Chapter 1684: Threatening

After his recent attempt, he no longer doubted the records in the ancient texts. He could only allow the Crying Soul Beast to slowly absorb these True Origin gifts.

The Crying Soul Beast was his spirit beast; if it could significantly advance its cultivation after absorbing them, it would be a joyous occasion.

This outcome was naturally much better than the original scenario where the True Spirit Origin would emerge centuries later and its fate would be unknown.

After pondering this for a while, Han Li's initial elation, followed by profound disappointment and dejection, finally faded, allowing his state of mind to gradually return to its former calm.

He raised his hand, released the Spirit Beast Ring, and recalled the Crying Soul Beast.

After a brief moment of thought, he gravely flipped his hand, and a seemingly ordinary azure jade bottle appeared.

Though seemingly common, this jade bottle emitted a faint azure glow, and several restriction talismans were tightly affixed to its mouth.

Han Li raised an eyebrow, tossed the bottle into the air, and with a shake of his sleeve, a dozen shimmering formation flags flew out.

He chanted an incantation and pointed a finger at the formation flags.

With a whoosh, the flags transformed into over a dozen beams of varying colors, flickered, and vanished into thin air, disappearing without a trace.

A faint yellow light barrier emerged in the secret chamber, with runes of various sizes floating on its surface.

Han Li had actually set up a small spell formation, enveloping himself within its power.

Only after completing all this did he confidently blow on the azure jade bottle, causing a gentle breeze to swirl out.

With a few soft pops, the restriction talismans on the bottle's mouth automatically detached after the breeze passed, and the bottle's mouth opened wide, with a faint glow flickering within. Seeing this, Han Li, without hesitation, raised his arm and made a grasping motion towards the jade bottle in the air. The azure jade bottle spun around and inverted, and with a swirl of shimmering light, a colorful, strange object was expelled from its mouth.

It was human-shaped, several inches in size, but completely still, like a colorful puppet.

However, Han Li, gazing at the puppet, did not dare to be negligent in the slightest. He chanted an incantation and consecutively sent out several magic spells.

A multicolored spiritual light flashed across the puppet's surface, and its form immediately changed, rapidly expanding. After only a few flickers, it reverted to its original appearance.

It was actually a two-zhang (approx. 6.6-meter) tall humanoid monster, with an unusually emerald-green face and limbs that were light purple tentacles. It was precisely the "Ganoderma Immortal" that Han Li had unexpectedly acquired in the Devil Gold Mountains that day.

At this moment, its body displayed various patterns, and its entire form was tightly bound by restrictions. Its eyes were tightly shut, appearing to be in a deep slumber.

Han Li's eyes slightly narrowed as he scrutinized the "Ganoderma Immortal" before him, appearing highly interested. It was no wonder he reacted this way.

Although Han Li had seen spiritual herbs and objects capable of taking on various forms, even his own Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng could manifest a strand of its spirituality into a lifelike white rabbit.

However, this "Ganoderma Immortal" transformed its entire main body into a shape, and it was a human form, which was entirely incomparable to Heaven and Earth Spiritual Objects of the Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng's caliber.

Nevertheless, he had no intention of immediately awakening this spiritual object. Instead, he flicked a finger from within his sleeve.

With a whoosh through the air, a slender sword-light flashed out and merely wrapped around one of the Ganoderma Immortal's purple tentacles.

With a flicker of azure light, an inch-long wound instantly appeared, and several drops of milky white liquid flowed out.

A rich medicinal aroma immediately filled the entire chamber.

A cold glint flashed in Han Li's eyes. He raised one hand, and another thumb-sized bottle, prepared beforehand, flew out. At the same time, he opened his mouth, and a stream of shimmering light sprayed forth.

Amidst the swirling light, the milky white liquid on the Ganoderma Immortal's tentacle was swept up and then spiraled into the small bottle, not a single drop was spilled.

At this moment, the wound on the Ganoderma Immortal's tentacle, after a faint purple light flashed across its surface, healed completely, as if it had never existed.

Han Li, however, seemed to have anticipated this situation and showed no surprise. Instead, he beckoned with one hand in the air.

An invisible force immediately materialized in the air and swept past.

With a whoosh, the small bottle containing the milky white liquid shot through the air towards him and was immediately grabbed by him, and he brought it to his nose for a gentle sniff.

"What pure spiritual energy!"

Han Li muttered, seemingly amazed, yet his face didn't show much genuine surprise. With his other hand, he made a grasping motion in the air, and a ball of silver light materialized in his palm, flashing and transforming into a half-foot-sized round bowl.

The object shimmered with silver light on its surface, engraved with exquisitely beautiful patterns, indicating it was no ordinary item. Without hesitation, Han Li poured the small bottle in his hand into the silver bowl. Immediately, a drop of milky white spiritual liquid poured out of it, and with a flash, dripped into the bowl.

Next, Han Li flicked his sleeve towards the ground, and his storage bracelet flew out from it. After a swirl, it suddenly spewed forth a stream of shimmering light.

After the shimmering light swept past, rows of containers of various styles, including boxes and bottles, suddenly appeared on the ground.

Han Li's gaze swept over them, and he made a grabbing motion at one of the jade boxes.

