The Bairen Academy, located just outside the city of Taichang, is a modest institution among the many academies in the Suan Commandery. To outsiders, its distinguishing feature is simply that it is not situated within a major city, but rather built upon the renowned "Yutan Mountain" in the heart of the Suan Commandery. Yutan Mountain is a celebrated spiritual mountain of Taichang Prefecture, featuring over a dozen peaks of varying sizes. While not particularly imposing or majestic, it enjoys a consistently spring-like climate year-round, with abundant rare flowers. Certain precious medicinal herbs and fruits thrive only on this mountain, making it one of the thirteen sacred mountains of the Suan Commandery. The Bairen Academy is built on the Huanyun Peak of Yutan Mountain, stretching from mid-slope all the way to the summit, with a large complex of pavilions and halls—ample enough to accommodate over a thousand people. Yet, given the mountain's distinguished reputation, one would expect the Bairen Academy, a quiet and unremarkable institution, to have no rightful place among its esteemed peers. After all, nearby mountains are home to renowned temples and monasteries of considerable prestige—entities quite unlike Bai Lu Academy. Yet surprisingly, since the academy was established over a thousand years ago, these temples and monasteries have never sought any trouble from it. On the contrary, the monks and priests within them have always been courteous to the scholars who occasionally visit the academy, regardless of their age or status—something that once deeply astonished many. Another peculiarity of Bai Lu Academy lies in the diverse backgrounds of its students: their ages and social standings vary dramatically, ranging from noble sons of wealthy families to children from humble farming and trading households, with ages spanning from just seven or eight to over twenty. Furthermore, the timing of student admissions is irregular—sometimes a cohort is recruited every three or four years, while at other times, there may be no admissions for seven or eight years. Yet, among those who entered this academy, it was exceedingly rare for anyone to step out through the main gate—always exuding an air of mystery. Of course, this sense of mystery was only known to the local residents living at the foot of Yutian Mountain. Beyond the mountain, in the ordinary world, these unusual occurrences remained entirely unknown. The Bai Lu Academy remained obscure throughout the Xiang Jun region, rarely drawing attention. Master Lu of Bai Lu Academy has some connection with me, so I'll introduce you to him first. If he finds it acceptable, then your stay at the Academy will certainly be settled." The middle-aged scholar walked gracefully, his long robe flowing, speaking calmly as he went. "Yes, I'll follow Master Yan's arrangements entirely. My uncle Gan had already mentioned this before our arrival. Regardless of whether the Academy admits me or not, this favor will always remain deeply cherished by him." Han Li replied with a humble and respectful demeanor. At that moment, the aura emanating from Han Li appeared only at the early to mid stage of Qi cultivation—ordinary cultivators simply couldn't discern his true depth. That day, he had directly proposed to Gan Chi, a hidden agent of the Feng family, that he would assist him in joining one of the major cultivation sects in the region, regardless of whether the sect followed the Buddhist, Daoist, or Confucian tradition. He had made this straightforward request because, although Gan Chi was merely a commoner, the instructions given by the Feng family in the past had specifically emphasized cultivating strong ties with such engaged cultivators, for future use. Thus, though surprised, Gan Chi found the request neither difficult nor burdensome. The only concern he harbored was the fear that Han Li might harbor ulterior motives upon joining these immortal sects, potentially drawing adverse consequences for the Gan family. However, since all of the Gan family's business ventures had long been quietly controlled by the Feng family, Han Li would merely need to present the land deeds and, within a single night, render the entire Gan family's assets null and void. Moreover, while Gan Chi was familiar with some matters concerning immortal cultivators, the origins and true identity of the Feng family remained shrouded in mystery, deeply impressive and reverent to him. Consequently, upon Han Li's calm assurance—clearly stating that his involvement would not lead to any complications or setbacks for the Gan household—he had no choice but to proceed as instructed. After a few days of careful deliberation, Gan Chi finally selected the middle-aged scholar named Yan as the intermediary to facilitate Han Li's entry into Bai Lu Academy. The reason for selecting this person lies in two aspects. First, compared to the Buddhist and Taoist traditions, the academy has a notably more relaxed admission policy—any disciple from a non-heretical, non-magical lineage, even if they have a clear teacher or lineage, is accepted as long as their background is clean and upright. On the other hand, in the past, Gan Chi once rendered great favors to this strict scholar, who comes from a Confucian background and places immense value on righteousness and obligations. He would therefore certainly make every effort to see this matter through. Otherwise, although there are alternative paths, the likelihood of success remains quite low. After all, while the great Jin dynasty's cultivation sects are not as difficult to enter as the southern heavens, they still far from being accessible to a mere low-level independent cultivator who can simply step in and join. Upon hearing the name Bai Lu Academy and learning the location of Yutian Mountain, where it is situated, Han Li secretly traveled there one evening, riding his artifact to observe the mountain's spiritual meridians from a distance. In the end, he found the visit satisfactory. Though this spiritual vein pales in comparison to the estate he established in the southern heavens, equipped with