"Master Brother, my disciple recently managed to successfully establish the foundational stage, and thus comes specially to report this matter to Master." Han Li didn't waste any time, directly stating his purpose clearly and concisely. "Only just established the foundation?" Zhong Ling was momentarily surprised, but then immediately understood. It's not uncommon for disciples to receive foundation pills without immediately taking them, instead choosing to take the pills when they feel the timing is right—such cases are quite frequent! Master Zhong regarded Han Li as one of those examples. "Ah, congratulations, Han disciple! We now have one more high-level disciple in our ranks—what a delightful development!" Zhong Ling gently stroked her three long locks of hair, smiling warmly. "Master, I merely managed to succeed by good fortune, and this achievement is largely due to the foundation pills granted by the temple," Han Li replied with a bright smile. After listening to Han Li's humble words, Zhong Ling smiled faintly and then carefully studied Han Li once again. At this moment, the more he observed Han Li, the more familiar he found him—definitely someone he had seen before, though he couldn't recall exactly when or where. Thus, Zhong Ling Dao nodded thoughtfully, deep in contemplation. Han Li smiled to himself, undisturbed, and simply lifted his teacup, savoring the tea at his own pace. A short while later, a sudden flash of inspiration struck Zhong Ling Dao's mind—he truly remembered the matter of the Divine Ascension Scroll. The young man who had stood in the Hall of Council was now perfectly aligned with the composed disciple before him! Recalling Han Li's background, Zhong Ling Dao suddenly looked up, his face filled with astonishment, exclaiming: "It's you! The disciple who once carried the Divine Ascension Scroll into the valley! You've successfully achieved the Foundation Stage, haven't you?" "Master Brother truly remembers me! The very opportunity to join Huang Feng Valley was indeed due to your kind patronage!" Upon recognizing him, Han Li did not show any alarm, but instead smiled gently and expressed his gratitude to Zhong Ling. Hearing Han Li consistently refer to him as "Master Brother," Zhong Ling realized that he was no longer the scattered cultivator who had once joined the sect years ago, but rather a Foundation Stage cultivator of the same generation as himself! Her expression of surprise flashed briefly before settling into calm composure, and she spoke warmly, "This is nothing at all—my master has merely followed protocol for several years now. It is truly remarkable, however, that Han's younger brother has successfully achieved Foundation Stage cultivation with only a pseudo-qi root qualification. Once this is known, I'm certain he will become widely renowned throughout the cultivation world!" Though Zhong Ling appeared composed on the surface, her words subtly revealed her inner astonishment. After all, she was fully aware of Han Li's initial condition—such a pseudo-qi root with four elemental attributes achieving Foundation Stage cultivation was indeed something that could hardly be accepted. Han Li smiled, speaking in a half-joking tone: "I never expected that a single Ji-ji Foundation Pill would truly succeed in establishing my foundation. It seems the heavens have been helping me—perhaps I am just a slow-witted man with good fortune!" Upon hearing this, Han Li's words truly delighted the other person. "But, Brother Zhong, didn't the Ji-ji Foundation Pill originally go to Ye Brother's nephew? Where did you then obtain a new one?" Just as Zhong Ling had chuckled, he suddenly recalled this point and asked. "Hehe! Senior Master, actually, this very Ji-ji Foundation Pill was given to me by you!" Han Li beamed with delight and said. "Me?" Zhong Ling was now completely puzzled—he had no such memory. "Senior Master, perhaps you've forgotten that among the several survivors from the Forbidden Zone, three of them each received a Ji-ji Foundation Pill as a reward, and I was one of them!" Han Li finally stopped smiling and spoke seriously. "You're the Li Shishu, the named disciple you've taken, aren't you?" Zhong Ling's composure finally broke, her expression filled with admiration. "Indeed, I am Li Huayuan, the disciple I took during that journey to the sealed sanctuary!" Han Li did not hesitate—he confirmed it immediately. "Ah, now I understand. The name Han Li has always sounded so familiar. So you're the disciple who caused such a stir within the valley just a couple of years ago!" Zhong Ling's astonishment deepened, yet her tone grew more gentle. Although Zhong Ling Dao was mentally murmuring to himself, he naturally remained polite to Han Li, and then asked Han Li to wait a moment while he went to retrieve the register. Han Li readily agreed and waited patiently. After a cup of tea's worth of time, Zhong Ling Dao finally entered, holding a white jade register in his hands. In front of Han Li, he used a golden-painted brush to write