Master Fu was not currently in the main hall, but had taken up residence in a remote attic within the fortress. As the centerpiece of the birthday celebration, he naturally wished to make his appearance only at the very last moment. In the meantime, as the de facto ruler of the Fu family, he had another urgent matter to attend to. Beside him in the attic sat a tall, imposing man with bronze-like skin, clearly at the early stage of a Jiadian cultivation level, his waist bulging with several leather satchels of varying sizes. "Hmph! Here, we're not even in the Zhijin Kingdom. How can the Yuling Sect expect us to send people and resources just to gather information for them—searching for something specific? As if we were merely their subordinate branches! This is utterly unreasonable!" Master Fu suddenly slammed his table, his face darkening as he spoke with growing frustration. "Uncle Qi need not be so agitated. Did the jade scroll clearly specify what they were seeking? If the Yuling Sect's cultivators are so anxious about it, then the matter must surely be of great significance." "The Han gentleman gave a thoughtful nod, showing clear interest. "The irony lies here—they rely on us, yet remain vague, never mentioning what exactly they're seeking. They merely ask us to keep an eye out for any unusual occurrences across Yuanwu's lands and to inform them immediately if anything stands out." "Ah! That makes sense. It seems the Yuling Sect doesn't wish for the Moyan Gate to be aware of this matter, which is why they've turned to our Fu family and spoken so indirectly." The Han gentleman's eyes flashed with insight. "You're absolutely right, Third Brother. To be safe, besides fully courting the Moyan Gate, we've quietly cultivated ties with the Yuling Sect as well. Yet, as it stands, despite our repeated efforts to impress them, the Yuling Sect still doesn't fully trust us. We may need to adjust our strategy. Perhaps the Gui Ling Sect—the weakest among the six—would be easier to engage with?" The elder, stroking his beard, paused thoughtfully. "This might indeed be possible..." "Hmm! I never expected that besides securing the alliance with the Magic Flame Sect, the Fu family had also forged ties with the Yu Ling Sect. That explains how they've managed to thrive so steadily for a century!" Fu's elder ancestor and the tall man were both stunned, swiftly stepping back to the corners of the room, each now glowing with a translucent protective aura. Fu's elder ancestor even exhaled a white flying sword that spiraled continuously before him, while the tall man, his expression grave, grasped a sleek, dark spiritual beast bag at his waist—unremarkable in appearance. As the light faded, a young cultivator in a green robe suddenly appeared in the center of the room, ordinary in appearance, around twenty-five or twenty-six years old. This was Han Li, who had quietly slipped into the fortress. Han Li, with his hands behind his back, glanced at Fu's elder ancestor and the tall man, both clearly alert, and spoke calmly: "When I scanned the entire Fu family fortress with my spiritual awareness, I found only three cultivators at the Jian Dan stage—your two being the highest among them. I presume you are the key figures in charge of the Fu family." Han Li's tone remained utterly composed, showing no hint of surprise or excitement, making it impossible to tell whether he was pleased or displeased. "Ah, a Senior Yuan Yin cultivator!" "I didn't know the esteemed elder would be making the trip this far. Is there anything the Fu family can do for you?" Han Li had not concealed his cultivation level, and thus the elder also sensed the profound depth of his修为, causing his face to pale as he managed to force a smile, his heart filled with growing apprehension. "Are you indeed the senior elder of the Fu family?" Han Li's eyes narrowed slightly, fixing them on the purple-robed elder in the corner, and asked calmly. "It's an honor, truly. In the presence of such a distinguished elder, how could I possibly call myself an elder? My name is Fu Tianhua, and I am indeed the current head of the Fu family." Though Han Li's question was delivered without any emotion, the elder responded with outward courtesy, yet his inner unease grew more pronounced—he now sensed that this Yuan婴 cultivator might not have a benign intention. "Ah, then since you are indeed the senior elder of the Fu family, I must say I haven't made a mistake in identifying you. Since I've come to the Fu family to collect a debt, it only makes sense to formally notify you first." Han Li looked at the elder, his expression somewhat unusual. " "I seem to have just met you for the first time—perhaps there's some misunderstanding on your part," said Fan Jia's elder ancestor, his heart suddenly sinking as if plunged into an endless abyss upon hearing Han Li's words. The tall man beside him, who had remained silent until now, instantly turned pale, gripping his spirit-beast bag with noticeably stronger force. It was indeed unfortunate that a Yuan-Center