Han Li followed Chen Jing's pointing direction and saw that indeed, to the south of the small town, there was a cluster of buildings that stood out from the rest—the structures were unusually tall, many of them four or five stories high. At the entrances of these pavilions, several cultivators were coming and going, far more active than in any other part of the town. Han Li nodded, but then said, unexpectedly, what the three companions had anticipated: "Thank you for the introduction. I'll go down myself and take a look. You three may now leave." "Yes!" Chen Jing was momentarily startled but didn't hesitate, bowing respectfully. "I've come to the island with a specific purpose—I don't wish anyone else to know about it. You should know how to handle this, shouldn't you?" Han Li glanced at the three, then suddenly spoke with a cold tone. "Please, Master, rest assured—our young disciples will never speak a word!" Chen Jing was deeply moved, though his expression remained exceptionally respectful. "Hmm, I hope you keep your word!" Han Li chuckled heartily, but the finger tucked inside his sleeve gave a subtle flick, and then his form shimmered, vanishing mysteriously in the green light. Chen Jing and her two companions were stunned, quickly scanning the surroundings, yet there was no trace of Han Li anywhere. "Chen Shishe, what shall we do?" one of them stammered. "Hush! We're going back!" The young woman, eager to speak, was cut off by Chen Jing's stern expression. With a single gesture, she signaled the two others, and suddenly changed direction, flying straight toward the city's outskirts. The two junior cultivators, though puzzled, had no choice but to follow closely. In a short while, they had flown over a hundred miles, landing their flight at the foot of an unremarkable small mountain. To their surprise, nestled in a hidden spot along the mountain's base, there stood a modest dwelling. Chen Jing led them into the cave residence, activated all its sealing spells, and then silently took a seat in a grand hall, closing his eyes to meditate. The young woman and the white-haired elder exchanged a quiet, hesitant glance, neither daring to speak more. It was well past a meal before Chen Jing finally opened his eyes, exhaled deeply, and seemed finally at ease. "Now we can confirm that the other person's consciousness has ceased monitoring this place. Even if his spiritual awareness can easily penetrate here, it could not have passed without disturbing the sanctuary's defenses. Young Master Yan, what was it you wanted to say earlier? Now, please go ahead," Chen Jing asked gently to the young woman. "There's nothing much—this Master Han seems rather suspicious. As a Yuan-Infant cultivator, we've never heard of him before. It seems rather unusual. Should we report this matter to the monastery and investigate his background? Perhaps the Patriarch will know something about his origins?" the young woman hesitated. The white-haired elder nodded as well, appearing to share the same thought. "Hmph. Knowing his background now—what's the difference?" Our master is currently in seclusion, aiming to break through to the later stage of his cultivation. Even if this person has some issues, nothing compares to the gravity of this matter. If the master cannot intervene, why should we go to such lengths to involve him? From the tone of this person, it seems they already have a general understanding of the personnel within the Lunxing Sea. They must be one of the senior cultivators who has just completed their long period of secluded practice and emerged. Such occurrences are not uncommon in our Lunxing Sea. Yet, under the warning from the other side, we have casually disclosed this person's whereabouts—what if we inadvertently reveal their identity? Do you truly believe that, under the name of Qingyang Sect, a Yuan婴 cultivator would dare to take any action against us? Even if they were to eliminate us, without the master's direct involvement, the sect would likely have to endure the situation quietly, pretending not to know. Do you think I would willingly undertake such an effort that yields no return? Chenjing scoffed, speaking without reservation. The young woman, upon hearing this, felt a sudden chill and could only nod in agreement. Moreover, should this matter be relayed to any other Yuan婴 cultivator, we would gain nothing—on the contrary, we might even suffer. Yet Chenjing continued to speak with great fervor, delivering sharp reprimands, without noticing that a faint gleam of golden light, barely visible on the soles of your shoes, had quietly faded from the shoe's base and vanished into the stone floor of the hall, leaving no trace. A moment later, this golden light had penetrated deep into the earth, where suddenly a delicate pale blue light curtain emerged, blocking the path of the light point. This was precisely the protective seal of this estate. The golden glow paused, then gradually dimmed, revealing a golden insect the size of a thumbnail—none other than Han Li’s golden-devouring insect. As soon as the insect assumed its true form, it launched itself at the light curtain, opening its maw to devour it. This seal, though not particularly refined, was rather simple, and the insect swiftly seeped through the curtain, emerging on the other side, piercing right through it. The barrier on the light screen remained undisturbed throughout, and none of the three figures from Chenjing above were awakened. After the creature flashed and vanished into the darkness beneath, a tall, slender elder walking steadily on a street in the southern part of the small city suddenly had a flash of brilliant light in his eyes. With a slight shake of his sleeve, a golden glow surged upward from the ground and quietly disappeared into the folds of his sleeve. His face remained unchanged, yet a subtle smile curled at the corner of his lips. This man was none other than Han Li, now with a transformed appearance. That golden glow was precisely the Golden-Feeding Insect he had just retrieved, carrying with it a strand of his concentrated awareness. Since attaining full mastery at the late Yuan婴 stage, although his consciousness still differed significantly from that of a Hua Shen stage cultivator, it had grown considerably stronger than that of ordinary late-stage cultivators. Thus, relying on his strong awareness, he