"Taken by force?" Han Li's eyes flashed. "It seems, then, that the elder no longer believes my words. Yet this is truly and utterly true!" Fan Lady suddenly withdrew her smile, revealing a faint wryness. "Two months ago, our gate secured a major business deal—one so significant that it would allow us, the Miao Yin Sect, to go ten years without needing to pursue similar ventures again. After gathering a large shipment, we dispatched the headmaster, along with half of our senior masters, to escort and deliver the goods. However, en route, a group of masked cultivators suddenly attacked us. Among them, there were no fewer than five or six Jin Dan stage cultivators, each wielding profound magical techniques. The others were also exceptionally skilled in coordinated combat strategies. Our headmaster, overwhelmed by the numbers, fell in battle and was killed on the spot. The storage bags containing the goods were seized. Our ordinary disciples suffered heavy casualties—nearly half perished. Had it not been for the two elders, who tirelessly employed their secret techniques to reduce their own cultivation levels, we likely would have been completely wiped out, with no one knowing what had happened." "As the woman spoke, her voice grew softer, filled with deep sorrow. 'Could this be a scheme set by the buyer?' Han Li almost immediately said without hesitation. 'It's impossible! The buyer is one of the four great merchant confederacies of Luan Xing Sea. Their reputation is outstanding—how could they commit such a crime of killing people and seizing goods? Moreover, with their strength, they wouldn't risk their reputation for such a modest item!' Fan Lady shook her head gently, her face pale, firmly denying it, and seemed weak and frail in demeanor. Yet Han Li merely glanced at her coldly and said nothing—showing not a single word of sympathy or comfort. Seeing Han Li's cold demeanor, Fan Lady gently suppressed her sorrow and continued to explain: 'That small section of Tianlei Bamboo was originally the treasured artifact of a minor sect. However, that sect is now in dire straits, with only one heir remaining. Therefore, recently, they sold it to us, the Tian Yin Sect.' And when our master delivered the goods, he carried them with him, intending to immediately auction them off in Tianxing City once this major transaction was complete—only to find that they had been seized by these cultivators en route. "However, when our master took this batch of goods out, he made a few subtle adjustments to them. As a result, the locations where these cultivators settled were swiftly located by our disciples. Yet there are quite a few Jin Dan cultivators among these thieves, and with our current strength, we are still unable to defeat them outright. Therefore, I have come not only to purchase the goods, but also to invite senior cultivators of high attainment to lend their assistance. The two elders appear to possess remarkable magical prowess. Should either of you be willing to help, I shall personally present the Celestial Thunder Bamboo as a token of appreciation to you—how does that sound?" After carefully weaving these words, the lady finally expressed her true intention, which left Han Li calm on the surface, yet with a gaze that flickered and hesitated, as though pondering deeply. Fan Fu saw this and realized Han Li was weighing the pros and cons, so she promptly added another stake: "If the elder still feels the compensation is too low, our sect would be pleased to gift a flawless female disciple from our academy to serve as a maid to the elder." "No interest!" Han Li immediately rejected it without hesitation. The woman heard this and immediately looked disappointed. "Has this section of thunder bamboo not yet been refined? Can it continue to grow?" Han Li gently exhaled and suddenly asked a question that left the woman on the other side utterly surprised. "It has never been refined. This section of thunder bamboo was carefully cultivated by that smaller sect over more than a thousand years, and it was uprooted intact. Naturally, it can continue to be nurtured. Does the elder not wish to use it to craft a divine artifact, but instead intend to preserve it for future generations? However, this thunder bamboo grows extremely slowly—only increasing by an inch every thousand years—and is truly difficult to cultivate!" The woman paused, slightly puzzled, and asked with genuine curiosity. Hearing this, Han Li did not reply to the elder's questions, but instead slightly lowered his head, continuing to ponder deeply. Only when Zhao elder grew visibly impatient did he finally resolve to speak: "Besides that section of thunder bamboo, I would also like to select one more item from among the goods. After all, I and Qu friend have jointly committed to this purchase." Han Li added this condition with his usual composure. "That's quite acceptable—our gate will gladly agree to this condition!" Upon hearing Han Li's willingness to participate, Lady Fan immediately beamed with delight and readily accepted his request without hesitation. "Then, at the time of departure, Lady Fan need only send a messenger to notify me at my cave residence. I'm certain our gate will have already learned of my cave's location." After saying this, Han Li stood up expressionlessly. Without allowing Lady Fan to speak further, he bowed slightly and drifted away with Qu Hún, making no mention at all of her having employed a seductive technique upon him. Seeing Han Li leave so decisively, the male and female members of Tian Yin Sect exchanged surprised glances, and the Fan夫人's eyes revealed an added layer of complexity, her expression now shifting between clear and uncertain. ... Upon returning to his dwelling, Han Li did not simply remain indoors waiting for an invitation from Tian Yin Sect. Instead, he visited several other Jin Dan cultivators to inquire about the affairs of the Tian Yin Sect. To their surprise, these individuals had indeed heard of the sect—some even had personal experience