(A ten-thousand-word chapter, returning to the jianghu)
Chaotic Star Sea.
In the northern part of the Chaotic Star Sea, deep in the boundless waters, there was a desolate island so remote that no one had ever set foot on it. A quiet chamber had been carved out of the rocks inside.
At that moment, Han Li was seated cross-legged inside, eyes closed and expression calm as he concentrated on his cultivation.
With each breath, a miniature Nascent Soul, about the size of a palm, sat cross-legged above the crown of his head, cultivating and breathing in rhythm with him. It flickered faintly with every breath, exuding an extraordinary, mysterious aura.
Above their heads, a three-colored auspicious cloud slowly swirled and drifted.
Anyone else present would have recognized this as a sign of One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones. In other words, Han Li had already entered the Deity Transformation stage. All he needed was to take one more step: refine his Nascent Soul into a Divine Essence, then return to the Void and manifest his true body as an external incarnation—or even countless incarnations. That would take him to the Void Refinement stage!
Then he could ascend directly to the upper realm and set off for a far more expansive world!
But...
Just then, Han Li's normally placid expression stirred. His eyelids twitched, and he stopped cultivating. He slowly drew the Nascent Soul and the three-colored auspicious cloud back into his body, then opened his eyes. His deep gaze shone with excitement and satisfaction.
"!"
"Excellent!"
"Thanks to the Ginseng Fruit Miss Mo gave me, not only has my lifespan increased greatly, allowing me to live for forty-seven thousand years, but I've also reached the great consummation of the Deity Transformation stage after cultivating for only fifty years!"
"Across