Han Li heard Ling Yuling's words, and with his divine awareness, scanned the beast carriage once more. The four individuals below had all boarded the carriage, which was driven by a towering, bald giant of two zhang in height. Though only at the Foundation Stage, the giant's upper body was powerfully built, his arms muscles resembling forged steel, radiating an imposing aura of vigor and intensity. As the great man raised a white whip overhead, a sharp, piercing cry shattered the air. Instantly, the several green dragons, previously lazily resting before the stone hall, sprang upright, shaking their heads and tailing with vigor. The carriage roared and transformed into a bright white glow, soaring into the sky with a speed that rivaled even that of a Yuan婴 (Immortal Stage) cultivator. One hour later, Han Li and the others arrived at a city gate of Tianxing City. At this moment, the wind and fire energies surging above the island continuously struck the pale blue energy shield from all directions. Even within the protection of the shield, the constant, thunderous rumbling still sent the ordinary citizens and lower-tier independent cultivators in the city trembling with fear. After all, everyone knew that although the light shield still appeared remarkably thick, it was only a matter of time before it would be breached by the wind and fire forces of the outer array. At this moment, Han Li, standing at a remote corner of the city gate, observed the scene from beyond the island. Outside the shield, the view was unremarkable—everything remained much as it had been when he first arrived, with the landscape dominated by shades of green and red. Even with his divine abilities, he could hardly see beyond a short distance. He glanced once more at the area beneath the city and noticed that already, in the concealed spots near the gate, a gathering of two thousand lower-ranked cultivators had assembled. Each one sat cross-legged on the ground, either meditating with closed eyes or carefully rubbing their magical tools and arranging their seals, all preparing for the final moments. Meanwhile, the elderly Zhao and the purple-robed man had stepped out of their vehicles and were now discussing seriously with several other senior elders. "Brother Han," the elderly Zhao said, "I have a matter I would like to request of you. Would you be so kind as to agree?" "Footsteps echoed behind, yet before Han Li could turn around, a pleasant voice had already reached him. 'What's going on?' Han Li turned, showing no surprise. Standing behind him was Ling Yuling, dressed in a light green imperial robe. Her face was clouded with uncertainty, her dark brows tightly furrowed, as though she had struggled greatly to speak what she had just said. 'This upcoming battle will determine the very survival of my Star Palace. To be honest, over the years, the Reverse-Star Alliance has successfully attracted several secluded cultivators who previously remained unnoticed. Even with your assistance, our chances of victory stand only at fifty-fifty. Should we succeed, everything will be settled smoothly, and I shall not burden you with any further requests. However, should we suffer a major defeat, I would kindly ask that, once you have safely withdrawn, you personally escort the individuals listed in the scroll—those mentioned in the address—to the Star Sea, and provide them with some care and attention.' Ling Yuling gently bit her lower lip, then flipped her hand, producing a pale blue jade scroll in her palm, and looked earnestly at Han Li. 'What exactly do you mean by that?' Han Li's brows also furrowed. "There's nothing special—these individuals are all people with close familial ties to me. Though I'm confident that few outside my circle know the nature of our relationship, should we suffer a major defeat and the Xisheng Alliance decide to eliminate them completely, things would become complicated. It would be better if the guest could arrange for their safe departure. As the guest is not a native of the Star Sea, I'm certain you have the means to accomplish this." Ling Yuling spoke with a tone entirely befitting a trustee. Han Li stared at her, somewhat at a loss. Yet, his silence only deepened her misunderstanding. With a light smile, she added, "Of course, I won't let the guest bear this responsibility without compensation. I recall that my father once agreed to three commitments with the guest. Now, with the guest stepping in to handle Wan Tianming, the first obligation has already been fulfilled. Should the guest agree to this matter now—regardless of the outcome of the battle, and regardless of whether the guest actually needs to carry it out—then the matter will be settled." I've already counted on my friend fulfilling one such obligation—how about this condition?" "Li, have you thought this through? I promised your father that I would save your life three times when it's in danger. Yet you're so easily wasting one such opportunity—this may not align well with the original intentions of the Two Saints." Han Li paused, his gaze suddenly brightening. "I fully understand this matter! But once I've become the master of the Star Palace, if our forces suffer a decisive defeat in this battle, the Star Palace's thousand-year legacy will come to an end. Then what good would the remaining two life-saving chances be? It would be better to first secure the lives of my closest relatives. As for myself, I already possess the qualifications of a mid-stage Yuan-Infant