Chapter 710: Baleful Cleansing Pond

Following Mo Guang's departure, Han Li sat back down with a contemplative expression, and it was unclear what he was thinking.

A short while later, Han Li received a visit from Shi Chuankong, and he opened the door to let him in.

"Fellow Daoist Li, I could sense that you were busy these past few days, so I didn't dare to come and disturb you. During this time, Miao Xiu came to visit on two occasions, and I had to make up excuses both times to send her away. I'm worried that if you don't show up soon, the San Miao Tribe will begin to grow suspicious," Shi Chuankong said.

"Why did she come to visit?" Han Li asked as his brows furrowed slightly.

"She didn't go into detail, but it seems like she'll be leaving the Black Teeth Region soon, and she wants to visit Jiang Gu, or Fellow Daoist Mo Guang, before she goes. However, I think she most likely came to investigate the irregular baleful qi fluctuations from last time," Shi Chuankong replied.

"In any case, if she comes again, then we'll just have to meet her. With Fellow Daoist Mo Guang acting as our cover, they wouldn't dare to do anything out of line," Han Li said after a brief moment of contemplation.

Shi Chuankong nodded in response, and that seemed to be the end of the matter, but he remained seated in Han Li's room, and both of them fell silent.

"Is there something else you need, Fellow Daoist Shi?" Han Li asked.

"Fellow Daoist Li, I have a request, but I'm not sure it's appropriate," Shi Chuankong said in a hesitant fashion.

"Go ahead," Han Li prompted.

"Would you be able to give me another Baleful Quelling Pill? Here in the Gray Realm, I have to constantly expend a huge amount of immortal spiritual power to keep the surrounding baleful at bay, and some of it has still wormed its way into my body," Shi Chuankong said with furrowed brows.

"That's going to be problematic," Han Li sighed with a forlorn expression.

"I know these pills are extremely precious, and I'm willing to purchase them from you, so feel free to state your price, Fellow Daoist Li," Shi Chuankong hurriedly added.

𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"That's not the problem, Fellow Daoist Shi. It's just that I only had two of those pills left, and I used one to save you and the other one to quell my baleful qi backlash during the past few days, so I don't have any left now," Han Li sighed.

A hint of disappointment flashed through Shi Chuankong's eyes upon hearing this, and he asked, "In that case, would it be possible to refine more of these pills? Alternatively, do you have any similar pills in your possession?"

"I don't have any similar pills, but I do still have some Baleful Quelling Pill refinement ingredients left. I was planning to refine a batch a bit later, but it seems like I'll have to make haste," Han Li replied with a wry smile.

"Please sell me some pills after you've refined them. I already owe you my life, so it couldn't hurt to owe you a bit more. Once we return to the Immortal Realm, I'll make sure to compensate you with interest," Shi Chuankong promised.

"Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Shi. We're both stuck in the same predicament right now, so we naturally have to look out for each other," Han Li replied with a smile.

The two of them chatted for a while longer before Shi Chuankong departed, following which Han Li sat back down again and fell into deep thought.

......

As night fell, a layer of dark baleful qi rose up outside.

Han Li opened his eyes, then concealed his own aura and left his room.

He passed through a series of stone forts as he searched through the nearby area, and after pausing momentarily at another stone structure only several thousand feet away from the stone fort where he was staying, he set off once again, this time flying out of Serene Millet City.

Only after arriving at a dark river outside the city did he descend onto the ground, where he stood facing the river with his hands clasped behind his back.

Some time later, a streak of black light descended out of the sky, then faded to reveal a tall and broad figure.

"Long time no see, Dao Lord Baili," Han Li said as he turned to the newly arrived figure.

The figure's brows were tightly furrowed as he asked, "Who are you? Why have you invited me to meet you here in secret?"

"Don't be alarmed, Dao Lord Baili, it's me. We've met several times in the past, but we've never had a chance to talk to each other," Han Li replied as he revealed his true appearance, and Baili Yan observed him for a moment, following which his expression changed drastically.

"Fellow Daoist Li? What are you doing here?" he exclaimed in surprise.

"I was exploring a set of ruins and was inadvertently transported here after being sucked into a spatial vortex. Why are you also here in the Gray Realm, Dao Lord Baili?" Han Li asked.

He wasn't surprised that Baili Yan was able to identify him, given his ties with Daoist Hu Yan.

"I came here through the Reincarnation Palace," Baili Yan replied with a smile.

"Through the Reincarnation Palace? Dao Lord Baili, may I ask how the Reincarnation Palace and the Reincarnation Region are connected?" Han Li asked.

Baili Yan contemplated the question momentarily, then replied, "That's a rather difficult question to answer. The Reincarnation Palace is in the Immortal Realm, while the Reincarnation Region is in the Gray Realm, but the two share one similarity, which is that the Reincarnation Palace Master is also the Reincarnation Region Monarch. Does that make sense?"

