Chapter 1797: To Each Their Own

The dazed expression on Li Yan’s face after hearing Ming Qi’s answer wasn’t entirely an act; it was a genuine sense of relief.

This question had troubled him for many years. He had been looking for the source of the blood river, originally hoping to find more of it to strengthen the power of his Coldfire. Now it seemed he had been completely mistaken about its true use. Had the Ming sisters not been present, the roar of excitement in his heart would have surely turned into a loud, mad laugh.

The two mysterious items on his person had formed the Fuxi Disk only by a twist of fate.

Li Yan’s thoughts spun rapidly. Next, he had to consider how to handle the situation before him. Now that he had the jade slip left by Erya, Ming Qi would surely take this news back to her clan. His previous plans had changed instantly with the appearance of the slip; things had actually become simpler. How could he best utilize this?

On the surface, Li Yan’s expression only froze for a moment before returning to normal. He continued to press for more information.

“How many of your clansmen can this silver sand support?”

“Ah… oh… Senior, this is the marrow of a Body Integration stage expert. As long as a clansman is at the Nascent Soul stage or above, they can attempt to refine two to five grains. This is enough to ensure the final remodeling of their own marrow. However, without the aid of a heart, those below the Void Refining stage must be protected by the Great Elder or others. Otherwise, the most likely outcome is their body being instantly dissolved into nothingness.”

Ming Qi was startled initially, but as she listened to Li Yan’s tone, she seemed to guess his intent. A trace of anticipation rose in her heart.

Li Yan understood their general method. A Nascent Soul cultivator needed two grains to remodel their marrow, and a Body Integration expert would need five. The individual’s realm was simply a measure of their body’s endurance, as they weren’t “replacing” their marrow, but “remodeling” it.

Li Yan could guess the reason: their bodies were already those of Immortal Underworld Phoenixes, just with impure bloodlines. Therefore, they weren’t replacing their own marrow but using a special refining method to merge their own marrow into the Inheritance Marrow. This should be a reverse fusion process, using the silver sand as the fundamental source.

Seeing the elder sink into thought after his question, Ming Qi and Ming Yu were anxious, but they didn’t dare show any abnormality. The time before the Netherworld Cleansing Nirvana unleashed its power was rapidly draining away. They didn’t know if the outcome would be good or bad.

After about thirty breaths, the elder finally looked at them again. The sisters’ hearts leapt into their throats.

“You already know a bit of my background. I have some requirements for the distribution of this Inheritance Marrow. You must tell me in detail every method of inheritance you know from your race. Furthermore, you must swear upon yourselves and your entire clan that everything you say regarding the inheritance is the truth.

If you lie, your entire race shall never rise again, and the two of you shall be cast into Shura Hell for all eternity, never to be reborn. If you are willing to swear such an oath, I will only take fifty grains of the silver sand. That amount is but a drop in the bucket compared to what is here. The remaining sand is measured in patches; even without an equal split, it should be more than enough for your entire clan!”

Li Yan naturally had to keep some for himself. He already had quite a bit of silver sand, but he didn’t know which batch was more powerful. He would need to test that in the future. He also wanted to see if he could absorb the Inheritance Marrow himself; with their inheritance methods, he could attempt the tests.

However, the final result was anyone’s guess. Such a risky endeavor would have to wait until he had the time to consider it later. Even if he couldn’t absorb it, the silver sand could still be used to greatly enhance the power of the Fuxi Disk.

Furthermore, Li Yan had another motive: he hoped this silver sand would help Ming Qi’s clan grow stronger as quickly as possible.

After he finished speaking, the stone room fell into a dead silence.

“Sen… Senior, are you… are you serious?”

Ming Qi and Ming Yu were stunned. It took a full ten breaths before Ming Qi was the first to react. Her voice was trembling with excitement. Fifty grains of silver sand was truly not much. And the elder was right; compared to the vast amount on the platform, what he was taking was a pittance.

Li Yan didn’t answer, simply staring at the two sisters. His meaning was clear.

