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

by Translator: Johnchen

  Cultivator Min carefully answered, “There are many events related to the Insect Devil, but the most famous among them was when he used his insect swarm to kill eight Core Formation cultivators four years ago. That was when he became famous.”

  Although his face didn’t show it, Han Li felt his heart drop.

  “After that battle, the Insect Devil vanished without a trace. A year after that, near Wondrous Depths Island, cultivators began to be hunted down for their treasures. According to the survivors, it was all the doing of the Insect Devil. He would control the insects to fill the skies and cleanly devour his victims. This would occur every other month of so. According to the rumors, no less than a hundred cultivators have fallen at his hands. This was how the Insect Devil acquired such a fearsome and resounding reputation.” After all that was said, Cultivator Min wore a trace of nervousness and unease on his face.

  Chapter 527: The True Insect Devil

  Not only did the cultivator surnamed Min appear fearful, but the gaunt old man and the fierce-looking man were also filled with trepidation, not knowing whether or not those words would anger the youth before them. They were completely unsure about whether or not this person was the Insect Devil.

  “Interesting, it seems this Insect Devil is quite notorious. Do you Fellow Daoists know the appearance of the Insect Devil or the type of insects that he uses?” Not only was Han Li not angry, but he smiled instead.

  Cultivator Min started to mumble, “What he looks like? I’ve never heard of that before. It seems his appearance is quite ordinary. As for the insects he controls, they should be both gold and silver,” when he said this, Cultivator Min couldn’t help but shout out, “Yi! Fellow Daoist controls tri-colored beetles. It seems Senior truly isn’t the Insect Devil!”

  The other two suddenly recalled this and felt their spirits rise.

  If this person truly wasn’t the Insect Devil, then they would be far more likely to survive.

  Han Li then looked up to the sky as if deep in thought. A short moment later, he lowered his head and said, “Many thanks to Fellow Daoists for telling me the truth. Since I still have matters to attend to, I can’t stay any further. However, I hope you will keep our encounter today between ourselves. I don’t wish to be mistaken as the Insect Devil and be pursued. I hope you can understand!” The three were wildly delighted by his words.

  Suppressing the excitement in his heart, the old man expectantly probed, “This is only natural. We will definitely keep our mouths shut about this, and won’t cause any problems for you. Well then, us brothers will now be taking our leave.”

  Han Li nodded with a faint smile and the three immediately saluted Han Li with concealed joy. They then hastily stood up and flew away.

  A moment later on the other side of the island, the three brought along their disciples in an impatient rush to get away from the island.

  At an unknown time, Han Li stood up and remained still as he watched them fly off. After they disappeared, Han Li’s face suddenly became sullen.

  Although exterminating the whole group of cultivators would’ve been an easy task, Han Li had no interest in attacking them. He wasn’t the blood-thirty sort after all. Besides, it wouldn’t have made much of a difference whether or not his whereabouts were leaked.

  This location was extremely far away from his cave residence. Had he encountered the three near the misty island, he definitely wouldn’t have let them go. In addition, he had already made plans to hastily return to his cave residence and enter seclusion for at least thirty years. He didn’t want to waste time out in the Outer Star Seas while there were people in pursuit of him!

  However, it seems they had given him quite the nefarious name of the Insect Devil.

  There was a time where he had found himself in a helpless position and was forced to unleashed his Gold Devour Beetles to kill the Jade Cloud Sect cultivators, but there was never an occurrence where he had killed others to seize their treasures. Someone was clearly framing him.

  Although this didn’t cause Han Li to become seething with anger, it did very much vex him.

  After some thought, he came to the conclusion that this was likely the doing of the only enemy he had in the Outer Star Seas, the Jade Cloud Sect.

  During the time when Han Li was still fearful of high grade demon beasts and had to yet stray too deeply into the Outer Star Seas, he had used the Rainbow Skirt Grass to continuously lure in demon beasts and slay them for their cores. As a result, he managed to lure in a grade seven demon beast. Just as this happened, a group of nine Core Formation cultivators ran into him. They arrogantly proclaimed themselves as the Jade Cloud Sect, and thought to give in to their avarice and slay him for his treasure. As such, Han Li could only release his many Gold Devouring Beetles to kill them and protect himself.

