"Friend Han, you truly are eager—having simply taken the Dao Fruit as it is, without any hesitation." Golden Elder finally regained his composure, a touch teary with both amusement and mild exasperation. "Such a rare and precious celestial treasure, it's far wiser to consume it promptly, so as not to have to later worry about others coveting it." Han smiled gently in reply. "Since you've already planned this carefully, we naturally can't object. However, if the Guangling Dao Fruit is taken in conjunction with a few other auspicious elixirs, the effect would surely be even more beneficial." Golden Elder sighed softly. "A Dao Body of a thousand years should be sufficient for our cultivation. Should we still fail to make further progress under such circumstances, then perhaps even extending our possession of this body would prove of little use. Regardless, I now owe the noble family a considerable favor. Should the opportunity arise in the future, I shall surely repay it. The others are approaching now. I shall therefore not linger any longer." Han Li first shook his head, then bowed formally to the Dragon clan members with a serious expression. As soon as the light on his body surged, he instantly transformed into a streak of bright green light and surged upward, vanishing completely after a few flashes of movement at the horizon. "Indeed a master who has slain immortals—when he finally reaches the Immortal Realm, he will surely remain a force to be reckoned with," praised the robed Dragon clan elder with admiration. "True, but it all depends on whether he actually succeeds in ascending to the Immortal Realm," said the Golden Elder, gazing in the direction where Han Li had disappeared, his expression now somewhat strange. "What does the Senior Elder mean? With his current strength, if he consumes another Guangling Dao Fruit, he should have a solid chance of surviving the ascension trials," remarked another Dragon clan elder, dressed in green robes and resembling a young woman, clearly surprised. The other Dragon clan elders likewise looked puzzled. "What do you think of his spiritual awareness?" After lightly brushing his beard, the Golden Elder didn’t answer directly, but instead smiled and asked. "Very powerful—almost among the top few at this Dao Fruit Assembly." The white-robed Dragon Clan member paused briefly before confidently replied. "Not just that. If I’m not mistaken, the divine awareness he displayed before us is merely a small fraction of his true divine awareness." The Golden Elder chuckled. "How can that be? Then even our own divine awareness would fall far short—how could we possibly compare to his? Elder Jin, did you perhaps secretly examine him using that secret technique?" Someone exclaimed in surprise immediately. "Indeed. Otherwise, how could I have said such a thing? It’s truly a pity. We generally believe that stronger divine awareness benefits one more in overcoming the transcendence ordeal. Yet his divine awareness is so powerful—it has even surpassed the limits we, the beings of this realm, can endure." After my divine secret technique revealed, I found that though his awareness currently appears strong, the foundation is already riddled with serious vulnerabilities. Without proper measures, he may not survive beyond a few centuries. "What? Really something like that?" "I wonder if he himself is even aware of the weaknesses in his awareness power." "Even if he doesn't know it now, he will surely notice it in due time. But by then, it might already be too late." "Exactly. Matters concerning awareness power are particularly troublesome—our dragon clan simply doesn't have a solid strategy to address them. Otherwise, Elder Jin would have mentioned it directly earlier." The group of dragon elders, initially surprised, then began to exchange excited remarks. At that moment, a sudden crackling sound echoed from the distant sky, and a white rainbow resembling a serpent dragon materialized out of nowhere, rushing toward the dais. A loud boom echoed, and at a distance from the dais, a graceful young man stepped into view, dressed in white robes with jade sash, wearing a golden crown. He bowed both hands toward the ground and said, "Xuanjun Jie of the Xuanxuan Clan pays homage to all the Dragon Clan friends!" "What? A descendant of the ancient Xuanxuan Clan!" The Dragon Clan elders on the dais were stunned. Their eyes instantly shifted to the young man, and for a moment, they completely forgot about Han Li's affairs. First, after several years, the Ice Spirit Maiden suddenly returned to the human race in the form of a senior cultivator of the Great Perfection stage, causing a great stir throughout the entire race. Subsequently, the majority of weaker ethnic groups near the human race—such as the Wood people—successively expressed their willingness to align themselves under the human race. Then, the night-herald clans, which had long been at odds with the human race, unexpectedly abandoned their original territories and migrated en masse into the wild, settling somewhere deep within the continent. The human race, seeing this, naturally