(Votes have been cast! We've already reached six thousand bookmarks—surely we should make the cut! It's only with votes that we stay motivated. If you haven't voted yet, please do so now!) "Ah, so you're a disciple of that sect?" The young man, after eagerly reading through the mist before him, seemed to recall something and turned to ask. During their casual conversation earlier, Han Li had learned that beyond the various sects and immortal families in the immortal realm, there were many independent practitioners. These independent practitioners were mostly either descendants of once-thriving but now declining immortal families, or ordinary people like Han Li himself who, by chance, acquired certain immortal cultivation techniques and entered the realm of cultivation. Others were descendants of small sects whose lineages had nearly faded out. Generally, these independent practitioners held only modest cultivation levels, often stagnating at the Qi Condensation stage. As a result, they were frequently overlooked and even looked down upon by the members of the larger immortal families—much like wealthy households in the mortal world often dismiss the struggling, impoverished families.) "I'm not from any particular family—I've always practiced on my own!" After thinking it over, Han Li decided to be honest. After all, pretending to be from another family made it far too easy to be exposed. "You're a free practitioner!" The young man was somewhat surprised, yet his expression showed no sense of discrimination—on the contrary, he seemed genuinely delighted. He excitedly circled Han Li several times, as if gazing at something rare, and studied him again with fresh eyes. "Earlier, you said that elite families looked down upon free practitioners. Why are you so happy now?" Han Li asked, somewhat astonished. "They're their own people—we shouldn't confuse our family with other elite families. We've always maintained good relations with free practitioners!" The young man gave a proud toss of his head, clearly proud of his family's stance. "In fact, our ancestors were once free practitioners themselves. By good fortune, they managed to join a cultivation sect and became official disciples of the Great Sword Sect—this is how our family came to be." "So, in our Wan family's ancestral rules, there has always been a tradition of never discriminating against independent practitioners." The young man said with a cheerful smile. "In fact, not only our Wan family, but several other families also had ancestors who were independent practitioners. Therefore, they didn't harbor any negative feelings toward them. The issue is simply that among all the immortal cultivation families, these families are relatively few in number, which is why the stereotype of immortal cultivation families discriminating against independent practitioners has taken hold." The young man shook his head thoughtfully. "Ah! So I'm rather fortunate—my first encounter with someone from the Wan family is someone like you." After understanding the young man's explanation, Han Li's initial caution toward him, stemming from his own status as an independent practitioner, gradually eased. "By the way, Brother, you've asked so many questions about matters that are well-known throughout the immortal cultivation world. Does that mean you're also a newcomer just stepping out of the mountains?" The young man's eyes sparkled with sudden insight, and he seemed to suddenly become quite perceptive, speaking with a sense of realization. Han Li listened, a slight smile playing on his face. He gently patted the young man on the shoulder and said with a touch of apology, "I didn't mean to deceive you. I've only just entered the immortal realm, and I have some concerns." "Never mind. I'm not at all bothered! By the way, could you please tell me your name? From now on, you can just call me Xiao Shan." Wan Xiaoshan clearly had a natural, easy-going nature, speaking with complete indifference. "Ah, good! My name is Han Li. I've only recently begun to explore the immortal realm, so I hope Xiao Shan will be generous in your support!" Han Li's admiration for Wan Xiaoshan grew, and his tone became more relaxed. "Of course! If you have any questions, just ask me. Heh! I never thought I'd be the one teaching someone!" Wan Xiaoshan said with pride. "I'll certainly seek your advice on any matter I encounter. Though, shouldn't we be heading into the valley now?" Han Li pointed to the sky and smiled slightly. "Oh! Right! "I almost forgot about the main matter," Wan Xiaoshan said, glancing up at the sky as indicated by Han Li's finger, then immediately began to rush and call out in a flurry. After busy fumbling around for a while, the young man finally produced a scroll from his sleeve. Holding it in his hands, he waved it about and murmured a few words under his breath before tossing it into the air, where it