After hearing this, Han Li realized the other was offering sincere advice and could only reluctantly and vaguely assent, thus shifting the topic and finally asking about the primary ingredients of the Foundation Pill. "Master Han, are you interested in the origins of the spiritual herbs like Yuzhui Zhi?" Wu Feng asked in surprise. "Yes, Master has been with our sect for so long—he should certainly know something about it!" Han Li said with genuine hope. Upon hearing this, Wu Feng paused and then replied, "Of course I know a bit, but I'd advise you to give up on that idea entirely! The place is not only extremely perilous, but under ordinary circumstances, it's simply impossible to reach—it can only be entered with the help of senior sect elders during specific times and at specific locations." Initially, Han Li was delighted to hear that Wu Feng was aware of the matter, but the subsequent explanation surprised him and prompted him to ask further questions. It turned out that these rare spiritual herbs had long since become scarce throughout the cultivation world, and had even vanished from ordinary regions. The only places where one can still find them are those so-called forlorn sanctuaries. Since even cultivators regard these as sacred and inaccessible, they are undoubtedly extremely perilous, typically located in remote, harsh environments. Some are even the lairs of demons and spirits, requiring one to slay their way through to reach them; others are sealed by ancient prohibitive spells, demanding considerable effort to break through and gain entry. The Huang Feng Valley and other cultivation sects of Yue State have historically sourced their primary base ingredients for their Foundation Pills from such latter category of sanctuaries—specifically, a site sealed by an ancient wind-based spell. This spell is exceptionally powerful, and originally, the sects' own cultivation strength was insufficient to breach it. However, over time, it was discovered that this spell weakens for five days every five years. During this period, if several Dan-Stage cultivators simultaneously apply focused spellwork to force their way through, a temporary passage can be created, allowing a certain number of people to enter. However, when the passage opened and all the cultivators attempted to enter, another unexpected phenomenon occurred. All cultivators who had reached the Foundation Stage were blocked outside by an unusual and peculiar seal on the inner side, while those at the Qi Stage entered effortlessly and even collected large quantities of rare medicinal herbs, bringing them back. This discovery immediately caused a sensation throughout the cultivation circles of Yue State. As a result, every five years, each of the seven major cultivation sects dispatched a group of disciples below the Foundation Stage to enter the sacred site and gather medicinal herbs—especially the primary ingredient for Foundation Pills. Initially, the disciples from various sects managed to conduct themselves with great decorum and independence, making the selected ones highly enthusiastic about the assignment. But as the years passed and the medicinal herbs within the site gradually dwindled due to continuous collection, disputes among the sects over specific rare herbs intensified, with frequent, even fierce, confrontations occurring. At one point, hundreds of years ago, a disciple actually lost his life during such a conflict. That single incident involving human lives ultimately shattered the relations among the major sects, prompting them to openly champion a philosophy of strong devouring the weak, of heaven's indifference—encouraging their disciples to compete fiercely for resources, thus staining the journey to the sacred grounds with blood. As a result, medicinal herbs gradually dwindled, and the struggles within the grounds grew increasingly intense and bloody. Over the course of nearly a century, the fierce combat had become so severe that fewer than one-third of the disciples who entered the grounds survived, resulting in significant losses among the elite junior disciples of each sect. Consequently, the journey to the sacred grounds came to be known as the "Blood Trial," and many disciples began actively avoiding it, even reaching a point where no one was willing to undertake it. As for those who were forcibly assigned, their performance inevitably faltered—disciples who lacked genuine intent to seek herbs typically merely sought shelter, remaining in place until the time limit expired, then emerging unscathed. Such incidents were not unprecedented—sending their senior officials into a frenzy, yet ultimately helpless. After all, the people themselves had never been eager to go; it was you who insisted on sending them into such peril. What else could one complain about? Thus, amid growing vigilance from all the sects toward the precious herbs, and with only a few volunteers willing to take the risks, every sect began offering substantial rewards to recruit disciples for the journey into the sacred sanctuary, linking the reward amount directly to the quantity and quality of herbs brought back. As for the Yellow Pine Valley itself—since the last few expeditions, the sect had formally stipulated that any disciple who registered for the journey would receive a medium-tier spiritual stone and a spiritual artifact from the sect as an initial incentive. Should a disciple successfully bring herbs back from the sanctuary, they would then receive even more generous rewards, based on both the volume and quality of the herbs recovered. From spirit stones to magical artifacts and elixirs, an array of offerings was available—along with even higher rewards, such as the foundational elixirs hidden within the sect’s inner vaults, items that could easily make lower-tier disciples risk everything. Such generous incentives indeed sparked a surge of enthusiastic applications across the cultivation sects. Yet this momentum lasted only a few times before gradually fading away. The harsh reality soon made the disciples realize that securing these rewards was far from easy! Originally, before the incentives were introduced, one-third of those who entered the restricted zone managed to survive. After the incentives were offered, however, fewer than one-fourth of the participants even made it through the blood-soaked trial. Among those who survived, only a small fraction managed to bring out medicinal herbs. Most of the survivors came out with only severe injuries and little else—let alone the means to secure the foundational elixirs. It was precisely under these circumstances that Han Li asked Wu Feng about the origins of several specific medicinal herbs. Now, after hearing all that the other had to say, Han Li was only deeply frustrated—deeply frustrated! He hadn't expected that merely gathering some herbs would require venturing into a sacred sanctuary, fighting off disciples from other sects, and only after prevailing could he finally escape. Even more astonishing was the survival rate—only barely one quarter of the participants managed to emerge from this so-called "Blood-Forbidden Trial." The risks involved were simply too great! Han Li wasn't a master of any kind; among the junior disciples of Huang Feng Valley, he ranked only average. He didn't possess profound magical energy or command over powerful spells. His only real assets were a few decent magical artifacts and a reasonably sharp mind. Yet, relying solely on these, Han Li simply couldn't believe he would surely make it into that final one-quarter of survivors. Frustrated, he turned to Wu Feng and asked: Why couldn't the various immortal sects coordinate their disciples to share the medicinal herbs equally? After all, these medicines were meant to be jointly used in crafting the Foundation Pills—so why bother quarreling and creating hostilities? Upon hearing this, Wu Feng immediately sighed and replied, "My younger brother may not be aware, but even though the Foundation Pills are jointly prepared, the distribution of pills is entirely based on the quantity of spiritual herbs each sect contributes, according to a proportional allocation. Under such circumstances, how could each sect not fiercely compete for these precious herbs?" Han Li remained silent for a long time. Finally, after learning that the next 'Blood Ban Trial' would take place in six months, he left the Training Hall under his senior's guidance and returned to the Hundred-herb Garden. For several days thereafter, Han Li remained listless, constantly reflecting on the implications and risks involved, striving to make a more sound decision. It's obvious that beyond the sacred precincts of the Yue state, these three precious elixirs cannot be found—otherwise, the seven great immortal sects would not have to engage in fierce, five-yearly struggles that continually weaken themselves internally. If Han Li didn't wish to take such a bold risk, his only hope would be to find the elixirs elsewhere beyond the Yue state; otherwise, his foundation would be utterly hopeless, and he would end up as a pile of white bones after a hundred and twenty years. Yet upon closer reflection, it becomes clear that seeking the elixirs abroad is even more improbable, with virtually no chance at all. Still, if he truly participates in the "Blood Ban Trial," a mortality rate of three-quarters or more seems rather excessive—his likelihood of falling during the trial is truly astonishing. Now Han Li finds himself truly at a loss!