One month later, in the Xuanwu Hall of the Taizhen Sect—renowned as the number one official gate in the southern heavens—a senior Taoist with a face as delicate as a newborn child but white hair and beard, furrowed his brows intently at a pale jade scroll in his hands. After a long pause, he sighed deeply and suddenly issued a command to the hall’s outer entrance: "Come here!" Instantly, two middle-aged Taoists entered the hall from outside. "Master, what is your command?" the two Foundation-stage Taoists bowed respectfully. "Take this invitation to Jinxia Valley in the rear mountains and inform the Supreme Elder that the Kingdom of Xī has now produced its fourth great cultivator. The Luoyun Sect has sent an official invitation. Ask whether the Supreme Elder would like to personally attend, or if one of the senior elders would be willing to make the journey." The senior Taoist handed over the jade scroll, speaking seriously. "Yes, Master. We will personally deliver it to the senior elders." The two Taoists' expressions brightened immediately, and they responded with due respect. Then, they took the scroll, transformed into two streaks of light, and swiftly departed from the hall, heading … Tianyang Lake is the renowned and sacred sanctuary of the Huhuan Sect. Though not vast—only several hundred zhang in size—it has long been shrouded in a dense, gray mist. Even the sect’s senior Yuan-Ying elders dare not venture near it. Normally, the area within twenty li of Tianyang Lake sees few visitors. ...By the side of one of the islands of the Qi Ling Island, an ordinary middle-aged man in a green robe stood at the edge of a cliff, hands behind his back, gazing at the endless sea with an unusually calm expression. Yet, gently resting in the palm of one of his hands was a white jade scroll, softly glowing with a faint spiritual light. With the status he now holds, how could he possibly return to our modest Huangfeng Valley? Yet, our sect and your court do share some historical ties with him—establishing a personal connection would surely benefit our six sects." The plump elder stammered. "I won't be able to help you forge a relationship with him. Though I have a good rapport with Nan Gong's sister, since she left with that person, we've not had any contact since. Nevertheless, this time I will represent the Yanyue Sect at the ceremony." The man spoke after a brief pause, his tone expressionless. "Master Wu's intention to personally visit is indeed the best course of action." Hearing this, the plump elder was delighted. "Hmph. It's no wonder you Huangfeng Valley are so anxious about this person. After Lord Lingfu's passing, your valley has had no Yuan-Ying cultivator stationed there. Had it not been for the prior agreement between Lord Lingfu and this individual, and his notification to our five sects, I suspect Huangfeng Valley would have struggled to remain established in Beiliang State." The man glanced at the plump elder and chuckled. "Forgive me, Elder!" Upon hearing this, the elder flushed slightly, embarrassed. At once, Han Li's name sent shockwaves across every corner of Tiannan. Whether among the solitary cultivators dwelling in remote mountains and valleys or among the established cultivation families and various sects gathered along the spiritual energy veins, "Han Li" had probably been mentioned more frequently in the past century than any other name. Everyone was eagerly discussing this young cultivator who had reached the late Yuan婴 stage so early, and who was now the fourth major cultivator of Tiannan. Thus, three months later, the observance ceremony of Luoyun Sect was held. Over a hundred Yuan婴 cultivators attended, accompanied by several times that number of Jie Dan cultivators who came to witness the event at Yunmeng Mountain. Yet, as the central figure, Han Li only appeared briefly on the first day of the ceremony, delivering a few remarks before inviting around a dozen senior elders from various sects—those at the mid-Yuan婴 or later stages—to gather for a small gathering in a secret hall within Luoyun Sect. Among them were two senior cultivators, Huahuan Elder from Huahuan Sect and Wei Wuyi from Huiyi Sect, both of whom were at the late stage of their cultivation. After three days and three nights, when these Yuan-Infusion elders finally emerged from the hall again, they all appeared pale, visibly startled, with Fei Wuyi and He Huan, the Elder Demon, especially showing dimmed eyes and unusually wan faces. Some attentive observers naturally approached them, curious about what had transpired within the hall. Yet those being questioned either smiled sadly and remained silent, or shook their heads in sheer relief, hesitant to reveal anything. This only deepened the curiosity of the other attendees. Thus, the other cultivators naturally grew even more curious about what had transpired within the inner hall, especially how a group of them—including two senior cultivators—had been transformed into such a state. Although the elder cultivators who had attended the hall gathering each wished to keep the matter quiet, they inevitably had a few close friends and particularly close companions. Soon, word began to spread. Yet the content of the news sent another shockwave through the southern heavenly realm. It turned out that several of these Yuan-Infant elders had revealed that the newly promoted fourth-grade senior cultivator from Luoyun Sect had, during the gathering, actively proposed to spar with Wei Wuyacha and the Huahuan Elder Demon. This was entirely expected—after all, as the newly established senior cultivator, the elder Han had naturally taken the opportunity of the ceremony to compare his abilities with other senior cultivators and to establish his reputation among the mid-level cultivators. But the Han elder proposed something truly extraordinary—challenging Wei Wuyi and He Huan, the Elder Demon, simultaneously, solely by his own strength. It was no ordinary feat. One had to wonder how Wei Wuyi and He Huan had weighed their options, yet they only paused for a brief moment and genuinely accepted. The remaining time was spent merely with the senior cultivators exchanging insights on their cultivation practices under Han Li's guidance. Yet, despite the usual importance placed on such exchanges, the senior cultivators present grew restless, sitting as if pricked by needles. When the three-day period ended, their unusual demeanor immediately caught the attention of other cultivators outside the hall. As the remarkable news spread, most initially dismissed it as mere hearsay, even deeming it absurd. However, as the word reached more ears, all the senior cultivators who had attended the gathering remained silent—none stepped forward to challenge it. Only then did everyone realize that the news might indeed be true, and the entire southern realm fell into a sudden hush. Whenever anyone mentioned Han Li or spoke of matters related to him, even in secluded halls or remote rural areas, they naturally spoke more softly, careful to avoid any disrespect or casualness. Thus, the reputation of the foremost cultivator of the southern realm quietly began to spread throughout the southern cultivation world. ...High above a stretch of sea near the Seven Spirit Island, a middle-aged Taoist with translucent, porcelain-like skin and an elderly man dressed in green robes floated silently face to face, both of them with solemn, gloomy expressions and silent exchanges. After an indeterminate length of time, the green-robed elder finally stirred and said, "Zhiyang, you've suddenly appeared here and summoned me by voice—aren't you merely trying to play some game of riddles with Wei? If there's anything you'd like to say, just go ahead and say it." The green-robed elder was none other than Wei Wuyi, one of the Three Great Immortals. "Wei, are you deliberately probing me with questions, or are you simply feigning ignorance? Didn't you know I was coming to see you?" the middle-aged Taoist replied calmly. "Hmm, it seems that after hearing the rumors, you've finally found it impossible to remain seated!" Wei Wuyi chuckled, a hint of irony playing at the corner of his lips. "So it appears the rumors aren't entirely baseless—you and the Flower-Enchanting Elder Demon truly suffered a setback at the hands of that person!" The Tao