seal. Instantly, the black giant vessel behind him shrank into a sphere, emitting a hum, and then vanished into his body. As the light of the sword surged forward, a streak of jade-green and a silver arc shot downward, piercing through the fissure and vanishing instantly. Then, the spatial crack gradually closed, and the valley below resumed its original state. A short while later, where the black vessel had once stood, a subtle ripple emerged in the upper void, and a large, pale golden lotus—about one zhang in diameter—materialized, with a man and a woman standing within it. The man wore golden robes, though his face was blurred; the woman, in white robes, bareheaded and barefoot, was clearly the one known as Bao Hua. "Remarkable—he simply vanished. It seems he truly came only to retrieve the spirit-enchanted artifact from Yuan Yan's mouth." But now, the spatial rift he has opened seems not to be a path back to the Spirit Realm—rather, it appears that the destination should be the Mokka Realm. This realm is indeed far stronger than even our Sacred Realm, and we have no idea what he intends to do there. The golden-robed elder gazed at the spot where the spatial rift had vanished, lightly coughed, and spoke first. His voice was slightly hoarse, as though he were seriously ill. "Nepan, there's no need for you to worry so much! As long as he doesn't remain in our Sacred Realm for an extended period, it doesn't matter what he does in any other realm. Otherwise, with a master of such profound depth and strength present, we would hardly be able to rest and meditate in peace." The precious flower replied calmly. This golden-robed elder was none other than the most enigmatic of the three foundational ancestors of the Magian race—the Nepan Ancestor—who had rarely appeared in public. "That makes sense. Otherwise, we would not have immediately come here upon receiving the news from Yuan Yan. Yet the news from the Human Realm is truly credible—the young man has only recently attained the stage of Great Perfection, yet he has already defeated a True Immortal. Even considering that the Immortal was under pressure from the interface, this is truly astonishing. Neidan smiled faintly, then added with a touch of curiosity. "Such an important development should not be mistaken. It seems he was initially injured severely when the True Immortal was besieged by numerous powerful beings from the Spirit Realms, which allowed him to gain the upper hand." "Even then, this speaks volumes about the young man's prowess. We both know that the more powerful a being, the more life-saving measures they possess. True Immortals, in particular, have countless reserve strategies. The fact that he managed to overcome such a formidable opponent suggests his capabilities are truly profound." It seems he has also obtained the True Soul Pill. Hm, something of this rank... If we weren't both of Saint lineage, this pill would have held no value for us at all. I daresay they'd have gone to great lengths to keep it within the Sacred Realm. Neidan chuckled, then added a few "hmm"s. "That's quite natural. If it were the True Demon Pill instead, we wouldn't have been able to treat it so casually, would we? Speaking of which, Neidan, you're probably nearing the time of your transcendence and flight from the mortal realm, aren't you? Do you have any confidence in successfully ascending to the higher realm?" Bo Hua nodded and then asked. "Had it not been for the severe blow from the Mother of the Minor Insects, my fully developed Neidan Saint Body—well, I might have had a one or two percent chance. Now, though, even though my injuries have healed, my fundamental essence has been significantly depleted. At that point, I'll have to fight desperately to grasp even the faintest possibility." Neidan sighed, his voice now somewhat subdued. "Master Ni'nan need not be so pessimistic! Your Ni'nan Body Technique ranks among the top three among all realms for body cultivation—perhaps it truly can enable your friend to successfully weather the heavenly calamity. By the way, I've noticed that Han Li also practices the Ni'nan Body Technique. Though there are slight differences in the finer details, it is indeed authentic. I'm merely curious as to how he managed to cultivate it." The precious flower first comforted the golden-robed figure, then added, recalling something. "This is not at all surprising. The Ni'nan Body Technique was originally derived from the most fundamental magical technique of the Holy Clan. It is entirely natural that other clans have likewise deduced the same technique. What truly astonishes me is the difficulty involved in cultivating this body technique—so great that it seems nearly impossible. Even when I first succeeded in cultivating it, it was due to a series of fortunate circumstances. Should I attempt it again today, I would not be confident that I could achieve the same level of mastery as I now do." "Now, that a mere foreign race has achieved such a level—truly something that moves me deeply," Nibhna replied with a wry smile. "When I first witnessed this human youth displaying his Saintly Body, I was just as astonished as my esteemed friend. Indeed, he is truly a person of great fortune. Well, let us set aside the matter of this human youth. After this affair is