Hearing Han Li's tone so stiff and abrupt, the coarse-looking man had already sensed something was amiss. When, upon looking up, he suddenly saw a head being hurled at him from across the way, he didn't hesitate—his body flashed aside, letting the head pass. Yet, in that brief moment of passing, he clearly saw the face of the head: pale and gray, unmistakably that of an elder named Ding. He was stunned. The skeleton, watching from the side, too, was equally astonished. Yet these two seemed to often work in tandem—upon realizing something was wrong, they swiftly moved close to each other and, with a swift gesture toward the法宝 engaged in the battle, quickly summoned back the mountain-ax and the strange blade. Then, they faced Han Li with wary expressions, their eyes fixed on him with cold, steady intensity. Though Han Li was a late-stage Jin Dan cultivator, the two felt confident that, together, they could hold their own—so they showed no particular fear. Yuan Yao, far off in the black mist, was equally puzzled by what unfolded before her. Yet, being exceptionally cautious, she neither took flight nor dispelled her magical energy at once. He merely kept the crimson strange mallet swirling before him, silently observing the odd actions of Han Li and his companions. Han Li glanced thoughtfully at Yuan Yao, then turned back to the two skeletons, offering a gentle smile. Without explaining, he raised both hands, and twenty or so small jade swords shot out like fish from his sleeves. As the light intensified, the swords surged forward, darting toward the opposite side. The skeletons and the fierce man stared in disbelief, their faces filled with astonishment. Typically, a mid-stage Dan stage cultivator would have to spend half their fortune to forge a single life-bound artifact. Yet here, their suddenly turned adversaries had unleashed over twenty flying swords at once. Without hesitation, they realized that the opponent was no ordinary late-stage Dan cultivator—they were utterly outmatched. The skeleton’s face paled suddenly, and he roared, “Disperse! Each of you, save yourselves!” As soon as he finished speaking, he dissolved into a streak of black light and took off in a hurry. Upon hearing this, the rugged warrior silently drew his massive halberd, taking off in the opposite direction with no lag at all—equally swift as his companion, appearing remarkably composed and practiced. Seeing this, Han Li frowned, quickly pressing a series of hand seals and lightly tapping the cluster of swords. Instantly, streaks of azure light flashed, each flying sword transforming into three identical beams of light. The original twenty-four glimmers instantly multiplied into ninety-six beams, greatly amplifying the power and momentum of the sword formation. Then, Han Li waved his blue robe and emitted a cold, resonant "Fen" from his mouth. As soon as the word was spoken, the beams obediently split into two groups, flowing into two distinct streams. The two waves of swords instantly linked together, their shimmering light trembling as the entire formation surged forward like a swarm of agile, vibrant bees, each one breaking through the air in unison. This mastery of the "Sword Light Division and Shadow" technique left even the skeletal head and the rugged warrior, who had been fleeing, stunned—both turning pale instantly and immediately channeling all their inner energy, desperately fleeing. Han Li stood motionless, a touch of pity shining in his eyes. How could ordinary people hope to escape the swift convergence of dozens of sword beams? Unless they possessed something truly extraordinary—like his blood-red cloak or the Wind and Thunder Wings—there was no chance for either of them. Indeed, only in a brief moment did the sword swarm catch up with the two, who had already fled over a thousand paces. Faced with the relentless barrage of swordlight, the skeleton and the fierce man were forced to turn and summon their talismans for defense. Yet under the relentless rain of dozens of sword beams, they cried out in pain, their bodies torn apart by the swords. Only then, Han Li, calm and composed, mentally activated a subtle command, dissolving the sword-beam duplication technique and having the flying swords gather the storage bags from the wreckage, then take flight back. As the flying swords spiraled gracefully back into his sleeves, like weary birds returning to their nests, Han Li turned slightly, a half-smile on his face, gazing toward the distant dark clouds. To his surprise, before he had even opened his mouth, a soft, light laugh from Yuan Yao echoed from within the clouds. "Ah, is it Master Han It's surprising after all these decades that Brother Han has achieved such remarkable feats—how I admire him! As she spoke, the black clouds gradually parted, revealing a graceful and stunning beauty. With a delicate, charming face that could be both joyful and slightly pouting, her bright eyes sparkled as she gazed at Han Li, smiling silently. "I didn't expect Miss Yuan to recognize me at all—I had hoped to surprise my friend greatly!" Han chuckled, then removed the transformation spell, his true form emerging in a flash of white light. "The number of swords Brother Han possesses makes Miss Yuan find it hard to believe that there's anyone else in the Luanxing Sea with such a magnificent