First of all, this object could not possibly be a genuine rib of Xuan Gu Old Demon. Even without considering its unique material, the faint aura of spiritual energy emanating from it clearly indicates that it is neither a magical artifact nor something merely ordinary—rather, it must have been previously refined or consecrated by someone. Yet, regardless of whether韩立 used his divine awareness to probe it or slowly infused spiritual energy into it, the rib showed no response whatsoever. Frowning slightly,韩立 then recalled that the Old Demon specialized in the path of spirits and ghosts, and thus, this object likely required the presence of some ghostly or spectral essence to activate. Although韩立 himself lacked such spectral energy, he still possessed the Gathering Spirit Cauldron he had acquired in his youth. Though the ghostly spirits within the cauldron had long been consumed in crafting his puppets, the residual spiritual qi still remained in abundance. So, with a simple hand motion, he pressed his palm against his storage scroll, and the dark, round cauldron appeared in his hands. As he glanced casually at the cauldron, the tips of his fingers instantly glowed with a vibrant green hue. The subtle negative qi was drawn into Han Li's body through his palm and then slowly transmitted to the hand holding the bone fragment. A dark, cold mass of qi gradually took shape and soon enveloped the rib. Han Li kept his eyes fixed on the scene without blinking. The rib finally responded—its originally pure, smooth surface began to darken, and soon the entire mass of negative qi was absorbed into the bone, transforming it into a shade of half-white, half-black. Observing these changes, Han Li showed no surprise, merely allowing a subtle movement at the corner of his brow. After closing his eyes and thinking for a moment, Han Li suddenly sat upright in bed. At that moment, the hand holding the spirit vessel burst forth with an even more vivid cyan light. Simultaneously, a faint sound of ghostly lamentation emanated from the other hand, forming a larger, darker mass of negative qi. The rib, in turn, eagerly consumed this new influx of negative qi. After a full cup of tea's worth of time, the constant absorption caused the rib to gradually darken until it became entirely black. Suddenly, a deep, resonant hum emanated from the object, followed by threads of dark light blossoming forth, instantly filling the room with an eerie, somber atmosphere. Han Li hesitated, drawing the Spirit-Collecting Cauldron back toward him, while at the same time loosening his fingers on the other hand, causing his ribs to float free and drift upward. The surrounding qi that enveloped them dissolved completely under the impact of the dark light. Watching this strange scene, Han Li's eyes flickered constantly. Yet aside from the continuous low hum and the steady flickering of the dark glow, the black bone fragments showed no further changes. After a while, Han Li's expression shifted, and suddenly he extended his hand toward the air. With a sharp "whoosh," the ribs were drawn into his palm, securely held in his grasp. Then Han Li gazed intently at the object, sending his consciousness deep into its core. This time, the sensation of resistance he had previously encountered vanished entirely. His consciousness flowed smoothly into the ribs. As the dark light flashed once, a series of large, ancient characters and illustrations sequentially appeared before him. "The Jade Scroll," Han Li murmured quietly, his expression revealing clear astonishment. He had suspected it might be a specially crafted jade scroll, which was why he had speculated as much beforehand. Thus, he suppressed his excitement and began to carefully contemplate each character, one by one. Yet he did not immediately withdraw his awareness from the Xuan Yin Jing. He continued reading sentence by sentence. For the second half of the Xuan Yin Jing contained several magical techniques of the Magician School—techniques that were far from entirely unattainable. As one after another of these astonishing secrets unfolded, Han Li’s expression shifted from initial disappointment to growing surprise, gradually mingling with a sense of seriousness, until his entire face radiated a subtle excitement. The power of these techniques was truly beyond belief. He was confident that if he could refine the Qing Yuan Sword Technique to its ninth level and combine it with the secret arts from the Xuan Yin Jing, though still no match for a Yuan Yin stage cultivator, he would have a solid chance of survival and escape. He would no longer be helpless when facing ancient masters of extreme cold energy—those once-inevitable defeats would now become manageable! Among these techniques, the "Tian Du Corpse Fire" of the Patriarch of Extreme Cold Energy was notably included. As for the "Tian Du Spirit Corpse," it was merely a byproduct formed during the cultivation of this secret art. Unfortunately, this secret technique requires