He knew how outrageous his behavior seemed to others.
He spent a huge sum of money to open the secret realm ahead of time, but he came out after only half an hour, without even stepping into the inheritance area.
Anyone would think he's throwing his weight around and wasting resources.
But he couldn't explain it.
He couldn't very well tell Hun Qianling and the elders that he had already completed a hundred sign-ins while standing on the edge of the restriction, gaining dozens of insights into the Dao Principle of Life and Death, two Cultivation Method, two secret arts, several Eternal Dao Artifact, and a massive amount of Cultivation Resources.
We certainly can't tell them that even the very essence that sustains the Life and Death Ravine is in his hands, can we?
"I feel somewhat sorry for Hun Qianling."
Han Xuanji leaned back in his chair, lost in thought.
Hun Qianling went to great lengths to help him.
Instead, he just left them stranded in the secret realm and walked away.
Although Hun Qianling did need to stay in the secret realm to comprehend the Dao of Life and Death, he still felt somewhat guilty.
"Let's help her again after we've mastered the Dao Principle of Life and Death."
Han Xuanji snapped out of her thoughts and closed her eyes.
The flying boat pierced through the clouds and sped towards Thousand Souls City.
Upon returning to the Soul Household, Han Xuanji went back to his cave abode. The gate was closed, shutting out all the noise from the outside world.
He sat down cross-legged, not in a hurry to claim the reward, but first sat quietly for a moment to completely calm his mind.
Although the trip to this hidden realm was short, it was very rewarding.
"First, collect the Cultivation Method and insights to begin your practice; leave everything else for now."
Han Xuanji took a deep breath and probed his Divine Sense into the System Space.
The first thing you receive is the Cultivation Method, " The Canon of Life and Extinction ".
This Cultivation Method is the culmination of the life's work of the Peak Eternal True God who left behind the Life and Death Ravine inheritance. The system naturally provides the complete version, allowing for a smooth path from Eternal Dao Master to Eternal True God.
Han Xuanji received the reward, and in an instant, a flood of insights into Cultivation Method rushed into his mind.
Unlike the Five Elements Great Dao Secret Canon, the " Canon of Life and Extinction " focuses more on the core mystery of "life and death transformation".
Life can turn into death, and death can turn into life.
The end of life is death, and the end of death is new life.
Life and death, endless and boundless.
Han Xuanji closed her eyes, letting the information settle slowly in her mind.
With the system's rewards, it was naturally not difficult for him to initially operate this Cultivation Method, but mastering it was not so simple. With his level of understanding of the Dao Principle of Life and Death, he was still a bit lacking.
"The next reward for comprehending the Dao Principle of Life and Death."
Han Xuanji knew that this was the main event, and also the key to his rapid improvement in strength.
The understanding of the Great Dao of Life and Death gleaned from Chaos is relatively superficial, while the insights gained from these Dao Principle of Life and Death are different; each reward is a complete and Eternal Dao Principle.
Although these insights weren't actually that powerful, many of their mysteries were beyond Han Xuanji's comprehension, and they might even be more comprehensive than what Han Xuanji had grasped.
Thirty reflections.
Han Xuanji chose to collect them one by one.
Absorption cannot be achieved overnight; becoming too engrossed in the insights of others can easily distort one's own path of cultivation.
Each of these insights is like a complete memory, allowing him to experience firsthand the struggle and epiphany of that senior between life and death.
The first insight came from a rogue cultivator who had Rogue Cultivator fighting for his life. Amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood, he grasped the true meaning of "life and death are one."
The second insight came from an ascetic who sat in the wilderness for millions of years, and in his endless solitude, he realized that "death is another form of life."
The third, the fourth, the fifth...
Han Xuanji's aura changed imperceptibly.
His breathing, which had been steady as a mountain, began to become sometimes rapid and sometimes slow, as if the forces of life and death were fiercely clashing within him.
But his expression remained calm, and his mind was as steady as a rock.
Thanks to the spiritual will of an Eternal True God, as he absorbed these insights bit by bit, they were intense but could not shake his Dao heart.
Time passed day by day.
I have absorbed all thirty insights.
"Life and death..."
Han Xuanji opened his eyes, a flash of black and white light disappearing from them.
"I understand."
He raised his right hand, and a grayish-white light appeared in his palm, which then turned pitch black.
Life and death are fundamentally different paths, but Han Xuanji had grasped their connection and a great path appeared in his eyes.
Of course, it's still very difficult to master completely.
"At present, I can only convert and connect them; it is still very difficult to integrate these two Dao Principles."
Han Xuanji muttered to herself.
He was naturally not satisfied with separating and condensing the Dao Principle of Life and Death, but planned to condense a fusion Dao Principles similar to the Five Elements Dao Principle, so that his Dao would be much stronger than others, and he could be invincible among those of the same realm.
After pondering for a moment, Han Xuanji took out a ball of light from the System Space and held it in his palm.
" The Source of Life and Extinction —with my current abilities, I should be able to make basic use of this."
The reason Han Xuanji didn't use this item at first was simple: even as a system reward, he couldn't fully utilize it.
After all, this was the essence left behind by Sage's death, and the power of life and death contained within it was completely beyond the reach of a mere Eternal Dao Master like himself.
However, his understanding of the Dao Principle of Life and Death is now very strong, so it's still worth a try.
Han Xuanji's mind raced.
In an instant.
This power of life and death seemed to have found an outlet, surging wildly into his body, merging with the Cultivation Method path of the " Canon of Life and Extinction," and corroborating with those thirty insights.
Inside the cultivation room, black and white light intertwined and swirled, illuminating the entire secret chamber as if it were daytime.
Han Xuanji's cultivation level began a new surge at this moment.
A flood of insights into the Dao Principle of Life and Death welled up in Han Xuanji's mind, and he felt refreshed both physically and mentally.
As the saying goes, "If one hears the Way in the morning, one can die content in the evening."
Many cultivators who Dao of Principle truly disregard life and death in their pursuit of the Great Dao.
Just like this place of inheritance of the Life and Death Ravine, the slightest carelessness can be life-threatening, but many people still rush forward one after another, sparing no expense to go there.
Time passed slowly.
Cultivation knows no time; within the cave, one is unaware of the passing years.
The Source of Life and Extinction in front of Han Xuanji was smaller than it had been at the beginning. The absorbed primal power transformed into pure energy, gradually merging into his flesh, soul, and foundation.
The rudimentary form of the Dao Principle of Life and Death has been formed, resembling Taiji Diagram, where each element contains the other.
Two diametrically opposed forces, life and death, achieve a delicate balance within it.