A Record of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality c1-2248

by Translator: Johnchen

  It seemed that if he didn’t agree, he would only be met with death.

  Chapter 456: Becoming Zenith Yin’s Disciple

  Just as Han Li thought about saying something, he suddenly heard a voice transmission from Layman Qing Yi.

  “Han Li, this old man hasn’t accepted a disciple in his entire life and doesn't have much longer to live. If you were to become my disciple, then my legacy, magic treasures, and all else will by inherited by you. You aren’t going to come across such good fortune elsewhere.” Layman Qing Yi’s voice was full of allure.

  Han Li understood that his words were certain to be overstated, but he couldn’t help but feel tempted. Before he could even think it over, he heard Zenith Yin’s gloomy voice.

  “Youngster, regardless of what the eccentric had promised you, I want to remind you that he is a rogue cultivator, one who treads the solitary path. Apart from a desolate island, he has few other possessions. Even if you were to inherit everything from him, it won’t amount to much. However, my Zenith Yin Island is different. Not only are there many cultivators, but it also possesses grand influence. As my own personal disciple, you will hold an unimaginable amount of influence on the island. Regardless of whether it’s beautiful pair cultivation servants or precious pill and tool ingredients, this Grandmaster will allow you to select them. I also saw that you were walking quite close to the Exquisite Sound Sect’s Fairy Violet Spirit. If you have any interest in her, it can be handled! So long as you pledge to be my disciple, I will personally bring her to Zenith Yin Island to become your furnace cauldron. These incentives should be much to your satisfaction!” Zenith Yin was very direct, listing off many conditions in a torrent.

  However, this wasn’t the end. The Bone Sage’s voice soon entered his ear, “Youngster Han, take my traitorous disciple as a master. That way, we can look for a favorable opportunity to kill him. Don’t forget, I am the only person who knows the pill formula for the refinement of the Ninecurl Spirit Ginseng. You had best do as I suggest, otherwise...” The Bone Sage’s words were filled with an obvious threat.

  Han Li inwardly rolled his eyes. Each of them had ulterior motives, and he would suffer greatly if he wasn’t careful.

  In his own mind, if he truly wanted to take a master, then he would naturally pick the Confucian-robed old man. Although he wouldn’t receive many great benefits, he wouldn’t become entangled with a hideous mess of relations. It would be far more peaceful, and he wouldn’t be involved with any more quarrels.

  As for Zenith Yin’s medicine pills, beautiful women, and techniques, Han Li wasn’t particularly interested. The talk regarding Fairy Violet Spirit interested him even less.

  But with the Bone Sage’s voice transmission, Han Li had to carefully reconsider. Solidifying a Nascent Soul was his next objective on the path to Immortality. Although it was still quite some time away, the pill recipe was still something that he had to acquire.

  With that thought, Han Li lowered his head and started muttering to himself, pondering over what was to be gained or lost.

  Han Li’s expression changed several times over a short period of time before he raised his head. His next words were music to Zenith Yin’s ears and to the disappointment of the Confucian-robed old man.

  “This one has long heard of Zenith Yin Island’s great reputation. Junior wishes to receive a few pointers from Senior Wu.”

  “Good choice, Han Li! This Grandmaster will first accept you as an in name disciple. When we later return to Zenith Yin Island, I will conduct a ceremony for you to become an official disciple. This Profound Yin Ring is a set of ancient treasures that I acquired when I was young, and I’ve given it to each of my personal disciples. Since it is both a keepsake and a protective treasure, be sure to properly take care of it!” Zenith Yin understood the value of striking when the iron was hot. He immediately took a dark grey ring off his hand and handed it over to Han Li.

  Han Li accepted it with slight surprise and carefully looked at it.

  The ring was just about as large as one would expect, but it was etched with a few mysterious talisman characters that released pale blue light. One could tell that it was unordinary at a glance.

  As Han Li felt joy, he heard the Bone Sage scoff.

  “Profound Yin Ring? It seems my traitorous disciple has cleanly eliminated any traces of my existence. This was obviously an ancient treasures that I had bestowed upon him, the Yin Yang Rings. He actually changed its name. Humph! Don’t grow too excited. Although the Yin Ring can protect your body and repel attacks, the Yang Ring that he possesses can be used to restrain you. If you attempt to use it when you deal with him, you will only be meeting your own doom.”

