"Your insight is truly remarkable—you've noticed my daughter's ailment? During our escape, she was struck by my adversary with a unique, secret technique. Though I partially absorbed the attack, a portion still reached her. Given your vast abilities, you've detected her condition. Would you be able to heal her?" The human-jacal, no longer able to delay, hurriedly said. "Did you not attempt to heal her yourself?" Han Li asked. "My adversary's secret technique was originally designed to counter my own powers. Should I intervene, my daughter's condition would only worsen. Should you be willing to lend a hand, Tu will be eternally grateful." Tu bit his lips, offering a wry smile. "My daughter's condition, while not trivial, is indeed manageable for me. In fact, I can even help restore your own powers to the Great Enlightenment stage. However, there is one condition I must propose in return," Han Li said calmly, stroking his chin. "Brother Han, please state your requirements at any time. As long as I am able to fulfill them, I shall have no hesitation." The human-faced dragon's expression slightly changed, but after taking a deep breath, he immediately spoke. "Brother Tu, there's no need for such formality. My conditions are not difficult at all—I merely hope, after the matter is settled, that you could assist me in finding a suitable spot somewhere near the seabed." Han lightly smiled. "That's all?" Tu Yi was momentarily surprised, then his expression relaxed. "Hah, what do you think I would have asked for?" Han smiled gently. "Ah, it seems I was overly cautious just now. Given the divine powers you've just displayed, even at my peak, I would have been no match for you. Under the current circumstances, there's no need for me to feign any formality. Very well, if this is all, then I accept." The human-faced dragon readily agreed. "Then, please, both you and your daughter come aboard the flying vessel. I will immediately cast a spell to restore you both to your original condition." Han Li nodded and spoke without hesitation. The human-faced dragon, gazing at the immense black giant vessel, showed no hesitation either. After offering a grateful thanks, it gently floated with the purple-robed young girl onto the vessel. Upon Han Li's command, the Ink Spirit Vessel immediately resumed its original course and continued breaking through the air with a subtle tremor. The next day, in the hall of the vessel's cabin, the human-faced dragon spoke warmly with Han Li, while the purple-robed girl appeared much better in health, standing behind them. Flower Shi and Zhu Guo'er stood respectfully beside them. "Your abilities truly transcend ordinary understanding," said the human-faced dragon, beaming with delight. "I originally thought that even if my daughter could recover, it would take at least several months. I never expected that Brother Han accomplished this miracle in just one night. Should the town's sea palace send any more reinforcements, I could easily defeat them all by myself." Han Li smiled and replied, "Such a minor feat is nothing at all." As for the Zhunhai Palace's power—those sea beasts may not be much of a threat to us, but they are formidable enough to withstand even cultivators at the Consolidated Realm stage. Han Li stroked his chin and asked, "The Zhunhai Palace is the vast maritime force founded by my main rival. Besides the Grand Palace Master himself, there are two more Grand Stage Palace Masters, and dozens of senior palace elders who are among the powerful sea beasts we previously encountered. As for ordinary sea beasts, their numbers are simply too vast to count." Upon hearing Han Li's question, the Human-Faced Dragon-Jak observed a slight change in his expression, yet still provided the truth. "Ah, so the Zhunhai Palace indeed holds considerable strength. Then, given that your cultivation level has declined significantly, why hasn't a Grand Stage Palace Master personally come to pursue and eliminate you?" Han Li nodded and asked further. "Tu has long held a grudge against the Zhunhai Palace, yet maintains good relations with the other major power in this region—the Qingjiao Pavilion." After I escaped from the hands of that opposing party through a secret technique, I immediately sent out a request for assistance. Thanks to my good friend in this hall launching a timely, large-scale assault on the Town-Sea Palace, which held the opposing party and the other two Grand Stage Masters at bay, I have been able to keep escaping thus far. However, the sea route to the Qing-Jiao Palace has now been completely sealed off by the sea beasts of the Town-Sea Palace, forcing me to make this way instead. The human-faced dragon replied calmly. "So there were indeed such complications. The Qing-Jiao Palace, named after the Qing-Jiao, might have its leader be a powerful figure from the Qing-Jiao lineage." Han Li blinked, asking. "You're right, Master Han. Indeed, both the Palace Masters of the Qing-Jiao Palace are Grand Stage Masters from the Qing-Jiao lineage, and we've been close companions since our early days. Though this palace has only two Grand Stage Masters, their abilities surpass those of the three Grand Stage Masters of the Town-Sea Palace. Thus, their overall strength remains comparable. By the way, back in Yun City, Mr. Han was only at the Lingxu stage. Now, after such a short time, he has already advanced to the Dacheng stage—such a rapid progression is truly astonishing. One would think his talent rivals only the few senior masters from the ancient times. Tu bit sighed, still feeling somewhat stunned by Han's advancement to the Dacheng stage. "Over the years, I've had several major opportunities, which have enabled me to reach this stage so swiftly. As