Although the Jiaochi clan had pushed their warfires close to Yun City, as long as Yun City remained unbreached, the flying chariot sped steadily back toward the rear, encountering no unforeseen incidents along the way. After fifteen or so days, Han Li spotted from within the chariot the second major city of the Tianyun people, "Fujiao City," far off in the distance. Unlike the floating Yun City, Fujiao City was nestled deep within an endless expanse of mountains. Much of its walls were constructed by linking together towering mountain peaks, with thousands of additional mountain masses enclosed within the city itself. Houses of varying sizes were built both atop these peaks and between them. Numerous curved streets branched out densely and radiated in all directions, creating a most distinctive layout. At this time, Fujiao City clearly also felt the impact of the Jiaochi army advancing from Yun City's direction—already, a sense of tension could be sensed even just tens of miles outside the city walls. Not only were waves of sealing fluctuations coming from the direction of the city, but squads of foot soldiers—ranging from十余 to百余人—were continuously patrolling the area. Though the massive flying chariots of Han Li and his companions clearly bore the insignia of Tianyun were repeatedly stopped and inspected by successive groups of soldiers. Of course, once the black-faced man had carefully presented his identity token, the soldiers respectfully withdrew and allowed passage. Thus, the chariots flew unimpeded all the way to the city gate, where they landed smoothly. The bearded man showed no surprise, merely nodded to the soldier who had asked the question, then turned to the Moon Lady and the others. Everyone else naturally agreed, bowed respectfully to the bearded man, and then proceeded to alight from the flying chariots. With a low cry from his mouth, the six spiritual beasts instantly rose into the air, and the chariots surged upward once more, vanishing from sight by the time they reached the horizon. Upon entering the city gates, Han Li and the others immediately noticed that the streets were bustling with activity, yet most of the people carried evident anxiety and concern. It made sense—Fujiao City, being the closest major city to Yun City, had naturally become the gathering point for the Tianyun clans fleeing from Yun City, resulting in a dramatic increase in population density. They casually stopped two snow-white beast chariots and mentioned the name "Xingyun Pavilion" to the drivers. The chariots then sped off toward a specific spiritual peak within the city. Han Li sat by the window of one of the beast-carriages, occasionally glancing at the buildings and pedestrians along the street, yet his face remained expressionless, as though lost in thought. Suddenly, his expression changed, and his gaze settled firmly on a figure standing at the entrance of a shop selling materials. This man wore a gray robe, his hair a mixture of white and gray, with a slightly pale complexion, engaged in low conversation with another person. The other wore a yellow robe, his face a pale purple, and his expression notably stern. Han Li furrowed his brows, his face shifting between clouded and composed, before suddenly calling out, "Stop the carriage. I need to get off and attend to something. Please all proceed to the Star Cloud Pavilion first—I will join you shortly." Those seated with him on the same carriage, though slightly surprised, found no reason to object. The driver promptly halted the beast-carriage. Han Li then lightly leapt down and walked off in the direction of where they had come. The two figures by the roadside clearly had some dispute, their voices growing a bit louder. "The spiritual stones owed must be settled within three days, or don't expect me to show any mercy." The man with the purple face grew slightly more stern, speaking coldly. "As for my own situation, Master Huang should be well aware of it—three days simply won't be enough to gather such a large amount of spiritual stones," the elderly man with a pale complexion shook his head repeatedly, his face looking somewhat strained. "Regardless of your circumstances, the consequences of failing to repay the stones are well known to you. If, by then, you still haven't managed to gather them, heh…." The man with the purple face chuckled coldly. The elder's expression slightly changed, and as he was about to speak further, the man with the purple face suddenly paused, his eyes flashing with surprise. At that moment, a soft, gentle voice arose suddenly behind the elder: "Master Xiang owes you how many spiritual stones? I've paid them off on his behalf." The elder was startled—though the voice seemed to come from mere steps away, he had sensed absolutely no presence at such close range. With his heart racing, he quickly turned around and saw, at a distance of about ten paces, a young man dressed in a green robe, of ordinary appearance, with a half-smiling expression. Not Han Li, then who could it be? "Ah, Han Li!" The elder's face lit up with delight upon seeing him. "Master Xiang, you're well!" Han Li smiled gently. Master Xiang was the one Han Li had met briefly