**Chapter 2: Modest Progress**
**Author's Note:**
The protagonist's cultivation levels throughout the story are as follows:
* Qi Refining (9 levels)
* Foundation Establishment (Early, Mid, Late Stages)
* Core Formation Stage
* Nascent Soul Stage
* Transformation God Stage
* Tribulation Transcendence Stage
* Great Ascension Stage
* True Immortal
* Profound Immortal
* Golden Immortal
* Grand Unity Golden Immortal
* Great Luo Golden Immortal
* Primordial Saint Realm
* Eternal Boundless Realm (Revised)
(The cultivation realms are accurate. The Core Formation Stage is an early stage of immortal cultivation, often overlooked because everyone focuses on the Golden Core. However, the Golden Core is actually part of the Core Formation Stage.)
**Equipment Tiers:**
* Mortal Weapons
* Magical Artifacts
* Magical Treasures
* Immortal Artifacts
* Divine Artifacts
Each tier is further divided into Low, Mid, and High Grades.
**Medicinal Pills:**
* Ninth-Grade Spirit Pills
* Immortal Pills
**Spirit Herbs:**
* Nine Grades
**Artifact Refinement Materials:**
* Graded by age or cultivator's cultivation level.
**Cultivation Techniques:**
* Five Ranks: Heaven, Earth, Profound, Yellow, Human
* Three Grades: Upper, Middle, Lower
**Spiritual Energy:**
* Elemental Power
**Elements:**
* Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth, Wind, Lightning, Ice
* The Rock Attribute encompasses both Metal and Earth. All other elements are equally interchangeable, meaning Elemental Power = Spiritual Energy.
**Lifespan Theory:**
* Qi Refining: 100 years
* Foundation Establishment: 200 years
* Core Formation Stage: 400 years
* Nascent Soul Stage: 1,000 years
This pattern continues, with each major realm doubling the lifespan of the previous one, until reaching the Golden Immortal realm, where lifespan becomes infinite.
***
Time flew by, and thirty years passed in the blink of an eye.
During these three decades, Yun Han endured countless hardships and trials, constantly cultivating and refining himself. He finally reached the late stage of Foundation Establishment!
With each breakthrough, the System rewarded him with invaluable gifts: either profound knowledge of Immortal Cultivation, practical techniques and experience, or astonishing Divine Powers, mystical arts, and profound Cultivation Techniques.
Over these thirty years, he had thoroughly explored the entire island. At its highest point, he used magic to construct a massive three-tiered palace, hundreds of meters tall. The first tier served as the Divine Throne Hall, the second as his cultivation and rest quarters, and the third as a dining hall.
Thanks to the System's automatic learning assistance, Yun Han mastered Puppet Art, various Formation Arts, Talisman Art, Alchemy, and Artifact Refinement within these three decades.
"This is what true Immortal Cultivation should be," Yun Han mused, seated upon his divine throne, gazing out at the endless sea beyond the island. His eyes were filled with solitude. "Yet without the conflicts and struggles of Immortal Cultivation Sects, it feels like something is missing."
Two rows of fully armed puppets stood beneath the divine throne, flanked by two female servant-dressed puppets.
These puppets were indistinguishable from humans, save for their lifeless eyes, devoid of spirit, programmed only to obey commands.
Thirty years—an eternity for mortals, yet a mere moment of cultivation for immortal cultivators. But as a transmigrator, Yun Han felt utterly alone.
He had once tried to leave the island. Soon after breaking through to Foundation Establishment, he learned sword flight and attempted to escape.
After two years of relentless flight, covering unimaginable distances, he saw no end in sight. Fortunately, he had mana-restoring Medicinal Pills; otherwise, he would have been lost in the vast ocean. Just as his supply ran out, he finally managed to find his way back.
Terrified by the near-disaster, he now dared not venture out to sea again, confining himself to the island, cultivating, cultivating, and cultivating. Occasionally, he planted Spirit Herbs and spirit rice, watered them, and fed the animals he had captured.
Now, the entire island could be said to be under his control.
***
In his eighty-fifth year, Yun Han finally broke through to the Core Formation Stage, forming a Ninth-Grade Ice Attribute Golden Core. He had now embarked on the Great Golden Core Path, becoming a Core Formation Elder-level figure in the novel. The System, recognizing his ambition, rewarded him with a thousand-year supply of Artifact Refinement Materials, numerous Medicinal Pills, a Comprehensive Compendium of Core Formation Stage Spells, and the Nascent Soul Breakthrough Method.
***
Time flowed like a fleeting shadow. In the blink of an eye, three hundred and eighty-six years had passed. Yun Han finally broke through to the Early Nascent Soul Stage, leaping from Core Formation Elder to Nascent Soul Monster. As promised, the System rewarded him with Nascent Soul Stage Spells, the Spirit Transformation Breakthrough Method, and countless other rewards.
***
In the 675th year, Yun Han broke through to the Transformation God Stage. The System rewarded him with a Movement Divine Art, the Transformation God Stage Spell Compendium, a Low-Grade Earth-Rank Magical Artifact, and various other rewards.
