"Brother Han's great kindness back then—I'm sure you need only speak your mind." Bai Yaoyi said without hesitation. To her, even if Han Li had not rescued her from the ice-bound state at that time, the nearly late-stage cultivator-level powers he possessed would surely warrant her full support. After all, she would be delighted to cultivate such a master of extraordinary abilities. "Upon hearing Mr. Han's request, Bai Yaoyi immediately felt it was no problem and readily agreed. 'It's truly wonderful that Lady Bai can lend her assistance. If this matter were to fall on me personally, it would certainly be quite troublesome,' Han said, his expression relaxing and a smile spreading across his face. 'This is merely a minor matter. However, I suspect we won't hear any news within just a few days. Since you've come to our Xiao Ji Palace, why not stay a little longer? I deeply admire your magical prowess and would be delighted to have the opportunity to exchange insights with you.' The lady said with a warm smile. 'I am also very interested in your Palace's cultivation techniques. Though I myself do not specialize in cold-natured methods, I have long heard that among your top-tier techniques, several stand out as the finest in the Great Jin Dynasty. With the principle of universal harmony in cultivation, I am confident that I will gain much from this experience,' Han replied with a smile. After a few more exchanges between them, the lady and Han began to chat freely. Since their levels were comparable, they didn't exchange many words before turning to discuss matters related to their cultivation. The woman Ren Bi, also at the Metamorphic Stage mid-phase, offered timely insights that proved quite distinctive. This brought the three of them into a harmonious blend of host and guest, their conversation lively and pleasant. They continued chatting in the pavilion for nearly half a day before Han Li realized that the woman had just emerged from her meditation and would not appreciate being disturbed further. He thus decided to make his departure. White Yao Yi, seeing this, did not linger any longer, but immediately issued a command, instructing the woman named Yan to escort Han Li to the Guest Hall for temporary accommodation. She would then promptly notify Han Li once she received news from Xuan Bing. With this assurance, Han Li bowed respectfully to the two and followed the woman out of the pavilion. Ren Bi, however, did not seem inclined to leave immediately, leaving the two siblings to continue their conversation—Han Li had no idea what they would discuss next. Under the guidance of the woman at the Condensation Stage, he proceeded directly to another cluster of buildings situated right against the mountain wall. There were several elegant pavilions, all of similar design, which appeared to be the guest pavilions. After a brief survey, they proceeded toward one of them. The beautiful woman clearly recognized White Yao Yi's high regard for Han Li, so she treated him with respectful attention throughout the journey, and whenever she asked him a few questions, she answered them fully and promptly. This left Han Li quite satisfied. In a short while, they reached the entrance of the pavilion. As they were still about to enter, a young woman with a delicate, childlike face hurried out from within, dressed as a maid, and quite petite in stature. "Greetings, Master Yan!" The maid seemed to know the beautiful woman and quickly bowed in greeting. "Huá, this elder, Han Li, is a distinguished guest of our master. He will be staying here from now on. You must take good care of him. Should you fail in any way, Master will hold you accountable, and I shall also share the blame." The beautiful woman straightened her expression and delivered the instructions seriously. "The young servant will do her utmost. The woman was startled upon hearing this and immediately replied with due respect. At the same time, she couldn't help but lift her head to glance at Han Li, only to quickly lower her chin again when she saw him studying her intently. Han Li smiled slightly. "Master Han, if you're not satisfied with my young charge, feel free to replace her at any time!" The beautiful woman then turned to Han Li and said this. "No, she's perfect." Han Li shook his head and strode confidently into the pavilion. The two women followed closely behind. The pavilion was well arranged, but what pleased Han Li most was the simple seal installed on the second floor, which allowed the resident cultivators to feel secure against being secretly observed without knowing it. After a few words to send the woman away, Han Li settled in. Honestly, since he had left Xuelianshan, he had barely paused on his journey—now, it was truly time for him to rest and recover to his peak condition. For two consecutive days, Han Li remained quietly seated and meditating on the second floor of the attic, never venturing out casually. He was well aware that, though it appeared he had settled in at ease, numerous high-ranking cultivators from the Xiaojing Palace were likely observing his every move in the background. After all, the sudden arrival of a Yuan婴-level external cultivator within any sect would naturally draw attention. Han Li had absolutely no intention of creating any complications. Even though he still cared about the news regarding the Sun True Fire, he would not take any hasty actions until the Xu Bing Dan was fully prepared. In his mind, resolving the Soul-Sealing Spell on Nan Gong Wan was his top priority. As for the attendant who was specifically assigned to serve him, Han Li had only spoken to her at the beginning and had not given her any further instructions since. By the third morning, Han Li was quietly seated on a mat, motionless, when suddenly his expression changed, and a series of shimmering emerald lights flashed around