Han Li, seeing the two acknowledge him, felt a sense of something indescribable, and after a moment of silence, spoke softly: "When I left my hometown in pursuit of the Dao, I never imagined that the Han family would grow into a prominent noble lineage. Indeed, the saying 'the course of events is unpredictable' holds true! Please rise, both of you. For all these years, I have never returned to my hometown—there is no need for such formalities!" When I passed by here earlier, I skimmed over Hanjia堡, having my divine awareness scan each person within. Unfortunately, although the Han family has many members, none of them possess the spiritual root essence—thus, there's little chance of any connection with me. Otherwise, I would have no objection to bringing one or two of my family's disciples to cultivate together." Han Li sighed, expressing a touch of regret. "It seems our descendants are rather fortunate in having such slender chances, and we shall be unable to secure a divine encounter with our uncle." The scholar's face briefly reflected disappointment, and he smiled wistfully. "Possessing the rare spiritual root, a trait unique to cultivators, is indeed an exceptional occurrence—having hundreds of Han family members lacking this quality is quite normal. Moreover, according to my original intention, it would be better if the descendants of both the Han and Lan families avoided entering the cultivation world altogether. After all, the current cultivation realm is far from peaceful, with entire clans and sects being wiped out from time to time. Should the entire Han family be drawn into such turmoil, that would indeed be unfortunate." Han Li shook his head and said. "All shall follow the instructions of my fourth uncle." "Heard what Mr. Han said, the scholar was first taken aback, but then replied honestly. "Which generation of Li Feiyu's lineage are you from? What is your name?" Han Li turned his gaze, suddenly fixing it on the bearded man. Upon hearing this, the man bowed promptly and replied, "My name is Li Feng. I am the eleventh-generation descendant of the ancestor Li Fei Yu. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Han." "We used to be brothers back then, and you calling me 'uncle' is quite fitting. I noticed you've been particularly protective of Tian Xiao lately. It seems that the Li family has indeed shown consistent care and support to our Han family over the years. As your Han family uncle, I certainly can't overlook the Li family's contributions. Here are some pills that greatly benefit martial cultivators—they can significantly reduce the effort required for internal energy cultivation among your family members. Please accept them." Han Li gently tapped his storage bag, and a flash of white light revealed seven or eight small bottles of various colors appearing in his hands, which he then handed to the man. The man was delighted upon hearing this, quickly expressing his gratitude and eagerly taking the bottles Though the cultivation of internal energy among the martial figures of the world may not take as long as the centuries required by immortals, even a modest achievement still demands considerable time. With these elixirs, Li's family would naturally produce a steady stream of outstanding masters. The middle-aged scholar, delighted for his friend, cast a look at Han Li that carried a subtle sense of anticipation. Seeing this, Han Li smiled gently and, without hesitation, removed a bag of spiritual creatures from his waist. With a light tap, he summoned it. Instantly, thousands of three-colored gold-devouring insects surged forth from the bag, forming a vibrant, shimmering cloud of insects about one zhang in diameter—like countless stars appearing in the daytime. The scholar and the sturdy man were utterly astonished, silently marveling at the sight. Han Li said nothing further. With a simple gesture toward the insect cloud above, the thousand insects suddenly converged at the center, instantly transforming into a three-colored sword that floated motionless in midair. Han Li then extended his hand, and the sword emitted a clear chime before gently descending into his hands. This strange scene left the two scholars even more astounded. Han Li held his sword single-handed, gently brushing the blade with his other hand, his facial expression shifting between gloom and uncertainty. Yet after a while, he finally exhaled a long breath, and as he opened his mouth, a surge of pale blue spiritual energy burst forth, landing precisely upon the sword. Instantly, a flash of green light shimmered, and an ancient, subtly emerald-hued sword scabbard materialized on the blade's surface. Han Li now held the sword with scabbard extended before him. Only by wearing this jade can the sword be drawn; otherwise, an ordinary person will be unable to lift it. From now on, this jade pendant shall be entrusted to the successive heads of the Han family. Han Li then produced another clear, translucent piece of fine jade and advised the scholar. "Nephew shall remember your teachings!" The scholar, having witnessed Han Li's previously astonishing feats, now had no doubts whatsoever about him. Upon hearing these words, he responded with great enthusiasm and eagerness. Han Li smiled gently at this, without immediately handing over the sword or