The tea house was modest, merely three connected flat buildings. Yet even before Han Li had stepped inside, a strong aroma of tea greeted him! Han Li was surprised. Though he was not particularly well-versed in tea ceremonies, he decided immediately to enter. The three rooms were arranged side by side in a row—one large and two smaller ones—and all were now filled with groups of tea drinkers. Due to the lack of space, several people in varied attire stood quietly waiting by the side. Despite the crowd, no one spoke loudly. Most guests closed their eyes and sipped their tea with quiet appreciation, while only a few exchanged soft murmurs. On the main wall of the central large room, a yellow scroll measuring nearly a zhang in size was prominently displayed, bearing the bold, flowing characters: "One pot per person per day." Han Li glanced at those words and found himself somewhat amused. He had never heard before that someone engaged in catering and hospitality services would actually impose limits on how much people could eat or drink. Yet, he only smiled and didn't dwell on it further. Instead, he took a quick survey of the room and immediately walked toward a man in the corner who appeared to be a store manager. The manager himself was also a cultivator, though his cultivation level was quite modest—only at the fourth stage of Qi Condensation. Now facing Han Li, the deeply enigmatic "senior," he naturally felt both nervous and uneasy. Without a word, Han Li gently brushed his robe sleeve against the counter, and a translucent jade pendant of a clear green hue appeared on the table. Upon seeing the jade pendant, the manager was first taken aback, then immediately brightened with delight and said, "Ah, it's Master Han himself! I've been so rude. Mr. Qi had already instructed me that Master would arrive soon, and I've been waiting for him all this time!" Hearing this, Han Li used the same gesture to retrieve the jade pendant, then calmly stated, "I now wish to see your young master. Please show me the way." "Yes, Master," the manager replied obediently. Then he summoned a young attendant dressed in a store uniform, gave him a few instructions, and led Han Li out through the back door, straight out of the small town, heading westward. To the west of "Jinma City" lies a vast group of yellow and green hills, numerous in size and number. Yet the storekeeper, a seasoned traveler, skillfully guided Han Li through the hills, winding several times and turning several corners, until they reached a broad, gently sunken plain covering over a hundred mu. In the center of this plain stood seven or eight white stone cottages. Surrounding them, scattered here and there, were a few slender green bamboo shoots, sparse and unremarkable. After guiding Han Li to the vicinity, the storekeeper bowed slightly and said: "Master, my lord is inside the cottages. However, there are some spells laid out outside. Normally, I would have to inform my lord beforehand to allow outsiders entry. But Master Han has already been specially instructed by my lord, so you simply follow me closely. Otherwise, if the spells are disturbed, it would be quite troublesome!" Han Li gazed thoughtfully at the surroundings of the depression, and at the green bamboo that seemed to grow without any discernible pattern, then said indifferently, "Understood. Just go ahead, then." Upon hearing this, the storekeeper finally took a deep breath and carefully led Han Li toward the buildings. His path was remarkably irregular—he would walk three steps, then retreat two, or step east five steps only to turn back and walk six steps; his movements were chaotic, as if guided by no consistent pattern. Gradually, the two approached the house nestled within the depression. "Master, Mr. Han has arrived! Let's go out and meet him!" When they were only about fifteen paces from the house, the storekeeper finally exhaled in relief and called out loudly to the largest building. "Mr. Han has arrived? That's wonderful! Just wait a moment—I'll come out right away!" came the excited voice from inside the house, followed shortly by a loud "thud," then by a series of groans from Qi Yunxiao. "Ah, another failure!" As the stone gate opened, Qi Yunxiao stepped out, his face filled with disappointment, still carrying a warm, humid aura. But as he saw Han Li, his expression instantly brightened, and he hurried forward with genuine excitement, saying, "Truly a senior master—this is wonderful! Please follow me. I'd like to host you more