"Thank you, Lord Nanlong, for your patience!" Han Li said politely. The scene inside the hall surprised him—empty, with no one in sight. Yet, upon scanning the room with his consciousness, he immediately detected fluctuations in the spatial wards. At the same time, Lord Nanlong noticed Han Li's actions. He smiled slightly and said, "My humble techniques, of course, cannot escape your notice, Daoist friend. Please follow me!" With that, he casually formed a hand seal, and a shimmering band of golden light shot forth from his sleeve. After the light passed, a previously unremarkable patch of floor suddenly flashed with white radiance, the illusion dissipated, and a dark stone staircase appeared. Without further words, Lord Nanlong stepped down. Han Li, slightly puzzled, followed without hesitation. The staircase was short—his feet barely had time to step in before he found himself in a modest underground hall. The gentle white light from a few moonstone lamps created a shifting, intermittent glow, casting the space in a somewhat dim and uneven illumination. There were already seven or eight cultivators inside, six of whom were seated, among them a man and a woman standing side by side, clearly a pair. Upon seeing Nan Long Hou and Han Li enter, they all turned their gaze toward them simultaneously. "It's you!" The standing man, upon seeing Han Li's appearance, gasped in surprise, his face pale. It sounded as though he recognized Han Li. Han Li was momentarily startled, his eyes flashing with sharp light, then fixed his gaze on the man—now in the late Jie Dan stage. What caught his eye was a striking silver mask. Han Li paused, then a faintly mocking smile appeared on his lips. This man was none other than the then-young master of the Gui Ling Sect, who had once pursued him relentlessly until he was nearly driven to despair. The same silver mask, the same person beneath it—yet now, the youthful confidence of those days had faded, replaced by a sense of weariness and a touch of surprise and agitation. "It's truly surprising to see an old acquaintance here. I didn't expect this at all!" "How could it not be? "You... you've solidified into a Yuan婴?" The young master of the Gui Ling Sect's voice was slightly hoarse compared to before, yet everyone could clearly hear the evident shock in his words. "What's going on? Do you know this guest?" A man dressed in black, sitting in front of Wang Chan, suddenly asked coldly. "Second Uncle, this man is the one I mentioned to you—the Huang Feng Valley cultivator named Han, who... " "No need to continue. Master Han has already reached the Yuan婴 stage. How can he still treat you, a junior disciple, with such condescension?" The middle-aged man in a dark robe, with a refined appearance, flashed a look of surprise, but after frowning, promptly cut in. Then, he offered a warm smile and spoke gently, "My name is Wang Tian Gu, from the Gui Ling Sect. Back then, my young nephew was overly confident and made several mistakes. However, I hope you'll overlook this matter, considering my personal regard." From the tone of his voice, it seemed he had a good understanding of Han's situation. "Back then, my matter with Master Wang was merely a small thing. After so many years have passed, how could I still hold a grudge against him? I must have forgotten it entirely. You've filtered it out!" Han Li glanced at the black-robed figure, smiling lightly as though truly intent on letting go of the past. Yet within his heart, he quietly chuckled to himself. That young master of Gui Ling Sect had nearly cost him his life on several occasions, even compelling him to take a risky journey to leave the southern lands. How could such a grudge be so easily laid to rest? If it weren't for the numerous Yuan婴 cultivators present, and especially the presence of the Gui Ling Sect's master here, Han Li would have taken the young man's life right away. For now, however, he could only observe the others—what kind of figures were they? Were there any more magicians from the demonic path? Otherwise, he would not only fail to settle his score, but risk being wiped out by their combined forces. "Ah, I see! Master Han hails from Huang Feng Valley. I had thought you were originally one of the disciples of Luoyun Sect. Nevertheless, your willingness to set aside past grievances is After all, this noble has summoned all of you here precisely to avoid any discomfort or ill will arising. At this moment, the Nán Lǒng Marquis interjected appropriately. Upon hearing this, Wang Tiangu smiled slightly, knowing well that such a shrewd and thoughtful man would not easily believe what Han Li had said. Thus, he nodded casually, saying, "Your breadth of mind is truly admirable; I deeply respect that. However, Han, please rest assured—I will strictly discipline my nephew upon returning. Indeed, it's astonishing that you have progressed from Foundation Stage to Immortal Infant Stage in just under two centuries. It's hard to believe! I'm certain that within a few more centuries, you may well reach the late Immortal Infant Stage. As for us ordinary cultivators with less aptitude, we shall surely fall far short!" "Have you not yet reached three hundred years of age, friend?" asked the dark-clad man sitting in the corner, speaking with unusual curiosity after a moment of silence. Han Liduo glanced at this man, and upon making eye contact with the elder, instantly shivered—his breath caught as if chilled to the bone. The elder’s gaze was so cold it seemed capable of penetrating right through to his very lungs. Han felt a deep sense of alarm, yet on the surface remained calm, slightly turning his head to appear casually averted from the elder’s gaze. Yet, Yan Ruoxian glanced at Han Li twice, her gaze clear and bright, as if pondering something within. Upon seeing this, Han Li gave a cold laugh and paid them no further attention. As the initiator, Nan Long Hou had now stepped forward, his expression serious, and spoke in a steady tone: "Among the several of you, some belong to the Celestial Dao sect, others to the Demon Dao monasteries, and still others are independent cultivators. Yet, one point is common to all of you—your spiritual awareness is exceptionally strong. This is precisely the reason I have invited each of you to gather here. While some of you have already been briefed on the matter, most of you remain uninformed. Therefore, I will now recount the details once again. Then, each of you may decide whether to participate. Should any of you wish to decline, I shall certainly not press you." Upon hearing this, Han Li felt a surge of energy, sensing that the main point had finally arrived. "Heh! Others may be fine. But why are the two junior disciples from Gui Ling Sect also here? What does this mean?" "You need not tell me that these two have consciousness comparable to ours." A calm-faced cultivator seated across from the black-robed figure suddenly said, making no prior indication of any such intent. As he spoke, he cast a critical gaze upon Wang Tiangu, as though there were some underlying tension between them. Han Li noticed this and felt a spark of insight. "You, You Daoist, have missed this. Though their cultivation levels are not particularly high, they are exceptionally skilled in secret techniques. When working together, they can merge their consciousness into one, making their combined awareness at least as strong as ours in the short term. After all, it's quite rare to find cultivators with such refined consciousness as ourselves. Among you, several of you have mastered specific cultivation techniques, others are naturally endowed with superior consciousness, and still others possess artifacts that enhance their awareness. Otherwise, how could I, the Marquis of Nanlong, be doing something pointless?" The Marquis of Nanlong seemed fully prepared, speaking with confidence. "Then, let that statement stand—my words shall count as nothing!" The cold-faced cultivator replied, his expression unchanged. Several other cultivators had no objections, gazing at Nanlong Marquis, ready to listen attentively to what he had to say. "The real purpose for gathering all of you today is to have each of you join me on a journey to the Mulan Grasslands," Nanlong Marquis said, slowly surveying the group before speaking. "The Mulan Grasslands?" Upon uttering these words, most of the cultivators present were taken aback. Hearing this, Han Li also grew visibly alarmed.