Han Li saw this, waved his hand lightly, and said, "I had not yet had the chance to inform the clan of this matter, so how could I blame you all? Please don't bother with formalities—just rise and proceed." "Thank you, Master Han, for your forgiveness of our impoliteness!" Only then did the elders from the Valley and others feel a sense of relief, bowing gracefully and rising. Though the bearded man and the plain-looking lady followed the others in rising, their faces remained pale, filled with deep apprehension. As the two envoys from the Holy Island thought about having offended a newly established stage-3 cultivator—possibly even the sole pillar of the human and spirit-creature clans for the next several thousand years—their anxiety was truly palpable. At that moment, the purple-gold hand appearing on the light screen silently vanished without a sound. Yet Du Yu, who had been held firmly in place for a while by that immense force, now lay completely limp on the raised platform, utterly unable to utter a single word. Han Li turned his head and glanced once at the stage, then calmly instructed the two elderly men: "You two take Du Daojun away, and deliver a message to the senior elders on Saint Island—Han Li's disciple has been diligently cultivating and is not meant to be sacrificed for others. However, if the clan truly requires assistance from someone else, Han Li will gladly step in." "Yes, we will certainly convey your words, Master," the elderly men replied, bowing respectfully without hesitation. The plain-looking woman beside them also nodded repeatedly in agreement. Han Li nodded in return and waved them gently. Only then did the two men dare to cast spells, flying to the stone platform and lifting Du Yu with a swift motion, then apologizing and hastily retreating from the grand arena. As for Han Li's act of retrieving the two treasures from the young white-clad disciple, they dared not mention it at all. Han Li only turned to smile at the elderly silver-haired elder and the others once he had witnessed the figures of the Saint Island's companions vanish at the hall door. "Apologies to you all," he said. "We can discuss matters in detail tomorrow at my residence. I've been away for quite some time now, so I'll first return to see my junior disciples, and then we can have a thorough conversation together." "Of course," replied the elderly silver-haired elder and Master Jin Yue in unison. "With Master Han having traveled so far, it's only natural that he should rest first. We will formally visit him in a few days, that will be proper." "Indeed," added the silver-haired elder and Master Jin Yue, exchanging a glance, both bowing respectfully. Han Li smiled, said no more, and with a slight bow, took the silver moon and others and departed from the hall. The silver-clad maiden stood gazing at the hall door for a long while, then murmured softly, barely audible: "He has truly attained the stage of Great Perfection. It seems that my sister, Silver Moon, has indeed chosen the right person this time!" The woman was delighted, yet her expression subtly carried a hint of lingering melancholy. As for the black-robed elders who had previously advocated handing over the sea-wealth heir to the Sacred Island, each of them had grown increasingly anxious and fearful upon learning that Han Li was a Great Elevation cultivator. They feared that this newly risen Great Elevation cultivator would become aware of their performance during the council meeting and hold them accountable for their actions. Should that happen, their future prospects would undoubtedly be dire. "But Du Yu, who could directly manifest himself as a Sage-level figure, clearly isn't just an ordinary late-Stage Consolidated Body cultivator. Wouldn't you be worried that he might eventually attain the stage of Great Perfection as well?" Silver Moon smiled lightly and added. "As for whether he actually achieves Great Perfection or not—let's just say even if he does, it wouldn't be anything remarkable. To me, it would merely be a minor inconvenience in the future." Han Li smiled confidently and replied. When he was at the late-Stage Consolidated Body level, he had already been able to hold his own against Great Perfection cultivators. Now, after attaining the Great Perfection stage, his powers had multiplied severalfold, and Du Yu would no longer regard ordinary Great Perfection cultivators as anything special. "That's true. However, the most important point is that, given your current status, it would indeed be inappropriate to truly take decisive action against them. Otherwise, it would seem rather unbecoming of a senior Great Perfection cultivator of your stature." Silver Moon smiled gracefully. "Ah, perhaps that's also part of the reason." Han Li chuckled and replied, yet he was well aware in his heart that if a matter truly threatened his life, he would never hesitate to uphold his "senior" status—he would simply step in and eliminate the root danger right away. …… Several hours later, Han Li appeared in the lofty tower at his residence and took a seat at the main hall on the top floor. Hai Dashi and Qi Lingzi, together with more than a dozen of their direct disciples, arrived with great excitement and performed a formal homage. "Rise, both of you. It's been some time since we last saw each other, and yet neither of you has slackened—your attainments have clearly improved," Han Li waved his sleeve, prompting everyone to rise and speak. "Congratulations, Master, on your attainment of the Great Perfection stage. This is not only a moment of great joy for our disciples, but also a matter of profound pride for the entire human race," Qi Lingzi rose and respectfully replied. They had originally been anxious and tense throughout the tower, ever since the arrival of the messengers from