"You want to enter the Spirit Washing Pool and consume the Net Spirit Lotus!" Bao's expression darkened slightly, her gaze turning cold as she spoke slowly.
"I have taken such great risks precisely to seek the slim chance of breaking through to the Mahayana stage. Having endured countless hardships to reach this place, naturally I will not give up now." Han Li's expression remained unchanged as he replied evenly.
"Even if I let you enter the Spirit Washing Pool and obtain one or two stalks of Net Spirit Lotus, you think that will truly fulfill your wish? I might as well tell you the truth — you are not the only beings capable of reaching this deep." Bao said with profound meaning.
"I know this well enough. If it weren't for certain seniors from the Spirit Realm who had also come here before, how would we have ever known the Spirit Washing Pool and Net Spirit Lotus existed here?" Han Li replied without the slightest hesitation.
"The Spirit Realm? You underestimate far too much the attraction these two spiritual treasures hold for powerful existences. In the vast span of time our Demon Realm has existed, powerful cultivators from other planes — the Spirit Realm included — have entered the Spirit Washing Pool, who knows how many times. Some had overwhelmingly powerful backers that even our several Holy Ancestors dared not refuse. Others possessed inconceivable supernatural abilities, and we could only accept some payment, then turn a blind eye and cease obstructing them. But among all those people, the ones who truly managed to use the Spirit Washing Pool and Net Spirit Lotus to advance to a higher realm — fewer than one in ten." Bao explained to Han Li in an unhurried manner.
"Powerful beings from other planes… one in ten odds are enough for me to take that gamble." Han Li's brows furrowed at first, but he immediately let out a cold snort and replied.
"But I wonder — when you learn that those who failed to advance after emerging from the Spirit Washing Pool lost all hope of ever reaching a higher level thereafter, what will you do then, Fellow Daoist?" Bao revealed a half-smiling expression.
"Lost all hope of advancement?" This time, Han Li was genuinely startled.
"That's right. As far as I know, every being who failed to advance through the Spirit Washing Pool and Net Spirit Lotus, although they did receive some short-term benefits from the two, never again managed to break through to the Mahayana stage in all the years that followed. Otherwise, do you think a place as important as Spirit Bitter Island would really be so lightly guarded? Without this restriction, several of us Holy Ancestors would have destroyed the island completely, whatever the cost. After all, the Spirit Washing Pool and Net Spirit Lotus are of absolutely no use to us demon folk. Rather than letting beings from other planes benefit from them, it would be far better to end things once and for all. Fellow Daoist Han — do you still wish to enter the Spirit Washing Pool now?" Bao's beautiful eyes flickered, a trace of mocking amusement showing through.
"Such a thing actually exists!" Han Li's expression shifted between light and shadow, but he immediately remembered something and cast a glance toward Saint Ancestor Yuan Yan beside him.
The black-robed young man gave a sinister chuckle and said in a dark voice: "Han boy, on this point there is no need for us to deceive you. The Spirit Washing Pool and Net Spirit Lotus possess the heaven-defying power to help one break through the Mahayana bottleneck, so naturally they also carry some severe hidden dangers. There is no such thing as a perfect thing in this world. The weighing of costs and benefits is for you to decide."
"Is there no method to resolve this hidden danger?" Han Li's gaze was extraordinarily grave, half talking to himself, half murmuring.
"There are methods to break it, of course. However, in my humble opinion, Fellow Daoist Han would do well to abandon such thoughts altogether. These methods are simply beyond your capability. No — even if it were one of us, we would not dare harbor such hope." Bao shook her head, revealing a trace of derision.
"What — there's a way to break the hidden danger of the Spirit Washing Pool!" Saint Ancestor Yuan Yan was unexpectedly alarmed.
"Yuan Yan, no need for surprise. How many years have you been a Holy Ancestor? Nie Pan and I have been in the Mahayana realm for tens of thousands of years. There are still plenty of secrets you know nothing about!" The white-robed woman gave Yuan Yan several cold glances, speaking without a shred of mercy.
The black-robed young man's fury surged upon hearing this, a flash of killing intent crossing his face, but he forced it back down hard.
"Since a method exists, Senior might as well share it — perhaps this junior happens to possess the means to accomplish one of them." Han Li said without a moment's hesitation.
"Very well. Since you refuse to give up, I suppose there is no harm in telling you these methods. But first, give me some of that spirit spring water you use to nourish your herbs, so I can examine it." Bao blinked and suddenly smiled.
"The spirit spring? You mean this water here? No problem." Han Li agreed readily without a second thought.
He extended one finger and gently pointed at the spring water before him.
With a soft splash!
A fist-sized globule of milky-white liquid immediately sprang from the spring. After several flickers it arrived before Holy Ancestor Bao.
The white-robed woman's face lit up with delight, and one jade-like hand reached out to seize it.
A series of hissing sounds rang out as an invisible force swept forward, instantly drawing the liquid toward her. It hovered and spun in place just an inch above her palm.
Bao stared unblinkingly at the spring water in her palm, releasing a thin thread of spiritual sense that silently merged into it.
After a long while, she parted her rosebud lips, and the small globule trembled before transforming into a streak of white light and shooting into her mouth.
A layer of white qi flashed across Bao's face and vanished in an instant. She slowly closed her eyes, as though savoring the taste of whatever she had consumed.
Han Li and Saint Ancestor Yuan Yan exchanged glances at this sight, but neither spoke.
After another short while, the white-robed woman's eyes slowly opened, her gaze brimming with joy.