Li Yan's expression sharpened slightly.
"As for swordsmanship… my Sword Intent has reached a bottleneck. I'm only one step away from breaking through the barrier to entering the second level—Earth-Level Intent."
At those words—
Even Yao Fuhuo's eyes narrowed slightly.
Sword Intent itself was already extremely difficult to awaken. Reaching the second level at his age was even rarer.
But Li Yan continued calmly as though discussing ordinary cultivation.
"Regarding alchemy…"
A faint exhaustion appeared beneath his calm expression for the first time.
"I've already mastered every pill recipe up to Tier-3 High-Level. Currently, I'm refining Tier-3 Peak-Level pills."
Silence followed briefly.
Yao Fuhuo watched him quietly afterward.
Truthfully, she had originally expected Li Yan's growth speed to slow considerably after he chose to walk multiple cultivation and profession paths simultaneously.
Qi cultivation.
Body cultivation.
Soul cultivation.
Swordsmanship.
Alchemy.
Any one of those alone could consume countless years of effort from ordinary cultivators.
Yet somehow—
Li Yan continued advancing on all of them simultaneously without collapsing beneath the burden.
Finally, Yao Fuhuo spoke again. "And the training rings?"
Li Yan answered immediately.
"Thanks to my Qi and Body Cultivation improving over the last several months, I gradually adapted to heavier pressure. I've already added the Green Star Training Rings along with the White Star Training Rings."
A faint smile appeared on his face afterward. "And not long ago, I activated the fourth star."
Yao Fuhuo asked, "What do you mean by adding the Green Star Training Rings to the White Star Training Rings?"
Li Yan extended his hands and thoughts to reveal the Training Rings in his limbs, two metallic rings on each wrist, one white and one green.
He said, "Yes. At first, I thought about replacing them, but then I calculated that the White Star Training Ring with five stars provides a total of 250 jin, while the single star of the Green Star Training Ring provides 100 jin."
"So, if I replace them, didn't the first two stars of the Green Star Training Ring go to waste?"
This time—
Even Yao Fuhuo visibly paused for a moment. Her mind calculated the weight almost instantly. Four activated stars of the Green Star Training Rings on each limb, with the White Star Training Rings also fully active.
Meant his body constantly endured a total weight of two thousand six hundred jin.
And he hunted Tier-3 Magical Beasts while wearing them.
For several moments, Yao Fuhuo remained silent in thought. Her blue eyes studied Li Yan carefully, as though reassessing him once more.
Then, a faint smile slowly surfaced across her lips.
It seemed she had already decided upon both his next task… And his next reward.
She finally spoke.
"Your next task will have two conditions." Her tone remained calm and steady.
Yet the moment Li Yan heard those words, his expression sharpened instinctively.
Yao Fuhuo continued without pause. "The first condition is simple. You must fight and kill ten Tier-5 Magical Beasts."
Li Yan's pupils contracted slightly. But before he could react, Yao Fuhuo added calmly, "And I will personally witness the battle as proof."
Silence settled briefly inside the treehouse afterward.
Tier-5 Magical Beasts are comparable to cultivators at the Ethereal Fusion Realm (Qi Kings).
Li Yan remained quiet while processing the sheer gap in strength involved.
Then Yao Fuhuo continued calmly. "There is no time limit for this task." A faint pause followed. "However…"
"There will be a cultivation restriction."
Li Yan immediately focused completely.
"You may continue advancing your Body Cultivation and Soul Cultivation paths freely," she explained. "But your Qi Cultivation must not exceed the Qi Harmonization Realm (Stage-1) before completing this challenge."
This time, Li Yan's expression visibly changed because the meaning behind those words was terrifying. He had to kill ten Tier-5 Magical Beasts while remaining at the Qi Harmonization Realm (Stage-1).
And Yao Fuhuo still hadn't finished speaking. "If your Qi Cultivation exceeds the limit," she continued calmly, "then every additional stage will add ten more beasts to the challenge."
Li Yan stared at her, speechless. Tier-5 Magical Beasts already stood a whole realm above the Qi Harmonization Realm (Stage-1). Yet she expected him to fight ten simultaneously under restricted cultivation?
For the first time in a long while, Li Yan genuinely felt pressure. But then, Yao Fuhuo calmly added another condition. "There is also one final limitation."
