"Oh," Han Li glanced at the respectful young man, somewhat surprised. "Of course it can be done. To be honest, my descendants aren't many—Xiang'er is the only one I've successfully nurtured. Not that I'm boasting, but Xiang'er's cultivation potential is truly outstanding; even within the Yun clan, he stands out. He should be able to reach the Upper Clan level within a century." The way Xu looked at the young man was full of affection, clearly indicating his high regard. "My grandfather's praise is a bit excessive—Xiang'er's talent is merely average, nothing particularly remarkable." The young man shook his head repeatedly, appearing deeply embarrassed. "Haha! You've already achieved such a level in just over a decade—your potential is actually stronger than it was when I was your age. What's there to be humble about?" Xu laughed heartily. "Hearing Master Xu's words, Xiang'er truly does possess exceptional talent." Han Li nodded in agreement with a warm smile. The young man then turned slightly reddened, at a loss for further words. "By normal standards, this successor has the potential to surpass me in the future. Unfortunately, he possesses a certain flaw that makes his prospects rather uncertain." Xu Lao Gui's expression of confidence faded, and his voice grew more serious... Han Li's eyes flashed slightly, saying nothing, knowing that the other would surely provide an explanation on his own. Indeed, after a brief pause, Xu Lao Gui continued, "Though he has exceptional innate talent, he has encountered difficulties with his life-affirming cloud beast. The cloud beast he should have fully cultivated by now has been stuck at the final stage, failing to truly solidify. According to past experience, the earlier one cultivates their life-affirming cloud beast, the better. Otherwise, it significantly hinders their future advancement and overall strength. That's precisely why I consulted with Mr. Han recently about the matter of celestial and primordial energies—this issue is at the heart of it." "Could you please elaborate?" Han Li's expression changed, as though slightly puzzled. "The matter is somewhat complex." But simply put, I accidentally discovered that the primordial qi collected during the last celestial phenomenon is proving beneficial in refining my junior's celestial cloud beast. However, most of the qi gathered then had been unintentionally consumed by me, leaving only a fraction that is insufficient for the beast's refinement. Thus, I have had no choice but to seek your assistance. This, finally, is the purpose of my journey. "Should the celestial qi be of use to your junior, with your divine abilities, gathering such qi should be no great feat. What then is the need to specifically come to me?" replied Han calmly. "I have attempted this several times, and ordinary celestial qi has proven entirely ineffective for my junior's celestial cloud beast. It seems that the celestial qi you generated during the last phenomenon contains certain unique elements—some imperceptible components—that are essential for aiding Xiang'er." The old man appeared somewhat frustrated. "Ah, now I understand," said Han, his expression thoughtful. He was quite clear in his mind. The supposed celestial phenomena back then had actually originated from the dispersion of the true phoenix's fundamental crystalline particles—something distinctly different from ordinary heavenly and terrestrial vital energies, which was entirely understandable. Yet, the fact that this substance proved useful to the Yun clan's bonded cloud beasts came as a surprise to him. "I've come today hoping that my esteemed friend could gather once again a batch of terrestrial vital energy exactly as we had before," said Xu, the old oddity, with genuine anticipation. "I will surely offer my heartfelt thanks afterward." "It's not that I don't wish to assist," replied Han Li, his lips slightly moving, hesitating significantly. "But this proves quite difficult to arrange." How precious the true phoenix's fundamental essence was! Even if he couldn't fully absorb it, it still served as a refined elixir that enhanced the spiritual cultivation of the Ti Hún beast. How could he simply draw it out without any further benefit? Though the Ti Hún's body contained many such crystalline particles, the final outcome might leave only one or two missing—just enough to prevent the beast from advancing to a higher level of cultivation. Han Li, of course, absolutely refused to ask a newly "Then, Brother Han, is there something you'd like to keep hidden? This matter directly concerns the future of my junior, and as long as you're willing to assist, even a great many spiritual stones would be no problem." The old master's heart sank slightly, yet he spoke without hesitation. "It's not merely a matter of how many spiritual stones we can offer. Without revealing to you, last time the celestial phenomena weren't generated by any of my secret techniques or cultivation methods. Rather, they required a consumable artifact—something that once used, can no longer be reused. The specific artifact, I must keep it confidential. Yet, I'm certain you're well aware of the value such consumable artifacts hold. Indeed, I only have a few left in my possession." Han thought carefully before hesitating and saying. "A consumable artifact." Upon hearing this, the old master's expression changed. "Indeed. And this particular artifact is of great significance to me, with other important uses. Even if I had countless spiritual stones, I would not be willing to part with it." Han then offered a touch of regret, politely declining. "If these truly were consumable treasures, I wouldn't hesitate to expend or trade away any spiritual stones either. Still, no matter how rare the treasure, it always holds some value. As for myself, though I may not be particularly distinguished, I believe I still possess some assets. I could certainly