News quickly spread from Han Mansion throughout Lingjun City, and then continued to disseminate throughout the entire Fengyang Manor.
Before long, everyone in Fengyang Manor knew of the three pieces of news coming from the Han Family.
The patriarch of the Han Family is taking another concubine!
The patriarch of the Han Family is approaching his 200th birthday!
The Han Family is expanding!
As for the first matter, that was an internal affair of the Han Family and did not need to be publicized.
The cultivation world cared most about the first two pieces of news and paid little mind to the third, as the Han Family's business expansion was just a mundane wealth matter, useless to cultivators.
Many cultivators, upon hearing the first piece of news, couldn't help but curse under their breath. That old geezer from the Han Family was way too fond of female company.
Right before his life's limit, he had taken six concubines, and as soon as he broke through to the Pihai Realm, he took Lingjun City's number one beauty as his concubine. That was just a few years ago, wasn't it? And now he's taking five more concubines!
If they were fortunate enough to make a breakthrough to the Pihai Realm, they would surely focus on cultivation, possibly stepping into the Gangyuan Realm, and then they could enjoy themselves without hurry.
"The patriarch of the Han Family will surely die on a woman's belly one day," many cultivators thought in unison.
Given the patriarch's temperament, he had taken six concubines shortly after his breakthrough, and with a hundred years of life ahead, wouldn't he take a hundred more?
Even a powerhouse of the Pihai Realm couldn't withstand such indulgence!
Countless people were agonizing over this, wishing they could be in the patriarch's shoes, enjoying themselves before dedicating their efforts to cultivation.
That being said, this was, in fact, a good opportunity to ingratiate oneself with a Pihai Realm powerhouse. In Fengyang Manor, there were scant opportunities to find such desirable women, making it hard to find an opportunity to curry favor.
Many cultivation families hastened to Lingjun City with their qualified and beautiful female cultivators, and even some attractive widows joined the rush, thinking perhaps the patriarch would like a change of taste.
Beyond that, other powers within Fengyang Manor also sent people to Lingjun City, at least those with a Pihai Realm powerhouse in their sect, to offer birthday wishes to the patriarch of the Han Family.
Being in Fengyang Manor, the influence of a Pihai Realm powerhouse was not insignificant, especially for someone like the patriarch who had just broken through and was unaffiliated with any sect, making him an ideal target for alliances.
The mortal world, on the other hand, was most concerned with the third piece of news. The Han Family, being a massive entity guarded by a Pihai Realm expert, was expanding its business throughout the entire Fengyang Manor, inevitably affecting their interests, yet they dared not offend.
However, some more perceptive individuals saw it as an opportunity, thinking they might hitch a ride on the Han Family's powerful vessel. They took the initiative to reach out to the Han Family, willing to pave the way and offer conveniences for their business expansion.
While Lingjun City was abuzz with the news from the Han Family, Han Li, the patriarch, had already left Lingjun City quietly and without a trace.
After leaving Lingjun City by a hundred miles, Han Li promptly rode the winds through a void, swiftly flying towards a certain direction.
Upon reaching the Pihai Realm, a vast Qi sea opens up above the Dantian, increasing the quantity of Innate True Qi a hundredfold, which allows one to fly using their own strength, soaring between heaven and earth, from the North Sea to Cangwu in a day.
Even with Han Li's eightfold cultivation in the Pihai Realm enabling fast travel, it still took him ten days and ten nights to reach his destination.
At this moment, Han Li stood at the foot of a mountain range spanning ten thousand miles, the entrance to the Leizhou Sects' Major Sect Tianxuan Mountain, which was extraordinary, grand, and imposing.
He had left Fengyang Manor several days earlier, entering the vast Leizhou.
The Daqian Empire's territory was enormously vast, stretching millions of miles from east to west, and nearly nine million miles from north to south, ranking among the Eight Great Forces of the Mysterious Region and one of the four major empires.
Leizhou was one of the eighteen provinces of the Daqian Empire, located on the border. Further south was the domain of the top demonic sect of the Yinyang Sect.
Leizhou had five major forces: Tianxuan Mountain, Hehuan Sect, Sword Cleansing Pool, True Sun Sect, and the Province City of Leizhou representing the Daqian Empire, with the government of the Province City being the strongest.
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Gazing upon the thirty-foot tall stone stele in front of him, Han Li's eyes bore a complex expression. That was the mountain gate stele of Tianxuan Mountain, inscribed with three powerful and forceful characters—
Tianxuan Mountain!
