"If you truly came for this," Yuan Yao sighed gently, her tone soft and reflective. "What do you mean, Yuan Miss? Does Master Jiang have changed his mind about the Yinhe Divine Milk?" Han Li was startled. "Master Jiang is of such stature—how could he possibly back out on a promise he once made? It's just that some things have come about too suddenly, beyond even his control. As for the details, once we return to our residence, Master Jiang will explain them fully to Han Li. I shall not detain you further. However, Han Li, you need not be overly concerned—this matter is certainly negotiable." Yuan Yao's tone shifted, carrying a clear depth of meaning. Upon hearing this, Han Li remained puzzled, nodded thoughtfully, and then fell silent, lost in contemplation within the flowing light. Knowing that Han Li was deeply considering her words, Yuan Yao remained discreet, neither interrupting nor speaking, simply smiling warmly by his side throughout. Yet Qingyuan Zi flew forward without once turning back, as if with three streaks of light—two behind and one in front—his form vanished from sight at the edge of the sky in an instant. Where Han Li and the fish merchant had once fought, the scene now stood utterly empty. Several days later, the three finally returned to Qingyuan Zi’s dwelling. Han Li entered the cave residence and proceeded to the hall, which still bore a faint sense of familiarity. At that moment, the small green figure stretched lazily, and suddenly a flash of jade-green light rippled across his body, transforming him into a size comparable to an ordinary person. He then settled gracefully into the main seat and said calmly to Han Li, “You have now reached the stage of a fully consolidated cultivator. You needn’t be overly formal in my presence—please sit.” “Thank you, elder, for your kind generosity!” Han Li bowed respectfully before taking his seat at the lower end. As for Yuan Yao, she merely shifted her stance and gracefully stood behind Qingyuan Zi. At that moment, another young woman with a round face and white robes approached, carrying several cups of spiritual tea. She placed one gently in front of Han Li and smiled warmly, saying, "Greetings, Brother Han! I didn't expect you to return so swiftly!" This woman was Yan Li. "Ah, Miss Yan! It's been many years—your grace has never changed at all!" Han Li glanced at her and replied with a smile. "I am half-ghost in nature, so my appearance naturally remains unchanged. Hmm, though, Brother Han's cultivation seems even more profound than before—I can't quite discern your specific stage. Could it be that you've already reached the Consolidated Body stage?" Yan Li smiled and exchanged a few words, then carefully studied Han Li's face before suddenly growing pale and asking. Yan Li herself now possesses the early stage of the Transcendent Realm, yet to perceive Han Li's Consolidated Body stage solely through her spiritual awareness was still beyond her reach. "Indeed, I have fortunately advanced to the mid-Consolidated Body stage!" Han Li replied calmly. "The combined stage—already mid-level now! The woman before Han Li stood motionless on the spot. "Alright, beautiful. If you'd like to catch up, just wait until I've finished discussing matters with Han Li. Then, we can talk as long as you'd like," Qingyuan said, slightly impatient. "Yes, Master. Li'er has been a bit overwhelmed," the beautiful woman finally regained her composure, bowing respectfully and promptly offering Qingyuan another cup of spiritual tea. She then stood beside Yuan Yao. "Han Li, I hadn't expected you to appear at this very moment, so my main Yuan-Yin is currently in seclusion, deepening his meditation on a great divine technique. He's unable to manifest his true form to meet you," Qingyuan suddenly said to Han Li. "Indeed, Master. You're at a crucial stage of cultivation, and to appear in person through your partial Yuan-Yin form is already a great honor," Han Li replied, his expression solemn. Seeing Han Li so respectful, Qingyuan Zi nodded and then directly asked, "Since you've used the items I provided and returned to the Yinhe realm this time, you must have gathered quite a number of materials I need. How many, roughly? As long as you collect two-thirds of them, I'll consider your task complete." "Reported to Master Jiang, the materials I've gathered are all stored in this storage bracelet. Please inspect them yourself." Han Li did not immediately answer the question, but instead flipped his hand and suddenly produced a jade-green storage ring from his sleeve, then stood up and offered it to the elder with both hands. "Heh, Han Dao is quite confident indeed. The harvest must be substantial. Then let me take a look first." Seeing Han Li's actions—neither angry nor displeased, but rather pleased—Qingyuan Zi smiled and, without hesitation, reached out with one hand to grasp the storage bracelet and took it from him. Thus, facing Han Li directly, this being at the stage of Great Perfection gently closed his eyes and began to carefully probe his divine awareness into the storage bracelet. Seeing Qingyuan's actions, Yuan Yao and Yanli both turned their gaze toward the same direction. Though they themselves could not use their divine awareness to examine the materials within the storage bracelet, they could still gauge whether these materials truly pleased this accomplished being at the Great Perfection stage through his expressions. Han Li, however, remained remarkably composed, appearing utterly at ease. Given Qingyuan's powerful divine awareness and extensive experience, the sheer number of materials within the storage bracelet could not have taken