"Brother Han, I've heard from my grandfather that you have a method to weaken the effects of the Forgetting-Emotions Technique, but for a certain period of time, my younger sister will have to stay with you—am I correct in saying this is truly the case?" Silver Moon's smile faded as she suddenly asked with serious intent. "Has Master Ao Xiao already informed you of this? Indeed, there is such a matter. Master possesses a divine mental technique that can partially counteract the Forgetting-Emotions Technique, allowing you to continue your cultivation. However, this technique only becomes effective when I myself practice it. Therefore, for the coming period, you will need to stay with me for some time." Han did not find this unusual; instead, he smiled and explained calmly. "Has my grandfather truly mastered such a technique? I never heard him mention it before! And why does it only work for me, specifically, when I practice it?" Silver Moon furrowed her brows in inquiry. "This point—you should have been able to deduce it yourself." As my ancestor once said, the one who unties a bell must be the one who tied it. Since your inner turmoil stems from me, only after I have refined my cultivation can I truly benefit you more. This divine consciousness technique was specially devised by my ancestor over a hundred years ago, prior to passing on the "Forget-All-Feelings" technique to you—specifically for just such an emergency. After I have practiced it a little, merely by staying close to you, this secret art will gradually and subtly influence your mind and spirit, counteracting any subtle, imperceptible effects that may be subtly affecting you. After a moment of thoughtful reflection, Han Li sighed and said, "Indeed, that seems so simple! Once the 'Forget-All-Feelings' technique is further cultivated, its influence on my younger sister will only grow stronger. Can a technique created merely for this occasion truly contain and counteract such effects?" Yin Yue expressed some doubt. "Regarding this, I have not yet begun practicing, nor can I be entirely certain. Yet since it was carefully and thoughtfully crafted by Master Ao Xiao, I believe it must be true." Moreover, this divine awareness technique should be similar to the Forgetfulness Decree—its restraining effect will grow stronger as one's cultivation deepens." Han Li replied after a moment's thought. "Very well. Even if this divine awareness technique proves effective, how long will my sister have to stay with you? Must you accompany her every single day, if she cannot shake off the Forgetfulness Decree each day?" Yin Yue's eyes flashed with a touch of surprise, and she asked gently. "That's not necessarily true. As Senior Ao Xiao mentioned, once you reach the stage of Great Perfection, you will be free from the constraints of the Forgetfulness Decree." Han Li said without hesitation. "Reaching the stage of Great Perfection—this seems rather distant! It appears that Yin Yue will indeed have to stay with you for a long time." Yin Yue's eyes gleamed with a hint of surprise, and she smiled slightly. "You possess the Seven-Moon Body, which gives you a more promising chance than ordinary cultivators to reach the stage of Great Perfection. You needn't be discouraged." Moreover, during your journey, perhaps I and Master Ao Xiao have already discovered alternative methods to resolve the Forgetting Decree, without necessarily requiring you to attain the stage of a true Great Emanation Daoist. "That makes sense," said Han Li with a smile. "At any rate, for the next several hundred years, I'm settled with you!" Silver Moon smiled warmly. In the following moments, the two continued to chat about various other matters, even exchanging some insights on their cultivation practices. Time passed unnoticed. "It's getting late now," said Silver Moon, glancing out the window at the sky. "The Forgetting Decree is about to take effect again. I'll return to my chamber to rest and meditate. Should I inadvertently offend you during its influence, I hope you will forgive me." She stood up and spoke her parting words. "Of course," replied Han Li, smiling gently, and also rose to his feet. After a graceful bow, Silver Moon then quietly stepped out of the room without further words. The door flashed with a white light and then closed silently on its own. Han Li settled back into a meditative posture, his smile fading to reveal a thoughtful expression. At the same time, Yin Yue, who had already left the room, turned several corners along the corridor and reached a quieter corner where she suddenly paused, speaking softly, "Liao Ying, come out. I have something to ask you!" As soon as she spoke, a ripple of energy spread through the surrounding space, and a nearly transparent figure materialized, gradually solidifying until it took the form of a slender woman dressed in a close-fitting black robe. This woman wore a bronze-colored wolf-headed mask, her hands enclosed in black gloves, and her entire body was covered save for the delicate lines of her gloves. Her feet hovered a few inches above the ground, gently floating in the air. "Madam, what is your command?" the masked woman asked in a calm, clear voice. "Liao Ying, I know that when Brother Han and Grandfather were conducting their secret investigation in the hall, you were also present there." At that time, besides the matter of the divine awareness secret arts, did Grandfather have any other requests he made to Brother Han? Did you withhold anything from me?" Silver Moon turned her gaze sharply upon the masked woman, her voice steady and clear. Upon hearing this, the masked woman's eyes flickered slightly, as though she smiled, and replied, "Since Master Ao Xiao has changed the contract to be binding upon the lady herself, I now serve solely as her personal guardian. Naturally, I will not conceal anything. When Master Ao Xiao first mentioned the matter, it was not the divine awareness arts that he proposed, but rather the intention to marry the lady to