"Fellow Daoist Hu, you..." Xiang Zhili wanted to say something, but was abruptly cut off by Hu Qinglei's frosty voice.
"Even if this is a friend of yours, do you expect me to suffer in silence in the face of his insolence? If he doesn't give me a proper explanation today, then I'll make sure he never leaves this place!"
Xiang Zhili could only give a wry smile upon hearing this. Instead of trying to persuade Hu Qinglei, he turned to Han Li with a shake of his head, and said, "Junior Martial Brother Han, you're aware of what you're doing, right? I won't be able to help you here; you'll have to give Brother Hu an explanation yourself. I trust that you'll be able to give Brother Hu a proper explanation."After saying that, Xiang Zhili closed his eyes to meditate, appearing as if he weren't interested in intervening with this matter.
Even though Xiang Zhili hadn't said much, Han Li could read between the lines and tell that he was trying to protect him.
It was just that Xiang Zhili and Hu Qinglei were both Deity Transformation cultivators and he clearly didn't want to engage Hu Qinglei in a direct conflict. As such, he could only offer a few cautionary words before detaching himself from the situation.
A faint smile appeared on Han Li's face as he turned to Violet Spirit, and asked, "Violet Spirit, we've known each other for many years and you're one of my few close friends. You have a restriction in your body, which suggests that you've been forced into this arrangement. I don't want to offend Fellow Daoist Hu, but I'm not heartless enough to completely ignore the situation when it's possible that you're being forced to do something against your will. I want you to be honest with me; are you willing to become Brother Hu's concubine? If so, then I naturally wouldn't insist on ruining a mutually loving relationship. However, if you're not willing..." Han Li's voice trailed off here, but the implications behind his words were quite apparent.
"I..." Violet Spirit's face was filled with a mixture of urgency, hesitation, helplessness, and a series of other emotions. She seemed to be eager to respond, but didn't know what to say.
"There's no need to ask her; it doesn't matter whether she's willing to become my concubine or not. What are you going to do even if she's being forced into this arrangement against her will? Are you going to forcibly take her away from here?" Hu Qinglei turned to Han Li with a deriding sneer.
"So you really are being forced against your will. Is that right, Violet Spirit?" Han Li asked for confirmation.
Violet Spirit was petrified of Hu Qinglei, but Han Li had progressed to the late-Nascent Soul Stage and didn't seem to fear Hu Qinglei. Upon making these observations, a desperate impulse flashed through her heart as she gritted her teeth, and replied, "Several years ago, I unintentionally revealed my true appearance and was forcibly captured by a few Heavenly Devil Sect elders. I was never given a choice in the matter."
Hu Qinglei merely remained silent and listened with a cold smile on his face. All of the other cultivators present also displayed minimal reactions.
Forcibly abducting female cultivators was very frowned upon in Righteous Dao sects like the High Zenith Sect, but it was an extremely commonplace occurrence in Devil Dao sects, to the point that it was regarded as something that was completely justified and reasonable.
All the cultivators present naturally weren't related to any Righteous Dao sects, so it was no surprise that they weren't appalled in the slightest.
"That's all I needed to hear, Violet Spirit. Brother Hu, I have no intention of causing any offense to you, so there's no need for you to be angry. Everything in this world has a price; I'm willing to offer something in exchange for Fellow Daoist Violet Spirit's freedom," Han Li said in a calm voice, appearing as if he were completely oblivious to Hu Qinglei's discontentment.
"An exchange? You think you have what it takes to strike a deal with me?" Hu Qinglei faltered slightly before a peculiar look appeared on his face.
"Do you think I'm unworthy, Brother Hu?" Han Li asked.
"That's right! You don't have what it takes to offer me a deal! You may be more powerful than the average late-Nascent Soul cultivator, but you're still nothing in my eyes. Do you really think you're my equal just because Fellow Daoist Xiang brought you here with him? Besides, what can you possibly offer to tempt me? Oh right, I heard you've got two spirit treasures. If I want to, I can simply kill you and take those spirit treasures!" Hu Qinglei threatened in a sinister voice. At the same time, a layer of black light surfaced over his body, and it seemed that he really did intend to kill Han Li.