generously. Though we don't have much else, we do have several excellent cups of tea." Qi Yunxiao warmly invited Han Li into an adjacent room, his movements now more composed and experienced than they had been a few years ago. "That would be most kind of you, Master," Han Li replied, knowing he would still need to ask for favors, and thus remained courteous. He then entered the room and sat down beside a long rectangular table. "Master, um..." As Qi Yunxiao turned to the steward to have a cup of tea prepared, he hesitated slightly, looking as though he had something to say. Han Li smiled calmly and with a flick of his hand, the book *Yun Xiao Xin De* appeared on the table, still shimmering silver, indicating that it remained under restriction. When Qi Yun Xiao saw the book, he was instantly energized. As he reached out to take it, he suddenly remembered something and quickly said, "Master, please wait a moment," then hurried out of the room. Han Li chuckled softly, as if he had already guessed the reason behind Qi Yun Xiao's hesitation. Not long after, Qi Yun Xiao returned excitedly, now holding a wooden box about a foot long. "Master, here is a set of improved *Dian Dao Wuxing Array* array instruments. While the power is not as high as originally expected—only reaching half of the original array's strength—it has still been enhanced to one-third of the original array's power, which is significantly better than before!" Qi Yun Xiao said with a touch of apology, clearly feeling a bit uneasy about not being able to achieve the strength he had initially promised. "One-third?" Han Li's expression changed, and he was deeply surprised. After all, he had never expected the array banners to be truly improved—the Inverted Five Elements Array, which already performed at one-tenth of its full potential, had already satisfied him greatly. Indeed, even a Jin Dan stage cultivator like Lei Wanhe found it quite challenging. If the array's power were further enhanced by another two or three times, wouldn't it then be capable of excluding Jin Dan cultivators altogether? With this thought in mind, Han Li took the wooden box and prepared to examine it closely, while Qi Yunxiao also picked up the silver scroll to study it. Upon opening the box lid, a set of vibrant, spiritually charged array banners and panels emerged inside. Han Li carefully removed each item and examined them one by one. The number of banners and panels in this set was significantly greater than in the original one, and the patterns and symbols on the banners and panels were clearly more intricate—clearly confirming that the enhancement was genuine and that the power of this set indeed surpassed the previous one. Han Li was delighted and carefully stored the new set of banners, then turned his gaze toward the other side. At this moment, Qi Yunxiao beamed with joy, gently running his fingers over the "Yunxiao Heart Techniques," clearly confirming the seal as well. "Your improved array apparatus is most satisfactory! It has truly been a bother to you, haven't it?" Han Li said with a warm smile. "How could I possibly say that? In truth, I am deeply grateful that you returned the book intact. That is what I truly owe you!" Qi Yunxiao shook his head vigorously, as if drumming it, expressing his sincerity. Han Li smiled, modestly exchanged a few words, then began chatting with Qi Yunxiao. Meanwhile, after a short while, the shopkeeper returned with two cups of fresh, vibrant green tea. The aroma of this tea was noticeably more refined and delicate than that of the "Qingquan Tea Pavilion's" premium brew—clearly a finer grade of leaves, releasing a richer concentration of spiritual essence. At Qi Yunxiao's earnest invitation, Han Li sipped two sips. At once, he felt a refreshing clarity in his mouth and mind, and couldn't help but praise, "Excellent tea! I never thought tea could be imbued with such spirit—truly remarkable! This must be your own creation, Master Han. I deeply admire it." Han's words were sincere—he had never heard of ordinary tea being infused with spirit, and this tea indeed carried an unparalleled fragrance, no less than any of the world's finest renowned teas. Upon hearing Han's remarks, Qi Yunxiao flushed slightly, embarrassed, and quickly explained, "Master, I'm mistaken. This tea was not prepared by me, but gifted by a close friend. In fact, the tea itself is a discovery by my friend, after nearly a decade of dedicated research!" (Finally finished! We're both getting quite tired—time to go to sleep now.)