The occurrence of this matter came as a surprise to Han Li. While the method of employing elixirs to refine one's cultivation could accelerate spiritual power growth significantly—especially under certain extraordinary holy herbs, achieving remarkable progress even on a daily basis—this approach remained somewhat opportunistic. Once a cultivator's spiritual power reached a certain depth, the original efficacy of the elixirs in enhancing cultivation would gradually diminish. This was because, as cultivation techniques advanced and the body's meridians underwent continuous refinement and transformation, the amount of spiritual energy a cultivator could inhale and exhale in each breath steadily increased. Eventually, the efficiency of extracting spiritual energy from the elixirs would approach that of the cultivator's natural absorption of ambient spiritual energy from the heavens. Consequently, the elixirs would appear to lose their effectiveness over time, unless supplemented with more potent alternative elixirs. The loss of efficacy of the elixirs Han Li had taken during his Foundation Stage, which ceased to be effective during his Condensation Stage, was precisely due to this reason. However, previously, such a situation had only arisen after crossing an entire major stage of cultivation. Now, even before reaching the Yuan婴 stage, these pills had lost their effectiveness—something that Han Li had not anticipated. Whether in the classical texts he had previously studied or in the insights gathered from Yuan婴 cultivators later on, it was consistently mentioned that pills made from sixth-level spirit pills were effective, but those made from seventh-level spirit pills should remain effective even before the formation of the Yuan婴. Although the effectiveness had indeed diminished significantly compared to before, this development still seemed somewhat puzzling. After careful consideration, Han Li attributed the premature loss of effectiveness of the pills primarily to a long-standing resistance phenomenon he had not previously observed. Of course, this was merely one hypothesis—perhaps it was also related to the Jade Flame Wine he had consumed that day, or the spirit energy he had received from Mei Ning. These two items—one originally never meant for human consumption, and the other one of the seven supreme essences of qi, renowned in the world—seemed to have some unexpected side effects, yet they were surprisingly acceptable. Han Li had no intention of digging deeper to uncover the true cause of the elixir's failure. Once the situation had arisen, it was no longer something he could change; naturally, he didn't wish to expend unnecessary effort on futile pursuits. He began to consider his next course of action. He still held one immortal dragon's essence, a rare treasure that even with the finest jade stones could not purchase. He was unwilling to refine it into pills aimed at advancing his cultivation level. The refining process carried a high risk of failure, and even if he succeeded in producing a few, the quantity would still fall short of pushing him to the state of a false infant. Now it seemed he would have to rely on the ordinary cultivation path, steadily improving through his own persistent efforts—much like a slow-moving snail. This pace of progress he hadn't experienced in a long time. Upon reflection, Han Li could hardly help but chuckle. Fortunately, he now only lacks a small step to reach the state of Great Perfection. With abundant spiritual energy, he likely only needs about a dozen years to complete it. Thus, he will have to seek out a location with a strong spiritual energy vein to cultivate. Otherwise, in areas with weaker spiritual energy, his cultivation time would need to be doubled. Han Li certainly wouldn't make such a foolish move. Yet when it came to spiritual energy veins, the situation in Tiannan differed from that of Luan Xing Hai. Luan Xing Hai had fewer people and more islands, stretching almost infinitely in expanse, so there were countless islands with strong spiritual energy veins. In contrast, Tiannan had a large population and a fixed land area. Although the region was not small, compared to Luan Xing Hai, even the areas with weaker spiritual energy were completely taken over by various sects and cultivator families. Even the less favorable spots with mediocre spiritual energy were seized by independent cultivators, leaving no remaining spaces at all. When it comes to resources for cultivation, the Land of Tiannan simply cannot keep up with the chaotic Star Sea! Thus, if Han Li wished to continue his cultivation, he would have to join either a renowned cultivator family or a major sect. Otherwise, despite his ability to defeat smaller families or sects and seize valuable spiritual vein territories, he would soon find himself once again being pursued by Yuan-Ying stage cultivators. Han Li truly grew weary of constantly being chased around, yearning only to calmly consolidate his Yuan-Ying. Nothing at all needed to happen for him to step