A cold light flashed through Han Li's eyes as he transmitted voice to Hu Qinglei. "Fellow Daoist Xiang must've told you about my spirit treasures, but did he also tell you about my Immortal Vanquishing Beads? Besides, do you really think I handed over all of the information I have regarding the spatial node? Or are you confident that you can capture me alive and use a soul search technique on me despite the Immortal Vanquishing Beads I possess?"
The menacing look on Hu Qinglei's face changed drastically upon hearing this. He stared intently at Han Li with a cold expression and suddenly fell completely silent.
Moments later, Hu Qinglei transmitted his voice to Eccentric Wind. "Fellow Daoist Wind, does this brat really have an Immortal Vanquishing Bead?"
Hu Qinglei was using some type of secret technique to transmit his voice without moving his lips, and even Han Li was unable to catch him in the act despite his powerful spiritual sense.
Chapter 1243: Han Li's Exchange
Eccentric Wind naturally harbored discontent toward Han Li in his heart, but he certainly wasn't going to deceive Hu Qinglei. As such, after a brief hesitation, he transmitted his voice in response. "Not only does this brat have an Immortal Vanquishing Bead, he appears to have more than one. It'll be quite difficult for you to kill him, Brother Hu."
Hu Qinglei's expression remained unchanged, but his heart jolted upon hearing that. One Immortal Vanquishing Bead would already be quite troublesome to deal with; if he had more than one, then he posed a substantial threat. However, that wasn't what he was most wary of.
With that in mind, Hu Qinglei transmitted his voice to Xiang Zhili, and asked, "Brother Xiang, did you know that the information he provided about the spatial node may be incomplete?"
Xiang Zhili transmitted his voice in reply, "It makes no difference whether I knew or not; if I were in his shoes, I wouldn't reveal all of the information I had, either. The important thing is that he's agreed to collaborate with us. so he'll naturally reveal all of the information we want to hear over time. I don't care what you do to him, but make sure you leave him alive. Otherwise, I'll be forced to step in."
"Hmph, but this little brat is displaying such insolence. If I were to back down now, everyone would think that I'm scared of a late-Nascent Soul cultivator!" Hu Qianlei was very displeased.
"Fellow Daoist Hu, you seem to have become a little foolish from spending so much time in this Devil Palace of yours. At our cultivation bases, what does it matter what other people think about us? That woman is indeed a fine beauty, but are you going to relinquish an opportunity to pursue immortality just for a concubine? If you really aren't willing to let things slide, then you can teach him a lesson if you'd like. As long as you don't kill him and can ensure that you won't turn him against us, I'll pretend not to see anything," Xiang Zhi Li replied.
Hu Qinglei was silent for a moment before deciding, "Looks like I'll have to play the role of the antagonist here, then. Let's see if he can offer anything useful in exchange for Violet Spirit."
He then turned to Han Li with a cold expression, and said, "Seeing as you were brought here by Fellow Daoist Xiang and Fellow Daoist Wind, I'm willing to let things slide. As long as you take back what you said, I can pretend that you had merely misspoken."
The threat in his words was very apparent, but he was giving Han Li a chance to bury the hatchet at the same time.
All of the Nascent Soul cultivators in the palace were very surprised to hear this. It was quite clear that this grand eld
er of the Heavenly Devil Sect really did seem to be rather wary of Han Li. Otherwise, there was no way that he would be willing to afford this opportunity to Han Li.
Thus, all of them turned to Han Li with bewilderment on their faces, trying to figure out how he was able to make Hu Qinglei change his mind.
"Thank you for your generosity, Fellow Daoist Hu. Unfortunately, I don't have a habit of taking back the words I've spoken. As such, I'll have to ask you to consider what I said earlier," Han Li replied without any hesitation.
Hu Qinglei really was enraged this time. The veins on his forehead bulged as he glowered at Violet Spirit and Han Li, and an astonishing burst of spiritual pressure erupted throughout the palace. His body instantly transformed into a massive vortex, forcing all of the spiritual Qi within the palace to converge toward him. All of the Nascent Soul cultivators stirred as they experienced Hu Qinglei's unfathomable power, and the same thought flashed through their minds; it appeared that he had well and truly been enraged, and was about to attack Han Li.
