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

by Translator: Johnchen

  It was beyond his expectations, how simple it had been to acquire the Demon Echo Grass. However, he couldn’t stay there any longer. Han Li immediately turned around and was about to set off when he heard a calm voice from behind him.

  “You stayed nearby for so long just to get those plants? Human cultivators are truly baffling!” These words were spoken by a strange male voice.

  Han Li’s expression greatly changed and his face became extremely unsightly. He soon forced himself to calm down and turned around in a blur.

  He caught sight of an azure-robed figure that was looking at him with obvious curiosity.

  Upon clearly seeing the figure’s appearance, Han Li grimaced.

  The demon cultivator had a silver scarf around the top of his head, azure robes on his body, and rough shoes on his feet. Apart from his sharp, pointy nose and narrow, green eyes, all other aspects were indistinguishable from a human.

  Han Li frantically examined the man several times.

  With this demon beast’s nearly perfect human form, could it be a legendary grade nine or ten demon beast?

  Han Li’s body grew rigid and his hands had already fastened on his Five Element Bands and his spirit beast pouch. However, he didn’t dare to attack.

  “Your esteemed self watched me for quite some time.” Han Li could hear that his voice had become unpleasantly hoarse.

  When the demon cultivator heard this, his expression stirred. He then smiled, revealing his pure white teeth and narrowing his eyes, saying, “That’s right, I knew you were there from the day you arrived. I merely thought you were a human cultivator passing by and hadn’t paid you any attention. But who would’ve thought that before the day passed, you would sit on the coral reef nearby. I, Feng, have grown quite curious indeed.”

  Not knowing whether or not it was a trick of the mind, Han Li felt that the man’s teeth were somewhat sharp and faintly glinted with a chilling light. Han Li’s heart dropped even further as he thought, ‘His surname is Feng? Then he must be the fully grown Windbreaker Beast[1. The surname ‘Feng ’ that the demon cultivator uses the same ‘Wind ’ in ‘Windbreaker Beast’].’

  Han Li forced a smile and asked, “Since that was the case, why didn’t you attack me?”

  The Windbreaker Beast weirdly smiled and said, “I actually wished to come see you sooner, but I’ve only recently reached the second stage of my metamorphosis. While stabilizing it, it was difficult for me to go outside. As it just so happened, I actually finished stabilizing my form just now and was going to leave, but I hadn’t expected that Fellow Daoist would run into my lair of your own accord. That was quite surprising.”

  “Second stage metamorphosis? Could it be that you have entered grade nine?” Han Li’s face grew pale and his hands had unknowingly become lined with cold sweat.

  The fully matured Windbreaker demon cultivator blinked and casually replied, “Grade nine? That’s just how you humans differentiate us demons. Regardless, I reached the second grade of the metamorphosis stage, which would be the equivalent of what you call grade nine demon beasts.”

  Han Li grew silent when he heard the demon’s calm recognition. After a short moment, the corner of his mouth twitched into a bitter smile.

  Were it a grade eight demon beast, he figured he would still have a chance at escape. But in the face of a grade nine demon cultivator, he had no hopes of breaking free. It seemed his death would be the result of something entirely unavoidable.

  With that thought, Han Li said nothing further and suddenly opened his mouth, spitting out over ten streaks of azure light that circled around him. He then raised his hand, intending on opening his spirit beast pouches.

  But in that instant, the demon cultivator moved.

  He blurred before Han Li’s eyes and snatched the spirit beast bag out of his hand.

  Although the many flying swords protecting Han Li had moved to block the demon cultivator, he was far too quick. He had returned to his original spot before the swords could strike him.

  After a moment of overwhelming astonishment, Han Li’s face turned ashen. How could he have forgotten that the Windbreaker Beast was originally known for its amazing speed? Their speed as a grade nine demon beast was nearly identical to teleportation at such a short distance. There was no chance of even injuring him.

  In that instant, a chaotic torrent of thoughts began to surge through his mind. Han Li’s ashen complexion underwent yet another change as he slapped his storage pouch and took out a ball of radiant golden threads.

