"Then, the current Yue State must truly be in a state of chaos!" This seemingly odd remark gave the other four a sense of profound depth, leaving them only able to offer dry, polite smiles. "My esteemed friends, please continue your conversation. I'll go explore elsewhere." Han Li stood up and said politely. "Please go ahead, Master!" "Good journey, Master!" The four hurriedly bowed respectfully as Han Li departed. Han Li casually waved his hand and called out to Qu Hun, who had been standing outside the entire time, then proceeded toward the other stone pavilions. Two hours later, Han Li stood in a corner of the mountain peak, gazing thoughtfully downward. He had just spoken with several groups of cultivators about the current state of the cultivation world in the Yue State. The result was clear—the state could only be described as utterly chaotic. Under these circumstances, he now faced two options. First, he could summon his vehicle and fly far away from the Yue State and other nations, seeking a more suitable location to continue his cultivation. Secondly, one could try to repair that ancient teleportation array and simply gamble on where it would transport them. After all, such a costly ancient array could not have been built underground at random—it must lead to some distant, faraway location. At first glance, the first option clearly appears more reliable. However, upon closer reflection, Han Li finds that this second choice is no better. Since the eastern and western regions of Yue are home to the old magic sect's stronghold, Tian Luo, and the orthodox alliance's Feng Du, the only viable directions are north or south. Moving north through Yuanwu, although there are still several smaller states, it's evident that their immortal realms are unable to withstand attacks from either the magic sect or the orthodox alliance. In fact, some of these states have already aligned themselves with the two major powers, becoming mere puppets in a prolonged struggle of competition and rivalry. Otherwise, the border regions between Tian Luo and Feng Du were historically sparse, and large-scale conflicts between the two powers were previously impossible. These nations are always poised to become battlefronts between the Magician Path and the Righteous Path alliance, so Han Li naturally cannot remain. However, if he dares to traverse several countries and continue northward, he will reach the far northern reaches of the Tiannan region, where he will encounter the "Boundless Sea"—a body of water so vast and turbid that even immortals find it difficult to fly across. This sea is not only boundless but also home to very few fish species, which, when they do survive, are fierce and powerful, rivaling even high-level terrestrial beasts. Even a cultivator at the Jading Stage would face extreme peril if they fell into the sea. To fly across it by sea would be nothing short of a dream. Indeed, once there was a master who had reached the Yuan'ing Stage of cultivation, deeply curious about what lay beyond the sea's horizon. After meticulous preparation, he flew continuously along the sea's edge for over a year, yet what he encountered remained an endless expanse of water—never once seeing a place to land. By that time, his medicinal pills and spiritual stones had dwindled to barely half of their original supply. In this case, the master had to return disappointed, having done nothing. Otherwise, even a Yuan Ying stage cultivator would perish in the sea without replenishment of spiritual energy. Han Li, of course, would never dream of attempting such a crossing. Thus, he could only head southward. South of the Yue state, passing through several countries such as Zijin, and several others, lies a tightly-knit alliance composed of nine states, known as the "Nine-State Coalition." This alliance was formed under the leadership of the nine states' cultivation circles, primarily to counter a powerful and relentless invading force composed of the "Fashis" from the Mulan clan. Speaking of the Mulan clan and the Fashis, one cannot fail to mention the vast Mulan Grasslands adjacent to the nine states and the Mulan people who dwell there. The Mulan people are fundamentally different from the Yan clan inhabitants of the Yue and Yuanwu states. They are a purely nomadic people, renowned for their fierce spirit and love of martial prowess—every member delights in wielding swords and spears. Across the Mulan Grasslands, they have formed thousands of tribal communities, ranging from small ones with just hundreds of thousands of people to large ones numbering tens of millions. Within these nomadic tribes, there exist cultivators—though the Mulan people do not refer to them as "cultivators" but rather as "Fashis." Generally, the Fashis are no different from ordinary cultivators in terms of their cultivation stages and fundamental techniques. The only distinction lies in the fact that, before achieving the Danjing stage, these Fashis traditionally place less emphasis on external tools such as artifacts and talismans. Instead, they master the Five Elements Dao techniques with extraordinary depth and refinement, and by integrating indigenous secret arts from the grasslands, they have developed more powerful and enigmatic