The sea beast before them was nearly three to four zhang long, covered in green scales, with fine, sharp teeth and large, plump eye sacs that gave it a fearsome appearance. Most striking was the pair of curved, pointed bone spines growing from the area just below its jaw. Han Li lowered his stance, carefully examined the corpse several times, and then suddenly a flash of green light—cutting through the middle with a sword-like slash, the body split cleanly in two. Reaching out, he summoned a dark, clumpy mass that instantly landed in his hand. Without hesitation, he lightly sniffed it at his nostrils, and immediately detected a distinct spicy aroma, with a faint hint of fragrance mingling in. "Indeed, it's the Xin Ya Beast," Han Li said, tossing the mass casually, his face revealing a touch of wonder as he murmured. "Xin Ya Beast?" Zi Ling was momentarily startled upon hearing this, and exchanged a glance with Mei Ning. Both women looked slightly puzzled, as they had never heard of this name before. "You two certainly haven't heard of these sea creatures—they are a unique type of deep-sea beast found only here, and none of them exist in Luanxing Sea." Han Li seemed to have sensed their surprise, and with a gentle smile, explained. "From the tone of Han brother, it seems as though we've already left Luanxing Sea." Zi Ling furrowed her brows, asking seriously. "Indeed, we are no longer in Luanxing Sea. Though I've never visited this sea myself, I've heard of it from others. If my guess is correct, this should be Wubian Sea." Han Li glanced at the murky sea surface, nodded with a wry smile, then lifted his gaze to the sky, lost in thoughtful silence, as though recalling something. "Wubian Sea!" The name was entirely unfamiliar to them. "Han brother seems quite familiar with this sea. Could you kindly share some details with us, sisters?" Zi Ling paused slightly, her face brightening with a warm smile. "Of course not at all." Han Li collected his unexpected emotions and calmly nodded in agreement. "Wu Bian Sea is actually a common name used by the people from Tian Nan; hence, as the name suggests, this sea has hardly been explored to its very edge. It..." Han Li spoke steadily and thoroughly, recounting the various tales about Wu Bian Sea in detail, while at the same time quietly pondering several questions he had carried in his heart for a long time. "As far as I understand, Wu Bian Sea lies at the northern end of the so-called Tian Nan region, and not only does it have few fish and shrimp, but it also lacks islands." Zi Ling expressed her surprise. "That's correct. The worst part is, without any islands, we cannot determine our exact current position, nor can we tell how far we are from the mainland of Tian Nan." Han Li rubbed his nose and spoke calmly. Upon hearing this, the two women exchanged puzzled glances. "Regardless of what happens, we won't face any shortage of spiritual stones in the near future. We should therefore make every effort to fly southward." "I hope we're not too far from land," Han Li said decisively after a moment's thought. "That's the only possibility. Let's hope for the best." Zi Ling, with her pure and bright complexion, nodded with a touch of resignation. Mei Ning naturally had no objections. Once they had settled on their direction, the three of them immediately took off toward the south. Several days later, Mei Ning and Zi Ling fully believed Han Li's judgment. Throughout their journey, as Han Li had predicted, no islands appeared at all—the sea was uniformly lifeless, dotted only with a few fierce sea beasts, and no single mythical creature was sighted. This unusual sight amazed the two women, who, perhaps due to their shared hardships, grew especially close to one another. Along the way, they chatted and laughed frequently, and Han Li, facing two beautiful and graceful women, often found himself unexpectedly stirred. However, after reaching this boundless sea, images of another woman as cold and composed began to appear in his mind. "Nangong Wan," he wondered—what had become of this masked moon sect woman with whom he had shared a fusion bond? Whenever he thought of her, a strange emotion stirred within him—whether it was infatuation, tenderness, or irritation—several emotions intertwined, making it hard for him to pinpoint exactly what it was. He himself could not quite put his finger on it. And Fengri City, as the prefecture seat of Minzhou, is also the largest city in the region. Currently, Han Li is seated in a refined lounge of a tavern in a small coastal town of Minzhou, quietly chatting with Mei Ning and Zi Ling. "Han brother, I always thought you'd speak the local dialect—turns out you're originally from the southern region of the heavens. I truly didn't see that coming, and my sisters have been kept in the dark for quite some