Yandang Mountain had become a wasteland, no longer worthy of being called a spiritual mountain. Fortunately, due to its remote location and valley terrain, the alchemy valley was spared from the wildfire ignited by the Fire God Talismans. It remained as tranquil as it had been for the past ten years.

Shu Han returned to the valley and chose a sunny slope for his master's burial. He planned to keep watch over the grave in the valley and attempt to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage during this period.

At this point, Shu Han had completed the twelfth level of Qi Refining. His magic power was overflowing and still had the momentum to continue growing. He had initially planned to continue consuming Qi Gathering Pills to break through the bottleneck of the Foundation Establishment stage. However, this hurdle seemed too great. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't make any progress.

Shu Han had always acknowledged his lack of talent. Each level required a large number of pills and time to break through. But he had never encountered such an insurmountable bottleneck. The bottlenecks he faced in the past paled in comparison to this leap to a higher realm; it was like comparing a small mound to a towering mountain. He had a vague feeling that he was going about it the wrong way. If he continued with his usual practice methods, he would never reach the Foundation Establishment stage in this lifetime!

Shu Han grew anxious. He searched his master's study for information about the Foundation Establishment stage but found nothing on how to break through to this stage. He didn't understand why there were no instructions on breaking through this bottleneck in the teachings passed down from his master's family. However, there were many insights recorded about the initial to the middle stage and from the middle to the late stage.

Shu Han pondered that there could only be two possibilities for this.

One, the bottleneck from the Qi Refining stage to the Foundation Establishment stage is too simple, and there is no need to document it.

Two, there is a commonly accepted method in the cultivation world for breaking through this stage, and it's so widely known that there was no need to document it.

The first possibility was definitely not the case. If the bottleneck were too simple, his master wouldn't have been stuck at the twelfth level of Qi Refining.

Shu Han closed the book, thinking that he probably couldn't stay in the valley for three years of mourning. He already felt that he couldn't overcome this bottleneck through diligent cultivation alone. Having more Qi Gathering Pills would be useless.

Moreover, the Mystical Dragon Triple Rotation Divine Art had started to give him warnings. If he remained at this stage for too long, he would ultimately die from his meridians exploding!

"It seems necessary to venture into the real cultivation world!" Shu Han thought. So, he began to tidy up the alchemy valley, carefully placed the black jar into the storage bag, and stored a little bit of every kind of medicinal herb from the valley.

A month later, the disciples of the Mystical Dragon Sect were all dispersed. Goudan, following Shu Han's instructions, had escorted the last disciple away. He then came to the alchemy valley to find Shu Han. Looking over the valley where he had lived for ten years, Shu Han felt a twinge of reluctance to leave. The past decade seemed like a dream, yet compared to Shu Village, the memories etched here were far more profound. Perhaps this valley felt more like home to him.

Before leaving, Shu Han used a God Fire Talisman to demolish the entrance to the valley. Uncertain of when he might return, he did not want anyone to disturb the tranquility of his master's resting place. Hence, they both embarked on a carriage, retracing the path they took ten years ago, departing from Mystical Dragon Sect.

The carriage rattled and rocked. Two days later, they once again arrived at the bamboo grove of yesteryears, with its sway of verdant bamboo remaining unchanged.

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As he gazed at the bamboo forest outside the window, Shu Han's thoughts seemed to travel back to ten years ago. Back then, he had been lying by the window, admiring the vast expanse of the bamboo sea, with Immortal Master Zhang by his side engaging in a deep discussion.

Just like ten years ago, sudden swooshing noises echoed around them. A hail of arrows came raining down. The horses neighed in despair, collapsed with a thunderous crash, and the carriage abruptly halted. Shu Han exchanged surprised glances with Goudan.

"Again?!"

Yet, the arrow rain ceased after one round. With a long sigh, Shu Han lifted the curtain and stepped out of the carriage.

At this point, a squadron of horsemen emerged on either side of the road. The gleaming swords and blades arranged in a row eerily mirrored the scene from ten years ago. But Shu Han was no Immortal Master Zhang.

