Perhaps it was their impatience that made the difference. Suddenly, two dark spots appeared in the western sky of the mountain range—exactly the double-headed crane韩立 had seen at the Tai Nan Assembly, now riding a strange eagle with a man and a woman seated upon it. As soon as outsiders appeared, Dong Xuan'er, who had been lounging indolently, immediately straightened up and stared curiously at the growing figure of the double-headed crane. "I'm truly sorry to have kept you waiting," said the young man, "My name is Yan Yu, and this is my younger sister, Yan Ling. We have come especially to escort you to Yan Ling Fort." As the double-headed crane landed on the mountain peak, the man and woman alighted gracefully. The young man, just standing steady, immediately apologized with a warm expression. "It's quite all right," said Han Li, before he could speak. On seeing Yan Yu, who was so bold and commanding, Dong Xuan'er's eyes sparkled with delight. Her voice was soft and melodious, so delicate that even Han Li found himself momentarily captivated. If it weren't for having seen this girl's impetuous nature just a few days ago, Han Ligong would have truly thought her a refined lady of noble birth at this very moment! Yan Yu was completely unaware of all this. Upon seeing the beautiful young woman before him and hearing her gentle words, he felt a sudden stir within his heart, experiencing an unusual sensation. He straightened his posture and said with a clear voice, "Actually, there were originally disciples from the Yan family waiting for our esteemed guests. However, the disciple who was supposed to receive the guests encountered an unexpected incident, so we were momentarily without anyone to welcome you two, nearly causing us to overlook your visit. For this, Yan Yu has on behalf of the Yan family offered our apologies. I hope you will not mind." Dong Xuan'er smiled gently, her eyes sparkling with grace, just about to speak when suddenly a soft voice from Han Li reached her ears: "Will Master Sister not be blamed by Red Fu Master for such a manner?" "Heard this, Dong Xuan'er's face turned pale, her lips opened and closed several times, yet she failed to speak a word. This odd situation left Yan Yu's siblings somewhat puzzled. Yan Ling, a girl of about fifteen or sixteen, appeared lively and charming, with her dark, bright eyes constantly shifting between Han Li and Dong Xuan'er, giving the impression of being exceptionally alert. 'As Dong sister mentioned, a slight delay is not unusual,' said Han Li. 'I'm certain Yan family wouldn't deliberately overlook us, the guests they invited. Yet I still find it strange—what unexpected incident could have befallen the original guest, the disciple of the Houke sect? Could there have been a conflict with any of our guests?' After gently stopping Dong Xuan'er from wildly applying her 'Hua Chun Ju' to display her charm, Han Li cleared his throat and offered a polite remark, then casually inquired about the so-called 'incident.' 'Hmm,' Yan Yu replied, his face showing hesitation, as though he had something on his mind he was reluctant to voice plainly." "Han Li, since Master Yu has some difficulties, let's not bother him unnecessarily. Why don't we go to Yan Ling Pavilion early? Shouldn't there be quite a few people there already?" "Yes, let's go to Yan Ling Pavilion! Indeed, many guests have arrived and are currently discussing their cultivation experiences and exchanging insights. With you two joining them, it would be a perfect opportunity." When Dong Xuan'er saw Yan Yu hesitating, she suddenly stepped in to praise him, which greatly relieved the young disciple of the Yan family. He nodded enthusiastically and expressed even greater appreciation for Dong Xuan'er. Meanwhile, Yan Ling, standing by, subtly sensed Dong Xuan'er's "underlying intentions" and frowned slightly, pouting a little. But then, as if remembering something, she added with a touch of apology, "Before I escort you both further, I'd like to take a moment to check my invitations—please don't mind!" Although her words were polite, Han Li clearly sensed that much of the tone was directed toward Dong Xuan'er. It seemed that this young disciple of the Yan family was already being gently drawn into Dong Xuan'er's warm embrace. Han Li silently chuckled to himself, choosing not to dwell on Dong Xuan'er's oddities. He simply pretended not to notice and smoothly produced Li Hua Yuan's invitation, handing it over to Yan Yu with ease. Meanwhile, Dong Xuan'er presented the one from Hong Fu the Immortal Lady, extending it with delicate hands that radiated a fragrant aroma and a luminous, porcelain-like glow—so captivating that Yan Yu momentarily lost her composure and forgot to