cultivator, which should be sufficient to ensure my own safety." The woman sighed softly. Han Li watched her expression grow delicate and vulnerable, and only after a long silence did he speak evenly: "Very well. Since Li has made such a clear point, I accept this arrangement. Should your forces suffer defeat in this battle, I will personally ensure their safe departure from the Star Sea." "With your words, Lady Yuling now has no worries at all. I'm certain, given your esteemed status as a great cultivator, even if this battle proves unfavorable, you will easily manage to retreat unharmed." Lady Yuling's delicate features bloomed with radiant charm, instantly enhancing her graceful demeanor. Although this array had little impact on cultivators at the Danjiao stage and above, it still posed significant damage to those at the Zhuji level. As soon as the array began to be activated by the great wind and fire pillars from various directions, the previously gently drifting cyan and crimson light halos surged violently, forming clusters of cyan and crimson light spheres that then spontaneously burst into fragments. Within the array, flashes of luminous energy rippled across, accompanied by a continuous series of thunderous explosions. Ordinary Zhuji cultivators, unprepared and entering the array without warning, would likely be instantly engulfed and consumed by the wind and fire forces. However, in this current battle, the Star Palace had prepared meticulously. At the moment the array's full power was unleashed, colorful protective shields appeared on the bodies of nearly every cultivator, effectively deflecting the wind and fire assault and sparing most of the Star Palace's lower-level cultivators from serious injury. At that very moment, the reverse-star alliance cultivators who had launched their attacks from near the towering pillars encountered the star palace forces head-on, and fierce combat erupted within the great array, with cries of battle rising sharply. "The elder with a slightly bluish complexion murmured. This man had been the Long-named cultivator who had fled in panic when Han Li first entered the array. "The other party must have made a final, desperate effort. Probably related to the one who entered the Star City back then," said Wan Tianming, who remained calm and spoke slowly. "I think it's more like a case of desperation! Still, Long friend, if that cultivator who killed Hua truly proved so formidable, how could you two, working together, have been instantly eliminated by him?" The old woman's eyes flickered with a green glow, and suddenly she asked the elder, "Indeed, I believe you're right. She is a mid-Stage Yuan Ying cultivator." Upon hearing the name Han Li mentioned, the Long-named elder turned pale, stroking the newly reconnected arm restored by a secret technique. After a long pause, he managed a wry smile and replied, "It's not just impressive—it's overwhelming. Hua's own abilities were quite strong, yet he barely held his ground for a moment before being defeated." If it weren't for my timely judgment and the secret technique I employed to retreat early, I would have been unable to stand here as well. This person is definitely not merely a mid-stage Yuan Ying cultivator—I believe he is one of the late-stage grand cultivators. "Late-stage grand cultivator," I think Lóng Daojun is a bit startled and momentarily confused. Aside from Wan Daojun, who else in the Inner Sea currently holds the rank of late-stage grand cultivator? Otherwise, the Star Palace would have already come to us for assistance, and we wouldn't have been subjected to such prolonged pressure, slowly being absorbed by our alliance. The old woman spoke with a touch of disdain, being quite direct. Upon hearing this, Lóng, the elder of the Lóng family, immediately grew visibly displeased. "That's not necessarily true. In fact, after reviewing the image of the person that Lóng Daojun provided to us, I immediately felt a sense of familiarity. After further reflection over the past few days, I now believe I recognize him. In fact, this person should also be known to the autumn lady." Wan Tianming smiled gently and said this with surprising confidence. "Ah, could you please elaborate on that, Wan brother?" "Back then, did Master Qiu remember the news of the Xu Tian Ding's emergence hundreds of years ago, and the fact that our alliance once issued a death warrant to pursue a Daoist named Han Li?" Wan Tianming said calmly. "Xu Tian Ding? Han Li? Could it be that the one who broke through the array is this very person? Hm, indeed, they look remarkably similar. But that seems impossible—this person was merely a Ji Dan cultivator back then!" The old woman reacted swiftly, only slightly pondering before growing puzzled, yet she kept shaking her head, her face filled with disbelief. "You need not find it strange. As far back as a hundred and twenty years ago, when the two Heavenly Star Saints were still alive, I received confidential reports. Han Li appeared as a Yuan Yin cultivator near Huangsha Gate. Later, he traveled to the outer seas via the Star Palace's transmission array. During this time, the two elder figures from the Star Palace reportedly attempted to attract him, though they ultimately failed. Moreover, I suspect that the mysterious disappearances of our Yuan Yin elders, such as Miao He, may be closely linked to him." Wan Tianming looked steadily at the great array without turning around, speaking calmly and composedly. (First chapter!)