  When Han Li heard this, he didn’t reveal any peculiarities as he respectfully paid thanks to Zenith Yin. However, he couldn’t help but inwardly sigh. With such a deep and cunning schemer as Zenith Yin by his side, he must be exceedingly vigilant. Else, he would suffer a terrible fate.

  He now hoped that the Bone Sage truly had a method to kill Zenith Yin. Otherwise, he’d have to later join Zenith Yin Island and obediently become Eccentric Zenith Yin’s disciple.

  Besides, even if Han Li did want to become a genuine, obedient disciple, Zenith Yin might not be sincere in receiving him. Whether or not Zenith Yin would become hostile after all was done, was yet another matter to be concerned with. Faithfully following after Zenith Yin was not an option!

  As of now, he could only improvise as events unfolded, since he didn’t have the strength to do otherwise!

  Although Han Li was well aware that the cultivation world was where the weak were prey for the strong, he hadn’t felt such helplessness since he was at Foundation Establishment.

  He had previously found himself in perilous circumstances many times before, but he was able to use the entirety of his strength to overcome the odds. But if he were to now confront a Nascent Soul cultivator, he wouldn’t stand the slightest chance.

  This all caused him to wonder whether he was born under cursed stars! However, this was a passing thought. He merely thought to follow after the Bone Sage and investigate the secrets of the map fragment from curiosity. Just how did he land himself into the eyes of Nascent Soul cultivators?

  Han Li slightly regretted his choice. Suppressing the deep grievances that couldn’t be revealed, he forced himself to act excited and happy.

  Upon seeing Han Li wear the Profound Yin Ring and respectfully thank him, Zenith Yin was quite satisfied. After discussing a few things with the old man, he had Han Li follow behind him.

  The day was nearly over. If they didn’t hurry over to the canyon, they would be eternally trapped here. As such, Han Li retrieved his Bloodjade Spider before flying across the horizon with the others.

  Along the way, Zenith Yin happily chatted with Han Li and took the initiative to point out a few mistakes in Han Li’s cultivation, much to the benefit of Han Li. Han Li couldn’t help but sigh. There was quite a huge difference in the path of cultivation for those with a guide and those without.

  When Wu Chou saw this, his face carried a trace of resentment. Although he attempted to hide it with all his might, Han Li was still able to sense his immense hostility. Still, Han Li pretended to be unaware of this and paid him no further attention.

  The four of them flew quickly. About six hours later, they arrived in front of a mountain that was about ten thousand meters tall.

  This extremely steep mountain was made of black and grey stones. The mountain was cleanly split at its center in a supernaturally fine manner. It was even split through the mountain’s foundation, producing a huge natural canyon.

  But what was even more strange was the twinkling blue and red light that separated the center of the mountain into two. It appeared truly otherworldly from a distance.

  Currently, over thirty differently dressed cultivators sat at the entrance of the canyon in silent meditation. Their expressions were solemn as if they were waiting for something.

  Zenith Yin and the ot
her three slowly descended at the center of the group.

  Han Li swept his gaze over them, and discovered that the black-robed Yuan Yao was also among them.

  When Yuan Yao saw Han Li accompanying the Nascent Soul cultivators of the Devil Dao, she revealed amazement. When Han Li turned his gaze towards her, she flusteredly turned her head away, not daring to meet his gaze.

  Han Li was slightly surprised and faintly realized something. He then wordlessly turned his sights elsewhere.

  He didn’t see Fairy Violet Spirit or that youthful male cultivator. It seems they returned to the pavilion without any intention of undergoing the paths of ice and fire.

  Although the meditating cultivators appeared solemn, they were calm and composed, each possessing an unordinary bearing. In terms of cultivation, a majority of them were superior to Han Li’s. Although he didn’t know how many of them possessed late Core Formation cultivation, he could tell that a majority of them held mid Core Formation cultivation. As for those that possessed early Core Formation cultivation like Han Li and Yuan Yao, there were only seven of them. However, all of them were collected and appeared full of confidence.

