After spending the night in the forest, on the second day Han Li retrieved the Tiansha Mague Body. Previously, before encountering Zilin and the others, he had not seen a single disciple of the Tianji Sect in the city. Thus, despite holding the token bestowed by a senior monk of Tianji Sect, he could not use it at all, let alone locate the Nanlong Marquis. It seemed either the Tianji disciples had other accommodations, or the sect members had not yet arrived at this location. Han Li did not feel particularly urgent. He intended to settle temporarily near Wanling Mountain, find a suitable place to establish his base, and simultaneously craft several puppets for the Jiedan stage. With the Eryi Ring in his possession, even if he did not actively seek out the Nanlong Marquis, the Marquis would likely come to him on his own. By now, Han Li had begun to understand that the Northern Polar Yuan Guang mentioned by the other party was not located at the entrance of the Outer Valley, but rather along the passage leading into the Inner Valley. Otherwise, no matter how skilled the Guilin Sect was, it would have been impossible for hundreds of cultivators to simultaneously pass through the Northern Polar Yuan Guang and enter the Han Li pondered as he transformed into a streak of azure light, advancing steadily and unhurriedly. With his swift elusiveness, he had already cast the distant city of Ye Hua into oblivion within moments, reaching beyond fifty li. At his current pace, it would take only a few hours to reach the vicinity of Wanling Mountain. It was reported that several market towns near Wanling Mountain had already opened up in anticipation. Han Li decided to visit these towns first to procure common materials needed for crafting puppets. During the boundary battle, Han Li had previously won a precious ancestral lamp from the Mulan people, securing nearly the entire collection of rare materials accumulated by a mid-tier sect—materials valued at nearly ten million灵stones, sufficient to enable him to produce a large number of high-tier puppets that would be impressive and formidable. Thus, the materials he sought in the markets were primarily the more ordinary, commonly used ones for puppet crafting. As for the ancient Yuan婴-level automaton he had long aimed to craft, although he had discovered two or three additional materials lacking at the Thousand Bamboo Sect in the far west, he still hadn't gathered all of them. One particular material, known as "Blood Phoenix Wood," remained elusive. This was a rare top-tier crafting material—though not as difficult to obtain as Jingjing, which was truly scarce and available only at a premium. When he could finally collect it, it would depend entirely on luck. Fortunately, Han Li had already instructed the disciples of Luoyun Sect to keep a close watch for any news regarding this material, ensuring that they either secured it promptly or notified him immediately. Thus, gathering all the required materials was merely a matter of time. However, it would simply not be possible before entering the Valley of the Fallen Demons. Suddenly, Han Li's expression changed, his flight light paused, and his speed noticeably slowed down. Ahead, not far away, the air shimmered with vibrant energy and flashes of light, indicating that a cultivator was engaged in an intense battle. Han Li furrowed his brows slightly, but remained undisturbed. Now, at this very place, the ranks are mixed and there is no one to steer the course—when rivals meet, it is quite normal for them to engage in a fight. Despite the fact that Han Li has nearly reached them within a few hundred paces, these cultivators remain bewildered, continuing to battle each other without coordination. Four men and one woman have formed two opposing factions. Upon a quick glance, Han Li observed that all of them were at the Ji Dan stage of cultivation, mostly at the early to mid-Ji Dan level. However, their rivalry appears deep-rooted, with their magical artifacts swirling through the air and their scrolls constantly being launched and exploding at each other. Yet, one faction—two men and one woman—is being completely outmatched by two of the opposing cultivators. This is not due to the superior magical power of the two opponents, but rather because two cultivators—one tall and one short—are commanding hundreds of enormous flying moths, completely encircling the two men and one woman. These massive moths, each the size of a human hand, emit vibrant, multicolored toxic powder every time their wings flap, showering the group directly in front of them. The three on the opposite side had devoted most of their energy to casting spells, creating a protective aura that shielded them from wind and rain. With the two male cultivators'法宝 launching a combined assault, the three—both men and women—were overwhelmed and naturally fell behind. Yet, from韩立's perspective, though the three were in a disadvantaged position, it would take more than a moment or two to determine a clear winner. Given their levels of cultivation, aside from the toxic moths and the silver brush and golden scroll talismans summoned by the scholar in the crimson robe—two items that caught韩立's interest and drew his attention—he found the rest of the combat maneuvers rather unimpressive. Though he didn't know which sect these cultivators belonged to, he had no intention of getting involved. As he was about to simply pass by without further attention, his gaze shifted, and suddenly he noticed a yellow maple leaf emblem embroidered on the scholar's sleeve. "Huangfeng Valley?"