"The Great Shrinking Earth to Inches Divine Art? This is actually the legendary Great Shrinking Earth to Inches Divine Art!" Yun Han's eyes widened as he stared in disbelief at the opened mystical scroll in his hand. Suddenly, a dazzling golden light shot forth from the scroll, piercing his forehead with lightning speed.
In that instant, Yun Han felt a powerful and mysterious force surge through his body, as familiar as if it had been there since birth.
Simultaneously, countless details about the Divine Art and its usage flooded his mind, as if he had already mastered it completely.
He closed his eyes, quietly sensing the surging power within him, and an uncontrollable excitement welled up in his heart. This was the Great Shrinking Earth to Inches Divine Art!
What did mastering this Divine Art mean? It meant he could instantly traverse thousands of miles, reaching any place within his sight with a single step. If his Divine Sense could perceive it, he could reach it—that made perfect sense, right?
Yun Han took a deep breath, striving to calm the turbulent emotions within him. He understood that acquiring such a precious Divine Power wasn't the end, but a new beginning. From now on, he would need to cultivate even more diligently, constantly enhancing his strength to truly unleash the full potential of this Divine Power.
"The Transformation God Stage... this is a completely new starting point," Yun Han mused inwardly, fully aware that he had embarked on an even more arduous and perilous path of cultivation. The next realm awaited him: the Tribulation Transcendence Stage!
The very name of the Tribulation Transcendence Stage hinted at the inherent risks and challenges. As the term "Tribulation Transcendence" implied, it meant enduring the calamities of heaven and earth, undergoing a baptism of thunder and lightning. *Getting struck by lightning?* The thought sent a chill down Yun Han's spine, and he inwardly groaned, "Oh, beans..."
But then he remembered: *I've already transmigrated and have the System as my golden cheat. What's there to fear? I'm already a Transformation God Ancestor! How many Immortal Cultivation Sects even have multiple Transformation God Stage cultivators?*
*Sure, in novels, Transformation God Ancestors are as rare as phoenix feathers in the early stages, but later they're as common as dirt. But this isn't a novel. Who knows what the reality is? I'm just a poor sap trapped on a deserted island.*
"Regardless, I need to prepare thoroughly!" Yun Han resolved inwardly.
***
Time flowed swiftly, like a white horse galloping past a crack in a wall. In the blink of an eye, another long and monotonous period of cultivation had passed...
In the year 1343, on a day when the island was bathed in clear skies and brilliant sunshine, the weather suddenly shifted. Dark clouds rolled in, blotting out the sun and darkening the sky.
These ominous clouds seemed to have materialized from another dimension, appearing without warning on the horizon and rapidly engulfing the entire island. Even the vast sea stretching hundreds of miles in every direction was not spared, completely covered by the eerie darkness.
In an instant, the world was plunged into pitch-blackness. Gale-force winds howled, whipping up towering waves. Brilliant lightning flashed across the sky like silver serpents, while thunderous roars echoed like ten thousand warhorses galloping across the heavens. The awe-inspiring spectacle filled onlookers with a sense of reverence.
Meanwhile, beyond the endless sea...
Several gazes converged from different directions—cold, majestic, contemplative, wise, curious, and more—as if sensing that something significant was unfolding in this distant region.
"Hahahaha! Finally, it's here!" A figure clad in silvery-white armor, completely covering his body except for his face, soared into the sky, confronting the terrifying thunderclouds.
Yun Han gazed up at the churning silver serpents of lightning in the sky, a surge of heroic fervor rising within him.
*Today, the Tribulation Transcendence Stage will be achieved!*
With a low shout, Yun Han swung his right arm sharply, sending several array flags, shimmering with strange light, streaking through the air like shooting stars. The flags rapidly wove together into a complex and mysterious pattern, radiating an aura that made hearts tremble.
"Two Extremes Formation! Activate!" Yun Han roared again, his voice brimming with unwavering confidence and authority. As his words echoed, the entire formation began to hum, powerful energy waves rippling outward like shockwaves.
He chanted under his breath, "Three Realms Four Symbols!" His voice was soft, yet it seemed to contain boundless power, drawing all eyes to him.
As his words faded, the surrounding air grew heavy, an invisible pressure spreading outward.
Immediately afterward, he shouted, "Five Elements Six Harmonies!" This time, his voice was noticeably louder, carrying an air of authority and dominance.
As he spoke, the surrounding energy began to surge violently, as if something ancient was awakening.
"Seven Stars Eight Trigrams!" he roared again, his voice now like thunder, deafeningly loud.
With this final bellow, the entire space trembled. Countless beams of light flashed and intertwined, forming an intricate, complex pattern.
Finally, he issued his final command: "Nine Palaces!" The word struck like a sacred decree, fully activating the Formation Art before him.
"Profound Origin Nine Unifications Formation, activate!" With this final, decisive shout, the entire formation surged to life, unleashing unparalleled power. Countless streams of energy churned wildly, coalescing into a massive energy barrier that enveloped him.
The formation's patterns shifted continuously, displaying the Four Symbols, the Eight Trigrams, and the Seven Stars in turn. Countless beams of light intertwined and reinforced each other, forming an endless, self-sustaining cycle.
This was the ultimate defensive formation Yun Han had spent three centuries perfecting through countless experiments, finally merging eight separate formations into a single, invincible barrier!