A Mortal's Journey to Immortality: Wang Yu Transmigrates into a Book, the Dao Ancestor of Rein

Chapter 87 The Great Evolution Technique: Good Things Happen One After Another, a Lifesaver in an Emergency

I wonder what Master Hongfu and Uncle Lei Wanhe talked about.

Han Li only saw that when Uncle Lei rode away on a cloud, he nodded to him and gave him a meaningful smile.

Then comes the impending departure of Master Hongfu and Dong Xuan'er.

"Master, these puppets and storage bags."

Han Li voluntarily handed over all his battlefield spoils, not keeping a single spirit stone for himself.

Although he was reluctant to part with it, especially the level-four giant tiger puppet that he coveted the most, he did not succumb to greed. His mind was as clear as a mirror.

"Alright, Han Li, these things are useless to me, you can keep them yourself." Master Hong Fu not only didn't take the storage bags, but pushed the items back to him. "Keep the matter of the Spirit Eye Spring a secret, and no one else should know. I think your formation is quite good; it can even delay an ordinary Core Formation cultivator for a while. Its effect is no less than some mountain-protecting formations. With this formation, I can rest assured. You should cultivate here properly."

How can a master steal a disciple's opportunity?

Besides, she has already gained so much from this little apprentice.

The two Invisible Needle Talismans from Old Monster Qiong are not something that can be bought with spirit stones, nor is the youth-preserving pill that brings back youth. Furthermore, the favor promised by Junior Brother Lei and the half-bottle of Vitality-Enhancing Pills can be left for Xuan'er to use in the future.

And this casual act also allowed Xuan'er to pick up iron essence and other items worth tens of thousands of spirit stones.

Her little apprentice, who seemed to be just an ordinary, honest, and slightly clever person, always managed to surprise her.

Strange and strange.

"Master, this..."

Han Li, who had just received several storage bags, was deeply moved at that moment.

He was able to be completely free of greed because the majority of the profits never came from Huang Long and the others outside the Inverted Five Elements Formation, but from another person inside the Inverted Five Elements Formation.

In his view, whether it was hundreds of puppets or giant tiger puppets outside, or the tens of thousands of gleaming spirit stones carried by the Foundation Establishment stage protectors of the Thousand Bamboo Sect, or their possessions worth tens of thousands of spirit stones, none of them could compare to the personal belongings of the person lying in the Inverted Five Elements Formation.

The Great Evolution Technique!
The True Explanation of Puppetry!
The value of these two items far exceeds that of tens or hundreds of thousands of spirit stones.

"I am able to remain calm because I have foresight. But what about Master Hongfu and Senior Sister Dong Xuan'er?"

Even though Master Hongfu was wealthy, he would normally be tempted by items worth tens of thousands of spirit stones. However, his master never even glanced at them. This composure and magnanimity, like that of a true gentleman, was far beyond his reach.

His scheming, however, did indeed make him seem like a petty person.

Finally, meeting the expectant gaze of his master, Hong Fu, Han Li bowed respectfully.
"Thank you, Master!"

This bond of friendship grows ever stronger; let's hope it doesn't turn out to be difficult to repay in the end.

...

"By the way, Han Li, could you tell me how many Foundation Establishment Pills you have left?"

Hong Fu's question was direct and to the point, startling Han Li who was unprepared.

However, his face remained calm.

Then, with remarkable decisiveness, he held up three fingers:
Three!

"How is this possible?" Dong Xuan'er was stunned on the spot: "How do you still have so many Foundation Establishment Pills?"

There shouldn't be so many Foundation Establishment Pills left over from the Blood Trial reward of 7, right?
"Senior sister, my gains in the Crimson Forbidden Land weren't just those spiritual herbs; I also got a few Foundation Establishment Pills!"

Han Li laughed heartily.

He had already prepared his explanation.

"what?"

The girl was taken aback.

Turning to look at Hong Fu:

"Master, is what Junior Brother said true?"

"good."

Master Hongfu smiled and nodded:

"When your junior brother came out of the forbidden area that day, he gave you a storage bag. Didn't you check the other items?"

She glanced at most of the storage bag that day and saw quite a few things.

She saw everything clearly: the Azure Condensation Mirror of the Hidden Moon Sect, the Yellow Silk Umbrella, the talismanic treasures, the Fallen Dust Pearl Silver Radiance Sword, and so on. The disciple did not hide anything. As for the Foundation Establishment Pill, since it was placed in a talisman-stamped bottle or box, she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, but she could guess what it was.

I never expected that my disciple would obtain so many Foundation Establishment Pills.

There were about two more than she had estimated.

"I see, no wonder you had extra to sell to the Chen family." Dong Xuan'er understood, and one of her doubts was resolved. Then another question arose: "Then, junior brother, how many Foundation Establishment Pills did you use to establish your foundation?"

Han Li smiled but didn't answer. Instead, he took out a pill bottle and handed it over, which contained three gleaming blue Foundation Establishment Pills:
"Master, you asked me for the Foundation Establishment Pill, is it because you need it?"

