Chapter 58

“Crap!”

Han Luo didn’t even have time to react.

In the blink of an eye, six layers of multicolored protective shields lit up on his body. The fierce energy that had just surged like a dragon breaking through the heavens instantly turned into a harmless ripple the moment it touched his defenses, dispersing quietly into the air.

“Senior Brother, are you okay?!”

Shen Xian’er panicked. She had gotten so excited, she completely forgot her own strength had surpassed her senior brother’s. One careless move might’ve accidentally killed him—and if he died, she’d be devastated for life. After all… who else would cook her instant noodles, roasted pig trotters, braised pork, and a mountain of other delicacies? A life without good food? Unthinkable.

Han Luo saw her flustered expression and instantly understood—this was unintentional.

“It’s fine, I’m totally fine. See?” he said, giving her a classic head pat to reassure her. “You can’t hurt me.”

Good thing he didn’t know that, in Shen Xian’er’s heart, he was basically just a chef-slash-tool, and not much more.

“Really? You're not hurt, are you?” she asked cautiously.

Hearing that he was okay, she let out a sigh of relief. Her food dreams were safe.

“Don’t worry, Senior Brother. I’m super powerful now! If anyone dares to bully you, I’ll protect you!” she declared solemnly, determined to become strong enough to guard him and ensure he cooked her gourmet meals forever.

Han Luo was visibly moved. The little girl’s all grown up… wanting to protect her senior brother now. How touching.

That said, it was terrifying how much talent she had—just that one accidental punch had activated six of his seventy-two protective talismans. Truly impressive.

“Senior Brother, let’s eat. I’m hungry again!”

Her mood swings were lightning-fast, but fortunately, Han Luo’s pace of thought could keep up.

“Fine, let’s eat.”

Braised eggplant and steamed rice—an unbeatable combination for Shen Xian’er. She gobbled it all down like a storm, moaning with satisfaction. “Senior Brother, you’re amazing!”

After they ate, Han Luo didn’t send her off to rest. “Let’s do another round of spirit cleansing.”

During their meal, he had quietly observed her state and confirmed that the cleansing formation had no adverse effects. On the contrary, completing the entire process in one go seemed to enhance her temperament—making her aura more ethereal, her gaze more luminous.

It was subtle—like a speck of dust—but Han Luo’s enchanted glasses caught the difference. If his hypothesis was correct, completing all seven spirit cleansings using his array might yield extraordinary results.

“Okay, okay!” Shen Xian’er nodded enthusiastically, eager for more.

He handed her another perfect-grade Spirit-Cleansing Pill, and just like before, she entered the formation to begin refining.

“Kid, are you sure this invention of yours is safe?” Xiaobai, sitting nearby, frowned as she stared at Shen Xian’er glowing atop the pink lotus.

“Why? Do you see a problem?”

Han Luo was always willing to listen to Xiaobai—he knew the little cat wasn’t ordinary. She knew many things he didn’t and simply chose not to speak of them due to pride.

Xiaobai, seeing him so humble, curled up more comfortably and began explaining.

“From ancient times till now, spirit cleansing has always been regarded as one of the most critical parts of cultivation. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it accounts for at least 20% of your path to becoming a true immortal. Do you know what 20% means, Han Luo? It means that just from mastering spirit cleansing, some people can ascend to the Immortal Realm.”

Han Luo fell silent, deeply contemplating her words.

Xiaobai continued, her expression solemn. “The world of cultivation has its own laws. Just because something can be changed doesn’t mean it should be changed. Over countless millennia, generations of cultivators—some with freakish talent—have followed the same ancient methods. These methods are battle-tested, proven by time. How can you casually discard them for a flashy new technique?”

She had a point.
Spirit cleansing was foundational. If not for generations of cultivators confirming these methods’ safety and effectiveness, no one would dare experiment so freely.

“So, you think my method doesn’t work?”

Han Luo had considered this question before. That’s why he hadn’t tested it on himself but used Shen Xian’er as a guinea pig.
After all, if he ascended, he’d bring her with him. And she wasn’t particularly obsessed with ascending anyway—as long as there was good food, she was content.

“I’m not saying it doesn’t work,” Xiaobai replied coolly. “I’m saying that many have tried similar things before. All of them failed.”

She was worried. Shen Xian’er had gone through a lot—things others didn’t know but she did. Xiaobai only wanted her to be happy. As long as she stayed with Han Luo, she was content. Otherwise, she would’ve clawed that boy’s smug face to ribbons long ago.

“Don’t worry. I trust my formation skills.”

Han Luo’s confidence wasn’t baseless. He had managed to perfectly fuse Nine Laws of Formation with the True Nine Li Arts. According to Li’er’s ancestral grandmother, anyone who achieved such a fusion could wield a power capable of rewriting the very fabric of cultivation itself.

And in all the eons, no one had ever succeeded—until him.

“Where does your confidence even come from...?” Xiaobai muttered.

But truth be told, Han Luo had proven himself time and again. He might be weird, but when it counted, he was reliable.

“Look, you’re not wrong,” Han Luo explained patiently. “But how many people in this era complete all seven spirit cleansings? How many ascend to immortality? In ancient times, the spiritual energy was purer. Reaching perfection in cleansing was easier. That’s why more people ascended. But now, the world’s resources are scarce, and the spiritual energy is messy. Following the old ways in today’s conditions doesn’t yield the same results. As the saying goes—‘when trapped, adapt; when you adapt, you survive; when you survive long enough, you thrive.’ You of all people should understand that.”

He rarely talked this much.
But for Xiaobai, it was worth making the effort.

She fell into a long silence.

Eventually, she shook her head. She couldn’t quite bring herself to believe him. Sometimes a too-rigid Dao heart can become a shackle rather than a guide.

“Trust me. Shen Xian’er is my little sister—my family. I’d never do anything to harm her.”

Han Luo reached out to give Xiaobai a comforting pat, but her icy glare—Touch me and die—made him rethink it.

Her strength had grown lately, and she’d probably awakened a few divine abilities. It was better not to push his luck.

Thanks to Xiaobai’s reminder, he paid extra attention to Shen Xian’er’s condition.

Two hours later.

The pink lotus turned green—her third spirit cleansing was complete.

As before, she came out glowing with new power, happily chattering about how she felt. Han Luo noted everything down in his little black book.

After a day of analysis, he initiated her fourth cleansing.

And so it continued…

A week passed.

Han Luo stood in front of the formation, tense.
This was Shen Xian’er’s seventh spirit cleansing.

Beside him, Xiaobai was equally serious.

Over the past three days, her worldview had been thoroughly shattered.

After probing Shen Xian’er’s strength, she discovered—to her utter disbelief—that the little girl’s power was at least ten times that of someone who had followed traditional methods and completed six cleansings.

Ten times!

It was insane. Unreal. Utterly contradictory to everything she knew.

Had Han Luo been right all along?
When trapped, adapt. When you adapt, you survive. When you survive long enough, you thrive...

Xiaobai couldn’t help but glance at Han Luo, who stood focused and serious.

Her feline intuition sparked.

The world of cultivation is on the cusp of a storm, she thought. And the butterfly flapping its wings to start it... is right here in front of me.