The flickering flames cast eerie shadows on Han's face, making his complexion appear ghostly pale. The chilling aura surrounding him warped the space nearby, turning it into something that resembled a haunted realm.

  He certainly didn’t look like a good guy.

  The battle between the Yin Earthfire and the Netherflame raged on, their gray-white and gray-green hues intertwining in a relentless struggle—one moment, one was dominant, the next, the other.

  However, the tide was shifting. With Han continuously fueling the Yin Earthfire, the Netherflame had no way to replenish itself. Slowly but surely, its core essence was devoured, strengthening the Yin Earthfire in return.

  At last, the struggle ceased. The final remnants of the gray-green fire were consumed, leaving the Yin Earthfire in a state of stillness, as if frozen in time.

  Then, suddenly—

  Boom!

  The flames erupted violently, shooting several meters high. A shrill, ghostly wail echoed through the air as an ominous wind howled, filling the space with a chilling, spectral presence.

  The previously gray-white Yin Earthfire was now streaked with dark green, adding an even more sinister edge to its already eerie nature.

  Han swiftly formed the Yin Earthfire Seal, stabilizing the now vastly enhanced flames.

  The massive firestorm gradually shrank, crawling up his body like a living entity. Yet, despite being engulfed in flames, Han remained completely unharmed.

  Eventually, the Yin Earthfire seeped into his body, settling within his soul realm, where it coiled around his spirit like a guardian specter.

  This was another hidden ability of the Yin Earthfire—soul protection.

  Any attacks or curses targeting the soul would now have to break through the Yin Earthfire first.

  Han turned to Aunt Mo, his face lighting up with excitement.

  "Aunt Mo, I did it!"

  This wasn’t a dream—it was real.

  After countless attempts in his dream world, he had finally succeeded in refining the Netherflame in reality.

  Aunt Mo nodded approvingly. "Well done. With this, your Yin Earthfire has matured beyond its initial nurturing phase and has become truly formidable."

  "I also sense traces of Nether Venom within it. Quite an interesting development."

  "The power of Yin and the chill of absolute frost... combined with this Nether Venom..."

  "With this technique, and considering the strength of your soul, it's not impossible for you to challenge and defeat soul cultivators above your level."

  This was the power of integrating a heavenly flame into the Yin Earthfire—it accelerated its growth by years, if not decades.

  If Han had relied solely on painstaking cultivation, reaching this level would have taken years.

  Moreover, each additional heavenly flame he integrated would trigger an explosive leap in power.

  The fusion of fire wasn't a simple case of one plus one equaling two. The blending of two different flame essences often resulted in unpredictable, potent reactions.

  Of course, the difficulty of refining and fusing such flames would only increase over time.

  "You should give your new flame a name," Aunt Mo suggested. "After all, it has evolved beyond a simple Yin Earthfire."

  Han paused. Another naming task?

  Forget it. He'd leave this to Senior Sister. It’d give her a sense of participation.

  He was so thoughtful.

  Since he had spent the previous night soaking in the hot spring with Bai Ruoyue and had only just used his dream-proving ability, he'd be able to enter another dream session after midnight.

  “How about calling it 'Nether Venom Fire'?” Bai Ruoyue suggested.

  “…”

  Senior Sister, are you a reincarnated soul from another world too?

  That said, it was actually quite fitting.

  But Han shook his head. "I'll eventually fuse more Yin-based flames in the future. This name won’t last forever."

  "Good point." Bai Ruoyue thought for a moment, then smirked.

  "How about 'Nameless Fire'?"

  Han gave her an approving look.

  "Brilliant."

  "Right?"

  Pleased with herself, Bai Ruoyue turned and went off to cultivate.

  Not long after, a deafening explosion echoed from the most secluded corner of the peach grove. The entire forest trembled as if on the verge of destruction. Fortunately, it was only a dream.

  "What exactly is Master practicing? Why is it so chaotic?" Han was stunned.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  "This is normal," Aunt Mo said with a shake of her head.