He scanned the surrounding crowd with cold eyes, the Heavenly Quadrant Sword Formation in his storage bag, ready to spring into action. He sternly said, "Esteemed men of the green forest, I am Shu Han. Mystical Dragon Sect has now disbanded, it will no longer oppress you. Why can't you let go of old grudges and resort to ambush? Let me guess, you wouldn't be the Hungry Wolf Gang, would you?"

From the crowd stepped out a young man, sword in hand, who gave a respectful bow and laughed, "Immortal has misunderstood. We are from Sky-aspiring Sect, not the Hungry Wolf Gang. Moreover, we are not here to assassinate you, but to invite you to our Sky-aspiring Sect for a discussion, to jointly consider the matters of the Northern Yan rivers and lakes."

Shu Han's confusion lifted. With Mystical Dragon Sect disbanded, the Northern Yan rivers and lakes were like leaderless dragons. The seven major sects were bound to descend into fierce competition. The disciples of the Mystical Dragon Sect could be a significant aid to their sects.

Imagine, during a faction conflict, having an immortal from Mystical Dragon Sect on their side would dramatically enhance both their momentum and strength.

Shu Han smiled and said, "My brother and I have been away from home for ten years, and we long to return. We do not wish to be involved in the disputes of your rivers and lakes. I would ask you to show some grace and let us go."

The man laughed, "Hahaha, Immortal, you jest. Surely the treatment you would receive at Sky-aspiring Sect is better than in a rural village. If you're homesick, I can arrange for all the villagers from your mountain village to be brought to Sky-aspiring Sect."

"You!" Goudan seethed with anger, eager to fight.

However, Shu Han held him back. He spoke reluctantly, "I thought you were one of the righteous sects among the seven great factions, not stooping to base actions. But it seems your behavior is no different from that of the Hungry Wolf Gang's villains. So be it, we brothers will accompany you to Sky-aspiring Sect and see for ourselves how it differs from the past!"

Goudan whispered, "Big brother, what's there to talk about with these barbaric bandits? Just show them what we've got."

Shu Han shook his head, "I have some acquaintances in Sky-aspiring Sect, so it wouldn't hurt to visit them. I believe once they see her, Sky-aspiring Sect will not dare to trouble us, and we won't need to lift a finger."

Hearing Shu Han's agreement, the man in green burst out laughing, sheathed his gleaming blades and brought two fine horses for Shu Han and Goudan. He personally helped Shu Han onto a horse, showing much respect. He smiled, "I am Xiang Zuofeng, the leader of Sky-aspiring Sect's Left Leaf Hall! May I ask your cultivation level so that I can introduce you properly to our sect leader?"

Cultivation level? Shu Han, now mounted, said, "We are both at the sixth level."

Sixth level...

Xiang Zuofeng showed neither joy nor anger. He said, "That is truly remarkable. Our leader will surely treat you both as distinguished guests."

The horse team moved east. Shu Han keenly sensed hidden forces within the bamboo forest, which bore a striking resemblance to the crossbow that had killed Immortal Master Zhang. A chill crept into his heart. If he had not complied with these people, they might have already secretly loosed their crossbow bolts.

Mystical Dragon Sect had disbanded, yet the world of the rivers and lakes still refused to let go of cultivators.

Shu Han said calmly, "Hall Leader Xiang, I have heard that Sky-aspiring Sect is among the top-tier of the seven factions. Yet, your disciples' clothes are disorderly, and your equipment is outdated. Where is the heroic spirit of the Sky-aspiring Sect of the past?"

Xiang Zuofeng responded, "You flatter us, Immortal. Over these years, Mystical Dragon Sect's demands have become excessive, depleting our resources. Sky-aspiring Sect is no longer the leader of the seven factions. If not for Mystical Dragon Sect's disbandment, Sky-aspiring Sect might have dissolved by now."

"Who is the leader of the seven factions now?"

Xiang Zuofeng answered, "The situations of the seven sects are similar, all have suffered significant losses. However, in recent years, the most flourishing should be the Hungry Wolf Gang. But we still have some foundation in Sky-aspiring Sect, so they dare not provoke us casually."

The Hungry Wolf Gang...

"Your foundation still exists? Don't make me laugh!"