"Ah!" As the young man stepped back through the shrubs, a gasp escaped his lips, and his body staggered backward several paces. The young man from Tumai now looked pale with fear. "What in the world is going on?" Those members of the Amezu clan who had been intently observing the scene were startled. Several younger warriors immediately drew their swords and spears, ready to respond to any unforeseen developments. "Don't move. Tumai, what's happened?" Even the elder Amezu remained composed, instantly noticing that the young man was unharmed—only startled. "The elder within has a celestial master, but he... he looks..." "Hmph! How do I look?" Before the young man could finish speaking, the shrubs flashed with bright green light several times, then suddenly faded. A sharp exhalation followed, and a figure stepped out steadily. Everyone, including the elder, was momentarily stunned and turned to gaze at the newcomer. Before them stood a man dressed in a white robe. He had an ordinary build, and the white robe clearly indicated the attire of a Master of Immortality. However, a uniquely styled dark blue cloak covered his face, and several bulging satchels hung at his waist. On his back, he carried a wooden box about a foot long. "I am Ying Lu, the chief of the Qing Lu tribe, respectfully greeting Master! May I inquire your esteemed name?" As soon as the figure appeared, Ying Lu immediately dismounted and bowed deeply to the white-robed figure, maintaining a respectful distance, not wanting to offend in any way. The other members of the tribe followed suit and dismounted to pay their respects. "The Qing Lu tribe? I haven't heard of it. My name is Han. I was practicing my cultivation techniques just now. I didn't know you were coming—please forgive the disturbance!" The white-robed figure glanced at Ying Lu and his companions with a cool demeanor. "Ah, Master Han. We were unaware that you were practicing here, and thus we have caused you some inconvenience. We sincerely apologize. Might I know which tribe you represent? Perhaps I have some acquaintance with your people." The elder immediately felt at ease upon seeing that the immortal master did not seem to be particularly targeting them. "I've only just completed my training and haven't yet received offerings from that tribe," the robe-clad man said calmly, his gaze briefly flickering. "Ah! So the noble is indeed independent. Since the immortal master has come here alone, he must be heading to the Temple. Surely, the sacred day of spiritual awakening, which occurs once every twenty years, will not be missed by the cold master." Upon hearing that the immortal was free of obligations, the Ying Lu felt a spark of interest and spoke with even greater respect. "That's correct—I am indeed going to the Temple. Do you offer tribute to the Temple as well? Though, I must ask—why haven't you brought any immortal masters with you?" The robe-clad man glanced at the vehicles behind them, clearly showing genuine interest. "Our Cang Lu tribe is merely a small settlement. We haven't yet established any immortal masters within our ranks. That's why..." The elder spoke with careful courtesy, instantly judging that the statement about having only recently completed his training seemed authentic, given the elder's attentive demeanor. Otherwise, how could there be such a curious move? As the elder thought of this, the faint notion that had been stirring in him suddenly grew strong. "Since you two were also unintentional, then this matter shall be settled. You may now go!" The white-robed figure hesitated a moment before finally waving them off, making them leave immediately. Seeing that the white-robed figure so easily allowed them to depart, and originally worried about his identity and uncertain of his intentions, Ying Lu suddenly resolved to stay. Taking a deep breath, she smiled warmly and said to the white-robed figure, "Master, since you also intend to go to the Temple, would it be possible for you to accept a temporary engagement from our Canglu Clan? As long as you accompany us to the Temple, I am willing to offer you twenty spiritual stones for this journey." "A temporary engagement?" The white-robed figure was taken aback, clearly surprised. "Indeed, since you also plan to go to the Temple, why not join us on the way?" None of the immortal masters accompanied us along the way—truly, I was quite afraid we wouldn't reach the temple safely. The dangers on the road are simply too numerous. Elder, I speak with genuine sincerity. Traveling with mere mortals is rather slow, and the offering of only twenty spirit stones...” The white-robed figure did not immediately refuse, nor did he promptly agree—his expression seemed hesitant. “As long as the immortal master agrees to this, I am willing to contribute twenty-five spirit stones. I must admit, our Co-Loon tribe is quite small, and this is as far as we can go.” The elder chuckled softly, then spoke plainly. “Twenty-five spirit stones is no small amount. Yet, wouldn’t you have asked me first about my rank—before settling on this price? Perhaps I am merely a beginning-level immortal master at the second or third stage of Qi Condensation, and simply lack the strength to escort your caravan?” The white-robed figure smiled lightly upon hearing the figure. “Ah, truly! Master Immortal is being most generous. Though I lack a spiritual root, I once participated in the Sacred War. With the glow of light just now emitted by the Master during his cultivation, it is impossible that he is merely at the Qi-Stage of two or three layers," said Ying Lu, smiling slightly. "Very well! Since you all have such sincere intentions, I shall accompany you. However, I shall first collect half of the spirit stones; upon arrival, I will pay the remaining half immediately." The white-robed man did not hesitate for long, only slightly