"So... I’m already this strong?"

  Han stood with his hands on his hips as the green energy in the space surged once again, repairing his soul.

  On the other side, the soul of the Blindfolded Sister had been completely incinerated by the Nameless Netherfire, leaving behind a pile of gold coins.

  A mere early-stage Sunwalker as the gatekeeper? Not even a match for him!

  He never truly realized his own power until he fought. But now, the reality was clear—his mastery of the soul had reached an astonishing level!

  Who in this world could challenge him?

  Before Han could dwell on it, the gatekeeper’s soul reappeared, initiating the usual inquiry.

  Still at the early Sunwalker stage, but now at the second level.

  Han quickly calculated the number of soul-based trials he had cleared and decided to continue the challenge.

  Battling a Sunwalker was incredibly difficult—their level was far beyond his own.

  But Han had a trump card that could end the fight in an instant.

  With a flurry of hand seals, the Nameless Netherfire erupted from the surrounding space, engulfing the gatekeeper’s soul.

  The Earthfire, after absorbing the Netherfire, had grown exponentially stronger. Compared to when Han had first used it against the Huang clan’s cultivators back in Black Mountain, its power was now on a completely different level.

  Back then, the Netherfire had only been refined for a few days.

  As the Blindfolded Sister was consumed by the flames, Han launched relentless attacks. Under this pressure, she was once again defeated.

  When she reappeared at the mid-stage Sunwalker level and prompted for another challenge, Han chose to decline.

  Even against an early-stage Sunwalker, he had to go all out. If he pushed further, things might spiral out of control.

  If something unexpected happened and he lost his access to the Heavenly Ruins, he’d probably want to kill An Lang.

  "My soul cultivation… I might actually be among the strongest in Black Cloud Town’s major families now." Han felt a tinge of pride before shaking his head.

  "Too bad there are so few opportunities to use soul-based combat freely in the outside world."

  Since embarking on the path of cultivation, martial arts had always been Han’s primary method of battle, with soul techniques serving as support.

  This wasn’t just his personal situation—it was the norm for most dual cultivators.

  To fully unleash the power of one’s soul and utilize Daoist techniques to their fullest, a cultivator had to release their soul from the body.

  Many powerful techniques required a fully detached soul state to be executed properly. Even those that could be used while the soul remained inside the body would still be significantly weakened.

  While the physical body protected the soul, it also acted as a restriction—at least at this stage.

  However, Han had rarely encountered a battle where he could safely release his soul without putting his physical body at risk.

  The moment the soul left the body, the flesh became defenseless—a sitting duck.

  For someone like Han, who cultivated both paths, the importance of his physical body was self-evident. He would never recklessly expose it to danger.

  If anything happened to his body, where would he even begin to cry?

  Given these circumstances, soul techniques naturally became more of a secondary tool in combat.

  For dual cultivators, the soul could at least serve as support in direct battles. But for pure cultivators who relied solely on their soul and techniques? Facing a martial artist head-on was a nightmare.

  There was no denying that soul techniques were mysterious and powerful. But in the early stages? They were pure suffering.

  Martial artists were simply the kings of the early game.

  Cultivators? The bottom-feeders of the bottom-feeders.

  Only at the Sunwalker stage did this imbalance begin to shift. But even then, it was only enough to stand toe-to-toe with martial artists of the same level.

  Even at this stage, the power dynamic was not entirely reversed.

  No Sunwalker would ever recklessly expose their soul in front of a martial artist, leaving their physical body unprotected.

  Even figures like the Yun family patriarch would only venture out in soul form after securing their body in the safest location—sometimes, not even their own family knew where it was hidden.

  Han rarely had such a luxury. Most of his battles happened in the wild, where he could never afford to recklessly separate his soul from his body.

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  When he trained with Lu Qingmo, the enemies they faced were weak enough that his martial arts alone sufficed—there was no need to reveal his Daoist abilities.

  Most people had already guessed that Han was cultivating Daoist techniques. After all, he spent so much time around Lu Qingmo.

  If he wasn’t a cultivator, what was he doing there?

  But guessing was one thing—knowing his exact soul cultivation level was another.

  And those who had figured it out? Were all dead.

  The only ones left were those he considered allies.

  As a result, his true soul cultivation remained a hidden card up his sleeve.

  Sunwalkers could match Bone Refining martial artists largely because they no longer feared sunlight or physical energy suppression.

  At this stage, they gained complete freedom.

  If they wished, no Bone Refining martial artist could ever truly pin them down.

  After all, a cultivator’s soul could fly.

  If they weren’t winning the fight? They could just fly away.

  Or better yet, they could hover in the sky and bombard their opponent with spells—what could a martial artist possibly do about it?

  "Come up here and fight me if you dare! Oh, wait… you can’t."

  It wasn’t until the Manifestation Realm that a cultivator’s soul became nearly tangible, like a second physical body.

  At that point, they could truly stand toe-to-toe with martial artists in direct combat.

  At that stage, they could even leave their physical body hidden somewhere and walk the world solely in soul form—completely untouchable.

  But for Han, that was still a long way off.

  The Blindfolded Sister’s voice echoed through the space.

  "The Seeker has cleared the eighth trial of the Soul Path and has forfeited the ninth challenge."

  The Martial Path had eight trials. The Soul Path had eight as well.

  Not a single one more or less. Perfectly symmetrical.

