When Han Li quietly returned to the still room, he found the disciples still lying around, one after another, half-awake and disoriented. It made sense—during this crucial moment of combat, how could they possibly pay special attention to these disciples? After all, no matter how promising their potential, they were merely junior disciples at this point, too busy to attend to anyone else. Bai Hu had already transformed into his own form and was pretending to be unconscious at the original spot. But as soon as Han Li returned, she instantly reverted back to her original fox form and leaped into the sleeve of Han Li's robe. "How did it go? You've succeeded, haven't you? No one has come here—so I suppose Brother Dao was a bit overcautious!" Yin Yue chuckled softly from within the sleeve. "Yes, it's successful. But rather than being overcautious, I'd rather be cautious than risk exposing my identity." Han Li replied calmly. "Though, Brother Han, how did you manage to survive without being killed? That might be a bit of a challenge," Yin Yue smoothly shifted the topic, expressing a touch of concern. "How did I manage? Well, let me just say that—" Han Li seemed completely unconcerned about the matter, giving it a matter-of-fact, indifferent air. "By the way?" Yin Yue was surprised. "Simply put, I purchased the illusion scroll at a high price, which saved my life. Isn't that straightforward? The very nature of illusion magic is inherently unclear—no matter how accomplished a cultivator may be, they might still be deceived at any moment." Han Li spoke calmly, as if he had already planned his course of action all along. "Indeed, that's a most convincing excuse!" The white fox paused, then smiled softly. From there on, things were simple. It wasn't until several days later that the yellow-robed cultivator entered the quiet chamber with a gloomy expression. He saw the disciples all unconscious throughout the room and sighed gently. Then, he pressed his palms together in a series of hand seals, lightly flicking his fingers, sending out seven or eight beams of white light that flew into the bodies of the cultivators one by one. Clearly, the spell Du Dong had used to render the disciples unconscious was not a particularly intricate or rare technique. Within a short while, each disciple gradually regained consciousness. Upon seeing the yellow-robed cultivator and with Du Dong and the other two having vanished, they naturally knew there was no danger, and thus all grew reassured. Of course, they were surprised to find Han Li unharmed and still with them. But Han Li soon produced a self-made illusion scroll, gently flicked it before everyone's eyes, and smoothly explained his situation. Indeed, few people had deeply studied the art of illusion; the others did not question it further, and even the yellow-robed cultivator merely looked at Han Li with a touch of surprise, without pressing for more details. When Sun Huo and the Mu-named woman heard this, a slight doubt still remained on their faces. After all, Du Dong's initial words and his immediate decisive action had left them somewhat stunned. Han Li had noticed their hesitation, yet he was not concerned about it at all. After all, they had no solid evidence at all—how could they possibly accuse others of anything based merely on a few lingering doubts in their minds? Moreover, Du Dong had dealt with him with decisive severity, not with any intention of building rapport or showing goodwill! The pure elixir, which was responsible for preparing the Qingming Lingshui, had vanished, and the hair-clad cultivator who had been in charge of its preparation was now either dead or missing—so the entire initiative to cleanse the spiritual sight of the three sects had been completely ruined. As compensation, the Daoist monks from the Fu family and other senior figures of the three sects each received a simple artifact, after which the trial sword-fighting event was officially declared over, and the disciples were instructed to return to their respective sects. Yet the several cultivators leading the delegation, who were at the Jie Dan stage, showed no intention of accompanying him in his departure. The disciples observed that these Jie Dan cultivators all appeared serious and visibly anxious, especially the red-robed elder from Yunmeng Sect, who seemed deeply concerned—anyone with even a little sense would realize that something significant must have happened during their unconscious period. Though the junior disciples, such as Upon their return to Luoyun Sect, Han Li and the others were promptly summoned by several senior officials of the sect, who carefully questioned them about the events that had unfolded within the sealed sanctuary. After this, they were sent away with visibly displeased expressions and given strict orders to remain silent. Later, Han Li learned that the three sects' carefully devised plan—to expose an internal spy within the sect—had completely failed, leaving them embarrassed and disheartened. Not only had they succeeded in ensuring that Du Dong and others, protected by the host body of the that-day master of Shad Sect, successfully delivered the pure liquid to both the positive and negative forces, but also that all other scholars besides the Bai family member had safely escaped the Xi Nation. The Bai family scholar, however, had been struck down and killed on the spot by the Fu family elder and others. When the host body of the that-day master of Shad Sect expired, the hair-clad cultivator was captured by a young disciple and has since remained unaccounted for—either killed or detained. Meanwhile, the two Yuan-Ying