Around half a day later, the trio finally returned to Qing Yuanzi's cave abode, and Han Li arrived in the hall that was still slightly familiar to him.
The miniature azure figure stretched lazily, then suddenly expanded to the size of a normal human being. He sat down on the main seat in a casual manner, then said to Han Li, "You're already a Body Integration cultivator now, so there's no need for you to be too reserved and rigid in my presence; you can take a seat as well."
"Thank you, Senior." Han Li immediately extended a respectful salute before taking a seat as he was told.
Yuan Yao strode over to Qing Yuanzi's side before standing behind him in an obedient manner, and right at this moment, a white-robed young woman with a round face emerged into the hall, carrying a platter with several cups of spirit tea.
She placed one of the cups onto the table in front of Han Li, then said with a smile, "Welcome, Brother Han. I didn't think that you would return to this place so soon."
This woman was naturally none other than Yan Li.
Han Li turned to her with a smile, and said, "Long time no see, Fairy Yan. You look just as youthful and beautiful as ever."
"I possess a half-ghost body, so my appearance naturally won't change. Hmm? I can't seem to ascertain your exact cultivation base now; could it be that you've already reached the Body Integration Stage, Brother Han?" Yan Li initially had a smile on her face, but that smile quickly gave way to a stunned expression as she swept her spiritual sense toward Han Li.
Yan Li was currently at the early-Spatial Tempering Stage, so it was naturally impossible for her to glean Han Li's current cultivation base.
"Indeed, I was very fortunate and managed to progress to the mid-Body Integration Stage," Han Li replied in a calm manner.
"The mid-Body Integration Stage?" Yan Li was completely rooted to the spot.
A hint of impatience appeared on Qing Yuanzi's face, and he said, "If you want to catch up with Fellow Daoist Han, you can talk to him all you want after we're done with our discussion here."
"Ah, my apologies for my rudeness." Yan Li finally returned to her senses before offering the other cup of spirit tea on her platter to Qing Yuanzi, then situated herself beside Yuan Yao.
"I also didn't think that you would come here so soon, and my main Nascent Soul is currently in seclusion cultivating a powerful ability, so I won't be able to greet you with my true body," Qing Yuanzi suddenly said to Han Li.
"It's already a great honor for me to be graced by the presence of one of your Nascent Souls even though you're at a critical juncture in your cultivation, Senior," Han Li replied in a sincere manner.
Qing Yuanzi nodded at the sight of Han Li's respectful display, then cut straight to the chase.
"You returned to the infernal river using the treasure I gave you, so you must've gathered a lot of the materials I asked for, right? Roughly how many of the materials have you gathered? As we agreed, you only have to gather two-thirds of all the materials on the list to complete your mission."
"All of the materials I've gathered are in this storage bracelet; please inspect them for yourself, Senior." Instead of giving a direct reply, Han Li flipped a hand over to produce a green storage bracelet, then stood up and offered the bracelet to Qing Yuanzi with both hands.
As opposed to being irked by Han Li's refusal to directly answer his question, a hint of elation flashed through his eyes, and he said, "Hehe, you seem very confident, Fellow Daoist Han; looks like you must've completed your mission with flying colors. Now then, let me inspect the fruits of your efforts." Thus, he reached out to accept the storage bracelet, then closed his eyes and injected his spiritual sense into it.
Yuan Yao and Yan Li both turned to appraise Qing Yuanzi in unison. They naturally couldn't inject their spiritual sense into the storage bracelet as well, but they could gauge Han Li's degree of success by inspecting Qing Yuanzi's reaction.
In contrast with the slightly anxious looks on their faces, Han Li was very calm and collected.
With Qing Yuanzi's immensely powerful spiritual sense, as well as his vast wealth of knowledge and experience, it naturally wouldn't take him long to inspect all of the materials in the storage bracelet.
Initially, he remained completely expressionless, but not long after that, a hint of astonishment had appeared on his face, and as more time passed, the astonishment gave way to shock and elation.
Yuan Yao was quite relieved to see this, and at the same time, she turned to Han Li with a curious look in her eyes.
