The "Da Yan Ju" that Han Li had listened to several times today—originally presented as a technique used to lure him by his senior, Lin—had been so casually found and retrieved by him, that it felt utterly unbelievable and absurd! Yet, the fact that Lin had carried the "Da Yan Ju" with him all along remained a mystery to Han Li. Was Lin truly foolish, or was he simply exceptionally wise? Now, after briefly reviewing the entire text of the "Da Yan Ju," he confirmed that it indeed matched what Lin had described—only four layers of verses. Thus, on this point, Lin had not deceived him. But then, something even more astonishing unfolded. After finishing the entire "Da Yan Ju," a new text titled "Kui Lai Zhenjie" appeared immediately afterward. This volume detailed the methods for crafting puppets of various ranks, both animal and human, and turned out to be an exceptionally comprehensive guide to puppet-making! After gazing at it for a while, Han Li finally withdrew his spirit with a visibly excited expression, as if deeply delighted. Yet, upon glancing at the jade scroll in his hands, he suddenly remembered something, and his expression grew strangely puzzled. As for the claim that the Dàyǎn Decree could increase the chances of achieving a Condensed Qi stage, Han Li simply didn't believe it—such a notion was utterly baseless and purely speculative. After thinking deeply, Han Li found himself unable to decide, and finally shook his head, placing the jade scroll into his storage bag to set it aside for later consideration. After all, deciding now whether to practice the Dàyǎn Decree or to adopt the puppet craftsmanship offered by the visitors seemed rather hasty. It would be better to wait until he could settle down and reflect more calmly on the matter. Nevertheless, this current discovery had greatly stimulated Han Li. It suddenly reminded him that although the Yellow Dragon and others—including their storage bags—had been completely annihilated by Lei Wanhè’s lightning-infused swordlight, some puppets had apparently not yet been retrieved and remained outside the array. What a valuable opportunity this was! With this thought, Han Li immediately felt cheerful and stepped out of the array. Indeed, outside the array, near the edge, several puppet figures and mechanical beasts that had regained their palm-sized forms due to lack of control were found—though not as many as韩立 had anticipated, only about twenty or so. The rest had been reduced to ashes by the swordlight of Lei Wanhe. Nevertheless, despite this,韩立 remained enthusiastic, carefully collecting each one. Having cleared out so many valuable items, he still felt unsatisfied, longing for another eighty or a hundred such figures to gather. This very mindset made him find it amusing—how greedy he truly was! After a few self-deprecating remarks,韩立 returned to his dwelling to first study the two ancient prescriptions before heading to Master Li Hua Yuan tomorrow to see if he could secure a good martial technique. He learned yesterday from Lei Wanhe that his master's abode was situated at the foot of a mountain peak there. Li Huayuan, recently, had seemed to be busy within the cave. If he went there now, it would be just the right time. With the speed of the Shenfeng Boat, Han Li didn't take long to reach the place Lei Wanhe mentioned. Indeed, it was a very secluded yet picturesque spot, with green mountains and clear waters. Standing before a magnificent waterfall at the foot of this mountain peak, Han Li drew out a transmission scroll from his sleeve, whispered a few words to it, then tossed it outward. The scroll instantly glowed into a bright flame and vanished into the vast water curtain. After about one hour passed, the water curtain suddenly parted to reveal a large opening. From within, a slender, scholarly man in his thirties emerged and immediately greeted Han Li warmly: "Is this Master Han Li?" I am Yu Kun, the senior disciple under my master. Just call me Yu Senior Brother!" The scholar said with a graceful movement, landing beside Han Li and smiling warmly at him. "Respectfully, Senior Brother!" Han Li replied in a humble tone, calling out the title with sincerity. "Originally, I heard that my junior wasn't particularly talented, but now that I see him, Han junior has successfully reached the Foundation Stage—what a wonderful and auspicious development!" Yu Kun seemed already aware of Han's achievement, so he never once showed any surprise throughout the entire process, though he kept expressing his congratulations to Han repeatedly. This only made Han feel even more self-conscious. "Oh, by the way, Master is still waiting for you inside the pavilion! Don't make him wait too long—let's go into the Green Wave Cavern right away!" Yu Kun seemed to have just remembered this matter, tapped his temple thoughtfully, and then smiled cheerfully. Upon seeing this behavior, Han's mouth twitched slightly, yet he maintained a composed and respectful demeanor, nodding in agreement and then joined Yu Kun in flying through the water curtain. As soon as they entered the water curtain, Han was struck by the scene before him: a natural valley lay before him, fragrant with blossoms and birdsong, clear streams winding through lush trees. Moreover, several rare animals were leaping and playing about, adding to the delightful charm. "Is this really what I'm seeing?" Han Li felt as though his mind were not working properly! This sight was utterly unexpected. Could it be that his master actually enjoyed keeping small pets? That truly astonished him! Thus, Han Li, still confused, was guided by Yu Kun into a large cave on the side of the valley. Inside the hall of the cave, Han Li met his master, Li Hua Yuan, and another beautiful young woman in her early to mid-20s. Master Li, as always, maintained his cold demeanor, though he did finally manage to offer a faint smile upon seeing Han Li enter. As for the young woman, although Han Li found her attractive, he dared not gaze at her closely in front of Li Hua Yuan. He merely gave her a cursory glance and then respectfully bowed, saying, "Disciple Han Li, bows to my esteemed master." "Sit up," said Li Hua Yuan, pleased with Han Li's respectful attitude, "This is your wife-in-law. You should have met her already." "Respectfully bowing to my wife-in-law!" Han Li sighed inwardly and had no choice but to pay his respects to the woman who appeared only slightly older than himself. "Never mind, no need for formalities." Upon seeing Han Li approach to pay his respects, the young wife smiled warmly and said. Her voice was soft and melodious, exuding the gentle grace typical of a woman from the water-town, revealing much of her charm. Indeed, she was an exceptionally kind and gentle woman! "Han Li, I heard just a few days ago that you've successfully achieved the Foundation Stage. To be honest, this truly comes as a surprise to me—I'm quite astonished!" Li Huayuan said with a gentle smile, his tone so kind and soothing that Han Li felt deeply honored and unexpectedly touched. "It's all due to my good fortune, truly," Han Li replied, his face slightly flushed, as if embarrassed. "Actually, even I was surprised myself to have achieved this milestone!" Li Huayuan lightly shook his head and smiled. "Ah! That's right..." Han Li had never thought of this before and now found himself at a loss for words, feeling somewhat awkward. (The second installment is now here, with the third one coming later tonight!) We're going to definitely shine today! We're sure everyone will give us their full support!