"Of course. With the assistance of this burst of true essence, I'm sure I'll be able to return to the Deity Transformation Stage far faster than I would otherwise be able to. It seems that you really have progressed to the Body Integration Stage, Fellow Daoist Han. It looks like I'll have to refer to you as Senior Han from now on," the silver-robed woman sighed with a peculiar look on her face.
"I was only able to reach this cultivation base through enormous turns of fortune. With your aptitude as an Ice Phoenix, it'll only be a matter of time before you reach the Body Integration Stage as well. You are my only acquaintance from the human world here in the Spirit Realm, so please refer to me as an equal. Otherwise, I would feel rather uncomfortable," Han Li said in a nonchalant manner.
The silver-robed woman could tell that Han Li was being genuine, and said, "In that case, then please pardon me, Brother Han."
"How were you captured and reduced to such a pitiful state, Fellow Daoist Phoenix?" Han Li couldn't help but ask.
"Now that you mention it, you are partially to blame for my misfortune," the silver-robed woman replied with a wry smile.
Han Li faltered momentarily before an enlightened look appeared on his face. "Oh? Could it be that the restrictions I planted in your body back then activated after we were separated?"
"Indeed. You sure planted some extremely profound restrictions within my body, Brother Han. It took me close to 100 years to just barely refine them, but I was severely debilitated as a result and was targeted by a bunch of cowards. I managed to escape through the use of a secret technique, but my cultivation base plummeted thereafter, and I ended up in this current state. Come to think of it, if that Body Integration cultivator hadn't stepped in to save me, I would most likely be dead by now. However, after he discovered that I was unable to metamorphosize, he merely treated me like a spirit beast and was preparing to make me his bonded spirit beast. I naturally refused to accept such an arrangement, so I was locked up in this cage," the silver-robed woman explained.
Han Li nodded in response before asking, "Oh? Do you know who this Body Integration cultivator is?"
The silver-robed woman considered this question momentarily before replying, "I'm afraid not. That man is very proficient in illusionary techniques, and would often change his appearance and location, making it impossible for me to glean his true appearance. The only thing that I'm sure of is that he's a Devil Dao cultivator of your human race and not part of the demon race."
"A devilish cultivator? There are only a few renowned Devil Dao Body Integration cultivators in our human race; he should be one of them," Han Li said with a contemplative nod.
"Regardless of who he is, he did save my life. Then again, he did try to force me to become his spirit beast thereafter, so I guess we're even now." The silver-robed woman didn't seem to harbor any resentment toward her Body Integration Stage captor, and it was impossible to tell whether she actually thought this or whether she had no choice but to say this as she couldn't exact vengeance on a Body Integration cultivator anyway.
Han Li smiled in response before changing the subject. "Now that you're free, what are your future plans? Are you planning to return to the demon race? The Black Phoenix Race has also inherited the bloodline of the Heavenly Phoenix, so I'm sure you'll be treated quite well there."
The silver-robed woman's composure immediately cracked upon hearing mention of the Black Phoenix Race, and she gritted her teeth in a resentful manner as she said, "The Black Phoenix Race? Hmph, the cowards who targeted me and dealt those debilitating injuries upon me were none other than members of the Black Phoenix Race. If I go to them in my current state, I may as well serve my own head up on a silver platter!"
Han Li was quite surprised to hear this, and after a brief pause, he continued, "The ones who injured you were members of the Black Phoenix Race? That makes things quite troublesome. What are your plans, then, Fairy Phoenix?"
The silver-robed woman contemplated this question for a long while before finally replying in a hesitant manner, "I want to stay with you before I recover my magic power; is that alright? As a Body Integration cultivator, I'm sure you'll be more than capable of protecting me. I'm simply far too weak in my current state, and the fact that I'm an Ice Phoenix is bound to attract endless problems for me. No matter where I hide, someone will track me down, and I could end up in an even worse situation than before."
Chapter 1828: Spirit Gathering Stakes
"You want to stay with me?" Han Li seemed to be rather taken aback to hear this.
"I'm aware that I'll only weigh you down in my current state, but I possess some aptitude in formations and spatial abilities, so perhaps I can lend you some assistance. On top of that, I have a burst of Heavenly Phoenix Origin Yin Qi within my body that should be extremely effective in improving your chances of breaking through future bottlenecks. As long as I can return to my former cultivation base, I'm willing to transfer this Origin Yin Qi to you," the silver-robed woman said with a faint blush on her face.
"What? Are you saying..."
"Please don't misunderstand, Fellow Daoist Han; our Ice Phoenix Race had an inherited secret technique that can allow us to expel our Heavenly Phoenix Origin Yin Qi out of our bodies without having to engage in dual cultivation. Of course, the effect will be slightly less potent, but it should still provide some assistance to you," the silver-robed woman explained as her expression reverted back to normal.
A hint of surprise flashed through Han Li's eyes upon hearing this, and after some contemplation, he said in a serious manner, "I see. In that case, I would indeed like your assistance when the time comes. In the meantime, you can stay with me, but there are some things that I have to make clear to you first so you don't regret your decision later on."
