Spirit Essence Pact

Chapter 596: Rising Storms Overseas — The Spirit Essence Qi

Upon hearing the young woman’s words, Han Li did not say anything immediately, merely furrowing his brow slightly.

“Fellow Daoist Mei, that you and I were teleported to the same location could be considered a bit of fate between us. But since you, Lady Mei, have spoken so frankly, I will likewise hold nothing back. Regarding this Stormwind Mountain, I, Han, do have a certain degree of confidence that I can ascend it. Whether it is the Yin winds and the illusionary fog upon the mountain, or the flying Yin Beasts that dwell on the mountainside, I believe I possess some small tricks to deal with them. However, this refers only to myself acting alone. Were I to bring another person along, I would not have the skill to look after them thoroughly. If true danger were to strike, I would hardly be able to care for myself, and you, Fellow Daoist Mei, would certainly meet your end. You are still young; it is better for you to remain here. Perhaps, in time, some other opportunity to leave this place will present itself.” Han Li spoke with a calm expression.

That last sentence was clearly a token of comfort, and even as he said it, Han Li felt it sounded somewhat insincere. But it could not be helped.

Upon hearing these words, Mei Ning’s face went pale in an instant. She bit her lower lip halfway, momentarily at a loss for words.

Seeing that the young woman had no reply, Han Li let out a soft sigh and closed his eyes again.

To be honest, he had a rather favorable impression of Mei Ning. If he had the ability, he might truly have been willing to lend her a hand.

But as things stood, Han Li would not rashly increase his own burden. He had no choice but to harden his heart and leave her here.

Fortunately, even if she remained stranded in this Netherworld Domain, this lady would not face any immediate danger to her life. At worst, it would mean giving up all thoughts of further cultivation.

Thus, he did not feel particularly uneasy about the matter.

The room fell into utter silence. An indeterminate amount of time passed, and just as Han Li thought she had finally accepted her fate and he began to drift off into a light doze, Mei Ning’s voice once again reached his ears.

“If I could allow you to temporarily recover a small amount of your mana, would you be willing to take me away from this place?”

“What?” Han Li’s drowsiness was instantly scattered to the winds. He opened his eyes wide and stared at her in disbelief.

Mei Ning had, at some point, curled up on the stone bed with her arms around her legs. Her expression was somewhat evasive, as if the words had not come from her at all.

Just as Han Li began to wonder if he had misheard, the young woman straightened her body slightly, lifted her head, and with a resolute glint flashing in her beautiful eyes, she spoke:

“I have a way to allow you, Brother Han, to momentarily regain a sliver of mana. It will only be a single opportunity, but it should be of great assistance in your escape from this place. However, in exchange, aside from taking me away from here, you must also agree to one other condition.”

After saying this, Mei Ning’s expression turned somewhat unnatural. This only added to Han Li’s astonishment and deepened his suspicion.

“It’s not that I don’t trust your words, Lady Mei. It’s just that even Nascent Soul cultivators who have come to this place have found no way to recover their神通. Are you truly not joking?” Han Li stared at her, his tone grave.

Beneath his face of pure skepticism, there was also a glimmer of hope.

If he could truly temporarily recover some mana, then his plan of escape, which currently had only a fifty to sixty percent chance of success, would immediately rise to eighty or ninety percent.

After all, no matter how little mana he regained, or for how short a time, it would be more than enough to open his Spirit Beast Pouch and his Storage Pouch.

Several treasures within his Storage Pouch could activate their miraculous effects automatically without needing mana to stimulate them. Bringing them out would naturally provide much greater safety.

As for the Gold Devourer Beetles and the Blood Jade Spiders in the Spirit Beast Pouch, because they required divine sense to command, he could not summon them to fight. However, the Crying Soul Beast, due to the Soul-Howling Pearl being within its belly, could be barely directed. And while the creatures here were not ghosts or vengeful spirits, they were formed from the concentration of Netherworld force and would surely be easily suppressed by it.

With a brief consideration, Han Li naturally grew agitated.

“You may not know this, Brother Han. I am not a cultivator with a mutated spiritual root or a heavenly spiritual root. However, I possess a Jade Phoenix Marrow Body. You should be well aware of what that means. With this physique, I can use a secret art to transfer my Spirit Essence Qi to you. The pure essence of the Spirit Essence Qi is certainly not something this so-called Spirit Void Eruption can instantly seal. Of course, given enough time, this Spirit Essence Qi will dissipate, and your mana will return to its current state.” The young woman spoke in a low voice, her expression slightly hesitant.

