The applause from the gathering guests continued for nine rounds before Han Li, seated upon the jade lotus platform, gently shook his sleeve and said, "Please all rise. Your journey from afar to attend my Mahayana celebration must have been quite taxing. I haven't prepared much, so I can only offer some plain green tea as a host's courtesy. I hope you won't mind!" As soon as Han Li finished speaking, the spirit-child beneath the stone tower immediately clasped both hands and gave two crisp claps. Instantly, figures shimmered on the outer plaza, and a series of tall, graceful white-robed women stepped forward from various directions, each carrying a tea tray and presenting a cup of amber tea to every cultivator. While these teas were indeed exceptional, they were not particularly rare given Han Li's Mahayana status. What astonished everyone, however, was that though each white-robed woman appeared delicate and refined, their expressions were lifeless and their movements somewhat stiff—each one seemed no more than a puppet. Such lifelike puppets, appearing in hundreds at once, left most visitors marveling silently, murmuring in awe. Upon presenting the puppets, a man seated near the tower's upper circle suddenly stood up, bowed deeply to Han Li, and declared with a resonant voice: "As representatives of Huatian Sect, we are delighted to celebrate Master Han's attainment of the Great Vehicle stage. On this occasion, our sect has specially presented a pair of thousand-year-old life-essence insect shells, wishing that Master may share the longevity of heaven and achieve mastery of the highest arts!" As he finished speaking, he flicked his wrist, producing a pale yellow wooden box from his hand. He opened it with a single motion, revealing two insect shells, each the size of a clenched fist. Both shells were translucent and a deep, vibrant red, glowing as though two flames were burning vigorously within them. Han Li smiled slightly upon seeing this: "Your sect is one of the three foremost human sects. I have long admired your Grand Elder. I shall certainly visit your sect in person when the opportunity arises." "The Hua Tian Sect is a renowned and prestigious lineage among the human clans, directly overseeing more than a dozen human cities, and boasting several cultivators at the Consolidation stage. The Grand Elder of the Hua Tian Sect that Master Han mentioned was once a celebrated figure among the human clans, having once achieved the remarkable feat of defeating two Consolidation-stage non-human cultivators. However, despite several attempts over the years to advance to the Great Perfection stage, he has consistently stalled at a critical juncture. "Thank you so much for your concern. The Grand Elder will surely be delighted to hear of this. When the news of your attainment of the Great Perfection stage reached us, the Grand Elder was precisely undergoing a life-and-death cultivation phase, thus unable to personally attend the celebration. Nevertheless, this pair of ancient, immortal-shell creatures—specifically chosen by the Grand Elder himself as a gift—is most appreciated." The Han gentleman beamed with joy and bowed again, speaking quickly. "The ancient immortal-shell creatures are one of the primary materials used in crafting the 'Spirit-Calming Elixir,' which I have just achieved the Great Perfection stage and now urgently require. Your Grand Elder has truly thought of everything." After glancing at the two crimson insect shells, Han Li smiled slightly and said. Naturally delighted, the Han official expressed his humility, repeatedly saying he dared not. He then handed the wooden chest to a white-robed attendant who approached, and bowed once more before taking his seat again. "We, Wei Yun City, warmly congratulate Master Han on your great attainment and present as a token of appreciation thirty thousand jin of Jin Jing and ten thousand jin of Xuan Yin Sand," said a young man in armor standing at a distance in the center of the square, respectfully holding a scroll of offerings. "That is most generous of you!" Wei Yun City, though only a medium-sized city at the border between the human and elven clans, had only just qualified to participate in the grand ceremony, so Han Li naturally did not have much to say—only a light, composed nod to the young man. Yet even so, the young man in armor appeared visibly stirred, hurriedly bowed, and then sat down with respectful demeanor. "I am Qin Huanshan, envoy from my master's mountain. I come bearing congratulations on Master Han's attainment of the Great Vehicle, and present three sections of Jiuxuan pine wood and three Mystic Spirit Pearls as tokens of our esteem..." Two young immortals with jade-green skin and crimson hair also rose, each presenting a jade box, and spoke respectfully. As several major powers offered their gifts, the other factions, regardless of size, followed suit, formally celebrating Master Han's emergence as a newly attained Great Vehicle Elder. In no time, over thirty envoys from various houses had taken the floor, each introducing themselves. Though their levels of cultivation varied, these envoys represented nearly all notable factions among both human and spirit clans. Each one showed profound respect toward Master Han, and the gifts they presented—either exceptionally rare or in large, substantial quantities—clearly demonstrated their eagerness to welcome and honor his new status. The other independent cultivators who had come personally were equally impressed, marveling at the abundance of celestial and spiritual treasures—many of which they had only heard about in stories before. Of course, with Han Li, a Grand Stage cultivator present, anyone with a clear mind would naturally hesitate to even consider taking any of the gifts. Facing all the envoys, Han Li maintained a gentle, composed smile, nodding slightly or offering brief thanks. However, when a young woman in white stood up, Han Li, after a smile, actually spoke first: "I didn't know Lady Xu had also come to attend my celebration. Is it true you represent the