At the same time.

Sun Ke, Bai Suyuan, and their group of six had also arrived deep within Pinecone Ridge.

Their route was originally the safest of the three, and the demonic beasts they encountered were mostly weak. Coupled with the growing understanding among the group, their progress became increasingly smooth.

"Senior Brother Sun, according to the map, we'll reach the Snow Pigeon Beast's territory in about a thousand miles ahead," Bai Suyuan said, flying alongside Sun Ke, her eyes scanning the vast snowy plains ahead.

"Although this beast is not particularly ferocious, its strength should not be underestimated. It is said that there have been instances of it actively attacking cultivators, so we must be careful," Sun Ke nodded in response.

Before he could finish his sentence, Bai Suyuan suddenly stopped her escape light, looking towards a grove of pine trees several hundred feet ahead with a wary expression.

Almost simultaneously, Sun Ke also halted his escape light, gesturing to stop the four people behind him.

Without a word, the four dispersed, each already summoning their respective magical treasures.

"Cough... cough, you little whippersnappers are quite capable."

Accompanied by a somewhat hoarse cough, a tall, ordinary-looking, gaunt old man dressed in a white snow robe slowly flew out of the grove of pine trees.

"May I ask who Senior is, and why are you hiding in the shadows?" Bai Suyuan asked respectfully, despite her inner alarm.

She couldn't discern the other party's cultivation level. Had it not been for a special treasure she carried, she wouldn't have been able to detect his presence. Since he was being so secretive, it was clear that his intentions were not good.

Sun Ke and the others shared the same thought, exchanging glances as they considered their options.

"Who I am is not important. What matters is that you are Bai Suyuan. Tsk, tsk, what a beautiful flower, what a Moonflower Physique. Enough with the nonsense, come with me," the gaunt old man said, his gaze fixed on Bai Suyuan.

"An elder of my sect is nearby. Do not be presumptuous!" Bai Suyuan's expression remained unchanged, but her heart tightened.

"Heh heh, little girl, don't try to bluff me. The bodyguards Zhu Long Dao arranged have long been lured away by this old man, and are now struggling to protect themselves. Will you come with me willingly, or do I have to take you by force?" the gaunt old man said with a mocking smile.

Upon hearing this, Sun Ke and the others were shocked.

Although they didn't have any significant backing within the sect, they all had their own circles of influence and information channels, having learned about the presence of bodyguards during the trial from various sources before setting off.

This was like a reassurance pill, allowing them to participate in the trial with peace of mind. Now that they knew the bodyguards seemed to be trapped, they naturally felt a sense of panic.

"Senior, I have never met you before. Why do you insist on taking me with you?" Bai Suyuan asked, her eyes darting around, her expression softening slightly.

"Hehe, haven't you always wanted to know the whereabouts of your Bai family's ancestor? As long as you come with me, I will tell you where he is," the gaunt old man said with a smile, not answering Bai Suyuan's question directly.

"You know my ancestor?" Bai Suyuan asked immediately upon hearing this.

"Elder Bai Fengyi, I naturally know him," the old man said leisurely.

A hint of hesitation appeared on Bai Suyuan's face. Despite her usually sharp mind, her thoughts were now in disarray.

"Junior Sister Bai, do not listen to him. That is just a trick to lure you into surrendering. Do not take it seriously," Sun Ke quickly reminded her.

"That's right! If you know my ancestor, then show us a token!" Bai Suyuan said.

"Toasting is refused only to drink a forfeit, since you little girl are so ungrateful, my patience has run out! After all, talking too much can ruin things," the old man said, his expression turning cold.

With that, he raised his hand, his five fingers spread open, and pushed forward. A golden pellet immediately shot out, flying to a spot ten feet in front of Bai Suyuan in the blink of an eye.

In the next moment, golden light burst forth from the pellet, transforming into a golden net that descended upon her.

Startled, Bai Suyuan immediately tapped the ground with her toes, retreating rapidly.

However, the difference in strength between the two sides was too great. Even though she reacted immediately, she still couldn't avoid it.

As for Sun Ke and the others, they didn't have time to react at all, and could only watch helplessly as Bai Suyuan was about to be restrained by the golden net.

But at this moment, a streak of azure light flashed through the air without warning, followed by a figure instantly appearing in front of Bai Suyuan, waving a hand forward without a word.

"Whoosh!"

A mass of dark, black liquid immediately surged out, slamming into the golden net.

The golden net, which had been advancing rapidly, suddenly seemed to be weighed down by a thousand pounds of weight when covered by the black liquid, and plummeted towards the ground.

"How is this possible?" The gaunt old man's expression darkened.

"Elder Li..."

Having finally regained her balance, Bai Suyuan looked at the figure in front of her and called out with a mixture of surprise and joy.

The figure standing between her and the old man was none other than Han Li.

"You do talk too much. And I'm clearly nearby, why would you say I left? If these juniors complain to the sect, I'll be deducted merit points," Han Li said slowly, not looking back at Bai Suyuan, but staring at the gaunt old man with a cold gaze.

