“I may not have much choice, but that doesn’t mean I won’t set any conditions!” The Spirit Mushroom’s eyes flickered as it spoke slowly.
“What conditions do you have? Let’s hear them,” Han Li chuckled, appearing indifferent.
“It’s simple. The terms of the deal can follow what you proposed—I’ll tell you about the wonders of my true form’s Dharma Body, and you’ll release my spirit to dissipate naturally into the world, allowing it to enter the cycle of reincarnation. This way, if there’s a next life, I might have a chance to be reborn as a human. However, the method of the exchange must follow my terms. Otherwise, I’d rather perish here with my true form than foolishly hand everything over to someone else’s control.” The Spirit Mushroom seemed to have already considered this thoroughly, speaking in one breath.
“What method?” Han Li asked directly.
“I’ll use an innate secret technique to split my spirit in two. The larger portion will contain my consciousness, while the smaller portion will hold fragments of my memories. You’ll first release the larger portion. Once my remaining spirit confirms you’ve kept your word, I’ll naturally reveal the secret to you. After you obtain what you want, you’ll then send my remaining spirit into reincarnation. This way, you won’t have any lingering concerns, and I can safely tell you what you wish to know.” The Spirit Mushroom spoke expressionlessly.
“No lingering concerns? Not necessarily. If you escape with most of your spirit and later renege, refusing to tell me, wouldn’t I be the one losing out?” Han Li’s mind stirred, but outwardly he shook his head.
“When you captured me, I was already severely injured. Even if I hadn’t fallen into your hands, I would’ve been caught by someone else eventually. So, I bear no deep grudge against you. I wouldn’t risk half my spirit just for a soon-to-be-useless Dharma Body. After all, who knows what problems might arise from reincarnating with a fragmented spirit?” The Spirit Mushroom replied calmly.
Han Li stroked his chin, scrutinized the Spirit Mushroom for a moment, then suddenly smiled and nodded. “Fine, we’ll do it your way.”
“You agreed just like that?” The Spirit Mushroom was taken aback by Han Li’s swift agreement, showing a hint of surprise.
“What? Do you have a better method, fellow Daoist?” Han Li’s lips curled into a faint smile.
“No, I just thought you’d deliberate much longer before agreeing,” the Spirit Mushroom said slowly.
“Why overthink it? To be honest, capturing you was already an unexpected boon. Why should I dwell on it further?” Han Li’s words carried deeper meaning.
Hearing this, the Spirit Mushroom’s expression shifted slightly, but it said nothing.
“Alright, how long will it take for you to perform the spirit-splitting secret technique? Don’t tell me it’ll take decades or even a century,” Han Li asked.
“Of course not that long, but it won’t be quick either. It should take about a year. However, during this time, you must lift some of the restrictions on me,” the Spirit Mushroom said seriously for the first time.
“A year? Fine, I’ll give you that time and remove most of your restrictions. But don’t get any ideas—the remaining restrictions will be even more intricate. If you can still escape under these conditions, I’ll consider myself unlucky,” Han Li said coolly.
“Before my capture, my body was already wounded. Now, I can barely suppress it—I have no strength left to escape,” the Spirit Mushroom replied with a bitter smile.
Han Li chuckled but said nothing. Instead, he flicked his fingers, and two glowing objects—one gold, one silver—flew out from his sleeve.
The Spirit Mushroom’s pupils flashed with silver light as it focused on them.
The two objects turned out to be a golden beetle and a miniature silver firebird, each no larger than a thumb, gleaming as if forged from pure gold and silver.
“Gold Devouring Beetles!” The Spirit Mushroom’s face paled at the sight of the golden beetle, its voice trembling.
“Oh, you recognize these spirit insects? Even better. Knowing their power, I trust you won’t entertain any foolish ideas,” Han Li said lightly, pointing at the beetle and firebird.
The two objects drifted slowly toward the Spirit Mushroom, whose expression shifted several times.
