"Saint Island! Why do you ask this, friend?" Han Li's mind stirred. "If you'd rather not speak, that's quite fine. But I have one matter I'd like to discuss with you. Would you be interested in joining me at the Hall of Ten Thousand Spirits this evening?" The elder of the Long family seemed to give a light chuckle and then asked a follow-up question. "The Hall of Ten Thousand Spirits!" Upon hearing this, Han Li's brows slightly furrowed, his thoughts racing. This so-called Hall of Ten Thousand Spirits was a pavilion carved out of the mountain cliffs in the valley. Initially, the heads of the various families within the valley had gathered in this grand hall to discuss the details of the grand ceremony. Now, the elder of the Long family had specifically invited him to meet there—clearly, the matter at hand was of significant importance. "Could Elder Long kindly share a bit of what you'd like to discuss before I make my decision?" Han Li did not outright refuse, but replied cautiously. "Though we can't reveal much now, Long can assure you that this concerns a major matter following the outbreak of the magical calamity, one that will bring tremendous benefits to Brother Han, and even potentially determine whether we ourselves will have the opportunity to attain the Great Perfection stage?" After a moment's thoughtful pause, the elder of the Long family spoke calmly. "The Great Perfection stage!" Even though Han Li had always been exceptionally composed, he could not help his eyes briefly darting with sudden urgency upon hearing this. "Indeed, I have already arranged to meet with several other friends to jointly undertake this endeavor. Since Brother Han has achieved his second incarnation and possesses a golden body form, he naturally qualifies to participate." The elder of the Long family added. "Very well. Then, let us gather in the hall shortly." Han Li, though deeply surprised, managed to steady himself and finally responded after a while. "Heh, your decision is truly wise. The discussions we will have are certain to be of great interest to you." Master Long seemed highly satisfied with Han Li's response, and after a light chuckle, no further messages were passed on. The true spirit ceremony that followed was remarkably simple. After the family heads and elders had settled their disputes over resources and benefits through a series of discussions, a routine ritual was performed, and the ceremony concluded. Even more so, Xiao Feng, the young lady of the Valley, promptly chose a secluded location and, without hesitation, delivered on-site all the texts concerning true spirit blood, as well as the other items previously promised. Moreover, the head of the Valley family, unable to resist, extended a renewed invitation for Han Li to join the Valley family, clearly stating that if Han Li agreed, he would receive all the honors and benefits equal to those of the Valley's Supreme Elder, and would hold a position of absolute prominence—second only to the head, yet above all others. Upon hearing this, Han Li smiled and politely declined once again. This left Xiao Feng deeply disappointed, and she had to settle for a more modest invitation—inviting Han Li to visit the Valley family whenever convenient, signaling a sincere and lasting friendship between the two families. To this, Han Li naturally smiled and nodded in agreement. As a result, several noble families began to leave the Wanling Valley and returned along their original paths. Meanwhile, more families decided to stay in the valley for a few more days, exchanging resources and cultivation techniques with one another, so that the ordinary cultivator youths from these families wouldn't have come empty-handed. The Gu family also did not depart immediately, but settled temporarily in one of the buildings within the valley. Han Li himself occupied a small pavilion and remained there as well. However, that evening, he quietly left the pavilion and flew toward the Wanling Hall on the other side of the valley. As soon as he approached the grand hall, he found someone already standing quietly at the entrance, as if waiting specifically for him. Upon recognizing the person, Han Li's gaze briefly brightened. It was none other than Hui, the senior cultivator from the Long family. "Master Han truly is a man of his word," said Hui. "Liang brother and several other friends have been waiting for you for some time now." The black-robed man no longer bore the earlier ill grace, but instead bowed to Han Li with a smile, saying, "Now, Li Brother, have you arranged for others as well? Perhaps—?" Han Li was momentarily struck, pondering thoughtfully. "Ah, Han Brother is indeed sharp—no need for me to elaborate further. Please, come!" The black-robed man chuckled, then inclined his body with a gesture of invitation. "Then, I shall be grateful if you kindly show me the way," Han Li replied, nodding, and without any further hesitation. The somewhat reserved demeanor of the Hui Elder toward Han Li went unnoticed. As they proceeded one after the other, they entered the hall. The hall was unusually quiet and deserted—its guards, who should have been present, had all been summoned and removed beforehand. Under the guidance of the black-robed man, Han Li entered a particularly secluded side chamber. There, three figures were gathered around a large stone table. As soon as Han Li and the other two arrived, their eyes immediately swept over them. Han Li took a quick glance and his pupils slightly contracted. Among the three, the陇family elder, who remained expressionless, was aside; the other two were clearly the feather-dress maiden from the Ye family and the silver-ring-wearing, hair-flowing man from the Lin family. Together with Han Li and the Hui-family cultivator, five cultivators each possessing at least mid-stage of Consolidation level gathered here—something truly remarkable. Upon seeing Han Li, the feather-dress maiden's eyes sparkled, and she beamed at him with a warm smile. The hair-flowing man, however, merely glanced at him briefly before turning