After forming a tentative answer in his mind, Han Li gazed at the distant mountain peaks, then paused a moment longer. Once the distant fluctuations finally subsided, he thoughtfully stepped away from the window and returned to his cushion, settling into a meditative posture and slowly closing his eyes. However, on the fifth morning, while Han Li was still meditating on the topmost level of the attic, his expression changed suddenly as he flipped his hand, and the scroll vanished. He clearly sensed that at the main door of the attic, besides Xu Qianyu, who had originally come to greet him, there were now the presences of Xu Jiao and another unfamiliar guest. This latter presence was exceptionally strong, evidently possessing the late stage of Lingxu cultivation. This surprised him. The Xu family must indeed conceal such accomplished cultivators well—clearly skilled in both showing excellence and preserving humility. As Han Li pondered these thoughts, a respectful voice from below announced: "I am Xu Jiao, respectfully greeting Master Han. Would it be convenient for you to see me?" "Ah, it's the head of the Xu family, then—no need for such formality. Please wait in the hall, and I'll come down shortly," Han Li replied calmly, then rose and walked down toward the lower level. A short while later, Han Li's figure appeared at the staircase entrance of the grand hall, immediately turning his gaze toward the stranger in the late True Immortal stage. Standing beside Xu Jiao was a young man dressed in a slightly worn gray robe, barely in his early to mid-20s, who smiled warmly at Han Li. Upon closer inspection, the young man's features bore a resemblance to Xu Jiao's. Together, they stood out as if Xu Jiao himself were the elder uncle or cousin of this young man. "Esteemed master, this is our senior elder, Xu Yuan. He has been unable to step out in time to welcome you, as he reached a crucial stage in his cultivation just recently." As soon as Han Li arrived, Xu Jiao bowed respectfully and introduced his companion. "Senior Elder? Xu Yuan has already reached the peak of the late True Immortal stage, and is likely to break through his Consolidation stage any moment now. Should he succeed, he will truly become one of our peers." Han Li studied the young man for a moment before suddenly smiling. "Your insight is truly remarkable." The junior indeed has already begun preparing for the breakthrough, though the chances of success seem extremely slim," the young man bowed respectfully to Han Li and then sighed, responding. Han Li listened quietly, said nothing, and then sat down at the head of the table, gesturing for the others to join him. After thanking him, Xu Jiao and the others settled themselves on either side of Han Li. "Has Xu Clan Head come with news regarding your ancestor?" Han Li spoke directly, without any hesitation. His straightforwardness, however, surprised Xu Jiao, who paused momentarily, then shook his head with a wry smile. "If this question had been asked yesterday, I would have truly been unable to provide a definite answer. But this visit—this very journey—is precisely why I have come to seek your guidance." "Seek me?" Han Li raised a slight eyebrow, appearing slightly surprised. "I must confess, the items you recently delivered have indeed enabled us to trace the whereabouts of the Ice Spirit ancestor." "But merely relying on our Xu family may not be enough—we may need to draw upon the support of our elder colleagues." Xu Jiao simply stated his purpose directly. "What I've said is true. For this matter, our three Xu family cultivators at the Lingxu stage have all personally stepped in, yet even together, their combined power falls short. We can only now appeal to you, the elders." Xu Yuan also nodded seriously. "Indeed! Could the two of you kindly elaborate on the full details of this matter?" Han Li's gaze flickered, yet he spoke calmly, not readily promising anything given his current status and cultivation level. "Of course, even if the elder does not ask, we will gladly provide the details ourselves." Xu Jiao readily agreed, then continued after a brief thought: "Actually, the matter is not particularly complex. Have you ever heard of 'Xuehun **'?" "Xuehun **! That sounds quite familiar. Hmm—could it be the cultivation technique that Master Xuejing, the Blood Crystal Sage, practiced some tens of thousands of years ago?" Han Li first furrowed his brow, but soon recalled the relevant details, and with a slightly changed expression, said, "Indeed, you must have heard of this secret technique before. Xue Jin, this blood-crystal immortal, is a rare talent among our human race—someone who not only invented the Blood Soul Technique but once used it to defeat a peer from another race. Not to mention, although Xue Jin has long since passed away, his teachings were accidentally discovered by my ancestor, Bing Po Immortal. Though this technique bears a resemblance to the magical path, and my ancestor could not rework the entire system, she still selected several vital secret techniques to practice and crafted several life-saving artifacts. Among the items you have just passed on to me, there is one such artifact—'the Blood Soul Vial,' which my ancestor personally imbued. Inside lies a strand of the Blood Soul. As long as we can awaken this Blood Soul, we will naturally be able to trace my ancestor's whereabouts." Xu Jiao spoke while keeping a careful eye