"Master, allow me to inform the family first so that my father may come to greet you." After a graceful loop in the sky near the mountains, Xu Qianyu spoke softly from within the flying carriage. "This is indeed the perfect location for the Xu family. I'll stay here for a while." After scanning the mountains with a subtle inner awareness, Han Li's face briefly expressed surprise before he slowly nodded. Since the flying carriage had openly hovered in midair, the Xu family's guards stationed at the mountain slopes had naturally noticed it at once. As soon as the protective seals began to ripple, several streaks of light shot out from various peaks, approaching with a firm and determined demeanor. Upon receiving Han Li's approval, Xu Qianyu immediately launched into action, transforming into a streak of white light and rushing toward the family's defenders. After a few brief flashes, the two groups met. Clearly, the Xu family's cultivators recognized their young lady, and as the light faded, they stepped forward to reveal themselves. Among them were both the young and the old, men and women, all beaming with delight. Xuan Yu, the immortal maiden, merely smiled and whispered a few words to them before promptly leading the group down toward the lower mountain range. Han Li stood calmly on the flying carriage, patient and composed, waiting without urgency. Shortly thereafter, a series of celestial melodies rang out throughout the mountains. Two groups of young women in white and red imperial robes emerged from a mountain peak. Though each of these women had only reached the foundational stage of the Golden Dan cultivation, they were all as beautiful as flowers, their postures and expressions deeply respectful. Following them, three figures emerged in quick succession. One of them was Xuan Yu herself, who had just arrived not long ago. The middle figure was a tall, scholarly white-robed man. The last figure was a broad-shouldered giant with a rugged beard and eyes like copper bells. The two groups of imperial-robed women halted gracefully at a distance of several dozen zhang from the flying carriage. Three white-robed men continued without pause, soaring all at once until they reached near Han Li, then finally came to a stop. "Late disciple Xu Jiao, bowing to Master Han. Our Xu family was unable to extend a far-welcoming reception, and I hope you will forgive us." The white-robed man appeared to be in his thirties, with an ordinary appearance, yet his cultivation level—late Stage of Transformation—was quite strong. Facing Han Li, he hurriedly bowed with great respect. "Late disciple Xu Lu, also bowing to the Master." The tall man, too, possessed cultivation at the mid-Stage of Transformation, and offered a formal greeting. "Disciple Xu Jiao is indeed the chief representative of the Xu family?" Han Li glanced at the white-robed man with a steady gaze, then asked calmly. "Yes, Master. I have held the position of family head for over a thousand years now." The white-robed man replied sincerely. "Then, as to my purpose this time, did Disciple Xian Yu and the family head mention it to you?" Han Li nodded and inquired. "My daughter did indeed share some details. The elder had come all the way for the matter of the ancestral lineage—such a gesture truly left the Xu family deeply grateful. Nevertheless, this was not an appropriate place for conversation. Please, allow me to escort you to the ancestral hall for a more private discussion," the white-robed man said with respectful courtesy. "Very well, then—please lead the way ahead," Han Li replied without hesitation, simply nodding. Several mountain peaks of varying heights had all shifted several miles away, now situated at different positions within the mountain range. If enemies had indeed employed great magical prowess to directly attack these peaks of the Xu family, they would surely have struck with such force that the mountain structures would have been completely untouched. Han Li narrowed his eyes and suddenly said, "A misty and ethereal realm! I never thought the Xu family could establish such an ancient, legendary seal." "Ah, please forgive me, Master. Some ten thousand years ago, our Xu family produced a particularly gifted array master who, through his entire life's dedication, managed to reconstruct this ancient illusionary array to about seven or eight parts. Unfortunately, this young master did not achieve a high level of cultivation; had he been more accomplished, or if he had lived longer, he might very well have fully restored this ancient array." Xu Jiao smiled lightly, clearly proud of his family's protective array. "Indeed," Han Li replied with a composed smile, and then said no more. Xu Jiao, seeing this situation, felt a bit disappointed. It was rare that a Congti cultivator would encounter their clan's protective array and naturally wish to have the other offer some detailed commentary. "Senior, do you think this array could withstand attacks from a Congti cultivator?" The seemingly bold giant asked, his voice surprisingly hesitant. "Congti level? Hm..." Han Li glanced at the giant and did not immediately respond, instead offering a half-smiling, slightly amused expression. "Then, Senior means this array is ineffective against Congti cultivators, is that correct?" the white-robed man hesitated and asked. "I'm not sure whether it's completely