In the elixir-refining chamber of Xiaoshishi Mountain's abode, Han Li exhaled a slender, finger-thick streak of azure elixir flame. The cauldron floated atop a spell array at the center of the chamber, continuously swirling and rotating. Han Li himself shimmered with spiritual radiance, his expression slightly tense. As time passed, a faint aroma of medicinal essence began to permeate the chamber. Han Li inhaled only a few breaths of this scent and immediately felt a surge of energy, his face brightening with delight. When the aroma gradually deepened from light to rich and full-bodied, Han Li's eyes flashed with brilliance. Suddenly, he pressed two palms together, forming a seal, and the elixir flame vanished instantly. With a soft utterance of the character "Kai," a beam of spell energy shot forth and struck precisely at one corner of the array. The array emitted a deep, resonant hum, and several beams of alternating red and green light burst forth, striking the silver cauldron. The small cauldron trembled slightly before its lid opened on its own, revealing a pearl-white pill floating out from within. The pill, about the size of a thumb, was translucent and shimmer A faint, milky spiritual mist hovered around, subtly present, evoking the auspicious signs of a medicinal miracle. Upon seeing the pill, Han Li could not conceal his radiant joy. The Nine-Curve Spirit Ginseng Pill had finally been successfully crafted—after having failed several times previously. Should this attempt also fall short, the jade horn and the companion spirit herb would truly be unable to sustain the next round of consumption. As for the most crucial Nine-Curve Spirit Ginseng itself, Han Li was actually less concerned about the raw material. Originally, when preparing the pills, he had not been willing to use the entire ginseng root. Instead, he only drew off a small amount of ginseng sap to use in the concoction, thus preserving the life of this spiritually vibrant root. While the ginseng would not immediately perish, it had suffered significant depletion of its vital energy. The manifested white rabbit form now appeared listless and weak. After careful contemplation for several days, Han Li finally managed to infuse the Nine-Curve Spirit Ginseng with the ripening green liquid, after adding several layers of protective spells. To be safe, Han Li initially used a diluted green liquid, gradually increasing the amount, fearful of any unforeseen mishaps. After all, this celestial spiritual creature capable of assuming forms was quite different from ordinary spiritual herbs. To his relief, when a drop of the green liquid was introduced, the ginseng's vital energy truly recovered, showing no signs of discomfort. Only then did Han Li feel confident enough to truly begin using the green liquid. Each time he drew out a portion of the ginseng essence, he would first restore the herb's vital energy with the green liquid before proceeding. As a result, the ginseng essence flowed continuously. However, this method seemed effective only for the Nine-Curve Ginseng. Upon thinking it over, Han Li tried it on other spiritual herbs, but the results were not very promising—indeed, it was not as effective as simply accelerating their ripening process. Now, Han Li held a pale white pill between two fingers, placing it before his eyes, and observed it carefully. The appearance and aroma of the pill seemed exactly as described in the classical prescriptions, yet its specific effects could only be fully understood after it was swallowed during the process of infant consolidation. Taking a deep breath, Han Li carefully placed this hard-won pill into a jade box that had been prepared in advance, sealed it properly, and then stepped out of the pill chamber. The Fourth Layer of the Da-Yan Technique, which he had mastered nearly five to six years ago, had significantly expanded his awareness. As for the Qingyuan Sword Technique, he had reached the Ninth Layer's perfect state just a few months prior, finally bringing his cultivation to the stage of a pseudo-infant. At present, Han Li now possesses all the necessary ingredients—both in terms of pills and techniques—only awaiting the final impetus. Nevertheless, Han Li would not immediately begin the infant consolidation process as soon as the Ling-Shen pill was completed. Instead, he stepped out of the estate, journeyed alone to a secluded, picturesque spot along the eastern spine of Yunmeng Mountain, and remained seated in stillness, motionless, as he quietly waited. During this time, he carefully relived and细细品味ed every aspect of his past life, from his early days enjoying family warmth at his parents' side, to his youth spent playing and laughing with his younger sister, then later, after being recommended by his third uncle, joining the Seven Immortal Sect and meeting figures like Li Feiyu, and by chance encountering the Master Mo, who enabled him to cultivate the Ever-Young Technique. Following the beginning of the Great Southern Assembly, he finally made his true entry into the realm of immortality. As his memories grew from hazy to increasingly vivid and clear, the expressions on Han Li's face shifted constantly—alternating between joy and anger—no longer the composed, expressionless calm of before. After three days like this, Han Li closed his eyes, his facial expression settling into stillness, and began to quietly contemplate and deeply understand the fundamental principles of the universe. A month later, when Han Li emerged once again from his secluded retreat, both his physical and spiritual condition, as well as his inner