"So you've agreed to join our Heavenly Peng clan." The young girl's bright eyes shimmered as she fixed her gaze on Han Li's face and spoke in a measured tone.
"If I were to say no, I'm afraid it wouldn't be so easy for me to leave your honorable clan either," Han Li replied with a light sigh, his tone remarkably candid.
He was currently inside Jin Yue's pavilion. Flanking the girl on either side sat an elderly man and an elegant woman — two newly arrived Body Integration stage elders of the Heavenly Peng clan, both sizing Han Li up and down. Their gazes lingered most on the Wind Thunder Wings behind his back, a faint gleam of covetous desire flickering across their faces.
"Daoist Han's choice is truly a wise one. As long as our clan's Holy Son can pass the trial, our clan will certainly not treat you unfairly." The girl's words carried a note of pleasure, though her tone remained leisurely and composed, as if she had long expected Han Li to agree.
"If the trial is truly at the level the senior describes, lending a hand this time won't be too difficult for me. However, I have no wish to meet the fate of a bird discarded once the game is hunted down. Therefore, I have two additional conditions that I hope your honorable clan will agree to first. That way, with no worries weighing on my mind, I can devote my full effort to helping your Holy Son." Han Li paused briefly, then shifted his words.
"Conditions? Outsider, go ahead and let us hear them." The old man surnamed Xu, seated nearby, frowned as he spoke.
"I would like one Kun Peng sarira, along with the right to have my name inscribed on the supplementary scroll of the Sworn Oath of the Heavenly Peng." Han Li said with a light smile.
"A sarira… and the supplementary scroll of the Sworn Oath of the Heavenly Peng." At Han Li's words, not only did the expressions of the man surnamed Xu and the other woman undergo a dramatic change — even Jin Yue's features showed a flicker of surprise.
"Impossible! Our clan possesses only a little more than a dozen Kun Peng sarira in total. Every single one is a sacred relic left behind when a Grand Elder of our clan passed away. How could we give one to you? As for the Sworn Oath of the Heavenly Peng — even its supplementary scroll, our clan possesses only three copies, and there is hardly any room left for new names." The red-bearded elder's face darkened as he flatly refused.
"Indeed, both of these are treasured artifacts of our clan. It truly would be difficult to promise them. Perhaps you might consider a different condition instead?" The elegant woman sighed and also tried to persuade him.
The young girl, however, said nothing. Her eyes merely flickered with thought, as though she were deliberating over something.
"I don't need the Kun Peng sarira solely for my own benefit. After consuming the sarira, I will be able to command the power of the Kun Peng and assume the form of a Heavenly Peng. Only then can I impersonate your Holy Son without being detected by other clans. With the sarira — together with the Kun Peng feather I have already refined and the true Kun Peng blood I have fused — I should qualify to have my name inscribed on the supplementary scroll of the Sworn Oath. And only by doing this can I be certain that your clan will not have other designs on me after the matter is concluded." Han Li spoke in a level, calm voice.
"How did you learn all this? Did someone in the clan tell you in secret?" The old man surnamed Xu asked, his face turning a somewhat livid shade.
"Not at all. Daoist Han spent an entire day at the Pavilion of Celestial Knowledge in the city. He must have looked up these matters in the texts there. I nearly forgot — once humans achieve a certain level in their cultivation, they all possess the ability of photographic memory." Jin Yue spoke up with an air of indifference.
"Even so, these two conditions are something we absolutely cannot agree to." The elder shook his head repeatedly.
"Why not? If your clan truly fails to produce a Holy Sovereign in this trial, your ranking among the seventy-two branches of the Flying Spirit Race will be revoked, and you will be absorbed by another powerful branch. Compared to that, I find my conditions hardly onerous. Unless the three of you had planned all along to deal with me in some other way after the fact?" Han Li said slowly.
Hearing Han Li's words, Elder Xu and the elegant woman both looked somewhat grim.
"Very well. I agree to your terms." After a moment of silence, the young girl suddenly gave her word.
"How can this be—"
"Grand Elder, this matter requires further deliberation."
The old man and the woman were both startled and hurriedly tried to dissuade her.
"There is no need to say more. As Daoist Han himself put it, these two conditions are trivial compared to the rise and fall of our clan. I have made my decision." The young girl waved her hand dismissively, her tone turning cold.
The two beside her exchanged a hesitant glance, then ultimately fell silent.
"I can agree to both of your conditions in full. However, to ensure that you will devote yourself wholeheartedly to helping both Holy Sons pass the trial, I will separately sign a blood oath with you. Should our clan fail to produce a Holy Sovereign after the trial, I, in my capacity as Grand Elder, will sacrifice a portion of my lifespan to break the Sworn Oath of the Heavenly Peng and kill you." The girl's gaze suddenly sharpened, becoming as keen as a blade's edge.
A chill ran through Han Li's heart, yet a faint smile appeared on his face as he replied:
"Rest assured, Senior. If the trial truly fails because of my negligence, this junior will submit to whatever judgment the Grand Elder sees fit. I will have no complaints."
"Good. As long as you understand that. Go back now and make your preparations. Tomorrow, once everything is arranged, I will send someone to escort you. The Initiation Ceremony will be held for you to officially join our clan." The girl spoke in a tone that brooked no argument.
Han Li naturally had no objections. He cupped his fists toward the three Heavenly Peng elders in a formal salute, then took his leave.
After watching Han Li's figure flash once at the doorway and vanish without a trace, the red-bearded elder took a deep breath and turned to the young girl with a heavy expression.