Yu Zitong was very confident in his words; he didn’t believe anyone could resist the temptation of becoming an immortal and achieving eternal life.
After all, even Doctor Mo had hated him to the bone, but with the same kind of words, he had obediently cooperated. He believed that with just a little more sweetener, this person would surely fall into line.
But Yu Zitong was disappointed. After hearing his tempting words, Han Li didn’t show any expression of excitement. Instead, his face remained completely calm, as if the words hadn’t stirred the slightest ripple in his heart.
"I will consider the matter of cooperation later," Han Li said softly, his clear gaze fixed on the orb of light. "But right now, I still have one question I hope you can answer."
"If I answer your question, you’ll be willing to cooperate?"
"That depends on whether your answer satisfies me."
"Fine, ask away!" Yu Zitong agreed readily, seeming to have a thorough understanding of the principle that "when under someone’s roof, one has no choice but to bow their head."
Han Li didn’t speak immediately. Instead, he raised his head and stared at the ceiling in thought for a moment, as if considering how to phrase his question appropriately.
Yu Zitong was alarmed by the other’s serious demeanor, and a constant stream of thoughts ran through his mind, wondering what troublesome question Han Li might pose.
"I want to know," Han Li finally asked, voicing the worry that had lingered since he woke up, "what are the negative consequences of my having counter-devoured portions of Doctor Mo’s and your Primordial Spirits? My head feels somewhat swollen and painful, and it feels like I’ve gained a lot of things, but I can’t access or review them. There isn’t anything wrong, is there?"
Upon hearing this, Yu Zitong realized the other was only worried about this minor issue, and his heart immediately relaxed. His voice became much lighter.
"Heh heh! So that’s what this is about, brother. You’re overthinking it; there’s no need to worry at all. You should know, these things stuffed into your head will naturally dissipate on their own within a year or two. You don’t need to concern yourself with them at all."
"So you’re saying my devouring these things was completely useless? I can’t retain any of it? I don’t really believe that," Han Li said, casting a look of skepticism at the other, his tone subtly distrustful.
"It’s not entirely true that nothing can be retained," Yu Zitong hastily clarified, afraid the other might misunderstand. "But what can be retained is indeed very little. The memories, experiences, and emotions contained within are things you absolutely cannot touch. If you absorb them, the mildest outcome would be becoming an idiot or suffering personality split; the worst would be your mind exploding and dying from the overload."
"You must understand, the Primordial Spirit is the most delicate thing. How could it casually merge with other things? Devouring another’s Primordial Spirit and temporarily storing it in your head is possible, but turning it into your own is pure fantasy. Otherwise, anyone could just seize a body and instantly gain the opponent’s experience, memories, and techniques. Wouldn’t that throw the whole world into chaos? Who would bother to honestly practice cultivation and comprehend realms and mental methods? Just seize a body and you’d have everything."
"The only usable part within a devoured Primordial Spirit is a tiny bit of the contained Origin Force. This substance can slightly strengthen one’s own Primordial Spirit, but it’s only a very small amount, because it dissipates the fastest. Within a few days, it will have completely leaked away from the devoured Primordial Spirit and can no longer be utilized."
Listening to Yu Zitong’s explanation, Han Li let go of the last bit of worry in his heart. He could tell the other wasn’t lying. The current Yu Zitong, probably hoping for the same kind of cooperation he had with Doctor Mo, naturally wouldn’t lie about something that could be verified with a bit of time.
After finishing his explanation, Yu Zitong saw Han Li nod, seemingly believing his words, and felt a surge of joy. The orb of light forming his Primordial Spirit seemed to glow a little brighter. He asked eagerly, "Brother Han, you seem satisfied with my explanation. So, shouldn’t we now discuss the details of our cooperation?"
"Of course! To have the opportunity to cooperate with a cultivator is a wonderful thing I could only dream of!" Han Li suddenly broke into a smile, his white teeth gleaming, making him look utterly sincere.
"Really?" Yu Zitong was thrilled. He hadn’t expected agreement to come even before persuasion, and he hurried to confirm.
"Of course," Han Li answered quickly and crisply.
Then, still smiling, he drew something from inside his robe and said to Yu Zitong in a friendly tone, "Since we are now partners, I trust you won’t object to me conducting a small test before we discuss specifics?"
"Test?" Yu Zitong was stunned. He stared at the cylindrical object in the other’s hand, feeling it looked strangely familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before. A vague sense of foreboding arose in his heart.
"That’s right. A poison test."
Before the words were even out, Han Li’s thumb, holding the cylinder, moved slightly. Immediately, a jet of black, viscous liquid sprayed out, carrying a foul, rotting stench, and shot straight towards its target.
"Ahhh!"
A scream of agony erupted from the orb of light as Yu Zitong’s Primordial Spirit was doused by the black liquid. The green glow on its surface flickered and dimmed significantly, indicating he had been heavily injured.
"You… you actually poisoned me? You ambushed me?!" Yu Zitong shrieked hoarsely, seemingly unable to accept what had just happened.
Han Li ignored the other’s rage. He reached down and grabbed the buckle of the belt around his waist. With a *swish*, he drew a gleaming short sword from a hidden compartment in the belt.
The sword was about a finger’s width wide and roughly a foot and a half long, flexible throughout. It was a rare "Jade Belt Short Sword." This item was the last short sword Han Li had paid a blacksmith handsomely to craft, and also the most expensive. However, he wasn’t skilled with this type of weapon, so he had never used it before. He hadn’t expected it to come in handy now.
Holding this sharp weapon that had been hidden on him all this time but had nearly missed its chance to shine, Han Li’s face turned incredibly grim, every trace of his former smile gone.
He shot a look of loathing at the still-trembling orb of Primordial Spirit. Without another word, he lunged forward in a single bound and began raining blows upon the light orb, wielding the flexible sword as if it were a wood-chopping blade.
(End of Chapter)