In Xinyuan Prefecture of Liao State, in a small city named Xian'an, located on the western side, there are two slender women dressed in light blue Daoist robes. Their feet emit a shimmering white glow; with just a gentle point of their toes to the ground, they drift forward several feet without any apparent effort. Due to the length of their robes and the subtle nature of their movements, from a distance they appear to be gliding just above the ground, their posture exquisitely graceful. "Lu sister, will Master truly not intervene this time? Even with us combined, and adding Cao sister, we may still not be able to handle the cultivator from Xi Ling Sect. That one is at the seventh stage of Qi cultivation and is highly esteemed by the abbot of Xi Ling Sect. We ourselves are at the sixth and seventh stages respectively. Together, we might stand a chance, but if he brings reinforcements, we will be at a disadvantage. Should we lose, Cao sister will be unable to assist in saving that person. And that person is a fugitive under official investigation. It might even endanger Cao sister's father. "One of the two, a slender young woman of about seventeen or eighteen, was expressing her growing frustration to the other, who was slightly older. "There's not much we can do. Our sect originally doesn't intend to get deeply involved in the official affairs. Cao sister is merely a named disciple of our Xuanyu Sect; her master has only taught her a few basic spells, so he hasn't said much on this matter. After all, the official office already has a good number of low-level independent practitioners to handle matters related to the immortals. However, this time, the person from Xisheng Sect is deeply connected to the individual he wishes to save, and he's learned of Cao sister's relationship with our sect—so he personally came to us. Naturally, we can't just keep our eyes closed anymore. Yet Master used the fact that Cao sister is a named disciple as an excuse to avoid assigning her any punishment, and instead let the person handle it himself. After he left, Master immediately summoned us and made it clear that the person is almost certain to use a challenge to force Cao sister to step down." Master knew how close our relationship was with the junior sister, and thus sent us to deliver this message. It was no doubt also with the intention of having us lend a hand to support her. Otherwise, since the message had already been delivered to the junior sister via a spiritual bird, why would she make us travel again? Though Yu Sister and the others are deeply accomplished, they are not under the same master as we, and their relationship with Cao Cao, the junior sister, is not particularly close—so they would not be inclined to step in and cause any conflict. Master has done her best; after all, the Xi Lin Sect and our Xuanyu Sect have some mutual goodwill, and as a senior figure, she would not easily intervene directly in favor of one side. Another lady, with a gentle appearance, sighed and said, "I remember when Cao County Magistrate was serving near our temple—he seemed quite capable and respectful toward Master and her companions. If he truly suffers because of this matter, it truly would be an undeserved misfortune!" The younger woman still looked somewhat pained. "If things truly turn out that way, then it's simply beyond our control." Fortunately, as a county magistrate's deputy rather than a directly responsible official, he would not be held personally accountable for the offense—his position might be revoked, but he would not face death. Yet Gao's sister, so refined and attentive, had learned of this development and had arranged to meet us here—could it be that she already had a plan? The elder woman pondered, hesitating slightly. "Why bother? Just upon reaching the summit, ask a few questions, and everything will become clear." The younger woman smiled lightly. "That's exactly what I meant!" The elder woman nodded in agreement. Thus, the two women quickened their pace. After a meal's time, they finally arrived at the summit. To their mutual surprise, they both exhaled softly—though the peak was not very large, barely over a hundred paces in height—there was now a simple thatched cottage on the summit. In front of the cottage stood a modest stone pavilion, inside which a man and a woman were seated on stone benches, gathered around a green stone table, engaged in conversation. The man had an ordinary appearance, somewhat pale and lifeless, while the woman was graceful and elegant, listening intently with respectful attention. As soon as the two young women appeared at the summit, the man immediately sensed something, paused mid-sentence, and turned to look at them. "Master Cao, it seems your guests have arrived," he said with a warm smile, rising from his seat. "The two senior sisters have arrived—what a delight!" The woman, upon seeing them, immediately beamed and rose to greet them. "Sister, you look in excellent health! Wait—your cultivation level seems to have advanced by one tier. That's truly wonderful!" The elder woman smiled warmly, yet upon closer inspection, she couldn't help but be slightly surprised. "I too just broke through recently, though I still fall far short of the two senior sisters," Master Cao said with a gentle smile, clearly delighted. "Master Cao, this is a friend from another sect—his cultivation level is quite impressive, appearing to have reached the tenth stage." After gazing at the scholar-dressed man with curiosity, a younger woman suddenly gasped and asked, "Indeed?" The elder woman was deeply startled, her expression growing pale as she mentally scanned the scene. "My name is Han Li," the man said calmly. "I am merely a freelance cultivator, currently visiting Cao Miss's home." "Ah, now I understand," the elder woman said with a smile. "I always thought my sister so composed. With Master Han here to guide, it's no surprise that Wu Xiaoyu found herself out of place when she arrived." "Please both sit," Gao Mengrong said warmly as she invited the two women into the pavilion. "We can discuss this further. Though Master Han is a freelance cultivator, he has extensive experience in cultivation. It is indeed due to his guidance that my sister has managed to break through her current limitations so swiftly." "Oh, then I shall also wish to extend my greetings to Mr. Han..." Just as the elder woman sat down, intending to speak some polite words, a deep and resonant roar suddenly echoed from below the