When standing amidst the cosmic starry sky, people often feel their own insignificance—truly negligible compared to the dark, silent expanse of outer space.
But here, Andrew Han wielded the cosmos in the palm of his hand.
Boom!
Starlight interlaced in mysterious patterns—a colossal palm thundered into existence!
The massive palm pierced the outer space darkness in an instant, its surface traced with intricate lines—like the essence of jade-green crystal. Five fingers pressed together, reaching down, scooping up meteorites of every shape and size.
It was like a giant net sweeping up countless fish.
Then the careful selection begins. Countless meteorites slip through the fingers—none of them contain Graywhite Aura.
Energy tides begin to surge. Meteorites are flung backward or crushed to powder. The jade-green giant palm covers a region ten thousand meters wide; its five fingers stretch out, then close together, like an unfathomable lotus blooming in the starry sky, poised to envelop the entire world.
He scooped up nearly ten thousand meteorites, but still, nothing.
He continues grabbing, continues sifting—time slips quietly by.
Andrew Han’s expression remains unchanged—no trace of regret or disappointment. He rejoices not in gain, nor grieves at loss; his temperament has long been tempered, again and again.
"Hmm?"
"Three meteorites contain Graywhite Aura!"
Andrew Han’s face remained calm, and he nodded quietly to himself.
Within three square meteorites, three wisps of Graywhite Aura swam restlessly. They remained elusive, almost illusory—like phantom rivers flowing through emptiness.
It was the Graywhite Aura he knew so well.
Absorbing it into his body can strengthen his physical constitution.
Sensing those three strands, Andrew Han drew them into himself without hesitation. Alone in the silent starry dark, where all should be hushed and dim, a cyan radiance suddenly burst forth, lighting up a small corner of the meteor belt.
Cyan starlight shimmered, carrying an inexplicable power.
This was martial power, part of the Life-Gene cultivation system—the true Fifth-Order Creation Light. The golden-red glow never appeared. Golden-red starlight marked the soul-will’s Third-Order Constant Light, its color utterly unlike that of martial starlight.
Life-Gene path: Fifth-Order Creation Light.
Soul-Will path: Third-Order Constant Light.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
As the three strands of Graywhite Aura merged into his life force, Andrew Han gradually came to a halt.
Suspended in midair.
He touched his brow with his fingertips, sensing his own state.
The beneficial effects of the Graywhite Aura instantly spread throughout him... His Fifth-Order Creation Light body realm steadily increased, rising slowly, just like when he practiced martial arts years ago.
Yet Andrew Han felt a bit puzzled: "Strange..."
"In the past, Graywhite Aura could strengthen my inspiration and soul intent—that is, my Soul-Will. But now, its effect on the soul is far less pronounced than the boost to my Life-Gene body."
Still, compared to the progress of his Life-Gene cultivation, it was much slower.
Still, compared to his Life-Gene path, it was much slower.
After a moment's thought, Andrew Han realized: "The miraculous effect of Graywhite Aura is mainly consumed by Life-Gene cultivation. By the time it reaches the Soul-Will, little benefit remains."
So then...
How to avoid this situation?
Recalling his past experiences, Andrew Han concluded: As long as his Life-Gene path reached the current realm’s limit, the miraculous effects of Graywhite Aura would naturally shift to benefit his Soul-Will.
"Realm limit."
Andrew Han pondered, "The limit state of Fifth-Order Creation Light? That’s not easy to achieve—the scope of this realm is vast. Still, it’s not really a problem."
It’s just...
Only...
He could only sigh softly...
If his Soul-Will could break through to Fourth-Order Cosmic Light, he had originally planned for it to take just half a month. But now, it seemed it would take about one and a half months, leaving Andrew Han rather disheartened.
A whole month!
If only Monica were here, every day and night would be far less lonely.
Although Starlight-tier beings usually measure time in star-years or epochs—a year or two of secluded cultivation is nothing to them—Andrew Han hadn’t been wandering the stars for long, and he hadn’t yet adapted to this sense of time.
"Forget it, I'll keep searching for Graywhite Aura."
Andrew Han took a deep breath, suppressing his longing.
He missed home.
Even though the Green Mountain’s storage held thirty bowls of kelp and rib soup cooked by his mother’s own hands, drinking it brought no warmth—no sense of home.
"When your parents are alive, you shouldn't roam far," Andrew Han murmured, gazing blankly into the night sky.
This starry sky was so vast—he couldn’t pursue freedom at the cost of family and love. To live is to be bound most deeply by emotion.
If he left home for years on end, even if he could grasp the sun and moon, what would it mean?
Would he still be the person he once was?
Andrew Han never shied away from these questions. He had already found a preliminary solution.
"Soon... soon."
"Once I acquire another three thousand strands of Graywhite Aura, my Soul-Will can advance. Then I’ll take a break, return home to handle Earth’s affairs, and finally prepare for the Genius Hall assessment."
That’s right!
With Soul-Will at Fourth-Order Cosmic Light, he would take on the true Genius assessment!
This was Andrew Han’s cultivation plan.
Participating in the Ancient Kingdom’s Genius Hall assessment shouldn’t be difficult. After all, Andrew Han knew his own strength well enough to judge objectively—including his elegant calligraphy and a face that could pass for high-tier across the universe.
"Oh, right—Bailey." Andrew Han called out to Bailey.