“Would you sell it for twelve spirit stones?”
“Thirteen?”
……
Cultivators from all directions were looking at the destroyed magic treasure fragment with great interest. Even if they couldn’t use this item, they could slowly study it! Who knows what they would be able to achieve enlightenment in!
Like that, the price rose to twenty after a moment, bidded by a naive-looking, round-faced youth.
In face of such a high price, others no longer spoke out. They all felt this price was quite high. If the were to grow any higher, it would be far too damaging! After all, to these low level cultivators, having ten spirit stones would be regarded as quite well-off. In addition, the man from a moment ago was most likely the disciple of a clan. Only they could possibly be that rich!
“Twenty?” The dark man’s expression changed. The bid had reached his minimum! If he were to pair it with a few other objects, he would be able to exchange with the vendor for the “Returning Wind Alms Bowl.”
“You want to pay twenty spirit stones?” The man amiably said toward the round-faced youth.
Although nobody knew why, after a moment, the youth’s face was red. Then after another moment, his face turned white, and he became extremely frantic.
“I…. don’t…. have that many spirit stones!” After the round-faced youth stammered these words with frustration and unease, the surrounding spectators were shocked.
“You don’t! They why did you just yell that? Could it be you said it to deliberately amuse me!” When the dark man heard this, the man’s belly full of anger erupted out from his body, rigidly pressing down onto the youth with formidable grandeur.
“I simply saw everyone shouting out prices for fun! Without thinking, I also opened my mouth! Brother, please forgive me!” The round-faced youth hastily apologized to absolve himself. His brow was beaded with sweat, and soybean-sized sweat-drops tumbled down. He was merely a fifth layer cultivator; how could he resist such spiritual pressure!
“Who just shouted nineteen? I am willing to freely give a spirit stone to allow your esteemed self to purchase this item!” The youth resourcefully yelled at once.
Unfortunately, those all around were extremely quiet. It seemed that person had already changed their mind!
“How about the brother who shouted eighteen!” When the youth say the dark man’s increasingly scornful face, he nearly wept. He was an insignificant, young cultivator. He only had two spirit stones on him, acquired from a year of bitter labor.
Just as the people thought they were about to see quite a good show, “Wait a moment!”, a relaxed voice suddenly sounded out. A person entered the stage, calling out to the dark man.
“What do you want?” The black man looked at the person with a gloomy face. His temper had already been ground to dust. If this person wanted to have a feud, he wouldn’t mind taking them both out. Although this person was not weak, he was only of the ninth layer!
“This person has taken an interest in this item and desires it!” That individual pointed at that “cloth” and said with a smile.
The one the dark man had mistaken to be a cultivator looking for a fight was not a bystander, but Han Li.
Originally when Han Li heard this person say that this destroyed magic treasure fragment could turn things invisible and conceal Spiritual Qi, his heart was stirred, and his mind formed a vague opinion.
By the time the dark man had concealed the knife, Han Li’s opinion in his mind grew clear. He became determined to possess this destroyed treasure fragment.
“How much will you purchase for it?” The dark man was surprised, but a moment later, his expression eased as he asked this question.
“This person does not plan to purchase it, but rather use this object to exchange for it.” Han Li calmly took out a talisman from his sleeve, allowing those surrounding the stall to clearly see it.
“A flight talisman!” A few knowledgeable people cried out in alarm!
“It’s an elementary high-grade spiritual talisman!” The other cultivators were awed. After all, elementary high-grade talismans had only appeared five or six times since the beginning of this Great South Meeting. In addition, each and every one of them had been sold at astonishing prices!
Chapter 141: Writ of Immortal Ascension
With a look at this flight talisman, the dark man and the vendor stall owner were visibly moved. Their view of Han Li grew much more serious. After all, those possessing elementary high-grade talismans were unlikely to be a nobody.
“Good, I will exchange!” The dark man was very straightforward. With such an obviously advantageous trade, who wouldn’t trade?
“However, before we trade, I wish to try something you have said before, whether or not this treasure fragment will obstruct a concealed object from absorbing the Spiritual Qi from the outside world. If it is true, this person will immediately trade for it. If it is not true, this person will not take the loss and trade!”
When the dark man heard Han Li’s words, he was surprised. However, after clearly hearing the content of his words, he smiled.
“The words I have spoke regarding this object’s effects are all true. Please do not hesitate to test it!” The dark man confidently spoke.
When Han Li heard this, he was was not polite. He took out a object resembling a wine cup from his body. He then picked up the ‘cloth’ and covered it. Waiting until after the wine cup disappeared, Han Li extended his finger and condensed a white ball of Spiritual Qi the size of a bean. He lightly dropped it on the cloth, resulting in the ball of light completely disappearing, as if it were swallowed.
When Han Li saw this, his face showed a happy expression. He lightly grabbed the ‘cloth’ in his hand and removed it. The wine cup appeared, and ball of light that disappeared a moment ago was flowing inside.
“Not bad! Brother did not speak falsely. I want this destroyed magic treasure fragment. As for this flight talisman, it belongs to your esteemed self!” Han Li took the ‘cloth’ and put it in his cuff. Afterwards, he cupped his fist toward the dark man.