a foundation of Yin Qi and must be practiced by someone with at least Yuan Ying stage cultivation. Otherwise, he would be genuinely interested in giving it a try. After all, he had personally witnessed the power of Tian Dou Shī Huǒ, which was indeed sharp and formidable. Nevertheless, the weaknesses of this Tian Dou Shī Huǒ were clearly revealed in the cultivation instructions. When Han Li saw it, he could hardly contain his cold amusement! Should the extreme Yin use this magical fire against him next time, he was certain to leave the opponent utterly astonished! After reviewing it further, Han Li silently memorized three or four techniques he found promising—ones that could be practiced even at the Jie Dan stage. He decided to begin practicing them once he found the time. With great care, he secured the small rib fragment that concealed the Xuan Yin Jing. He was thoroughly satisfied with this harvest and still felt a subtle, uncontainable excitement. After a moment's reflection, he reached into his storage bag and touched the Xū Tiān Ding, his curiosity now burning brightly. Immediately, he set off toward the inner chamber of the estate. If he could successfully open the Xutian Ding with a single surge of momentum, not only would he gain a significant boost in power from the Bu Tian Dan, but even acquiring several ancient treasures would greatly enhance his strength. With this in mind, Han Li spent his days not only regularly observing the golden silk silkworms, but also holding the small Ding constantly, studying it without interruption, and frequently consulting various older texts in search of any hint or method to open it. Unfortunately, after diligently applying every technique and strategy he could think of for nearly two weeks, Han Li had to admit that the Xutian Ding—renowned as the first secret treasure of Luanxing Sea—was indeed beyond his capabilities as a Jiedan-stage cultivator. This Ding truly was no ordinary artifact! Beyond the trials of fire and water, Han Li had tested every single artifact and ancient treasure at his disposal, yet none left even a trace on the Ding's walls. Even after gathering a renewed thread of the sacred divine lightning from the Qingzhu Fengyun Sword and directing it at the Ding, there was no reaction at all. As for all the other extraordinary methods he had tried, each one proved equally futile. In the end, Han Li could only sigh and carefully reinsert the small cauldron back into his storage bag. As for the Qiandan Pearl, which he had suspected might be linked to the opening of the Xitian Cauldron, he was even more hesitant to touch it—Qiandan Ice Flame was a force that even senior Yuan婴-period masters feared. Until his own cultivation reached the late Jiadian stage or he had fully formed his Yuan婴, he had absolutely no intention of manipulating or refining this pearl. This self-awareness Han Li certainly possessed. During this time, the two golden silk silkworms that had consumed the Wuchang Round Pearl remained unchanged, showing no significant response—indicating that the medicinal properties had not yet taken full effect. In contrast, however, the tens of thousands of Golden-Feeding Insects in the other insect chamber finally began engaging in large-scale mutual consumption. This clearly signaled the emergence of a new generation of Golden-Feeding Insects, which brought Han Li great joy. Now, what he intends to do next is to refine the seven十二 crystallized bamboo-hive swords he obtained along the molten rock path. He has absolutely no intention of wasting a single unit, planning to gradually integrate these crystals into the swords themselves. As a result, while his bamboo-hive swords may not be utterly unbreakable, the things capable of destroying them within this realm are truly scarce. This will undoubtedly prove highly advantageous for his future duels against higher-tier cultivators. Yet, the process of refining and integrating these crystals is absolutely grueling. Though the detailed descriptions of this unique material are sparse in the classical texts, Han Li estimates that it will take at least half a year—using carefully arranged magical arrays—to slowly and steadily incorporate the crystals into the swords. Should his magical energy falter midway and he be unable to sustain the process, the crystals would be completely ruined. This is no trivial matter at all! Had he, previously, with only a mere Dan-stage initial cultivation level, even with various medicinal elixirs aiding him, dared to take such a risk—definitely not. But now, endowed with a thousand-year-old elixir, though he had consumed part of it earlier, the remainder ensures him no concern about his spiritual energy depletion. On the contrary, considering the numerous perils he anticipates encountering while sailing out to hunt demonic beasts, he naturally deems it wiser to equip his talismans with greater potency. Thus, the endeavor of refining his flying sword has become an absolute necessity for Han Li!