Half a month later, the stone door of the secret chamber opened on its own, and Han Li walked out, his expression as calm as ever.
A flash of silver light appeared outside the door, and a humanoid puppet that looked exactly like Han Li materialized before him in a strange, almost ghostly manner.
Han Li glanced at the puppet, smiled faintly, and touched his forehead. Instantly, the dark-green Nascent Soul surfaced above his head.
The Nascent Soul's face was blank and expressionless, but with a flicker of its body, it transformed into a streak of black light and shot forth, plunging into the humanoid puppet's body and vanishing without a trace.
Moments later, the puppet's lifeless eyes blinked several times, suddenly brimming with the vitality of a living being, as though it had truly become a living person.
"Not bad — it's exactly as I predicted. By using the secret technique recorded in the Great Development Treasure Scripture to bind the Second Nascent Soul onto it, the Second Nascent Soul can directly control this puppet. I no longer need to worry about the problem of being unable to drive it when it gets too far away. It seems that in the future, whenever I go out for a short trip, I can leave both the Second Nascent Soul and the humanoid puppet behind in the cave dwelling." Seeing this scene, Han Li clapped his hands and chuckled softly.
"Friend Han, doing this is indeed a clever idea. But aren't you worried that something unexpected might happen again — that the Second Nascent Soul might regain its own autonomous Primordial Spirit? With this humanoid puppet, which is comparable to a late-stage cultivator, assisting it, trying to recover the Second Nascent Soul the way you did last time would be virtually impossible." A child's voice came from Han Li's sleeve, sounding rather skeptical.
"I don't need you to remind me of that, Friend — I'm well aware of it myself. But this time, I'll use several newly comprehended restriction techniques that only late-stage cultivators can execute, and plant them in the Second Nascent Soul's spiritual sense in advance. I'll also make certain arrangements on the humanoid puppet itself. Unless the Second Nascent Soul's spiritual sense is truly more powerful than that of my main Nascent Soul, I can render the puppet paralyzed at any moment." Han Li said with complete confidence.
"Heh heh, it seems Friend Han has already thought this through carefully. It was just this old man worrying over nothing." The child let out a chuckle.
"I must still thank Tian Lan for your kind intentions. Now then — do you plan to undergo the Transformation Tribulation right here at my Mother-Child Peak, or would you prefer that I find another secluded location to help you through it?" Han Li abruptly changed the subject, bringing up the matter of the tribulation.
"Mother-Child Peak might not be quite suitable. After all, the Transformation Tribulation cannot be concealed even by restrictions. Although I trust in Friend Han's abilities, it would be safer to find a place where few people ever venture." The child hesitated for a moment and made the suggestion tactfully.
"Very well. Once I've seen Wan'er, I'll take you somewhere else." Han Li made no difficulty about it and agreed without hesitation.
Then he left the cave dwelling and went first to the Luoyun Sect to see Nangong Wan, to check on how her cultivation was progressing.
One day later, Han Li departed the Luoyun Sect once more without a sound, his escape light streaking due west.
Five days later, Han Li appeared on a barren, desolate yellow-earth wasteland.
Not a blade of grass grew on this land. As far as the eye could see, nothing stretched to the horizon but yellow earth and gray-white stones of every size.
Han Li had first scoured the entire area within a radius of tens of thousands of li.
Not only were there no ordinary cultivators — there wasn't even a single mortal from the secular world.
"How about this? This is a dead land at the border between Xi Country and Yu Country. Within a radius of two to three hundred thousand li, there isn't a single living soul. If you undergo the Transformation Tribulation here, it should be much safer."
Han Li said mildly while hovering in midair, then shook his sleeve. A ball of azure light carrying the small cauldron shot forth.
"This is indeed a fine place for the tribulation! Friend Han, please release my true body first, and let me meditate in peace for three days. Then I'll be ready to undergo the tribulation." The child's joyful voice drifted from within the cauldron.
"No problem!" Han Li agreed readily, and with a flick of his finger toward the small cauldron, he tapped the air.
With a soft "bang," the cauldron lid opened on its own. The small cauldron then flipped over, and a column of azure radiance swept outward, revealing a demonic beast roughly half a foot in size with the head of a bull and the body of a flood dragon.
The moment the demonic beast flew out of the azure radiance, it rolled over, and its body instantly swelled to over ten feet tall, its entire form shimmering with azure light.
"Then I'll have to trouble you to stand guard for me for a time, fellow Daoist." The beast spoke in the voice of a young child, then coiled its flood dragon body and plummeted directly toward the ground, finally settling onto a large white stone, where it lay perfectly still.
Han Li watched the Heavenly Lake beast's actions without saying a word, but his figure flickered and he appeared sitting cross-legged on another nearby stone, likewise closing his eyes.
With one human and one beast seated thus, three days and three nights passed in the blink of an eye.
When the sun first rose on the fourth morning, both of them opened their eyes at the same time.
"I have already adjusted the Magical Power within my body to its optimal state. I have at least sixty to seventy percent confidence of surviving the lightning tribulation. There is no need for you to act in the beginning, fellow Daoist. If I truly cannot hold on, it should only be during the final stage. As long as you can withstand the last three waves of lightning strikes, I will be eternally grateful." The Heavenly Lake Holy Beast spoke with extraordinary solemnity.
"I see. I will keep that in mind. Before your tribulation, you might as well swallow a drop of this." Han Li agreed in a calm tone, but then suddenly flipped his palm, and a small frost-covered ice bottle materialized in his hand. He tossed it across to the demonic beast.
"What is this?" The beast was somewhat taken aback. It caught the bottle with a look of surprise and suspicion, then opened the lid and swept it with a thread of spiritual sense.
"Cold Marrow? You actually have this, fellow Daoist?" The Heavenly Lake Holy Beast cried out in startled delight.