Moments before, just as the Golden Light Divine Incantation was on the verge of depleting Shu Han's magic power reserves, the silver runes spread like a virulent plague. In desperation, Shu Han ransacked his memory of every item in his storage bag, yearning to discover a means to counteract these enigmatic symbols.

His responsibility now was not just his own life, but also that of Shangguan Ruolin, who was in the midst of mending her Golden Core. In the end, after much contemplation, he could only place his hopes on the black jar.

It was his ultimate trump card. Shu Han had tested it before; this black jar was not only miraculously able to duplicate items, but it was also exceptionally resilient. No matter what method Shu Han used, he couldn't scratch a single fragment off it.

Thus, with the mindset that he had nothing left to lose, he placed Shangguan Ruolin inside a jade amulet and tossed it into the black jar. He then transformed into a streak of light, diving into the amulet within the black jar.

Upon entering the jar, inside the amulet's space, Shu Han was elated to discover that the runes seemed to have lost their power, rapidly fading from him. The confined space inside the jar felt as though it was separated from the external world.

Later, when he emerged from the black jar, he found his situation seemingly worse than before. The teleportation array was rendered useless. The Immaculate Realm, under the influence of the silver runes, was continually contracting and collapsing.

The now barren Immaculate Realm lay in eerie silence, save for a massive blood-red giant with two heads standing atop the Immaculate Mountain.

In the giant's palm was a sphere of radiant light, immense power constantly bolstered onto it. Dazzling silver symbols swirled around the light, reminiscent of patterns etched into a rough mold during magic tool refinement.

As Shu Han surveyed the entirety of the Immaculate Realm, an ominous feeling welled within him. Being an tool crafter himself, the scene before him seemed eerily familiar.

"They intend to refine the entire Immaculate Realm into a magical treasure!"

Using the blood trail of the Blood Soul Tracking Array to trace all beings in the Immaculate Realm, harnessing the power of their souls to create a vessel capable of containing the strength of a great cultivator, and then using this vessel to challenge the core sacred stone of the Immaculate Realm, shaking and shattering the foundation of an entire realm. Once its core was refined, the whole Immaculate Realm would be transformed into an unparalleled treasure!

Swallowing hard, Shu Han thought, "The means of a great cultivator are truly beyond comprehension! But how can I escape?"

With the teleportation array rendered useless, the Immaculate Realm felt like an immense prison. Shu Han was truly at his wit's end; the crisis at hand surpassed anything he could possibly handle.

Thus, he released Shangguan Ruolin from the jade amulet, thinking that only a fully empowered Shangguan Ruolin might have a chance against the current predicament.

While Shangguan Ruolin was still in the phase of restoring her Golden Core, the miraculous effects of the Heavenly Creation Fluid took time to fully mend her injuries. And time was what they lacked the most. Once the Immaculate Realm was successfully refined into a magical treasure, they would be doomed.

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"Desperate times call for desperate measures!"

Slitting his finger, Shu Han channeled his vital essence into Shangguan Ruolin's mouth.

Though the Heavenly Creation Fluid could mend and harmonize Shangguan Ruolin's Golden Core, his own essence could produce a similar effect, albeit far less potent. Still, anything was better than nothing. Every bit hastened the healing, increasing their chances of survival.

Pouring vast amounts of his essence into Shangguan Ruolin, her aura grew increasingly formidable. In less than three-quarters of an hour, Shu Han had already lost nearly half of his vital essence.

Dizziness and faintness overwhelmed him, causing his form to waver. He extracted the Jade Rabbit, whispering urgently, "In this dire moment, give me all the essence you possess. If we survive, countless aged ginseng legs will be yours to savor."

Though the Jade Rabbit wasn't particularly intelligent, it recognized the gravity of their situation. Rich Grand Yin essence flowed from its mouth, absorbed by Shu Han. This stimulated Shu Han's constitution, accelerating the production of his vital essence. In an instant, two-thirds of Shu Han's essence was depleted.

Were it not for his magic power sustaining him, he would have perished from the excessive loss. Yet, this wasn't the end. As long as he had a drop of blood left, he couldn't halt.

"Linlin, hurry... I can't hold on..."

The Jade Rabbit, too, was reaching its limits. It lay weakly on Shu Han's shoulder, feebly releasing the last of its Grand Yin essence.

Suddenly, Shu Han sensed someone approaching from behind. Startled, he quickly withdrew his finger and unsteadily pulled out the Eight-Direction Evil-Breaking Sword, positioning himself to protect Shangguan Ruolin.

Looking up, he saw a disheveled Shangguan Ruotong, her clothes torn and hair in a mess, swaying as she flew towards them. A chill ran down Shu Han's spine: The madwoman was still alive! How did she survive the Blood Soul Tracking Array?

Shangguan Ruotong, her face cold, was in a dire state, despite having escaped the Blood Soul Tracking Array. Noticing Shu Han's protective stance in front of Shangguan Ruolin, she effortlessly lifted the weakened Shu Han and fiercely threw him aside.

"Get away!"

Watching Shangguan Ruotong slowly approach Shangguan Ruolin, Shu Han wanted to intervene but was too weakened by the loss of his vital essence to even stand firmly.

"Don't touch her!"

Shangguan Ruotong spared Shu Han a glance, then moved directly in front of the seated Shangguan Ruolin. A slight smile graced her lips as she said, "Sister, after so many games of hide and seek, I finally found you for real."

With that, she collapsed into Shangguan Ruolin's embrace, their identical faces pressed together, and Shangguan Ruotong pressed a kiss onto Shangguan Ruolin's blood-stained lips.

Suddenly, a golden light enveloped the two.

Shu Han froze, recognizing the phenomenon. They were transferring Golden Core energy?

This transfer was far more intense than what Shangguan Ruolin had done for him. Vast amounts of Golden Core energy continuously flowed into Shangguan Ruolin. Her body shimmered brilliantly, and in a moment, she awakened, releasing an overwhelming aura that swept the area. Her blood-stained clothes instantly cleansed as she gently floated in the air, her power rising incrementally.

Foundation Establishment - early stage.

Foundation Establishment - advanced stage.

Core Formation - early stage.

Core Formation - mid-stage.

Core Formation - advanced stage!

By then, the weakened Shangguan Ruotong, whispering, "Sister... take me with you... don't leave me behind again..." fainted from the massive loss of her Golden Core energy. Shangguan Ruolin, touching her sister's hair, nodded gravely and stored her in the jade amulet space.

In an instant, she transformed into a beam of light, appearing before the barely conscious Shu Han.

Shu Han, seeing the once formidable Shangguan Ruolin restored, smiled with relief, pointing at the gigantic figure on the Immaculate Mountain, saying, "Finally, you're awake... That blood-red giant is trying to refine the entire Immaculate Realm... After a year of toil for you, I can finally rest. I leave this to you now, Linlin."

Shangguan Ruolin's eyes welled up. Grasping Shu Han's cold hand, she choked out, "Now that I'm restored, no one will harm you again!"

With that, she motioned and Shu Han was also stored in the jade amulet space.

The wind picked up from the ground. Shangguan Ruolin soared into the sky, her body cloaked in white feathered battle armor, with the Six Harmonies Silk Bracelet gleaming in her hand.

The mighty combat prowess of an advanced-stage Core Formation tore through the collapsing Immaculate Realm.