The Spirit must still have that Transcend Mortality Orb that Yang Wei used in Han Li's past life. Han Li had been so regretful when he thought the Spirit died without him being able to get that. Now, there was no need to worry.
It was better left with him. Transcendenting without fighting a war sounded all too sweet for him not to use the chance, and he already had plans for the Orb.
Han Li teasingly asked, "Oh beauty, tell me, where is the Transcend Mortality Orb which was in your hand?"
Squirming in front of his gaze for a while, the transparent form of the Spirit awkwardly stood silent.
From the side, Liyue said with a face full of curiosity, "Little Spirit, Big Brother just asked you a question. Answer it!"
Han Li's face grew immensely weird at the way Liyue called the Spirit. Little Spirit?
Little Spirit? Really?
A 21-year-old girl calling a millennium-old monster with that name? He wanted to laugh, but the laugh was stifled in his throat when he thought about how... he and the Spirit were equals in one sense.
Liyue really was a lucky girl. And the Spirit was sure unlucky.
"Little Sp—" Han Li stopped himself short and couldn't help but cough into his hand. "So, Munyu, where is the Transcendence Orb?"
The Spirit ignored the innuendo and looked at Han Li calmly. For now, she completely ignored Liyue.
Then, the Spirit said, out of context: "I have stood at the level of Transcendents at my peak. I was undefeated. And I am 1200 years old. My real name is Munyu."
Liyue was surprised, and she immediately jeered, "That's really something for you to be that big of a deal, and yet, you wanted to shamelessly possess a little girl like me."
The Spirit shrugged in her... Spirit ways.
"Shame is useless," she said calmly.
Liyue didn't get the meaning behind Munyu introducing herself, but Han Li did. It was a question of his own identity. While they were fighting, the Spirit had guessed that he was most probably one of the 7 Sacred Inheritors, and she had many hypotheses of what Han Li was.
It was true. Often, one's enemies knew more of oneself than one's friends or family.
Battles could really make you know the sharp edge of others—especially if it was the deadly sort of battle, just like he himself had figured out that the Spirit could be from another world.
She was his greatest enemy!
He had been her greatest enemy, too.
Han Li knew the Spirit was leading him somewhere by asking for his identity, but he let her do it. Just where else could he lead him?
She was not going to escape. With his eyes that could see through souls, it was clear to him that the Spirit had no other way but to obey Liyue completely—she was more trapped than a trapped animal.
Han Li didn't feel a bit of pity for it. It had been one of his life-and-death enemies in the past. What else was there to say?
It had tried to possess, kill, and replace Liyue!
Death!
Liyue was very silent. She felt tiny for some reason but then perked up and asked, "How dare—"
Han Li raised his hand. "So if I tried to see your memories, you would die by breaking the Existential Bond on yourself. I can understand the thought process. But since you accepted to give up your freedom to Liyue, you must have a reason. What do you want in order for you to cooperate?"
"Oh, Han Li," Munyu's tone changed again. "I am one of the most terrifying things in this world. There was a time when Demi-Sacreds roamed the world, and even they used to fear me—for my potential as it may be."
That made Han Li's pupils constrict.
"I had Vital Weapon Transcendence already; once I transcended using the other two paths, too, I would have been deadly. But sadly, that could never have happened—I am not you."
Han Li sighed. "Seven Sacred Demon Inheritors."
"Indeed," Munyu nodded. "If I became a Transcendent or not, it doesn't matter in the Dao Tree Path. Just like you devoured the Lust Dao some days ago, if an inheritor devoured my Dao, all my progress would be for naught."
Nodding, he said, "Only an Inheritor can have the last laugh at holding all three Paths to Power in one body. Or their Daos would just get stolen and they wouldn't be able to use that power."
"And you are an extraordinary man, Han Li. You are not only a Sacred Demon Inheritor, you have already devoured your first Dao. If I am correct."
Han Li nodded.
"You are a monster in growth," the Spirit said with genuine admiration. "When you reach your full potential, you will be a nightmare even for higher-stage cultivators. You already are, probably. But you will surely struggle in that way."
His eyes began to glint.
"If I and you are in one team..." Munyu said, "Who would dare to stand in our path?"
Liyue licked her slightly dry lips. She couldn't help but shake her head in amazement.
"Han Li!" Munyu continued with even more fervor. "Both of us have similar ambitions. I want to see the final and most perfect evolutionary form of life, and you want to control life and death.
"If we are one team, we will be like an unstoppable force joining together with an unbreakable wall."
Then, the Spirit calmed down and gave her final piece, "And I am a virgin who, a man in the sexual sense, had never touched. My soul is untouched, and nobody had ever touched me in that way when I was in a body either—I never cared for such a thing.
"I'll devote myself to you. I'll be your greatest supporter!!
"We are just meant to be, Han Li. I'll help you reach your potential, you will help me see my wish. We, together, can be invincible!"
Han Li looked at her with mixed eyes.
"Or you could kill me now, and you will get only the Transcend Mortality Orb." She was calm. If she died, that thing would end up in Han Li's hand, but she didn't care.
"I don't plan to remain a chicken or your wife's pet for life. Death doesn't scare me. I wanted to say this to you, and that's why I accepted Liyue's demand for me to become her pet. Would you accept me as one of your wives?"
From the side, Liyue said in a low voice: "There is nothing wrong with a chicken. Chickens can ascend to the heavens and become phoenixes, you know?" Han Li glanced at her, and she added: "My Mother Yue told me so."
Munyu just had eyes for Han Li.
For a final part, she added: "I will be your most loyal wife."
That really, really irked Liyue.