Han Li saw this, his brow twitching slightly. With a single hand, he chanted a spell, and the Phagoraptor in the phoenix's mouth emitted a sound of reluctant protest, taking flight and circling around the liquid flame. Yet it only hovered and danced above and below it, never settling to drink. Until he had decided on the purpose of this tasting of the Heavenly Flame Liquid, he would not allow the Phagoraptor to consume it mindlessly. He had released the phoenix merely to assist and test the liquid's effects. Han Li's fingers danced swiftly, casting a series of spells of varying colors toward the liquid. Some spells flashed briefly and vanished into the liquid. Others glowed red, then bounced off the liquid's surface. A few, upon contact, erupted in thunderous, resonant booms. As the different manifestations of these spells unfolded before him, Han Li's expression shifted constantly. When the final white spell struck the liquid and released a cascade of white mist, Han Li paused, ceasing all movement. He stroked his chin thoughtfully, his expression one of deep contemplation. But just a moment later, he suddenly flipped his hand once, and a set of exquisitely crafted array flags appeared in his palm. Only a few inches in size, remarkably compact. He raised his hand, and the flags transformed into streaks of luminous energy that shot out, then instantly vanished upon reaching their destination. In their place, a luminous array of one zhang in diameter materialized before Han Li. The array displayed five distinct colors, broad at the top and narrowing toward the bottom, resembling a massive funnel. Around the array, various symbols of varying sizes emerged and shimmered, displaying an extraordinary grace. Han Li murmured a low command, then extended his hand and grasped the liquid flame in the air, releasing it. The crimson liquid instantly materialized within the array. At the very instant the liquid entered the array, the previously still array began to emit a soft hum. Immediately, a five-colored luminous veil formed on its surface, fully engulfing the entire structure. Han Li remained expressionless, simultaneously flicking each of his ten fingers toward the array. A series of crisp, rushing sounds echoed as slender, crystalline filaments shot out from his fingertips, flashing and vanishing into the luminous screen before him. Han Li gently curled his fingers. Instantly, the filaments became perfectly straight. As he murmured incantations, a shimmering glow instantly stabilized along the surface of each filament, as though something was being transmitted from the direction of the light array. Han Li kept his gaze fixed on the filaments without blinking. This was a unique secret technique left behind by the Great Derivation Immortal, which skillfully combined divine awareness with the magical array. Beyond amplifying the divine awareness within the array, this technique also possessed several astonishing effects that could directly influence the items within the array. Under Han Li's subtle guidance, the ten filaments formed by his divine awareness began to tremble slightly. At the same time, the shimmering glow on their surfaces flickered between light and dark. If someone's eyes could penetrate the five-colored light screen, they would clearly see this phenomenon. At the center of the luminous array, the liquid of celestial jade fire spun rapidly, whirling with swift motion. Around it, countless symbols of varying sizes rushed toward the liquid, while others surged out from within the liquid in a vigorous flow. With the constant influx and outflow, the surface of the liquid shimmered with rolling red light, as if boiling. After a full meal's worth of time, Han Li's expression shifted, as though something significant had taken place. Yet, after a moment's hesitation, he shook his fingers, and all ten crystalline filaments snapped simultaneously. Then, Han Li pressed a hand seal. The luminous array roared to life! A cascade of five-colored light waves rippled, and a much smaller globule of fire liquid—significantly reduced in volume—rose from the light and soared out through the array's screen. Han Li's face grew serious, and he pointed steadily at this point of the liquid. The previously circling spirit-fire phoenix, with a sudden flicker, appeared mysteriously near the liquid and then opened its mouth to swallow it whole. The phoenix emitted a joyful trill, then turned and flew straight toward Han Li, eventually transforming into a ball of fire that vanished into his body. Han Li took a deep breath and suddenly shook his sleeve forward. Instantly, a cascade of emerald mist surged forth. With a loud "thud," the mist swept across, dispersing the five-colored light screens to reveal the inner light array within. Han Li stared impassively at the array, then extended his hand. A series of swift "whooshes" followed as several luminous streaks shot out from the array and halted just before reaching Han Li, where they settled into several banner flags, drifting gently downward. With a single sweep of his sleeve, these banner flags vanished in a flurry of light. The distant light array likewise faded silently and swiftly. A short while later, the original spot was left with a single orb of molten fire, suspended motionless in the air. Han Li raised his hand toward the orb, and at the same moment, a milky-white jade bottle flashed into the space above it. When the bottle's mouth was inverted, a cascade of luminous