numerous spiritual eyes, it is still quite good—significantly better than the other several veins near Taichang City. Had it not been for the frequent relocation of items like the Tree of Spiritual Eyes, which would otherwise compromise the purity of the inner qi, and the gradual loss of spiritual essence over time due to lack of steady placement on a spiritual vein, he could simply carry two such items with him and find a mediocre spiritual vein sufficient for cultivation. Then, why bother meticulously seeking entry into a major sect? Thus, Han Li transformed himself instantly into a distant cousin who had migrated to Ganchi, marrying into the family. On the surface, he was a low-ranking independent cultivator with a natural spiritual root and only a few basic spells, deeply enthusiastic about the path of cultivation, and thus sought the assistance of his distant uncle from Ganchi to see if he could enter a major sect for further training. Upon hearing that the family had a renowned scholar, Mr. Yan, teaching at a prestigious academy within the city, the scholar, motivated by a sense of gratitude, readily agreed to the arrangement. The two had only just embarked on this journey. "Ah! It seems Master Gan has indeed put in considerable effort to cultivate your nephew. That's quite understandable. In the world, only one in a thousand ordinary people possesses a spiritual root. Naturally, they hold you in high regard. As for myself, I've always been lacking a spiritual root—had I had one, I would have entered Baitu Academy long ago and devoted myself to the pursuit of immortality." The scholar said with a touch of sentiment. Han Li smiled, appreciating the moment and choosing not to interrupt. The middle-aged scholar said nothing further, simply leading Han Li upward. As they approached nearly halfway up the mountain, a clear and resonant sound of temple bells suddenly rose from a nearby mountain peak, rising steadily and invigorating the listeners. "The Qing Chan Bell at Bao Ling Temple is indeed a rare treasure. Yet, with the temple's monks striking it three times daily, they seem to be rather proud of it." The scholar paused, turned to gaze at the mountain peak, which stood even taller than Huan Yun Peak, and shook his head, murmuring softly. Han Li, upon hearing that the mountain peak was the seat of the Buddhist sect, his eyes flashed with a glint of thoughtful contemplation. In his judgment, the so-called treasure was nothing extraordinary—merely an upper-tier artifact. He reached back and adjusted the thick, long bundle on his shoulders, then continued walking upward with the scholar. Not long afterward, the two of them reached a platform halfway up the mountain, where the view suddenly opened up. Before them stretched a lush, verdant expanse, a vast grove of bamboo towering with dense, flourishing greenery. Within the grove, red walls and white pavilions emerged subtly, forming a serene and elegant scene. Several winding paths of white stone led deep into the bamboo grove, and at their far ends, a massive red gate, several zhang high, came into view. "Let's go," the middle-aged scholar said, glancing over the bamboo grove. "The main gate is usually closed. Follow me through the side entrance." He then led Han Li to one side and into a smaller path, stepping into the bamboo grove. After several turns and twists, Han Li and the scholar arrived at a dark wooden door several zhang high. The scholar took a deep, steady breath and gently knocked on the door with a soft "thump, thump." The door opened silently, and instantly a young man in a white robe stepped out. "Ah, it's Master Yan who has arrived! Is Master here to see Lu Master?" The young man radiated a subtle aura of spiritual energy, clearly possessing the cultivation level of the third stage of Qi Condensation, yet he treated Master Yan—whose own spiritual power was entirely absent—with exceptional courtesy. This impressed Han Li, who watched silently, marveling at the scene. In the southern lands, such a situation would never have occurred. It clearly demonstrated how strictly the scholarly academy upheld its traditions, even allowing cultivators to bow to ordinary mortals. Yet, such a phenomenon likely only applied to lower-level cultivators; higher-level ones would never exhibit such behavior. Han Li silently chuckled to himself. "Yes," he replied. "I've come to see Fang Brother. Is he currently available?" The middle-aged scholar asked calmly. "A distinguished guest has just arrived at the Lower Academy. The Master is currently in the study receiving him. I'll inform Mr. Yan of this." After a moment's thought, the young man in white robes said so. "That would be most kind of you!" Upon hearing this, Mr. Yan smiled slightly. The young man, though aware that the man before him was no ordinary person but had a close connection with Fang Da Master, could not help but act with due respect. He politely thanked him and then quickly produced a communication scroll, whispered a few words to him, and then waved his hand, sending the scroll blazing into a streak of light toward the back of the hall, where it vanished almost instantly. Not long after, Han Li suddenly felt a strong sense of awareness sweeping in from afar, gliding briefly over each of the three of them before retreating. Han Li's mind stirred—he knew this was likely Master Lu. In terms of the strength of his spiritual awareness, he actually possessed the qualifications of a初期 Condensation stage practitioner—significantly deeper than expected, given that he had anticipated a mid-to-late Foundation stage. This came as a bit of a surprise to him. To him, the lower the practitioner's level, the better, as that would make it more difficult for the person to detect his concealment techniques. A moment later, a ripple of spiritual energy surged above the spot where Han Li and the others stood, and a calm voice from a man suddenly resonated. "Is this Master Yan? Just the right time—there's a distinguished guest here that I'd like you to meet. By the way, please come with the young companion standing beside you as well."