"Use your Geomancy to help me.
Then, I will give you what you want."
The Saint Spirit spoke while fending off the various ferocious attacks.
"And why should I trust you?
Wouldn't it be better for me to simply kill you and then take your Essence Blood?"
Ye Yunfei responded with a cold laugh.
Ye Yunfei had some understanding of the Stone Saints. Members of this race were extremely bloodthirsty and looked down upon humans, considering them fragile and a lower race in comparison. Therefore, Ye Yunfei couldn't readily believe this Saint Spirit's words.
"Human boy, you can't kill me."
The Saint Spirit shook its head and spoke aloud.
"All of you, come out."
The Saint Spirit suddenly called out towards the distance.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
From among the giant rocks in the distance, several carriages suddenly surged forth. These carriages were all carved from stone, and atop each stood a Saint Spirit.
Ten Saint Spirits!
Each emitted a powerful aura of energy pressure that spread out in all directions like a vast ocean.
"So many Saint Spirits. It seems I've barged into a Stone Saints' nest!"
Ye Yunfei felt a slight tingle on his scalp.
These ten Stone-born Saint Spirits had hidden themselves too well, concealed within those giant rocks, and Ye Yunfei had failed to detect them earlier. Judging by their auras, these ten Saint Spirits seemed younger, probably the next generation. The one engaged in battle was an Elderly Saint Spirit, one that had experienced long ages.
"Kill!"
The ten young Stone-born Saint Spirits surged forward and stood beside the Elderly Saint Spirit, each making their move. The Elderly Saint Spirit's pressure was instantly greatly reduced.
"Young man, your proficiency in Geomancy makes it so that I cannot overpower you.
But if I leave now, you cannot overpower me either.
That way, you won't obtain my Essence Blood."
The Elderly Saint Spirit fixed its commanding gaze on Ye Yunfei and spoke.
"Elder Ancestor, why waste words with this human? Let's just kill him!"
One young Saint Spirit glared at Ye Yunfei, murderous intent thick around it, and shouted loudly.
"Suppress your killing intent.
We cannot kill him."
The Elderly Saint Spirit shook its head.
"Even if I cannot kill you and take your Essence Blood, if I spread the news that there are eleven Saint Spirits here, what consequences do you think will follow?"
Ye Yunfei gave another cold laugh.
Hearing this, both the Elderly Saint Spirit and the ten young Saint Spirits changed expressions dramatically.
They understood that human martial artists viewed their race as precious Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures. Once word got out that there was a nest of Stone-born Saint Spirits here, experts from across the entire Eastern Barrens, or even the entire Primordial Continent, would likely come to capture them. By that time, no matter how strong these Stone-born Saint Spirits were, they would not escape the fate of being hunted down!
"Young human, there is no life-or-death enmity between us. Why must it come to this?
I merely wish to make a deal with you.
Rest assured, as long as you use your Geomancy to help me, I will give you what you desire.
If you are willing to assist me, my race will owe you a favor from now on."
The Elderly Stone-born Saint Spirit said.
"How do you want me to help you?"
Ye Yunfei considered the Stone-born Saint Spirit's words and then asked.
"My current body cannot be restored.
I want to change bodies. I need you to help me set up a large-scale Earth Formation to nurture my new body and accelerate its growth rate."
The Elderly Saint Spirit said.
"Change bodies?
Can members of the Stone Saints really abandon their original bodies and switch to a new one?"
Ye Yunfei couldn't help but find this strange.
He had some knowledge of the Stone Saints; he knew this race came from Heaven and Earth Spirit Stones that had developed sentience over long ages. However, he had never heard that they could discard their original body and swap to another.
"Of course we can.
Our race has a technique similar to the Phoenix's Nirvanic Rebirth. As long as we find a stone material superior to our original body, we can perform this rebirth technique, transplant our sentience into the new stone material, and then evolve into a brand-new body.
For our race, this is equivalent to living a new life!"
The Elderly Saint Spirit explained.
"Such a thing exists!
Does that mean your race can be reborn endlessly and become immortal forever as long as you keep finding superior stone materials?"
Ye Yunfei was immensely shocked.
For human martial artists, living a new life was a tremendously difficult endeavor. In this world, countless supreme powerhouses with boundless mystical power, when their lifespan was nearly exhausted, would do everything in their power to prolong their lives, even hoping to live a new life.
For instance, the Eastern Barrens' Ancient Sage Gu Yao used the Corpse-Dissolution technique, burying himself in a tomb in an attempt to live anew through the process.
But as far as Ye Yunfei knew, for human martial artists, wanting to live a new life was far too difficult, almost impossible!
He never imagined that the Stone Saints possessed this Phoenix Nirvana-like rebirth technique!
"No.
To be reborn continuously and be immortal forever is nearly impossible.
Our race originates from those rare and precious Spirit Stones within the world. Finding stone material superior to our original bodies is no easy task.
It took me thousands of years, expending countless schemes, and sheer coincidence before I finally managed to find a piece of stone material slightly superior to my original body."
The Elderly Saint Spirit answered.
"Hmm, that makes sense."
Ye Yunfei nodded.
"Young man, let us cease fighting. I am sincere in this trade.
After you help me set up the large-scale Earth Formation, my sentience will abandon this old body and enter the new stone material.
I will give you this old body.
If you refuse and persist in pressing me, perhaps you will end up with nothing."
The Elderly Saint Spirit said.
"Fine, I agree."
Ye Yunfei thought for a moment, then nodded his agreement.
Then, with a command from Ye Yunfei's hand seals, all the Earth Dragons retreated, and all the Earth Formations settled down.
This section of the underground regained its tranquility.
Seeing Ye Yunfei agree, the Elderly Saint Spirit let out a sigh of relief.
It knew that if they continued fighting like this, while Ye Yunfei couldn't overcome it, it also couldn't overcome Ye Yunfei.
Both sides would be wasting their energy.
Moreover, if Ye Yunfei revealed the location and number of them, Stone-born Saint Spirits, the trouble would be immense!
"Young man, please come to my palace so we can sit and discuss this in detail."
The Elderly Stone-born Saint Spirit said, then took the lead, walking towards a distant giant rock.
Ye Yunfei considered it for a moment and followed behind.
However, Ye Yunfei had four to five hundred Earth Dragons follow behind him and summoned large amounts of earth energy to envelop his body.
The Stone Saints were terrifyingly powerful, enjoyed slaughter, and were extremely bloodthirsty. He had to take precautions.
The Elderly Saint Spirit walked up to the giant rock, waved a hand, and an entrance appeared on the rock. It then took the lead and walked inside.