Xu family?" This woman was Xu Qianyu. Upon seeing this, most of the others were visibly surprised. After all, in their eyes, Xu's cultivation level was relatively modest, and yet Han Li had taken the initiative to show such warmth and courtesy—something truly unexpected. "Please forgive me, Master Han!" The junior indeed represents the Xu family in offering formal congratulations to the senior on your great achievement, bringing as gifts a single Zhuyan Bamboo from Nanyang, three boundless spiritual fruits, and a precious virtual-heaven cauldron. I hope that, with your continued progress, you may truly attain longevity equal to that of heaven!" Xu Qianyu's expression was slightly nervous, but as soon as Han Li asked a question, her posture relaxed and she spoke with respectful solemnity. "The Virtual-Heaven Cauldron—excellent. I appreciate the thoughtfulness of the Xu family. As fellow acquaintances, I believe it would be a great loss if we didn't linger a while on this mountain. Perhaps we might discover something even more valuable." Han Li's eyes flashed with understanding, and he nodded slightly. "Thank you so much, Master Han!" Xu Qianyu responded with genuine delight, presented the gift list, and then sat down again. The other cultivators observed this scene, casting a wave of admiration upon one another. With Han Li's words, it was clear that he had something of great benefit in store for this Xu family envoy—how could the others not feel intense envy? Next, representatives from the leading families of the True Spirit realm successively appeared. Among them, the representative from the Gu family was none other than Xiao Feng, the young lady herself, while the representative from the Ye family was none other than Ye Ying. Both women were old acquaintances of Han Li's. However, after witnessing the astonishing scene of Wan Xiu's humble homage, they were deeply moved. Without having personally seen the profound and indomitable aura radiating from Han Li, they would never have believed that the male cultivator they had once known and shared time with had truly ascended to the rank of a great master, now revered by both families. As they presented their gifts to Han Li, Han Li smiled and engaged in pleasant conversation with them, which naturally sparked admiration among the others. Though this may seem a simple matter, everyone now knew for certain that these two women were personally acquainted with Han Li, the great master. Henceforth, anyone seeking to advance interests between the two families would have to reckon with the quiet yet powerful influence of Han Li. Of course, the Long family also sent a delegation, and notably, it was the newly appointed Grand Elder of the Long family who personally arrived. The concealed composite cultivator from the Long family, who had always remained discreet, showed exceptional courtesy and repeatedly expressed heartfelt gratitude to Han Li for informing them of the demise of their elder patriarch. When Han Li was residing among the Wood Clan, he had personally dispatched messengers to relay the news of the Long family patriarch's passing to the Ye Long families. The exact reactions of these two families at that time were unknown, but now, following Han Li's attainment of the Great Perfection stage, even though they had previously harbored some reservations about the news of their own elder patriarch's death in the realm of the Mysterious Realm, they now naturally no longer dared to raise any objections on the matter. However, Han Li was slightly surprised to learn that the envoy dispatched by the Black Phoenix Clan was not the young girl Dai'er, but rather a composite elder from the Black Phoenix Clan. It appeared that Dai'er had indeed remained in seclusion, still in her retreat. Otherwise, given the close relationship between Dai'er and Han Li, the Black Phoenix King would surely have sent her as the envoy to strengthen ties between the Black Phoenix Clan and Han Li, a newly ascended Great Perfection cultivator. "The spiritual emissary of the Spirit Clan has journeyed to the moon, representing the Holy King of our clan, and specially presents one essence core of each of the Five Elements, three clusters of celestial light flames, ten top-tier divine artifacts, one hundred pieces of Qing-Suo walls, and ten thousand jin of deep-sea purple crystal iron as a token of congratulations on Master Han's attainment of the Great Transformation stage." A figure radiating a soft purple glow stood up, bowed respectfully to Han Li, and then delivered the words. His voice was unusually low, revealing him to be indeed an emissary of the Spirit Clan. "What matters is that the envoy may ask as many questions as he wishes." Han Li's gaze flickered slightly, yet he responded without the slightest sign of surprise. It seemed that the inquiry from the Ling Clan envoy had been anticipated all along. "The Holy King has instructed me to inquire of you about two matters. Should you be willing to answer, that would be most appreciated." The Ling Clan envoy added, speaking with the tone of explanation and appearing cautious. "Since the Holy King himself has sent someone to ask, it is certainly acceptable. But I have allowed you to ask only two questions—no more than that. Do you understand?" Han Li, upon hearing this, showed no change in expression, instead fixing his gaze on the figure in the purple light, and said calmly. "Yes, I understand. I will not ask a single additional question, nor will I disturb you in any way." The Ling Clan envoy was momentarily struck by this, and quickly affirmed. "Very well, then, go ahead." Han Li nodded. "The first matter: does the Holy King wish to know whether the Ling Clan's thousand-year-old holy maiden still lives?" The envoy in the purple light asked respectfully. "No, she does not." Han Li replied without hesitation "Why has someone fallen?" The spirit envoy did not find this unusual, and simply asked again with serious demeanor. "The primordial ancestor of the demonic race," Han Li narrowed his eyes and replied without hesitation.