"This senior from the Han family has achieved the Yuan Ying stage in a relatively short time, but to even reach the Hua Shen stage is quite beyond reach—far from easy. Even reaching the late Yuan Ying stage would be sufficient to make his sect dominant in the region. That does indeed present a genuine possibility," Ne Ying said, smiling brightly after a moment's thought. "Heh! I've been overthinking this. However, if nothing unforeseen happens, this senior Han will surely become a major figure shaping the entire Tiannan region over the next thousand years. With such deep roots to your valley, if we can bring him into the Six Sects, perhaps in no time at all, we'll be able to reestablish our presence in Yue State." The money-named cultivator's eyes flashed with brilliance as he spoke slowly. "Roots? As you just observed, although the senior Han once hailed from our Huang Feng Valley, he is now a senior elder of the Luoyun Sect of the Heaven's Way Alliance. In terms of status and sect influence, what could we possibly offer to attract him?" Moreover, you've all seen that the other party has absolutely no intention of returning. Lei Wanhe paused silently and sighed. Upon hearing this, the others likewise found themselves at a loss for words. "Why has this Han elder treated Guiguan so harshly? After all, he hails from Guiguan. Does he have absolutely no room for recovery?" the large-bodied warrior from Ju Jian Men expressed doubt. "I can't disclose the specific details, but I suspect the prospects are not very promising. However, I notice that Han elder has a close relationship with Nan Gong elder from Yan Yue Sect. Perhaps Nan Gong elder could try to persuade him. Even if he doesn't rejoin our six sects, a good relationship should still be achievable." Lei Wanhe shook his head initially, then shifted his tone and addressed the middle-aged cultivator from Yan Yue Sect. "That might be possible. I'd like to know more about the nature of Han elder's relationship with Nan Gong senior. I'll need to inquire further within our sect." Tang Minghua spoke with some hesitation. "Well, matters concerning the recruitment of Yuan-Period cultivators aren't something we can decide on our own. Everything should be left to the senior elders. Brother Han is expected to appear at the grand ceremony three months from now. We should hurry back to the alliance. This place isn't exactly safe." Lei Wanhe glanced around, furrowed his brows, and spoke with a sudden sense of urgency. ...because the windmill was so conspicuous! After Han Li had driven the vehicle for a distance, leaving Lei Wanhe and the others completely out of sight, he calmly withdrew the vehicle and proceeded steadily with ordinary teleportation. Now, suddenly receiving Nan Gong Wan's breath, especially in the most dire form, he needed to remain composed and carefully reflect. Back then, their relationship had been merely fleeting; in their only two meetings, due to the significant gap in their cultivation levels and status, they had exchanged little or no tender sentiment. Yet, gradually, Han Li had, in subtle ways, come to regard Nan Gong Wan as his own woman. Particularly after he achieved the formation of his Golden Dan and then his Yuan婴, feeling confident that he was now worthy of her, he had never once questioned this feeling. It was only upon hearing that Nan Gong Wan would become a shared partner with someone else that he nearly lost his composure, stunned. Thus, deliberately acting as if unaware, Han Li watched helplessly as Nan Gong Wan married someone else. He would never tolerate such a development—there was simply no one else in the world who could marry Nan Gong Wan. Moreover, he believed that, as the man who had claimed her true Yin essence, Nan Gong Wan would surely feel something for him. He would absolutely not allow the grand celebration three months hence to proceed smoothly. At present, he was weighing two options: either to go directly to Yan Yue Sect, disregarding everything, and secretly take Nan Gong Wan away, or to wait until the celebration day and then make his move. Clearly, each option had its own advantages and disadvantages. While the first option was easier to execute, Han Li found it difficult to guarantee that Nan Gong Wan would immediately and without hesitation follow him. After all, she had lived at Yan Yue Sect for so many years and was now a senior priest there—she could hardly just vanish without a word. Meanwhile, the second direct proposal on the day of the official celebration—formally seeking South Gong Wan's hand in marriage—would face immense pressure from the Yan Moon Sect, the Six Sects, and even the Nine Kingdom Alliance. The situation would be fraught with difficulties. However, as long as he could resolve each issue one by one, he could be openly and formally united with South Gong Wan, free of any lingering concerns. Even if he succeeded in eliminating his opponent, should his identity be