Half a month later, the stone door of the sealed chamber opened on its own. A silver flash revealed a humanoid automaton, indistinguishable in appearance from Han Li. Han Li glanced at the figure, smiled slightly, and touched his forehead. Instantly, a black-green immaterial infant spirit appeared above his head. Though the spirit's face was expressionless, it flickered and transformed into a streak of dark light, vanishing seamlessly into the automaton's body. A moment later, the automaton's eyes, previously lifeless, blinked several times and suddenly filled with vitality, as if truly come to life. "Excellent—exactly as I anticipated. By using the secret technique recorded in the Da Yan Treasure Scripture to attach the second infant spirit to this automaton, the second spirit can now directly control it, eliminating any concern about the automaton being too distant to be operated. Henceforth, when traveling, as long as the duration is not too long, I can keep both the second infant spirit and the automaton stationed within the dwelling." Hearing this, Han Li clapped his hands and smiled lightly. "Your approach is indeed a most ingenious conception. Yet, what if an unforeseen event occurs, allowing the second prenatal spirit to regain its independent consciousness? With a late-stage humanoid automaton now assisting—something akin to the one we had last time—it would then become exceedingly difficult to recover the second prenatal spirit as we did before." As Han Li spoke, a faint sound of the child's voice drifted from his sleeve, suggesting he was unconcerned. "This point need not be emphasized by you—I myself have long recognized it. However, this time, I shall employ several advanced sealing and secret techniques, specifically refined by late-stage cultivators, which I will pre-install within the second prenatal spirit's consciousness, and also make subtle adjustments to the humanoid automaton. Unless the second prenatal spirit's awareness truly surpasses my primary spirit's, I can always render the automaton inert at will." Han Li spoke with confident assurance. "Heh, it seems your careful consideration of this matter has been well underway—then I have indeed overthought it." The child chuckled. "Han, I still wish to express my sincere gratitude to Tianlan's good offices." Below, Master, are you planning to endure your transformation-phase lightning calamity here at the Parent-Child Peak, or shall I seek another secluded location to assist you with your ordeal?" Han Li shifted the topic suddenly, bringing up the matter of enduring the lightning calamity. "At the Parent-Child Peak, it might not be quite suitable. Though the lightning calamity itself is inherently powerful and cannot be concealed even by the existing seals, I have confidence in your abilities, yet I believe it would be more secure to find a place rarely visited by others." The attendant hesitated slightly, offering a gentle suggestion. "Very well. After I have seen Lady Wan, I will take you to another location." Han Li showed no reluctance, readily agreeing. Then he stepped out of his abode and proceeded to visit the Nangong Sect to assess Lady Wan's current state of cultivation. One day later, Han Li silently departed the Nangong Sect once more, his light trail guiding him westward. Five days later, Han Li appeared upon a vast, desolate plain of yellow loam. The land is barren, with nothing but yellow soil and gray-white stones of various sizes stretching as far as the eye can see. Han Li had even searched thoroughly over a radius of several hundred thousand li. Not a single ordinary cultivator, nor any commoner from the mortal world, had been found. "How about here? This is a desolate region at the border between Xiqiu and Huayu states. For over twenty to thirty thousand li in every direction, there is not a single trace of human habitation. If you intend to endure the transformation thunderstorm here, you should find it far more stable." Han Li spoke calmly from the air, then gently shook his sleeve, sending a cluster of green light carrying the small cauldron soaring forth. "Indeed, this is an excellent location for enduring the thunderstorm! Master Han, could you first release my physical form so I may meditate and concentrate for three days? Then I shall be able to successfully pass through the storm." A joyful voice came from within the cauldron, that of a young attendant. "No problem at all!" Han Li responded with great enthusiasm. He then pointed his finger toward the cauldron in the air. With a soft "thud," the lid of Immediately, the small tripod flipped over, and a cascade of emerald mist surged upward, revealing a mythical creature with a bull's head and a serpent's body, about half a foot in size. As soon as the creature emerged from the mist, it rolled once, instantly expanding in size to reach a height of several feet, its entire body shimmering with vibrant jade light. "It will be kind of you to assist me with protection