The routine became a cage — and Han Li walked through it with the same calm, obedient expression every day.
Every morning, Doctor Lu handed him a small porcelain vial of exlir .
And every morning, Han Li would bow, return to his room, uncork the vial…
…and quietly pour the exilr into the lake,.
Then he would sit near the window where light could be seen through the paper screen.
From outside, it looked as though he drank the medicine without hesitation.
Inside the shadows, the untouched herbs pooled silently.
No one suspected.
Not even Doctor Lu — who continued his charade of kindness.
---
Three months passed.
Han li progress surged like a raging river.
Finally, on one silent dawn…
Han Li sat cross-legged on the cold wooden floor, breath steady, mind steel.
A faint tremor ran through his meridians — then a rush.
His qi surged, condensed, and—
Boom.
A soft pulse of spiritual pressure rippled through the room.
His cultivation… had broken through.
Tier Three.
Han Li opened his eyes.
Calm. Steady. Controlled.
No excitement showed.
Only clarity.
This breakthrough was his shield — and his weapon.
Later that morning, Doctor Lu entered as usual.
His gentle smile never changed — but his grip on Han Li's wrist tightened, probing, searching.
Han Li kept his heartbeat steady.
For a long moment, Doctor Lu said nothing.
Then—
A tiny flicker in his eyes.
Excitement.
Greed.
"Sss… Tier Three," he whispered under his breath, voice low and filled with satisfaction.
The gentle doctor was gone.
Only the predator remained.
His lips curled slowly into a twisted grin.
"Hahahaha… excellent. Just two more tiers."
His voice grew softer, darker — almost reverent.
"When you reach Tier Five… your spirit root will be perfect."
His grip tightened further — hard enough to leave bruises.
"And when I extract it… I will finally cultivate immortality myself. Hahahaha…"
Han Li was not aware of his wild thoughts..
He lowered his eyes, appearing confused — even grateful.
Doctor Lu finally released his wrist and patted his shoulder with mock affection.
"Good. Very good, my talented disciple."
His smile stretched, cold and serpentine.
"Keep practicing just like that."
Then he turned and left — humming cheerfully.
---
The moment the door closed…
Han Li slowly exhaled.
His hands did not shake.
His eyes held no fear.
Only resolve.
He knew that this master of him was no good, so I must prepare myself for a big battle.
After that day, Han Li's thoughts became clearer.
Han li knew ,even if he reached the tenth tier of the Immortal Art, it wouldn't be enough. He already knew he lacked offensive and defensive martial skills.
While his master was very secretive ,ruthless and good at martil arts as han li had seen that night.
Han Li understood the gap.
So while cultivating, he also started thinking about finding proper martial arts techniques. Something to protect himself in the future, something useful.
Day and night, these thoughts followed him.
Four months passed, and Han Li finally reached the fourth tier. It wasn't fast, but it wasn't slow either.
At that time Doctor lu had already left four days earlier. To look for more exilrs and pills for han li's break through .
That night, the wind outside Han Li's small wooden house carried a faint chill. The moon hung quietly in the sky, and everything seemed calm — almost too calm.
Han Li sat at his table, staring at a half-burned candle. Earlier, he had thought about sneaking out of the mountains to buy martial art manuals or books. But the idea didn't last long.
"If Doctor Lu is still watching me… if I step out now, it could expose everything."
Just imagining that possibility made his chest tighten. He couldn't take that risk — not yet.
So instead, his attention fell on the green bottle with blue neck ( it was the same bottle he used for groth of herbs)
The surface glowed faintly in the candlelight, mysterious yet silent — as if hiding secrets from another world.
Han Li picked it up carefully.
"Bottle… ring…" he murmured. "I understand your purpose… but you—"
He pointed to the ring-part and frowned.
"Why are you here? What exactly are you?"
There was no answer. Only silence.
Han Li stared at it longer, almost expecting something to respond. After a few more seconds, impatience mixed with curiosity.
Without thinking too hard, he lifted the bottle and pressed it against his forehead in suspence like one grabs his hand and beats it against his fore head .
But unknown to han li this will help him unvover the secret
He barely touched it.
And then—
Boom.
A brilliant light erupted from the ring. Not blinding, but overwhelming — like a sealed world suddenly unlocking.
Han Li felt his entire body freeze, then everything around him twisted violently.
"W-Wait—!"
But there was no time.
He was dragged in by a powerful force, and the world shattered into darkness.
After a long while han li woke up, han Li didn't know how long he was unconscious.
But when awareness finally returned, he slowly opened his eyes.
What he saw took his breath away.
The place he stood was not a room — not a formation — but something that resembled a miniature universe.
