The spells and martial skills for the Qi Refining stage within the Profound Yin Formula were not many.

Perhaps deliberately arranged by Old Monster Profound Yin, the martial skill in the Profound Yin Formula was a saber technique that Yun Hanshuang was relatively proficient in, though only one saber move was recorded on it. White Blade Slash: this move primarily emphasized speed, so fast that with a flash of white light, the enemy's head was taken.

There were quite a few spells, but most were non-attribute spells, also called life spells by cultivators. Apart from non-attribute spells, only four ice-attribute spells and four yin-attribute spells remained.

Non-attribute spells: Cleaning Technique, Dust Removal Technique, Illumination Technique, Rain Summoning Technique...

Ice-attribute spells: Ice Arrow Technique, Ice Spike Technique, Ice Shield Technique, Freezing Technique.

Yin-attribute spells:

Pessimism Curse: after being struck by this spell, one would develop pessimistic emotions and fall into a state of self-doubt.

Fear Curse: inducing a sense of fear, mainly causing the enemy to fall into an uneasy emotional state.

Rot Curse: causing the enemy's wounds to rot rapidly, worsening their injuries.

Weakness Curse: causing the spell's target to accelerate the loss of spiritual power.

The effects of these four spells mainly depended on the caster's soul and cultivation. The stronger the soul and cultivation, the better the effects.

Note: Because the attacks of yin-attribute spells require the assistance of the soul, only those with powerful souls may cultivate them, otherwise there is a risk of backlash.

After Yun Hanshuang familiarized himself with the incantations and hand seals of all these spells, he began arduous training on Qi Moon Peak.

To better practice his saber technique and spells, Yun Hanshuang used the space of the Myriad Soil Spirit-Gathering Pot to transport a lot of wood up. Besides using some of this wood to build a house, the rest was made into wooden stakes or wooden targets by Yun Hanshuang.

Every morning, Yun Hanshuang would swing his long saber ten thousand times to increase his drawing speed. He would also repeatedly slash at the same spot on a wooden stake to practice the accuracy of his attacks. Not only that, Yun Hanshuang would also control his strength so that the stake would only break precisely at the ten-thousandth slash, thereby practicing his control over his own power.

In the beginning, simply swinging the saber ten thousand times took Yun Hanshuang five hours. Therefore, during the first month of practicing spells and martial skills, Yun Hanshuang basically only practiced the White Blade Slash and for spells, only those simple life spells.

It was only after a month of practice that Yun Hanshuang managed to limit the practice time for the White Blade Slash to the mornings, freeing up the afternoons to practice spells. Perhaps because Yun Hanshuang's soul was relatively powerful, he found practicing spells quite easy. However, even though Yun Hanshuang mastered the spells with ease, he was not satisfied with his casting speed.

Thus, relying on his ability to rapidly recover spiritual power, Yun Hanshuang repeatedly cast spells over and over.

“Ice Arrow, strike." Five ice arrows pierced through a wooden target ten meters away.

‘I can finally cast instantly.’

Watching the wooden target riddled with holes, Yun Hanshuang's face showed an excited expression, after which he once again sank into tedious practice.

* * *

Time flew by swiftly amidst Yun Hanshuang's tedious training. A year had passed from his first climb up Qi Moon Peak to now. In this year, Yun Hanshuang had stepped into the Early Qi Refining stage and raised his cultivation to the peak of the Early Qi Refining stage, just a step away from the Middle Qi Refining stage.

With the saber technique White Blade Slash, he could now instantly deliver ten slashes. All spells could be cast instantly. However, because of his spiritual power, he could only use the White Blade Slash three times before running out of spiritual power. If he purely cast spells, Yun Hanshuang could cast six spells and still have a trace of spiritual power left.

‘There's no need to continue staying here any longer. It's time to go home and see the family, and inquire about news of Evernight Island.’

Yun Hanshuang placed all his belongings into the Myriad Soil Spirit-Gathering Pot, and with a thought, the marks at his brow, heart, and dantian vanished. Taking one last look at the place where he had lived for a year, Yun Hanshuang turned and walked in the direction of home.

* * *

Three months later, Yun Hanshuang stood before an enormous city wall. He looked up at the three characters 'Moonview City' on the wall and actually felt a trace of timidity. 'Is this what they call being afraid to approach home?' Yun Hanshuang suppressed the complex emotions in his heart and stepped toward the city gate.

Moonview City was a city where mortals and cultivators lived together, thus it was divided into an Inner City and an Outer City. The Outer City was mostly inhabited by mortals, with only a very few cultivators living there due to poverty. The Inner City was basically inhabited by cultivators, with only some family members who could not cultivate or mortals who had sold themselves into servitude living there. The Inner City was dozens of times larger than the Outer City and was divided into four districts: East, South, West, and North. The Yun family exclusively occupied the East District.

'Could there be some happy event at home? Why are so many red lanterns hung up?' As soon as Yun Hanshuang entered the Inner City, he saw the walls of the Yun family compound covered in red lanterns. He unconsciously quickened his pace toward the Yun family's main gate.

“Hanshuang, is that you?”

Just as Yun Hanshuang was walking quickly toward the main gate of the Yun family, a familiar voice came from behind him.

“Brother Haoyu?”

Yun Hanshuang, hearing the voice behind him, turned around and saw a tall figure running toward him. He called out to the other somewhat uncertainly.

“It's me. What, you don't recognize me after a few years apart?”

Yun Haoyu's grandfather and Yun Hanshuang's grandfather were blood brothers, and the two of them were only two years apart in age, so they had been very close since childhood. However, Yun Haoyu had gone to live with his maternal grandparents' family five years ago, so the two hadn't seen each other in five years, only exchanging letters during this time. Neither had expected to meet here.

Yun Haoyu excitedly walked up to Yun Hanshuang and clapped him on the back. Yun Hanshuang nearly stumbled from the clap.

“Brother Haoyu, don't forget you're a Body Cultivator while I'm still a mortal body. Are you trying to slap me to death?”

Yun Hanshuang looked at Yun Haoyu somewhat reproachfully. Yun Haoyu scratched his head awkwardly and said somewhat sheepishly,

“Sorry, force of habit.”

“Brother Haoyu, when did you return to the family? And what happy event has the family got, hanging so many red lanterns?”

Yun Hanshuang walked with Yun Haoyu toward the main gate, asking his questions along the way.

“I returned half a year ago. As for the happy event, it's because your own sister was accepted as a closed-door disciple by a powerful expert from the Mainland three months ago. The family held a three-day banquet for it.”

“What Mainland? How come I don't know?”

Hearing Yun Haoyu mention the Mainland, Yun Hanshuang immediately became interested and inquired.

Yun Haoyu glanced at Yun Hanshuang and then teased, “You really don't care about your own sister! The first thing you ask about is the Mainland.”

“That tomboy? Who could bully her? It's a blessing if she doesn't bully others.”

The moment Yun Hanshuang thought of that younger sister who used to chase and beat him, his body involuntarily shivered. Hearing Yun Hanshuang say this, Yun Haoyu also shrank his neck; that little devil queen indeed only had her bullying others.

“The place we live now is actually a giant island called Marsh Island. Because the island is too big, according to records, a Golden Core stage cultivator could spend a lifetime and still not cross Marsh Island. Since the place we live is still very far from the sea, many mortals don't know that where they live is an island. As for the Mainland, I don't know either. However, your grandfather, that is, the clan head, should know.”

Yun Haoyu shrugged, indicating he didn't know any information about the Mainland either.