on Han Li's expression. Yet, besides that moment when he heard about the Blood Soul Vial, the expression in Han Li's eyes flashed briefly and then settled—no other signs of change were apparent. "Those celestial omens appearing these past nights—were they caused by your awakening of the Blood Soul?" Han Li paused, then suddenly asked. "Indeed, as the elder has said. I did not wish to delay, so that very night I gathered the necessary personnel and conducted the awakening ritual. But alas…" Xu Jiao spoke, his tone tinged with resignation. "Whether it was because the Blood Soul had been sealed for too long, or because our lineage bloodlines were not sufficiently pure, the ritual failed repeatedly. Moreover, since the sealing scroll that encased the Blood Soul has now been unveiled, if we do not succeed in awakening it within the next two days, the ancestral blood soul will truly vanish entirely." The young man sighed, adding this as he spoke. "Would your family wish for me to join the awakening ritual?" Han Li asked, remaining neutral. "Indeed, as the elder sees fit." Over the past several days, I have tried every possible method, yet none have proven effective. It is only now that I turn to you, Master Dao. Xu Jiao rose once more, bowed sincerely to Han Li, and said with earnestness. "If the issue truly lies in my own lack of power, then I am more than willing to lend my efforts. However, if the matter stems from something inherent—such as the condition of the blood soul or the awakening ritual itself—I must admit I am at a loss." Han Li stroked his chin thoughtfully before speaking calmly. "Of course. Should it indeed be a matter of our own inadequacy, then we can only accept that this is the will of heaven." Upon hearing this, Xu Jiao beamed and nodded eagerly. Xu Yuan and Xu Qianyu also looked deeply pleased. "Time is of the essence," Han Li said, rising immediately and assuming a resolute demeanor. "I shall now examine Ice-Pulse Master's blood soul and the awakening ritual you have prepared." "Agreed. Though the ritual can only be performed at specific times during the night, it would still be beneficial for you to first review and gain a better understanding Xu Jiao merely considered it briefly and found no issues, thus readily agreed. If they could successfully awaken the blood soul of the Ice Spirit Princess—the ancestral figure of the Xu family—then the Xu family would instantly rise to become one of the premier human clans. For this reason, both Xu Jiao and the other elders, such as Xu Yuan, had spared no effort to revive the lingering blood soul of the Ice Spirit Princess. Han Li followed the three Xu family members out of the pavilion and, together with their light-speed flight, swiftly headed toward the distant mountain where disturbances had been reported earlier. Given the short distance, they arrived instantly. Upon arrival, Han Li observed that around the otherwise ordinary mountain, numerous vibrant, multicolored sealing lights shimmered throughout. Between these lights, figures clad in green armor appeared and disappeared intermittently. With a mere sweep of his spiritual awareness, Han Li easily detected that these guards were all at the Yuan Ying level of cultivation, numbering well over a hundred. This level of manpower might not seem significant to a power like Tianyuan City, but for a family, it would be truly impressive. Moreover, each of these guards skillfully concealed their spells and incantations, remaining silent and never exchanging a word—presenting a polished, well-trained appearance. For a family, such discipline is even more rare. Noticing韩立's unusual demeanor, Xu Jiao stepped forward to explain: "Allow me to apologize for the disturbance. These are our family's elite secret guards—the very finest of our forces. While individually they may not hold their own against high-level cultivators, when three or four of them work together, they can indeed stand a match against a Stage of Transformation-level cultivator." "Oh, so these individuals are also skilled in cooperative secret techniques," said Han Li, showing clear interest. "Indeed, that's correct. The awakening ceremony is particularly sensitive to interruptions. To be safe, we've stationed all of our secret guards here." Xu Jiao added. This time, Han Li nodded and said nothing further. Xu Jiao used his magical artifacts to dispel the seals, and the group arrived before a massive structure resembling a temple situated at the mid-slope of the mountain. On the plaque above the temple's main gate, only a single large ancient character, written in silver powder, read "Xu." Near the main gate, there were seven or eight guards standing motionless, facing the entrance. Curiously, while the main gate remained firmly closed, a side gate, narrow enough for one person to pass through, was open. Han Li's expression slightly shifted. "Please forgive us, esteemed elder," said Xu Yuan with a touch of apology. "This is our family's ancestral temple, and thus we can only enter the underground inner hall through the side gate." "No need to apologize," Han Li waved his hand, showing no concern. Upon hearing Han Li's words, both Xu Yuan and Xu Jiao exchanged a quiet sigh of relief. If the other party had been genuinely displeased about this matter, it would have been a significant disadvantage for them. Thus, all of them passed through a side gate and entered the Xu family's ancestral temple.