Li Yan repeated the cycle with terrifying patience, gradually refining the unstable vortex deeper and deeper within the middle dantian.
Then finally—
The rotating vortex suddenly condensed inward violently.
BOOM.
A dull shockwave spread throughout Li Yan's entire body.
For a brief instant, every muscle, vein, bone, and organ trembled simultaneously beneath the pressure released during the compression.
Then silence returned once more.
Inside the middle dantian—
A small gray core slowly rotated in place.
The Martial Core.
Compared to the Qi Core within his lower dantian, it appeared much smaller. Yet the moment it formed, Li Yan immediately sensed a profound transformation spreading throughout his body.
His blood flowed more heavily.
His muscles felt denser.
Even his heartbeat carried newfound force and stability.
At the same time, the surrounding Martial Energy immediately began flowing instinctively toward the newly formed Martial Core without requiring active guidance from Li Yan.
The absorption continued steadily.
Only after the newly formed Martial Core reached complete saturation did Li Yan slowly open his eyes once more.
Sunlight flickered faintly within his purple pupils.
"Finally…" Then a small smile appeared across his face. "I've stepped onto the Body Cultivation Path."
After several moments of quiet observation, Li Yan slowly exhaled before moving both hands through the air once more, forming several different gestures than before.
The filtration ripples surrounding his body gradually disappeared.
Soon, the surrounding elemental Qi returned to normal flow once again.
Only then did Li Yan lift his gaze toward the Qi Gathering Array still operating at the center of the treehouse floor, but one of the Fire Qi Stones was already exhausted.
"If I don't add the second Fire Qi Stone, this array will deactivate already."
But now the array continued gathering Heaven and Earth Energy relentlessly. The density of Qi inside the transparent sphere had already become visible even to ordinary eyes.
Li Yan silently observed the surrounding energy, "If I absorb Fire, Earth, and Darkness Qi from the Heaven and Earth Energy gathered inside the array…"
"I could probably advance another stage or two without difficulty."
The thought lingered briefly within his mind before he shook his head slightly. "But I only reached Qi Refining Realm (Stage-4) a little over a week ago."
"I shouldn't rush my cultivation." His foundation remained important.
Far more important than temporary advancement.
Yet his gaze drifted back toward the enormous quantity of gathered energy surrounding the treehouse.
"Still… if I deactivate the array now, all this energy will simply disperse back into the valley."
Li Yan remained thoughtful for several moments before suddenly raising his hand toward the mark beneath his ear.
Golden light flickered. A melon-sized egg gradually materialized within his palm.
The Spiritual Beast Egg.
Li Yan lowered his gaze toward it thoughtfully. "Why waste all this gathered energy when this little thing exists?"
With that, he gently placed the egg upon the wooden floor before him. Then several hand gestures formed rapidly as he redirected the energy flow inside the array.
The gathered Heaven and Earth Energy surged toward him immediately.
Yet Li Yan did not absorb it.
Instead, he guided everything directly toward the egg.
The Spiritual Beast Egg accepted the incoming energy instantly without resistance or rejection. Fire Qi. Earth Qi. Darkness Qi. All Elements Qi. Martial Energy.
Everything disappeared into the egg completely.
Li Yan's brows gradually furrowed.
"Now I'm genuinely confused…"
"This thing accepts every type of elemental Qi, Martial Energy, and even other energies mixed within the Heaven and Earth Energy without rejecting any of it."
"How am I supposed to determine what kind of beast is inside?"
No answer appeared.
Only the steady pulse of light beneath the egg's shell continued responding quietly while absorbing the surrounding energy endlessly.
Li Yan could only shake his head helplessly before continuing to feed it the remaining energy gathered inside the array.
Time slowly passed.
Eventually, every strand of gathered energy inside the transparent sphere was absorbed completely by the egg.
Yet even after consuming such an enormous amount of energy, no second crack appeared across the shell.
Li Yan observed it silently for several moments before finally taking his hands back, thinking to store it.
Golden light flickered softly.
The egg dissolved into light and returned quietly into the mark beneath his ear.
