Hearing Han Li's words, Lü Luo's face revealed a look of thoughtful consideration. "What materials?" Dragon Han asked slowly. "I need some Jingjing to refine my divine artifacts. The more, the better. But please rest assured—these Jingjing are not something I'm taking for granted. I will exchange them for equivalent goods. I merely need the alliance's assistance in gathering them or in locating them." Han Li spoke calmly. "Friend Han, you wish to craft a divine artifact and yet require this substance—more and more as you go? Have you heard that even a small amount of this material, when incorporated into ordinary artifacts, significantly enhances their power? Indeed, if too much is added, the effect may not improve much further." The elder with the surname Ku furrowed his brows, expressing some bewilderment. "Rest assured, I am well aware of this. I only wish to know whether the Alliance can gather a certain quantity of this material." Han's expression remained calm and composed as he spoke with quiet composure. "Since it is your own initiative to engage in equivalent exchange—having me assist in gathering this material and gathering relevant information—it is certainly feasible. However, typically, once individuals obtain this substance, they use it immediately. From the tone you've given, it seems you require a substantial amount. This may prove quite challenging. Even if we locate some leads, the owners will likely regard it as a treasured possession and keep it closely guarded, never revealing it." "We can't really press for more details either, otherwise, at the recent auction, we wouldn't have ended up with just a small piece." Long Han sighed and shook his head. Upon hearing this, Han Li felt a weight settle on his shoulders. He had naturally considered this line of reasoning long before. Yet, beyond this option, he simply had no other course of action. If the southern region truly couldn't find so many Bing Jing, would they have to journey to other places—such as the famed empire or the Tiansha Continent—to seek them out? After all, the Great Jin State was already ten times larger than the southern region, and perhaps even more—so it was certainly possible they could find enough Bing Jing. Moreover, he still carried with him a bone box from the Yinming realm, which contained the method for crafting the "Jiang Ling Seal." If they reached the Great Jin State, this item would naturally have to be returned to the Tian Fu Sect. As he pondered these points, a sense of frustration settled in his heart. Seeing Han Li hesitating, Lü Luo couldn't help but speak up: "Then, Brother Han, let's try a different condition." "Such a thing as Jinggeng essence is truly rare and hard to come by." Upon hearing this, Han Li's brows subtly furrowed. After a moment's thought, he shook his head and said, "Regardless of how things turn out, Jinggeng essence is of great importance to me. Even if the chances are slim, I still hope the Alliance will agree to this matter." With these words, Han Li's expression was resolute. "Since Master Han is so determined, we will assign our Alliance disciples to make every effort to secure this. However, it's possible that we may not even find a single Jinggeng essence. Master Han, please don't regret it later." It seemed that Long Han had sensed Han Li's firm resolve and, therefore, stopped further elaborating, finally nodding in agreement. After all, for such a powerful force as the Heaven Dao Alliance, this request merely required a few lower-level disciples to run errands and keep an eye out for such matters—nothing particularly burdensome. The other cultivators, including the elder with the surname Bi, naturally had no objections either. Yet, Long Han and his companions felt that this level of compensation was rather too casual. Immediately, he produced another bag of mid-tier spiritual stones, numbering well over a hundred—another form of compensation. Seeing this, Han Li smiled and graciously accepted them without hesitation. With this scene, the monks and cultivators in the hall naturally became harmonious and amicable. The members of the Celestial Dao Alliance then spent a while chatting casually in the side pavilion, during which Long Han and others inquired in detail about the events of the battle at Huanglong Mountain, paying special attention to the abilities of the black-robed figures and the sudden appearance of Mu Lan, the divine master. Han Li did not hesitate to recount the entire sequence of events. Naturally, he briefly mentioned only those aspects related to his own cultivation techniques and artifacts, omitting the rest. The other guests, mindful of not violating the customs of cultivators, did not press for information about Han Li’s cultivation methods. However, when Han Li expressed his suspicion that the black-robed figures were not actually demons or ghosts, but rather cultivators who had mastered a certain kind of magical cultivation technique, Long Han’s eyebrows twitched noticeably. Thus, Han stayed at this location for a few days before finally seeing his companions depart. As just Lu Luo and Han Li stepped out of the hall, a transmission scroll flew directly into Lu Luo's hands. Upon reading it, Lu Luo sighed and shook his head with a look of resignation. "I have some urgent matters that prevent me from staying to accompany my younger brother. You, Brother Han, go enjoy exploring the city of Tianyi on your own. We'll have a proper chat later tonight." "Lu brother, please go about your affairs—I was actually eager to take a stroll around this city on my own!" Han Li smiled warmly at Lu Luo's kind gesture. With that, Lu