"You're too overconfident! This young man is quite sharp—he's no ordinary type. You're looking at a grand achievement, yet you've ended up falling short, all because of him." Suddenly, a voice from another young man rang out in Lu's mind. It would be best like this, though I regret that I can no longer practice further—otherwise, I would have gained even greater confidence. Upon hearing this, the doctor thought back to the previous trial of the cultivation technique, and his last lingering doubt finally vanished. After speaking these words, the voice seemed to have learned its lesson and ceased speaking, leaving only the doctor's nervous, repetitive monologue. The atmosphere in the room became especially eerie. At that moment, Han Li found himself in a quiet, unremarkable valley, even more remote and concealed than the place where he had first met Li Feiyu. The terrain stretched in a long, narrow strip, enclosed between two steep, rugged hills, forming a shape resembling the Chinese character "one." The ends of the valley were blocked tightly by thick thickets, making passage impossible. The only means of access was a secret rope suspended from the summit of the shorter hill. Moreover, dense thickets of thorns grow here, occupying vast tracts of land and leaving only a small open space where Han Li can step. At the summit of the ravine, countless unidentified vines intertwine to form a natural green canopy, shielding Han Li from anyone passing by unintentionally and ensuring that his presence remains visible below. Han Li placed his belongings beneath a large boulder and then returned to the center of the open space, closed his eyes, meditated for a moment, and then opened them, displaying a resolute expression. He gently said, "I'll begin with the most difficult technique—the soft bone cultivation." Thus, Han Li embarked on his solitary path of cultivation. He was unaware that, not far from him, a yellow bird perched on a branch, watching him day and night without interruption, only remaining in place because it saw no sign of him attempting to flee. Time flew by swiftly, and within four months, half of that period had already passed. Meanwhile, within the valley, it appeared utterly empty—no one in sight. Han Li, who had been there originally, had vanished completely. The small yellow bird remained calm and composed, patiently brushing its feathers with its beak, completely indifferent to the absence of its monitoring target, as if it had entirely set aside its duties. Suddenly, a gray bird broke through the green vines above and landed within the valley, circling once or twice before settling on a yellow wooden post by the edge of the open ground, clearly intending to rest before taking off again. At this moment, the yellow bird tilted its head, gazing at the newcomer with an air of superiority, then displayed a human-like expression of contempt, clearly disdaining the gray bird. The newly arrived bird stood on one leg, surveying the surroundings, and finally spotted its fellow. It spread its wings as if preparing to take flight toward it. Suddenly, an unexpected event occurred: a withered yellow hand descended from the sky and seized the gray bird, which was now at a loss. The bird was terrified, struggling desperately, yet it could not free itself from the control of the hand's owner. At that moment, the bird realized that the wooden stake beneath its feet had transformed into a young boy dressed in yellow. The boy had dark skin, an ordinary appearance, with broad shoulders and deep-set eyes—nothing particularly striking except for his clear gaze. He smiled gently, watching the bird struggle in his hand, and only when the bird was nearly exhausted did he release it, speaking softly, "Go now. Next time, don't be so foolish! Pay attention to where you land." Instantly freed, the bird no longer looked back at its companion, flapping its wings wildly and taking off without hesitation from the bottom of the ditch. After watching the little bird fly away, the young man remained in place, motionless, until after a while he slowly spoke to himself: "It seems my ability to still one's breath and my skill in feigning invisibility have reached a certain level. Now it's time to practice the technique of stealthy assassinations inside a sealed chamber." Upon saying this, Han Li moved forward, heading toward a newly built wooden cottage nearby. As he passed by the tree where the little yellow bird lived, he paused and glanced up. This unusual bird had been noticed by Han Li just over fifteen days ago. It had always perched on the nearby branches, constantly observing him, as if possessing a keen sense of awareness. The first time he saw it, Han Li was immediately captivated by its spirit and grew deeply fond of it. He tried various methods to move it—deceit, enticement, setting traps—but none worked. The bird never seemed to fall for any of these attempts, often gazing at him with a look of contempt, as though viewing him as a fool, which made Han Li find himself only able to smile in embarrassment. Later, when he grew angry and intended to approach it forcibly, it immediately spread its wings and took flight before he even reached it. As soon as Han Li stepped away, it swiftly returned and settled back in place, leaving Han Li standing there, helplessly watching. Reflecting on this, Han Li turned slightly disgruntled and looked back, no longer paying attention to it—though in his heart, he had already sensed that this little bird must be closely connected to the ink doctor, likely sent to monitor him. Yet Han Li didn't mind. As long as the ink doctor himself didn't personally come to watch over him, what could a single bird possibly reveal? Moreover, he genuinely cherished this spiritually attuned little creature and was unwilling to resort to harsher measures against it. At that moment, the ink doctor was deep within a stone chamber, carefully drawing a strange pattern with powder from wild animal bones. As he worked, he conversed with another person in his mind, completely unaware that Han Li had already uncovered his surveillance strategy.