Taking advantage of Shui Bing'er entering her cultivation state, Guang Ling sidled up to Han Li.
"You looked worried just now. What's up? Is her martial soul problem hard to solve?"
"Otherwise, we could send her back. Your uncle wouldn't mind me going back on my word; it's not the first time anyway."
Guang Ling said without any mental burden. If Han Li said it was "difficult," he was ready to send Shui Bing'er back immediately.
"No, Master, you're overthinking it. I wasn't worried about that. Her martial soul problem is quite easy to solve. It's one of the top-tier martial souls. It doesn't even need immortal herbs—just some supplementation for the slightly underdeveloped martial soul's origin. With her cultivation, she can surpass many people."
Han Li replied, somewhat exasperated.
"Then why the frown? Not needing immortal herbs is even better. This girl is a bit too smart, unlike Xiu'er and XiaoYan. I'm still worried you might get tripped up by her."
So far, Guang Ling had a high opinion of Shui Bing'er.
"What are you talking about, Master?"
Han Li glanced at Guang Ling, not commenting on his master's enthusiasm for seeing him in a bind.
"I was thinking about the soul skills. If I mess up such a powerful ice phoenix, it would be a laughingstock."
"I know about ice attribute enhancement skills. Let me help you with that."
"But I must say, you should brace yourself. When we get back, Bibi Dong will likely cause trouble. As for Hu Liena, give her a good beating."
"How about you take on three at once? Add a bit of challenge."
"Alright, I'll do as you say. Now, can you tell me about ice attribute bird-type soul beasts? The closer their bloodline is to a phoenix, the better..."
The master and disciple huddled together, starting to compile information on related soul beasts.
Under Han Li's constant urging, by the evening of the last day before their scheduled departure, he saw the outline of Wuhun City.
"Thank goodness, we finally made it back."
Han Li wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, speaking with relief.
"Not many things can make you lose your composure like this."
Shui Bing'er covered her mouth, giggling. During the journey, she had seen Han Li urge the coachman to speed up more than once.
"Well, I'll introduce you to Sister Xiu'er and Sister Yan. You should get along well."
Han Li replied with a relieved smile.
"Alright, I'm starting to look forward to meeting them."
Shui Bing'er responded with a smile.
"Okay, we've reached the foot of Worship Mountain. We need to get off here and walk up."
As the carriage came to a stop, Han Li was the first to get off, turning to Shui Bing'er.
"It's my first time riding a carriage for so long too. I should stretch my legs."
Shui Bing'er also got off the carriage, looking at the city lights and the seemingly self-illuminating Worship Mountain in front of her, appreciating the peculiar sight.
"Huh?"
Guang Ling, who had just gotten off the carriage, looked up towards the mountain peak.
With his exclamation, Han Li and Shui Bing'er followed his gaze to the top of the mountain.
Suddenly, the sky turned a bluish-green, and a sharp phoenix cry echoed. The clouds, as if touching something, rippled outwards from the mountain peak like waves on water.
Then, with the sound waves spreading, even the three at the mountain's base felt a significant impact, squinting against the strong wind.
"It seems we've returned just in time. Your uncle has broken through."
Guang Ling's joy was unmistakable as he looked at Han Li.
"Hurry up on your own; I'll go ahead."
With that, his figure turned into a white light, swiftly moving forward.
"Is this person who just broke through my future teacher?"
Shui Bing'er glanced at Guang Ling's speeding figure and turned to Han Li.
Han Li's face was full of a broad smile.
"Yes, that's Uncle Azure Luan. Let's hurry up too. With his breakthrough and your arrival, it's all perfect timing."
As he spoke, he extended his wings and reached out his right hand to Shui Bing'er.
Shui Bing'er hesitated for a moment but then took his hand.
Seeing Han Li's excitement, she wondered to herself, He probably didn't do that on purpose, right?
Even though Han Li was very fast, carrying someone else and considering Shui Bing'er's comfort, by the time they reached Azure Luan's residence, the celestial phenomenon in the sky had already ended.
From the sounds inside, it seemed there was more than just Guang Ling present.
"Congratulations, Martial Uncle!"
Before he even saw anyone, Han Li called out loudly as he stepped into Azure Luan's retreat area.
As he walked past the courtyard barrier, a few voices greeted him before he could even say hello.
"Xiao Li, you're a bit late today."
"Xiao Li is back?"
"Xiao Li, you're impressive. You went out once and brought back a girl. Go out a few more times, and the mountain will be full."
