Four years later, within the abode on the main peak of the Zimu Peak, the beautiful young woman formed from silver moon was just yesterday using the green essence to ripen the spiritual herbs. Suddenly, she heard the voice of Han Li transmitted through his consciousness. Thus, she had come to wait here today for Han Li's emergence from seclusion. The door of the meditation chamber, which had not been opened in several years, rose slowly after only a brief moment of waiting, finally creaking open with a soft sound. Silver Moon raised her bright eyes and looked upward. Yet, Han Li's figure did not appear inside. Instead, a dark, misty breeze suddenly burst forth, followed by a low, gentle chuckle, and then a massive cloud of about one zhang in width shot out from within, swiftly passing straight toward Silver Moon. Silver Moon was startled and quickly retreated several steps, her face pale as she gazed at the cloud. The cloud, however, suddenly halted, its surface dark and luminous, like a black silk fabric. "This is..." Silver Moon thought briefly, her mind already subtly guessing what might be unfolding. "How is it going? With the second prenatal stage of cultivation now reaching this level, shouldn't it The clouds suddenly coalesced and took on a new form, instantly transforming into a black-green infant barely a foot tall, who then spoke in human words. "Congratulations on your great achievement, Master!" Silver Moon smiled gently and bowed respectfully to the Yuan婴, saying so. The Yuan婴 appeared nearly identical in appearance and demeanor to Han Li's, except that it was slightly smaller in size. "I never expected to fully refine the second Yuan婴 so quickly. However, after its completion, there's a rather peculiar sensation." A familiar voice echoed through the chamber, and finally, Han Li stepped out from the doorway. At that moment, the black-green infant smiled and shot toward Han Li, spiraling before settling gracefully atop his hair. "It's natural that having two independent Yuan婴 would feel different from before. Once Master becomes accustomed to it, everything will be fine," Silver Moon said, lifting her head to gaze at Han Li, and offered a light, gentle smile. "Ah! From the way you're speaking, it seems as though you know something special about the second Yuan婴." "Do you recall anything about it?" Han Li's eyes flashed with interest as he said. "This young maid isn't quite sure. She just mentioned it spontaneously. Perhaps she once knew something similar back in the past." Yin Yue was momentarily startled and replied honestly. Upon hearing Yin Yue's explanation, Han Li nodded silently, saying nothing. Yet suddenly, his Yuan Ying on his head flicked its hand and produced a small banner, which he began to play with. The banner was dark and lustrous—exactly the Yin Luo Banner that had absorbed abundant magical qi! "Given that your second Yuan Ying appears thus, might it be that you've practiced magical techniques from the path of the Mages?" Yin Yue, observing the scene and glancing again at the Yuan Ying, asked curiously. "Once my second Yuan Ying is fully formed, it naturally needs to possess certain abilities. However, since it lacks a physical body and cannot independently practice techniques, I first used my own body and the refined magical qi stored within the Yin Luo Banner to help it cultivate the profound, transcendent techniques of the Xuan Yin School." As for whether to truly grant it a physical form, I'm still hesitating. Once the second prenatal spirit acquires a body, it's quite prone to backlash—care must be taken. Upon hearing this question from Yin Yue, Han Li furrowed his brows and then struck his head with one hand. A flash of black light followed, and the prenatal spirit vanished from sight. Yet, within his consciousness, Han Li clearly observed that at the primary prenatal spirit's meditation spot in the dantian, the second prenatal spirit had settled across from it, sitting in stillness, motionless. "It's natural that the master should be cautious. The transformation of Xuan Mu into a prenatal spirit has never been heard of before. As for the avatar techniques of other cultivators, they mostly focus on dividing their consciousness or spirit essence. Higher-level practitioners, such as Mu Lan, the Zhong Shen Shi, achieve this by using great powers to forcibly split their spirit essence." Yin Yue nodded in agreement. "Heh! Their avatar techniques, though fundamentally don't enhance anything much— But it also proves to be a powerful strategy when dealing with multiple adversaries or when it comes to survival. Well, let's set that aside. Has there been any incident at the abode during this time?" Han Li said two sentences and then waved his hand, turning to ask, while stepping toward the hall. "After the master's one-year meditation, Mu Miss successfully achieved the Dan stage. I have followed your instructions and delivered the Inverted Phoenix Cultivation Technique and several pills beneficial for the Dan stage to her. As for Nan Gong Miss, she has remained safe within the seal, and her Soul-Sealing Spell is gradually weakening under the power of the Fire Toad Pills. I estimate that even without a specific spell to dissolve the curse, it should be fully lifted within a century. Of course, this is merely my personal assessment—still, the master should personally verify it." Yin Yue moved gracefully behind Han Li, responding one by one. Hearing two positive updates upon his return from meditation, Han Li felt a surge of joy. As he was about to inquire about other matters, Yin Yue added. "There's one more matter I'd like to report to the master. These six-winged frost centipede larvae, having consumed the Nishang grass for years, should have grown rapidly and undergone swift division and evolution by now. Yet for some reason, they grow extremely slowly—having shed their exoskeleton only once, they have not divided at all." "Shedding their exoskeleton?" Hearing this, Han Li paused, his face expressing a moment of