Gently rising to his feet and stretching, Han Li flicked his palm, and a cluster of emerald light emerged, then condensed and compressed into a luminous orb the size of an egg, shimmering with delicate radiance. "It seems that as my Yuan婴 grows stronger, my spiritual power has also increased considerably," Han Li murmured, gazing intently at the pure sphere of spiritual energy in his hands. With a slight shake of his palm, the orb dispersed and vanished. Then, he raised one hand and lightly tapped his celestial crown, and a surge of emerald qi shot forth, spiraling before solidifying into a child exactly resembling him. Though the Yuan婴 had originally been two inches tall, it had grown an additional half inch over the past six months, and its body now appeared notably denser and more refined, with a clearer, more defined form. The Yuan婴 himself was cradling a small emerald cauldron in his hands, a jade-like seal swirling above his head, while dozens of slender, embroidered needles—shining in golden and silver hues—circled and danced around him, creating a striking and vibrant display. After emerging, the Yuan婴 seemed exceptionally excited, playing and frolicking throughout the inner chamber for nearly half an hour before finally appearing somewhat weary and returning to its physical body. Only then did Han Li, who had been quietly closed-eyed, open his eyes, a satisfied expression now visible on his face. Originally, before taking the Peiying Dan, the Yuan婴's solidity allowed it to remain free and active outside the body for only about half an hour—beyond that, it would begin to lose stability and rapidly deplete its fundamental essence. It was said that only upon reaching the late stage of Huashen cultivation would the Yuan婴 truly solidify and take a stable form, no longer afraid of the yang energy winds of the world, and thus able to detach from the body and move freely. This very stability would become the cornerstone enabling cultivators to ascend to the spiritual realm at the Huashen stage. Though Han Li's magical power had significantly improved, he still had a long way to go before reaching the peak of mid-stage Yuan婴 cultivation. Yet surprisingly, after undergoing the refining effects of the Peiying Dan, he now clearly sensed that with just over a hundred years of patient meditation and diligent cultivation, he could achieve the level of magical It seemed as though no further bottlenecks would arise—something truly remarkable for Han Li. After repositioning his Yuan婴 and fine-tuning the inner Qi, he opened his mouth and expelled two more beams of golden light. These beams spiraled and danced before solidifying into two golden flying swords. Yet, they appeared somewhat dim and lifeless—exactly the swords once seized by the ancient demon and transformed into magical beings. Though their inherent spirit had not been entirely lost and they could still manage to engage in combat, they clearly fell short when it came to forming the Da Ge Sword Array. Therefore, Han Li resolved to dedicate some time specifically to reinvigorate these two swords, restoring their full power and bringing them back into active use. With a mere thought, the two small swords, each a few inches long, floated several feet in front of him, suspended in place. Then, he opened his mouth again and expelled a sphere of jade-like infant flame, instantly enveloping both swords within it. Staring at the shimmering flame of the green fire, Han Li swept his sleeve, and several small vials and jade boxes that had been drawn out earlier shot forth and opened themselves automatically. Various powdered materials, differing in quantity, gradually blended into the flame, transforming into luminous hues of light, which eventually merged onto the two flying swords. Han Li kept his eyes fixed on the swords, his fingers continuously releasing a series of spell gestures to control the process of refining and imbuing them. The refining process lasted three days and three nights. Only when Han Li's face turned unusually pale and a concentrated stream of pure blood flowed from his mouth, splitting into two and seeping into the swords, did the process finally conclude. At this point, the two green bamboo honey-cloud swords once again shone with a brilliant golden glow, with all the residual magical impurities completely purified and eliminated. After opening his mouth and drawing the two swords back into his body, Han Li immediately settled down to rest. It took him one full day to recover his inner energy. Sensing the fullness of his spiritual power, Han Li thought briefly, and with a flash of green light, a jade-green wooden ruler, about half a foot long, appeared in his hands. With his fingers tracing the ancient, intricate patterns on the surface, he frowned in thought. Without a doubt, this was the Eight-Spirit Ruler, a divine artifact. Back when he was stationed at the Demon-Subduing Tower, he had already sensed the profound nature of this item. It seemed that ordinary spiritual energy proved ineffective upon it. Of course, at that time, due to pressing time constraints, he had not conducted an in-depth study and had not yet fully confirmed this phenomenon. Now, holding the Eight-Spirit Ruler in one hand, he gently directed the flow of spiritual energy through his five fingers, slowly infusing it into the wooden staff. Indeed, the situation mirrored that of before—though the spiritual energy clearly flowed within the staff, it made no noticeable difference. The fine green glimmers on the surface were merely the inherent luminescence of the artifact itself. After infusing one-tenth of his spiritual energy without any observable effect, he decisively cut off the flow of energy and lowered his head, focusing intently. A moment later, he suddenly raised his other hand and extended a single finger. Seven hues of light flashed between his fingers, and suddenly, from within the金刚cage in his body, a thin strand of Buddhist light emerged, vanishing instantly after a brief flash. The wooden ruler, previously calm and unremarkable, suddenly shimmered with a brilliant glow, and a surge of green light erupted directly from its surface, forming a vivid green