The island stretches for hundreds of miles, and though these female serpents move with remarkable speed, if they were to walk steadily to the island's center, it would take considerable time. However, after only advancing several miles into the island under the guidance of Yan Wu, a simple structure resembling a tea pavilion appeared ahead. Inside, several male and female serpent people were tending to about a dozen creatures resembling lizards. At the far end of the pavilion's canopy, there stood a black vehicle, covered by an unknown black fabric. As the graceful woman approached, the two serpent people immediately stepped out to offer respectful greetings. Yet, with only a gentle few words from Yan Wu, she simply pointed to the black vehicle. The two serpent people looked at her in surprise, glanced at Han Li with evident interest, and promptly responded with eager agreement. They then hurried back to the pavilion, securing the black vehicle onto two of the lizard-like beasts and bringing in three more. As a result, Han Li was carefully lifted and placed into the black vehicle, while the two female serpents took seats at the front. The other three rode separately on the lizard beasts. Since these female serpents had no legs in the lower half of their bodies, each lizard beast was fitted with a uniquely shaped, barrel-like saddle that allowed them to slide their snake tails neatly into it. Immediately, the group resumed their journey. Though the lizard beasts appeared somewhat clumsy and their movements were bumpy, with each stride they could leap forward over twenty paces—remarkably swift for such creatures. The pace of the group increased dramatically as a result. After just two hours, they arrived before a true earthen city. Indeed, it was a genuine earthen city! It was not large, measuring only about fifteen li in extent, with its walls gray and hazy, constructed entirely of pale yellow earth. Inside, facing the city gate, the buildings were mostly of varying sizes, made of earth, and stone structures were rare. Han Li observed all this through the window, somewhat astonished, yet showed no outward sign of surprise. Instead, he turned his gaze toward the group of fifteen serpent guards standing at the city gate. These guards were mostly young men, each clad in armor of an unknown material, wielding long spears that gleamed with silver, and carrying shorter silver javelins and throwing spears slung over their shoulders—fully equipped. From a distance, he could see several more armed serpent guards standing subtly along the nearby earthen walls. The vigilance seemed exceptionally strict! Then, with a wave of her hand behind her, the guards immediately stepped aside, clearing a path. Thus, the beautiful serpent woman once again leaped onto the lizard beast and entered the earth city with the black carriage. Han Li sat inside the carriage, constantly observing everything within the city. Though the city itself was not large, its main thoroughfare was remarkably broad and paved with pale stone, standing in striking contrast to the surrounding earth-yellow houses. Along both sides of the street, numerous serpent people walked about. The men were all strong and sturdy, while the women were equally agile and most of them carried weapons. Even the younger serpent people, only a few feet tall, held spears and lances—though smaller in size and clearly made of ordinary hardwood. Seeing this, Han Li found himself pondering. He had never heard of the "Wah Clan" before, but it was evident that this people were truly a military-minded society. He simply wondered whether there were many cultivators among them. If the number of immortal cultivators born in this clan is remarkably high, and if the common people are also so strong, one would expect the clan to possess considerable strength. Yet, how could he have never heard of such a powerful foreign clan? Han Li also noticed that among the Fire-Yang clan, there were significantly more female serpentine people than male ones. Throughout their journey, the number of female serpentine people encountered was roughly twice that of the males. Moreover, the skin tones of the serpentine people on their lower bodies varied. The pale green and pale yellow tones were the most common, yet they appeared to hold the lowest status, while the white and black-toned individuals were fewer and often surrounded by others, suggesting a more prominent status within the clan. As for serpentine people of other colors, Han Li had also observed them. While quietly analyzing everything he saw, Han Li remained seated in the carriage until it was eventually guided to a square paved entirely with smooth stones. At one end of the square stood a hall constructed from a mixture of wood and earth. A layer of colorful, shell-like ornaments was applied to the surface. Yet none of these captured Han Li's attention; his gaze fell upon an odd object at the center of the plaza. It appeared to be a cone-shaped structure crafted from bronze, standing about twelve to fifteen zhang high, tapering upward at the top and widening at the base, its surface adorned with strange patterns that subtly shimmered with a pale glow. Around this object, seven or eight white-robed human-serpent figures stood at attention, their hands radiating faint streams of luminous energy. Han Li narrowed his eyes and immediately observed that these figures were transferring blocks of material—roughly fist-sized—into the base of the strange structure. Though the blocks were vibrant in color, they clearly did not resemble spiritual stones. Like the guide, the elegant serpent woman, these white-robed