Chapter 600: Commitment Act

A Record of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality

The sea beast before them was three to four yards long, with blue scales, small sharp teeth, and a pair of large, swollen eyes, giving it a very ferocious appearance. Most strikingly, beneath its gills, it possessed a pair of curved, pointed bone spurs, making it even more terrifying.

Han Li lowered himself and meticulously examined the sea beast's corpse multiple times. Suddenly, with a flash of green light, a sword beam sliced through the middle, instantly cleaving the body in two.

Han Li gestured, and a dark, indistinct object flew into his hand. Without hesitation, he brought it to his nose and took a light sniff. A peculiar pungent scent wafted up, subtly mixed with a faint fragrance.

“It’s indeed a Fragrant Tooth Beast,” Han Li murmured, a strange expression on his face, as he casually tossed the object aside.

“A Fragrant Tooth Beast?” Zi Ling was taken aback, exchanging a glance with Mei Ning.

Confusion clouded both women's faces. They had never heard this name before.

“Of course, you two wouldn’t know of this sea beast,” Han Li explained with a faint smile, seemingly noticing their surprise. “They are a unique species of deep-sea beast found only here; the Scattered Star Seas don't have them.”

“From your tone, Brother Han, are we no longer in the Scattered Star Seas?” Zi Ling asked with a slight furrow in her brows, her voice tinged with gravity.

“That’s right, this is indeed not the Scattered Star Seas,” Han Li affirmed, sweeping his gaze across the murky sea surface before nodding with a wry smile. “Although I've never been here, I've heard others speak of it. If I'm not mistaken, this should be the Boundless Sea.” He then looked up at the sky, falling silent and lost in thought, as if recalling something.

“The Boundless Sea!” They had, naturally, never heard of this name.

“Brother Han seems to have some knowledge of this sea,” Zi Ling said, after a moment of contemplation, asking gently with a hint of a smile. “Would you mind telling my sister and me a little about this place?”

“Of course, no problem,” Han Li replied, regaining his composure and nodding calmly, putting aside the inexplicable emotions in his heart.

“The Boundless Sea is actually a common name used by the people of Tiannan,” Han Li began unhurriedly. “As the name suggests, almost no one has ever managed to explore its true limits. It…” Han Li recounted all the rumors about the Boundless Sea in great detail. While he spoke, he was also secretly pondering some long-buried questions in his mind.

“According to you, Brother Han, this Boundless Sea should be at the northernmost point of this so-called Tiannan region,” Zi Ling asked, surprised. “And not only is there little fish and shrimp in this sea, but even islands are rarely found?”

“That’s right, and the worst part is, without any islands, we can’t determine our exact current location, nor do we know how far we are from the landmass of Tiannan,” Han Li said calmly, rubbing his nose.

At his words, the two women exchanged uneasy glances.

“In any case, we won't have to worry about a shortage of spirit stones for a while,” Han Li decided after a moment's thought. “We can only try to fly south as much as possible. I hope we aren't too far from land.”

“That’s all we can do,” Zi Ling agreed with a hint of helplessness on her fair, jade-like face. “Let’s hope for the best.” Mei Ning, of course, had no objections.

Having ascertained their direction, the three immediately flew southwards.

A few days later, Mei Ning and Zi Ling fully believed Han Li's assessment.

Indeed, as Han Li had said, throughout their journey, not a single island appeared. The sea itself seemed lifeless everywhere, and apart from a few ferocious sea beasts, not a single demonic beast was seen. This sight, being new to them, greatly astonished the two women.

Perhaps due to their shared ordeal, the three got along very well, talking and laughing along the way. Facing the two beautiful women, Han Li sometimes felt his heart stir.

However, after reaching the Boundless Sea, another woman's icy face began to appear in his mind.

It was Nangong Wan. He wondered about this woman from the Hidden Moon Sect, with whom he had a fated union. Whenever he thought of her, an inexplicable mix of emotions arose in his heart. He couldn't tell if it was infatuation, pity, or annoyance; it was as if a thousand different feelings were intertwined, leaving him somewhat unclear himself.

Thus, the three continued to fly for three or four months. Finally, one day, they spotted a patch of green appearing far off on the horizon. Naturally overjoyed, they felt the burden lift from their hearts and excitedly flew towards the continent.

Xi State was the northernmost country in the Tiannan region. Its area was slightly smaller than Han Li’s original Yue State, only two-thirds its size, but it was divided into seven prefectures.

Minzhou was one of these prefectures, bordering the Boundless Sea, and also the largest among the seven states of Xi State. Fengri City served as Minzhou's prefectural seat and its largest city.

