"Such speed!" "...In an instant, a ripple of excitement spread throughout the hall. "Since the Guanghan Command just emerged, signs of the Guanghan Rite have already appeared—an event quite different from what we've seen before. Now, precisely when the Jiaochi Clan is launching its attacks upon our Tianyun realm, it's impossible for us to fully dedicate ourselves to this matter. Nevertheless, the opening of the Guanghan Realm represents a golden opportunity for the strength and unity of the various clans across the Leiming Continent. We cannot afford to delay. Therefore, we must now jointly deliberate with each of you and Elder Wang on how best to prepare." Qianjizi said seriously. "Qian Brother is absolutely correct. The Jiaochi Clan's assaults have indeed consumed much of our Yun City's resources. Fortunately, the opening of the Guanghan Realm is not a novelty for us—we've experienced it before. Even though this one is occurring earlier than usual, we need not be overly anxious." The young man of the Wang surname nodded in agreement. "In fact, the opening of the Guanghan Realm primarily depends on the potential and fortune of the younger generations themselves. All we can do is swiftly finalize the list of entrants and properly set up the grand array to initiate the realm. This time, the Guanghan Mandates we received from our thirteen clans are rather limited—only two remain in Yun City. With that, we simply need to prepare two arrays here. The rest will be managed by others, and we won't have to worry about them." A tall man with a body as black as charcoal nodded in agreement. "Indeed!" "Yet we have a substantial number of young disciples at the Lingxu peak within Yun City. It might not be easy to finalize this list." "We must be vigilant against spies from the Jiaochi Clan who might sabotage the process. These two transmission arrays must be closely guarded." ...Some of the attendees looked delighted, while others furrowed their brows, each speaking in turn. The young gentleman of the Gong family listened attentively to the remarks of the Saint-level beings, smiling slightly. However, after everyone had finished speaking, he turned to the crystal-kin maiden and asked, "Lady Cai, do you have anything you'd like to add?" "Your honorable companions have already covered all the points. I have nothing further to contribute," replied the elegant crystal-kin woman, slightly surprised but quickly smiling in agreement. "Very well. Then this time, the Broad Horizon Realm will proceed as per the usual tradition. The specific list of junior disciples entering will be arranged by each of you upon your return. However, the selected candidates must be consecutive late-stage peak-tier beings. Furthermore, the staffing for the transmission array must be increased by no less than three times, and the entire area within ten li of the array must be designated as a restricted zone, with any stranger prohibited from approaching it at will. Only the Wangu Clan is capable of setting up such an array—this matter shall be entrusted to the three of you, Master Qian and his two fellow elders seated beside him." After a moment's consideration, the young gentleman of Gong family made his final decision. Master Qian and the two other elders seated beside "By the way, have you finalized the candidates for the activation of the Guanghan Command?," the young man with the surname Wang suddenly recalled and asked. "One of the candidates has already been decided, while the other one required no preparation at all—she was already activated by someone else," replied Qianji after a brief pause. "As far as I remember, to prevent any unforeseen circumstances, the candidates for the Guanghan Command are carefully selected and activated only at the very last moment. How is it that this activation has taken place so much earlier?" The young man with the surname Wang's expression darkened upon hearing this. "Please don't be angry, Master. The Guanghan Command in question is somewhat special—it was already activated when it was first obtained. Here's what happened..." Qianji carefully recounted the matter involving Han Li. "Indeed, such a situation is unprecedented. That person is neither from our Tianyun Sect nor from this continent, is that correct?" The young man with the surname Wang was now astonished. "That is exactly right." Moreover, our several clans have agreed to lend him the use of the continent's transmission array afterward. Of course, the spiritual stones consumed by the array will have to be provided by him himself." Qianjizi replied honestly. "The continent's transmission array isn't the issue—what's really important is that this person himself poses no problems, isn't he?" The young man named Wang replied, though still somewhat uncertain and asked one follow-up question. "Wang senior, please rest assured—this person should indeed be trustworthy. We are merely utilizing his power to enter the Guanghan Realm, and the entire process has taken place almost under our direct observation. How could he possibly have done anything to interfere? Once inside, they will each proceed independently, and there will be no issues at all." Qianjizi spoke with confidence. "Since you are so certain, and the Guanghan Seal has already been activated by him, then everything is settled. Simply give the others a word and keep a close watch on him from the sidelines." The young man felt the matter was indeed manageable and finally nodded. Qianjizi naturally agreed wholeheartedly. "The information has just been relayed from the front by the companions of Lu. The Jiaochi clan has once again reinforced their forces there, adding five or six new saints in a single go. We were unprepared and have already lost three cities, now firmly under their