With that in mind, the cultivators who were seated close to Han Li glanced at one another before rising to their feet and retreating a few steps. No one wanted to be caught up in a battle between the two of them, should one eventuate.
Even though Violet Spirit had reached the Nascent Soul Stage, she was naturally unable to withstand the devastating spiritual pressure being exerted by a Deity Transformation cultivator. As such, her exquisite features immediately paled as she stumbled back a couple of steps toward Han Li's table.
A warm yet firm hand appeared on her shoulder, injecting a burst of extremely pure magic power into her body.
Violet Spirit felt a surge of warmth circulate through her entire body, following which the spiritual pressure that had been as unbearable as a glacial storm a moment ago suddenly felt like nothing more than a gentle spring breeze to her.
She reflexively turned her head to discover Han Li's hand resting on her shoulder as he gave her a reassuring smile.
She didn't know why Han Li could remain so calm in this situation, but the uneasiness in her heart miraculously vanished at the sight of his smile.
She bit down on her lower lip before returning his smile as a faint blush appeared on her face.
Upon seeing this, Hu Qinglei was enraged to the point of laughter as he abruptly withdrew his powerful spiritual pressure. "Hehe, if you really want her that badly, then I'm willing to strike a deal with you. In exchange for Violet Spirit's freedom, I'll accept your two spirit treasures."
All of the other cultivators cast surreptitious glances at one another upon hearing this. In their eyes, Hu Qinglei was clearly unwilling to release Violet Spirit. Otherwise, why would he state such an absurd condition? Spirit treasures were the most powerful and rarest treasures in the human world, and countless lives had been lost during battles for these treasures. Even the average great cultivator would be lucky to have one or two spirit treasure replicas in their possession, yet Hu Qinglei was asking for two spirit treasures in exchange for Violet Spirit's freedom. He was clearly not displaying any sincerity at all.
But then again, it was already quite surprising that Hu Qinglei hadn't simply attacked Han Li right away. What was even more surprising to everyone was that Han Li possessed two spirit treasures. It was no wonder that he was able to wreak such havoc in the Yin Sifting Sect on his own, and it appeared that he wasn't lying when he had proclaimed that the master of the Yin Sifting Sect had fallen by his hands.
All of the Nascent Soul cultivators were discussing spiritedly among themselves, while Violet Spirit's face had turned deathly pale after hearing this condition. She was naturally also aware of just how valuable spirit treasures were, and she knew that there was no way anyone would agree to such a ridiculous exchange.
As expected, Han Li heaved a faint sigh, and refused, "It's clearly unrealistic for me to offer my spirit treasures in this exchange, Fellow Daoist Hu. Please forgive me, but I must turn you down."
"Then your Immortal Vanquishing Beads will also suffice," Hu Qinglei chuckled coldly.
Han Li's brows furrowed as he shook his head, and replied. "I can't hand over my Immortal Vanquishing Beads, either. Even if I was willing to offer those beads, I'm afraid that I would be completely at your mercy without them."
"Hehe, it seems that you do know your place, after all, but aside from your spirit treasures and Immortal Vanquishing Beads, what else can you offer to me? I've lived for over 1,000 years and even if there were still some things that could tempt me in this human world, there's no way that they would be in your possession," Hu Qinglei scoffed with a deriding look.
"Really, now? I beg to differ. May I ask how many years of your lifespan still remain?" Han Li asked with a chuckle.
"Even though I'm in the twilight phase of my life, it would still be no issue for me to live another 300 to 400 years. Why do you ask?" Hu Qinglei was rather taken aback by this question.
A mysterious look appeared on Han Li's face after receiving this reply. His lips tremored as he began to transmit his voice rather than continuing to communicate through direct speech.
"If I gave you a chance to extend your lifespan by another 400 to 500 years, would you be willing to release Violet Spirit, Fellow Daoist Hu?"
"400 to 500 years? Are you referring to the Returning Sun Water?" The deriding sneer on Hu Qinglei's face was abruptly wiped away as he unconsciously sat up straighter with a look of rapt focus in his eyes.
