Han Li gently picked up a pill with two fingers, placing it before him and focusing intently for a moment. Finally, this last-ditch effort had not been in vain. With these several "Dust-Reducing Pills," Qu Hu and his chances of reaching the Condensation Stage would surely gain another edge. He carefully re-packed the pills and placed the vial back into his storage bag. Now, Han Li needed to find a place with abundant qi and good safety, where he could swiftly enter the Condensation Stage. Whether it was Qu Hu or himself, as long as one of them reached that stage, they would have a fighting chance against the relentless pursuit of Condensation Stage cultivators. Yet, achieving Condensation was no matter of moments. Aside from rare talents with celestial root qualities, most cultivators required ample medicinal supplies and sufficient time to overcome their thresholds. The "Snow Qi Water" and "Heavenly Fire Liquid" he had originally purchased were two essential medicinal items required during the Condensation Stage. If one does not use them, it by no means means that they cannot achieve Dan stage cultivation—yet the success rate of achieving the Dan stage is so low that it leaves cultivators gasping in astonishment. Although no official statistics have been compiled, it is said that the success rate is far below one percent. Besides these two items, one may also consume other medicinal elixirs during the Dan stage cultivation process; the more varieties consumed, the greater the chances of success. However, their impact is not as profound as that of "Snow Spirit Water" and "Heavenly Fire Elixir." Of course, like these two elixirs, the elixirs are ineffective when consumed repeatedly—after all, this is not merely Qi cultivation through meditation and seated practice. It is best to consume different elixirs in appropriate amounts; excess intake may even produce counteracting effects. Yet it is amusing that while other elixirs are far less effective than "Snow Spirit Water" and "Heavenly Fire Elixir," they are even more difficult to find and rarer. For these elixirs typically require one, or even several, thousand-year-old medicinal herbs as raw materials to be prepared. How many cultivators could afford such an investment? Beyond the "Snow Spirit Water" and "Heavenly Fire Liquid," having just one or two additional rare ingredients would be considered extremely luxurious. Of course, this was no issue for Han Li. Aside from a few exceptionally rare or entirely unheard-of medicinal herbs, all the others had been cultivated and matured during his years of cultivation at Xiao Huan Mountain, and were already prepared into several dozen auxiliary pills to support the Dan Stage—securely stored within one of his storage bags. What was most surprising was that these pills did not require the natural inner flame of a cultivator for refining; they merely needed simple preparation, much like ordinary medicinal compounds in the mortal world. The prescriptions themselves were also readily available and clearly documented in various classic texts. This fact had left Han Li astonished for a long time, and he still found it somewhat puzzling. The five "Dust-Removing Pills" he received were precisely one of the auxiliary remedies commonly used by cultivators in the Luan Xing Sea during the Dan Stage—hence, their rarity and difficulty to obtain. But that doesn't mean these auxiliary elixirs, once taken, will immediately raise a practitioner's rate of achieving Dan-stage cultivation by a significant margin. According to the data韩立 has gathered, even his most extravagant approach to Dan-stage cultivation might only yield a success rate one or one and a half percentage points higher than that of ordinary cultivators. It's certainly better than not taking them at all—though, of course, these are merely韩立's personal conjectures! Furthermore, the Dan-stage cultivation process isn't something that can be completed within a few weeks or months. Based on various classical texts and the experience Kui Huayuan once shared, the entire process typically lasts between three and five years. The exact duration depends on the individual's innate aptitude. During this period, practitioners must avoid major emotional fluctuations—great joy or profound sorrow—and must refrain from engaging in combat or duels with others, while simultaneously absorbing sufficient celestial and terrestrial spiritual energies. Therefore, it is absolutely essential for韩立 to find a slightly spiritually vibrant island to close his quarters and enter the cultivation process. Thinking thus, Han Li withdrew another piece of jade scroll from his body, within which lay a grand maritime map centered on the three major islands—Kuixing Island and others. He focused his mind deeply, expending considerable effort, until he finally determined his approximate location. Then, he searched across the map for smaller, more remote islands marked with annotations. After a meal’s worth of time, Han Li stepped out of the scroll, his thoughts still occupied. He glanced at the surrounding sea and the bright sun in the sky, slightly narrowed his eyes, adjusted his direction, and together with Qu Hun, transformed into a beam of white light, vanishing into the horizon. Along the way, whenever he encountered deserted islands, he would temporarily settle there to restore his inner energy; whenever he came across islands inhabited by cultivators or people, he swiftly bypassed them, unwilling to linger even briefly, fearing that any trace might be discovered and pursued. After repeatedly changing directions, Han Li finally sped toward his true