pondered, and then agreed. "Of course. I shall immediately pay the spirit stones to the Master." Hearing this, the elder was greatly delighted. He quickly fumbled in his robes and produced a modest leather pouch, then, in front of all present, counted out several spirit stones and handed them over to the white-robed man with ease. After receiving the spirit stones, the white-robed man flashed a glimmer of light on his hands, and the stones vanished completely. This amazed the younger members of the Cang Lu clan who followed behind. "Have none of you ever seen a storage bag?" the white-robed man asked, sounding surprised. "Master, please don't mind. These are all the young people from the tribe—none of them have ever met the Immortal Master before." Ying Lu said with a touch of embarrassment. "Ah, I see." The white-robed elder nodded slowly, then glanced at the several carriages, hesitating slightly. But the elder, who had previously often interacted with many Immortal Masters, immediately realized and turned to shout loudly, "You young people—hurry up and clear the best carriage for the cold Immortal Master. Have the carriage ready so she can meditate and rest there. Move quickly now!" Upon hearing the clan chief's words, the young people who had initially been delighted by the addition of an Immortal Master to their group suddenly snapped into action, quickly unloading all goods from one carriage and redistributing them to the others. The white-robed elder didn't hesitate either. Once the carriages were ready, he turned to the elder and said seriously, "Thank you for your help. I'll rest in the carriage. If anything comes up, just call me out here." "I've been practicing the practice of fasting. Normally, I don't need to be disturbed." "Of course, Master knows the仙师 is particular about this matter." Ying Lu bowed slightly, smiling gently. The white-robed figure nodded and then strode confidently toward the carriage. However, after walking a few steps, he suddenly turned to the still-stunned young man, Tu Meng, and said coldly, "You just saw my face, didn't you? I don't wish this matter to become widely known. Go ahead and manage your own affairs." After uttering these rather abrupt words, the white-robed figure calmly climbed into the carriage and drew the cloth curtain down, shielding everyone's view. Tu Meng's face turned pale instantly. Even after the white-robed figure had entered the carriage, he continued to shake his head, refusing to believe. "Alright. Now that we have both the caravan and a divine master with us, everyone may rest assured and proceed. All of you, mount your horses and set off immediately. Ying Shan!" You stayed close to the immortal master's carriage, attending to any instructions he gave promptly and making certain he was well taken care of!" The elder called out loudly to everyone, urging them to resume their journey, then turned to the young woman beside him with a significant look. Upon hearing his words, the young woman understood the elder's intent and immediately agreed with a joyful expression. After mounting her horse, she promptly walked toward the rear. The other young men drove the carriage forward, occasionally glancing back and chatting among themselves. Although the tribe had previously invited several immortal masters, they always departed shortly after attending to their duties—giving them little opportunity to meet. Now, with such close proximity, they felt genuinely curious. Inside the carriage, completely shielded by the heavy curtains, the white-robed figure sat cross-legged, motionless. "Han, it seems your display of inner energy earlier quite startled that rather abrupt young fellow! I wonder if he'll have nightmares for several days yet!" Hehe…a slightly elderly voice, tinged with a touch of satisfaction, echoed within the white-robed cultivator’s awareness. "Is the Five Ghosts Sealing the Spirit technique you’ve taught truly effective? I don’t want to find myself merely a monster devoted only to slaughter, before even discovering a way to dispel the malaise energy." Yet the white-robed cultivator responded with a calm, detached transmission, not directly addressing the question. "Rest assured. Though this secret technique was originally devised by me to control the Great Derivation Sect’s 'Fire-Entering-Extremity' condition, it also proves effective against malaise energy. Still, I must remind you once again: since you’ve used the malaise energy as the catalyst to summon the Five Ghosts, the seal extends beyond just your body’s malaise energy—it also seals your cultivation level. Approximately ten percent of your current cultivation is now immobilized. Your current level is no more than mid-Foundational Stage. You’ll be unable to draw upon your inner energies at will. Don’t forget this point!" The elder voice spoke lazily. "I already know this, no need for your reminder." It turned out the counter-effect of the malevolent energy was not only much faster than anticipated, but also far more intense than you described," the white-robed figure said, his voice growing serious, with a touch of resignation. "Hmph! If I made a mistake in my prediction, then it's your fault—how could you have launched such decisive attacks against other cultivators before the malevolent energy was fully removed, and even suffered such severe injuries that you nearly perished? Naturally, the malevolent energy would have to retaliate earlier. As for its intensity, look at the depth and strength of the malevolent energy accumulating on your body. It's no ordinary phenomenon—it's far beyond what an ordinary cultivator would experience. If it weren't for the need for you to help me forge my puppets, I'd hardly have bothered with you at all!" With a deep sigh, he added, his tone calm. The two of them, of course, were Han Li and the Great Derivation Sovereign.