him, accompanied by consecutive thunderous booms as though something had burst continuously in the surrounding area. Then he opened his eyes, his expression now grave. Just moments ago, a divine awareness had boldly penetrated the hall's protective seal and directly reached toward him, which he had promptly countered with a firm spell, sending it back. Yet this awareness proved exceptionally strong, equal to or even surpassing his own. It was clearly the kind of spiritual perception of a cultivator at the late Yuan婴 stage. Han Li quickly pondered over how to handle this situation, when suddenly, a soft, infant-like voice reached his ears. "Are you Master Han? I am Han Li, the Elder of Xiaoji Palace. Would you be so kind as to meet me?" "Master Han Li!" Han Li was startled. Wasn't this man none other than the Grand Elder of Xiaoji Palace? This person is truly enigmatic. Though everyone in the northern lands is well acquainted with their vast abilities, it's strange that no one has ever witnessed them actually performing any feats—seemingly, they ascended to the position of Grand Elder overnight. Han Li was somewhat astonished, yet with his current capabilities, he had no fear of late-stage cultivators. Thus, after only a brief hesitation, he decided to meet this individual and immediately transmitted his thoughts to the nearby spiritual awareness floating around: "Given how warmly Master Han Li has invited me, how could I possibly refuse? I shall now pay my respects to you." "Ah, excellent. My spirit beast will arrive shortly. Master Han, simply follow it, and we'll be on our way. I shall remain at my abode, eagerly awaiting your visit!" Seeing that Han Li had readily accepted, the elder seemed very satisfied, and his tone grew more amiable. Then, a flash of white light, and the spiritual awareness dissolved completely. Han Li did not immediately set off; instead, he stared at the ground with flickering eyes for a while before slowly rising and making his way down the stairs. The young maid with a doll-like face was seated on a chair on the first floor, intently studying a jade scroll in her hands. Upon seeing Han Li descend, she instantly stood up in surprise. Han Li merely nodded at her briefly and then continued straight toward the hall's main door, paying her no further attention. Confused, the maid had no idea what had just transpired—her cultivation level naturally made her unaware of the divine consciousness collision that had just occurred upstairs. Outside, Han Li almost immediately spotted what he was looking for. A small creature, resembling a large cat, crouched on a nearby sapling, its eyes glowing yellow and fixed upon him. Its fur shone with a brilliant golden light, appearing as though crafted entirely of pure gold, standing out vividly. Han Li narrowed his eyes and studied the creature carefully, his expression gradually becoming one of astonishment. "A Golden Wind Lynx! It's truly a rare beast!" "He heard that this beast was a twin—one female and one male—always appearing together, with an astonishing ability to vanish. He wasn't sure if this was true or not." Han Li murmured to himself, his expression returning to normal, though his gaze swept briefly over the other trees, finding nothing out of the ordinary. It seemed the golden wind lynx had finally confirmed Han Li's identity, emitting a low, mournful hum. Suddenly, a flash of golden light erupted from a nearby small tree, and a smaller creature shot out from the trunk—only half a foot long, slightly smaller than the one before. Han Li was startled. With his keen senses, he had failed to detect how the smaller creature had previously hidden within the trunk. The two golden wind lynxes approached each other, gently rubbing their heads together, then turned and rushed off in the same direction. Han Li didn't pause to think, his body radiating a bright glow, transforming into a streak of emerald light and swiftly pursuing the two beasts. As he closed in, an astonishing scene unfolded. One of the Golden Wind Foxes grew slightly hazy and vanished completely right before Han Li's eyes. Han Li was startled, immediately extending his awareness to scan the surrounding area, yet found no trace of the creature at all. He drew in a sharp breath of cool air. Undeterred, he poured all his inner energy into his eyes, causing his pupils to glow with a blue luminescence as he continuously scanned the vicinity. Eventually, near the other guiding small creature, he spotted a faint, almost imperceptible outline—precisely the second Golden Wind Fox that had become invisible. Relieved to finally be able to track the creature's movements, Han Li quietly exhaled. Otherwise, with such an undetectable presence lingering nearby, he would have been unable to sleep or eat. The two Golden Wind Foxes' speed of movement was not particularly swift, merely slightly faster than their usual flight technique, allowing Han Li to easily follow them from a distance of over ten paces behind. Along the way, they naturally encountered many cultivators from the Inner Palace. At first, they were startled by Han Li's unfamiliar appearance, but upon seeing the golden wind cat leading the way ahead, they quickly grew familiar and stepped aside, as if they were all quite acquainted with the creature. However, Han Li's Yuan婴 stage cultivation level caused several senior cultivators to express surprise, though none dared to approach and obstruct him. Following the cat, Han Li meandered through several buildings, eventually arriving at a stone gate built into the mountain wall. Though not particularly large—about five to six zhang in height—the gate radiated a gentle yellow glow, with its characters constantly flickering, as though a particularly powerful seal had been placed upon it. Han Li paused, narrowing his eyes, and halted his flight. (Second update!