A familiar notification echoed softly in Han Xuan's mind.
[Congratulations, your son, Han Qixing, has advanced to the Fifth Stage of Qi Refining.]
[Reward: 1 Minor Realm Advancement Chance.]
The corner of Han Xuan's mouth curved upward almost imperceptibly.
Not far away, Han Qixing hesitated before speaking, his voice low, "Father… the Pure Qi Spirit Peach is very precious. Why didn't you use it yourself?"
He had overheard his mother mention that his father had been stuck at the Sixth Stage of Qi Refining for quite some time. With such a spiritual fruit, breaking through that bottleneck would not have been difficult.
Yet his father had handed it to him without hesitation.
Han Xuan chuckled softly and waved it off, "Don't worry about me. Right now, what matters most is raising your cultivation. The Hundred Sects Recruitment is still ahead. The stronger you are, the more reassured your I becomes."
Han Qixing lowered his head slightly, fingers tightening at his side.
In his heart, a quiet warmth spread.
'Father keeps saying he wants to send me off as soon as possible… yet he always gives me the best.'
Han Qixing clenched his fist, his gaze steady and resolute.
"Father, don't worry. I will do my best to enter a sect and protect our family from that scoundrel Chen."
Han Xuan shook his head with a faint smile, clearly not taking the words to heart.
Without further comment, Han Xuan reached into his storage pouch.
First, he handed over two talismans. He said calmly, "One is a Blood Mist Talisman. It can grant you explosive speed for escape. The other is a Damage Transferring Talisman. It can block fatal harm. Use them only when you truly have no other choice."
Next, he pressed a small jade bottle into Han Qixing's palm.
"These are Heaven-Pushing Pills. They can temporarily raise your cultivation by one minor realm. Don't rely on them unless absolutely necessary."
Finally, Han Xuan took out a small, ancient pagoda.
"This is the Seven-Star Sealing Pagoda. It specializes in suppression and sealing. It requires star energy to activate, so it suits you better than anyone else."
He explained each item carefully, methodically—how to activate them, when to use them, and, more importantly, when not to.
Han Qixing fell silent.
He had thought their family was under financial strain because of the Chen Family's pressure. Yet now, his father was taking out priceless treasures one after another, handing them over as casually as vegetables from a market stall.
Han Xuan noticed his son's expression and chuckled. He said lightly, "Don't worry about where these come from. Just remember—these are your trump cards. Use them wisely."
"Understood, Father," Han Qixing replied solemnly.
"One more thing," Han Xuan added, his tone turning serious, "Conceal your new cultivation base. Don't reveal it until you reach Starfall City."
Though he didn't understand the reason, Han Qixing nodded without hesitation, "I will remember."
After handing over everything he should give, Han Xuan waved his hand lightly, "Alright, that's all. Go back and rest. You'll need your strength in the coming days."
"Yes, Father." Han Qixing did not linger. He bowed once and returned to his room.
The moment the door closed, Baobao silently emerged from the corner of the room.
The little creature sat cross-legged in midair, its eyes fixed on Han Xuan with unmistakable anticipation.
Han Xuan suddenly flicked his wrist.
The jade slip containing Soul- Star Binding Method shot through the air and landed squarely on Baobao's head.
Since it cannot currently be practiced, it is better to let Baobao keep it.
Thunk!
Baobao froze, then hastily caught it, blinking in confusion.
"Store this," Han Xuan said calmly.
Baobao's eyes lit up instantly. It hugged the jade slip like a treasure and nodded repeatedly, patting its chest to show it understood.
Han Xuan ignored it and focused inward. He said in his mind, "System, use the Minor Realm Advancement Chance on me."
The system responded with a soft pulse.
Ding.
A swelling wave of spiritual energy surged inside him, warm and gentle like a rising tide. His meridians hummed. His dantian brightened. His cultivation barrier shattered as easily as thin paper.
Han Xuan's realm rose smoothly.
When his eyes opened, they held a faint brilliance.
Without wasting time, he summoned the familiar translucent light screen.
His profile interface unfolded before him.
A translucent blue screen appeared before Han Xuan's eyes.
[Name: Han Xuan]
[Lifespan: 33 / 150 years]
[Realm: Eighth Stage of Qi Refining]
[Spiritual Root: Rank 2]
[Cultivation Technique: Eternal Frost Sovereign Sutra]
[Inventory: Minor Enlightment Chance *1 ]
"I've reached the Eighth Stage of Qi Refining..." Han Xuan exhaled softly, his voice thick with emotion.
