"Hehe! Brother Sun has indeed come quite promptly. I was merely chasing after a single beast when I ended up arriving at your mountain range. I personally witnessed the commotion from the lower-tier beasts just now, and I too am eager to find this person." The masked cultivator chuckled nervously, speaking with evident apprehension. Though I may not be your direct opponent, I am well known within the sect for having disciples who have entered the Tianyue Mountain Range—there are no fewer than several. Moreover, if I were to give it my all, I certainly wouldn’t be without means to defend myself. Unless, of course, my esteemed friend truly intends to reignite the battle between the Celestial and the Martial factions!" The masked cultivator’s eyes flashed with golden light, reversing his earlier hesitation and now adopting a more resolute tone. Yet, for the sake of a single immortal beast, Brother Dao has journeyed all the way to our Tianyue Mountain range. Surely, that beast must be no ordinary one. Might you kindly share some details? The elder woman's expression softened slightly, and her tone became more courteous. "This beast, indeed, is quite rare. To me, its significance may even rival that of the Hao Yang bird of your court. It is a newly promoted seventh-level Earth-armor Dragon—a creature I discovered in Huangli Mountain, a neighboring prefecture. However, this beast is exceptionally intelligent and proficient in earth-transcendence techniques. I have pursued it for six days and six nights, only to finally reach this very location. I had not yet had the chance to formally notify your court before it unexpectedly arrived here." The masked cultivator realized that without revealing certain details, he could not fully dispel the other's suspicions, so he freely shared the information about the beast he had been chasing. "A seventh-level Earth-armor Dragon? That is truly rare—especially one of such high rank, which I have never heard of before. It's no wonder Brother Ma is so eager. Now, the way Brother appears to be preparing to depart—does that mean I have only heard of this beast's name; I have never actually seen a Terracrust Dragon. Would my esteemed friend be so kind as to allow me a glimpse? The old lady was both surprised and now deeply interested. "Unfortunately, this may disappoint Master Ma. Just as the spirit beasts were agitated, my secret technique suddenly failed, and I lost sight of the dragon. However..." "However what?" The old lady's eyes flashed with keen interest. "Indeed, while searching for this beast, I suddenly saw a streak of jade-green light streaking across the sky—swift and brilliant, yet not resembling any of your palace's cultivators. I suspect the disturbances in the mountains earlier were directly linked to this person. That's when I decided to pursue them vigorously, eager to discover who this mysterious figure was. Regrettably, the person's light was so fast that I only managed to follow for a short while before being completely outpaced. At that moment, however, I was intercepted by Master Sun." The masked cultivator smiled faintly, expressing a touch of resignation. "A jade-green streak? So this person has only just departed! In which direction did they go?" The old lady's expression brightened, and she "Head toward the direction beyond the mountains. With your divine abilities, you might even catch up with him!" The masked cultivator's eyes flickered several times as he spoke calmly. "Thank you, Ma Daojun, for the reminder. I'll go check right away. Since that earth-armored dragon has vanished, you may now depart this mountain range. Our two sects—your sect and ours—differ in alignment between the righteous and the demonic. This place isn't your sacred Godwood Cliff either. When I return, I don't hope to find you still lingering here." The elderly woman, having secured the information she sought, immediately delivered her dismissal. Without further words, she suddenly transformed into a golden rainbow and shot swiftly outward beyond the mountains. "Hmph! The old witch truly proves as difficult as rumored—she turns cold at the first sign of news. Her talk of righteous versus demonic differences? All just a pretext. She's after the earth-armored dragon, wanting to claim it for herself. Heh—heh. If she hasn't sensed anything, then perhaps the dragon's disappearance is indeed connected to the Qing Hong." That streak of light was no slower than a late-stage Yuan婴 cultivator—catching up with him would not be easy at all. Seeing her arrive in such a frantic state, as if the person had dealt a serious blow to Yueyang Palace, was indeed reassuring. After the masked cultivator vanished into a golden glow, he quietly muttered a few cold remarks to himself. Then, he slightly lowered his head, glanced around the jade bag at his waist, and suddenly a faint smile of satisfaction appeared in his eyes. "Though we didn't manage to secure the Earth-Scaled Dragon this time, we did capture a Black-Blood Spider—so far, not a wasted journey. That Earth-Scaled Dragon must have been a real bargain for the man. I wonder what method he's using to make the beasts so wildly enthusiastic." The masked cultivator expressed a touch of disappointment, then paused and pondered. "No, he has a clear strategy to entice the beasts—this is no ordinary