Above him, seven suns and seven moons floated in the endless sky, rotating slowly in a perfect pattern. Their light blended together, neither harsh nor dim, giving the entire space a holy, ancient feeling.
The spiritual energy was so dense that the air itself seemed to shimmer. Each breath felt like swallowing warm jade liquid — calming, refreshing, and powerful.
Around the space were small glowing mountains, floating silently like islands in a dream. From them came faint pulses of spiritual energy , there were made from some sprit stones — steady, rhythmic, as if they were breathing.
In front of Han Li stood a row of majestic ancient doors. Each one was carved in the wall of miniature space, different — some carved with celestial beasts, others made of metals he'd never seen.
Symbols danced across their surfaces, making them feel alive.
Han Li stepped closer. On the first door, glowing characters read:
Celestial Time Array
The second:
Artifacts
The third:
Formations
Then:
Pills
And the last:
Immortal Techniques
Each door was tightly shut, silent and unmoving — like treasures sealed for thousands of years.
Except one.
At the very end, a single door stood wide open.
The characters upon it were simple. Not flashy. Not mystical.
Just four words:
Mortal Defensive and Offensive Techniques.
Han Li felt his heartbeat quicken.
Out of everything — Immortal arts, formations, celestial arrays — the only open door… was the one he currently needed the most.
He took a deep breath.
Even though this space was impossible… unbelievable…
It didn't feel like coincidence.
"So…" Han Li whispered to himself, eyes steady,
Could that ring and bottle be some imortal artifact, does that mean my fate is going to change.
His steps moved forward.
The open door waited.
When Han Li stepped through the open door, his eyes widened.
The room wasn't small — it was like an enormous hall. Rows of shelves stretched into the distance, neatly arranged but full of all kinds of things.
At the very top of the shelves, there were signs carved in clean, glowing characters:
Wood Attribute
Fire Attribute
Wind Attribute
Metal Attribute
Water Attribute
Earth Attribute
Under each category were books — some old and dusty, others glowing faintly with spiritual light. The variety made Han Li's head spin.
Next to those shelves was another area labeled:
Basic Techniques
This one looked simpler. Some scrolls were tied with rope, some stacked casually — like the owner didn't value them much.
Han Li's eyes continued wandering.
There were weapons too — lined up on stands:
Swords with cold auras
Shields with patterns of turtles and dragons
Daggers, spears, and blades with different colors and materials
Some weapons looked sharp enough to cut air itself. Others felt heavy and steady, like mountains.
Beyond that, he saw another section:
Formations
Strange tokens, formation plates, carved stones — all neatly grouped.
And finally:
Pills
Bottles, jars, and boxes filled with unknown medicines — some releasing faint fragrance that made his body feel lighter just smelling it.
The place was overwhelming.
Han Li swallowed.
This wasn't just a storage room — it was a treasure hall.
His heart beat faster as he reached toward a book on the shelf labeled Basic Techniques. His fingers were just about to touch the cover—
When suddenly—
A voice echoed through the hall.
Calm. Cold. And extremely close.
"Do you intend to steal my things?"
Han Li froze instantly.
His back stiffened as if someone had grabbed his spine.
His hand remained mid-air, not daring to move.
Slowly, he turned his head—
Not breathing.
Not blinking.
Slowly, Han Li turned his head toward the voice.
Floating a few feet above the ground was an elderly man. He looked half-transparent, as if made of mist and light. His long robes moved gently without wind, and his expression was unreadable — calm, yet distant.
Even though the figure wasn't fully solid, he still looked like a real person.
Han Li's heart jumped to his throat.
Without thinking, he dropped to his knees and bowed deeply.
"Senior—! I–I am Han Li! I greet Senior!"
His voice trembled, and he didn't dare lift his head.
For a moment, there was only silence.
Then the old man let out a small, amused breath — not quite a laugh, but close.
"Stand up," the voice said. "If I wanted to kill you, kneeling wouldn't save you."
Han Li stood slowly, keeping his gaze lowered.
The old man looked him up and down, then shook his head slightly.
"Don't panic so much," he continued calmly. "I am not interested in harming you. A mere fourth-tier Qi Refiner is hardly worth my attention ."
Han Li forced a smile that looked more like a grimace.
"…Yes, Senior."
The old man floated down a little, crossing his hands behind his back.
"Since you managed to find the ring and the bottle and even managed to merge then, arrive here, it means fate has acknowledged you."
He glanced around the hall — the shelves, the weapons, the pills — as if everything belonged to him.
"But let me be clear," he said slowly, his voice carrying a weight that made Han Li straighten unconsciously.
"These items are not yours yet."
Han Li swallowed.
The old man continued:
"Everything here must be earned. You cannot simply take what you like."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
I know you are being kept as prey, and I know your master wants to kill you and extract your sprit root.