away, showing no clear impression or attitude toward Han Li. In contrast, the陇family elder, upon seeing Han Li arrive, unexpectedly broke into a rare smile and greeted, "Ah, Daojun Han has also come—please sit down." Han Li responded with a gentle smile, calmly walking over to one side of the table and settling himself with composure. The Huai-family cultivator simply sat down beside Long family's elder, calm and composed. "Long Elder, you've invited so many of us here this time—what exactly is it you'd like to discuss? Just say it plainly!" The bearded man from Lin family spoke up, clearly showing some impatience. "Hehe, Lin friend, don't rush. I'd like to introduce one more person to you all first, and then I'll explain everything clearly," Long family's elder chuckled lightly, unconcerned. "Is it possible that someone still hasn't arrived? Long brother, how many people exactly did you invite? Surely not the Feng family brothers, are you?" The young lady in flowing robe blinked her eyes, smiling gently. "Though the Feng brothers, when working together, possess powers no less than mid-level cultivators, their coordination is still quite limited. Moreover, this matter requires a substantial number of hands-on personnel, so I didn't invite them. As for the person I'd like to introduce, he has already arrived. Qianqiu friend, please come and meet everyone." Ling family's elder shook her head, but then turned her gaze toward a seemingly empty corner in the side pavilion and said something. This single remark naturally caused Han Li and the others to turn their attention instantly. They saw a faint aura emerge from the dimly lit corner, followed by a flash of yellow light, which suddenly materialized a yellow bronze mirror in mid-air. The mirror then slightly blurred and distorted, and surprisingly, transformed into a young woman dressed in yellow silk robes. Han Li's eyes widened slightly upon seeing her. "An immortal saint of the Ling clan! Li friend, what does this mean?" The bearded man, upon seeing the young woman, instantly grew pale, leaping up from his seat with great caution. This yellow-robed young woman was none other than the Saint of the Artifact Clan, who had previously appeared at the Universal Treasures Auction. It was clear that Lin family's Senior Elder had also attended that auction, which allowed him to immediately recognize this renowned saint. "Several of you need not be alarmed. The Saintly Maiden is here, precisely for the matter at hand. Without her intervention, this entire affair would have been impossible." The elder of the Long family spoke calmly. Yet the expressions of the others in the hall remained unchanged. Han Li's eyes flashed with caution, and the young woman in the flowing robe lost her smile altogether. The bearded man merely snorted, casting a distinctly displeased glance toward the yellow-robed maiden. Only the cultivator of the Hui surname, who had known of the matter from the beginning, showed no sign of surprise. "Please do not treat me as an outsider, ladies and gentlemen. Though I am a member of the Artifact Spirit race, my true origin traces back to a precious object carried by the Celestial Noble, Cen Tian, a true master of the noble lineage. It was only many years after his passing that I managed to awaken my own spiritual awareness and became a member of the Artifact Spirit race." The yellow-robed maiden bowed gracefully to Han Li and the others, her demeanor refined and elegant. "Cen Tian, the Noble?" Could it be that very great being from ancient times who founded the City of the Deep Abyss! The maiden in the feathered robe was momentarily stunned, then quickly brightened with surprise. "Indeed, it is this noble. Otherwise, how could Qianqiu have been appointed as envoy of the Spirit Clan alliance and sent to the noble houses?" The Saint Princess of the Qianqiu lineage smiled gently. "When did our human race begin forming alliances among the noble houses? Why have we heard nothing about it until now?" The man with flowing hair also expressed some astonishment. "This matter was jointly negotiated and signed by me, along with the Noble Emperor Tianyuan, the Emperor Xuanwu, and several other late-stage Great Beings on the Noble Holy Island. However, due to certain other circumstances, the official announcement is expected to come another year or so. By then, the esteemed friends will surely understand that what I have said is true." The Saint Princess smiled and offered a brief explanation. "Since you have already appeared at the Grand Assembly of Precious Treasures, the alliance with the Spirit Clans is inevitable. Nevertheless, Brother Long's bringing the Saint Princess into the Valley of a Hundred Spirits was rather impetuous." "This is indeed the sacred ground where our true spirit families hold grand ceremonies!" the young woman in flowing robes said, her expression still slightly serious. "Lady Ye need not worry! Brother Qianqiu entered the Valley of Ten Thousand Spirits only after the ceremony had concluded, and once we have finalized our matters tonight, he will leave immediately—there will be no issue at all." The elder of the Long family spoke calmly, as though he had anticipated this question all along. "Very well. Since Brother Long has assured us thus, I have no further questions. Please, then, elaborate on the important matters you wish to share with us." The young woman in flowing robes furrowed her brows slightly, then sighed. The man with his hair loose glanced at her several times before settling back, his expression slightly eased, as though he had accepted the explanation. Seeing this, the elder of the Long family nodded, but as soon as he spoke, he uttered words that nearly caused the man with loose hair to leap up again. "In truth, the matter is not very complicated!" I have invited all of you friends here precisely to wait until the moment when the calamity of the demons breaks out and the ancient demonic realm fuses with the spiritual realm, after which we shall make a deep journey into the demonic realm together!