  "His breakthrough isn’t an easy one, especially since he’s currently in the experimental phase, testing his limits without restraint."

  "Once he attempts his real breakthrough in reality, he will be far more discreet."

  Master is truly a wild force.

  "Oh, right, Aunt Mo—what are these things for?" Han took out three items he had retrieved from the Life Pool.

  A pearl, a stone, and a herb.

  "The shell of this Life Pearl and the Life Herb can be used in alchemy," Aunt Mo explained.

  "Many longevity-enhancing elixirs require these ingredients."

  "As for the shell and this stone, they serve as crucial materials in crafting certain unique artifacts."

  She hesitated for a moment before continuing.

  "There is an old legend about the Life Pearl’s shell."

  "They say that if a living being sleeps inside an intact Life Pearl, their lifespan ceases to dwindle. The shell resists the erosion of time, allowing them to awaken centuries later, unchanged from the day they entered."

  Han’s eyes widened. "It can actually do that?"

  He examined the egg-sized shell in his hand. "But… how would someone even get inside?"

  Aunt Mo shook her head. "You would need a shell large enough to fit a person inside, and it must remain completely intact and sealed throughout the process."

  "Besides, this is merely a legend. No human-sized Life Pearl has ever been discovered."

  A shell large enough to contain a person…

  Han glanced at the small shell in his palm again. He couldn't even begin to fathom the sheer amount of life force and time it would take to nurture a pearl of that magnitude.

  Bai Ruoyue had fully recovered from the injuries she sustained in the Black Mountain. Not a single trace of damage remained.

  In fact, she noticed something unusual about herself.

  "Aunt Mo, Junior Brother, my cultivation has suddenly improved significantly. And my body… it feels different."

  "Is this an effect of the Life Pool?"

  Aunt Mo took her hand, sensing her condition carefully.

  "There is a faint trace of higher-tier energy within your body. Your essence has been purified, and your potential has increased."

  "It almost resembles… a cleansing of the marrow and meridians?"

  She was momentarily surprised but then shook her head.

  "While the Life Water does enhance vitality, its primary effect is to strengthen life force and resilience. It shouldn’t have changed you this profoundly."

  Han stood quietly to the side, perfectly composed.

  He already had a good idea of the real reason behind Bai Ruoyue’s transformation—his blood.

  His Nine Orifice Golden Core, True Dragon Blood Soul Stone, and Seven Aperture Exquisite Heart all had one major function beyond energy regeneration—marrow cleansing and potential enhancement.

  And the first exposure to them always had the most dramatic effect, while later benefits would accumulate more gradually over time.

  The moment he had absorbed those treasures, Han himself had undergone significant improvement.

  Bai Ruoyue had been drinking Han’s blood for a full hour, which meant she had also been absorbing the power of the three divine artifacts for that same duration. Naturally, this greatly benefited her.

  An hour’s worth of energy was insignificant to the divine artifacts, but for Bai Ruoyue, who was experiencing such a power for the first time, the effects were undeniably apparent.

  This turn of events was truly a blessing in disguise—Senior Sister had powered up once again.

  Han sighed inwardly. Ten drops of blood, one drop of essence.

  He didn’t particularly care about the energy from the artifacts, but looking at the conversion ratio of his essence blood…

  Yeah, this time, he had suffered a serious loss.

  Lu Qingmo and Bai Ruoyue exchanged a glance, then turned their eyes toward Han.

  Han gave them a smile.

  “What?”

  The two turned their heads away, leaving the unspoken truth hanging in the air.

  Some things were best understood without being said.

  “Well, looks like I was lucky this time,” Bai Ruoyue muttered to herself.

  Lu Qingmo added, “Yes, a rare stroke of fortune, nothing more.”

  “…”

  Are you stealing my line?

  “Didn’t we agree those eight words were banned?” Han protested.

  “They were banned for you, not for us.”

  Later, when Han entered the dreamscape, he inquired about Bai Tian’s whereabouts.

