Han Li finished pondering, sighed slightly with concern, and moved his arm, lightly flicking a finger at the ground toward Zhu Guo'er. A dot of emerald essence shot out, vanishing instantly and merging into the young girl's body. At that moment, the sleeping girl's eyelids fluttered, and she slowly awakened. But when Zhu Guo'er sat up suddenly, recalling the events that had unfolded just before she lost consciousness, her face immediately turned pale. "You performed a soul-siphoning on me!" she stared at Han Li, asking each word with emphasis. "I didn't perform a soul-siphoning on you merely to learn what I wanted to know. Rest assured, I wouldn't waste my mental effort on information that wasn't of interest to me, and with my current cultivation level, I've done no harm to your spirit. But you're not from the Spirit Realm—you came directly from the Small Spirit Heaven. That truly surprised me." Han Li replied calmly. Upon hearing that Han Li had even mentioned the name 'Xiao Ling Tian,' Zhu Guo'er bit her lips tightly and remained silent for a long while. "I have planted a seal within you. During your stay in the City of Phantom Night, you shall serve as my attendant for a while. Should I be satisfied, I shall not only return your freedom when you leave the city—but if not, then you shall remain under my service. For now, go down to any room you like and rest. Unless there's something special, you need not come to me. From this point on, you shall address me as 'Master.'" Han Li paid no attention to the girl's expression, instead giving a light, matter-of-fact instruction. "Yes, Master. I shall retire now!" The yellow-robed maiden could only sigh and nod in thanks before gracefully descending the stairs. It seemed clear that she fully understood that any resistance against a fully established Magus would only serve to make things harder for herself. Yet, given his listless demeanor, it was evident that he did not harbor much hope in Han Li's initial promise. Han Li watched as Zhu Guo'er's silhouette disappeared around the stairwell, then lifted his head, gazing upward and standing motionless once more. For three consecutive days, Han Li had remained quietly meditating on the top floor of the attic, never leaving his residence. But on the fourth day, someone had come to visit him. "Has Zhao's head of household sent someone?" Han Li sat cross-legged on a mat, looking at the yellow-robed maiden who had come to deliver the message, and raised an eyebrow in inquiry. "Yes, Master. Just now, a senior from Zhao's household personally delivered a formal invitation and insisted it be handed directly to you!" Zhu Guo'er held a gleaming silver scroll in her hands, speaking calmly. "I'll take a look." Han Li narrowed his eyes, extended one hand into the air, and with a sudden "whoosh," the scroll materialized in his grasp. He gently unfurled it. "Psst!" A golden glow burst forth from the silver scroll, blurring slightly, and then took the form of a refined middle-aged man's ethereal silhouette. This man had subtle black scales at the corners of his eyes, yet his pupils shimmered with golden light. It seems this is the master of the Zhao family! The ethereal figure bowed slightly to Han Li, then smiled and spoke several words in a most courteous tone. He outlined two matters: first, he had learned from the yellow merchant of the Ten Thousand Slaves Tower about Han Li's arrival as the Magus Sovereign. As the landowner of the Unfolding Night City, the Zhao family wished to cultivate a good relationship with Han Li and explicitly stated that they would not harbor any displeasure toward him, no matter how significant the matter of a single female slave might be. Second, on the day one month hence—the day of the Zhao family's ancestral rites—he hoped Han Li would attend as a distinguished guest. After finishing his words, the figure bowed once more and then dissolved into a soft "pop," leaving behind a gleaming invitation scroll. Han Li glanced at the scroll. On its surface, intricate black magical patterns were etched densely, while at its center stood a radiant golden character: "Zhao." Han Li remained expressionless, yet suddenly clenched his hands tightly. With a deep rumble, a silver flame surged forth from within his palm, instantly turning the scroll into ashes. "When Zhao family comes to inquire about my reply next time, tell them I've accepted their invitation and will attend on the scheduled date one month from now!" Han Li instructed the young woman. "Understood!" Zhu Guo'er bowed slightly and then withdrew. Han Li then closed his eyes again and settled into meditation. Unexpectedly, however, just one day later, the yellow-robed young woman came again to report that a lady named Bai had visited, claiming to be an old acquaintance of Han Li's. Upon hearing this, Han Li immediately guessed that the visitor was likely Bai Yunxin. It seemed that the news of his sudden ascension as the Lord of Magic had finally reached the Bai family; otherwise, this lady would not have come personally just a few days after returning home. Han Li thought thus in his heart, yet he did not fail to notice the young lady. Immediately, he instructed Zhu Guo'er to have the guests wait in the main hall on the ground floor, and only after a moment or two did he descend from the top floor with calm composure. When he arrived at the ground floor hall, Han Li immediately recognized the beautiful young woman seated on the chair—exactly the one he had been expecting. A gentle smile played at the corner of his mouth, and he said, "It is indeed Lady Bái who has come to visit. Han Li came down a little late, and I hope you will not mind." As he spoke, the aura of a Consolidated Stage cultivator flowed out from him without