Hearing this deep, resonant voice, Han Li and Yanli were both startled. "Let's go. This person's cultivation is incalculable—perhaps even surpassing the six-footed dragon kings. No, actually, through the divine awareness sensed via the spirit insect, he might be even more formidable than them." Though Han Li's heart was pounding with anxiety, his composure remained unwavering as he turned to Yanli and said so. Seeing Han Li so calm, Yanli felt a sense of relief spread through her and silently nodded in agreement. Thus, the two began to move, drifting slowly toward the entrance. The passage itself was not particularly spacious nor did it feature any special locations—merely a simple square entrance constructed of ordinary green stone. After flying several hundred feet along the passage, the view suddenly opened up. Before them lay a classic, ancient hall covered in fine white sand. The hall was spacious, measuring around a hundred feet in width, yet within such a large space, there were only a few pieces of furniture. Aside from a few tables and chairs, there were merely several unusual plants arranged at the four corners of the hall. These plants, no taller than a foot or so, yet their grassy and floral fragrance can be detected from a distance. Just a few potted plants, and one feels as though immersed deep within a dense forest or mountain range. Seated on a chair at the center of the hall is an elderly man dressed in gray robes. He has a beard three feet long, with an ordinary face, yet his gaze is sharp and bright, sweeping over the two of them. "You are both from the human race!" exclaimed the man, his voice unexpectedly clear. It was indeed the man himself who spoke. After glancing at the elder, Han Li was struck by surprise and bowed slightly in reply. "Senior, you are well acquainted with the human race. May I ask your name?" "Ah, well, I know much more than that. I myself am of the human race. I need not mention my former name now—I shall simply go by the single surname 'Jiang.'" The elder smiled, his gaze upon Han Li and the other, now warm and kind. "Really? Then you are a senior of our human race?" Both Han Li and the graceful woman were taken aback. The beautiful young woman could not help but gasp softly. "How is it, Master? Do I seem strange to you as a human?" the elder chuckled. "Of course not. I simply didn't expect to see a fellow from our clan so far from the human realm." Han Li's expression of surprise faded as he quickly replied. The elder's cultivation was truly profound and beyond comprehension—Han Li dared not take any chances in offending him. "Though I hail from the human race, my current physical form is not the one I originally possessed. It was, by chance, obtained from the exceptionally rare 'Changyuan Clan.' This clan's members are naturally gifted in mastering various divine arts and cultivation techniques. Each of their innate talents is truly astonishing—each one would leave even the most exceptional human cultivators in awe." The elder gently raised his hands and said, gazing at them thoughtfully. Han Li had never heard of the 'Changyuan Clan' before, yet the elder's appearance and manner of speech were entirely ordinary, indistinguishable from any typical human of his clan. Han Li's eyes flashed with a touch of surprise. "Neither of you need to be astonished! My appearance remains unchanged from when I was still of the Human race. It took me considerable effort to refine my Long Yuan lineage body so that it matches exactly what it was before." The elder said, his gaze shifting slightly. "Your mastery is truly astonishing; I must admit, I've been rather taken aback myself!" Han Li, struck by the way the elder presented such a miraculous feat as ordinary, felt a deep sense of respect, though he maintained his courteous demeanor. "To be honest, since I first mastered my Dao arts, I've never returned to the Human race. I'm genuinely curious about what's happening there now. Would either of you be willing to share some details with me?" the elder asked calmly. "Whatever you'd like to know, we will be more than happy to share everything we know," Han Li replied, glancing at the graceful figure before him and speaking without hesitation. "That would be splendid! I wonder how many of my old friends from the Long Yuan clan have managed to survive to this day," the elder said, his face brightening as he clapped his hands in delight. After a brief pause, the elder gently scanned the two with his eyes, a flash of golden light passing through his gaze, and then his expression turned slightly surprised. "Your attainments are modest, yet the cultivation techniques you've chosen are truly intriguing. One of you possesses a half-goblin, half-human form—last time I encountered someone practicing such an ethereal, goblin-like path, it was over ten thousand years ago. The other displays a more blended inner energy, with a subtle trace of demonic essence, and an exceptionally strong physical body. It seems either you've combined several techniques, or you've taken the path of dual cultivation—body and spirit." The elder spoke casually, as if drawing from a well of stored knowledge. Without a word, he suddenly reached into the void with a gesture. Before Han Li could grasp the elder's intention, he felt all seventy-two Seashore Bamboo Cloud Sword blades within him tremble simultaneously, drawn by a powerful suction force that caused them to fly out of his body and swirl around him in an unsteady pattern. Han Li was startled. A resonant hum surged through his body, and