"Master is calling me?" the elder named Feng Zhi hesitated, asking. "Why are you still hesitating? The senior has something to ask you. Didn't you used to reside here?" The scholar, fearing that his disciple might appear slow and thus disappoint Han Li, suddenly grew stern in tone. "Yes, disciple will come right away." After confirming he hadn't misunderstood, the Foundation-stage elder had no choice but to bravely fly over and join the scholar beside him. "You used to live here, didn't you?" Han Li glanced at Feng Zhi and, upon seeing something shift in his expression, asked slowly. "Reporting to the senior, yes, before entering the academy, my family indeed resided here." The Foundation-stage elder replied respectfully, with no hesitation. "You lived here, yet how did you achieve Foundation Stage?" Han Li nodded, then unexpectedly asked a question that caused everyone present to pause in surprise. "The young servant once encountered an elder master during my mother's youth, who gifted me a Foundation Pill, which enabled me to successfully establish my foundation." Though puzzled in his heart, Feng Zhi quickly replied. "So you are the descendant of Xiao Mei?" Han Li's expression softened slightly. "Xiao Mei! Could the elder master be referring to my maternal grandmother? Then, is it indeed the same elder master who gifted the Foundation Pill?" Feng Zhi was momentarily stunned, then suddenly remembered something and exclaimed aloud. "You're not bad at all—you managed to figure that out." Han Li chuckled. "I shall forever be grateful for the elder master's generous gift of the Foundation Pill." The Foundation-stage elder bowed deeply in the air, visibly delighted. The scholar and the dark-skinned elder, however, looked somewhat dazed. Han Li did not evade, but after receiving the courtesy from the other, calmly replied, "When I was still on the path to achieving the Great Way, I had several encounters with your ancestor. Later, when I met your mother, I gifted her a Foundation Pill, thus settling a small matter of goodwill from those days. However, seeing that you are still at the mid-Stage of Foundation, it appears your aptitude is not particularly outstanding. Moreover, with your current signs of aging and declining vitality, I suspect your journey in cultivation may come to an end here." "Your junior is truly limited in ability and has let the elder down," the elder, who had been bowing, replied, his face slightly flushed. "Ha, what could I possibly be disappointed about? Yet, how did the Huayu Sect come to settle here? This land was once the ancestral home of your maternal grandmother's former master—did you not know that? And your maternal grandmother's master was actually one of my close friends from long ago." Han Li suddenly grew serious, his tone turning cold and sharp. The scholar and the dark-skinned elder immediately looked alarmed. "As for this matter, I do have some knowledge of it." However, I have already relocated all the bamboo pavilions where Master Xin once resided to another location behind the mountain, preserving every detail exactly as they were, with not a single thing damaged. This is one of the conditions I have set when transferring this mountain to the sect. Master Feng Zhi's heart skipped a beat, yet he quickly clarified, "Is that correct?" Han Li swept a cold gaze across his eyes and directly asked the two Jin Dan cultivators. "Indeed, this site is not our main mountain hall of Huayu Sect; it is merely a temporary residence we have used. The reason so many disciples have gathered here this time is simply because I have been leading a delegation to handle several matters in Yuanwu State, and thus have had to stay here for a while. Since all of Master Xin's former homes have been moved, we have not disturbed any of them in the slightest," the scholar promptly explained, sensing the reason for Han Li's dissatisfaction. "So it is. Nevertheless, I don't care what you originally intended. This is my old friend's homeland. I do not wish to see any other cultivators remaining here." What should we do next, you two should clearly understand, shouldn’t you?” Han Li said coldly to the two students. “Of course, we will immediately abandon this location and have our disciples move out right away.” The elder with dark skin jolted slightly and spoke without hesitation. The student nodded in full agreement, with no objections at all. “Very good. Go ahead and take care of yourselves. You, take me to the bamboo pavilion where Xin Daojun once resided.” Han Li, after finishing his words to the students, turned to the elder cultivator. “Yes, I will gladly accompany the senior to that place,” the elder replied, showing no hesitation, and then bowed respectfully to the students before immediately activating his artifact and flying directly toward another part of the mountain peak. Han Li’s body glowed with a strong jade-like light, swiftly drawing Tian Qin’er along with him, and in a flash transformed into a shimmering jade mist, following closely behind. In a moment, they had rounded to the other side of the mountain peak and vanished. "This person is truly a late-stage Yuan婴 cultivator—will we have made a mistake? Their appearance doesn't resemble any of the three renowned cultivators as described in the tales." Only then did the scholar relax, his lips slightly moving to transmit a whisper to the elder. "It seems, even after all this distance, he's unwilling to engage in ordinary conversation." "Undoubtedly, the spiritual pressure emanating from him is several times stronger than even our