with it. According to them, the Tian Yin Sect could be described either as a traditional sect or as a business alliance, depending on perspective. However, throughout its history, the sect has consistently emphasized female disciples, so the Sect Master must always be a woman. While not particularly powerful within the Luan Xing Sea, the sect holds a solid position among medium-sized forces—its highest-ranking figures beyond the Master are the Left and Right Delegates, and typically, it also employs two or three Jin Dan-level guest elders as supporting pillars. Among the various medium-sized sects, it is neither outstanding nor lacking—just adequate. Nevertheless, other factions generally wouldn't dare easily provoke this sect. The female cultivators within the Miao Yin Sect are all beautiful and accomplished in various arts. Often, outstanding female disciples become coveted partners for dual cultivation, securing both explicit and implicit support for the sect. Han Li was particularly concerned about the sect's reputation, which remained generally positive, with few reports of any malicious acts against other cultivators. However, the Miao Yin Sect's renowned charm and allure—especially its fox-like seduction techniques—had captivated many male cultivators, leaving them deeply enchanted by their female disciples. After gathering these insights, Han Li formed a clear impression of the Miao Yin Sect. Yet, upon careful consideration, he still couldn't bring himself to part with that Thunder Bamboo from the day before. It seemed he truly had to act now! Thus, he immediately returned to his abode and accelerated the refinement process of the third-level automaton without pause. Half a month later, a transmission scroll arrived at his hands from outside. After reviewing the situation, he calmly arranged his belongings and then departed with Qu Hun and the two Blood Jade Spiders. When they reached a certain city gate of Tianxing City, the young girl named Lian'er was anxiously waiting there. Upon seeing the figures of Han Li and Qu Hun approaching, she beamed with joy and hurried over to say: "Both of you, esteemed elders! My lady instructed me to bring you to the gathering islands first, and then proceed together." Han Li nodded and, without further words, launched a surge of green Luminescent Swordlight, lifting the girl along with her in a radiant beam, soaring skyward. Qu Hun soon transformed into a golden glow and followed suit. This young girl, seemingly experiencing her first journey carried aloft by a magical artifact, gazed curiously all around in Han Li's swordlight, occasionally pointing out directions to him. Yet whenever their eyes met, she would lower her gaze, becoming slightly shy. In the swordlight, the two stood very close, nearly touching Han Li's form. Han Li only needed to slightly bow his head to catch sight of the young woman's snowy neck and inhale the delicate fragrance that filled his nostrils, enjoying a rather pleasant and moderately pleasing experience. It seemed the young woman had also noticed all this, her cheeks growing redder and more frequently, which made Han Li find it quite engaging, prompting him to smile faintly, half-amused. In his heart, he had already begun to wonder whether Lady Fan had sent her personal maid to guide him not merely out of courtesy, but because she knew he was not easily intimidated by flattery—perhaps she had decided to employ a genuine beauty strategy instead. With this thought in mind, he quietly chuckled to himself, then took a deeper, more unrestrained breath of the young woman's body scent, causing her body to tremble slightly and her delicate ears to blush pink, subtly revealing a touch of nervousness. Yet Han Li's bold behavior remained confined to this point, with no further advances, which finally eased the young woman's anxiety, allowing her to calmly guide him onward. After a few moments, Han Li landed on a remote, unnamed island's rugged mountain. On the mountain peak, besides Lady Fan and Elder Zhao, there were about fifteen others—some seated in meditation, others standing in quiet conversation. Among them, five had achieved the Condensed Dan stage, and the rest were all late-stage Foundation Base cultivators. It seemed that the Miao Yin Sect had indeed invested considerable effort to gather such a group. Upon seeing her maid successfully bring both Han Li and Qu Hun, Lady Fan beamed with satisfaction and gracefully approached. "It is truly a great blessing for our sect that both of you have come," she said, her eyes sparkling. "Allow me to introduce you to a few of our guests." As she spoke, she led Han Li and Qu Hun to meet a Condensed Dan cultivator named Meng and four Foundation Base cultivators. Yet strangely, after introducing these individuals, Lady Fan did not proceed to introduce the remaining cultivators to Han Li. Instead, she turned her gaze with a certain air of dignity toward a beautiful woman dressed in a light green robe. Han Li only noticed the others were gathering around the green-robed woman when he followed the gaze of this lady, who had been introduced to him by Fan Fu-ren. This woman had dark brows falling over her temples, elegant eyes with a refined nose, and a graceful gaze that carried an undercurrent of authority—clearly someone accustomed to holding high office. Yet for men, such presence often stirred a desire to conquer. Upon seeing Fan Fu-ren look at her, the woman gave a few cold laughs, glanced at Han Li and Qu Hun with a touch of surprise, then turned to speak quietly to a middle-aged cultivator behind her, clearly showing no interest in Fan Fu-ren. Han Li did not harbor any special feelings for Zhu Ruoting; rather, he found her demeanor and grace familiar, which prompted him to sink slightly into thoughtful reflection. When Fan Lady observed this, her expression darkened, and she turned to speak to Qu Hun. Yet Qu Hun listened silently, remaining expressionless and speechless throughout, which only deepened Lady Fan's irritation.