Even with a large number of pills to assist, Mu Peilin's chances of successfully entering the Infant Stage were rather slim. Upon hearing Han Li's words, Mu Peilin was momentarily startled, her lips parting as if to say more. But Han Li raised a hand, cutting her off mid-speech: "Alright, I did not urge you to make a decision immediately. Take some time—consider it for a few years. During my period of seclusion, I will provide you with several pills. Try to break through to the mid-stage. Also, take the time to guide Tian Qin in the fundamentals of her cultivation technique." "Yes, I shall faithfully follow your instructions!" Though still somewhat reluctant, Mu Peilin yielded with a touch of resignation when Han Li's tone grew more serious. Han Li nodded, then handed her a few pills, offered a few additional instructions to Tian Qin, and then sent both women out of the pavilion. Once the hall was empty, Han Li slowly closed his eyes, exhaled gently—his mind appearing somewhat disordered. He sat in the hall for a full minute, and when he opened his eyes again, his gaze had become calm and composed, as if his mind had returned to its original state. Suddenly, he struck his waist with one hand, and instantly a shimmer of silver light spread before him. A humanoid automaton appeared mysteriously, standing before him motionless. Han Li glanced at the automaton, then with a mere thought, a layer of silver light suddenly formed on its face. The features of the middle-aged man blurred momentarily, and when the light settled again, they had become identical to Han Li’s—exactly like himself. At the same time, the automaton’s body trembled slightly and rose silently by several inches, its stature now matching Han Li’s perfectly. Han Li looked at the automaton again and nodded in satisfaction, then waved his hand. The automaton remained expressionless, and with a subtle shift, vanished into the silver light—its exact location now completely invisible. Han Li bowed again, thoughtfully, then rose and strode out of the hall, heading straight for the inner chamber of the cave dwelling. On the way, however, he suddenly spoke without any prior sign: "Is my second prenatal spirit still calm in the cauldron? Has it caused any trouble for you?" "Ha ha, a mere mid-stage prenatal spirit—without a physical form, how could it possibly trouble me? The only issue is that now there's an extra one, making the cauldron a bit crowded." The voice from within his sleeve, old and resonant, came from the child attendant, to whom Han Li had apparently placed the Virtual Sky Cauldron at some point without realizing it. "Master Tianlan, please bear with me a moment. I will re-integrate my second prenatal spirit and bring it back. Then you will have no such concerns. Once this is settled, I will protect you through the transformation lightning storm, enabling you to solidify your form and take on human shape. Do you have any objections?" "Master Han remembers this matter so clearly—how could I possibly have any other objections?" Tianlan's sacred beast replied, greatly delighted. Han Li gave a faint smile, saying nothing more to the Heavenly Lan sacred beast, and in an instant, stepped into the inner chamber. The stone door behind him closed silently. Han Li walked slowly to the center of the chamber and, without a word, shook his sleeve. A beam of green light shot out, spiraling before settling into a small green cauldron hovering before him. A flash of green light on the cauldron revealed a blurry figure of a child, who sat cheerfully atop the cauldron's lid, clearly eager to watch the show. Han Li maintained his composed expression, paying the child no attention, and instead raised one hand to tap his storage bag, instantly producing a stack of array flags. He then waved his hand, and the flags flashed swiftly, flying out to the corners of the chamber, where a faint yellow light curtain gradually emerged, enveloping the entire room. Han Li remained motionless, pressing his palms together in a series of gestures, and gently pointed at the floating cauldron before him. With a "whoosh," the cauldron's lid shot upward and soared into the sky. The young disciple, however, had anticipated everything, swiftly darting to the side while maintaining his smile and gazing steadily at the small cauldron. Aside from a deep, resonant hum emanating from within, no unusual occurrences took place in the cauldron. Han Li's expression darkened as he cast his incantation, then struck a seal upon the cauldron. Instantly, the celestial cauldron trembled slightly, and a slender, jade-green mass rose slowly from within—wrapped tightly in countless fine silken threads, resembling a dense, silken cocoon. "Break!" Han Li murmured. Several slender, silvery needles instantly materialized in the fingers, coldly glancing at the Yuan Ying floating in the air before shaking the hand and tossing them aside. The silver threads flashed briefly and vanished. The Yuan Ying, which had been unconscious, suddenly flashed with a surge of black light, appearing to waver and then vanish entirely from its original spot. The silver threads naturally landed in empty space, falling short. Han Li, however, remained calm, even smiling faintly as he pointed at the Xū Tiān Dǐng. Suddenly, a burst of green silk shot forth from a corner of the