As the last voice faded, Han Li immediately sensed that something was off. He then noticed that everyone's eyes were fixed on him.
Xiu'er and Dugu Yan were both looking at him and Shui Bing'er holding hands with some displeasure in their eyes.
Following the line of their held hands, Han Li saw that Shui Bing'er's face had turned bright red, clearly embarrassed by the teasing remarks.
He discreetly let go of her hand, briefly shielding himself from Xiu'er and Dugu Yan's gazes and looked towards the Lion Douluo who had made the last comment.
"Lion Uncle, please don't slander me so casually. This is Shui Bing'er, my future junior sister. With a comment like that, you owe her double the meeting gift. I hope your storage soul tool has enough space."
"Hey, you brat."
The Lion Douluo realized Han Li was joking but also saw that he might have misspoken. He laughed and shook his head.
He genuinely feared that this cheeky kid would set him up again. It wasn't about the valuables but rather the embarrassment and the teasing from others. Better to stay silent.
"Congratulations on your breakthrough, Martial Unlce. May you reach even greater heights."
Han Li walked up to Azure Luan, offering his congratulations again.
"Thank you, Xiao Li. I owe it to the items you shared with us earlier. They helped me break through smoothly."
Azure Luan remained as gentle as ever. Even after his breakthrough, his excitement wasn't overly evident in his words.
"Alright, that's enough. All of you old guys can ask your questions tomorrow. There are a lot of juniors here, don't scare them."
Guang Ling unceremoniously decided for Azure Luan and began shooing away the other Worships.
"Typical Guang Ling, only you could say something like that. Fine, see you tomorrow then. Third Brother, we're off."
Jiang Jun greeted Azure Luan and left with Jiang Long. Seeing this, the Lion Douluo also followed; he didn't want to stay and be a nuisance.
Guang Ling whispered a few words to Azure Luan, pointing toward the young girl.
"Shui Bing'er?"
Azure Luan's gaze shifted to the girl who was still somewhat dazed, and he asked softly.
"Yes, I've met the esteemed Worship. Congratulations on your successful breakthrough."
The blue-haired girl responded somewhat shyly, offering her congratulations.
"Let's try to get along for a few days, shall we?"
Azure Luan's gentle voice sounded again.
"Yes, Master."
Shui Bing'er obediently corrected herself.
Meanwhile, Han Li grabbed Dugu Yan's hand, which had been resting on his waist, and looked at the group.
"Master, Martial Uncle, why don't we head to my place? There's food and drink ready, perfect for a celebration."
"Alright, let's go to your place."
Guang Ling glanced at Azure Luan to confirm his approval.
The group of six moved towards the nearby residence for their celebration.
In Han Li's residence, during the time the dishes were being served:
The master and disciple duo took the opportunity to formally introduce Shui Bing'er to the others. Shui Bing'er gracefully interacted with everyone.
Guang Ling couldn't help but boast about their journey, though he felt a bit embarrassed when it came to mentioning Shui Bing'er.
It was then that Dugu Yan and Xiu'er realized that Shui Bing'er had been "kidnapped" by Guang Ling. Their gazes towards her became more sympathetic, and their attitude towards her improved significantly.
When the conversation turned to martial souls, they learned about the peculiarities of Shui Bing'er's martial soul.
Dugu Yan, having heard about it from Han Li before, couldn't resist showing off her martial soul possession state, and even pulled Shui Bing'er to see hers.
Shui Bing'er agreed gladly. After all, Dugu Yan's beast martial soul possession was quite similar to hers. As the conversation continued, she was secretly astonished. She had always considered herself to be exceptionally talented, but among those present, she was the weakest.
Even the bear-eared girl who didn't speak much but always responded with a sweet smile when looked at was six levels higher than her.
What surprised her the most was Han Li. Until now, she hadn't known that Han Li was a year younger than her. An eight-year-old Soul Elder; this was quite a shock to her.
While she was observing the others, Azure Luan was also paying attention to her.
From their brief interactions, it was evident that Shui Bing'er was very intelligent and had a good grasp of social nuances. Compared to the other two girls, she was more composed and mature.
Her outward demeanor was somewhat like how Han Li behaved in front of others, but she spoke much less and had a low desire for attention, which suited Azure Luan's preferences. Coupled with her strong talent, it was no wonder Guang Ling and Han Li said they had found a disciple for him. Azure Luan silently assessed the girl's performance.
The conversation continued until late at night.