Seeing this, Hong Fu waved her hand:
"It's not that I'm asking for it, but rather that I'm doing you a favor."

Upon hearing this, Han Li perked up.

Favor?

who?

Master Hongfu didn't keep you in suspense: "Didn't your Uncle Lei take in two disciples with lightning spiritual roots a few years ago? They're due to reach the Foundation Establishment stage long ago. But since it's not yet time for the sect to distribute Foundation Establishment Pills, they asked me if I had any extra."

The Foundation Establishment Pills are normally distributed some time after the Crimson Trial ends.

To obtain the Foundation Establishment Pill ahead of time, one must obtain it through the Ascension Token.

That thing has extremely high priority.

"If you have any extra, sell them to his two disciples with lightning spiritual roots. If those two could establish their foundation a year or two earlier, they would owe you a considerable favor."

Don't underestimate the seemingly insignificant impact of being a year or two earlier.

However, for geniuses, the earlier they establish their foundation, the more beneficial it is for their path to immortality. As the saying goes, a quick start leads to quicker progress.

Furthermore, if we can have an extra year or two to break through the bottleneck, the chances and opportunities will be much greater.

"Thank you, Master, for your guidance."

I hadn't expected this before, but now it all makes sense.

"Don't forget to visit Lei Gang Mountain later."

"The disciple understands."

After Master Hongfu and Dong Xuan'er had gone far away, he first returned to his cave and checked the contents of the five storage bags.

In total: over 8,000 spirit stones, over 300 level 2 puppets, one level 4 giant tiger puppet, as well as top-tier magic artifacts and talismans worth over 20,000 spirit stones, and various miscellaneous items such as ironwood that are four or five hundred years old. The total value is as high as 50,000 to 60,000 spirit stones.

Is it because the Thousand Bamboo Sect is too wealthy, with spiritual materials and stones everywhere? Or is it because the cultivators there have a more hierarchical system, with a Foundation Establishment cultivator often supported by dozens or even hundreds of Qi Refining cultivators?
However, the storage bags he selected did not include Huanglong's.

In addition, he deliberately slowed down and gave Dong Xuan'er a few slightly inferior storage bags so that she could open the blind boxes, thus providing ample emotional value.

In other words, Dong Xuan'er will find even more wealth than he did.

Master Hongfu probably had this in mind when he didn't take away this part of him.

Perhaps they wanted to keep the table as level as possible?

in fact.

All of these factors are present.

But what Han Li didn't realize was that the real reason Hong Fu was being so generous was that she increasingly wanted to bring him and his grandniece Dong Xuan'er together.

Furthermore, Han Li's willingness to offer up the Spirit Eye Spring touched a deep chord within Hong Fu, even though she didn't say anything.

It was all a lucky accident.

Too many unexpected things happened at once.

An hour later.

Han Li returned to the area covered by the Reversed Five Elements Formation.

Then, following another secret passage, they arrived at the foot of the hundred-zhang-high mountain cliff.

He hadn't walked far when he saw a blackened corpse, poisoned, lying on an open ground.

Because this area remains within the coverage of the grand formation, those outside cannot perceive its interior through sight or divine sense. Furthermore, unless the commotion within is particularly dramatic, it remains undetectable to those outside.

That's why the body wasn't discovered by Master Hongfu and Lei Wanhe.

Huang Long and the others from the Thousand Bamboo Sect attacked the Inverted Five Elements Formation precisely because of this corpse, not because of the Spirit Eye Spring inside the mountain wall.

All these coincidences led to Han Li getting a great bargain.

"Hey? Isn't this Senior Brother Lin? Senior Brother, are you alright?"

Han Li asked insincerely from a distance.

Unsurprisingly, Senior Brother Lin did not reply.

Han Li could only sigh softly at this:
"Alas, it seems we've delayed for too long; it's already dead."

So, he decisively flicked his finger, sending a fireball hurtling toward the corpse.

But in the next moment, a cry of alarm came from the corpse:
"No, junior brother, stop!"

The voice was indeed made by Young Master Lin.

To be precise, it was emitted by Young Master Lin's primordial spirit.

At this moment, only the primordial spirit of Young Master Lin remained. Originally, he had spent many years in seclusion in Yellow Maple Valley, his desire to reclaim the Thousand Bamboo Sect's territory in the far west and avenge his father had faded. However, a few years ago, he had mastered the third level of the Great Evolution Technique, and his thoughts immediately rekindled. He thought of contacting his former subordinates and having them steal the last three levels of the technique from the Thousand Bamboo Sect's headquarters.

And he did.

He just hadn't expected that his former subordinates, whom he had valued and cultivated so highly, would betray him so long ago. Well, actually, he had somewhat anticipated it, but until he was betrayed, he simply refused to believe that his personal charisma was so worthless.

After being ambushed by Yuanwu Kingdom, he had no choice but to flee. His escape route led to Huangfeng Valley, which is part of Taiyue Mountain, and he happened to pass through this area.

then.

