"Recognize me as your master! Are you not jesting? The noble house has only just met me today, knows nothing of my origins or my nature, and yet intends to make me their master. Do you not fear that I might be a harsh and domineering one?" Though Han Li had always been composed and calm, he was momentarily startled and then quickly smiled with a light air of amusement. "The scouts dispatched by the Roaring Spiders that appeared outside recently—were those handled by your senior?" The elder did not rise, but instead looked up and asked. "Though not personally involved, the outcome was quite similar," Han Li replied without elaboration. "Then, your senior must have some understanding of our current situation," the elder said seriously. "Indeed, I am aware of certain details. But such noble initiatives are exceedingly common across the thousands of interfaces—rarely a sufficient reason for us to intervene." Moreover, Han could not see what benefit he would gain by accepting your offer, so why would he risk offending other beings of the same rank? Han smiled calmly. "Since your scouts have already taken action and personally come all the way here, there must be something your clan can assist with. As long as your esteemed elder agrees to accept our entire clan, no matter what requests you make, we will certainly ensure your satisfaction. Our clan has developed considerable expertise in manipulating spatial forces. While we may not be able to make significant contributions in confronting powerful adversaries, we believe we can certainly assist you in managing your dwelling and establishing smaller spatial domains." The elder spoke with great sincerity. "Heh, you've provided quite a few solid reasons—indeed, quite clever. I have come to your clan for a specific purpose. Then, regarding the matter of establishing a bond, we can discuss that later. For now, let's first see if this item recognizes you." After a few quiet words, Han Li flipped his hand, and instantly a pale blue crystal orb floated into the palm of his hand. As soon as the orb appeared before the elder, it emitted a low hum, establishing an eerie resonance with the elder right away. "The Mountain and Sea Crystal—indeed, it has truly come into the hands of the senior!" Han Li was surprised. To his astonishment, the elder did not display any visible astonishment upon seeing the crystal. Instead, he exhaled deeply, as though a heavy burden had been lifted from his heart. "The Mountain and Sea Crystal—your clan's sacred treasure? I seem to have known of this artifact already," Han Li narrowed his eyes and asked. "Indeed, I only recently learned of it. Please allow me to show you," said the elder, suddenly lifting his arm and revealing a strange mark on his wrist. The mark bore a shape identical to that of the crystal in Han Li's hand, glowing with a soft blue light, as though it were being activated. "This sacred mark is something only our ancestors of the Kongyu clan have been able to possess. Beyond merely identifying our identity, its most crucial function is to sense the presence of this holy relic within the clan. With my current cultivation level, as long as the Shanhai Pearl remains within a hundred li, I can accurately detect its precise location. This is one of the reasons why, upon meeting you, we immediately offered you as our senior master. I believe this is a divine omen bestowed upon our clan—otherwise, how could such a sacred relic have easily fallen into the hands of a stranger?" The elder said solemnly. "There's something to be said—please stand and speak. I also came across this item by chance. As a holy relic of your clan, besides the law-based power it contains, I would think it must have other significant uses as well," finally showed interest in the matter. "Indeed, Senior, the Shanhai Pearl has an even more remarkable function—it is not merely a mere relic, but in itself functions as a separate immortal realm, making it an exceptionally rare treasure among such realm-creating artifacts!" However, when our clan first showed signs of decline many years ago, the great elders employed a secret technique to seal this treasure. To the younger generation, it was merely a tale passed down through the years. "A heavenly treasure? Indeed, a spatial artifact of such significance. Do you know this treasure is sealed right within that cold pond?" Hearing this, Han Li stiffened slightly, yet a look of surprise appeared on his face. "I do know this. Yet our ancestors originally did so precisely to prevent the Mountain-Sea Pearl from falling into the hands of our descendants, for they feared it would bring misfortune rather than blessing. After all, without sufficient strength to protect such a precious treasure, it would inevitably attract calamities. Therefore, each generation of our ancestors has passed down a tradition: as long as our clan remains unrevived, this sacred artifact shall remain sealed. Yet, I must admit, we have fallen short. Today, not only has our clan failed to regain its former strength, but we are now nearly at the point of losing our very lineage." "This relic holds no value for your clan, naturally," the elder explained with a touch of resignation. "It now appears that your ancestors made a wise decision. Otherwise, with such a precious treasure in your hands, the Shura Spider would have surely claimed it long ago. Still, I personally witnessed the Shura Spider queen obtaining another stone from the cold spring—one that embodies the principles of spatial law. What is that stone, then?" Han Li nodded, then remembered something else and asked again. "Reporting to the elder, the stone you're referring to is