"Ha ha, what do you think of our Palace's Ling Elder, Brother Han?" the elder with the Zhao surname smiled warmly. "Are you referring to Ling Yuling, my esteemed friend?" Han Li blinked in surprise. "Indeed, the beloved daughters of our Palace's two Saint Sovereigns!" the elder nodded repeatedly. "Ling's ability to advance to the Yuan Ying stage at such a young age clearly indicates exceptional cultivation talent. Yet, what exactly do you mean by that?" Han Li asked with a look of curiosity. "Ling Elder certainly possesses strong potential, but naturally, it falls short when compared to Brother Han. Still, both of you are truly outstanding talents—there's no doubt about that. Should the two of you support each other, you could surely achieve the path of cultivation together, and perhaps even have a genuine chance at attaining immortality. Would Brother Han be willing to form a dual cultivation partnership with Ling Elder?" "A dual cultivation partnership?" This time, Han Li was genuinely startled, his mouth wide open, unable to close it for a long while. "Indeed, both of you are so young and possess such exceptional talent—this is truly a perfect match!" How about Zhao making this match? The elder with the Zhao surname beamed with joy. Han Li's face flashed with surprise, then furrowed slightly. The elder, who had been closely observing Han Li's expression, felt a moment of astonishment, murmuring to himself. Was it truly possible that the other party was unwilling? After all, among the immortals in the cultivation world, female cultivators at the Yuan婴 stage were already rare—like phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. And when the age matched, such pairings were truly hard to come by. Everyone knew that dual cultivation (shuang xiu) greatly benefited one's cultivation journey. Yet most Yuan婴 male cultivators could only take female disciples at the Jie Dan or Zhu Ji stages as secondary consorts. True, long-term dual cultivation partners were rare. Occasionally, a Yuan婴 female cultivator might attract seven or eight male cultivators of similar rank vying for her hand. In the elder's original expectation, Ling Yuling, a Yuan婴 cultivator, both beautiful and renowned as the beloved daughter of the famed Star Palace—wasn't this like a celestial banquet of golden pastries being served from the sky? To his surprise, the other party was so cold and even reluctant. This completely exceeded the elder's expectations. Nevertheless, the other was a senior cultivator at the late Yuan Ying stage, so he naturally dared not reveal the slightest hint of his dissatisfaction. On the surface, his smile remained unchanged, and he continued to speak warmly: "Both of the Saint Sovereigns have stated that, as long as you marry Ling Elder and settle within our Star City, with Brother Han's cultivation level, the position of the next Star Palace Master will naturally be yours. In that case, Brother Han will become the Master of the Star Sea within no time at all, and furthermore—" The elder spoke fluently, listing numerous benefits promised by the Heavenly Star Dual Saints, his tone subtly tinged with admiration. Han Li had remained silent until he noticed the other party showing no signs of stopping. With a sigh, he finally broke in: "Thank you very much for your kind intentions, but I must respectfully decline this matter." "What? Brother Han has truly thought it over? He truly intends to reconsider for several days before replying?" The elder Zhao, having spoken at length without receiving any response from the other party, realized that their visit was likely in vain. Now that Han Li had firmly declined, his heart sank further, yet he remained determined to make one final appeal. He would not be able to face the Two Saints well if this matter failed to conclude. "It is not that I hold the Jade Ling Lady in low regard nor do I harbor any prejudice against your court," Han Li said calmly. "I already have a steady partner, and she too is a Yuan婴 cultivator." "Ah, I see," the elder Zhao replied, his expression relaxing with relief. Now he had a solid reason to present back to the Two Saints, which made things much easier. Yet he still found himself somewhat puzzled—why, in the past century, had there been no other new Yuan婴 female cultivators emerging in the Luanxing Sea, aside from Ling Yuling? Was it possible that Han Li's partner was also a dedicated, hardworking cultivator, just like himself? Therefore, his name remains obscure! The Tianxing Two Saints had never mentioned to the Zhao elder that Han Li might be an outsider among the cultivators. Naturally, he regarded Han Li as a diligent, long-time hidden practitioner. "Regarding Ling Elder's matter, I won't press it further. However, when I arrived, the Two Saints instructed me that if you were unwilling to agree to the dual cultivation arrangement, I should convey a brief message to you. Would you be interested in hearing that message?" The Zhao elder sighed, shifting the topic slightly. "Of course, I'd be delighted to hear a bit of it." Han Li's eyes flashed briefly, and he replied without hesitation. Since the Star Palace had failed to secure his commitment, it was surely going to have further plans—something he found entirely understandable. "Nothing particularly significant. The Two Saints simply wish to formally meet with you. As for the meeting location, as long as it remains within the vicinity of the Star City's coastal waters, you may choose the spot yourself. The Saints have asked me to convey that the discussion will center on your breakthrough at the Shen stage." I hope Brother Han will agree to this matter..." The Zhao elder's face grew serious. "Something related to breaking through to the Shen stage?" Han Li stroked his chin, showing