Chapter 548: Real Difficulty Escaping the Palm

Han Yi, who had believed he had finally escaped, never imagined that the deep ravine below, where spiritual energy flowed, was actually home to various demon beasts! These creatures were completely different from the species found in the small world; they could absorb and expel spiritual energy to cultivate themselves. They resembled traditional demon beasts from ancient times: white snakes, flying birds, two-headed monkeys...

Completely unprepared, Han Yi plunged headfirst into the horde of demon beasts. Fortunately, these demon beasts, having lived in this deep ravine in complete isolation for years, had never encountered humans. While Han Yi was scared out of his wits, more than half of the beasts, equally shocked, simply fled. The remaining ones, however, were not so amiable. Seeing their home invaded by an unfamiliar creature, their inherent ferocity was triggered, and they attacked Han Yi without hesitation.

Han Yi deeply inhaled a breath of spiritual energy, casting a protective spell on himself while simultaneously condensing energy into a sword, which he swung at the swarming demon beasts. Blood misted the air, and in an instant, over ten demon beasts were decapitated. The scent of blood, however, only made them more frenzied. Fearless of death, they surged forward like a tide. And in the distance, countless more demon beasts seemed to be constantly heading towards them.

Knowing he couldn't stay there long, Han Yi fought as he retreated, moving deeper into the ravine. The closer he got to the bottom of the ravine, the denser the spiritual energy became, allowing Han Yi to unleash more of his peak Qi Refining cultivation strength. However, the demon beasts residing there were proportionally more powerful. Gritting his teeth, Han Yi used every skill at his disposal and finally carved a path through the beast horde. Through a seemingly chaotic and obscure opening at the very bottom of the ravine, he safely returned to the Xuanhuang Realm.

Breathing in the familiar, sweet air, Han Yi, still shaken, had no time to rest. Yet, he inexplicably felt a surge of danger, as if he were being targeted and watched, causing an uncontrollable tremor in his heart. Having become a scared bird, Han Yi disregarded his injuries and quickly flew away again. It was a long time before the subtle unease in his heart gradually subsided. Exhausted to his limits, Han Yi found a nearby uninhabited island. He barely managed to land before he could no longer hold on and fainted.

Time now returns to the present. Li Fan, who had gained complete insight into Han Yi's experiences over the past few years through the Cloudwater Illusionary Dream Art, showed a hint of interest in his eyes.

"This young man's experiences are truly diverse," he mused. "He encountered life-or-death crises that ordinary cultivators wouldn't face in a lifetime, all during a single expedition. Normally, if he were an ordinary person, he would have died countless times by now. Yet, he narrowly escaped death every time."

"The Heavenly Fortune Scripture and the Black Bird Feather. Are these your reliance?" Li Fan looked at Han Yi, who was sleeping soundly, and stroked his chin. "Misfortune lurks within fortune, and fortune hides within misfortune. No wonder in your previous life, you won the Dingyu grand prize, obtained the heavenly fallen blue feather relic, and refined the Heaven's Capital Transformation Feather Pill. Despite such defying luck, you repeatedly suffered setbacks when exploring ruins with my avatar later on."

Li Fan paused, then smiled faintly. "Actually, what you said isn't wrong. With a perfect Qi Refining cultivation, you entered the Golden Core stage within a dozen years. Then, at the Yanfa Jue, you obtained a True Dao Merging Art suitable for yourself... Indeed, you could be described as a flying dragon soaring in the sky, unstoppable. It's just a pity you met me."

Li Fan's eyes were emotionless and utterly cold. With a light touch of his finger, he tapped Han Yi's forehead. "In this life, your fate must unfold according to my wishes."

After making Han Yi experience certain scenarios in the form of an illusionary dream while he slept, Li Fan retracted his divine ability. "The Heavenly Fortune Scripture... quite interesting. But I'll leave it with you for now." His gaze lingered on Han Yi's face once more, then Li Fan's figure gradually vanished.

A long time later, Han Yi slowly awoke. "Hiss..." "I think I had a dream. And it reminded me of all the troublesome things in that small world." He felt a faint throbbing pain in his head and instinctively pressed his temples to soothe it. After a while, the pain subsided, and Han Yi quietly sighed in relief. "I really don't know if I'm lucky or unlucky!"

Lying on the ground, recalling his experiences in the small world, Han Yi couldn't help but feel both annoyed and amused. "It must be a backlash because my Heavenly Fortune Scripture hasn't fully matured yet," he mused. After much thought, Han Yi seemed to come to a realization. "I narrowly escaped death at the hands of that mysterious person earlier, which counts as heavenly fortune. But then I immediately suffered a backlash and was inexplicably captured by monsters. After surviving again with the protection of heavenly fortune, I faced another backlash and was pursued by Si. Even when I was in despair, I found a glimmer of hope. But immediately after, I encountered another life-or-death crisis, besieged by demon beasts."

Han Yi's eyes lit up, and he suddenly felt his thoughts click into place. "Misfortune and fortune are intertwined; it's hard to separate them. If one only seeks, it won't last long. The true path is to use misfortune to compensate for fortune, and to apply one's luck at the most crucial moments!"

As his thoughts cleared, a surge of spiritual energy suddenly emanated from Han Yi. The surrounding spiritual energy was all absorbed by him. Above the uninhabited island, a faint whirlwind even began to form. And within Han Yi's Dantian, the originally dark Black Bird Feather disintegrated inch by inch, completely dissolving into his Dantian.

This scene clearly showed that Han Yi had successfully achieved enlightenment and Foundation Establishment as soon as he returned to the Xuanhuang Realm after experiencing life-and-death trials. He had directly succeeded in Foundation Establishment. What he had sought for years without success was now granted in a single day. Han Yi felt all resentment in his chest vanish. He let out a long howl, venting his suppressed feelings.

However, the howl lasted only for a moment before Han Yi abruptly stopped. He instinctively scanned his surroundings, and only when he confirmed that no new crisis was suddenly emerging did he finally relax slightly. "Never mind, I shouldn't get too carried away," he thought. "It's just the minor Foundation Establishment stage. My future path is set for Dao Merging, with hopes for immortality!" Han Yi felt a considerable sense of self-satisfaction.

After a while, he began to ponder again: "Although I've now established my foundation, all my wealth was spent in the hands of that Foundation Establishment Master. I'm truly penniless. I need to find a way to earn some contribution points." He narrowed his eyes, and a moment later, an idea struck him. "I heard there's a game in the Congyun Sea called 'Dingyu,' where the lucky can become rich overnight. It's tailor-made for me! Hmph, just watch what I can do!"

With that thought, Han Yi rose into the air and flew towards the location of Dingyu Island, which he remembered seeing before. Han Yi did not notice that, high above, a gaze was constantly fixed on him.