“Thank you, Fellow Daoist Xueling, for gifting this tome. However, the contents recorded within conflict somewhat with the cultivation techniques I practice. I fear the secret arts within may be beyond my ability to cultivate.” After merely a brief moment, Han Li had already skimmed through the contents of the jade slip. Shaking his head, he placed it back on the table.
“What? Is the main cultivation technique you practice a Confucian method?” Xueling’s expression shifted slightly, her tone laced with suspicion.
After all, Han Li’s second Nascent Soul clearly bore the marks of an extremely formidable demonic technique. While it wasn’t unheard of for cultivators to simultaneously practice two diametrically opposed techniques, such individuals were exceedingly rare among the human race.
“That’s not the case. It’s just that I’ve cultivated a special soul technique. If I were to practice the Blood Soul technique now, it would greatly hinder my future cultivation progress.” Han Li replied calmly, his expression serene.
“Seeing that your second Nascent Soul has already reached the late-stage of the Void Refinement realm, I should have realized that you must possess soul techniques no less formidable than the Blood Soul Art. Otherwise, auxiliary Nascent Souls cultivated by individuals like us, lacking sufficient soul power, would typically be far inferior to the original body.”
“Take me, for example. This body, formed from a wisp of Blood Soul, only possesses early-stage Void Refinement cultivation. In that case, I shall reclaim this item.” Hearing Han Li’s words, Xueling showed no surprise. With a flick of her sleeve, she indeed retrieved the jade slip.
“Compared to the second Nascent Soul, the Blood Soul technique has its own strengths. At the very least, if my second Nascent Soul were to stray from my main body for as long as yours has, I fear it would have encountered significant trouble long ago.” Han Li glanced at the palace-robed woman opposite him and chuckled.
“That’s true. The Blood Soul technique employs ancient blood refinement secrets to temper the soul, eliminating the fear of the avatar rebelling. Otherwise, the Blood Crystal Sage who created this technique wouldn’t have achieved such renown in his time.” Xueling smiled sweetly.
Han Li listened but offered no response, merely letting out a quiet laugh.
“By the way, I recall you mentioned having some questions for me. Although my inherited memories from the original body are limited, I will do my best to answer any queries within my knowledge.” The woman’s expression turned serious.
“Since you’ve said as much, I won’t stand on ceremony. I presume Fellow Daoist Xueling has heard a thing or two about my origins?” Han Li’s gaze swept over Xu Jiao beside him before he posed the question thoughtfully.
“Indeed, I inquired further. Not only do you hail from the same lower realm as my original body, but you also obtained the Dry Blue Ice Flame she left behind. Now, you’ve even assisted the Xu family in awakening me. The serendipity of it all is truly remarkable.” The palace-robed woman sighed lightly, her expression tinged with complexity.
“Precisely because of this, I’ve always had a few unresolved mysteries regarding events from that lower realm. I was hoping you could shed some light on them.” Han Li’s lips curled slightly as he spoke earnestly.
“The matters you wish to inquire about are all from the lower realm?” The woman seemed taken aback.
“Is there something amiss?” Han Li’s eyes flickered with a hint of puzzlement.
“More than just amiss! If you wish to ask about matters from the human realm, I’m afraid I have nothing to offer.” The palace-robed woman smiled wryly.
Han Li’s brow furrowed slightly, but he refrained from pressing further. He knew she would provide an explanation.
Sure enough, after composing herself, the woman continued solemnly:
“It’s not that I’m being deliberately cryptic. It’s simply that my memories contain no fragments related to the human realm. My understanding of that world is limited to a very vague impression.”
“How could this be? Could it be that you lost your memories of the human realm during the Blood Soul sealing?” Han Li voiced his doubts.
“No, it’s not a matter of loss. When I inherited the original body’s memories, that portion simply wasn’t replicated.” The woman stated with certainty.
“What could be the reason for that?”
“That, I do not know either.” The palace-robed woman appeared somewhat embarrassed.
Han Li’s mouth twitched slightly, but ultimately, he said nothing more.
The palace-robed woman also felt rather awkward. However, she had come to visit Han Li for another important matter. After a moment’s hesitation, she spoke again with a peculiar expression: “There’s something I’ve been wondering about, though I’m not sure if it’s appropriate to ask.”
Han Li was utterly speechless internally.
Not only had she failed to answer his questions, but now she was turning the tables to inquire about his affairs. Yet, his expression remained unchanged as he smiled faintly and said, “Feel free to ask whatever you wish.”
“Then I’ll be bold. Might I ask if you acquired any artifacts in the human realm that were connected to my original body? When I first met you days ago, I sensed an extremely familiar aura from you. Though I can’t recall specifics, I have an inexplicable feeling that this object is of paramount importance to both me and the original body?” Xueling took a deep breath before posing her question with grave seriousness.
Upon hearing this, Han Li’s expression shifted slightly. He studied the palace-robed woman for a long moment before slowly nodding: “Though you haven’t said much, I believe I know what you’re referring to.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Han Li opened his mouth and expelled a ball of azure light.
The light spun briefly before transforming into a small azure cauldron, which floated gently onto Han Li’s palm.
It was none other than the Void Heaven Cauldron.
