A few clusters of companion spirit herbs he had long coveted—crack!—Han Li neatly covered the jade box with a clean, decisive motion, his face brightening with delight. Securing such simple herbs was far more unexpected than he had anticipated. Yet, he couldn't stay here much longer! As he was about to turn and vanish into the air, a faint voice echoed from behind. "You've lingered here so long simply for these few plants. Human cultivators truly are quite odd!" It was the voice of a stranger. Han Li's expression instantly turned pale, his face now deeply embarrassed. Yet, he quickly composed himself, swaying slightly before turning around with a gloomy demeanor. Before him stood a young cultivator in a green robe, gazing at him with genuine curiosity. Upon seeing the man's face clearly, Han Li found his mouth suddenly dry. This immortal cultivator wore a silver crown on his head and wore coarse shoes on his feet. Aside from having bright green, fine eyes and a horned, pointed nose, the rest of his body was remarkably similar to that of a human man. Han Li's eyelids fluttered several times. Such an immortal beast that had nearly fully transformed into human form—could it possibly be an eighth-level immortal beast? Wasn't it more likely a legendary ninth- or tenth-level one? Han Li's body suddenly went stiff. Though he had already grasped the Five-Element Ring and a spirit-beast pouch in his hands, he dared not move or act rashly. "You've noticed me from the very beginning," Han Li felt his voice dry and hoarse, quite unimpressive. Yet the immortal cultivator across from him blinked, then smiled gently. "Indeed. On the very day you arrived, I first noticed you. Initially, I thought you were merely a passing human cultivator and didn't pay much attention. But then, over the following days, I observed that you kept lingering at the nearby rocks, never leaving. That's what sparked my interest." "The young qing-pao immortal narrowed his eyes, revealing a set of snow-white teeth. Unknowingly, Han Li felt the teeth were somewhat too sharp, almost gleaming with a chilling radiance. 'Wind?' Han Li thought, 'So you're indeed the mature Li Feng beast.' His heart sank further. 'Then, why didn't you act sooner?' Han Li managed a smile and asked. 'I'd have loved to meet you earlier, but just after completing the second stage of transformation, I'm currently stabilizing my form and thus unable to venture out forcefully. Now that I've finally solidified, I was just about to step out—only to find you have arrived at my lair unannounced. That truly surprises me,' said the Li Feng beast, his face displaying a strange smile. 'The second stage of transformation? Does that mean you've only just entered the ninth level?' Han Li's face grew pale, and the hand gripping his Wuxing Ring began to sweat slightly. 'Ninth level? Is that how humans classify us among the immortal beasts?' "Indeed, our second stage of transformation corresponds to what you call a nine-tier beast," the immortal whose true form is that of an adult Lefthanded Wind Beast said casually, blinking once. The dozen protective swords, though spiritually attuned and had blocked the way before him, could not keep up with the attacker's speed. Before they even managed to strike, the opponent had already retreated to his original position. Thus, even if they couldn't meet their demise together, they would certainly deal a severe blow to the other. The Lefthand Wind Beast observed Han Li's unusual actions and was momentarily surprised, but then merely smiled indifferently. "Ha! Why so urgent, friend? I haven't said anything harmful to you, have I?" He casually tossed the spirit-beast bag in the air, his face bearing a strange expression. "What do you mean? Aren't you妖s currently exterminating human cultivators?" Han Li furrowed his brows, speaking coldly. He didn't want to be played for a fool right before his death. "Right now, the conflict is merely between the nearby sea clans. I am not under their jurisdiction. I simply enjoy the phosphorescent glow of this place and have chosen to settle here temporarily." The Wind Beast tilted his head, shaking it with a composed air. Han Li was momentarily stunned. He now realized that the Lefthand Wind Beast, being an intermediate creature between sea beasts and divine birds, couldn't be fully classified as a sea-dwelling spirit-being. Moreover, from the way the other one spoke, it seemed as though they were not a native spirit cultivator of this region. Could it be that they truly had no intention of killing him? Han Li's face grew increasingly uncertain. After a moment, Han Li waved his hand, drawing back his flying swords and returning them to his body, which calmed his expression somewhat. Since his flying swords proved utterly ineffective against the other, perhaps it was better to simply be straightforward—should the other prove deceptive, he could always sacrifice his Qinglan Ice Pearls in a self-explosion. Upon seeing Han Li withdraw his treasures, the Li Feng Beast beamed with satisfaction. "I particularly enjoy interacting with intelligent humans. Here, take this back." The guest had not even glanced inside Han Li's spirit-beast bag before tossing it back to him. Han Li reached out to catch it, feeling even more at ease. "Would my friend be interested in visiting my true abode? This is the first time I've invited a human cultivator to do so." The yao-xiu stared at Han Li, uttering a remark that completely surprised him. Though the yao-xiu spoke with great courtesy, Han Li could hardly refuse, and thus only managed a wry nod. Upon seeing Han Li agree, the yao-xiu's face brightened with relief. Without further words, he raised his hand, and a sphere of jade-green light appeared in his grasp. The sphere instantly expanded, enveloping Han Li within it at once. Han Li's expression flashed with surprise, yet he did not resist. As the green light flashed, the sphere swiftly pulled him close to the yao-xiu. With a soft "plink," the sphere carried both of them directly into the pond and then plunged downward. Due to the gentle glow emanating from the sphere itself, Han Li could clearly see the world beneath the water. For some reason, the water of the pond seemed unusual—besides a small white fish, about the size of a palm, Han Li saw no other fish. There were neither shrimp nor seaweed in sight. The Lianfeng Beast saw Han Li appear deeply curious about the scenery beneath the pond, and with a gentle smile, said nothing. After about a meal's time, the light dome ceased its downward movement, trembled slightly, and then took off, drifting to one side. Instantly, a massive black stone gate came into view, its surface glowing with white light, as if protected by some enchantment. "Here it is," the Lianfeng Beast pointed to the gate with a touch of courtesy, "this is my humble abode. I hope you won't mind." Han Li managed a forced smile but said nothing. As the light dome directly collided with the gate, it opened on its own. Then, the dome passed through a layer of white mist, carrying both of them into a dry corridor. The corridor was vibrant with color, its stone walls adorned with large, lustrous pearls resembling dragon's eyes, their light interwoven and shining like daylight. Seeing Han Li's expression of surprise, the Lianfeng Beast felt a sense of pride. "Please, my friend!" These spherical pearls are no ordinary pearls—they are specially harvested from deep within the ocean, targeting ancient, spiritually attuned mollusks that have lived for thousands of years, and thus possess unique properties of warding off water and fire. Han Li glanced at the corridor ahead, deeply reluctant to enter, yet under the steady gaze of the nine-tiered beast beside him, he finally forced himself to take the first step. The green-robed, wind-wielding creature followed at a steady, unhurried pace. The corridor wasn't particularly long, and soon Han Li found himself in a vibrant hall adorned with colorful coral. At the center of the hall stood a pristine, translucent jade table, accompanied by several chairs carved from fine jade. At each of the four corners stood an ancient, elegant bronze tripod, each holding a black incense candle of finger-thick diameter, emitting a faint, lingering fragrance.