the jade pendant, and added one more instruction. "Also, you must keep this in mind: since the sword's hilt is sealed by spiritual energy, this Jin-Eating Sword can only be used three times. Each time it is drawn, the spiritual energy of the hilt will grow weaker, and after three uses, the hilt will disintegrate into nothingness. The sword itself will then revert into spiritual insects and vanish. I believe that with three such opportunities to save the Han family, my uncle has truly fulfilled his duty to the Han family. After all, how many enduring fortunes are there in the world that never fade? But to prevent future generations from taking advantage of this and doing wrong deeds with the sword, the Golden-Devouring Sword remains within this hall until it is drawn from its scabbard. Once it leaves this place, it will vanish entirely, no longer exist. Nevertheless, if it is properly used to preserve the prosperity of the Han family for several hundred more years, that should be sufficient. Perhaps it is indeed a blessing for the Han family to eventually return to ordinary life. After saying this, Han Li handed over the two items. The scholar nodded repeatedly in agreement, bowed deeply, and carefully placed the sword upon the central altar, then returned to stand before Han Li, awaiting further instructions. Satisfied with the scholar's respectful demeanor, Han Li thought for a moment, then produced two small bottles of pale yellow color, handing one to the scholar and one to the Han man. With a smile, he said, "The items I just mentioned are for the Han and Li families." You two are surely my junior disciples. To have personally witnessed my esteemed uncle today is no small matter—it's a fortunate coincidence that has brought us together. I must surely bestow some benefit upon you both. Though these pills hold little value for me personally, they are quite effective for ordinary people in the mortal world—offering remarkable benefits in extending life and strengthening the body. Accept them, and with these, you shall surely live to reach a hundred years of age. "Thank you, Fourth Uncle!" "Thank you, Han Uncle!" Hearing this, the scholar and the Han man both gratefully took the small vials, their faces filled with delight and surprise. Han nodded, then glanced around once more, suddenly expressing a hint of curiosity. "You two recognized me right from the start. It seems my portrait has indeed been preserved. If you could show it to me in the ancestral hall, I’d be most interested to know who painted it." "The portrait is indeed kept in the upper hall. Please, Uncle, wait a moment." The scholar was momentarily startled by this, but quickly responded. Walk to the side of the attic, and press gently against what appears to be an ordinary wall. A crisp "crack" sounds. Part of the wall flips over, revealing several scrolls hung within—five or six in total. Han Li takes a few steps forward and stops before one of the scrolls. It depicts a young man in his late teens or early twenties, smiling gently, with a touch of youthful freshness—exactly the look of Han Li's face from his younger days. "This painting is said to have been passed down from the ancestors of the Li family to our Han family," the middle-aged scholar explains softly, standing behind Han Li. "As for who painted it, however, that remains unknown." Yet Han Li seems not to have heard. After a brief flicker of his gaze, he turns his attention to another scroll. This one shows his father dressed in the attire of a county official, his face noticeably more weathered than when Han Li had last seen him in the village, yet his expression is filled with joy. A faint shadow of sadness passes over Han Li's face. Then, with a single glance, he takes in the remaining scrolls, one by one. On several other portraits, there were elderly men with white hair. Han Li struggled greatly to recognize the faces of his elder brothers among them, and a myriad of emotions surged within him, leaving him momentarily stunned. At this moment, the scholars and the bearded man were most considerate and did not interrupt him. Yet, just then, Han Li began to murmur to himself, though his voice was low and somewhat indistinct. The two scholars, eager to listen closely, were about to focus their attention when suddenly a brilliant, vivid blue light erupted from Han Li’s body. Startled, they instinctively closed their eyes. When they opened them again, Han Li had vanished entirely, yet both heard his voice clearly in their ears. “I may have attained some abilities of a terrestrial immortal, yet I still have powerful adversaries. The meeting we have today—please do not relay this to anyone else. As long as the matter remains confidential, do not let outsiders see that enchanted golden-spirit sword. The cultivators in the immortal realm will not notice you ordinary mortals at all. With that, you may rest assured and be at ease.” And from now on, I will be solely devoted to pursuing the path of immortality, with little or no connection to the Han family anymore. You take care of yourselves!" As soon as he finished speaking,韩立's voice suddenly ceased, as if he had already drifted gently away. The Han and the middle-aged scholar exchanged glances, yet found themselves at a loss, staring at each other in quiet astonishment.