  Han Li quickly grabbed onto the ball and swallowed it. Afterwards, he wordlessly gazed at the azure-robed demon cultivator.

  He had already decided that when he faced death’s door, he would ignite the Celestial Ice Pearl with his Divine Devilbane Lightning. This way, even if mutual destruction wasn’t accomplished, the opponent would still suffer a heavy injury.

  The demon cultivator revealed astonishment upon seeing Han Li’s baffling actions, but he soon nonchalantly smiled, “Hehe! There is no need for Fellow Daoist to be so anxious. I hold no malicious intentions towards you.” He casually tossed the spirit beast pouch up and down in his hand as he spoke.

  Han Li frowned and coldly said, “What do you mean? Aren’t you demon beasts currently exterminating human cultivators?”

  He didn’t wish to be played around with before he died.

  The corner of the demon cultivator’s mouth twitched and he shook his head, saying, “The demon beasts that have been killing you off are only the nearby sea races. I have nothing to do with them. I’m merely staying here for the time being because I enjoy the geyser pool here.”

  Han Li was stunned.

  He suddenly recalled that Windbreaker Beasts were demon beasts that lay somewhere between demon birds and sea beasts. As such, they couldn’t truly be considered demon beasts of the sea. Furthermore, from his tone, it seemed as though he wasn’t even originally from around here.

  ‘Could it be he truly doesn’t wish to kill me?’ Han Li’s expression wavered for a moment. After a short moment, he retrieved his flying swords into his body with a wave of his hand and his expression relaxed.

  Since his flying swords weren’t able to deal with the demon cultivator either way, he may as well play along. If worst comes to worst, he would just detonate the Celestial Ice Pearl.

  The demon cultivator wore a satisfied expression after seeing Han Li put away his magic treasures.

  “I do enjoy talking with sensible humans. I’ll return this to you first.” He didn’t view the spirit beast pouch as a threat and threw it back to Han Li.

  Han Li caught it and felt somewhat more at ease.

  The demon cultivator stared at Han Li and said, “Does Fellow Daoist have any interest in paying a visit to my true cave residence? This would be the first time I’ve ever invited a human cultivator.”

  Although the demon cultivator’s tone was polite, how could Han Li possibly refuse? He had no option but to nod with a forced smile.

  The demon cultivator appeared happy when Han Li agreed. He wordlessly raised his hand and a blue ball of light appeared within it. The light then grew several times larger and enveloped Han Li.

  Shock appeared on Han Li’s face, but he didn’t resist. With a flash of blue light, the demon cultivator began dragging him within the bubble of light that enveloped him. Then, both of them dropped into the pool with a splash.

  Because of the faint blue light that was emitted from the bubble around him, Han Li was able to clearly see the world underneath the water. Perhaps it was due to the strange water in the pool, but there were no other animals apart from some strange palm-sized white fish. There was also no sea vegetation.

  The demon cultivator saw that Han Li was completely captivated by the underwater scene and just smiled.

  After the time it took to finish a meal, the bubble came to a stop and trembled for a moment before shooting off to the side.

  In the blink of an eye, Han Li spotted a huge black stone gate i
n front of him. The gate flickered with white light as if it was covered by a restriction.

  The demon cultivator pointed at the stone door and politely said, “We’ve arrived. Welcome to my humble home. I hope Fellow Daoist doesn’t find it too funny.”

  Han Li forced a smile, but remained silent.

  As soon as the bubble touched the stone gate, the stone gate opened to reveal a layer of white light. After they passed through it, they entered a completely dry passageway. The bubble surrounding Han Li then disappeared.

  The stone walls were embedded with all sorts of small pearls that reflected light, filling the passageway with dazzling light reminiscent of daylight. These weren’t ordinary pearls. They were pearls that are only found at the ocean’s deepest depths within spirit oysters and the like that were over a thousand years old. They had the strange effect of repelling both water and fire.

  “Please come in, Fellow Daoist!” The demon cultivator couldn’t help but feel proud upon seeing Han Li’s astonishment.

  Han Li gazed down the passageway with complete unwillingness in his heart. But with a grade nine demon beast staring at him, he could only force himself to head in first.

