Chapter 891: Rapid Progress

After about half a quarter of an hour, the Crab Immortal withdrew his divine sense and said, "There's still a little time. If you have any questions, you may ask."

"What exactly is going on?" Han Li asked directly, a question that encompassed all his doubts.

"In Qingyang City, I've gradually remembered many things, some of which are very... important. In any case, I will temporarily stay by Chen Yang's side to prepare for a major event ahead. After that, I will go to Xuan City, and you will come with me then." The Crab Immortal said after a moment of thought.

"I originally planned to leave Qingyang City as well, to search for news of Zi Ling while heading to Xuan City. Shi Chuankong is still there, and I can't just ignore him. Since you've said so, I'll follow you. But before that, you must tell me: what exactly is this major event you're plotting?" Han Li asked with a frown.

"It's not yet time to tell you. You just need to cultivate the 'Heavenly Fiend Hell Suppression Art' as quickly as possible and enhance your strength to the utmost, so that you can handle what is to come." The Crab Immortal shook his head and said.

"When will you go to Xuan City?" Han Li asked again.

"You will know when the time comes. But we shouldn't be moving within the next three to four years. You must make the most of this period." The Crab Immortal said slowly.

Han Li frowned deeply and was about to ask more when the Crab Immortal waved him off.

"Time's up."

With that, the Crab Immortal turned and left through the stone door.

Han Li's gaze darkened. After pondering for a long while, he could only shake his head in bewilderment.

He returned to his room, sat cross-legged, and began to study the 'Heavenly Fiend Hell Suppression Art' recorded in the mysterious statue, using the profound script previously taught by the Crab Immortal.

At first glance, this technique was extremely profound, far surpassing the 'Great Cycle Star Origin Art', the 'Feather Ascension Art', and the 'Great Strength Vajra Art'. Moreover, the method of using true spirit bloodline power to impact the mysterious apertures was even more exquisite.

Although he now knew the cultivation method, there were still many points he did not understand. He concentrated and meditated quietly.

After a full three days and three nights, Han Li finally opened his eyes, having barely comprehended the first layer of the 'Heavenly Fiend Hell Suppression Art'. He immediately began to cultivate it.

He took a beast core and swallowed it, slowly circulating the 'Heavenly Fiend Hell Suppression Art'. The thirty-six mysterious apertures already opened in his chest and abdomen gradually brightened, like twinkling stars.

The first layer of the 'Heavenly Fiend Hell Suppression Art' contained the method to open one hundred and fifty mysterious apertures, all concentrated in the chest and abdomen.

The first layer focused on foundation building, so the apertures involved were all in the chest and abdomen, aimed at strengthening the physique and enhancing the overall foundation of the physical body. It did not have the pronounced effects of increasing speed like the 'Feather Ascension Art' or strengthening arm strength like the 'Great Strength Vajra Art'.

Divine abilities similar to the 'Feather Ascension Art' and the 'Great Strength Vajra Art' could only be cultivated starting from the second layer.

Han Li was not surprised by this.

After so many years of understanding mystical cultivation, he knew well that the most important part of a body-tempering technique was the foundation-building stage. The more mystical apertures one opened during foundation-building, the deeper the foundation, and the greater the future achievements.

The main reason he could still contend with those who had opened more mystical apertures despite having only opened thirty-six was that the thirty-six apertures cultivated by the Great Cycle Star Origin Art were all foundation-type apertures, making his physical foundation far more solid than others.

Fortunately, the statue he obtained from Du Qingyang corresponded to the first three layers, but he wondered which layers the statue he had previously obtained from Zhao Gu Zhenren corresponded to.

As Han Li was refining the beast core within him, the small bottle in his abdomen suddenly shook violently, and a surge of star power gushed out from it.

This star power was exceptionally vast and pure, far surpassing the star power he had obtained from refining the beast core.

He was first startled, then overjoyed.

Earlier, when he was about to be overwhelmed in the Garuda Blood Array, the small bottle had suddenly activated on its own, absorbing the star power from Du Qingyang and the others.

He had originally thought that star power had been devoured by the small bottle itself, but unexpectedly it was now being regurgitated to aid his cultivation.

With this thought, he quickly activated the Heavenly Fiend Suppression Art to refine this endless stream of pure star power.

At the same time, he silently activated the true spirit bloodline within him to assist in impacting the mystical apertures.

With a buzz, dazzling lights of various colors appeared on his body, and true spirit projections—true dragon, heavenly phoenix, mountain giant ape, and others—swirled around him.

His brow twitched slightly, and he let out a soft exclamation.

Previously in the Xuan Dou Arena, he had repeatedly tried to activate his true spirit bloodline but failed; it seemed suppressed by some force. Now, however, he could manifest it effortlessly.

Was it due to the influence of the Garuda Blood Array? Or some other reason?

Han Li shook his head and stopped pondering. Regardless of the reason, being able to summon the true spirits meant he could refine the true spirit bloodline power as the Crab Immortal had said.

The true spirit projections swirling around him were not nine as before, but ten, with an additional white true spirit projection.

This white true spirit was a massive white serpent, its body winding like a dragon, pure white like jade, but its eyes were blood-red, like two bright red beads in white jade, which not only gave no sense of bloodthirsty ferocity but instead enhanced its majesty.

Han Li stared at the white serpent true spirit, his eyes flickering.