Afterward, Li Yan deactivated the Qi Gathering Array and calmly stored everything before placing his hand on the spot where the teleportation crystal was set into the wooden floor by Yao Fuhuo.
Moments later—
Space distorted softly around him.
And Li Yan vanished from the treehouse completely.
As soon as Li Yan appeared at his residence, he immediately took a quick bath, washing away the lingering sweat and exhaustion from the Martial Core formation process.
Not long afterward, he stepped back outside.
By then, the afternoon sun had already been shining at its peak, casting warm golden light across the vast grounds of the Shadows Haven Sect. Sunlight filtered gently through ancient trees towering above the pathways.
The sect felt peaceful yet alive, filled with quiet movement and distant conversation.
Li Yan walked steadily through the open assembly grounds, his expression calm while quiet determination burned beneath his eyes.
"It's been nearly four months since I last visited the Alchemy Hall," he thought inwardly. "That should be long enough to avoid attracting suspicion regarding my alchemy progress."
At the same time, another matter surfaced within his thoughts. "I also need ingredients for the herbal baths required by Body Cultivation."
Even though Yao Fuhuo had already prepared enormous quantities of alchemy ingredients for him, several herbs necessary for the skin tempering baths remained missing.
And those missing ingredients could only be obtained through the Alchemy Hall.
Without further delay, Li Yan made his way directly toward the towering mountain of the Alchemy Hall.
The familiar medicinal fragrance greeted him almost immediately upon entering. The air carried the mixed scents of herbs, refined pills, burning spiritual flames, and aged scrolls.
Disciples moved quietly through the hall carrying ingredient trays, pill bottles, and jade slips while elders occasionally supervised from deeper chambers.
Li Yan moved calmly through the ground-floor corridor before eventually stopping outside a familiar chamber.
Inside, Bai Ru stood arranging scrolls carefully upon several wooden shelves lining the walls. Her movements remained smooth and practiced as she organized the labeled compartments.
Hearing approaching footsteps, she turned slightly.
The moment her eyes landed on Li Yan, surprise flickered faintly across her face. "Li Yan?"
She paused what she was doing before, turning her attention solely on him and offering a polite smile. "It's been a while," she said calmly. "What brings you back today?"
Li Yan returned the smile with a respectful nod before speaking directly. "Senior Bai, I've come to purchase higher-tier pill recipes."
His tone remained calm and straightforward. "From Tier-2 Low-Level all the way to Tier-4 Peak-Level."
Bai Ru blinked visibly at the request. "That's quite a jump."
Though her expression remained composed, curiosity clearly surfaced behind her eyes as she studied him more carefully. "You must have been practicing alchemy quite extensively in private."
"I have," Li Yan replied simply. "I wanted to establish a proper foundation first. That only comes through repeated practice."
Bai Ru nodded slowly before turning toward the shelves. However, as she searched the labeled compartments, she casually asked another question.
"So… have you already mastered all forty-one Tier-1 pill recipes you purchased previously?" Her tone sounded casual.
But Li Yan immediately recognized the subtle probing hidden beneath the question. A small chuckle escaped him naturally as he chose his response carefully.
"Not yet," he answered lightly.
"I only started alchemy recently, so mastering all forty-one Tier-1 pills still requires time."
Bai Ru glanced back toward him with visible surprise. "Then why purchase higher-tier recipes already?"
Li Yan's expression remained completely steady. "I've accumulated quite a sum of Shadow Points recently," he explained calmly.
"So I'd rather invest early in the path I intend to walk. Even if I don't immediately use every recipe, I'll eventually need them later."
For several moments, Bai Ru simply observed him quietly.
Then a faint smile appeared across her face. "Reasonable thinking."
Without further questioning, she resumed searching through the shelves properly.
Several minutes passed before she returned carrying a sizable stack of pill recipe scrolls carefully organized by tier and quality.
Tier-2 Low-Level through Tier-4 Peak-Level. A total of one hundred and fifty-one pill recipes.
Li Yan observed the stack silently before suddenly recalling another matter. "I'd also like to purchase the Advanced Herbalism Manual."