It knew full well the terror of Gold Devouring Beetles, especially a mature one like this. If not for its restraints, it would’ve fled long ago. As for the silver firebird, though Han Li hadn’t explained it, its pairing with the beetle suggested it was nearly as fearsome.
After a brief hesitation, the Spirit Mushroom gritted its teeth and opened its mouth. The golden beetle and silver firebird vanished inside in a flash.
Han Li smiled faintly and made a grasping motion toward the Spirit Mushroom.
With a hiss, dozens of silver threads shot out from its body and disappeared into Han Li’s sleeve. Following an incantation, multicolored light swirled from the Spirit Mushroom’s surface, transforming into talismans before vanishing.
The Spirit Mushroom’s eyes gleamed with silver light as purple radiance surged from its body. The green hue on its face faded significantly, and its limbs’ purple tendrils transformed into ordinary hands and feet.
“Remarkable. Even after such severe injuries, you’ve recovered to this extent,” Han Li remarked with a laugh.
“Do you have a medicinal garden here? I’ll root my true form there. The surrounding spiritual herbs’ energy will help me complete the spirit-splitting technique faster,” the Spirit Mushroom asked bluntly.
“Of course. Follow me.” Han Li nodded, pleased. Having the Spirit Mushroom in the garden would allow the puppet “Doll” to monitor it easily. Given its injuries and the cave’s restrictions, Doll’s early-stage Void Refining cultivation would suffice.
With that in mind, Han Li stood and waved his hand, sweeping away the bottles and jars with a gust of azure light. The stone door to the chamber slid open with a flash of white light.
Han Li strode out first, and after a brief hesitation, the Spirit Mushroom followed.
Outside, a cold, expressionless woman stood waiting—Doll, the sentient puppet summoned by Han Li’s divine sense. She bowed mechanically as Han Li passed.
Without a word, Han Li headed straight for the medicinal garden.
Given the scarcity of space in Cloud City, Han Li’s garden wasn’t large—only about two to three hundred square zhang. Yet, as soon as the Spirit Mushroom entered, it nodded approvingly. “Not bad. Though small, the spiritual energy here is dense. You’ve chosen well.”
“Not my doing—the entire mountain’s energy is like this. Feel free to root yourself wherever you like,” Han Li replied nonchalantly.
“In that case, I won’t hold back.” The Spirit Mushroom stepped ahead, heading deeper into the garden.
Han Li followed leisurely, with Doll trailing silently behind.
As the Spirit Mushroom walked, its eyes scanned the garden. Soon, a look of astonishment crossed its face.
The garden was filled with rare herbs, many over ten thousand years old, while the rest were at least millennia-old. The air was thick with medicinal fragrance—enough to cure any mortal’s ailments within moments.
Intrigued, the Spirit Mushroom decided to explore further, passing the garden’s center.
Han Li showed no concern, following calmly.
The garden was small, and soon the Spirit Mushroom neared the far end. Just then, a white figure darted out from the herbs—a half-foot-long, crystalline jade rabbit, the transformed spirit of Han Li’s Nine Revolutions Spirit Ginseng.
“What’s this?” The Spirit Mushroom froze, its voice trembling with shock and delight.
“Why so surprised? Haven’t you ever met another spirit herb like yourself?” Han Li asked curiously.
“Of course not! We usually hide in remote, dangerous places, with countless natural predators and no means to defend ourselves. Out of millions of spirit herbs, perhaps only one gains sentience by chance,” the Spirit Mushroom replied hastily, hurrying after the rabbit.
A dozen zhang later, it found the ginseng’s rooted form in a secluded spot. The rabbit was munching on a tuber it had dug up, barely glancing at the newcomers before continuing its meal, utterly unbothered.
The timid creature Han Li knew was nowhere to be seen. Watching this, Han Li rubbed his forehead, torn between laughter and exasperation.
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