He Fengdi had come to greet Han Yi. By mentioning that he had witnessed Han Yi slay a four-meter-tall Demon Race warrior, he signaled his lack of ill intentions. His invitation for Han Yi to socialize after returning to the sect was a clear attempt to build rapport.
Cultivating connections with powerful individuals was only natural.
Han Yi responded humbly, "Senior Brother He, you overestimate me. That performance was purely circumstantial. In another situation, I would surely have been the one to die."
"However, Junior Brother Han has always preferred quiet solitude. I hope Senior Brother He will forgive my reluctance for excessive socializing."
"By the way, the Spirit Wine at the Immortal Chess Pavilion is quite good. I'd be honored to treat Senior Brother He to a hearty drinking session when we have the opportunity."
Han Yi's meaning was clear. He avoided directly boasting about his strength, adopting a modest tone to imply his preference for discretion. This was a polite way of asking He Fengdi not to spread rumors about him. The invitation to share drinks signaled that he wasn't rejecting future interactions.
He Fengdi's face lit up with delight. "Junior Sister Chu mentioned that Junior Brother Han is a dedicated ascetic. It seems she was right! No wonder you've achieved such prowess. I'm deeply impressed."
"Excellent! When we return to the Profound Pill Sect, Senior Brother will host at the Immortal Chess Pavilion."
After a few more pleasantries, He Fengdi departed with a smile.
Han Yi sat cross-legged. He didn't despise the act of clinging to the strong; it was a universal truth in the Cultivation World, and indeed, in every world.
Clinging to the strong wasn't pitiful; preying on the weak was detestable.
Besides, he wasn't yet strong himself.
This time, no one disturbed him.
As usual, Han Yi began his post-expedition review.
First, he meticulously recalled every detail of his two-month stay in the Cave Heaven World, scrutinizing each moment repeatedly until he was certain nothing had been overlooked.
Next, he mentally tallied the losses and gains from the Cave Heaven Trial.
His losses primarily consisted of Spirit Talismans and Magic Artifacts: the Divine Annihilation Talisman, the Chengying Sword, the Seven Stars Sword, the Crimson Haze Sword, four Wind Demon Daggers, and several other Low-Grade sword artifacts.
His gains were twofold:
First, the ball of light obtained from the Shaman, known as the True Ascension Mark in the Cultivation World and Primordial Qi in the Cave Heaven World.
Second, a Stone Insect, also exchanged with the Shaman, capable of enhancing one's Root Bone.
The Primordial Qi remained stored in his Storage Pouch, while the Stone Insect had already been consumed and digested.
However, the Stone Insect's effectiveness remained to be verified.
Beyond these tangible acquisitions, he had also gained invaluable insights:
The Grand Void Illusionary Realm, the Demon Race, Li Changsheng, the Burial Cloth, the Sword Cliff Sword Immortal, the Southern Dipper Divine Palace, Jade Capital Mountain, the White Jade Tower, the Spirit Battle Sect, Great Qian...
Having summarized his experiences and gains in the Cave Heaven World, Han Yi turned his thoughts to planning.
Without a doubt, upon returning to the Profound Pill Sect, he would need to purchase a new sword artifact. If possible, he should also acquire a set of daggers.
This time, however, even the daggers would need to be at least High-Grade Magic Artifacts to meet his requirements.
Ideally, he would obtain a Top-Grade Magic Artifact if the opportunity arose. However, his current funds were insufficient. Han Yi mentally inventoried the items in his Storage Pouch that could be sold later to save up for a better artifact.
Perhaps he should sell the Golden Light Shuttle and use the proceeds to buy a Top-Grade sword artifact better suited to his needs?
The thought had certainly crossed his mind.
The Immortal Boat sped onward, its route unpredictable.
The journey to the Cave Heaven World had taken them through towering mountains and steep valleys. The return voyage would wind through countless rivers and majestic mountain ranges.
Starting from the southeastern corner of Qian Prefecture, they would traverse over half the prefecture, cross the Qian-Shu border into Shu Prefecture, and then traverse numerous prefectural cities before finally reaching the Profound Pill Sect.
However...
As the Immortal Boat entered Shu Prefecture and approached Spirit Nurturing Prefecture, it suddenly halted. The three Supreme Elders standing at the bow—Fu Canghai and Su Changkong among them—suddenly soared into the sky.
Moments later, they returned to the boat, but now three figures descended instead of two.
Accompanying them was none other than the Sect Leader of the Profound Pill Sect, Yuan Shun.
Yuan Shun's expression remained calm and unreadable. He communicated with the other Golden Core Stage Supreme Elders solely through divine sense. However, once Yuan Shun boarded the Immortal Boat, its speed suddenly surged by thirty percent, streaking across the sky like a thunderbolt. The surrounding sea of clouds and the mountains and lakes below blurred past in a dizzying rush.
