Mid-level spiritual stones were something韩立 had never seen before. One glowed with a bright red light, a fire-type stone, while the other was a deep yellow, earth-type stone—both the most common mid-level stones. Indeed, they looked entirely different from the lower-level stones that only displayed a faint hue of their elemental properties—not only in their luster, but also in the powerful spiritual waves emanating from them, which never caused any confusing mishaps. The three artifacts were also quite impressive, clearly crafted by a foundation-stage master, far surpassing the subpar items韩立 had encountered at the Ta Nan Assembly. One was a ring seemingly made of refined steel; upon casting a spell, it automatically flew out to lock an opponent and could freely adjust its size within a certain range. Intrigued,韩立 once poured all his spiritual energy into it, and to his astonishment, the ring emitted a soft yellow glow, expanding so dramatically that it could even fully enclose his entire thatched cottage, leaving him speechless for a long time. Another item was a small triangular flag painted black. This artifact was even simpler to use—once灵力 was infused into the flag, a mere wave of the flag would instantly generate a swirling black mist around the flag bearer, blinding enemies attacking from in front and concealing the flag bearer’s own position, making it an excellent defensive artifact. Now that the yellow vessel has appeared, it provides him with just the right means to verify his hypothesis. That evening, he carefully poured the condensed green liquid into the bronze bottle, hoping to test whether the vessel could preserve the liquid. However, the final result left him deeply disappointed. The bronze bottle merely extended the liquid's preservation time—from originally one minute to an entire day. After that period, the green liquid would vanish completely, as if it had never existed within the bottle. Clearly, the liquid is not simply a condensation of celestial and terrestrial qi; there must be more complex elements involved. After conducting this test, Han Li became fully aware of his limitations and realized that the mystery would not be easily unraveled by him at this stage. Thus, he decided to stop actively pondering it and simply let things unfold naturally. After all, the current utility of this small bottle has already proven immensely beneficial to him. With the weight off his mind, Han Li began to leverage the benefits of the green elixir, preparing batches after batch of "Yellow Dragon Pills" and "Golden Essence Pills," intending to first take these less potent remedies himself while simultaneously seeking out more refined and effective formulations within the valley. However, Han Li was well aware that this matter could not be rushed. As a relatively new disciple, simply going around inquiring about the recipes for these pills in such a prominent manner would inevitably signal to others that he was trying to conceal something—after all, wasn't that the very essence of "showing the problem to be the solution"? Such actions would inevitably spark suspicion and speculation, potentially leading to his downfall. Therefore, Han Li resolved to quietly settle in and cultivate within the medicinal garden for several years, until he fully understood the inner workings of the valley and had earned the status of an elder among the residents—thus no longer drawing attention—before addressing the issue of formulations. As for the periodic medicinal materials he was required to submit, he had no further concerns. With the help of this diluted green elixir, whatever herb he needed, he could hasten its maturation within a single night—something entirely trivial. He had already settled in to reside in the medicinal garden for the long term, and it was certain that Master Ma would not object. Thus, Han Li maintained a regular and consistent routine of daily activities. After reviewing the notes of the elderly man in the morning, he would frequently visit his senior mentor, Wu Feng, to learn numerous practical incantations for foundational spells, then return to the garden to reflect and internalize what he had learned. Moreover, every day, Han Li consumed large quantities of the "Yellow Dragon Pills" and "Golden Essence Pills" as if they were candy beans. According to his own reasoning, if the quality of these pills was not up to par, then he could not rely solely on quantity to compensate—accumulated over time, they would still yield tangible benefits. Thus, time passed swiftly. Unaware of it, Han Li had already been a part of Huangfeng Valley, one of the Seven Immortal Sects, for over two years. During these two years, many significant events had unfolded. Not long after Han Li had been quietly refining his cultivation, a major recruitment drive for new disciples—occurring once every decade—was held at the Huang Feng Valley. From various related immortal families, over a thousand young apprentices with excellent innate qualities were admitted into the valley's fold. Among them, two identical "unusual spirit roots"—specifically, renowned for their powerful destructive force—were discovered: twin brothers with the "thunder spirit root," a rare and exceptional combination. Their appearance completely captured the attention of the valley's senior leadership. Even a senior cultivator in the Ju Dan stage, who had been in seclusion for a long time, broke his routine to emerge and personally examine the two brothers, publicly declaring that as long as they both successfully achieved the Foundation Stage, he would personally take them under his wing and train them. This announcement naturally inspired great admiration among the other disciples. Yet, beyond these two exceptional brothers, several other outstanding prodigies were also found among the new batch of apprentices. For instance, a young Li from a small family, only about eleven or twelve years old, has already reached the peak of the ninth level of his foundational technique without having taken a single pill—demonstrating an astonishing pace of progress, clearly no less impressive than those with rare spiritual roots. Even more remarkable is a young Wang, around seven or eight years old, who is not only a direct descendant of the renowned Wang family but also born with the innate "Xuan Yin Eye," enabling him to cultivate the long-lost "Chi Mu Shen Guang" technique—capable of effectively countering all ghosts and spirits throughout the realm. Of course, beyond these two, there are several other outstanding talents who clearly stand far above ordinary disciples. Compared to previous recruitment cycles, this one truly represents a remarkable harvest, bringing the Master Zhong such joy that he couldn't stop smiling for several consecutive days. He even momentarily believed that heaven itself had opened its eyes, aiming to elevate Huang Feng Valley above all other sects! But when the news reached that the most powerful of the Seven Great Sects, Yan Yue Zong, had discovered a young girl with a "Heavenly Spirit Root" among its newly admitted disciples, the young and ambitious Zhong Grand Master was left speechless, struggling to find words. Regardless of this, these new recruits completely captured the attention of every person throughout Huang Feng Valley—from the senior disciples to the junior ones. Even the earlier entrants were constantly discussing which talented junior brother had made further progress in his foundational techniques today, or what astonishing feat he had just accomplished. Under the bright spotlight of so many outstanding newcomers, Han Li—the disciple who had only managed to enter the Valley thanks to his Divine Ascension Scroll—was entirely forgotten by Zhong Grand Master and the Valley's administrative staff. Moreover, since Han Li spent most of his days immersed in the herb garden, rarely venturing out to meet people, the number of those who remembered him grew even smaller. Perhaps only his senior instructor, Wu Feng, and Yu Zhi Shi from the Bai Ji Hall still occasionally recalled his name. After all, these two still meet periodically to consult about cultivation techniques and to receive their monthly shares of spiritual stones. Regardless of how others perceive them, Han Li is thoroughly satisfied with his current semi-retired lifestyle, while the elderly man who visits every few months to collect medicinal herbs finds Han Li exceptionally satisfactory. Indeed, how many garden caretakers can consistently deliver the required items on time without any delays, like Han Li? To secure Han Li's position as a standout talent in the garden division, the elder has gradually increased his monthly rewards—from an initial two lower-tier spiritual stones per month to the current five. As a result, Han Li has become one of the highest-earning among the lower-tier disciples, since the average income of ordinary disciples is only three spiritual stones per month. This has only deepened the elder's appreciation for Han Li. As for the senior abbot who had regretted swallowing up most of his belongings, he heard that his promising grandson, who had been entrusted with high hopes, still failed to achieve the foundational stage after taking the Foundation Pill, instead lingering at the peak of the Qi Condensation stage—something that left him deeply disheartened. Upon hearing this news, Han Li quietly chuckled to himself, feeling a great sense of relief.