"If the Star Palace truly perishes, do you think I could remain unharmed? Moreover, I have no intention of forcing Brother Han or Wan Tianming to fight to the end. I only hope that, whenever we take action, you—this, surely within Brother Han’s capabilities." Ling Yuling furrowed her brows and spoke slowly. "It would indeed be feasible simply to engage this person. However, the key issue is that he himself is a high-level cultivator. Once the conflict intensifies, it's impossible to predict whether he will fight to the end or not. Should Lady Ling agree in advance that, should the opponent deploy a decisive strike, I may then choose to withdraw, I would be willing to step in and offer my assistance. After all, the fate of the Star Palace and Lady Ling’s personal safety are entirely separate matters. Even if the Star Palace were to vanish, I, having personally committed myself, could still ensure your safety—thus fulfilling my promise to your father. Otherwise, merely relying on the terms of exchange established back then between the Two Saints and myself would not be sufficient to justify the risk I am now undertaking." "Han Li spoke calmly, and in just a few sentences, he clearly pinpointed the key points. Ling Yuling's face changed slightly. "Han Brother, from the tone of your words, it seems as though you're not entirely unwilling to intervene—rather, you require a certain price, is that correct? I haven't misunderstood, have I?" The elderly man with the surname Zhao, who had remained silent until now, sensed something significant in Han Li's words. Frowning slightly, he gently stroked his beard and asked. "Of course, everything in the world comes with a price. As long as your court's terms are truly favorable, I am willing to take a risk and step in." Han Li smiled with ease, speaking without reservation. "Ah, then what would Han Brother require?" The elder on horseback's eyes flashed with interest, and he responded. "It's not that I personally desire anything specific. Rather, it's what your court intends to offer that will make me feel truly motivated." Han Li remained composed. The senior elders of the Star Palace now displayed a range of expressions, some even moving their lips slightly, engaging in private conversations within the hall. The elder monsters, who had lived for hundreds of years, did not feel the slightest annoyance at Han Li's just now refusal. After all, it would be rather foolish for anyone to fight a peer-level cultivator to the point of exhaustion merely to secure no benefit. Moreover, this was a clash between the foremost cultivators of the human realm—its risks were undoubtedly far greater than those of the former. Yet, to truly win over Han Li, it seemed no easy task. After all, ordinary treasures—such as法宝, materials, or even cultivation scriptures—were hardly something that senior cultivators would take seriously. "To her surprise, the young lady immediately stated the very purpose that had been most important to Han Li throughout his journey, causing him to be momentarily stunned. He glanced at Ling Yuling with a thoughtful expression, his eyes narrowing slightly as he pondered. The other Star Palace elders were also taken aback, exchanging glances with one another in surprise—yet no one voiced any objection. Although the Yuan-Magnetic Divine Light technique was well-known, it had originally been cultivated by the two celestial saints of the past. It was widely acknowledged, however, that the technique was difficult to master and came with certain drawbacks, making it somewhat of a secondary choice for ordinary Yuan-Ying cultivators. In exchange for this technique, they had no reason to hesitate. Indeed, they were somewhat concerned whether Han Li would truly agree to such a condition. To their great surprise, Han Li's deliberation was brief, and he then nodded with deep significance. 'It seems that Miss Yuling has already anticipated what I sought. I am not particularly greedy, so I shall accept this arrangement as is.' " At that time, I will step in to block Wan Tianming, though I cannot guarantee a certain defeat of him—definitely not allowing him to easily attack you all." "Very well. I have full confidence in Brother Han's word. I will first dispatch someone to deliver the "Yuanmagnetic Divine Light" cultivation manual, and then, once the great battle concludes, I will personally present Yuanmagnetic Mountain's hands to you." Ling Yuling's porcelain-like face once again broke into a smile. "Then, I shall await Brother Ling's further news. Having traveled all this way, I am somewhat weary, so I shall now retire to rest." Upon seeing that the matter had been settled, Han Li did not wish to stay any longer and rose to make his temporary departure. "Of course! Elder Zhao, please arrange a quiet chamber for Brother Han so that he may rest for two days. By the way, as Brother Han is a distinguished guest, I would kindly ask Elder Zhao to spend a few more days accompanying him." Ling Yuling readily agreed, turning her neck gracefully and kindly instructed the elder named Zhao. The elderly man with white hair nodded in understanding, then rose, bowed slightly to Ling Yuling, and proceeded to lead Han Li toward the door. After bowing to Ling Yuling, Han Li did not immediately move his feet. Instead, his gaze shifted, and he suddenly gazed deeply at the elder from the West Men's Hall, seated among the other senior monks. A subtle blue glow flickered in his pupils before he calmly began walking toward the hall's entrance. Upon being looked at by Han Li, the elder from the West Men felt a sudden jolt in his chest, a cold wave rising from his back, and a sharp stinging sensation in his consciousness—so intense that he nearly leapt from his chair. However, once Han Li turned and walked