Chapter 1685: Compromise

"I may not have many options, but that doesn't mean I won't propose any conditions," the Ganoderma Immortal said slowly, his eyes flickering.

"What conditions do you have? Feel free to state them," Han Li said with a smile, appearing unconcerned.

"It's quite simple. The core of the deal remains as you suggested: I will reveal the mysteries of my true body and Dharma form, and you will allow my nascent soul to dissipate into the world, entering the cycle of reincarnation. This way, in a future life, I might have the chance to be reborn as a human. However, the *method* of the transaction must be entirely on my terms. Otherwise, I would rather perish here with my spiritual body than commit the folly of putting everything completely under someone else's control." The Ganoderma Immortal articulated his proposal, clearly having given it considerable thought.

"What method?" Han Li asked directly.

"I will use an innate secret technique to split my nascent soul into two. The larger portion will contain my conscious will, while the smaller portion will hold some of my memories. You will first release the larger portion of my nascent soul. Once the remaining portion sees that you truly honor your promise, I will naturally reveal the secret to you. Then, after you have obtained what you seek, you can send my residual nascent soul into reincarnation. This arrangement ensures you have no lingering concerns, and I can confidently share what you wish to know," the Ganoderma Immortal explained, his face expressionless.

"No lingering concerns? I'm not entirely convinced. If you let go of the greater part of your nascent soul, what if you suddenly renege on our agreement and refuse to tell me the secret? Wouldn't that be a case of trying to gain something only to suffer a greater loss?" Han Li's thoughts stirred, but he outwardly shook his head.

"When you captured me, I was already severely injured; even if I hadn't fallen into your hands then, I would have been apprehended by others sooner or later. Thus, I bear no deep animosity towards you. I would hardly jeopardize a portion of my nascent soul for a Dharma body that will soon be useless. After all, who knows what complications might arise if a fragmented nascent soul attempts reincarnation?" the Ganoderma Immortal stated with unusual composure.

Han Li stroked his chin, examining the Ganoderma Immortal for a few moments, then suddenly smiled and nodded.

"Very well. We'll proceed as you've suggested."

"You... you actually agreed so readily?" Han Li's prompt acceptance left the Ganoderma Immortal momentarily stunned, a flicker of surprise appearing on its face.

"Oh? Does fellow Daoist have a better method?" Han Li's lips curved into a faint smile.

"No, I simply expected you would deliberate for a considerable time before agreeing," the Ganoderma Immortal replied slowly.

"What's there to overthink? Frankly, capturing you was an unexpected pleasant surprise in itself. There's no need for me to complicate matters further," Han Li said with a significant tone.

Hearing Han Li's words, the Ganoderma Immortal's expression flickered, but it offered no reply.

"Alright, how long will it take for you to perform this nascent soul splitting technique? Don't tell me it will take decades, or even centuries," Han Li asked.

"Of course, it won't require that much time, but it won't be a short process either. I estimate the technique can be completed within a year. However, during this period, you must lift some of the restrictions currently placed upon me," the Ganoderma Immortal stated, his expression serious for the first time.

"One year. Very well, I can grant you that much time, and I will remove the majority of the restrictions on you. However, I advise you not to entertain any other notions. The remaining residual restrictions, though fewer, will be even more intricate. If you can still manage to escape under such circumstances, then I, Han, will simply accept my misfortune," Han Li said calmly.

"My old injuries had not fully healed before I was captured; I'm only barely suppressing them now. How could I possibly have any strength left to escape?" the Ganoderma Immortal replied with a bitter laugh.

Han Li chuckled at this, offering no verbal reply. Instead, he flicked his finger within his sleeve, and two spiritual blooms, one gold and one silver, instantly flew out.

Upon seeing this, a silver light flashed in the Ganoderma Immortal's pupils, and it quickly focused its attention.

The two spiritual blooms, upon closer inspection, were a golden beetle and a miniature silver firebird.

Both were no larger than a thumb, radiating a brilliant sheen as if meticulously crafted from pure gold and silver.

"A Gold Devouring Beetle!"

The silver firebird was one thing, but the moment the Ganoderma Immortal recognized the true form of the golden beetle, its expression drastically changed, and it let out a gasp of shock.

"Oh, so fellow Daoist recognizes this spiritual insect as well. That makes things even better. Since you're aware of its formidable power, I presume you won't harbor any further intentions," Han Li chuckled softly, then raised his hand and pointed into the air at the golden beetle and silver firebird.

Instantly, both creatures slowly drifted towards the Ganoderma Immortal.

The Ganoderma Immortal's expression shifted repeatedly.

The Ganoderma Immortal was intimately aware of the Gold Devouring Beetle's formidable power. The one before it was a mature specimen; had its body not been restricted, it would have fled long ago.

As for the silver firebird composed of flames, although Han Li hadn't explained it, the fact that it was released alongside the Gold Devouring Beetle implied that even if its terrifying power was slightly inferior, it wouldn't be far behind.

Nevertheless, seeing the two creatures approach its mouth, the Ganoderma Immortal paused for a brief moment, then gritted its teeth and opened its mouth.

Instantly, both the golden beetle and the silver firebird flashed, disappearing into its mouth simultaneously.

Han Li smiled faintly and, with one hand, made a grasping motion towards the Ganoderma Immortal's body.

With a series of rustling sounds, dozens of silver threads swiftly shot out from the Ganoderma Immortal's body, disappearing into Han Li's sleeve in a flash.