curiosity. "Indeed. After shedding, these centipedes seem significantly stronger. Moreover, they've grown increasingly restless of late, as if they're preparing to shed again." Yin Yue lightly bit her lower lip, slowing her steps as she spoke. "Let's go check the insect chambers first." Han Li furrowed his brows, then continued with a composed expression. He changed direction and led the way toward another corridor—precisely the path leading to the insect chambers. A short while later, Han Li arrived before the insect chambers. He stepped several paces to a hole in the side wall of one of the chambers and looked inside. Before he could even take a clear look inside, a cold breeze rushed toward him. To his sight, everything was gleaming with crystal clarity. Inside the modest chamber, thick, translucent ice covered the ceiling and the walls, and on the ground stood several ice mountains of varying sizes. On the surfaces of these ice mountains were several deep holes, each as wide as a bowl, where several snow-colored centipedes of about half a foot in length moved in and out continuously. As these were spiritual insects that had previously bonded with his blood, the moment he appeared, they immediately sensed his presence. After a brief commotion, several outside centipedes shot toward him, while those inside quickly crawled out and rose into the air. With a simple gesture, Han Li removed the incantations sealing the holes. Then, with a subtle movement of his consciousness, the centipedes transformed into small specks of light, hovering and dancing before him in the bright glow. With a gentle hand motion, he caught one of them in his palm. Visually, the larvae still retained their original snowy white hue, but two small, slightly raised bumps now appeared along their backs—every other part remained unchanged. Han Li, after examining the spirit insect in his hands, stood motionless, pondering. Yin Yue stood quietly behind him, silent and attentive. At that moment, Han Li extended one finger to the mouth of the earthworm in his hands. A soft "puff" sounded, and a blue flame emerged on the tip of his finger. As the earthworm opened its mouth, a thin stream of cold vapor jetted out, striking the blue flame. Immediately, the blue flame surged several times stronger, fully engulfing the cold vapor within it. Han Li then slowly closed his eyes, as if sensing something. "These earthworms have grown significantly stronger after molting. It seems that splitting, absorbing, and molting are not fundamentally different processes," he remarked. Opening his eyes again, he gently shook his finger, and the blue flame vanished. "As for why they no longer split and devour each other, it's not at all surprising. After all, how many ancient spirit insects are not unique and extraordinary? Perhaps each one is simply capable of splitting only a few times, or perhaps, under the influence of the Nishang grass, their bodies have undergone some transformation, losing this ability. In any case, as long as the green essence continues to enable them to progress, it doesn't matter much." Han Li said calmly. "Then, with your kind words, I feel reassured." Yin Yue exhaled a deep breath, smiled sweetly, and looked especially charming. Yet Han Li paid no attention to this, instead turning around and walking toward the hall, speaking in a low, steady tone. "After our period of meditation and recovery, we will soon head to the Great Jin Kingdom. Whether it's to dispel the harmful qi within us or to seek rare materials, this journey is essential. Moreover, although the Fire Toad Pill in Wan'er's body seems effective, I still remain concerned about unforeseen complications. It would be safest if we could obtain the incantation to lift the curse directly from Yin Luo Sect." This is also the reason why I have diligently cultivated my second immortal embryo from the beginning. Who knows what kind of dangers I might encounter in the Great Jin realm. "Ah, I see. Yet, with the master's divine abilities, few people in the Great Jin could possibly challenge him." Silver Moon smiled warmly, her lips curving slightly. "Hehe. The immortal realm boasts countless rare treasures and unique techniques—this is not guaranteed. Moreover, I have already offended the magi of Yin Luo Sect. Should they discover this, things would certainly become quite troublesome. I must remain vigilant. Now, I shall first check on Wan'er's condition, and also visit Cheng Brother and see how the materials for crafting the puppets and the Seven-Flame Fan are progressing. I believe we'll only need a few days to a couple of weeks before we can finally set off and leave this place." "Yes, Master! I would also like to get a firsthand look at the Great Jin—what exactly it is like, after all, the famed spiritual cultivation haven." The voices of Han Li and Silver Moon gradually faded, and the insect chamber soon settled back into quiet. …Half a month later, a streak of azure light burst forth from Yunmeng Mountain, soaring southward into the distance. Soon after, several informed cultivators simultaneously received word that Master Han of Luoyun Sect had unexpectedly departed Yunmeng Mountain to embark on a long journey. The exact destination remained unknown—perhaps he was wandering across the southern heavens, or perhaps he had even left the southern realm entirely. After a brief stir, the southern cultivation world settled back into calm. Master Han’s departure stirred no significant waves. The ancient Sword Sect and the Hundred-Tricks Academy of Yunmeng Mountain remained steadfast and unbothered, showing no signs of disturbance. Luoyun Sect’s status as the premier sect in Xiku State seemed as solid and unshakable as a mountain. Year after year passed, some cultivators nearing the end of their lifespans passed away in meditation or simply sat down to rest, while one after another, new faces gradually emerged throughout the southern cultivation world. Yet, once Master Han had gone, he vanished completely without a trace.