  Although he naturally thought it would be best to kill them all after reaching that point, he didn’t expect that the late Core Formation cultivator among them actually possessed an ancient protective treasure of impressive strength. As a result, he alone had managed to escape the Gold Devouring Beetles, catching Han Li off guard.

  As Han Li knew that the Jade Cloud Sect was one of the great powers of Wondrous Depths Island, he could only brave the dangers of heading into the far reaches of the sea to avoid any powerful enemies that sought him out.

  It could be said that Han Li had been quite lucky. In the several years that he had spent in the far seas, he hadn’t encountered any demon beasts of grade eight or higher. His most dangerous encounter had been when he attracted several grade seven demon beasts at once. Although the situation had left him at a loss, the simultaneous release of his Gold Devouring Beetles and magic treasures managed to settle the problem without much trouble.

  In his hunting during these past years, he eventually acquired several hundred grade six and seven demon beast cores, more than enough for his medicinal recipes. Additionally, he also accumulated a large collection of demon beast materials.

  As such, he felt satisfied with ending his expedition and returning back to his cave residence.

  However, just as he returned from the deep seas, he unintentionally discovered a Vivid Glass Beast as he passed by these waters. Han Li didn’t intend on letting it slip away and placed down a formation to trap it. However, he didn’t expect that this would attract the gaunt old man and his two companions. They even called him ‘Insect Demon’ in a panicked manner.

  This caused Han Li’s mood to take a turn for the worse. It was more than likely that since the Jade Cloud Sect was unable to find him, they had incited rumors of an ‘Insect Devil’ using his likeness and penchant for controlling insects and his Bamboo Cloudswarm Swords.

  It was clear that they had intended to destroy his reputation and deny him any place in the Outer Star Seas, forcing him to appear. They even sent people to impersonate him and slay other cultivators for their treasures in the process, managing to kill two birds with one stone!

  However, there was still something that Han Li couldn’t wrap his mind around.

  It wasn’t difficult to find high grade cultivators that were skilled in controlling insects. Finding flying insects that appeared similar to Gold Devouring Beetles also wasn’t particularly difficult. But if this was truly the fault of the Jade Cloud Sect, why did the impersonators use gold and silver insects? He had used his black-tainted Gold Devouring Beetles to kill the Jade Cloud Sect. The lone cultivator that had escaped definitely wouldn’t have made such a mistake. However, the change in color for his Gold Devouring Beetles was something that had only occurred after he had arrived in the Outer Star Seas.

  Could it be... the old eccentrics from Heavenvoid Hall had tracked him down here?

  When Han Li carefully considered it, he felt his heart tremble. His complexion unconsciously paled. If this were true, the situation would be far from good.

  After standing still for a moment more and calmly muttering to himself, Han Li suddenly stamped his foot down and shot towards the sky. Soon af
ter, he streaked across the sky in azure light, heading towards the direction of his small island in the mist.

  As Han Li flew, he wore his ordinary expression apart from a cold sneer that appeared on his mouth.

  Just now, he had come to an understanding. Regardless of whether this was the result of the machinations of the Jade Cloud Sect or the Nascent Soul eccentrics, there was no point in spending too much thought on the matter of the ‘Insect Devil’. This was because with the development of the strange situation of the Wondrous Depths, his original plan of prolonged, secluded cultivation was now even more advantageous. This course of action would allow him to avoid both the lurking and the upcoming dangers in the Outer Star Seas.

  And after he increased his cultivation, who would dare to apprehend him even if his notorious reputation remained? In the cultivation world, strength always spoke the loudest!

  With that in mind, Han Li continued on his way without even a sliver of hesitation remaining in his heart.

  Meanwhile in Blackrock City, there were two people in a hidden room, speaking to each other in a mysterious manner.

  “Brother Qi, it has already been three years. Your methods have been ineffective. I am not going to waste another eight years just for that youngster to take the bait!” The clear voice spoke with a tone of clear impatience.

