Han Li gazed at the herbal formula held by this senior cultivator, furrowing his brows. It was now the noon of the second day since Han Li had arrived at Yanling Fort. After a morning of enthusiastic discussions among the newly joined members, the more than a dozen cultivators from various sects began exchanging items among themselves. Each person in turn stated what they needed and what they were willing to offer, checking whether any of the others were open to trade. Indeed, such a small gathering proved to be quite active, with several cultivators presenting notable items. For instance, Fang, a lady from Tianque Fort, offered a piece of Tianhua Stone—a premium material ideal for crafting earth-element top-tier artifacts, even suitable for less demanding earth-element trinkets. Another newcomer from Lingshu Mountain presented a first-tier upper-rank phoenix eagle egg, which, once hatched, would prove an excellent assistant to cultivators, whether on duty or in search missions. The items brought by others, though not as outstanding as those of these two, were still rare materials typically hard to find in ordinary markets. Among them, Han Li actually discovered a herb essential for crafting the Jiling Dan—a find that surprised him greatly, prompting him to pay seven or eight first-tier scrolls to secure it. Of course, the age of the herb was still insufficient; he would need to return and stimulate its growth. Nevertheless, this exchange left both parties delighted. When it came Han Li's turn to speak, he promptly offered his first-tier scrolls for exchange, clearly stating the two additional medicinal ingredients he still lacked for his alchemy preparations, and hesitated slightly before adding that various recipe formulas were also available. Since these were materials specified in ancient recipes and Han Li had not yet gathered them fully in either Huangfeng Valley or the markets of Tianxing Sect, they were certainly not common finds. Thus, the materials mentioned by Han Li were largely unheard of among other cultivators. Even those who had heard of them a few times did not possess such items. As for the prescriptions, these cultivators would certainly not exchange them for talismans—after all, they all knew that Han Li had merely mentioned it casually. Seeing that after speaking at length, no one came forward to exchange, Han Li grew disappointed and prepared to sit down. Yet, unexpectedly, one person suddenly spoke up: "Do you accept any prescriptions? I have one here, though it's rather unusual. How many talismans would you give me in exchange?" Upon hearing this, Han Li was delighted and immediately replied without hesitation, "Of course. Any prescription, and I'm willing to exchange it." Only then did Han Li notice that the person who had mentioned the prescription was Wu Youzi, a somewhat obscure Daoist. Upon hearing Han Li's response, Wu Youzi smiled warmly for the first time, and then tossed him a jade tablet of a jade green hue. Others, witnessing a true exchange of a prescription for talismans, could not help but whisper among themselves, expressing disbelief. Meanwhile, Master Wufu, Wu Fa’s senior, paid no attention at all and simply closed his eyes, meditating. Upon receiving the prescription, Han Li glanced over it and immediately understood the reason behind the exchange. It turned out to be an ancient formula—specifically, a "Feeding Spirit Pill" developed by ancient cultivators to nourish spiritual beasts. According to the prescription, this pill was not only highly favored by most spirit beasts but, when taken regularly, could even accelerate their spiritual progression, making it the ideal medicine for nurturing such creatures. Seeing this, Han Li was struck in astonishment—how could such a valuable prescription be offered for exchange? But upon examining the ingredients required for its preparation, Han Li suddenly felt a wave of self-amusement, fully comprehending the reason for the recipient’s lack of appreciation. The materials needed to produce the "Feeding Spirit Pill" were simply astonishing for ordinary cultivators. Almost as rare and precious as the raw materials needed for Han Li's "Qi-Refining Powder." Not only were the materials hard to gather, but even if one managed to collect them, who would truly use them to prepare some "Spirit-Nourishing Pill"? Of course, they'd save them for themselves—their own cultivation would yield far greater returns than investing in spirit beasts. "Master, you mentioned you'd accept any prescription—now, will you not regret it?" The thin, elderly Taoist suddenly flashed a sly smile, completely transforming from his originally reserved and straightforward demeanor, leaving Han Li only to chuckle. Thus, the opening scene unfolded. Though the prescription held little value for others, its significance to Han Li was unmistakable, and