"Indeed, although you are qualified to join our Kungpeng Clan, being of human origin, even if you pass the trials and tests, you would still be unable to serve as the Clan's Supreme Master. However, Friend Han can step in as a Supreme Prince and lend his support to the two princes, helping them succeed in their trials. Of course, should you agree to this, I will not overlook your contribution—besides granting you a portion of Kungpeng true blood, I will also offer you a special reward." The young woman did not hesitate, calmly stating this. Such a favorable opportunity, if it came to most people, would surely prompt immediate acceptance. Yet Han remained silent, his gaze flickering slightly. The young woman showed no urgency, merely sitting quietly in her chair, gazing steadily at Han. After a full cup of tea's worth of silence, Han finally spoke again: "It is no small feat that you, a senior figure, have gone so far as to invite someone like me—an outsider—to join the noble ranks for the sake of the princes' matters. Could you first elaborate on this matter, and then I shall make my decision." "The trials are indeed very dangerous. Generally, about six to seven out of every ten holy heirs from various clans are lost. These holy heirs typically possess the rank of Flying Spirit General, equivalent to the Grand Immortal level of noble families. This time, however, our clan's holy master unexpectedly perished. The two heirs in question are only at the initial level of Flying Spirit General and have not yet fully prepared. Should they participate, they would likely fail in ten out of ten cases. Though I may not be well-versed in your divine abilities, your journey alone from the human realm across half of the Wind and Spirit Continent to reach us speaks volumes about your strength. Even though the trials are perilous, I believe you should have no difficulty overcoming them." Although the girl had anticipated some setbacks, her final assessment proved accurate. "Only Flying Spirit General level?" Han Li's eyes flickered with cautious inquiry. "Please rest assured, Elder, I shall not offer empty words." The girl smiled gently. "I shall need some time to consider this matter." After a moment's reflection, Han Li finally made up his mind. "It's a matter of great importance, so it's appropriate to consider carefully. How about this—I'll give you three days. Three days from now, I'll still be here, awaiting your reply. In the meantime, you're free to move about the city at your convenience. No one will disturb you. Also, my name is Jin Yue—please remember it." The young woman, Xingping, spoke calmly, as if Han Li's response had been entirely predictable. "The feather wings have already merged with the Kunpeng's plumage. Why must we force foreign-born individuals to pretend to be the Sacred Heir? Instead, why not retain the wings ourselves and appoint another of our own lineage to carry on the true blood?" The elder with red hair, tall and imposing, spoke gently, lightly rubbing his hands. "If it were that simple, I would have simply eliminated him then and there, seizing the wings right away. How could I have gone through all this trouble to speak with him at such length?" The young woman smiled faintly, her tone sharp and unyielding. "Then, what does the Grand Elder intend?" The younger, more petite woman with delicate features, noticing the elder still had more to say, quickly pulled at his robe and stepped forward, bowing respectfully. "In terms of understanding the human race, I believe no one in the Tianpeng Clan can match me. The humans differ from our Feilin Clan. Their inherent strength is ordinary, and much of their power lies in the artifacts they cultivate. Over years of ritual refinement, these artifacts can be fully integrated and become truly part of their essence." This treasure is not impossible to seize forcibly—it's simply that once acquired, it's difficult to erase the original owner's traces within a short period. Moreover, the treasure's power diminishes significantly upon changing hands. I've carefully examined the immortal feather-wings artifact of this person, and it perfectly fits this category. I've also received word that the Saint Prince's trial beneath the earth is approaching swiftly—there's simply no time left to seize the lower-level treasures and have other clans reforge and reinvigorate them. "Jin Yue paused, then explained a few points." Ah, so that's the case. But then, wouldn't our true Saint blood truly be lost to other clans? That would indeed be a significant matter." The elder with red hair continued to shake his head vigorously. "Has Elder Xu perhaps grown careless? If our Saint Prince fails the trial, the entire clan will be absorbed by the other branches—compared to that, the matter of the true Saint blood is merely a minor concern. Furthermore, there are already several alternative measures in place to prevent such an outcome. "The young lady's eyes sparkled as she spoke. 'Heh, the Elder's words are well taken. Once this foreigner helps us through this crisis, a mere Flying Spirit-level being—whether we kill him or keep him alive—will surely be at our discretion.' The middle-aged woman paused, then smiled. 'Killing him is impossible. Even if he is of foreign origin, once he integrates with the Kungpeng's true blood, he will truly be half of our own clan. We, too, are bound by the Pledge of the Heavenly Peng. Moreover, in helping our clan survive this great trial, he will be considered a benefactor of the clan. Unless absolutely necessary, we should spare his life. We could simply detain him here in the Sacred City, preventing him from leaving.' Jin Yue glanced at the woman coldly, speaking without emotion. 