"Since there's a reason behind this matter, I'll just wait and see. But I'm not sure when I'll receive definite news!" Han Li naturally understood that Qingyuan Zi's willingness to speak thus was a sign of special regard. After a brief pause, he politely agreed. "To visit those elders, I can't simply send my second Yuan婴; my true self must personally attend. I estimate that, at the very least, it will take a month, and possibly up to six months, before my true body is able to emerge. With that amount of time, will Master Han still be able to wait?" Qingyuan Zi replied calmly. "Master has kindly taken the time to point that out. Though I'm eager, I'm confident I can manage to wait that long." Hearing this, Han Li couldn't help but smile slightly. "Ah, by the way, how is Master Han progressing with the Qingyuan Sword Technique? I assume the seventy-two Qing Bamboo Bee Cloud Swords have been remade, correct?" Qingyuan Zi suddenly smiled gently and asked. "Indeed, I have carefully refined all my flying swords according to the elder's guidance, and have now reached the final Qing Puan Sword Array. Yet the sword technique passed down by the elder is profoundly deep, and I have only grasped a fraction of it." Upon the elder's sudden shift in topic, Han Li was slightly taken aback, and replied without hesitation. "Then, would it be possible for me to impart a few insights on this sword technique to you? Over the years, I have developed some further understandings, which I believe will be of benefit to you. Moreover, you have now attained the mid-Stage of Consolidation. It is certain that you will eventually encounter a bottleneck at the late Consolidation stage. As for this matter, I have some personal insights that I would be pleased to share with you." The Qingyuan Master spoke something that both surprised and delighted Han Li. "Thank you so much for your kind generosity! To receive such guidance from the elder is truly a blessing of three lifetimes!" Han Li was overjoyed and immediately rose to his feet, deeply bowing in gratitude. He was quite clear that Qingyuanzi would act thus, naturally owing to the exceptional effort韩had put into gathering the materials—well beyond the standard. "Very well. Since Fr. Han has no further objections, let him stay here for now. I shall go and organize these materials. Tomorrow, you may come directly to my inner chamber to find me. Yao'er, Yanli, see that you properly entertain Fr. Han in the meantime." Upon seeing the matter settled, Qingyuanzi smiled and turned to Yuan Yao, giving her a brief instruction. "Yes, Master! Please rest assured, I will treat Fr. Han most kindly." "Thank you, Master!" Yuan Yao and Yanli bowed respectfully and promptly agreed. After nodding in approval, Qingyuanzi turned to greet Han once more before drifting gracefully out of the hall. Instantly, the hall was left with only Han and the two beautiful women. "Brother Han, truly unexpected—after barely a few centuries, you have already reached the mid-Consolidation stage. Such a swift progression is indeed quite impressive, and we all feel quite humbled." As Yuan Yao's face turned slightly rosy and still uncertain about what to say to Han Li, Yan Li began to gaze at him with an unusual intensity, murmuring in admiration. This boldness stemmed from their established rapport—having known each other for some time and being on equal footing—which made such a display quite natural. "It is no small feat that Lady Yan has remained with Jiang Senior and, over the course of several centuries, advanced from Fuding to Lianxu stage—such an opportunity must surely be envied by countless fellow cultivators. Moreover, over the years we haven't seen each other, the lingering yin energy in both of you has noticeably diminished. It seems you've both found a way to restore your human forms—most encouraging indeed." Han Li returned her gaze, studying her carefully, and smiled lightly. "Your cultivation prowess now is truly profound. I must admit, the subtle changes in both of us—especially in you and your sister—have not escaped your notice. Indeed, Jiang Senior has discovered a method that allows us to shed our half-goblin forms." However, this method has proven extremely slow, and so far, only slight improvements have been achieved. To truly restore the human form, it will likely take another two or three thousand years of gradual transformation," replied the elegant woman with a bright smile, clearly delighted by the news. "Both of you are not only from the same human realm as myself, but also among my closest friends in the Immortal Realm. It gives me great comfort to see both of you thriving well under Master Jiang's care." Han Li smiled and responded. "Han brother, if it's not too much trouble, would you mind sharing your experiences over the past years? Of course, you need not mention the most confidential matters. Since we ascended to the Immortal Realm, Yuan and I have been confined to a certain location, and we've always been deeply curious about your journey." Yuan Yao finally spoke up. "Indeed, I am equally eager to hear about your experiences over the past years," added the graceful one, visibly excited. "Heh, in fact, over the years, I've traveled quite extensively." He even made a trip to another continent. If the two friends would like to know more, I'll gladly share a few details!" Han Li