"Teasing? For a mere sixth-rank immortal essence?" Han Li arched an eyebrow. "Hmph. If it were an ordinary sixth-rank essence, we wouldn't have given it much thought. But the immortal essence of the Thunder Whale beast—well, that's a different matter altogether. Moreover, since you ascended to the immortal realm, you've gone so far as to accuse my brother of issues with his essence. That certainly warrants some reflection." The Br孙 named cultivator, who had remained silent until now, was an elder with a somewhat stern demeanor. Now, he spoke coldly. "You've taken the Thunder Whale beast down after a considerable delay, haven't you? Precisely because of that prolonged period, the beast has drained half of its inner essence reserves, leaving it depleted when finally slain. After its death, the essence can no longer replenish itself—how could it possibly retain its original quality? It seems the two high-tier beasts you've eliminated weren't particularly numerous, otherwise they would have been aware of this very concern." Han Li chuckled lightly, remaining unconvinced. Upon hearing this, the two Fu-named cultivators exchanged glances, their expressions now showing clear hesitation. "Even if the essence matter How did you arrive here? Fan Dao-you clearly used a magical illusion to conceal this very place. Did you come specifically for us? The elderly man with white hair suddenly asked with heightened alertness. "A mere illusion array—I find it nothing remarkable. As for you, I've only just arrived in this sea region, and I certainly didn't come specifically for any of you. Since my mood is particularly good today, I've already shared everything I thought relevant. Should you press any further, I shall have no interest in answering. The terms I mentioned earlier remain unchanged—does anyone wish to make this deal? I have no intention of staying any longer here." As he spoke, the lines of his face grew stern. Seeing that Han Li was so firm, the Yuan-ying cultivators seated within the stone pavilion, on the contrary, felt a sudden sense of apprehension. The other seemed so enigmatic, and they did not believe he was merely being dramatic. Under this sense of caution, none of them dared to speak up again. Until the graceful green-robed woman, with her bright, attentive gaze fixed on Han Li for a moment, suddenly asked, "From your tone, it seems you are not one of our Wulong Sea cultivators. But may I ask—do you hail from the Great Jin Dynasty? And have you met the elder Xiang Zhi-li?" "Have you met Elder Xiang?" Han Li was taken aback, staring intently at the woman, his eyes slightly narrowed. He found this quite unexpected. "Indeed, Elder Xiang once stayed at my island for some time, offering me guidance in cultivation, which has greatly benefited me. Since you address him as a peer, may I ask—could you be one of the elders at the stage of Huashen?" Upon hearing Han Li's words, the green-robed woman's eyes flashed with surprise, and she suddenly stood up, bowing deeply, her demeanor now exceedingly respectful. "A Huashen cultivator?" The others, who had previously been calmly seated, were startled and rose in unison. Even the Fu-named cultivator, who had earlier been relatively composed, and the elder with the lunar calendar, now showed a touch of apprehension. "Since you've recognized him, I have nothing to hide. When did you first meet Xiang Daoyou?" Han Li paid no attention to the others' actions, instead frowning at the woman and asking her directly. "The young servant first encountered Xiang Daoyou two hundred years ago, when I had not yet successfully condensed my Yuan婴. Had it not been for Xiang Daoyou's guidance, I would likely still be lingering in the Dan stage today." The graceful woman beamed with delight in reply. Two hundred years ago—exactly when Xiang Zhi-li and the others discovered the spatial nodes in the Five Dragon Sea. It seems the matter is genuine. Han Li's thoughts raced swiftly; within moments, he judged the woman's account to be true, and his expression relaxed slightly. "Since you know Xiang Daoyou, that's excellent. Take this rare妖丹 and bring the sea map." Han Li raised his hand, and the precious妖丹 instantly shot toward the woman. The woman was delighted, lifting her hands gently to receive the妖丹, which settled into her palm. Then bowed deeply in thanks, and from her waist pouch gently produced a pale green jade scroll, stepping lightly to present it. Han Li took the scroll, instantly scanned it with his divine awareness, and compared it against the messages previously left by Xiang Zhi Li. In an instant, he pinpointed the exact location of the spatial node—relatively close, reachable within a lunar month. Satisfied, he nodded. "Good. Now I have a few questions—I'll expect you to pay close attention." Once his identity as a Huashen cultivator was revealed, Han Li's aura immediately intensified, and he issued his instructions with unwavering authority. After all, at this point, he was the foremost being in the human realm; were it not for the issue of his lifespan, there was no entity in this world he would truly fear. The green-robed woman promptly agreed. Below, Han Li's lips moved continuously, yet no sound was produced, while the green-robed woman's eyes sparkled with lively expression, and upon the cessation of Han Li's inner transmission, she likewise responded in turn, answering each question clearly and precisely. After listening attentively, Han Li stroked his chin and lowered his head,沉思 deeply. The other cultivators remained utterly still, holding their breath, respectfully staying in place, afraid of disturbing this senior cultivator at the stage of Transformation and thereby inviting serious trouble upon themselves. "Hehe, I've obtained what I sought, so I won't