The elation on Fairy Yue Hua's and Bai Huaji's faces immediately faded upon hearing this. There weren't many cultivators who would be willing to accept such a major setback even for those who were closest to them, let alone for the sake of someone that they didn't know at all.
"What's the second way?" Bai Huaji asked in a hopeful manner.
"The second way is to find some legendary spirit medicines and use them to refine several types of pills with extreme Yang attribute. Those pills would nullify the glacial energy and alter one's Ice Essence Body. This method is no easier to accomplish than the first one. Not only are these spirit medicines extremely rare, they only grow in places that would be completely inaccessible to us. Even if we find these medicines and successfully refine the required pills, taking the pills would result in dire consequences. The Ice Essence Body would be dispelled, but the host's spiritual root would also be damaged. At worst, this could reduce them to a mortal, and even in the best-case scenario, their spiritual root would become extremely mediocre, which would make cultivation very difficult for them," the elderly woman replied in a solemn manner.
Bai Huaji's face completely paled, and he no longer had anything to say.
After a brief silence, Fairy Yue Hua suddenly gritted her teeth and turned to Han Li in a beseeching manner. "Senior Han, please save our Guo'er. We'll be sure to do anything you want to repay you."
Everyone else also turned to Han Li upon hearing this. Han Li had stated that he had come here mostly for Bai Guo'er, so it wasn't entirely out of the question that he would step in to save her.
Bai Huaji immediately fell to his knees and kowtowed to Han Li.
A hint of a smile appeared on Han Li's face upon hearing this, and only after a while did he reply, "Indeed, I do intend to save her."
"Thank you for your kindness!" Fairy Yue Hua was overcome by elation after having her suspicions confirmed, and she also immediately fell to her knees.
However, Han Li shook his head and swept a sleeve through the air, unleashing a burst of enormous power that forcibly supported both her and Bai Huaji into a standing position, thereby preventing them from kowtowing to him.
"Don't be so quick to thank me. I have some conditions, and I'll only save her if you agree to them. I have a very good first impression of Guo'er, but I wouldn't set myself back several hundred years in my cultivation lightly," Han Li said in an indifferent manner.
"State any conditions you have, Senior; we'll satisfy you as long as it's within our power to do so," Fairy Yue Hua agreed without any hesitation.
Bai Huaji's heart stirred slightly upon hearing this, but he didn't state any objections. After all, this was his precious daughter's only chance at survival.
"I have a very simple condition. I can help her master the Ice Essence Glacial Soul ability, and I can even take her under my wing as an in-name disciple. However, after she masters that ability, she must set off to search for something for me at all costs. This item could be in the human or demon territory, or it could also be in a certain corner of the primordial world, and only those with the Ice Essence Glacial Soul ability would be able to sense and find it. Of course, this is going to be an extremely dangerous task. Do you still plan to agree to this arrangement?" Han Li asked.
"So you're saying Guo'er may have to venture deep into the primordial world?" Bai Huaji drew a sharp breath upon hearing this, and a hesitant look appeared on his face.
Fairy Yue's expression also changed slightly, but after a brief pause for contemplation, she asked, "Senior Han, may I ask roughly what cultivation base Guo'er will be at when she masters the Ice Essence Glacial Soul ability? I'm afraid that her venture into the primordial world will only be a one-way trip if she's not powerful enough."
Han Li seemed to have considered this already, and he replied in a calm manner, "Hehe, don't worry about that. I'm willing to take her as my in-name disciple and expend so much effort to help her survive, so I'm naturally not going to send her off on a suicide mission. In any case, the thing I want her to track down for me is something that she'll only be able to sense after reaching at least the Deity Transformation Stage. On top of that, I'll be giving her several powerful treasures to protect her, and if the item is in or near the human and demon territories, she won't have to venture into the primordial world at all. Even if it turns out that she'll need to venture deep into the primordial world, I'll make sure she's powerful enough to take care of herself before I send her on her way."
"The Deity Transformation Stage? That's definitely enough. That level is something that we can only dream of reaching. Besides, if you don't step in, then Guo'er will only have a few years left to live at most, but she'll at least be able to live for close to 1,000 years before she reaches the Deity Transformation Stage." Fairy Yue Hua didn't possess all that powerful a cultivation base, but she was very decisive and quickly arrived at a decision.
Bai Huaji was still rather concerned, but he knew that she was right, so he nodded emphatically in support of this arrangement.
The elderly woman naturally had no reason to object, either.
"In that case, I'll take Guo'er as my in-name disciple, and she'll stay with me during the next 100 years. After that, I'll return her to you, and I won't interfere with her life other than giving her some guidance in cultivation," Han Li said with a benevolent smile.
