The hundred-odd Spirit Stones obtained from the Profound Fire Pill Shop, combined with those plundered from Jiang De's Storage Pouch and the Spirit Sand, brought Han Yi's total to nearly two hundred Spirit Stones.
This substantial sum was more than enough to sustain his cultivation for six months.
In fact, Han Yi estimated that even with dedicated cultivation using Spirit Stones, he would only expend about two-thirds of his reserves during that period.
This meant that when the one-year deadline approached, he would still have ample Spirit Stones to successfully complete the Sect Return Assessment.
This financial security was one of the main reasons he resolved to remain secluded in his courtyard for the next six months, refusing to venture outside under any circumstances.
After organizing his belongings, Han Yi single-mindedly resumed his cultivation.
Spell: Spirit Void Finger.
He had previously cleared both bedrooms and now focused his attacks downward.
Based on his earlier experiments, his Proficiency Panel progressed solely through dedicated effort. Whether his attacks were directed downward or forward made no difference.
Poof!
With a light flick of his finger, he released one-hundredth of his total mana—a significant reduction from the previous one-fiftieth.
The reduced mana output initially felt awkward to Han Yi.
Yet he persevered, pausing for several breaths after each Spirit Void Finger strike to meticulously contemplate its intricacies.
Gradually, these pauses shortened.
The speed at which mana flowed from his body to his fingertips increased steadily. Guided by his deepening understanding, he subtly refined his compression technique with each repetition.
Each adjustment was almost imperceptible—even after ten repetitions, no discernible difference was visible.
But by the twentieth, fiftieth, and seventieth attempts, the transformation became striking.
Once he had solidified his comprehension, Han Yi experimented with compressing even less mana with each strike.
This dual process—honing his Spirit Void Finger technique and perfecting his control over every strand of mana in his body—also indirectly enhanced his Alchemy Technique.
The cycle continued endlessly.
In his tightly sealed bedroom, Han Yi waved his hands rhythmically. Spirit Light shot from between his fingers like radiant shuttles, weaving a dazzling pattern in the air.
The land beneath him cracked and shattered relentlessly.
A deep pit, shallow holes, shattered stones, and fine sand marked the spot where the original floor tiles had been completely obliterated.
Thanks to the courtyard's formation and the tightly sealed bedroom, the sounds within were effectively contained, drawing no unwanted attention.
After completely depleting his mana reserves, Han Yi retreated to the adjacent meditation chamber to replenish them using spirit stones.
Time had no meaning during cultivation.
One month later:
[Spirit Void Finger (Hall Entry 40/100)]
Over the past month, Han Yi's hands had grown numb from continuous practice. Yet his progress seemed to have stalled, as if he had hit a bottleneck.
Deciding to temporarily halt his Spirit Void Finger training, Han Yi shifted his focus to pill refinement.
He began with Evil-Repelling Pills, then moved on to Qi Nourishing Pills. Lacking formulas for other medicinal pills, he couldn't conjure them from thin air, even with the necessary ingredients.
With each breakthrough in his alchemy technique, Han Yi's fine control over his mana improved dramatically. The quality of his pills surged, while the time required for refinement plummeted.
In just half a month, he had refined twenty batches of Qi Nourishing Pills and six batches of Evil-Repelling Pills.
The success rate for refining Qi Nourishing Pills had reached eighty percent.
Meanwhile, the success rate for refining Evil-Repelling Pills had climbed to thirty percent.
More remarkably, he had successfully refined three batches of standard-grade pills, while the remaining pills were of exceptional quality within the ordinary range, nearly reaching standard grade.
This level of proficiency was typically only achieved by Inner Sect Disciples at the seventh layer of Qi Refining within the Profound Pill Sect.
Next, he resumed practicing the Spirit Void Finger technique.
As he practiced, he used Spirit Stones to replenish his mana, simultaneously advancing his progress toward the third layer of Qi Refining.
Days turned into nights, and time slipped through his fingers like sand.
Then, one day, while deeply absorbed in absorbing Spirit Stones to replenish his mana, Han Yi suddenly heard a series of loud impacts.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The sounds came from outside the courtyard.
Normally, with the courtyard's protective Formation Arts in place, noises from beyond its walls would be muffled within the Meditation Chamber.
