"Senior Xia, Aunt Yao, perhaps you don’t need to go." Seeing Xia Youchen not only follow along but also bring Yao Xinlan, Han Yan advised.

Xia Youchen had previously been seriously injured, and Yao Xinlan had just narrowly escaped death. She did not wish for them to encounter any more danger.

At least as for Huayue and the others, to be honest, Mu Hanyan did not want to take them into danger either, but she understood their personalities, knowing that in situations like this, they would never leave her side. After all, even if her powers had increased significantly, she still had not reached the Sword Master Realm. If she wanted to elevate her strength to the Sword Saint level, she would need the assistance of Huayue and the others. And Ye Yanran, to Mu Hanyan, was like a life-saving Divine Talisman.

"Han Yan, your family has saved the lives of my entire family of three. Now that the Family Head Mu is in trouble, how could I, Xia Youchen, stand by and do nothing!" Xia Youchen said resolutely.

"My strength may not be great, but like Yanran, I understand some Barrier Techniques and should be able to protect myself. Lady Mu need not worry for me." Yao Xinlan smiled as she spoke.

"Very well, be careful." Mu Hanyan nodded. She had already noticed that Yao Xinlan’s strength was actually a notch above Ye Yanran, having reached the Seventh Rank Sword Master, and with Barrier Techniques, her ability to protect herself was no less than others, so there was no need to worry about her.

Soon, Ye Lanfeng and Xia Youchen both used the Wind Control Skill, carrying Mu Hanyan and Huayue and the others swiftly in the direction indicated by the Heavenly Secret Mirror. With Xia Youchen joining them, their speed was noticeably faster than on the way there.

As the sun set and dusk fell, the night gradually enveloped the earth, but Mu Hanyan and the others did not stop, journeying under the stars. When that red sun rose once again from the edge of the sky, a majestic mountain range appeared before them.

This was already the core of the Longyan Mountain range, the breeding ground of the top-tier Exotic Beasts. Under normal circumstances, even experts at the Sword Saint Realm would not dare to tread here lightly, but now, all was quiet.

"We’ve arrived!" Ye Lanfeng and Xia Youchen spoke simultaneously.

The majestic mountains before them were exactly like the ones that appeared in the Heavenly Secret Mirror, and the abyss formed by the rift of the Jiuyou Netherworld Prison seal lay within the mountains.

Mu Hanyan’s heart was on edge. Although they flew fast without stopping, it still took them the entire night to get there. She did not know if the great array around the Netherworld Beast had been activated, and whether her grandfather and the others were safe and sound.

On the way, Mu Hanyan thought of using the Heavenly Secret Mirror to check the situation again, but found that no matter how she gathered her Divine Sense and performed hand formations, the Heavenly Secret Mirror remained unresponsive. That was when she realized that the Heavenly Secret Mirror, like many other Divine Artifacts, had a cooldown time and couldn’t be used indefinitely.

Not knowing the conditions of her grandfather and the others, Mu Hanyan was filled with worry throughout the journey. Now that she would soon know the outcome, she felt even more uneasy.

Noticing Mu Hanyan’s worries, Ye Lanfeng and Xia Youchen did not linger and urged everyone to press on faster. Before long, they reached the abyss stretching thousands of feet. There, a thousand elders stood guard on one side, continuously forming hand formations to seal it or brandishing longswords to strike down the Netherworld Beasts trying to climb out of the abyss.

The gigantic seal was constantly tightening. Compared to yesterday, the abyss had narrowed significantly, only a bit over a foot wide, and the expressions on the elders’ faces were much more relaxed.

If it continued in this manner, it would only take a few days to reseal the Jiuyou Netherworld Prison.

However, Mu Hanyan became even more tense.

Those Netherworld Beasts attempting to rush out of the rift were obviously a distraction to draw the attention of the Holy Court Continent’s experts. The truly powerful Netherworld Beasts were actually hidden beside the massive array underground.

They were so meticulous; how could they possibly watch that rift be resealed again without taking action? Although it seemed like success was imminent, in truth, the crisis was drawing increasingly near.

Mu Hanyan scanned the crowd and quickly spotted her grandfather, darting toward him. After all, she had the strength of a Great Sword Master, and even if she couldn’t perform Wind Control like Ye Lanfeng and Xia Youchen, short-range aerial movement was manageable.

"Who goes there, stop immediately!" At this moment, a dozen middle-aged men suddenly soared into the air, blocking Mu Hanyan’s path.

These dozen individuals were all experts at the Great Sword Master Realm, their expressions stern and cold, their longswords aimed directly at Mu Hanyan. From their stance, it appeared that if Mu Hanyan dared to come forward another step, they would not hesitate to cut her down on the spot.

"Halt!" Ye Lanfeng shouted clearly.

"Subordinates greet the Holy Saint!" Upon seeing Ye Lanfeng, the group started slightly and then the leading man, a tall middle-aged man, saluted and said.

Only then did Mu Hanyan realize their identity as Holy Court Members. Before leaving the Capital, her father had told her that for the sealing of the Jiuyou Netherworld Prison, not only had experts from various countries come forth, but the Holy Court had also sent people. So knowing who they were did not surprise Mu Hanyan.

"Stand down; we have urgent matters to attend to." Ye Lanfeng stepped forward leisurely, heading straight onward.

The group exchanged glances, yet held their ground, continuing to block their path.

"What are you doing?" Ye Lanfeng’s sword-like brows slightly raised, asking in a deep voice.

"By the order of Lord Tian, this area has been designated as a forbidden zone. No one is allowed to enter," the leading man said.

"Which Lord Tian?" Ye Lanfeng asked.

"Lord Tian Annan of the Law Enforcement Hall. This joint operation by the Holy Court and the Mainland Countries to seal the Jiuyou Netherworld Prison is led by Lord Tian," the man replied.

Tian Annan! Mu Hanyan felt her heart sink slightly.

This man is actually here.

Gathered on one side of the abyss were the top experts from the Royal Family of the Mainland Countries, the various aristocratic families, and the Holy Court, including some experts who had wandered outside the world for centuries. Most had already reached the Sword Saint Realm. Even if not, they were at least strong enough to be considered Half-Saints.

Though their overall strength was somewhat lacking, they often had unique expertise in the art of swordsmanship or some strange and mysterious arts, making their fame and seniority not inferior to those of the Sword Saint experts. Thus, they had been selected by the various countries.

In age, strength, and experience, Mu Hanyan was far behind them, with no qualification to engage in dialogue on equal terms. Now, under their combined efforts, the spatial rift of the Jiuyou Netherworld Prison was about to be resealed. With success so close, it was not feasible that they would abandon their efforts just because of a few words from her.

This joint action by the countries and the Holy Court is led by Lord Tian Annan, with his status in the forefront.

Without him, with Ye Lanfeng’s status and prestige, there might have been hope to persuade the group; however, Tian Annan had a grudge against her and was at odds with Ye Lanfeng—it would be surprising if he did not add to their troubles, let alone believe their words.

Mu Hanyan was not wrong. Just as they faced off against the dozen middle-aged Sword Masters, Tian Annan appeared with a few elders.

"Ye Lanfeng, what are you doing here?" Tian Annan asked with a sour expression.