He tossed his shimmering feathered wings into the air, spewing out a stream of azure light. Then, over the following months, Han Li retrieved the damaged Qingzhu Fengyun swords and began to refine them one by one, gradually restoring their spiritual essence. A year later, in the low airspace of an unnamed mountain range in the Wild Frontier, a faint glimmer of azure light drifted steadily onward. Inside the flowing light, a composed young man with hands behind his back—none other than Han Li, who had been away from his hidden retreat on the soil mountain for several months—moved steadily. After completing the repair of all his flying swords, he made no stop at the soil mountain, but immediately took to the flight path, heading straight toward this destination. Traveling alone, Han Li had been exceptionally cautious throughout the journey, and though he had flown for half a year, he had remained unharmed. This unnamed mountain range, however, seemed slightly different from the ordinary. Whether on the mountain slopes or in the valleys below, all the trees appear notably short, resembling merely shrubs, and as one flies slightly lower, a steady, thick humidity rushes directly toward them. In this low-lying region of the mountain range, lakes of all sizes are scattered throughout—some spanning thousands of square li, others no larger than mere li in extent, like shallow ponds. Yet, when Han Li flies over these lakes, he remains cautious, never taking them for granted. Who knows whether any powerful ancient beasts or unusual ethnic beings might dwell within them? Since entering this mountain range, he has already slain over a dozen beasts that actively charged at his flight path. Among them, one colossal lake-dwelling creature resembling a eel, comparable to a stage of the Chasming Realm, possessed formidable water-based techniques that required considerable effort to overcome. After flying for another half-day, the terrain ahead changed, revealing two towering, straight peaks, each rising nearly a thousand zhang high. Upon seeing the two peaks, Han Li's eyes lit up, and a faint smile played upon his face. While the size of these small mountains was by no means unusual, what was remarkable was that one peak was entirely silver-white, its entire upper half draped in a layer of translucent ice, creating an atmosphere of extreme cold in the surrounding area. The other peak, on the other hand, shimmered with a vibrant purple hue, covered in trees resembling maples, each leaf glowing with an eerie purple luminescence. Though only about ten miles apart, the two peaks shared a striking similarity in both shape and terrain—though not exactly identical, they were remarkably alike, with nearly ten out of every ten features matching. Han Li's expression stirred slightly, yet a layer of jade-green light suddenly surged from his body, and he continued advancing without hesitation. Before the main gate had even fully plunged into the mountain, two brilliant streaks of light suddenly burst forth from the thickest accumulation of snow and ice on the mountain's peak. After a few flickers, they reached thirty zhang beyond Han Li. As Han Li's glow dispersed, his form emerged clearly in the shimmering light. "It seems your tasks have proceeded far more smoothly than mine," Han Li chuckled, completely omitting the near-fatal ordeal he had endured among the Woodfolk. "How could our tasks possibly compare to Master Han's? I have merely accompanied a few Golden Guard officers in clearing out several outposts of these foreign tribes. As long as we remain vigilant, the risks are minimal." The elder with the willow surname shook his head repeatedly. "Besides you two, have any other guests arrived?" Han Li smiled slightly, then abruptly changed the subject. "Of course. We require a considerable number of participants. Though we anticipated that nearly half might not make it, the number of those who have arrived so far is now nearly complete. I shall take Master Han to meet them." The elder with the willow surname said with a warm smile. "Then thank you, Master." Han Li bowed slightly, showing no hesitation. Immediately, under the guidance of these two, Han Li transformed into a streak of green light and flew toward the ice mountain. But as Fang flew a short distance, the elder who had been guiding them drew out a jade plaque from his sleeve and waved it toward the empty space before him. Instantly, a stream of white light shot forth from the plaque, and wherever it passed, white lotuses bloomed, their luminous glow shimmering continuously. The Li elder gently accelerated his flight, entering the lotuses first and then vanishing in a flash. Han Li glanced at him and promptly followed, closely trailed by the scholar. He had not noticed this layer of illusion arrayed here earlier—clearly quite remarkable! Thus, ordinary ancient beasts passing by nearby would indeed be unable to detect any movement on the mountain. After a few swift glides, the three hovered in a spiral motion above the snow-covered summit and landed before a crystal-clear pavilion. Nearby stood a cluster of ice huts of varying designs, and inside the pavilion, a man and two women were conversing. As the three approached, their eyes instantly shifted, all focusing on Han Li. The man was a broad-shouldered gray-robed gentleman with a full beard, bearing a noble and spirited air. The woman, on the other hand, was in her forties, with an ordinary appearance, dressed in a green skirt; yet she seemed remarkably young, clad in a jade-colored robe and wearing a face veil. Upon seeing the veiled woman, Han Li was momentarily taken aback, emitting a soft "Ah!" "Miss Ying, I didn't expect you to be here as well—what a pleasant coincidence," Han Li said, greeting her with a look of surprise. "Indeed, I had anticipated your arrival," smiled the veiled woman. "I am one of the initiators of this gathering." The woman was none other than Miss Ying, who had previously invited Han Li to join her on a mission during the gathering of flying-ascending cultivators. "Initiators? That truly surprised me," Han Li chuckled. Though Miss Ying was not among those who had originally invited him, it was likely that she was not merely being diplomatic—her involvement must be genuine. As for the few who had initially convened this gathering, he truly didn't care much about them. His gaze shifted, sweeping over the other two. These two seemed somewhat familiar—perhaps they had also appeared at previous gatherings of the flying-awakened cultivators—but he had never personally interacted with either. All three of them were at the mid-Stage of Transformation or beyond, especially the woman, who appeared to be in the late Stage of Transformation. Thus, Han Li bowed slightly to them. The man and the woman both treated him with due respect, returning the gesture. The masked woman then invited Han Li to join them for a seat in the pavilion. After a brief consideration, Han Li shook his head with a smile: "I've sustained some minor injuries during my mission and have expended considerable inner energy from continuous travel. I'd prefer to rest and recover first. If I'm not mistaken, there are still about fifteen days until our agreed departure date." "Ah, that's indeed our oversight," he replied. "Clearly, you've journeyed a long way, and it's only natural that you should take some time to rest before proceeding." "These houses—except for the few on the far left, which remain unoccupied—may be chosen freely by the guest. Of course, if the guest should find them unsatisfactory, they may simply cast a spell to construct new ones themselves." The elder with the surname Li stroked his beard, speaking with a warm and composed demeanor. "Then I shall not hesitate," replied Han Li, with a gentle smile, saying little else. After a brief farewell to the others, he calmly walked toward one of the ice dwellings, vanishing into the structure after a few swift movements. But considering that he has made it here on time, it already shows that he is no ordinary person. Even if he is slightly unwell, I am certain this will not affect our current plans in any way. Didn't Yuan Brother and Master Jingyuan both arrive and go straight to rest in the room immediately upon arrival?" Yin Xianzi spoke with quiet confidence in regard to Han Li. "Yin Xianzi is quite right. Although Brother Han is only at the mid-Stage of Transformation, based on my assessment, his abilities among those already present are certainly among the top three." The frail scholar smiled and said this. "Brother Ou, your praise seems rather exaggerated. Brother Han is only at the mid-Stage of Transformation—something I wouldn't be mistaken about." The woman paused, slightly surprised and doubtful. "Hou Sister has been deeply engaged in rigorous cultivation in Tianyuan City for these years, and has rarely participated in our gatherings. Therefore, it is not surprising that Brother Han is somewhat less known to us." Master Han has repeatedly defeated and captured beings of the same rank from other races, and among the newly ascended cultivators, he is well known. Particularly, the divine ability he cultivates proves highly effective against the Shadow Clan. This is precisely the primary reason we have invited him to join us. The masked woman said softly. "Master Ying means to use him specifically to deal with those Shadow insect beasts," the woman seemed somewhat puzzled. "Exactly. That's precisely what we intend. Otherwise, those Shadow insect beasts would be quite troublesome. If they consume too much of our inner energy and cause our primary target—our true quarry—to lose consciousness, that would be disastrous," the elder with the surname Liu added with a smile. Upon hearing this, the woman with the surname Zhao nodded and said nothing further. Thus, the three of them settled in the pavilion and began to chat casually, here and there. Meanwhile, Han had already seated himself cross-legged inside an ice pavilion, eyes gently closed, motionless throughout.