spells, thus forging their own unique schools of spellcraft. They called it—“Spirit Arts.” With these sharp and potent “Spirit Arts,” the Mulan clan’s spiritual masters could even hold their own, and often gain the upper hand, against fellow cultivators of the same rank. Later, as the number of Mulan spiritual masters grew, the demand for spirit veins and spirit stones surged dramatically, eventually outstripping the region’s ability to support their normal cultivation. After all, the Mulan Grasslands were inherently poor in cultivation resources. Thus, without knowing when it began, the Mulan spiritual masters turned their attention to the nine nations—regions known for richer spiritual energy and more abundant resources—beginning to frequently seize spirit veins, spirit mines, and other resources that cultivators regarded as essential. The nine nations’ cultivation communities, unwilling to cede these vital assets to what they considered mere frontier cultivators, erupted into fierce, bloody conflicts. Initially, each of the nine nations fought independently, but they were ultimately defeated by the united Mulan army, losing not only a significant portion of their territory but also substantial resources. Later, upon learning of the strength of their rivals, the nine immortal realms swiftly formed the "Nine Kingdoms Alliance," adopting increasingly cunning and behind-the-scenes strategies. Gradually, they managed to defeat the legalists of the Mulan clan and reclaim the lands previously occupied. However, the Mulan legalists, having just tasted success, naturally refused to yield. For countless years thereafter, they continued to clash with the nine realms, deepening their mutual enmity as the number of deaths rose steadily—this growing animosity eventually spilled into the mortal world, turning the Yan and Mulan peoples into lifelong foes. Today, while the Mulan people dare not venture a single step into the territory of the nine realms, not a single Yan person can survive within a hundred li of the Mulan Grasslands. In fact, the exact population of the Mulan clan remains unknown. The Mulan Grasslands are vast, and only a fraction of the Mulan tribal groups involved in the prolonged conflicts with the nine realms are truly representative. Although the Mulan Grassland doesn't extend as infinitely as the Black Magic Sea, the Mulan people have passed down through generations that it takes their entire tribe five spring and autumn seasons to migrate from one end of the grassland to the other. Moreover, "Mulan Grassland" is merely a name self-bestowed by the Mulan people. At the opposite end of the grassland, they live the true, enduring rivals of the Mulan—the Tuke people. These other nomadic tribes, who also live by pastoralism, refer to this vast grassland as "Tianlan Grassland," as they have long revered the legendary "Tianlan Beast" as their guardian deity. Despite sharing the same nomadic lifestyle and coexisting on the same grassland, the two nations have naturally developed into adversaries, with no apparent reason. Their warriors and cultivators have fought each other across countless generations. Indeed, every century or so, they inevitably engage in a grand battle at the very center of the grassland—millions of ordinary warriors clash on the ground, while thousands of cultivators fight in the skies. Of course, it was ultimately the battles in the heavens that decided the outcome. This information, Han Li had gathered from various historical texts and oral traditions. It was said that on the other side of the Mulan Grasslands, there stood an immense and astonishing empire—so vast that even the combined territory of the entire Tiannan region still fell short of one-tenth of it. Han Li found it hard to believe. He simply could not imagine the scale of a nation that was ten times larger than the entire Tiannan region. Naturally, these details had no bearing on Han Li's current plans and were merely stray thoughts that arose spontaneously in his mind. Once he set them aside and reflected further, he concluded that after the six sects withdrew, they would not remain in the neighboring countries, but would instead proceed directly to the Nine-Nation Alliance. After all, given the frequency of conflicts between the nine nations' immortals and the Mulan people—small skirmishes every few years, major wars every decade—it was certain that the six sects would be a most welcome and vital support. Of course, which of the nine nations exactly they settle in and what kind of spiritual vein land they obtain will ultimately depend on the capabilities of the six sects. Thus, unless they return to the Yellow Maple Valley and continue serving as mere supporting players, they will certainly not be able to go to the southern region of the southern territory. Although he has long been aware of these issues, going over them again now still leaves him quite headache-stricken. It seems only logical to first repair the ancient transmission array. Once it's truly restored, then he can decide whether to actually proceed with the transmission. Should the destination not meet his expectations, he can always return via transmission. Naturally, some risk will have to be taken! Han Li chuckled to himself.