After gently caressing the yellow imprint with his fingers, Han Li lowered his arm and murmured to himself. Though he was deeply interested in the Li Yang Dan, and though the woman had described its efficacy with great enthusiasm, he was certain she would not place all her hopes upon it. Soon after, he closed his eyes again and settled into meditation. Two days later, a single cloud drifted from the horizon, bearing the woman and the young girl, Zhu'er, clearly standing upon its surface. Zhu'er still carried the large yellow bow and three white bone arrows, while the woman now held an additional crimson jade box. Within a short while, the two arrived above the courtyard and hovered motionless. "The man lives here, it seems—there must be some spell in place," Zhu'er remarked, her eyes blinking curiously as she surveyed the several wooden houses below. Her gaze immediately settled on the one glowing with a soft white light, and she emitted a quiet hum of disapproval. "Mr. Han's power has been weakened, and we are not particularly close, so it's no surprise at all that he would act thus. If the situation here were exactly as it was when we first arrived—without any restrictions in place—I would find it rather strange." The woman smiled lightly, yet showed no concern. Immediately, she summoned the white clouds, and the two of them drifted gently down. "Mr. Han, I have brought the Li Yang Dan with me. Please accept it!" The woman bowed slightly toward the door and spoke softly, her voice flowing smoothly. "Ah, it's my friend from the Fire Sect. Mr. Han, I'm unable to rise to greet you personally. Please come in." A man's voice, calm and gentle, came from within the room. As soon as the words were spoken, the white light curtain flickered and unexpectedly dissolved, while the door slowly opened. Seeing this, the woman hesitated no longer and immediately led the young lady toward the door, entering the room together. "Hm? This is—!" The woman's expression changed instantly upon taking in the scene, her face suddenly pale with surprise. At the far end of the room, two "Han Li" sat side by side on the wooden bed—one smiled gently at them, the other closed his eyes with a composed, expressionless demeanor. The young woman was also momentarily startled, casting a doubtful glance between the two "Han Li," unsure whether she could discern anything significant. "Please sit," said the one with open eyes, gesturing with a finger toward a chair beside him, then looking at the young woman with a gentle inquiry. "This is my daughter, Bai Zhu'er. She has been practicing outside the village for a long time and only returned just two days ago," the woman replied with a touch of courtesy, while simultaneously scanning the two "Han Li" with her spiritual awareness. She was secretly astonished. Though one of the two "Han Li" had a noticeably weaker aura and the other a stronger one, she could not determine their respective cultivation levels. Remarkably, both were dressed and looked absolutely identical in appearance and attire! This fact made the woman feel a growing sense of unease. Though she had heard of the art of taking an external form, it was certainly something a priest from a minor branch family like hers could not learn. Merely this point already confirmed that the other person possessed no ordinary abilities. As for whether or not to proceed with the next series of tests, she found herself hesitating. At that moment, the young woman gracefully stepped forward, bowed deeply to Han Li, and smiled sweetly, saying, "My mother mentioned that a senior elder from the main family has recently arrived in our clan, so I have come specially to pay my respects. Please do not hold it against me." "Ah, I see—you are the daughter of the Fire Daoist, already possessing such a level of cultivation at such a young age. Truly wonderful!" Han Li blinked, smiled lightly, and casually praised. "How could that be? My cultivation is far from impressive in the eyes of such a distinguished elder. By the way, I wonder if you are comfortable with your current quarters here. Should there be any inconvenience, please do let me know—I will immediately arrange for you a different one." The woman temporarily set aside her lingering hesitation, and spoke with a warm smile. "The qi here is quite good—no need to go through such trouble! Is the item in your hands indeed the Liyang Shendan?" Without further words, Han Li stared intently at the deep crimson jade box in the woman's hands, his expression showing clear interest. "Indeed, it is this very one! This pill was created by our first High Priest when he slew a magnificent creature in the nearby sea region..." The woman lifted the box and smiled, then began to recount the origin of the pill. Though Han Li found himself slightly puzzled, he remained