In front of Han Li and Xuedu, among others, they were actively training in large numbers, as if preparing for an imminent attack, seemingly involving various elements such as "Xuan Gui" and "puppetry." However, what particularly intrigued Han Li most were the recurring references to the "Minghe Land" mentioned by these individuals. When he first heard the name, a spark of recognition passed through him, immediately recalling the Yinming realm from his earlier days. Yet, after mentioning the name several times, these people never spoke again of anything specifically related to this land. By this time, Han Li had already stepped back to a distance, quietly observing the various immortal kings. Honestly, among the four immortal kings, the two he found most mysterious and difficult to comprehend were Lu Zhu and the Earth-Blood Elder. The former exuded an unusual cold and lifeless aura, utterly devoid of any vitality; were it not for his natural mannerisms and speech patterns being entirely ordinary, Han Li would have doubted he was merely a lifeless entity. As for the latter, he was simply the counterpart of another being of similar nature. Two cloaked figures were indistinguishable in tone and demeanor, yet both were invariably referred to as the "Blood-Elder Wondrous Ones"—a most peculiar situation. Han Li, however, sensed a subtle origin in the two figures, particularly in the cases of the young woman in green robes and the white-haired beauty. The young woman was enveloped in a layer of dark light, so profound that even Han Li’s refined spiritual sight could not penetrate it clearly. Yet the faint hint of emerald light emanating from within the darkness could not escape his perception. Combined with the exceptionally pure and refined wooden spiritual energy radiating from her, Han Li was nearly certain that she was a rare wood-spirit creature—a wood spirit being. He only wondered what kind of enchanted tree formed her true essence. As for the white-haired beauty, the depth and weight of her lingering yin energy were something Han Li had never witnessed before. Moreover, the remarks made by the earlier spirit kings further confirmed that she was a ghost spirit. Indeed, her ghostly form had been refined so closely to that of a mortal that it was almost indistinguishable—testimony to her extraordinary mastery. Yet thus, Han Li noticed that Yuan Yao also possessed a strong yang qi, suggesting she was no ordinary mortal. Yet she did not resemble a true ghostly being, as one might expect from a woman. This lady seemed to have her own unique fortune. As for Yan Li, she shared the same condition as Yuan Yao. However, judging by the aura emanating from the two women, they both appeared to have the strength of a Sheng Shen stage cultivator. It was surprising that these two, with such relatively low cultivation levels, were being accompanied by the white-haired noblewoman—either indicating deep favor or some other reason. The discussions among the several immortal kings did not last long; occasional disagreements were resolved swiftly through the principle of minority following majority. After just one meal, Lu Zhu and the others had finalized all matters and immediately rose to depart. Mu Qing promptly descended from the golden flower platform and personally escorted the other immortal kings. As the two clad-in-blood figures approached the hall doors, they passed by Han Li just as they did. One of them, an elder blood-wielder near Han Li, turned sharply and asked in a strange voice: "Were it not for you that I dispatched two blood puppets—did you destroy them?" After a brief hesitation, Han Li bowed respectfully and replied: "Indeed, it was me who eliminated them. I didn't know they were under your command at the time, so I hope you won't hold it against me." "Heh, two mere puppets—I wouldn't even notice them. But this matter can't simply be brushed aside. From now on, do one small favor for me, and that shall settle this." Han Li heard the elder's voice transmitted directly into his mind. He raised his head, startled. Yet by the time he looked again, the two figures had already passed him slowly, as if the transmission had never occurred. Han Li frowned, sensing yet another complication arising. The white-haired beauty and Yuan Yao, along with the others, were the last to depart and also passed by Han Li. Yet the beauty only offered him a gentle smile, saying nothing. Yuan Yao remained expressionless, as though she had not seen Han Li at all. It was only Yan Li who blinked her eyes, her gaze toward Han Li flickering with a thoughtful expression. Han Li, however, suddenly gave a subtle twitch at the corner of his mouth, then resumed his usual composure—though a hand tucked into the sleeve of his robe suddenly clenched into a fist. "Congratulations, Han brother," blood-toxin Xue said warmly as he saw Mu Qing and the others all stepping out of the hall. "Everyone here clearly holds Han Daojun in high regard." "What's there to celebrate? I still find myself rather confused about all this," Han Li replied with a wry smile, half-believing, half-doubting. "Do you know, Elder Xue, what the 'Method of Driving Thunder' is? Is it indeed a technique that can truly enhance the power of the Divine-Exorcising Thunder, making it even more formidable?" "Heh, I do have a bit of knowledge on this," Xue replied. "In ancient times, the Divine-Exorcising Thunder was one of the most renowned among the Five True Thunders in the Spiritual Realm—specifically known as the Wood-Thunder However, this divine lightning requires a special method of cultivation and control to unleash its full potential—otherwise, only a fraction of its power can be realized. In ancient times, the spiritual realm was ruled jointly by several ancient noble clans. The demonic dragon clan, however, due to the inherent suppression this lightning exerted upon them, managed to gather and ultimately destroy all the celestial lightning bamboo from the other clans, nearly eradicating the protective divine lightning from the spiritual realm altogether. As a result, the method of controlling this divine lightning gradually became rare—indeed, Blood