  That afternoon, Bai Tian had visited the Yun Clan again. When Han left the martial hall, Bai Tian had yet to return.

  Upon confirming his return, Han pulled Bai Tian into the dreamscape.

  “Master, you’ve been visiting the Yun Clan quite frequently lately,” Han asked curiously.

  Ever since Bai Tian had returned from Heishan, he had visited the Yun Clan at least five times.

  According to Bai Ruoyue, while the Taibai Martial Hall had always maintained friendly relations with the Yun Clan, her father had never been this close to them.

  Bai Tian explained, “The Yun Clan possesses ancient records left behind by past cultivators regarding breakthroughs. I’ve been using them as a reference.”

  Han fell silent. As expected of the descendant of the Mountain God.

  On the surface, the Yun Clan seemed to have only a handful of cultivators at the Daylight and Bone Refinement stages, slightly above the average level of Heiyun Town. Yet, they had records capable of aiding Bai Tian’s breakthroughs.

  Who knew how many hidden experts the Yun Clan had?

  The Mountain God had lived for centuries, and under his protection, the Yun Clan had existed just as long. Their true strength was something outsiders could never fully grasp.

  “The Yun Clan wouldn’t share such knowledge without expecting something in return,” Lu Qingmo commented calmly.

  “The Mountain God knows how difficult my cultivation path is. Since I am a native of Heiyun Town, he has shown me special favor,” Bai Tian replied.

  “The Yun Clan simply follows his will.”

  “So, the Mountain God has taken an interest in your potential?”

  “Perhaps,” Bai Tian said, glancing at Han and the others with a faint smile.

  “The Yun Clan has also taken an interest in you.”

  “Speaking of which, the Yun Clan’s patriarch mentioned the possibility of a marriage alliance with the Taibai Martial Hall to strengthen our bond.”

  “I would never agree to an arranged marriage!” Bai Ruoyue reacted instantly, practically ready to punch her father.

  “Don’t even think about it, Dad!”

  Bai Tian gave his daughter an odd look.

  “It’s not you they’re interested in.”

  “The Yun Clan has their eyes on Han.”

  “…”

  This just got awkward.

  “The Yun Clan’s patriarch has two daughters, both of whom you’ve met. He said that if you’re willing, you may choose either one to get to know. If things go well, you could marry immediately.”

  “If you prefer, you could even select someone from the Yun Clan’s branch families.”

  The Yun Clan was vast, and its younger generation wasn’t limited to Yun Duo and Yun Yun. However, those two were direct descendants of the patriarch.

  “Master… Yun Duo is only fifteen…”

  Now Han was the one feeling awkward. While fifteen might be considered an acceptable age in this world, he had absolutely no interest in someone so young.

  “Oh? So you’re interested in Yun Yun instead?”

  Before Han could respond, Bai Ruoyue interjected.

  “No way! My junior brother can’t go either!” She glared at Bai Tian, puffing up indignantly.

  “If someone’s going to marry into the Yun Clan, it should be you!”

  “Wait, no! You can’t go either, Dad!”

  Bai Tian’s face darkened as the others struggled to hold back their laughter. Bai Ruoyue’s outburst was hilarious.

  “Master, my martial path is still uncertain, and my soul cultivation is incomplete. This isn’t the time for me to consider such matters,” Han said, shaking his head.

  Marriage alliances weren’t something he was interested in.

  “Absolutely do not agree to the Yun Clan’s request!” Bai Ruoyue shot her father a warning glare.

  Bai Tian chuckled and shook his head. “I have already refused.”

  “I dislike forcing such matters. These things should be decided by one’s own will.”

  He then added, “However, though the marriage alliance won’t happen, my relationship with the Yun Clan remains intact.”

  “They are organizing an expedition for their young disciples to a certain place—one with great opportunities. The patriarch has granted me a few extra spots. You may join if you wish.”

  “What place? What kind of opportunity?”

  Bai Tian’s expression grew serious.

  “The other side of Heishan.”