The two young men from the Sea Clan, though slightly disappointed, could not refuse Han Li's instructions outright. Han Li immediately led them out of the hall and straight toward the teleportation array on the platform. Together with the Spirit Guardian, the two entered the array. Han Li then produced his silver token and waved it twice. The array shimmered, and the two were transported to the first floor of the hall. Only then did Han Li himself step into the array with calm composure. A flash of light, and his figure vanished. ...After a cup of tea's worth of time, Han Li found himself inside a magnificent palace seemingly constructed of red coral, engaged in a pleasant conversation with an elderly Taoist who held a beautiful young woman in his arms. This elder Taoist had a prominent hooked nose, a deeply serious expression, and a head of white hair coiled into a triangular braid. He wore a gray Taoist robe, adorned with eighteen lifelike white skulls, each vividly rendered. The elegant maidens, half reclining in the elder's arms, not only possessed full, well-proportioned figures but also had skin as smooth and lustrous as jade. Dressed in a remarkably light white silk robe, she partially concealed her form within the elder's embrace, revealing only her charming, radiant face, smiling happily as she listened to the elder and Han Li's conversation. At slightly greater distances along either side of the hall, there stood seven or eight similarly beautiful women, each dressed in robes of various colors, respectfully holding their hands in quiet posture. The elder, naturally, was the host of this gathering—the patriarch of Bao Gu Sect, Wan Gu the True. Whether the woman in his arms or the others standing beside him, they were all, by name, his maids of honor. Yet the one in his arms clearly surpassed the others in both appearance and grace, evidently the one most cherished by the elder. While casually discussing various memories from their days in the remote wilderness, Han Li silently pondered the various legends he had heard concerning Wan Gu the True. It is said that Master Wan Gu is not only proficient in a cultivation technique rooted in the magical path, but also exceptionally fond of beauty, greatly enjoying the practice of nourishing through sexual union, and nearly always delighted in the company of women each night. Now it seems this is quite true. "Ah, I never expected that you, so young and accomplished, would have such broad experience. When I first achieved my combined state, I merely wandered around the regions near the human realm and then returned home. Now, at your age, you still haven't lost your interest in the human world." The elder master admired with wonder, then sighed. "Master Wan has been kind to me. I have remained in the wilderness for so long due to a series of fortunate circumstances that compelled me to do so. Indeed, if I had followed my true intentions, I would never have left my own people. It is truly a matter of good fortune that I have managed to return safely, having traveled nearly half the continent." Master Han smiled and said. "Hah, hah! Then it seems that you yourself are a person of great destiny. Moreover, Master has achieved continuous breakthroughs in cultivation, advancing through several stages during this journey, and effortlessly reached the Consolidated Stage upon returning to the Huaxi lineage. While I may not be fully aware of what transpired beyond this range, within the last several thousand years, no one else has achieved such rapid progression as Master. When I myself broke through the Consolidated Stage bottleneck, it took me several thousand years of perseverance to finally succeed—something entirely incomparable to Master’s achievement. Given Master’s talent and age, one might even speculate that a chance at reaching the Great Perfection Stage is possible. The old master smiled warmly, his words subtly tinged with admiration. "Master, how could I possibly aspire to the Great Perfection Stage? As long as I can survive a few major celestial thunderstorms, I shall be content." Han naturally remained humble. "That’s precisely right. For us, reaching the Great Perfection Stage truly feels like catching moonlight in water. Over the course of our human lineage’s enduring presence in the Spiritual Realm, we have only produced about a dozen such individuals. Indeed, during a certain period when no Great Perfection Stage cultivators existed, the entire lineage nearly faced extinction. "Wan Gu Bone True Person seemed to recall something, and then spoke with a touch of sentiment. This time, Han Li remained silent, merely smiling without speaking. He had indeed heard some details about that great calamity befalling the human race. At that time, it appeared that several alien allied forces had jointly launched an assault. Had it not been for the fact that the demonic race was at its peak strength—producing two great transcendents at once—and recognizing that solely relying on their own strength would not allow them to sustain their presence in the spiritual realm, they had actively supported the human race. In fact, the human race might have faced complete extinction. "Master Han, having recently attained the Consolidated Stage, attending this Grand Treasure Assembly, surely intends to acquire a number of valuable items," Wan Gu Bone True Person quickly smoothed his expression and then shifted the topic. "Indeed, I require certain materials for alchemy. I hope to find something worthwhile here. After all, only now do rare materials, ordinarily unseen, become available." Han Li nodded, without any hesitation. "If that's the case, I have a suggestion—I'd like to hear it from Master Han!" the elder monk smiled. "Oh, Master, please go on!" Han was slightly surprised. "You both go ahead," the True Immortal