After hearing the accounts of Zhao Wugui and the other two in sequence, most of the cultivators in the hall drew in a deep breath, their expressions stunned. With a fifty percent chance of falling, the mission seemed remarkably perilous. Even staying in Tianyuan City carried only a sixty percent chance of facing an alien invasion, and while a single alien siege might still be manageable for many, the overall risk appeared to grow. Upon reflection, accepting this mission seemed to carry even greater risk. Of course, such matters directly affecting their personal safety could not be calculated so simply—each cultivator naturally weighed their own considerations carefully. For a moment, the hall fell into quiet stillness. "My friends, there's no need to make immediate decisions. These missions will be released gradually over the course of a year, and each will be clearly marked. Once accepted, any official with a position may voluntarily relinquish it and transfer their duties. Therefore, even those with fixed responsibilities need not worry," the cultivator named Wen added. "Regarding the Shenchen Dan matter, even if we manage to complete our assigned tasks, how will we resolve that? Without the Shenchen Dan, even if we succeed in our current mission, we will inevitably perish under the subsequent two phases of celestial calamities." Han Li spoke for the first time. Their lingering hope was naturally completely shattered. "As for what I've already shared with all of you, both of us have made it clear. The first wave of tasks will begin in about fifteen days. If you truly wish to take them up, it would be wise to prepare in advance. Though these tasks were specifically assigned to you by Elder Leiluo, should other cultivators choose to take them instead, that would naturally be beyond our control. That concludes our gathering—please take this time to carefully weigh the pros and cons." The named cultivator smiled and concluded the meeting. Then, he and Zhao Wugui rose and stepped out of the hall first. After a moment of quiet, others gradually began to leave as well. Most of them looked deeply concerned, clearly pondering the matter. Han Li, however, did not hurry to depart. He remained seated, quietly reflecting and thinking to himself. Soon, only a few people remained in the hall. "How is it, Han brother, that you've grown interested in these assignments?" Suddenly, a person approached, smiling warmly at Han Li. Han Li's expression brightened as he recognized the visitor, then smiled and replied, "Indeed, it's Ms. Xuan. The kind of choice-based assignments arranged by the elders are truly a sound strategy for preserving one's health. Though, they do come with rather high risks." Though her mask was veiled in green silk, the exposed skin and her beautiful eyes clearly revealed her to be an exceptionally beautiful and outstanding lady. Han Li was initially surprised by this praise, but after gazing at the woman's face for a while, he slowly shook his head. "Indeed, you are greatly kind in your words. I have only recently reached the mid-stage of my cultivation, and how could I possibly compare with the immortals and celestial maidens? As for whether I will accept this mission, I have not yet truly decided—making a choice now seems rather premature." Han Li's tone was exceptionally courteous, yet his reluctance was subtly evident. The woman with the surname Xuan, upon hearing Han Li's response, saw a flicker of disappointment in her eyes, yet did not press further. After exchanging a few more casual remarks, she excused herself and departed. Only after witnessing the woman's silhouette fade behind the hall door did Han Li turn his gaze inward, quietly thinking: Though this lady possesses strong cultivation, she specializes in a technique known as 'Three Thousand Emeralds,' said to be exceptionally powerful. Yet he had always been accustomed to acting alone, and with his precious treasures guarded closely, unwilling to let outsiders easily learn of them—so even if he did accept these assignments, he would never consider forming alliances. Moreover, he was currently tied down by an important matter, one that would prevent him from leaving immediately, no matter how urgent the situation might become. The tens of thousands of golden-devouring insects he had been feeding with Nixiang grass for years finally reached all the conditions necessary for maturation one year ago. He had already refined and cultivated them using a secret maturation technique he obtained from the celestial maiden of Tianlan. Now, within a few months—or possibly a year—they would fully transform into mature specimens. How could he bear to interrupt their evolution and leave them at risk of failing to advance during this critical period? Han Li felt restless, sighed