Han Li took a single step, and though it seemed slow at first, upon a mere flicker of his form, he had already walked dozens of li beyond. This was still due to his caution—he had not dared to rush. Otherwise, under full power, he would have reached hundreds of li already. Initially, when he had circled the outer reaches of this Black冥Mist Sea, even at full speed, it had taken him one or two months to complete just one side. Though now he did not know exactly where within the mist sea he stood, he was certain it could not have been merely a few days before he had walked out of this region entirely. Thus, Han Li did not feel overly urgent. He moved steadily forward, calmly, while quietly assessing the gains and losses of his domains—the Deep Earth and the River of the Underworld. This journey, though repeatedly placing him in peril, even nearly turning him into puppets of several great demonic kings, had ultimately yielded significant rewards. First, he obtained the true method of summoning the divine protective thunder from Mu Qing, as well as a vial of genuine five-colored peacock blood. From the earth-blood elder, he learned the technique for crafting spirit attendants, and thereby mastered the methods of forging the Nine Palaces Tianqian Seal and the Jia Yuan Seal. Subsequently, in the realm of Yinhe, an elder of the Jiang surname imparted to him the new Qingyuan Sword Technique, along with a refined method for reprocessing the Qingzhu Bee-Cloud Sword. Clearly, with a bit of dedicated effort, he could significantly enhance the power of his sword formations in the future. Nevertheless, none of these gifts compare to the one the elder had promised—the most invaluable: the Yinhe Divine Milk. Now he understands that this milk possesses the miraculous ability to reverse one’s constitution, enabling the body to absorb greater amounts of celestial and terrestrial vital energy. Such an extraordinary substance, he naturally cannot afford to miss. With this divine milk, he effectively saves countless hours of cultivation—something of paramount importance for a cultivator of ordinary aptitude like Han Li. Though most of the items listed by the elder were hard to find, as long as he secured half of them, there was still genuine hope. After all, this transaction wasn't something that could be completed overnight. As long as he gathered the necessary items within a thousand years, he wouldn't be late. And over such a long period, he still held a reasonable level of confidence in achieving this goal. After all, how many ordinary cultivators have personally witnessed a clash between beings at the Consolidated Stage? Han Li swiftly spun his thoughts, and within a short while, had finalized his future cultivation plan. Then, with a single hand gesture toward his storage bracelet, a jade scroll materialized in his palm—precisely the item given by the elderly man of the Jiang surname, containing the newly composed Qingyuan Sword Technique. Han Li instantly divided his consciousness into two parts: one half remained focused on guiding his body forward, alert to any movements around him, while the other half penetrated the scroll, beginning to silently recite the sword technique. Initially, his expression remained calm, but as he gained deeper insight into the technique, his demeanor grew increasingly serious, and eventually, his brows furrowed in concentration. After a full meal's worth of time, he exhaled deeply, flipped his hand, and the jade scroll vanished, shimmering in the green light. Han Li then settled into thoughtful contemplation, reviewing the technique thoroughly and mentally committing it to memory. It is evident that the so-called new sword technique has made only minor adjustments to the original thirteen-layer cultivation method, and even if there were any, they would not affect his previously acquired knowledge. The most significant changes, naturally, are the five additional sword techniques added at the end. These correspond precisely to the three stages of the Huashen stage and the initial and middle stages of the Jilianxiu stage. Should he fully master all of them, he would be well on his way to reaching the late Jilianxiu stage. If韩立had not practiced the Fanzheng Zhenmo Cultivation Method, he would certainly have shown a strong interest in this cultivation system. Currently, however, he can only select and refine certain valuable secret techniques and divine arts from the later layers to practice. After all, he has already achieved dual cultivation of body and spirit, making it impractical to dedicate substantial time to mastering this method. This is also due to the fact that he originally possessed the foundational thirteen-layer sword techniques and himself is a late Huashen cultivator. Otherwise, other high-level cultivators who receive this sword technique would likely be left