As Han stood before Lu Qingmo, she instinctively took a small step back, letting out a soft sigh in her heart.

How... has he broken through again?

What’s going on? How can someone like him exist? What does that leave for the rest of us?

What should she even say?

She was at a loss for words.

Whether it was martial arts or soul cultivation, Han had continually astonished her with every step he took.

She had become numb to it.

No words could truly convey the shock she felt.

And if she said too much, wouldn’t that make her look completely uninformed?

“Aunt Mo, are you okay? Feeling unwell?” Han asked, concerned.

“No, I’m fine, really fine,” Lu Qingmo replied quickly, forcing a smile.

“Did your martial arts break through again?”

“Yeah,” Han smiled, still pleased about his recent progress.

“Last night, during my practice, I had a breakthrough by chance.”

By chance again, by luck. You said the same thing last time.

“You’ve only just broken through five days ago, right?” Lu Qingmo remarked, still surprised. “In just twelve days, you’ve accomplished what some of Black Cloud Town's geniuses would take years to achieve.”

“If news like this gets out, I wonder how many so-called ‘geniuses’ would be crushed by it.”

“Well, pressure is a great motivator,” Han grinned.

Lu Qingmo shook her head, unconvinced by that reasoning.

While some pressure could indeed motivate, too much pressure could simply break someone.

“Your martial arts improvement will benefit your soul cultivation as well,” she continued, “Over the next period, your soul cultivation will progress more smoothly. Don’t slack off.”

She then placed two items in front of Han.

A wooden sword and a jade bracelet.

Lu Qingmo explained, “This is the Purple Thunder Peachwood Sword and the Spirit Talisman Bracelet. They’re both powerful artifacts, not inferior to the Soul Refining Banner.”

“One for offense, one for defense—quite suitable for you.”

“Thank you, Aunt Mo,” Han said gratefully.

He understood well. It wasn’t just that they weren’t inferior to the Soul Refining Banner; it was that these items suited him better.

If he were to trade at the Ghosts and Gods Exchange, neither the Soul Refining Banner nor the Blood Wheel could likely be exchanged for even one of these.

Han began to refine these two artifacts.

Previously, he had received a soul-forged flying sword from Huang Shiren, but that was just a regular weapon, useful only in the Visualization Realm.

At his current level, that sword had no more use for him.

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Artifacts were what truly suited him.

However, after refining these two items, Han could tell that they weren’t as effective as the Three Lights Spirit Mirror.

Afterward, Han told Lu Qingmo about An Lang’s situation, but Lu Qingmo didn’t rush to meet him, signaling that they would talk later.

After a brief hesitation, Lu Qingmo spoke again.

“Do you still attract Vitality Demons when cultivating?”

Hearing this, Han immediately thought of the incident during his previous fusion of origins.

“Yeah, but they can’t harm me.”

“I don’t know why, but after a while, the demons always retreat on their own. Though the effects of their energy on my soul continue for some time.”

Han explained why he could withstand the Vitality Demons.

In some sense, Han wasn’t lying—the demons did indeed retreat on their own, and his soul had been affected by their energy.

Though, that demon was none other than himself.

“Vitality Demons appearing in the Out-of-Body Realm is strange enough. It’s not impossible for them to retreat on their own,” Lu Qingmo nodded.

“But demons are unpredictable. You can’t always rely on them retreating.”

“Here’s what we’ll do. I’ll teach you a demon-suppressing technique to protect yourself when facing the Vitality Demons.”

“Aunt Mo, this is too valuable…” Han protested.

“It’s not that precious,” she responded. “Major sects and schools teach their disciples such techniques.”

“When facing demons, in the end, you can only rely on yourself. Others…” Lu Qingmo stopped mid-sentence.

Both Han and she had learned the hard way that relying on others against demons could lead to disaster.

A lifelong lesson.

“This technique is called the ‘True Scripture of Liberation.’ When you chant the incantation in the presence of a demon, it will take effect. I will teach it to you now.”

“This technique doesn’t guarantee you can defeat the demon, but the higher your cultivation, the more effective it will be. Even if your cultivation is low, the incantation will still have some effect.”

Lu Qingmo began to teach Han the technique, and he listened intently.

Though he already knew the Golden Light Incantation, learning another method of subduing demons could only be beneficial.

Once the lesson ended, Han left the peach grove. Lu Qingmo watched his retreating figure and turned her gaze to the Yin-Yang Stone Lantern.

“Come out.”

At the Tai Bai Martial Arts Hall, Han eagerly went to find his senior sister to enjoy a morning training session. However, he was met by a group of strangers inside the hall.

Members of the Teng Long Martial Arts Hall.

“Well, well, if it isn’t the genius from the Tai Bai Martial Arts Hall?” Long Yun called out as soon as he saw Han.

“What’s this? Finally showing up to train in the hall?”

“If it were our Teng Long Martial Arts Hall, someone as lazy as you would have been kicked out long ago.”

Han glanced at Long Yun and walked over to Bai Ruoyue, speaking with a hint of complaint in his voice.

“Senior Sister, I told you before to send someone to guard the gate. You didn’t listen.”

“Now look, wild dogs have wandered in, and they’re still barking like that. They’ve polluted the whole hall.”

“Pfft!”

Bai Ruoyue, who had previously been cold, suddenly burst out laughing. “It’s true, my fault. I’ll send someone to the gate right away to chase off these wild dogs.”

Long Yun’s face darkened. “Kid, watch your words. Are you calling me a wild dog?”

“Relax, I said wild dogs. Long Shao, are you getting worked up? Are you not human?” Han teased.

“I am human! Stop with your sarcastic comments!” Long Yun retorted.

“Oh? So I call them wild dogs, and you jump out. Did you bring these wild dogs in?” Han quipped.

“Kid, keep your mouth clean, or you’ll regret it!” Long Yun growled.

“Aw, are you mad? So worked up.” Han smiled. “You guys have me confused now. I can’t even tell who’s the wild dog and who’s human anymore.”

“Senior Sister, can you tell?”

Zhang Yuantao answered first.

“From a distance, they look human, up close they look like dogs, but when you really look at them, neither human nor dog.”

The Teng Long Martial Arts Hall members all scowled in anger.

Long Yun suddenly shouted, “Bai Ruoyue, we’ve come to your Tai Bai Hall to spar, to discuss martial arts, and all you do is babble. Are you scared of our Teng Long Martial Arts Hall?”

“A spar is a spar. Why are you shouting so much?” Bai Ruoyue scoffed.

“You want to learn from me?” she challenged.

“I won’t fight today. I’m just here to stand guard for my disciples so none of your people break the rules.”

Long Yun wanted to back out, knowing that if he sparred with Bai Ruoyue, it would be a one-sided beating.

“We at Tai Bai Martial Arts Hall never fear a challenge,” Zhang Yuantao said with a smile.

“But sorry, since you’ve come to us for guidance, the rules of the spar should be set by us.”

In any challenge, it’s the host who sets the rules.

“Long Shao, Tai Bai Martial Arts Hall has two martial artists at the Flesh and Bones Realm. Who do you wish to learn from?”

Long Yun’s face shifted between emotions. Teng Long Martial Arts Hall only had him as a practitioner in the Flesh and Bones Realm.

Han, however, was suddenly invigorated.

Tai Bai Martial Arts Hall only had him in the Flesh and Bones Realm—if the challenge really begins, wouldn’t it be his turn to step up?

Great, the chance that he missed last time in the conflict with Teng Long Martial Arts Hall has finally arrived!

It’s my turn to perform!