(Haha! After a good night's rest, the fever has finally completely subsided! I'll update everyone right away. Thank you all for your continued support!) After completing the transaction with Han Li, the elder from the Ye family took him and drove them through the magical apparatus toward the Hall of Council to report back to Master Zhong Ling, the abbot of Huang Feng Valley. Soon afterward, Han Li arrived at the grand stone hall standing several dozen meters high, curiously observing the several Huang Feng Valley disciples stationed at the entrance. These disciples clearly possessed much stronger magical energy than Han Li himself, with at least ten levels of foundational techniques. This impressed Han Li deeply, prompting him to take another look at the strength of this sect's cultivators. When the Ye elder and Han Li arrived, he had been asked to wait outside the hall while the elder entered to meet with Master Zhong Ling. As a result, Han Li found himself standing alone outside, waiting in silence, which left him feeling rather embarrassed and frustrated for a while. After a while, a middle-aged man in white robes stepped out from inside and directly approached Han Li, coldly saying, "Come with me, Master has summoned you." Then, without paying any attention to Han Li's reaction, he continued on his way back. Han Li silently sighed, realizing that as a ninth-level Qi Condensation cultivator, he simply didn't command the slightest attention from the man—neither did he wish to speak a single word to him. Though deeply dissatisfied with the man, Han Li knew well his own standing here, and thus followed him patiently, stepping into the hall. After passing through three grand doors each guarded by disciples, Han Li finally met Master Zhong Ling, the abbot of Huang Feng Valley, a middle-aged man with three flowing strands of beard. On either side of the hall, several others in various attire were seated. When Han Li entered, they glanced at him briefly, but seeing that he was ordinary in appearance with no particularly striking features, they soon turned their attention elsewhere. And the elder named Ye, along with the younger disciple Wang, were also seated among them. "Young friend, are you named Han Li?" asked the Master Zhong calmly. "Yes, I am Han Li, and I bow to the Master!" Han Li stepped forward with sincere intent, ready to perform a formal bow of reverence. "No need for formalities!" said Master Zhong, with a gentle, warm smile like a spring breeze, lightly brushing his sleeve. Yet Han Li felt his lowering body gently supported by an invisible, soft force, preventing him from completing the bow. This unexpected sensation startled him, deepening his sense of respect toward the Master. "By right, besides joining our sect, you are also entitled to take the Foundation Pill. However, before that, I heard from my younger brother Ye that you willingly gave up this very pill and passed it on to someone else—was that truly the case?" "Master Zhong didn't waste any words—he simply stated the purpose for summoning him to the hall. "Yes, Master! I feel my qualifications are rather mediocre. To take such a precious pill as this is truly a luxury. It would be better to reserve it for other senior disciples who have greater need!" After saying this, Han Li still felt a deep pang of regret in his heart. After all, this was a Foundation Pill—not just any ordinary pill that could be eaten like snacks! In the immortal realm, such a pill would surely stir up a great deal of rivalry and conflict. Though he had his own secret vial of rare ingredients to rely on, he honestly didn't feel confident about fully replicating a Foundation Pill like this. Thus, his words sounded more heartfelt than sincere. Despite his deep reluctance, Han Li maintained a composed and respectful demeanor on the surface, which pleased most of the people in the hall. "Excellent! It is truly heartening to see such a noble spirit in young Han." But please rest assured, young friend—our master will not allow you to make this sacrifice in vain! After speaking, Zhong Ling turned to face the elder named Ye. "Ye brother! The Foundation Pill that Han young friend has generously offered shall now be taken by your nephew. However, brother must fully compensate Han young friend for his loss, and ensure that he is completely satisfied!" Zhong Ling said solemnly. "Ah, yes! Master, please have no worries—I will certainly make Han’s nephew completely happy!" Seeing that the matter had truly unfolded as expected, smoothly and successfully, the elder beamed with delight and responded enthusiastically. Upon seeing this, Zhong Ling gently stroked her long beard, smiled slightly. This difficult matter had been resolved so effortlessly, and even Master Zhong breathed a sigh of relief. "Then it is settled—the Foundation Pill matter is thus arranged. From today on, Han young friend shall be officially recognized as a disciple of our sect." Master Wang, arrange a residence for young Han and explain the Valley's rules to him. Have him first train with the disciples in the foundational stage, and if he shows outstanding ability, we'll promote him later!" Master Zhong Ling's words were precise and seamless. She then instructed Master Wang. "Understood, Master!" Master Wang stood up straight, respectfully accepting the assignment. Immediately, Master Wang led Han toward the