Chapter 41: All Set

A significant event also took place within the Seven Mysteries Sect during this period.

"Senior Brother Li," the idol of the new generation of disciples, displayed remarkable astuteness by immediately uncovering two spies from the Wild Wolf Gang. These spies were attempting to steal the list of disciples scheduled for mountain training. He, along with over a dozen fellow disciples, successfully apprehended them on the spot, earning substantial credit.

A few days later, in front of numerous disciples, Sect Leader Wang appointed Li Feiyu as a Protector, officially elevating him to the middle echelons of the Seven Mysteries Sect. This caused quite a stir, and Li Feiyu's reputation soared even higher.

Han Li, however, remained completely unaware of these developments. He was undergoing intensive special training inside a secluded wooden hut. Aside from brief trips to the kitchen for food, he had not interacted with anyone for days, naturally ignorant of his friend's newfound glory.

Summer transitioned into autumn, time flew by, and finally, the day before the appointed meeting arrived.

Deep within the thorny thicket at the bottom of the gully, an extraordinarily eerie figure materialized and vanished amidst the branches laden with sharp thorns. These exceedingly dangerous thorns presented no hindrance to him; he moved like a wisp of smoke, flitting ghost-like through the dense, interwoven network of thorny branches. He would appear nearby one moment, then emerge from a distance the next, all with an unnerving silence, as if he were not a being of flesh and blood, but an invisible entity.

Eventually, the figure settled on a tree trunk, standing upright on a branch and gazing into the distance. It was Han Li, who had made considerable progress in his cultivation.

His clothes were thoroughly tattered, revealing patches of skin beneath. His hair was disheveled and wild, and his face was streaked with grime, making his original features unrecognizable. Most surprisingly, small iron bells were suspended from his neck, waist, arms, thighs, and ankles.

Observing these iron bells and recalling Han Li's spectral movements through the forest, it became clear just how uncanny his footwork had been.

He stood motionless, gazing towards Divine Hand Valley, and murmured to himself:

"The timing is perfect. I finally mastered the Misty Smoke Steps on the very last day. With this, I have a greater assurance of self-preservation."

Though his facial expression remained obscured, the joy in his eyes was unmistakably evident.

After several months of rigorous study and practice, Han Li had mastered several potent secret techniques. He possessed considerable confidence in these skills, believing that while they might not enable him to directly contend with Doctor Mo's unfathomable abilities, they were sufficient for self-preservation.

A gentle breeze swept through, and Han Li felt a chill. He glanced down at his "holey attire," picturing his current appearance, and a wry smile touched his lips.

Remembering his practice of the Misty Smoke Steps, he still felt a lingering trepidation. Training his movement technique in a thorny thicket had truly been a perilous undertaking. His initial unfamiliarity with the footwork inevitably led to him being scratched and bleeding profusely from the sharp thorns on the branches.

Fortunately, he had the "Essence Nurturing Pill" in his possession. Not only could it heal internal injuries, but it also proved remarkably effective on external wounds. Taking just one pill would immediately stop bleeding and form a scab; by the next day, even the scars would vanish without a trace.

Han Li marveled at this for quite some time. This medicine was far more potent than common wound salves. He pondered why it was named "Essence Nurturing Pill," feeling that "Scar Removal" or "Blood Stasis" would be more apt.

If the esteemed creator of the "Essence Nurturing Pill" were to learn of Han Li's thoughts, they would likely be furious enough to vomit blood. To have their meticulously refined sacred healing medicine compared to common "trauma remedies" peddled by itinerant quacks in the martial arts world would be an unbearable insult. How could such a master not be utterly incensed!

Nevertheless, it was precisely by training in such a perilous environment that Han Li was able to unleash his full potential, quickly bringing the "Misty Smoke Steps" to a usable level of proficiency in a remarkably short period.

Furthermore, just a few days prior, Han Li's "Evergreen Arts" unexpectedly reached its sixth level, which was the highest tier of the cultivation method Doctor Mo had provided. Without the assistance of those dozens of bottles of spiritual medicine, he would have struggled to master it within his lifetime, even with his utmost effort.

After several years of cultivation, Han Li had gained considerable insight into the Evergreen Arts, finding this technique highly peculiar. Its cultivation method and its effects differed significantly from typical martial arts.

Firstly, Han Li believed that the success and speed of cultivating this art primarily depended on the individual's aptitude and compatibility with the technique.

Individuals with superior aptitude would naturally progress smoothly and unhindered. He surmised that even without external assistance, they could achieve higher levels through diligent practice.

Conversely, those with inferior aptitude would find further progress exceedingly difficult without the aid of spiritual medicine once they reached a certain stage. Han Li theorized they would remain stuck at that point for life, unable to advance further. He knew this from personal experience: he had cultivated the first three levels with ease, but the fourth level suddenly became incredibly challenging, leaving him unable to make any progress.

However, with the aid of miraculous elixirs, the impossible could become possible, allowing one to transcend the limitations of aptitude and reach a higher level. This clearly demonstrated the immense reliance of this cultivation method on medicinal power.

Few people in the world, however, would consume spiritual medicine as he did, popping one or two pills a day as if they were snacks. Consequently, he effortlessly mastered the supposedly more challenging fifth and sixth levels, experiencing none of the difficulty he encountered with the fourth.

As for the perfected sixth level of the Evergreen Arts, Han Li had yet to discover any miraculous uses beyond feeling more energetic and mentally sharper. Strangely, since he began cultivating the Evergreen Arts, each level had only enhanced his spirit, mind, and five senses, while its impact on his physical body was negligible, merely making him robust and nimble-footed. The energy flow it generated—which Han Li termed "pseudo-qi"—could circulate freely within his meridians like true qi. However, aside from making his sense of touch more sensitive, it had no other practical utility and lacked the astonishing power of true qi.

Furthermore, having cultivated to this point, he suspected there were incomplete oral formulas beyond the sixth level, and perhaps the true wonders of the art lay in those final tiers.

At this thought, he shook his head with a trace of helplessness and sighed. Given his current relationship with Doctor Mo, obtaining the cultivation methods for the later levels was simply out of the question.

Dismissing his wandering thoughts, Han Li leaped down, landing softly on the ground without a sound, then strode purposefully toward the small wooden hut.

He was due to meet Doctor Mo tomorrow. Before then, he intended to fully leverage his intellect, mentally outlining the steps for their encounter, meticulously considering every potential detail, and formulating optimal countermeasures for all unforeseen dangers.