He was stopped by a large formation that had appeared there at some unknown time.

They were trapped inside the great formation.

No matter what methods are used, they cannot escape this place.

Hastily!
No amount of cursing can describe his grief and despair at that time.

He hadn't seen this great formation when he passed by this place years ago. Why did he have to run into it this time?

It was truly a case of Heaven wanting to destroy him.

And frankly, which damned Foundation Establishment cultivator from Huangfeng Valley came to such a remote place to carve out a cave? It's too abstract!

He was thinking about how Huanglong and the others would deal with him after they caught up and broke through the great formation again.
Unexpectedly, the commotion caused by Huang Long and his group quickly subsided.

At this point, he thought he was saved, but the cultivator from Yellow Maple Valley raised his hand and unleashed a fireball spell, determined to finish him off. He intended to burn his body and destroy his primordial spirit in the process.

"Ah...why?"

The young master Lin's primordial spirit emitted screams and questions.

In a flash, he thought of many things.

"He's not completely dead after all!"

Han Li snorted coldly:
"His spirit is still attached, and he won't answer when I ask him. He's definitely trying to trick me into being careless so he can suddenly seize my body!"

"You were trapped here because of my Reversed Five Elements Formation, which caused you to miss the best time for treatment, resulting in the poisoning and complete necrosis of your body. With this grudge in the past, how could you not harbor the slightest resentment towards me, your junior brother? Taking over my body and possessing everything I have is the simplest and most direct way for you to take revenge."

He knew Lin Shaozhu's background very well, so naturally he wouldn't fall for his tricks.

He also knew that as a Foundation Establishment cultivator who had not cultivated the Great Evolution Technique, he was bound to lose to a Foundation Establishment cultivator who had possessed his body, especially one who had mastered the third level of the Great Evolution Technique and greatly enhanced his spiritual sense.

Once the other party's primordial spirit invades his sea of ​​consciousness and forcibly seizes his body, he's doomed.

and so.

He would never get close to a problem that could be solved with a single fireball from a distance.

"Junior brother, it's a misunderstanding. I have no ill intentions. I'm just on guard against those who are hunting me down..."

Ah, so it turns out that she saw through his intention to possess someone else's body and had been on guard against him all along.

"There's no misunderstanding between us." Han Li finally breathed a sigh of relief as he watched the other's primordial spirit burn and dissipate.

"Moreover, what Han hates most in his life is being possessed."

...

After destroying Young Master Lin's physical body and primordial spirit, only a storage bag remained on the spot.

Seeing this, he released Qu Hun from the spirit beast pouch and had Qu Hun check the storage bag to prevent it from being ambushed. After confirming that Young Master Lin had not left any hidden tricks on the storage bag, he took it, penetrated it with his magic power, and took out the items inside one by one.

The storage bag was completely empty and spotless. There were only a few spirit stones and two bottles of ordinary pills. Moreover, in order to escape from Huang Long and the other protectors of the Thousand Bamboo Sect, he had even self-destructed his three hundred puppets to buy time, thus depleting all his resources. However, even so, there was still a jade slip inside the storage bag.

Upon seeing the jade slip, Han Li immediately beamed with joy:

"found it."

He probed into it with his mind and his divine sense immediately captured the three golden characters "Dayan Jue".

This jade slip is the very one he has been searching for—the Great Evolution Technique inheritance jade slip.

The techniques for the first four levels were recorded.

Furthermore, following the Great Evolution Manual, the scripture "True Explanation of Puppetry" appears. This scripture teaches how to refine puppet beasts and puppet humans of various ranks, and is a very detailed complete guide to puppet making.

Unfortunately, the Puppet Mastery guide does not cover high-level puppets; the highest level is only the level 4 Giant Tiger Puppet.

"It seems that the method for refining high-level puppets is the same as the last three levels of the Great Evolution Technique, and it's all with the Great Evolution Divine Lord at the Thousand Bamboo Sect's headquarters," Han Li said, stroking his chin in thought.

If I can become a Nascent Soul cultivator in the future, I will definitely travel to the far west.

Cultivating the Great Evolution Technique doesn't require the use of special elixirs. Those suited to this method can quickly grasp the basics. Using the original owner of this body as a reference, the first level can be mastered in six months to a year. The second level takes about six years. The third level takes about twenty years. Moreover, the first four levels don't present significant bottlenecks. The only issue is the need for a considerable amount of time to accumulate experience.

During this period, one can also cultivate the Azure Origin Sword Technique and the Third Reincarnation Technique simultaneously.

Of course, without a large number of elixirs to aid in the cultivation of the Azure Origin Sword Technique, the practice of the Azure Origin Sword Technique would definitely be delayed by the Great Evolution Technique.

However, if there are a large number of elixirs to assist in the process, then it is a different story.