"No wonder that figure's aura was identical to yours, but something felt off... But you, a mere True Immortal Realm initial stage cultivator, dare to obstruct this old man?" The gaunt old man's pupils constricted as he sneered.

As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his hand, and seven bright flying swords appeared out of thin air. After circling briefly, they formed a sword array and attacked Han Li.

The surfaces of the flying swords glowed brightly with runes, emitting balls of white flame. From a distance, the seven flying swords resembled a giant fire kite spreading its wings.

Seeing this, Han Li raised both hands, and a surge of black Heavy Water burst forth, transforming into a black Flood Dragon ten feet long in mid-air, charging towards the white fire kite.

"Boom boom boom..."

A series of explosions echoed in mid-air, and countless white flames splattered, landing on the surrounding snow, immediately emitting hissing sounds and billowing white vapor.

The snow on dozens of pine trees melted rapidly, and the trunks were ignited by the blazing flames, rising into roaring fires.

"Junior Sister Bai, who is this elder?" Sun Ke looked at the figure in front of him, a strange look in his eyes. He came to Bai Suyuan and asked.

"He is Li Feiyu, an inner sect elder of this sect," Bai Suyuan explained casually, her attention focused on the two combatants, unaware of Sun Ke's odd expression.

Sun Ke was naturally shocked upon hearing this.

This Elder Li shared the same surname and given name as the person he met on the Trans-Sea Thunder Ark. Most importantly, he felt a slight similarity in their auras.

Their auras were similar, but their momentum and cultivation levels were vastly different. Could they really be the same person?

Just then, the gaunt old man roared!

The white fire kite formed by the flying swords spread its wings, and the flames suddenly intensified, directly pushing Han Li's black Flood Dragon back.

Seeing this, Han Li made a hand seal and chanted softly.

A black disc about a foot in size, covered with complex and detailed spiritual patterns and hollowed-out patterns, suddenly appeared behind him, emitting a strong aura of water. It was the Heavy Water True Wheel.

"Go!"

He let out a low shout.

A buzzing sound, like the rattling of an empty bamboo tube, suddenly grew louder.

The Heavy Water True Wheel suddenly blurred, spinning rapidly, and shot towards the white fire kite.

As it approached the fire kite, the Water Dao Rune on the Heavy Water True Wheel suddenly shone with a bright blue light, emitting bursts of Water Law aura.

The gaunt old man's expression changed slightly. With a flick of his wrist, a golden talisman flew out, flashing into the fire kite a moment before the Heavy Water True Wheel collided with it.

With a "boom," the white fire kite, driven by the golden talisman, suddenly rolled up, turning into an extremely blazing white ball of light, and collided heavily with the Heavy Water True Wheel.

"Boom!"

An immensely powerful wave of air swept out from the center of the collision, and a hurricane, half hot and half cool, blew in all directions, causing ice and snow to swirl and trees to break.

Seeing that the situation was not good, Sun Ke and the others had already retreated rapidly, hiding hundreds of feet away.

In the mountains and forests, a series of metallic sounds rang out.

The Heavy Water True Wheel, like a black sun, spun wildly, constantly colliding fiercely with the white sun formed by the flying swords, and became somewhat stalemated for a time.

Seeing this, Han Li waved his hand, and the Heavy Water Flood Dragon that had just been repelled coiled up again, charging towards the white ball of light.

With a muffled thud, the black Flood Dragon, which had charged into the white light, was directly cut into pieces by the sharp sword light released from the seven flying swords.

Large patches of black exploded, splashing in all directions.

At this moment, the Water Dao Rune on the Heavy Water True Wheel suddenly shone brightly, generating a strange attraction.

The black liquid that had splashed around was attracted to it and completely disappeared into the True Wheel.

Han Li's heart stirred slightly, feeling that the Heavy Water True Wheel seemed to have become heavier, and the impact it carried when it rotated was also greatly enhanced, pushing the white ball of light to slowly retreat.

The gaunt old man, whose vision was obstructed by the ball of light, hadn't noticed anything amiss. He thought that Han Li had strengthened his magic power, and hurriedly took a deep breath, urging the white ball of light with all his might, gradually reversing the decline.

Han Li waved his hand again, and a streak of black light flashed in mid-air, as an even larger Heavy Water Flood Dragon flew out.

This time, it didn't head towards the white light, but directly charged towards the Heavy Water True Wheel.

With a soft "poof," the Heavy Water Flood Dragon entered the True Wheel like a clay ox entering the sea.

The Heavy Water True Wheel shone with a dark light, its size expanding by an inch, becoming even heavier.

The gaunt old man's heart skipped a beat, feeling a surge of majestic water vapor coming, which was as heavy as a mountain pressing down on him, making it hard for him to breathe.

He hastily made hand seals with both hands, pushing the white ball of light with all his might, preventing it from collapsing immediately. At the same time, he opened his mouth and spat out a golden puppet the size of a thumb.