scroll of characters in the void—resembling a spell or incantation. Han Li was startled, but quickly focused his attention. "Indeed!" After glancing at it for a few moments, he exhaled in relief, as if he had already sensed it all. This Eight-Spirit Ruler was indeed a treasure of the Buddhist tradition, and it clearly required Buddhist light to activate. The scroll of characters that appeared—revealed by the Buddhist light—was precisely the Eight-Spirit Ruler's Sacred Canon. Han Li's cultivation had always centered on Daoist techniques, supplemented by some esoteric magics from the Magician schools. The only Buddhist technique he had ever practiced was the Ming Wang Canon. Yet though the Eight-Spirit Ruler's Supreme Technique was a top-tier method in the Buddhist tradition, it primarily focused on bodily cultivation, proving exceedingly difficult to master, and the process of refining the marrow was especially painful—far beyond what ordinary practitioners could endure. He had only reached the second level, and thus had not yet developed any visible Buddhist light. Nevertheless, the golden glow on the Golden Aura was remarkably abundant, making it ideal for supporting the initial stage of the Eight-Spirit Ruler's First-Level Technique. Han Li's thoughts flashed like lightning; within moments, he made his decision. Even if the Eight-Spirit Ruler only drew upon a portion of its power, as a celestial spiritual treasure, its inherent strength was undoubtedly significant. With the decision settled, Han Li infused a little more Buddhist light into the wooden ruler, making the green luminous screen clearer, and then began to concentrate intently, silently memorizing the technique. The Eight-Spirit Ruler's First-Level Technique indeed differed greatly from that inscribed on the Virtual Sky Cauldron, yet it was surprisingly accessible to practice. The first level could be fully achieved within a year. After completing his memorization, he gently brushed his sleeve, and the green light behind In the span of a palm turn, the black wind banner—now reduced to just half its original staff—reappeared once more. This relic, though, now lacks not only half of its staff but also barely retains a few strands of its banner, appearing truly beyond repair. Yet even so, the banner still glows with black luminescence, its spirit far from extinguished. This clearly demonstrates the immense vitality and potency it once possessed when whole. Nevertheless, Han Li retrieved it not in hopes of studying or restoring it, but rather out of deep curiosity regarding such spatial-class artifacts. He wished to glean something unique from it—perhaps an insight or revelation. After all, spatial-class artifacts are rare even among ordinary treasures, let alone among the transcendental spiritual treasures. As for storage bags, the most basic form of spatial-class items, they offer little to study. Regrettably, Han Li's current comprehension of transcendental spiritual treasures remains far from sufficient. After days of persistent study, he still came away with nothing of significance. Han Li could only regretfully set them aside and then produced the great cauldron he had obtained from the Hall of Spiritual Transformation, studying and examining it carefully. Though this cauldron had unintentionally developed a spirit, it undoubtedly stood as a rare, top-tier ancient artifact—within it, thousands of intensely yang-flame phoenixes could simultaneously ignite, making its power truly formidable. Of course, the nameless transparent material accompanying the cauldron, the several dozen pillars of flame, and the three black crystals—two large and one small—found in the Yin-Yang Cavern—were all valuable materials. Han Li knew they were exceptionally precious, but at present, he simply didn’t have time to attend to them. The scroll he had received from the Kunwu Hall and the earth-yellow demigod staff obtained from Qian Lao Mo’s storage bag, however, were both renowned treasures from the past, items that had once been famed among the three elders of Kunwu. With a little refinement, they could be wielded with great ease and versatility. Han Li naturally wouldn’t forget them. As for the blood-blade he had originally so eagerly anticipated, after a brief study, he found himself deeply disappointed. This Blood Blade, clearly crafted from Black Marrow, must have been one of the two that entered the underground auction. However, it once displayed an astonishing power when it devoured the flesh and essences of several Yuan婴 cultivators—yet now that power has completely faded, leaving it merely an ordinary treasure. With Han Li's current experience, he only needed to ponder slightly before instantly grasping the underlying reason. While this replica Blood Blade could grow stronger through the absorption of life forces, it could not sustain that enhanced power over time—eventually, the strength would gradually diminish. As a mere reproduction, it inherently possessed such a significant flaw, rendering it fundamentally inferior to the genuine Dragon-Phoenix Blade. Though disappointed, Han Li decided to temporarily set this unremarkable treasure aside. After a moment of thoughtful reflection, he tapped his temple and then expelled a golden bubble—this golden bubble being the金刚 Shells transformed into a金刚 Dome. Yet five shimmering golden spheres appeared within. Han Li gazed at the golden spheres floating inside the bubble, his expression first growing serious, his eyes flickering with hesitation and doubt—seeming as though he intended to do something, yet uncertain about how to proceed. But then, suddenly recalling something, Han Li furrowed his brows and raised his hand, pointing it toward the Dharma Shield. Instantly, the golden bubble trembled and rapidly expanded. Within, a thunderous rumble echoed, and countless delicate electric arcs flashed, revealing five human skeletal forms adorned with scrolls. Each of these skeletons bore a dark skull in its chest, also encased in various scrolls and completely motionless. These were precisely the Five-Souls-in-Unity Magic Embodiments cultivated by the senior master of Yin Luo Sect, Qian, the Elder. (First chapter!