Han Li flicked his finger, and a dot of green light shot into the flame. The flame roared and surged upward by several feet. Suddenly, Li Hua Yuan's voice came through: "Come immediately to Lübo Cave—I have something to discuss with you!" As soon as the words were finished, the flame emitted a soft burst and instantly shattered into a shower of sparks, vanishing without a trace. Han Li listened calmly, then gently rubbed his nose, and proceeded into the bedroom. … Standing on the Shenfeng boat, Han Li recalled the scenes of his cultivation and seal-making over the past four years, his expression somewhat solemn. When he first sealed his abode, he not only focused on his own cultivation but also established a hidden inner herb garden within the estate, though modest in size, it was sufficient to nurture the herbs needed for inducing vitality. This arrangement allowed him to remain undisturbed during his seclusion—no need to worry about the herbs being discovered, and he could fully self-sustain without leaving the estate. To this end, he specially opened countless dense, concealed small openings in the stone wall at the top of the herb garden, precisely to allow sunlight to enter and to enable small vials to absorb ambient qi. Of course, the positions of these openings were guaranteed to lie within the protective influence of the great array, ensuring they would remain undetected. As for the larger herb garden outside, Han Li had planned it specifically as a cover. With his small herb garden established, Han Li felt at ease, simultaneously cultivating spiritual herbs and refining pills using the primordial true fire. Though the true fire was slightly inferior to earth fire, it offered greater safety and reliability, and he no longer feared repeated failures in the refining process. The pills produced according to the ancient formulas proved truly exceptional. Upon taking the Qi-Refining Powder he himself refined, Han Li immediately experienced the vivid burst of spiritual energy he had felt during his foundation stage, so powerful that he sat in meditation to fully absorb and transform it, never allowing himself to slacken. This remarkable effect naturally propelled his magical power to surge at an astonishing pace during his first year, far exceeding his expectations. By adopting such an extravagant method of consumption, Han Li completely freed himself from the need to absorb ambient spiritual energy, enabling him to fully dedicate himself to the refinement of spiritual energy. As a result, the efficiency of his spiritual power cultivation multiplied significantly. This achievement brought Han Li such delight that he found himself utterly delighted. Revising and mastering the Qingyuan Sword Technique three times became not only a possibility but a very likely reality. The Qingyuan Sword Technique, while indeed exhibiting the peculiar phenomenon of gradually diminishing inner energy every few days—as others had described—was effectively rendered negligible under the regular consumption of one packet of Qi-Enriching Pills every six to seven days. During this period, Han Li had also taken a single dose of Foundation Pill out of curiosity, only to find it had a negligible effect, which completely dispelled his hopes of such a benefit. However, over the subsequent three years, an unexpected development occurred that deeply surprised him. Starting from the second year, the sense of abundant spiritual energy gradually diminished, year by year, until by the fourth year, it had reached a point where the effect of the Qi-Enriching Pills was no longer noticeable at all—similar to the initial experience with the Yellow Dragon Pills and Golden Essence Pills. No matter how many packets of pills he consumed, he felt no sense of spiritual energy whatsoever. Now Han Li found himself deeply puzzled and utterly at a loss, for this was clearly not due to his inner energy improving and the supply of spiritual energy from the pills failing to keep pace with his current progress. Given the nature of this Qi-cultivating powder, even if he continued to take it until the late Foundation Stage, there should have been no issues at all—this is a pill prepared according to an ancient formula! For even cultivators at the Condensation Stage, it might still offer significant benefits. This is entirely different from the earlier failure of the Yellow Dragon Pill and the Golden Essence Pills, which was due to the declining potency of the pills failing to keep pace with his cultivation level—a situation he had anticipated and expected. After careful reflection and drawing upon his own medical knowledge from past studies, Han Li arrived at a conclusion he could not yet verify: possibly, due to the frequent consumption of this potent Qi-cultivating powder, his body had developed a certain degree of resistance, gradually rendering the pills ineffective over time. However, he could not confirm the accuracy of this conclusion. Indeed, in the immortal realm, there had never been anyone before who took pills every few days as a regular