Chapter 309: Advancing to Late Stage

Han Li pondered for a moment, then waved his hand.

With a whoosh, the remaining Thunderbane Wood and some thunder-attribute spiritual materials appeared, floating on the empty ground before him...

One month later.

In the main hall of the residence outside the cave dwelling, Han Li sat upright by the table, savoring a cup of spiritual tea in his hand, his eyes flickering slightly as if contemplating something.

After a moment, Meng Qianqian walked in from the entrance.

Elder Li.

Qianqian, I called you here this time because there is an important matter that needs your handling. Han Li set down his teacup, his expression turning slightly solemn.

Meng Qianqian was taken aback, then straightened her chest and said, Please instruct me, Elder Li.

It's not that serious. Han Li smiled, took out a storage artifact, and handed it to Meng Qianqian.

The woman took it, her spiritual sense sinking into it, then looked up at Han Li, a trace of confusion flashing in her beautiful eyes.

Han Li's lips moved slightly as he transmitted a few words to her.

Meng Qianqian was startled at first, then a hint of gravity crossed her face.

Any difficulties? Han Li asked.

Rest assured, Elder Li. Even if it costs me my life, I will accomplish it for you. Meng Qianqian nodded emphatically.

Very well. But be careful, and do not let anyone else know. Han Li instructed.

Yes. Meng Qianqian bowed to Han Li, a trace of reluctance in her eyes, but she still turned and walked out.

A moment later, a streak of red light shot into the distance.

Han Li stood at the entrance of the cave dwelling, watching the red light disappear into the distance. With a flicker of his form, he also transformed into a streak of green light and flew toward the sect.

Two months later, he finally returned to Red Cloud Peak.

During this time, aside from exchanging most of the materials, spiritual medicines, and treasures he had obtained from the Saint Puppet Sect that he had no use for into immortal jade stones in batches, he had also heavily purchased the refining materials for the elixirs needed for subsequent cultivation.

After everything was ready, he entered the cave dwelling again, activated all the restrictions, and headed toward the secret chamber.

Halfway there, his heart stirred, and he turned to the medicine garden, stopping before a corner.

This was where the mother bean had been planted earlier. The sprout that had grown was now several inches taller than before.

Seeing this, Han Li felt a slight surprise.

This mother bean had taken a hundred years to sprout, but since sprouting, its growth rate seemed to have increased considerably.

As the tender green shoot spread out, the dark golden patterns on it had also deepened significantly.

However, as for this mutation that Hu Yan the old Daoist had mentioned, it was still unclear whether it was good or bad. Hopefully, it would change for the better.

Regardless, the Dao soldiers he had encountered in the Saint Puppet Sect this time had greatly increased his expectations for this mother bean.

Thinking of this, Han Li took out the Celestial Bottle and handed it to the ape-shaped puppet waiting nearby. He did not stay long in the medicine garden and soon returned to the secret chamber.

At this point, the miscellaneous matters were mostly taken care of.

He let out a light breath, then flipped his hand to take out the silver alchemy furnace and placed it in the center of the secret chamber. With a flick of his sleeve, a flash of silver light appeared, and the Silver Flame Doll materialized, landing near the furnace.

After devouring the black crane's nascent soul and absorbing and merging it over this period, the aura of the Essence Flame Firebird had clearly increased further. Compared to before, the expression on its small face was less wooden and more lively.

It seemed to know why Han Li had summoned it. After quickly circling the furnace, its round cheeks suddenly puffed up, and it spat out a thick stream of silver flame, enveloping the bottom of the furnace.

At this time, Han Li also placed the alchemy materials he had prepared earlier, divided into several portions, to one side, then sat down cross-legged.

...

Several years later.

As the silver flame at the bottom of the furnace extinguished, the Silver Flame Doll hopped and flew onto Han Li's shoulder, sitting down obediently.

Han Li, with a hint of fatigue on his face, waved his hand and cast a spell seal.

With a soft sound, the silver furnace lid flew up, and a rich medicinal fragrance immediately wafted out from the furnace, filling the entire secret chamber.

His nose twitched a few times, and a satisfied expression appeared on Han Li's face. He grabbed in the air, and a stream of white pills flew out from inside, about a dozen of them. Each was the size of a dragon's eye, pure white in color, with faint white mist swirling on the surface, appearing extremely extraordinary.

The white pills then fell into a prepared white jade bottle.

Beside Han Li, over a hundred such jade bottles were already densely arranged.

It seems about right.

Han Li muttered to himself, then waved his hand to put away the silver cauldron and the silver flame figure, before closing his eyes to regulate his breath.

He planned to first adjust his body, mind, and magic power to their optimal state before beginning his secluded cultivation.

Time flew by, and over two hundred years had passed.

During this period, the tightly shut cave dwelling gate of Red Cloud Peak had never opened again.

And Candle Dragon Dao had experienced its heaviest snowfall in nearly five hundred years, lasting for several months.

Not only were all the branch mountain ranges on the northern side of the entire Bell Cry Mountains covered by endless white snow stretching for ten thousand miles, but even the southern mountain ranges were more than half capped with snow.

