Hán Lì heard Lǚ Luò's words, and it seemed quite in line with his expectations—despite not having the method to lift the seal personally brought by him, Nán Gōng Wǎn would be unharmed. Nevertheless, since the spell-removal method had now been secured, it would be wasteful not to use it again. It was better to cast the spell once more for Nán Gōng Wǎn, just to eliminate any potential unforeseen risks. Hán Lì made up his mind instantly. While chatting casually, the three of them reached the front of the Lù Yún Sect's main defensive array. On the way, Lǚ Luò had already sent a transmission signal, so as soon as the two arrived, the misty seals that had enveloped the entire array began to surge and gradually dispersed, dissolving completely. The entire mountain-stabilizing array had begun to fully withdraw. Hán Lì was taken aback by this development. But before he could say a word, hundreds of foundational-stage cultivators, led by several condensed-stage cultivators, all shot out from the mountain gate, then formed pairs and aligned themselves on either side in the air, and simultaneously shouted: "Disciples of Luoyun Sect, welcoming Master Han to achieve Yuan-Ying stage, returning to the mountain gate!" After uttering these words, they all bowed deeply to Han Li with bright expressions of excitement. Clearly, Han Li had now become a late-stage great cultivator, a fact that Lu Luo had already conveyed to the disciples through her previous transmission. That was why the disciples had arranged such a grand reception for this "Master Han." After all, the emergence of a great cultivator within the sect carried significant meaning, and the disciples of Luoyun Sect were well aware of its importance. Not only would the sect soon become one of the top-tier great sects in the southern heavens, but the cultivation resources available to it would also vastly surpass those of the past. As direct disciples of Luoyun Sect, they naturally rejoiced immensely. Han Li, however, only smiled faintly at Lu Luo beside him. "Lu brother, I'm not an outsider—surely something this grand isn't necessary?" "Ha ha, what would Master Han say? When a disciple advances to the level of a great cultivator, it's natural for our sect to welcome them with great fanfare. In due course, we'll hold a special ceremony to celebrate the occasion and invite senior monks from other sects to attend. Otherwise, how could we honor the status that Master Han now holds?" Lu Luo chuckled warmly. "Fine by me. Still, I won't be involved in any of these arrangements—merely showing up in person when the time comes will be enough." Han Li could only sigh and say that. By tradition in Tiannan, when a cultivator reaches the stage of late Yuan Yin, a grand ceremony is indeed held to formally announce the achievement throughout the region, so that other sects may confirm the event and thereby solidify the prestige of the disciple's home sect. Han Li had no choice but to accept this. Thus, with so many disciples accompanying him, Han Li entered the Luoyun Sect and directly proceeded to a grand hall within the sect. Han Li sat in the central seat of the hall, while Lü Luo, though seated beside him, positioned himself slightly off-center—symbolizing Han Li's new status as the primary figure. Han Li noticed this and said nothing. Within a sect possessing a late Yuan-Ying stage cultivator, if one did not place such a cultivator at the center, serious issues might well arise. The disciples would surely feel uneasy, let alone other sects expressing surprise. Eventually, disorder would inevitably emerge. Therefore, Han Li did not object and accepted the arrangement. Yet, while seated in the central position, he remained silent. After all, it had been many years since he last returned to the sect, and he had always previously been indifferent to internal affairs—thus, it was natural that all matters be managed by Lü Shifu. Indeed, Lü Luo's cultivation level among Yuan-Ying cultivators was not outstanding, but his administrative skills in managing the sect's affairs were remarkably well-organized. First, the newly condensed disciples registered in the inner hall would each pay their respects to Han Li. Then, upon officially announcing Han Li's attainment of a late Yuan婴 stage cultivator, he would immediately assign tasks and begin organizing the grand ceremony. Han Li sat calmly on his chair, his gaze casually sweeping over the disciples beneath him. Most of those present were condensed-stage cultivators, with a few foundational-stage cultivators intermixed among them—these were key officials responsible for handling administrative affairs within the sect. Whenever Han Li's gaze fell upon any one of them, the disciples bowed respectfully, avoiding eye contact to show their deference. Yet after glancing at several of them, Han Li suddenly noticed that neither his designated disciple Liu Yu nor the Song-named woman from the White Phoenix Hive was present. He was momentarily taken aback, and found himself slightly puzzled. After Lu Luo had finished giving his instructions one by one, all the disciples bowed respectfully and withdrew from the hall, beginning to prepare for the grand ceremony several months hence. "Lu brother, I didn't see Song neice here. Has she gone out for some urgent matter?" Han Li asked casually. Upon hearing this, Lu Luo smiled lightly. "Ah, Han brother, you may not know this, but Song neice has gone to the Valley of the Fallen Demons. She wishes to concoct a special elixir, but lacks a rare herb—this herb, though extinct outside the