Regarding this young apprentice whom she had personally brought into Huangfeng Valley back then, the image that immediately followed in her mind was that of the elderly Master Ma—his demeanor passed through her thoughts swiftly, evoking a sense of melancholy. It was impossible for someone of his age to have achieved a Golden Dan stage; the one who had once been the most distant in relationship with him, perhaps, had already turned into a mound of yellow soil. "Young apprentice! The current Xiao sister is no longer a young girl—she has long since married and entered the Golden Dan stage several decades ago," Ne Yingyi said with both delight and gentle reproach, a faint smile playing at the corner of her lips. "Ah, she has indeed reached the Golden Dan stage. That truly surprised me," Han Li said, pausing briefly before chuckling softly. "I once heard Xiao sister mention several times the account of how the elder brought her into the sect. Xiao sister has always deeply appreciated the great kindness shown by Master Han and remains deeply concerned about him." Ne Ying said gently. "When I first brought her under Master Ma's guidance, I merely saw her as having promising potential—my enthusiasm at the time was simply spontaneous." Now everything has changed—what could one possibly see? Han Li's smile faded, and he spoke calmly. Seeing that Han Li still seemed utterly unwilling to return to Huangfeng Valley, Nie Ying and Lei Wanhe exchanged glances and could only shake their heads in silent resignation. As for the reasons behind Han Li's reluctance to go back, neither of them needed to be particularly clever to deduce them. Back then, when the core disciples of the Nine Kingdoms Alliance were selected, since Han Li wasn't among them, the once-ordinary, junior Foundation Stage cultivator—now known as the "Master Han"—had naturally been treated as a mere bait and discarded. That explained why Han Li was so coldly detached toward Huangfeng Valley, showing not the slightest intention of returning. Just as the two were beginning to feel helpless, Han Li paused for a while and then suddenly asked the middle-aged cultivator from Yan Yue Sect: "Does your Yan Yue Sect have a female cultivator named Nan Gong Wan? How is she these days?" His voice sounded a bit subdued. "Ah! Master, do you know Nan Gong Senior?" Master Nangong is currently stationed within the sect, and everything is going well. The mid-career cultivator first paused, then replied with due respect. "Master? She too has attained the Yuan Ying stage?" Han Li was surprised, his voice tinged with genuine delight. "Master Nangong achieved Yuan Ying over a hundred years ago. She is now one of the senior elders of our sect. Is the senior a former acquaintance of Master Nangong's?" The mid-career cultivator spoke with great detail and warmth. To him, establishing a good relationship with a Yuan Ying cultivator would bring countless future benefits. "Former acquaintance—well, perhaps that's accurate. I once received great favors from Master Nangong, and have always wished to meet her again. Unfortunately, due to various matters, I've never had the opportunity." Han Li sighed, his face briefly clouded with a sense of nostalgia as he murmured. "Ah! Though Master Nangong has always been reserved in receiving guests, it should not be difficult for the senior to meet her if he truly wishes to." Three months later, the Southern Senior Master would hold a Twin-Practice Ceremony with the senior monk Wei Li-chen of Huayi Sect, formally becoming a twin-practice partner. The celebration was originally intended only for high-ranking disciples within the alliance. However, since Master Han has long been a personal acquaintance of the Southern Senior Master, if he were to come to our sect, then Master Bi would certainly... "A Twin-Practice Ceremony?" Han Li's mind went blank, and he couldn't hear any of the words that followed. He suddenly turned around, his voice now cold and sharp. "Indeed, Senior Monk Wei Li-chen of Huayi Sect achieved his Yuan-Infant stage precisely after three centuries, and his powers are profound and incalculable—considered a rare talent in the southern lands. Our sect and Huayi Sect have worked very hard to bring this auspicious event to pass." Han Li's cold demeanor unexpectedly startled the middle-aged disciple, who had a series of strange thoughts running through his mind. Yet, under the steady gaze of Han Li's piercing eyes, he found himself unable to hold back and spoke one point after another. The others, including Lei Wanhe, looked at the scene with expressions of bewilder At this point, even a fool could see that Han Li's relationship with Nan Gong Wan of Yan Yue Sect was far from ordinary! Otherwise, how could he have reacted so dramatically upon hearing the news? What came as a greater surprise, however, was that Han Li's face immediately grew cold. After gazing at the middle-aged cultivator for a moment, he vanished suddenly, and with a more composed and gentle tone, said: "Master Tang, please don't be alarmed. Han Li has