“Thank you, Senior!”

The sisters suddenly gave Li Yan a deep bow. They felt that the reason the elder only wanted fifty grains was because of the guarantee they were about to provide. Even if he took more, it might not be useful to him; the extra fifty grains were likely just for backup. Or perhaps he had other relatives who had also refined the essence blood of their race and wanted to try absorbing the sand?

These weren’t matters they needed to dwell on. Since he was willing to accept such a distribution, Ming Qi wondered if the essence blood within the elder had played a crucial role. According to bloodline, they could be considered half-kinsmen. Given how rare Immortal Underworld Phoenixes were, perhaps he had felt a trace of compassion.

After bowing, Ming Qi didn’t swear the oath immediately. Instead, she spoke to Li Yan.

“Senior, we can never truly repay this great kindness. The most valuable things we have are those medicinal herbs. If Senior needs them, please take them all!”

Ming Qi didn’t need Li Yan to say anything; she knew what she had to do. This wasn’t a favor that could be repaid with a simple thank you; it was a heaven-sent grace. But on her and her sister’s persons, besides two sets of extremely powerful defensive treasures, there was truly nothing else they could give.

However, they would have to leave Huangqi Valley immediately after this. They would need those two treasures for protection on the long journey back. Without their strongest defenses, they might not be able to handle the perils.

Li Yan shook his head. He didn’t want the debt to be repaid so easily. Ming Qi saw this and knew the herbs weren’t enough, especially since he already had a share of many rare ones. She continued immediately.

“If… if you ever have need of our clan in the future, you may come directly to find us. I will certainly report everything that happened to the Great Elder. We shall not be enemies, but friends. I will tell Senior the location of our clan.”

Li Yan pondered for a moment after her words.

“If there is an opportunity, I truly do wish to see the Immortal Underworld Phoenix clan.”

Ming Qi gave him another bow.

“Senior will be welcome at any time. Our clansmen will surely treat you with the greatest hospitality!”

To pull their relationship closer, she had used the word ‘clansmen.’ Then, without further words, she began to transmit to Li Yan rapidly.

In less than a few minutes, Li Yan had memorized every inheritance method she knew. After a quick mental review to ensure there were no ambiguities, he nodded to her.

Ming Qi didn’t delay. She glanced at her sister, and the two began to chant in unison. As they recited, a white light appeared above each of their heads, revealing lines of text within the glow.

Li Yan swept his Divine Sense over the text and nodded. Seeing his confirmation, the sisters simultaneously inhaled the white light back into their bodies.

This oath was different from a Blood Covenant. It was a one-sided agreement and didn’t require Li Yan to plant anything; it would only affect the party who swore it. Although the sisters couldn’t represent their entire clan, if they had lied, they would have dropped dead within a short time. And because they were members of that race, the clan’s fortune would also be affected.

The extent of the impact depended on their status within the clan. If the Great Elder discovered such an oath, the entire race would be affected. However, Li Yan’s goal was simply to ensure the information regarding the inheritance was true. Since the oath appeared and the sisters didn’t die, his goal was met. As for the part about their clan, it was just Li Yan’s usual policy of never losing out, adding an extra layer of deterrence.

Li Yan remained where he was and reached out toward the platform. Fifty grains of silver sand flew up and drifted toward him at a slow pace. Then, they vanished in a flash. The slow speed was to allow the sisters to confirm he hadn’t taken more.

Seeing that the elder truly kept his word, a look of gratitude appeared in Ming Qi’s eyes. She no longer hesitated. With a wave of her slender hand, the remaining silver sand on the platform turned into a mass of silver light and flew toward her.

Several exquisite jade bottles appeared in her hands. They had prepared everything before coming. The silver sand was guided into several streams and shot into the bottles. Soon, all the silver sand had vanished. The bottles were quickly sealed and flew toward Ming Qi and Ming Yu.

In a flash of light, they all disappeared. The chill in the cavern instantly lessened by several folds, and the mist began to fade rapidly.