'Very well. Should we also inform the guards and assign someone to quietly follow this foreigner? We don't want him to suddenly vanish during these days,' the man with red hair suddenly added." "Master Xu need not worry. I made a few subtle adjustments to his wings earlier. Should he attempt to flee the city, I will surely be aware immediately." Jin Yue remained completely unconcerned about the matter. "It seems we have been overcautious. Grand Elder has indeed considered everything thoroughly." The beautiful woman's eyes sparkled with brightness as she smiled. "We may have been overcautious. Among our five senior elders, only we three remain within the clan. Given that this matter concerns the very survival of our clan, we must reach unanimous agreement before taking any action. That is why I summoned both of you along the way. Master Xu, do you have any further suggestions?" The young woman, standing firmly between the two, spoke slowly and calmly. "None. The plan devised by Grand Elder is already very sound." This time, both the woman and the elder agreed without hesitation. Upon hearing this, the young woman nodded. Throughout the entire conversation, none of the three senior elders of the Tianpeng Clan mentioned the possibility that Han Li might refuse. It's no surprise at all. To the elder couple, this senior member of the Tianpeng Clan—just a mid-stage transcendent foreign cultivator—how could he possibly refuse their requests? At present, hundreds of miles away from where the young woman and her companions were, Han Li was gliding at a low altitude, his wings fluttering steadily. On the surface, he appeared calm and was keenly observing the various buildings below. Yet within, his thoughts were swirling with agitation, as he carefully weighed his current predicament. This time, having stumbled upon his identity, his situation was far from promising. With his vast experience, how could he not recognize that no matter whether he fulfilled the young woman's requests or not, his fate would surely be anything but favorable? A direct refusal was certainly out of the question. The idea of fleeing immediately had already been bouncing around in his mind several times since he first left the young woman's residence. But as his consciousness instinctively swept over his back, the Wind and Thunder Wings, Han Li could only shake his head in quiet resignation. The senior elder of the Tianpeng clan had openly inscribed a mark within his wings, ensuring that his movements within a certain radius were fully within the other party's grasp. At his current level of cultivation, he certainly wasn't incapable of forcibly erasing this trace—though it would take several days to accomplish. Given that duration, the elder could have already visited the other party countless times. It seemed the only viable course of action was to propose conditions that would make the other party hesitant to act. Otherwise, he would rather risk everything to escape, than truly regard the foreign clan as his sacred heir. As for what specific conditions to offer, he would need to first gain a general understanding of the Tianpeng clan's situation before making a well-considered decision. Fortunately, having faced countless risks throughout his cultivation journey, though currently caught between a rock and a hard place, he remained calm and composed. Han Li simply flew steadily, his thoughts swiftly turning over various strategies. Thus, in the following period, Han Li proceeded to a tall stone building resembling a library within the Sacred City. He spent nearly half the books he had there, reading through day and night, before finally leaving with a look of weary exhaustion. Upon returning to his lodging, Han Li remained indoors at the Luxury Guest Hall until the third morning, when he then departed with composure. This time, his destination was precisely the trading hall he had originally intended to visit. On the way, he encountered no further difficulties. After flying for some time, Han Li finally arrived at the outskirts of the holy city, standing before a strange structure built against a steep mountain wall. The building abutted a towering cliff of approximately a thousand zhang in height, and from within the cliff face, a vast rectangular plaza extended outward. At one end of the plaza, a grand arched stone gate, rising about a hundred zhang, stood open in the mountain wall. On either side of the great gate, several dozen fully armored guards stood at attention, while numerous Tianpeng people moved in and out, creating a bustling scene. Han Li merely glanced at him with slightly narrowed eyes from a distance, then gave a subtle flutter of his wings, and in a shimmer of emerald light, he moved forward. A guard at the gate quickly scanned Han Li's figure, his face suddenly turning pale, and hurriedly bowed deeply to him. Han Li gave a brief nod and then strode with dignified grace into the great gate. The scene before him brightened, revealing an expansive space. Beyond the gate, it seemed as though another world had emerged. A long corridor stretched out, seemingly without end, flanked on both sides by towering, hall-like buildings. Upon closer inspection, these buildings rose in layers—over ten stories high, each story reaching thirty zhang in height. At intervals of a hundred zhang across each level, there stood additional gate halls, each about ten zhang high. Numerous Tianpeng people flew in and out, ascending and descending between the buildings, clearly indicating that the gate halls housed the trading activities of the Tianpeng people.