chamber. As the green light expanded, it enveloped a section of the space beneath. A low groan followed, and as the silk shimmered, the black-green Yuan Ying reappeared—only now, its limbs and neck were tightly bound by the green silk, completely immobile. At that moment, the several silver threads that had fallen short spiraled around at a distance before returning. With a few "pffft" sounds, the silver threads that had missed their mark spiraled back and shot into the Yuan婴's body, instantly embedding themselves throughout. The Yuan婴 trembled, its internal qi lost control and unable to be summoned. The second Yuan婴's face immediately fell, showing clear despair. "Stop holding out hope. All your strategies are mere copies of my initial approach. How could I give you any opportunity to act? I don't intend to erase your existence—I simply wish to merge with you once again. What need is there for you to resist so stubbornly?" Han Li spoke calmly, as if conversing with a close friend. "What do you mean you won't erase my existence? Once I lose my independent consciousness, will I still be myself? Isn't that just the same as vanishing from this world?" The second Yuan婴, trapped under the seal and knowing this time was inevitable, gave up struggling altogether, but shouted at Han Li with fierce resentment. "That's true—what you say is indeed accurate!" Yet you were always my second immortal essence, and never meant to possess an independent consciousness. By erasing your self-awareness, you have nothing to complain about. If you wish to blame anyone, then blame yourself for having been meant to exist in the first place." Han Li's brow furrowed slightly, and with a cold reply, he immediately stopped speaking, pressing his palms together in a series of gestures. The silken threads that had bound the second immortal essence flashed with brilliant light, and the essence felt her vision darken, falling into a true state of unconsciousness. Han Li's expression relaxed slightly, though he seemed to recall something, turning his head to glance at the attendant beside him. The attendant proved obedient, and upon seeing Han Li's cold demeanor, simply flickered in place, his form gradually dissolving into nothingness. Han Li nodded, then pointed toward the aerial lid of the cauldron. Instantly, the lid descended, and the VIRTUAL SKY CAULDRON shimmered with a deep jade glow, sealing itself shut. At the same time, as Han Li opened his mouth, a wave of jade mist surged forth, swiftly engulfing the small cauldron within its embrace. Then, the tripod rapidly shrank within the dawn light, and after a few flickers, was drawn into his abdomen. Han Li exhaled gently, settled himself into a meditative posture, and, with a seemingly casual single hand gesture toward the second Yuan-Embryo far off, generated a powerful suction that instantly pulled the Yuan-Embryo toward him. The Yuan-Embryo paused momentarily and hovered about a zhang away in front of Han Li. Han Li then carefully examined the black-green Yuan-Embryo with his divine awareness, confirming that the other's consciousness was indeed far inferior to his own, before closing his eyes and lightly tapping his celestial crown. At once, vibrant green light flashed above Han Li's head, and a small, translucent Yuan-Embryo of several inches in size appeared silently. This Yuan-Embryo stood upon a small green tripod, held a green wooden ruler in both hands, with a white, hazy orb swirling above its head like a sea of waves, and a subtle black mist faintly visible between its eyebrows. Around its body, dozens of miniature golden swords spun and danced in constant motion. This was precisely the primary Yuan-Embryo Han Li had cultivated for over a hundred years. The Yuan婴 on the platform showed neither sorrow nor joy, merely calmly gazing at the second Yuan婴 before him. A small jade cauldron beneath his feet flashed with a glimmer of green light, then gently carried him forward toward the opposite side. When the distance between the two Yuan婴s narrowed to just a foot, Han Li's Yuan婴 halted his movement and glanced at the silken strands adorning the other Yuan婴. Suddenly, he lightly stepped on the small cauldron with his delicate, pale foot. Instantly, the cauldron resonated, and the silken strands on the second Yuan婴 vanished in a flash, leaving only the black-green Yuan婴 floating in midair. Then, the celestial cauldron beneath him began to expand slowly. Han Li's Yuan婴 settled gracefully upon its surface, and with a gesture, he tossed his green measuring rod into the air, then clasped his hands and murmured a low, barely audible incantation. The Qing light on Han Li's Yuan婴 surged brightly as he slowly closed his eyes, yet the dark aura at his brow spun around, coalescing into a distinct form—a black third eye that shimmered with an eerie glow. With a slight rotation, it fixed its gaze firmly on the second Yuan婴 across the way, refusing to shift. The second Yuan Ying's limbs hung limply, yet his body trembled incessantly. His previously expressionless face now bore a look of intense pain, as though he wanted to shout, yet could utter nothing. Han Li's Yuan Ying remained utterly composed, continuously emitting streaks of azure light from his eyes, completely oblivious to the second Yuan Ying's unusual condition... (First chapter!)