(Cough! There's nothing we can do about it—most of the day we've had no connection, only restoring service around 11:30 p.m. We've barely managed to finish this chapter in a rush, so please forgive us! During the Olympics, we've also experienced such issues—truly, we're quite frustrated!) "Look at that!" "What is this?" "I can't believe it!" Suddenly, a pile of spiritual herbs appeared on the ground, drawing gasps from several sharp-eyed observers! These exclamations immediately drew others' attention, including Master Li and Feng Yunzi. However, when the two saw the herbs beneath Han Li's feet, Feng Yunzi's delighted expression froze, while Master Li, after a moment of stillness, burst into joyful laughter—this unexpected gift from the heavens left him utterly delighted. Once Master Li regained his composure and stopped laughing, he fixed his warm, smiling gaze on Han Li, studying him intently. No matter how often he looked at him, he found him increasingly pleasant to behold. The Daoist's face turned ashen, still hard to believe he had lost so easily. His gaze toward Han Li now carried clear disfavor. "Brother Daoist, what is this? Are you going to trouble a young disciple like this?" Upon seeing Fu Yunzi's expression, Li Shizhu snorted and took a single step forward, blocking Han Li with her body, her face stern. Han Li had just rendered great service to her, and she could not allow this young disciple to be intimidated by Fu Yunzi in front of so many people—otherwise, her own dignity would be completely compromised. Moved by Li Shizhu's words, the Daoist realized that treating a disciple of Qi Stage as if he were a mere subordinate was indeed inappropriate and might be perceived as an act of personal retaliation. He quickly shifted his gaze, offering a polite smile to Li Shizhu: "Master Li, I must have misunderstood. I merely find it astonishing that this young disciple, with his current level of cultivation, has managed to gather so many medicinal herbs—thus, I simply wanted to take a closer look." The Daoist tried hard to maintain a composed expression, yet every time he thought of the blood-threaded qiao inner jade, he felt his heart bleeding—his face simply wouldn’t recover. Li Shizhu chuckled coldly, “Heh-heh,” and said nothing further. After all, he had already secured a decisive victory and didn’t wish to add verbal pressure to his opponent. Though he found it puzzling that Han Li had obtained so many spiritual herbs, he didn’t dare to press the matter in front of so many representatives from other sects. He thus chose to simply overlook it. Moreover, at this very moment, he was filled with intense enthusiasm—once he triumphed over the Yan Yue Sect, his journey to the sacred grounds would truly be a resounding success. Naturally, he wouldn’t mind these minor details as long as he won the bet. As long as Han Li secured the victory, the way he had secretly acquired the herbs didn’t matter. Seeing Li Shizhu’s expression, the Daoist clearly understood his thoughts. With frustration and sorrow, he settled for being the one who had been eliminated, and continued to watch, silently, as either Li Shizhu or the old master of the sky dome would emerge The old master Qiong's expression wasn't much better than that of the Taoist. The medicinal herbs submitted by the earlier disciples of Yan Yue Sect were all ordinary, leaving him utterly unable to smile. Just as Li Shizhu was about to boast with confidence, the situation suddenly took a turn for the better—medicinal herbs submitted by the later disciples of Yan Yue Sect suddenly numbered over a dozen each, surpassing the combined total of Qing Xu Sect and Huang Feng Valley by five or six specimens, and thus winning the final contest. This sudden development left Li Shizhu stunned, while Old Master Qiong breathed a deep sigh of relief and chuckled happily. "Bring it here! Bring it here!" Qiong promptly demanded of Fu Yunzi, "I've just been planning to brew a fine batch of medicine—this internal essence of the Blood-Line Dragon is perfect as a medicinal base!" Without hesitation, he claimed his stake on the spot. Upon hearing this, the Taoist Fu Yunzi managed a weak smile, opened his mouth several times, as if ready to speak, but ultimately said nothing. Seeing this, Qiong narrowed his eyes and grew visibly displeased. "How is it, the renowned Fuyun Zi of Qingxu Sect, now wants to hold out on his payment?" "Hold out on payment? Do you think I'd dare to hold you, Qiong Old Master, accountable?" Fuyun Zi wasn't truly reversing his decision—he genuinely didn't want to part with the true inner elixir. It was just that, as a precious treasure, he felt deeply pained, and the reluctance was instinctive. But now, with Qiong