reach out. Her younger sister, watching from the side, finally grew impatient and took the invitation from her, thus helping to bring Yan Yu back to his senses. With a few soft, low laughs from Dong Xuan'er, Yan Yu's face turned a deep crimson. "Ah, it's Han and Dong, the invitations are all set. Then, let's go!" After returning the invitations to Han and Dong, Yan Yu climbed onto the double-headed crane with a restless mind, occasionally glancing at Dong Xuan'er. Yet at this moment, the usually impetuous young woman had unexpectedly adopted a composed and dignified demeanor, which only deepened Yan Yu's growing admiration and romantic thoughts. The four of them took off one after another, heading straight toward the direction where Yan's siblings had arrived. After flying for several dozen miles, they came to a spot nestled between two small hills and settled there. At this point, Yan Yu produced a token from her robes, clutched it tightly in both hands, and poured a strong surge of spiritual energy into it. Instantly, a broad, golden-yellow glow radiated from the token and shot forward into the void ahead. The previously empty space was instantly illuminated by this glow, transforming into a shimmering, five-colored radiance. Then, as the five-colored lights faded away, a magnificent ancient castle suddenly appeared amid the previously open mountain ridge. Standing before the towering walls, stretching over thirty to forty paces high, and the countless grand, classical buildings within, both Han Li and Dong Xuan'er were struck with wonder, marveling at the sight. One wore the brown attire of the Yan family, a sturdy, imposing man; the other had curly gray hair, yellowish hair, dark skin, and dressed in a long, jade-green robe—most strikingly unusual. Surrounding them was a massive, luminous white aura, gently pulsing and faintly shimmering. Outside the aura, people stood in haphazard clusters—most notably, two groups of individuals dressed uniformly. One group stood in neat, orderly rows, silent and composed, clearly well-trained—exactly the Yan family's style. The other group wore the same green robes as the man with the curly beard floating above, most of them sharing his gray eyes and yellow hair, though a few had ordinary features. After observing this clearly, Han Li was equally astonished and turned to his Yan relatives, hoping for an explanation. Yet before he could ask, Yan Yu noticed the scene and immediately looked uneasy. The Yan Ling beside him clenched her fists, deeply indignant, saying, "They've launched another challenge—so ruthless and cruel! This is utterly unreasonable!" Upon hearing this, Han Li was momentarily struck and gently asked, "Are these people not guests of the Yan family?" "Of course not! These individuals came to us on their own. As soon as they arrived, they injured the young sixteen and the young fifteen, the attendants who were supposed to welcome them. Moreover, they insist on participating in the treasure-hunting competition—how the elders could possibly agree to this, I can't fathom! It's truly infuriating!" Yan Ling ignored Yan Yu's attempts to quiet her, pouring out a stream of words in her characteristic youthful outburst, leaving Han Li momentarily speechless with amusement. Yan Yu, on the other hand, looked somewhat embarrassed, at a loss for words. "So, this must be the root cause of our prolonged stay atop the mountain! May I ask, Master Yu, could you kindly share the full details with Xuan?" "Without needing to ask Feng Xuaner, her curiosity equally stirred, she poured a generous serving of soup into Yan Yu's cup, making her pause slightly before readily agreeing. "These guests arrived at our Yanling Fort this morning. When they reached the outer reception area, they insisted on entering without invitations, even assaulting two disciples who were originally hosting them. Upon receiving the request for assistance, other disciples arrived promptly, intending to give these guests a stern reprimand. Yet, unexpectedly, these guests produced several letters and tokens, which caused several leading elders to take the matter seriously, swallowing their initial frustration and inviting them into the fort." "Yet once inside, these guests showed no signs of composure—they immediately requested sparring matches against the Yan family. After deliberating, the elders decided to show them some strength and agreed. The matches were set for ten bouts, all contested between disciples at the Foundation Stage!" Before I went to fetch the two of you, I had already played several matches, but the results—well, …" Yan Yu gently shook her head, her expression somewhat subdued, clearly indicating that it was evident Yan family was at a disadvantage.