Han Li knew nothing about the Qin family's affairs, yet this did not dampen his joy at all! He paced excitedly within the room, constantly handling the Shengxian Mandate in his hands, growing more and more impressed with each passing moment. After a while, Han Li finally calmed down, soothing the excitement within him and beginning to consider his future plans and the feasibility of traveling to Huangfeng Valley to seek enlightenment. After a restless night, the Tainan Assembly finally came to a close. Starting from the morning of the second day, many cultivators began to leave the valley, reducing the population by nearly half. In the afternoon, several elder masters appeared on the plaza, delivered some encouraging words, and then officially declared the conclusion of the Tainan Assembly—among them, Qingyan Zhiren himself. Immediately, the remaining cultivators, either gathering in small groups or departing alone like solitary geese, drifted away. At that moment, the Qingwen Daoist and several others approached Han Li and once again invited him to join their group. After a moment of silence, Han Li shook his head and declined the invitation, which deeply disappointed Wu Jiuzhi and the Mo brothers, as even Qingwen's expression grew somewhat displeased. "Since Brother Han is unwilling to accompany us, Qingwen cannot insist. I hope you take good care of yourself on your journey," Qingwen sighed, speaking with a tone of regret. Then, he patted Han Li's shoulder and departed with the others. Han Li was unaware that, at the very moment Qingwen patted his shoulder, a few colorless, formless powders from the inner sleeve of his robe were gently dispersed onto Han Li's clothes—yet no unusual sensation or sign was apparent at the affected areas. As Wu Jiuzhi and the others were just stepping out of the valley's misty entrance, Qingwen had quietly slipped to the last position. Taking advantage of the moment when the others were not paying attention, he revealed a fierce expression. Suddenly, he swept his sleeve, sending a streak of flame diagonally across, which vanished into the shrubs on the side. Then his face returned to its usual composure—steady, upright, as if nothing had happened at all. Han Li was unaware of all the actions performed by Qingwen the Daoist, yet, out of habit, he did not immediately set off from Tainan Valley. Instead, he stayed one more night within the valley, and only when the morning light first began to dawn did he slip silently out of the valley without a trace. Han Li never paused throughout his journey, pushing forward continuously for over a hundred li without a single rest, until he reached a small hillock, where he finally stopped, sat down, ate a few meals, and regained both his physical strength and spiritual energy. Han Li didn't know that his series of unusual actions had driven the two followers who had been chasing him all along to rage and curse him! It was no wonder—those two had already risen before dawn to begin their journey. If it weren't for prior preparations made on Han Li's body, they might have completely lost him. Yet even so, their carefully laid plans—originally designed to set up ambushes ahead and trap Han Li—had completely collapsed! What infuriated them even more was that Han Li had simply taken a single step and walked over a hundred li, leaving them to swallow dust all the way, nearly collapsing from exhaustion. After all, as seasoned immortals, they were used to a life of comfort and ease, and such a sustained journey on foot had been a rare experience for them in recent memory. Unknown how long it had been, Han Li sat cross-legged in a sunken patch of land at the foot of the hill, eyes closed, motionless, as though he had entered a state of complete absorption. Around him, the only sound was the rhythmic, alternating calls of mountain insects. "Allow me to demonstrate my five-ball volley!" Han Li stared intently at the spot where the ice spears had been launched, his voice cold and steady. Then, he slightly curled his five fingers and suddenly snapped them out, sending five fire balls in a straight line toward the target. As the fire balls neared the ground, a yellow figure suddenly materialized out of nowhere, darted swiftly, and reappeared at a new location—just in time to evade the attack. With a loud "thud," the small area beneath the fire balls was blasted into a deep crater, the interior blazing with intense heat, some parts even showing signs of melted ground, leaving the near-missed figure drenched in cold sweat. Han Li paid no attention to the crater and instead fixed his gaze on the yellow-clad man who had leapt into the air—a lean, middle-aged man with a cunning expression. "Why did you launch a surprise attack on me?" Han Li asked coldly. Upon hearing this, the yellow-clad man's eyes twinkled, and he chuckled sarcastically. "I'll tell you that when we meet again in the next life!" Then suddenly, he roared loudly. "Now, act!" Han Li was startled and just about to move when he heard two faint sounds of soil cracking beneath his feet. Instantly, a pair of yellow-glowing hands flashed sideways, seizing his feet with firmness—like two bands of refined steel had been instantly tightened around them—leaving Han Li completely immobile. "You're done, youngster," the yellow-robed man sneered with satisfaction, "your feet are rooted. Watch how you'll evade my ice spear technique!" He raised his hands toward Han Li and began muttering to himself. As he did, a cold aura radiated from his palms, gradually forming white crystalline structures that soon coalesced into sharp, pointed ice spears. Han Li's face paled. With a swift motion, he pressed his hand against his waist, and with a sharp clink, a bright blade flashed into view. Without hesitation, he charged forward and delivered a powerful strike. "Clang!" The blow struck as though it had hit stone, sending sparks flying, yet the yellow-glowing hand remained unharmed. Han Li was both startled and furious, just as he was about to devise another plan, when a loud, booming laugh erupted from the figure in yellow robes. "Ha! Ha! Young man—die!" Han Li's heart sank as he quickly lifted his head. There, twenty or so sharp ice spears had surged forth from the yellow-robed figure, enveloping him completely, leaving him no room to dodge. Han Li's expression grew grave. Taking a deep breath, he bit his teeth and remained still on the ground, yet his body suddenly began to twist erratically from side to side. The spears were deflected by these movements, with most of them passing by; only one pierced through his right shoulder and another through his left leg, where blood immediately gushed out, soaking his garments. With a sharp "crack," Han Li flung his long sword aside and swiftly pressed his fingers to the blood vessels near the wounds, sealing them and halting the flow of blood. At that moment, the yellow-robed figure, who had previously been confident and triumphant, stared in wide-eyed disbelief at what had just unfolded. Han Li's expression was stern and sharp. With a sudden exertion of his lower legs, his limbs twisted as if boneless. The sounds of crisp, unusual cracks echoed as his feet unexpectedly shrank by a considerable amount. Then, his entire body leapt upward with a sudden surge, and his feet, like slippery eels, were forcibly pulled out of the two massive hands. He then arced through the air and came to a stop several dozen paces away, gazing coldly at the giant hands.