The gate of the alchemy chamber remained closed for exactly three years. When, on a certain day three years later, Han Li stepped out calmly, the once-mystical spirit pills had already transformed into various rare medicinal concoctions. In the first two years, Han Li naturally devoted all his time to refining pills using primarily five-tier spirit pills as raw materials. Though these pills no longer held significant value for him at this stage, any single one in the hands of a Foundation Stage cultivator would surely bring them great joy and be a cherished treasure. Through this process of refining, Han Li had deepened his understanding and application of alchemy techniques. After all, even genuine alchemy masters rarely had the opportunity to freely experiment with so many spirit pills. For ordinary alchemists, using just thirty to forty spirit pills throughout their careers was already an exceptional achievement. While the methods for crafting each type of pill varied considerably, there were still certain commonalities that Han Li could draw upon and learn from. Thus, after repeatedly refining these rare elixirs, Han Li's alchemical skill had been raised not only to match but even surpass the level traditionally attributed to renowned alchemical masters. As a result, when Han Li later employed six- or seven-tiered spirit elixirs, his success rate in producing perfect elixirs naturally improved significantly. This brought Han Li immense satisfaction. Otherwise, given the exceptional rarity of such six- or seven-tier elixirs, even Han Li would have been reluctant to waste them. After completing the alchemical process, Han Li took a brief rest for one month. During this time, he visited the insect chambers several times, inspecting the three-colored gold-eating insects and the original, non-evolved gold-eating insects housed in the two chambers. While refining the elixirs, he had arranged for the automata to feed these two types of gold-eating insects with the Nishang grass, which had previously been known to stimulate their excitement and agitation. However, a rather disappointing development emerged: although the three-colored gold-eating insects continued to consume the Nishang grass without interruption, the grass seemed to have lost its special effect that once caused them to become restless and excited—after complete consumption, no noticeable change At first, Han Li had thought that the short duration of exposure and the large number of three-colored gold-devouring insects might have accounted for the rather unimpressive effects of the Nishang grass. Thus, out of suspicion, he now arranged for hundreds of isolated three-colored insects to be fed exclusively on this grass, in order to observe any changes in their behavior. However, after several feedings, the insects remained exactly as they had before—showing no unusual reactions at all. This left Han Li feeling increasingly frustrated. Now he could confidently conclude that the Nishang grass had truly lost its remarkable ability to stimulate reproduction in the evolved insects. Although the underlying reason remained unclear, there was no doubt that he had now lost his method for rapidly breeding and advancing the three-colored insects. They were being consumed one by one! For now, he had to revert to his old approach—having the puppets feed the Nishang grass to the unevolved, silver and gold-colored insects. And now, these insects are becoming increasingly restless, suggesting that their next reproductive cycle is drawing near. After handling all these matters, Han Li composed himself and entered the meditation chamber. He intended to first perfect the Eighth Layer of the Qingyuan Sword Technique, with the aid of various pills, in order to advance to the mid-stage of Condensation. Sitting on a cushion within the chamber, Han Li withdrew a pre-prepared pill bottle from his storage sack. He then poured out a pill resembling a dragon eye, glowing with a soft red light, and, with one hand, sent it to his mouth, swallowing it whole with a single gulp. As a warm sensation began to spread throughout his abdomen, Han Li silently recited the Eighth Layer of the Sword Technique and gradually closed his eyes. … Time flew by; years passed without notice. Han Li devoted himself wholeheartedly to refining the Sword Technique and cultivating his inner power within the estate, and time slipped away unnoticed. The repetitive process of consuming pills and transforming their energy into spiritual power was extremely monotonous. Fortunately, driven by his strong desire to fully master the technique and gain a solid foundation for self-defense, Han Li found the routine neither tedious nor burdensome. In just fifteen or sixteen years, the time had passed swiftly. Han Li finally broke through the bottleneck of mid-Jiadian stage and achieved the eighth layer of the Qingyuan Sword Technique. Excited, he did not immediately prepare to emerge. With a substantial portion of the pills still remaining in his hands, he naturally intended to fully absorb and refine them. Thus, the