in Yun City, only to part ways with him shortly afterward. "Brother Han, you've also come to Fuzhao City. Before I left Yun City, I specifically went in search of you, but your movements have been so elusive that I simply couldn't trace them." Master Xiang said with a warm smile. "My recent movements have indeed been hard to track—thank you very much for your efforts, Master Xiang. By the way, how many spirit stones does Master Xiang still owe you?" Han Li stepped forward, nodded at the purple-faced man, and then asked him further. The purple-faced man, no more than at the same stage as Xiang Zhi Li now, merely a Jiedan-level cultivator, had already turned pale when his spiritual awareness failed to perceive Han Li's profound cultivation. Now, upon hearing Han Li's words, he quickly trembled, bowed deeply, and respectfully said, "Not at all! The young disciple didn't know that Master and Daoist Xiang had such a long-standing connection. These few spiritual stones are nothing, truly. They are merely a token of my respect to the Master." After bowing deeply and nodding, the purple-faced man was completely silent and quietly departed. "I am truly humbled to have caused such inconvenience to Fraternal Brother Han, and to have seen you in such a disheveled state," said Xiang Zhili, only speaking these words after the purple-faced man had disappeared into the distance, with a wry smile and a bow. "It's nothing at all—this amount of spiritual stones is hardly anything. In fact, I was quite surprised to meet you here. However, I remember you mentioning that, should I be returning to Fengyuan Continent soon, I should meet you once more, and that there would be something else you wished to convey to me. Might you be so kind as to share that with me now?" Han Li raised his hand, and suddenly a faint, grayish light curtain shimmered and faded, then smiled and asked. Under the temporary seal formed by the Yuanmagnetic Divine Light, Han did not need to worry about their conversation being overheard by others nearby. Although Xiang ZhiLi didn't know exactly which divine technique Han Li was employing, he naturally sensed the subtle depth in Han Li's calm and straightforward questioning. His eyes instantly brightened, and with a touch of excitement, he asked, "With your question, does that mean you're able to return to Fengyuan Continent?" "Yes. Recently, I've accomplished several tasks for the Tianyun people, and now I can finally borrow their super-transport array. I'll be leaving Leiming Continent not long after." Han Li spoke calmly. "That's wonderful. However, I have something I need to deliver to you, but I haven't brought it with me yet. Moreover, this place isn't quite the right setting for discussing these matters. How about this: three days from now, you go to Qingjiao Peak, about a hundred and twenty li outside the city, and wait for me there. We'll meet and have a thorough conversation." Xiang ZhiLi expressed his delight. "Qingjiao Peak? Since Master Xiang has suggested it, then that shall be settled thus." After hearing this, a faint, barely perceptible expression of surprise passed through Han Li's eyes, after which he nodded casually. "Then it's settled. By the way, has Han's disciple made further progress in cultivation? Though I can't currently discern his specific level, the sense of pressure I've been feeling is clearly stronger than it was last time!" Xiang Zilǐ studied Han Li again and again, then asked with growing admiration. "What do you mean by significant progress? I merely feel a slight improvement in my cultivation practices." Han Li smiled gently and replied with ease. After chatting a bit longer with Xiang Zilǐ, Han Li stored the Yuanmagnetic Divine Light and took a vehicle to depart. The elder stood in place, watching the vehicle's silhouette recede down the street, his lips twitching several times—forming an awkward, strange smile. Although Fuzhao City was large, it was still somewhat smaller than Yun City. Sitting in the vehicle, Han Li reached the foot of a mountain peak just half an hour later. Here, a vast array of pavilions and halls rise one after another, enclosing the entire mountain peak within their embrace. Han Li followed the guide's directions, ascending the mountain path. However, midway up, a number of armed soldiers had appeared, maintaining a strict watch. Fortunately, Liu Shui'er and the others had clearly just arrived earlier, so after Han Li introduced himself, he passed the inspection with ease. A short while later, Han Li stood before a grand pavilion at the summit. Suspended above the pavilion's main gate was a golden plaque inscribed with the ancient characters "Xingyun Pavilion," shimmering with silver light and standing out prominently. On either side of the entrance, eight soldiers in silver robes stood with long swords over their shoulders, expressions impassive. What surprised Han Li slightly was the presence of an elderly man in a yellow robe, plump and standing with his hands behind his back at the pavilion's entrance. As soon as Han Li appeared, the old man immediately smiled and approached him. This man was none other than the "Thousand-Mechanism Master" of the Wangu Clan.