Of course, during this period, he also needs to gather some supplementary materials. Although these materials are far from comparable to the Eroding Toxin Grass, they are nonetheless rare treasures in the spiritual realm. Thus, assembling all the necessary materials for alchemical refinement will require some effort. Furthermore, to prepare for the great celestial calamity that occurs every three thousand years, he must transform the Taiyi Qing Shan obtained from Guanghan Realm into one of the Jishi Mountains. While its power falls short of that of the genuine Yuanhe Wuji Mountains, when combined with the Yuanmagnetic Jishi Mountain, it provides a certain level of protection against the heavenly storm. Likewise, the Xuling Dan already in his possession must be carefully explored to determine its appropriate applications—so that he can confidently consume it and know precisely when to take it. In addition, due to his cultivation of the Spiritual Refinement Technique and the enhanced spiritual awareness gained through advancing to the Combined Body stage, although he cannot simultaneously summon tens of thousands of Jin-Feeding Insects, he can sustain himself for a considerable period by releasing around one thousand of them at a time. So many mature-bodied gold-devouring insects already constitute an extremely terrifying and devastating force—something even ordinary fused beings would greatly fear. Thus, he could now leverage the Flying Rainbow Fish Inner Pearl at his disposal to begin formulating the famed "Seven-Color Pearl" rumored to exist. With these ancient spiritual elixirs combined with the golden thunder bamboo leaves, he believed the originally mature-bodied gold-devouring insects would likely undergo a further evolution or remarkable transformation. Previously, he had once used an unusual stone platform to induce a single transformation in a small group of these insects. However, beyond the remarkable increase in their weight, no other striking special effects were observed, leaving him somewhat disappointed. As for the legendary Gold-Devouring Insect King, which even true immortals reportedly retreat from in awe—this remained entirely abstract and distant to him. Though he had long pondered cultivating such a being, he simply had no means to begin. Nevertheless, whether to drive more of these insects into action or to proactively prepare for his future breakthroughs, this remained a crucial objective. This is a fundamental requirement for the second layer of the Spiritual Refinement Technique. Currently, his spiritual awareness has reached the necessary strength, but his physical constitution still falls short. He will only be able to meet the full requirements when the Buddha-Saint True Magic Technique reaches its peak during the late Consolidation stage. Until then, he can first seek ways to strengthen his physical body using external aids. For instance, the Hong Luo Tian Wine has a subtle effect of gradually improving one's physical condition and can be prepared and consumed accordingly. Of course, the several immortal scrolls from the Immortal Realm and the mysterious Starry Sky Map also require time to be gradually understood and mastered. Han Li silently pondered these matters, becoming deeply immersed in contemplation. During the remaining year, Han Li remained constantly within his peak of the Xurisheng Peak cave sanctuary, fully focusing on consolidating his spiritual power and inner state. Yet outside, due to his advancement to the Consolidation stage, disturbances and unrest spread throughout the surrounding regions, prompting numerous factions to become increasingly active. Fortunately, these factions knew that a cultivator who had just broken through a key threshold naturally had to remain secluded for the first year, so during this period, they were particularly mindful and did not send anyone to disturb Han Li's cultivation. However, once the one-year period was up, someone could no longer wait. On this day, an elderly man tall and slender with faint golden brows appeared at the edge of the Mist Sea. Dressed in a long green robe and carrying a jade如意 of a jade-green hue at his waist, he stood atop a mountain nearby, gazing steadily toward the center of the Mist Sea, his expression utterly composed. Suddenly, he turned his head toward the sky behind him. There, at the far horizon, a flash of luminous light revealed a striking silver arc stretching over ten zhang in length. With a tremendous rushing sound, the silver arc moved at an astonishing speed, and after only a few flickers, it surged forward and reached the vicinity. Just as it seemed poised to plunge directly into the Mist Sea, a soft "Ah!" echoed from the sky, clear and distinct, reaching the elder's ears. The elder was momentarily struck by the change in expression. Immediately, the silver rainbow spiraled downward and shot straight toward the mountain where the elder stood. A slender figure materialized before him, just a dozen paces ahead—clearly a graceful young woman dressed in blue court robes, with a pale, refined face. She bore no unusual aura at all, merely smiled gently, as if she were a common, ordinary lady from the mortal world. "Master Gu must have come with the same purpose in mind," replied the elderly man in green robes with a gentle smile, showing great courtesy to the young wife. "Your grace is most perceptive! In fact, one of our senior elders made contact with a senior from Xurish Peak a year ago. We never expected, however, that within just a year, this senior would unexpectedly advance to the Consolidated Stage. Naturally, I must come personally to attend to this matter." The young wife smiled and spoke. "As I recall, a few years from now, the