Inside the pill refinement room of the small mountain’s cave residence, a sliver of azure core flame left Han Li’s mouth in a continuous stream, wrapping around a silver caldron that was half a foot wide. Han Li wore a tense expression as light flickered from his entire body.

The cauldron rotated as it floated above the center of the room’s spell formation. 

As time slowly passed by, the pill refinement room started to be filled with a medicinal scent. Once Han Li smelled it, he felt his spirits become roused and his face revealed a trace of joy.

When this faint medicinal scent became far more concentrated, a bright light flickered from his eyes. He suddenly formed his hands into an incantation gesture and struck a corner of the spell formation with a spell seal, shouting, “Open!”

The spell formation released a series of low hums, striking the silver cauldron with intersecting streaks of red radiance. The small cauldron trembled several times before opening its lid, revealing a milk-white medicinal pill inside.

The pill was the size of a thumb and its body was translucent, glimmering with spiritual light. There were also strands of milk-white smoke that floated from around it. It was nearly indistinct as if it were a sign that the pill was otherworldly.

Upon seeing the pill, Han Li was unable to contain his joy.

The medicinal pill for the Ninecurl Spirit Ginseng was finally refined. He had failed several attempts before. If a pill wasn’t formed in this attempt, there wouldn’t have been enough Agate Horn and the Demon Echo Grass to make another attempt.

As for the most important ingredient, the Ninecurl Spirit Ginseng, Han Li had no worries about that. It turned out that Han Li didn’t have to use its main body to refine the medicine. He merely had to extract some liquid from its body, allowing the ginseng to continue living. Of course, while the spirit ginseng wasn’t immediately killed, it suffered great damage to its origin Qi. As a result, its white rabbit incarnation became listless and lethargic.

With that in mind, after several days of careful consideration, Han Li placed down several more layers of restrictions before giving the spirit ginseng some of the green liquid. In order to be careful, Han Li started off by giving a few drops of the diluted green liquid, fearing that something unexpected would happen. Spiritual objects of heaven and earth, especially those possessing their own incarnations, were different from ordinary plants.

In the end, the green liquid had greatly restored the origin Qi of the spirit ginseng and had reinvigorated it. This had greatly relieved Han Li and he began to truly use the green liquid on it.

As a result, Han Li used the green liquid to recover its origin Qi each time he extracted some of its liquid, allowing him an unending supply.

However, this method was only effective for the Ninecurl Spirit Ginseng. Han Li was inspired to try this on other spiritual medicines, but the result was only an increase in age.

As of current, Han Li held the milky-white pill in between his fingers and carefully examined it. Its appearance and fragrance was exactly as described. As for its medicinal efficacy, he’d have to test that when the time comes.

With a slight sigh, Han Li carefully placed this difficultly acquired medicine pill in a jade box he had previous prepared. With the pill properly stored away, he walked out of the pill room.

After about sixty years of cultivation, Han Li had finally cultivated the fourth layer of the Great Development Technique, forcibly increasing the scope of his spiritual sense. With regards to the Azure Essence Sword Arts, he had finished cultivating to the ninth layer of the great perfection stage several months before, allowing him to finally enter false Nascent stage. 

Whether it be medicinal pills or techniques, Han Li was now completely prepared.

However, Han Li wasn’t about to hastily start to condense a Nascent Soul now that the spirit ginseng pill was finished. Instead, he left his cave residence by himself and found a hidden spot on the Dreamcloud Mountains with an enchanting view. He then peacefully sat down and became still.

During this time, he began to appreciate all that had happened throughout his life so far.

When he was young, he had enjoyed life with his loving family and had a little sister that he enjoyed playing with. When he grew somewhat older, he entered the Seven Mysteries Sect under the recommendation of his third uncle, and came to recognize many harsh characters. It was here that he unintentionally came across Doctor Mo and was able to cultivate the Eternal Spring Arts. He then came across the Great South Meeting, introducing him to the true world of Immortal cultivation. Then with Yellow Maple Valley...

Soon after Han Li began to recall his memories, these vague past events gradually became clearer and various emotions began to reveal themselves from Han Li’s face as well as a happiness that he had never displayed before. After these three days, Han Li tightly shut his eyes and restored his calm once more. He began to comprehend the Dao of the world in a state of obliviousness.