gray radiance and golden electric arcs erupted instantly, forming a protective shield around him. Only then did he ask, in surprise and anger, "Master Jiang, what is your meaning? Has I done anything to offend you?" As he spoke, a flash of green light passed through his sleeve, and several dozen jade-blue lightning orbs rolled silently into his palm. At the same time, a flash of dark glow from his other hand revealed the spirit-animal ring filled with golden-mantled insects, which he then grasped firmly. Though he possessed many treasures, before this enigmatic elder, these two items were the only true sources of support he could offer. Indeed, the style and craftsmanship were unmistakably those of the Seashore Bamboo Cloud Sword—exactly seventy-two. The color of the flying swords seemed off—something else must have been mixed in. Indeed, they were crafted with golden thunder bamboo as their core support. Truly an impressive undertaking. Even I, with all my resources, could not have gathered so many golden thunder bamboo stalks… The elder stared intently at the seventy-two shimmering golden swords floating above, paying no attention to Han Li, his face displaying a strange expression as he murmured continuously. When the elder mentioned the name "Green Bamboo Honey Sword," Han Li naturally paused, then, upon observing the elder's odd demeanor, a thought suddenly arose in his mind—one he himself found hard to believe—causing him to stand motionless for a moment. After a while, the elder sighed deeply and finally ceased his murmuring, shifting his gaze away from the seventy-two swords and closing his eyes temporarily. At the very same moment, Han Li immediately sensed that the flying swords regained their independence and, without hesitation, quickly pressed his palms together in a series of gestures. Instantly, the swords flashed wildly, then vanished completely, all dissolving into his body. Then he too gazed at the elder before him with a strange expression, remaining silent. The graceful figure by the side seemed to have sensed the subtle oddity between Han Li and the elder, though visibly puzzled, chose wisely to say nothing at this moment. After a while, the elder finally opened his eyes again. This time, his gaze settled firmly on Han Li, and he smiled gently, saying, "Heh, heh, it seems my Qingyuan Sword Technique, which I left behind in the Human World, has indeed come into your hands. You must be one of the cultivators who ascended from the Human World to this realm. Back then, I never fully perfected this technique. Yet you have managed to refine seventy-two Qingzhu Bee-Cloud Swords using divine golden bamboo and other sacred woods as primary materials, and transmute them into your life-long treasures—truly remarkable!" As he spoke, he kept marveling aloud, carefully observing Han Li from head to toe, as though gazing upon a rare treasure. "Indeed, I've been fortunate enough to obtain the Qingyuan Sword Technique and have also achieved transcendence. So, does that mean Master Jiang is actually Master Qingyuan?" Han Li straightened his expression and bowed again, asking with earnestness. Throughout his time on the Human Realm, he had always focused on the Qingyuan Sword Technique, and now, facing what might be the very Master Qingyuan himself, his sense of awe was truly profound. Taking advantage of this favorable opportunity, I have finally made remarkable progress in my cultivation, reaching the current stage. But if you call me Qingyuan Zi, that wouldn't be entirely wrong either." The elder with the Jiang surname spoke calmly. Han Li blinked, feeling somewhat speechless. "Indeed, when the two essences merged, I did lose much of Qingyuan Zi's memories. However, I preserved every detail concerning the Qingyuan Sword Technique without revealing a single thing. Your primary material—the Golden Thunder Bamboo—is ideally suited for a wooden-element flying sword. Unfortunately, in pursuit of swift results and immediate gains, you carelessly incorporated other materials during the forging process, which diluted the inherent wooden vitality of the sword. Otherwise, after such years of cultivation, your flying sword should have already reached the stage of spirit-communicating with the blade—capable of standing out among peers on its own. Hehe. Back then, Qingyuan Zi possessed only one set of the Qing Bamboo Honey Cloud Swords. At the stage of transforming into a Spirit Realm cultivator, he could defeat a Lingxu-level being; and at the Lingxu stage, even a Consolidated Body-level cultivator would feel a sense of apprehension. "The gray-robed elder sighed with a touch of regret. Hearing this, Han Li stroked his chin, a wry smile playing on his face. Perhaps the elder's words were indeed true, but in the turbulent circumstances of the human realm back then, how could he not have been driven to seek immediate results? In fact, he could now easily defeat a Lingxu-level being. If he himself could advance to Lingxu, he would surely have the confidence to defend himself against a Heting-level presence as well. Of course, he couldn't simply state these thoughts directly to the elder—only managing to offer a slightly awkward expression. "Regardless of all that, since you've inherited the Qingyuan Sword Technique and I myself possess nearly half the memories of Qingyuan Zi, we do share a certain connection. Now, I have a question for you—answer me honestly. Did you two accompany the outsiders who entered the Yinhe realm this time?" The elder suddenly grew serious, his voice turning cold.