the Sacred Island. Yet, the envoy from Saint Island did not appear, while his master suddenly returned to the tower and directly informed the two of his attainment of the Great Perfection stage. The contrast was so striking that both Qi Ling Zi and Hai Da Shao were filled with overwhelming joy. After several centuries apart, Qi Ling Zi, now under the guidance of Han Li, had remarkably advanced to the late stage of Transformation, just one step away from the stage of Refinement. Meanwhile, Hai Da Shao himself still looked as though he had just reached the stage of Transformation. Their consecutive advancements over such a brief span of centuries—beyond their exceptional innate talents—were largely due to the vast number of pills Han Li had left behind when he departed. With his considerable resources, Han Li not only ensured a sufficient supply of daily cultivation pills for both of them, but also had meticulously prepared the auxiliary pills required for their stage transitions. Otherwise, it would have been difficult for his disciples, all of whom were exceptionally talented, to achieve such a smooth and unimpeded progression. Hán Lì listened to the Elder of the Artifact Spirit and smiled slightly, saying, "When I attained the stage of Great Perfection, nearly half of my success was due to fortunate circumstances that allowed me to overcome my critical bottlenecks. Had it not been for the customary practice among various clans of hosting grand celebrations upon the attainment of Great Perfection, I would never have gone to such lengths. Before this matter is officially announced, you need do nothing more than simply inform the major factions within the clan of the celebration date—just in case some of your friends are unable to attend on time. The celebration will take place one year from now, and the venue will be within the Tianyuan City." "Yes, we shall strictly follow your instructions." The Elder of the Artifact Spirit and Hai Dashi bowed slightly and responded almost in unison. "By the way, where are your ice phoenix elder sister and the young lady Bai Guo'er? Why aren't they here?" Hán Lì glanced casually at the hall and suddenly asked. "Report, Master. After the magical calamity, Bai Guo'er sister returned to the sect, but several years ago, at her friend's invitation, she went out to travel with them. Yet she has regularly sent letters back. As for Master Ice Phoenix, she entered the wild, remote realm alone decades ago, and no news has reached us since. But please rest assured, Master—before she departed, she left behind a lamp of original life force, which remains intact and undimmed." The spirit of the artifact replied respectfully. "The wild realm is vast and boundless; even staying there for several centuries is no uncommon occurrence. Since Master Ice Phoenix has made this decision, there must be a deeper purpose behind it—there's no need to worry excessively. However, Bai Guo'er, with her current level of cultivation, seems rather impetuous to venture out on such a journey. Her perfected 'ice marrow body' essence is already a valuable asset—should it fall into the hands of adversaries who specialize in cold and yin energies, it would be considered a potent tonic that could significantly enhance their cultivation. Please urgently send word and urge your sister to return as soon as possible." Han Li furrowed his brow and issued a command without hesitation. "Yes, master, I've overlooked something. I'll attend to this immediately," the spirit-child exclaimed, startled, and promptly agreed. Then, he turned to one of his direct disciples standing behind him and gave a brief instruction. The disciple bowed to Han Li and then respectfully stepped out of the hall. "Ming Tian, please recount to me everything that has happened recently—especially the details of how the Yin Lei Root was revealed. Tell me thoroughly about that process." Han Li glanced at Hai, the young disciple, and then said, with a half-smiling, half-arched expression. "Master, I know I've made a mistake... perhaps we don't need to go into too much detail on this!" Upon hearing Han Li's question, Hai flushed slightly, feeling a touch of embarrassment and hesitating in his words. "Hmph. I've always reminded you, haven't I? The Yin Lei Root matter is no ordinary affair—it's directly tied to your life. You must be especially careful not to let it slip." Result, you managed to spill the beans about it all just because you were drunk! Haha—had I not returned in time, wouldn't you have brought upon yourself great misfortune, possibly even drawing in your senior brother's entire family. Han Li's face darkened, and his voice grew cold. "I apologize, Master. I truly understand my mistake, and from now on, I will never repeat it again." Sea Young was startled and quickly knelt once more. "With my stage of Great Perfection, I easily dismissed the delegation from the Holy Island this time. However, your Hidden Lightning Root is one of the few means available to weaken the heavenly lightning strike. Should the next delegation come from a powerful clan of another ethnic group, demanding your hand, how would I be able to handle it?" Han Li's voice remained icy, as he fixed his gaze on Sea Young, speaking word by word. "I truly understand my mistake, Master. If that day ever comes, please feel free to hand over Yuetian to them. This is all my own fault!" Sea Young's face grew pale, yet he still dared not raise his head. "Hand me over! That's something you'll never think of. Once you're handed over, where will my face be? Very well. After this Great Mahayana Festival, you'll temporarily step away from my side, taking on a new identity. Once the matter has settled and people no longer mention it, you'll return to me." After a moment's pause, Han Li slowly spoke, his gaze flashing.