Without mentioning the Qingming Wei of the Han, after hearing the elder's words, Han Li departed the stone tower and, after a brief thought, took off toward the market district. Although he had entrusted the four scholars with the task of acquiring auxiliary medicinal herbs, it by no means prevented him from making a visit to the market first and gathering some of the available supplies. Having visited the market district of Tianyuan City several times before, he once again went to the same merchant shop he had visited last time, presented the list to the storekeeper, and requested that they make every effort to procure the items for him. Then he left the shop and headed directly toward the grand hall at the heart of the market district. With human allies assisting him, he need not worry about that. However, the elven faction might have materials he currently lacked. He intended to visit and see if there were any additional benefits to be gained. Yet, merely to acquire some auxiliary materials, he would have to personally make a trip to the market. In this regard, compared to joining a major power, this was indeed far less convenient. At least, the errands of running errands could be delegated to others. Certainly, compared to being constrained by others, having direct control over one's own power base is far superior. With the cultivation and divine abilities currently possessed by Han Li, establishing his own power base is entirely feasible. However, the process would undoubtedly require considerable mental effort and would significantly delay his personal cultivation progress. In the long run, it might even prove to be counterproductive. Should he succeed in securing the position of Ling Huang, this would appear to be a sound strategy. After all, the power structures of the Three Emperors' factions differ from those of other sects and families—most of their authority stems directly from the positions held within the Three Emperors themselves. Anyone who ascends to the position of Emperor immediately becomes one of the leading figures among the human clans. Han Li silently pondered these considerations as he approached the grand hall of the human and elven trade complex. At the very moment he handed over the spiritual stones and stepped through the grand hall's entrance, deep within a concealed underground cavern far from the human settlement area, a massive array guarded by over a dozen puppet infantry suddenly resonated with a powerful hum, its various streams of spiritual light flashing brilliantly. The previously motionless puppet guards instantly sensed the change, their eyes flashing red light as they gently raised their massive blades, slowly pointing toward the magical array. At the same moment, a faint shimmer of luminous energy appeared at the entrance of the cavern, revealing a blurred figure radiating silver light. Then, a brilliant white glow surged at the center of the transmission array, bringing into view two figures. As the transmission light faded, the two figures immediately became sharply defined—revealing a tall, dark-robed man and a graceful, white-clad woman. The man, in his thirties, had dark, weathered skin and a somewhat unattractive, fierce appearance. The woman possessed skin as pure as snow and eyes like black stars. "Who are you? You are not of the Silver Clan. How is it that you can activate our clan's transmission array?" the silver-lit figure exclaimed, emitting a sharp cry of surprise upon seeing the two. "Hm. There's also a Silver Clan guard here. Master Saint, let me consume him." The cloaked man glanced at the figure shimmering with silver light and suddenly revealed a look of eager longing. "That silver-kin is no less than your own level. I'm not sure he won't knock out your teeth." The white-robed woman surveyed the shimmering figure calmly and spoke with quiet composure. "Heh, with the Saint Ancestor present, how could a mere silver-kin saint possibly rise up and challenge us?" Upon hearing this, the cloaked man beamed with sincere deference, showering the white-robed woman with compliments. "Brave!" The shimmering figure, upon hearing the exchange between the two, instantly recognized them as adversaries and cried out in surprise and outrage. At the same time, the great blades held by the surrounding puppets slashed toward the center of the magical array. A series of sharp "shhh" sounds erupted, and a dozen silver streaks flashed and arrived swiftly. "Trivial tactics!" The cloaked man, upon seeing this, sneered and then, with a simple wave of his sleeve, spread a broad expanse of dark, misty light in front of himself. A continuous series of thunderous explosions followed. The silver light struck the black mist, as though it had collided with a solid wall of bronze and iron, shattering into numerous flashes of explosion. Then, the great man performed another feat that left the silver族 utterly astonished. He opened his mouth, and a surge of black light shot forth, instantly drawing in and swallowing all the shattered silver beams. Then, with a sudden movement, a massive black silhouette swept out from behind him. A loud roar echoed once