During this period, something remarkable happened at Seven Profound Sect.
The idol of the new generation of disciples, "Senior Brother Li," astutely exposed two spies from the Wild Wolf Gang who were trying to steal the list of disciples leaving the mountain for training. He, along with a dozen fellow disciples, captured them, earning considerable merit.
A few days later, in front of numerous disciples, Sect Master Wang awarded Li Feiyu the position of protector, officially promoting him to the middle ranks of Seven Profound Sect. This caused quite a stir, and Li Feiyu's reputation became even more prominent.
Meanwhile, Han Li remained oblivious to all this. He was in his secluded wooden hut, undergoing special training. Apart from occasionally going to the kitchen for food, he hadn't interacted with anyone for quite some time and was unaware of his friend's current success.
Time flew by, and finally, the last day before the appointed meeting arrived.
In the thorny forest at the bottom of the valley, a figure shrouded in mystery flickered among sharp thorns. Those extremely dangerous thorns posed no hindrance to him; he moved like a ghost through the maze of thorns, appearing and disappearing unpredictably. The whole process was silent, as if he were not made of flesh and blood, but of air.
Finally, the figure stopped on a tree trunk and stood there gazing into the distance, it was Han Li, who had made some progress in his cultivation.
At this moment, his clothes were torn and tattered, exposing his flesh underneath. His hair was disheveled, and his face was covered in dirt, making it unrecognizable. What was most surprising was the small iron bells hanging from his neck, waist, arms, thighs, and ankles.
Seeing these iron bells, and thinking about Han Li's ghostly movements in the forest, one could imagine how extraordinary his footwork had become.
He stood still, looking towards the direction of Divine Hand Valley, murmuring to himself, "The timing is just right. I finally mastered the Smoke Step on the last day. With it, I have a bit more assurance of self-defense."
Although his facial expression couldn't be seen clearly, the joy in his eyes was evident.
After months of diligent practice and study, Han Li had mastered several powerful secret techniques. He was quite confident in these techniques and believed that even though he couldn't match Dr. Mo's unfathomable skills, he had some confidence in using them for self-defense.
A gentle breeze blew, and Han Li felt a chill. He looked down at his torn clothes, imagining his current appearance, and couldn't help but smile bitterly.
Recalling his practice of the Smoke Step, he still had some lingering fears. Practicing footwork in the thorny forest was indeed a perilous endeavor. Initially, due to his unfamiliarity with the technique, he was inevitably scratched all over by the sharp thorns, leaving him bleeding profusely.
Fortunately, he had the "Nourishing Pill" with him. Not only could it heal internal injuries, but it also worked wonders for external wounds. After taking one pill, not only did the bleeding stop immediately, but even the scars disappeared completely by the next day.
Han Li was amazed by this miraculous effect. This medicine was far superior to ordinary wound-healing medicines. He couldn't understand why it was named "Nourishing Pill." In his opinion, names like "Scar Remover" or "Bleeding Stopper" would be more appropriate.
If the creator of the "Nourishing Pill" knew about Han Li's thoughts, he would probably be infuriated. His carefully concocted healing elixir was unexpectedly being compared to common "Gold Wound Medicine" found in the martial world. How could he not be angry!
However, it was precisely because of practicing in such a dangerous environment that Han Li was able to fully unleash his potential. In a short time, he had made considerable progress in the Smoke Step, which could now be immediately put into use.
Moreover, Han Li had recently reached the sixth level of the Long Spring Technique, the highest level instructed by Dr. Mo. Without the assistance of the dozen or so bottles of spirit medicine, he wouldn't have been able to achieve such progress in his lifetime, even if he exerted all his efforts.
After several years of practice, Han Li had gained considerable experience with the Long Spring Technique. He found it to be extremely peculiar, different from other martial arts in both training methods and effects.
Firstly, Han Li believed that success in practicing this technique and the speed of progress depended mainly on the individual's aptitude and compatibility with the technique.
Those with excellent aptitude could progress smoothly without any hindrance. Even without external assistance, they could reach high levels through diligent practice alone.
On the other hand, those with poor aptitude would find it difficult to progress beyond a certain level without the help of spirit medicines. Han Li speculated that they would reach their limit in their lifetime, with no possibility of further advancement. Just like himself, he had progressed smoothly up to the third level, but suddenly faced extreme difficulty at the fourth level, making no progress at all.
However, with spirit medicines, the impossible became possible. They could break through the limitations of aptitude and advance to higher levels. This showed how much the technique relied on the potency of these medicines!
Nevertheless, there were probably few people like him who consumed spirit medicines like snacks every day. Therefore, it was no surprise that he effortlessly reached the more challenging fifth and sixth levels, without experiencing the difficulties he faced at the fourth level.
Having reached the sixth level of the Long Spring Technique, Han Li felt more energetic and his mind sharper. However, he hadn't discovered any other practical uses for it yet. Strangely, since he began practicing this technique, each level had only enhanced his mental faculties, senses, and physical strength. The energy flow it generated—what Han Li referred to as pseudo-true qi—could circulate through his meridians like ordinary true qi, but apart from enhancing his senses, it didn't have any other practical effects, unlike true qi's formidable power.
Furthermore, he believed that there must be unfinished verses beyond the sixth level, and perhaps the real benefits of the technique lay in the higher levels.
Thinking of this, he shook his head helplessly, sighing. With his current relationship with Dr. Mo, it was impossible for him to learn the techniques beyond the sixth level.
Putting an end to his random thoughts, Han Li leaped gracefully and landed softly on the ground without making a sound. Then, he strode towards the small wooden hut.
Tomorrow, he would meet Dr. Mo. Before that, he needed to make full use of his talents, plan the steps of their meeting in his mind, carefully consider every subtle detail that might occur, and devise the best possible responses to any potential dangers.