took over these newly vacated regions without hesitation. As a result, many ethnic groups across the Fengyuan continent began sending friendly signals to the human race, with even the Fei Ling people directly issuing declarations of intent to form alliances. In less than a century, the human race had seemingly risen to become one of the most prominent and noteworthy races on the Fengyuan continent. Within the human race itself, certain elite cultivation techniques and astonishing divine arts and secret rituals began to circulate without any clear explanation of when this transformation began. Moreover, some of the celestial treasures and rare materials that had previously only appeared in rumors are now frequently spotted within the human race's territories. This surge of activity has prompted numerous high-level cultivators, previously stalled at critical stages, to successfully advance to the next level within a remarkably short timeframe. Among the younger cultivators, several exceptional talents with unique body compositions have emerged, drawing intense interest and fierce competition from various factions. Although the feline race, long-standing allies of the human race, have not undergone transformations as dramatic as those seen among humans, their own strength has grown steadily and impressively. Having secured territories previously overlooked by the human race, their controlled regions have expanded significantly—nearly doubling in size. A considerable number of newly developed cultivation techniques, divine arts, and medicinal treasures have also flowed into the feline race, bringing substantial benefits. Upon careful investigation by attentive observers, it becomes evident that all these developments trace back to a single, common origin. Regardless of the supreme cultivation techniques or the rare treasures and elixirs, they first quietly seeped out from the vicinity of Qingyuan Palace before gradually appearing in other regions without anyone noticing—thus enabling both kingdoms to undergo such a remarkable transformation in strength. … After another two centuries, near the famed sealing site of the Mire, a contingent of Mire guards was swiftly patrolling through the sky, their black flying vehicles drawn by several dual-headed mire wolves. As soon as this group had moved on, a faint ripple of energy surged suddenly in the previously empty space, and a blurry figure of jade-green hue materialized silently. He merely glanced back at the direction the guards had gone before turning his gaze toward the heart of the seal. "I never expected the Art of Spirit Refinement to be this difficult—even the Mire's light and the Fire-Needle herbs are powerless against it. Unfortunately, the memories retrieved from the other immortal only constitute a partial account. Otherwise, perhaps I wouldn't have had to make this journey at all." After murmuring a few words, the green-robed figure moved silently and vanished without a trace. A day later, the green-robed figure reappeared at a hidden spot within the sealed realm. Nearby stood an unusually tall crimson altar, upon which rested a dark, jade-like basin, surrounded by eight towering bronze pillars. "Please, let me explain to you the true method for cultivating the third stage of the Spirit Refinement Technique." After a brief pause, Han Li spoke slowly. "Ha ha, your action is indeed wise, Han. Only when you achieve the third stage will you have the opportunity to ascend to the immortal realm; otherwise, all of it would be mere fantasy." The man smiled warmly, clearly delighted. Suddenly, a hum resonated within the bowl, and a beam of white light burst forth, swiftly materializing before Han Li. To his astonishment, it was a jade tablet of palm size, engraved with countless golden and silver characters, while scattered points of five-colored starlight danced around it, adding to its mysterious aura. "This is the precious tablet that directly connects to the immortal realm. As for the ritual and incantation required to activate it—well..." The man's voice naturally softened as he spoke. Several days later, a streak of azure light erupted from beneath a certain lake located at the center of the sealed region, then swiftly surged in a determined direction. In the glow of the light, Han Li stood there with his hands behind his back, his face deeply thoughtful, as though constantly pondering something. …… Three centuries later, in a grand hall of Qingyuan Palace, a beautiful woman dressed in white respectfully spoke to Han Li, who sat upon the dais. Finally, she slightly bowed, flipped her palm, and produced a storage bracelet glowing softly white, which she then offered to Han Li with both hands. "White Fruit, excellent! I didn't expect you to have accomplished so much on your journey. Not only have you refined the Han Po Technique to such a level, but you've also discovered so many Hao Yin stones—truly a remarkable achievement." Han Li briefly scanned the storage bracelet with his divine awareness and then glanced at his disciple, his face breaking into a rare, warm smile. (To be continued.)