Her blue eyes rested directly upon him. "When the battle occurs…"
"You must wear the Training Rings from White to Blue Star on all four limbs. All five stars on each limb must remain activated."
This time, even Li Yan could not fully maintain his composure.
"The White to Blue Star Training Rings?" he repeated.
Yao Fuhuo nodded calmly.
Li Yan immediately calculated the weight in his mind.
The Blue Star Training Rings were Tier-4 Gravity-Type artifacts. He had to wear White to Blue, which also included Green and Brown.
Each star in the White Star Training Ring weighed 50 jin; Green's stars weighed 100 jin; Brown's weighed 250 jin; and each star in the Blue Star Training Ring weighed 500 jin.
Five activated stars across all four tiers per limb—four thousand and five hundred jin per limb—eighteen thousand jin total.
And he had to fight ten Tier-5 Magical Beasts while carrying that burden. Li Yan exhaled slowly before rubbing his forehead helplessly.
"Senior Yao…"
He exhaled slowly before continuing honestly. "I'm confident I can eventually fight ten Tier-5 Magical Beasts while remaining at the Qi Harmonization Realm (Stage-1) if I continue refining my combat skills…"
A faint pause followed.
"But the condition of wearing eighteen thousand jin during the fight…" He shook his head slightly. "That's excessive."
For the first time since entering this world, Li Yan openly protested against one of her tasks.
"Can the condition regarding the Training Rings be removed?"
However, Yao Fuhuo simply shook her head. "No."
Li Yan looked at her helplessly. "Why are the Training Rings so important for this task?"
Instead of answering directly, Yao Fuhuo asked calmly, "Right now, you are wearing the fully active White Star Training Ring and the Green Star Training Rings with four activated stars."
Li Yan nodded.
"That means your body is currently enduring a constant burden of two thousand six hundred jin," she said. "Yet your movements appear completely normal."
Her gaze narrowed slightly. "Or I'm wrong, and you are feeling burdened?"
Li Yan blinked slightly. "No."
She asked, "Why?"
Li Yan replied casually, "Because I have already adapted to that burden."
"Then tell me, what happens when you remove them?" She asked further.
Li Yan fell silent and thought back carefully.
After several moments, he finally answered slowly. "When I first removed the White Star Training Rings to replace the Green Star Training Rings, I suddenly felt much lighter afterward."
"At the time, I simply thought it was natural after removing the additional burden."
When Yao Fuhuo heard that, a faint smile appeared on her lips. "That feeling is exactly the reason."
Li Yan's eyes narrowed slightly.
"The Training Rings are not merely tools for burdening the body," Yao Fuhuo explained calmly. "They continuously force your muscles, bones, meridians, and movements to adapt beneath pressure."
"And once your body fully adapts to that burden, removing it allows your true physical capability to emerge completely."
Li Yan slowly fell into thought.
Yao Fuhuo then added, "The next time you enter the Hunting Ground, try fighting after deactivating your current Training Rings."
"Then you will understand why they are important."
The treehouse gradually fell quiet again.
Li Yan lowered his gaze slightly as he thought about her words carefully. Although the task still sounded monstrous, he knew Yao Fuhuo would not impose meaningless conditions on him.
Then there had to be a reason behind it.
Finally, Li Yan exhaled quietly before nodding. "I understand, Senior Yao."
Yao Fuhuo gave a faint nod in return.
He no longer complained afterward. Instead, his thoughts immediately shifted toward something else entirely.
Strategy.
If he truly intended to complete this task, then from this point onward, he would need far more than simple hard work.
He would need a proper strategy.
After the matter regarding the Training Rings had settled, Yao Fuhuo remained quiet for a few moments before speaking again.
"I must admit," she said calmly, "your talent in alchemy exceeds even my expectations."
Li Yan stayed silent and listened. Yao Fuhuo slowly continued, "In barely a year, you've already become a Tier-3 High-Level Alchemist while simultaneously cultivating multiple paths."
Her gaze deepened slightly. "Do you understand what that means?"
Li Yan did not answer immediately.
And Yao Fuhuo answered for him. "There are many talented individuals in this world. During my lifetime, I have seen more than most cultivators could imagine."
A faint pause followed.
