Hearing the old woman’s words, Yue Hua the immortal maiden and Bai Hua both brightened with evident delight. Over the course of several centuries of cultivation, even among close relatives, few cultivators would willingly give up their time and efforts—let alone for a stranger. "What is the second method?" the man asked hopefully once more. "The second approach involves seeking out the legendary medicinal herbs mentioned in the tales, preparing several highly yang-toned pills, and using a forced method of water-fire synergy to transform the ice-marrow constitution. This method is no simpler than the first. Not only are these herbs exceedingly rare—appearing only once every millennium—and thus beyond our reach, even if we manage to gather them, the process of refining them into yang pills and administering them proves equally burdensome. While it may succeed in breaking the ice-marrow body, it comes at the cost of severely compromising the cultivator’s original spiritual root and innate potential." Severe cases could completely destroy the spiritual root, turning the person into an ordinary mortal; milder cases would render the spiritual root extremely weak, making the journey of cultivation fraught with constant hardships," the old woman said solemnly. The middle-aged man's face turned pale, and he could say nothing more. It was only after the younger woman paused for a moment that she suddenly clenched her teeth and pleaded with Han Li, "Master Han, your magical prowess is so great—could you possibly save our daughter? Then, from this day forward, we shall repay your great kindness with unwavering dedication, working tirelessly to serve you." Hearing this, the old woman and others were moved, and they turned their gaze toward Han Li. Earlier, Han Li had clearly appeared to have come solely for the young girl. Thus, the possibility that Master Han might indeed intervene now seemed very real. Without a word, the middle-aged man bowed deeply before Han Li. Upon hearing this, Han Li merely smiled faintly, and after a while, spoke slowly, "You are indeed thoughtful. Yes, since I have come to this place, I have indeed intended to save this young girl." "Thank you so much for your great kindness and generosity!" Hearing exactly as she had anticipated, the young wife was overjoyed and nearly fell to her knees before Han Li. Yet Han Li shook his head and merely waved his sleeve. Instantly, an invisible, immense force rose beneath the white-clad woman and the man, lifting them upward. Neither could bow down, and the man was forcibly raised. "You needn't rush to thank me now," Han Li said calmly. "Whether or not I intervene depends entirely on whether you are willing to accept my conditions. Though I have a favorable impression of this young girl, I certainly can't waste the hundreds of years of dedicated cultivation I've invested simply to help her." The young lady, Yue Hua, responded immediately without hesitation. "Please state your conditions. As long as they are feasible, I promise to fulfill them without reservation." The middle-aged man, though his heart stirred with apprehension, remained silent, for Han Li was the only hope of his daughter's life. "The conditions are quite simple: Han can help this young girl cultivate the great ability of Ice Essence Cold Spirit, and even formally enroll her as a named disciple. However, once her ability reaches its full maturity, she must go to any lengths to find a specific item for me—this item might be among the human or demon clans, or possibly hidden in some remote corner of the wild frontier. Only someone who has successfully cultivated the Ice Essence Cold Spirit ability will be able to sense and locate it. Naturally, this will be an extremely dangerous undertaking. Will the two of you still be willing to commit to this on behalf of the young girl?" Han Li looked at the two women, his gaze flickering as he asked. "Hehe, don't worry about that. Since I've formally accepted her as my named disciple and have invested so much effort in helping her cultivate the Ice Essence and Cold Spirit, I certainly won't let her go without a trace. The thing she's seeking must at least be of stage equal to or above the Perfected Immortal to be able to sense it. Moreover, I'll bestow upon her some precious treasures for protection. If she can find it near the human and elven realms, there'll be no need for her to risk venturing deep into the wild frontier at all. Otherwise, even if it's not available in those nearby realms, I'll wait until her cultivation reaches a further stage before sending her into the remote wilderness." Han Li spoke calmly, thoughtfully, as if already well considered. "The Perfected Immortal stage! That's more than sufficient. For me, that's a level still beyond my reach. Moreover, without the senior's timely intervention, this young one wouldn't even survive the coming years. Reaching the Perfected Immortal stage would take at least a thousand years, if not more." The Lady Yuehua, though not particularly powerful in her cultivation, was remarkably resolute, and immediately agreed without hesitation. As for the whitening and although there were still some concerns, they knew the young widow's words were most reasonable, and thus nodded repeatedly. The elderly woman by the side had no reason to object. "Well, then. I'll take Guo as my designated disciple, and for the next hundred years, she will stay with me temporarily. After a hundred years, I will return