master's." The scholar murmured. "Indeed, this person isn't one of the three famed cultivators. Could it be that our Tiannan has finally produced a fourth great cultivator?" The elder said, seemingly uncertain himself. "If true, then this person must have successfully advanced to the next stage—otherwise, the entire Tiannan would have been abuzz by now." The scholar whispered. "Well then! Regardless of who this person is, with our master present, we dare not offend him. We should quickly yield this location, lest we anger him—then things would indeed become serious." The elder said, his expression grave. "Brother's point is well taken. I'll immediately put the matter into motion. It's truly a pity that we've lost such a fine place to rest." The scholar sighed, still somewhat reluctant to part with the location. "Hmph. We've already been fortunate this time. Thanks to you bringing Feng Zhi into the fold. Had he not been here, I suspect the other party would have launched an immediate attack upon us once they broke the seals. I never realized that one of my disciples had such a connection with this senior master. Didn't you know this before, Brother? And what exactly was the former owner of this place like—how could he have been acquainted with a senior cultivator at the Metamorphosis Stage?" The elder with dark skin took a deep breath and asked. "Brother, your question truly stumps me. As you know, although I took Feng Zhi under my wing rather early on, I only did so because he was at the Foundation Stage. His potential has always been rather ordinary. I'm actually not very familiar with his background. However, I did once inquire about the original owner of the bamboo pavilion." After all, although the original restrictions here were simpler, they were quite ingenious and practical. Yet this person seemed to be merely a Qi Condensation stage cultivator, so I hadn't given them much thought. The scholar found himself somewhat puzzled. "Even if we're talking about events from years ago, the difference between a Qi Condensation stage cultivator and a late Yuan婴 stage cultivator is quite substantial, isn't it?" The elder remained somewhat speechless. Upon hearing this, the scholar could only shake his head with a helpless smile. As for the time that followed, they couldn't afford to delay any longer. Immediately, they gathered the other cultivators and returned to the lower buildings. Upon issuing a single command, dozens of disciples—ranging from three to four hundred—began packing up their belongings and preparing to evacuate right away. At that moment, Han Li was walking with Tian Qin'er into a bamboo pavilion that stood out for its unusually lush greenery. Though these bamboo pavilions were neat and well-maintained, they clearly had a certain age. The Feng Zhi beside him led the way, offering a pleasant explanation as he went: "After these bamboo pavilions were relocated here, I have, according to my mother's instructions, periodically infused them with spiritual light every few years to prevent decay, and I also make it a point to clean them regularly." "Oh, you're truly thoughtful," replied Han Li, a slight smile playing at the corner of his mouth, as he stepped into the main hall and took in the surroundings. He wasn't mistaken—this pavilion was indeed the one where Xin Ru Yin had once lived. Though the furnishings remained unchanged, the beloved lady had passed away. Han Li found himself moved by this thought, and his gaze shifted to the girl standing beside him. To his surprise, a sudden stir passed through him. At that moment, the young woman's eyes were misty, gently caressing the bamboo tables and chairs in the hall while slowly moving about, her delicate features clouded with a sense of dazed wonder—her gaze so entranced that she seemed almost possessed. Seeing this scene, a faint, inexplicable complexity flashed across Han Li's eyes. After a brief silence, he gestured to the foundation-stage elder standing beside him and said, "You go first. I and my apprentice will remain here alone for one full day. You can come back tomorrow to find us here." His tone was firm and unyielding. The elder was struck with awe and promptly bowed respectfully, silently agreeing and then quietly withdrew without further words. Han Li shifted slightly, settling himself in a corner of the hall, closing his eyes and meditating, allowing Tian Qin'er to wander at her own pace through the ancestral home of Xin Ruheng. He carefully took up the two vials of medicine and immediately made up his mind to protect this bamboo pavilion. Should this senior ever happen to return again by chance, he might just find his own fortune here. As for what the younger Mei's future might think, the Han Li had already, together with Tian Qin'er, flown far beyond a million miles. Yet the girl's hazy expression did not fade, but rather grew more indistinct, appearing completely restless. "Master, why did you take me to that place? What connection do those bamboo pavilions have with me?" The girl, who had remained silent since leaving the mountain peak, suddenly spoke with an unusual tone. "At first, I wasn't certain whether there was any connection between us, but now it seems there clearly is." Han Li replied calmly. "They have something to do with me?" "Do you believe in reincarnation and past lives?" The maiden opened her mouth to ask something more, but was interrupted by a single phrase from Han Li that sent a tremor through her heart. Her delicate features then suddenly underwent a remarkable change in expression. (Second chapter!