Chapter 539: Invincibility is a Kind of Loneliness

"I once thought that as long as I kept getting stronger, I could find the meaning of life."

"But when I truly stood at the peak of this world, I realized…"

He paused, turned to look at Zhou Chen, a hint of self-deprecation flashing in his eyes.

"I am too lonely."

Zhou Chen's brow furrowed slightly.

"Loneliness?"

An old monster who had lived for at least a million years was talking to him about loneliness?

Han Li seemed to see Zhou Chen's confusion and shook his head with a smile.

"You don't understand."

He said softly, "When your strength surpasses all living beings in this world, when you find there is no one left to stand by your side…"

"That kind of solitude is enough to drive one mad."

Han Li raised his right hand, and a mass of Chaos Qi emerged from his palm.

Within the Chaos Qi, images began to surface.

They were the figures of powerful experts.

There was a Sword Immortal holding a divine sword, opening the Heavenly Gate with a single strike.

There was a Martial Dao Supreme who trod upon the galaxy and shattered stars with his fists.

There was a Daoist Immortal Master who comprehended heavenly secrets and reversed Yin and Yang.

Every figure exuded a terrifying pressure, each being an existence that stood at the pinnacle of their respective eras.

Yet these figures eventually turned into a handful of yellow soil, dissipating into the long river of time.

"These people were all once my opponents," Han Li said indifferently. "But they were too weak."

"So weak they didn't even have the qualification to make me take them seriously."

He clenched his palm, and the Chaos Qi dissipated.

"Therefore, I decided to cultivate an opponent myself."

Zhou Chen's pupils constricted slightly.

"Cultivate an opponent?"

"Is this guy crazy?"

Han Li seemed to see through Zhou Chen's thoughts and shook his head with a smile.

"I'm not crazy."

He said softly, "I just… can't wait any longer."

"I once spent a hundred thousand years cultivating a Genius named Tai Chu."

"I gave him the best Cultivation Technique, the best resources, and even personally paved the way for him, allowing him a smooth journey to finally become an Immortal Emperor."

"But when he truly stood before me, I realized…"

A hint of disappointment flashed in Han Li's eyes.

"He was too weak."

"So weak he didn't even have the qualification to see me."

Zhou Chen's heart jolted.

"Tai Chu Immortal Emperor was actually cultivated by Han Li?"

"Then the Legacy I obtained in the Tai Chu Immortal Emperor's ruins, isn't it…" Han Li seemed to see through Zhou Chen's thoughts and nodded with a smile.

"Exactly."

He said softly, "The ruins of the Tai Chu Immortal Emperor were arranged by my own hands."

"I originally intended to lend you the Sub-bottle of my Lifebound Treasure, the heaven-holding bottle, through his ruins."

He raised the small emerald bottle in his hand, a hint of tenderness flashing in his eyes.

"The heaven-holding bottle can ripen Spirit Medicine, reverse Yin and Yang, and even make time flow backward."

"I thought that with the help of the heaven-holding bottle, you would be able to grow faster."

"But I didn't expect…"

Han Li looked at Zhou Chen, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

"Your growth speed is actually even faster than I anticipated."

"Furthermore, from beginning to end, you haven't used the power of the heaven-holding bottle at all."

Zhou Chen's heart skipped a beat.

He indeed had not used the heaven-holding bottle.

Because the System had returned a complete Dao Artifact—the chaos lotus platform.

It was not inferior to the heaven-holding bottle.

But he absolutely could not let Han Li know about this.

"I was just lucky," Zhou Chen said indifferently.

Han Li gave him a deep look and did not press further.

He raised the heaven-holding bottle in his hand and tossed it gently.

The heaven-holding bottle spun in the air, emitting a brilliant green light.

The green light enveloped Zhou Chen's entire body. Startled, Zhou Chen instinctively tried to resist, but found his body seemingly imprisoned by an invisible force.

Sensing the aura of the mother heaven-holding bottle, the Sub-bottle within Zhou Chen's Small World suddenly jolted, struggling frantically to break free from the Small World, yet it remained unable to escape.

However, with just a gentle vibration from the external heaven-holding bottle, the Sub-bottle broke free from the vortex's constraints, turning into a streak of light and returning to Han Li's hand. The bottle's body vibrated softly, emitting an emotion of joyful cheer.

Han Li stroked the bottle, a hint of tenderness flashing in his eyes.

"Good, you're back."

He looked up at Zhou Chen, a hint of admiration in his eyes.

"Your Lifebound Treasure is very good."

"To think it could devour most of the heaven-holding bottle's Origin and make it part of itself."

"This talent is countless times stronger than Tai Chu's."

Zhou Chen's heart sank.

Had he been discovered?

But Han Li's next words made him breathe a sigh of relief.

"But it's normal."

Han Li shook his head with a smile. "The Sub-bottle of the heaven-holding bottle was something I intentionally left in the ruins. Being devoured by your Magic Treasure can be considered making the best use of it."

With a flip of his palm, the heaven-holding bottle disappeared.

In the next moment, an emerald-green Daoist robe with an ancient design appeared on his body.

On Han Li's body, countless runes flowed, emitting a terrifying pressure.

Zhou Chen stared at Han Li, a look of gravity in his eyes.

Han Li's strength was likely even more terrifying than he had imagined.

"Did you bring me here just to take back the heaven-holding bottle?"

Zhou Chen asked in a heavy voice.

Han Li shook his head.

"Taking back the heaven-holding bottle was just a side matter."

He said softly, "What I truly want to talk about is something else."

He looked up toward the Void Realm, a hint of fanaticism in his eyes.

"Zhou Chen, do you want to know how to break through to the Dao Ancestor Realm?"

Zhou Chen's pupils constricted.

"Dao Ancestor Realm!"

"That is the legendary Realm that transcends the Immortal Emperor!"

"You know how to break through?" Zhou Chen asked in a heavy voice.

Han Li nodded.

"I know," he said softly. "And I have already found the method."

"However…"

He paused, turned to look at Zhou Chen, a hint of madness flashing in his eyes.

"This method requires an opponent."

"An opponent on the same level as me."

Zhou Chen's heart skipped a beat.

He vaguely guessed what Han Li wanted to say.

Sure enough, Han Li's next words confirmed his suspicion.

"To break through to the Dao Ancestor Realm, one needs to merge with the Dao," Han Li said indifferently. "But I have tried countless times and never succeeded."

"Until a million years ago, I finally attained enlightenment."

"Since one Dao cannot be merged with, then condense two Daos and combine them into one."

"But a single person cannot condense two Immortal Daos."

"Therefore…"

Han Li looked at Zhou Chen, a hint of madness in his eyes.

"I need to cultivate an opponent."

"An opponent on the same level as me."

"And then, kill them."

"The winner merges with the Dao and becomes an Ancestor."

"The loser's body perishes and their Dao dissipates."

Zhou Chen's heart jolted.

This guy is truly insane.

To break through to the Dao Ancestor Realm, he actually wants to cultivate an opponent and then kill them?

"Was the Eternal Night Demon Emperor cultivated by you?" Zhou Chen asked in a heavy voice.

Han Li shook his head.

"The Eternal Night Demon Emperor was merely a failure I accidentally cultivated in my spare time."

He said indifferently, "I originally wanted to see how far the Demonic Path could go."

"But he disappointed me too much."

"An Immortal Dao condensed from Heterodox Paths is filthy and unbearable; how can it be called Immortal?"