much time at all. At first, Han Li's face showed no expression, but soon, his demeanor shifted—his eyes grew filled with emotion, and he became visibly moved and astonished. As time passed, the elder finally revealed a look of profound delight and excitement. Upon seeing this, Yuan Yao felt instantly relieved, yet she also turned to glance curiously at Han Li. Now that she is the adopted daughter of Qingyuan Zi, she naturally knows something about the material list he originally provided to Han Li. The sheer number and rarity of the materials had deeply impressed her, and for a long time she had worried that Han Li would simply be unable to fulfill this task. But now, observing Qingyuan Zi's demeanor, it's clear that Han Li has indeed gathered most of the materials listed—otherwise, Qingyuan Zi could not be so visibly shaken. After all, when Qingyuan Zi first entrusted Han Li with such an exacting list, he hadn't truly expected Han Li to succeed; it was merely a hope for the best. And yet, for Qingyuan Zi, who cannot leave the Minghe region, these materials are of paramount importance. Standing beside Yuan Yao, the graceful woman also looks at Han Li with a sense of astonishment, her eyes subtly reflecting a mixture of emotions. "Very well. Excellent." Besides several materials that even I personally went out to seek without success, you have managed to gather all the others, Master Han. This truly surprises me. With this, my confidence in successfully weathering the next lightning incursion will increase by an additional two percent." Master Qingyuan's eyes suddenly widened with excitement as he said this to Han Li. "These materials can only boost the senior's chances by two percent?" Han Li, upon hearing this, was startled. After all, nearly every one of these materials was already rare in the spiritual realm, and some had been directly obtained from the sacred medicinal gardens deep within the Banhuan realm. Han Li even believed that many of them had likely gone extinct in the spiritual realm long ago. "Heh, Master Han, you may not know this, but at our stage of development, ordinary means of resisting a lightning incursion have become completely ineffective, and the external forces we can draw upon are now extremely limited." These materials have already increased my chances of successfully enduring the trial by twenty percent—this is the result of my careful calculations over the years. Well, let us set that aside for now. When I first promised you, I said that as soon as you delivered these materials to me, I would send you some Yinhe Milk as compensation. Now, Master, are you still willing to exchange these materials for the Yinhe Elixir? If you are, I can offer you other items of equal value in return for these materials." After gently lifting his storage bracelet, Qingyuan Zi smiled and asked. "Master must understand, after achieving the Consolidated Body stage, these elixirs are of vital importance to my next stage of advancement. The Yinhe Milk—I absolutely must have it." Since Yuan Yao had previously hinted at this a few times, upon hearing the elder's words, Han Li felt a sudden sense of urgency and immediately replied without hesitation. "Ah, in that case, it may take a bit of effort to arrange. "Qingyuan Zi's brow slightly furrowed, and though he did not immediately decline, he clearly seemed to be pondering something deeply. "Senior, it appears you're somewhat at a loss—could you please tell me what exactly has happened? I remember you've always had some Ling River's milk at your disposal!" Han Li's eyes flashed, and he promptly asked directly. "Indeed, to be honest, if Fraternal Master Han had arrived a hundred years earlier, or even a few centuries later, I wouldn't be in such a predicament at all. The milk I currently hold has already been borrowed and urgently needed by others. Should it be another few centuries, I might even be able to procure some fresh supplies." Qingyuan Zi cleared his throat, speaking with a touch of resignation. "Borrowed? That's quite a surprise," Han Li remarked, his expression instantly shifting. "Correct. The one who has borrowed it is a Supreme Elder of the Fu Yue Clan, someone I have a considerable personal connection with. In fact, it was precisely due to their intervention that I was able to find refuge here." "Thus, when I originally borrowed the milk from the River of the Underworld, I truly could not refuse." Qingyuan Zi slowly revealed the truth. Hán Li heard this and naturally looked somewhat displeased. "Nevertheless, Master Hán, rest assured—should you truly desire the River of the Underworld's nectar, it is not truly beyond reach," Qingyuan Zi suddenly smiled gently. "What is your intention, Master? Do you have other means of obtaining the nectar?" Hán Li immediately brightened, his spirits lifted with great delight. "Of course. Though the River of the Underworld's nectar is exceedingly rare, every time it is produced, I am always able to secure a share. However, there are other several great beings residing in this realm who likewise claim their share. Essentially, half of the nectar is collected by the Fúyóu clan, while the other half is divided among us. The only issue is that these individuals are all rather eccentric—some of them even surpass me in their brilliance, and we have not had much interaction." "I can only personally visit to find out whether we can actually secure the elixir. But please rest assured—should it prove impossible to obtain the elixir, I will still compensate the friend with other terms equally satisfactory. I will not allow the friend to suffer the slightest loss." Qingyuan said with confidence.