Wang Li moved.
Not toward the mist—
But straight toward the white tiger.
Simple. Direct.
Just as before.
But the moment he stepped forward—
A second roar echoed.
Deeper than the first. Heavier.
It didn't come from the tiger.
Wang Li stopped mid-step.
Not because of fear.
Because something changed.
A faint sensation spread through his body, subtle but clear. His thoughts became sharper, and the parts of the *Mountain and Seas Art* he hadn't fully understood began to make sense.
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Just from that sound…"
He paused, feeling the change.
"My understanding is improving."
A small smile appeared.
"In that case, there's no reason to rush."
---
His pace slowed.
Not out of caution—but intention.
Step by step, he continued forward, focusing inward instead of outward.
Time passed quietly.
The white tiger remained where it was, watching him.
It didn't attack.
And Wang Li didn't engage.
---
Several hours went by.
Then—
A dull sound echoed from within his body.
Small cracks followed, like something shifting beneath the surface.
Wang Li opened his eyes.
"My body has improved again," he said calmly.
"And the Mountain and Seas Art… has reached the peak of perfection."
He took a slow breath.
"That's enough for now."
---
The next moment, he moved.
His figure blurred and disappeared from where he stood.
When he reappeared, he was already in front of the white tiger.
He didn't hesitate.
He raised his fist.
Power gathered naturally, without strain.
Then he struck.
The white tiger shattered instantly.
It couldn't resist even a single blow.
Fragments of light scattered and faded.
Wang Li landed lightly on the invisible surface beneath him.
As if nothing significant had happened.
---
A purple page appeared where the tiger had been.
He picked it up and looked at it briefly.
The moment his attention focused—
His mind shifted.
He found himself in a strange space, facing a massive tiger.
It roared, and information flowed into his thoughts.
"Supreme Tiger Manual…"
He considered it.
"A high-level Earth-grade technique. Incomplete—but still useful."
He didn't stay long.
Once he understood the basics, he withdrew.
"Good enough."
He stored the page away without much reaction.
"To others, this might be worth everything," he said quietly.
"To me, it's just another resource."
---
He took out the earlier technique—the *Nine True Demon Ape Refinement*—and absorbed its contents in the same way.
Once done, he stored it as well.
"These should be worth something later," he thought.
Resources could always be exchanged.
And resources meant progress.
---
Just as he was about to continue—
A voice called out.
"Hey, newcomer. Leave those techniques behind."
Wang Li turned slightly.
Not far away stood a man carrying a large axe.
It was the same person others had called Crazy Tong.
Wang Li looked at him for a moment.
Then spoke.
"Are you serious?"
His tone was calm. Flat.
But something in it caused the other man to stiffen.
There was no anger.
No threat.
Just indifference.
As if Wang Li didn't see him as worth reacting to.
A quiet pressure filled the air.
Crazy Tong felt it immediately.
His expression changed.
"…Heh. Just joking," he said quickly, stepping back.
"No misunderstanding, senior brother."
Wang Li had already looked away.
The conversation ended there.
Crazy Tong didn't stay any longer.
Only after putting some distance between them did he relax.
"That was close…" he muttered, his hands slightly unsteady.
He didn't look back again.
---
Around them, the Spiritual Plane had grown chaotic.
Fights broke out in different areas.
Disciples clashed over inheritances and opportunities.
But Wang Li remained where he was.
Calm. Separate.
---
He sat down and focused again.
The two techniques he had obtained began to take shape in his mind.
He practiced them one after another.
The early stages came easily.
Within a short time, he had grasped both at a basic level.
Then he continued.
His movements shifted as he adjusted between them.
Slowly, the understanding deepened.
Until—
He stopped.
Something changed.
Inside his mind, the techniques began to merge.
Not smoothly—but forcefully.
Conflicting. Combining.
Then settling into one.
---
Wang Li opened his eyes.
He felt the difference immediately.
"The Mountain and Seas Art… dropped back to great success."
He frowned slightly.
But soon understood.
"The fusion was too much for my body."
He remained still for a moment.
Then—
A faint smile appeared.
"It doesn't matter."
"As long as I reach the next stage, I'll break through."
"With this foundation…"
His eyes steadied.
"I won't be at a disadvantage."
---
Pain spread through his body as he adjusted to the change.
But he didn't react.
He had already grown used to it.
---
At this point, the Spiritual Plane no longer held much interest in its basic inheritances.
The real opportunities would come later.
"The second and third day…"
That was when the more valuable things would appear.
Others were aiming for entry into the nine peaks.
Wang Li thought differently.
"Joining a peak can wait."
"What I need now is something I can use immediately."
---
At that moment—
A faint fragrance drifted through the air.
Wang Li turned slightly.
A woman approached from the distance.
She stood out immediately.
Calm. Elegant.
And surrounded by others.
For a brief moment, Wang Li felt something shift.
His thoughts slowed.
His focus blurred.
Then—
He let out a quiet breath.
And the feeling disappeared.
---
His eyes turned cold.
"That wasn't natural."
He watched her more carefully.
"This isn't just appearance."
There was something else influencing people.
As she moved further away, the effect weakened.
Wang Li noticed.
"So distance matters…"
He considered it briefly.
Then dismissed the rest.
---
Around her, others followed closely.
Their expressions were focused entirely on her.
Wang Li looked once, then looked away.
"That won't affect me."
---
He closed his eyes for a moment.
When he opened them again, they were steady.
---
At the same time—
The entire Spiritual Plane began to tremble.
A purple light spread across the sky, gathering in one place.
Voices rose everywhere.
"It's starting!"
"It finally opened!"
Excitement spread quickly.
Everyone turned toward the source.
Everyone—
Except Wang Li.
His gaze remained where it was before.
On the woman.
A faint, thoughtful expression appeared.
"So… what exactly are you?"