“Fellow Daoist Han, you truly are impatient to have consumed the Dao Fruit so hastily,” Elder Jin took a while to regain his composure before speaking with a mix of amusement and exasperation.
“Such a rare treasure of heaven and earth, once encountered, should naturally be consumed as soon as possible to avoid attracting envious eyes later,” Han Li replied with a faint smile.
“If you had already considered this, then we have nothing more to say. However, consuming the Guangling Dao Fruit alongside a few other spiritual treasures might have enhanced its effects somewhat,” Elder Jin sighed lightly.
“A ten-thousand-year Guangling Dao Body should suffice for our cultivation needs. If even this cannot advance our cultivation further, then possessing it for longer would be futile. Regardless, I owe your noble clan a significant favor this time. If the opportunity arises in the future, I will surely repay it. Since others will arrive soon, I shall not linger here,” Han Li shook his head, then clasped his fists solemnly toward the dragon clan members before his body shimmered with escaping light, transforming into a streak of azure radiance that shot into the sky.
After a few flashes, the escaping light vanished completely into the horizon.
“Truly a formidable figure who has slain an immortal. If he ever ascends to the Immortal Realm, he will undoubtedly become a force to be reckoned with,” the white-robed dragon man praised admiringly.
“Indeed, but only if he can actually ascend,” Elder Jin remarked, his expression turning slightly peculiar as he gazed in the direction Han Li had disappeared.
“Elder, what do you mean? With his current strength and the Guangling Dao Fruit, he should have a considerable chance of surviving the ascension tribulation,” another dragon elder, clad in green robes and resembling a young girl, asked in surprise.
The other dragon elders also wore expressions of confusion.
“What do you think of his divine sense?” Elder Jin stroked his beard and asked with a smile instead of answering directly.
“Extremely powerful—likely among the strongest at this Dao Fruit gathering,” the white-robed dragon elder replied after a brief consideration.
“More than that. If I’m not mistaken, the divine sense he displayed before us was only a fraction of his true power,” Elder Jin chuckled.
“How is that possible? Does that mean even our divine senses pale in comparison? Elder Jin, did you secretly probe him with that secret technique?” someone exclaimed in shock.
“Indeed. Otherwise, I wouldn’t make such a claim. It’s truly a pity. While stronger divine sense should aid in overcoming the ascension tribulation, his is so overwhelmingly powerful that it exceeds the limits of beings in our realm. My innate secret technique revealed that his divine sense, though formidable, is riddled with hidden flaws. Without proper countermeasures, he may not even survive another few hundred years,” Elder Jin mused.
“What? How can this be?”
“I wonder if he’s aware of the flaws in his divine sense?”
“Even if he isn’t now, he’ll likely realize it soon—but by then, it may be too late.”
“Indeed, matters concerning divine sense are the most troublesome. Even our dragon clan has no solutions. Otherwise, Elder Jin would have warned him directly earlier.”
The dragon elders buzzed with discussion, their astonishment evident.
Just then, a piercing sound echoed from the distant sky as another white rainbow, resembling a flood dragon, materialized and streaked toward the platform.
With a thunderous boom, a graceful young man in white robes and a golden crown appeared before the platform, clasping his hands in greeting. “Xuanyuan Jie of the Xuanyuan Clan pays his respects to the esteemed dragon clan members!”
“What? A member of the ancient Xuanyuan Clan!”
The dragon elders on the platform were stunned, their attention instantly shifting to the young man, momentarily forgetting all about Han Li.
…
A year later, Han Li safely returned to the Boundless Sea of the human race. After briefly reuniting with Nangong Wan, Ice Phoenix, and others in the Green Origin Palace and entrusting them with several critical matters, he immediately entered a heavily restricted chamber to begin secluded cultivation.
This time, Han Li’s seclusion seemed unusually significant, as he never emerged afterward.
Time passed swiftly, and two hundred years elapsed in the blink of an eye.
During this period, the human race underwent earth-shattering changes.
First, Ice Soul Fairy unexpectedly returned to the human race as a Grand Ascension cultivator, sending shockwaves through the entire race.
