Chapter 396: Closing the Mansion for Bitter Cultivation

The always cautious Han Li still embarked on the journey back to Ningcui Island.

He knew very well that without the assistance of formations and puppets, it was simply too dangerous for him, Qu Hun, and the two Blood Jade Spiders to wander around the Outer Star Sea.

Even if they could easily deal with Level 5 demon beasts, it would still be hard to escape death if they were targeted by demon beasts above Level 6.

Moreover, according to his estimation, the demon cores he had collected should be more than enough to support his second turn, and even his third turn.

Hundreds of Level 5 demon cores were worth at least hundreds of thousands of spirit stones, not to mention that there were many extremely rare varieties among them, which would likely double their value.

Han Li was not greedy!

Everything he did was to be able to walk a little further on the path of immortality, so as soon as he sensed that continuing to lure and kill demon beasts was becoming fraught with danger, he decided to stop and return.

By now, they had ventured far enough into the Outer Star Sea.

If it weren't for the fact that he recorded his sea charts every time he passed an unfamiliar island, he might not even have been able to find the way back.

For the return journey, Han Li flew for several months.

Carrying heavy treasures, he was truly afraid of encountering powerful demon beasts or legendary robbers on the way.

Demon beasts were one thing; at most, he would take a detour, and they generally wouldn't pursue him relentlessly.

But if he encountered cultivators with malicious intent, they naturally wouldn't let him go if he were alone.

By then, not only would the demon cores be hard to keep, but he would likely lose his life as well!

Therefore, he and Qu Hun remained highly vigilant along the way, immediately hiding or fleeing whenever they discovered the traces of other cultivators.

In this way, he finally returned to Ningcui Island with the demon cores without incident, which made him breathe a huge sigh of relief!

Han Li walked into that extremely dilapidated little street. Except for two shopkeepers who were new faces, everything else remained the same as when he left.

He ignored the slightly surprised gazes of the crowd and walked directly into the stone house for teleportation.

The Star Palace cultivator inside the stone house had already been replaced by a kind-faced middle-aged man.

Seeing Han Li and Qu Hun walk in, he asked with a smile:

"Do the two fellow Daoists wish to teleport?"

Han Li collapsed onto the large bed in front of him and fell into a deep sleep.

At this time, he had returned to his cave dwelling on the 39th floor of Heaven Star City. Exhausted in body and mind, he couldn't care about other matters and slept soundly for several days before waking up, full of energy.

This trip to the Outer Star Sea had truly exhausted him!

After waking up, Han Li wandered around the cave dwelling. Feeling that he hadn't seen it for several years, everything in the mansion gave him a sense of intimacy.

But when he saw the insect room, he discovered that the Gold-Eating Insects had turned into a giant silver ball again, hanging upside down from the ceiling of the room and entering a long slumber.

This scene made him shake his head slightly!

Afterward, Han Li made a trip to the marketplace, visiting several shops to buy a copy of every pill formula available.

Then he returned to the mansion immediately and became busy with alchemy.

For two whole years, Han Li stayed in the cave dwelling, refining a large batch of various types of pills based on the collected pill formulas, combining those demon cores with the urged-to-grow spiritual herbs.

The problem of drug resistance, which had given him a headache before, was no longer a problem.

During this period, he also slowly released the various demon beast materials he didn't need to small merchants who were not permanently stationed in Heaven Star City, exchanging them for a large amount of spirit stones.

He wouldn't have to worry about spirit stones for a while!

After finishing these things, Han Li completely sealed the cave dwelling and began preparations for dispersing his cultivation.

However, while reorganizing the pills and remaining demon beast materials in his storage bag, he inadvertently found himself troubled by some special items.

These were the large amount of Neon Clothes Grass, about several hundred years old, that he had urged to grow while luring demons in the Chaotic Star Sea.

These things weren't worth many spirit stones if sold, and it was a pity to destroy them, as they were things urged to grow with quite a bit of green liquid.

Moreover, he had always been interested in the fact that this Neon Clothes Grass had such a great temptation for demon beasts when it spread its leaves, and he had always wanted to study it carefully.

Looking at the many Neon Clothes Grasses before him, a strange thought rose in Han Li's heart, becoming stronger and stronger, unable to be suppressed. This made him feel a bit surprised!

After tilting his head and thinking for a while, he suddenly packed up these Neon Clothes Grasses and brought them to the insect room where the "Gold-Eating Insects" were kept.

He casually threw a several-hundred-year-old Neon Clothes Grass into the insect room.