revealed, he would likely be unable to escape with his life, despite being a senior disciple of Luoyun Sect. Han Li advanced steadily, constantly weighing his options in his mind. For added security, he ultimately decided to blend all his strategies into a balanced approach. First, he would definitely visit Yan Yue Sect and meet Nan Gong Wan face to face, to fully understand her intentions. Should she harbor reservations or have other reasons preventing her from joining him, he would then revisit Hua Yi Gate before the celebration, seeking an opportunity to secretly eliminate Wei Li Chen, thus eliminating any future threat. Should no such opportunity arise, he would then formally propose to Nan Gong Wan on the day of the celebration itself. Regardless of the outcome—whether she agrees or not—he would firmly ensure that she accompanies him. Throughout his life, Han Li had rarely been deeply moved by emotion, and had always prioritized reason over sentiment. Yet this time, no matter how deep within his heart, would he allow Nangong Wan to be surpassed by anyone else. With his current prowess, as long as he wasn't blocked by a late-stage Yuan Ying stage cultivator, no one should be able to stand in his way. After finalizing his strategy, Han Li felt a surge of renewed spirit. Once he had clearly identified his direction, he accelerated his flight light, instantly breaking through the air and vanishing into the distance. Yet after years of diligent efforts, the six sects have finally regained some strength and now wield greater influence within the Nine Kingdoms Alliance. As the strongest among the six, the Yanyue Sect naturally occupies a prime location on a well-endowed spiritual mountain. At the westernmost part of the Northern Liang state, on Linglong Mountain, the Yanyue Sect's cultivators have gathered around this sacred mountain, casting spells to construct countless pavilions and halls and setting up a series of grand defensive arrays. This is now the Yanyue Sect's new mountain gate. Linglong Mountain is broadly divided into three levels. At the base of the mountain, the lower-level disciples reside and practice. From the foot of the mountain up to the mountain's midsection, only cultivators at the Juzhi stage or above are granted access. At the very summit, only those who have achieved the Jiedan stage or higher are permitted to live there. Though Juzhi cultivators are considered insignificant in the eyes of the higher-stage cultivators. But to the junior disciples who were still hovering around the Qi Stage, U Kuan stood as a pillar of the sect—a figure worthy of admiration. The various administrative officers across the Yan Yue Sect, naturally, were all accomplished cultivators who had achieved the Foundation Stage. Yet U Kuan, the officer specifically in charge of procuring mundane goods, was a clear exception. He was the only internal officer of the sect holding a Qi Stage cultivation rank. This was due to the fact that the Yuan family, a mid-tier native family from Beiliang, had been the first to warmly welcome the Six Sects' establishment in Beiliang, and had made significant contributions—particularly to the Six Sects, especially to Yan Yue Sect—in securing their foothold in the region. As a token of appreciation and compensation, the Yan Yue Sect had pledged to assign this relatively less prominent administrative position to the Yuan family's descendants for generations. Unfortunately, U Kuan happened to be the nephew of the current head of the Yuan family. Moreover, in terms of cultivation, there seemed to be little prospect for advancement. Thus, under the personal appeal of the head of the Yuan family, the senior management of Yanyue Sect reluctantly appointed him as an internal administrator. Fortunately, although Yuan Kun's cultivation level was not outstanding, he excelled in worldly affairs, handling matters with ease and consistency, without any notable mishaps—gradually securing his position. However, in the immortal realm, everything is judged by one's cultivation level, so the lower-level disciples of Yanyue Sect naturally did not show much respect toward him. The other foundation-stage administrators often looked down upon him. Yet, Yuan, the Head Administrator, remained indifferent—making use of his authority when necessary, bowing and smiling when required—and thus managed to live comfortably and freely within the sect. One day, Yuan Kun appeared in a small, nearby secular town, bringing with him two disciples of Yanyue Sect with cultivation levels below his own, and as usual, visited several shops to purchase daily necessities. He hadn't noticed that, just after passing through a few shops, a strong, faint divine awareness emanated from a nearby inn belonging to the Wine Hall Sect, circling several times on the official attire of the Masked Moon Sect steward before gently settling upon him, thus taking notice of him—a mere Qi Condensation stage cultivator.