Upon a quick glance, Han Li immediately recognized that the elder with radiant eyes among the three was no ordinary one—indeed, only he possessed the Qi of a late Mid-Stage Yuan Ying cultivator, nearing the very peak of that stage. As soon as the bearded elder entered the hall, he didn't hesitate to sweep his gaze over Cheng's senior colleagues before his eyes settled on Han Li, his expression subtly shifting. "This must be Mr. Han, I've long admired your reputation. Yet, isn't it unusual that you've already reached the Mid-Stage Yuan Ying level? Surely, you were only at the Initial Stage not long ago, correct? Has your cultivation advanced so swiftly?" the bearded elder said, a touch of surprise in his tone. "Yes, Brother Jin. Allow me to apologize for any inconvenience. I only recently attained the Mid-Stage." Han Li stood up, bowed slightly, and spoke calmly. Upon hearing this, the elder's expression grew more serious. "Since I've returned from my meditation, I've heard countless accounts of your extraordinary abilities. It seems the stories, though perhaps somewhat exaggerated, are still quite close to the truth." The elderly man with twisted hair paused a moment before offering a faint, wistful smile. "Han Li gave a slight smile, but before he could say anything more, Cheng Senior suddenly laughed heartily and stood up as well. "Jin Friend, why have you been so focused on Han Brother from the very beginning? Let's all sit down together—after all, we old fellows aren't exactly a large group." The elder named Cheng spoke with remarkable warmth. "Cheng Brother, please don't take it amiss. Jin hasn't been ignoring you at all. In fact, before I came here, I'd heard nothing but praise for Han Brother—his reputation was truly outstanding. Naturally, I've been curious." Jin, the old oddity, chuckled lightly, but his expression remained somewhat reserved. "Indeed? Now that I've seen Han Brother in person, haven't you been at all disappointed?" Cheng asked with a cheerful smile. "Heh! Of course not. In fact, I'm quite surprised—more than I expected. With Han Friend joining Luoyun Sect, I believe it's destined for great things ahead." But I've heard that Brother Han wasn't originally a direct disciple of your sect—he came from Huangfeng Valley instead!" The Golden Old Master glanced at the elderly man with a surname Cheng, then said with a cold smile. "Han had some connection with Huangfeng Valley in the past. What's the matter now? As long as he's recognized as a disciple of ours, he's merely a senior elder of Luoyun Sect—that's all." The Cheng surname elder replied calmly. Upon hearing this, the Golden Old Master's eyes flashed with indignation, ready to speak further, when the elder with a surname Feng suddenly interjected: "My esteemed friends, let us not rush to speak. Our Baiqiao Institute has recently introduced a particularly delicious type of spiritual fruit. I invite each of you to try a few." With these words, he gently snapped his hands twice. A group of young female disciples who had been waiting outside for some time immediately brought several trays of deep-red, oval-shaped fruits and placed them on the table. Seeing this, the Golden Old Master and the other guests naturally could not refuse the host's hospitality and settled down to sit. "This is the 'Fire Pomegranate' fruit," discovered by one of our disciples "The fruit is sweet and juicy, and those of the mundane world who consume it experience a remarkable effect—improved vision," said the elder named Feng, immediately after his female disciples had arranged the spiritual fruits on the table. Indeed, the members of the party had never seen anything like these fruits before, and all of them took a keen interest in sampling them. The fruits proved exceptionally sweet, rich with celestial and terrestrial spiritual essences. Han Li found them quite delightful and ate three in succession before pausing. "By the way, I notice that Fire Dragon Brother hasn't arrived for this gathering. And this lady here—she must be your esteemed colleague, Ming Xin, isn't she? I've heard that Ming Xin's divine artifact is quite rare, crafted from a tree of yellow wood that has lived for ten thousand years, and that she practices the top-tier wooden-energy cultivation technique, 'Spring Blossoms of Hundred Flowers.'" The elder named Ding glanced at the young woman from the Ancient Sword Sect, smiling and asking. "That's correct. I am Ming Xin. Brother Fire Dragon has heard that there are young fire-beast eggs being sold at the market of Tan Yun Mountain and has been particularly interested. He has been away from the sect for several months now Yet Mingxin, though she has reached the Yuan Ying stage for nearly fifty or sixty years, has rarely been seen. This time, to meet several fellow Daoist friends, she sincerely hopes they will not hesitate to offer their guidance. The woman dressed as a young wife may not be exceptionally beautiful, but her grace and poise are evident in every movement, exuding a subtle, natural fragrance of flowers that leaves a pleasant impression. As she spoke, her eyes, clear and bright, briefly paused on him, and her gaze lingered—clearly showing a marked interest. Han Li unconsciously furrowed his brow, but soon smoothed it out again, maintaining his composure. After savoring the fruits, the senior elders from the three sects began to engage in conversation. Han Li allowed the silver-haired elder, Lü Luo, and others to exchange subtle remarks and subtle maneuvers, remaining quietly seated with few words. When mentioned, he only smiled gently and remained silent. Nevertheless, despite their reputation, the elderly masters of Baiqiao Academy and Gujian Gate remained ever vigilant over Han Li's every move, as if hoping to discern something profound. While the guests in the hall were engaged in lively conversation, a flash of red light shimmered at the hall entrance, and upon the light fading, a middle-aged cultivator dressed in purple robes appeared there. The man had broad, intense eyes and a commanding presence, clearly someone who had long held power. As soon as he stepped into view at the hall entrance, the elder named Feng and the elder named Ding