How many of the dressed-in-royal-clothes men had seen Han Li pass through? After a brief hesitation, upon seeing the seven of them calmly stepping into the spell array, the Jian-family cultivator smiled slightly, then pressed a seal with his fingers, where points of white light began to glow. "We've secretly sent several of our friends to the outer star sea. Will they speak ill of us there?" he asked, his gaze fixed on the white light, speaking with a calm, composed tone. "Of course not. How could we possibly do such a thing? We are deeply grateful for your flexibility and generosity. How could we act like petty rivals? Besides, what could we possibly do to you two once we've spoken?" The dressed-in-royal-clothes man was quite sharp, immediately adopting a solemn, oath-taking expression. "Excellent. As long as you understand this, that's all we need. We are also relatively senior figures within the Star Palace. Even if the higher-ups find out, they will at most reprimand us. However, should any rumors emerge from outside, neither I nor my companion will be lenient. Moreover, I heard that you were afraid we might suddenly turn cold, so each of you has brought sensing beads—quite thoughtful of you. Yet, a bit of overkill, wouldn’t you say? We two wouldn’t jeopardize our reputations over a few spiritual stones. He fixed his gaze on the dressed-in-royal-clothes man, his expression cold. At the same time, he glanced at the others, but for some reason, he seemed to deliberately skip over Han Li. "You are truly a sensible elder. I must have been overly cautious, judging you by my own standards." The dressed-in-royal-clothes man managed a weak smile, though a cold sweat broke out on his back. "Hmph! No more words needed. Go on, take care of yourselves!" The man with the surname Qian, clearly unwilling to prolong the conversation, flicked his finger, and the faint white seal spell struck the teleportation array. Instantly, the spiritual stones surrounding the array glowed brilliantly white, and within the shimmering light, the seven figures vanished from sight. "What’s going on? We agreed to give them fake teleportation seals, didn’t we? Why are you presenting the real ones? This doesn’t The bald man, seeing Han Li and the others truly vanish without a trace, suddenly frowned, expressing surprise and asking, "If you can actually produce the fake seal, then don't you think I'll show you mercy? That person who gifted us the法宝 is nothing short of a senior Yuan-Stage immortal. As soon as he reveals the fake seal, we'll be furious and instantly wiped out." The man named Qian snorted, his expression unkind, and wiped the cold sweat that had just appeared on his forehead with a handkerchief he produced. "Yuan Stage? Qian brother, aren't you jesting? That man was merely at the late Foundation Stage." The bald elder was first taken aback, then his face turned pale. The slender man who had remained behind looked even more puzzled. "Gu brother should know, the spiritual creature I've been raising, 'Yan Nao.' It may not be particularly skilled in other areas, but it's exceptionally sensitive to others' spiritual awareness." With a flick of his hand, the Qian-man summoned a small cat-like spirit creature that now appeared at his wrist. This spirit beast has long, rabbit-like ears and, as soon as it appears, its emerald eyes gleam, constantly scanning its surroundings—looking utterly endearing. "The other party's aura and consciousness were indeed initially very concealed. Even Anao, as I observed, didn't detect any anomalies. However, after I released the seal on the teleportation array, the other party used their consciousness to quietly examine the array, and it was then that I first noticed something was amiss. My Anao beast—though even a mid-stage Condensation-level cultivator's awareness can detect its size, and a late-stage cultivator's can sense its general presence—has only shown constant trembling within my sleeve this time. It has offered no other specific responses. All it has conveyed is that the other party's consciousness is profoundly profound. This situation, I've only witnessed once before, when I brought it to meet several senior elders." The man with the name Qian spoke while gently stroking the Anao beast, his voice tinged with a sense of relief and mild apprehension. "So, it seems, the other party is indeed a Yuan婴-level cultivator!" The bald elder began to sweat profusely! "Even if not, he's at the late stage of Condensation Realm cultivation. Eliminating you and me wouldn't require much effort at all," the man with the name Qin said with great confidence. "All thanks to Qin's sharpness! If we had presented false seals, we would have truly sealed our own fate. I always thought this person was so generously offering us one piece of divine artifact each, yet showing no sign of regret—turns out, he's one of those old masters. But will sending him to the Outer Stellar Sea bring any major complications?" The elder recalled something, his voice trembling with concern. "What could possibly go wrong? He's likely a Yuan-Infant cultivator from the independent sects. I suspect he simply wanted to avoid getting drawn into the great conflict between our Star Palace and the Inverse Star Alliance, so he's using our route to the Outer Stellar Sea. There should be no issues at all! Of course, we must keep the fact that a Yuan-Infant cultivator has been transferred through our hands a secret. Otherwise, they'll certainly be severely reprimanded." Qin comforted the elder with a few words, but as he spoke the latter part, a