The massive jade disc had already transformed into a blinding, fiery sun, and the crimson spiritual light radiating from it shrouded the valley below in an airtight seal.
Within these crimson rays, countless pale silver runes flickered ceaselessly, seemingly infused with some mysterious power.
Inside the jade disc, three avatars of Blood Light stood shoulder to shoulder, hand seals formed, their bodies wreathed in flickering sanguine light, eyes fixed unblinkingly on the crystal wall before them.
On the crystal wall's display, crimson orbs of light were sweeping through every corner of the valley in search of something. Sky and earth alike — the orbs roamed without the slightest obstruction.
The crystal wall's imagery shifted and changed as the orbs glided about, but aside from stones, trees, and some spiritually unsophisticated wild beasts, nothing else of note appeared.
The three avatars' expressions naturally grew darker by the moment, yet they continued to drive the orbs forward, scouring every inch of ground.
Before long, the sound of something tearing through the sky came from the distant horizon. A streak of white light shot toward them from high above.
It was Yuancha, piloting the stone palace to this location.
The stone palace trembled slightly before howling to a halt over a thousand zhang from the jade disc, its light of travel extinguished.
Almost simultaneously, the crystal wall within the jade disc flashed white, and a graceful figure materialized upon it.
"Fellow Daoist Yuancha, you've finally arrived." The central avatar of Blood Light offered a thin smile the moment the woman's image appeared.
"Spare me the pleasantries. Is that boy truly trapped in the valley?" Yuancha swept her gaze across the three of them, then spoke in a flat tone.
"Of course. Would I dare deceive you? After I caught up with that boy, he actually dove underground, attempting to escape using earth movement arts — which only gave me the opening to seal this entire area with the Heaven and Earth Disc. There's no way he could have gotten out. However, I don't know what concealment technique he's employing — I've been unable to locate him so far. That's where I'll need your help, Fellow Daoist Yuancha." Another avatar replied in a cool, measured voice.
"Mm, good. I'll activate the Grand Devil Origin Art myself and force that boy out." Yuancha nodded, agreeing at once.
"No rush. Let one of us accompany you into the valley. We can serve as your Protector, in case that boy tries to launch a sneak attack." The last avatar spoke up coldly.
"Protector? Hmph — you mean to keep watch over me." The woman's expression didn't brighten; if anything, her face darkened instantly.
"Ha ha, don't misunderstand, Fellow Daoist Yuancha! That boy is cunning and resourceful, and he possesses several powerful treasures — it's only prudent to be cautious." The central avatar chuckled.
"Suit yourself. Send someone along if you wish — I won't stop them. But I'd advise against harboring any other intentions. If something goes wrong, don't blame me for being unsparing." The woman's gaze flickered a few times before she replied without a hint of expression.
Without waiting for Blood Light's response, she formed a hand seal and vanished from the crystal wall.
"Good. Stick to the original plan. You go monitor her — the moment that boy is located, notify us immediately. We absolutely cannot let him fall into Yuancha's hands first." The central avatar's smile vanished entirely, replaced by a dark look directed at the remaining avatar.
"Rest assured, I'll play it by ear. Even if that boy is running low on Magical Power right now, there's no way Yuancha will capture him in one or two moves. But before he shows up, the two of you must not relax the Heaven and Earth Disc's restriction for even a moment — we can't let him slip away again." That avatar nodded but added a few words of caution.
The other two naturally agreed in turn.
…
At that same moment, the distant stone palace let out a thunderous rumble. Countless runes across its surface flared to life, and the structure split apart down the middle, reforming into two colossal stone giants.
Yuancha stood gracefully atop one of the giants' heads. With a flick of her hand seals, she descended toward the center of the valley with both stone giants in tow.
From the jade disc's direction, a ball of blood-red light shot forth as well, within which a shadowy blood figure flickered — it too dove toward the ground below.
Moments later, Yuancha and a youth in blood-colored robes landed on a stretch of broken stone at a platform within the valley.
"This should be it. Stone Elders, assume your forms." Yuancha surveyed her surroundings, then issued her command to the two stone giants beside her.
"Yes, Lady Yuancha!"
Both stone giants buzzed in acknowledgment.
They threw themselves to the ground, their bodies erupting with grayish-white light, and in an instant transformed into two stone pillars over a hundred zhang tall. Strange patterns and runes were inscribed upon their surfaces, lending them an air of profound mystery.
"Stone Lun Totems! My, my — I never expected your two subordinates had even mastered something like this." The youth in blood robes watched the scene unfold, unable to hide his astonishment.
"Among the Stone Demon clan, their cultivation may not rank in the top three, but it's more than sufficient for the top ten. If they couldn't even accomplish this much, why would I have sheltered their branch in the Holy World for all these years?" Yuancha replied without a trace of politeness.
"Heh heh, if my Stone Demons had an Elder with cultivation this deep, I'd shelter them to the very end as well. But enough about that. You've summoned these totems — don't tell me you intend to use them to amplify the power of your Grand Devil Origin Art?" The blood-robed youth stroked his chin and chuckled in a low voice.
"Since even you, who possesses the Heaven and Earth Disc, couldn't detect that Han boy's whereabouts, relying on the Grand Devil Origin Art alone may not guarantee success either. But with the Stone Lun Totems' enhancement, it will be foolproof." Yuancha replied candidly, showing no intention of concealment.
The blood-robed youth nodded at her words and stood to the side, falling silent.
Yuancha had no desire for further discussion either. Her figure shifted, and she appeared between the two stone pillars.