Seeing the masked woman truly depart from the Starry Hall, the stern young man exhaled a long breath, then glanced at Wen Siyue and the others, his eyes immediately flashing with annoyance. How could he have been caught red-handed like this, and now even face the punishment of being whipped with thunder-bolts! With a firm expression, he was about to deliver some sharp remarks when, suddenly, the elder beside him bowed deeply and spoke to Wen Siyue with remarkable courtesy: "Your couple truly have a rare fortune—having a connection with Master Han is no small matter. This is indeed a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity. With this elder's guidance, advancing to the Yuan-Ying stage will surely not be a difficult task." The elder's earlier cold demeanor had completely vanished. The young man had been initially stunned, but after hearing the elder's words, he suddenly understood everything. The sharp comments he had been about to utter were now swallowed whole, and instead, he broke into a bright, transformed smile. How could he have forgotten that the other party had connections with a late Yuan-Ying stage cultivator—someone these newly Jin-Dan cultivators could hardly afford to offend? "Yes, what Brother Huang said is true! In the future, perhaps we'll find ourselves in need of your kind assistance as well. These spiritual stones, then, kindly take them back. This time, the cost of transportation is fully covered by us." The shadowed man drew out the previously received storage bag filled with spiritual stones from his waist, gently returning it with a touch of regret, yet still maintaining a warm tone. The refined man glanced at the storage bag before him, hesitating slightly, while Wen Siyue smiled gently beside him: "Your willingness to transport us all the way to the Outer Sea has already made us deeply grateful. How could we possibly refuse to return these stones? Please, take them. As for me, I'm now in a hurry to catch up with Master Han. I hope you can arrange for us to depart promptly." "Absolutely no problem. I'll exchange the stones right away and have the transportation ready immediately!" Seeing that Wen Siyue truly had no intention of returning the bag of spiritual stones, the stern-looking man blushed several times before finally agreeing wholeheartedly. Then, with a few movements of his body, he reached the teleportation array, bending down to replace the spiritual stones that had already been used once. The Huang surname elder stood by, chatting with Wen Siyue and her husband, subtly probing for information about Han Li, the late-stage cultivator. The refined man remained utterly confused, having no clue at all. Wen Siyue smiled gently and gave vague, evasive answers, naturally unwilling to reveal any details. After a while, the teleportation stones had been replaced once. Seeing that Wen Siyue was genuinely eager to catch up with Han Li, she immediately set aside her formalities with the two stern-looking men, quickly affixing the teleportation scroll to her body and then entering the array with the others. The same bright white light flashed, and the traces of the seven vanished. Upon witnessing this, the elder and the stern-looking man exchanged glances, exhaled in relief, and then both broke into simultaneous sighs. At the other end of the transmission array, within a stone chamber thirty zhang in size, the array shimmered with a steady white light, and the forms of Wen Siyue and her six companions gradually materialized. A moment later, the seven of them recovered from the dizziness of the transmission and regained their composure. Wen Siyue quickly scanned the surroundings, only to feel a sudden weight of concern. The vast chamber was utterly empty—no trace of a single figure. "Stay here a moment, I'll check if Master Han is still nearby!" Wen Siyue said urgently to the composed man, and without waiting for a reply, hurried toward the stone gate. The composed man intended to ask something, but after a brief hesitation, decided against it, simply observing Wen Siyue's graceful silhouette and furrowing his brow slightly. As Wen Siyue stepped out of the stone gate, the view suddenly opened up—she found the stone chamber situated atop a broad stone platform. The platform itself stood on a commanding peak, surrounded entirely by sheer cliffs, impassable for ordinary people to climb. But what stirred the young woman's heart was that Han Li stood at one corner of the stone platform, speaking with a star-gate attendant wearing star-gate robes and with long hair. With both hands behind his back, he spoke calmly and composedly. The previously fierce, late-jade-essence-level man, who had been so brusque, now behaved like a sheep before Han Li—constantly nodding and bowing, his voice filled with respectful humility as he answered Han Li's questions. It seemed this man must be the star-gate attendant responsible for guarding the transmission array here. After calming herself, Wen Siyue did not immediately approach but instead stood still, quietly observing Han Li and the attendant's conversation. A while later, Han Li waved his hand, as if he had finished speaking. The man bowed deeply in respect and then stepped back a few paces before walking steadily toward the stone pavilion. Only then did Wen Siyue move gracefully toward Han Li. "Thank you so much, Master, for your kind assistance," she said, bowing gracefully. "Otherwise, not only would our journey to the outer sea have been impossible, but we might have faced serious difficulties." "There's nothing special—yourselves are also caught up in my affairs. It's merely a small effort. What's more, you've come so eager—what else do you need?" Han Li remained calm, glanced at the woman, and spoke lightly and smoothly. "Ms. Siyu knows she has been somewhat greedy. The senior has already offered so much assistance; she truly should be content and repay you. However, my daughter is seriously ill, her life hanging by a thread. I beg you, kindly extend your help once again!" As Ms. Siyu spoke, her eyes glistened, nearly welling up with tears—clear evidence of her deep affection for her daughter, a bond