“Good! Your esteemed self is straightforward.” When the dark man heard this, he was exalted and lowered his body to take the flight talisman. After he hastily looked all over it to confirm it wasn’t fake, he smiled.
Han Li faintly smiled and did not say anything further. He turned around and squeezed through the crowd. However, before he even took a few steps, he heard several comments from the crowd.
“This man is foolish! To actually trade a high-grade talisman for such a weak item!”
“That’s right. That fragment is so small, what use does it have? To exchange for such a thing is fundamentally not worth it!”
“Don’t say it like that, maybe he has a clever use for it!”
……
When Han Li heard this, he inwardly sneered several times. ‘How could these cultivators know that this object is of immense importance to me?’
“This brother, please wait! Wait for me!” Having not walked very far, Han Li heard a voice from behind him, approaching him in a hurry.
Han Li was slightly surprised. Could they be yelling him? He could not help but turn his head.
He saw a person not too far away, running towards him with a forehead beaded with sweat while calling out to him. It was unexpectedly the round-faced youth who had nearly brought disaster upon himself.
Han Li blinked a few times and then stopped. He curiously wanted to know what business this buffoon would have with him to have pursued him at the very end.
“Brother, I’ve finally caught up to you!” The youth chasing him said while gasping for breath.
“Does this brother have something on his mind?” Han Li looked at him with doubt.
“This is for you! It could be considered thanks for Elder Brother’s help out of the troublesome situation.” Without saying anything further, the youth handed Han Li a booklet. Then he bashfully ran back.
Han Li was slight
ly surprised, but he immediately smiled. There was such a simple and honest person among the cultivators. This was truly unexpected. He did not pursue him, and instead he took a look at the book in his hand.
“Record of Qing Xi” was the book’s title. It didn’t seem to be a magic item. Han Li looked through a few pages with interest.
(TL: Qing Xi ?? means Young Creek)
It seemed to be the journal of a senior cultivator “Daoist Master Qing Xi” of the State of Yue who did not like cultivating but instead enjoyed travelling to different places. It contained allusive legends and such with detailed notes. There were also some pages with relevant vivid and lifelike drawings. Although Han Li only looked through a few pages, he held quite an interest in this item and put the booklet into his bosom.
After that Han Li didn’t come across any particular affairs. He felt a bit bored and returned to his residence. Inside his room, Han Li lied down on his bed and looked through “The Record of Qing Xi”.
Of the contents in the book, a few were Master Qing Xi’s personal experiences and others were merely gossip. However, not one of them wasn’t bizarre. There were rarely heard unusual matters and secrets that cultivator clans would never tell others. It was unknown how Master Qing Xi had learned of them.
Han Li read with great interest. However, when he reached the final page of the booklet, there were the drawings of seven distinct command medallions. At the very bottom of the drawings were several lines of words: “Writ of Immortal Ascension”, created by the Seven Great Cultivator sects of the State of Yue. It was the each cultivator sect’s award for accomplishing tremendous achievements within a cultivator sect. So long as one holds the cultivator’s sect command medallion, they would receive the same treatment as the final victor of the Immortal Ascension Assembly! It would bestow the qualifications to become an inner court disciple and receive Foundation Establishment Pills. However, this object had always been handed down within the sect. Common cultivators would have no chance of seeing them. As a result, these portrayals were simply according to their appearances from rumors.
At the end, Master Qing Xi used somewhat smaller characters to write these words: this writ can be traded between cultivator clans. The age when writs were first issued was a time long ago. As a result, the cultivator clans that issued writs recognized the writs but not the people! So long as someone holds a writ, they would take a step toward the heavens. It could be said to be a low level cultivator’s defiance of the natural order!
After Han Li finished reading the explanation below, he took another look at the seven illustrations and felt his tongue dry up. His heart beated with intensity.
Originally when Han Li heard the words “Great Immortal Ascension Assembly”, he faintly made an association with the dwarf’s strange command medallion. One side of the command medallion had two words engraved: “Immortal Ascension”. This made Han Li feel as if these two things had something in common.
After he heard the others talk about the Great Immortal Ascension Assembly in detail, there were no words relating to the Writ of Immortal Ascension. He believed this to be no more than a coincidence and left it in the back of his mind. However, he didn’t expect the booklet he unexpectedly received to have the object’s origin and true use. In addition, the function of this Writ of Immortal Ascension was this great!
Han Li grew more and more excited, hastily taking out the black command medallion. After briefly comparing it with the illustration, he found it to be grealy similar to its design.
“‘Yellow Maple Valley’, This Writ of Immortal Ascension was issued by the Yellow Maple Valley!” Han Li muttered to himself as he stroked the command medallion in his hand.
“However, how did this precious item enter the hands of a lowly cultivator like Monk Golden Light?” Han Li doubtedly thought after calming down.
In fact, that dwarf was truly the previous owner of that command medallion!
It turned out that in the outstanding and famous Qin Ye Mountain Range, apart from the Ye Clan, there was also another equivalent Clan that resided there, the Qin Clan. Because those two clans had many intermarried relationships, they got along quite well!
