After the cultivators’ congratulations echoed for a full nine rounds, Han Li, seated upon the azure lotus platform, finally spoke, his sleeve brushing lightly: "Fellow Daoists, please rise! It is a great honor for you all to have traveled so far to attend my Mahayana celebration. I have not prepared much, but as a token of my hospitality, I offer only some fine tea. I hope you will not find it lacking!"
As soon as Han Li’s words fell, Qi Lingzi, standing below the stone pagoda, immediately brought his palms together with two crisp claps.
Outside the square, figures flickered into view. From various directions, teams of slender women in white robes entered, each carrying a tray bearing a cup of amber-colored tea to every cultivator present.
The spirit tea itself was considered of supreme quality, though for someone of Han Li’s Mahayana status, it was not particularly extraordinary.
What astonished everyone, however, was that while these white-robed women each had delicate features, their expressions were uniformly wooden, their movements slightly stiff—they were none other than puppet dolls.
Such lifelike puppet dolls, appearing by the hundreds all at once, drew murmurs of wonder from most of the guests.
After the spirit tea was served, a burly man seated closer to the high pagoda suddenly rose to his feet. Bowing deeply to Han Li, he announced in a resonant voice: "I am an envoy from the Huatian Sect. To celebrate Senior Han’s advancement to Mahayana, our sect respectfully presents a pair of Ten-Thousand-Year Longevity Insect Shells, wishing Senior longevity equal to the heavens, and that your techniques reach the sky!"
As soon as the man finished, his wrist flickered, and a pale yellow wooden box appeared in his hand. He lifted the lid to reveal two fist-sized insect shells nestled inside.
Both shells were translucent crimson, resembling two fiercely burning flames.
Han Li smiled faintly upon seeing them. "Your sect is one of the three great clans of our human race. I have long heard of your Grand Elder, and if the opportunity arises in the future, I will certainly pay a visit."
The Huatian Sect was a renowned major faction within the human race, directly governing over a dozen human cities and boasting several Integration-stage cultivators among its ranks.
The Grand Elder Han Li mentioned was a formidable figure in the human world from years past, once achieving the astonishing feat of slaying two Integration-stage alien cultivators in a single battle. Regrettably, despite several attempts over many years to break through to Mahayana, he had remained stuck at the bottleneck ever since.
"Thank you for Senior’s kind regards. The Grand Elder will surely be delighted to hear this. When news of Senior’s advancement reached us, he was in seclusion for a life-or-death breakthrough, which is why he could not attend the celebration in person. However, these Ten-Thousand-Year Longevity Insect Shells were personally selected by the Grand Elder as a congratulatory gift," the man said, his face bright with pleasure as he bowed once more.
"These shells are a primary ingredient for refining the 'Spirit Calming Elixir,' which I happen to need now that I’ve just advanced to Mahayana. Your Grand Elder has been most thoughtful." Han Li glanced at the two fiery red shells, a hint of a smile touching his lips.
The man was naturally elated, repeatedly expressing that he dared not accept such praise. He handed the wooden box to an attendant in white robes with both hands, bowed deeply again, and then returned to his seat.
"Wei Cloud City offers its congratulations to Senior Han on his Mahayana celebration, presenting thirty thousand jin of Gold Essence and a hundred thousand jin of Profound Yin Sand as gifts," declared a young man in armor, standing from a seat farther toward the center of the square. He held a gift list with respectful deference.
"Your city is most kind."
Wei Cloud City was only a medium-sized settlement on the border between the human and demon realms, barely qualifying to attend such a high-level celebration. Han Li naturally could not say as much as before, offering only a calm, indifferent nod to the young man.
Even so, this was enough to bring a flush of excitement to the armored youth’s face. He hurriedly bowed and sat back down with reverence.
"This junior is an envoy from Thousand Rings Mountain. By order of my Mountain Lord, I congratulate Senior Han on his achievement of Mahayana, presenting three sections of Nine Profound Paulownia Wood and three Charm Spirit Pearls as gifts..." Two demon cultivators with jade-green skin and vibrant red hair also rose, each holding a jade box as they spoke in respectful tones.
As various factions, large and small, presented their gifts, others—regardless of size—seemed to follow an unspoken agreement, bringing out their prepared offerings to formally congratulate Han Li, the newly advanced Mahayana ancestor.
Before long, dozens of envoys had announced their identities.
Their cultivation levels varied, but they represented nearly all noteworthy factions among the human and demon races. Each treated Han Li with utmost respect, presenting gifts that were either exceedingly rare or so vast in quantity as to be priceless—all clearly demonstrating their intent to curry favor with the newly ascended Mahayana cultivator.
As for the independent cultivators who had come in their personal capacity, witnessing so many legendary spiritual treasures that they had previously only heard of in tales sparked considerable discussion among them, greatly broadening their horizons.
Of course, with Han Li present as a Mahayana powerhouse, no one in their right mind would dare harbor any designs on these congratulatory gifts.
To all the envoys, Han Li maintained a faint, courteous smile, occasionally nodding to accept their offerings or offering a few brief words of thanks.
However, when a woman in white also rose to her feet, Han Li smiled slightly and spoke before she could begin: "So, Fairy Xu has also come to attend my celebration. Do you represent the Xu family?"
The woman was none other than Xu Qianyu.
This unexpected interaction drew looks of surprise from most of the onlookers.
After all, her cultivation in their eyes seemed relatively modest, and for Han Li to proactively show such goodwill was naturally somewhat unexpected.
"To Senior Han’s amusement! This junior does indeed represent the Xu family to formally congratulate Senior on his Mahayana joy. We specially present one stalk of South Sea Purple Flame Bamboo, three Boundless Spirit Fruits, and a Void Heaven Treasure Cauldron, hoping Senior will advance even further and truly achieve longevity equal to the heavens!"
Xu Qianyu’s expression was slightly tense, but upon hearing Han Li’s question, she visibly relaxed and replied with formal deference.