Eccentric Wind was unable to hear the contents of their voice transmission conversation, but he was quite surprised to see Hu Qinglei's vehement reaction.
Xiang Zhili also opened his eyes at the same time as he turned to Hu Qinglei with a befuddled look.
Only then did Hu Qinglei realize that he had let his emotions get the better of himself. Thus, he immediately recomposed his expression as he continued to transmit his voice to Han Li.
"The Returning Sun Water is the only spirit medicine in the human world that can extend one's lifespan to such an extent. Do you really possess such an extraordinary medicine? If so I would be more than willing to release Violet Spirit, and I can even offer you some additional benefit in exchange."
Hu Qinglei's voice had become extremely warm and earnest, as if he had become a completely different person.
"I don't have any Returning Sun Water, but I do have Glacial Quintessence, which is one of the main ingredients required to refine Returning Sun Water," Han Li replied in a truthful manner.
"Only Glacial Quintessence?" A hint of disappointment had crept into Hu Qinglei's voice. He felt as he Han Li had thrown him onto an emotional rollercoaster.
"If I really did have Returning Sun Water, why would I offer you a deal? I could just give it to either one of Senior Martial Brother Xiang or Fellow Daoist Wind, and they would definitely be willing to forcibly rescue Violet Spirit for me. I'm sure that you know the refinement method for Returning Sun Water; even though Puresun Flame Essence is quite difficult to find, a sect as powerful as your Heavenly Devil Sect still has a very high chance of being able to source some. I believe this is a fair exchange, won't you agree, Brother Hu?" Han Li proposed in a confident voice.
To Deity Transformation cultivators like Hu Qinglei, a spirit medicine that could extend their lifespans was definitely much more tempting than a spirit treasure or two. As such, Han Li was sure that Hu Qinglei would agree to this exchange. If he didn't possess such an item, it really would be quite difficult for him to rescue Violet Spirit. Of course, he only dared to mention this item as he could already tell that Hu Qinglei was rather wary of him. Otherwise, revealing the fact that he possessed Glacial Quintessence would only be giving Hu Qinglei another reason to kill and rob him.
Hu Qinglei fell into a period of silent contemplation after hearing Han Li's proposal.
Eccentric Wind and Xiang Zhili glanced at one another, and they could see their own surprise mirrored in each other's eyes. Neither of them knew what Hu Qinglei had discussed with Han Li, but i
t was quite apparent that Hu Qinglei's rage had been completely quelled.
All of the other Nascent Soul cultivators were also very curious, but none of them dared to ask any questions.
Chapter 1244: One Attack
"According to my knowledge, Glacial Quintessence is something that can only be found at the North Night Palace. If it weren't for the fact the North Night Palace had a Deity Transformation cultivator among their ranks in the past, and that Puresun Flame Essence is extremely difficult to find, their Glacial Quintessence would've been forcibly taken long ago. The North Night Palace has since lost its Deity Transformation cultivator, but their Glacial Quintessence also disappeared many years ago. I had infiltrated the North Night Palace in person to search for it, but was unable to find it. Where did you get this Glacial Quintessence? Could it be the very same vial that the North Night Palace had lost?" Hu Qinglei interrogated?
Han Li seemed to have predicted that Hu Qinglei would ask him such a question, and he replied, "Of course not; how could there be such an unlikely coincidence? I was only able to obtain some Glacial Quintessence from the Myriad Year Profound Jade in the Profound Jade Cave of the North Night Palace's Spirit Void Hall. I won't be handing over all of it during this exchange, either, but there should be enough to make two portions of Returning Sun Water."
At this point, Hu Qinglei suddenly ceased transmitting his voice and spoke for everyone to hear. "Hmph, I don't care where you got this item from. Excessive consumption of this item will only be detrimental anyway, so I don't need any more than the bare minimum. However, if you want to offer this item in exchange for Violet Spirit's freedom, then I have another condition. If you agree to my condition, then I'll release Violet Spirit."
"What's your condition?" A hint of surprise flashed through Han Li's eyes. He wasn't expecting Hu Qinglei to impose another condition.
A Record of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality c1-2248 Page 688