The guests seated on either side of the hall were both men and women, all smiling warmly. In a short while, the palace-dressed women in the hall finished their dance and then respectfully bowed to the elder seated at the main seat before retreating. "Ah, Senior, your attendants seem notably more refined than those I saw last time. Yet, I must say, the Yu friends have truly put in great effort on this matter," remarked a blue-robed scholar sitting on the left, smiling gently. "Hehe. Throughout my life, I have had few hobbies—only the matter of women has always been a challenge. If I ever manage to master this aspect, perhaps that will be the moment when my cultivation reaches a new level. Should Yu's young disciples truly care, I would still hope they focus more on their cultivation, with at least one of them advancing to the Huashen stage. That way, should I one day pass away, the Tianmo Sect won't be left vulnerable to being challenged by others." The elder, after a light cough, spoke calmly. "Ah, Senior, what a wonderful thing you say." The disciples of the Tianmo Sect have only one step away from achieving Huashen stage—breaking through to Huashen is merely a matter of time. With the current prestige of the Tianmo Sect, who in the human realm dares to challenge them? The blue-robed scholar said with a smile of apology. "Indeed? But I've heard recently that the Yin Luo Sect seems to be being removed from the list of the Ten Great Sects of the Magic Path. Once, this sect held the top position in the Magic Path for thousands of years—its influence and stature were no less than that of the Tianmo Sect today. Yet now it has ended up in such a state. Even if it manages to preserve its lineage, it has now become a second-tier sect." The elder with the wooden crown sneered. The blue-robed scholar and other cultivators exchanged puzzled glances—truly unsure of the intent behind the Master of the Magic Palace's words—and no one dared to speak up immediately. "I've heard, however, that this time not only seven or eight Yuanying-level elders of the Yin Luo Sect have been unexpectedly eliminated, but even Yin Luo's Feng Dao-friend has also perished." The Yin Luo Sect had no clue whatsoever as to who had actually carried out the attack. This was rather strange. Could it be that the Yin Luo Sect had offended some senior cultivator at the stage of Transformation? Suddenly, a tall man in a brocade robe skillfully shifted the topic without drawing attention, and gently inquired, "Heh, I suspect most of you have come here this time specifically to address matters concerning the Yin Luo Sect. Please rest assured—though we don't know who the culprit is, it most certainly isn't among the elder figures of our Great Jin Dynasty. Otherwise, I wouldn't be completely unaware of anything. It might very well be some ancient being outside the Great Jin who happened to take the initiative. However, should this person strike again, we won't be idle—we'll certainly intervene." The subtle gleam in Hū Qìnglái's eyes flashed briefly before fading away, as if nothing had happened. Upon hearing the elder's explanation, the other cultivators present breathed a collective sigh of relief and promptly changed the subject, no longer mentioning the incident, but instead sharing various fascinating tales and happenings from the realm of cultivation. "By the way, Elder Hū—" The last time you took a concubine was two centuries ago. Now, suddenly, you're reopening the gates of the Magician's Palace once more. Who among the female cultivators could possibly catch the elder's eye? A middle-aged woman in green robes suddenly smiled lightly and said this, her appearance quite pleasing. Upon hearing her question, the other cultivators also expressed interest. After all, although the Senior Monastic Elder of the Heavenly Magician Sect enjoys the company of women, there aren't many female cultivators who have truly held the status of concubines within the palace. "Taking three concubines—this was something I never expected myself. Each of these three is a truly exceptional talent, outstanding in both appearance and cultivation. Particularly one of them, who surpasses the other two in every way. It is largely because of her that I have decided to take them as concubines." Upon hearing someone mention the three women he intended to take, the elder, Hú Qìng Léi, could not help but smile gently, clearly very satisfied with these three. "Hehe, since Master Hu has praised them so highly, might I ask if we may have the privilege of meeting them before the ceremony?" The man, a fierce-looking ascetic with wild hair, couldn't help but ask. The others, too, were now eager, hoping to see firsthand the beauty of the three female cultivators—how could they have moved even the Master of the Demon Palace's heart? "Yes, the maid will go right away..." the court-dressed young lady replied respectfully, but before she had finished speaking, a sudden streak of red light flashed in from outside the hall, vanishing instantly and materializing before the wooden-crowned elder—turning out to be a sealed voice message. I've grown