linger any longer. Proceed, then," Han Li suddenly raised his head, smiled warmly, and with a swift motion of his sleeve, a flash of emerald light followed—then he vanished completely, leaving no trace. No one among the present attendees could discern how Han Li had departed. Yet, once Han Li had revealed himself, the Fan-family cultivator and others who had been constantly on edge finally breathed a sigh of relief. But upon glancing at the lightning whale spirit pill held by the green-robed woman, they couldn't help but express a touch of envy. To simply present a sea map and exchange a few words, and then receive a lightning whale spirit pill—how fortunate indeed! Seeing that several of them were now looking at the pill in her hands, the green-robed woman calmly tucked it away and smiled gently. "Ladies and gentlemen, since Master Han has now departed, let us continue!" "Lady Bi, there's no rush on the exchange matter. I didn't expect you to have previously cultivated ties with a Fushen-period cultivator—what a surprise!" The blue-robed scholar sighed deeply, speaking with a hint of wryness. "That was back in my early days. At the time, I was merely a Jiedan cultivator, far from claiming any acquaintance. I only offered a few pointers to that senior cultivator." The green-robed woman shook her head, smiled, and replied. "Even with just a few pointers, to have such a connection with a Huashen cultivator is something many people dream of. Yet it's rather strange—why have all the most elite figures from the Great Jin Dynasty come to our Wulong Sea? Does something momentous perhaps await us here?" The Daoist named Fan first expressed admiration, then furrowed his brows, growing increasingly puzzled. "That's quite possible. But if a Huashen cultivator is stepping in to take charge, how can we possibly be involved? A single misstep might see them effortlessly crush us. Better not to inquire too much—what if we offend the Huashen cultivators? Heh..." The white-bearded elder chuckled, adding a few more words of caution. As soon as he spoke, everyone's expressions changed, and they all nodded in agreement. As for what they were truly thinking in their hearts, only heaven knew. While the five dragon sea cultivators were quietly pondering the purpose of Han Li's journey, he had already transformed into a streak of jade-green light, appearing on the sea surface far beyond ten thousand miles. Through inquiries with the green-robed woman, he learned the general situation of the five dragon sea region and discovered that there were no cultivators at the stage of transcending the divine currently present in this area. Thus, he dispelled his last lingering apprehension and headed directly toward the spatial node. With Han Li's current attainment of the transcendent divine stage, if he were to fully exert himself in flight, his speed would be nothing short of astonishing. However, such a vigorous departure might disturb the fundamental celestial energies, gradually diminishing his lifespan. Therefore, Han Li maintained a steady, ordinary pace of flight, willingly spending more time on the journey. After a month and a half, he arrived uneventfully at an endless expanse of misty sea. Gazing at the all-white, hazy scene before him, Han Li merely twitched his brow slightly, then immediately took the flight path and plunged into the mist without hesitation. After hovering in the sea mist for nearly half an hour, Han Li suddenly halted his flight, coming to a complete stop. He glanced around at his surroundings, then rubbed his hands together and raised them simultaneously, uttering a single character—"Pò." Two thick golden arcs shot forth, striking the void with a resonant thunderous roar. The sea mist near him instantly twisted and then dispersed, revealing an open expanse of several miles in diameter. Below, a small island became visible, with a hint of architectural structure still discernible on its surface. Seeing this, Han Li beamed with delight and murmured to himself, "The elder master and others have not deceived me—indeed, they have once again sent a disciple to guard this spatial node. However, if I arrive here a few centuries later, I wonder whether there will still be someone to maintain this place—perhaps that's uncertain." As he spoke, three streaks of light emerged from the island below and sped directly toward him, as though they had sensed his presence. Han Li's expression remained unchanged, his hands behind his back, floating motionless in the air. As the light faded, three middle-aged cultivators appeared before him—two men and one woman, all at the Ji Dan stage of cultivation! After a brief glance at Han Li's face, they immediately expressed surprise and stepped forward to pay their respects. "Respectfully, Master Han. We have been waiting here for a long time at the behest of our master, Master Xiang." "Indeed, you are disciples of Master Xiang, have you met me before?" Han Li asked, his expression slightly attentive. "We are indeed disciples of Master Xiang. We have a portrait of you preserved by our master, which is why we recognize you," one of them said respectfully. "Good. These years, I appreciate the efforts you've made. I will not let you down. However, from now on, I will assign my disciples to take over your duties here. You need not remain confined to this location forever," Han Li nodded, a gentle smile forming on his face. Upon hearing this, all three were overjoyed and promptly invited Han Li to take a seat in one of the buildings below. But Han Li shook his head and clearly stated that he wanted to first examine the location of the spatial node. Naturally, the three others could not refuse, and immediately agreed, leading Han Li toward one side of the small island. (First chapter!