practice—thus, there were no precedents to reference or experiences to draw upon. Yet Han Li still hoped that, after discontinuing the consumption of this pill for a period of time, the Qi-Dispersion Elixir would regain its effectiveness. With this expectation in mind, during the final year, Han Li ceased taking the pill and instead practiced the Qingyuan Sword Technique through conventional means. However, accustomed to the swift progress brought by the consumption of spiritual medicines, it proved unbearable to him to revert to the slow, steady pace of ordinary cultivation. Moreover, if he truly adhered to this method, not only would he have to retrain the technique three times—something utterly beyond his reach—but even one such retraining in his lifetime would be a rare achievement! After enduring a year of such sluggish progress, Han Li remained profoundly disappointed. Upon resuming the Elixir, it still showed no effect whatsoever. It seemed the pill had now completely lost its efficacy for him, and he would have to seek other spiritual remedies. Thus, under these circumstances, even if Li Huayuan did not summon him via the transmission seal this time, Han Li intended to venture out of his abode. After all, he still lacked several key ingredients from an ancient formula, and only by refining this Jinling Pill could his magical power truly surge again. Moreover, he intended to gather more formulae. Should the Jinling Pill lose its effectiveness like the Qiangqi San did, then Han Li would have to switch to a new pill every few years. As for his training in seal-making, it had progressed remarkably smoothly. Each day, he devoted half a day to practicing, beginning with lower-level spells that could be instantly activated, and he relentlessly crafted countless seal scrolls without sparing any materials. This seemingly extravagant and wasteful approach—so far beyond what other seal-makers could imagine—had steadily elevated his seal-making skills. Now, he could produce basic to advanced-level scrolls, though the success rate remained disappointingly low. He had decided that during his next period of meditation and retreat, he would begin studying mid-level spells and attempt to create mid-level seal scrolls—this would be his primary focus. Moreover, during his seclusion, in addition to refining the Qi-dispersing pills, Han Li took the time to prepare seven or eight pills of the Stabilizing Youth formula, and curiously consumed one himself. If the pills truly could preserve his youthful appearance, he would certainly be delighted—after all, no one desires to see themselves grow gray with age, even though immortal beings experience a remarkably slow aging process. At present, however, the failure of the pills has left Han Li deeply frustrated, yet he remains curious about his master, Li Hua Yuan, suddenly summoning him. He wonders what could have prompted his master to seek him out after four years. Thus, Han Li arrived at the Green Wave Cavern burdened with many thoughts. Upon entering through the inner communication, it was no longer his senior brother who opened the seal, but a young man in his twenties, handsome with rosy lips and a bright complexion. Before Han Li could speak, the young man calmly addressed him: "You must be Han, my junior. I'm Wu Xuan, the sixth disciple under my master. My master has been waiting for you here for some time. Follow me!" After saying this, Wu Xuan turned around without even glancing at Han Li, leaving Han Li utterly puzzled. "This face—doesn't seem that bad, does it?" With a slight sense of irritation, Han Li had no choice but to follow him. Throughout the journey, not a single word was exchanged between them. They arrived directly at the main hall used for receiving guests. Three people were seated on the chairs, with two standing beside them. Seated were Li Hua Yuan and his wife, along with a stranger in a red robe. The woman appeared to be in her thirties, with a pleasing appearance and graceful charm, yet her expression was cold and distant, subtly radiating a sharpness rarely found among cultivators. At that moment, Li Hua Yuan was engaged in a conversation with the woman, clearly showing deep respect for her. Standing beside them were two persons. One was Song Meng, the fourth senior whom Han Li had previously met, and the other was a ten-year-old girl dressed entirely in red robes, with a pleasing appearance though her eyes and expression carried a subtle grace. There seemed to be a clear connection between her and the red-clad woman. My disciple may not be particularly striking in appearance, yet he is genuinely a Foundation Stage cultivator, and he is both thoughtful and astute—quite to my heart's content!" Seeing the red-robed woman appear satisfied, Li Huayuan beamed with joy and praised Han Li heartily. Han Li, however, listened in confusion, completely puzzled as to what had just transpired! (Today's two installments are complete. Tomorrow we'll continue delivering more content! The final few days are approaching—don't forget to vote for us monthly!)