Han Li's name at the very bottom of the list of numerous names inscribed on the register. Finally, Han Li had been officially recorded! Seeing this, Han Li felt a surge of joy, knowing now that he could legitimately claim the immortal estate. Zhong Ling Dao often handled such routine matters for newly established disciples, and upon seeing the smile on Han Li's face, he naturally sensed a good part of Han Li's thoughts. With a gentle smile, he then took out three mid-tier spiritual stones and five small flags, each veiled in a thin layer of white mist, and handed them to Han Li. "What is this?" Han Li could understand somewhat why mid-level spiritual stones were being awarded—this might well be a reward given by the sect to foundation-stage disciples. But what were these five flags, each about the size of a palm? Their strange appearance and the aura surrounding them suggested they were no ordinary artifacts—indeed, they seemed quite unusual. Yet before Han Li could even ask, Zhong Ling flipped her hand and handed him another jade scroll, explaining: "These spiritual stones are a one-time reward given to every new foundation-stage disciple. Each year thereafter, you will receive a mid-level spiritual stone free of charge, with no additional tasks required of you. As for these mystery flags—they are essential items for establishing a dwelling. Though the trail-blurring array they create is merely a simple, basic array, it is sufficient to repel intrusions from ordinary people or wild beasts. Of course, if your younger brother already possesses strong expertise in array magic, he may well find these small flags unnecessary." Moreover, the jade scroll contains the array techniques and operational methods. Of course, I've also copied down some key points regarding what to pay attention to after achieving the Foundation Stage. Once your younger brother returns, he should take the time to go over it carefully. "Thank you so much, Master Zhong!" Han Li gratefully accepted the scroll, repeatedly expressing his appreciation. These indeed were the very things Han Li needed most at the moment, leaving him thoroughly delighted. After finishing all the matters, Han Li and Master Zhong chatted for another half-hour before finally bidding farewell and leaving the council hall. After stepping out of the stone hall, Han Li had originally intended to immediately take off toward Huangfeng Valley to personally seek out a suitable location for establishing his dwelling. However, on the way, after reviewing the jade scroll given by Zhong Ling, he promptly changed his mind, turned his vehicle slightly, and took off toward another destination. "The Hall of the Qilin" sounds very impressive and commanding—it is one of the most significant locations within Huangfeng Valley! It is specifically designated for housing and taming spiritual beasts. The "spirit beasts" are essentially immortal beasts. Once mastered by cultivators, these immortal beasts naturally become what we call spirit beasts! Most of the spirit beasts within the Qi Lin Pavilion are merely first-tier spirit beasts. Even if a few second-tier immortal beasts exist, they are usually those temporarily housed here and not easily summoned or controlled by others. Nevertheless, even first-tier spirit beasts provide numerous conveniences for the students within the valley—such as transportation, guarding gateways, searching for medicinal herbs, and assisting in combat. Among these, Han Li specifically came to the pavilion seeking a creature known as the "Two-Eye Mouse." This creature resembles a common mouse but is born with extraordinary vision, precisely the one recommended to Han Li by Zhong Ling Dao in the scroll. It is the ideal companion for locating the ideal site for his dwelling. As a mid-tier first-tier spirit beast, the Two-Eye Mouse can effortlessly penetrate fog, rivers, and trees—obstacles that typically impede ordinary cultivators' sight—and by nature, it prefers to burrow and establish its home in areas where the ambient qi is most concentrated. Therefore, after a slight training, these dual-eye mice have become the ideal scouts for locating the spiritual eyes—highly favored by the disciples within the valley! Han Li had not visited the Qilin Pavilion for the first time. In fact, he had passed by its entrance several times on previous occasions while handling business. Thus, he was not entirely unfamiliar with the place. When he descended from the sky and landed at the welcoming platform on the mountain, which belonged entirely to the Qilin Pavilion, a junior female disciple immediately approached him and bowed respectfully, asking, "Master, are you coming to rent a spiritual beast?" With her clear voice, the young woman, only about sixteen or seventeen years old, expressed a hopeful tone. Seeing this, Han Li smiled gently and replied, "Do you still have any available dual-eye mice on the mountain? I would like to rent one for the next two days!" "Of course we do! I'll immediately fetch one for Master!"