away, that stinging sensation vanished completely, as if it had never occurred. The elder was deeply startled, and hurriedly checked his body and consciousness several times, only to find everything normal, with no trace of anomaly. With this reassurance, he felt a sense of relief, yet also found himself somewhat self-conscious, doubting his own sensitivity. Now that he stands within the sacred precincts of the Star Palace, even if the other is a senior cultivator, he dares not easily launch an attack upon him. Yet the elder has already made his decision: after the meeting, he will immediately seek a secluded spot to hide, remaining there until the great battle begins. During this time, he will absolutely avoid any further encounters with Han Li, lest he meet a fatal end. After all, the strike of his flying sword nearly cost the other his life back then, and now that the other's cultivation far surpasses his own, it is unlikely that he will truly let matters rest. Otherwise, though they speak highly of it, in reality they have been secretly cultivating ties with the Inverse Star Alliance. When we were fighting halfway through, they suddenly abandoned us—indeed, even turned against us. Then we would truly be in trouble. It would have been better if we had relied on the seals and remained firmly entrenched in the Star City. As soon as the figures of Han Li and his companion disappeared from the hall entrance, the purple-robed elder turned to Ling Yuling, his voice low and serious, his expression filled with doubt. "Master Ma, please rest assured. I have known Han, even before he established his agreement with my father. While we haven't been particularly close, Han has had a significant grudge against the righteous and demonic elders of the Inverse Star Alliance since his early days, due to the matter of the Virtual Sky Cauldron. It is absolutely impossible that he has any connection with them. As for whether he can truly hold back Wan Tianming—I believe there's no doubt about it. After all, Han has advanced in cultivation earlier than Wan Tianming, and he still holds the Virtual Sky Cauldron. From this perspective, his chances appear even more favorable. Besides this method, what other options do Our Star City's protective array, though quite ingenious, will inevitably falter under the relentless assault of their wind and fire forces and cannot endure much longer. We must engage them in decisive battle. Otherwise, either the Inverse Star Alliance will be completely dispersed, or the Star Palace itself will cease to exist." Ling Yuling spoke with unwavering determination. "Since the Palace Master has made such a clear statement, there's no choice but to rely on this individual!" The purple-robed elder paused thoughtfully, realizing there was no other viable option, and said it with a touch of reluctance. Seeing that even the most spirited and independent elder had no objections, Ling Yuling smiled gently, her delicate lips softly forming the words: "Now, let us discuss the date for our decisive battle against them, as well as the strategy for launching our attack and breaking through their defensive array..." In a quiet, secluded chamber, Han Li sat cross-legged, hands forming an unusual hand seal, eyes gently closed. After an indeterminate length of time, he suddenly stirred, slowly opening his eyes. "Has Han Master finally decided to act?" A light laugh echoed in Han Li's ears, the voice belonging to the child form of that Tanlan beast. "Do you know what I'm doing?" Han Li spoke with a composed expression, yet his tone grew serious. "Though I don't know what secret technique you've employed, your glance as you left the hall clearly demonstrated the use of divine awareness—leaving a distinct divine awareness imprint on that person. While this technique isn't particularly remarkable, given your strong divine awareness, how could the cultivators within the stone pavilion fail to notice your subtle actions? If Master Han is doing this, surely it's not merely to meet up with that person for a drink and chat later, is it?" The child said with a cheerful smile. "Since you've noticed this, I have nothing to hide. That person once nearly cost me my life. Though I am not one to hold grudges, such a life-or-death rivalry cannot be easily overlooked. In the Star Palace Temple, I found it difficult to act directly, but now that he has left the stone pavilion, I am free to do so." Han Li sneered and then tapped his storage pouch at the waist. A flash of silver, and the humanoid automaton materialized silently before drifting gently into the wall, vanishing without a trace. Han Li suddenly stood up, pushed open the door of the nearby chamber, and stepped out. After traversing a short corridor, he entered a hall where an elderly man named Zhao was seated, sipping tea. Upon seeing Han Li, the elder's face brightened with surprise. "Zhao, you also practice a wooden-energy cultivation technique, correct? If you don't mind, would you be willing to share some insights with me on your cultivation journey?" Han Li smiled gently. Half a day later, a spirit lamp in a secluded area of the Star Palace suddenly flickered and went out. The star palace disciples on duty, startled by this sudden occurrence, immediately reported the incident to their superiors. The star palace was immediately thrown into disarray. Within just a meal's time, several senior elders of the star palace suddenly burst into the abode of the elder Ximen, breaking through one of its inner chambers. The disciples inside had personally witnessed the elder entering the chamber several hours earlier. Yet now, the chamber is completely empty—no trace of the elder remains. Elder Ximen has vanished in a most mysterious manner, with not even a body to be found. (Second chapter!)