pressure. It seems the Jiaochi clan intends to escalate this conflict." As soon as the three members of the Tianji family had settled down, another young saint with greenish skin rose to report a separate matter to the young man of the Wang surname. "Hmph. Immediately dispatch five saints and over a thousand mid-to-high ranked disciples to the frontline. If they wish to elevate this conflict, then we at Tianyun will meet them at every turn." The young man of the Wang surname gave a sharp nod and issued the order without hesitation. "Understood." In the following minutes, others began to report additional significant matters. Eventually, this gathering of the city's highest-ranked beings concluded after nearly half an hour. After all the saints had departed, they each turned back to prepare for their respective journeys. At this time, Han Li was still diligently meditating within his abode. On a certain day a year later, Han Li suddenly stepped out of his abode and left Yun City. Yet just half a day later, he mysteriously returned to the city and once again entered the inner chamber, where he remained silent. Time passed slowly, and within a matter of moments, three years had slipped away. Inside the inner chamber of Han Li's abode, the light was somewhat dim, yet three figures sat motionless on separate mats. One shimmered with golden light, with golden scales resembling molten gold spreading across his body. Another was enveloped in swirling black energy, his form blurred and indistinct. The third radiated a deep purple glow, with an unusually emerald complexion. Each of them held a distinct hand seal, yet remained completely still. It was not known how long it had been until suddenly, the golden figure shivered and opened his eyes. Two brilliant blue flashes burst forth. "What on earth is going on? That person has actually come to visit." Could it be...? The golden figure murmured softly. Then, suddenly, he swept one sleeve upward, and a sphere of white light shot out, hovering motionless above the roof. The space brightened instantly, casting clear and sharp images of the three figures. The central figure, of pale golden hue, was Han Li—his brows slightly furrowed, as though deep in thought. Beside him stood a person radiating a purple glow with emerald skin, whose face was remarkably identical to Han Li's. Yet, their eyes were crystal clear, gazing curiously at Han Li, as if utterly fascinated. At the same time, from the mass of black mist on the other side, a chant of Sanskrit resonated, and the blackness began to gently dissipate, revealing a monstrous being with three heads and six arms—part demon, part deity. The creature stood two zhang tall, glowing with a brilliant golden light throughout, though only two of its faces were clearly visible; the third face had neither mouth nor nostrils, leaving the observer somewhat uneasy. And this monstrous being, resembling a golden giant, had its eyes—clearly visible on both faces—gently close, suddenly opening of their own accord. The pupils were deep and dark, as if drawing the very soul and spirit of the observer into them. "Guests have arrived. You two go ahead and continue your cultivation. I'll attend to them first," said Han Li, who had now made up his mind. With a single command to the other two, he suddenly flashed with a golden light, transforming into a streak of golden light that shot straight toward one side of the chamber. In an instant, the golden streak vanished silently into the wall without a trace. A short while later, the grand door of the dwelling, which had been closed, shimmered with a gentle green glow and then slowly opened. Han Li stepped out calmly. "Good evening, Lady Cai," he said, bowing slightly to the woman who had been waiting inside the dwelling, and respectfully greeted her. She was graceful in appearance and tall and elegant—none other than Lady Cai Liu Ying of the Crystal Clan. "Is it not a pleasure, Master Han, that you have taken the time to come to my humble abode?" "This lady smiled gently and said, 'You're mistaken, Master. It's truly a great honor for you to visit my abode—something I've longed for ever since. This esteemed guest is...'" Han Li naturally chuckled, but his gaze shifted slightly, turning toward the figure behind the guest. Standing behind Cai Liuying was another graceful woman, wearing a white cloak that partially obscured her face, her features veiled by a shimmering crystal glow. The crystal-born woman offered only a brief remark: "She's my newest disciple." The woman simply nodded, remaining silent. Seeing this, Han Li found no further reason to press for details and thus invited both of them to take seats in his abode. Soon afterward, the three of them settled into seats in the main hall of Han Li's dwelling. At once, a humanoid automaton, under Han Li's mental command, served several spiritual fruits and several cups of spiritual tea. The beautiful young woman from the Crystal Clan eagerly tasted the spiritual tea in the cup, her eyes briefly widening in surprise. "Such strong spiritual essence! It seems to come from leaves harvested from tea trees over a thousand years old. Moreover, the tea tree itself is a rare variety. Under such circumstances, this kind of spiritual tea is quite uncommon in Yun City." Upon sipping a few mouthfuls, Cai Liu Ying couldn't help but praise it aloud. "Since you appreciate it so much, I have a few more to offer—consider them my humble tribute." Seeing this, Han Li smiled and then gently brushed his sleeve across the table, causing a pale white box to float onto the surface. "Since you've mentioned it, I'll gladly accept. I truly enjoy this tea." The young woman from the Crystal Clan glanced at her, a warm smile playing on her lips. (First update!)