any concealment, openly and naturally revealed. Bái Yunxin merely glanced at Han Li with her spiritual awareness, and instantly her face turned pale. She rose from her seat and hurriedly bowed, saying, "The young disciple had no knowledge of the true form of the Lord of the Demon Realm earlier, and thus may have caused offense. I beg your indulgence, Master!" "Those who don't know, won't be surprised. I was initially afraid you might be too reserved, so I kept my energy at the Lingxu stage. How could I possibly blame you?" Han Li chuckled, gestured to the young wife, indicating she should sit down and speak. He himself walked to the main seat and settled calmly. "No, no, the young servant has been rather negligent on the way, and has truly not shown proper respect to the elder," replied Bai Yunxin, her heart slightly relieved, yet still cautious, not daring to truly sit back in her chair. Seeing her careful demeanor, Han Li didn't press further, but instead gave a slight glance and asked, "Bai Daojun has come so promptly—this surely isn't just to offer an apology, is it?" "The elder is right. I have already informed the ancestral family of Fu Tian of the elder's matter. Now, under the old patriarch's command, I have come specifically to invite the elder to visit our estate and meet in person!" Bai Yunxin replied briefly. "Ah, then it's indeed Fu Tian Daojun's invitation. In that case, I must certainly meet with you." "Well, Bai, take the lead and show me the way ahead," said Han Li, who showed no surprise at all and immediately agreed. Bai Yunxin beamed with delight and nodded enthusiastically. Han Li did not take Zhu Guo'er along, but instructed the young lady to remain in the pavilion, then walked out of the gate with Bai Yunxin with a dignified air. When they reached the area near the grand gate, there was already a massive beast carriage waiting, drawn by eight unicorns. A purple banner stood atop the carriage, bearing a single black character that seemed to shimmer faintly against the purple fabric—clearly a special vehicle reserved for honored guests from the Bai family. On either side of the carriage, sixteen black-armored knights rode dual-headed giant wolves, standing quietly in attendance. These guards, along with their steeds, were fully encased in a layer of black armor, each carrying two massive swords at their backs. A subtle aura of martial energy radiated from them, faintly visible, indicating that each had already reached the stage of Spiritual Transformation. After a quick glance at the knights, Han Li's expression subtly changed. "These Hu Sha Wei are our Bai family's specially trained elite. Each has lived alone in the wilderness for over a century, slaying countless beasts—what do you think, elder?" Upon seeing Han Li pay attention to the magical knights, Bai Yunxin smiled gracefully and asked. "Indeed, they are no less than the formal elite of the great city," Han Li nodded, then climbed onto the beast-carriage, closing his eyes and remaining silent. Seeing Han Li's composed demeanor, Bai Yunxin didn't dare to ask further and simply followed suit, giving a single command. Instantly, the massive beast-carriage rolled forward swiftly along the street, while the sixteen Hu Sha Wei urged their dual-headed giant wolves to keep pace closely on either side. Along the way, ordinary magical beings walking on the street saw the towering carriage and the black-armored knights flanking it, and instinctively stepped aside, their faces filled with both reverence and admiration. The colossal beast-carriage surged forward without a hitch, continuing its journey for several hours before finally coming to a halt in front of a fortress resembling a walled city. Han Li stepped down from the carriage and surveyed the fortress at a distance, his face briefly expressing surprise. This fortress, of course, was the White Family's domain! The entire structure was seamless, with walls polished as smooth as jade, nearly flawless in their continuity, and the stone used to build it was a pale greenish-blue—neither gold nor jade, a material whose composition he had never encountered before. Yet, judging by the subtle, pervasive aura emanating from the surroundings, the White Family clearly maintained multiple layers of magical defenses, far more intricate than it first appeared. At the entrance of the fortress, flanking a colossal gate over a hundred zhang in height, stood dozens of statues of various-sized magical beasts, arranged to form a short street. Each statue was dark in hue, yet lifelike, all of them quietly resting in place. Beyond the main gate, there were eight Yellow Robed魔族, barehanded and expressionless, standing guard. Under the guidance of Bai Yunxin, Han Li entered the gate with a composed air, drawing a moment of surprise from the eight Yellow Robed魔族. After a cup of tea's worth of time, Han Li had already taken a seat in a simple hall tucked in the corner of the fortress, resting one hand on a silver teacup, sipping his tea with quiet grace. A pleasant, fragrant aroma wafted from the quilt, and nearby, four exceptionally graceful Yellow Robed魔族 maids stood in respectful stillness. Bai Yunxin had vanished, and the entire hall was utterly silent, with no sound at all. However, after Han Li waited a little longer, a soft footstep echoed from outside the hall, followed by a gentle movement at the door—then a figure stepped in lightly from beyond. The man glanced at Han Li for a moment, then suddenly smiled gently and said, "My name is Fu Tian Monk. It is truly a blessing for the Bai family that Master Han has come all the way here." "Are you Master Fu Tian?" Han Li stared at the figure before him, his mouth twitching several times before he found himself utterly stunned.