Dawn's approach swatted away the stuffy darkness of the night, bringing with it a legion of cold breeze. But the wind failed to tear away the cover of the clouds shrouding the sky. The visibility of the sun was unlikely to increase anytime soon.

On the Heavenly Hailstorm Mountain Peak, a burly figure was illuminated by the weak daylight at the back of a hut, deep in meditation. This figure was surrounded by layers of invisible waves that pulsed in the air every second. One could not see the cause behind the disturbance that permeated the surroundings, but they could feel it acutely.

A loud groan broke this atmosphere all of a sudden, and the figure shook his head violently, jumping to his feet.

"Difficult! This is too damn difficult! Is this technique even meant for humans?! Bullshit!"

Han Xuhan smashed a fist into his palm in frustration and let go of the hold he had constructed on the qi around his body.

It had taken him approximately six hours to reach the peak of the first layer of the treasure-tracing technique and make a breakthrough. He had wrongly assumed that the second layer would be as easy. The two layers had two different types of approach, and the workload of the second layer was many times more than the first.

But he had achieved substantial progress, much more than his predictions at least. Being able to reach the threshold of the second layer meant that he could create qi that was sensitive to the treasure sets. All he needed to do at this point was to practice the process of spreading the qi around him, as far as he could while maintaining a minimal level of control over it.

Technically speaking, his personal cultivation had renewed, and he was now an early second-layer cultivator of the treasure tracing technique. Curious to see whether it had brought any changes to his physique or his spiritual world, Han Xuhan decided to undo the fusion.

Zhanxian and Tun Shi Tian's bones disappeared from his body one after another, reappearing behind him as if they had just been summoned. Han Xuhan told them to rest while he examined his body.

Bang!

The strength-testing device creaked as his fist pushed it back to 20%... 24%... 27%... 29%.

In the end, it seemed that the cultivation breakthrough hadn't provided him with any physical enhancements. This phenomenon aligned with his understanding of orthodox cultivation methods. For techniques that didn't specifically focus on bodily enhancement, the practitioner got only a nominal boost in physical attributes on each layer. Han Xuhan had already cultivated the Skeletal Monarch Technique to the early fourth layer, being baptized three times in the process. Since his body retained those enhancements after the destruction of his cultivation base, practicing a different, new scripture that didn't focus on physical enhancement either would not grant him better attributes.

Feeling confident that his theory was true and at the same time, feeling disappointed at the phenomenon, he sank into his spiritual world, seeking out the remnants of his dao tower.

Soon, he was back inside the Totality of Autonomy, facing the mysterious ocean of lights. Seeing no anomalies in his scope of vision brought him another wave of confidence. But as he turned around to head over to the center of the island, he noticed a giant silhouette occupying the area. By a carefully cultivated reflex, Han Xuhan's gaze immediately fell downwards, even though there was no neck nor eyeballs to assist him. This maneuver was purely an active spiritual work, where he was controlling the entirety of his spiritual perception to not get in touch with the monstrosity lying in wait ahead.

Slowly, he floated over to the center of the island, and the demon's familiar voice greeted him.

"Welcome back, Xuhan! And congratulations on the powerup! You really needed that, not gonna lie."

"Can't greet you the same way, demon. Where did you disappear off to, anyway?" he shouted back grudgingly.

"This little baby was getting awfully hungry. How could I, a kind-hearted person who needs his body to stay in shape, have the heart to deny it? So we went hunting!"

"What does that thing eat, exactly?" Han Xuhan asked, intrigued by the concept.

"Aspects of living spirits. Anything goes, really. You'll learn better details when you reach the Soul Reformation Realm, I told you that already."

"Do these Tupshus have material bodies in any macrocosms? Or are they purely spiritual beings?"

This time, the demon took a while to reply. Almost a minute later, he said, "It's a bit difficult to explain to humans. These creatures of the primordial ocean can shift between various forms, depending on what world they wish to delve into. For those that have grown enough, materializing a rough representation of their bodies in a world like yours where the laws favor the material over the spirit is not a difficult task."