ineffective. However, this array does have several weak points—likely due to incomplete restoration of the ancient array. For cultivators with less refined array mastery, breaking through this array would require more effort. But if the cultivator themselves is highly proficient in array arts, then your incomplete 'Mist and Illusion Realm' array might truly prove insufficient." Han Li paused before speaking calmly. And by the way, he actually pointed out several places where the sealing spells were established, covering the entire mountain range. "Senior, can you detect the flaws in this spell array?" The young man in white robes was surprised. Xu Qianyu and the giant exchanged glances, both displaying a look of astonishment. "Nothing special. I've read ancient texts about this spell array before. To spot these details now is nothing at all," Han Li said lightly, with a slight upward curve of his lips. He didn't sound like he was merely being polite. Although the ancient spell array of the Misty and Illusory Realm had long been lost among the human race, during his journey back to the Tianyuan Continent, he had discovered a batch of ancient human spell array texts in a marketplace belonging to a foreign ethnic group. These texts were written in ancient human script, and since the foreign people themselves did not highly value the art of spell arrays, they had been simply stored in a general merchandise shop, largely overlooked. He didn't know exactly how those ancient texts had been carried out of the human race by a previous great human master and eventually ended up here. Han Li naturally wouldn't miss such a fortunate opportunity, paying nearly nothing for the ancient array treatises, and slightly studying and reflecting upon them during the journey. He had encountered several similar incidents while passing through other ethnic groups along the way, so he hadn't given them much thought. However, upon now observing Xu Family's protective array and comparing it with the complete ancient array described in the treatises, he immediately spotted its deficiencies. Xu Jiao, the head of the Xu family, naturally wasn't aware of these complexities. Yet, upon hearing that Han Li seemed to possess the complete method for arranging the Mishi Huangjing Array, his expression changed noticeably. Though he didn't know how the esteemed "Han Senior" had come across the long-lost ancient array treatises, if it were true, then it clearly meant that, in Han Li's eyes, Xu Family's protective array was of little significance. Moreover, the points Han Li had mentioned earlier sounded neither casual nor speculative. Though the white-robed man's face still bore a smile, it soon grew somewhat strained. Han Li, however, seemed entirely unaware, continuing steadily forward without any hesitation. Under the guidance of two groups of court-dressed women, Han Li and his companions eventually came to a grand hall situated at the heart of the mountain range. There, two elderly men with similar appearances and gray-white hair were already waiting. "Master Han," Xu Jiao stepped forward promptly, introducing the two elders to Han Li, "these are my uncles, who were previously in seclusion. They have specially come out of seclusion to welcome you." "At your service, Master Han," the two elders bowed respectfully, expressing their eagerness to greet him. One was at the initial stage of the Transcendent Realm, the other at the mid-stage. It was quite remarkable to see such a level of cultivation within an ordinary immortal family. After all, having a Fuzheng cultivator stationed within the family already counted as a solid foundation. It thus seemed that Xu Qianyu's remark about the Xu family's reputation in the Tianyuan Realm was indeed modest. "My esteemed colleagues need not be so formal," said Han Li, waving his hand with a warm and courteous demeanor toward these two senior Xu cultivators. The two elders, in turn, were deeply respectful and promptly guided Han Li into the grand hall. Once everyone had taken their seats as host and guest, a young woman of Qingqi stage, dressed as a servant, served each of them a cup of spiritual tea. Then Xu Jiao spoke with gravity: "Due to time constraints, my daughter only briefly mentioned the purpose of the elder's visit. I heard that Master Han has come to deliver an item to either the ancestral Ice-Phantom Lady or to her direct descendants. Is this correct?" "Indeed so." Han Li had once received a considerable favor, which is why he agreed to undertake such a run-of-the-mill task. However, upon hearing Master Xian Yu's words, he learned that the descendants of the Ice-Purity Princess did not merely establish the Xu family line. Therefore, Master would need to provide a bit more verification before Han Li would hand over the items. "That said, how would you verify this, Master? Our Xu family has always upheld the lineage of our ancestors—this should be well known throughout the surrounding clans." Old Xu, named Xu Huo, cleared his throat, somewhat hesitant. "This shouldn't be difficult at all. For instance, the cultivation techniques or divine arts Master Bing Po practiced, or any renowned personal treasures passed down, could serve as solid proof of the Xu family's identity." Han Li's gaze flickered slightly, then he spoke calmly. ------------ One chapter updated, kindly support with a monthly ticket!