Han Li saw the young woman's look of disappointment, and suddenly smiled, then softly said, "Though I cannot take you as my disciple, don't lose heart. Whether or not you succeed in becoming my disciple will ultimately depend on whether my senior brother is satisfied with you." "Really?" The young woman's expression of disappointment instantly brightened at hearing this. Han Li didn't hesitate—he pulled out a communication scroll from his person, whispered a few words to it, and then handed the scroll and a jade plaque to her. "Hold onto this scroll and plaque. Go to the Hundred-Medicine Garden in Huangfeng Valley and find an elder named Ma. Whether or not you become his disciple will depend on your fate." Han Li spoke calmly. Surprised that although Han Li had not taken her as a disciple, he still offered her another chance, the young woman quickly bowed her thanks. The elder, too, was equally energized. "Let me introduce you to your master. Since it's not guaranteed to succeed, I'll also gift you two upper-rank spiritual artifacts as a token of repayment for the Dao scrolls your ancestors have given me." Saying this, Han Li pulled out a green silk cloth and a blue small sword from his storage pouch and handed them over to the elder casually. Seeing this, the elder was filled with surprise. He had expected that introducing the young girl to a master would already be a significant favor, but Han Li had gone further by bestowing additional benefits upon them—something he deeply appreciated. The elder hurriedly thanked him repeatedly before respectfully accepting the artifacts, clearly expressing his great delight in receiving them. Upper-rank artifacts—he had accumulated over many years of cultivation—had only one in his possession until now. To receive two at once was truly a blessing. After that, Han Li did not stay long. He simply retrieved the two clusters of spiritual energy that were lingering within the elder's body and, with a graceful movement, drifted away, leaving behind the respectful gaze of the two generations. Only when he saw Han Li truly walking away did the elder happily hand the silk robe to the young woman, keeping the small sword for himself. He then resolved to set out at a convenient time to visit Huangfeng Valley to seek out Master Ma and find out whether his granddaughter had the fortune to become a disciple of one of the Seven Sects. However, the elder from the Xiao family found it somewhat puzzling—why had Han Li become entangled with the Qin family members, who were all genuine commoners! In just one night, he had grasped the essentials. On the second morning, just as Han Li was rising from meditation, feeling particularly fortunate lately, a deep, resonant "thud" suddenly came from his side storage bag—seeming as though something had broken. Han Li's expression immediately darkened, his face growing stern. After a moment, he reached into the bag and pulled out a purple orb—identical in appearance to the artifact he had given to the white-haired elder monk—only this one now bore several deep, uneven cracks across its smooth, translucent surface. Han Li remained silent for a while, then simply walked out of the room without speaking. Once he had surveyed the courtyard and confirmed no one was around, his divine wind boat instantly detached and floated before him. With a swift movement, he stepped onto the boat and silently vanished from the Qin residence. Half an hour later, Han Li appeared above a small village outside Yuejing City, his expression unchanged as he scanned the surroundings above, as though searching for something. Finally, at a remote hill several miles outside the village, Han Li settled his artifact and fixed his gaze on a large willow tree. After a while, he pressed two hand seals and softly uttered the character "Shou." Instantly, a green glow surged from the roots of the tree deep within the soil, emerging as a luminous orb. Inside the orb was a round pearl, glowing a deep purple, its surface cracked along several fissures—exactly matching the cracks on the pearl in Han Li's hand. Han Li sighed, then waved his hand toward the orb, and the cracked pearl immediately floated into his hands. As soon as the pearl touched his palm, the outer glow dissolved into his body, leaving only the bare, smooth pearl resting in his hands, which he held and examined. Han Li pondered for a while, then suddenly snapped his fingers. A fire ball the size of a clenched fist shot out from his fingertip and struck the base of the large tree, creating a deep crater and instantly reducing the young willow to ashes. Han Li stepped forward and examined the scene carefully, but found nothing conclusive. "It seems the tree has been struck by a terrible poison," he murmured, shaking his head. When he presented this artifact to the elder, he had already harbored a subtle intention—should the elder meet with unforeseen misfortune, he would immediately be made aware. Yet he could never have imagined that, merely within a single night, the elder would put the artifact into use, and it seemed as though the situation was grim indeed. This completely surprised Han Li, leaving him utterly at a loss. Then, gradually, a figure emerged from beneath another small tree some fifteen zhang away from the deep pit. This person was completely enveloped in black cloth, revealing only a pair of eyes glowing with a deep, luminous intensity, and a yellow light shield resting atop their head. As soon as the figure fully emerged, the yellow light shield immediately faded and then vanished entirely. After surveying the surroundings and the sky with cautious vigilance, the figure spoke in a steady tone: "Now, come out—that person has truly departed!" As soon as these words were spoken, several patches of ground around them rose and dipped simultaneously, and three more figures emerged, dressed identically—each wrapped in black cloth and bearing the same yellow light shield. Among them, one was slender in build, appearing to be a woman. "Brother, what shall we do now? They specifically instructed us to capture or kill the visitor. Yet here we are, watching helplessly as he walks away. Will there be any consequences?" "A slender newcomer, visibly anxious, asked, 'Is everything alright?' His accent suggested he was not yet old. Upon hearing this, the first person to step forward felt a tremor run through him—exactly what he had been dreading. The cruelty and indifference of those who had issued their orders were something they had personally experienced. 'They never said the visitors were Foundation Stage cultivators when they gave their instructions,' the man said, lacking confidence. 'This is far beyond our capabilities. If we even attempt to intervene, we'll only be setting ourselves up to die.' 'Hmph!' the only female among the three remarked, somewhat indignant. 'Brother is right. How can we possibly hold onto a Foundation Stage cultivator? I doubt those people have any principles left!' Hearing this, the other three exchanged puzzled, weary smiles. Their younger sister remained so naive—her very life now hanging in the balance—and how could the visitors possibly treat them with any sense of reason? "However, what the younger sister said isn't entirely without merit. I suspect they didn't expect us to receive such a significant delegation—otherwise, they wouldn't have entrusted this matter solely to us. At the very least, they should have sent a cultivator at the Foundation Stage to assist." The last person, tall and slender, also spoke up. "Indeed, once we clearly explain the situation, we shouldn't face too severe penalties!" The tall, well-proportioned figure seemed to perk up and quickly agreed. Yet, it all sounded more like self-consolation than confidence. "It's a bit odd. I have a strong feeling that this young cultivator at the Foundation Stage has appeared somewhere before—there's something familiar about him!" The man suddenly furrowed his brows, murmuring softly. This remark caused the other three to pause, all of them surprised. Especially the woman, whose eyes sparkled with curiosity, immediately reaching out to ask for clarification. But the man known as the elder suddenly raised his hand to interrupt, saying, "Alright, let's get out of here as soon as possible. We can discuss anything else later." Seeing this, the woman silently swallowed her words and nodded in agreement.