Han Li naturally heard the words of the sea-wealthy young man—what a true delight! Distantly, the giant turtle roared out a thunderous sound, then retracted its limbs and head back into the earth. The massive black mountain formed by the creature's body instantly became fixed in place. At that moment, the cultivators within the black castle atop the mountain began to move. The numerous Lightning Guards circling in the sky descended toward the castle one by one. The black infantry formed orderly columns, leaping into the air and surging upward, then swiftly drew out various arraying tools, setting about bustling around the black mountain. In a short while, a series of magical arrays were fully established on the "black mountain," and a thick layer of black mist rose, completely enveloping the castle atop the mountain. Immediately after completing their tasks, the black infantry moved with clean efficiency straight into the black mist, vanishing without a trace. A quietness settled within the black mist, creating a stark contrast to the immense roar that had just echoed. At that moment, a dragon's cry resonated from another mountain peak, and a beam of golden light shot forth, swiftly reaching the upper reaches of the black mist in just a few flashes. As the brilliant light faded, a splendid golden dragon emerged, its head adorned with a silver single horn, stretching over ten zhang in length. Standing upon the dragon's back was a man dressed in white robes, smiling calmly. None other than the Tianyuan Sacred Emperor. "Xuanwu, it's been a long time. Would you be so kind as to meet the Tianyuan Emperor?" "Hmph. So it's you, old fellow. Then by all means, come in. Though you may not be a master of celestial wonders, even a mere illusion array can't stop a Sacred Emperor like you!" A cold voice emerged from within the black mist, speaking to the Tianyuan Emperor with no hesitation or courtesy. "Ah, then I shall be most obliged!" The Tianyuan Sacred Emperor smiled gently, showing no concern about the other's ill-tempered words. With a single step, he pressed his foot against the golden dragon beneath him, instantly transforming into a golden orb that vanished into the black mist, leaving no trace. The stillness in the mist remained undisturbed. Among the other cultivators who had been stirred by the arrival of the Xuanwu Sovereign and had come to gather, it was clear that there would be no further excitement below—each of them quietly took flight back to their respective dwellings. Naturally, Han Li had also harbored this thought. As he prepared to bow to Liu Qing and offer his farewells, he was surprised to find that the young woman suddenly beamed with a warm smile. "If Master Han does not mind, would you be so kind as to join me at my residence for a while? I have a friend of a former colleague of Master Han who has long wished to see you." "A former colleague!" Han Li's face briefly expressed surprise. "Indeed. She is actually the daughter of one of my old acquaintances. I met her on the journey and brought her along to the Yingxian Palace. As to who exactly she is, Master "The young widow smiled calmly." "Since Lady Liu has said so, I've also grown curious. I'd be honored to disturb you a little." Han Li, mentally revolving his thoughts, spoke with composed demeanor. "Friend Han's willingness is most excellent. It's quite a coincidence—my residence is just one floor above yours. There's little going on here, so let's return together." Lady Liu said, her expression utterly unassuming, as if she were no mere puppet. Indeed, it was no wonder she was hailed as the foremost master of human-style puppetry—this exquisite craftsmanship in creating lifelike puppets alone was extraordinary. With the passing of Tian Miao Ling Huang, the title of the first master of puppetry now firmly belongs to Lady Liu. "Very well! You two take the seal token and return to your quarters first." Han Li nodded, then suddenly tossed a silver plaque to Hai Da and the Artifact Spirit. "Please follow my instructions," he said. Hai Da and the Artifact Spirit, upon receiving the token, naturally bowed and obeyed. Han Li paid no further attention to the two individuals' subsequent actions, and followed the young woman directly toward the lower section of Yingxian Palace. A short while later, within a hall of emerald green on the sixth floor of Yingxian Palace, Han Li encountered a young woman dressed in a white robe, aged about sixteen or seventeen. Her face was graceful, with eyes that sparkled with life. Now she has even surpassed the Lingxu stage and has attained the initial stage of Lingxu cultivation. However, the drop of Tianfeng True Blood that Han Li received back then still came from this young lady, so naturally he is a little more courteous toward her. "My mother and Aunt Liu were close friends back then, which is why she was able to kindly invite me to come here," said Ye Ying with a gentle smile, adding a few more words of explanation. "No need to be formal, Ying, we were as close as sisters back then. It's truly a joy to meet the son of an old friend. What could this matter possibly be?" Liu Qing smiled lightly beside her. Upon hearing this, Ye Ying naturally thanked him several times. "But, Master Ye, when you invited Liu to bring me here, was it merely to see me face to face?" Han Li said, after a moment's thoughtful pause, then suddenly softened his smile. "Since you've asked that, I can no longer hide it any longer," Ye Ying was momentarily startled, blushing slightly. "Since Ying