Brother Han. Master Ao Xiao promised that, should Brother Han agree to this marriage, he would not only share his experience and insights in attaining the Great Perfection stage, but also offer half of his lifetime treasures as dowry. However, Brother Han declined the marriage proposal, agreeing only to assist the lady with the divine awareness arts." "Indeed, Grandfather acted thus. He likely believed that once my marriage to Brother Han was arranged, my personal wishes fulfilled, the gaps in his own heart would naturally be filled and somewhat resolved." But this time, he had mistaken things. Given Brother Han's nature, he could not possibly agree! If he truly agreed to this marriage alliance, I might actually feel somewhat disappointed. Yet, surely, Grandfather would look displeased after being rejected. "Silver Moon said softly. "Brother Han is no ordinary Post-Combination Stage cultivator. Although Master Ao Xiao felt somewhat displeased upon being rejected, he said nothing further." The masked woman replied calmly. "Of course. At present, Brother Han stands as the most promising candidate among the descendants of Grandfather and Master Mo Jianli to advance to the Great Perfection Stage. He is the greatest hope for both human and spirit clans to establish their standing in the Spiritual Realm. Even if Grandfather is dissatisfied, he would not take any action detrimental to Brother Han. That is fortunate indeed! Laoying, you may now retire." After a moment of quiet contemplation, Silver Moon finally issued her command. "Then Laoying retires." The masked woman bowed slightly, and her form blurred, vanishing directly into the void. Meanwhile, Silver Moon paused, murmured a soft sigh, and then departed. The Forgetfulness Decree was about to activate—she truly couldn't afford to linger any longer here. ...Within the inner chamber, Han Li was also reflecting, recalling the details of his private conversation with the elder Ao Xiao. During their meeting in the grand hall, this great cultivator of the feline race not only expressed his willingness to marry the music, but also revealed an unexpected matter that had deeply surprised Han Li. The official husband of Yin Yue—the celestial Kuai Wolf King of the feline race—had unexpectedly perished during a great war between the feline and magical clans decades ago, when he was simultaneously attacked by several Magi Lords. With this revelation, the elder Ao Xiao's lingering reservations were completely dispelled. Thus, upon meeting Han Li, he immediately broached the matter of Yin Yue's marriage. Han Li naturally politely declined. In his heart, his genuine feelings for Yin Yue were four parts companionship—four parts akin to that of siblings—and only two parts involved romantic affection. In this situation, he naturally would not agree to the marriage proposal put forward by Old Master Ao Xiao. Yet, deep within, he had secretly resolved that should Ao Xiao's divine awareness technique ultimately fail to counteract the Silver Moon's Forgetting Decree, he would find another way to resolve the matter himself. With this plan firmly settled, he no longer dwelled on it much, simply closing his eyes gently and once again settling into meditation. Thus, over the following days, Han Li began to practice Ao Xiao's divine awareness technique within the secret chamber of the floating vessel. According to Old Master Ao Xiao, once this technique was refined to a certain level, it would naturally emit a specific kind of divine awareness fluctuation that could counteract the Forgetting Decree. Of course, this method did offer benefits in enhancing the practitioner's awareness, though it could not quite compare with specialized divine awareness-strengthening lightning techniques. Moreover, after a little cultivation, Han Li was pleasantly surprised to find that the method he had heard from Old Master Ao Xiao described as difficult to master felt remarkably easy to him. As he cultivated, there was an eerie sense of natural progression, as though it had always been meant to unfold this way. Later, upon reflection, he realized this was likely due to his prior cultivation of the Spirit Refinement Technique. Having mastered such an advanced secret art of the immortal realm, he naturally found ordinary spirit-related techniques to be quite simple. Within a短短 two months, he had successfully cultivated the initial several layers of this spirit technique, reaching the level of a small city. During this time, whenever the Silver Moon's Forgetfulness Technique was not active, she visited him several times, and each visit lasted for an extended period of conversation, ending only when both of them felt fully satisfied. Thus, the fleet continued its journey without incident, and after another half-month, finally entered the spiritual domain controlled by the allied forces—the Wood Clan's domain. Under the guidance of Old Master Ao Xiao, the fleet never paused, steadily heading straight toward the headquarters of the allied forces, the city of Wood Cotton. On the way, the Loushuang encountered numerous patrol units from various ethnic groups, all of whom clearly recognized the flying artifact of Old Master Ao Xiao. They respectfully bowed from a distance, never approaching to question or obstruct. After another十余 days of flight, several colossal trees, each towering thousands of zhang high, suddenly appeared on the distant ground. Each tree stood between five and six thousand zhang tall, with a girth of thirty to forty zhang, uniformly emerald green and shimmering with a translucent, ever-blinking glow. Using these towering trees as supports, a massive city, composed of numerous layers, rose up from the earth, entirely constructed of various trees, leaving no trace of stone, tiles, or earth. On the lofty wooden walls of each tier, squads of guards from different ethnic groups could be seen, their forms varied. This was precisely the combined army's encampment—Mucian City—the second major stronghold of the Muzhuan people.