Such delicate runes—seemingly a rare ancient treasure indeed! As he thought this, a flash of silver light passed through his hands, and he neatly stored the two silver chains. He intended to revisit them later, perhaps restoring the chains and testing their full potential. With the chains secured, Han Li lowered his gaze to the grotesque corpse of the Shiqiao. His expression grew serious, and with a flick of his fingers, ten strands of green silk shot out, piercing various points across the creature's body. He began a careful examination. After a while, he smiled with satisfaction. Aside from the loss of one arm, the corpse was nearly perfect for use in corpse cultivation—its body was exceptionally robust, resistant even to ordinary法宝, and its internal essence of corpse fire and corpse poison were truly remarkable. A mere trace of either would prove fatal to a cultivator. Yet, gazing at the remaining arm of the Shiqiao, Han Li paused, his thoughts turning, and he fell into thoughtful contemplation. Suddenly, he gave a firm tap on his spiritual beast pouch, and a surge of three-colored gold-devouring insects burst forth. After spiraling once at the ceiling, they emitted a resonant hum. Han Li raised his hand and cast a spell. Instantly, under the guidance of his divine awareness, the insects surged toward the remains of the corpse phantom's arm, where they coalesced and transformed. A few moments later, a smooth, three-colored arm materialized there—identical in every way to the other arm, except for its color and the absence of green fur. Han Li smiled slightly, his expression satisfied. Then, he withdrew several stacks of array flags and array discs from his storage pouch and, without haste, began setting up a highly intricate magical array within the stone chamber... He remained in this mountain cavern for over two months. When Han Li reappeared in the cave on Zi-Mu Peak, his face was pale, as though he had lost considerable vital energy. Immediately summoning the Silver Moon, he entered the inner chamber once again and began meditating without a word. He said nothing further about the corpse phantom. A month later, the door of the seclusion chamber opened once again, and Han Li stepped out with composed grace. "Master, the six-winged frost centipede in the insect chamber has begun laying eggs," said Yin Yue, who had been waiting outside, immediately and respectfully as soon as Han Li emerged. "Laying eggs? Let me see." Han Li was momentarily surprised, then smiled warmly. Then he strode toward the insect chamber, with Yin Yue gracefully following close behind. Through the sealed gate of the chamber, Han Li could see everything inside clearly. Compared to when Liu Yu first handed them over, the six-winged frost centipede had advanced one stage through mutual consumption. Not only had its size grown nearly by half, but the cold aura it emitted was now significantly stronger. While it could no longer match Han Li's Qianlan Ice Flame, it was absolutely deadly for a Jinding-stage cultivator. Of course, Han Li's Purple Lotus Heavenly Fire, refined through the integration of this cold aura, had also grown stronger in power. The eggs of the six-winged frost centipede were precisely at the center of the insect chamber, dark and lustrous, about the size of a clenched fist, encased in a shimmering block of ice measuring a zhang in length, radiating a steady chill. Clearly, the centipede had exhaled its own cold breath as it laid the eggs within the chamber. As Han Li glanced at them, several of the large centipedes inside the chamber raised their heads and emitted sharp, warning cries toward the stone door. Han Li remained calm, yet his gaze settled steadily upon the eggs, examining them carefully. "There are twenty-four centipede eggs—more than sufficient. Silver Moon, notify my designated disciple and I'll allow her to take her spiritual creature with her." After confirming the number, Han Li nodded and issued the command with satisfaction. "Yes, I'll send the message right away," Silver Moon agreed immediately, then produced a scroll from her person, whispered a few words, and cast it into the air. The scroll instantly transformed into a streak of red light and shot off toward its destination. After inspecting the centipede eggs, Han Li also took the opportunity to check on the condition of the gold-eating insects in the adjacent chamber. Since recently, he had primarily focused the green essence on the six-winged frost centipedes, and hadn't observed the insects—carefully selected from pure golden gold-eaters—for some time. The flying insects in the chamber remained much as before, gathering into a large golden sphere, suspended from a spiritual tree that Han Li had specially transplanted into the chamber. Although he had anticipated this development, after a closer inspection, he furrowed his brows slightly. These insects should have reached maturity after just one further stage of evolution. Even with the aid of the Nishang grass, the length of their current evolutionary phase would surely be impressive. Han Li had never imagined that these gold-eating insects could complete their final stage of advancement within merely a few decades. "How are the Silver Moon and the Xuantian Immortal Vine doing? After several months, I hope to know whether that section of root still has a chance." When Han Li turned his gaze back from the insect chamber, he suddenly asked about this matter. "This... I'm not quite sure how to put it, Master. Perhaps it would be better if you saw it yourself," said Yin Yue, hesitating. "What's there not to say?" Han Li was somewhat surprised. Yet after a moment's thought, he decided not to press further, and simply issued a command, following Yin Yue to the herb garden. Upon seeing the exposed section of the Xuansheng vine's root, Han Li's eyes widened in astonishment. The color had shifted from pale yellow to bright green, yet it remained bare and unchanged in size, showing no sign of sprouting or leaf