"But talent at your level is extremely rare."
Li Yan listened quietly while Yao Fuhuo continued. "I've lived for nearly one million years. I've traveled across this planet countless times."
"And among everyone I have seen…"
"You are the only one capable of progressing this quickly while dividing your focus between so many paths."
The treehouse fell silent afterward. Even Li Yan himself didn't know how to respond to such words. Her tone remained calm as always, but Li Yan could still hear the genuine approval behind her words.
Then—
"As a second condition of the task," Yao Fuhuo finally revealed the second condition. "You must master two professions to at least Tier-6."
Li Yan's brows rose slightly. "Two professions? And Tier-6?"
Yao Fuhuo nodded and continued calmly, "You've already chosen Alchemy as one path. For the second profession…"
"You may choose between Array Mastery and Craftsmanship."
Li Yan fell into a brief thought.
Before he could speak, Yao Fuhuo added calmly, "You do not need to worry about resources. Once you decide, I will arrange the required materials for your practice just as I previously arranged alchemy ingredients for you."
Li Yan fell silent for several moments before finally speaking. "Senior Yao…"
"Why isn't alchemy enough?" His tone remained respectful, but genuine confusion lingered beneath it. "I'm already walking multiple cultivation paths."
"Adding another profession will divide my focus even further."
A faint pause followed. "I may have talent in alchemy… But that doesn't mean I'll possess the same aptitude in Array Mastery or Craftsmanship."
Yao Fuhuo, however, simply shook her head lightly. "You're thinking too narrowly." Her voice remained calm. "The road ahead of you is far longer and crueler than you currently understand."
"The more skills you possess…, the greater your chances of survival in the future."
She stepped toward the open side of the treehouse, her robes swaying gently in the wind. "In the future, there will be times when cultivation alone will not save you."
"Knowledge will."
"Preparation will."
"Skills will."
Her gaze remained calm and steady. "Cultivators who rely on only a single path eventually encounter limitations."
"But those who master multiple fields can adapt to far more situations."
Li Yan remained thoughtful as she continued. "And if you complete both conditions…"
"Will be the awakening of your Light Element."
Li Yan's eyes immediately sharpened.
Light Element.
Silence settled briefly afterward. Then Li Yan slowly nodded. "I understand."
His voice carried firm resolve. "I'll do my best to complete the task."
Yao Fuhuo nodded in satisfaction.
After that, the discussion regarding the new task gradually came to an end. However, Li Yan remembered something else that had been troubling him for months.
"Senior Yao," he said, "there is something I wish to ask regarding alchemy."
"Ask freely," Yao Fuhuo replied.
Li Yan organized his thoughts briefly before speaking. "As the tiers of the pills increased, the maximum purity of my pills gradually started decreasing."
He then explained his situation carefully. "When I practiced Tier-1 Low-Level to Tier-2 High-Level pills, my highest purity consistently reached around ninety-three percent."
"But after reaching Tier-2 Peak-Level pills, the highest purity started falling to ninety-two percent."
"And when I reached Tier-3 Mid-Level and Tier-3 High-Level pills, even my best pills only barely reached ninety-one percent."
Li Yan's expression remained thoughtful. "I originally thought the problem was my control or skill. But no matter how much I refined my techniques, the result remained the same."
After hearing his explanation, Yao Fuhuo smiled faintly. "That's normal."
Li Yan blinked slightly.
"The problem isn't your skill," she explained calmly. "It's your Refining Flame."
Li Yan looked at her immediately, focused completely.
Yao Fuhuo explained calmly, "Right now, your Refining Flames are created by converting your Elemental Qi. Since your cultivation is still relatively low, the quality and intensity of your Refining Flame are naturally limited as well."
"So even if your control is excellent, the flame itself cannot fully support higher-tier refinement."
Li Yan finally understood.
Her voice remained steady and patient. "As your cultivation rises, the quality and intensity of your flames will improve too. And when that happens, your pill purity will naturally rise."
Li Yan nodded in understanding. "So the limitation comes from my current cultivation level…"
Yao Fuhuo nodded. "Partially."
Then she added calmly, "Because there's another solution as well."
Li Yan listened attentively.
"Heavenly Flames."
The moment those words appeared, a faint anticipation surfaced within Li Yan's eyes.