But these impacts were crystal clear, leaving only one possibility: someone was outside, attempting to breach the courtyard's Formation Arts.
The Formation Arts finally allowed the sound to penetrate.
A malicious attack seemed impossible.
It was broad daylight, and the land deed for this courtyard belonged to the Profound Fire Pill Shop, a branch of the Profound Pill Sect.
The Profound Pill Sect spanned three prefectures, and in Mengshan City, no force other than the Great Qian government would dare openly provoke them.
If it wasn't an attack, someone must be trying to shake the Formation Arts to summon him out.
Han Yi suddenly realized it had been three months since his last visit to the Profound Fire Pill Shop.
During that visit, he had promised Guan Sheng to cover his shift at the Pill Shop for about two weeks.
However, Jiang De's ambush in the alley on his way back had left Han Yi jumpy and determined to avoid all outings, choosing instead to huddle in his courtyard and quietly await the end of his year-long seclusion.
The relentless pounding continued unabated for a full quarter of an hour.
Gritting his teeth, Han Yi finally emerged from his Meditation Chamber. Clutching the courtyard's Formation Plate, he walked to the gate and infused a wisp of mana into it.
With the Formation Plate, he was essentially the master of the courtyard's Formation Arts. Besides the basic functions of opening and closing it, he could also set it to a semi-active state.
In this semi-active mode, the Formation Arts allowed sound to pass through while blocking physical entry.
"Who is it, Fellow Daoist?" Han Yi asked.
As he partially activated the formation, the sound of the impact, no longer muffled by the barrier, suddenly grew louder. It abruptly ceased when Han Yi spoke.
"Junior Brother Han, it's me, Guan Sheng."
Outside the door, Guan Sheng had been waiting for nearly half a day. Frustrated by the tightly sealed entrance, he had reluctantly used a spell to shake the formation guarding the door, barely suppressing his anger and forcing his usual smile onto his face.
The three-month deadline had arrived, and his carefully laid plans were now in motion. All that remained was to lure Han Yi into the trap.
Originally, Guan Sheng had intended to wait at the Profound Fire Pill Shop for Han Yi to come to him. But after waiting in vain for half a day, he decided to personally fetch him.
Anxious not to appear too eager and arouse Han Yi's suspicion, he had lingered in the shadows outside the door for several more hours.
As dusk approached, Guan Sheng's patience reached its limit. If Han Yi didn't appear soon, how could the subsequent stages of his plan proceed?
Left with no other choice, he had resorted to shaking the formation, hoping to force Han Yi out.
"Junior Brother Han, open the door."
"The three-month period has ended. Senior Brother Guan is about to depart, and we need to quickly hand over the Pill Shop's affairs to you so you can prepare for the upcoming inspection."
Separated only by a single door, Han Yi listened, torn between his reluctance to break his word and his growing unease.
Furthermore, Guan Sheng had emphasized the importance of this matter. Han Yi's sudden breach of promise would undoubtedly disrupt Guan Sheng's entire plan, effectively betraying him.
A pang of guilt struck Han Yi.
He parted his lips slightly, about to speak, but hesitated and drew back, his expression shifting uncertainly.
"Junior Brother Han? Junior Brother Han?"
"What is it?"
"Please open the door first. If there are any difficulties, let me know promptly. Senior Brother Guan is leaving the city tomorrow, and we don't have much time for the handover."
Outside the door, Guan Sheng's voice was sincere and gentle.
Inside, however, Han Yi had regained his composure.
Jiang De's murderous intent and the perilous encounter in that alleyway, though three months past, remained vivid in his mind, resurfacing now as a stark warning.
After a moment's reflection, Han Yi sighed and broke his silence.
Compared to risking his life, breaking his word once seemed a small price to pay.
"Senior Brother Guan, I apologize."
"I've unexpectedly gained a sudden inspiration regarding my Alchemy Technique. I'm afraid I won't be able to leave my courtyard for the next few days."
"Please seek another candidate for this task. I'll personally make amends when I emerge from seclusion."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Han Yi channeled a wisp of mana into the Formation Plate, reactivated the courtyard's protective formation, and hurried back to his Meditation Chamber.
Outside the courtyard, Guan Sheng's cheerful smile froze on his face.