Upon hearing this, Han Li furrowed his brow. "Yin Yue, release the seal first and allow the two elders from Luoyun Sect to enter before anything else. We'll have to settle this matter with them eventually. However, once the seal is opened, you should step back and remain out of sight. After all, though your fox-bodied form excels at concealment and illusion, your fox essence cannot be concealed from a Yuan婴-stage cultivator." Han Li delivered the instructions with steady composure. "Yes, master," Yin Yue replied respectfully, then gracefully stepped forward to depart. They have established a dwelling within Luoyun Sect and laid down such an impressive array of spells, yet as the owners of this place, they have not even noticed a single thing. To speak of this publicly would truly be a source of shame. At the very least, they will surely be teased and laughed at by a few close friends. As the words were spoken, a vigorous surge of azure mist rippled and rolled, spontaneously carving out a passage several feet wide between the two figures. Seeing this, the two silver-haired elders did not hesitate at all—they instantly darted through the passage and arrived at a large stone gate in a moment. The gate stood open, and just before it stood a young man in a green robe, in his twenties, with an ordinary appearance and a gentle smile—none other than Han Li, who had come out to welcome them. "Please, come in, both of you!" Han Li smiled warmly and gestured them forward into the hall. "We have disturbed your peace," the two elders replied, not at all formal, bowing slightly before following Han Li through the stone gate. The azure mist then surged again, the passage vanishing and the seal returning to its original state. Though they sensed this change, the elders, confident that they were within the territory of Luoyun Sect, felt no need for concern. After walking a short distance through the corridor, they entered a spacious hall. "Allow me to present my specially prepared elixir tea," said Han Li, after seeing the two guests settle down. With a subtle movement of his consciousness, a giant ape automaton carried a tea tray and slowly entered the room. On the tray were three freshly brewed clear teas, each placed before the three of them in turn. Then the automaton silently withdrew, without a word. "Excellent tea! I didn't expect that Master Han should specialize in automaton craftsmanship—this is quite rare," praised the silver-haired elder, sipping from his cup and then gazing toward the direction where the giant ape automaton had vanished, his expression slightly surprised. "Nothing special, really," Han Li replied with ease. "I merely have a basic understanding of automaton techniques and have crafted a few to operate. How could I possibly impress the two of you?" "Ah, Master Han is most humble," smiled the elder. "Though this giant ape is merely an automaton, the aura of vitality radiating from its body clearly indicates it can easily match even a Foundation Stage cultivator." The middle-aged man from the Lu family was equally surprised by Han Li's mastery of the puppet technique, and thus ventured to ask with some curiosity. "Indeed, this puppet's full-force strike can match that of a mid-stage Foundation Period cultivator. However, its movements and attack methods remain rather monotonous. Moreover, the materials used to craft it are quite valuable—equal in worth to a top-tier artifact." Han Li gave a slight shake of his head, casually pointing out several shortcomings of the puppet. "Still, your puppet is no ordinary one. Especially if a junior disciple carries it along, it provides ample protection. Yet this kind of mechanical puppet technique appears to originate from the Thousand Bamboo Sect in the far west. Is it possible that you yourself hail from that region?" While the silver-haired elder continued to praise the giant ape puppet, he shifted his tone, probing into Han Li's origins. Upon hearing this, Han Li smiled gently and slightly narrowed his eyes. He didn't need to think much, nor did he need to clarify the intent behind his words—he simply replied with composed calmness: "The art of puppetry, I learned from an obscure manuscript. Whether it has any connection to the far west, I'm not certain. However, I do know that the cultivators of the far west are particularly skilled in puppetry. In fact, I've long intended to visit there and exchange techniques with them. As for myself, I am truly a native of the southern lands. I was born in the State of Yue, but later, due to the invasion of the Six Sects of the Shadow Path, I was forced to seek refuge elsewhere." Han Li spoke this with a mixture of truth and subtle embellishment. At first, he found Han Li's appearance remarkably youthful, but any cultivator who had reached the stage of condensed Yuan婴 (Emanation) should surely be at least three or four hundred years old—like Master Lu himself, who entered the Yuan婴 stage nearly four hundred years ago. "Regarding the cultivation technique I've been practicing, it does not have the effect of maintaining youthful appearance. However, by chance in my early years, I once took a pill known as the 'Stabilizing Youth Pill,' and since then, my appearance has remained unchanged since the moment I consumed it. As for my age, I've been keeping track—now it has reached two hundred and twenty years." "Two hundred years old?!" When Master Lu first heard about the Stabilizing Youth Pill, he had quietly nodded in agreement, thinking, "Indeed, that makes sense." But upon hearing Han Li's exact age, his face instantly turned pale, and he looked utterly astonished. "Really? You've only been cultivating for two hundred years?" The silver-haired elder, upon hearing Han Li's words, felt a surge of internal agitation as well, and slowly opened his mouth to inquire. According to his knowledge, there had indeed been a few cultivators in the southern heavens who achieved infant-stage consolidation—metaphorically, "condensing a true spiritual embryo"—within just two centuries of cultivation, though such cases were rare, numbering only a handful. These individuals were all prodigies, and most of them had indeed become extraordinary figures of immense influence. Among them, there were even legends of those who vanished suddenly after surpassing the late infant stage, ascending to another realm. Now, this young cultivator himself claimed to have achieved infant-stage consolidation after only two centuries of cultivation—wasn't that a strong indication that he himself might have broken through the initial infant stage, becoming no ordinary figure? "There's nothing special about it. That you've already condensed into an infant stage at such a young age truly surprised us both. It seems your future holds immense promise!" The silver-haired elder sighed gently, his face revealing a touch of admiration. At the same time, he had already made up his mind—regardless of whether what the young man said was true or not, the Cloudfall Sect would absolutely have to secure him as a key ally and certainly not allow any rift to form. Ideally, he would persuade the young man to join the Cloudfall Sect outright. "Master, now that you've attained the Yuan婴 stage, do you have any plans for your future?" "Plans? I haven't quite settled on anything yet. The Yue State is currently dominated by the magical sects, and I once had conflicts with cultivators from the Gui Ling Sect when I was younger—so I won't be able to return there. As for other places..." Han Li spoke, his expression growing thoughtful, as though hesitating. "If you don't mind the relative weakness of Luoyun Sect, I would be honored if you would join us. Though we are far less powerful than the Gǔ Jiàn Sect, and even fall short compared to Bai Qiao Yuan, we do not have a specific cultivation method or strict lineage of techniques. Instead, we have always drawn upon the strengths of various sects and adapted them to suit our own needs. Once you join us, you will be treated as an equal to my brothers and me—never regarded as a guest or outsider." The silver-haired elder spoke with earnest gravity, making it clear that these words were truly sincere. "Would it be an honor to become a senior master of your sect?" Han Li's brow slightly furrowed, a hint of hesitation appearing on