The silver-robed woman was elated to hear that Han Li was willing to consider her proposal, and she immediately prompted, "Please go ahead, Brother Han."
"Firstly, I can't guarantee that you'll be absolutely safe by staying with me. Setting aside everything else, just the imminent devilish tribulation will be an extremely difficult hurdle for Body Integration cultivators like me to overcome. Even I'm not fully confident in my ability to survive that ordeal. Secondly, I have some secrets that I don't want other people to know. If you want to stay with me, then you have to follow my instructions in your cultivation, as well as everything else. If you can't accept such limitations, then feel free to leave. Lastly, due to the fact that you're a demon, in the presence of others, you'll most likely have to appear beside me as a concubine or servant, which may tarnish your reputation," Han Li said in a slow voice.
"Devilish tribulation? I don't know much about that, but seeing as it's something that'll impact both the human and demon races, I'm sure I wouldn't be any safer anywhere else. If I were to seek refuge with a major power in my current state, I would most likely just be used as cannon fodder, so it's much safer for me to stay with you. As for everything else, I'll naturally follow your lead. With your current status, countless Core Formation and Nascent Soul Stage female cultivators would flock to your side if you were to announce that you were searching for a servant or concubine, so such an arrangement doesn't bother me in the slightest," the silver-robed woman replied with a nonchalant smile.
"In that case, I'll agree to let you stay with me. Here are some pills for you; prior to the conclusion of the Myriad Treasure Convention, stay in this secret chamber for now and cultivate. Once we return to my cave abode, I'll set up a separate place for you to cultivate," Han Li said as he swept a hand over his storage bracelet, producing several jade vials of different colors before tossing them toward the silver-robed woman.
The woman caught the vials one after another before removing their lids and inspecting their contents with her spiritual sense, upon which an elated look appeared on her face.
"I didn't think you would have so many pills that can enhance one's magic power. In that case, I'll definitely be able to return to my former cultivation base very soon
."
"Hehe, rest assured, Fairy Phoenix; I have more than enough Core Formation and Nascent Soul Stage pills to satisfy your needs. If you require anything else, feel free to tell me. I presume that the higher your cultivation base is, the more efficacious your Heavenly Phoenix Origin Yin Qi will be for me. In order to transcend this devilish tribulation, I'll most likely have to borrow your Heavenly Phoenix Origin Yin Qi at some point during the next few centuries," Han Li said with a smile.
"Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Han; I'm not one to repay kindness with ingratitude. When the time comes, I'll be sure to do everything in my power to help you," the silver-robed woman said with a gorgeous smile that lit up her cold features, evoking imagery akin to that of countless flowers blooming through the winter snow, and even Han Li couldn't help but stare for a moment in a transfixed manner.
She seemed to have detected the entrancement in Han Li's eyes, and a faint blush appeared on her face as she extended another curtsey. "Seeing as you've agreed to allow me to stay with you, I'll begin cultivating right away. The sooner I can recover my magic power, the sooner I'll be of assistance to you."
"Alright, I have to examine the treasures I've obtained from the convention, so you can cultivate in this secret chamber." A hint of clarity returned to Han Li's eyes, and he nodded before departing from the secret chamber.
Following Han Li's departure, the silver-robed woman stood on the spot with a peculiar look in her eyes for a long while before heaving a faint sigh. She then opened one of the medicine vials and tipped out a fiery red pill before swallowing it.
After that, she took a seat on the futon that Han Li had been sitting on before, and began to refine the power of the pill.
Meanwhile, Han Li had made his way to another secret chamber nearby that was of an identical size, and he was also seated on the ground, examining a near-transparent golden pill through narrowed eyes.
"As expected of such a renowned pill; it really is different from everything I've seen before. Hopefully, it'll truly be as effective in assisting me in my breakthroughs as the legends claim," Han Li murmured to himself before carefully stowing the pill away again.
After that, spiritual light flashed from his hands again, and two items appeared at once, one of which was a golden scroll, while the other was a golden cloth pouch.
The scroll was one of the three treasures that Han Li had obtained from the man in the crimson light, while the golden pouch was the second treasure that he had secured from the Black Realm.
Han Li tossed the golden scroll up, and paid no further heed to it as it hovered in mid-air. He then focused his attention on the golden pouch and loosened its opening, releasing a string of azure light that shot forth from within the pouch amid a loud buzzing sound.
Green light flashed, and 12 green wooden rods that were each several inches in length appeared before him. The rods flew through the air in pursuit of one another as if they had already attained some spiritual nature.
Han Li made a hand seal upon seeing this before letting loose a low cry as he abruptly reached out with one hand.
Five bursts of azure light surged forth from his fingertips, then transformed into countless azure threads that dispersed through the air. The threads then intertwined to form a massive azure net that encompassed the entire secret chamber.
In the next instant, the 12 green wooden rods were caught like fish within a net. Despite the fact that they were constantly turning and twisting in an attempt to free themselves, they were completely trapped by the azure threads.