"I currently have several bottles of ancient pills suitable for Foundation Establishment stage cultivators, plus a 10% acceleration from the Spirit Eye Spring. The acceleration effect of the Spirit Eye Spring can just offset the 10% drag from the Azure Origin Sword Technique..."

"Furthermore, once the first level of the Great Evolution Technique is mastered, the bottleneck at the peak of the early Foundation Establishment stage will also loosen, which is a major benefit of cultivating the Great Evolution Technique..."

"In that case, I should adjust my cultivation method according to plan."

"... "

Before Han Li could sell the three Foundation Establishment Pills to the three young geniuses and go into seclusion to cultivate, Dong Xuan'er came to visit again, bringing with her Senior Brother Yu Kun from the Bibo Cave lineage, asking him to come to Bibo Cave with her.

Upon hearing that it was Li Huayuan's cave, he roughly knew what had happened.

It's most likely about that incident from three years ago.

Sure enough, on the way, he learned the whole story from his talkative senior brother.

It turned out that three years ago, Li Huayuan's wife suddenly suffered a qi deviation while practicing a certain method, almost dying from the backlash of the technique. It was at that time that their adopted son, Yu Kun, provided her with a Qingxin Pill, which miraculously helped the young woman through her most difficult moment. In the following years, Li Huayuan searched far and wide for spiritual herbs to refine a cure that could eradicate the aftereffects, and after much searching, he finally found Hong Fu.

Hong Fu was also generous, giving away some spiritual herbs and a bottle of pills to help.

Only recently has Li Huayuan's wife finally recovered.

When Li Huayuan and his wife asked Senior Brother Yu about the origin of the earliest Qingxin Pill, Senior Brother Yu did not try to take credit for it and instead directly "confessed" to Han Li.

Out of gratitude and due to the limitations of her cultivation method, the young woman immediately stated that she must reciprocate with a generous gift to express her thanks.

So now, Old Li not only owed Master Hongfu a great favor, but also had to give Han Li a thank-you gift.

This is not.

After finding Dong Xuan'er's cave, he asked her to go to Bibo Cave.

Upon his return, he held another golden page in his hand.

Dong Xuan'er now had a large piece of iron essence in her hand.

Of course, it wasn't enough for Li Huayuan to repay the favor to the Hongying Mountain lineage with a piece of iron essence worth nearly ten thousand spirit stones.

All I can say is that the road ahead is long and arduous.

"I got this gold page with just one Tranquilizing Pill, which saved me a lot of trouble. Sure enough, if you want to be an investor, you have to be an angel investor."

...

After taking Dong Xuan'er to make a deal with the head of the Dong family, he caught some small animals and returned to his cave, where he immediately began his seclusion.

He didn't rush to unlock the inheritance from the golden page, but instead devoted himself wholeheartedly to cultivating the Great Evolution Technique. Calm and focused, without any distractions, he abandoned all external distractions. Apart from taking the usual pills to enhance his magical power, he focused solely on cultivating the Great Evolution Technique.

Time flies, and three years have passed.

The cave entrance has not been opened since it was last closed.

There was a thin layer of dust accumulated at the entrance.

On that same day, the gate was opened from the inside.

A figure stepped out from within.

This person had an ordinary appearance, but his aura had reached the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment. Moreover, he was not just entering the mid-stage, but had taken a significant step forward from the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.

At this moment, the young man's every gesture exudes confidence and composure.

"The first level of the Great Evolution Technique, the fifth level of the Azure Origin Sword Technique... it really takes a lot of time."

For the past three years, he has devoted himself to cultivation.

He refines his own elixirs and consumes them himself.

Not only did he master the first level of the Great Evolution Technique in just over half a year, but he also took advantage of the surge in his spiritual sense after mastering the first level of the Great Evolution Technique and took a lot of medicine, which made the bottleneck at the peak of the early stage of Foundation Establishment looser and then he stepped into the middle stage of Foundation Establishment in one go.

Not only that, he also used his spare time to study the True Explanation of Puppetry and tried to refine more than a dozen puppets using the hundreds-year-old ironwood and other spiritual materials readily available in his storage bag.

His initial foray into weapon crafting, much like his initial foray into alchemy, was fraught with setbacks. Fortunately, he possessed a natural talent for both, and his skills improved rapidly after he began learning the basics.

He first practiced on ordinary animals like weasels, learning the "Soul-Trapping Technique," one of the common methods used by demonic practitioners as recorded in the Puppet Manual. The Soul-Trapping Technique, as the name suggests, is a spell that draws the soul out of a corpse.

Try the "Soul Condensation Technique" again, which can condense dozens or even hundreds of weak souls into a single powerful artificial soul. This artificial soul has many drawbacks, such as not being as effective as naturally powerful souls; however, it also has its own advantages, such as being plentiful and readily available, making it perfect for practicing making first and second-level puppets.

Finally, there is the "Soul Refining Technique," which is a spell for refining and modifying souls, making it easier for puppeteers to combine artificial souls with magical puppets to create obedient puppet soldiers and puppet beasts.

