The difficulty of advancing to the Great Ascension realm is evident from the fact that, despite the vast human population, only Mo Jianli has reached this stage.
Even though Han Li has encountered immense opportunities, he is not so arrogant as to believe he has a high chance of breaking through this bottleneck.
Thus, the temptation of the Spirit Cleansing Pool and the Pure Spirit Lotus is undeniably strong for him. Logically, he should have accepted the Long Family Patriarch’s invitation without hesitation, but he had no choice but to delay due to another pressing concern.
This concern, of course, was the fact that Han Li had been targeted by the Yuan Sha Sacred Ancestor.
Having incurred the wrath of this demonic ancestor, Han Li had been avoiding the demon realm altogether. How could he dare to venture deep into it now, only to walk into a trap? If he were to enter the demon realm and his whereabouts were exposed, other ancient demonic ancestors might not bother with him, but the Yuan Sha Sacred Ancestor would undoubtedly seize the chance to personally eliminate him in revenge for the destruction of her split consciousness.
Yet, Han Li was equally reluctant to outright reject the Long Family Patriarch’s offer and abandon the Spirit Cleansing Pool and Pure Spirit Lotus. After all, an opportunity to significantly increase his chances of reaching the Great Ascension realm was rare and not to be missed. If he passed it up now, he might never get another chance.
This was truly a dilemma!
After pondering for a long while, Han Li’s lips twitched, and he couldn’t help but reveal a bitter smile.
Of course, this knot wasn’t entirely impossible to untie.
The solution was to advance two major stages before the demonic tribulation erupted, reaching the peak of the late Body Integration stage.
With his late-stage cultivation and numerous powerful abilities, Han Li believed that even if he couldn’t defeat the Yuan Sha Sacred Ancestor, he would at least have a good chance of escaping with his life. With such strength as his foundation, he would no longer fear entering the demon realm.
For others, advancing from the early to the late Body Integration stage within a few centuries would be nothing short of a pipe dream. But for Han Li, who possessed the Divine Refinement Art and a wealth of spiritual medicines, it wasn’t entirely impossible.
Moreover, he still had his agreement with Qing Yuanzi. Having already gathered all the necessary materials, if he could obtain the Netherworld River Divine Milk—something even the four great demon kings of the Abyss had coveted—his chances of reaching the late Body Integration stage would increase significantly.
If he could indeed reach the late Body Integration stage before the Long Family Patriarch’s group made their move, he would certainly take the risk and enter the demon realm. If he failed to reach that level in time, he would have to reassess the situation before making a decision.
In any case, giving up the Spirit Cleansing Pool and Pure Spirit Lotus—such rare opportunities to advance to the Great Ascension realm—was simply not an option.
Having made up his mind, Han Li stopped overthinking. With a flick of his sleeve, a dozen formation flags flew out, forming an invisible barrier that enveloped the entire room. He then closed his eyes and began to meditate.
The next morning, when Fairy Xiaofeng and Elder Xiao came to visit Han Li, they were surprised to find the pavilion empty.
Han Li and Bai Guo’er had already left without a trace.
The two could only exchange a helpless glance and sigh.
Meanwhile, Han Li and the young girl were already hundreds of thousands of miles away, seated in a cyan flying carriage speeding through the void toward an unknown destination.
Han Li sat cross-legged in a corner of the carriage, intently studying a tattered, unnamed scroll as if deciphering something profound.
Bai Guo’er stood at the front of the carriage, holding a control disk with a faint cyan glow, steering the vehicle.
Though only a few years had passed, the young girl had already reached the Foundation Establishment stage thanks to the abundance of spiritual medicines forcibly boosting her cultivation. While her power was still negligible in Han Li’s eyes, with the aid of the artifact, she could barely operate the flying carriage.
After flying silently for over an hour, Bai Guo’er couldn’t resist asking, “Master, where exactly are we going? This direction doesn’t seem to lead to Tianyuan City. Aren’t we meeting up with Senior Brother and the others?”
She glanced back at Han Li, who was still engrossed in the scroll, shaking his head as if lost in thought. Pouting, she voiced her question.
Having spent these years by Han Li’s side, the girl had grown somewhat familiar with her master’s temperament. Moreover, Han Li had repeatedly helped alleviate the pain of her cold poison, so her tone carried a hint of affection.
“What’s this? Do you miss your two senior brothers? Hmm, I wonder—does my Guo’er miss the Daoist brother or the Hai brother more?” Han Li replied without lifting his head.