韩立 paused, slightly surprised. He then glanced at the scholar's face again, and his expression changed. But during this brief delay, the two cultivators who had gained the upper hand in the battle finally spotted Han Li's glow, now only a hundred paces away. Startled, the two who were commanding the toxic moths immediately cast their divine awareness to detect him, only to find themselves both suddenly pale. The cultivator from Yunling Sect was deeply uneasy, yet on the surface became even more respectful. "You've known me before, haven't you? Though I'd rather not get involved in your younger disciples' affairs, I do have some old connections with Huang Feng Valley. Once you've taken those spiritual insects, this dispute shall come to an end." Han Li didn't hesitate either. His eyes flashed with intensity, and he directly stated his point. Upon hearing Han Li's words, the two exchanged glances, then stared at each other, clearly puzzled. "Is it that you find this difficult, the two of you?" Han Li's expression darkened, and his tone grew somewhat stern. "Of course, if it's the senior's command, we shall carry it out," the taller cultivator quickly responded, realizing his own confusion. Seeing Han Li's serious demeanor, he immediately felt a pang of regret—how could he have hesitated further when Han Li had now stepped in? He promptly agreed. Then he gave a signal to another monastic, and together they quickly chanted incantations, launching a series of spells into the air while simultaneously raising two spirit-beast bags into the sky. At once, the toxic moths that had been纠缠 the three young men and women, scattered and surged upward, flocking into the spirit-beast bags floating above. The three young men and women, though they had already noticed Han Li, had been momentarily distracted by the toxic powder from the moths and had not caught the words exchanged between Han Li and his opponent. Now, suddenly freed from their entanglement, they naturally realized that Han Li’s arrival must be the cause. Overjoyed, they exchanged glances and immediately took off toward Han Li. But at this moment, the two magicians from the Yuling Sect—either fearing Han Li or unwilling to remain with the three young men and women—carefully approached and said to him: "Does the elder have any further instructions for us? We will do our utmost to comply." "There's nothing more, then. You may now depart." Han Li seemed to have guessed the thoughts of the two, and with a simple gesture, said calmly, "Then I shall be off." Upon hearing this, the two instantly felt as though granted a royal pardon. They hurriedly bowed to Han Li and then instantly transformed into two streaks of green light, breaking through the air and fleeing toward the distance. At that moment, the three scholars in silk robes had just arrived. Seeing the scene of the Xu Ling Sect cultivators fleeing, they naturally exchanged surprised glances. Then, the middle-aged scholar leading them stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and said with earnest politeness, "Thank you so much for your timely rescue—we are deeply grateful. Might I know your esteemed name?" As the scholar observed Han Li's youthful appearance, he was both surprised and felt a sense of familiarity with his face, as though he had seen him before. "Are you a cultivator from Huang Feng Valley?" Han Li did not answer immediately, but instead asked calmly, "You are from Huang Feng Valley?" "My name is Chen Qiaotian from Huang Feng Valley. These are my sworn siblings, and they are disciples from Hua Dao Workshop. Do you know Master Liu Fu, the elder of our sect?" "The scholar said carefully. He noticed that Han Li was not a senior figure from the six great sects he knew, yet had stepped in to assist—so naturally, he assumed this Yuan-Stage elder must have some connection with Leng Fu's elder, which would explain his support. "Chen Qiaotian! Are you from the Chen family?" Han Li's face showed a slight expression of surprise. "Does the elder know of my family?" The scholar was genuinely astonished, standing in quiet wonder. Han Li remained silent, instead taking a moment to study the scholar more closely. This made the three people across from him feel increasingly uneasy. "The Chen family is one of the three major cultivation families in Huang Feng Valley—how could I not know? What is your relationship with Chen Qiaqing?" After taking a deep breath, Han Li asked calmly. "Does the elder know my sister?" The scholar was momentarily stunned, clearly surprised. "Chen Qiaqing is your sister?" Although Han Li had already guessed something, he still looked visibly surprised upon hearing this. The scholar himself was completely at a loss, unsure of how the esteemed elder could be connected to his sister. "Is Chen Qiaoqian still well?" Han Li's expression remained unsettled for a while, before he finally asked softly. "My younger sister is not a Dan-stage cultivator. She passed away decades ago, after suffering from a strange illness over a hundred years ago," Chen Qiaotian replied with a somewhat unusual tone. "Passed away!" Han Li murmured in a barely audible voice, his mind instantly flashing back to the beautiful image of Chen Qiaoqian. He recalled the last time he had shared his heartfelt sentiments with her while they were touring the mountains, and found himself momentarily stunned, as if frozen in place. "Did the elder know my sister?" Chen Qiaotian, seeing Han Li's strange demeanor, finally asked after a pause. "Of course! When I last saw your sister, I had already heard that she was about to marry. However, due to the invasion by the demonic sect, I'm not sure whether her wedding took place as planned." Han Li managed to suppress the faint sense of sorrow in his heart and spoke calmly.