forward and reveal his cultivation level, thereby disrupting his own progress—there was no need for him to bear such burdens. Once he achieved a Yuan婴 (immortal embryo) stage, he would naturally be free from any fears. By then, even if he chose to reveal his identity, the upper echelons of the sect would surely make every effort to attract and unite with him, rather than foolishly clash with him. Thus, with the goal of joining a sect renowned for its abundant spiritual energy, Han Li became widely known throughout the southern heavens, and even in the Yue state, he had heard of the famed "Spiritual Energy Saint Vein," Yunmeng Mountain. The three major cultivation sects that controlled this spiritual vein naturally became his top priorities. To join one of these sects, Han Li naturally needed to carefully compare their respective strengths, weaknesses, and interrelations. Speaking of this, it cannot be overlooked that previously, while in a small market town in the region, Han Li had gained a broad understanding of the general state of cultivation in the southern heavens over the past century. At that time, the two young ladies, Han Li and Zi Ling, had not yet parted ways and shared these updates together. After all, compared to Han Li, they were more eager to become familiar with the local environment and the overall distribution of power in Tiannan. The current landscape of Tiannan had undergone significant changes since Han Li had left. However, although the Zheng and Mo factions had secretly agreed to jointly launch challenges against their neighbors, successively absorbing several neighboring states, their relationship remained adversarial, and they had never been able to move toward cooperation. Internal disputes over newly acquired benefits soon erupted within each faction, plunging them into conflict and leaving little interest in launching attacks against the Tian Dao Alliance. As for the Tian Dao Alliance itself, it was a relatively loose coalition; without active pressure from the Zheng and Mo factions, it naturally welcomed the status quo. Indeed, it lacked the determination to initiate attacks on either side. Thus, the three powers remained in a delicate balance of equilibrium. Yet, the real reason why no major conflict had occurred over the past hundred years was closely tied to the rise of the Nine-Country Alliance. Initially, besides absorbing the seven sects from the Yue state, the Nine-Country Alliance also incorporated numerous other sects and independent practitioners expelled by the Zheng and Mo factions, significantly enhancing its strength. They had originally assumed that this would surely allow them to outperform the "mages" of the Mulan Grasslands. Yet unexpectedly, whether by fate or mere coincidence, the Mulan tribal groups they were engaged against suddenly received powerful reinforcements from Mulan's second and fourth largest tribes, significantly increasing the number of mages on their side. As a result, the conflict intensified dramatically. After several major battles, both sides suffered heavy casualties, and the Nine Kingdoms Alliance found themselves at a disadvantage, even losing some territories. Forced to act, the Nine Kingdoms Alliance sent urgent appeals to the Zhengmo and Tian Dao alliances, threatening that if either side refused to send reinforcements, they would consolidate their own forces and fully integrate the Mulan mages into their ranks. Upon receiving this news, even though the Zhengmo and Tian Dao alliances were deeply reluctant, they recognized that once the Nine Kingdoms Alliance withdrew, the relentless strength of the Mulan mages would make their own situation increasingly difficult. Consequently, they dispatched reinforcements to assist. As a result, after another decisive battle that saw thousands of cultivators fall, the Nine-Country Alliance managed to just withstand the Muran people's offensive and finally stabilized its position. However, from then on, the Nine-Country Alliance became more cautious, insisting that other powers take turns sending forces to jointly defend against the Fashis' attacks. Otherwise, they would refuse to participate, unwilling to bear the burden of their own efforts while the other three powers enjoyed peace and comfort. After prolonged negotiations and negotiations, the four powers finally reached an agreement—led by the Nine-Country Alliance, with the other three as supporting forces—jointly countering the Muran people. Thanks to this agreement, over the following century, although the forces of righteousness and evil had consolidated their previously acquired vast territories, they remained cautious, neither daring to initiate another major campaign due to the persistent threat from the Muran people and the Nine-Country Alliance's persistent pressure. As for the Xiqiu State and its two neighboring countries, they belonged to the Heaven's Way Alliance. And the three sects—"Ancient Sword Sect," "Cloud-Fall Sect," and "Hundred-Wisdom Court"—are even among the core sects within the group.