Han Li remained in the inner chamber for over ten days. On this day, while seated on the cushion, he suddenly sensed something and, with a slight shake of his sleeve, folded the Map of Ten Thousand Swords. Then, rising from his seat, he stepped out of the chamber. In the main hall, Hai, the young lord, and the artifact spirit master were respectfully waiting. As soon as Han Li appeared, they immediately approached to pay their respects. Hai then withdrew a golden invitation from his sleeve, held it out with both hands, and said, "Master Han, this is an official invitation from the Universal Treasures Fair. With this invitation, you may freely attend auctions of all levels and access all venues of the Fair. Moreover, today marks the first day of the Fair, and the first major auction will take place on Fēixian Peak. According to past traditions, this auction is the most significant event of the Fair and serves as the official signal that the Fair has officially begun." "Several precious treasures contributed by the major powers and private patrons will be on display at this auction." The spirit of the artifact also spoke respectfully. "Ah, you seem quite well-informed about this matter, don't you think? It appears that you haven't been idle in your travels these past days." Han Li smiled, took the golden invitation casually, and glanced over it. On the golden scroll, one side bore the ancient characters inscribed with "Ten Thousand Treasures," while the other featured a luminous silver pattern composed of a series of elegant symbols, both striking in their mystique and ingenuity. "Have all seven of the great demon kings arrived during my period of seclusion?" Han Li asked after folding the golden scroll. "Reporting to the elder, all five of the demon kings except Tian Kui the Wolf King and Tian Hu the Fox King have already arrived." Hai Da replied respectfully. "The Wolf King and the Fox King haven't come yet? That's rather unusual. Generally speaking, the Ten Thousand Treasures Assembly holds great significance for each of the seven demon kings, and they would never easily forgo their participation." Han Li's expression slightly tightened as he asked. "This young disciple has heard some stories from others! It's said that the Sky-Quay Wolf King is currently in seclusion, deep in cultivation, refining a powerful divine technique, so he won't be able to attend this gathering. As for the Sky-Panda Fox King, it seems he hasn't even stayed within the Sky-Panda Fox Territory—he merely sent messengers stating he has urgent matters, with no further updates." The spirit of the artifact truly knew some details and responded honestly. "Ah, now I understand! Then, let's set off. Though the Universal Treasures Gathering features numerous events, only a few truly interest me. I absolutely must attend the first auction. You two should come with me as well. While such auctions aren't accessible to ordinary attendees, with this golden invitation, we should be able to bring along several junior disciples." Han Li glanced at the two of them and suddenly smiled. "Junior disciples, Master—would you be willing to take us under your wing?" "Upon hearing Han Li's words, the two figures on the other side were momentarily stunned, but quickly recovered. Hai Da Shao's face lit up with excitement and asked eagerly, 'You two have rather low cultivation levels—directly taking you as disciples seems unlikely. If you're willing, I can accept you as associate disciples. Only when you reach the stage of Spiritual Transformation will I officially recognize you as my full disciples. I hope you won't let me down!' Han Li shook his head, speaking with a tone of seriousness. 'Associate disciples will do! Bowing to my teacher!' At once, Qi Ling Zi bowed deeply and respectfully paid three solid bows. Beside him, Hai Da Shao, still filled with excitement, also knelt down and performed the formal拜师 ritual, calling Han Li 'master'. Seeing that both individuals truly demonstrated sincere intent, Han Li nodded in acceptance of their bows, then raised his sleeve. A powerful, invisible force surged forth, instantly lifting the bodies of Hai Da Shao and Qi Ling Zi. Han Li's calm voice resumed: "You both should already know something about my background and origins. Before you, I also had two disciples in the lower realm. Therefore, you are not my only two disciples—there is also an elder brother and a senior sister among the others. However, my nature is simple and restrained, and I am unwilling to readily take on the role of a teacher for others, as I wish not to disrupt my own cultivation. Thus, whether it is the elder brother and sister or yourselves, there must be certain reasons behind your being chosen. For this reason, I need to clearly explain certain matters to you, so that you may not later grow confused or harbor doubts or suspicions!" As Han Li spoke the final words, his tone deepened, and the temperature in the hall suddenly dropped sharply, as though enveloped by a wave of coldness. Even with the refined abilities of Hai's young lord and Qi Ling Zi, they both shivered and exclaimed, "We are not at all bold." "Heh, there's nothing to be afraid of at all." Had I been in my Foundation Stage, and if a Consolidation Stage cultivator had promised to take me as a disciple, I'd surely have been delighted—but probably also a bit hesitant." Han Li chuckled, unconcerned. Hearing Han Li say this, Hai the Young and the Spirit of the Artifact exchanged glances, feeling rather embarrassed and finding it hard to defend themselves further. "To be honest, if you two were merely ordinary Foundation Stage cultivators and regular physical cultivators, I would never have accepted you as my designated disciples. The very reason I've decided to take you both today is twofold: first, you genuinely share a bond