set of artifacts." She spoke with a light, easy tone, yet upon seeing Han reveal his true self, she gently exhaled, her mind finally easing a little. "This time, it truly thanks to your timely rescue—I would have been in serious trouble otherwise." After a moment's hesitation, Yuan Yao did not ask why Han Li had appeared here. Instead, she gracefully approached and paid her respects, sincerely expressing her gratitude. Yuan Yao was well aware that, with Han Li's current cultivation level, if he truly intended to harm her, she would have no chance to escape. Therefore, it would be better to come openly and establish a good relationship with him. Seeing Yuan Yao's warm and courteous demeanor, Han Li naturally understood the reason. He smiled slightly and gestured, saying, "This time, I happened to encounter you by chance—it's merely a small favor. On the other hand, I've not seen you in some time—I notice your techniques have improved considerably." "Han brother, are you jesting with me? You've already reached the late Jie Dan stage, while Yuan Yao still hovers around the early Jie Dan stage. How can we speak of improvement in techniques?" Yuan Yao slightly turned her head, glanced at Han Li with a look of gentle annoyance, and said. "Hehe! Yuan friend is being too modest." Although it was by chance that Han Li had reencountered his friend, there were indeed several matters that required discussion with Yuan Girl. Han Li, unwilling to elaborate on his own cultivation, casually shifted the topic and said with a serious expression. "Haha! Of course! If Brother Han doesn't mind the modest and simple accommodations, why not come to my pavilion for a chat?" Yuan Yao was initially taken aback, but then smiled warmly, covering her lips with a delicate hand gesture. Apparently, due to having saved her life, this lady had grown notably more enthusiastic and intimate toward Han Li. "Then I shall be honored to disturb you during my visit!" Han Li, without hesitation, bowed and agreed. Seeing this, Yuan Yao's face brightened with delight, and she gracefully descended with Han Li to the green mountain. Thereafter, Han Li followed her into her pavilion. Though the pavilion was not particularly large, it was elegantly and simply arranged, and on both sides of the corridors, numerous rare flowers and herbs were planted, transforming the originally cold and dry stone pavilion into a vibrant and fragrant one. Han Li glanced at her, a warm smile spreading across his face. Yuan Yao led Han Li into a stone hall about ten zhang in size. After he had taken his seat at the guest bench, she poured a cup of flower tea and only then sat down across from him with a gentle smile. "Brother Han, your reputation in the Land of Turbulent Stars is no small thing. Everyone knows that the first treasure of the Stars, the Xu Tian Ding, now rests in the hands of a cultivator named Han. And in such a short time, you've advanced to the late Ji Dan stage—could it be that you've been taking the famed Bu Tian Pill? Truly, isn't this medicine as miraculous as they say?" Yuan Yao immediately mentioned the Xu Tian Ding upon seating herself, her eagerness for the Bu Tian Pill unmistakable. Han Li was momentarily startled, then smiled faintly. Indeed, this lady was exceptionally courteous—by openly bringing up the Xu Tian Ding and the Bu Tian Pill, she subtly signaled that she held no hidden intentions. This only deepened Han Li's favorable impression of her. "Since the young lady has explicitly mentioned this matter, I have no intention of deceiving her—I indeed hold the Xutian Ding in my hands. However, since acquiring it, my own cultivation and insight have been insufficient to unlock the Ding. To me, it remains merely a useful but not particularly valuable asset at this time. Should my cultivation deepen, I shall then gain new opportunities—there is no direct connection between this Ding and the Bu Tian Dan." Han Li sighed gently and shook his head, speaking with confidence, as he felt his cultivation and techniques far surpassed those of the young lady, and thus found it unnecessary to outright deny the matter. The original elixir had been nearly consumed due to various circumstances. Should my friend still have any remaining, I would be happy to purchase it at a premium price—absolutely ensuring that Yuan Girl is not disadvantaged. Han Li gazed steadily at Yuan Yao, speaking slowly. During his time abroad, if he had not possessed this elixir of a thousand years' age, his life would have been in jeopardy long ago. Having fully appreciated its value, Han Li naturally wished not to part with it easily, and thus seized this opportunity to secure the second bottle of elixir. In this way, should any future emergencies arise, he would have an additional lifeline. Upon hearing Han Li's words, Yuan Yao was first taken aback, then slightly furrowed her brows unconsciously, falling into quiet contemplation. After a moment, she reached to her waist, placed a small jade-like bottle on the stone table between them, and pushed it firmly toward Han Li. "The elixir within this bottle has never been used—every drop is untouched. This gift requires no exchange of items or spiritual stones. Yuan Yao offers it freely to Brother Han." "This woman stared at Han Li, speaking calmly. Her eyes suddenly became exceptionally clear!"