When the Garuda Blood Array reversed that day, the essence blood power from Du Qingyang and others surged into his body. This white serpent true spirit, a true spirit bloodline from Du Qingyang, had also flowed into his body with the reversal of the array.

Han Li recognized this white serpent true spirit; it was called the Teng Snake.

Whether by coincidence or for some other reason, this Teng Snake true spirit was also one of the twelve transformations of the Jingzhe.

Han Li closed his eyes and concentrated. The ten true spirit projections around him flickered and vanished one after another, leaving only the Teng Snake true spirit projection coiled around his body.

Threads of Teng Snake true spirit power seeped out from within him, slowly flowing toward a closed mysterious orifice in his chest and abdomen.

The closed mysterious orifice was originally extremely solid, and could only be slowly ground open by external forces like star power, but the true spirit power was like formless water, gradually seeping in drop by drop.

As the true spirit power merged into the closed mysterious orifice, the tightly shut gate immediately loosened greatly, and waves of star power surged in, assaulting this orifice.

Han Li raised an eyebrow, a hint of joy appearing on his face.

With the assistance of true spirit power, the speed of opening the mysterious orifice was indeed much faster.

But soon, he could no longer smile. The star power surging out from the Vial Gourd grew faster and more abundant, leaving him feeling overwhelmed.

Drawn by the Vial Gourd, this star power did not overflow out of his body but accumulated within his eight extraordinary meridians.

Han Li's whole body was gradually filled with formidable star power, and a layer of starlight emerged on his skin. His entire person seemed on the verge of turning into a human-shaped star crystal.

He felt as if his whole body was being burned and fried in oil, with boundless agony coming from every inch of his body, more painful than when he endured the backflow of countless essence blood in the Gara Blood Array.

Amidst his pain, Han Li also felt a trace of panic.

Now, trapped in the Scales of Accumulated Emptiness, his immortal spiritual power was unusable. If his entire body crystallized, he might truly fall here.

He had originally thought the backflow of star power from the Vial Gourd was a great blessing, never expecting that fortune could be concealed in misfortune. With a slight misstep, he might fall into an abyss of eternal damnation.

At this moment, Han Li gritted his teeth. Ignoring the step-by-step cultivation method recorded in the "Heavenly Execution Prison Suppression Art," he fully activated this technique and simultaneously began to impact five mysterious orifices.

Impacting mysterious orifices required extreme concentration; a slight mistake could cause irreversible damage to the orifices. But at this critical juncture of life and death, he could not afford to care about that.

Simultaneously impacting several mysterious orifices greatly increased the consumption of star power, barely balancing the star power surging from the Vial Gourd. The crystallization of his body slowly stopped but did not recede.

Han Li breathed a sigh of relief inwardly and fully operated the "Heavenly Execution Prison Suppression Art," both saving his life and cultivating at the same time.

More than a month passed quickly.

Perhaps due to Chen Yang's influence, no one came to summon him for any mystic combat during this time. In fact, Han Li was now too preoccupied to care about such matters.

His body remained in a semi-crystallized state, with five points of starlight trembling on his chest.

With a soft "pop," one mysterious orifice blazed with starlight and suddenly opened completely.

The other four mysterious orifices also flickered with starlight, not far from being opened.

But Han Li had no time to rejoice, for the star power surging from the Vial Gourd had not diminished but was instead increasing.

"Damn it! How much star power did the Vial Gourd absorb?" he cursed inwardly, then immediately composed himself and continued to channel the star power from the Vial Gourd toward new mysterious orifices.

He also increased the number of orifices he was simultaneously impacting from five to six.

Simultaneously impacting five mysterious orifices was already very taxing for Han Li; increasing to six might cause problems.

But now the arrow was on the string, and he had to shoot.

If the star power from the Vial Gourd continued to surge out so vigorously, he might have to further increase the number of orifices he was impacting simultaneously.

He took a deep breath. Bright starlight emerged from the mysterious orifices all over his body, and his semi-crystallized body emitted waves of starlight halos, submerging his body within them.

Time passed slowly, and in the blink of an eye, five years went by.

Han Li's entire body was enveloped in extremely bright starlight, forming a spherical ball of light, obscuring the specific details.

At this moment, the dazzling starlight around him suddenly flickered violently and then burst apart and scattered.

Countless clear cries like dragon roars erupted. The air in the room churned as if ravaged by hurricanes and lightning, causing the entire room to tremble incessantly.

Amidst the漫天星光, Han Li slowly stood up, his body having completely returned to normal.

But now, specks of starlight flickered all over his body, marking the opened mysterious orifices, which had reached as many as two hundred and thirty-seven.

He had spent a full five years finally exhausting the star power in the Vial Gourd, opening one hundred and sixty-five mysterious orifices, and completing the first layer of the "Heavenly Execution Prison Suppression Art."

Han Li looked joyfully at the dense starlight of the mysterious orifices on his body. Although this experience had been dangerous, the gains were enormous, worth the hard work and persistence of these past few years.

He let out a long breath, dispersed the starlight on his body, and an endless fatigue surged into his heart.

Over these years, he had not slept or rested, fully concentrating on cultivating the "Heavenly Execution Prison Suppression Art." He had accumulated too much fatigue, and his physical body had long reached its limit.

With that thought, he collapsed onto the bed and immediately fell into a deep sleep, snoring loudly.