"Although typically, after a general clan war, we would rest, if a major upheaval arises, each clan would be willing to sacrifice its internal strength and promptly initiate another great war—this is by no means impossible. The Hundred-Clan War fifty thousand years ago is a prime example: within just ten thousand years, we were successively attacked five times by several foreign clans, nearly exhausting our strength and even threatening our very existence. It wasn't until another ten thousand years passed that we managed to recover and flourish once again. Of course, those foreign clans didn't fare well either—two of them were completely eliminated during this great conflict." Master Ma's expression grew serious. "A war among a hundred clans? Are you jesting, friend? Such a widespread conflict that spans most of the spiritual realm cannot simply erupt at will, and it happens to coincide with our own time." The man with bright eyes drew in a sharp breath, his eyes now wide and round. "Master Ma, your words sound rather alarmist." If we truly encounter a battle of such scale as the Hundred Clans' War, even if we bring ten more lives to the table, it would still be difficult for us to survive. Back then, the common folk fared well, but among us cultivators, nearly nine out of ten perished. Xu Xianzi also drew in a sharp breath. "Indeed, indeed—how could this be possible..." Upon hearing the term "Battle of the Hundred Clans," the others' faces turned pale, as though Master Ma had mentioned something extraordinarily dreadful, making it hard for them to maintain their usual composure. "Enough. It's merely that recently, we've had more foreign spies. How could this tie into the Hundred Clans' War? Even if such a battle were to occur—though it's highly unlikely—it would still be something we, as individuals, could manage. Our foremost priority right now is to complete our current patrol duties. The rest, naturally, will be handled by the senior monks and elders. Han Li remained calm and composed throughout, softly issuing a command before moving swiftly in the direction of a certain point. Seeing this, the Ma Daoist and others naturally no longer hesitated to discuss—each of them activated their flight spells and followed suit. In a matter of moments, the group vanished at the far reaches of the heavens and earth. Several days later, Han Li and the others returned to the great tower of Tianyuan City aboard the Jin Ting Boat. While everyone else stayed in the hall to rest, Han Li departed from the team's base, ascending the stairs directly toward the top of the stone tower. After walking through more than a dozen floors and passing through several heavily guarded gates, Han Li found himself in a seemingly ordinary hall. The walls of the hall shimmered with various magical seals, their light flickering continuously—indicating a dense network of powerful restrictions. In the center of the hall, there was only a stone table and an elderly man in a white robe seated cross-legged beside it. Han Li stepped into the hall. The middle-aged man, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, slowly opened them. Upon seeing Han Li, he showed no surprise, merely saying calmly, "Ah, it's Han junior. This inspection has brought new results, I see. This time, are you bringing a living prisoner or a corpse? From which clan?" The man seemed quite familiar with Han Li. "Report to the elder," Han Li replied, bowing with due respect. Then, with a smooth gesture, he produced a jade box from his hand and placed it gently on the stone table. "The Shadow Clan! Indeed, the Shadow Clan is rarely captured alive—especially among their scouts. Let me take a closer look," the white-robed man said, his expression brightening slightly at Han Li's words. With a single hand gesture, he pressed firmly on the stone table before him. The seemingly ordinary stone table suddenly burst forth with a brilliant white glow, revealing a small spell array about one zhang in diameter, with the jade chest precisely situated at its center. A layer of silvery luminous aura materialized, completely sealing the chest within. Yet the middle-aged man in the white robe moved with no apparent hindrance from this aura. With a gentle sweep of his sleeve, he brushed against the chest, and the lid opened on its own, revealing a green orb emitting a faint shimmer of spiritual light. "Green Shadow! Such a high-rank Shadow Clan member—rarely encountered, and captured alive. Well done, nephew! That's quite an achievement!" The man immediately recognized the origin of the orb, his expression now touched with genuine admiration. "Thank you, Master. I'm honored. I heard that at the Heavenly Guang Hall next month, Master Xing, from the Heavenly Ling Mirror lineage, will be teaching the art of seal script. I wonder if that's truly the case." Han Li modestly replied, suddenly asking this. "Indeed, the teaching at the Heavenly Guang Hall this time has already been confirmed to be Master Xing's." Though it's uncertain whether it truly is the Way of Scroll Magic, the Senior Xing is well known across the three realms for his mastery of scroll magic, so it's likely closely related. How interesting, Han nephew has taken a keen interest in this," the middle-aged white-robed man said, somewhat surprised. "Lately, I've been deeply studying scroll magic and have gained some insights; I've actually been looking for someone to guide me further," Han Li replied openly, without hiding his intentions. "When thoroughly understood, scroll magic proves exceptionally effective in combat, yet it remains a supportive technique with limited direct benefits to one's cultivation. Since your ascent to the heavens, your progression to the mid-stage of Immortal Realm has been remarkably swift—rare among our fellow ascended cultivators—demonstrating exceptional