"Brother Han, what do you think of my younger sister's suggestion? With Mei Ning's grace and beauty, this opportunity presented so generously—wouldn't you be inclined to accept it?" Zi Ling, seeing Han Li remained silent, smiled gently and followed up with her question. Han Li spoke slowly, his expression calm. Hearing Han Li's words, Mei Ning's body slightly trembled, the rosy flush on her neck quickly fading as she gradually raised her head, her face now pale. "Brother Han, this is quite a refusal," said Zilin, slightly exasperated, as though deeply disappointed that Han Li had pushed aside such a distinguished lady. "Besides, with your current Jiandan late-stage cultivation level, who in the world besides the Yuanying-period elders could pose a real threat to your Dao friend? Moreover, who knows—your Yuanying formation might succeed soon, opening up countless destinations across the realm. How could you possibly protect a mere young lady like Mei Ning sister?" "Zilin, you must know," Han Li continued, "though I consider myself slightly more proficient than my peers in cultivation, my adversaries have always been powerful ones. Until I truly attain Yuanying stage and am strong enough, I would never consider matters concerning my spouse." Otherwise, once the time came, she would be unable to protect him and could only end up causing him emotional harm." Han Li spoke calmly. Zi Ling furrowed her brows, sensing that Han Li's words were true and that he seemed slightly displeased; after a sigh, she fell silent and no longer brought up the matter. "If Brother Han is not displeased with my plain appearance, then once you reach the Yuan Ying stage, would you still be willing to take Mei Ning as your disciple?" Mei Ning's composed expression finally returned, though she bit her lower lip and looked at Han Li with a touch of surprise. "The Yuan Ying stage? As for whether I can reach that level, I still have no confidence at all. Even if I do manage to reach it, I have no idea when—perhaps many years from now. Would Mei Miss really be willing to wait that long? Perhaps even a hundred years from now, she might not succeed in forming a Yuan Ying." Han Li glanced at the young woman and replied softly. "Me...," Mei Ning heard this and found herself unable to respond, her face shifting between expressions of concern and uncertainty. With her foundation stage lifespan, even a few decades would be too long—let alone a century. Though the other woman was an excellent match for a mutual cultivation partnership, she couldn't possibly commit such a long time, only to await an uncertain outcome. After all, the immortal realm itself is inherently practical and harsh. While she and Han Li had grown close over time and developed a certain fondness, to truly fall in love with him and pledge her unwavering loyalty—this was naturally impossible. Seeing Mei Ningyu's hesitance, Han Li sighed inwardly. He reached into his cloak, pulled out two small vials, and handed them to her. "Here are some refined cultivation pills prepared using phoenix essence pills. Instead of relying solely on the mutual cultivation method to enhance her cultivation, why not focus on rigorous personal practice? Perhaps she could achieve the same result as her purple spirit companion—forming her own golden elixir on her own." Han Li spoke slowly and deliberately. These foundational-stage pills, once useful to Han Li, now serve no purpose—yet, considering the charming affection she once bestowed upon him by transmitting her spirit-energy, he doesn't mind using them as a simple gesture of goodwill. Thus, he feels he owes her nothing now. "Pills crafted from immortal essence?" Mei Ning's eyes glistened with genuine warmth. Without thinking, she picked up a small bottle, opened it, and instantly a delicate fragrance filled the entire elegant room. "These are top-tier pills!" Holding the jade vial tightly, she stared at Han Li, momentarily at a loss for words. Though he had once shown interest and even slight indiscretion toward her in the Yin-Ming realm, he had just refused to accept her as his consort. Now, he was presenting her with such precious medicine. She found herself somewhat bewildered. "Haha! Han brother truly is generous. Since Han has spoken so highly of them, then, sister, please accept these. Perhaps, after gathering a few more medicinal herbs, you'll truly be able to enter the Consolidation Stage, just as Han has promised." "If that's the case, we can support each other and live comfortably together," Zilin said, her eyes briefly widening with surprise before brightening into a warm smile. Mei Ning looked at Han Li with a mixture of emotions, then quietly thanked him before gently placing the small vial into her storage pouch. Seeing Mei Ning accept the pill, a