Upon hearing the woman’s words, Han Li did not immediately respond, only slightly furrowing his brows.
“Fellow Daoist Mei, the fact that we were teleported here together can be considered a stroke of fate. But since you’ve brought this up, I won’t beat around the bush. I do have some confidence in ascending Storm Mountain. Whether it’s the Yin Winds and illusionary mists on the mountain or the flying Yin Beasts lurking halfway up, I believe I have some minor methods to deal with them. However, this only applies if I’m traveling alone. If I were to bring others along, I wouldn’t have the capability to ensure their safety. If danger arises, I’d barely be able to protect myself, and Fellow Daoist Mei would undoubtedly perish. Given your youth, it would be best for you to remain here. Perhaps another opportunity to leave this place will present itself in the future,” Han Li said calmly.
The last sentence was clearly meant as consolation, but even Han Li himself found it somewhat insincere. Yet, there was nothing else he could do.
Upon hearing this, Mei Ning’s face instantly paled again. She bit her lip lightly, momentarily speechless.
Seeing her silent response, Han Li sighed softly and closed his eyes once more.
Truth be told, he had a favorable impression of Mei Ning. If not for his limited capabilities, he might have genuinely helped her. But now, he couldn’t afford to recklessly burden himself. He had no choice but to harden his heart and leave her behind. At least in this Yin Nether Land, she wouldn’t face immediate mortal danger—she’d merely have to abandon any hopes of further cultivation. This thought didn’t trouble his conscience too much.
The room fell into silence. After what felt like an eternity, just as Han Li assumed she had given up and was about to rest briefly, Mei Ning’s voice rang out again.
“If I could temporarily restore a bit of your spiritual power, would you be willing to take me away from here?”
“What?” Han Li’s drowsiness vanished instantly. He widened his eyes and stared at her in disbelief.
Mei Ning had curled up on the stone bed, hugging her legs, her expression somewhat evasive, as if the words hadn’t come from her.
Just as Han Li began to wonder if he’d misheard, she straightened slightly, lifted her head, and with a resolute glint in her eyes, said, “I have a way to allow Brother Han to briefly regain a trace of spiritual power. Though it’s only a one-time opportunity, it should greatly aid your escape from here. However, in exchange, aside from taking me with you, you must agree to another condition of mine.”
After speaking, Mei Ning’s expression grew slightly uneasy, leaving Han Li both stunned and puzzled.
“It’s not that I distrust Fellow Daoist Mei’s words, but even Nascent Soul cultivators who arrive here find no way to restore their abilities. Are you truly not jesting?” Han Li asked gravely, his gaze fixed on her.
His face was a mix of skepticism and faint hope. If he could indeed regain even a sliver of spiritual power, his chances of escape would skyrocket from fifty or sixty percent to eighty or ninety. After all, no matter how minuscule or fleeting the regained power might be, it would be more than enough to open his spirit beast pouch and storage bag.
Among the treasures in his storage bag were several that didn’t require spiritual energy to activate—they could work wonders on their own. Retrieving them would significantly bolster his safety.
As for the Gold Devouring Beetles and Blood Jade Spiders in his spirit beast pouch, they couldn’t be summoned to fight without his divine sense. However, the Soul-Crying Beast, with the Soul-Crying Pearl embedded in its belly, could still be somewhat controlled. These Yin Nether Beasts, though not spectral ghosts, were still condensed from Yin Nether energy and could be easily subdued. Thus, the greatest threat—the Yin Beasts—would no longer be a concern.
After mulling this over, Han Li grew visibly excited.
“Brother Han may not know this, but though I lack the spiritual roots of a rare or heavenly cultivator, I possess the Jade Phoenix Marrow Body. You must understand what that signifies. With this constitution, I can transfer my spiritual energy to you through a secret technique. The purity of this spiritual energy is such that the so-called Spirit-Sealing Qi here cannot immediately suppress it. Of course, once the energy dissipates over time, you’ll revert to your current state,” she murmured hesitantly.
“Jade Phoenix Marrow Body!” Han Li froze upon hearing this. Moments later, he scrutinized her with a peculiar look, a flicker of realization crossing his face.
“Indeed. If you doubt me, you may examine me yourself. Then you’ll know I speak the truth,” Mei Ning said slowly, her cheeks inexplicably flushing.
“Then I must trouble you,” Han Li replied after only a brief hesitation. He stood and approached her. Given the stakes, he had to verify this personally.
At that moment, Mei Ning, forcing herself to remain composed, rolled up one of her sleeves, revealing a jade-like arm adorned with a vivid red chastity mark.
As Han Li drew near, she gritted her teeth and pressed her thumb lightly against the mark before quickly releasing it.
Han Li, standing before the stone bed, was visibly moved. The once-bright red mark gradually faded, replaced by a shimmering silver phoenix pattern that seemed to pulse with life, astonishingly lifelike.
“It truly is the Jade Phoenix Marrow Body!” Han Li murmured, a trace of delight in his voice.
“Now you see I wasn’t lying,” Mei Ning said, hastily pulling her sleeve down, her face crimson. She couldn’t bear Han Li’s prolonged gaze.
Han Li nodded and returned to his seat, deep in thought.
Though this constitution couldn’t compare to other rare spiritual roots and wasn’t considered exceptionally rare, it was renowned throughout the cultivation world—almost universally known!
While it offered no direct benefits to the female cultivator who possessed it, those with the Jade Phoenix Marrow Body were highly sought after by male cultivators. Once such a woman reached the Foundation Establishment stage, a strand of pure spiritual energy would form within her.
This spiritual energy, hailed as one of the seven purest energies in the world, had no effect on the woman herself but could cleanse the meridians and significantly boost the cultivation of any man who received it.
Of course, the benefits diminished for higher-level cultivators, but even then, it was comparable to rare ancient elixirs.
However, this energy could only be transferred willingly by the woman. Forceful extraction or dual cultivation techniques were ineffective. Moreover, a woman with the Jade Phoenix Marrow Body could only transfer this energy once in her lifetime. If she lost her virginity beforehand, the energy would dissipate on its own.
Recalling these details from ancient texts, Han Li concluded that, upon receiving this energy, he might indeed briefly wield some spiritual power. Given its reputation as one of the seven purest energies, it would surely suffice to open his storage and spirit beast pouches.
“Aside from taking you with me, what other condition do you have? Speak plainly,” Han Li said after a moment, his gaze sweeping over her delicate features.
“It’s simple. I hope Brother Han can also find my elder brother and take him out of this Yin Nether Land,” Mei Ning replied after a brief hesitation.
“I’m afraid I can only agree to half of that condition,” Han Li said after some thought, shaking his head.
“Half?” Mei Ning’s beautiful face showed a flicker of confusion.
“Yes. Due to personal reasons, I cannot stay in the Yin Nether Land for too long. I can only promise to search for your brother diligently for three months. If he isn’t found by then, I must leave immediately without further delay,” Han Li declared resolutely, his tone brooking no argument.
“Three months? This place doesn’t seem very large, so that should suffice. Very well, I agree,” Mei Ning said after a brief pause, likely realizing Han Li wouldn’t yield on this point.
Pleased by her swift agreement, Han Li smiled faintly. But then Mei Ning fixed her gaze on him and said slowly, “Though our acquaintance has been brief, I trust my judgment of your character. I won’t ask you to swear any oaths. Just tell me when you need this spiritual energy. If you wish to receive it now, I won’t hesitate to transfer it to you immediately.”
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