"The disciple discovered this deeply concealed pyrite mine during a journey through the western region of the Thundering Continent, and it was only within its core that he accidentally found so many stones of Haoyin." Bai Guo'er replied respectfully. "Ah, I see. Had it not been for your cultivation of the Hanpo Divinity Technique to such a refined level, you likely wouldn't have been able to sense the presence of these Haoyin stones at all. You've truly made a significant contribution this time. Go now, and I will reward you handsomely upon returning." Han Li nodded gently and issued the instruction with a warm expression. "Yes, the disciple shall retire now." Bai Guo'er immediately bowed gracefully once more and then stepped out of the hall. After Bai Guo'er's lovely figure had disappeared beyond the hall doors, Han Li's expression turned thoughtful. The mountain of Haoyin Cold Spirit within Yuanhe Wuji Mountain is finally ready for refinement. With this, only the materials from the final mountain, the North Polar Yuan Mountain, remain to be secured. For this, he felt no particular concern. Back when he fell into the Demon Valley on the Human Plane, he encountered an astonishing number of Northern Yuan Guang. It's likely that he could easily find the Northern Yuan Jin Crystals he needed there. However, with his current cultivation level, his true body simply couldn't withstand the interface forces afterward—those forces would overwhelm him. Only by employing specially designed star discs to break through the boundary, and paying a considerable price, could a fragment of his spirit soul manage to cross over and return to the Human Plane. This particular special fragment of spirit soul he had nurtured within the Yuan Hún Lamp was finally ready to make a significant difference. As soon as Han Li thought about returning to the Human Plane, the names of the sects—Qī Xuán Sect, Huang Feng Valley, Luoyun Sect—sprang to mind, and images of his parents, his younger sister, Lì Feiyǔ, and the Great Yǎn God instantly flashed before him, transporting him completely into a state of reminiscence. … Several months later, a thunderous roar echoed from the inner chamber of Qingyuan Palace, and within the massive crimson cauldron at the center of the chamber, a snow-white, translucent mountain emerged, shimmering among countless streams of silver flames. As soon as the mountain appeared, it began to expand under the wind's influence, and delicate white runes subtly shimmered on its surface, releasing a dense, ethereal cold mist. "The Hao Yin Cold Spirit Mountain has finally been forged. Now only the single, primordial North Polar Mountain remains," said Han Li, seated in a corner of the chamber, his eyes narrowing as he gazed upon the radiant mountain. In a corner near the fire, another slender man lay prostrate. He appeared no more than twenty-one or twenty-two years old, with a pale complexion and eyes tightly shut. Dressed in a blue scholar's robe, he was securely bound with a rope from head to foot, and his mouth was tightly pressed shut by a wooden rod with both ends shaved to a point. Blood seeped steadily from his lips, giving him the appearance of someone breathing in but unable to breathe out—on the verge of death. Yet the several sturdy men paid him no heed, continuing to eat meat and chatting enthusiastically among themselves. Another slender man glanced at the bound man with a frown and said, "You can do as you please, but move with some urgency. We're leaving this area tomorrow and will be seeking a new place to roam. The times have grown turbulent—even we are finding it hard to make ends meet." The man with his hair disheveled remained silent. The slender man grinned fiercely, then picked up a single sword from beside him and strode deliberately toward the blue-robed man. He raised his hand and kicked. A deep thud! The blue-robed man flipped over and landed several feet away, face upward, yet remained motionless. A few streaks of black blood had begun to congeal at his lips. Though unimpressive in stature, the slender man clearly possessed considerable strength. "He's actually dead! Good luck to you—otherwise, you'd have taken another blow from me." With that, the slender man spat a thick wad of phlegm onto the ground, then lifted the sword and turned, making his way back to sit beside the fire. At that moment, a gray, misty evil wind suddenly surged from afar, sweeping in amidst the roaring flames, and a deep, strange laughter echoed out. "Marvelous! I never thought that in such a remote, out-of-the-way place, I'd encounter such a fine quarry. By absorbing the spirits of these few, my treasure shall finally be perfected." "No good! It's the immortal cultivator who's been causing a commotion nearby—everyone, hurry and get out!" Upon hearing this voice, the man with flowing hair instantly turned pale, cried out, leapt up, and, even without grasping his weapon, dashed off wildly in one direction. The others, seeing this, likewise grew pale and scattered in panic, rushing off at full speed. In a moment, only the man in blue robes remained motionless, lying there