composed and listened quietly. At that moment, the young girl beside him flashed a sly look, then suddenly extended one hand from her sleeve, revealing a leaf of an unusually vibrant green, while the other hand swiftly formed an odd hand seal. Instantly, an invisible divine awareness surged forth, mysteriously approaching the two Han LIs. Their reactions, however, could not have been more different! The Han Li with his eyes closed remained completely still, as if entirely unaware of the unfolding event. Yet the maiden felt as though her divine awareness, stirred by a secret art, had settled upon Han Li like upon a lifeless object—completely failing to detect any ripple or shift in his divine consciousness. She was momentarily stunned, finding this phenomenon most puzzling. Either Han Li possessed an extraordinary secret art capable of completely shielding her awareness, or he was truly but a hollow shell of a body. Before she could fully grasp what was happening, the results of her probing another "Han Li" caused her expression to shift dramatically, her mouth opening and closing in surprise, her face instantly turning pale. As her divine awareness reached near the body of this second Han Li, it seemed to plunge into a vast vortex, drawing all her awareness irresistibly inward, toward his body. How could the serpent maiden not be utterly astonished, rushing to withdraw her secret art and swiftly pulling back her awareness? Remarkably, despite the apparent impossibility, her divine awareness was effortlessly retrieved, encountering no resistance at all. This made the young lady blink in surprise once again! At that moment, as the young man who had just been conversing with her—named Han Li—slanted his gaze toward her, he gave her a half-smiling, half-arched expression. Upon seeing this, the young lady opened her delicate red lips, visibly at a loss, appearing quite embarrassed! The woman seemed completely unaware of all this, continuing to speak about the properties of the Li Yang Shen Dan and its dietary restrictions to Han Li before finally offering him the deep-red jade box. Han Li straightened his expression, thanked her, and then with a single hand gesture, took the box into his hands. After that, the woman said nothing further, gracefully excusing herself and pulling the still slightly startled young lady with her out of the room. "Ti Hún, you're quite amusing—how did you manage to startle that girl out of her wits without any apparent reason?" Han Li, who had been quietly closed-eyed, suddenly opened his eyes after the woman and the young lady had departed, and said this gently. Then, with a single hand motion, the entire outer area of the wooden cottage was instantly enveloped in white light. "Master! This young girl is quite bold—though only at the Jiadian stage, she dares to probe Master's consciousness. Naturally, she'll have to learn to back down!" the other "Han Li" replied with a cheerful smile. A luminous crimson orb, about the size of a thumb, glowed brightly within the red light. "This is indeed the Liyang Shen Dan—rather unusual," murmured Han Li, extending two fingers and calmly pressing them toward the jade box. A soft "pffft!" sound! As soon as the orb came within reach of his fingers, a burst of crimson flame erupted, instantly engulfing Han Li's fingers. An ordinary cultivator might have been scorched by this strange flame. Yet, with Han Li's current robust physical strength, he regarded the flame as nothing. His fingers remained untouched, showing not a single trace of redness or warmth, and he successfully secured the orb in his hands. Ti Hun, perched on Han Li's shoulder, watched the orb intently, her dark eyes darting back and forth, clearly showing great curiosity. Han Li studied the orb for a while, his gaze shifting thoughtfully, before a thoughtful expression settled upon his face. If, as the woman had said, this Dan's nature was too dominant and assertive, its consumption would entail not only numerous and intricate procedures but also, if one were not careful, could easily be counteracted by its medicinal properties, resulting in **such incidents**. It would be best to first use a large quantity of cold-natured spiritual pills and herbs to neutralize the Dan's properties before consuming it. However, he clearly sensed the immense power of the extreme fire within this Dan—indeed, it was no ordinary force—and to waste it in this manner would have been a real pity. After pondering this, Han Li simply opened his mouth and expelled a spherical cluster of silver fire. This was the Shili Tian Huo—the Heavenly Fire that devours spirits. Upon making contact, the fire emitted a loud "thump" and instantly transformed into a silver fire bird, circling Han Li several times. With a slight lift of his eyebrow and a subtle movement of his