could now freely attach a thread of his spirit to any object. Of course, this attachment is not permanent and can only last as long as the spirit consciousness remains strong and sustained—it can only be established upon living beings with spiritual sensitivity, and generally cannot interfere with the movements of the host creature. However, if the attached entity is a particularly refined spirit creature or spirit insect, such as the gold-devouring insect that has been specially cultivated and harmonized with the master's spirit, then the master can directly command its actions through his divine awareness. When Han Li parted ways with the three cultivators from Chenjing, although he did not immediately lose his temper or eliminate them, he did send a strand of divine awareness into the gold-devouring insect, allowing it to quietly infiltrate Chenjing's body and accompany them back to their dwelling. With Han Li's divine abilities combined with the insect's own prowess, the insect would surely go unnoticed by a mere Jiedan-stage cultivator. Han Li had already made up his mind: if the three were considerate and cooperative, he would leave them be. But should they intend to plot behind the scenes and make subtle disruptions, he would not hesitate to act—immediately using his divided consciousness to activate the gold-devouring insect, and thus eliminate them one by one. The juvenile phoenix-feeding insects, though perhaps helpless against a Yuan-Ying cultivator, were easily handled against a Ji-Dan initial cultivator and two Juzhi-level cultivators, thanks to their invulnerability to blades and their ability to absorb anything they encountered. Now, as the insects returned, Han Li withdrew his embedded divine awareness and instantly restored the conversation between Chenjing and the other two. With a quiet smile, he no longer paid them any mind. With a flowing gesture of his robe, he continuously scanned the buildings on either side. Clearly, he had now entered the heart of the marketplace—abundant with cultivators, and occasionally seeing higher-level cultivators alighting or taking off from the stone street. Some were hurrying in and out of the pavilions, each displaying remarkable vigilance, as if afraid of being noticed by others. Han Li’s unreserved observations naturally drew the attention of several cultivators. But when they scanned韩立 with their spiritual senses, their originally fierce expressions instantly softened, and they all grew visibly alarmed, some hurrying to turn and leave immediately, others managing a forced smile. The mere image of韩立, appearing as a late-stage Jiandan cultivator with his cultivation level suppressed, was enough to make the other cultivators hesitate and refrain from approaching. After walking a few steps,韩立 suddenly paused, his gaze settling on several pavilions standing along the street. A look of surprise appeared on his face. There were six modest two-story pavilions arranged in a row beside the road, each adorned with a slender, gently waving banner bearing distinct patterns—blue mythical beasts, golden small swords, green spiritual herbs, and other unique designs. "Six pavilions?"韩立 was startled. If his memory served him right, such a significant force in the Chaotian Sea had already joined the Inverse Star Alliance and become one of its members. Yet here, they were establishing their shops openly and confidently, right under the watchful eyes of other island factions. It seemed that the Liuxing Alliance's influence was indeed substantial, even if they couldn't take control of this Biling Island—the island's established forces still wouldn't dare to refuse their stores setting up shop within the city. Han Li had some lingering disputes with several Yuanying elders from the Liuxing Alliance, so naturally he wouldn't go seeking them out on his own. He merely gave a slight shake of his head and was about to turn and head toward the store ahead. It's no surprise at all—Elder Yuan Ying cultivators are always figures of admiration, especially when two of them appear together in the same shop. What truly startled Han Li, however, was the young Taoist in the crane robe. Though the man's face appeared remarkably youthful, no matter how one looked at him, he clearly resembled the Master Miao He who had once pursued him, nearly claiming his life back then—only now, he looked twenty or so years younger. His appearance, however, remained largely unchanged from the past. This was none other than Master Miao He himself, reborn with a talent for eloquence. As for the preservation of his current appearance and physique, Han Li found it entirely understandable—there are numerous secret techniques within the immortal realm that allow for permanent transformation of one's face and form. Typically, cultivators who undergo body-swapping or reincarnation instinctively restore their appearance to match their original form, in order to help others forget that they've been reborn into a new body. After all, while body-swapping isn't strictly forbidden among high-level cultivators, it still carries a certain reputational impact when spoken of. Yet the Master Miaohe, though his appearance resembles his former body, appears remarkably youthful—clearly having only recently mastered a secret technique for facial rejuvenation, and not yet fully updated his age. After all, while facial appearance can be transformed swiftly, the actual physical aging of the body requires a more extended period. (First chapter!) Recommend a new book: "Power Battlefield" (Book No. 1455343). As eleven radiant streaks of purple light pierced the dark night sky, the young boy, filled with sorrow and rage, clenched his hands tightly, blood slowly seeping through his fingers. A deep, ethereal blue glow enveloped him—thus, an epic tale of extraordinary abilities began to unfold. Unbelievably advanced high-tech weaponry, martial artists capable of swift movements spanning miles in an instant, extraordinary beings wielding unheard-of powers, noble lineages with generations of heritage, mysterious pursuits from the future of time and space—direct clashes of wisdom and strength… "All I want is to pour out my very last drop of blood, to protect everything close to me—my friends, my family—even on this perilous battlefield!" —the slender figure of the young man stood at the peak, yet was slowly retreating.