"Ah, now I see! I always thought Master Han was a full-stage cultivator." Hai Da-Shao smiled warmly. "Exactly! I'm sure the place that Mountain Nai has prepared for you must be magnificent. With your kind hospitality, we'd be honored to take a look and get a first impression." Qi Ling Zi blinked her eyes, equally flattery-driven. Although Han Li immediately sensed the two's praise, he only chuckled lightly and said nothing. Not long after, the flying carriage passed through a bustling market and plunged directly into the mountains ahead. For a flying vehicle of top-tier rank, a distance of over a thousand li was nearly covered in an instant. Suddenly, a vast expanse of blue cloud sea appeared ahead, completely blocking the way. Han Li lightly stepped on the flying carriage with his single foot, and the carriage instantly spun and came to a halt. Han Li said nothing, merely rubbed his palms together and then raised them toward the cloud sea. A thunderous roar followed, and two golden lightning bolts shot out, vanishing swiftly into the cloud sea. At that very moment, two tremendous booms echoed through the blue mist. Two powerful spiritual pressures surged forth from the sea of clouds, violently tossing and swirling the blue fog as if a storm of surging waves had broken through. Yet, Han Li simply straightened his arms behind him, calmly standing still within the carriage, making no further movements—seeming to be waiting for something. Sea Dai and the artifact spirit observed this, murmuring quietly in their minds, but dared not interrupt or ask questions, remaining steadfastly behind Han Li. A short while later, a few strange animal roars gradually emerged from the mist ahead, followed by a man's sharp, exasperated cry: "Who dares to attack this seal? Didn't anyone know this place has been a restricted zone since three months ago?" As soon as the man's voice fell, a ripple passed through the blue mist, and the sea of clouds parted suddenly, revealing a vast channel several zhang wide. A flash of blue light, and several guards leapt out, riding massive beasts. Each guard stood tall and broad-shouldered, seemingly two heads taller than Han Li. They wore coarse, white bone armor on their upper bodies and various leather pants on their lower halves, one hand cradling a large square bone shield and the other holding a thick black spear. The beasts they rode resembled giant wolves with enormous fleshy wings, but their fur was a deep blue, shimmering with faint electric glimmers, giving them an unusually mysterious appearance. Yet these guards showed no trace of magical energy—rare high-level physical cultivators, whose sheer physical strength rivaled that of Dao-Stage cultivators. Upon seeing Han Li standing aboard the floating vehicle, gazing at them with mild interest, neither retreating nor fleeing, the four guards were momentarily taken aback. Among them, the tallest and seemingly leading giant, whose initially fierce expression now carried a touch of surprise, raised his hand and, with a single gesture, halted the four of them, bringing the strange beast to a standstill at the edge of the misty sea. "You are indeed the renowned Lei Wei of Xuanwu Mirror, as famed as the name suggests. Well deserved. Yet, since you've arrived here, has Master Baohuang already reached Jiuxian Mountain?" Han Li, not waiting for the others to respond, asked this question himself. Upon hearing Han Li's confident tone, the guards were even more alert and attentive. The leading giant, his expression now sharpened, bowed respectfully and said, "Indeed, we are the Lei Wei serving directly under Master Baohuang. However, Master Baohuang has not yet arrived here. Our party came to Jiuxian Mountain first, to strengthen the local order. May I ask, esteemed elder, your honorable surname and title?" "Heh, the name Han may not be well known to you," Han Li replied. "But recently, your Master Baohuang sent a delegation to invite me to join his court." "But for other reasons, I can only regret having to decline." Han Li replied lightly. "Wait—so you're the newly advanced Body-Unity cultivator, Han Li?" "Ah, you know me?" Surprised, Han Li had hardly opened his mouth when the leading guard immediately called out his name, as if he were well-known. This made Han Li pause and take a closer look. He then noticed that although the leading man was a Body-Forger cultivator, there seemed to be a subtle radiance of precious light emanating from his body, suggesting he carried several strong treasures—indeed, quite different from the other three Body-Forgers. "Please don't mind me! My grandfather is one of the four personal bodyguards serving the Baohuang, so I've only occasionally heard a bit about your accomplishments." Seeing Han Li's expression of surprise, the man quickly explained. "Personal bodyguard!" Ah, I've heard of them before. It's said these four companions all hail from the elite physical cultivators, further nurtured and refined by the Grand Sovereign himself. Though they lack innate spiritual power, each possesses an