It's said that these were written by the Founding Master of Tianxuan Mountain, a true powerhouse who could be called a Great Grandmaster of the Myriad Phenomena Realm.
In this world, the cultivation levels are divided into Body Refining, Blood Exchange, True Qi, Innate, Pihai, Gang Yuan, Soul Refining, Void Piercing, Myriad Phenomena, True Martial… with each realm further divided into Nine Heavens.
The first three realms are merely mortal. Only upon entering the fourth realm, the Innate, does one truly transcend the secular world, greatly increasing their lifespan. From then on, every realm significantly extends one's life, and it is said that a Grandmaster Wanxiang could live a millennium.
"Tianxuan Mountain, I, Han Li, have returned," Han Li whispered softly.
Nearly fifty years ago, he had descended the mountain in despair, believing he would never have the chance to return to Tianxuan Mountain. Unexpectedly, after taking a concubine, his fortunes changed for the better, as if after the darkness and flowers, another village had come into view, and he had reached it thanks to his golden finger.
Some years ago, he made a breakthrough to the Pihai Realm and now he had further cultivated to the eighth level of the Pihai Realm in one fell swoop, which was the kind of cultivation speed you would expect, perhaps, from someone with Third Grade aptitude.
Gathering his thoughts, Han Li smiled freely and stepped towards the mountain path.
On an ordinary day, the mountain gate of Tianxuan Mountain was guarded by a dozen or so disciples, among them one from the Pihai Realm, three from the Innate Realm, and the rest from the True Qi Realm. Furthermore, hidden in the shadows was the Mountain Protection Array, which was typically not activated. After all, constantly maintaining the Mountain Protection Array was costly, and even the wealthy Tianxuan Mountain would bleed at the heart for the expense.
"Turn back the way you came; it is not yet time to accept disciples," said one of the True Qi Realm disciples on guard, frowning as he spoke to an unfamiliar young man.
Tianxuan Mountain's disciple acceptance event occurs once every three years. Those who missed the occasion or were eliminated often loitered around the mountain gate, relying on luck. This True Qi Realm disciple had been stationed there for several years and had encountered many such people.
Seeing that Han Li continued to ascend, the disciple was about to scold him again when the commotion attracted the attention of an Innate Realm disciple. He looked Han Li up and down, and his eyes suddenly lit up as he asked:
"Excuse me, are you Brother Han Li?"
The other disciples also looked over, their eyes filled with curiosity. Was there a Brother Han Li in the sect?
This person appeared to be in his twenties; could he also be of the Innate Realm? The True Qi Realm disciples were secretly shocked. A cultivator in the Innate Realm in their twenties must have excellent aptitude.
"Brother Han Li?"
Two more Innate Realm disciples arrived, and they were stunned as they looked at the exceptionally handsome young man before them.
Sensing the aura emanating from Han Li, the three Innate Realm disciples were somewhat taken aback. Brother Han Li had actually made a breakthrough to the Pihai Realm!
As Tianxuan Mountain's Foreign Disciples, they knew Han Li from before, but as he had a middle-aged appearance back then and was now in his youth, they didn't recognize him at first.
"My three junior brothers, long time no see."
Han Li spoke with a smile, his demeanor gentle and courteous, without any arrogance. He even smiled at the True Qi Realm disciple who had scolded him, commending him, "Not bad."
It had been nearly fifty years since he left Tianxuan Mountain. It was only normal that these True Qi Realm disciples, who had come later, did not recognize him.
"Congratulations, Brother Han Li, on your breakthrough to the Pihai Realm."
The three Innate Realm disciples congratulated him in unison, envy in their eyes, but without a trace of jealousy or ridicule.
They knew of Han Li's situation. Having failed his breakthrough to the Pihai Realm, his aptitude was damaged, and he was left with no hope of advancing further, thus descending the mountain in despair.
Although they did not know how he had managed to break through, a breakthrough was still a breakthrough, and even if it was achieved nearing the end of his life, Han Li was now a whole Big Realm higher than them. He would automatically be promoted to Inner Sect Disciple, with much better treatment.
"Congratulations, Brother Han, on your breakthrough to the Pihai Realm."
The other disciples also offered their congratulations, their eyes full of admiration. Although some of them also possessed Grade Eight aptitudes, whether they could break through to the Pihai Realm was still uncertain.
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