cultivator should be demanding repayment. "No misunderstanding at all! I should have clearly explained everything to avoid having you all become tragic victims down in the depths. But your constant interruptions have left me with no time to speak at length. You two—go ahead first. As for the rest of Fan Jia's family, I will personally escort them all to their final journey." Han Li casually glanced toward the tall man before smiling warmly. "What? You're going to wipe out our entire Fan family!" cried Fan Jia's elder ancestor, as if utterly enraged. Yet suddenly, a yellow scroll appeared in his hands. As the yellow glow flashed, the figure shot backward into the wall and vanished instantly, as though passing through it—rare indeed, a soil-transcendence scroll. "Run? Where do you think you'll go?" Han Li sneered, but instead of taking immediate action against the elder of his family, he merely flicked his finger in a random direction. A streak of green light appeared instantly, then vanished—only to pierce through the chest of a large man in the far corner of the room, shattering his protective aura with no resistance. As the man's hands reached for his spirit-beast bag, which emitted a dark glow, the light dimmed and faded just as the man died, a furious roar echoing faintly within. The man's body collapsed to the ground, yet Han Li glanced at him not once. To him, eliminating a cultivator at the initial stage of the Condensation Realm was nothing short of child's play. Yet, he showed considerable interest in the spirit-beast satchel held by the other. With one hand, he drew it to himself and neatly stored it. At that moment, Han Li glanced at the wall where Fu family elder had vanished, a subtle cold smile playing on his face. With a sweep of his sleeve, a white figure leapt forth, and a small fox materialized before him. "You're skilled in earth-dwelling techniques," Han Li said calmly. "Then it's up to you to handle Fu family elder. With your mastery of the artifact spirit and illusions, you should find no difficulty in dealing with a mid-Jie Dan stage cultivator." "Of course, Master! Just wait a moment—I'll be right back!" The fox's eyes gleamed with pride, and with a flash of yellow light, it vanished from the hall. Only then did Han Li tap once on the spirit-beast satchel at his waist. From within, countless three-colored gold-devouring insects surged forth, forming a vast, swirling cloud of three hues that hovered steadily above his head. "Go!" Han Li murmured. Instantly, the flying insects split into countless groups, instantly coalescing into dozens of small, tri-colored swords, then surged forth en masse through the window. Han Li simply sat cross-legged in the pavilion, activating the Daxian Sect Technique, and in an instant, his awareness enveloped the entire Fu family stronghold. The Fu family's core descendants were easily identifiable—whether by their attire or by the identical cultivation techniques they practiced—now fully exposed under Han Li's awareness. He paid no attention to the ordinary Fu family members in the outer sections who lacked spiritual roots or magical potential. Instead, under the guidance of his consciousness, each tri-colored sword surged toward the Fu family cultivators one by one. Suddenly, cries of alarm and screams erupted, and a thick wave of blood quickly filled the entire Fu family stronghold. Meanwhile, the Fu family's elder patriarch was racing deep underground, utilizing his earth-walking technique to flee at great speed. At this moment, his only intention was to escape the site as far as possible. As for the fate of the other disciples and younger members within the stronghold, he neither wished to think about nor cared to consider. As for the fate of that young nephew, though he hadn't witnessed it firsthand, he could easily imagine it. Even if the young man possessed the family's ancestral spiritual beast, he had no realistic chance of escaping the grasp of a Yuan-Enlightened cultivator. Simply holding off that Yuan-Enlightened cultivator for a few moments would be considered a great achievement by the family's elder patriarch. As for the other members of the Fu family, even if he wanted to save them, he simply didn't have the strength—indeed, he might have to sacrifice his own life in the process. In that case, he would have to prioritize his own survival first. As long as the Fu family's elder patriarch remained alive, the family would not be considered extinct. After all, besides the main fortress, the Fu family maintained several other branches across the Yuanwu Kingdom. As long as they could reach those locations, the family would always have a chance to recover and rise again. The only thing that troubled him was how the Fu family had originally provoked this unfamiliar Yuan-Enlightened star—someone whose very presence seemed destined to extinguish the entire Fu lineage. Though he had always spoken of it casually, whenever he recalled the expression on the other person's face, a cold chill would run through him.