instantly turned into a streak of flame and vanished into the mist. "Han brother, please wait a moment. My communication scroll will soon reach the valley, and the people there will automatically release their array to assist us," the young man explained, noticing that Han Li was gazing intently at the direction where the flame had disappeared. "Ah!" Han Li nodded, showing he understood. "Han brother, since you've come all the way to the southern valley, I'm sure you must have brought along quite a few items for exchange. Could you tell me about them? Don't be shy—why don't you start by telling me about your own belongings first?" "I brought a bundle of first-tier, lower-rank blank scroll sheets, two of the first-tier, lower-rank invisibility scrolls, two of the first-tier, lower-rank earth-transcending scrolls, one of the first-tier, mid-rank chain-thunder scrolls, a bundle of first-tier, lower-rank ice-projectile scrolls, a block of iron ore, one bottle of first-tier, basic vermilion ink, a bundle of whiskers from a three-tailed feline spirit beast, and some medicinal herbs..." Wan Xiaoshan hadn't even noticed the stunned look on Han Li's face, chattering on continuously as he listed off a long series of items. "That's all! As Han brother mentioned, wait—your complexion seems so pale. What's wrong?" The young man blinked, still puzzled, gazing at Han Li with a look of confusion. "Is it really necessary to prepare all these things when entering the Tai Nan Valley?" Han Li's face was clearly troubled. "No, there's no such rule!" Wan Xiaoshan replied promptly. "Once you've come to the Tai Nan Valley at this time, you must be attending the Tai Nan Small Assembly—how could anyone possibly come without bringing something? It's Especially this time, the Ascension Gathering will also be held in our Lanshou state one month later. Consequently, more people will come to attend the smaller gathering here. Could it be that Brother Han didn't come specifically to pay homage to the smaller gathering in Lanshou? The young man exclaimed in surprise, gazing at Han Li with a look of disbelief. Han Li sighed. "Young brother Shan, I indeed didn't know about this smaller gathering here. I only learned recently that there are other cultivators residing in this area, so I simply came to get to know them better. I never specifically prepared anything special." Han Li spread his hands out, speaking with a sense of helplessness. "Ah, so that's the case! Then it's truly a pity—Brother Han will have to miss this wonderful opportunity. After all, chances to obtain the materials and items one needs are not very frequent." Wan Xiaoshan looked deeply regretful, sighing repeatedly for Han Li. "Still, one can't say there's absolutely nothing of value to exchange. At the very least, I still have two scrolls." Han Li thought to himself, with a touch of self-mockery. At that moment, the thick mist before Han Li and his companion suddenly surged and rolled, then as if cut clean by a blade, parted to reveal a narrow path wide enough for them to walk side by side. The path stretched out into the distance, seemingly endless. "Alright, let's go!" the young man beamed at Han Li, giving him a playful grimace before enthusiastically stepping forward and vanishing into the path. Han Li, on the other hand, remained composed, gazing steadily at the path before finally taking a steady step forward, moving with calm assurance and without haste. Though the path appeared long, it ended surprisingly soon after only a brief walk. When Han Li stepped out of the entrance, a sudden brightening greeted him—a lush green valley filled with rare flowers and strange plants unfolded before him. The valley was bordered by mountains on three sides, with the only exit being the mountain slope where the mist had once sealed them in. The valley covered a vast area, spanning well over a hundred mu. At its center stood a grand palace-like complex of pavilions and halls, where people dressed in unusual attire came and went. In front of the pavilion, there was a broad platform paved with dark blue bricks, where many people had set up small stalls around its perimeter, much like small vendors. In front of each stall, people would occasionally gather, glance at the goods, or ask a few questions, but few actually completed a transaction right there. Seeing this, Han Li took a deep breath. This was the world of cultivation—every person here seemed to be a cultivator. To witness so many cultivators at once was truly overwhelming. Han Li gently shook his head to clear his mind. He kept reminding himself that he was entering a world entirely beyond his imagination, where anyone could easily wipe him out at any moment. He had to remain cautious and humble. With this thought in mind, Han Li turned back and looked at the path that had now completely vanished, then stepped forward toward the light field.