Upon hearing the elder of the Jiang family's words, Yuan Yao and Yan Li both felt a great relief. Yet, the elder suddenly smiled and lightly clapped his hands twice. As soon as the claps fell, a flash of white light appeared at the side door of the hall, and a figure seemingly semi-transparent emerged from the void. "Shadow Servant," the elder said to the figure, "take them to my specially designated guest room and have them rest there. Whatever their needs, see that they are fulfilled." "Yes, Master," the figure bowed deeply, showing great respect. Han Li, with a subtle mental scan of the figure, felt a sudden sense of awe. Though the figure's aura was remarkably strong, it was not vastly superior—clearly a Ghost King at the late Liang Xu stage. Despite some lingering questions in his mind, Han Li could only follow obediently under the gaze of the figure. After watching Han Li and his companions vanish through the side door, the elder drew his gaze back,沉思, his expression thoughtful and contemplative. Han Li and the others followed the white shadow named Yin Nu, passing through several corridors and several side halls, until they arrived before a courtyard. The courtyard consisted of about fifteen stone buildings of varying sizes. Though not particularly refined or elegant, it was clean and well-ordered. Yin Nu made no formalities, simply pointed at the courtyard and said coldly, "Stay here for the night. As a matter of advice, I would suggest that if there's no urgent matter, you avoid wandering around the estate. Should you need anything, simply call out my name three times—'Wah-oh!'—and I will immediately sense your presence." With that, Yin Nu flickered and vanished mysteriously. Han Li and the others stood there, staring at one another, puzzled. "Let's go in and rest for the night first. We've been traveling nonstop since the beginning, so I'm sure both of you are quite weary. We can discuss any matters in detail once we've all recovered a bit." After all, there were three days—no need to rush. "Han Li took a deep breath, turned his head slightly, and smiled at the two women. Yanli managed a weak smile and nodded once with a hesitant "嗯." Yuan Yao frowned slightly, instinctively agreeing. Han Li nodded and then stepped into the courtyard first. He approached a stone house by the side, finding no magical seals on the door; he simply pushed it open and entered. Han Li then calmly removed his shoes and climbed onto the bed, immediately falling asleep. To be honest, since entering the land of the River of the Underworld, he had been constantly juggling between dealing with the spirits of the River and remaining vigilant against the schemes of the old woman and others—rarely managing to rest properly. Though he couldn't say he fully trusted the old man of the Jiang surname, given his status as a senior cultivator, any caution on the old man's part would ultimately prove futile. Thus, Han Li no longer needed to worry much and could finally rest in peace. Not long after, a deep, peaceful sleep began to echo within the stone cottage, and Han Li drifted into dreams. That night, he slept deeply and soundly. He not only relived scenes from his childhood life with his parents and siblings, but also saw the figures of several childhood friends who had once been close to him. Yet, though these people were all familiar to him, he could never make out their exact appearances in his dreams. Finally, a pair of tender, affectionate eyes appeared in the dream—belonging to Nangong Wan, his beloved wife in the human realm. In the dream, Nangong Wan said nothing, merely gazing at Han Li with a gentle expression. Han Li, in turn, stared back at her silently, utterly enchanted, as if completely absorbed in her gaze. Time passed—how long, he could not tell—until, when Han Li stirred slightly and woke from the dream, Nangong Wan’s eyes, like autumn waters, still shimmered before him. He did not immediately rise; instead, he remained motionless on the bed, savoring the warmth and tenderness that filled his heart. After a meal’s worth of time, the lingering bewilderment in Han Li’s eyes gradually faded, returning to his usual composure. Coincidentally, at that very moment, a pleasant voice, refined and graceful, suddenly reached him from outside the door: “Brother Han, shall we rise now? If you’ve awakened, let us discuss what to do next!” The tone of her words was exceptionally courteous. "My good friend, just wait a moment or two, and I'll come out right away." With a subtle shift of his body, Han Li sat up instantly from the bed, responding without hesitation. "Then I and my sister will await your arrival in the middle room!" The graceful smile faded from the woman's face as she spoke, and her voice soon trailed off. Han Li calmly slipped on his shoes, then raised his hand, and a cascade of emerald light flowed from above, cascading down his body. Instantly, the creases on his robe smoothed out and became perfectly even. Feeling a refreshing coolness spread through him, Han Li mentally cleared his thoughts, his spirit instantly invigorated, and he stepped out of the stone room. The night before, Yan Li and Yuan Yao had both stayed in the other end of the courtyard. He wondered whether they had already discussed their plans in detail. With these thoughts in mind, Han Li entered the central room of the courtyard. Upon entering, he found the room