A month later, Han Li emerged from concealment with his magic power, body, and mind in peak condition. His heart in particular had been tempered to the next level.

With a completely tranquil mind, Han Li returned to the cave residence and enabled all the formations and restrictions present. He then curtly told Silvermoon, “Guard the outside. Even if a gargantuan matter appears, do not disturb me.” With that said, Han Li’s azure robes fluttered as he entered a silent room.

The door to the room soon sealed itself with a sparkle of white light and a dense layer of talisman characters. Han Li had placed a restriction on the door to prevent any potential disturbances as he condensed his Nascent Soul.

Although Han Li didn’t say what this was about, Silvermoon knew perfectly well what was about to happen. She immediately wore a complicated expression on her face with the emotions of admiration, longing, and resentment contained within them. After finally seeing the silent room  remain uneventful for a long while, Silvermoon sighed and left.

Now that she was closely tied together to Han Li, she controlled her thoughts and merely wished for Han Li’s success in condensing a Nascent Soul.

Not far away, Mu Peiling was slowly flying near the medicinal garden with an inattentive expression as if her mind was wandering.

Once she thought of her clan’s elders requiring her to wed to that man surnamed Yan, she felt that her future prospects were bleak. The Mu Clan elders didn’t hesitate on deciding an absurd engagement to marry an unruly woman such as herself to the Yan Clan for a political advantage.

If she were to become a Core Formation cultivator, the clan’s so-called elders wouldn’t dare to criticize her. Instead, they would treat her with respect. After all, everyone knew what a Core Formation cultivator signified to a clan.

Although this woman possessed a peerless cold elegance, she couldn’t help but grit her teeth and grimace when she thought of this matter. She had always been a competitive character and had never revealed her true thoughts. But with her heart wavering as it was now, it was quite obvious.

Mu Peiling’s original plan was acceptable. Since she couldn’t oppose her elder’s orders, she would delay off the marriage as much as possible. If she could somehow form a core before that, she could dispose of the engagement.

But despite her amazing talents, forming her core in a meager thirty years was basically impossible. Even with her desperate efforts, it would take yet another thirty years before she could reach false core stage and make an attempt to form a core.

While she was happy to take her time, the Mu Clan elders grew impatient and decided to humiliate her, brazenly deciding on the date of her marriage. She was threatened to have her future spirit stones cut off and also mentioned was the possibility of implicating her close family members in the clan.

Once she thought of this, Mu Peiling felt powerless and couldn’t muster the slightest effort of resistance.

As for the Drifting Cloud Sect, although she was treated with much favor from her mountain lord and fellow disciples, they were incapable of interfering with these matters as they were tangled in the interests of their own clans and couldn’t do anything to help, much to this woman’s dejection.

Even more terrible was how the shifted-eyed Senior Martial Brother Yan had somehow acquired information of her recent trip to Dayspring Mountain and bothered her without end. If her magic power wasn’t far beyond his own, it was quite possible this Senior Martial Brother Yan would’ve attempted to forcefully seize her. This had greatly angered this proud woman to nearly release her magic tool and slay him.

But as it so happened, today was the day to pay a visit to various medicinal gardens. She had bluntly rushed to acquire this task and earlier left Dayspring Mountain, avoiding any entanglement from the man surnamed Yan. Han Li’s medicinal garden would be the third garden she was visiting.

Once she thought of Han Li, she felt slightly odd. She initially thought that while he was a Qi Condensation disciple, she felt as if he were something of an unravelable mystery. And once the Sword Trial Assembly occurred, she guessed that he had hidden his true cultivation or identity. As such, she had been particularly mindful of his actions.

But in the past years, he unexpectedly was well-behaved and had done nothing of note. He did little else apart from tending to the medicine garden and chatting with his few friends. This had caused her to become even more interested in him.

While her expression was relaxed when dealing with him, she actually became more mindful of his actions. Unfortunately, Han Li possessed a low-profile and participated very little in the sect. As such, she only encountered him a few times in these many years.

With these twenty years having passed, this woman had finally given up, believing her own guesses to be wild imagination. He was at most a reclusive common disciple. With his poor aptitude, Foundation Establishment would be rather unlikely for him.

Having recalled Han Li, the woman hastened her flight and flew towards his medicinal garden.