more! Several dozen puppets were struck simultaneously by this sweeping black form, each one crumbling to dust, as if made of clay and utterly unable to withstand the blow. The silver族 were stunned, their eyes fixed intently on the black silhouette. It appeared remarkably dark, covered in thick, scale-like plates—indeed, it was a colossal black tail, stretching over ten zhang in length, circling the great man several times. At this moment, the black-robed man sneered, his body radiating a sudden flash of black light, and a powerful aura—typical of a saint-level being—burst forth from within. The figures within the silver light were deeply alarmed. Just the black-robed man alone—he had no confidence he could prevail. The white-clad woman beside him seemed even more formidable. "Impossible! We cannot fight this directly!" the silver-kin murmured silently, as a shimmer of silver light rippled across his body, and his form blurred momentarily. "I'm retreating!" The black-robed man's eyes flashed with fierce determination. His coiled tail surged forward like a great python, launching itself with a single motion across more than fifteen paces, instantly piercing through the shimmering silver form. Yet as the silver light dispersed, the blurred figure vanished into thin air. The silver-kin had indeed managed to escape a step ahead of the black-robed man. At that very moment, however, the white-clad woman standing beside the man smiled gently, and with a delicate flick of her jade finger, pointed forward. A delicate pink spiritual blossom suddenly bloomed at her fingertip, then, in a single flash, expanded into a vast ethereal silhouette, enveloping the entire cavern. In an instant, the area stretching dozens of paces wide was filled with a soft, radiant pink hue, exuding an extraordinary fragrance. With a sharp *crack*, a streak of silver light burst forth from the surrounding void without any prior warning—exactly the silver race being just moments ago. "It's impossible!" the silver-being cried out, filled with shock and fury, his body's luminous aura flickering as he prepared to vanish once more. At the same time, the black aura formed by the cloaked man had completely enveloped the silver race, emitting piercing, agonizing cries. ...Within a secluded chamber deep beneath the sea at the border between the Wind Yuan and Lei Ming continents, a massive blood cocoon floated weightlessly in mid-air, its surface flashing with intermittent streaks of blood light and gently pulsing, as if something were developing within it. Below the cocoon, twelve enormous, dark-hued creatures lay motionless on the ground, utterly lifeless. Some had two heads and six eyes, others four wings and three limbs; even one fully golden dragon, with nine slender tails, stood out remarkably. Yet at this moment, all twelve creatures remained still, their bodies shriveled and lifeless, as though their blood had been completely drained away by some unseen force. Its form also strangely shrank several times over. Otherwise, given the original size of these twelve strange beasts, it would have been impossible to fit them all into this seemingly spacious chamber. However, in one corner of the chamber, there remain twelve ancient lamps, quietly placed, though the flames that once danced upon them have now completely vanished. On the opposite side of the chamber stands a low green jade table, upon which rests a crystal orb the size of a clenched fist, emitting a faint glow. A clear image appears on the surface of the orb, depicting a luminous lotus bud suspended in mid-air, vividly lifelike, as if it were a real one. I originally thought that, having fled the city to escape the siege by the foreign tribes, you must have gone under a new name and settled far from here. It seems I truly underestimated your capabilities." The female immortal from the demonic race, who once had a transaction with Han Li, spoke softly with a smile from several zhang away. Clearly, she was delighted to see Han Li, even somewhat excited. However, due to the magical restrictions in place, Han Li could not discern whether she had significantly advanced in her cultivation over the centuries since their last meeting. By common sense, he had granted her so many thousand-year elixirs back then—she should have made considerable progress. Of course, Han Li himself could not have been noticed by her at all. Han Li then smiled gently and added, "I didn't manage to escape in time back then. Had it not been for some fortunate circumstances, I truly couldn't have imagined seeing you again. I always assumed that, upon receiving that batch of thousand-year elixirs, you would have entered deep meditation and secluded yourself for a long time." "Do you think I don't wish to do so? Indeed, even back then, though I received many thousand-year elixirs from you, how could I possibly use them all on myself? The elixirs had long since been exhausted. Nevertheless, over the years, I've also discovered a fresh batch of rare medicinal plants. Would Master Han be willing to continue the exchange?" The female demon maiden sighed first, then asked with growing anticipation.