fingers, Han Li gently released a crimson orb into the air. The silver fire bird immediately emitted a clear cry, spread its wings, and swiftly dove upon the orb. In the next instant, the silver flames completely enveloped the Li Yang Shen Dan. …On the other side, in the sky dozens of miles beyond the small hill, the woman and the young girl were riding the clouds, flying swiftly. Suddenly, a flash of white light caused the clouds to slow down. "Ju, has your divine awareness been harmed?" the woman sighed lightly and asked. "Mother, I'm fine. I just got a bit startled," the young girl replied, clearly still a little shaken, offering a weak smile. "Good! Then it seems clear that this 'Mr. Han' truly possesses great abilities. In that case, giving him the Flame-Brilliant Immortal Pill wasn't a waste at all." The woman didn't press further about what exactly had happened to the young girl, but instead relaxed her expression. "Hmm, I haven't uncovered anything specific yet. But I can see that this young woman has some real skill. Still, Mother, what shall we do about your diminished lifespan?" the young girl expressed a touch of sadness. "Ah, well," the woman chuckled, "as the chief priestess of the clan, it's only natural that I should sacrifice some of my years to avert a great calamity for the entire clan. What could I possibly complain about Our clan has been able to establish itself here, thanks largely to the protection of successive high priests throughout the generations. Yet, how many of the high priests actually pass away in peaceful old age? Well, we should hurry back and prepare. I hope Mr. Han can quickly absorb the power of the divine elixir so that he may assist us in our endeavors." The woman smiled gently, speaking with complete indifference. "But..." The young woman's eyes glistened with emotion, still wishing to add something. However, the woman seemed unwilling to press further, and instead, clasped her hands in a series of gestures. With a roll of the white clouds beneath her feet, she instantly enveloped both of them. Then, the white clouds surged forward as a bright beam of light, vanishing without a trace at the far end of the sky within a short while. After gently touching the yellow markings on her arm for a moment, Han lowered his hand, paused thoughtfully, and then took out several more pills to consume. Though he was particularly eager for the Flame-Sun Elixir, and though the woman had spoken of her assistance with great enthusiasm, he was far from placing all his hopes upon it. Not long after, he closed his eyes again and entered meditation. Two days later, a cloud drifted from the far end of the sky, upon which stood the woman and the young girl, Zhu'er. Zhu'er still carried the large yellow bow and three white bone arrows, while the woman now held a crimson jade box. In a short while, the two arrived above the courtyard and hovered motionless. "Is that person living here? It seems he has set up some kind of seal. Hmph—how could he still be so cautious toward us?" Zhu'er blinked her beautiful eyes, curiously surveying the several wooden houses below, her gaze immediately drawn to the one glowing in white light, where she emitted a soft sigh of disapproval. "Master Han's magical energy has been weakened, and we are not particularly close friends. It's entirely understandable that he would act thus. If the place were as it was when we left—without any seals at all—I would indeed find it strange." The woman smiled lightly, showing no concern. Then, with a gentle movement of the cloud, the two descended smoothly and lightly. "Master Han, I've brought the Lieyang Pill here. I hope you'll be kind enough to see it." The woman bowed gracefully toward the door and spoke softly. "Ah, it's you, Fire Brother. Master Han is unable to rise and greet you personally. Please, come in." A man's voice came gently from within the room. As soon as the words were spoken, a white light curtain flickered and suddenly dissolved, while the door slowly opened. Seeing this, the woman no longer hesitated and immediately led the young girl toward the doorway, entering the room together. "Hmm, what is this?" The woman glanced around upon entering, her expression suddenly changing, her face revealing surprise. At the far end of the room, on a wooden bed, two figures of "Han Li" sat side by side—one smiled warmly at them, the other remained expressionless, eyes closed. The young girl also paused, her brows furrowed in curiosity, glancing at the two figures, unsure whether she could make out anything significant. "Please sit down. This is—" The韩立 who had opened his eyes gestured slightly toward the chair beside him, then glanced at the young woman, expressing a gentle inquiry. "This is my daughter, Bai Zhu'er. She has been practicing outside the clan for a long