“A Jade Phoenix Marrow Body!” Han Li was stunned by these words. But after a moment, he looked at her from head to toe with a peculiar gaze, a hint of understanding dawning on his face.

“Indeed. If you, Brother Han, do not believe me, you may come forward and examine me for yourself. Then you will know that I am not lying.” Mei Ning said slowly, and for some reason, a faint blush crept onto her face.

“Then forgive my impertinence.” Han Li hesitated for only a moment before standing up without delay and walking over.

The matter was of great importance, and he had to be thorough.

At this moment, Mei Ning also forced herself to remain calm as she rolled up one of her sleeves, revealing a jade-white arm. On that arm, clearly visible, was a bright red vermilion mark.

When Han Li reached her side, she gritted her teeth and pressed her thumb lightly onto the vermilion mark, then quickly released it.

Standing before the stone bed and watching, Han Li was visibly moved.

The once brilliant red vermilion mark gradually faded away. In its place, a silver phoenix pattern emerged, upon which light seemed to flow, extraordinarily lifelike and incredible to behold.

“It truly is the Jade Soul Phoenix.” Han Li murmured, a hint of pleasant surprise on his face.

“Now you see, Brother Han, that my words were not false.” Seeing that Han Li had confirmed the truth of her claim, Mei Ning quickly covered her arm, not daring to let him look any longer, her face flushed crimson.

Han Li nodded, said nothing more, returned to his original seat, and began to contemplate.

The Jade Phoenix Marrow Body, as its name implied, only appeared in women.

While it could not compare with other special spiritual root cultivators and could not be considered an exceptionally rare constitution seen only once in a century, it was famous throughout the cultivation world—known by practically everyone.

This physique offered no advantage to the female cultivator who possessed it in terms of cultivation. However, almost every female cultivator with this constitution was highly sought after by male cultivators. This was because, once such a woman entered the Foundation Establishment stage, a trace of pure Spirit Essence Qi would be born within her body.

This Spirit Essence Qi was reputed to be one of the seven great pure essences of the world. Though it had no effect on the woman herself, the man who received it could have his marrow cleansed and his meridians transformed, greatly advancing his cultivation.

Of course, this effect was somewhat diminished for high-level cultivators, but it still rivaled ancient, rare elixirs as a precious commodity.

However, this Spirit Essence Qi could only be transferred to a man with the woman’s full and willing consent. Forcibly extracting or plundering it from a woman through various secret arts or dual cultivation techniques would not yield the qi.

Furthermore, a woman with the Jade Phoenix Marrow Body could only transfer this thread of Spirit Essence Qi to one man in her entire lifetime. Afterwards, her body would no longer produce it. If she were to lose her virginity before this, the Spirit Essence Qi would also dissipate on its own.

Han Li organized the relevant records he had read in various ancient texts.

He felt that at the very moment he received this qi, he might indeed be able to use some mana. After all, the reputation of the Spirit Essence Qi as one of the seven great pure essences of the world was not for nothing. It would be more than enough to allow him to forcibly open his Storage Pouch and Spirit Beast Pouch.

“Lady Mei, aside from asking me to take you out of here, what is your other condition? Please speak your mind.” Having thought it through, Han Li raised his head and swept his gaze across her beautiful face, asking with perfect composure.

“It is very simple. I hope that you, Brother Han, will find my elder brother as well and bring him out of this Netherworld Domain with us.” After a brief hesitation, Mei Ning said solemnly.

“I can only agree to half of that condition.” Han Li did not agree outright, but after considering the matter, he shook his head.

“Half?” Mei Ning’s beautiful features showed a trace of astonishment, as if she did not understand.

“That is correct. I have my own reasons for not being able to remain in this Netherworld Domain for too long. I can only promise you, Lady Mei, that I will do my utmost to search for your elder brother within three months. If I have not found him by then, I cannot afford to waste any more time and must leave this place immediately.” Han Li spoke with resolve, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

“Three months… This place does not seem that vast; it should be just about enough. Very well, I agree.” After a moment of hesitation, perhaps realizing that Han Li would not back down on this point, Mei Ning nodded in acceptance.

Hearing her agree so readily, a faint smile appeared on Han Li’s face. But at that moment, Mei Ning stared at him and then spoke slowly:

“Though I have not spent much time with you, Fellow Daoist Han, I believe I am not mistaken about your character. Therefore, I will not ask you to swear any poisonous oath. I only ask you this: when do you need this Spirit Essence Qi? If you, Brother Han, wish for it now, I will not hesitate for a moment and will transfer it to you immediately.”