helpless, unable to master any of its components. However, what intrigued Han Li most were the two new sword formations accompanying the final five layers of his sword technique—the "Chunli" and the "Qingpan" formations. When combined with the final five layers of the sword technique, these formations became exceptionally powerful, capable of challenging entities of a higher rank. Even without the support of the final five layers, the formations could still be deployed, though they demanded extremely high standards for the flying swords used—specifically, pure, top-tier wooden attribute swords cultivated to an exceptionally high level. With Han Li's current seventy-two Qingzhu Fengyun flying swords, he simply could not meet these requirements and would need to refine them anew. Nevertheless, the "Chunli" formation could be immediately practiced and deployed once the flying swords were available, given his current cultivation level. As for the "Qingpan" formation, he would only be eligible to study it after he reached the middle stage of the Liangxu stage. Thus, Han Li turned his attention to the final technique described in the sword诀 for refining the flying sword. However, after a moment's contemplation, he grew increasingly puzzled. The method itself was not complex, but the refining process was lengthy—during which the flying sword became extremely fragile and unusable in combat. Only after complete refinement, until the sword's essence became fully clear and luminous, could its full power be realized. According to the text, the originally mixed Jing Metal in the flying sword must also be completely eliminated. Should that happen, the Great Jing Sword Array would no longer be feasible. This caused Han Li to hesitate. While a longer duration and temporary inactivity of the flying sword were not insurmountable—since he did not rely solely on this Qing Zhu Feng Yun sword—he found himself genuinely concerned about the loss of the Great Jing Sword Array. The new sword诀 indeed stated that the "Chun Li" and "Qing Pan" sword arrays possessed far greater power than the Great Jing Array, making the abandonment of the latter seem entirely reasonable. Yet, though Han Li had not personally witnessed the latter two sword formations, the Dageng Sword Formation had proven itself repeatedly victorious in battle, leaving him naturally hesitant. He had no intention of cultivating the final five layers of Qingyuan Sword Technique; relying solely on the newly refined power of his flying swords, he wasn't certain how effectively he could harness the full might of the latter two formations—something that remained genuinely uncertain. Should the latter two formations fall short of even the Dageng Formation's original strength in his hands, he would indeed suffer a significant loss, ending up in a major embarrassment. As Han Li hesitated over the matter of the sword formations, his expression suddenly shifted, his steps halted, and he stopped in place. He glanced toward the black mist on one side, his face darkened, and coldly remarked, "You've been hiding there all this time, deliberately—do you intend to launch a surprise attack?" As he spoke, he raised his hand, and instantly a thunderclap followed, sending a massive golden arc shooting forth, which then rapidly contracted and swelled, transforming into a golden lightning sphere the size of a human head. On the surface of this sphere, a continuous series of crisp, light crackles resonated, with golden runes subtly glowing and pulsing, creating an impressively powerful atmosphere! "Are you not a Tianpeng person?" an unexpectedly surprised voice suddenly emerged from the direction where Han Li was looking. "Who are you, and how do you know that?" Han Li narrowed his eyes, asking calmly. "Ah, if you truly were a Tianpeng person, not only would a mere Lingjiang-level being be unable to remain unharmed here, but even a Lingshuai would surely be at risk." The voice responded coldly. "Oh, from the way you're speaking, it seems you know both the Tianpeng people and this very place quite well. Yet, why remain hidden? It would be better if you stepped forward and spoke plainly!" As Han Li finished speaking, the golden Lightning Summoning in his hand suddenly flickered and vanished. At that very instant, a flash of gold appeared within the black mist, and the lightning sphere unexpectedly materialized from the void, exploding with a thunderous roar. A flash of golden light, and a dark silhouette surged forth from the mist, vanishing and reappearing in a series of swift movements, finally materializing ten or so paces ahead of Han Li. Han Li studied the figure carefully and was momentarily stunned. Before him stood a young man with a pair of white, curved horns and a jade-green complexion. As his divine awareness swept over the figure, he realized the young man was a cultivator