wishes to discuss matters with Master Han." "I'll just step aside and let you two talk things over," said Liu Qing, who was very tactful, smiling warmly as she said so. "Wait a moment, Aunt Liu! This matter actually has some connection to you as well—there's no need to avoid it." The young woman suddenly grew a bit urgent, stopping Liu Qing mid-sentence. "Oh, indeed—I hadn't realized there was more to it. Then I've actually heard Miss Ying describe this matter to me," Liu Qing was slightly surprised, and truly stayed put. Han Li, stroking his chin, also showed a clear interest in the conversation. "Actually, I came to see both of you with two matters in mind. One of them may not be particularly relevant to Mr. Han, but is quite significant to Aunt Liu." The young woman thought for a moment, then straightened her expression and said. "Of great significance to me?" Liu Qing furrowed her brows, her eyes sparkling with interest. "Indeed. I've heard that since the passing of the Spiritual Emperor, Aunt Liu has immediately begun her meditation retreat, and her true form has not yet emerged from it." Then, has Lady Liu already decided to vie for the vacant position of Spiritual Emperor? Ye Ying looked at Liu Qing, asking slowly. Upon hearing this, Liu Qing's expression slightly changed, and only after a pause did she gently exhaled and nodded. "Indeed. I believe I have fully inherited the master puppet technique of the previous Spiritual Emperor and have crafted several exceptionally powerful puppets. Should I achieve further breakthroughs during this period of seclusion, I should be able to stand a strong chance even against a late-stage Consolidated Stage cultivator. Naturally, I've also prepared for the contingency!" Her voice was not loud, yet it carried a clear sense of confidence. "Lady Liu truly has this intention. However, my mother has asked me to convey to Lady Liu a message: regarding the position of Spiritual Emperor a hundred years hence, do not strive for it. Should you succeed, it might actually prove to be a source of misfortune rather than good fortune." The young woman spoke earnestly. "Indeed, such a thing has never occurred to me before." Though I know your mother is exceptionally skilled in divination and possesses extraordinary intelligence, how could she possibly predict events that have not yet occurred? Or perhaps she has received some news? Li Qing immediately deduced what was on the young woman's mind from just a few simple words. "Li aunt truly is no ordinary person. Before Ying'er had even finished speaking, her thoughts were already largely guessed." "Master Han, regarding the matter I wish to share with you, I would kindly ask that you keep it confidential for now and not disclose it to anyone else." After a moment of hesitation, the young woman suddenly turned to Han Li and said this. Seeing her so careful and serious, Han Li realized that the matter she was about to reveal was truly significant, and without hesitation, he nodded in agreement. "Master Han promises that nothing you will share with me will be casually revealed to any third party." Though Han Li left no room for further discussion, the young woman, Ye Ying, was already satisfied and began to recount the circumstances. "In fact, the second matter is also closely related to the first. Perhaps Master Han may not be aware of it, but Aunt Liu certainly has heard something about it—the great demonic calamity that is due to strike our spiritual realm within the next thousand years." The young woman said, her face briefly showing a touch of fear. "A demonic calamity!" Aunt Liu remained composed, her expression only slightly serious, as though she truly knew of it. Master Han, however, was genuinely startled and could not help but exclaim aloud. This was understandable—most of the cultivators who had reached the Consolidated Stage had been at that level for over a thousand years, naturally having access to various channels of information. In contrast, Master Han had only just returned to the human realm a few years ago and had not yet established strong connections with several peers of his own stage. Thus, he was entirely unaware of the impending demonic calamity. After all, the news of the demonic calamity was still primarily circulating among the Consolidated Stage cultivators and remained highly confidential among the ordinary cultivators below, to prevent the spiritual and mortal realms from becoming disordered before the ancient demons even arrived. And through the annals of the Human race, Han Li naturally had a fair understanding of this magical calamity. Yet he could never have imagined that such a rare disaster—occurring only once every few thousand years—would erupt within just a thousand years. Was it truly his fortune that had been so unfavourable? First, he had encountered a rare invasion by alien forces in the Tianyuan City, a phenomenon occurring once every ten thousand years; now, he had just happened to witness this great calamity befalling both races. However, now he began to understand why, upon reaching the stage of Consolidated Body, so many powerful factions had reached out to him, offering increasingly attractive terms. Had it not been for his deep aversion to being constrained, the sincerity of several of these factions had genuinely moved him. "Since Lady Ye has mentioned the magical calamity, does it not seem that the position of Supreme Spirit Sovereign is somehow linked to the outbreak of this calamity?" Han Li inhaled deeply, his gaze flashing as he asked.