"What's the point in mentioning the past? My cultivation base has improved somewhat since that time, but it's nothing compared to the strides that Senior Han has made. He progressed from the Deity Transformation Stage to the mid-Body Integration Stage in less than 2,000 years; that's virtually completely unheard of in human history," Xu Qianyu replied with a dejected shake of her head.

After a brief silence, the other woman asked, "If that Senior Han really is that powerful, why didn't you try to keep him? With his assistance, we'll definitely be able to complete our task without a hitch."

"We've been separated from Mistress Blood Spirit, but she specifically told us that the tasks we've been assigned are the key to deciding whether Matriarch Ice Soul will be able to return to our Xu Family; there aren't even that many people in our Xu Family who are aware of what we're doing. Senior Han is a benefactor to our Xu Family, but it would still be best not to disclose something like this to him. In any case, he's already chased those cultivators away,...