Luo felt relieved, bowed slightly, and then hurried away from Han Li, transforming into a streak of brilliant light and vanishing toward the distance. Indeed, it seems he has something truly pressing. Han Li watched Lu Luo's retreating glow, shook his head, then smiled and nodded gently. He glanced up at the sky, thought for a moment, and then raised his foot, stepping toward the central area of the city. But after walking only a few steps, Han Li suddenly had his eyes flash, and came to a halt once more. He slowly turned around and glanced toward a nearby alley. There, the Song-family woman from Bai Feng Peak was standing there, lightly biting her lower lip, her expression somewhat hesitant. Han Li blinked, then extended his hand and waved her over. After a moment's hesitation, the woman moved gracefully forward. "May I have the honor of addressing Master Shen, Han-shi?" the beautiful female cultivator from Luoyun Sect said respectfully, her voice melodious. "How long have you been waiting here?" Han Li, with both hands behind his back, stared steadily at her, his tone calm and composed. "Already for one hour," she replied softly, slightly lowering her head. "It seems you truly have something important to tell me. However, this place isn't quite suitable for a conversation. Let me take you somewhere else." Han Li glanced around with a clear, composed gaze. Without waiting for her reply, he then walked steadily toward the distance. The lady of the Song surname had a fluctuating expression on her face, but eventually, with a firm step, followed after. "...What is it? Say it plainly!" Han Li led her to a quiet, secluded spot away from the crowd, then turned around, calm and composed, and asked. "It's like this. Someone has entrusted a letter to my junior disciple, to be delivered to my senior uncle, and also wishes to see the senior uncle personally." After a moment of hesitation, the lady reached into her sleeve and produced a jade scroll, offering it to Han Li with both hands. "A letter?" Han Li's eyes widened slightly. With a glance of his spiritual awareness, he then took the scroll. Yet he did not immediately immerse himself in it. Instead, he fixed his gaze on the lady's graceful features and asked, "Who gave it to you? Shouldn't you know?" "It's a friend of my junior disciple's. She said she knows you, so she asked my junior disciple to deliver this to you." After handing over the jade scroll, the lady suddenly appeared unusually composed. "Know me?" Han Li narrowed his eyes, his expression shifting. After thinking it over, Han Li gently pressed the jade scroll against his forehead, maintaining a composed expression. A moment later, a strange look appeared on his face. He removed the scroll and glanced at the woman with the surname Song, speaking more gently, "Where are they? Take me there." "Master truly knows my friend!" This time, it was the woman with the surname Song who blinked her beautiful eyes, clearly surprised. "Yes, we have a certain acquaintance. I didn't expect Song to know her." Han Li spoke calmly, without elaborating. "I've only recently become acquainted with this friend. I originally thought she was merely joking when she said she knew Master. Now I see it's true. She's been assigned to a quiet, remote location outside the city. I'll take Master there." The woman with the surname Song brightened, smiled gracefully, and instantly appeared especially charming. Then, Han Li and the woman proceeded together, one in front of the other, toward the city gate. After stepping out of Tianyi City, Han Li followed the Song-family woman, riding on a stream of light toward the southern part of the city. After flying for several dozen miles, they landed at the foot of a secluded, remote valley. A soft, milky-white mist hovered at the valley's entrance, veiled by a minor illusion spell. Without a word, the Song-family woman raised her hand—having already grasped a token in her palm at some point—whereupon a beam of red light pierced through the mist. The mist swirled and gradually cleared, revealing a narrow green path. "Master, please go first," she respectfully invited. With Han Li's current level of awareness, he could already perceive the entire scene within the valley even before entering. A faint, gentle smile played on his lips as he stepped along the path. The valley itself was compact, only about a hundred paces in size. Within it stood only a few small stone cottages—nothing else—clearly indicating that it had been established as a temporary settlement. However, the area around the stone dwellings was neatly cleared, with no wild grass or vegetation appearing nearby. Perhaps the woman from the Song family's departure from protocol had startled the inhabitants of the stone houses. A graceful figure materialized suddenly, and a beautiful young woman dressed in yellow robes appeared at the entrance of one of the stone dwellings. As soon as she spotted the one leading the group, Han Li, her expression became complex. After a moment of hesitation, she stepped forward gracefully, bowed slightly to him, and said with a delicate smile, "Mei Ning, at your service, Master Han. Congratulations on your advancement to the Yuan Ying stage!" Her voice was gentle and melodious, yet carried an underlying, unspoken sense of melancholy. Upon hearing this, Han Li felt a touch of embarrassment, smiled faintly, and then said slowly, "Miss Mei, it's been several years since we last met—your grace has remained unchanged. And from your cultivation level, it seems you're nearing the peak of the Juzhi stage, with only a short time left before you enter the Jia Dan stage."