talent. Nevertheless, I urge you not to divert your focus to other matters, or else the grand path of cultivation might be compromised." The man furrowed his brows, his tone softened as he gently advised. From his tone, it seemed he himself was also a flying cultivator from the lower realm. "Thank you so much, Master Wen, for your kind offer. I shall never forget it. However, this time, I truly feel I haven't missed Master Xing's lecture. I wonder if the merits I have accumulated so far are sufficient to qualify me for entry into the Hall to listen to the teachings." Han Li sincerely expressed his gratitude, yet still maintained his determination. "Since you've insisted, I won't hesitate any longer. Based on your previous accumulations and this latest achievement of capturing the Green Shadow, you are more than qualified to enter the Hall of Heavenly Broadness. Hehe—every ten years, the Elders hold a lecture, and you've never missed one. That truly speaks volumes for your dedication. Very well, I'll now list out your merits, and you may then proceed directly to the Hall of Merit to claim your lecture credential." Master Bai, no longer attempting to persuade, instead withdrew a jade plaque from his sleeve, inscribed a few marks upon it, and handed it to Han Li. Han Li, upon receiving the plaque, was overjoyed. He bowed slightly to the middle-aged man and then respectfully withdrew from the hall. As soon as Han Li stepped out of the hall, the middle-aged man first shook his head, then nodded. After carefully closing the jade box on the table, he pressed two palms together, then pointed at the jade table before him. Instantly, the magical array on the table flashed brilliantly, and the jade box vanished completely, leaving no trace in the brilliant white light. While the white-robed figure was channeling the green-glowing orb to its prison, Han Li had already taken off from the stone tower, heading straight toward the Tianyuan City marketplace. Several hours later, Han Li landed his flight light before the Taixuan Hall at the heart of the marketplace. He casually paid a few spiritual stones, received the light-shielding pendant, and then entered the hall with dignified composure. Through a long corridor illuminated by silver light, he appeared in the grand hall, where numerous human and elven representatives were gathered, eager to exchange goods. With the shimmering silver light and swirling black mist, the hall was filled with about three or four hundred people. Numerous stalls were also arranged around the hall. After scanning the hall with his eyes, Han Li's gaze settled firmly on a stone pillar nearby. There, a creature of the eldritch race, wrapped entirely in black qi, stood motionless. Han Li took a deep breath and then strode forward. "Finally, you've arrived. After our last transaction, I thought you would immediately enter meditation and retreat for at least several years—perhaps even longer—before we could meet again." A soft, pleasant laugh reached his ears as he approached, warm and full of genuine delight. "I came only by chance this time—my luck has been rather shaky. I didn't expect to find Yan Dao-friend here as well. It seems you've also sensed something amiss lately, and you'd like to expedite our transaction between us." Han Li smiled gently and transmitted his words as he reached the presence of the black qi. "What kind of amiss?" The woman within the black qi remained silent for a moment, then her voice suddenly grew cold. "Why should you pretend ignorance? Simply look at the number of members from our two clans now gathered in this hall—how many more than before! Can't this clearly indicate something?" Han Li replied calmly, showing no concern for the shift in the woman's tone. "You say that—have you heard any news?" the woman asked, her eyes flashing with cold intensity. "I may not be aware of everything, but I've noticed that high-level cultivators are appearing far more frequently, and the number of foreign spies we've encountered in our assigned regions has increased nearly five or six times over. How about your side?" Han Li asked calmly. "It's about the same—those elders are also showing up more often, and there are several new faces appearing in the city. All of them seem to have strong cultivation levels, as if they've just been transferred from the Seven Lands." The woman hesitated before finally admitting this. "I see. It seems then that this isn't just a mere impression of ours. Something significant must indeed be unfolding. How do you assess the likelihood of the foreign clans launching an attack on our city?" Han Li asked surprisingly. "There's at least a thirty percent chance. Otherwise, the city wouldn't have undergone such a remarkable transformation." The woman replied in a沉沉 tone. "Thirty percent—that's already quite high," Han Li exhaled, murmuring it as if to himself. "Indeed. So, after completing our final transaction with you, I intend to step away from this place entirely. If you wish to preserve your life, I strongly recommend you make every effort to leave the city soon. Otherwise, should the foreign clans truly launch an assault, beings of our rank—like ourselves—will likely find it difficult to survive." The woman spoke calmly. "You're speaking quite simply, yet as a resident of this city, how easy is it to simply depart? Moreover, I still have to—" Han Li chuckled, speaking a few words before suddenly remembering something, and then stopped mid-sentence. "Ah, yes. Leaving now is indeed quite difficult. Our two clans are different; I can no longer assist you." Fortunately, even if a great battle broke out, there would still be several years at least for the guest to plan and prepare. With the exchange of information now mostly complete, it's time for you to begin trading. The woman smiled lightly, then her tone became more serious.