  “Fellow Daoist Wu, you can’t be hasty with these matters. Don’t you also sweep your spiritual sense over every corner of Blackrock City day after day? If that person actually appeared in the city with a disguise, he definitely wouldn’t have been able to slip past Brother Wu’s eyes.” The other person spoke with a hoarse and deep voice.

  The first person who spoke was astonishingly Zenith Yin, who hadn’t been seen for years! He was speaking to a pale middle-aged man with a sullen expression. He appeared dissatisfied.

  “Humph! Does Brother Qi’s method of sending disciples to masquerade as the youngster robbing others serve another purpose? Brother Qi doesn’t have another purpose in mind that he is deliberately hiding from me? I can’t believe that finding a single early Core Formation cultivator could be so hard for a sect as large as your Jade Cloud Sect.” Zenith Yin said with an annoyed expression.

  “Sigh! Brother Wu’s words wrong me. We weren’t friends for only one or two years. How could I possibly do that? Moreover, our sect also holds a deep enmity with him. We’ve never stopped trying to find him.” The owner of the hoarse voice was a middle-aged Daoist priest wearing a robe adorned with white cranes. His face had white pockmarks and was covered in a layer of warm fluorescence, making for quite an imposing visage. He then smiled as if he had thought of something and said, “However, Fellow Daoist Wu, I am quite curious. Just what did the youngster do to cause you to brave the risk of sneaking into Heavenly Star City and teleporting here? Fellow Daoist Wu has always used his grandson’s death as an excuse. However, it was always stated so casually that I’m very much in doubt.”

  Chapter 528: Flowing Undercurrents

  When Zenith Yin heard Daoist Priest Qi accuse him of hiding something, he inwardly frowned and cursed, ‘Cunning old fox’. However, none of this was betrayed on his face.

  Zenith Yin’s expression grew stern and he coldly said, “Brother Qi, you’ve asked this more than once before. And each time, I’ve answered that this Youngster Han treacherously killed my grandson in Heavenvoid Hall. That is why I must capture him alive, so that I may refine his soul.”

  The Daoist priest shook his head and said, “Hehe! Brother Wu had been saying this for the past two years, and I do believe it. However, Brother Wu has spent such a long time here, unwilling to be distracted by both his Profound Yin Island and the Starfall Coalition’s battle on the other side. If it were only for the sake of avenging your grandson, then wouldn’t I alone be enough?”

  Then as if checkmating him, the Daoist priest stared at Zenith Yin with a mysterious smile and slowly continued, “Moreover, in addition to Zenith Yin, the Thousand Gates of Enlightenment has secretly sent over their Elder Breakwater, and three other unknown Nascent Soul cultivators had arrived in the Outer Star Seas with disguised appearances. Just when did our Wondrous Depths Island become so attractive that it would capture the attention of so many high grade cultivators? And in the past two days, I’ve acquired concrete information that they’re looking for the same person as you, the youngster surnamed Han. Brother Wu, please don’t tell me that they also wish to avenge their grandsons!”

  Zenith Yin’s heart trembled and his face grew icy, but he remained silent.

  The Daoist Priest saw that Zenith Yin’s heart was wavering and he calmly continued to persuade him, “There is no need for Brother Wu to pointlessly continue to conceal this. Regardless of what great secret this Youngster Han may possess, since so many fellow Nascent Soul Daoists have already figured it out, there is no harm in having me and only me know about it. If Brother Wu were to calmly tell me, it could work to your advantage. Moreover, in the current seas, in addition to my own disciples masquerading as the Insect Devil, there are other cultivators that have also taken up that identity in other locations. It is clear that they’re interfering with our scheme.”

  Zenith Yin eventually replied with a gloomy tone, “Humph! Brother Qi, since you already know so much, then what mystery is there to clear up? What point is there in asking me?”

  “I am convinced that even if Brother Wu is unwilling to tell me the truth, I will be able to find the clear truth of the matter by the year’s end. By that time, it won’t just be me or the Jade Cloud Sect that knows of the matter. I don’t want things to reach that point. Wouldn’t it be better to join hands now?” The Daoist Priest spoke of his inner plans without the slightest attempt at concealment.