time and only returned just two days ago," the woman replied with a touch of reverence, simultaneously scanning the two韩立 with her spiritual awareness. To her surprise, she could not determine the cultivation levels of either of them—though one had a weak aura and the other a stronger one. Remarkably, despite their identical appearance and attire, she could not discern any difference in their修为. This made her feel a growing sense of unease. While she had heard of the technique of body duplication, she believed it was something far beyond the reach of a minor branch priestess like herself. Yet this single observation already confirmed that the two were no ordinary beings. Whether or not to proceed with the next test of the young woman now, she found herself hesitating. At that moment, the young lady gracefully stepped forward, bowed deeply to Han Li, and with a sweet smile said, "My mother mentioned that a senior from our clan has arrived, so I've come specially to pay my respects. Please don't hold it against me!" "Ah, I see—you are the daughter of Fire Daoist. Such a remarkable cultivation level at such a young age is truly wonderful!" Han Li blinked, chuckled lightly, and casually praised her. "Wherever you come from, it's nothing at all. How could my modest cultivation be considered anything compared to yours? By the way, I'd like to know if you're comfortable with your current quarters. Should there be anything unsatisfactory, please just let me know—I'll immediately arrange for a new room right away." The woman smiled warmly, temporarily setting aside her initial hesitation. "The air quality here is quite good—no need to go to such lengths! Is that the Lingyang Shendan you're holding?" Han Li said, without further words, his eyes fixed on the deep crimson jade box in the woman's hands, showing clear interest. "Yes, exactly this one!" "This pill was obtained by our first great high priest when he slew a magnificent creature in the waters nearby," the woman said, lifting the jade box with a smile and recounting its origin. Although Han Li found the account slightly puzzling, he remained composed and listened attentively. At that moment, the young girl's eyes flashed with a sly expression. Suddenly, one hand, previously concealed in her sleeve, emerged with a leaf of an unusually vibrant green hue, while the other hand swiftly formed an odd, intricate hand seal. Instantly, an invisible stream of divine awareness surged toward the two Han Li's, approaching them subtly. Their reactions, however, could not have been more different! The Han Li with his eyes closed remained utterly still, as if completely unaware of the presence of the divine force. Yet the young girl, upon feeling the divine awareness flow onto Han Li, found it as though it had struck a lifeless object—no ripple or sensation at all registered on his body. She was momentarily stunned, deeply puzzled by this unexpected phenomenon. It wasn't surprising that the other party possessed some secret technique capable of completely shielding her spiritual awareness, nor that they were merely hollow bodies. Before she could fully grasp what was happening, the moment she attempted to probe the second "Han Li," the young girl's expression changed dramatically—her mouth opened and closed in surprise, and her face turned pale as a sheet. As her spiritual awareness reached out toward the other's body, it seemed as though she had plunged into a vast vortex, her consciousness involuntarily drawn inward and absorbed into the body. How could the serpentine maiden not be stunned to the point of disbelief? She swiftly withdrew her secret technique and rapidly pulled her spiritual awareness back. To her astonishment, the seemingly lost consciousness was effortlessly recovered, encountering no resistance at all. This left her momentarily stunned again. At that very moment, the "Han Li" who had been conversing with her glanced sideways at the girl, offering a half-smiling, half-ambiguous expression. Upon seeing this, the girl opened her delicate mouth, visibly at a loss, appearing deeply embarrassed. The woman seemed entirely unaware of all this, continuing to explain to Han Li the properties of the Li Yang Shen Dan and various precautions for taking it, before offering the crimson jade box to "Han Li." "Han Li" straightened his expression, thanked her, and then with a single hand gesture, received the box into his hands. After that, the woman said nothing further, gracefully excusing herself and pulling the still slightly startled young girl with her out of the room. "Ti Hun, you're quite amusing—how did you manage to startle that girl out of her wits without any apparent reason?" said the "Han Li" sitting beside, who had been closed-eyed throughout, suddenly opening his eyes after the woman and the girl had