Here, we have to mention some of the outrageous things Young Master Lin did.

It turns out that those level 2 puppet soldiers in his hands were all created by Young Master Lin by condensing powerful artificial souls from human souls. With hundreds of puppet soldiers, considering the one-third failure rate of the Soul-Trapping Technique and the fact that the Soul-Condensation Technique requires the fusion of dozens of souls to produce one usable artificial soul, at least seventy to eighty thousand, or even hundreds of thousands, of young and middle-aged mortals were killed in the process.

That's definitely a demonic act.

The key point is that they could have made beast puppets, but they insisted on making humanoid puppets.

I don't understand what that young master Lin was thinking.

No wonder he wasn't well-liked even after entering Yellow Maple Valley.

Most likely, many experts at the Core Formation stage had already seen through this guy's trickery.

On the other hand, the Thousand Bamboo Sect mostly produces beast puppets. These are clearly level 2 puppets created by hunting ordinary wild animals and then using methods like soul-binding, soul-condensing, and soul-refining. Their methods are certainly much cleaner.

Even his own backside isn't clean either.

After all, he had practiced with ordinary wild animals as well.

But he had no intention of affecting ordinary people.

In his view, matters between cultivators should not involve mortals. Therefore, after accumulating initial experience by using wild beasts, he directly targeted the high-ranking fire lizards among the dozens of fire lizards he had captured alive in the forbidden area.

The puppet he eventually created was a level 2 puppet represented by these high-level fire lizard souls.

Although it is only a level 2 puppet, its flexibility is comparable to that of a Qi Refining level 12 or 13.

They are among the best of the level 2 puppets.

"No wonder the original owner was more successful overseas; it turns out that the soul required to create the puppet was a major limitation."

In the chaotic Star Sea, there are numerous demonic beasts. One can freely try one-handedly to summon, condense, and refine souls, and create Foundation Establishment stage puppets of level three or four.

In the southern regions, demonic beasts are scarce, so puppeteers can only find ordinary wild animals and common humans to condense and refine their souls to create suitable artificial souls. Ultimately, creating a level two puppet is commonplace, while creating a level three or four Foundation Establishment stage puppet is quite rare.

In other words, it's not that puppet making is difficult; raw materials like hundreds-of-years or even thousands-year-old ironwood are not uncommon. What truly limits the development of puppetry is the soul.

"I'll have to go to the mine soon."

The Heaven-Mending Pill, the Great Teleportation Token, and that Blood Jade Spider…

...

The main hall of the mountain gate.

Han Li found Zhong Lingdao.

After briefly asking about the Crimson Trial two years ago and confirming that Yellow Maple Valley had won again, he felt relieved.

They then inquired about the Foundation Establishment stage of the Yu family member who guarded the mine at Tianque Fort.

Yu Yuan, a cultivator with three spiritual roots, was in the early Foundation Establishment stage of Tianque Fortress. He only reached Foundation Establishment in his fifties, and now, at over a hundred years old, he is still only in the early Foundation Establishment stage. He is a family cultivator who, knowing that he has no hope of achieving immortality, has dedicated himself to serving his direct descendants in the Yu family for many years.

This man has been guarding the mine for many years and has amassed a modest fortune. After all, guarding a mine, though tedious, is a lucrative job, with a year's reward of at least four or five mid-grade spirit stones.

Furthermore, considering that the mine is protected by formations such as the Four Fiends Formation, there is basically no need to worry about external attacks. Small matters are handled by dozens of Qi Refining stage disciples assigned by various sects, so in many aspects, they are actually quite relaxed.

"Junior Brother Han, is there anything else you'd like to inquire about?" Zhong Lingdao asked with a smile.

Han Li shook his head, then bowed and said, "I'm grateful for your help, Senior Brother Sect Leader."

He then prepared to leave, saying, "Junior brother has other matters to attend to, so he won't bother senior brother any longer."

"Not at all, come visit me anytime."

Just as he was about to step out of the main hall, a person entered from outside. Upon seeing Han Li, the person immediately smiled and said:
"Junior Brother Han, we were just saying we were going to your cave to look for you."

The person who came was none other than Senior Brother Wang, Manager Wang.

The one in charge of the Ascension Ceremony and accompanying the participants in the Crimson Trial.

"Senior Brother Wang, what is it?"

"Junior brother, a young cultivator from the Yuanwu Kingdom named Qi Yunxiao just delivered a message to the mountain gate, asking the disciples guarding the mountain to deliver this jade slip to Hongying Mountain or directly to you." As he spoke, Senior Brother Wang handed over a jade slip.

Han Li had no doubts and immediately immersed himself in it after receiving it.

He soon learned why Qi Yunxiao was in such a hurry to find him.

It turned out that the ice lotus given three years ago, along with some auxiliary spiritual herbs, had been used up to refine cold-attribute pills. Meanwhile, Qi Yunxiao's close friend continued to forcefully cultivate, causing the dragon's roar energy within his body to erupt and run rampant, which once made the person faint.

