Not long after, even Mei Ning heard footsteps coming and going—sometimes light, sometimes heavy. She glanced at Han Li with a slightly uneasy expression. To her relief, Han Li remained perfectly composed, motionless in place, though it seemed he sensed her gaze and smiled gently at her. Mei Ning blushed slightly and quickly looked away, yet felt a sense of calm settle within her. The footsteps were clearly audible, and even the faint breaths of the person approaching were distinctly heard. What surprised Han Li was that it sounded as though there were two people, approaching one after the other. Han Li frowned, a subtle aura of displeasure beginning to surface. Suddenly, the thick mist parted, revealing a young man wearing a high crown. The man had a refined face and a jade belt wrapped around his waist, with faint flashes of white light shimmering along it. Yet, as soon as he saw Han Li standing before him, his expression changed instantly, and he gasped in surprise. "Are you?" This man was none other than Wen Tianren, the inheritor of the Six Paths. He now wore a look of utter astonishment. "Indeed, it's me. You may now go in peace!" Han Lin spoke evenly, lifting his right hand. A flash of emerald light followed, and a small sword shot forth with a "whoosh," piercing the man's chest. "Ting!" A soft sound, as though striking iron armor, the sword easily rebounded and fell to the ground. From the torn fabric, a faint green glow could be seen pulsing within. "Inner armor?" The first strike had failed, and Han Lin was slightly surprised. Yet, with a cold exhalation, he raised his other hand, sending out another surge of emerald light this time, aimed squarely at the man's exposed throat. But Wen Tianren had suddenly regained his composure. Overcome with shock and fury, he would not stay put to die. At once, his body swayed sharply, deflecting the oncoming azure light, and with a powerful thrust of his feet, he shot backward into the thick mist, displaying remarkable agility. Han Li's next attack missed, yet he coldly watched Wen Tianren's retreating figure, his feet remaining still, a faint scorn etched on his lips. Han Li's right hand, expressionless, gently trembled. With a subtle tension and pull of the sinew tightly wrapped around his fingers, the small sword obediently launched back and reentered his palm. At that moment, Han Li narrowed his eyes and focused again on the thick mist. A slender figure emerged, and the second figure slowly stepped out of the mist—revealing a stunning young woman dressed in white. She smiled warmly at Han Li, her radiant charm radiating as she softly said, "Brother Han! I didn't expect to see you again." "Miss Zilin!" Han Li nodded calmly, and with a simple flick of his sleeves, the two small swords vanished. That day, when he had been trapped within the Golden Flame, he had heard the conversation between Wen Tianren and Zilin, and thus immediately recognized this transformed version of the renowned Zilin Immortal. He had to admit that, in her true form, Zilin truly lived up to her celebrated reputation across the entire Chaotic Star Sea. In terms of beauty alone, even Yuan Yao, known for her graceful charm, seemed to fall just slightly short. However, at that moment, the graceful and refined young lady glanced at the bodies lying on the ground, sighed lightly, and said, "I never expected the young master who always claimed to be the foremost among those who had achieved the Jian Dan stage to meet such a fate at your hands. If others were to hear of this, most would surely find it hard to believe." "He never should have been here at this very moment. Since he's encountered me, I naturally won't let him go." Han Li spoke calmly, then took a few steps beside the body, promptly grabbing the storage pouch from the young man's waist without hesitation, while curiously glancing at the jade-blue sash. "That's the Four-Element Dragon Sash, embedded with four rare pearls—wind-shielding, fire-warding, water-warding, and dust-warding—each offering unique benefits, especially calming the spirit and stabilizing the soul. It's indeed a rare treasure. He relied entirely on this sash to climb safely all the way here." Zi Ling, the immortal maiden, smiled gently as she explained. "The Four-Element Sash is truly well-suited for use at this very moment." Han Li hesitated for a moment, then bent down and picked up the sash as well. Afterwards, he thoroughly searched the body without any hesitation, retrieving a jade-green inner