mountain. "There he is!" "How did he know this place? And how did he arrive so swiftly?" The two dressed in Daoist robes were startled and simultaneously rose to face the direction of the sound. "No need to be alarmed, sisters. I had arranged for him to come. Mr. Wu had visited me several days ago. After securing Mr. Han's agreement, I specifically invited him to meet here today." Cao Yuzong spoke calmly, with confidence. "Ah, so it is. Though we have journeyed all the way, we still arrived a little late." The elder woman was somewhat surprised, yet her heart settled. After all, a cultivator at the tenth stage of Qi cultivation was more than capable of meeting the challenge of one at the eighth stage. At that moment, a bright white light surged upward from the foot of the mountain, with two figures clearly standing side by side within it. "A flying vehicle!" Who is the other person? The young woman gasped upon seeing this scene... After exchanging a glance, Cao Mengrong and the other woman both saw concern reflected in each other's eyes. Compared to other types of magical artifacts, flying vehicles were indeed rare. Even basic flying artifacts commanded prices far exceeding those of ordinary mid-tier ones. For cultivators at their level—low-ranking—how could they possibly afford mid-tier artifacts with their limited spiritual stones? Most of the basic artifacts they possessed were gifts from their respective sects. Should they fail to advance, they would likely only ever own one such artifact throughout their lives. It was no ordinary matter that a low-ranking cultivator like Gu Ran should be granted a flying artifact. For smaller sects like theirs, such a circumstance was even more exceptional. The two visitors arrived with great urgency at the peak, yet when Han Li calmly glanced at them, his expression remained unchanged. It had now been over ** months since he had been rescued by Cao Mengrong. It was either that his injuries were not as severe as expected, or that the pills he had taken proved far more effective than anticipated. In just over half a year, Han Li managed to restore a significant portion of his vital energy, gradually returning his cultivation level to the Foundation Stage. Though his vital energy remained substantially depleted and his essence still only partially replenished, he now had a solid foundation for self-preservation within the immortal realm. Naturally, given Cao Mengrong's own cultivation level, she could not perceive the remarkable changes he had concealed. During the time Han Li resided nearby, she frequently visited him, seeking clarification and guidance on various aspects of her cultivation. With Han Li's extensive experience at the Mid-Energy Cocoon stage, offering advice on her early-stage cultivation naturally seemed like a great deal of effort. Often, just a few words were enough to open her eyes and bring her sudden enlightenment. This delighted Cao Mengrong deeply, and she grew increasingly respectful toward Han Li. Particularly after, under his guidance, she advanced from the third to the fourth layer of the Qi Stage, she began to subtly adopt the demeanor of a disciple. Han Li appeared completely unruffled by the situation. Yet in his heart, he had already prepared himself for departure within another month or so. Over these past few months, he had gained a general understanding of the great Jin realm of cultivation through the young woman's accounts—finally no longer a complete stranger to it. As for the elixirs for Qi Stage cultivators, although he possessed some, he would not readily offer them now, given his current frail condition. After all, in the great Jin cultivation world, the number of cases where cultivators had to sacrifice one another for the sake of resources was countless, even surpassing the chaos seen in Tiannan. However, just a few days ago, Cao Mengrong had received an urgent message from her monastery. She was naturally alarmed and promptly sought out Han Li. Upon hearing that her opponent was only at the Qi Stage, specifically the third layer, and that it was not a matter of life-or-death rivalry, Han Li casually agreed to step in. Once this matter was settled, he would have the perfect opportunity to make his departure. Yet the two men charging up the mountain peak, though their magical implements shone brilliantly—something clearly visible to Han Li—were merely cultivators at the eighth and eleventh levels respectively. Naturally, he did not consider them a serious threat. Thus, the other three women expressed surprise and hesitation, while Han Li calmly stepped out of the pavilion, raised his head to gaze at the sky, and said with composure, "I'll be supporting Cao's friend. Which of you two would like to step forward and engage in a sparring match? Surely you don't intend to simply join in a chaotic battle, do you?" "Hmph! Good thing I came. Otherwise, Wu's younger brother would have truly suffered a setback. Your face is quite unfamiliar, and your cultivation level is commendable, but Huang here can handle you alone. Come on—let's all engage. That way, if we lose, we won't have to find an excuse." The luminous orb descending to the ground flashed once, revealing the two figures. One was a middle-aged man with small eyes, holding a board-shaped magical implement, who spoke with directness. The other, a man in his thirties, stared coldly at Han Li and the others It must be Wu Xiaoyu! "Ma Yulin! How is this possible? You're a disciplinary disciple of the Xi Ling Sect—how could you easily get involved in someone else's private dispute?" The elder woman's face changed instantly, and she voiced her objection. "Apparently, Lu Sister still doesn't know," the middle-aged man said evenly, "that I'm no outsider. My younger brother Wu and I are closely related by marriage. It would be entirely natural for me to step in on his behalf." Hearing this, Lu Sister paused mid-sentence, her words hanging in the air. The younger woman, however, looked increasingly anxious. Cao Mengrong's expression remained uncertain, equally at a loss for words. "Then let's begin right away," said Han Li, glancing at the sky and then at the middle-aged man. "I still have other matters to attend to after this sparring session." He gave a half-smiling, half-ambiguous look before taking another step forward. Seeing this, the middle-aged man sneered, raised his hand to retrieve the board-like artifact, and at the same time drew out a small, pale-yellow fork from his storage pouch.