  Zenith Yin’s expression fluctuated for a long while. After lowering his head and muttering to himself for a moment, he eventually sighed and bitterly smiled at the Daoist priest. “It’s not that I wished to deliberately fool you. But in order to ensure that the secret wouldn’t be divulged, I along with several other Fellow Daoists have all made a heart demon pact to not speak of it to outsiders. But since the Myriad Gates of Enlightenment has sent their Elder Breakwater here, then Wan Tianming has more or less broken the pact, regardless of what he said. Hence, I no longer have anything to fear from divulging the secret.”

  The Daoist priest heartily laughed upon hearing him, “Great. Brother Wu actually cared about a heart demon pact? I’ve never taken them to mind. If heart demon pacts were truly effective, most heretical and Devil Dao cultivators would already be dead.”

  Zenith Yin said with a helpless tone, “Although I don’t care about the heart demons, if too many people come to know of it, I’m afraid there will be no rewards left to reap.” Soon after, his face stiffened, and he started to speak through voice transmissions.

  The Daoist priest was completely unconcerned with Zenith Yin’s carefulness. But after only a few words were spoken, his expression greatly changed as rapt excitement flickered in his eyes.

  “Is what you said true? The item has emerged into the world?” The Daoist Priest’s voice shivered from excitement.

  Zenith Yin indifferently replied, “If not for this treasure, do you truly believe so many Nascent Soul cultivators would have gathered here?”

  While the Daoist priest was ecstatic, he couldn’t help but grumble, “That’s right! It seems Brother Wu was correct in entirely concealing the matter! I admire you for having kept this secret for so long, but if Fellow Daoist had spoke of it sooner, I would’ve certainly sent out more men. Perhaps we might’ve found the youngster already.”

  Zenith Yin gloomily explained, “Fellow Daoist says that quite easily. Do you think I could just divulge this matter as I wished? If I hadn’t concealed the matter for so long, the others might have leaked the information as well. Even now, I am unwilling to casually speak of it. The less people who know of this, the better.”

  The Daoist priest nodded his head and agreed without thinking, “Brother Wu’s words ma
ke sense! If I had known about this, I also wouldn’t have wanted to divide the treasure with anybody else.”

  “However, it seems that now, the information won’t be hidden for much longer. The truth of the treasure’s emergence will finally be spread.” Zenith Yin’s cheek twitched and he revealed a trace of bitterness on his face.

  “Hehe! Brother Wu should know that no news truly stays hidden. Now, I will be taking my leave first, since I need to send out more men. Let us be a step ahead of the others in search of that youngster.” The Daoist priest stood up and bid goodbye with a trace of excitement on his face.

  Zenith Yin didn’t do anything to stop him. After standing up and cupping his fist to him, he watched the Daoist priest as he left the room.

  Zenith Yin then sat back down in his chair and remained motionless with a bitter smile on his face. Ever since the word “advantage” was uttered, Daoist Priest Qi had become more energetic while Zenith became anxious. But it seemed that telling him about the Heavenvoid Cauldron was the right move. That Youngster Han had fled to some unknown location and had left no trace of himself. Had Han Li not exterminated the Jade Cloud cultivators, Zenith Yin would’ve believed that Han Li had successfully executed a crafty escape plan, and actually escaped to another demon beast island. But since he no longer had the time to wait, he could only draw support from a local power, the Jade Cloud Sect. He could only take this one step at a time.

  Zenith Yin pondered about the benefits and drawbacks of this alliance before letting out a long sigh, returning the room to silence.

  ...

  In another portion of the sea, an azure-robed youth with an ordinary appearance was coldly glancing at some low grade cultivators with utter disdain. There was a swarm of gold-silver insects buzzing above his head.

  “Insect Devil!” A middle-aged cultivator among the group shouted out the name in fright.

  When the youth heard this, he coldly chuckled and wordlessly pointed at them, causing the insect cloud to immediately spread across the skies.