faint smile appeared on Han Li's face. Then, he slightly tilted his head and glanced out the window at the bustling town streets beyond. The lively scene was so familiar that it instantly reminded him of certain things he had long since forgotten. He sighed softly, his smile fading. Upon seeing Han Li's expression, both Zilin and Mei Ning exchanged a moment of quiet surprise. ...Zongzhou, the second-largest of the seven prefectures in Xigu, is located in the western, more remote part of the nation. Its terrain is complex, dotted with numerous hills and forests, and often plagued by swamps and lingering mists and dampness. Thus, beyond a few isolated towns and some official roads, few people ventured into the remote countryside. As for the more remote mountain ranges and rugged hills, they were truly the domain of venomous snakes and fierce beasts—ordinary people dared not enter them. In contrast, Yunzhou, owing to its unique environment and abundant supply of rare herbs and precious beasts, has become a favored destination for cultivators of the Xi State. More than half of the cultivation sects throughout the Xi State are concentrated within this small region, with several powerful sects even monopolizing the areas richest in spiritual energy. Among these, Yunmu Mountain is renowned throughout the southern heavens as a sacred spiritual artery. Deep within this mountain range stands a legendary tree known as the "Spirit-Eye Tree," one of the final three divine trees in the cultivation world. In a certain sense, in the eyes of the ruling elites of cultivation sects, its value even surpasses that of Tianlei Bamboo and Yanghun Wood. For every two centuries, this Spirit-Eye Tree releases a precious spiritual liquid known as "Chun Ye" from its roots. Though this liquid cannot be consumed directly, it is an excellent raw material for crafting several elixirs. In particular, the legendary sacred elixir known as "Dingling Pill"—also called "Anhun Pill"—must be prepared using this spiritual liquid as its foundation. The Anhun Pill not only enhances a cultivator's修为 but also calms the mind and stabilizes the spirit, helping to mitigate the intrusion of inner demons and mental disturbances. If taken prior to the formation of a Yuan婴, it significantly eases the process, making the cultivator feel much more at ease during the critical stage. Unlike the process of achieving a Dan stage, which primarily requires cultivation level and favorable circumstances, the formation of a Yuan婴 involves enduring vivid visions and persistent mental disturbances. Indeed, the transformation from a Dan to an Infant is inherently a rigorous journey that tests a cultivator's mental resilience and inner stability. With such extraordinary treasures found within the Yunmeng Mountain Range, combined with its abundant spiritual energy far surpassing that of ordinary spiritual veins, it is no surprise that all sects strive to establish their presence here. As a result, after a series of intense competitions and negotiations, the three sects—Gǔ Jiàn Mén, Luò Yún Zōng, and Bǎi Qiǎo Yuàn—have now jointly secured the territory. These three sects were already among the most powerful in Xī Guó, and together, they have effectively quelled the ambitions of the other sects to claim this mountain's spiritual energy vein, leaving them only with eager, helpless longing. He also intended to join this sect, renowned for its alchemy practices—though not as a cultivator at the Juandan stage, but rather as an ordinary Qi-cultivation disciple. With his current attainments and the remarkable efficacy of his unnamed breath-control technique, except for Yuanying cultivators at the mid-stage or beyond who would carefully examine him, no one else could detect his true level of cultivation. It was precisely because of this advantage that he dared make such a plan. Yet, recalling the scene when he parted ways with Zilin and Mei Ning, he could hardly help but feel a wave of bitter humor. By his original intention, he had planned simply to find a suitable location to establish a dwelling, then take pills to advance his cultivation to the late Juandan stage, reaching a state of near-perfection. Indeed, although he had previously benefited from enhanced spiritual energy, he still fell short of the true onset of the Juandan phase—the so-called "false embryo" stage. But an unexpected turn of events completely overturned his entire plan. After taking a pill, he was astonished to find that the remedy, which should have refined his cultivation, had completely failed. Whether crafted from a sixth-tier or a seventh-tier phoenix pill, the effect was identical—none at all. This left Han Li speechless. (Hey, too late now. This chapter is the last one tonight. Please forgive me for the inconvenience!)