  "Eight consecutive victories, not a single defeat. Final rating: Supreme!"

  At that moment, the Black-and-White Brothers reappeared, repeating the exact same words.

  Han’s expression was unreadable.

  He had opted out of the ninth challenge… yet he was still considered undefeated?

  Well, technically, that was true.

  It seemed sometimes, knowing when to stop was just as important as knowing how to fight.

  "A Seeker with a Supreme rating is eligible to meet the Elders of the Ascension Hall!" both gatekeepers announced.

  "Additionally, this unlocks the Trial of the Chosen and the Trial of the Immortal Seed!"

  "…"

  A bad feeling crept into Han’s heart.

  Could they just forget about those damn elders already? Let the old man rest in peace.

  Sure enough, the gatekeepers attempted to contact the artifact spirit or elders—again.

  And as expected, no response.

  The trials couldn’t be activated.

  Han was utterly dumbfounded.

  They literally just tried this a moment ago. How had they already forgotten?

  These two were the very definition of artificial stupidity.

  After another round of nonsensical procedures, the gatekeepers spoke again.

  "Unable to contact the responsible personnel. As per the Ascension Hall’s rules, the Supreme-rated Seeker will receive the highest reward."

  "You may enter the Ascension Pool once and select one Supreme-rated Daoist technique and one Supreme-rated martial art from the Hall of Myriad Paths."

  Han’s eyes gleamed.

  If this was the highest reward, then maybe failing to reach the elders was actually a blessing in disguise.

  Had an actual person judged him, personal biases could have influenced the rating—for better or worse.

  But these two followed the rules to the letter. No favoritism. No unfair deductions. Just pure, impartial judgment.

  And the rewards…

  Ascension Pool? Hall of Myriad Paths?

  Would stepping into the Ascension Pool instantly make him an immortal?

  Of course, he knew that was impossible.

  But still—one could dream!

  So, are there supreme martial arts here? Perhaps even legendary divine techniques?"

  Once again, the ground cracked open, and a token flew out. One side was engraved with the characters for "Supreme," while the other bore "Ten Thousand Paths."

  The gatekeeper announced, "The seeker may use this token to enter the Hall of Ten Thousand Paths."

  Han curiously asked, "What level are these 'Supreme'-rated techniques? Are they heavenly martial arts? Legendary divine skills?"

  "They are of the Supreme level."

  Excellent. A textbook answer. I must’ve been out of my mind to expect anything more from them.

  "Where is the Hall of Ten Thousand Paths? Will you send me there?"

  "Once the seeker leaves the Hall of Immortal Ascension, a disciple of the Heaven’s Fate Sect will guide you there."

  "..."

  Han was speechless. Did these guys even know what was going on outside? Heaven’s Fate Sect? What Heaven’s Fate Sect?!

  Bro, times have changed!

  "And if there’s no one to guide me?"

  "If the seeker knows the location of the Hall of Ten Thousand Paths, you may proceed on your own."

  "And if I don’t know where it is?"

  "Then you shall wait for a disciple to guide you."

  "And if no one comes?"

  "If the seeker knows—"

  Enough! Just stop. I shouldn’t have expected anything from you.

  Han looked at the token in his hand. A technique rated as Supreme in Heaven’s Fate Sect had to be extraordinary, even if it wasn’t at the level of heavenly martial arts. If he could enter the hall, the rewards would be immense.

  But damn it, the entire outside world was a wasteland! Where was he supposed to find the Hall of Ten Thousand Paths?

  And after all these years, did it even still exist?

  The Hall of Immortal Ascension itself was already half-ruined, with the remaining parts crumbling under the encroaching red mist.

  Han's heart sank at the thought. He quickly asked, "How do I reach the Grand Ascension Pool?"

  Please don’t tell me it’s somewhere else too...

  "Proceed straight ahead, and you will arrive at the Grand Ascension Pool."

  Han felt an increasing sense of unease. He distinctly remembered that the rear half of the Hall of Immortal Ascension had been destroyed when he looked at it from outside.

  Hopefully, that won’t affect this so-called Ascension Pool...

  And even if the pool was still intact, after all these years, would it even retain its full power?

  "What does the Grand Ascension Pool do?"

  "It aids in the transformation of both body and soul, nurturing the Seed of Transcendence. Should the seed bloom and bear fruit, the practitioner's physique will surpass all mortal limitations."

  A Seed of Transcendence? A fundamental transformation of my physical essence?

  Han pondered for a moment. So, this was a way to elevate his natural physique to rival those born with extraordinary constitutions?

  However, it seemed that the pool would only nurture the seed—the process of making it bloom and bear fruit would still require his own efforts in the future.

  The two gatekeepers stepped aside, clearing the way for him. Han proceeded forward.

  After walking about a hundred meters, dense darkness enveloped him once more. When the light returned, he found himself in a different place.

  The room was built of white jade bricks and framed with walls of deep green jade. Unfortunately, cracks marred the walls and floor.

  At the center of the room lay a pool, measuring roughly three meters across in both length and width.

  Even the edges and the bottom of the pool bore fractures, but to Han’s relief, water still shimmered within.

  However, the pool was only half full. Had it always been this way, or had much of the water already drained away over time?

  Without hesitation, Han stepped into the Grand Ascension Pool.

  The moment his body touched the water—

  Hiss!

  A piercing chill surged through him, sending uncontrollable tremors down his spine…