But a few days later, the number of cultivators who came to this place gradually dwindled. Yet Master Ji-Yin and the scholarly elder grew increasingly serious, no longer conversing with one another, but frequently glancing toward the entrance as if waiting for someone. "Could it be that very bearded man?" Han Li naturally noticed this change and felt curious, thus paying close attention himself. By late afternoon, footsteps finally echoed again at the entrance hall. After a few flashes of blue light, two figures entered one after the other. One was an elderly Taoist with snow-white hair and rosy complexion, the other a thin, weathered elder dressed like a farmer, his face etched with lines of hardship. Upon seeing these two, the cultivators in the hall stirred and immediately turned to them with expressions of reverence. Clearly, these two were well-known figures! Yet Master Ji-Yin and the scholarly elder regarded them with evident displeasure—especially Master Ji-Yin, whose expression suddenly turned stern and severe. And these two newcomers, upon seeing the Master of Extreme Yin and others, likewise cast them with hostile glances. The elder monk even sneered and said directly, "Master of Extreme Yin! You've come quite early—seems your Daoist followers have truly made this visit to the Huatian Hall a matter of necessity." "Tian Wu Zi! It wasn't me who came first; it was you who arrived too late. I had even doubted whether you two possessed any genuine news of the fragmented map, only to find out that you finally did locate it! Well, that's fortunate—now I shall have the opportunity to guide and transform you all." Master of Extreme Yin said, his expression cold and solemn. "Extreme Yin! Who exactly do you intend to transform? Shall I not be included in your plan as well?" Before the elder monk could respond, a deep, resonant voice suddenly echoed from outside the hall. Upon hearing this voice, both Master of Extreme Yin and the scholar in robes instantly grew pale. The previously silent beauty suddenly raised her head and fixed her gaze on the entrance, speaking coldly. "Wan Tianming—have you also come?" "Then, with the lady here, what could be strange about me?" As the words rang out, a middle-aged man in purple robes and jade sash stepped into the hall. With a broad face and thick brows, he had a pair of gleaming white teeth that shone as he casually glanced at the beautiful woman, then turned his gaze directly to the Master of Extreme Cold. His presence radiated an overwhelming aura. The Master of Extreme Cold, though being stared at so openly and unceremoniously, remained solemn, his face darkened and his lips tightly closed—silent and motionless. This surprised Han Li greatly, who now carefully studied the man. Since even the Master of Extreme Cold, a cultivator at the early stage of Yuan Ying, seemed to be intimidated by him, could this man be a Yuan Ying cultivator at the mid-stage? Han Li pondered this with growing astonishment. Now he realized that these three were likely cultivators from the orthodox faction of the Luan Xing Sea, standing directly opposed to the magian cultivators such as the Master of Extreme Cold. Remarkably, the commotion among the other cultivators in the hall had instantly ceased the moment this middle-aged man entered. Only faintly could one hear someone softly saying things like "Master of the Ten Thousand Methods." Clearly, this middle-aged man's reputation surpassed that of the two preceding figures. "Wan Tianming," the elegant woman with a warm surname asked, "is it true that one of my sword attendants was injured by one of your disciples?" She seemed undaunted by him, pressing her question directly. "It wasn't a serious injury," Wan Tianming replied calmly. "My disciple merely noticed your attendant's solid foundation and engaged her in a brief sparring session. Surely, Lady, you won't be so eager to summon me to account over such a minor matter?" "What sparring! My attendant is only at the foundational stage, and your disciple clearly dominated her—wasn't that a case of showing off and slighting my own disciples?" the woman's expression grew frosty. "Showing off and slighting your disciples? How could I dare do such a thing! On behalf of my esteemed husband's six paths, I'll have my disciple personally go to apologize to you," the middle-aged man said, slightly frowning but otherwise unconcerned. "My affairs have nothing to do with the Six Paths. If you're unwilling, I'd be happy to spar with the Master of Ten Thousand Sects using the 'Lion and Phoenix Sword Technique.'" Upon hearing this, the beautiful woman grew even more furious. "Sparring with you? That's already a relief. If the Six Paths finds out I've treated his wife unfairly, he'll surely come after me immediately. I certainly don't want to provoke a full-scale war