with me—your character and conduct are quite satisfactory. But most importantly, one of you possesses the legendary 'Hidden Spirit Root,' and the other carries an inherited artifact." Han Li looked at them, his expression somewhat unusual. "The Hidden Spirit Root!" "The inherited artifact!" Hai the Young and the Spirit of the Artifact listened, both utterly puzzled. With these two's current attainments, it's clearly still impossible for them to grasp these very things that even most high-level cultivators find difficult to understand. "Regarding your 'inheritance artifact,' that's quite straightforward—it's a device sealed within your body, containing the secret techniques of the Mist Sea Sect's cultivation method. When your cultivation reaches a certain stage, it will automatically release part of its seal, allowing you to access the appropriate cultivation technique. Of course, the artifact itself is a rare and precious item; when properly activated in conjunction with the right cultivation method, its power is truly impressive." After saying this, Han Li paused. "Sometimes I've felt strange sensations within my body, and occasionally I've had bizarre dreams—now I see it's all been caused by this very artifact!" The Qi Ling Zi listened in wide-eyed astonishment, murmuring to himself without realizing it. Han Li smiled and continued: "In fact, your fortune is quite favorable. Though the Mist Sea Sect isn't particularly renowned, the secret techniques and divine powers of this lineage are truly remarkable and exceptionally well-suited to your cultivation path." Therefore, there is no need for me to teach you any further foundational techniques—only perhaps some secret arts once you have truly mastered your practice. Thus, the lineage of the Wei Hai Pavilion will continue through you. When you have attained great accomplishment, you may even take over as its head, further developing and flourishing this tradition—something I will never interfere with. I have chosen you as my disciple precisely because you already possess a solid lineage; with only a little guidance and nurturing, you will be able to cultivate independently. Otherwise, even if you were exceptionally talented, I would not readily take on the extra effort. Of course, once you join my sect, you will never lack access to resources. Should you feel dissatisfied or harbor any complaints about this, then the very ceremony of your enrollment may as well have never taken place. I will remain completely calm and composed, as I now do. "Master," the young Taoist said, bowing respectfully, "I am deeply honored to be your designated disciple. As for the specific cultivation techniques, I shall fully follow your judgment and have no complaints whatsoever." Upon hearing Han Li's words, the Qi Ling Zi's face turned pale and he bowed again, saying, "Yes, if you find it acceptable, then that's settled. As for Sea Young Master..." Han Li nodded with satisfaction, then turned his gaze to the handsome young man. "My master only needs me to call myself Hai Yu Tian. The title 'Sea Young Master' is merely a playful term used among friends—I am truly too humble to use it before my master." The Sea Young Master promptly responded with grace. "So, Hai Yu Tian is indeed your true name. Very well, from now on, you may be called Yu Tian." Han Li smiled gently. "Yes, Master!" The Sea Young Master replied respectfully. "Your situation is quite different from that of the Qi Ling Zi. Over these days, I have thoroughly examined your body and also consulted several peers of your level regarding some points of confusion. Now I am certain not only that you possess a rare molten-gold constitution, but also that the unusual lightning spiritual root within you corresponds to the legendary 'hidden spiritual root'." No, "Hidden Thunder Spirit Root" would be more accurate. "Hidden Thunder Spirit Root!" Hai the Young repeated it aloud twice, yet still looked utterly puzzled. "A body of molten gold is indeed rare, but given the vast population of the human race, such cases do occur with some frequency. This very reason allows you to progress so swiftly in body cultivation. As for the 'Hidden Spirit Root,' however, that's quite another matter! Throughout history, accounts of such roots have been scarce—almost completely drowned out among the various legends. That's why I initially didn't recognize this phenomenon and spent considerable time analyzing and verifying it. While the Hidden Spirit Root is difficult to detect, its occurrence rate among individuals is certainly no less than that of those with exceptional physical constitutions or true Spirit Lineage inheritors." Han Li explained. "Why is that?" the Spirit Artifact Spirit asked, deeply engrossed. "Because this kind of root is inherently possessed only by individuals who already have exceptional physical traits and who inherit special bloodlines." Only they could have their spiritual roots partially obscured or weakened by unique bodily conditions or bloodline strengths, allowing for the emergence of latent spiritual roots. However, even when such latent roots were discovered, many proved to be of little use. Ordinary cultivation sects generally would not accept such individuals. Only if their unique bodily conditions or bloodlines were truly extraordinary, or if they possessed rare types of spiritual roots—such as thunder or shadow roots—would they be considered. Even then, whether or not they were worth cultivating depended on the duration of their latent root's presence. If the latent root remained dormant for too long, cultivation would become significantly more difficult. During the period when the latent root manifested, however, the individuals could actually train and develop their spiritual energy. Han Li provided these two named disciples with a detailed explanation.