Qi Yunxiao immediately thought of Han Li and rushed over to seek a solution.

First, they went to his cave dwelling, but after waiting for two days without receiving a response, they left a message talisman and later went to the gate of Huangfeng Valley in Taiyue Mountain to seek his contact information.

Qi Yunxiao was like an ant on a hot pan.

"She's in such a hurry. It seems that Xin Ruyin's cultivation has been going very smoothly over the past three years, and her cultivation level has improved a lot, which is why the sudden backlash is even greater," Han Li murmured to himself.

"Senior brother, where is that young man?"

"They headed towards the Tianxingzong Market in the Yuanwu Kingdom in the northwest."

"Thank you for sending the message, Senior Brother. I will definitely invite you to my cave for tea sometime in the future."

"Okay, I'll wait until you're free, junior brother."

After the two parted ways, Han Li went straight to the Hundred Machines Hall to report, and then headed northwest to catch up.

In less than half an hour, he caught up with a short and stout figure.

"Fellow Taoist, please stay."

The figure in front, upon hearing these words and sensing the aura of a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator approaching from behind, initially shuddered in fright. However, upon recognizing Han Li, he was overjoyed:

"Senior, senior, I've finally found you."

"Alright, I understand the situation. It's urgent, so let's go rescue her first. I still have a rare Snow Lotus from last year. After refining it into a pill, it should be able to help your friend temporarily stabilize the Dragon Roar Qi within her body. However, you should still persuade her not to force herself to cultivate. Unless she finds a Nascent Soul elder for protection, or at the very least a late-stage Core Formation expert for assistance, she'll really be courting death."

Xin Ruyin's pursuit of immortality is exactly the same as Mo Caihuan's original path; she knows it's impossible, but she still does it.

However, when enthusiasm is met with nothing but helplessness and despair, it seems somewhat irrational.

Or perhaps, it was too much rationality.

Qi Yunxiao didn't care about anything else; upon hearing that Han Li had a way to save his life, he was overjoyed.

"Thank you so much, senior. Thank you so much, senior. I will forever remember your great kindness and virtue..."

"No need for that, we'll just each get what we need. By the way, how's your research on the Inverted Five Elements Formation coming along?" Han Li brought up the important matter.

"My friend and I have spent more time studying that formation over the past three years and have also reforged a set of formation tools, which should theoretically be equivalent to 30% of the power of the complete Reversed Five Elements Formation."

"Thirty percent of its power?"

Not bad.

"Senior, please give us some more time. My close friend and I will definitely be able to restore and simplify the complete array using the array-setting artifacts." Qi Yunxiao wiped the sweat from his forehead, afraid that this person might be dissatisfied and suddenly change his mind and leave.

"Okay, I trust you both."

Han Li, riding his flying sword, carried Qi Yunxiao and arrived at a secluded mountain range in Yuanwu Kingdom in three days at an even faster speed.

This place is remote, shrouded in mist year-round, and produces no spiritual herbs or materials, making it even more sparsely populated. Yet, within this unassuming little mountain range, half-hidden by clouds and mist, lies a paradise on earth.

That was left to Xin Ruyin by her parents.

It was concealed by an extremely powerful formation.

Even Core Formation cultivators and Nascent Soul elders would find it difficult to detect if they weren't paying attention.

It wasn't until hundreds of years later that this place was discovered by a Nascent Soul stage expert, who also discovered a hidden but excellent spiritual vein here, and then established a small sect based here.

"Fellow Daoist Qi, since your friend didn't invite me in, I won't go in," Han Li said to Qi Yunxiao beside him after a moment's thought upon arrival.

Upon hearing this, Qi Yunxiao became extremely anxious: "Senior, why is this?"

If you turn people away, how can you possibly get their medicinal herbs to save you in your time of need?
"Don't worry, I'll build a temporary cave dwelling nearby, and then I'll start refining pills. Once they're ready, you can take them to your friend." One should always be wary of others.

Although I know Xin Ruyin and Qi Yunxiao's character very well.

But he was ultimately used to being a villain first and then a gentleman.

After all, once trapped deep within the great formation, his life or death would be out of his control.

"Thank you, senior. By the way, please accept this set of array-setting tools." Qi Yunxiao was quite sensible and took out the complete set of array-setting tools for the Inverted Five Elements Array.

Two days later, the pills were ready. To be on the safe side, Han Li initially only refined three. Fortunately, they were all successful.

"Take it to save people first."

"Thank you, senior."

Give the three pills to Qi Yunxiao as an emergency measure, to see if they can suppress the dragon's roar energy within Xin Ruyin's body.

The feedback was quite good: the girl woke up and her condition improved. However, she was still unwell, so she did not leave her secluded place to express her gratitude in person, but instead sent her maid, Xiaomei, to convey her thanks.

Han Li didn't say much about it.

Later, he refined two more bottles, giving half of them to Qi Yunxiao.

