"Yes, Master Wu's idea is truly excellent!" The elder with the leaf-shaped surname brightened up, excitedly. Then he turned to Zhong Ling and said with hopeful anticipation, "Master, could I possibly meet the owner of the Ascension Scroll? I would like to make a deal with him—something that would allow me to secure his voluntary relinquishment of the Foundation Pill!" Upon hearing this, Zhong Ling paused thoughtfully before finally agreeing. However, she reminded the elder not to use overly forceful measures in the transaction, and only then did she send the younger brother Wang with him to meet the unexpected guest. As soon as the elder and Wang brother stepped out of the grand hall, they immediately ascended into the air, riding on the leaf-shaped artifact, heading toward the Welcome Pavilion in Huangfeng Valley. Inside one of the rooms at the Welcome Pavilion, a young man lay on his bed, gazing thoughtfully at the ceiling. He was precisely the one who had come to Huangfeng Valley with the victorious participants of the Ascension Festival—Han Li. After defeating the two cultivators who had launched a surprise attack, Han Li traveled uneventfully to a secluded mountain range in Lanzhou, where he attended the Ascension Conference shortly thereafter and witnessed the competitive arena battles—far more devastating than Hu Ping had described. Following a series of life-and-death contests, the final champions were determined on each platform. It was then that the leading figures of the seven great cultivator sects made their appearance, among them the representative of Huangfeng Valley—Han Li's younger brother, Wang. Thus, under the astonished glances of other cultivators, Han Li sat alongside ten outstanding contestants on a large, boat-shaped artifact, being escorted by the junior disciple, Wang, back to Huangfeng Valley, where he was assigned to this residence to await further instructions. The other ten were separated from him and taken to unknown destinations. Han Li remained here for three or four days, never stepping outside the door—except for a young servant, around eleven or twelve years old, who delivered meals at regular intervals. He saw no one else during that time. This was not due to Han Li's obedience or diligence, but because the junior disciple Wang, after arranging his lodging and assessing his attributes, explicitly informed him that since he was not yet a disciple of Huangfeng Valley, the room had been sealed with certain restrictions, preventing him from leaving. Should he attempt to do so, the restrictions would activate and trap him. Hearing the guide named Wang say so, Han Li naturally wouldn't want to appear ungrateful, especially after learning that he possessed a pseudo-qi root with four elemental attributes—a condition that had been weighing heavily on his mind. Although Han Li had long known his cultivation potential was mediocre, the personal confirmation had left him gloom-stricken for an entire day. It now seemed clear that if he hoped to make any real progress on his cultivation journey, he would have to rely heavily on external aids such as pills and elixirs. However, since his Changle功 had reached the ninth level, he had noticed a significant decline in the effectiveness of the "Yellow Dragon Pills" and the "Golden Essence Pills," which no longer provided the same level of support as before. It was evident that he would need to seek out other medicinal formulas and develop truly suitable elixirs for cultivators, otherwise his progress would be compromised. Han Li was deep in thought when suddenly footsteps were heard at the door—footsteps belonging to more than one person. Han Li's spirits immediately lifted; after waiting so patiently, he had finally received the news he had been hoping for. "Young friend, are you finding your stay here comfortable?" The door was gently pushed open, and then the voice of the Wang family guide was heard. He stepped in from outside, followed by an elder with a red face. "Master Wang, excellent!" Han Li immediately jumped down from the bed and bowed respectfully. He knew well that politeness goes a long way—by showing humility, he only gained benefits without any drawbacks. "Who is this?" Han Li glanced at the elder, slightly puzzled. "This is my senior brother, Li," explained the Wang disciple with a smile. Li? Han Li was surprised. Had it been revealed that he had killed and seized authority from Jin Guang Shiren, prompting the Li family to send someone? Yet, although the elder's expression was not very pleasant, there was no sign of resentment or bitterness. Clearly, there was more to this than met the eye. Han Li murmured these thoughts to himself, but on the surface, he remained composed, immediately bowing with equal courtesy. "Ah, so this is Master Li!" "The elder had examined Han Li from head to toe, and still found him utterly ordinary, with no hint of anything extraordinary. This gave him greater confidence in achieving his purpose. Upon hearing Han Li's greeting, he smiled warmly and said, 'Hehe! Han Young Master, please don't be formal. Since you hold the Scroll of Ascension to our Huangfeng Valley, you are now officially a disciple of our sect. You may call me Ye Shishu—there's no need to be so reserved!' "Even though Han Li had always been steady and composed, hearing this letter stirred him to excitement, and he couldn't help but sway and gesture excitedly, eager to release the surge of emotion within him. Seeing Han Li in this state, Wang Shizui smiled gently, not at all surprised—seeming as though Han Li's reaction had been precisely what he had expected all along! "Wang Shizui, I would like to speak privately with Han Shizhi. Would you mind stepping out for a moment?" The elder grew increasingly restless, finally voicing the very words he had intended to say as soon as he entered the room. "Of course—I'll go back to the abode of the Master now. After we've finished our conversation, both of us will join you there as well!" Wang Shizui sighed softly, glanced at Han Li with a faint, composed expression, and then left the room. At that moment, only the elderly man with the leaf surname and Han Li remained in the room. Han Li stared in astonishment at what had just unfolded. How had this Wang person simply vanished so suddenly? And why had he left behind only this elder, whom he claimed to be his senior, to talk privately with him? Though he didn't know what Master Ye intended to do, Han Li suddenly felt a faint sense of unease. The elder had noticed Han Li's anxiety, yet he paid it no mind. He was confident that whatever he had to offer would surely astonish this young, relatively inexperienced guest and ensure the transaction's success. "Master Ye, I'm a straightforward man, so I won't beat around the bush. I'd like to discuss the matter concerning the Foundation Pill you've been given and the one I wish to purchase from you. Would you be willing to sell me that Foundation Pill?" the elder stated plainly. "Really? You want to buy the Foundation Pill that you've already given to me? That seems impossible—how would anyone willingly give away a Foundation Pill?" Han Li was momentarily stunned upon hearing this, then his face quickly turned pale and serious. "Master Ye, please rest assured—I will not ask you to give up that Foundation Pill without receiving something in return." A few mid-tier spiritual stones, some basic to moderately advanced spiritual seals, and a few fine magical artifacts—these I can certainly offer. Should I need to, I also have some pills to refine my spiritual power, though not quite on par with foundation pills, yet still among the rarer medicinal treasures in the sect. As long as my junior nephew agrees, these can be exchanged for the foundation pill. The elder clearly perceived the shift in Han Li's expression and quickly explained. Upon hearing this, Han Li's demeanor improved noticeably. He sensed the sincerity in the elder's words, and it seemed that this senior uncle did not intend to seize the foundation pill outright, but genuinely wished to acquire it.