her to you. Aside from matters concerning her cultivation, I will not interfere with her in any way." Han Li smiled warmly and said this with a kind expression. "Then, I shall be greatly obliged to the senior." Hearing this, the middle-aged man truly felt at ease, his face filled with gratitude as he bowed deeply once again. Han Li did not use any spell to refuse, calmly accepting the bow. Yue Hua, the fairy maiden, also expressed her heartfelt thanks with a pleased expression. The elderly woman by the side exhaled a long breath of relief and couldn't help but feel delighted within. Though the other party only enrolled Guo'er as a named disciple, without fully intending to pass on the teachings and lineage, they had still managed to establish some connection between this senior cultivator at the Consolidated Stage and the Jin Guangzong group. At the very least, they could now leverage their position and no longer fear being easily challenged or visited by others. Just as the old woman was about to speak further, aiming to strengthen her ties with Han Li, a timid voice suddenly rose from beside her: "Master Han, may we also be honored to join your discipleship?" Upon hearing this, everyone present turned to look in surprise. The speaker was none other than the "Sea Young Lord" standing below. He was gazing earnestly at Han Li, clearly both nervous and hopeful. "Hmm, joining my discipleship?" Han Li smiled gently at the Sea Young Lord, neither immediately refusing nor promptly accepting. "Ah, so it seems Master Han has agreed, then." "The spirit of the artifact, Zi Zhuang, also stepped forward with courage and joined in the laughter, asking a question. Clearly, the young Taoist was well aware that, for both himself and the sea-wealth heir, this was a once-in-a-lifetime, unparalleled opportunity. To be under the tutelage of a Consolidated Immortal cultivator—something many lower-tier cultivators could only dream of—was no small matter. Thus, upon seeing that White Guo'er had been accepted as a designated disciple, the two immediately exchanged private words through telepathy, and then, relying on their prior familiarity with Han Li, boldly took the initiative to formally become his disciples. "The junior will definitely make the elder proud!" The spirit of the artifact bowed three times before standing up with a cheerful smile. Han Li's face revealed a mixture of苦笑 and hesitation—he nodded, yet shook his head as well, his thoughts unclear. "The cold toxin within Guo's body has already been expelled once by me, and it won't reappear for at least a year. After the Universal Treasures Assembly, I will personally come here to take her away. In the meantime, you should prepare well. By the way, have the young girl carry this piece of Yan Yang Jade with her at all times. While it won't completely eliminate the cold toxin, it will certainly benefit her health. This jade is also a good protective artifact—when danger arises, it will automatically safeguard her. Additionally, I have a bottle of 'Nourishing Essence Pills' here; give Guo two pills every day for the next two days." As Han Li finished speaking, his sleeve suddenly swept across the table, and at that moment, a square jade pendant glowing with red light and a small green bottle appeared precisely on the table surface. One could clearly sense the remarkable spiritual aura emanating from the jade pendant, which immediately revealed its no ordinary nature. As for the Nourishing Essence Pills, they were renowned throughout the spiritual realm as sacred tonic herbs especially suited for restoring vital energy—perfect for the young woman currently suffering from depleted qi. Upon hearing this, the young wife expressed her great delight, thanked the guest warmly, and carefully set the two items aside. Meanwhile, Hai, the young noble, and the Artifact Spirit Master, who had just witnessed their newly enrolled disciple receiving such immediate benefits, could not help but openly display their admiration and envy. This sight made Han Li slightly amused. After a brief thought, he flipped his hand and produced two additional pill vials, handing one to each of them, then smiled and said, "Regardless of whether or not you eventually become my formal disciples, I'm certain we've shared a bond of fortune throughout this journey. One of these pills strengthens the bones, while the other enhances your magical power. Please take them." "Thank you, Master Han!" "Hai Dashi and Qi Ling Zi naturally rejoiced, immediately expressing their gratitude in unison upon receiving the medicine bottle, deeply impressed that Master Han had truly chosen the right future master. They then carefully stored the bottle, treating it as a precious find. As for the rest of the journey, Han Li had no intention of lingering any longer. After exchanging a few more words, he calmly led Hai Dashi and the other two away from the location. A short while later, all three found themselves aboard a flying vehicle, slowly heading toward Jiu Xian Mountain. "Master Han, as we draw nearer to Jiu Xian Mountain, shall we seek out a temporary dwelling or place of residence as well?" Qi Ling Zi asked, naturally curious as they approached the mountain. "No need to bother so much. Although Jiu Xian Mountain currently restricts ordinary cultivators from entering, that only applies to regular practitioners. Once we pass through, there will surely be dedicated attendants to welcome and host us," Han Li replied with ease.