The lid of the jade box automatically flew open, and then a stream of blue spiritual liquid flew out from within. It transformed into a slender thread and fell into the silver bowl.

The next moment, another bottle flew up into the air, also heading straight for the silver bowl...

A full three to four hours later, the entire secret chamber was filled with a rich medicinal aroma. Han Li's eyes, flickering with blue light, stared unblinkingly at the contents of the silver bowl he held in one hand, remaining perfectly still.

It seemed as if the contents within had completely captivated his mind.

After a good while, a wry laugh suddenly echoed in the secret chamber. Then, with a flash of silver light in Han Li's hand, the silver bowl abruptly vanished.

"It seems that as a material for alchemy, while this Ganoderma Immortal's spiritual blood possesses many miraculous effects, it's certainly not enough to garner such attention from Integration-stage beings. It appears to have other mystical uses." Han Li sat up straight again, muttering thoughtfully to himself.

No sooner had he finished speaking than his gaze shifted, and he couldn't help but look once more at the Ganoderma Immortal floating motionlessly before him.

Han Li stroked his chin, his eyes flickering a few times, then suddenly flicked out his ten fingers in quick succession.

Dozens of silver threads shot out rapidly, flashing away in an instant, and vanished into the Ganoderma Immortal's body without a trace.

Following this, Han Li stopped his fingers, retracted his hands into his sleeves, and made no further moves, simply watching the Ganoderma Immortal.

A moment later, the previously motionless Ganoderma Immortal's body suddenly flashed, and a faint purple light emerged on its surface.

Its eyelids fluttered, and it slowly opened its eyes, meeting Han Li's gaze.

Its irises were pale green, but its pupils shimmered with flickering silver rays, appearing extremely strange.

"It seems I've fallen into your hands after all. Can you tell me where this is?" Much to Han Li's surprise, the Ganoderma Immortal showed no signs of anger or alarm. Instead, it spoke calmly, as if conversing with an ordinary passerby.

Seeing this, Han Li's eyebrow twitched, and a faint, ambiguous smile appeared on his face. He didn't conceal anything as he replied:

"This is Cloud City, not far from the Devil Gold Mountains. It seems your sentience awakened very early, to be this calm under such circumstances."

"What good would it do if I weren't calm? If I begged for mercy, would you let me go?" The Ganoderma Immortal paused for a moment, then spoke indifferently.

"That's true. For a Heaven and Earth Spiritual Medicine like yourself, capable of transforming into human form, which is rarely seen in the entire Spirit Realm, letting you go is naturally out of the question." Han Li gave a slight smile, nodding in agreement.

Seeing Han Li also appear so composed, a hint of surprise flickered across the Ganoderma Immortal's face. But then its gaze swept over the tentacle that Han Li had wounded earlier, and with a cold snort, it closed its eyes, looking as if it no longer wished to speak.

"However, I'm a bit curious. Besides being used as a spiritual medicine for alchemy, do you have any other uses? Otherwise, why would such high-level beings pursue you relentlessly?" Han Li, however, paid no mind, simply asking on his own.

Upon hearing Han Li's question, the Ganoderma Immortal's mouth twitched, revealing a hint of mockery. Yet, it remained silent, clearly having no intention of answering.

"Since your sentience has awakened, you possess your own nascent soul and spirit. You wouldn't want me to resort to soul-searching techniques, would you?" Han Li sighed and said.

"Soul-searching? If you think you can get anything from me using that method, then go ahead and use it." The Ganoderma Immortal scoffed in response.

Upon hearing this, Han Li couldn't help but frown.

In the Spirit Realm, cultivation techniques similar to his Vanishing Soul Secret Art from the Brahma Sacred Devil Arts, while not numerous, were certainly not too few. It wasn't too surprising that this Ganoderma Immortal, which had lived for an unknown number of years, would understand such a technique.

His thoughts raced, but his expression remained unchanged, showing no sign of abnormality.

"It's fine if you don't speak. I can still use your main body as medicine to refine some top-tier elixirs. However, as far as I know, the manifested nascent souls of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Objects like yourself are extremely useful to cultivators who practice certain special cultivation arts, secret techniques, and divine abilities. If that bit of sentience you cultivated over countless years falls into the hands of such individuals, all your past arduous cultivation might go to waste." Han Li blinked, and suddenly spoke this way.

"Are you threatening me?" The Ganoderma Immortal's body trembled slightly; it suddenly opened its eyes and asked grimly.

"Threatening is not the right word. It's just that I took such a huge risk entering the Devil Gold Mountains. If I don't get enough to compensate for it, I'll simply have to make the best use of things." Han Li chuckled softly, but his gaze was utterly devoid of emotion.

"Even if I tell you, will you truly keep your word and let my nascent soul leave? And what do you have to make me believe you?" The Ganoderma Immortal clearly understood Han Li's implication. A silver light flashed in its pupils as it asked coldly.

"Letting your nascent soul leave on its own is naturally out of the question. I'm worried you might attempt reincarnation by seizing another body, or be captured by others and reveal secrets. However, I can grant you spiritual dissolution, allowing you to directly enter the path of reincarnation. As for whether you believe me, do you have any other choice?" Han Li said with a cheerful smile.