“The Void Spirit Cauldron—no, wait, the Void Heaven Cauldron…”
At the sight of this treasure, the woman named Xueling let out an exclamation, her face alight with joy. But almost immediately, her beautiful eyes widened, and her expression grew complex once more.
“Oh? You recognize this treasure?” Han Li raised an eyebrow slightly.
“I shouldn’t be mistaken. Though I remember nothing of the human realm, the moment I saw this cauldron, its name came to me unbidden. Moreover, judging by the aura it emits, it seems remarkably similar to another Void Spirit Cauldron possessed by my original body. It must have been crafted by her hand as well. And for reasons unknown, this treasure must hold immense significance to the original body.” Xueling murmured as she gazed at the azure cauldron.
“Immense significance!” Han Li’s expression grew inscrutable.
“I can’t explain the reason—it’s simply a powerful impression left by the original body within the Blood Soul. Fellow Daoist Han, I’ll speak plainly: I must reclaim this Void Heaven Cauldron at any cost. Name your price, and I will meet it.” After a moment’s silence, Xueling spoke cautiously.
Han Li narrowed his eyes, stroking his chin thoughtfully without immediate reply.
“Xu Jiao, bring out that item!” Seeing his hesitation, Xueling suddenly turned her head and commanded the young man beside her in an authoritative tone.
“…Yes, Senior Xueling!” Xu Jiao’s face betrayed reluctance, but with gritted teeth, he shook the storage bracelet on his wrist.
A flash of white light swept past, revealing two jade boxes—one large, one small—and a blue leather pouch on the table beside Han Li.
“Here we have a thirty-thousand-year-old ‘Devil Jade Flower,’ a spirit treasure capable of harnessing the power of eight flood dragons—the ‘Eight Flood Dragon Blade’—and a pouch of top-grade spirit stones worth thirty million. In exchange for your Void Heaven Cauldron, I offer these three items. What say you, Fellow Daoist Han? Consider this a personal favor owed by the original body. When she returns to the human race, she will surely repay you handsomely.” Xueling’s eyes gleamed as she spoke.
Han Li chuckled softly, his spiritual sense instantly penetrating the three items on the table.
They were exactly as the palace-robed woman had described: a black spirit flower immensely beneficial to demonic cultivation, a peculiar blue blade engraved with eight flood dragons, and a pouch brimming with top-grade spirit stones.
With a wave of his hand, Han Li summoned the smaller jade box containing the black spirit flower into his grasp.
“Fellow Daoist Han, what is the meaning of this?” Xueling frowned slightly, perplexed.
“This Black Jade Flower does hold some value for me, so I’ll accept it gratefully. As for the spirit stones and that spirit treasure, keep them. I’m not lacking in either. While I may not be a paragon of virtue, I understand the principle of remembering one’s roots. The Dry Blue Ice Flame and this cauldron I obtained in the lower realm have aided me multiple times against formidable foes. For that reason alone, I wouldn’t dream of extorting you. Moreover, this Devil Jade Flower is a rare spirit herb native to the True Demon World. While perhaps not as precious as a spirit treasure, the difference isn’t vast.” Han Li smiled.
With that, the small cauldron in his hand floated up and, with a flash, came to rest gently before the woman, hovering motionless.
Han Li’s actions and words clearly took the palace-robed woman by surprise. She stared at the cauldron before her, her expression flickering with emotion.
But she was no ordinary person. After a brief silence, she composed herself and said solemnly, “On behalf of the Xu family and the original body, I thank you for this kindness, Fellow Daoist. Should you ever require assistance in the future, do not hesitate to seek me out at the Xu family. Though my cultivation may not be high, I believe I can be of significant help in certain matters.”
Her words were weighty. With a flick of her sleeve, a crimson glow enveloped the azure cauldron and the remaining two items on the table, causing them to vanish instantly. Then, with a slight bow to Han Li, she turned and strode toward the pavilion’s exit without another word.
“In that case, this junior will take his leave as well.”
Xu Jiao, caught off guard by this sudden departure, hastily rose and bowed to Han Li before hurrying after her.
Han Li’s gaze remained fixed on the pavilion’s entrance for a long while before he finally released a soft sigh.
For reasons unknown, though he had failed to obtain the answers he sought from Xueling and remained ignorant of her original body’s whereabouts, returning the Void Heaven Cauldron to her had lifted a weight from his heart.
The doubts that might have become cultivation obstacles now seemed trivial, and the lingering effects of the oath he’d sworn to the young man surnamed Weng had completely dissipated.
While the Void Heaven Cauldron was a fine spirit treasure, it clearly harbored undisclosed purposes beyond its combat utility—which paled in comparison to other treasures in his possession.
Parting with it was regrettable, but not to the point of causing him undue distress.
Now, having resolved a potential mental demon, forged goodwill with Xueling and the Xu family (and by extension, the future Ice Soul Fairy), and acquired the legendary Black Jade Devil Flower, he could hardly consider this exchange a loss.
With matters here largely settled, it was time to depart the Xu family. The Myriad Treasures Convention was only a few years away—he could spend the intervening time traveling leisurely through the Tianyuan Territory before making his way there.
Rising to his feet, Han Li walked slowly toward the staircase, lost in thought.
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