The emergence of this situation was both unexpected and anticipated by Han Li. While the method of using medicinal pills to enhance cultivation allowed for rapid progress in spiritual power—even reaching astonishing speeds with certain heaven-defying elixirs—it was ultimately a shortcut. Once his cultivation reached a certain level, the efficacy of these pills would inevitably diminish.
As his cultivation advanced and his meridians underwent continuous refinement, the amount of spiritual energy a cultivator could absorb in a single session increased steadily. Eventually, the efficiency of extracting spiritual energy from pills would become comparable to the natural absorption rate of ambient spiritual energy. Thus, the pills would gradually appear ineffective unless even more potent elixirs were consumed. This was precisely why the pills Han Li had used during his Foundation Establishment stage had lost their effectiveness by the time he reached Core Formation.
Previously, this phenomenon had only occurred after crossing an entire major realm. Yet now, even before entering the Nascent Soul stage, these pills had already become ineffective—something Han Li had not foreseen. According to the ancient texts he had studied and the insights he later obtained from Nascent Soul cultivators, pills refined from sixth-grade demon cores might lose potency, but those made from seventh-grade demon cores should remain useful until just before forming a Nascent Soul. Although their effectiveness would indeed be significantly reduced compared to before.
This anomaly puzzled Han Li. After careful consideration, he could only attribute the premature loss of efficacy to the long-dormant issue of drug resistance. Of course, this was merely one hypothesis. It might also be related to the Green Flame Wine he had consumed or the spiritual energy he had obtained from Mei Ning. One was not originally meant for human consumption, while the other was one of the so-called Seven Supreme Spiritual Essences of the world. Unforeseen side effects seemed entirely plausible.
Han Li had no intention of delving deeper into the true cause of the pills’ ineffectiveness. The situation was irreversible, and he saw no point in wasting effort on futile pursuits. Instead, he began contemplating his next steps.
He still possessed an eighth-grade demon core from a venomous flood dragon—an item so rare it couldn’t be bought with spirit stones. He was reluctant to refine it into cultivation-enhancing pills, especially given the high risk of failure. Even if he succeeded in crafting one or two pills, the quantity would be insufficient to push him to the False Nascent Soul stage.
For now, it seemed he had no choice but to follow the path of ordinary cultivators, relying on sheer perseverance to inch forward in his cultivation. This snail-paced progress was something he hadn’t experienced in a long time. The thought alone made him wryly smile.
Fortunately, he was only a step away from the Great Perfection stage. With ample spiritual energy, he estimated it would take just over a decade to complete. To achieve this, he needed to find a location with a robust spiritual vein. Otherwise, cultivating in an area with sparse spiritual energy would double or even triple the required time—something Han Li naturally wished to avoid.
However, the distribution of spiritual veins in the South Sky differed from that of the Chaotic Star Sea. The latter was vast, with countless islands harboring spiritual veins, while the former, though sizable, was densely populated. Every spiritual vein, no matter how minor, had long been claimed by sects or cultivation families. Even the most inferior remnants were occupied by rogue cultivators, leaving no unclaimed land.
In terms of cultivation resources, the South Sky paled in comparison to the Chaotic Star Sea.
Thus, if Han Li wished to continue his cultivation, his only options were to join a cultivation family or a sect. While he could easily overpower smaller sects or families to seize their spiritual veins, doing so would inevitably draw the attention of Nascent Soul cultivators—a scenario he wished to avoid. He had grown weary of being hunted and simply wanted to focus on forming his Nascent Soul in peace.
After brief consideration, he dismissed the idea of joining a cultivation family. Such families typically only accepted their own kin, making infiltration difficult. Moreover, the spiritual veins they occupied were unlikely to meet his needs.
Sects, particularly the larger ones, were a different matter. Not only did they occupy the finest spiritual veins, but their ranks were filled with high-level cultivators. In such an environment, he could remain inconspicuous, shielded by the sect’s collective strength, and avoid unnecessary exposure that might hinder his cultivation. Once he formed his Nascent Soul, he would have nothing to fear. By then, even if he revealed his identity, the sect’s leadership would likely seek to recruit him rather than antagonize him.
With this in mind, Han Li set his sights on the most spiritually abundant sect. The famed “Cloud Dream Mountain,” a spiritual holy land renowned across the South Sky—even mentioned during his time in Yue Country—came to mind. The three major sects occupying this vein became his primary targets.
To choose among them, Han Li needed to compare their characteristics and advantages. This required an understanding of the South Sky’s current political landscape, which he had gleaned from a small local market. At the time, he and Zi Ling’s group had shared this information, as the women were particularly keen on familiarizing themselves with the region’s power dynamics.
The South Sky’s structure had changed significantly since Han Li’s departure. Gone were the days of fragmented factions defined by national borders. Now, the region was divided among four major forces: the Righteous Path, the Devilish Path, the Heavenly Dao Alliance, and the Nine Nations Alliance.
The Righteous and Devilish Paths, along with the Nine Nations Alliance, were familiar to Han Li. The Heavenly Dao Alliance, however, was a newer entity formed by over a dozen nations to counterbalance the dominance of the other two factions. While individually stronger than either the Righteous or Devilish Paths, it was no match for them combined. However, the two factions’ mutual hostility and internal strife over newly acquired territories prevented any alliance, leaving the three powers in a delicate equilibrium.
The primary reason for the prolonged peace, however, lay with the Nine Nations Alliance. Initially bolstered by the absorption of the Seven Sects of Yue Country and other exiled factions, it had expected to overpower the “Mulan Grassland’s” spellcasters. Instead, the Mulan tribes received reinforcements from their second and fourth largest clans, escalating the conflict. After several brutal battles, the Nine Nations Alliance found itself at a disadvantage, losing territory and ultimately appealing to the other three factions for aid under the threat of withdrawal—a move that would expose the others to the Mulan’s aggression.
Reluctantly, the three factions dispatched reinforcements, and after a decisive battle, the Nine Nations Alliance managed to stabilize its position. Since then, it had insisted on shared responsibility, leading to a formal agreement where all four factions jointly resisted the Mulan threat. This pact had maintained peace for over a century, as the Righteous and Devilish Paths, though having consolidated their gains, dared not provoke further conflict under the Mulan’s watchful gaze and the Nine Nations Alliance’s warnings.
As for the State of Xi and its neighboring countries, they fell under the Heavenly Dao Alliance’s jurisdiction, with sects like the “Ancient Sword Sect,” “Falling Cloud Sect,” and “Hundred Craft Pavilion” serving as its core members.
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