immediately rose to greet him. "Brother Liehuo, the Daoists from Luoyun Sect and Gujian Gate have all arrived. Have the arrangements for the viewing ceremony been finalized?" "Yes, everything is in place. The guests may now proceed to take their seats and attend the ceremony," the middle-aged cultivator replied casually, yet his gaze briefly swept over the assembled cultivators in the hall. At this, the other cultivators also rose to pay their respects to him. After all, he was the Grand Elder of Baiqiao Academy, and they naturally could not afford to be less than courteous. "At last, Brother Liehuo, you've emerged We haven't seen each other for a long time. I wonder if your "Heaven-Fire Technique" has improved. After the viewing ceremony, I'd like to challenge you a bit, just the two of us." The old strange figure seemed to have some acquaintance with this man, speaking casually and openly. "Hmph! Forget it. Even though my Heaven-Fire Technique is powerful, it still falls short by an entire stage compared to yours. How could I possibly gain anything from facing you? You should look elsewhere." The fiery old master rolled his eyes, speaking with clear displeasure. At that moment, Cheng Brother introduced Han Li to him. Naturally, the fiery old master was astonished by Han Li's rapid advancement to the mid-stage, and treated him with great courtesy. Then, without any further formalities, the senior abbot of the Hundred-Wisdom Academy immediately invited several of them to attend the viewing ceremony and the master-acceptance ritual. The others had no objections, and the group stepped out of the cave, arriving above the platform where they had just witnessed the scene. At this moment, the high skies and mountain walls nearby were already deserted. In front of the grand pavilion, hundreds of disciples at the Foundation Stage were gathered in several groups, waiting patiently. Leading the group were a dozen or so cultivators at the Condensation Stage, standing in solemn formation. A few dozen feet ahead of them, a uniquely shaped furnace vessel stood. This vessel was about one zhang in diameter, short and square, adorned with mysterious flame-like patterns carved across its entire surface. What was even more remarkable was that, despite being completely surrounded by empty space, the furnace glowed a deep crimson throughout, radiating a scorching heat that surged forth whenever one approached within ten zhang—feeling the intense warmth pressing against them. Yet none of this drew the attention of the cultivators. His gaze instead fell upon a young man kneeling several zhang away from the furnace, bowing respectfully before it. The young man appeared to be of modest age, his knees resting on a golden silk cushion, softly reciting something. However, due to his lowered head, his face remained unseen. In the blink of an eye, Han Li and the others had found themselves ahead of that group of cultivators. After a moment of commotion, the dozen or so disciples immediately gathered around, respectfully paying their respects. "Respect to the senior disciple and elder. Yu Zhi has already bathed and performed the rites for over half an hour. Soon, he will be able to activate the furnace and begin the ceremony." After exchanging greetings, the elder with the surname Fu stepped forward, respectfully addressed Han Li and the others. "Understood. You may now go." The old fire-being nodded, then led Han Li and the others to stand in front of the gathering crowd, gazing at the young man who was currently performing the rites. "Master Li, is this the young disciple who attained Dan Stage within a century? Indeed, his talent is exceptional. With the Heaven and Earth Tower now serving as his primary artifact for cultivation, I believe within another two or three centuries, your academy will have another Yuan-Stage cultivator." The elder with the wavy hair studied the young disciple carefully before suddenly remarking. "Hehe, whether someone can condense their Yuan婴 is merely a matter of fortune—not guaranteed simply by good innate potential. Indeed, those with stronger spiritual roots have a better chance, though that's only comparatively speaking." The fiery elder shook his head, as if unconcerned. The elderly with flowing hair smiled faintly and said nothing further. The others remained silent, no one speaking. The younger disciples at the back, seeing not only their own master present but also so many Yuan婴 cultivators appearing suddenly, became especially cautious, barely daring to take a single breath. In a short while, the only sound on the platform was the steady recitation of one disciple, a simple tribute to heaven and earth, with no special significance. It was unclear whether these ancient beings intended to test the disciple's resolve, or whether the true ritual of the Hundred Skills Academy had such an unusual custom. To the old masters who measured their cultivation in years, a half-minute was indeed a mere blink of an eye. When Han Li estimated that not much time had passed, the massive, blazing cauldron, which had been steadily resting ahead, suddenly began to tremble slightly at its lid. Then, a clear, resonant tone emerged gently from within the cauldron, followed by a sudden burst of luminous light. The temperature around the cauldron rose sharply within moments, and a visible, faintly reddish wave of heat surged outward in all directions. The people ahead, including Han Li, remained unbothered, barely reacting to the wave of intense heat. However, the Foundation and Condensed Stage disciples behind them quickly activated their protective shields to ward off the surprisingly scorching wind. The younger disciple kneeling several zhang away, in particular, had his bright red light shield flare up, firmly resisting the heat surge. After the wind subsided, the young disciple exhaled in relief and finally raised his head, fixing his blazing gaze upon the cauldron. He was a slender young man with a refined appearance, seemingly no more than twenty-seven or twenty-eight. It was no wonder that the senior monks of Baiqiao Pavilion were willing to entrust such precious assets as the Tiankun Tower to him. Han Li could not help but think so.