matter. I must return immediately and inform Master Mu right away." Suddenly lifting his head, he murmured to himself. After glancing around, the old woman in the surname Sun emitted a shimmering green light, transforming into a streak of green light that surged through the air and vanished. Having flown for half a day straight, she scanned the entire area within several thousand miles with her spiritual awareness, finding no suspicious figures. With no choice but to return to Yueyang Palace, she then issued strict orders to her disciples to relay the matter to others. Otherwise, if the other great sects learned of it, it would surely become a source of embarrassment for the Daoist realm of Great Jin. Fortunately, the person who had targeted the Houyang bird had only taken its fire-feather, leaving the immortal bird unharmed and unharmed in spirit or essence. As long as the bird was given a sufficient supply of medicinal elixirs, it would recover its strength within several decades. Thus, the old woman could only sigh and quietly bear this unspoken loss. Yet privately, she dispatched a small group of her most capable disciples to investigate whether any major power or senior cultivators at the Yuan-Ying level or above had recently requested the crafting of precious artifacts, hoping to trace the culprit through these connections. She sought out this person not only because she was furious over the matter of the spirit birds, but also because she wished to observe his ability to attract and summon mythical beasts. Should she master this method, future endeavors—whether killing demons to harvest their essences or taming spirit creatures—would become vastly easier. Of course, this was not a thought unique to the old woman. Almost simultaneously, the Magwood Sect, equally renowned as the Yueyang Palace, dispatched numerous disciples to diligently investigate whether any high-ranking external cultivators had recently arrived in Longzhou, and whether their faces were unfamiliar. The secret initiatives of Longzhou’s two leading powers caused several established noble families and sects, who had long believed themselves well-informed, to grow uneasy. They began speculating whether Longzhou’s delicate balance might finally be disrupted, and whether a conflict between the Yueyang Palace and the Magwood Sect was imminent. As the smaller sects grew anxious, the alliance itself began to consolidate, and the overall atmosphere across Longzhou Commandery grew increasingly tense. Han Li naturally had no idea that his single action had triggered so many ripple effects. At that moment, he was nestled deep within the heart of an unnamed, forgotten mountain. In a stone chamber temporarily carved out of the mountain, he was inspecting the five ethereal flame plumes he had captured, while conversing with the Grand Divine Sovereign of the Great Derivation. " The elderly woman who came last—she must be the Yuan-Stage late-period cultivator from Yueyang Palace. Her cultivation level is indeed impressive. Yet her consciousness remains ordinary; she failed to detect you practicing Qi-receiving and breath control. Otherwise, you'd be in serious trouble." The Grand Divine Sovereign seemed in a good mood, and even teased Han Li with a relaxed tone. "Hehe! In that case, I can always resort to my Blood-Shadow Evade once more. I simply don't believe there's another upper-world sacred beast incarnation out there who happens to cross my path just now. Still, I can't help it. I have no idea what kind of evasive technique the old woman is using. Though I move swiftly, I still fall slightly short of her pace. For now, I'll have to hide and wait." Han Li chuckled and said so. "That's true. Though this journey came with some risks, the rewards have been quite satisfactory—we've obtained a large number of Fire-Feathered creatures, and even secured a rare Earth-Shell Dragon. If we can tame it, our prospects for discovering exceptional talents and treasures in the future will be greatly enhanced." The Daxian Divine Sovereign said with satisfaction. But first, I need to temper this beast's temperament. I'll save the details for another time. For now, I must simply process these several fire plumes, then head to the capital city's auction event and take a look at what the city truly offers—claimed to be the foremost city of the Great Jin Dynasty." Han Li said thoughtfully. "I once visited the capital myself, though it was merely a mortal city—it truly stood out, with an impressive atmosphere." The Great Derivation Sovereign praised warmly, rarely doing so. "Hearing your words, I'm even more curious now. Fortunately, the capital isn't too far. With just one day, I can finish preparing the materials and then depart immediately. Three months will be more than sufficient." Han Li spoke calmly. Then, with a flash of green light, only one fire plume remained in his hands; the others vanished. Han Li tossed the plume into the air, and as he opened his mouth, a soft, misty infant flame enveloped it, igniting the inherent deep crimson flame within the plume. The long feather instantly turned jade-green on the outside and crimson on the inside, its luminous glow flashing brilliantly, most splendid! Meanwhile, Han Li settled into a meditative posture, hands forming gestures, entering a state of deep concentration.