thoughtful consideration. Had it not been for the final sentence added at the end, he would have immediately declined without a second thought. But now, given the importance of the matter, he could no longer ignore the need to carefully consider it. After all, he had no clear understanding of what it would take to break through to the Shen stage. Even if it meant taking some risks, he didn't want to miss this opportunity. "If the Two Saints of your court do not mind, I shall be waiting for you at a small island located three thousand li north of the Star City, three days from now." After some deliberation, Han Li finally spoke slowly. With his current capabilities, as long as he wasn't trapped in a dire situation and wasn't surrounded by too many Yuan-Ying cultivators, he was completely unafraid of any ambush. In fact, meeting in an open, unobstructed setting would prove even safer. "Very well. I will personally inform the Saint Sovereign of this." The elder Zhao, seeing that Han Li had readily agreed this time, brightened visibly. After chatting a few more moments, Han Li immediately excused himself. The elder seemed to sense that Han Li had no intention of staying any longer and thus did not offer to keep him. Han Li didn’t need the elder’s company and simply headed straight toward the transmission array on the island. With Han Li’s swift flight, he reached the mountain summit where the array stood in no time, just in time to see the bearded cultivator standing before the stone pavilion, frowning at several other cultivators and shaking his head repeatedly, as though rejecting something. A sharp streak of azure light flashed, and suddenly Han Li appeared before them all. "Greetings, Master Han!" The bearded cultivator immediately recognized Han Li from the previous day and hurried over to bow and greet him with a smile. "I need to return to the Inner Sea. Is there any issue with the transmission array?" Han Li asked coldly and directly. "Of course not, Master. Please enter!" "The star-guild cultivator quickly replied, offering a teleportation scroll without needing any words from Han Li. Though he himself possessed a Great Translocation Mandate, Han Li didn't hesitate and simply took the scroll, then vanished with a swift movement. A moment later, a bright white light illuminated the stone pavilion, and Han Li was completely gone. With Han Li's arrival, the other cultivators, who had previously shown signs of reverence, now relaxed and resumed their composed expressions. One of them, a Jin Dan cultivator familiar with the bearded one, couldn't help but directly ask: 'Brother Yu, is this elder one among your senior monks? He seems rather unfamiliar to me.' 'Not exactly. I've only met him once, but he holds our star-guild's guest mandate. Though not officially announced, he must be one of the new senior monks joining our guild soon.' The bearded cultivator chuckled, proudly adding. 'Ah, so it is. That means your star-guild's influence is indeed growing stronger.' This elder appears to have mastered the art of youthful preservation—though it's unclear whether he is just at the initial stage or the mid-stage of Yuan婴 (Metamorphic Immortal). The Dan-stage cultivator murmured in admiration. "Actually, I'm not entirely sure. It seems this senior is protected by some precious artifact, which prevents us from accurately detecting his true cultivation level. Still, I'd wager he's at the initial stage. If he were mid-stage, wouldn't even the most dedicated cultivators have achieved some recognition by now?" The hair-letting cultivator hesitated, expressing some doubt. "I agree with that! Still, even then, it's far beyond what we can aspire to. Hmph—how can we possibly hope to achieve Yuan婴 after a lifespan of over a thousand years?" Another cultivator, carrying a sword, sighed. Three days later, on an unnamed coral island located three thousand li to the north of the Star City, a young man sat in meditation upon a red rock, his entire body glowing with a vibrant jade-like light, his eyes closed. This young man was none other than Han Li. Shortly after arriving back at the star-city of the Inner Sea via the teleportation array, he immediately departed from the giant island without a single hesitation or pause. Though he had initially been wary that the Twin Saints of the Heavens and Stars might exploit this opportunity to harm him, it seemed he had been overly cautious. He left the Star Palace's influence without any delays or obstacles. With this, a sense of ease settled in Han Li's heart, and he remained in the surrounding waters for several days, arriving precisely at this location to meet the Twin Saints of the Heavens and Stars. Yet, for caution's sake, he now extended his powerful divine awareness throughout the entire region, encompassing hundreds of miles around. Whether it was the deep, black ocean floor stretching thousands of zhangs below or the towering skies reaching ten thousand zhang high, everything lay under his vigilant observation. Facing such renowned cultivators, who had long dominated the Star Sea, Han Li naturally did not take them lightly. The couple shared the same cultivation technique, and together, their combined strength likely surpassed that of two ordinary late-stage cultivators working in tandem. Moreover, the reputation of the Yuanmagnetic Divine Light is truly outstanding. It's said to be capable of overcoming all five elements of nature—though perhaps somewhat exaggerated, it clearly underscores the power of this technique. Han Li didn't want to lose his life suddenly due to overconfidence. Therefore, before the two saints arrived, he had already secured control over all activities in the surrounding sea region, anticipating any potential schemes from the others!