A faint smile appeared on Han Li's face, and he withdrew his outstretched hand. The azure net immediately tightened, and the 12 wooden rods were all dragged toward him, and he plucked one of them out of the net before inspecting it in a careful manner.
The surface of the wooden rod was a vibrant green color, and it was covered in a series of extremely profound silver runes. However, what was even more astonishing was the bursts of pure and viscous spiritual Qi emanating from these wooden rods.
"So these really are the legendary Spirit Gathering Stakes! To think that Spiriteye Wood was used as the main material to refine as many as 12 embryos; what an extravagant project! I wonder if I'll be able to completely refine this set of treasures someday. With the assistance of the completed version of these treasures, I'll be able to absorb spiritual power from heaven and earth at a far faster rate," Han Li murmured to himself in a contemplative manner as he stroked the wooden rod in his hand.
After a short while, he shook his head before tossing the wooden rod into the azure net again. He then made a hand seal, and the entire net transformed into a burst of azure light that swept up the 12 rods before drawing them into the golden pouch again.
Han Li pointed a finger toward the pouch, and its opening was immediately sealed shut. After that, he stowed the pouch away in his storage bracelet, then cast his gaze toward the golden scroll that was hovering in mid-air.
He reached out and gently waved a hand, and the scroll was drawn into his grasp. It was slightly cool to the touch, but it had the texture of soft fabric.
Blue light flashed through Han Li's eyes as he carefully inspected the scroll inch by inch at close range, and after a while, his brows furrowed slightly.
This scroll appeared to have no openings at all to exploit, and even through the use of his Brightsight Spirit Eyes ability, he was only greeted by the sight of nothing more than golden light, and he was completely unable to see into it.
He took a deep breath before releasing his enormous spiritual sense, and a wisp of it instantly surged toward the scroll. However, in the next instant, he abruptly flicked his wrist, and the scroll was hurled around 10 feet away.
In the instant that his spiritual sense had made contact with the scroll, a burst of powerful suction force had erupted from it and devoured that wisp of spiritual sense in the blink of an eye. The suction force then attempted to move on to the rest of his spiritual sense, and if he hadn't reacted as quickly as he did, he would've most likely lost more than just the wisp of spiritual sense he had released.
Han Li stared at the golden scroll in the distance in a slightly alarmed manner, and after taking a moment to regain his composure, it dawned on him that this thing was going to be very difficult to crack. After a brief moment of contemplation, he suddenly pointed a finger toward the golden scroll, and an azure sword thread instantly shot forth.
The sword thread struck the scroll with a crisp clang, and golden light flashed from its surface. The sword thread was completely repelled and kept at bay, and it had failed to even leave the slightest trace on the scroll.
Han Li's expression changed drastically upon seeing this. With his current Body Integration Stage powers in addition to the sharpness of his Azure Bamboo Cloudswarm Swords, there weren't many things in the entire Spirit Realm that his sword threads would fail to slice through. However, this scroll had managed to remain completely unscathed, which suggested that at the very least, it had to have been constructed from some kind of extremely rare material.
It was no wonder that the man in the crimson light was so unwilling to part with this scroll even though he had no way of opening it. However, this item couldn't be infiltrated using spiritual sense, and it was clearly near indestructible, so it seemed that its seal truly couldn't be broken through brute force.
With that in mind, Han Li focused his gaze on the golden runes that had suddenly appeared on the surface of the scroll.
Those were none other than golden seal text runes! However, they had been hiding within the scroll initially, and had only suddenly appeared after being struck by that sword thread of his.
Chapter 1829: Rendezvous
Golden seal text was different from beveled silver text, and there were most likely not more than 10 beings in total among the human and demon races who could interpret the former.
Those who were able to read this spirit text all regarded it as an extraordinary treasure, and kept it a secret from everyone else.
>
As such, even though it was clear that there were definitely people among the two races that could interpret golden seal text, it was quite difficult to identify just who these people were.
At the very least, the man in the crimson light most likely didn't understand this spirit text. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been completely stumped by it.
If Han Li hadn't learned this spirit text back in the Vast Glacial Realm, he would also be just as helpless in the face of this treasure.
Han Li stared at the golden runes for a moment before they vanished once again, and his brows furrowed slightly as he flicked several fingers toward the scroll in quick succession to release more streaks of azure sword Qi.
Upon being struck by the streaks of sword Qi, more golden runes appeared, and they were slightly different from the ones before.
Han Li's heart stirred slightly as he continued to release a relentless string of sword Qi, and the scroll was instantly inundated by azure light.
Balls of golden light erupted from the surface of the scroll, and the entire piece of golden seal text was revealed.
Blue light flashed through Han Li's eyes as he focused his gaze on these golden runes in an intent unblinking manner, and only after a long while did he cease releasing the relentless string of sword Qi.
The spiritual light shimmering from the scroll faded, as did the golden runes, and Han Li made a grabbing motion to draw the scroll back into his grasp as a contemplative look appeared on his face.
He had already memorized that entire piece of text and briefly analyzed it as well.
A Record of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality c1-2248 Page 1055