for a while," the creature spoke in the tone of a young attendant. Then, coiling its serpentine body, it descended directly toward the ground, landing gracefully upon a larger white stone, where it remained motionless. "My good friend, there's no need for you to intervene immediately. Truly, I can't hold on much longer—this is indeed the final stage. As long as you manage the last three waves of lightning strikes at this moment, I shall be deeply grateful." The Tianlan Sacred Beast spoke with serious gravity. This item possesses a cold essence that is no ordinary thing—rare and exceptional even within the spiritual realm. Occasionally, when it appears, it's already claimed by our immortal clan, completely consumed, making it truly elusive and hard to come by. The celestial beast Tian Lan was exceptionally excited, pausing briefly before turning its head and saying to Han Li with a bright gaze: "Even if I possess just a single drop of this, it will be more than sufficient for me. I shall never forget your generous gift of medicine, and I will surely repay you with great gratitude in the future." The last two sentences were spoken with genuine sincerity. Upon hearing this, Han Li smiled slightly, said nothing in reply, but then tapped his waist pouch. Instantly, a stack of array flags and array discs appeared in his hands. He began setting up a rather intricate sealing spell array over a radius of over a hundred paces. After a cup of tea's worth of time, when Han Li suddenly reappeared at his original spot, a layer upon layer of milky-white mist had formed around him, like a veil of fog, completely enclosing the surrounding area. "This array can effectively prevent unforeseen incidents." Then I'll stay outside the array, guarding you. The thunderstorms ahead will have to be entirely your own responsibility," Han Li glanced at the beast and said slowly. "Of course. The lightning of the transformation thunderstorm is genuine heavenly thunder—how could ordinary human realm seals possibly withstand it? By the way, during the ordeal, I have a small favor to offer you," the beast suddenly flashed a bright gaze. "A favor?," Han Li asked, surprised. "Indeed. This is well known throughout the spiritual realm. But in the lower realms, I suspect only a few people are aware of it," Tian Lan, the sacred beast, chuckled softly and whispered. Han Li listened intently, his expression first filled with surprise, then gradually brightened with excitement. "If this is true, it truly presents a rare opportunity. I happen to have such items with me—perhaps I can try them out," Han Li nodded. "Ha ha, this surely can't be false. But my friend, you must seize the right moment to act—otherwise, should anything go wrong, it would indeed be less than ideal." The spirit's tone grew firm, offering a timely reminder. "Please rest assured, Master Han. I have a clear sense of timing!" Han smiled in reply. "I believe Master Han is not one to act haphazardly. Then, I shall summon the heavenly thunder to prepare for the transformation ordeal. Cough—had it not been for my mastery of certain concealment techniques, the forming thunderbolt would have struck me immediately upon emerging from the cauldron." The celestial beast sighed, then floated upward effortlessly, drifting steadily toward the heavens. Han felt a sudden sense of alertness, and without further hesitation, transformed into a streak of jade-green light, swiftly vanishing beyond the magical array. Then, with a flash of blue light in his eyes, he focused intently, observing the movements of the spirit below through the thick veil of white mist. Suddenly, the beast emerging from the white mist halted its drifting motion after rising thirty or more zhang above the ground. It lifted its head, gazed deeply into the higher sky, then emitted a low, resonant hum from its nostrils. At that moment, a vibrant green light flashed wildly across its body, and a gray, misty aura of supernatural wind sprang up around it, swiftly engulfing the beast. Han Li was astounded upon seeing this scene. According to his knowledge, this once-desolate region, famed for its aridity, had long been dry—decades without a single rain were no uncommon occurrence. Now, as this Tianlan beast merely released its aura, such a dramatic celestial phenomenon had already unfolded. Clearly, this beast's transformation lightning calamity was no ordinary affair. Just as Han Li was thinking this, the dark clouds above suddenly surged violently, revealing thick arcs of lightning as wide as human arms. Each flash erupted with thunderous roars, gradually forming a network of vast, shimmering grids. Han Li pressed his lips together and narrowed his eyes. At the same time, the beast within the nearby array roared loudly. Its gray wind power surged severalfold, transforming into a gray-white gale that rose powerfully, as if it were determined to surge straight into the clouds and shatter the very lightning and mist. (Second update!