Red Cloud Peak was also clad in silver, covered everywhere with snow.

One day, the snowfall finally stopped, the sky cleared, and several servants of Han Li's cave dwelling, led by the round-faced fat man Meng Xiong, began clearing the snow around the dwelling.

The number of people on Red Cloud Peak was already small, and Meng Yungui and others were away, especially with Meng Qianqian absent, making the mountain somewhat desolate, even the chirping of birds sounded exceptionally clear and pleasant.

After clearing the snow outside the mansion, everyone hurried to the spirit herb fields. Although protected by a restrictive formation, the snow still needed to be cleared to prevent large amounts of snowmelt from stagnating and affecting the growth of the spirit herbs.

At that moment, the entire Red Cloud Peak shook with a rumble, and a massive golden pillar of light shot up from the location of the cave dwelling straight into the sky. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth within ten thousand miles fluctuated violently, forming a huge spiritual cloud that revolved around Red Cloud Peak, emitting a loud, sharp roar.

Multicolored spiritual light shone down, enveloping the entire Red Cloud Peak.

The grand phenomenon lasted for a long time before slowly dissipating.

"Alright, alright, get back to work. Finish up early and return to cultivation! Elder Li has given us such a good cultivation environment; don't waste it!" Meng Xiong called out, seeing the others somewhat dazed.

The others, upon hearing this, did not stare further and continued heading to the surrounding spirit fields and other areas.

In truth, they had long grown accustomed to these disturbances on the mountain, knowing they were caused by 'Elder Li's' secluded cultivation, but each time they couldn't help but take a few more glances.

After all, this was a phenomenon caused by a True Immortal's cultivation.

In the secret chamber of the cave dwelling.

Han Li was enveloped in a faint golden light, with radiance flowing in his eyes, and twenty-four golden spots on his chest and abdomen shone brightly, glittering like stars in the night sky, flickering unsteadily.

An immense pressure radiated from him, and his every move was completely different from before, as if he had become a different person.

At this moment, he had become a late-stage True Immortal cultivator.

During these two hundred years, by continuously taking Earth-grade pills that enhanced cultivation and practicing day and night without rest, he had finally opened the remaining four immortal apertures.

Such a cultivation speed was naturally much faster than that of ordinary cultivators, but compared to the past, the effect was noticeably slower.

After all, it had taken only a full hundred years to open the first three immortal apertures, while the time spent on this last one was far more than all of them combined.

When the golden light on his body gradually faded and merged into his flesh, all the strange phenomena in the secret chamber also disappeared completely.

Han Li let out a long breath, turned around, and looked up at the faint golden wheel floating leisurely behind him.

He saw that the eyelids of the Truth Eye on it were closed, and the clusters of Time Dao patterns on the wheel's body were all shimmering with light, having fully recovered to their original state.

"Still the same as before," Han Li shook his head and murmured to himself.

The Time Dao patterns on the Wheel of Truth still numbered one hundred and eight. Even after he had opened the last four immortal apertures, the Dao patterns on the wheel had not increased.

This was clearly not due to bad luck. According to the scriptures, even by normal probability, opening these four apertures should have condensed at least two more Time Dao patterns.

He speculated that it might be because he had previously absorbed too many Time Dao patterns condensed from the small bottle's crystalline grains through the Truth Eye, exceeding the Wheel of Truth's capacity.

After pondering for a moment, he no longer dwelled on it, as he had already mentally prepared himself for this outcome.

Feeling the immortal spiritual power in his body, which was much deeper than before, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

Han Li did not immediately stand up but continued to sit cross-legged on the ground.

A significant increase in cultivation was certainly gratifying, but he had more important matters to attend to now.

He flipped his palm, and a gray stone bead appeared in it—it was the eye of the one-eyed giant.

At the same time, a dull sound of footsteps came from outside, and the giant ape puppet walked in, placing the Bottle of the Palm Heaven beside him. Inside the bottle, a drop of green liquid had already condensed.

Han Li took a deep breath, picked up the Bottle of the Palm Heaven, and unhesitatingly drank the green liquid inside.

He was going to attempt to comprehend the Law of Time once again!

The immortal spiritual power in Han Li's body began to circulate silently. Behind him, the Wheel of Truth shone with bright golden light and slowly started to rotate. The one hundred and eight clusters of Time Dao patterns inscribed on it also began to flicker erratically.

Around him, a ripple of golden light spread out, enveloping the entire secret chamber, and an indescribable fluctuation of heavenly and earthly vital energy spread along with it.

Han Li felt as if the flow of air around him had slowed down. In his ears, there was the sound of wind whistling, the sound of dust settling, the flickering of firelight, the gentle dance of hair strands...

All of this seemed to fall into a mysterious and profound special rhythm, ineffably wonderful.

Time passed bit by bit. Golden light rippled around Han Li, flashing rapidly and continuously, casting the entire secret chamber in alternating brightness and darkness, shifting unpredictably.

Although his body, enveloped by the golden light, was already drenched in blood, he paid it no heed, as if none of this was happening to him.