destination. …Two months later, the figures of Han Li and Qu Hun appeared in the sky above a remote island. Though far smaller than the Kuixing Island, this island was significantly larger than most small isles and could be classified as a medium-sized one. This was precisely the destination Han Li had journeyed far to reach—the Hai Yuan Island. Aside from a small number of ordinary mortals, the island was primarily inhabited by low-level immortals who had not yet achieved the foundational stage. There was no concept of an island lord, and the island functioned as a freely accessible and open space. The island earned its name due to the presence of a unique low-tier mythical beast—the Hai Yuan—found in the surrounding seas. These creatures resembled ordinary monkeys in appearance, with the only distinction being that they could wield basic elemental spells, specifically the "Water Arrow" technique, and possessed a notably high level of intelligence. Adult Hai Yuns matched the cognitive abilities of young children aged seven or eight and were capable of diving deep into the ocean to fish and feed themselves. Indeed, they were highly cherished by cultivators, often employed as reliable assistants and servants within their mountain retreats. Though classified as a mythical beast, the "Sea Orangutan" is actually easily defeated and captured by a cultivator at the fifth or sixth stage of Qi cultivation—making it a regular catch. As a result, small boats from various regions annually dock here, hiring lower-tier cultivators to capture and sell the creatures. Some local merchants even pool resources to establish magical arrays on the island and open permanent storefronts, consistently purchasing live "Sea Orangutans" at discounted prices, then transporting them in bulk when sea vessels arrive. This steady demand naturally draws a number of lower-tier cultivators seeking to earn Ling Shi. However, other independent cultivators quickly settle here after the arrays are established—not because of the quality of the spiritual energy, but simply because the island boasts a reasonably substantial and widespread spiritual vein. Although the quality of this vein is not outstanding, its size and reach are sufficient, allowing lower-tier cultivators to practice cultivation almost anywhere on the island. As for the so-called spiritual eyes and the areas with slightly denser qi, these differ only modestly from the rest of the island, and thus never attract disputes among high-level cultivators. With such thin qi and merely a modest local specialty—sea ape products—the island naturally falls outside the notice of major powers, remaining a realm of free and unstructured lower-tier cultivators. Although occasionally some foundation or condensed stage cultivators visit the island, they are mostly mere passers-through. It is precisely the ideal place for Han Li to hide and achieve his condensed stage cultivation! ...Two days later, Han Li stood on a remote mountain in one corner of the island, gazing at his newly established temporary dwelling, deeply satisfied. Besides a simple medicinal garden and two hidden chambers, the new dwelling featured no complex structures. Of course, Han Li employed a set of arraying devices and established a standard concealment spell to seal the entrance of the cave, carefully releasing the two "Blood Jade Spiders" from their special leather bags, assigning them to guard the main gate of the dwelling. Over the years of training, these two white spiders had grown to the size of their heads and had advanced two levels, now reaching the rank of first-tier upper rank—adequate to handle most Qi cultivators of the early stage. They were the only unusual insects he had carried with him from his original dwelling on Xiao Huan Island. As for the other rare insects and beasts, they remained within the true cave dwelling on Xiao Huan Island. Han Li suspected that if any of the conspirators still harbored intentions to eliminate him or seek vengeance for the ancient cultivator, they would inevitably trace him back to his dwelling on Xiao Huan Island. Although the outer areas of both the genuine and the false dwellings were protected by three major array spells, he believed they would not withstand prolonged assaults from a true Dan stage cultivator. The true cave sanctuary will surely be exposed. As for the false one, according to Han Li's calculations, the chances of it being discovered or going unnoticed should be roughly equal. The underground passage leading to the true sanctuary isn't concealed using any easily detectable spellwork, but rather employs ordinary human-engineered mechanisms—specifically, a massive stone block intricately carved into a stone chair, sealing off the entrance. If the visitors merely search within the mountain peak housing the false sanctuary, Han Li is confident they will notice absolutely nothing out of the ordinary. However, if the visitors are someone meticulous and inclined to investigate thoroughly, this situation becomes far less certain. After all, the unique essence of those peculiar insects dwelling in the other mountain peak is imperceptible to the sharp senses of a Jiandan-stage cultivator. Thus, although Han Li is somewhat reluctant to part with those stubborn, unruly insects, he can only accept the outcome and rely on fate. Of course, if the insects remain undetected for five or six years without feeding, their remarkable resilience will likely ensure their survival. They've both had precedents of surviving for several years without eating! Thinking this calmly, Han Li and Qu Hun each entered a separate chamber.