softly, and finally rose to leave. A streak of jade-green light rose from the small valley and headed toward the city district. He still intended to attend the lecture at Tian Guang Hall ten days later. After returning to the stone pagoda base, Han Li immediately entered the meditation chamber and activated the seal, then settled cross-legged upon a mat. He flipped his hands and produced a yellow jade bottle from them, pouring out a pill the size of his thumb. Without hesitation, he lifted it to his mouth and swallowed it. At once, a faint layer of pale green light shimmered upon his body. Han Li's eyes flashed with brilliance as he extended his arms evenly, fingers slightly spread, and slowly closed his eyes. A soft "puff" sound echoed as a flash of light appeared at the top of his head—there, a Yuan婴 two inches tall emerged. The Yuan婴 stood on a small tripod, with dozens of slender, golden needles—resembling flying swords—spiraling and dancing around it, radiating an impressive aura. The Yuan婴 lowered its gaze to the two hands extending from its body, blinked its clear, well-defined eyes, and smiled with a touch of innocent joy at the corners of its mouth. As soon as he opened his mouth, a ball of silver fire erupted, flashing briefly before striking a palm. It burst with a loud "pop," instantly enveloping one of the palms in brilliant silver flames. A strange phenomenon unfolded! The seemingly ordinary palm suddenly flashed with a black glow, and immediately, white bone rings appeared on each of its fingers—each ring engraved with a vividly lifelike skull. Within the silver flames, the skulls' faces twisted and seemed to come alive, displaying a variety of expressions: some appeared immensely relieved, others deeply in pain, and others remained motionless and expressionless. Regardless of their expressions, the bone rings continuously swelled and shrank within the flames, and even more astonishingly, the palm itself responded in kind, expanding and contracting in rhythm with the rings. Gradually, the skin of the palm became translucent and creamy white, as if it were not flesh at all, but rather a fine, white jade. The Yuan Ying slightly tilted its head, then opened its mouth again, expelling another ball of fire that struck the other palm. Radiant silver light surged forth, enveloping the palm in an eerie flame. Yet astonishingly, unlike the other palm which had turned crystal clear and pale, this one darkened, becoming as black as ink. After a brief period of intense heating, distinct mountain-like patterns emerged simultaneously on both the palm's back and the palm's surface, shimmering with a mysterious gray glow that flickered in and out. At the very moment these remarkable transformations occurred in both palms, the Yuan Ying that had just exhaled silver flames suddenly swayed and reentered Han Li's cranial cavity, vanishing completely. Almost simultaneously, Han Li's physical form underwent a subtle shift in its azure glow, suddenly transforming into a delicate golden light, and a faint golden human silhouette emerged behind him. Though this silhouette was remarkably blurred, it appeared to possess three heads and six arms. And on Han Li's bare wrists and cheeks, square golden glyphs gradually emerged, rotating gently across his skin, so that from a distance, they appeared like shimmering golden scales, making Han Li, bathed in golden light, seem profoundly mystical, like a divine being. ... A dozen days later, Han Li stepped out of his meditation chamber with a calm expression, attended the three-day, three-night lecture series held at Tian Guang Hall, and then contentedly departed from the city of Tianyuan, returning to his own abode. Yet only a month after Han Li had returned to his dwelling, the Elder Council of Tianyuan suddenly issued a series of tasks that appeared exceptionally perilous yet carried immense merit—most of them involving various ethnic groups, yet requiring participants of approximately Huashen stage or above. This immediately sparked widespread excitement throughout the city. However, due to the extreme danger involved, the number of those who actually volunteered to accept and undertake these assignments was surprisingly small. At just such a time, several unexpected guests appeared on Feng Li's spiritual grounds and paid him a visit, as the host. Within the pavilion, they stayed in confidential discussions with him for nearly half a day before quietly departing, leaving Feng Li with a troubled and fluctuating expression, deeply pondering in the inner chamber for several days until he finally reached a decision. What sets them apart is that they are all cultivators who have reached the stage of Divine Form, and among those who have achieved Divine Form, they stand out as the most exceptional.