Yet now, seated within the beast-carriage, Han Li could only suppress his curiosity, closed the jade box, and settled himself to meditate calmly. After several hours, the carriage arrived at the foot of the spiritual mountain. Upon stepping down, Han Li handed the driver a piece of spiritual stone and then calmly ascended toward the mountain in a streak of light. His dwelling was located midway up the mountain, and most of the other ethnic cultivators on the mountain either spent their time abroad or remained confined to their respective halls, engaged in rigorous cultivation. Thus, though the mountain was substantial, it was not uncommon to see few visitors outside. However, when Han Li materialized at mid-height, his light fading, he was unexpectedly greeted by two unexpected guests at the entrance of his dwelling. One of them wore a red robe and was in his sixties—exactly the figure who, not long ago, had employed a great power to draw off all the celestial essence that had flowed from his true lion root, which had lost control, into a crimson gourd. At that moment, he was still wearing the very gourd from that day. When Han Li appeared, he was sitting quietly with a slender young man of about fifteen or sixteen years old, closed-eyed and meditating at the stone gate of the dwelling. Seeing Han Li now awake, Han Li naturally expressed surprise. Apparently sensing the master's return, Xu, the old sage, opened his eyes suddenly, his gaze flashing with brilliance and meeting directly Han Li's look. "Are you the newly arrived Daoist friend, Han?" Xu asked with a smile. "Indeed, that's me, Han. How is it that you've come to visit me specifically?" Han Li's expression of surprise settled as he replied politely. Given that this person commanded such reverence from all the fellow-ranked non-human beings across the entire spiritual mountain, he was surely no ordinary being. Naturally, he didn't wish to offend him casually. "Ah, yes, that's correct," Xu said with a chuckle. "This is one of my direct descendants. Please, bow to Han Daoist." To Han Li's surprise, Xu immediately introduced the slender young man beside him and then instructed a monk to perform the bow. "At your service, Master Han." The elegant young man immediately stepped forward, bowing respectfully. "No need for formalities, nephew," Master Han said, his divine awareness already scanning the young man's form. The youth appeared to be at the peak of Human Realm Foundation stage, just one step away from advancing to the Consolidation stage—remarkably accomplished for someone of his age. "I hope my visit doesn't come as a surprise, Master Xu," the old master added, with a gentle smile. "How could it not be a pleasure? It's truly an honor that you've come to our humble abode. Had it not been for a matter that required my attendance outside these past few days, I would have welcomed you much earlier. Come, Master Xu, let's enter and continue our conversation." Though slightly puzzled, Master Han maintained a composed expression and, with a gentle flick of his sleeve toward the gate of the dwelling, spoke calmly. A wave of azure light surged forth, and the stone gate opened silently, revealing a luminous, misty passage within. The ground beneath was paved with exquisite jade. Xu Lao Gui didn't hesitate either, merely offering a polite thanks and then leading the young man into the hall with Han Li. As soon as they stepped inside the dwelling, Han Li dispersed his divine awareness and immediately established contact with the second immortal spirit stationed there. Upon learning that, aside from Xu Lao Gui and himself visiting, no other incidents had occurred within the dwelling over the past three days, he felt reassured and calmly guided Xu Lao Gui and the young man to the main hall. After a few courteous exchanges, Xu Lao Gui and Han Li took their seats as host and guest, respectively, while the young man stood quietly behind Xu Lao Gui, hands folded. "Hehe, I am but a foreigner, and how could I possibly compare to Master Qianji? A few years ago, I once rendered a small favor to a fellow from the Wangu Clan, who in turn has some connection with Master Qianji." Han Li calmly replied, his eyes flashing. "Ah, that makes sense. Indeed, the Wangu Clan ranks quite high among the Thirteen Clans of Tianyun. As a senior elder of the Wangu Clan, Master Qianji's mere word would be sufficient to ensure Brother Han's security and peace in Yun City." Xu, the old monster, chuckled heartily. Han Li only smiled slightly, saying nothing. He knew well that the visit was no mere coincidence—what followed would surely be the main point. Indeed, as soon as Xu's laughter faded, his expression grew serious. "Actually, I have come without prior notice to ask Master Han a question. Should I be overly direct or abrupt, I hope you will forgive me." Hearing this, Han Li felt a bit more cautious in his heart, yet smiled calmly and replied, "Xu brother, there's no need for such formality. Practitioners of the Dao naturally act according to their own inclinations. Should my friend have any matter to discuss, he need only speak freely. As for what I know, I will surely share