As Qing Yuanzi's foster daughter, she was naturally aware of what materials were on the list that had been given to Han Li.
The quantity and rarity of the materials on that list had been truly astonishing to her, and she had always been concerned that Han Li wouldn't be able to complete this mission.
However, judging from Qing Yuanzi's reaction, Han Li had to have gathered a very significant proportion of the materials on the list.
Initially, Qing Yuanzi hadn't actually harbored very high hopes for Han Li. He had merely given Han Li a list of materials as it couldn't hurt to do so, so it was a low-risk endeavor for a potentially high reward, albeit only with very slim chances.
These materials were very important to Qing Yuanzi to begin with, and the fact that he was unable to leave the infernal river made the materials even more precious to him.
Yan Li was also staring at Han Li with an astonished look in her eyes, but that was also tinged with some other complex emotions.
"Very good! Aside from a few materials that even I wouldn't be confident in finding, you've found all of the materials on my list. You have truly surprised me, Fellow Daoist Han. With these materials, I'll have a 20% better chance of transcending my next lightning tribulation," Qing Yuanzi said in an excited voice as he opened his eyes.
"These materials can only result in a 20% increase?" Han Li was stunned to hear this.
All of the materials that he had gathered were extremely difficult to find in the Spirit Realm, and he had only found some of them in the medicine garden within the Vast Glacial Realm. In Han Li's opinion, many of those materials most likely couldn't even be found in the Spirit Realm anymore.
"Hehe, once someone reaches my cultivation base, normal methods are completely ineffective when it comes to increasing the chances of transcending a tribulation, and there are extremely limited external forces that can be drawn upon, so 20% is already an optimistic estimate. Alright, setting that aside for now, you delivered the materials I asked for, so I'll naturally give you some Divine Infernal River Elixir in return. But before that, are you still planning to exchange these materials for the elixir? If you're open to alternatives, I can offer you items that are no less valuable than the elixir," Qing Yuanzi said with a smile as he carefully stowed the storage bracelet away.
"I'm sure you're aware of how important the elixir is to me now that I'm at the Body Integration Stage, so I'll have to turn down any alternatives," Han Li replied without any hesitation. Yuan Yao had already hinted that there would be an issue with this exchange, so he was ready for such an offer.
"In that case, things could be a little troublesome." Qing Yuanzi's brows furrowed slightly as a contemplative look appeared on his face.
"You seem troubled, Senior. Would you be able to tell me what the issue is? If I recall correctly, didn't you already have some Divine Infernal River Elixir?" Han Li asked.
"Truth be told, if you had come 100 years earlier, or 200 to 300 years later, there would be no issues at all, but I recently lent my elixir to someone else who had an urgent need for it. If you wait another few centuries, perhaps I can source some more," Qing Yuanzi said in a resigned manner.
"You lent out the elixir?" Han Li's expression changed slightly upon hearing this.
"Indeed. The one who borrowed the elixir is one of the grand elders of the Mayfly Race, and we're close acquaintances. He's one of the reasons I've been able to reside in the infernal river, so I couldn't turn him down," Qing Y
uanzi revealed.
Han Li's expression naturally became rather strained upon hearing this.
However, Qing Yuanzi then suddenly smiled, and said, "But rest assured, Fellow Daoist Han; if you really want the elixir, it's not impossible to obtain it."
"What do you mean by that, Senior? Are there other avenues through which the elixir can be secured?" Han Li immediately asked as an elated look appeared on his face.
"Of course. Divine Infernal River Elixir is very rare, and every time it's produced, I always make sure to get my hands on some. However, there are also several other tremendously powerful beings who inhabit this realm, and they'll also take a share each as well. Generally, half of the elixir produced is taken by the Mayfly Race, while the rest is split among us. However, these people all have rather peculiar personalities and are no less powerful than I am. I have no ties or relations with them, and I'll have to pay them a visit in person to see if I can borrow some elixir from them. Rest assured, even if I'm unable to do so, I'll make sure to issue you satisfactory reparations for your efforts," Qing Yuanzi said in a confident manner.