at the Lingxu stage, and more remarkably, a familiar aura emanated from him. Han Li, puzzled, recalled briefly and then exclaimed in surprise: "You're a Hào Shòu! A high-ranking member of the Hào Shòu clan! Wait—your body is so heavy with yin energy; you must be practicing a ghost-path cultivation technique!" Upon hearing Han Li instantly identify his lineage, the young man with the bull's horns grew visibly alarmed, but then a surge of fierce anger flashed in his eyes, and his expression hardened into a fierce, grim one: "Younger brother, I had intended to spare you. But now that you've recognized me, regardless of which branch of the Fei Ling clan you belong to, you won't be leaving this place alive." As soon as he finished speaking, the young man suddenly opened his mouth, and a fierce, gray, misty wind surged forth, rushing straight toward Han Li. He had already decided on the spot to kill him and eliminate him. Han Li had just revealed the young man's background, and had originally felt regretful—yet upon seeing him take active action, he smiled instead. The young man made no great movements; his gray aura simply surged several times stronger, then spun rapidly around Han Li. As soon as the gray wind reached Han Li's side, it immediately split into two, as if water and milk were incompatible, flowing past him from either side. The young man on the other side was startled, but quickly raised both hands to his head, where two curved horns fell off silently, transforming into two bright, gleaming curved blades that now rested in his hands. With the two blades in hand, he smiled confidently once more, then gave a sharp "thud" as he stomped his single foot firmly onto the ground, immediately charging toward Han Li with a series of trailing shadows. Upon seeing the monster intent on closing in for a close combat, Han Li's eyes flashed with a sudden change of expression. He remained still, unmoving, as a brilliant golden glow surged from his body, revealing a layer of golden scales on his skin. At the same time, a low hum resonated from behind him, and a golden, three-headed, six-armed phantom materialized. Though Han Li's steps seemed slow, his body shifted with a mere flick, and he had already reached seven or eight zhang away. Within a short while, he had advanced dozens of li beyond his starting point. This was still due to his cautious nature—he had not dared to rush. Otherwise, under full strength, he would have covered hundreds of li already. Initially, when he had circled the outer edge of this Black and Ming Mist Sea, even at full speed, it had taken him one or two months to complete just one side. Though now he did not know exactly where he stood within the mist sea, he was certain it could not have been possible for him to have walked out of this region in just a few days. Thus, Han Li did not feel overly urgent. He simply walked steadily forward, calmly contemplating the gains and losses of his territories in This adventure thus brought him numerous near-fatal perils, even nearly transforming him into puppets of several great demon kings, yet yielded substantial rewards. First, he obtained the true method of summoning and commanding the Divine Exorcising Thunder from Mu Qing, as well as a vial of genuine five-colored peacock blood. From the earth-blood elder, he learned the technique of crafting spirit attendants and thereby mastered the methods of forging the Nine Palaces Heaven-Dry Seal and the Jia Yuan Seal. Furthermore, in the realm of Yin He River, the elder of the Jiang clan imparted to him the new Qing Yuan Sword Technique, along with a refined method for reprocessing the Qing Bamboo Bee Cloud Sword. Clearly, with a bit of dedicated effort, he could significantly enhance the power of his sword formations in the future. Nevertheless, none of these gifts matched the value promised by the elder—specifically, the Yin He River Divine Milk. Now he understands that this milk possesses the miraculous ability to reverse one’s constitution, enabling the body to absorb greater amounts of celestial and terrestrial vital energy. Such an extraordinary boon, he naturally intends to never relinquish. With this divine milk, he effectively saves countless hours of cultivation time. For a relatively ordinary Han Li, this was absolutely crucial. Although most of the items listed by the elder were rare and hard to find, as long as he managed to gather half of them, there was still genuine hope. After all, this transaction wasn't something that could be completed overnight. As long as he could gather the necessary items within a thousand years, he wouldn't be late. And over such a long period, Han Li still felt confident he could accomplish this task. Currently, however, what he needed to do was return immediately to his island dwelling, digest and absorb the items he had collected during this