elders and several Jin-Dan cultivators from the three sects were heavily ambushed by large contingents from the Qiuhuan and Tiansha Sect Not only did several Dan-stage cultivators perish, but one Yuan-Ying-stage Elder, Cheng, was severely wounded after being attacked by multiple peers of the same stage. Though he survived, he suffered significant depletion of vital energy. This incident deeply shook the three sects. Naturally, they exerted strong pressure on the Zheng and Mo factions through Tian Dao Sect, yet the Zheng and Mo sides refused to acknowledge the incident altogether. After prolonged disputes, they offered no tangible resolution to the three sects. The upper echelons of the three sects found themselves at a loss. Fortunately, through undercover agents within the Zheng and Mo factions, Tian Dao Alliance learned that although the pure liquid was retrieved, either due to insufficient quantity or because it was inherently ineffective, the Xuan Tian Immortal Vine remained wilted after being irrigated and showed no signs of revival. This news finally brought relief to the three sects and other members of the Tian Dao Alliance. Thus, tensions rose among the three parties, and the previously tranquil atmosphere—calm for over a hundred years—was once again strained, as if a renewed conflict might erupt at any moment. Moreover, after reporting back to the upper echelons of the gate, Han Li immediately returned to his abode on Xiao Shi Mountain. As soon as he arrived, he transplanted the spirit-root of the Lingsheng Tree to a location near the Jiugu Lingcan. Since both were celestial treasures, placing them closer together might allow for mutual nourishment. Over the following days, Han Li briefly addressed a few inquiries from fellow disciples about the Sword-Testing Assembly, then turned his full attention to cultivation. It seemed that the influence of his journey to the Assembly had an unexpected effect—his long-standing bottleneck in the Daxian Decision was suddenly and mysteriously broken. With just a little further practice, his progress accelerated dramatically. Han Li was delighted by this development and began to cultivate both the Daxian Decision and the Qingyuan Sword Technique simultaneously. He was well aware that much of the smooth progress in mastering the Daxian Decision likely stemmed from the effect of the soul-nourishing beads around his neck. Since that precious pearl had been hung upon his neck, his spiritual awareness, though not deliberately trained, had steadily grown stronger through subtle, continuous development. This had enabled him to advance remarkably in his practice of the *Da Yan Ju*, progressing with astonishing speed. It was as if the water in the pond had already been present, and now he merely expanded the pond's area, carefully channeling and enriching the water flow. Moreover, every time he practiced the *Da Yan Ju*, a gentle, clear energy would radiate from the soul-feeding pearl into his spirit, making each session effortless and greatly enhancing his efficiency—clearly yielding a remarkable sense of half the effort, double the result. During this period, Han Li began to use the green liquid every few days to mature the spirit-root of the *Ling Yan* tree. In just a few months, a new sapling of the *Ling Yan* tree sprouted anew from the root. It seemed only a matter of time before it grew as tall as the *Ling Yan* tree in the sacred grove. However, Han Li estimated that it would take at least twenty years of careful nurturing to achieve such maturity. Yet, he did not feel any urgency. After all, reaching the Moreover, he already had a fixed spirit pill in his hands. It would have been merely a matter of timing, not something to worry about. Thinking back to the young man in black robes searching through his storage bag only to find the spirit pill missing, Han Li found himself quietly amused. He had gone to great lengths to obtain the Spirit Eye Tree, primarily for the purpose of preparing the Qing-Ming Spirit Water. After all, possessing clear and bright spirit eyes during combat offered a significant advantage. For instance, since his consciousness was far stronger than that of peers, he often gained the upper hand in battles. At the same time, Han Li had not ceased practicing alchemy, making thorough preparations for the final refinement of the Ji Qu Spirit Root Pill. Thus, as he diligently cultivated and practiced alchemy, time passed steadily. During this period, unless for essential engagements, Han Li never left his dwelling. Even during the crucial period of cultivation when he needed to retreat and seal himself off, Han Li released Yin Yue, having her transform into his own appearance to handle occasional visits from fellow disciples. He himself then remained in seclusion for cultivation. Fortunately, Yin Yue's fox-bodied essence advanced rapidly due to the large number of pills she consumed, her illusions becoming increasingly refined and flawless, never revealing any flaws. Initially, the lady of the Mu surname had some doubts about Han Li, but as he consistently remained deeply rooted within Luoyun Sect since the Sword Trial, maintaining a quiet and unassuming demeanor without any noticeable changes, her skepticism gradually faded. She eventually resumed viewing Han Li as an ordinary Qi Condensation stage disciple, no longer perceiving any exceptional qualities in him. As a result, Han Li grew more at ease in staying within Luoyun Sect. In the span of time, Han Li had lived as a Qi Condensation stage disciple within Luoyun Sect for over twenty years. Finally, the day when he would condense his Yuan婴 was approaching.