Several days later, in a cave abode garden halfway up the Cloudrise Peak.

A beautiful young woman in a palace dress with skin as fair as snow was slowly walking along half a step behind a tall white-robed woman.

These two were none other than Yu Menghan and Gu Yunyue.

"Thinking back to what you said back then, Elder Han's origins really are a mystery. On the way back to the sect, it had already become apparent to me that he was far more powerful than he let on, but it appears I still severely underestimated him," Gu Yunyue said with a wry smile.

"I wonder when or if I'll ever reach his level," Yu Menghan sighed as a hint of longing appeared in her eyes.

"Striving for the path of immortality in a limited lifespan is already a pursuit that goes against the natural order. Aptitude is important, but luck and fate are even more vital. That's why countless people have cultivated their entire lives without even reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage, let alone the Core Formation Stage and beyond. 

“I've already been cultivating for over 500 years, and at this point, I've spent over a century stuck at the mid-Nascent Soul Stage. Perhaps there's a slim ray of hope for me to reach the Deity Transformation Stage someday, but the Spatial Tempering Stage is almost certainly out of reach. 

“As for the Body Integration Stage and the Grand Ascension...