trip, and then close himself off to diligently cultivate his inner power. Once his cultivation reached the peak of the Huashen stage, he could then take the Heiyan Pill to attempt the transition into the Lianxi stage. During this journey, he had encountered numerous beings at the Congti level and above, personally witnessed their battles and spellcasting—giving him a growing sense of confidence that he might indeed break through into the peak of the Huashen stage. Though these beings did not offer much guidance, the wooden and green ones were still two full stages above him in attainment, and through direct observation, he gained substantial insights. After all, how many ordinary cultivators have personally witnessed a clash between beings at the Consolidated stage? Han Li's thoughts raced swiftly, and within a short while, he had finalized his future cultivation plan. Then, with a single hand gesture toward his storage bracelet, a jade scroll materialized in his palm—precisely the item given by the elder of the Jiang family, containing the new Qingyuan Sword Technique. Han Li instantly divided his consciousness into two parts: one half remained focused on maintaining his physical presence and vigilance over the surroundings, while the other half penetrated the scroll, beginning to silently recite the sword technique. Initially, his expression remained calm, but as his understanding of the technique deepened, his demeanor grew increasingly serious, and finally, his brows furrowed in concentration. After a full meal's worth of time, he exhaled deeply, flipped his hand, and the jade scroll vanished into the shimmering green light. Han Li then settled into thoughtful contemplation, his eyes flickering with intensity. He probably went through it once and silently memorized the sword technique. It was clearly evident that this so-called new sword technique had made only minor adjustments to the original thirteen-stage cultivation method—any changes present did not interfere with what he had previously learned. The most significant developments, naturally, were the five additional sword techniques added at the end. These corresponded to the three phases of the Huashen stage and the initial and middle stages of the Jilianxiu stage. Should he complete all of them, he would be well on his way to reaching the late Jilianxiu stage. If he hadn't practiced the Fanzheng Zhenmo Cultivation Method, he would have genuinely been very interested in this cultivation system. Currently, however, he could only select a few useful secret techniques and divine arts from the later layers to practice. After all, he had already achieved dual cultivation of body and spirit, making it impractical to dedicate substantial time to mastering this method in depth. This was due to the fact that he originally possessed the first thirteen layers of the sword technique as a foundation, and that he himself was a late-stage Huashen cultivator. Otherwise, other high-level cultivators who obtained this sword technique would have been helpless—most likely unable to cultivate anything at all. However, among the materials above, what particularly interested韩立most were the two newly developed sword formations accompanying the final five layers of the sword technique: one named "Chunli" and the other "Qingpan." When combined with the final five layers of the sword technique, these formations became extraordinarily powerful, capable of challenging opponents of a higher rank. Even without the support of the final five layers, these formations could still be deployed, though they required extremely high standards for the flying swords used—specifically, pure, top-tier wooden-energy flying swords that had been cultivated to an exceptionally high level. With the current seventy-two Qingzhu Fengyun flying swords at his disposal,韩立found it impossible to meet these requirements and would thus need to undergo a thorough refinement process. Of course, the "Chunli" sword formation could be immediately mastered and arranged by him at his current stage of cultivation, as long as his flying swords were available. However, the other sword formation, "Qingpan," would only be accessible to him after he reached the mid-Lianxu stage. Thus, Han Li then turned his focus to the final section of the sword technique—specifically, the method for refining his flying swords. Upon initial contemplation, however, he grew increasingly puzzled. The method itself was not overly complex, but the refinement process was lengthy, during which the flying swords became extremely fragile and unusable in combat. Only after the process was fully completed and the swords were refined to the point of "sword-heart clarity" could their full potential be realized. According to this method, the originally mixed Jing Metal within the swords had to be completely eliminated. With that, the