"...So, what you're saying is that if I wanted to procure the skeleton model of a Tupshu, there is a good possibility that I can succeed," Han Xuhan concluded.

"...Wow, you really don't hold back when imagining your future as a cultivator, do you?" the demon sounded unsure, stuck between expressing derision and amazement.

"Holding back in imagination is something that even the biggest loser in the world wouldn't do," Han Xuhan declared. "A man must have aspirations, and a great man must have aspirations that he has accomplished. Only then he can surpass the mediocrity!"

"Fools have aspirations too, young human. They work towards it, as did every other great man in history. What separates them is their own capability," the demon replied, his tone laced with scorn.

"Good thing I'm relying on YOUR capability, then. Surely, you are neither a fool, nor a loser...or are you?" Han Xuhan said, equally scornful.

"...." The demon didn't reply, which made Xuhan feel a joy so unadulterated it rejuvenated his weary soul. Floating over to the doorstep of his eldest minion's dao tower, he shouted, "Hey, stop sulking and tell me if you noticed any anomalies happening in this place while I was cultivating."

"Anomalies? I've been here for a while. Didn't see any changes happening, let alone an anomaly."

"Not even during my breakthrough to the second layer of the treasure tracing technique?" Han Xuhan asked, disappointed.

"Do I have to explain how stub-type cultivation techniques work now?" the demon roared, sounding rather furious. "What kind of dogshit education have you been receiving? I have yet to meet any human cultivator as ignorant as you. If I remember correctly from my trip into your memories, you've already learned what to expect from that treasure tracing technique, or any stub-type technique in general. Don't tell me you didn't even focus on learning such important theories!"

"Just checking, just checking. No need to get so upset, is there? How can you call yourself a good demon if your emotions are so volatile, buddy?" Han Xuhan became a bit defensive, not wanting to push the buttons of this new treasure trove in demon form.

Leaving the furious demon behind, Han Xuhan patrolled his minions' dao towers carefully and came to the conclusion that the demon hadn't lied. There really was no change brought by his latest cultivation session, at least none that he could sense. He'd have to cultivate a registered, legitimate technique to see that kind of effect.

"I guess that's the end of my visit," he declared, turning to face the direction the Tupshu was sitting. "So do we have a deal?"

"What deal?"

"That you'll help me collect the skeleton of a materialized Tupshu?"

"Impossible! At least here inside the breeding ground, there wouldn't be any skeletons of adult Tupshus. In fact, it's improbable that we will find one in the entire Totality of Autonomy!"

"Then let's take the shortcut. Try to possess other Tupshus and look for any memories, or instincts that help them materialize into macrocosms of man. Look for the memories of their parents, if needed. All I need...is a skeleton model, that's it. Even a detailed drawing would be enough. Aren't these creatures intelligent? You told me they had their own civilization at one point. There might be remnants of that civilization left around this region. Those places will definitely contain precious information."

"...I suppose it's worth a shot. But you should give up any hope of me marching over to possess adult Tupshus. Even I am not that powerful," the demon said begrudgingly, adding, "And of course, I need compensation in return for my attempts."

"You will get your compensation when you can show me some results!" Han Xuhan shouted at the demon before returning to his own macrocosm. Vaguely, he heard him snarl some vulgarities before the sensory connection was cut off.

The sky had brightened. The breeze had gotten lighter, friendlier, replacing daybreak's cold shroud with morning's festive warmth. Han Xuhan suddenly had the urge to recite a poem.

"Men must aspire

A Great man must acquire

Fools aspire for that which lies beyond reach

I aspire so, so a demon I beseech."

"The fuck are you rambling about, master? Are you sure you haven't been corrupted by the demon too? Because that was a terrible poem," Zhanxian said from behind, sounding quite concerned. Han Xuhan's great mood was ruined once again.