After hearing his words, the young woman blinked, completely stunned.
Instead of agreeing to join the Gu Family, he wanted to obtain their True Spirit Bloodline Refinement Technique — it truly left her speechless.
After her expression shifted several times, she finally forced a smile and replied:
"Senior Han, I'm afraid I cannot agree to this. Our Gu Family's bloodline techniques are not easily passed to outsiders. No matter how remarkable the cultivation methods or treasures Senior might offer, I cannot agree — unless Senior is willing to accept the previous arrangement."
"In that case, there is no need to speak further of joining the Gu Family. Not just the Gu Family — Han will not be joining any other force either. It seems this time, I've caused you two friends to make a wasted trip." Han Li was unperturbed by the woman's refusal, speaking calmly instead.
The young woman could only sigh softly, her gaze flickering briefly, and said nothing more.
Qi Xubing beside her also furrowed his brows and likewise dropped the matter of inviting Han Li.
For the remaining time, the three simply exchanged insights on cultivation techniques and practices. The somewhat awkward atmosphere gradually eased.
After a few more hours, the two rose and took their leave.
Han Li naturally offered a few words of invitation to stay, but the elder and the young woman were determined to leave, so he could only see them out personally.
Before long, two streaks of light shot out from the sea of mist. As the light faded, the figures of the blue-robed elder and the young woman reappeared at the mist's edge.
"Senior Qi, it seems we'll be returning empty-handed this time. This junior will head straight back to the Gu Family. Will Senior also be returning to Sky Harbor City?" The young woman said to the elder with a smile.
"Daoist Xiaofeng, please suit yourself. I won't be heading back to Sky Harbor City just yet. I've heard that within the Xuanwu territory, there is a cultivator who recently advanced to the Body Integration stage. Although I understand this person has already accepted the Tyrant Emperor's invitation, I still intend to make the trip and take a look." The blue-robed elder pondered for a moment, then replied in this manner.
"In that case, this junior will take her leave first." The young woman nodded, gave a graceful bow to the elder, and with a flash of spiritual light across her body, transformed into a silver rainbow that shot toward the horizon.
In the blink of an eye, spiritual light flickered at the sky's edge, and the silver rainbow vanished without a trace.
The blue-robed elder gazed in the direction the young woman had disappeared for a moment, sighed softly, then raised his hand to release a jade-green flying boat. With a shift of his body, he stood upon it.
With a single-handed seal gesture, the flying boat transformed into a streak of green light and shot away across a thousand li.
In an instant, the place became empty and silent.
But after less than half an hour, a flash of spiritual light appeared at the horizon, and that silver rainbow eerily materialized once more. After circling once, it landed again at the edge of the sea of mist.
As the light of flight faded, the young woman's figure appeared.
Her expression calm, she parted her lips and whispered a few words toward the sea of mist.
The next moment, the sea of mist before her churned and parted to reveal a passage once again.
Without the slightest hesitation, Immortal Xiaofeng took flight and vanished into the sea of mist in a flash.
Then the sea of mist closed back up as before.
Time passed slowly. A full four hours later, a passage flashed open in the sea of mist once more, and the silver rainbow shot out from within. After a few flickers, it vanished from sight.
At the same time, Han Li sat in the main hall of his cave dwelling, holding a silver-white jade token in one hand, his fingers running ceaselessly over its surface, his face filled with contemplation.
The jade token gleamed with silver light. One side was inscribed with the character "Gu," while the other bore the image of a red three-headed beast.
The beast's body resembled a fine steed covered in crimson scales. Of its three heads, one was indeed that of a single-horned horse, while the other two were a black tiger's head and a blue lion's head respectively.
This was the appearance of the legendary True Spirit "Li Hou."
Legend had it that although this beast's ranking among True Spirits was only middling, its three heads could simultaneously manipulate three different elemental forces, each possessing inconceivable divine powers.
These powers were not only formidable in battle against enemies but also had wondrous applications in assistance and other aspects.
This jade token was what Immortal Xiaofeng had delivered to him upon her second visit.
The Gu Family inherited the bloodline of the True Spirit Li Hou as well.
Han Li was somewhat surprised by the young woman's return, and he recalled the words she had spoken upon her second visit.
The moment she saw him, she not only immediately tossed the jade token to him but also proposed a deal that would be hard for him to refuse.
She stated that there was no need for Han Li to formally join the Gu Family for ten thousand years — he only needed to temporarily join and lend his aid once at the Grand True Spirit Assembly, which would take place more than ten years later, where numerous True Spirit lineages would gather.
As long as he could secure enough benefits for the Gu Family, she would have the authority to pass on part of the Family's bloodline secret techniques to him.
Of course, the young woman had also made it clear: while these techniques were not the Gu Family's core secrets, they were not something other families could easily produce either. That was why they were being offered in exchange for a single temporary intervention from Han Li.
Upon hearing that he need not join the Gu Family long-term and only needed to help once, Han Li was genuinely tempted.
Although he already possessed the bloodline refinement methods from the Jingzhe Technique, that technique had ultimately been created for the Flying Spirit Race, and it still had some shortcomings when applied to humans.