outer hall, beginning to explain the Valley's various regulations and share some general information. Han listened intently throughout, gaining a preliminary understanding of Huangfeng Valley. The Valley has over ten thousand disciples in total, of whom more than ninety percent are at the Qi Condensation stage. Only a few hundred are at the Foundation stage—these are the core strength of the Valley. As for the senior cultivators at the Dan Condensation stage, there are only a handful, who have been mostly in seclusion, rarely involved in daily affairs. Unless it concerns a matter of life and death for Huangfeng Valley, even the Master Zhong himself is rarely seen face to face with these individuals. As for the only Yuan-Infusion cultivator within the valley, he is Master Zhong's senior teacher, reportedly over nine hundred years old. His inner cultivation is profound and his Dao techniques exquisitely refined; moreover, he can even project his Yuan-Infusion, traveling thousands of miles in spirit, making him a living terrestrial immortal. However, this elder has long since left the valley and is no longer within the territory of Yue State; he now tours other states, and no one knows when he will return. With so many Qi-Cultivation disciples in the valley, it is naturally impossible for every single one to receive a Foundation Pill. Only the most outstanding and gifted disciples are honored with this privilege. Therefore, every decade, the disciples under thirty years of age undergo a series of rigorous selections, with the intensity of competition rivaling that of the external Immortal Ascension Conferences. Basically, only true prodigies with foundational techniques refined to the eleventh or twelfth level could stand out and qualify for the Foundation Pill. Among the hundreds of top students rigorously selected in this way, only about twenty or thirty managed to successfully enter the Foundation Stage after taking the pill. The rest merely advanced their spiritual energy slightly, refining their basic techniques to their peak, and remained firmly within the Qi Cultivation stage. As a result, the students in the valley were naturally divided into three distinct tiers. The lowest tier consisted of those who had never taken the Foundation Pill—by far the largest group and the ones with the shallowest spiritual energy. These students performed the most routine duties, spent the least time on cultivation, and held the lowest status in the valley, despite their somewhat imposing title of "Deputy Administrators." Slightly above them were those who had taken the Foundation Pill but had not yet reached the Foundation Stage. Their foundational techniques have all reached their peak, with much stronger spiritual power than the junior clerical disciples. Some even master intermediate-level techniques, enabling them to take on the responsibilities of leading and overseeing numerous clerical disciples—commonly referred to as "leading clerical disciples." The most distinguished and best treated are those who successfully advance to the Foundation Stage. These favored students are truly considered cultivators, having officially embarked on the path of cultivation. After achieving Foundation Stage attainment, they are granted the freedom to select a location within the Tai Yue Mountain Range rich in spiritual energy, where they may establish their own independent dwelling and focus solely on cultivation, free from any administrative duties. Each year, they receive a variety of rare materials and abundant spiritual stones to support their accelerated progress. Their sole obligation is to step in and assist the sect when faced with major threats—failure to comply is not permitted. Beyond these disciples, Huangfeng Valley also has various officials who wield real authority within the gate. These officials emerge from disciples who, after entering the Foundation Stage and undergoing a period of cultivation, come to realize that they have little hope of reaching the Consolidation Stage. Voluntarily stepping aside from further cultivation, they choose to specialize in managing the day-to-day administrative affairs of the valley. The elderly Ye-family official and the dozen or so individuals who meet regularly in the main hall are precisely such officials. Strictly speaking, Master Zhong Ling, the abbot, himself holds the rank of a senior official—though his responsibilities lie in overall strategic planning and coordination for the entire sect, making him an official in charge of the other officials. The true determinants of the sect's survival and fate remain the Consolidation Stage and above cultivators who remain detached from external affairs. It is precisely their presence that enables the various demonic and foreign sects to refrain from launching attacks upon Huangfeng Valley, allowing it to stand as one of the Seven Celestial Sects to this day. Otherwise, as one of the Seven Celestial Sects, Huangfeng Valley would have already been wiped out countless times by the powerful, adept demonic beings. Of course, the above content is not exactly what the Master Brother himself said, but rather what Han Li inferred through careful observation of his words and subtle hints. This gave Han Li a clear understanding of his current environment and status, proving highly beneficial in his future interactions with other fellow disciples.