he certainly wouldn't let it slip through his fingers. Han Li thought carefully, then withdrew ten primary upper-tier scrolls from his storage pouch and handed them to the Taoist. These should have satisfied the other party, for to most cultivators, this herbal formula is merely useless—otherwise, the hermit would have already traded it with the representatives from the spirit-beast mountains long ago, and why would he still be holding onto it? Indeed, upon receiving these talismans, Wuyuzi was content and said nothing further. Then, as Han Li sat down, the next cultivator immediately rose, eager to speak: "I have some iron and wood that are several hundred years old—however..." The atmosphere in the room now grew even more vibrant due to the ongoing exchange of goods! Meanwhile, within the deliberation hall of Yan Family's Feiyun Pavilion, a highly confidential clan council was being convened. All the senior officials and elders with significant authority were seated in two rows, listening attentively to the words of the Yan family's senior patriarch. Standing beside the patriarch was a stunningly beautiful woman, around seventeen or eighteen years old, with a graceful charm that seemed to radiate like a gentle hope and a heavenly grace. "The conditions proposed by the Gui Ling Sect for the return of the Yan family are exceptionally favorable. Not only do they offer to lend us the secondary volume of the *Wan Ling True Canon* for our perusal, but they also wish for one of our Yan family members to assume the position of Deputy Sect Master. Their only condition, however, is that we must marry Yan Er to their young Deputy Sect Master and jointly cultivate the Blood Spirit Art. Furthermore, the position of Head of the Yan family shall be held exclusively by the children of the young Deputy Sect Master and Yan Er—just as it shall be for the position of Sect Master of the Gui Ling Sect." The elder of the Yan family spoke calmly and deliberately, though his voice was not loud; yet it resonated clearly in every listener's ears, as though he were speaking directly to them. "Everyone, please share your thoughts—what path should we now take? You may recall that our ancestors were originally cultivators from the Gui Ling Sect. We established our own foundation in the Yue State due to disagreements with other cultivators within the Sect. In fact, the current Sect Master is my nephew." Therefore, emotionally, everyone should have no concerns—there is only one matter to consider: the gains and losses concerning our Yan family's interests. Additionally, the junior master of the Gui Ling Sect has brought news: in five days, the six great sects of the Magian tradition from the Tian Luo Kingdom will launch an invasion of the Yue Kingdom. Meanwhile, the Crane and Che Qi Kingdoms have already fallen, with most of their sects extinguished, and only a few having surrendered to join the Magian tradition as subordinate sects. Thus, even if our Yan family refuses the terms proposed by the Gui Ling Sect, we must also seriously consider how we will sustain and survive following the collapse of the seven major sects in the Yue Kingdom—this is now the most pressing issue for our family. Master Yan did not wait for the Yan family members to respond to the first point before introducing another development that left them even more astonished, prompting widespread discussion among the gathered attendees. "Indeed! The sects of the Crane and Che Qi Kingdoms have been conquered—how is that possible?" "These two kingdoms are certainly not weak in strength!" Isn't it been years now since we've been standing firm against the Six Sects of the Magic Path, with nothing happening? How could it have come to this, all of a sudden? It's been so swiftly taken, isn't there something behind the scenes we're missing? Clearly, these powerholders of the Yan family still find it hard to believe the news. "Alright, then—let anyone with questions raise them one by one. This kind of fussing is simply unacceptable!" said the elder of the Yan family, his expression growing stern. The moment these words were spoken, the previously bustling hall fell into quiet. Yet everyone's gaze turned immediately to the middle-aged scholar seated in the third position to the right of the red-haired elder. The elder of the Yan family observed this clearly, furrowed his brow, and then spoke calmly to the scholar: "Xuan Ye, what do you think of this matter? As our family's chief strategist, this concerns the very survival of the Yan family—please give us your full analysis!" "Yes, Elder!" The scholar rose promptly, eager not to miss his chance. "However, may my nephew first raise a few questions before discussing the other matters?" "Of course! Please go ahead with any questions you have—I will speak without reservation." The elder of the Yan family solemnly pledged.