“Master, what nonsense are you saying? I just think both senior brothers are interesting, that’s all. It’s not like I miss them or anything!” Flushing red, Bai Guo’er stammered in protest.
Though still young, people in the Spirit Realm matured early, and she had a vague understanding of matters between men and women.
“Haha, I was just teasing you. But when I last returned to Tianyuan City, I left some cultivation techniques and pills for your senior brothers. Even if we don’t return for decades, it won’t hinder their progress. Besides, I left your Aunt Bing Feng at the cave residence to guide them in their cultivation. As for you, because of your cold poison, you must stay by my side. Fortunately, your cultivation is still shallow, and you can rely on pills to improve for now. During this time, I’ll focus on comprehending new techniques rather than seclusion. So, we’ll take this chance to travel through the Three Sovereigns and Seven Demons’ territories.” Han Li chuckled before answering seriously.
“Aunt Bing Feng’s cultivation is more than enough to guide them. But Master, why are we traveling so much? A few years ago, you took me all around the Profound Heaven Realm. Are you searching for something?” Bai Guo’er hesitated but couldn’t resist asking.
“Not something, but someone. If she has also ascended to the Spirit Realm, I should be able to find traces of her.” Han Li sighed softly, a trace of loneliness flickering across his face.
“Ah! Is this person Master’s family?” Bai Guo’er’s dark eyes sparkled as she suddenly guessed.
“Oh? How did you figure that out?” Han Li was slightly surprised.
“I just guessed. When Grandmother talks about Grandfather, who passed away years ago, her expression and tone are exactly like yours right now. Could this person be… Master’s wife? You’ve never mentioned her before.” Bai Guo’er first giggled sheepishly, then asked with great curiosity.
“Enough. There’s no need for you to be so curious about my affairs. Though this journey is mainly to find someone, it’s also an opportunity to broaden my horizons. After all, I’ve only recently reached the Body Integration stage. Both my cultivation and mindset need further tempering to lay a solid foundation for future progress. Our next destination is the Tianling Realm. Since the fall of the Spirit Sovereign, it’s become somewhat chaotic. Let’s hope we find something useful there.” Han Li’s eyes flashed as he spoke calmly.
“The Tianling Realm? I heard they’ll soon hold the Spirit Sovereign Selection to choose a new ruler. Why don’t you participate, Master? With your abilities, you might even win the title!” Bai Guo’er suggested with a grin.
“Pfft—what nonsense are you spouting? My current cultivation is far from sufficient to claim the Spirit Sovereign title. Besides, I have no interest in such things. Focus on controlling the artifact. I still need to study this ancient text.” Han Li laughed it off before returning to his scroll, ignoring the girl’s chatter.
Seeing Han Li’s dismissive attitude, Bai Guo’er pouted but didn’t dare press further.
She channeled more spiritual power into the control disk, causing the cyan carriage to tremble slightly and accelerate.
Han Li paid no attention, as if wholly absorbed in his reading.
Thus, the cyan carriage silently transformed into a streak of light, vanishing into the distance.
Over the next decade or two, Han Li’s footprints spread across the Three Sovereigns’ territories, with occasional rumors of his activities.
But after twenty years, all traces of him within the human territories vanished. Instead, high-ranking demons in the Seven Demons’ lands began whispering about sightings of Han Li in their markets.
Due to the limited communication between the two races, those who kept tabs on Han Li were left half-believing, half-doubting these claims.
Decades later, Han Li disappeared entirely, with no further news of his whereabouts.
Time flowed on, and two hundred years passed since the Myriad Treasures Convention.
During this period, many significant events unfolded in both the human and demon races.
In the human territories, the Spirit Sovereign title was claimed over a century ago by a mysterious female cultivator who emerged seemingly out of nowhere.
Though only at the mid-Body Integration stage, this new Spirit Sovereign defeated eleven contenders in the selection, including three late-stage veterans, shocking both races and becoming a hot topic among high-ranking figures for years.
Thanks to this feat, she swiftly consolidated the former Spirit Sovereign’s forces, restoring order to the Tianling Realm and reaffirming the prestige of the Three Sovereigns.
Another major event was the sudden announcement by the Sacred Island—the holy land of humans and demons—that the two races had temporarily ceased hostilities with several neighboring rival races, forming a “Millennium Pact.” For a thousand years, these races would not only refrain from war but also adhere to a mutual defense alliance.
This news naturally caused an uproar among the ordinary members of both races.
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