"Finally done." Yanwei exhaled softly, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "I just hope all my calculations are correct. It's ironic, though. The so-called number one demon, forced to be this cautious." He chuckled at himself, shaking his head.

"Every backup plan is in place. But now..." His gaze sharpened as he considered his next step. "How do I break through to rank 2?" He paced in the dim light, speaking aloud to sort through his thoughts. "There are three paths I could take."

He raised a finger. "The first: use a pill. It’s the easiest and safest option, but it would weaken my foundation. A fragile base like that would cripple my future progress."

A second finger rose. "The second: gather four natural treasures representing wind, fire, earth, and water. It’ll cost me a fortune, but the foundation it provides is solid. This method is favored by even the geniuses of rank 8 sects, and sometimes even rank 9." He nodded to himself. "Slow, but safe."

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Finally, his third finger. "The last option..." His expression darkened. "Using the essence of humans. It’s the fastest way, and the foundation would be unparalleled. But it’s unstable, and if I lose control, the secret realm itself might collapse. Not just my life, but everything I’ve worked for could be lost."

Yanwei clenched his fist, staring at the faint light of his lantern. "Option 1 is safe but weak. Option 2 is slow, costly, but secure. Option 3... it’s tempting, but the risks are too great."

After a day of deliberation, he made his decision. "The second option," he muttered. "It’ll take time, and I’ll need to scrape together the resources, but I can’t afford recklessness. The stronger the foundation, the higher I can climb."

His brows furrowed as another problem surfaced. "The spirit stones I saved are almost gone," he grumbled. "Exchanging for the second merit drained me dry. If I want to gather those treasures, I’ll need a new source of income."

Tapping his finger against the table, Yanwei’s thoughts churned. But after a moment, he sighed and shook his head. "One thing at a time. The plan comes first. I can’t afford to stumble now—not after a hundred years of preparation." His eyes gleamed coldly. "An anomaly like me doesn’t get second chances."