"Of course." Bai Ru immediately retrieved a thick jade-bound book from another shelf and handed it to him respectfully with both hands. "Anything else?"
Li Yan nodded slightly before mentioning the remaining herbs he required. "Senior Bai, do you have Golden Thread Flower and Stone Vein Root available?"
This time, Bai Ru's surprise became far more obvious. "What do you need those for?"
Her brows lifted slightly. "Those herbs are generally used in Tier-3 and Tier-4 pill recipes, yet you're still practicing Tier-1 alchemy."
Li Yan shook his head calmly. "I don't need them for pill refinement."
"They're for a herbal bath."
"Herbal bath?" Confusion immediately surfaced across Bai Ru's expression. Clearly, she possessed no knowledge regarding Body Cultivation methods.
Li Yan nodded naturally before offering an explanation he had already prepared beforehand. "I'm practicing a body tempering technique called Steel Body Tempering."
"The cultivation process is fairly harsh. According to several books I found inside the Shadow Knowledge Pavilion, certain herbal baths can relieve strain after tempering sessions."
Bai Ru's expression shifted noticeably once she heard the technique's name. "Steel Body Tempering?"
Shock flickered briefly within her eyes.
Within the sect, that technique possessed a reputation for brutality due to the pain and endurance it demanded from cultivators.
Still, she quickly regained composure and nodded slowly. "I understand now."
"Yes, the Alchemy Hall currently has both herbs available." Then she looked toward him again. "How many do you need?"
Li Yan considered briefly before answering thoughtfully. "It's better to prepare extra supplies ahead of time. I'll take twenty of each."
Bai Ru visibly paused. "Twenty of each?"
Li Yan nodded calmly.
After a brief moment of thought, Bai Ru finally replied, "Alright. Give me a moment. I'll check whether we currently have enough stock available."
With that, Bai Ru moved toward the right side of the chamber and opened one of the drawers beneath the long wooden counter. Several storage rings rested neatly inside.
She picked up the first ring and briefly examined its contents.
Then the second.
Then the third.
From the third ring, twenty identical roots appeared midair before descending gently onto the counter. Their rough surfaces bore natural stone-like patterns that ran across them like mineral veins.
Stone Vein Roots.
Bai Ru continued checking additional storage rings afterward. Eventually, from another ring, several crimson flowers emerged softly into the air.
Thin golden strands ran delicately through their petals, shimmering faintly beneath the chamber light.
Golden Thread Flowers.
After extracting all Golden Thread Flowers from the storage ring, Bai Ru returned the storage rings to the drawer before closing it once again. Then she turned calmly toward Li Yan.
"We have enough Stone Vein Roots available," she explained. "But we only have thirteen Golden Thread Flowers remaining in stock."
"That's fine." Li Yan nodded without disappointment. "Those should be enough for now. I'll return later if I need additional quantities."
Bai Ru waved her hand lightly.
Gray, translucent energy enveloped the herbs immediately, lifting them gently into the air before guiding them toward Li Yan's side of the counter, alongside the other items he had purchased.
Li Yan observed the floating herbs briefly before asking, "How much is the total?"
Bai Ru returned to her previous position, then retrieved a blank scroll and a writing brush. After a moment of organization, she began calculating carefully.
"Each Tier-2 Low-Level pill recipe costs two hundred and fifty Shadow Points," she stated while writing. "There are fourteen of them, totaling three thousand five hundred Shadow Points."
Her calculations continued steadily from level to level and tier to tier while Li Yan listened quietly nearby.
"Each Tier-4 Peak-Level pill recipe costs one thousand two hundred and fifty Shadow Points," she continued eventually. "There are ten of those, totaling twelve thousand five hundred Shadow Points."
One after another, she added every purchase carefully onto the scroll. "The Advanced Herbalism Manual costs five thousand Shadow Points."
"Each Golden Thread Flower costs eighty Shadow Points. Thirteen total equals one thousand forty."
"And twenty Stone Vein Roots at thirty-five each totals seven hundred Shadow Points."
Finally, Bai Ru added everything together to make the Final Total.
The moment the final number appeared, even her expression changed slightly. "Wow…"