valley, was once carried out of the valley by some individuals." "Going to the Valley of the Fallen Demons?" Han Li's expression changed immediately. "Rest assured, brother," Lu Luo reassured him, "that herb can be found right outside the valley. Moreover, for some reason, the inner valley remains perilous even after you and your companions have visited once before. However, the outer valley's defenses are gradually weakening, and the spatial rifts there have mostly disappeared." Outside the outer regions, aside from a few isolated areas and some carefully hidden monsters in the valleys, there wasn't really much danger. Many cultivators have already benefited greatly from the outer valleys over the past several decades. By the way, Li's junior disciple and my younger brother's attendant also went along. These three are all at the Ju Dan stage, and they've brought several fine treasures with them—so they should be safe. Lu Luo explained quickly. "There have been such changes in Zui Mo Valley—have both Li Yu and Mu Pei Ling also gone?" Han Li was somewhat surprised. "Yes, I'm not sure what kind of elixir or medicinal formula my younger brother has been keeping for them, but it's clearly been quite effective—his attendant has advanced to the Ju Dan stage, mid-level, within just a century. Her cultivation pace is so swift that it's quite astonishing. I'm even beginning to think she might reach the Yuan Yin stage." Lu Luo marveled. "The elixir I kept for them was secondary—what truly matters is that Pei Ling has always had a naturally strong aptitude for cultivation." "Han Li spoke thus, yet as he stroked his chin, a quiet thought formed in his mind. He had originally believed that it would take over ten years before he could return to the Great Jin Dynasty, so he had not left behind many pills to enhance his cultivation. Otherwise, with continuous consumption of these elixirs, this young woman might well reach the late stage of the Condensation stage within a century. However, he had now himself transcended the late Yuan Yin stage, and the Dianqin's Cultivation Elixir—effective only for Yuan Yin cultivators—no longer served its original purpose. His earlier plans thus fell by the wayside, and he now needed to carefully consider how to handle this young woman. After all, everyone knew she was his concubine; even if he were to release her now, no male cultivator would dare to incur the risk of offending a senior master and become entangled with her. Han Li pondered these points as he conversed with Lü Luo for a while, then suddenly rose and excused himself, deciding to first visit Nangong Wan before returning. Lü Luo naturally offered no resistance. Thus, Han Li temporarily left Tian Qin'er in the grand hall and set off directly for the former inner sanctuary of the sect. After a short while, he arrived before the stone chamber, his heart stirred and moved as he lifted the seals on the gate and gently pushed it open. After a while, the woman suddenly smiled gently and spoke softly. ... At the deep heart of the Zui Mo Valley, on the slopes of an unnamed mountain, a tremendous roar suddenly erupted. A thick wave of black mist surged forth from an unknown cavern, then swayed and rippled continuously, spreading rapidly to cover hundreds of zhang in just a moment—so dense that it nearly completely obscured half the sky, as if a great demon or celestial deity had descended from the heavens. The scene was truly awe-inspiring. "Heh, heh," she chuckled. "By drawing upon the residual magical aura of the ancient demon, I've only taken a hundred years to advance to the mid-Immortal Stage, and now I've even mastered the final two layers of the Xuan Yin magical energy. Taking such a risk to come all the way to this Zui Mo Valley—this truly was a wise decision. Now, I'll search for a few more useful treasures within the valley. Once that's done, whenever the person comes seeking me, I won't have to be so afraid anymore. Then, I'll make my way into the vast abyss of magic, drawing upon its immense magical energy to infuse this magical corpse's body. With that, Ha! Other magic cultivators fear their qi bursting out, but I myself am of the magic corpse body—what could I possibly fear? Once I reach my later stage of mastery, I will easily eliminate that man, absorb his spirit essence, and then he will become me, and I will become him. In the world, there can only ever be one Han Li... A hoarse voice surged forth from the black mist, booming and resonant, then the figure erupted into a mad, frenzied laughter. Suddenly, the black mist surged violently, rushing in a powerful surge toward a specific direction. And then, in an instant, vanished completely, leaving no trace. ...At the outer edge of the Falls of the Demon, within a grove of bamboo, a bright red glow burst forth from the grove, spiraling before swiftly darting off in a rush. However, after a sharp cry of command, three sword lights of varying hues suddenly shot out from the bamboo grove with an even more astonishing speed, swiftly catching up to the red glow. After a brief maneuver, the red glow emitted a strange, quavering sound—“Gaa-gaa!”—and a monstrous bird, over a zhang in height, plummeted straight down from A streak of white light shot forth from the bamboo grove, flashing briefly before reaching the fallen strange bird, where a graceful, beautiful woman in a white robe appeared. Raising her hand and making a gentle grasp in the air, she instantly caught a purple spiritual herb that fluttered out from the remains of the bird's body. (First chapter!