smiled gently and did not hesitate to proceed. "After I left the two of you, I returned to my original island, where I meditated and practiced for some time, and fortunately, managed to break through to the Lingxu stage..." Thus, Han Li began to slowly and calmly recount his experiences during his years away from the Minghe region to the two women. Though he had omitted some of the most significant events, his journey, in comparison to the average person's, remained an exceptionally vivid and engaging one. Yuan Yao listened intently, her eyes sparkling with admiration, while Yan Li occasionally uttered a few exclamations of wonder. After a while, having finished his story, Han Li naturally asked the two women about their own practices and progress over the years. The two women responded openly and honestly. Yet, in comparison to Han Li's remarkable journey, their own experiences were remarkably plain and uneventful. Beyond cultivation and occasional trips outside this modest Yin He realm to gather supplies for Qingyuan Zi, there was little else to recount. Thus, time passed simply through idle conversations between Han Li and the two women. Later, after they had thoroughly enjoyed their chat, the two women took Han Li away from the hall and arranged a quiet, private room within the dwelling for him to rest. Han Li thus stayed there, meditating overnight, and on the following day, under the guidance of the two women, he proceeded directly to Qingyuan Zi's inner chamber. Time flew by swiftly—three months passed in the blink of an eye. That day, suddenly, a golden light and a streak of jade-green aura rose from the sky above Qingyuan Zi's dwelling, flashing several times before shooting off in a particular direction. Within the flowing light, one could see an elderly man in gray robes and a young man of about twenty, none other than Qingyuan Zi and Han Li themselves. However, the Qingyuan Zi currently floating in the air was not his yuan-ying avatar, but his true body. He had only just stepped out of his meditation chamber yesterday. During these three months, Han Li had naturally benefited greatly from the guidance of Qingyuan Zi's yuan-ying avatar. Yet, Qingyuan Zi's true body had already planned to visit a mysterious figure residing in the Yinhe region the very next day. What puzzled Han Li was that Qingyuan Zi had notified him of the journey before departure, prompting a sense of curiosity. "I wonder who this person you intend to visit is, and what their background might be," Han Li asked after a continuous journey of half a day. "Since I'm taking you along with me, I naturally believe this person will be more accommodating than the others, and thus have a better chance of securing some spiritual milk from them." As for his origins, I'm not entirely certain, but he is definitely not from the Fei Ling or Fu Yong clans—he seems to be a rare beast that has cultivated into a fully realized being. In terms of experience and longevity, I'd say even if I were to ride a horse, I'd still fall short. Though he's somewhat more courteous than the others, his temperament remains rather peculiar; when you encounter him, you'll need to pay close attention, especially to Mr. Han." After delivering this, Qingyuan Zi spoke with a serious tone. "Thank you, Master, I'll certainly be more cautious in my words." Han Li was taken aback, quickly responding with a polite nod. "Heh, but don't worry about that. He once owed me some favors back when he was younger. Unless something unforeseen happens, I'm certain this journey will yield significant results." Qingyuan Zi chuckled again. "If indeed things unfold as you've described, then I'll feel at ease." Han Li's eyes flashed with a smile, and he replied warmly. "Heh, then let's set out and make good progress." The man resided in a remote corner of the realm of the River of the Dead, a place even at our swift pace of travel would take over ten days to reach. Qingyuan smiled heartily, and as his body's golden light rippled, his speed suddenly surged more than double the previous one, transforming into a golden thread of rushing light. Han Li, witnessing this, naturally felt a surge of inner qi, fully unleashing his own speed as well, following closely behind in the form of a silvery thread. Yet these great fish seemed constrained in some way; not a single one broke the surface, and even as Han Li and Qingyuanzi flew overhead the lake, the fish remained unmoved, going about their business in the depths without showing any interest in coming up to investigate. Han Li was somewhat surprised, but after flying several hundred thousand li further, a striking island suddenly emerged upon the lake's surface. It stood out so prominently because the entire island shone with a brilliant golden glow, and atop it rose a magnificent golden palace that occupied nearly two-thirds of the island's area. The remaining portion was adorned with a variety of rare flowers and fruits, creating a scene of breathtaking beauty, like a fairy realm. However, the entire island was enveloped in a soft, hazy luminous veil, through which several faint and subtle spell fluctuations could be sensed. "This must be the person's residence!" Han Li exclaimed. "Come, young friend, let us go together with me." Upon seeing the island, Qingyuan Zi immediately halted his flight and turned to Han Li, smiling and saying.