Shui Bing'er temporarily stayed at Han Li's place, mainly because there were enough peers for her to interact with, and Azure Luan had not yet formally accepted her as a disciple.
Well, even if he did, it wouldn't matter much. Azure Luan would still come here to teach; teaching one or four students was the same for him. Compared to Guang Ling, he spent even more time training Han Li and the others.
Seeing Shui Bing'er being dragged away by Dugu Yan and Xiu'er, Han Li didn't intervene. Girls had their ways of interacting, and it was best for him to stay out of it.
After several days of travel, he decided it was best to get some rest early that night.
The night passed without incident.
The next morning, when he arrived at the training ground, he found the three girls already there.
Dugu Yan and Xiu'er were teaching Shui Bing'er the Phoenix Dance of Nine Heavens.
They seemed to be in good spirits, likely having learned from their previous experience and not staying up late to chat.
Nodding to them, Han Li went to the side to start his warm-up.
The entire morning, except for breaks, they all engaged in their regular training. Shui Bing'er, like Dugu Yan, experienced various luxurious auxiliary training methods, which left her quite astonished. This treatment was even better than what she had at Skywater Academy.
Azure Luan and Guang Ling didn't come in the morning; they needed to go to the Worship Hall first. Azure Luan had to share his insights on his breakthrough. Although enlightenment is a mysterious thing, it might just help someone else breakthrough.
Han Li speculated that if they hadn't returned by noon, it probably meant that something had happened with Guang Ling, and they likely needed to discuss subsequent responses. The duel that he had promised his master would also likely be scheduled soon.
As expected, just when the four of them were engaged in combat training in the afternoon, the two of them walked in.
"Xiao Li, over here."
As soon as he entered the training ground, Guang Ling eagerly called out.
Han Li forced his sparring partner back with a single move, made a gesture to pause, then put away his martial soul and walked towards his master.
"Master, Martial Uncle, is there something you need?"
Han Li walked up with a smile and asked.
"Of course, there's something. You wouldn't believe it, but today Bibi Dong went straight to the Worship Hall. No wonder she didn't show up last night; I was wondering if she had changed her personality."
Guang Ling's tone carried a hint of excitement, suggesting that he had not suffered any losses.
"So, you want me to fight?" Han Li asked directly.
"Yes, she has some wild ideas. She wants to take this opportunity to officially promote her disciple and establish the title of Holy Maiden. But Big Brother directly rejected her, not giving her any face at all. You should have seen how ugly her face was. If you were there, you could have added to the show. It's a real pity."
Guang Ling's face was exceptionally expressive, seamlessly switching expressions with his tone, almost like a master performer.
"So, am I fighting one or three?" Han Li asked curiously.
"Of course, three. Just three low-level Soul Elders. I can't imagine any scenario where you would lose," Guang Ling confidently answered for Han Li.
"Don't be complacent. Use your full strength. Although Bibi Dong doesn't know much about our side, she agreed after knowing Xiao Li's level, so she must have confidence in her own."
Azure Kuan chimed in softly from the side.
"Yes, I know. Isn't it just Hu Liena and that Xie Yue's martial soul fusion skill? Since I dared to agree on Xiao Li's behalf, I naturally investigated it."
At this point, Guang Ling had a smug smile on his face.
"If their martial soul fusion skill was purely offensive, I might worry for Xiao Li since his physique isn't particularly strong. But a control and support type martial soul fusion skill? Even if Xiao Li gets caught, it won't affect him at all."
"As for that kid named Yan, if Xiao Li just stood there and protected himself with soul power, Yan wouldn't even be able to scratch his clothes."
Guang Ling's face was full of disdain.
"Stop giving Xiao Li bad advice. Let him handle the fight himself. We want a guaranteed win."
Azure Luan glanced at Guang Ling, stopping his pre-fight coaching.
"I'm just saying, of course, the actual fighting will be up to Xiao Li."
Even though Guang Ling was already at level 98, he instinctively obeyed Azure Luan, a "positional suppression" formed over many years.
"Xiao Li, perform well, and you might end up with some benefits," Azure Luan said with a smile, looking at Han Li.
"Publicly?"
Han Li asked immediately upon hearing Azure Luan's words.
"Half-public. All the titled and high-ranking personnel in Wuhun City will be there," Azure nodded and replied.
"Yes, Xiao Li, put on a good show. Maybe the Holy Son title of the Martial Soul Hall will end up with my disciple," Guang Ling said excitedly.