for the depth of my foundation, I believe it cannot be compared to your own, Mr. Tu, who has already attained the Dacheng stage." Han replied politely. "You are being overly modest. By the way, Mr. Han, where would you like me to assist you in finding? It's no exaggeration—though I may not know every inch of this sea region, I have certainly visited many special areas several times over." Tu bit straightened his expression and finally asked the question. "What I'm seeking is merely a set of underwater coordinates. As for the exact location—well, Huashí, please explain it to Tu Daojun. Huashí is a water-elemental spirit creature of refined cultivation, and through his words, I believe Tu Daojun will gain a clearer understanding." Han Li turned to the elder Huashí beside him and issued a command. "Indeed. Master Tu, the underwater coordinates we're seeking were revealed through an ancient altar's prophecy. The specific characteristics of the location are—" Huashí nodded and stepped forward promptly, beginning to elaborate with great courtesy. Although the ancient altar had provided a general approximation of the entrance to Xiaoling Tian, given the vastness of the underwater realm, even a slight deviation could mean tens of thousands of li away. Even with the assistance of Elder Huashí, a master of water-based techniques, finding the precise entrance would likely prove no simple task. That is why, upon first meeting his old acquaintance, the personified Water-Jiang Dragon, Han Li immediately offered his support without hesitation. With the assistance of the others, it should not be too difficult to locate the precise position of the entrance. As for the so-called Zhunhai Palace, it boasts no more than three Great Stage cultivators—though perhaps slightly stronger than average peers, they would merely be inconvenienced, and with the current prowess of Han Li, they would certainly not be of great concern. After some discussion between Tu Yi and Flower Shi, the two quickly settled upon a suitable site matching the entrance of Xiao Ling Tian. Upon a sudden burst of sound, the Mo Ling Sacred Vessel instantly accelerated several times, rushing directly toward the designated location. Two months later, above a vast expanse of coral reefs, the black giant vessel remained motionless in the sky. Thousands of mid-to-high stage puppets were scattered throughout the surrounding waters, patrolling continuously. Deeper beneath the sea, numerous magical crystal puppets were actively searching for something. Both Flower Shi and Tu Yi joined the ranks of these puppets, their divine consciousnesses constantly scanning for whatever might be missing. Han Li sat meditatively on the foredeck of the vessel, closing his eyes and calmly resting. Zhu Guo'er seemed earnestly standing aside, yet her frequent glances toward the sea surface could not escape the notice of Han Li. "Why are you so eager, young lady? This is one of the two locations they've calculated to be most likely. Regardless of the outcome, news will surely reach us soon." Han Li spoke calmly, though his eyes remained closed. "Master Han, Guo'er is only worried that this time might again prove fruitless. The two previous sites were also deemed highly promising by the two elders—yet still yielded no results," Zhu Guo'er replied, stretching her tongue and murmuring. "The sea is vast, and the underwater realm so intricate—making a few mistakes is quite normal. But I have a faint intuition that this time, we should indeed achieve something." Han Li smiled gently. "Master Han's powers are truly boundless. If your intuition is already clear, it's likely to be correct," Zhu Guo'er thought with a sense of relief. "However, before that, some unwelcome guests still needed to be dealt with." Han Li narrowed his eyes and suddenly fixed his gaze on a particular direction. At the same time, on the sea surface some hundred miles away, a number of strange sea creatures had appeared without any prior notice—some as large as mountains, others several tens of meters in size—so densely packed that they covered nearly every inch of land within a hundred-mile radius. Leading the charge was a massive green turtle, upon whose back stood a bearded man wearing a jade crown, calmly commanding the sea creatures' advance toward the Mo Ling Sacred Vessel. A large sea horse and a deep-blue octopus followed closely behind. "Indeed, he's right ahead. Hmph! To have dared interfere with my affairs—what a lack of patience! I shall now deploy the Great Array of Beasts. I intend to trap this land-based cultivator alive within it." The elderly man with a long beard grew stern, then issued a single command. A long horn blast rang out from the rear of the sea-beast army, and the beasts surged into motion, continuously shifting positions as they advanced. Within just a few breaths, though the animals remained agitated, a remarkably intricate magical array began to take shape gradually. The vast sea-beast army soon startled the squad of armored infantry puppets patrolling nearby, who arrived with great momentum. "Halt! Our lord is attending to matters ahead. No one may advance further—otherwise, they shall be slain without mercy," the lead silver-armored puppet coldly commanded, standing firmly in the path of the advancing beasts. "A mere handful of puppets? You're all going to die," the man with the long beard on the giant turtle replied, his expression darkening. Almost immediately after he finished speaking, a dozen powerful sea beasts behind him opened their mouths simultaneously, blasting forth streams of light and clumps of thunderous flame. Within just a few flashes, the towering roar of the explosions turned the entire array of puppets into fragments.