armor and several other treasures. "Han brother, this esteemed guest—?" Zilin's eyes flickered, glancing at Mei Ning standing behind Han Li, and then blinked with curiosity. "This is Mei Mei. She arrived here with me." Han Li spoke calmly and deliberately. "Ah, Mei Mei!" "Mei Ning has the pleasure of meeting Lady Zilin!" Mei Ning felt a bit uneasy, yet still curiously observed the stunning young lady. Naturally, she had heard of Zilin's reputation from afar, and was momentarily struck by her breathtaking beauty. Now, seeing Han Li appear to know her well, she found herself quietly wondering about the nature of their relationship. After offering Mei Ning a warm smile, Zilin turned to Han Li and gave him a slightly apologetic expression. "Master hasn't blamed Zi Ling for not stepping in back then to jointly confront Wen Shaozhong, has he? At that time, I actually..." The young lady seemed to wish to explain what had happened. "Zi Ling need not elaborate further! Though I don't fully understand why you, the Sixth Path's inheritor, have come together with this noble guest, I can clearly see your reluctance. Moreover, Wen Tianren once requested you to intervene against my companions within my valley, yet Zi Ling did not truly step forward. I shall keep that in mind." Han Li waved his hand, seemingly unconcerned, and cut in. "Since Brother Han understands my situation so well, then I shall say no more. May I ask whether Zi Ling now wishes to journey with Brother Han and Mei Master?" Seeing that Han Li truly showed no resentment, Zi Ling felt a subtle relief and immediately smiled, asking. "Of course! The mist has only been traversed halfway—the journey ahead will surely be more challenging. Let us set off now and not waste any time." Han Li paused briefly, then calmly agreed. "Since Lady Zilin has also arrived here, let's go together. The mist has only been cleared halfway so far. Do either of you have any objections?" "Thank you, Han brother!" Lady Zilin smiled gracefully, her eyes shimmering like water, radiant and beautiful beyond compare. "Yan Sister, as you know, due to the use of the Resurrection Technique, my original Golden Dan stage has shattered—almost cutting off my path to further cultivation. I had hoped that by making such a great sacrifice, I could revive you. Yet unexpectedly, I encountered this ghostly mist, which interrupted the technique midway. As a result, your spiritual essence has solidified considerably, but you have lost the hope of regaining full vitality. Fortunately, the principle of mutual benefit in adversity applies here. This place possesses such a rich concentration of Yin and冥 (míng) energy, which greatly benefits your cultivation of Ghost Arts. Moreover, the Yin-Yang Cycle Technique is a rare method allowing human and ghost practitioners to co-cultivate together. With this abundant Yin and冥 energy, not only can you cultivate with remarkable speed, but I too may possibly return to the Ji Dan stage, or even achieve the formation of a Yuan Ying—something that is far from impossible." This graceful woman was Yuan Yao, who had also been drawn into this realm. She spoke with remarkable composure. "Given this, I shall no longer hesitate to urge you further." However, I would like to remind my younger sister that this technique is specifically designed for the joint cultivation of humans and spirits. Although here, with the aid of ambient yin energy, it progresses remarkably swiftly, once the technique reaches a high level, you will also suffer significantly from its drawbacks—and equally, you will lose your eligibility to reincarnate. I strongly recommend that you reconsider this matter. Otherwise, Qingyang Sect has possessed this technique for so long, yet no one among them has ever practiced it successfully." The ghostly woman emerging from the black mist seemed somewhat helpless, and could only offer a few more gentle reminders. "Sister, there's no need for further words. My decision is firm—I will not regret it!" Yuan Yao spoke with serious determination. "Very well. Since my sister is no longer afraid of these drawbacks, then I have no reason to hesitate either. Let us then jointly cultivate the Yin-Yang Cycle Technique together!" A deep, resonant sigh drifted from the black mist, followed by the graceful ghostly figure extending her two hands, wrapped in black energy. Upon seeing this, Yuan Yao immediately reached out, gently pressing her palms against them. Then, she closed her eyes and began her cultivation journey.