Chapter 1865: Visit
Han Li was feeling slightly more reassured by Qing Yuanzi's promise, and he asked, "In that case, I guess I'll just have to wait. Pardon me for asking, but roughly when would I be able to expect a response?"
"I naturally can't send this second Nascent Soul of mine to visit those old geezers, so I'll have to visit them in person. My true body will be coming out of seclusion in around a month at the very least and around half a year at the most. You should be able to wait for that much time, right, Fellow Daoist Han?" Qing Yuanzi replied in a calm manner.
"Of course," Han Li replied with a rather sheepish smile.
All of a sudden, Qing Yuanzi smiled, and asked, "By the way, how are your Azure Bamboo Cloudswarm Swords coming along? I'm sure you've already refined them again, right?"
Han Li was rather taken aback by the sudden change in topic, but he still replied, "I did indeed refine all of the flying swords again following your instructions, I've cultivated the final Azure Coil Sword Formation as well. It's just that the sword art you passed down to me is truly profound, and I was only able to glean a small portion of it."
"In that case, would you like me to instruct you in the sword art? I developed some new insights regarding this sword art during the past years, and I'm sure those insights would be beneficial to you. On top of that, now that you're at the mid-Body Integration Stage, I'm sure it'll only be a matter of time before you encounter your late-Body Integration Stage bottleneck; I also have some insights on this area if you'd like to hear them as well." Han Li was naturally both surprised and ecstatic to hear this, and he hurriedly rose to his feet before extending a deep bow. "Thank you, Senior! It would be a vast honor for me to receive instructions from you!"
He was naturally aware that Qing Yuanzi was only willing to do this as he had gathered far more materials on the list than Qing Yuanzi had expected.
"Alright, then you can stay here for now. I'll go organize these materials first; you can come directly to my secret chamber to find me tomorrow. In the meantime, Yao'er, Yan Li, please keep Fellow Daoist Han company," Qing Yuanzi instructed as he turned to Yuan Yao with a smile.
Yuan Yao and Yan Li naturally hurriedly extended curtseys, and the former replied, "Yes, Father; we'll be sure to look after Fellow Daoist Han."
Qing Yuanzi nodded in response before giving Han Li a nod, then departed from the hall, leaving only Han Li, Yuan Yao, and Yan Li in the room.
A faint blush appeared on Yuan Yao's face, and just as she as contemplating what she should say to Han Li, Yan Li suddenly said in an intrigued manner, "I can't believe you've managed to progress to the mid-Body Integration Stage in just a few centuries, Brother Han; your rate of progression truly puts us to shame."
The two women shared quite a close bond with Han Li, so even though Han Li had far outstripped them in power, Yan Li was still regarding him as an equal, much like good friends did.
"You've done quite well for yourself, Fairy Yan; you've managed to remain by Senior Jiang's side and reached the Spatial Tempering Stage after just a few centuries. I'm sure countless fellow Daoists would be envious of your situation. On top of that, I can see that a lot of the Yin Qi within your bodies has faded, so I presume you've found a way to revert back to human bodies; I must congratulate you on that as well," Han Li said with a smile.
"Your powers are truly unfathomable, Brother Han; I didn't think that you would be able to spot the changes we'd undergone right away. Indeed, Senior Jiang did find a way for us to return to our human forms. It's just that this method is extremely slow, and even after all this time, we've only displayed slight changes. At this rate, it'll probably take 2,000 to 3,000 more years until we complete our transformations," Yan Li replied with a smile, and it was quite clear that she was also very pleased with this development.
"Not only did the two of you come from the same human world as I did, you're also two of the very few good friends I have in the Spirit Realm, so I'm very glad to see that you're doing well," Han Li said with a smile.
"Brother Han, if it's not too much trouble, would you be able to tell us about what you've been through these past years? Of course, you can omit the more sensitive details. The two of us have been trapped in this place ever since we ascended to the Spirit Realm, and we're very curious about your experiences," Yuan Yao finally said.
"Indeed, I'm also quite interested to hear what you've been up to all these years, Brother Han," Yan Li chimed in in an excited manner.
