After pondering for a moment, the female general said, "I think we should first clarify our core objective for exploration. This mountain range is mysterious and unpredictable, rich in resources, but we have limited time and cannot explore blindly. We can prioritize finding the resources most crucial to improving our overall strength, such as rare and precious materials that can enhance our spiritual power. In terms of route planning, taking into account Su Ran and Lin Feng's suggestions, we will first proceed along the waterways, with Xuan Feng scouting from the air along the way. If we encounter any danger, we will deal with it together. As for splitting up the forces, after we have a clear understanding of the situation ahead, a team led by a Blood Shadow Sect woman skilled in stealth and tracking can explore any possible hidden places."

The mysterious swordsman listened quietly to everyone's remarks, while the ancient spirits within the palace seemed to be carefully weighing each plan. Everyone shared their opinions, continuously refining the exploration strategy; various ideas collided fiercely, and sparks of wisdom flashed in the air.

During the resource allocation phase, the group engaged in in-depth discussions. The woman in white emphasized the principle of fairness, advocating for the precise allocation of resources based on each person's contribution during the exploration. The woman from the Blood Shadow Sect, however, believed that those who undertook more dangerous tasks should receive additional rewards. Su Ran suggested that, in addition to effort and the level of danger, the long-term impact of resources on individual cultivation should also be considered, and those urgently needing certain resources to break through bottlenecks could receive appropriate preferential treatment.

After several hours of intense discussion, a relatively complete exploration plan gradually took shape. The group would proceed from the front of the mountain range along the waterway, with Xuanfeng conducting aerial reconnaissance and providing early warnings, Linfeng utilizing his Ice Halberd and rune power to deal with powerful dangers, and the female general in charge of commanding and coordinating the battle. Blood Shadow Sect women would lead their teams to explore hidden areas at opportune moments. Resource allocation would comprehensively consider effort, level of danger, resource compatibility, and contribution to overall strength improvement.

After listening to the final plan, the mysterious swordsman and the ancient sages exchanged ideas. Then, the mysterious swordsman announced: "In the 'Wisdom and Strategy' test, everyone demonstrated different perspectives and remarkable wisdom. However, considering the overall completeness, feasibility, and comprehensive consideration of various situations, the female general performed the best in coordinating opinions from all sides and grasping the core objective. Therefore, the female general wins this round of the test."

Although everyone was slightly disappointed with the outcome, they were all convinced of its success. After all, the female general's strategic vision and organizational skills demonstrated during the discussion were truly admirable.

Based on the combined results of the three tests, the female general demonstrated composure in "spiritual power control," commanded with confidence in "adaptability," and excelled in "wisdom and strategy." Ultimately, the mysterious swordsman announced: "Based on the comprehensive evaluation of the three tests, the 'Spiritual Heaven Sacred Scripture' belongs to the female general."

The female general, with a solemn expression, stepped forward and accepted the "Lingxiao Sacred Scripture," which emitted a soft glow. She cupped her hands to the crowd and said, "I am truly grateful for your help in obtaining this sacred scripture. This scripture is incomparably precious. If there is an opportunity in the future, I would like to study it with you all and strive for progress together." The crowd responded enthusiastically. Although there was competition, they were all happy for the female general at this moment.

The moment the female general received the "Lingxiao Sacred Scripture," the palace suddenly trembled violently. Ancient scenes appeared on the once-calm palace walls. The scenes depicted a fierce battle between gods and demons, their powers clashing, shattering mountains and rivers, and causing widespread suffering. Then, the scene shifted, revealing a peerless powerhouse dressed in white, wielding a long sword, who single-handedly sealed the demon god, saving the world. However, in the aftermath of the battle, the primordial energy of heaven and earth was in disarray, plunging the world into chaos and decay.

The mysterious swordsman said with a solemn expression, "It seems that this palace hides a great secret. This 'Lingxiao Sacred Scripture' may not only be a treasure for enhancing spiritual power, but may also be closely related to the ancient war between gods and demons and the future of the world. General, you bear a heavy responsibility."

The female general nodded slightly, her eyes resolute: "Now that I have obtained this sacred text, I will certainly not fail this preordained mission. No matter how difficult the road ahead may be, I will seek the truth and safeguard the peace of the world."

Su Ran stepped forward and said, "General, if needed, we will do our best to help you. This journey together has made us deeply aware of each other's strength and friendship. For the sake of world peace, we are willing to join hands." Everyone echoed her sentiments, and in that moment, their friendship deepened even more amidst the perilous atmosphere.

After leaving the palace, the group did not disperse but instead found a nearby valley to discuss their next move. The female general opened the "Spiritual Scripture," attempting to find clues about the ancient war and the world's crisis. Runes flickered on the scripture, and obscure, difficult-to-understand characters gradually emerged. The female general circulated her spiritual power, trying to decipher the characters; however, after reading only a portion, her expression changed drastically.