Xu himself had never heard of it. "The demonic dragon clan?" Han Li was slightly taken aback. During his human life, he had never heard of such a clan existing in the spiritual realm. "Heh, isn't it strange that Daoist Friend Han has never heard of this clan? That's quite understandable. Back then, the several ancient noble clans were excessively oppressive toward the other races, eventually being driven to extinction by the combined efforts of most of the other clans. Yet, these clans were exceptionally powerful. In fact, the spiritual realm's own clans suffered the same fate—nearly seven or eight out of ten were wiped out due to their dominance. The great noble houses of the spiritual realm only grew strong after that great war. Otherwise, how could they have ruled and dominated the spiritual world? Names like the Demon Dragon Clan would then have been nearly forgotten. Blood Toxin casually recounted a long-forgotten secret from ancient times. Han Li found himself slightly dazed. How could such a momentous event have gone unrecorded in the human and Fei Ling clans' chronicles? Curious, he asked about it. "The ancient period I'm referring to is during the early days of the spiritual realm's formation, when the various noble houses were just beginning to emerge. At that time, your Fei Ling clan had not yet appeared here, so naturally, they would not have recorded such events." Blood Toxin chuckled. "Ah, now I understand!" Han Li finally grasped it. According to human clan records, the human race appeared in the spiritual realm after the Fei Ling clan—so it was no surprise that these events were not mentioned. While Han Li and Blood Toxin were chatting casually, a sound of footsteps echoed outside the hall, and Mu Qing stepped in. As soon as the blood-jade dragon's words ceased, he stepped forward to pay homage to the immortal king. Mu Qing nodded, then with a subtle shift of her form, settled back onto the golden giant flower, her hands resting silently on her chin. It seemed she was struggling to make a decision, remaining silent and motionless for a long while without uttering a word or issuing any command. Han Li was slightly surprised, instinctively glancing over at the blood-jade dragon. The blood-jade dragon, however, maintained an unusually composed expression, as if entirely unbothered by the current situation. "Han Daojun, listen carefully," Mu Qing said in the shimmering light. "No matter what you think, you must master the technique of commanding the Divine-Purifying Thunder by the end of two years. If you do, I will personally ensure that your two years at the ghost woman's side are arranged to suit you. Do you understand?" Han Li's expression shifted, and he could only offer a wry smile, replying, "With Mu Qing senior's command, I shall do my best." "Hmph. You had better do your best. Otherwise, I won't let you go to Mu Qing's voice grew cold and icy. Han Li felt his heart sink and could only speak in a steady, quiet tone. "Starting three days from now, you will move into my Wood Spirit Cavern. Over the next two years, I will personally guide you in mastering the art of controlling lightning. The matters of blood poison and blood nourishment will be entirely your responsibility during this period." Mu Qing turned to the Blood Dragon, speaking with unwavering authority. "Yes, Master!" This time, the Blood Dragon was genuinely surprised, yet quickly recovered and replied. Han Li also paused, taken aback. "That's enough. I'm feeling rather tired. You may all retire now." After saying this, Mu Qing waved his hand. Han Li and the Blood Dragon naturally bowed and then withdrew. "Hm, Han brother, your fortune seems quite remarkable. To have the Master personally guide your cultivation—this is truly a rare occurrence, something that happens only once in a millennium!" As soon as they stepped out of the hall, the Blood Dragon suddenly said to Han Li, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes. "Indeed? I'm not yet certain whether I'll truly master the art of controlling lightning within the next two years." Han Li shook his head repeatedly, looking slightly troubled. "Ha ha, if the master says so confidently, there must be a solid reason. Brother Han, please don't worry. Blood will attend to a few matters and then be off." Blood laughed heartily, then a flash of crimson light surged from his body, and he instantly vanished into a streak of bloodlight. Han Li stood in place, his eyes slightly narrowed as he watched the bloodlight fade from the air before turning and slowly making his way toward his residence. Not long after, he found himself in the attic. After activating the seal to completely block anyone else's view, he settled solemnly onto the bed, his gaze flickering constantly. After a while, he suddenly raised one hand, spreading his fingers to reveal the palm. On his palm, a black character—about the size of a grain of rice—appeared unexpectedly. Upon close inspection, it was clearly the character "Yuan." Seeing this character, Han Li's face took on a slightly puzzled expression. Those who had previously harbored some doubts about Yuan Yao's identity now believed without a shadow of a doubt. This character appeared silently in his hand the very moment Yuan Yao passed by him, without any ripple of spiritual energy being emitted—so subtle that even the formidable figures like Mu Qing, the beautiful woman, failed to notice it at all. For a mere Sheng Shen stage cultivator to achieve such a feat was truly astonishing. It was no wonder that Han Li's expression had been so unusual. He extended a finger and gently touched the character in his palm. A green glow emanated from the tip of his finger, and then the character was wiped away. Han Li drew his hands back into his sleeves, his expression uncertain, as he quietly pondered. After a moment, he suddenly extended another palm. A golden thunderball materialized in mid-air, floating from his hand—about the size of a fist, its volume subtly pulsing and expanding. Radiant golden filaments shimmered and flickered across its surface. Han Li stared at the thunderball expressionlessly, yet his eyes briefly narrowed.