Han Li chuckled in response, and obliged with the request. "Hehe, I've been to many places since we last met, including even another continent. If you'd like to hear about my experiences, then I'd be more than happy to give you a recount. Back when I left this place several hundred years ago, I first returned to the island I resided on prior to coming here and then went into seclusion for a while, progressing to the Spatial Tempering Stage in the process..."
Thus, Han Li gave an account of his experiences to the two women, and even though he had omitted a lot of important details, it was still a spectacular story for the sheltered pair of sisters.
Yuan Yao's eyes were sparkling as she listened to Han Li's tale, and Yan Li also occasionally gave cries of surprise.
After a long while, Han Li finally concluded his story, and he naturally enquired about how the women's cultivation had progressed during these past years.
Thus, Yuan Yao and Yan Li told him their stories as well, but compared to the spectacular tale Han Li had just told, their experiences were admittedly extremely drab and boring.
Aside from cultivating and occasionally going out into the infernal river to gather items for Qing Yuanzi, there wasn't really anything else to speak of.
Thus, Han Li continued to chat with the two women, and after they had had their fill of conversation, the two women organized a silent cultivation chamber within the cave abode for Han Li to stay in. He was left to rest on his own there, and after meditating for a night, he was led to Qing Yuanzi's secret chamber by the two women the next morning.
Time flew by, and three months passed in a flash.
On this day, a streak of golden light and a streak of azure light suddenly rose up into the air above Qing Yuanzi's cave abode before flying toward a certain direction.
Within the streaks of light were a grey-robed elderly man, and an azure-robed young man who appeared to be in his twenties; they were naturally none other than Qing Yuanzi and Han Li.
However, as opposed to Qing Yuanzi's Nascent Soul, this was Qing Yuanzi's true body that was flying alongside Han Li.
He had finally emerged from seclusion the day before, and Han Li had benefited immensely in his cultivation from being instructed by the Nascent Soul for the past three months.
At present, they were heading toward an obscure place in the infernal river to visit a certain mysterious individual. What Han Li found to be rather strange and per
plexing was that Qing Yuanzi had asked Han Li to join him on this trip.
After traveling for half a day, Han Li finally couldn't help but ask, "Would you be able to tell me who we're going to be visiting, Senior?"
"I'm taking you to one of the old geezers in here who is relatively easier to talk to, so there should be a greater chance that we'll be able to get some elixir from him. As for exactly who he is or what his origins are, I'm not particularly sure. However, what I can be sure of is that he definitely isn't a Flying Spirit being or Mayfly being. Instead, it seems that his true form is some kind of powerful beast. In terms of experience and age, even I can't hold a candle to him. He'll be slightly easier to talk to than the others, but he has a rather peculiar personality as well, so make sure to be on your guard when we meet him," Qing Yuanzi said in a serious manner.
"Thank you for the reminder, Senior; I'll be sure to exercise caution," Han Li hurriedly answered.
"Haha, there's no need for you to be too concerned. He owes me a favor from many years ago, so barring any mishaps, we should be able to achieve our objective for this trip," Qing Yuanzi chuckled in reassurance.
"That would naturally be best," Han Li replied with a smile.
"Haha, alright, let's focus on traveling now. That person resides in a very secluded corner of the infernal river, so even at our speed, it will take over 10 days to reach his abode," Qing Yuanzi said as golden light revolved around his body, and his speed abruptly doubled as he shot forth through the air as a golden thread.
Han Li naturally also sped up upon seeing this, transforming into a rapid azure thread that followed closely behind Qing Yuanzi.
10 days later, Han Li and Qing Yuanzi arrived above a strange azure lake that was enshrouded under a vast expanse of faint grey mist.
Not only was the entire lake enshrouded under mist, it was extremely massive, and the water within it was of a vibrant green color.
Han Li released his spiritual sense toward the water down below, and was shocked to discover the vast abundance of spiritual Qi within the lake. Countless giant fish were swimming through the lake, and all of them were demonic fish that possessed magic power and were giving off astonishing auras.
A Record of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality c1-2248 Page 1077