"Sect Leader Yuan is here? Something must have happened."
"Could this be a sting operation? But the fish didn't take the bait?"
The thought flashed through Han Yi's mind. It was the only explanation for Yuan Shun's sudden appearance and the Immortal Boat's abrupt acceleration.
The rest of the journey passed without incident.
Thanks to the increased speed, the return trip, which would normally take a month, was shortened by seven days.
Aboard the Immortal Boat, Han Yi experimented with his cultivation speed but found no change. The Stone Insect he had obtained from the Shaman had been absorbed into his body, but its effects remained elusive, as if a stone had sunk into the sea without a trace.
Dejected but resigned, Han Yi returned to the Profound Pill Sect. As expected, a grand observation ceremony was held. Disciples from both the Inner and Outer Peaks gathered around the Illusory Immortal Mirrors to witness the Immortal Boat's landing and the return of over a hundred disciples.
After the elaborate rituals, everyone dispersed to their respective residences.
More than three months after his departure, Han Yi returned to Azure Dragon Peak. As he stepped into his courtyard, he finally felt like he had come home.
It had been over twenty years since Han Yi's transmigration, and only when he returned to his courtyard at the Profound Pill Sect did he truly feel at home.
Next, Han Yi inventoried all his possessions.
He had six unopened storage pouches: four containing items from the Robber Cultivators he had encountered outside Daofu City, one from Liu Heng of Daofu City, and one from the young man wielding a halberd—suspected to be the son of a Duke-Marquis of Great Qian—whom he had slain in the Myriad Demon Mountain Range.
His magic artifacts included:
One Top-Grade Magic Artifact: the Golden Light Shuttle. One High-Grade Magic Artifact: the Silver Vanity Mirror. Several Mid-Grade Magic Artifacts, none of which were sword artifacts.
He had no Low-Grade Magic Artifacts, having sold them all. The only sword artifact he had ever owned, he had self-detonated within his Cave Heaven World.
His spirit talismans consisted of: one Divine Annihilation Talisman, two Yin Thunder Talismans, two Escape Talismans, and several Exploding Talismans.
After tallying his magic artifacts and spirit talismans, Han Yi turned his attention to his spirit stones. His storage pouches contained over 2,800 Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, with more than 2,000 of them recovered from the original owner of the Golden Light Shuttle.
"Top-Grade Magic Artifacts cost at least a thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones. If I buy a standard Top-Grade sword artifact, two thousand Spirit Stones should be enough."
"As for my daily cultivation, if I run out of Spirit Stones, I can always sell any unused Magic Artifacts. Even the Silver Vanity Mirror isn't off the table."
"Alright, that's settled for now."
The next day, Han Yi headed straight for the Nine Dragons Merchant Guild in Red Sun Market. This time, He Fangwei wasn't managing the shop; instead, another shopkeeper at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement was in charge.
After making some inquiries, Han Yi learned that He Fangwei had been transferred to the branch store on Combat Peak.
A flicker of calculation crossed Han Yi's eyes. He thanked the shopkeeper but refrained from selling any Magic Artifacts, choosing to leave instead.
They'd rip off their regulars—imagine what they'd do to strangers. I'm not that naive.
After a moment's hesitation, he set off directly for Combat Peak.
His strength was considerable. Within the entire sect, he feared only Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators at the Elder level or above. Even against Geng Changxu, the Earth Ranking's top contender, and An Xin, ranked second, he'd dare to fight, Golden Light Shuttle in hand.
Strength breeds confidence. Now that he had nothing to fear, Han Yi felt no need to hide his identity from He Fangwei.
Having reached a point where he feared no cultivator below the Foundation Establishment Stage, he would be ashamed to cower before a mere shopkeeper at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement. If he did, his cultivation journey would have been better spent training a dog.
Arriving at Combat Peak, Han Yi found the area still buzzing with activity. Fueled by the recent Cave Heaven Trial, disciples from both the Inner and Outer Peaks were swept up in a feverish enthusiasm that would gradually subside over time.
Han Yi strode directly to the shops lining the perimeter of Combat Peak and entered one bearing the sign of the Nine Dragons Merchant Guild.
The Nine Dragons Merchant Guild at Combat Peak was noticeably smaller than its branch in Red Sun Market. After all, this place was a bustling hub for cultivators, where every inch of land was precious.
He Fangwei's eyes flickered with surprise when he saw Han Yi, but his familiar smile remained unchanged.
"Fellow Daoist, are you here to sell a Magic Artifact or purchase Spirit Talismans?"