This Writ of Immortal Ascension was an object passed down from the ancestors of the Qin Clan. However, they did not use it because the Qin Clan could no longer find a genius cultivator who deserved the writ! That was why they would rather continue to pass it down and were unwilling to waste this treasure for no reason.
However, after many generations, because the males of the Qin Clan grew more sparse, they gradually declined. In contrast, the Ye Clan grew even more prosperous and developed. They influenced the cultivation world so much that everyone knew that the Qin Ye Mountain housed the Ye Clan, while the Qin Clan became forgotten!
During Monk Golden Light’s generation, he was actually the sole remaining male from the Qin Clan, and his aptitude was strange and lacking. He fundamentally could not possibly achieve Foundation Establishment. Because of his aptitude, the large difference in strength between the two clans, and the fact that their relationship as in-laws was a matter long expired, the Ye Clan decided to acquire the several treasures of the Qin Clan. In addition, that Writ of Immortal Ascension was the treasure they wanted to possess to most!
Although Monk Golden Light’s cultivation talent was lacking, his ability to read body language was actually quite good. With the fact that he was also cowardly, just as the Ye Clan had planned to make a move, the dwarf, having caught wind of this earlier, had already fled, taking a small sword talisman and the Writ of Immortal Ascension. As for the other treasures, because they were sealed away, Monk Golden Light could not acquire them in a short amount of time and was forced to reluctantly abandon them, setting them aside for the Ye Clan.
As a result, Monk Golden Light had been on the run for over ten years, and lived in seclusion in some Daoist temple deep within the wilderness. He relied on his shallow magic power to plunder drink and food and became free and unfettered. After a period of time, he had thought to use the Writ of Immortal Ascension, but that notion had gradually weakened. He reached the conclusion even if he were to take the Foundation Establishment Pill, he would not be able to achieve Foundation Establishment. Since that was the case, there was no need to go to a large cultivator sect as a low level disciple and suffer hardship!
Like that, after the assault on the Seven Mysteries Sect, Han Li had conveniently acquired this Writ of Immortal Ascension.
Chapter 142: Attack to Kill
Han Li was completely ignorant of the Qin Clan’s situation. However, this did not obstruct his ecstatic mood. While he excitedly walked around the room, he incessantly fiddled with Writ of Immortal Ascension in his hand. In addition, the more he looked at this command medallion, the more pleasing to the eye it became.
After the time it took to burn a stick of incense, Han Li calmed down the excitement in his heart. He began to think of his plans for the future and the feasibility of traveling to Yellow Maple Valley to formally become an apprentice to a master.
After a night of restless, difficult sleep for Han Li, the Great South Small Meeting had at last come to an end. From the beginning of the morning of the second day, many cultivators had already begun to leave the valley. The people inside the valley had already been reduced to less than half.
During the afternoon, there were several slightly older senior experts who appeared in the plaza. After they said a few encouraging words of praise, they declared the formal termination of the Great South Meeting. That Daoist Master Qingyan was also one of those experts.
Suddenly, in groups of three or four or perhaps like wild geese, the remaining cultivators flew into the sky and floated there. At this moment, Daoist Priest Qing Wen and the other went to find Han Li, inviting him to journey with them once more.
After a moment of silence, Han Li declined their invitation, greatly angering Wu Jiuzhi and the Mo Brothers. Even Daoist Priest Qing Wen’s complexion was somewhat unsightly.
>
“Since Brother Han is unwilling to travel with us, Qing Wen will not force you. Take care of yourself on your journey, Brother!” After a sigh from Qing Wen, he said this with a regretful tone.
He then patted Han Li’s shoulders and departed the valley with the others.
Han Li hadn’t discovered that during the second that Daoist Priest Qing Wen patted Han Li’s shoulders, a bit of colorless and formless fine powder left Qing Wen’s cuff and scattered on Han Li’s clothes. In addition, the area sprinkled with dust was slightly unusual but nothing could be seen.
When Wu Jiuzhi and company left the thick fog of the valley, Daoist Priest Qing Wen had fallen behind them at an unknown time and took advantage of the thoughtlessness of the several people while exposing a sinister appearance. He suddenly raised his cuff and sent a stream of flame toward the sky. It disappeared into the shrubbery at the side. His face then resumed his normal rightful and strict appearance, as if the actions from a moment ago had not occurred.
Han Li did not completely understand what Daoist Priest Qing Wen just did, but due to his continuous habit of being cautious, he didn’t immediately set off from the Great South Valley but rather waited the night inside the valley. When it was early morning with the dew shining brightly, he stealthily slipped away from the valley in a manner that even gods and ghost could not see.
(TL: ??????: Gods don’t know and ghosts don’t see)
After he left the Great South Valley, Han Li identified the direction. He used the Imperial Flight Technique and lightly tapped his foot against the ground, propelling him about ten meters away. Like that, his clothes fluttered into the distance.
Not long after he departed the valley, two people hurriedly rushed over. In front of them was a green ball of light the size of a thumb guiding their way. After they turned to where Han Li was just a moment ago, they followed in the direction that Han Li flew off to. Those two people precisely followed the green light’s directions.
A Record of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality c1-2248 Page 67