cultivation, had reached a peak of fullness and vitality, with his mental refinement reaching an even higher level. Han Li, upon returning to his pavilion without a ripple of emotion, immediately activated all the great array and sealing techniques outside. Then, to the guard, Yin Yue, he simply said two brief sentences: "Guard the entrance well. Even if there's a major matter, do not disturb me." With that, Han Li drifted gracefully into the quiet chamber in his silk robe. The stone gate then closed silently, its surface shimmering with a steady white light, displaying a thick layer of engraved runes. Han Li further activated an additional layer of seals within the chamber to ensure no unexpected disturbances during his cultivation process. …Three months later, a lady of the Mu family drifted slowly toward the herb garden from a distance of over a hundred li in the sky, her jade complexion marked with a distracted expression, as though burdened with a full heart of unspoken worries. Thinking of the several senior elders of her family who had issued a firm decree requiring her to marry the Yan family man, she felt her future dim and uncertain. If she were a Jiadian cultivator, the so-called elders of her family would never dare to impose their will upon her—they would instead show her the utmost respect. After all, everyone knew exactly what a Jiadian cultivator meant to a family. The Mu family head, in order to secure his grandson’s marriage to the impetuous young woman of the Yan family, had resorted to a clever exchange of marriage arrangements, forcing upon himself such a ridiculous marital alliance. Though this lady was renowned for her cold elegance, the mere thought of this matter stirred within her a quiet anger, causing her to subtly bite her lower teeth. Yet she had always been a strong-willed woman, so she had maintained a composed demeanor, appearing utterly unconcerned. In truth, how many people knew of her inner hesitation and helplessness? Since it's impossible to openly defy the family elders, she should strive to delay the wedding date as much as possible, ideally hoping to accidentally achieve a Golden Dan stage before the marriage takes place. In that case, she could naturally disregard the engagement altogether. Yet though this young woman is exceptionally talented, achieving a Golden Dan stage within just two or thirty years is utterly beyond reach—even with her current efforts, she has only just begun to enter the late stage of Foundation Period cultivation. To reach the Preliminary Dan stage and begin the actual process of forming a Dan, she would need at least another two or thirty years of dedicated cultivation and patience. While she could certainly wait, the family elders of the Mu clan simply cannot afford such delays. Eventually, they have had enough and openly pressure her to finalize the wedding date; otherwise, they will cut off all the spiritual stone supplies essential for her cultivation, and will also negatively impact several close relatives within the family. Thinking of all this, the Mu clan woman feels utterly drained, with no strength left to resist at all. Within the Luoyun Sect, though she was deeply beloved by the Peak Master and her fellow senior brothers, they found it difficult to intervene when the intricate interests of their respective families came into play. This only deepened her sense of frustration! Worse still, the seemingly sly "Yan Brother" appeared to have received some news and had been visiting Tianqu Peak daily, persistently and insistently pursuing her. If it weren't for her superior magical prowess, this "Yan Brother" would likely resort to forceful measures. This made the proud young woman so angry that she nearly summoned her magical artifacts to reduce him to ashes. Today, just happened to be the day when several herb gardens were submitting their medicinal supplies. So she took the initiative to claim this task, swiftly departing from Tianqu Peak to avoid the persistent pursuit of the man from the Yan family. Now, after having passed through two gardens, she finally reached the one under the charge of Han Li. Simply thinking of Han Li, a peculiar feeling stirred within her. Previously, she had always felt that though this young man was a cultivator at the Qi Stage, he exuded a vague, somewhat mysterious aura that she could never quite pin down. The event of the Sword-Testing Assembly had led her to suspect that he might have concealed his true cultivation level, perhaps even possessing some hidden identity. As a result, she had closely observed him for an extended period. Yet, over several consecutive years, he remained consistently composed and unremarkable—never straying from his usual routine. Aside from spending most of his time in the herb garden, he rarely ventured out or formed close ties with others. Consequently, her interest in Han Li grew steadily stronger. On the surface, she appeared to relax her attention toward him, yet in reality, she paid even closer attention to his actions. Unfortunately, Han Li was exceptionally reserved and seldom involved himself in the affairs of the sect. Over the years, she had only managed to meet him a few times. After two decades of such a pattern, she finally concluded that her earlier speculations had been overly idealistic. The other was at best an ordinary disciple who was reserved and somewhat introverted, with mediocre potential—perhaps even unable to successfully reach the Foundation Stage. After briefly considering Han Li's situation, the girl finally sped up her control of the artifact slightly and took off toward the distance.