  After Han Li finished his observations, he slightly frowned. There were no other Nascent Soul cultivators present apart from Zenith Yin and Layman Qing Yi. Seeing this, Zenith Yin found a good area and sat down. Wu Chou naturally followed and sat down besides him.

  “Han Li, come rest beside your master!” Zenith Yin spoke, assuming the role of Han Li’s gentle master.

  Han Li didn’t wish to approach the eccentric, but under Zenith Yin’s gaze, he could only force himself to comply and sit beside him.

  Chapter 457: Heavenbearing Devil Arts

  Just as Han Li sat down, he heard a sonic boom from the distant sky. Wan Tianming and the other two Nascent Soul Righteous Dao cultivators appeared and descended onto the ground..

  When they spotted Zenith Yin and Layman Qing Yi, they sneered and gathered at another location. They were whispering to each other, discussing some secret matters.

  When Zenith Yin saw this, he snorted and soon closed his eyes shortly after.

  It was impossible for Han Li to be as calm as Zenith Yin. Instead, he turned his eyes elsewhere as if he were observing something. However, if someone were to attentively examine Han Li, one would find that his gaze was unfocused and that he was completely inattentive.

  In the time it took to finish a meal, six more cultivators arrived in succession.

  The two white-clothed Star Palace elders had also rushed over. Now, there was only one Nascent Soul cultivator that had yet to arrive, Man Huzi.

  In the next hour, Man Huzi had yet to appear, causing Wan Tianming and the other Righteous Dao cultivators to look at Zenith Yin and Layman Qing Yi with strange expressions. Despite this, they both still appeared calm.

  As Han Li was closer to the two, he was able to see a trace of apprehension in their eyes. Man Huzi’s absence clearly worried the two Devil Dao eccentrics, as they would prove to be no match against the Righteous Dao without him.

  As time slowly passed, Zenith Yin and Layman Qing Yi were no longer able to maintain their calm facades. Their expressions grew stern as they began to repeatedly gaze towards the sky.

  Although the sky didn’t show any indication of time passing and was eternally bright, Han Li supposed that the day was about to come to an end.

  ‘Could it be that Man Huzi, the top figure of the Devil Dao, met with some mishap in the Heavenvoid Hall?’ Han Li wondered.

  Under the circumstances, would this prove to be favorable or disadventageous for him?

  With the Devil Dao cultivators growing uneasy, the Righteous Dao cultivators grew increasingly malicious. Soon, piercing whistles reached them from the distant sky. These whistles were extremely loud and became more frequent and shrill as time passed by, causing all the nearby cultivators to appear at a loss.

  But when Zenith Yin and the Confucian-robed old man heard this, their expressions relaxed and they looked at each other with a smile.

  The Confucian-robed old man smiled and softly said, “It seems that Man Huzi’s mood is quite good. He should’ve acquired an unexpected harvest.”

  “Humph! What would be unexpected? At most, he would’ve plucked Genesis Fruit without any complications!” Zenith Yin shook his head and spoke without concern.

  Layman Qing Yi smiled, but when he thought to say something, a sphere of yellow light flashed in the distant sky and streaked towards them like a shooting star. In an instant, everyone was gazing at the sky.

  Han Li's eyes formed a strange expression, containing hidden apprehension as he gazed at the sphere of light.

  Han Li couldn’t help himself. The other cultivators that saw the might of the Heavenbearing Devil Arts for the first time also revealed expressions of shock.

  Under the cover of the yellow light sphere, Man Huzi appeared extremely strange, resembling a terrifying demonic god. Not only was his body emitting a blinding golden light, but his skin was densely covered in coin-sized golden scales. The scales appeared as luminous as pure gold and shined with a grand, chilling light, leaving an impression of being eternally indestructible.

  To Zenith Yin’s side, Wu Chou gasped and spoke in a daze, “That’s the Heavenbearing Devil Arts? It seems truly fearsome!” It seemed he was quite in awe of Man Huzi’s appearance.

  Zenith Yin coldly glanced at Wu Chou and said with slight annoyance, “Humph! It’s merely a tortoise’s shell! When I have refined the Profound Yin Arts to perfection realm, it will be no weaker than the Heavenbearing Devil Art.”