figures exhibited visible fluctuations of spiritual energy, though their cultivation levels were not quite as high as hers. Upon the arrival of Yan Wu and the procession, however, two of them promptly approached. At that moment, Han Li was lifted again by others and carefully placed upon a bamboo chair that had been found somewhere. Han Li watched quietly as the conversation between the several figures unfolded. Though he could not understand the words, it was clear that the two white-robed serpent people showed great respect toward the graceful serpent woman. Just then, two rows of white-robed serpent people suddenly stepped out from the hall across the plaza. One row consisted of women, the other of men, and they slowly advanced toward Han Li. Upon seeing this, the elegant serpent woman and the other serpent people in the plaza immediately exchanged expressions of alarm, quickly stepping aside and adopting a respectful posture. Once the two rows had settled in position on either side, another figure in a crimson robe emerged from within. Han Li's face briefly brightened with surprise. It was a woman of ordinary appearance, slender and frail in build, whose lower body was unmistakably human—two ordinary human legs, rather than a serpent's form. What surprised Han Li even more was that he sensed a Qi fluctuation at the metagold level emanating from this woman. This truly came as a surprise. Though the white-robed serpents on the plaza all exhibited spiritual energy, the most accomplished among them were only male serpents at the Foundation Stage, while the majority were comparable to the beautiful serpentine woman—Qi Stage practitioners. Thus, the sudden emergence of such a high-level being was quite remarkable, with the gap between them being especially significant. After glancing at Han Li, the woman also expressed astonishment, but soon composed herself and hurried toward him. "I am Huo Yue, at your service, Master Han!" As soon as she reached him, she bowed gracefully, speaking fluently in the refined Fēi Líng language. "Are you indeed the High Priest of the Huo Yang Clan?" Han Li's eyes flashed as he asked slowly. "Indeed, I am. This is not the ideal place for conversation. Shall we proceed to the hall and continue our discussion?" the woman smiled warmly. "Very well, I have many questions I'd like to ask you." Han Li nodded without hesitation. "Thank you, elder, for your kind attention! You all—please invite the elder into the hall." The woman was delighted and turned to the white-robed serpent women standing beside her, giving a brief command. Immediately, the line of serpent women became disorganized, and two of them hurried forward, carefully lifting the bamboo chair Han Li had been sitting on, and then proceeded toward the hall. The woman then waved her hand, and the others standing nearby followed suit. In a short while, Han Li found himself in a simple, unadorned hall within the hall. Aside from Han Li and the woman seated, all the white-robed serpent people—men and women alike—stood quietly and respectfully at the sides. "Given that the elder seems to be having such difficulty moving, is your health still sound? I have some blood and qi pills that I personally prepared, which can strengthen your vital energy and replenish your breath. Would you care to take some?" After settling into her seat, the woman asked with respectful demeanor. "No, I merely have a minor issue with my cultivation. It will resolve itself after a while." Han Li glanced at the woman, his lips curling into a half-smiling expression. "Ah, then I'm reassured. I previously received a message from Wu'er, stating that you wished to inquire about certain matters. Please, do tell me what questions you have, and I will answer each and every one without hesitation." The woman offered a dry smile, then abruptly shifted the topic. "Oh, I would like to first know the name of this sea region, and whether there are any notable cultivators nearby." After a brief pause, Han Li said. Upon hearing this, the woman's expression remained composed, though a slight expression of surprise flickered across her face. She replied truthfully, "This is the Fire-Hu Island chain. There aren't many particularly accomplished cultivators nearby—only those of my own level, perhaps." "Fire-Hu Island chain? Do you have a map of the surrounding sea area?" Han Li frowned slightly at the unfamiliar name, then asked. "Of course I do." "However, my maps are inscribed with the characters of the Nüwa clan. Perhaps you would first learn their language and script, and then you will be able to understand the sea charts," the woman blinked her eyes, smiling gently. "Hmm, that works," said Han Li, frowning slightly before finally nodding. Though his divine awareness remained confined within his mind and could not be projected outward, he found no difficulty in observing jade scrolls or similar items. Upon hearing this, the woman smiled slightly, embarrassed, then reached into her robes with one hand. In a flash of inspiration, she produced a dark, lustrous stone slab from somewhere, and tossed it toward Han Li. After this prolonged period of rest, although Han Li had regained a little vitality, his limbs remained weak and feeble. As he glanced at the stone slab, which indeed resembled a jade scroll, he simply opened his mouth, and instantly a surge of azure light erupted, wrapping the scroll around his forehead as he prepared to close his eyes and read it. But at that very moment, a loud, resonant crash echoed, and the stone fragment suddenly burst apart, releasing a thick, black mist that instantly enveloped Han Li within it.