exceptionally strong and resilient body, capable of withstanding top-tier treasures and exerting tremendous strength—like a pillar of heaven. Han Li seemed somewhat enlightened. "My grandfather's reputation, in the presence of Master Han, truly counts for little. Master has journeyed so far, surely must be weary. Allow me to escort you into the inner hall and settle you in the Yingsheng Palace for a while." Though the leading guard was broad-shouldered and sturdy, he now displayed a graceful demeanor, smiling politely and speaking thus. "Heh, you mention that, and I do feel rather fatigued. Then, let's proceed ahead!" Han Li nodded. "Yes, Master, please enter!" After a respectful bow, the four guards parted gracefully and slowly took off toward the inner path. Han Li urged his flying chariot forward, entering the misty sea with dignified composure. The misty sea was clearly not vast; within just a moment, Han Li took flight alongside the four body-physicists ahead, soaring directly toward a distant towering peak. Good news—the preparations for this Wàn Bǎo Festival had already begun years ago, so there should be no major issues. However, I've heard that this year's festival differs from previous ones in a few ways." Along the way, the leading Han man proactively introduced Han Li to Nine Immortal Mountains and the current preparations for the festival, though his voice noticeably paused at the last sentence. "Oh, in what ways?" Han Li was slightly intrigued, and asked slowly. "These are just rumors I've picked up by chance, and I'm not sure if they're true. Should I make any mistakes, I hope you won't mind." The man hesitated before speaking. "Don't worry. I'll judge the truth for myself. I certainly won't hold it against you." Han Li glanced at him calmly and said with a gentle tone. "Then I'll take the liberty to share what I've heard. It seems that this year's Wàn Bǎo Festival might feature participation from foreign clans, and some of their rare treasures will be publicly auctioned. "The Han man took a deep breath and spoke cautiously. "Foreigners? Do you mean people from the nearby Wood Clan or the Spirit Clan, or perhaps the Barbarian or Yaksha clans?" Han Li was genuinely surprised and his face slightly changed as he asked. "Actually, I'm not quite sure about that! I'm merely an ordinary Thunder Guard after all," the Han man smiled with a touch of embarrassment. "That makes sense. Nevertheless, I'll remember this favor. Take these several bottles of 'Rejuvenating Pills'—if you take one every few days, you'll be able to extend your lifespans significantly. Should you hear of anything useful in the future, please come and let me know. I won't let you down." Han Li's expression had gone through several changes before settling into calmness, yet with a simple hand motion, he tossed the several bottles of pills to the four guards before him. "Thank you so much for your generous gift, elder. Should I learn anything further, I will certainly inform you in advance." The tall man at the head immediately brightened upon hearing the name "Complementing the Primordial Pill," taking it eagerly and responding with a slightly trembling voice. The other three also expressed their delight and hurriedly bowed in gratitude. Han Li, however, merely waved his hand, closed his eyes slightly, and remained silent in the carriage. The four Lei Wei officers proved equally considerate, neither disturbing Han Li, and after continuing their flight for some time, finally arrived at the foot of a mountain. There, a vast complex of pavilions and halls stretched continuously, nearly encompassing half the mountain's height. Among these structures stood a magnificent white jade palace, soaring three or four hundred zhang in height and divided into about ten stories, impressively grand and imposing. Surrounding this palace were numerous finely crafted pavilions, arranged east and west in a scattered pattern, numbering in the hundreds, forming a subtle encircling ring around the central white jade palace. "Master Han, this is the Yingsheng Palace. All elders who have reached the Consolidated Stage may bring their disciples to occupy a separate floor each." Each level of the palace features a dedicated teleportation array, allowing visitors to reach the main hall on the ground floor without passing through the lower levels. The surrounding pavilions are specially prepared for the elders who have reached the Lingxu stage. However, at present, only such senior cultivators—those who have achieved the Hétǐ stage—have the qualification to enter these pavilions. Moreover, there is a similar Yingxian Palace situated at the base of each mountain peak, capable of accommodating all the senior cultivators who attend. The leading elder carefully explained. "Oh, I see—this Yingxian Palace here has already been occupied," said Han Li, now showing genuine interest. "Indeed, your honor. Aside from the Wangan True Person and his disciples who arrived a month ago, no other cultivator at the Lingxu stage has settled here," the elder replied honestly.