settled, I intend to return to my seclusion, striving to reach the realm of true transcendence in the True Demon Realm." Bo Hua smiled, then straightened her expression. "Yes, I shall entrust all external affairs to Yuan Yan. Hehe—among the two of you, I remain most confident in your potential. Though you too have endured a great trial, your spiritual power has only grown stronger, and furthermore, you have mastered such a grand celestial technique as the Spirit Realm. I believe your ascension to the higher realms is very likely." Nibhna nodded, adding with a touch of admiration. "Hah, I hope so. I shall now step aside and bid you good day." "After a few light laughs, Bao Hua gently stepped down with her jade foot upon the golden lotus beneath her. Instantly, the lotus spun smoothly, generating a soft force that propelled Neidan forward. Then, the numerous petals swiftly closed together, forming a golden ethereal silhouette that surged into the air. Seeing this, Neidan shook his head slightly, flung out his sleeve, and transformed into a golden arch of light, moving swiftly in a different direction. In an instant, the sky above the valley once again became empty and serene. …… One month later, on a slope densely covered with tall, crimson maple trees. "Friend Han, you've already noticed those two magi-level beings who have been following us all along," suddenly asked Xie Dao-ren, who was seated at ease beneath one of the trees. "Of course, I've noticed them—indeed, one of them is even someone I've met several times before. But since they haven't actively intervened to obstruct our journey, I've naturally chosen to pay them little attention." Han Li replied with some surprise. "Though this pseudo-immortal has a certain spirit, he rarely initiates conversations with me." "Ah, now I understand," said the Crab Daoist, nodding, yet then remained silent once more. This made Han Li stroke his chin, his eyes flashing with a distinct expression. "If I'm not mistaken, before the immortal Ma Liang engaged us in combat, he mentioned that you were a genuine immortal automaton, not merely a pseudo-immortal. Was that accurate? If so, then it seems you've withheld certain information from me earlier." Han Li gazed steadily at the Crab Daoist, speaking slowly. "As to whether his words are true—I'm not certain. And I've never concealed anything from you." The Crab Daoist replied evenly, without expression. "Your statement is hard to believe," Han Li frowned, clearly skeptical. "My own body has been sealed with restrictions. At present, I can only unseal a portion of my memories. Unless you gather all the materials I previously requested, I shall be unable to lift the next layer of the seal. Only then, under the circumstances permitted, shall I be able to share with you further information." The Crab Immortal spoke with his expression remaining unchanged. "Very well. Counting on your continued assistance, I believe your words. Once I have collected all the materials, I shall then invite you to reveal the full truth." Han Li's eyes flashed briefly, and then he smiled. The Crab Immortal nodded indifferently, still standing in place without moving. Han Li, however, turned his head slightly, gazed toward the distance for a moment, then suddenly flipped his palm. A shimmering, silvery scale appeared, rotating smoothly in his palm. On its surface, several rows of translucent, previously unseen characters gradually formed. "The dragon-island envoy truly possesses such great ability. As soon as we arrive in this realm and activate this scale, we can immediately come to meet you within a month. This was clearly stated from the very beginning—why then, did they have to explain it in several successive segments, piece by piece? Nevertheless, considering the timeline, it should now be nearly ready." Han Li frowned slightly as he glanced at the text on the scale, murmuring to himself. This woman is Tian Fei'er, who had previously struck a deal with Han Li. "How could it be, that I have personally come to welcome you, and yet Han brother is left disappointed?" Tian Fei'er smiled gracefully in the air. "Ah, that's impossible. I only heard that you were one of the officials at the Dao Fruit Assembly, and didn't expect you to come all the way here personally." Han Li cleared his throat, smiled slightly, and bowed slightly to the air. "What officials? It's just a nice way of putting it—after all, it's still just the kind of work that involves attending to others. Our True Dragon clan is small in numbers; we have to first serve as welcome hosts before we can even begin to take on official duties." Tian Fei'er rolled her eyes, speaking with little concern. Then, the woman's figure flickered and she stood right before Han Li, examining him from head to toe. "Is it possible, Tian Miss, that you suspect I'm not who I claim to be?" Han Li, noticing the somewhat puzzled look in her eyes, was surprised and asked with a question. "There's nothing special about it. I'd say your power hasn't surged much, yet you've managed to defeat a True Immortal who has descended. I just wanted to remind you that quite a few strong contenders may already know about your True Soul Pill—some might even be eyeing it with interest." Tian Fei'er narrowed her eyes, smiling pleasantly. (To be continued.)