exchange equivalent treasures with my friend Han." It seemed that even before arriving, the old master had carefully prepared his words, showing no signs of giving up. "Exchange!" Upon hearing this, Han's expression brightened, as though genuinely moved. Seeing Han's enthusiastic reaction, the old master immediately knew that his friend wasn't truly unwilling to trade. With a pleased heart, he didn't hesitate and simply swept his sleeve across the table. A cascade of crimson light surged forth, and suddenly, several to eight jade boxes of varying sizes appeared on the table. "These are all treasures I've collected over the years. In fact, two of them were so precious that I nearly perished for them. My friend, please take a look. Should you find any particularly appealing, simply take them—no need to hesitate." Moreover, this matter also counts as a considerable favor bestowed upon my esteemed friend. Xu, the old sage, generously pledged. Upon hearing this, Han Li smiled gently, his gaze briefly sweeping over the jade box resting on the table, then his mind swiftly turning. Xu was already a first-rank Xianxu cultivator, a member of the Yun clan, and possessed considerable divine abilities. The precious items he presented were surely no ordinary ones. Yet, himself, he also held many treasured possessions—indeed, he even possessed two items of the rare Xuan Tian treasure, which even combined with the power of a Hétǐ cultivator would be difficult to obtain. Thus, he had not truly expected that the jade boxes would inspire any willingness to exchange. After all, he would only readily agree if something of genuine value to himself was offered. Han Li thought this over internally, yet spoke only with a含笑, saying: "Since my esteemed friend has mentioned this, then I shall first have the pleasure of viewing your collection and broaden my horizons. As he spoke, he extended one hand toward the empty space across from him. Suddenly, the crimson jade box on the table trembled slightly and then, with a whoosh, was instantly caught in mid-air by Han Li. Sensing the faint warmth radiating from within the box, Han Li raised an eyebrow, then swiftly flashed a glimmer of green light from his palm, enveloping it in a luminous aura. At the same time, he flicked his other finger toward the box. With a soft sound, the lid opened on its own. A surge of intense heat poured out, instantly raising the temperature of the entire hall. Han Li's eyes flashed blue, and in an instant, he clearly saw the contents of the box. It was a pale egg-shaped creature's embryo, about the size of a regular egg, covered in red spots, glowing with a striking red light that pulsed gently and continuously. "What is this?" Han Li exclaimed, surprised, and asked curiously. Though he sensed the embryo's strong vitality, he could not immediately identify its species, which prompted his question. "Master Han truly has excellent eyesight—right away he identified the only spiritual egg among several precious treasures. This egg was obtained by me when I defeated a rare primordial fire butterfly deep within a molten terrain. That butterfly possessed fire prowess no less than my own. I spent an entire year setting traps and schemes before finally eliminating this formidable beast. I'm certain that, with careful nurturing, this egg will hatch into a truly exceptional spiritual creature. Had I not already possessed a bonded elemental beast, I would have certainly nurtured this egg from the beginning." Master Xu smiled warmly as he spoke. "It's remarkable that a butterfly of such high rank could match Master Xu's own capabilities—this is indeed astonishing. Unfortunately, I also have other spiritual beasts under my care, so I can't fully indulge in this one." Master Han shifted his gaze to the egg, marveling at its significance. Master Xu was momentarily surprised, but quickly smiled and said: "This is due to my own oversight." With Master Han's current cultivation, how could he not have his own long-cultivated spiritual beasts? No matter—please, friend, continue to examine the other treasures. Han nodded, closed the jade box in his hand, and then gently tossed it. Instantly, a streak of emerald light shot out from within Han's sleeve, neatly encased the box, and smoothly carried it back to the table across from him. But then, as the light flashed, it curled around another jade box standing beside it and sent it toward Han. Han raised his hand and caught the new box in his grasp. As time passed, after just a cup of tea's worth of time, Han had reviewed nearly all of the jade boxes brought out by Xu, the old oddity. The contents of the remaining boxes were mostly rare materials, with a few finished spiritual artifacts of considerable power, and even one or two pills that could slightly enhance cultivation for a Xuangong stage practitioner. These items were truly exceptional—so rare and precious that if brought to the auction of the four clans, they would not fall short of many of the featured items on display. Yet, throughout the entire process, Han Li had never shown any interest in any of the items, remaining silent with only a smile. After he had admired the final item from the jade box and simply raised his hand to return it without saying a word, the elderly master seated across from him frowned slightly. "Is it possible," the elder master finally asked, "that none of these items have caught your eye at all?" "To be honest, Master Xu, every single item you've presented is a true treasure. Particularly that flame-melting butterfly—if offered to a fellow cultivator who specializes in fire-based cultivation techniques, I'm certain he would be willing to pay any price for it. Even if put up for auction, I believe it would easily fetch several million spirit stones. Yet, to me, these items—well..." Han Li also expressed a touch of resignation, shaking his head slightly as if there was more to say.