composed expression on his face suddenly dark Then, a calculating gaze turned upon the slender man standing beside them, wide-eyed and stunned. Upon being gazed at by the stern expression of the middle-aged man with the surname Qian, the slender man instantly felt a chill run through him, suddenly realizing what was happening. He hurriedly stepped back several paces, his face filled with alarm, and said, "The two elders just now spoke—what I heard, I didn't catch at all. I certainly won't fabricate anything. I—” Before he could finish speaking, a beam of yellow light silently flew from behind, circled around him once in an eerie manner, and then severed him completely into several segments. "Such a thing, of course, cannot have anyone else know. I had hoped, given our slight connection, to spare you. Unfortunately, your luck has not been very good!" The bald elder waved his hand toward the light, summoning it back, and spoke with a gloomy tone. Then, a ball of fire shot forth from his hand, and the body was instantly reduced to ashes in the flames. Only then did the Qian-named cultivator nod in satisfaction, his expression now one of reassurance. ...At the other end of the transmission array, Han Li and the other six appeared in a weathered stone cottage, bathed in a glow of white light. Han Li glanced around and immediately noticed a seemingly slender star-gate cultivator in a corner, speaking with a gray-robed cultivator bearing numerous scars. Upon seeing Han Li and his companions arrive, the star-gate cultivator frowned slightly and studied them for a moment before turning back to the gray-robed man and continuing their conversation without the slightest interest. "I've already explained—there's a regulation stipulating that the transmission array now only allows one-way travel: people can leave, but not enter. My personal transmission seals have also been taken by officials from above, leaving me unable to return myself. No matter how much you press me, it's of no use." The caretaker of the array said irritably to the scar-faced cultivator. "Nonsense! Just a few days ago, people still returned successfully. How could it have suddenly become one-way now?" The scar-faced man responded with equal indignation. "Hmph!" Anyway, I've explained it. Whether you listen or not is entirely up to you. I have no obligation to say more." The Star Palace cultivator glared at the other for a moment before turning away and settling into a meditative posture, closing his eyes to focus. "You..." The gray-robed man, seeing that the other no longer paid attention, flushed deeply but was utterly at a loss. To physically confront him—he simply didn't have the courage. For now, he paced back and forth like a chicken on a hot stove, unable to settle. But soon, his gaze shifted to the group of cultivators stepping out of the spell array, and his expression brightened instantly. "May I ask if your esteemed companions have just arrived from the Star City?" He stepped forward a few paces, bowing politely to the clearly senior figure in the crimson robe. "Indeed, we have just arrived. Is there anything I can assist you with?" The crimson-robed man, observing the fellow cultivator with a similar late Foundation stage, did not wish to appear overly casual, though he already sensed what the other was likely to say. "My name is Xu Yun. I've been traveling in the Outer Star Sea for several years now." Could you please tell me if the Neihai has indeed formed the Inverse Star Alliance and is about to go to war? He asked with great hope. The Jin-yi giant saw the expression on the other's face and immediately knew what he most wanted to hear. Yet the reality was only serving to deepen the other's disappointment. Thus, he offered no concealment, stating plainly: "The True and the Evil sects have indeed established the Inverse Star Alliance. The great battle there is about to begin. That's precisely why we, the few of us, have come here—to avoid getting drawn into it. I believe you, Lord Xu, will have to remain here for now." "How could this be! I've finally gathered all the materials, and I've been planning to return to prepare pills for my son. Now everything seems to be delayed." Upon hearing this, the gray-robed man stood motionless, his scarred face now filled with deep disappointment. The others listened, silent and at a loss. They had been tirelessly striving to reach the Outer Sea. Now, this person, who had gone to such lengths to return, seemed utterly helpless. "Allow me, Yi Jing. These are all my close friends. Since you've been living on Qi Yuan Island for several years, could you please take a moment to introduce us to the island? We won't let you go without a reward—we're willing to pay some spiritual stones." After a brief pause, the well-dressed man suddenly warmed up, his eyes twinkling, and spoke enthusiastically to the gray-robed guest. "The reward is not necessary. You've already answered my questions earlier. Now, it's only fair that I return the favor. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. As for me, I'll speak freely on anything you'd like to know." Though the man with the scar still looked somewhat dejected, he managed to lift his spirits and said this with determination. Immediately, the well-dressed man and the others behind him all beamed with satisfaction. In such an unfamiliar place, having someone provide a clear introduction to the local situation was truly a great advantage. Han Li watched this scene, smiled slightly, and stood behind the others, arms folded, eager to hear what the guest had to say.