"Then I'll leave my daughter in your hands, Senior Han." Bai Huaji was truly put at ease upon hearing this, and he knelt down to kowtow again in a grateful manner.
Han Li didn't stop him on this occasion, and Fairy Yue Hua was also expressing her gratitude to him in an excited manner.
The elderly woman heaved a long sigh of relief, and she was extremely pleased by this development as well.
Han Li had only taken Guo'er as an in-name disciple, which indicated that he didn't intend to pass down his entire inheritance to her, but at the very least, this created a tie between this Body Integration Stage senior and her Broad Golden Sect. Not taking into account anything else, at least this was a good threat to have up their sleeve to make others think twice before they tried to plot against the Broad Golden Sect.
Just as the elderly woman was going to say something to further strengthen the tie she had just established with Han Li, a timid voice suddenly sounded from the side.
"Senior Han, would the two of us also be able to become your disciples?"
Everyone faltered slightly before turning toward that direction, only to discover that the one who had spoken was none other than Young Master Hai, who had a look on his face that was both anxious and hopeful.
"Hehe, you want to become my disciple?" Han Li turned to Young Master Hai with a smile, not agreeing to his request nor turning him down right away.
Qi Lingzi mustered up his courage as well, and chuckled, "Heehee, does that mean you agree, Senior Han?"
It was quite clear that both of them were aware of just how extraordinary an opportunity this was. Being able to become the disciple of a Body Integration cultivator was something that countless low-grade cultivators could only dream of.
Thus, after Han Li took Bai Guo'er as his in-name disciple, the two of them surreptitiously conversed with one another through voice transmission, then decided to grab this opportunity with both hands.
"You two can get up first. I'll give you a response to your request later. For now, accompany me during the Myriad Treasure Convention," Han Li said as he adopted a serious expression.
As opposed to being disappointed by this, an elated look appeared on Young Master Hai's face. "I understand; you wish to have us undergo a trial period, right, Senior Han? Rest assured, I'm not good at much else, but I'm a great role model when it comes to respecting my elders and seniors!"
"I'll also be sure to satisfy you, Senior Han!" Qi Lingzi kowtowed three times to Han Li before standing back up with a wide grin on his face.
Han Li was at a complete loss for how to feel about this, and he nodded before then shaking his head, and no one knew exactly what he was thinking.
"The frost poison within Guo'er's body has already been expelled by me once, so it won't trouble her again within a year. I'll be taking her away after the Myriad Treasure Convention, so make some preparations during that time. By the way, get her to carry this piece of Flame Yang Jade at all times. It can't completely eradicate the frost poison in her body, but it'll be beneficial to her nonetheless. This piece of jade is also a protective treasure that will protect her on one occasion in a perilous situation. On top of that, I have a vial of Essence Nurturing Pills; get her to take one of these every two days." Han Li swept a sleeve over the table as he spoke, and a shimmering red jade pendant and a small green vial appeared on the table.
It was quite apparent from the astonishing spiritual Qi emanating from the jade pendant that it was quite an extraordinary treasure. As for the Essence Nurturing Pills, those were also vastly renowned in the Spirit Realm for their nourishing properties, and they were perfect for Bai Guo'er, who was currently quite taxed from her recent ordeal. Fairy Yue Hua hurriedly extended her gratitude in an ecstatic manner before carefully stowing the two items away.
Young Master Hai and Qi Lingzi made no effort to disguise their envy, and both of them made remarks about how generous Han Li was being to an in-name disciple that he had only just accepted.
Han Li was rather amused by this, and after a brief pause, he flipped a hand over to produce two other vials of pills before tossing it toward them with a smile.
"Regardless of whether you two become my disciples, we've traveled together for so long, so there's definitely some affinity between us. One of those vials of pills can clear the meridians and strengthen the bones, while the other can enhance magic power; you can split them however you like."
"Thank you, Senior Han!"
Young Master Hai and Qi Lingzi were elated as they caught the vials, and they were even more convinced that they were pursuing the right master. They then carefully stowed the vials away as if they were precious treasures.
After that, Han Li didn't remain here much longer. After chatting with everyone else for a short while, he departed with Young Master Hai and Qi Lingzi.
Moments later, the three of them appeared on his flying carriage, flying slowly toward Nine Immortal Mountain.
"Where are we going next, Senior Han? Should we also find a place to set up a temporary cave abode?" Qi Lingzi asked as they drew closer and closer to Nine Immortal Mountain.
"There's no need to go through the trouble of doing that. Nine Immortal Mountain may be restricted to outsiders, but that only applies to normal cultivators. Once we get there, someone will come out to welcome us," Han Li replied in a nonchalant manner.