between mother and child. "That girl who was struck by a rare toxin—is she your daughter?" Han Li's gaze flickered slightly, yet his tone remained composed and unremarkable, revealing no clear thoughts. "Indeed! The senior's keen insight has immediately identified the root of my daughter's illness," said Ms. Siyu, her spirits lifted and her eyes filled with hope upon hearing Han Li's remark. "I've heard part of your conversation. If the antidote method has already been found, why come seeking my help again?" Han Li remained noncommittal. "I didn't realize you were aware of this matter. Indeed, my husband and I once received guidance from a high-level master who suggested using the inner essence of the White Crane Fish Demon to prepare a kind of spiritual pill to counteract the poison. However, this pill cannot completely eliminate the poison. Even if it can temporarily save a life, the body's condition will be severely compromised, rendering further progress on the cultivation path impossible. As a cultivator at the late Yuan婴 stage, I am certain you must have some other ingenious method. I sincerely hope you will be kind enough to share it with us!" Wen Siyue explained urgently. "Ah, so it is!" Han Li did not immediately commit, his expression showing a moment of thoughtful reflection. Wen Siyue felt increasingly anxious, yet dared not press further, only watching Han Li with growing anticipation, her face filled with earnest appeal. Han Li raised his head to gaze at the blinding, brilliant sun in the sky, then lowered it again to study the radiant beauty of the young woman before him, and suddenly asked a question that came as a surprise even to her. "Master Wen—when did you pass away? Did you achieve transcendence through stillness, or through the transformation of the body?" Upon hearing this, Wen Siyue naturally paused, then her expression darkened as she replied: "When I returned to the Inner Sea for the first time, my father had vanished without a trace. I have searched tirelessly for over thirty years, yet still have no clue. If my father is no longer able to consolidate his golden elixir, I believe he has surely passed away." "The path of cultivation is inherently full of obstacles—no one knows how far one might go. If someone unfamiliar to me were to ask me to save a life, I would likely ignore them. But since you've encountered me on several occasions, it seems we truly share a fortune. Moreover, being a descendant of an old acquaintance, I think now is a timely moment—let me first take a closer look at that young girl before making a decision." Han Li finally nodded. " "Wen Siyue heard this and naturally couldn't contain her joy, rushing immediately to kneel before Han Li..." "This isn't a place where we can save someone. I'll be waiting for you at the inn in the small town below the mountain. You'll come over soon." With a simple sweep of his sleeve, Han Li generated an invisible force that lifted Wen Siyue, preventing her from bowing. His body then shimmered with a faint green glow, transforming into a streak of green light that shot straight toward the stone platform. Wen Siyue stood stunned, but soon moved with graceful motion, drifting happily toward the stone pavilion. A short while later, seven figures condensed into several streaks of light, swiftly pursuing the direction where Han Li had vanished. "That young man named Han has already reached the late Yuan Ying stage?" The voice, deep and incredulous, echoed through the cavern of the Heavenly Star City's Sacred Mountain, resonating so powerfully that the entire chamber vibrated with sound. It was one of the Heavenly Star's Twin Saints speaking. "Indeed, I'm not entirely convinced myself, but after scanning him several times with my divine awareness, I can confirm it's true." A soft, melodic female voice then rose, and the masked woman named Wen Qing had removed her veil, revealing a pale yet beautiful face. She sat cross-legged upon a luminous, translucent jade platform within the cavern. "So, in that case, his cultivation potential is not only exceptional, but even surpasses ours..." The man's voice deepened, as though he had steadied himself with the news just received. "Indeed. As far as I know, he was not yet 200 years old when he went missing. Such a rapid pace of cultivation—no one in the Star Palace's history has achieved it before. We, too, only reached the late Yuan婴 stage after about five centuries." Wen Qing sighed lightly, a touch of wistfulness in her tone. Who, after all, would not feel a sense of disappointment when realizing that their own perceived brilliance had merely been a matter of being confined within their own world? "Then, with the Xutian Ding supporting him, even if he is only at the early late Yuan婴 stage, he would be a formidable opponent to any of us." It's no wonder you changed your mind and let him go. But after getting to know him, what impression did you form?" The man furrowed his brows. "An impression? He's very cautious, and quite bold. No, not just bold—he's... well, there's something more." Wen Qing's brows tightened, her gaze wavering. "Is it hard to put into words?" The man was slightly surprised. "It's not hard to put into words. In fact, now that I'm reflecting on it, I've noticed something odd." Wen Qing hesitated, then spoke slowly. "Odd?" "Yes, there's something odd. Now that I think about it, he clearly knew I was one of the Twin Saints of Tianxing, and yet, while I was in Tianxing City, he faced me with complete confidence. That's unusual. Even with the Xutian Ding, he shouldn't have been so assured. When I first met him, I felt a subtle sense of apprehension—something intimidating, almost overwhelming. I haven't experienced that feeling in a long time. Wen Qing recalled the details, her expression shifting between gloom and clarity. "You practiced the Lingming Technique—this kind of intangible, unexplainable sense of foreboding is usually quite reliable, with only minor deviations. So, this person truly is formidable." The man's voice also grew more serious. (Second update!) ------------ The final few hours are upon us—two chapters updated, now charging ahead!