  The azure robed demon cultivator leisurely followed after him.

  The passageway couldn’t be considered large, and Han Li soon found himself in a gorgeous hall decorated with all kinds of coral.

  At the center of the hall, there was a sparkling white jade table with several chairs made from the same beautiful jade. The corners of the hall each had a small elegant pot with a finger-thick joss stick burning within. It filled the hall with a faint fragrance.

  Chapter 543: Jadefire Wine

  “Fellow Daoist, please sit!” The demon cultivator boldly took a seat and beckoned to Han Li.

  Han Li took a seat across from the demon cultivator and remained silent.

  The demon cultivator narrowed his eyes and gently said, “It seems I’ve embarrassed myself. I still haven’t asked for your esteemed name. My name is Feng Xi.”

  After a moment of hesitation, Han Li slowly said, “My surname is Li!”

  “Hehe, so it’s Fellow Daoist Li. You must feel somewhat confused. In truth, if any other cultivator had appeared before me, I would’ve definitely slain them despite not being from the local sea race. Peaceful coexistence between humans and demons is certainly impossible.”

  Han Li felt his heart tremble and forced a smile, asking, “In that case, does Senior Feng see something different about Junior?”

  Feng Xi’s eyes flickered with green light. He slowly said, “You are only a mid Core Formation cultivator, yet you dared to bravely enter so deeply into the seas, relying on that marvelous Qi Restraint Technique of yours!”

  “Qi Restraint Technique?” Han Li paused for a moment, suddenly recalling the nameless incantation in the hide book.

  Feng Xi wore an odd expression and said, “That’s right, I am somewhat familiar with your Qi Restraint Technique. I saw it from an old friend of mine, but strangely enough, that technique is something that was secretly passed down. How are you, a human cultivator, capable of using it?”

  Han Li couldn’t easily mention the matter of the hide book and remained silent for a while, not knowing how to respond.

  When Feng Xi looked at Han Li’s expression, he leaned back into his chair and smiled. He then casually said, “There is no need for Fellow Daoist to be worried. My old friend has been dead for many years, and I’m not looking for an explanation. I am merely curious about how a human can use a secret demon race technique. The main reason why I haven’t attacked you is actually because you cultivate a pure wood attribute cultivation art. Otherwise, you’d already be dead.”

  Han Li revealed amazement. He was truly shocked to hear that the main reason he wasn’t attacked was because of the attribute of his cultivation art.

  When Feng Xi saw Han Li’s shocked expression, he said nothing and waved his arms instead, summoning a simple gold pot with a flash of white light.

  He then took a jade wine cup and poured a dark green liquid into it. In the blink of an eye, the concentrated smell of alcohol spread throughout the hall.

  The human-form demon beast then took a deep breath and wore an infatuated expression on his face. He flicked the cup with his finger, smoothly sliding the jade cup over to Han Li.

  Feng Xi stared at Han Li and deeply said, “Fellow Daoist Li, take a taste of my Jadefire Wine. I made it myself. It is a genuine spirit wine that takes over a hundred years to ferment, and provides slight gains towards cultivation. Perhaps Fellow Daoist could even use this opportunity to break through his bottleneck!”

  When Han Li heard this, he paused in surprise before staring down at the green liquid in the cup. The demon cultivator was able to tell that his cultivation was stuck at a bottleneck, his abilities are truly remarkable. But Han Li found it dubious that the wine could help him break through his bottleneck.

  He had consumed no small number of medicine pills for cultivation progression. If he could break through the cultivation bottleneck with medicinal power, he would’ve already cultivated to the ninth layer of the Azure Essence Sword Art. Furthermore, as he had no idea about what the other party intended, he didn’t dare to casually drink the wine.

  As these thoughts churned through his mind, Han Li’s face revealed hesitation.

  A cold glint shone within the demon cultivator’s eyes. His expression grew sullen upon seeing Han Li’s hesitation and he coldly said, “What? Are you scared that I did something to the wine. Don’t forget, if I wanted to take your life, it would only take me an instant!”

