Three months later.
In the underground Water-Fire Wonderland beneath the Eastern Splendor Stronghold.
Li Yun slowly opened his eyes and breathed out a mouthful of turbid air. It hung before him without dispersing, only fading into nothingness after a long while.
During three months of secluded cultivation, he had once again spent points to improve every Innate Aperture Refining technique the strongholds had collected for him.
With resources flowing in from the strongholds without cease, his True Qi had grown ever more abundant. His cultivation had fully reached the Perfection Realm of the Innate stage: perfection of all Seven Hundred Twenty Apertures.
But that was only an accumulation of cultivation, a matter of quantity rather than quality.
His True Qi remained Imperial Grade. He still had not even touched the threshold of the legendary Saint-Grade True Qi and Transcendence into Sainthood.
He could not help sighing. Imperial-Grade True Qi was already a rarity seen once in a thousand years. Saint Grade was even more like flowers in a mirror or the moon reflected in water: visible, but forever out of reach.
"Still not quite enough."
Li Yun murmured to himself and stood.
Though the strongholds had sent plenty of resources, most were Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, Spirit Stones, and pills.
What he truly needed was still cultivation techniques.
"Time to go out and have another look."
Li Yun straightened his clothes, left the Water-Fire Wonderland, and returned to the surface.
He had only just reached his residence when someone approached him.
An old gray robe, a lean face—it was He Pingtian.
Three months ago, He Pingtian had arrived unexpectedly and asked to stay for a while.
Li Yun had agreed without hesitation.
Over those three months, they had lived separately and left each other undisturbed. Only occasionally had Li