everything without reservation." "Then I shall cut to the chase," said Xu, whose face brightened with a smile and who bowed again. After a brief pause, he spoke with serious tone, "A remarkable celestial phenomenon appeared on our mountain a few days ago—unexpectedly, a new and equally astonishing phenomenon emerged spontaneously. I wonder if this has any connection to Brother Han?" As he spoke, a beam of keen light flashed in his eyes, which remained fixed upon Han Li without blinking. Han Li felt a sudden sense of alertness upon hearing this, yet showed no outward sign of surprise. In fact, he lightly chuckled and asked, "Why do you believe the celestial phenomenon that day is connected to me?" "It's quite simple. Although the celestial and terrestrial qi that surged that day was astonishing, I was still able to discern a clear pattern at the very core of the explosion. Moreover, that day happened to be convenient—due to some personal matters I was preoccupied with, I stepped out of my abode to take a walk. And there, I just happened to witness a golden light shooting out from near my friend's dwelling." Master Xu spoke openly, with no concealment at all. "Upon hearing that Han Li had not denied it, Xu Lao Gui immediately felt greatly relieved and hurriedly asked, 'Could you gather the same celestial and terrestrial vital energy again? Why do you ask this, Dao-jun? Might you first clarify this for Han Li?' Han Li himself found this quite puzzling and thus inquired. 'Of course, this should be expected. Could Dao-jun perhaps tell me which of the Thirteen Clans of Tianyun you belong to?' Xu Lao Gui was momentarily stunned, then smiled faintly. 'That... well, my cultivation level is still quite modest, and I truly find it difficult to determine at this moment.' Han Li narrowed his eyes and observed carefully before finally shaking his head with a gentle smile. Xu Lao Gui before him appeared almost entirely ordinary in both form and appearance—indistinguishable from a common human—making it hard to detect any signs of belonging to a non-human clan. 'It's no surprise that Han brother cannot see it,' said Xu Lao Gui. 'Indeed, our Yun Clan has always been particularly skilled in the arts of transformation and concealment. Even beings several stages above us, if we deliberately suppress our aura, remain completely undetectable.' Yet, in my clan, I am an outlier—my cultivation focuses on the most yang, fiery techniques. Compared to other peers of my stage, I am somewhat lacking in the art of transformation. Many of my fellow disciples who have resided here for a while know my true standing well. "The Yun Clan? The one among the thirteen clans that, though numerically sparse, consistently ranks in the top three." Han Li's face changed, and he was genuinely surprised. Indeed, he had long heard of this enigmatic Yun Clan among the thirteen. "Ah, it seems Han brother has a good grasp of our Yun Clan. While we are among the smallest in numbers—alongside the Jin Clan—we differ from them in that each individual in our clan possesses strong personal prowess, and our collective strength has never dropped below the top three of the thirteen." The old man spoke with pride. "Truly, I must be humbled. I never thought to see such noble individuals before." Han Li stood still for a moment, then sighed softly. "Nothing remarkable." Though our clan is not large in numbers, we still have quite a presence within Yun City. Most, however, rarely reveal their true identities in public. In fact, the person from another clan you originally encountered might very well be a Yun clan member disguised as someone else." Xu, the old oddity, spoke with evident depth. Han Li found himself at a loss. "Nevertheless, while our clan is renowned for our ability to transform, the real power that commands respect across the entire race stems from another innate ability. Have you heard of this, Friend Han?" Xu's expression of pride softened, and his tone became serious at once. "Our bonded cloud beasts!" Han Li exhaled gently, speaking before Xu could finish. "Indeed, that's the bond between a spiritual creature and a manifested form—our bonded cloud beasts. Only when a Yun clan member cultivates their own cloud beast can they be truly considered a member of the Yun clan." Xu explained slowly. "Yes, I've heard of the legends concerning noble families and their bonded cloud beasts." It seems that once a noble cultivator cultivates a cloud beast, they not only gain a body-outside manifestation as powerful and identical to themselves, but in times of crisis, they can merge with the cloud beast to become the legendary cloud beast giant spirit. In that case, not only does their cultivation level soar, but they can also perform great feats previously impossible for them. Then, has this matter indeed been connected to your celestial cloud beast, Friend? Han Li stroked his chin, pondering. "Friend Han, your insight is truly remarkable. This matter is indeed related to the cloud beast—though not my own, but rather to the celestial cloud beast of my junior disciple behind me." The old sage was not at all surprised, but pointed to the young man behind him and said.