Next, many weaker neighboring races, including the Wood Tribe, expressed their willingness to submit to human dominance.
Then, races like the Yaksha, who had long been at odds with humans, abruptly abandoned their territories and migrated into the wilderness, vanishing without a trace.
Seizing the opportunity, the human race swiftly occupied these vacated lands.
Soon after, numerous foreign races across the Wind Yuan Continent extended friendly overtures, with some, like the Feiling Clan, even proposing alliances.
In less than a century, the human race had seemingly risen to become one of the most prominent races on the continent.
Within the human race, top-tier cultivation techniques and extraordinary secret arts began circulating, while rare spiritual treasures, once only heard of in legends, started appearing frequently.
Stimulated by these developments, many high- and mid-tier cultivators who had been stuck at bottlenecks broke through in rapid succession.
Among the younger generation, prodigies with unique constitutions emerged, sparking fierce competition among factions.
The demon race, long-standing allies of the humans, also experienced significant growth, though not as dramatically. They expanded their territories by occupying regions the humans couldn’t manage, doubling their controlled areas.
Many of the new techniques and treasures also flowed into the demon race, greatly benefiting them as well.
Upon closer inspection, one would find that all these changes originated from a single source: the Green Origin Palace. Whether it was the top-tier techniques or the rare treasures, they all quietly emerged from its vicinity before spreading elsewhere, catalyzing the rapid transformation of both races.
…
Another two hundred years later, at the edge of a famed sealed land in the Demon Realm, a squad of demon guards patrolled the skies in black carriages pulled by twin-headed demon wolves.
As they vanished into the distance, a faint ripple appeared in the void, and a blurry azure figure silently materialized.
After glancing at the departing guards, the figure turned its gaze toward the depths of the sealed land.
“Who would have thought the Divine Refinement Art would be so troublesome that even Mo Guang and Huo Xuzi are helpless? Pity the memories extracted from that other immortal were incomplete, or this trip might have been unnecessary,” the figure murmured before vanishing once more.
A day later, the azure figure reappeared in a hidden corner of the sealed land.
Nearby stood an enormous blood-red altar, atop which rested a black alms bowl, surrounded by eight towering bronze pillars.
“Fellow Daoist Han, you’ve come as promised. It seems you no longer doubt the flaws of the Divine Refinement Art,” a calm male voice echoed from the alms bowl as the figure approached.
The figure was none other than Han Li, who, after two centuries of seclusion, had discovered the instability in his divine sense sea and reluctantly left the Green Origin Palace to return to the Demon Realm.
“Does your earlier offer still stand?” Han Li asked expressionlessly, staring at the alms bowl.
“With my status, how could I go back on my word?” the voice replied firmly.
“Then I accept your terms. Reveal the third layer of the Divine Refinement Art,” Han Li said after a brief pause.
“Haha, a wise decision, Fellow Daoist Han. Only by mastering the third layer will you have time to ascend to the Immortal Realm. Otherwise, it’s all futile,” the voice chuckled in delight.
A buzzing sound emanated from the alms bowl, and a streak of white light shot out, materializing before Han Li as a palm-sized jade talisman inscribed with countless golden and silver runes, surrounded by swirling five-colored starlight.
“This is my treasure talisman, which can directly open a path to the Immortal Realm. As for its activation method…” The voice gradually lowered.
Half a day later, an azure streak shot out from beneath a lake at the heart of the sealed land, darting into the distance.
Within the light, Han Li stood with his hands behind his back, deep in thought.
…
Three hundred years later, in a hall of the Green Origin Palace, a beautiful woman in white robes respectfully addressed Han Li, who sat above her.
With a slight bow, she produced a faintly glowing storage bracelet and presented it to him.
“Bai Guo’er, you’ve done well. Not only have you mastered the Frost Soul Divine Ability to such a level during your travels, but you’ve also found so many Haoyin Stones. Truly remarkable,” Han Li said with a rare smile, scanning the bracelet with his divine sense before looking at his disciple.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage