The black, ethereal mist in Han Li's mind flashed like a sudden insight. The mist seeping from the stone tower was indeed the strange vapor he had known from the misty sea on his peninsula—only here, it was extremely thin, as though tightly bound by something unseen. Han Li was somewhat surprised, yet since this place was regarded as a sanctuary by the Tian Peng people, he naturally chose not to provoke any incident. He thus followed the example of others, turning his light trail slightly, intending to pass by the tower from nearby. However, as Han Li flashed past the towering structure from hundreds of feet away, a sudden surge of chilling energy erupted from within the tower, rising straight into the air. It sent a shiver through him, making his body stiffen and his back grow cold. What was this? Han Li halted his flight, turned his head sharply, and fixed his gaze intently on the massive tower. To his astonishment, the black, ethereal mist radiating from the distant tower had suddenly thickened and deepened, now appearing as a dense, inky black. Though the symbols on the tower's surface flashed with vibrant hues of light, they could not stem the surge of black mist pouring outward. Fortunately, the seven-colored light curtain emanating from the tower's apex contained the black mist within a defined radius around the stone tower. But within a short while, the mist filled every space inside the light curtain, causing it to tremble and quiver as though about to burst. Nearby passing Tianpeng people were all stunned, halting mid-air and gazing in awe at the unfolding anomalies within the Sealing Tower. Han Li suddenly felt his pair of wings tremble, growing intensely hot, so much so that his back burned with a sharp, scorching pain. His face paled instantly. At that moment, the tower emitted a remarkably resonant, high-pitched cry. Upon hearing this cry, hundreds of Tianpeng people closed their eyes and plummeted downward from the sky. Han Li, though not entirely helpless, felt his spirit momentarily blurred upon hearing the sound, and his back feathers, which instantly lost their effectiveness, grew warm—his body wavered. Yet fortunately, he did not truly rely on these Wind and Thunder Feathers to stay aloft. With a flash of emerald light across his body, he quickly stabilized his form. His gaze, however, now brimmed with awe. A tremendous roar echoed, and the crystal at the top of the great tower burst into brilliant radiance, casting out a vibrant spectrum of seven colors. At the same time, a series of indistinct, ancient Nanming incantations poured forth from within the tower, as though hundreds of people were chanting in unison. Instantly, the celestial phoenix beings that had been falling suddenly flashed with luminous energy, each now enveloped in a seven-colored protective aura, and resumed floating. Yet, just as swiftly, a piercing cry rang out from within the tower, and the dark mist surged and rolled, eventually forming a massive bird silhouette hundreds of zhang in height, hovering above the sky. This ethereal figure was pale black in hue. As its wings spread, they enveloped half of the stone tower. Upon a long, resonant cry, the black mist surged dramatically, causing the surrounding seven-colored light screens to wrinkle and distort violently—its power truly astonishing. While the other Tianpeng beings, protected by their seven-colored screens, merely wavered slightly, they remained unharmed; yet, under the tense, nervous atmosphere, they soon scattered in panic. Han Li had originally intended to flee immediately, like the other Tianpeng beings. But at the very moment the massive bird form appeared, a tremor passed through its wings, revealing a large green bird figure behind it—rising its head and emitting a clear, resonant cry, as if perfectly harmonizing with the black bird. At the same time, the air around him tightened, and he felt his body grow heavy, completely unable to move. Han Li was deeply startled. A surge of golden light erupted from within him, and a powerful force surged forth from his limbs, striving to break free. But immediately, his heart sank as he poured all his inner strength into his efforts—yet the air around him seemed forged from refined steel, and not even a fingertip could move. While his mind raced, pondering whether to summon his true magical form to fully break the binding, the incantation within the stone tower suddenly changed, rising in volume and clarity by a remarkable degree. Beneath the words, a deep rumble of thunder and wind could be heard. One after another, strange symbols drifted and materialized in the empty space near the great tower, gently drifting toward the black bird silhouette. At the same time, the massive crystal at the tower's apex burst with a loud crash, spontaneously shattering. A radiant, seven-colored sun slowly rose, radiating ten thousand beams of light that enveloped the bird form completely. Under the dual constraints of the symbols and the vibrant hues of light, the giant bird silhouette finally gave up with a strange, mournful cry and dissolved. On the other side, the large, jade-green bird silhouette behind Han Li also vanished in a single flash. As the pressure lifted, Han Li regained his freedom, yet his mind remained filled with growing astonishment and uncertainty. Besides size, the ethereal silhouette that had just emerged on the stone tower was remarkably identical to the azure bird shadow behind