Zhenshen Clan will host its three-thousand-year cycle of the True Spirit Ceremony. That explains why they are so eager to strengthen their strength. Still, if the senior from Xurish Peak truly has reached the Consolidated Stage, I cannot allow it. During the last foreign invasion, two of our senior elders perished in the siege of Tianyuan City. With two more elders likely to fall during the next great celestial storm, we are in urgent need of new Consolidated Stage practitioners to join." The elderly man in green robes shook his head, showing no willingness to yield. "Ah, I see now." "But regarding the honor and dignity of our Gu family at the True Spirit Grand Ceremony, our younger generation cannot afford to be轻易yielding either." The young wife furrowed her brows, offering a wry smile. "Heh, how easy it is for a Consolidated Immortal to be persuaded to join one family or another. Perhaps we both return empty-handed after all. Let us first meet this esteemed guest, and then discuss further matters." The elder chuckled softly, unconcerned. "Indeed. Then I shall accompany Master Qi to pay our visit to this senior." The young wife nodded in agreement. The scholar in green robes showed no hesitation at all. Thus, the two of them together activated their flight spells and arrived in the sky at the edge of the misty sea within an instant. The green-robed elder inhaled deeply and suddenly emitted a clear, resonant voice: "From Tianyuan City, Qi Xuebing and Xiao Feng, the young lady of the Gu family, respectfully visiting!" The power of his words transformed into a subtle spiritual force, gently spreading across the misty sea, echoing and resonating throughout the skies over hundreds of miles. Han Li, who had just closed his eyes in meditation within his pavilion, suddenly opened them, his face now showing a serious expression. Yet immediately, with one hand, he reached out and in a gesture of empty space, a pale, misty scroll of magic appeared floating in his palm. With one hand, he swiftly tapped the scroll several times while murmuring softly. At the same time, at the edge of the misty sea where the two robed elders were standing, Han Li's calm voice echoed clearly: "Thank you for your kind visit, both of you. I was still in seclusion, so I couldn't greet you immediately. Please take a seat in my pavilion for a while—I will personally come out to meet you shortly." As soon as the words were spoken, the mist beneath surged and revealed a passage several zhang wide. The two robed elders exchanged glances and then flew in one after the other, one ahead of the other. A short while later, they arrived in the sky above the mountain and descended their flight light to the pavilion located midway along the mountain's slope. Han Li's pavilion gate was already fully open. The elder and the young widow immediately entered. A short while later, they settled themselves separately in a simple hall. Then a pale-clad woman, expressionless, carried a tea tray and served each of them a cup of fragrant, refreshing elixir. After placing the cups, she stood quietly by, motionless. At first, the elder and the widow paid no attention, but when their consciousness casually swept over the pale-clad woman, both were startled. "Master Qi," the young widow whispered in surprise, "did I misjudge? This woman seems to be a puppet." "Indeed," the elder replied, his gaze sharp, "she is a puppet—quite clearly one of the Lingxu level. Yet strangely, she appears to be moving entirely on her own, not being controlled by anyone." The elder's observation revealed details that the young widow had missed. Upon hearing this, the young widow was profoundly astonished. But just as she intended to observe the white-robed woman more closely, a soft footstep echoed from outside the hall, and a young man in his twenties entered calmly. The young woman's gaze instantly shifted, and she immediately turned to face him. At that moment, however, her expression grew serious, and she rose to her feet, offering a slight bow. "Your attainment of the Consolidated Stage is truly remarkable. On behalf of the Gu Valley family, I extend my heartfelt congratulations on your great accomplishment." Meanwhile, the elderly man in green robes also smiled warmly and rose to his feet, bowing respectfully. "My name is Qi Xu Ice, and I have recently assumed the position of Senior Elder at Tianyuan City. It is a pleasure to meet you." "The two of you are being most gracious! Though I have not had the chance to personally welcome you upon your arrival, I hope you will not mind." Han Li smiled gently and returned the bow. "Ah, Han Brother—just recently attained the Consolidated Stage, and now in the midst of consolidating your cultivation. How could I possibly be unaware of that?" replied the elder, gently stroking his beard. Thus, after a few more polite exchanges, the three of them settled into their respective seats as host and guest. "Not to be modest, esteemed Master Han, I received news of your attainment of the Consolidated Body stage, and at first, I nearly couldn't believe it. Indeed, just a short while ago, our family's Elder Guan Yun returned, explicitly stating that your Daoist friend was still at the Transcendent Realm level. I never expected that, within just a year, you would have reached such a lofty stage." The young lady from the Guan family expressed a tone of genuine reflection. "Indeed, at the time, I had already been preparing to break through my current limit. As both of you know, the chances of achieving the Consolidated Body stage are quite slim, and I hadn't anticipated this particular success. I didn't intend to conceal this from Elder Guan Yun." A touch of apology appeared on Master Han's face.