quite curious now. Since they've arrived outside the palace, I must surely go out to welcome them personally." Hu Qinglei chuckled. "Then I shall also have the honor of paying my respects to both of you," the man in the brocade robe quickly stood up and said. The others, too, could not afford to be slow, and each spoke similarly. The elder with the wooden crown nodded calmly and immediately rose, slowly stepping toward the outer hall. The other cultivators followed close behind. The entire Maguotao Mountain was enveloped in a fierce, powerful wind of ice and snow. Beyond this wind, a vast, hazy luminous screen enveloped the palace below. Though slightly blurred, one could clearly discern the general scene within. At some point above this screen, three figures hovered motionless, their expressions calm and serene. They were Xiang ZhiLi, Feng, the old master, and Han Li. "The magical palace complex seems to have grown even larger than before—perhaps the number of attendants serving Lord Hu has also increased. Indeed, it appears that being the Supreme Senior Elder of the foremost sect in the magical realm is no small achievement." The Wind Elder, gazing at the palace complex beneath the light screen, suddenly remarked with a soft admiration. "Ah, are you now envious of Lord Hu? If so, simply let him know, and I'm certain he'd be delighted to have one more Supreme Senior Elder in the Tianmo Sect. He'd surely build you a dwelling surpassing even his own palace." Upon hearing this, Xiang Zhi-li smiled faintly, as though half-amused. "Well then, the Elder's cultivation style emphasizes tranquility and simplicity. If I were to reside here for any length of time, my inner state would inevitably regress." The Wind Elder sighed deeply and shook his head vigorously. Xiang Zhi-li smiled gently and said nothing further. At that very moment, a group of cultivators had taken flight from the palace complex below and were swiftly approaching them. Although Han Li had spoken little throughout the journey, at this moment he focused intently and observed carefully. In a single glance, he immediately identified the leading elder as a Huashen cultivator. Yet, upon scanning the faces of the several cultivators behind, he could not help but emit a surprised murmured exclamation. "Indeed, Han junior has acquaintances!" Xiang Zhilǐ turned to him, clearly taken aback. "Yes, there is one person—I've had a brief meeting with him." Han Li quickly returned his gaze, speaking calmly. "Ah, I see." Xiang Zhilǐ nodded without further comment. At that moment, the elder with the wooden crown had already flown to behind the luminous screen, pressing his palms together and reciting incantations. As a result, the screen before Han Li and the other two shimmered and suddenly split open along a crack. Xiang Zhilǐ and Feng, the old monster, did not hesitate—they immediately entered with a composed air. Han Li hesitated slightly before also transforming into a streak of jade-green light and following in. The yellow screen then seamlessly restored itself to its original state. A moment later, as the glow of their flight faded, the three appeared right before the group led by the elder with the wooden crown. "Xiang brother, Feng friend—seems you've arrived a bit late. I received word quite early; you must have set out long ago. Yet now you're only just here. Is something that happened along the way?" Upon seeing Xiang Zilin and Feng, Hu Qinglei smiled slightly, then lounged lazily, asking. "Indeed, Hu brother—you're right on target! We did encounter some matters en route, which delayed us slightly. But I'll mention those details later. For now, I'd like to introduce you to a fellow who will be joining us—this Han friend will become one of us, just like the rest of us." Xiang Zilin chuckled and pointed to Han Li, beginning his introduction. Among the disciples behind the elder with the wooden crown, one person, upon seeing Han Li's face, suddenly looked astonished. "Joining us?" The wood-crowned elder was deeply moved upon hearing this. His eyes, which had been slightly closed, suddenly widened fully and he gazed silently at Han Li. "At your service, Brother Hu!" Han Li maintained a calm demeanor, bowing with both hands in a graceful gesture. His demeanor was neither humble nor arrogant, clearly that of a peer. This moment caused the blue-robed scholar and others to sit up straight, their mouths now agape. "Hmph! Old fool Xiang, old oddity Feng—have you both grown foolish? A mere Yuan-Enlightened cultivator in the late stage, what right does he have to join us?" Hu Qinglei's face darkened, and he directly challenged them with sharp words. "Hehe. As for me, there is certainly a reason behind this action," Xiang Zhi-li said with his expression unchanged, offering a light chuckle. Then, his lips moved continuously, yet no sound emerged. He had simply begun to transmit his words mentally. Initially, Hu Qinglei's expression had been gloomy, but after listening to a few sentences, his eyes sparkled with astonishment, then excitement, and finally, he nodded repeatedly, in growing approval. (First update!）