Great Jing Sword Formation would no longer be feasible. This caused Han Li to hesitate. While a longer duration was acceptable, the temporary inability to deploy his flying swords was a significant concern. He was not merely relying on this Qingzhu Fengyun sword technique to face his opponents. Yet, with the loss of the Dageng sword formation, he truly found himself uneasy. Although the newly acquired sword technique stated that the "Chunli" and "Qingpan" formations far surpassed the Dageng in power, thus making it entirely reasonable to abandon the latter, Han Li had never personally witnessed the latter two formations. Indeed, the Dageng formation had repeatedly helped him secure victories, which naturally made him hesitate. He had no intention of pursuing the later five layers of Qingyuan Sword Technique, and instead relied solely on the newly refined power of his flying swords. Yet, it remained uncertain whether he could fully harness the power of the two newer formations. If, in his hands, the "Chunli" and "Qingpan" formations proved inferior to the original Dageng, then he would have indeed suffered a significant loss—what would become a major misstep. As Han Li was still indecisive about the sword formations, his expression suddenly changed, his steps halted, and he stood still in place, motionless. He glanced sideways at the dark mist, his face darkened, and coldly said, "You've been hiding there all this while—do you intend to launch a surprise attack on me?" As he spoke, he raised his hand, and instantly a thunderclap roared, followed by a massive golden arc shooting forth, rapidly contracting and swelling until it formed a golden lightning sphere the size of a human head. On the surface of the sphere, a continuous series of crisp crackles echoed, with golden runes flickering and shimmering, creating an impressively powerful display. "But why hesitate further? Come out and speak!" As soon as Han Li finished speaking, the golden lightning sphere in his hand suddenly flickered and vanished. At the next instant, a flash of gold appeared within the black mist, and the lightning ball emerged mysteriously from the void, exploding with a thunderous roar. Amidst the shimmering light, a dark figure darted swiftly through the mist, vanishing and reappearing several times before suddenly materializing ten or twenty paces in front of Han Li. Han Li gazed at the figure carefully and was momentarily stunned. Before him stood a young man with a pair of white curved horns growing from his head and a jade-green complexion. Upon scanning the figure with his spiritual awareness, he discovered that the person was a cultivator at the Lingxu stage, and moreover, a distinct sense of familiarity emanated from the individual. Han Li was puzzled, and after a brief mental recall, exclaimed in surprise: "Ah! You are a master of the Hao兽 clan! Wait—your qi is so heavy in the yin aspect; you must be practicing a ghost-path cultivation technique!" The young man from the Cow-Horn Clan, upon hearing Han Li mention his own lineage in an instant, grew visibly startled. Yet, his eyes flashed with a sudden surge of fury, and his expression darkened into a fierce, menacing one: "Younger brother, I had originally intended to spare you. But now that you've revealed my identity—no matter which branch of the Fei Ling Clan you belong to—you shall not live to leave this place." As soon as he finished speaking, the young man suddenly opened his mouth, and an intense, grayish, gloomy wind surged forth, sweeping directly toward Han Li. He had already decided to kill Han Li on the spot, even before their first encounter. Han Li had, at first, regretted revealing the stranger's identity—his own words had been a bit too hasty. But upon seeing the young man take decisive action, he smiled instead. The young man made no great effort—his gray aura simply expanded several times over, then spun rapidly around Han Li. As the grayish wind reached Han Li's side, it immediately split into two, as if water and milk were incompatible, and flowed past him from either side. The young man across the way was startled, but immediately slammed both hands sharply against his head. Instantly, the two curved horns on his head detached silently and transformed into two gleaming white curved blades, which landed in the monster's hands. With the dual blades now in hand, the young man smiled confidently once more, and with a loud "thud," he drove his single foot firmly into the ground, launching himself toward Han Li with a series of trailing shadows. Seeing the monster intent on close combat, Han Li's eyes flashed with surprise. He remained still, unmoving, as a golden glow surged over his body, revealing a layer of golden scales on his skin. At the same time, a low hum resonated from behind him, and a golden, three-headed, six-armed phantom materialized.