by the fire. "Gagga… gagga…" The strange laughter continued to drift through the gray wind, swirling and then suddenly shooting out several streaks of black mist, each racing off in different directions. Soon after, one after another, sharp, piercing cries of terror rose from various points. The阴 laughter suddenly ceased, and all the black mist surged upward toward the fire, swirling rapidly before coalescing into a single cluster. Suddenly, a Taoist in a black robe appeared in the lower air. He had triangular eyes and high, arched brows, giving off a notably gloomy impression. Yet now, he held a gray-white crystal sphere in his hands, beaming with delight. "Excellent! Excellent! These souls carry such powerful negative energies—clearly, many people must have perished at their hands. They are perfect for refining my precious artifact. Hmm, there's another person beside them, whose spirit seems still intact. Then let's gather that one as well." The Taoist first gestured energetically, then scanned the ground beside him, his face briefly expressing surprise. But immediately, he shook the crystal sphere toward the side. "Pffft!" A stream of black mist surged from the sphere and swiftly enveloped the blue-robed scholar lying on the ground. "Boom!" As the black mist made contact with the blue-robed scholar, it instantly burst open without any prior warning, sending a powerful wave that sent the Taoist himself staggering backward several times. "Which of you is hiding in the shadows? Why not step forward and make your presence known?" The black-robed Taoist, startled by this sudden development, cried out and immediately waved his hands, releasing several scrolls that instantly formed multiple translucent, differently colored shields around him. At the same time, he scanned the surroundings with cautious vigilance. "From the way you're radiating an aura of ill fortune, I'd say you're practicing the most basic and inferior form of magmatic cultivation." A soft, gentle male voice came from nearby. "Who?" The black-robed Taoist was taken aback, quickly turning to face the source of the voice. To his astonishment, he found the blue-robed scholar—who had been lying there—now sitting upright. Not only had the ropes around him and the wooden staff in his mouth vanished, but he now gazed at the Taoist with a calm, composed expression. "Who are you, coming especially to me?" the black-robed monk was both astonished and puzzled, instantly running through a myriad of thoughts, and asked with great caution. "You're especially here? Hah! You must be overestimating yourself. The entire human realm probably doesn't have anyone qualified to draw me this way." The blue-robed man glanced around the vicinity, then fixed his eyes on the monk, and a touch of scorn crept onto his face. "What? The human realm? You mean—?" "Never mind," the blue-robed scholar said, his expression growing cold. "What's a mere young magician like you to matter? I'll know exactly where we are in the human realm in a moment." He cut off the monk's words mid-sentence, then, with a single gesture, a strand of silvery hair shot forth like a spear. "Shhh—crack!" The sound of rushing air echoed. The several layers of protective light shields that had formed on the black-robed monk's body instantly shattered, and a blood hole the width of a finger appeared suddenly across his brow. Without so much as a grunt, the monk rolled over and collapsed to the ground. The blue-robed scholar raised a hand With a sudden exclamation, the black-robed Daoist's body shot upward into the air, suspended before the scholar, his head pressed down by a hand. The scholar's eyes flashed with a subtle blue glow, and a faint crystalline filament emerged subtly from his brows, vanishing instantly and merging into the Daoist's head. Yet only moments later, the scholar released his grip, allowing the Daoist's body to fall to the ground. "Great turmoil within the Jin Dynasty! A righteous struggle between the forces of good and evil! This is quite significant. I never expected the human realm to be so chaotic upon my return. But this has little to do with me. Unfortunately, the Daoist's cultivation level is only Foundation Stage—his knowledge of the current affairs is limited, and thus he is unaware of the situation in the southern region. After a moment of thoughtful murmuring, the scholar composed himself and rose steadily. He was none other than Han Li, who had returned to the human realm. Though his fragment of consciousness carried only modest magical power, to the human world, he remained an almost immovable force—comparable to the peak of a Yuan Ying stage. Han Li surveyed the dusty garments on his body, then touched his face again, frowning slightly. Suddenly, he pressed his palms together in a series of gestures, and a layer of emerald light rippled outward. Moments later, a plain young man dressed in a green robe appeared in place of the former. After performing the secret ritual, Han Li effortlessly transformed his physical form back to its original state, then, with a single foot-stomp, vanished into a streak of emerald light.