to be considerably larger than his own stone dwelling, with a stone table and several stone chairs arranged neatly. Yan Li and Yuan Yao were already seated around the table, engaged in conversation. At the four corners of the hall, black banners fluttered gently, their subtle gray glow softly enveloping the entire room. It seemed that the two women had already set up certain spells and incantations here earlier. "Brother Han, you've come at the perfect time. My sister and I have been deeply troubled over the matter concerning Master Jiang." The graceful woman smiled warmly as she rose to greet Han Li upon seeing him enter. Yuan Yao nodded with a flicker of surprise, then rose to meet him as well. "Oh, it seems the two of you have already discussed this matter. If you trust me, please share your thoughts openly. Though my own cultivation level is not particularly high, I believe I can still offer sound advice and assistance." Han Li said with a smile. Then he stepped forward and took his seat again beside the two women. "In truth, the matter is quite simple. Master Jiang's decision to take me as his disciple should have been a tremendous fortune. Yet, I am more eager to return to the human realm, to seek out the secret techniques and practices for restoring one's physical form." Although the Long Yuan clan's powers may be formidable, they cannot dissolve my half-human, half-ghost form. Yet Sister Yuan believes this is an opportunity, and hopes I will agree. "Niece Yuan, there's no need to rush in restoring your human form. You could simply follow Master Jiang for a period of time, practicing and refining your abilities. Once your powers have matured, you may then return to the human realm to seek methods for restoring your human form. Once such a rare opportunity passes, it may be difficult to find another." Yuan was indeed thoughtful, clearly stating her point. "If I truly can restore my human form later, then why should I be considering this so much? Sister Yuan must surely know that since we began practicing the Yin-Yang Cycle Technique, our bodily natures have been gradually transforming toward those of true ghosts. Though we have made every effort to resist this change, it seems only a matter of time before we fully become ghosts. How could I possibly remain here any longer, delaying my cultivation of other powers?" Yuan sighed, looking somewhat troubled. "I naturally know about this matter, which is why I suggested that my younger sister stay here to become a disciple under my guidance while I return to the Human Realm to seek out the secret technique that restores human form. I will by no means delay my sister's progress." The beautiful woman sighed and replied. "Why bother with this self-deceptive act, Sister! How could you miss the subtle meaning in Master Jiang's words? His next celestial calamity is expected not far off. Even if I now devote myself entirely to mastering the divine powers of the Changyuan Clan, it will only be barely sufficient. Once she joins his sect, how could she possibly focus on anything else?" Yuan Yao shook her head. "As long as we remain together, what difference does it make if we truly become spirits or ghosts? The spiritual realm is inherently perilous—my sister has witnessed its dangers before. Even if we both regain our human forms, we might still meet our end on that very day. If that happens, then perhaps it would be better for my sister to find protection under Master Jiang's care. After attaining mastery of her powers, she can always later seek out a method to return to human form." After all, as we have both taken on the forms of spirits, we are still somewhat different from true spirits, and there must surely be a way to reverse our current situation. To be frank, Master Jiang has shown such great concern for my sister. If you refuse, I suspect you will find it equally difficult to leave this place." Yanli gently urged. "What if there is truly no such means of reversal?" Yuan Yao glanced at Han Li with a slightly unusual expression, then shook her head repeatedly, as if agreeing. "Han brother, what do you think about this matter? Please share your thoughts as well." Yanli, feeling helpless, turned to Han Li and sought his advice. "I have understood most of what the two of you have said. Yuan has primarily expressed concern that she may never regain her human form again, so she does not wish to join Master Jiang now. On the other hand, you, Yan, see this as a rare opportunity and would like Yuan not to give up. Is that correct?" Han Li paused, calmly analyzing the situation. "Indeed, we both have been unable to convince each other since last night!" "Yan smiled gently, a touch of humor in her eyes." "I fully understand Yuan's desire not to become a ghost. I also appreciate your concern that she not give up this rare and precious opportunity. In truth, both of you are absolutely right." Han replied with a warm smile. "Han, we've come to consult you about this matter—not to have you hesitate or water down our points!" Yan raised her elegant brows, slightly pert. "Ah, I see your point now. What I actually meant is that Yuan and your differences are not only possible, but can be resolved simultaneously." Han said with a composed smile. "Really? That's what you're saying?" Yan was momentarily stunned, her expression now one of cautious curiosity. Yuan Yao also looked somewhat surprised!