This kind of pill is easier to refine than the Foundation Establishment Pill. With his current alchemy skills and control over his divine sense, he can reliably guarantee a success rate of over 80%.

He originally thought he was very capable.

However, he learned from Qi Yunxiao that once alchemy masters were familiar with the formulas, their success rate was generally around 95%. Those with skilled techniques could achieve an even higher success rate of 98%. The batch of Snow Cloud Pills he refined three years ago was made by an alchemy master he had requested through the Qi family's connections. Because he provided the formula, no extra payment was needed, and the master was very willing to try new types of pills.

After learning all this, Han Li fell silent, and his previous smugness vanished completely.

Sure enough, he was still far from being a master of alchemy.

A few days later, after Xin Ruyin had recuperated and confirmed that her condition had improved considerably and that she was ready to go out and meet guests, she emerged from the secluded formation and met Han Li, who had been waiting for her for many days, in the simple cave dwelling.

"Huh? Qi Refining Level 10?"

According to the original timeline, this woman was only at the sixth or seventh level of Qi Refining at this point.

It seems this girl has been diligently cultivating for the past three years, suppressing the dragon's roar energy within her body with cold-attribute pills made from the Iceberg Snow Lotus. No wonder she was caught off guard and suffered a backlash from the dragon's roar energy.

"This humble servant, Xin Ruyin, greets you, senior, and thanks you for saving my life."

Upon meeting, the young woman first gave a graceful bow, her movements gentle and delicate yet poised and elegant.

"Fellow Taoist, you're welcome."

Han Li nodded in return.

As for Xin Ruyin, at first glance, her features weren't particularly striking, even less so than the maid Xiaomei. However, she possessed an innate air of gentle elegance and graceful nobility, and the more one looked at her, the more pleasing she became.

It seems that Qi Yunxiao was unable to extricate himself from this situation.

"Senior, I have been neglecting my duties due to health reasons. I hope you will forgive me."

After thanking her, the girl began to express her apologies.

This put Han Li at ease.

After all, his time was very precious. He had been traveling for several days, and now he had been delayed for another seven or eight days; if he couldn't see anyone after staying a few more days, he would prepare to go back to do something else.

"sit down."

Han Li gestured for everyone to sit down, then asked:

"Miss Xin, are you the poor soul with the Dragon Roar Physique?"

"Just as you said, senior, I am indeed a dragon with a roaring body."

After Xin Ruyin sat down, she pursed her lips and nodded.

Initially, she was very wary and cautious of this person, because this Foundation Establishment stage senior exuded too much mystery and strangeness. For example, although everyone had never seen him before, why did this person seem to know many things about her and Qi Yunxiao long ago? The way he approached them was also proactive and easy to control, and he was precisely targeting their weaknesses, and doing so in an extremely blatant way.

People like that are terrifying.

Therefore, she tried every means to persuade him, which finally got Brother Qi Yunxiao to temporarily cut off his contact with this person.

They even changed their original contact information.

She just hadn't expected that they hadn't bothered them once in the past three years; it was all her petty thinking. Moreover, because she had been too reckless and careless, the dragon's roar energy had backfired, almost causing irreversible and serious sequelae such as meridian depletion and dantian atrophy.

If she had been treated any later, her life would have been over.

Only then did she realize just how troublesome her Dragon Roar Body truly was. It was likely true, as the other party had said, that she needed the constant suppression of Yin energy by a Nascent Soul ancestor, or the help of a Nascent Soul cultivator specializing in ice-attribute techniques to cure her completely with their cold energy.

Then she realized that the other party's kindness towards her, or rather, their intention to use her and Qi Yunxiao, was mostly to exploit them, and they had no other malicious intent.

"Senior, is it really true that only those two methods can be used to treat this strange constitution of mine?"

Even though I knew the outcome, I was still very unwilling to accept it.

"I dare not say that my method is the best, but it is very practical. Moreover, one of them is possible to implement; it all depends on Miss Xin's own choice." After pouring a cup of Ye family spiritual tea for each of them, Han Li said calmly, "With your pride, fellow Daoist, you must not be willing to waste your life like this, right?"

To be able to replicate a Core Formation level formation while only in the Qi Refining stage, and to compress the grand formation into a single array artifact, greatly simplifying it—such skill is beyond the reach of 99.99% of array masters. And to achieve this level in just over a decade—how can such innate talent not inspire pride?

What if we give this woman more time?
"Indeed, my resentment has been seen by you, senior."

Xin Ruyin didn't try to hide it.

That's right.

She just wouldn't give in.

Why is it that other mediocre people can successfully cultivate immortality, while someone as talented as her, who is amazing in a certain aspect, dies young?

Why do I possess this inexplicable Dragon Roar Body?
Why should I be limited by this strange and troublesome physical condition?
She refused.

Even if God only gave her the talent of a pseudo-spiritual root, she believed that she could go far with her own efforts.

Since fate is playing tricks on her, she'll find a way to break free of these shackles herself.