departed, and spoke softly. Then, with a single hand motion, he caused the entire wooden house to be once again enveloped in white light. "Master! That girl is quite brave—though only at the Ju Dan stage, she dared to probe into Master's consciousness. Naturally, she must be made to realize the difficulty!" replied the other "Han Li" with a cheerful smile. At once, a flash of black light surged from Han Li's body, and his form contracted, transforming into a small black monkey. The monkey leapt up onto Han Li's shoulder and, with a touch of grace, gently presented the jade box before his eyes. Han Li smiled, shook his head slightly, said nothing, and took the box. Since the moment his spiritual awareness first awakened in Tianyuan City, and after gradually absorbing and comprehending the various knowledge and classics infused into his consciousness, the monkey had grown increasingly indistinguishable from Han Li himself. He gently opened the box. A wave of crimson light spilled out, followed by a warm, intense breeze that made him feel as though he were standing beside a furnace. Instead of being startled, Han Li felt pleased and focused his attention. In the midst of the red glow, he saw a round orb about the size of a thumb, radiating a brilliant crimson light. "This is indeed the Li Yang Divine Pill—rather unique," Han Li murmured softly, then slowly extended two fingers and carefully inserted them into the box. A soft "pish" sound echoed. At the very instant when the two fingers of Han Li came close, a burst of crimson flame suddenly erupted, instantly enveloping the sphere within his hands. An ordinary cultivator would likely suffer significant burns from such an unusual flame. However, with Han Li's currently robust physical constitution, he naturally regarded this flame as nothing. His fingers remained untouched, showing not a single sign of redness or warmth, and he successfully cradled the red orb in his palms. Ti Hun, perched on Han Li's shoulder, kept her dark eyes constantly darting to the orb, clearly showing great curiosity about this pill. After gazing at the pill for a while, Han Li's expression turned thoughtful. According to the woman's account, this pill possessed an overly dominant fiery nature—its consumption required numerous intricate steps, and if not handled carefully, it might even reverse its effects, leading to adverse outcomes. Therefore, it would be best to first neutralize its fiery properties using a large quantity of cold-natured spiritual pills and medicinal preparations, before proceeding with its administration. Yet he clearly sensed the extraordinary power of the inner flame within this pill—something truly remarkable. If he were to waste it now, it would indeed be a pity. After mentally deciding, Han Li opened his mouth without hesitation and expelled a sphere of silver fire. It was the Spirit-Consuming Heavenly Fire! Upon making contact, the fire burst with a "thud" and instantly transformed into a silver fire bird the size of a clenched fist, circling Han Li several times. Han Li raised a brow slightly and gently moved his fingers, causing a glowing red orb to drift slowly from his hand. The silver fire bird immediately emitted a clear cry, spread its wings, and swiftly darted toward the orb. In an instant, the silver flames fully enveloped the Yang-Shen Pill. The young lady clearly still felt a bit apprehensive, offering a weak smile. "That's good! It seems then that this 'Mr. Han' truly possesses great abilities. In that case, giving him the Liyang Divine Pill won't be wasted at all." The woman did not press the young lady to explain what had exactly transpired. Instead, she relaxed her expression and said, "Yes, I haven't uncovered anything specific, though I can certainly say he has some solid skills in endurance. Still, Mother, how shall we address the issue of your diminished lifespan?" The young lady expressed a touch of sadness. "Heh, as the chief priestess of the clan, it's only natural that I should sacrifice some of my years to avert a major crisis. After all, our clan has been able to thrive here thanks to the protection of our generations of priestesses. And how many of our great priestesses actually pass away peacefully in their old age? Well, then—we should hurry back and prepare. I hope Mr. Han can quickly absorb the power of the Divine Pill so that he may lend us his strength." The woman smiled gently, showing no concern. "But..." the young girl's eyes glistened, still wanting to speak. Yet the woman seemed unwilling to say more, clasping her hands in a series of gestures. As the white clouds beneath her rolled and surged, she instantly enveloped both of them. Then the clouds transformed into a bright beam of light and shot forth, vanishing without a trace at the far end of the sky within a short while.