him—exactly as described in the legends of the K'un Peng. Could it be that the tower was housing a K'un Peng in sealed form? Yet how could that be possible? Knowledge hung quietly in the air, motionless. With a series of rushing sounds as the air was sliced, these十余 individuals, flapping their wings, arrived at Han Li's side in an instant, surrounding him completely. All their eyes now focused on him. Leading the group were two elder-looking Tianpeng people—one with a pair of white wings behind him, the other with pale golden wings. One appeared kind and gentle, the other dignified and composed, yet both, like the others, fixed their gaze tightly on Han Li the moment he came into view, their eyes sparkling with wonder. Though Han Li was not truly afraid of these Tianpeng people, this intense demeanor stirred a few thoughts within him. He managed a polite smile and asked, "Ladies and gentlemen, what is it that brings you here? What may I do for you?" "My name is Han. I've been refining my cultivation abroad, and I only just arrived in the city today." Han's mind spun swiftly as he replied. Since the other party had not yet shown any ill will, he didn't feel the need to offer any elaborate explanations. "Abroad—today, entering the city!" Han's words startled the two leading elders, who exchanged glances and then brightened with great satisfaction. "Excellent. Regardless of where Brother Han hails from, the fact that he has awakened the K'un-Peng spirit within the tower indicates a sufficiently abundant aura of celestial Peng. Thus, he is worthy to be honored as a Saint-Heir of our clan and to inherit the true blood of the K'un-Peng." The other elder spoke solemnly. "The true blood of the K'un-Peng!" Han was genuinely stunned. While he had previously been somewhat unfamiliar with such matters, now the true blood of the Celestial Dragon and Heavenly Phoenix was stored within his storage bracelet, and he had a deep appreciation for its rarity. To have such a favorable opportunity come to him so unexpectedly, Han could hardly believe it. But then, upon further reflection, Han Li felt even more uneasy. He wasn't truly one of the Heavenly Peng descendants—how could he possibly claim to be the Heavenly Peng Clan's designated heir? Once thoroughly examined, he would surely be exposed. At that point, not only would he fail to inherit the true bloodline, but he'd likely be annihilated by the furious collective actions of countless members of the Heavenly Peng Clan. "You've mistaken me, then. I come from an utterly ordinary background—how could I possibly inherit the true blood? Moreover, the unusual phenomena within the tower weren't caused by me at all," Han Li chuckled dryly, shaking his head in repeated denial. "There's no need for you to push me," said the elderly golden-feathered elder, completely ignoring Han Li's explanations, with a cheerful smile. "We all witnessed clearly the true spiritual aura manifesting on your body just now. We won't make a mistake about that. Why don't you come with us to meet the senior elders? To be recognized as the Clan's heir is indeed a great honor within the family." Han Li silently groaned, then glanced around and noticed that the other members of the Heavenly Peng Clan were all beaming with excitement— "Indeed, I am no celestial heir—should any of you not believe me, that's perfectly fine. But Master Han has other matters to attend to, and so I shall now step aside." With a firm determination, Han Li quickly offered these words, then his form blurred slightly, transforming into a faint, ethereal silhouette that slipped silently between the two Tianpeng beings. As his wings behind him fluttered, he prepared to summon his powers and vanish into the distance. Yet at that very moment, a soft, feminine voice suddenly reached his ears. "Hold on, outsider! Do you truly intend to leave like this? If you do, you must leave those wings behind with us, within the Tianpeng clan." Though the voice was gentle and quiet, it resonated with such clarity that it sent a shockwave through Han Li's consciousness, causing his face to pale noticeably. At the same time, a ripple of spatial disturbance surged around him, and at a height of several zhang above his head, a slender figure materialized silently from the void—none other than a white-robed maiden, adorned with golden feather wings extending from her back. Han Li focused his gaze, and instantly drew in a sharp breath. This seemingly ordinary young woman radiated a steady, shifting glow on her face, and her inner energy was contained yet not revealed—Han Li could not discern her level of cultivation, and she appeared to be at least mid-Stage of Consolidation or beyond. Han Li's eyes suddenly fluttered with sudden excitement! "Attend to the Senior Elder!" Upon seeing the young woman, each of the Sheng Shen-level Tianpeng beings bowed with profound respect, offering formal greetings. She was none other than the Senior Elder of the Tianpeng Clan! Han Li found himself tasting only bitterness in his mouth. "This matter shall be handled by me. You return to the tower and reinforce the seal, calming the Kungpeng Sacred Spirit once more." The young woman spoke calmly and authoritatively. "Understood!" Clearly, she held an immense authority among the Tianpeng beings, who moved without hesitation, spreading their wings and taking flight back toward the towering structure. Finally, her gaze settled upon Han Li. (First update!)