He didn't know how many people would go crazy if they knew that he could easily break through as drinking water.
Well, there's no point in thinking about what other people feel.
Han Xuan closed his eyes and fully immersed himself in meditation.
As the Eternal Frost Sovereign Sutra began to operate, icy spiritual energy flowed through his meridians like a silent river of frost. Each cycle refined his blood, tempered his bones, and washed over his internal organs with chilling clarity.
Deep within his body, a familiar sensation surfaced.
A point of extreme cold condensed at the edge of his dantian.
Crack!
It was as if an invisible seal shattered.
A brand-new Frost Sovereign Vein took shape. Frost patterns spread outward from it, linking seamlessly with the existing network inside his body.
The 211th Frost Sovereign Vein has successfully awakened!
Han Xuan exhaled slowly.
And sure enough...
With his breakthrough to the Eighth Stage of Qi Refining, the cold energy did not stop.
One vein after another formed.
Cold light surged, stabilized, and settled.
By the time Han Xuan opened his eyes again, at least ten new Frost Sovereign Veins had been fully awakened, all rooted firmly within his body and resonating in harmony.
His aura grew deeper.
Colder.
More restrained, but infinitely more dangerous.
Han Xuan's lips curved slightly and muttered, "Eighth Stage of Qi Refining and over two hundred Frost Sovereign Veins..."
He did not stop cultivating.
Although awakening additional Frost Sovereign Veins in a short period was no longer possible, the newly formed veins were far from idle.
Under the circulation of the Eternal Frost Sovereign Sutra, they resonated together, drawing in cold energy from heaven and earth.
Gradually, that cold energy was refined, compressed, and purified.
At the very core of his dantian, a strand of Sovereign Frost Qi slowly condensed.
It was thin, almost threadlike, but its quality far surpassed ordinary cold energy. It carried a faint, domineering chill, as if even spiritual energy itself would instinctively submit to it.
Han Xuan remained motionless, maintaining perfect control.
✽ ✽ ✽
Meanwhile, in another courtyard.
Han Qixing returned to his room with Qingfeng fluttering quietly behind him. The small azure bird landed obediently on the wooden rack, watching with bright, curious eyes.
Han Qixing did not lie down to rest.
Instead, he carefully took out the Seven-Star Sealing Pagoda.
The moment it appeared, faint starlight rippled across the room.
Because his cultivation attribute matched it perfectly, the refinement process went smoothly. Star energy flowed from his dantian into the Seven-Star Sealing Pagoda, forming a thin contract thread that gradually wrapped around it.
Time passed quietly.
When Han Qixing opened his eyes again, the Seven-Star Sealing Pagoda hovered obediently above his palm, shrinking to the size of a thumb.
He sent a trace of spiritual sense inward.
The next moment, his consciousness was pulled inside.
Han Qixing found himself standing in a vast, star-lit space.
Above him was an endless night sky, where seven massive stars hung in fixed positions, connected by faint lines of light, forming an ancient and solemn constellation.
Below his feet was a circular stone platform carved with countless sealing runes.
At the center of the platform stood seven layered sealing rings, each layer corresponding to one star above.
According to the information transmitted by the Seven-Star Sealing Pagoda itself, every layer emitted a different pressure:
The first Layer can suppress Qi Refining cultivators, even peak Qi Refining cultivators.
The second Layer and above is currently sealed, inaccessible without stronger star energy.
Between the layers were void-like prison spaces, each capable of independently imprisoning a target.
Most importantly, the Seven-Star Sealing Pagoda did not merely suppress.
It converted the imprisoned target's resistance into star energy, slowly strengthening the Seven-Star Sealing Pagoda itself.
Han Qixing instantly understood. He muttered, "So, which means... the more and the stronger the enemy sealed, the faster the Seven-Star Sealing Pagoda would grow."
At the edge of the platform, he noticed several dim star marks carved into the stone. They are empty, waiting to be lit.
Instinctively, he realized what they meant.
Each enemy suppressed contributes to lighting up a star mark.
When all seven star marks were fully ignited, the Seven-Star Sealing Pagoda would reveal its true form.
Han Qixing slowly withdrew his spiritual sense, his expression calm but eyes bright. Then his expression turned to doubt, "Is this truly just a Rank 1 spiritual weapon?"