"This sacred text records that although the Demon God is sealed, the power of the seal is gradually weakening. A thousand years from now, the seal is highly likely to shatter completely, and the Demon God will once again descend upon the world. To strengthen the seal or completely destroy the Demon God, it is necessary to find the five legendary divine artifacts, each..."

The female general solemnly informed everyone of the information in the "Lingxiao Sacred Scripture" regarding the seal of the demon god and the five divine artifacts. Upon hearing this, everyone was shocked. The atmosphere, which had been somewhat relaxed due to the certainty of the ownership of the "Lingxiao Sacred Scripture," was instantly replaced by tension.

"The Five Divine Artifacts? In this vast world, where should we even begin to search?" The woman from the Blood Shadow Sect broke the silence, her brow furrowed. She was both worried about the impending arrival of the Demon God and bewildered by this unknown journey of discovery.

Lin Feng pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "Since this holy book mentions divine artifacts, there must be some clues left within. General, please take another look and see if there are any other related records in the holy book?"

The female general once again focused intently on the "Lingxiao Sacred Scripture." As spiritual energy flowed into it, some faint patterns appeared on the scripture. The patterns resembled an ancient city, surrounded by clouds and mist. In the center of the city stood a towering tower that seemed to pierce the clouds, its top shimmering with a mysterious light. Below the patterns was a line of indistinct small characters: "Yunze Ancient City, Key to the Divine Artifact."

"Yunze Ancient City? I've never heard of this city before," the woman in white said doubtfully, her gaze sweeping across the faces of the crowd, trying to get an answer from others.

Xuanfeng narrowed his eyes slightly and pondered, "I once saw a few words about Yunze Ancient City in a fragment of an ancient book. It is said that the ancient city is hidden in a mysterious misty forest, surrounded by various dangerous restrictions and powerful guardian beasts. Moreover, the entrance to that misty forest only opens once every hundred years, and ninety-eight years have passed since the last opening."

"In other words, we have two years to prepare, wait for the entrance to the Misty Forest to open, and then enter to search for the Ancient City of Yunze. This time seems ample, but it is actually very tight. We not only need to improve our own strength, but also to gather more information about the Ancient City of Yunze and the divine artifacts," the female general analyzed, her eyes revealing determination and courage.

Just as everyone was discussing preparations, suddenly, several powerful fluctuations of spiritual energy appeared in the distant sky. Several beams of light of different colors flew rapidly towards the valley where they were. In the blink of an eye, a group of people dressed in various styles of clothing appeared before them.

The leader was a middle-aged man dressed in black robes. His gaze was cold as he swept his eyes over the crowd before landing on the "Lingxiao Sacred Scripture" in the female general's hand. He said, "I heard that you obtained the 'Lingxiao Sacred Scripture' here. How can such a divine object be enjoyed by you alone? If you know what's good for you, hand it over obediently."

The female general, shielding the "Lingxiao Sacred Scripture" behind her, said without fear, "This 'Lingxiao Sacred Scripture' is something we obtained after undergoing numerous trials. Why should we hand it over to you? And who are you, anyway?"

The man in black robes sneered, "I am Xue Sha, a protector of the Blood Demon Palace. The treasures of this world can only be obtained by the strong. If you insist on not handing them over, don't blame the Blood Demon Palace for being impolite." As he finished speaking, a thick aura of blood emanated from his body, and the surrounding air seemed to be dyed dark red.

At the same time, the members of the Blood Demon Palace drew their weapons, assuming a ready-to-attack stance. Behind them stood a group of people dressed in blue robes, their auras calm and collected. Leading them was an elderly man with white hair but a vigorous spirit. The old man bowed and said, “Gentlemen, I am Xuanfengzi, the Valley Master of Qingfeng Valley. Qingfeng Valley has no intention of being your enemy, but the ‘Lingxiao Sacred Scripture’ is of great importance. If Qingfeng Valley could keep and study it, perhaps we could find a way to deal with the crisis of the Demon God more quickly. I hope you will reconsider.”

Before the female general could respond, the mysterious swordsman suddenly spoke up: "Both the Blood Demon Palace and Qingfeng Valley are far too arrogant. This 'Lingxiao Sacred Scripture' already belongs to the female general. How can you just take it as you please?" The mysterious swordsman's words were soft, but they were full of undeniable authority.

Xue Sha's face darkened: "Hmph, it seems you're going to refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit. Then don't blame us for taking action." With that, he flashed forward like a black lightning bolt, lunging at the female general. The black longsword in his hand gleamed with an eerie light, aiming straight for the female general's throat.

The female general reacted swiftly, wielding her spear to block the Blood Fiend's fierce attack. With a loud clang, sparks flew, and the powerful impact carved two deep furrows in the ground beneath her feet.

Seeing this, Lin Feng immediately wielded his ice halberd, unleashing the "Ice Guardian Domain." The temperature within the domain plummeted, and countless ice spikes shot towards the Blood Demon Palace members. The Blood Demon Palace members hurriedly circulated their spiritual power to defend themselves; however, many of the weaker disciples were still struck by the ice spikes, letting out painful screams.

The woman in white was not to be outdone.