"Miss Xin, have you considered first joining a powerful force, then showcasing your talent in array formations to gain attention and thus extend your lifespan? As long as you can reach Foundation Establishment, you can temporarily suspend cultivation and live for over a hundred or even two hundred years. If you're lucky enough to form your Core, it's not impossible to live for four or five hundred years. What do you think, Miss Xin?" At this moment, Han Li was subtly extending an olive branch.

"A very good suggestion, but it's not suitable for a junior."

The girl said apologetically.

They politely declined the offer.

Han Li nodded, indicating his understanding:
Possessing the secret techniques of the second Nascent Soul stage and the inheritance of the Dao of Arrays, how could one possibly remain under the watchful eye of a Nascent Soul stage ancestor at all times? Especially the secret techniques of the second Nascent Soul stage; if they were to fall into the hands of a Nascent Soul stage monster, they would likely unleash a bloodbath in the cultivation world.

Given her quiet and sedentary nature, she is most likely unwilling to bear the consequences or get herself killed.

Would a Nascent Soul Ancestor who has obtained the secret technique still have a burden to carry around?
No matter how talented one is in array formations, how much benefit can they bring to the cultivation of Nascent Soul stage monsters?

"Then we have no choice but to continue our cooperative transactions."

Han Li didn't press the issue and steered the conversation to a more relaxed atmosphere.

"A mutually beneficial transaction is always the best."

Xin Ruyin nodded, secretly relieved.

She was afraid that the other party would kidnap her and force her into marriage.

Right now, communicating through a transaction rather than forcing her is truly the best approach.

"Yes, I have already taken out two portions of two 800-year-old Snow Lotus plants and related auxiliary medicinal herbs. These are priceless treasures, almost extinct. You two fellow Daoists do not deny that, do you?"

"Indeed, I am very grateful to you for saving my life."

"The two fellow Daoists have returned two incomplete Inverted Five Elements Arrays to me. Although the arrays are valuable, they are far less life-saving than spiritual medicine, wouldn't you agree?"

Qi Yunxiao nodded.

Xin Ruyin frowned slightly.

That's undeniable.

"Although Han is not the type to take advantage of others, he is also not used to always being taken advantage of." Han Li said meaningfully.

His initial approach was too aggressive, which made Xin Ruyin extremely wary of him.

It's impossible to eliminate this vigilance in a short time.

Therefore, interactions between them should be treated as mutually beneficial transactions.

Besides, aside from the matter of repairing the ancient teleportation array, he wouldn't need to beg this woman for anything else. On the contrary, it should be the other way around. When asking for favors, the one being asked shouldn't always be the one who suffers a loss and has to be extremely cautious.

"What do you think is fair?"

Xin Ruyin asked.

"In that case, once I've finished some business, you can impart as much experience and insight as possible in the art of array formations to help me quickly grasp the basics. You, Fellow Daoist Qi, can share your knowledge of weapon crafting, helping me avoid some pitfalls. Don't laugh at me, but in all my years of cultivation, no one has yet guided me on how to craft weapons or set up arrays. Although I've consulted with my elders, some things simply cannot be explained in one or two lessons, nor can they be explored in depth. So, would you two be willing to grant me this small request?"

The two pondered for a moment, and Qi Yunxiao spoke first:
“Senior Han, my weapon-refining skills come from the Divine Weapon Sect and were passed down to my grandfather. I can use them without any problems, but if you use them, I’m afraid someone might cause trouble in the future.”

It wasn't that he was unwilling, but rather that he was worried about causing trouble for the senior in front of him.

That wouldn't be good.

"It's alright, Fellow Daoist Qi. Just teach me the way your grandfather taught you. We'll set a three-year limit. After three years, no matter how well I've learned, you'll have completed the deal. How about it?" Han Li held up three fingers.

He was already planning to leave Tiannan, so what if he learned the Divine Weapon Sect's weapon-forging techniques? Could they possibly come after him and cause him trouble?

"it is good."

Qi Yunxiao had no more worries.

Xin Ruyin sighed softly and nodded:

"I have no way to repay your life-saving grace, and I will do my best to help you."

"So good."

All are happy.

"By the way, you two, in your spare time, please try to complete the Inverted Five Elements Array. Also, you can study the relevant matters of the ancient teleportation array, as I may need it in the future."

"We will definitely not let you down, senior." The two men's expressions were resolute.

Seeing this, Han Li took out the remaining portion of the Snow Cloud Pill and gave it to Xin Ruyin to express his goodwill.

Incidentally, he also gave Qi Yunxiao a pill bottle:
"I, Han, rarely take advantage of others. Fellow Daoist Qi, you should focus on improving your cultivation. With your current Qi Refining eleventh level cultivation, you can't protect Fellow Daoist Xin. You should at least reach the Foundation Establishment stage."

"Junior understands."

Qi Yunxiao took the elixir bottle, opened it, and exclaimed softly in surprise.

"This, this is..."

"Foundation Pill?!"

(End of this chapter)