Then, amidst a torrent of incantations, a colorful aura surged forth from the Ganoderma Immortal's body, transforming into five-colored talismans that vanished into thin air.

Observing this, silver light swirled within the Ganoderma Immortal's eyes. The next moment, a vibrant purple glow erupted from its body, and the verdant green on its face faded significantly. With a tremor, the purple tentacles on its limbs transformed into hands and feet, perfectly resembling those of a human.

"Tsk, tsk. Truly worthy of being a spiritual entity born of heaven and earth. Even after sustaining such grievous injuries earlier, you've managed to recover to this extent on your own," Han Li chuckled.

"You have a medicinal garden here, don't you? I'll root my true body there first. That way, by drawing upon the spiritual energy from the surrounding herbs, I can complete the nascent soul splitting technique a bit more quickly," the Ganoderma Immortal inquired with unusual directness.

"A medicinal garden? Of course, I have one. Fellow Daoist, please follow me." The Ganoderma Immortal's suggestion was precisely what Han Li had in mind, and he immediately nodded in agreement.

If the Ganoderma Immortal were to remain in the medicinal garden, Han Li could naturally instruct "Doll" to subtly monitor it. After all, the Ganoderma Immortal's cultivation wasn't particularly high, and combined with its existing injuries and the strict restrictions of the cave dwelling, Doll's early Void Refinement stage strength would be ample for supervision.

With these thoughts in mind, Han Li rose to his feet. With a sweep of his hand, a wave of green light washed over the area, clearing away all the bottles and jars in front of him.

Simultaneously, the stone door of the secret chamber shimmered with a white light and slowly opened on its own.

Han Li promptly strode out, leading the way.

After a brief hesitation, the Ganoderma Immortal followed.

Stepping out of the stone door, they found an emotionless woman standing gracefully to one side, emanating a faint chill. This was "Doll," the sentient puppet Han Li had summoned with his divine sense.

The moment she saw Han Li emerge, the woman immediately bowed, then expressionlessly straightened up again.

Han Li nodded without a word and strode directly towards the medicinal garden.

Considering the rarity of the Cloud City Cave Dwelling, Han Li's medicinal garden was naturally not extensive, merely two to three hundred zhang wide in total.

However, as the Ganoderma Immortal followed Han Li through the courtyard gate, a look of satisfaction appeared on its face as it spoke.

"Not bad. While it's not large, the spiritual energy here is indeed concentrated. Fellow Daoist has chosen an excellent location."

"Heh heh, it's not that I picked a special spot; the spiritual energy across this entire spiritual mountain is quite uniform. Feel free to choose any place to root your true body," Han Li said nonchalantly.

"Is that so? Then I won't stand on ceremony." The Ganoderma Immortal nodded immediately, its form flickering as it shot past Han Li and proceeded directly into the depths of the medicinal garden.

Han Li's lips curved upward, and he followed unhurriedly, with Doll silently trailing behind him.

As the Ganoderma Immortal walked, its gaze constantly swept across every part of the medicinal garden. After only a few moments, a trace of astonishment appeared on its face.

In this entire garden, not only was the rarity of the spiritual herbs striking, but a significant portion of them were also over ten thousand years old. The remaining herbs, those aged one thousand or several thousand years, were abundant.

The entire medicinal garden was imbued with a rich, pervasive fragrance of various herbs. If an ordinary mortal were to spend even a short while in this garden, while it might not immediately grant longevity, it was highly probable that it would cure all their ailments.

The Ganoderma Immortal was somewhat surprised, and a desire to inspect the entire garden arose within it. Thus, even after passing through the garden's center, it continued forward.

Han Li, seeing this from behind, remained impassive, merely following at a leisurely pace.

The medicinal garden was quite small. It was clear that in mere moments, the Ganoderma Immortal, following a small path down the center, would reach the far end of the garden.

But just then, a white shadow flickered. Suddenly, a half-foot-sized creature leaped out from a patch of spiritual herbs nearby.

With a twist of its body, it then hopped into the medicinal garden on the opposite side of the path.

It was, remarkably, a large jade rabbit, crystalline and snow-white all over.

This was none other than the white rabbit manifested from the nascent soul of Han Li's Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng.

"What is this?" The Ganoderma Immortal trembled as it clearly recognized the jade rabbit, then gasped aloud, its face a mix of shock and joyous surprise.

"Why are you so surprised, fellow Daoist? Have you never encountered other transformed kindred before?" Han Li asked, a hint of surprise in his voice.

"Of course not. We typically conceal our true forms deep within treacherous and secluded locations. With so many natural predators, we possess virtually no power to resist. Among tens of millions of spiritual herbs, it's uncertain if even one can fortunately awaken its spiritual essence," the Ganoderma Immortal hastily replied, then quickly followed in the direction the white rabbit had scampered.

After walking a dozen zhang, in a secluded corner of the medicinal garden, it simultaneously discovered the rooting spot of the Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng.

The white rabbit, a manifestation of the spirit ginseng's nascent soul, was currently gnawing on a lumpy root, seemingly unearthed from somewhere in the garden, devouring it in large mouthfuls. Upon seeing Han Li and the others approach, it merely cast an indifferent glance with its ruby-like eyes, then resumed its vigorous munching, acting completely oblivious to their presence.

The timid, mouse-like demeanor this small creature usually displayed in front of Han Li was nowhere to be found at this moment.

Seeing this, Han Li rubbed his forehead, a wry, helpless smile forming on his face.