time," Zi Ling said, giving Han Li a gentle scolding. "Since Brother Han is the host, we surely must be well treated by you!" Zilin smiled and teased. At present, fearing that her breathtaking beauty might cause any trouble, she had regained the fresh, delicate appearance she first showed when meeting Han Li. Yet, having seen her true face, Han Li naturally found her every expression and gesture still deeply captivating and exquisitely graceful. "Hehe! Back then, I was chased out to the Chaotong Star Sea and had lost contact with my monastery for many years—so how could I possibly be considered a true host? Nevertheless, this jade scroll was specially crafted by me for both of you, translating the spoken language and written characters of Tiannan. Since you two are temporarily unable to return to the Chaotong Star Sea, it would be helpful to learn it now—this way, things will be much easier in the future." Han Li reached into his storage pouch and produced two white jade scrolls, which he had prepared overnight, and handed them to the two women. "Ah-hah! Thank you so much, Brother Han!" Zilin was momentarily surprised, then smiled warmly and gratefully, taking the scrolls in her hands. Mei Ning also expressed her appreciation with a gentle, "However, I wonder what plans the two of you have in mind. As for myself, I intend to wait until I have fully investigated the changes that have taken place in this southern region over the past hundred years, then immediately seek a secluded abode and begin my closed cultivation practice. For some time now, I have a strong sense that I am approaching the peak of the late stage of Condensation, and that it may be time to begin preparing for the formation of a Yuan婴." After saying this, Han Li gently lifted the fragrant tea before him, took a slow sip, and then subtly observed the reactions of the two women across from him. "Actually, I have only just reached the Condensation stage, and my cultivation foundation is still not very solid. I also plan to find a cave dwelling and begin my training there for a while before making any further decisions. As for Mei Ning, what are your plans?" Zilin paused thoughtfully, then said with a flowing gaze. "I... I'm not sure. Right now, I am only at the mid-stage of Foundation. Given my current aptitude, the prospect of reaching Condensation seems rather distant. Unless I happen upon some extraordinary elixir or medicinal herb, I would likely have Mei Ning hesitated slightly, and in a soft, hesitant voice, said something that made Han Li and Zilin both momentarily stunned. "To serve as a concubine—doesn't that seem too humble for you? How could that be acceptable?" Zilin shook her head firmly in opposition. Upon hearing this, Han Li furrowed his brows but said nothing. "The status of a concubine isn't any better than that of a furnace vessel. Should a high-ranking cultivator with less-than-loyal intentions come along, it would indeed be possible—perhaps even likely—to elevate Mei sister to the role of a furnace vessel for nourishment. It would simply be too unstable." Hearing these words, Mei Ning bit gently at her lower lip, her expression growing increasingly subdued and sorrowful. "If you truly wish to rely on the mutual cultivation technique and serve as a concubine, then you must choose someone you know well and trustworthy. For instance, someone like Brother Han—I believe he would be exceptionally reliable. He would surely not make you feel undervalued or disadvantaged." Seeing Mei Ning's expression, Zilin's eyes twinkled slightly, as if suddenly remembering something, and then smiled softly, saying this This remark made Han Li momentarily stunned, after which he calmly rubbed his nose as if nothing had happened. Mei Ning, on the other hand, gasped softly, her cheeks flushing beautifully, appearing especially alluring. Yet soon after, she lowered her head and remained silent, as though not opposing Zi Ling's initiative at all. After all, Han Li's cultivation had reached the late Jin Dan stage, and he was preparing to form a Yuan Yin. Through their shared hardships in the Yin-Ming realm, she had come to understand his temperament well—knowing him to be neither harsh nor venomous. Thus, even if she did not qualify as his partner in dual cultivation, serving as his concubine would be satisfactory and reassuring to her. Indeed, any beautiful female cultivator with a certain level of attainment would eventually need to rely on a powerful male cultivator, otherwise she would struggle to advance in the immortal world and might even be seized and subjected to relentless hardships. Especially now, with her brother having perished and her own position weakened, such a fate seemed all too likely. The atmosphere in the room instantly became unusually intimate, thanks to a single sentence from Zilings.