light surged forth, fully capturing the celestial flame within. After securing the bottle, Han Li closed his eyes and remained motionless, seated on the ground. His brows furrowed and his expression shifted between clouded and composed, as though pondering a matter that proved difficult to resolve. After a brief while, he opened his eyes calmly, tilted his head slightly, and then suddenly extended one hand downward. A soft "pffft" sound echoed as a sphere of silver flame materialized. With a slight narrowing of his eyes, Han Li observed the silver flame, where flashes of red light suddenly emerged—strangely, a streak of crimson flame appeared momentarily. After gazing intently, he suddenly opened his mouth and expelled a beam of jade-green light. An astonishing phenomenon unfolded. The initially fist-sized sphere of silver flame burst into fragments the instant it came into contact with the green light. As the light subsided, a new sphere of silver flame, now ten times larger than before, appeared in its place. Seeing this scene, Han Li nodded and then inhaled deeply. The massive fire ball instantly transformed into a stream of silvery flame, which he absorbed completely. "It seems he hasn't been lying at all. This substandard batch actually possesses all the primary benefits of the true Lüli Tianhuo Liquid—only a few unidentified impurities appear to be mixed in. It remains to be seen whether these will pose any issues and whether they will truly satisfy the person concerned. However, by consuming this substance, the Shilin Tianhuo now gains the ability to temporarily enhance its power by drawing upon refined spiritual energy. As long as sufficient spiritual energy is available, it can instantly amplify its strength during combat." Han Li murmured these thoughts to himself. After a while, he continued to sit in stillness, reflecting on what he had observed at the four clans' auction. Once he felt confident that he had not made any mistakes, he exhaled deeply. Suddenly, he pulled out a small vial from his sleeve, poured out one Tenglong Pill, and swallowed it. Then, Han Li began to meditate and practice his cultivation. The duration of the Qinghuan Realm's opening is not fixed—it may span a century or occur merely within a few years. Naturally, he had to make the most of every moment to cultivate. Even if he didn't intend to break through his current limits by harnessing the Qinghuan Realm's spiritual energy, gaining a bit more cultivation and divine techniques beforehand would only enhance his safety upon arrival. Three months later, in the same secluded chamber, Han Li bore the image of the Buddha-Saint's true magic, hands pressed in seals as he practiced. Yet, after only a brief while, his expression suddenly changed, and the golden glow on his body faded, as if he had concluded his meditation. With a flick of his sleeve, a jade plaque-like object shot out, shimmering with spiritual light. After a gentle spiral, it landed precisely in his palm. To his surprise, it was a Wàn Lǐ Seal—the surface glowed with delicate light, and beneath it, several lines of text, no larger than ants, began to emerge. Han Li held it up close and glanced at it, his eyes briefly brightening. "It has already been activated! It seems we'll have to make the journey." Then, he closed the seal and rose Several hours later, Han Li stepped down from a beast-carriage and appeared on a street he had already passed once. He glanced around and immediately walked toward a nearby shop. Strange enough, the shop was closed, its doors firmly shut, with no sign of opening to welcome guests. Yet Han Li paid no attention, approached the door, and with a simple gesture, a spell pierced straight through the entrance. Within a short while, the door opened on its own, swinging inward. Han Li stepped inside. Inside, a young woman stood gracefully, a crystal glowing softly with a pale light across her brow. She was the crystal-born maiden named "Xianxian." "May I have the honor of meeting you, Master," Xianxian said, smiling warmly as she bowed slightly. "I didn't expect you to arrive so promptly. I had not gone out to greet you, and I hope you will forgive me." "Ah, well, whether or not we greet each other really doesn't matter! As cultivators, we don't need to be so formal. As soon as I received your message, I immediately set off," Han Li replied with a light smile. "Senior, you're being too kind! This isn't the right place for a conversation. Let's go to my private chamber instead. There, another friend of mine is waiting—allow me to introduce you." The young woman smiled gracefully. The figure bowed respectfully to Han Li from a distance, offering a courteous greeting. Upon hearing this, Han Li narrowed his eyes and studied him closely. The man appeared robust, clad in a black leather robe, with several faint purple scars adorning his face. His eyes sparkled with vitality, and his entire presence exuded a sharp, vigorous aura. After a brief mental scan, Han Li determined that the man had reached the mid-Stage of Spiritual Transformation. "May I ask your name?" Han Li inquired calmly as he stepped into the teleportation array. "At your service, Master," replied the man with the scars. "You are undoubtedly the most renowned beast-hunter of the Magic Mountain Range! Should we hope to enter and exit this range smoothly, we shall surely rely heavily on your divine abilities." Fang Fan, who had also been transported to this space, explained to Han Li.