Currently, Han Li, along with Mei Ning and Zi Ling, was seated in a private room of a restaurant in a small coastal town in Minzhou, engaged in quiet conversation.

“Brother Han, I said you spoke the local language,” Zi Ling said with a playful glare, feigning annoyance. “So you're from the Tiannan region after all! You've really kept my sister and me in the dark!”

Just a short while ago, Han Li had revealed some details about his origins to the two women, naturally surprising them.

However, given that they had previously observed Han Li's familiarity with the Boundless Sea, they had already somewhat guessed his origins, so their faces didn't show excessive shock.

“What's there to say about it?” Han Li chuckled wryly, seemingly in good spirits. “I also stumbled into your Scattered Star Seas by accident back then. I never expected to return to Tiannan so quickly myself.”

“Since Brother Han is the host, you must treat my sister and me well!” Zi Ling quipped with a mischievous smile. At this moment, she had reverted to her more ordinary appearance, as she had when first meeting Han Li, fearing her true stunning beauty might cause trouble. However, having seen her real face, Han Li naturally found her every expression and smile still breathtaking and incomparably charming.

“Heh heh! Back then, I was chased into the Scattered Star Seas and had lost contact with my sect for many years. How can I be considered a host now? However, these jade slips are translations of the Tiannan language and script that I specifically made for you two fellow daoists. Since you won't be able to return to the Scattered Star Seas for a while, it might be beneficial to learn them first; it will be much more convenient later.” Han Li pulled out two white jade slips, which he had created overnight, from his storage pouch and handed them to the two women.

“Hehe! Thank you, Brother Han!” Zi Ling was first startled, then giggled her thanks as she reached out and took the jade slips.

Mei Ning also showed a hint of gratitude and thanked him in a low voice.

“However, do you two fellow daoists have any plans for the future?” Han Li asked. “After I gather information about the changes in Tiannan over the past century, I intend to immediately find a cave abode and begin secluded cultivation. I have a faint feeling that I've reached the peak of the Core Formation late stage and should prepare to form my Nascent Soul.” After speaking, Han Li picked up his fragrant tea, took a small sip, and then subtly observed the reactions of the two women across from him.

“I only recently formed my Core, and my cultivation realm isn’t very stable yet,” Zi Ling replied after a moment of thought, her eyes sparkling. “I also plan to find a cave abode and cultivate for a while before deciding anything else. What about you, Sister Mei Ning, do you have any plans?”

“I… I don’t know,” Mei Ning hesitated, then murmured words that made both Han Li and Zi Ling pause. “I’m only at the Foundation Establishment mid-stage, and in terms of innate talent alone, my hope of forming a Core is very slim. Unless I can find some heaven-defying spiritual elixir, my only option is to find a high-level cultivator and become his concubine. Perhaps through dual cultivation techniques, there might still be hope of forming a Golden Core!”

“Become a concubine? Wouldn’t that be too much of a compromise for you, sister? How can that be?” Zi Ling objected, shaking her head.

Han Li, hearing this, frowned but said nothing.

“The status of a concubine isn't much better than that of a cauldron. If you happen to encounter a high-level cultivator with ill intentions, he might even use you as a cauldron to harvest your essence. That’s not impossible. It's simply too risky.”

Upon hearing this, Mei Ning fell silent, biting her red lips, her face filled with dejection.

“Even if you truly want to use dual cultivation techniques to become a concubine, you should find someone trustworthy and familiar,” Zi Ling said, her eyes subtly glinting, as if an idea had just struck her, then she covered her mouth with a giggle. “For instance, someone like Brother Han, I believe, is very reliable. He shouldn't let you suffer any grievances.”

Han Li was startled for a moment, then casually rubbed his nose. Mei Ning, on the other hand, let out a soft gasp, her face flushing crimson, making her look captivating and alluring. She then lowered her head, remaining silent, seemingly not opposing Zi Ling's matchmaking attempt.

After all, Han Li's cultivation was high, having reached the late stage of Core Formation and soon preparing to form his Nascent Soul. Moreover, after their shared hardships in the Netherworld Land, she had gained a subtle understanding of his character, knowing that he was not a cruel or malicious person.

Thus, even if she wasn't qualified to be his dual cultivation partner, becoming Han Li's concubine was something she would accept with satisfaction and peace of mind.

After all, a female cultivator as beautiful and somewhat cultivated as herself would sooner or later need to attach herself to a powerful male cultivator. Otherwise, navigating the cultivation world would become extremely difficult; she might easily be abducted and subjected to various torments.

Especially with her brother having met his demise and her being alone and vulnerable, such a terrifying encounter was even more likely.

With Zi Ling's single remark, the atmosphere in the private room suddenly became exceptionally ambiguous.