Cave Dwelling

Story context

Welcome to the settlement arc! After months of bumpy travel across the Starfall Sea, our favorite stone-faced survivalist finally lands in Heaven Star City—the cultivation world’s equivalent of a glittering, ultra-expensive metropolis. But Han Li doesn’t come to sightsee. He comes to *park*. And chapter 397 is a masterclass in the Mortal Stream’s quieter virtues: logistics, investment, forward planning, and the sheer *sticker shock* of renting a top-tier cave dwelling on the Sacred Mountain. The chapter is a slow, deliberate exhale after the chaos of open water, and it’s packed with worldbuilding that reveals the brutal economics of the Starfall Sea’s power center. Get ready for spirit stone accounts, formation-layering, jade-plating, and beetle-releasing—all rendered with Han Li’s signature cold, methodical precision.

Why it matters

This chapter is the calm before the storm—a logistical interlude that the Mortal Stream does so well. **Don’t expect fireworks.** Expect receipts, spirit stone ledgers, and the quiet satisfaction of a man building his foundation. Watch how Han Li delegates through Qu Hun, preserving his own anonymity. Feel his jaw clench at the rental fee—then immediately pivot to acceptance because the math works out. This is *how you survive as a monster*: you don’t just fight well; you *set up your base* better than anyone else. The three formation layers are a statement of intent. The jade chamber for the beetles is a long-term bet. This is Han Li playing the long game, and it is *immensely satisfying* to see him finally have a place to call his own—even if it costs 2,700 stones a century.

Quick facts

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Source novel

A Record Of A Mortal S Journey To Immortality