  Han Li’s face paled and his gaze fell upon the wine cup. He then summoned the courage to say, “Senior is correct. However, Junior wishes to figure something out first: the true reason why Senior hasn’t killed me. Junior will be ill at ease until he understands.”

  It had became obvious that the demon cultivator wished for Han Li to drink the wine. As a result, Han Li’s doubts only became greater.

  Feng Xi felt somewhat surprised and an icy expression soon appeared on his face. His body released an eerie aura.

  Han Li felt his heart drop and the true essence in his body wrapped around the Celestial Ice Pearl in his body. He cautiously stared at the demon cultivator in silence.

  A short moment later, Feng Xi frowned and his expression relaxed.

  After muttering to himself for a moment, Feng Xi said with a low voice, “It seems by not telling Fellow Daoist the specifics, he has misunderstood my good intentions.”

  “This Jadefire Wine is not only difficult to refine and takes a hundred years to ferment, but it also requires a metamorphosis stage demon core as its primary ingredient. Additionally, only Windbreaker Beasts are able to refine the wine. Even if other demon cultivators had the formula, they would be unable to refine the wine due to lacking the innate abilities. To me, this wine serves only to satisfy my tastes. But to a Core Formation cultivator such as yourself, it will stimulate the true essence in your body the first time you drink it, possibly allowing you to break through your current bottleneck. Of course, the only reason I am giving you so precious to Fellow Daoist Li is for my own gains. I require the assistance of your wood attribute cultivation arts for something very important. However, a mid Core Formation cultivation is too low. Even late Core Formation cultivation is still a bit lacking. But I see that your own cultivation arts are unordinary. You possess far deeper magic power than cultivators of a similar grade, and as a result, you will do, if just barely. It should now be quite obvious what consequences will follow if Fellow Daoist Li doesn’t drink the wine!”

  Feng Xi knew that if he didn’t give a clear explanation, Han Li wouldn’t obediently follow his orders.

  When Han Li heard this, his expression changed several times. A short moment later, he spoke with a hoarse voice, “And if I drink this wine and can’t breakthrough my bottleneck?”

  Feng Xi sneered and calmly said, “Hehe! Then Fellow Daoist Li will no longe
r serve any purpose for me. Since my Jadefire Wine is quite difficult to refine, I will have to take your life as compensation!”

  Although Han Li had already suspected this, his face twitched after hearing the confirmation.

  After a short moment of deliberation Han Li’s face became resolute and he took a deep breath. “Fine, I’ll drink it!”

  Feng Xi suddenly wore a happy expression.

  Han Li slapped his hand onto the table. Then with a flash of azure light, the dark green liquid from the cup flew into his mouth in a stream.

  The liquid then dropped into his stomach without Han Li even tasting it.

  “Good. I knew Fellow Daoist Li would make the sensible decision. Follow me. I’ve already prepared a quiet room for you.” Feng Xi spoke with a satisfied expression and stood up before walking to the side of the hall.

  Han Li wordlessly followed after him with a calm expression.

  As Han Li followed the demon cultivator, he eventually found himself in front of a fire-red stone wall.

  After some further examination, Han Li astonishingly discovered the sparkling red stone wall was actually a huge slab of cut coral rock. As Han Li pondered about it, Feng Xi lightly pushed the stone wall, revealing a three meter wide hole in a flash of white light.

  Feng Xi pointed to the hole and tranquilly said, “Refine the wine in this hidden room. According to my estimates, it should only take half a year at most to refine. Fellow Daoist should be able to succeed in that time. When the time arrives, I will release the restriction and allow you to come out.”

  Han Li took a glance before expressionlessly entering the hole. At this point, he naturally had no intention of further speaking with Feng Xi.

  Just after Han Li walked in, the opening behind him disappeared.

  Feng Xi stood outside the wall without immediately departing. He glanced at the wall with a face bizarrely full of excitement. A short moment later, he disappeared without a trace in a flash of white light.

  Han Li was currently inspecting the so-called hidden room inside the coral wall. The room couldn’t be considered small, at a hundred meters wide and over twenty meters tall. Apart from a glistening azure jade couch at the center of the room, there was nothing else.