between the righteous and the demonic factions." Wan Tianming chuckled, as though the situation were utterly ridiculous. The woman, upon hearing this, flushed slightly, and after glaring at him, finally let it go. Master Jiyin and the scholar-like elder exchanged glances, their faces subtly brightening. Yet Master Jiyin's joy seemed tinged with a faint wry smile. Meanwhile, Wan Tianming's eyes flashed with a sharp, knife-like aura of hostility, which passed swiftly. The elder, resembling a seasoned farmer, also recognized the visitors, though his expression carried a touch of concern. As the vibrations grew stronger and stronger, a towering figure emerged at the hall entrance. Suddenly, a strange man with curly yellow hair and dressed in a blue robe stepped into the hall. With every step he took, the entire hall trembled, as though he weighed over ten thousand catties—his presence truly astonishing. Amidst the astonishment of the gathered guests, the man moved with complete composure, surveying the figures within, before his gaze settled finally on Wan Tianming, where he burst into hearty laughter. "I never expected Wan Master to come here," he said. "It seems I've come just at the right time. Master Man has long wished to challenge Wan Master." "But alas, I've never had the chance before—this time, at last, I can finally make it!" The odd man cast a challenging gaze toward the middle-aged man. "I've long admired Master Wan's 'Heaven-Dependent Technique,' said to be the premier defensive magic among the Chaotic Star Sea. I'll certainly have many questions for you later on." Wan Tianming looked at the odd man with a calm, unflinching gaze and replied with equal composure. "Hehe! That's very kind of you, very kind! I've also long heard great things about Master Wan's 'Heavenly Lattice Technique.'" The odd man beamed, clearly eager to engage. Yet, unfortunately, this Master Wan seemed unwilling to stir up any trouble at the moment. After whispering a few words to the elderly monk and the older farmer, he joined the two of them and together they ascended to a particular jade pillar. Then, the monk and the cultivator on the pillar exchanged a few words with a warm, smiling demeanor. Immediately, the elderly cultivator, now at the peak of the Jie Dan stage, was so deeply touched that he willingly stepped aside and sought a different spot. The stranger smiled slightly, raised his head, glanced around the vicinity, then suddenly flickered forward, heading straight for a jade pillar. Fortunately, that pillar happened to be the one where Han Li had been standing. Upon seeing this, Han Li's face immediately turned pale. "Get out of my way! This spot is mine!" As soon as the stranger settled his massive form on the pillar, he fixed Han Li with cold, piercing eyes, speaking with icy composure. Han Li's expression grew increasingly strained, and his hands in his sleeves tightened firmly. Yet after a brief pause, he suppressed the urge to move and silently leapt down from the pillar. Immediately, the stranger burst into loud, booming laughter. Han Li's face now was as cold as frost. Though deeply humiliated, he could only endure this temporary setback. After all, while the hall's seals restricted the practitioners' movements, he wasn't certain whether these seals affected the Yuan婴-period cultivators as significantly as they did. He absolutely didn't want to risk his life just out of momentary passion. When Han Li, still fuming, found a clean spot and settled down again, the scholarly elder smiled warmly and asked the strange man: "Master Man, you've come so late this time. I thought you might have changed your mind and decided not to come at all." "Come? How could that be? I've been counting on the treasures inside the Xutian Pavilion to refine the Elixir of Immortality. I merely got delayed on the way. But I must admit, I was quite surprised when I heard that Wan Tianming would be coming here. Does he also know the Lifespan Fruit has reached maturity and intends to harvest some?" The strange man stroked his yellow beard, expressing his bewilderment. "I'm not entirely sure about that. After all, the Xutian Pavilion holds many other extraordinary treasures besides this one. Who knows what it is exactly that the other party is after?" The scholarly elder also seemed puzzled. "Wan Tianming, however, is undoubtedly one of the foremost leaders in the orthodox sects. Would he perhaps have intentions regarding the Xutian Cauldron? Master Jiyin seemed to have something on his mind, speaking with a touch of concern. "The Xutian Cauldron! Impossible! If it were that easy to obtain, earlier sages would have taken it long ago. How could it have reached them now?" Before the burly man could respond, the scholarly elder had already shaken his head so vigorously it resembled a drum being beaten.