didn't immediately address Han, instead sending his attendant lady to leave, and then gestured to the other women. Naturally, the women bowed gracefully and then withdrew gently, leaving the hall. In a moment, only Han and the elder monk remained. Then, the elder monk became serious and said to Han: "Master Han, this is your first time attending the Wanhao Grand Assembly as a Consolidated Immortal. Have you heard of the 'Black Domain Exchange Assembly'?" "The Black Domain Exchange Assembly! I've never heard of it before—does it resemble a marketplace or a secret shop auction?" Han's eyes flashed slightly, showing only a mild sense of surprise. A grand event such as the Ten-Thousand-Jewels Gathering would be rather unusual if it lacked some secret, informal side transactions. "Hehe, it seems that even though Brother Han has only just heard of this, he must have already suspected it. For us consolidated cultivators, ordinary items often fail to capture our interest. Even at the official auction of the Ten-Thousand-Jewels Gathering, one rarely leaves fully satisfied. Many of our fellow cultivators possess precious treasures, yet are unwilling to part with them to exchange for spirit stones—they simply wish to acquire items they urgently need. Others may have fine possessions, but whose origins are unclear, making it difficult to present them directly for auction. Additionally, some treasures are so rare that even when we consolidated cultivators obtain them, we fear they might be exposed, risking our lives. Thus, it appears that from some point forward, alongside each annual Ten-Thousand-Jewels Gathering, several such informal, small-scale side transactions have been consistently held. However, the Black Domain Assembly is the most mysterious of all—it is organized by a group of enigmatic cultivators specifically for senior cultivators. Nearly every senior cultivator attending the Ten-Thousand-Jade Assembly participates. The elder paused, noticing Han Li's growing interest, and then smiled, continuing: "These enigmatic cultivators are remarkably extraordinary, possessing vast powers. Indeed, during one of the exchange gatherings, they once defeated a mid-stage senior cultivator who had caused disturbances. Since then, no one has dared to offend these organizing bodies. As a result, attending the Black Domain Assembly is exceptionally secure. Moreover, the exchange is purely item-for-item, held only once, and concludes within a single day. Participants are never questioned about their identities or origins. For us senior cultivators, this arrangement is therefore ideally suited. In addition to our composite beings, there are also others who possess precious treasures and can bring their items to attend. Of course, ordinary treasures would not be allowed entry at all. Among the immortal clans, many are also participating. Thus, the assembly will feature certain materials strictly prohibited by the immortal clans, as well as rare spirit-beast eggs that are normally impossible to acquire through regular channels. Even some fully humanized female immortals have brought their assets to auction. Indeed, especially the female fox-immortals that day—each one an exceptional dual-renewal vessel—have drawn considerable interest from human disciples. Naturally, those who actually exchange these female immortals will surely treat them as treasures, housing them in their inner sanctuaries, otherwise the Seven Great Immortal Kings would surely find out—haha. Likewise, among the human disciples, several exceptionally gifted female candidates have also been brought to the auction, equally appealing to the immortal clans. "Upon hearing this, Han Li naturally realized that the so-called Black Domain Exchange Assembly was quite similar to the underground trading event he had attended during his rise in the Human Realm. The only difference was that the primary participants were all beings at the Consolidated Stage, and the value of the goods exchanged was simply incomparable. After listening to the old monk's entire account, he felt a subtle sense of astonishment. The human and elven cultivators strictly prohibited the forcible seizure of members from the other clan to serve as furnace vessels or concubines—this was one of the jointly established taboos between the two clans. Although over time, this regulation had been largely overlooked, if someone were caught violating it, it would certainly be a major issue. Thus, the mysterious cultivator organizing this Black Domain Exchange Assembly truly demonstrated extraordinary boldness. Indeed, the more daring the organizer, the more likely rare and previously hidden treasures would emerge at such a dark, somewhat clandestine assembly. However, what particularly captured his interest were the materials sourced from the various beast species." Han Li couldn't help but be struck by a sudden sense of interest. "Hearing the true master say this, I now genuinely feel intrigued. I'm just not sure where or when the exchange will take place." "The Black Domain Exchange will be held at a mysterious place known as the Black Domain. However, the Black Domain is not a fixed location—it's a self-mobilizing, ever-shifting Meridian Space. This clearly demonstrates the extraordinary abilities of the organizers. As for the timing, the organizers will notify all interested cultivators through various means and inform us of the entry procedures. As I understand, the entry methods will vary from one cultivator to another. I've attended this exchange several times, so I've developed some connections and channels to receive early updates. If you're truly interested, I'll be happy to accompany you there." The True Master smiled warmly. "Then I'd like to sincerely thank the True Master." After a brief thought, Han Li also smiled and readily agreed.