Han Li was astonished to hear this. He had thought that the Reincarnation Region was most likely just a power in the Gray Realm that was working with the Reincarnation Palace, but he didn't think that they would be one and the same, and he certainly didn't think that the mysterious Reincarnation Palace Master would have such a strong influence in the Gray Realm as well.

"So that means you came to the Gray Realm by accident, right?" Baili Yan suddenly asked. "It's truly remarkable that you were able to survive in this completely foreign realm up to this point. No wonder Fellow Daoist Hu Yan spoke so highly of you."

"I've only been able to survive up to this point by hiding my identity, it's hardly anything to be proud of," Han Li replied with a wry smile.

"Staying in the Gray Realm is not a long-term plan. Your body will constantly be infiltrated by baleful qi, and once your immortal body completely decays, your cultivation foundation will surely be damaged, and you'll either perish or descend to become a Gray Realm, so you should get back to the Immortal Realm as soon as possible," Baili Yan cautioned with a solemn expression.

"It's not that I don't wish to return to the Immortal Realm, I simply don't know how. Otherwise, who would be willing to stay in this place?" Han Li sighed with a wry smile.

Baili Yan's brows furrowed tightly upon hearing this, and after a long hesitation, he said, "The way to return to the Immortal Realm is a closely guarded secret of our Reincarnation Palace that isn't to be passed onto outsiders, but it was only thanks to the High Zenith Pill secured by Fellow Daoist Hu Yan in the Infernal Frost Immortal Manor that I was able to suppress my karmic flames, and you played a vital role there, so I must return the favor. Take this badge."

He flipped a hand over as he spoke, producing a round, palm-sized badge that he handed to Han Li.

"What's this?" Han Li asked, and he didn't immediately accept the badge.

"This is my Reincarnation Badge. With this badge, you'll be able to go to any monarch-level city in the Reincarnation Region to find a Reincarnation Palace branch, and they'll tell you how to return to the Immortal Realm. Of course, they'll only supply a route, whether you succeed will be up to you," Baili Yan explained.

Han Li accepted the badge before examining it for a moment to find that its material was quite special. Unlike something from the Immortal Realm, it contained pure baleful qi, and on the front side of the badge were engraved the words "Reincarnation Palace".

"This is too precious for me to accept. I presume that you only have one such badge, right? If you give it to me, how will you be able to return to the Immortal Realm yourself?" Han Li said with a shake of his head as he offered the badge back to Baili Yan.

"As I'm sure you're aware, my body has already been infiltrated by baleful qi as a result of my karmic fire remission. Thanks to the High Zenith Pill, I was able to reach a faux High Zenith Stage, and only then was I able to suppress the baleful qi to prevent complete degradation of my body. I came to the Gray Realm in order to permanently resolve this issue. If I can't do that, then there's no need for me to leave the Gray Realm," Baili Yan sighed.

"If I'm not mistaken, karmic flames and baleful qi are essentially the same thing, except they're manifested in different forms, so why have you come to the Gray Realm, a place that's rife with baleful qi, to find a solution to your karmic flames?" Han Li asked in a perplexed manner.

"The world is a very strange place sometimes. Just as you say, the Gray Realm is rife with baleful qi, but in this realm exists a thing known as a Baleful Cleansing Pond, which contains Bone Rinsing Golden Lightning, a pure yang-attribute lightning capable of eradicating all yin-attribute baleful entities.

“By soaking yourself in a Baleful Cleansing Pond, one will be cleansed of their baleful qi and also have their body and soul refined, culminating in many benefits," Baili Yan explained.

Han Li was ecstatic to hear this, and he hurriedly asked, "Do you know where this pond is in the Gray Realm?"

"Baleful Cleansing Ponds are extremely rare, and at the moment, and at the moment, I've only been able to track down a single one in the Infernal Region. It's a sacred area to all of the tribes in the region, and outsiders are barred from entry. Are you interested in Baleful Cleansing Ponds as well, Fellow Daoist Han?" Baleful Cleansing Pond asked.

"Truth be told, I'm currently struggling with my baleful decay, and it's a constant threat that's hanging over my head," Han Li replied with a wry smile.

Baili Yan took a closer look at Han Li upon hearing this, particularly staring into his eyes for a long while, upon which a grim look appeared on his face.

"Fellow Daoist Han, your baleful decay backlash and my karmic fire remission are two different things. Unless you're in an absolutely dire situation where you have no other alternatives, I suggest you return to the Immortal Realm to find another solution to your problem," Baili Yan said.

"Why is that?" Han Li asked with slightly furrowed brows.