no ill will at all. I simply felt rather excited upon hearing that my long-time admirer was suddenly to become his wife. Since I now know of this matter, I will certainly attend the wedding celebration of my close friend." Hearing Han Li speak so calmly and openly, the middle-aged cultivator breathed a deep sigh of relief and repeatedly expressed his warm welcome. Yet Han Li only offered a quiet smile and said nothing further. The others, including Lei Wanhe, also relaxed visibly, as the six major sects of Yue State were now essentially united and naturally wished to avoid any new complications. Next, Han Li casually inquired about several matters concerning the six sects of Yue State, none of which were particularly important. The five individuals naturally answered each in turn. Upon hearing that the elder, Liu Fu, of Huang Feng Valley was nearing the end of his life, Han Li's brow furrowed slightly, but then he calmly relaxed, as though he had not heard at all. "If our sect truly has such a person, how could I not have known? I can assure the senior that our sect indeed does not have this woman." Tang Minghua smiled bitterly, nearly swearing his words. "Master Tang is correct. If the Yin Yue Sect truly has this Jin Dan female cultivator, we would have certainly known. Indeed, there is no such person. I wonder, how did the senior come to learn of her?" Lei Wanhe couldn't help but interject to assist, his face expressing genuine surprise. "Nothing at all! Perhaps I have made a mistake." Master Han said this, yet his expression remained strangely puzzled, with a hint of bewilderment as well. Given Han's keen insight, he naturally realized that the Nan Gong Ping he had seen on that day was actually Nan Gong Wan herself—clearly having changed her appearance through disguise. That was why Nan Gong Ping had not dealt harshly with him, and why her demeanor and words at the time had seemed so unusual. From that point on, Han Li seemed completely lose interest in speaking, merely maintaining a gloomy expression and silently steering the Wind-Car forward. The others noticed that their "Senior Han" was in a rather bad mood, so no one dared to speak loudly within the car. For a while, the Wind-Car remained utterly silent. After a few hours, when they reached a quiet, secluded hilltop, Han Li brought the Wind-Car to a halt. "I shall now part ways with all of you here. This place is only one day's journey from the border of Fengyuan Kingdom and is thus safe. I have other matters to attend to, so I shall not accompany you further," Han Li said calmly, beginning to bid everyone farewell. The others, naturally, said nothing more and once again thanked Han Li for saving their lives, then took off, each flying out of the car. Han Li said nothing further, simply changed direction and drove the Wind-Car through the air, vanishing completely from sight. "Li friend, is it truly true that this 'Han elder' was once a disciple of Huangfeng Valley, and even a junior nephew of yours?" After seeing the wind-carrier vanish, the older cultivator from Tianque Fort finally couldn't help but turn to Lei Wanhe again for confirmation. "How can I appear like someone who is fabricating lies?" Lei Wanhe frowned, speaking with some irritation. Though saved today by Han Li, the younger disciples now surpassed him in cultivation level and had unexpectedly become genuine elders, requiring him to be cautious and attentive—how could anyone possibly feel cheerful under such circumstances? "Ah, Li brother, please don't be upset. I merely find it a bit strange. If what you've said is true, then this Han elder should be about the same age as Nie friend. Nie friend, could you kindly tell me how many years of cultivation it took you to reach your current level?" The Tianque Fort cultivator, whose name was Qian, remained calm and instead turned to Nie Ying, asking her seriously. "I've been cultivating for over two hundred years to reach my current Dan Stage foundation," Ne Ying seemed to understand what the other intended, and replied with a slightly changed expression. "So, this韩senior has also achieved a Yuan婴at just over two hundred years of cultivation. Do you realize what that means?" The money-named cultivator stroked the sparse few hairs on his chin, speaking with serious demeanor. "Then, does my implication mean..." The stone-named, sturdy man from Ju Jian Gate, couldn't help but exclaim. "Exactly. This person has a strong chance of reaching the Huashen Stage. The last recorded Huashen cultivator in the southern sky of our realm dates back to tens of thousands of years ago. Though one of them eventually disappeared from the cultivation world shortly after entering Huashen, during that brief period, he defeated every opponent in the southern region without a single setback. Whether from the orthodox, the martial, or neutral sects, nearly all were integrated under his influence. No one could withstand a Huashen cultivator—especially if the opponent only reached the initial stage of Huashen. The Qian-family cultivator said seriously.