But the Gold-Eating Insects, which had entered a slumber, didn't react at all.

Seeing this, Han Li laughed at himself a few times.

But after hesitating for a moment, he still had Qu Hun move these Neon Clothes Grasses to several giant coral reefs in the medicine garden.

Not long after, Han Li entered the secret room and, following the cultivation technique for dispersing cultivation provided by the "Three-Turn Heavy Origin Technique," began to carefully disperse his cultivation.

For the sake of stability, Han Li's process of dispersing cultivation was very slow.

The entire process lasted for half a month, and only after lowering his cultivation to the Foundation Establishment early-stage level could it be considered successfully completed.

At this time, Han Li temporarily came out of seclusion to consolidate his cultivation after dispersing it, and then took pills to practice the "Three-Turn Heavy Origin Technique."

During this period, Han Li, as if possessed, used the green liquid to urge another Neon Clothes Grass to grow, and while it was emitting a strange scent, he threw it into the insect room.

Afterward, he stood outside the insect room, looking through the tiny hole, staring intently for a while, feeling a bit disappointed!

Because the silver ball condensed by the Gold-Eating Insects remained motionless, seemingly no different from before.

This situation was both unexpected and not very strange to Han Li.

Because the Neon Clothes Grass didn't have a temptation for all demon beasts to begin with.

And since these Gold-Eating Insects were ranked so high, it was normal for them not to be among those tempted.

Han Li sighed lightly, preparing not to waste any more time and green liquid on this grass, thinking it would be more worthwhile to focus on refining "Spirit Feeding Pills" to strive for another upgrade for the two Blood Jade Spiders.

Just as he was thinking this, the silver ball in the insect room suddenly cracked open!

Hundreds of Gold-Eating Insects, their eyes flashing with red light, swarmed toward the Neon Clothes Grass emitting the strange scent, devouring it completely in an instant. Then they continued to buzz, seemingly becoming somewhat irritable.

Seeing this scene, Han Li was stunned! But immediately, a trace of joy appeared on his face.

It seemed this experiment could continue!

In a great mood, Han Li left the insect room and instructed Qu Hun to throw in another Neon Clothes Grass every once in a while.

He wanted to see what effect this Neon Clothes Grass actually had on demon beasts, to resolve the confusion in his heart.

Not long after, Han Li carried all the pills into the secret room and entered a life-and-death seclusion.

Han Li had completely achieved grain Grain Grain Grain Grain Bigu, and to focus on cultivation, he decided not to step out of the secret room even half a step until he restored his cultivation.

As for everything in the cave dwelling, since his clone Qu Hun could control it remotely, he didn't need to worry too much.

Thus, Han Li took a bottle of pills from his storage bag, swallowed one, and slowly closed his eyes, entering a state of self-forgetful cultivation.

In the time that followed, except for contacting Qu Hun outside the secret room once every day, Han Li spent all his energy on Qi refining and meditation.

As time went on, Han Li naturally became single-minded. Whenever he felt his spiritual energy was insufficient, he would casually take out a pill, swallow it, and continue cultivating.

In this way, time naturally passed quickly!

Year after year of monotonous cultivation, cultivation, and more cultivation—this boring life, under Han Li's strong desire to form a Core, passed by unknowingly.

Ten years flashed by, and there was no movement from the door of the secret room!

Twenty years passed, and the door remained tightly closed!

Thirty years...

Time flowed like water!

On a certain day sixty years later, the sky above Han Li's cave dwelling suddenly became overcast with black clouds, silver snakes danced, and the weather changed drastically.

At the same time, the threads of spiritual energy within a hundred miles all gathered crazily toward Han Li's cave dwelling, forming a visible vortex of spiritual energy.

This startled all the nearby cultivators, whether they were passing by or living nearby; they all stopped or walked out of their cave dwellings, looking toward the place where the phenomenon occurred with surprised expressions.

"Forming a Core! Someone is forming a Core again!"

Many cultivators stared blankly at this scene, muttering to themselves, their expressions varied and extremely rich!

Some were jealous, some were dazed, but more were showing expressions of extreme envy...

At the same time, many cultivators above the Core Formation stage in the city, although they didn't see this celestial phenomenon, couldn't escape the detection of their powerful spiritual sense regarding the abnormal spiritual energy in the entire Heaven Star City!

After glancing toward Han Li's cave dwelling, some remained calm, some were slightly excited, and others frowned...

... ===== CHAPTER 397 =====