Old Master saying this, his face flushed one moment and then paled the next. After a sharp kick, he tossed a pale, round orb toward the other—exactly the inner elixir of the Xianxian Jiao. Then, with a look of genuine distress, he turned away, refusing to meet the eyes. Qiong Old Master caught the elixir in his hand, examined it carefully, and beamed with satisfaction. Yet he murmured under his breath: "It seems the quality isn't quite up to par—the vital energy is rather weak. I guess we'll have to make do with it!" Upon hearing this, Fuyun Zi's face turned crimson, and he nearly fainted "Li, you..." "Master Li will have two pieces of iron essence sent over within twenty years!" Master Li was quite straightforward, stepping in to accept the pledge even before the ancient elder finished speaking. "Hehe! Li is indeed generous. Then I have nothing more to say!" The ancient elder nodded with satisfaction and then strolled off to the Yanyue Sect, swaying gently. The twists and turns of this bet truly amazed the representatives from the various sects. As they watched, they quietly expressed their admiration for the unfortunate fate of Master Li and Fuyunzi—those who had tried to steal but ended up losing everything. After all, they had all wagered against this old giant! Regardless, the journey to the sacred sanctuary had now come to an end. After collecting their disciples' medicinal herbs and having each one inspected by the scent-sensitive beasts, the leaders of the various sects all bid farewell and began to depart in turn, gradually forming their respective groups. The people of the Yan Yue Sect were the first to depart. After exchanging greetings with members of other sects and boarding the Tian Yue Divine Vessels, they all moved away. Han Li found himself gazing at Nan Gong Wan among them, yet this lady never once looked at him from the moment she boarded the vessel until her departure, leaving Han Li feeling deeply unsettled. Nevertheless, Han Li, known for his resilient composure, soon regained his calm and continued observing the departure of the other sects. When Han Yunzhi glanced at Han Li as she joined the departing members of Ling Shou Mountain, offering a kind smile, it warmed Han Li's heart. As a de facto head of the Huang Feng Valley, it was natural that they remained until last. Thus, after the other seven sects had all departed, only the Huang Feng Valley remained alone outside the sacred precinct. Yet Master Li did not lead them off immediately. Instead, he raised his head, gazing steadily toward the sacred grounds, silent and expressionless. However, everyone knew that Master Li had just lost a bet and was likely in a less-than-pleased mood, so no one dared to be rude and urge him. They simply waited in silence behind him. After half a day, Master Li's spirits seemed to have lifted a bit. Though he hadn't yet turned around, he finally spoke—and his first words were directed straight at Han Li. "What is the name of the disciple who submitted the most spiritual medicines? How many years has this disciple been in the valley?" Upon hearing this, the others couldn't help but express admiration—being personally known by Master Li would surely bring significant benefits in the future. Han Li, however, was slightly startled and immediately responded with respectful formality: "Disciple Han Li, I have been in the valley for nearly three years." "Han Li?" Master Li repeated the name slowly, as if pondering something, and did not immediately respond. This caused the disciples behind him to exchange glances, puzzled as to what Master Li might be thinking. But then, Master Li's next words sent Han Li's heart racing, prompting him to brace himself with full attention. "Han Li, tell me about how you obtained these herbs—I'd like to hear the story!" Li Shizhu asked casually. After listening to Han Li's account, Li Shizhu nodded to himself quietly, finding the explanation now fully coherent. Otherwise, how could a disciple with such a modest cultivation level as Han Li have gathered so many rare medicinal herbs? It clearly seemed that Han Li had been blessed with extraordinary fortune—purely by chance. Having convinced himself of the matter's true nature, Li Shizhu no longer felt the need to press for further details. Yet, after a moment's thoughtful pause, he suddenly looked at Han Li with a serious expression and said, "Han Li, you have done a great service to our sect this time. Though I did not win the bet, I still wish to reward you generously. I intend to formally admit you as a registered disciple. Would you be willing?" He is utterly ordinary in both technique and potential—there's truly nothing outstanding about him that would command the Master's attention!