Han Li who had just entered the mid-Jiadian stage forced himself to remain calm and continued to practice the ninth layer of the Sword Technique. The ninth layer naturally proved even more challenging, adding several additional difficulties. As spring faded into winter, autumn gave way to summer, year after year passed by. The door of the sealed chamber remained closed and shut. Everything within the dwelling gradually accumulated a thick layer of dust. It seemed as though this place were slowly transforming into an ancient tomb site! ...It was a quiet morning near the Murky Sea, when several early birds circled continuously at low altitudes over the water, occasionally emitting sharp calls. The surroundings were peaceful and serene. Suddenly, at the distant horizon, flashes of light appeared, followed by several streaks of vibrant green and red light racing swiftly toward the misty sea. A little while later, the figures within the distant glow could be clearly seen—three women and two men, several cultivators rushing desperately toward this area. Among them, one middle-aged man in his forties was at the foundational stage of cultivation, while the other four were all in the qi cultivation stage, aged between seventeen and twenty-four, remarkably young. As they hurried forward, they occasionally glanced back, as though being pursued by something behind them. In a short time, they arrived near the misty sea. "Uncle Sun! There's a patch of sea mist ahead—let's enter and rest a while. Otherwise, before those things catch up, we'll all be too exhausted to keep going," said a young yellow-robed girl, only fifteen or sixteen years old, breathing heavily, to the middle-aged man. This young lady has a round face, dark black eyes, and a baby-like complexion, appearing especially charming and adorable. Yet at this moment, she is drenched in sweat, her face pale, as though her magical strength is about to falter. "Hmm," the middle-aged cultivator said, glancing at the other three men and women. He noticed that though their conditions were slightly better, they were still far from strong. "Very well. Let's briefly restore our energy in the misty sea before we proceed. Even if we pull away some distance, those others will relentlessly pursue us until we're dead. Better to be cautious—should they catch up, we may not have a chance to survive." After hesitating and glancing back once more, he finally agreed. The moment he spoke, the younger men and women all beamed with relief. Their cultivation levels were quite modest, and the fact that they could keep flying here without stopping was already a remarkable achievement. Despite knowing that staying in place now would be extremely perilous, they could hardly pay attention to anything else. They changed direction and took off toward the misty sea. "The sea mist here is indeed quite dense—perhaps if we stay put, we can evade the others' pursuit!" said another sturdy young man, in his twenties, who, not long after entering the misty expanse, expressed his excitement. "Forget that. Though I don't know exactly how they're managing to keep up with us, this mist alone won't be enough to conceal us. Everyone, gather together and check below for any rocky outcrops or resting spots. By practicing meditation, we can restore our inner energy more efficiently." The middle-aged cultivator firmly countered, causing a slight blush to rise on the young man's face, who then led the way downward. The others naturally followed without hesitation. "Huh! There's an island here!" suddenly exclaimed the yellow-robed maiden, startled. Without needing her to point it out, the others also clearly saw the island emerging through the thick mist, all of them exchanging surprised glances. "Do you think there might be any other beasts around here?" A young female novice in a blue skirt, ordinary in appearance, grew somewhat afraid. "There shouldn't be anything particularly special, and besides, we don't have the time to spare. Let's quickly restore our qi upon reaching the island!" The middle-aged man had initially hesitated, but soon made up his mind. Seeing this, the others fell silent and together drifted gently onto the small island. "The atmosphere here seems quite vibrant—where shall we settle to meditate?" As soon as he set foot on the island, the man extended his awareness to sense the island's conditions and then pointed with delight. The direction he indicated was precisely where the island's only small mountain range lay. Upon hearing this, the men and women were instantly energized. Without further words, the middle-aged cultivator led the way, taking off into the air. His four companions hurried to follow. With every bit of qi they could recover, they might just escape this crisis. Naturally, they wouldn't miss this rare spot with a strong qi foundation. In a short while, they arrived at this lush, green mountain range. They randomly selected a modest hill and, holding a spiritual stone in each hand, immediately began to settle into meditation, eager to absorb the thick ambient qi surrounding them.