indeed our clan's other sacred relic, the Louting Stone. Aside from aiding powerful beings in comprehending spatial forces, it has no other known functions." "Ah, I see," Han Li murmured, glancing thoughtfully at the crystal orb in his hands. "Elder, if you are willing to accept our clan as your own, we are ready to contribute our vital essence to assist you in erasing the ancestral traces left behind by the Mountain and Sea Pearl, so that you may fully absorb and utilize it yourself." This relic, having been previously refined by the great masters of our clan across generations, will not recognize ordinary consecration methods—any outsider attempting such a method will simply fail to gain its acknowledgment. I possess a special technique dedicated to consecrating this artifact, which would allow the senior to effortlessly command it. Of course, this is contingent upon the senior being a strong mid-stage cultivator or above. Otherwise, it will be difficult to suppress the counter-reaction of the pearl itself! As for the Shura Spider clan, due to certain unique circumstances, they are rarely able to leave this realm. The senior need not worry about offending them at all. Seeing that Han Li was hesitating, the elder finally bit his lip and directly revealed his intentions. "Indeed, I am quite interested in this heavenly realm treasure. However, if the condition is that I must incorporate your entire clan, it may prove rather difficult. My method of entering this realm is somewhat unique, and when I depart, it will be challenging to transport such a large group of people across the boundary together. I certainly cannot simply treat all of you as spiritual companions and place your consciousness into my spiritual beast ring, can I?" As for those Xiu Luo spiders, I haven't taken them seriously yet. Even if they truly decide to come knocking, I'll easily handle them." Han Li's expression shifted slightly, and he sighed, saying, "I see now that it's this matter that has been troubling you. In that case, it will be much simpler. All you need to do is have your elder fully absorb and refine this heavenly treasure, and then we can all retreat into it, easily accompanying you and leaving this place at your convenience." Upon hearing this, the elder was overjoyed. "That is indeed a sound strategy. However, I wonder—will this mountain-sea pearl's inner heavenly realm be large enough to accommodate so many of your people? How long will the refining process take? I have only a few days to remain in this realm." After thinking it over, Han Li found the plan somewhat promising. "Please rest assured, this treasure, as its name suggests, is said to be capable of housing entire mountains and oceans. Its vastness even among the finest heavenly treasures is truly outstanding." As for the time... if the junior can mobilize the entire clan's efforts, the senior is certain that the cultivation process will be completed within just two or three days." The elder spoke without hesitation. "The spaciousness within the inner realm is truly a pleasant surprise. Two or three days—well, I can certainly wait that long. Very well, then, it's settled. As long as I, Han, succeed in fully cultivating this heavenly treasure, I shall forever protect your Kungyu clan throughout my lifetime." After mulling it over, Han found no further concerns and finally smiled, nodding in agreement. To him, bringing such a small, weak clan of heterodox cultivators was indeed no great burden. "Thank you so much, senior! The sooner the better. I will immediately go and mobilize our clan members to prepare everything. Please wait a moment, senior." Upon hearing this, the elder was overjoyed and bowed once again in deep gratitude. For the chieftain of the Empty-Fish clan, though he had no clear idea how Lord Han would treat his people once they were gone, it was still infinitely better than the constant slaughter of his kin by the Wrath Spiders, with the very possibility of his lineage fading out at any moment. "You go prepare yourself," Han said, waving his hand. "I'll stay here and study this treasure a bit longer." "Yes, the young servant shall retire," the elder replied, rising and respectfully stepping out of the hall. ... Several hours later, on an open space between a group of triangular buildings, a shimmering magical array slowly took shape under the busy efforts of numerous Empty-Fish people. On the other side, at a newly constructed platform near the edge of the array, members of the Empty-Fish clan took turns ascending the steps, cutting their wrists with sharp blades, pressing out clots of pure blood, and dripping them into a towering bronze cauldron standing half as tall as a person. The scent of blood filled the air, and the blood had already occupied nearly half the interior of the cauldron. Amidst the crimson liquid, a pale blue crystal orb floated and swayed gently, emitting a soft, ethereal glow. At this moment, Han Li hovered in the air above the massive magical array, arms folded, his gaze continuously scanning everything below. Indeed, these empty fish-like beings moved with remarkable speed—what had once been a highly intricate series of preparations was now nearly complete. It seemed that refining this Mountain and Sea Pearl wouldn't take three days after all. In his heart, Han Li was filled with eager anticipation for his very first treasure from the Immortal Realm, keen to discover just what the interior space of the pearl would be like. "Finally descended. The qi is so thin—indeed, it's utterly incomparable to that of the Immortal Realm." The figure surveyed the surroundings with a glance, then murmured softly to himself.