He knew how absurd his actions appeared in the eyes of others. He had paid a huge price to open the Secret Realm early, yet he came out after only half an hour, without even setting foot in the place of the Legacy.
Anyone else would think he was acting arrogantly and wasting resources.
But he could not explain.
He could hardly tell Hun Qianling and those clan elders that he had completed one hundred Sign Ins just by standing at the edge of the Restriction, reaping dozens of insights into the Law of Life and Death, two Cultivation Techniques, two secret arts, several eternal dao artifacts, and a massive amount of cultivation resources.
And he certainly couldn't tell them that even the Origin object maintaining the operation of the Life and Death Ravine was now in his hands, could he?
"I suppose I owe Hun Qianling an apology."
Han Xuanji leaned back in his chair, thinking silently to himself.
Hun Qianling had run around for his sake, expending quite a bit of effort.
Yet he, on the other hand, had left her behind in the Secret Realm and simply walked away.
Although Hun Qianling did indeed need to remain in the Secret Realm to comprehend the Way of Life and Death, he still felt a bit guilty.
"Once I achieve Major Achievement in the Law of Life and Death, I will help her out."
Han Xuanji pulled back his thoughts and closed his eyes.
The flying boat tore through the clouds, speeding toward Qianhun City.
Returning to the Hun Family, Han Xuanji went back to his Immortal Cave, closed the door, and shut out all the noise of the outside world. He sat down cross-legged, not rushing to claim his rewards, but instead sat quietly for a moment, allowing his mind to settle completely.
Although this trip to the Secret Realm was brief, the harvest was plentiful.
"I'll claim the Cultivation Technique and insights first to start my practice, and leave the other things for later."
Han Xuanji took a deep breath and probed his Divine Sense into the system space.
The first thing he claimed was the Cultivation Technique, the "Life and Death Canon".
This Cultivation Technique was the life's work of that Peak Eternal True God who had left behind the Legacy of the Life and Death Ravine; the version provided by the System was naturally complete, offering a smooth path from Eternal Dao Lord to Eternal True God.
Han Xuanji claimed the reward, and in an instant, a vast amount of insights regarding the Cultivation Technique surged into his mind like a tidal wave.
Unlike the Five Elements Great Dao Secret Canon, the "Life and Death Canon" focused more on the core Profound Truth of "Life and Death Transformation."
Life can transform into death, and death can transform into life.
The end of life is death, and the end of death is new life.
Life and Death, endlessly cycling.
Han Xuanji closed his eyes, letting this information slowly settle in his mind.
With the System's reward, initially circulating this Cultivation Technique was naturally not difficult for him, but achieving Major Achievement was not so simple; given his current level of the Law of Life and Death, he was still lacking.
"Next is the reward of insights into the Law of Life and Death."
Han Xuanji knew this was the main event, and also the magic medicine for him to rapidly increase his strength. The Way of Life and Death he had comprehended in Chaos was relatively shallow, but these insights into the Law of Life and Death were different; each reward was a complete Eternal Dao Principle. Although these insights were not necessarily all that powerful, many of their mysteries were difficult for Han Xuanji to understand, and they might even be superior in every aspect to what Han Xuanji had comprehended.
Thirty portions of insights.
Han Xuanji chose to claim them one by one.
Absorption could not be rushed; becoming too obsessed with others' insights could easily distort his own path of cultivation.
Each of these insights was like a complete memory; he would experience the struggle and Epiphany of that Senior between Life and Death from a first-person perspective.
The first insight came from a Loose Cultivator who had engaged in Life and Death battles year-round; amidst a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, he had comprehended the truth that "Life and Death are one."
The second insight came from an ascetic Cultivator who had sat withered on a barren plain for hundreds of millions of years; in endless solitude, he had penetrated the truth that "Death is another form of life."
The third, fourth, fifth...
Han Xuanji's aura changed imperceptibly.
His breathing, originally as steady as a mountain, began to become sometimes rapid, sometimes slow, as if the two forces of Life and Death were fiercely clashing within his body.
But his expression remained calm, and his mind was as steady as a rock.
Thanks to his Eternal True God-level mental willpower, although these insights were intense when absorbed one by one, they were completely unable to shake his Dao Heart.
Days passed by.
All thirty portions of insights were fully absorbed.
"Life and Death..."
Han Xuanji opened his eyes, and a flash of black and white light flickered and vanished in them.
"I have achieved Epiphany."
He raised his right hand, and a ball of gray-white light appeared in his palm, then turned pitch black.
Life and Death were originally completely different paths, but Han Xuanji had grasped the connection between them, and it was as if a great road had appeared before his eyes.
Of course, mastering them completely was still very difficult.
"Currently, I can only manage to transform and connect them; it is still very difficult to achieve a Fusion of these two great Laws."
Han Xuanji muttered to himself.
He was naturally not satisfied with condensing the Law of Life and Death separately; instead, he intended to condense a Fusion Law similar to the Five Elements Dao Laws. Only then would his Dao be much stronger than others, and only then could he be invincible within the same Realm.
After pondering for a moment, Han Xuanji took out something that looked like a ball of light from the system space and held it in his palm.
"The Origin of Life and Death; with my current abilities, I should be able to make initial use of this object."
The reason Han Xuanji had not used this object at first was simple: even though it was a System reward, he had no way to fully utilize it.
After all, this was the Origin left behind by a Saint upon their death, and the power of Life and Death contained within it was completely beyond what a mere Eternal Dao Lord like him could touch.
However, his comprehension of the Law of Life and Death was now very strong, so he could try it.
Han Xuanji moved his mind.
In an instant.
The power of this Origin of Life and Death, as if having found an outlet, surged madly into his body, fusing with the cultivation path of the "Life and Death Canon" and verifying itself against those thirty portions of insights.
In the cultivation chamber, black and white light intertwined and wound around, illuminating the entire secret room as if it were broad daylight.
Han Xuanji's cultivation began a new round of ascension at this moment.
A massive amount of insights into the Law of Life and Death surged into his heart, and Han Xuanji felt physically and mentally refreshed.
As the saying goes, "If one hears the Dao in the morning, one can die without regret in the evening."
Many Cultivators of the Way of Laws truly disregard Life and Death in order to pursue the Great Dao.
Just like this place of the Legacy in the Life and Death Ravine, where a moment of carelessness could mean mortal danger, yet many people still followed one after another, willing to pay a huge price to go.
Time flowed by slowly.
Cultivation has no years; one does not know the passage of time in the cave.
The Origin of Life and Death in front of Han Xuanji had shrunk by a circle compared to the beginning; the absorbed power of the Origin transformed into pure energy, bit by bit merging into his flesh, Divine Soul, and dao foundation.
The embryonic form of the Law of Life and Death had already condensed into shape, looking like a taiji diagram, with you in me and me in you.
The two diametrically opposed forces of Life and Death reached a delicate balance within it.