development. "What's going on? Has this vine been revived, or not?" Han Li gently sensed the root, but found no signs of life—only as if it were lifeless. He then asked. "This is precisely what I wanted to tell Master. Initially, when we poured the green liquid on the root several times, there was no noticeable change at all. It simply wouldn't mature properly." No, later I tried again, simultaneously infusing the vine with the Eternity Spirit Nectar and the Pure Spirit Nectar, and only then did it show some response. The color of the vine changed to green. At first, I thought it had been revived. Yet the root system of this immortal vine—aside from the color change—remained exactly as it had before, and still could not be stimulated or nurtured by the green liquid. Thus, now I'm uncertain: is the current root system truly alive, or has it simply died? Yin Yue sighed, speaking slowly. In the far west, there should be no particularly accomplished high-level cultivators, and thus, danger would be unlikely. It would merely take longer. Moreover, one must return within three years; otherwise, the optimal timing for entering the Fallen Demon Valley might be missed. Han Li replied with certainty. Hearing this, Yin Yue nodded in agreement. Not long after, the two of them stepped out of the herb garden. Han Li went to find the silver-haired elder, while Yin Yue remained in the pavilion, beginning to pack her belongings in preparation for their departure the next day. The next morning, after a night's rest, Han Li found himself and Yin Yue just stepping out of the pavilion's main gate, when he suddenly noticed a graceful, beautiful woman standing quietly outside, gazing at him intently. "How could you have come? Didn't I leave you with enough pills for years of cultivation, so you could remain and focus on your practice?" Han Li's eyes flashed with mild surprise as he asked calmly. "Your Grace! I've thought it over—" Currently, my cultivation seems to have reached another bottleneck. It would be best if I journeyed with the young lord. Moreover, as the young lord's concubine, it is my duty to accompany him closely and serve at his side. Could the young lord kindly bring me along? Mu Pei Ling slightly lowered her head, her cheeks flushed, and spoke softly. Her graceful and beautiful face, enhanced by her well-proportioned, tall figure, made her appear especially elegant and alluring. Hearing her words, Han Li paused, glanced at her thoughtfully, and then fell into contemplation. Behind Han Li, Yin Yue's eyes sparkled, and her expression was one of quiet amusement. "If you wish to go, then come along. On the journey, I can also offer you some guidance in your cultivation. Should you reach the Ji Dan stage sooner, it will surely benefit me as well." Han Li nodded without hesitation and agreed. "Thank you, Lord Han!" Mu Pei Ling was delighted, her face bright with excitement. Seeing this, Han Li offered a gentle smile, then swept his sleeve aside, and a beam of white light shot forth from within. Transformed into a square, winged chariot, it was precisely the Wind-Chariot. Upon seeing this vehicle appear, Silver Moon smiled warmly, then gently swayed her form, turning into a beam of white light that shot directly into Han Li's sleeve. Mu Peilin gasped, her hands covering her mouth in surprise. "I'll tell you about Silver Moon's matter on the way. Let's get on the chariot and set off!" Han Li didn't pay attention to this, speaking calmly and composedly. "Yes, Master!" Mu Peilin, no ordinary female cultivator, regained composure after her initial shock, immediately twisting her waist and floating gracefully onto the chariot. However, as soon as her feet touched the chariot, a green shadow flashed before her, and Han Li arrived on the chariot at the same time. With a series of hand gestures, he cast a translucent, milky-white light shield that enveloped the chariot. Then, with a clear chime, the Wind-Chariot instantly vanished from its original spot, transforming into a magnificent streak of white light that surged through the air and disappeared in a flash. Soon afterward, the entire Luoyun Sect learned of this news. Our Han Elder, having sustained some vital energy during his duel against a magical cultivator, has decided to enter seclusion for several years to restore his cultivation. During this time, he will not receive visitors. Meanwhile, the other two sects of Yunmeng Mountain have repeatedly dispatched envoys to inquire about his condition, only to be met with vague and evasive responses from the silver-haired elder. Even other cultivators who are closely allied with Luoyun Sect have come to pay their respects, only to be similarly dismissed with the same general remarks. Consequently, the news that Han Li, the recently rising star among Luoyun Sect's elders, has suffered a serious injury, has swiftly spread throughout Xiqiu Kingdom, drawing attention even from sects in neighboring countries. These foreign cultivators have not expressed much doubt, as the magical cultivator Han Li ultimately defeated—the senior elder of Yin Luo Sect from Jin Kingdom—was said to possess the peak level of Yuan Yin stage cultivation. It is entirely reasonable that Han Li would have sustained significant energy loss in defeating such a formidable opponent. Yet even so, in the eyes of many cultivators from various sects, Han Li had become a grand master of extraordinary prowess, comparable to the Celestial Hating Elder. The reputation of Luoyun Sect flourished rapidly, spreading far and wide. Several sects began to deliberately strengthen their ties with Luoyun Sect, and many accomplished independent cultivators came specifically to join the Luoyun Sect at Yundong Mountain. In a short span of time, Luoyun Sect had begun to take on the aura of the foremost sect in Xixu State, leaving many of its disciples deeply excited. Han Li, the enigmatic senior cultivator who rarely appeared before ordinary disciples, now enjoyed an unrivaled reputation among them.