  This suddenly caused Wu Chou to recall that his own ancestor was on bad terms with Man Huzi. Wasn’t his praise of Man Huzi deliberately provoking Zenith Yin? He then repeatedly praised his master with an embarrassed appearance before keeping silent.

  In the sky, Man Huzi swept his gaze past them and immediately caught sight of Zenith Yin and the others. He dropped down towards them, causing the nearby ground to tremble upon landing.

  After landing, Man Huzi’s scales retracted from his body, and his golden light gradually faded away.

  “It seems Brother Man had a very successful harvest! Why else would you be so happy?” The Confucian-robed old man cupped his hand towards him with a beaming smile.

  Man Huzi excitement disappeared upon hearing the old man’s question. He answered without hesitation, “Hehe! I’ve made a few gains. I killed an Ice Striped Toad near the Genesis Fruit Tree. Its inner core will prove to be very beneficial towards my Heavenbearing Devil Arts.” Zenith Yin and Layman Qing Yi found this contrary to expectation. They looked at each other in dismay, not knowing whether he was speaking the truth.

  After a moment’s pause, Layman Qing Yi’s previous smile was restored, and he said, “Then I must congratulate Fellow Daoist Man. If your Heavenbearing Devil Arts progresses, you will have the same strength as the Archsaint of the Six Paths and the Heavenly Star Sages.”

  Afterwards, Zenith Yin also congratulated him with a calm expression.

  Man Huzi chuckled and was about to say something, but he appeared slightly baffled when his eyes fell on Han Li. He remained slightly baffled before his eyes strangely glinted and released a trace of astonishing pressure.

  Bearing the brunt of this pressure, Han Li instantly felt his body tense, incapable of moving as if each of his limbs were being weighed down by a thousand kilograms. But what was most shocking to Han Li was the feeling of Man Huzi’s icy gaze seeing past both his mind and body.

  Han Li’s complexion became deathly pale, and he reacted by circulating the Great Development Technique. After a moment, his mind stabilized, returning a bit of blood to his face and restoring control of his body back to normal.

  “Yi!” Man Huzi couldn’t help but be astonished. He soon revealed a trace of pleasant surprise, but when he thought to do something else, Zenith Yin blurred and appeared in front of Han Li.

  Zenith Yin offsetted Man Huzi’s imposing pressure and calmly aske
d, “Brother Man, what are you doing? Why are you bullying my junior disciple?”

  “Junior disciple?” Man Huzi blankly stared for a moment before appearing gloomy.

  After disdainfully glancing at Wu Chou, he bluntly said, “Zenith Yin, are you making fun of me? Apart from that Youngster Wu Chou, what other disciples did you bring to the Heavenvoid Hall?” He appeared as if he planned to attack if he were to be corrected.

  “Hehe, Man Huzi, you misunderstand. Young Friend Han Li has been taken in as a disciple by Fellow Daoist Wu just today. It’s no wonder why Fellow Daoist Man didn’t know of it.” Layman Qing Yi hastily gave an explanation from the side. Currently, Han Li was very important to them. It was natural for him to prevent any mishaps from occurring.

  “Zenith Yin, did I hear correctly? You took in a disciple while here?” Man Huzi expressed shocked and sized up Han Li twice through.

  “Although he is only an in-name disciple as I’ve yet to conduct a formal apprenticeship ceremony, Young Friend Han Li is now a member of Zenith Yin Island. I hope Brother Man won’t treat me too harshly!” Zenith Yin spoke with a slight smile.

  Man Huzi blinked a few times, staring at Zenith Yin and Layman Qing Yi for a moment before turning his gaze towards Han Li. He then laughed and said, “Good, very good! This disciple of yours is quite good. Needless to say, his spiritual sense is several times greater than that grandson of yours. If you carefully foster him, he will have great prospects in the future! Hehe, great prospects indeed!” That last sentence of his seemed to possess a deeper meaning.

  Zenith Yin and Layman Qing Yi were at a complete loss and looked at each other in confusion.

  Zenith Yin frowned and slowly asked, “What does Brother Man mean?”