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

by Translator: Johnchen

  Chapter 561: A Mistaken Identity

  When Feng Xi saw Han Li within the transportation formation, his eyes widened and his face twitched. Although he had been confused as to why Han Li would seek his own destruction by hiding on this small island, it was beyond his wildest dreams for a transportation formation to be there. Before his eyes, Han Li cast a series of hand incantations and spat out a mouthful of blood essence. He was sparing none of his true essence to hasten the activation of the transportation formation, which had already begun to hum

  “NO!” Feng Xi furiously roared. He instantly opened his mouth and fiercely shot a ball of azure light towards a corner of the formation. If the formation was broken before the activation completed, Han Li was as good as his.

  Immediately after unleashing the attack, Feng Xi’s body blurred as he madly rushed at the formation with a fervent bloodlust in a desperate attempt to interrupt Han Li’s teleportation.

  However, he was too late.

  Han Li responded to his attack by shooting over ten streaks of sword Qi to slow down the ball of azure light. As for Feng Xi’s mad charge, Han Li didn’t possess the slightest intention to dodge. The spell formation had already begun to shine with a dense white light, enveloping Han Li within it.

  When Feng Xi arrived in front of the transportation formation in his mad rush, Han Li had already disappeared from within the light in a series of blurs.

  With neither a displacement talisman on hand nor knowledge of where the transportation formation led to, Feng Xi was forced to abandon his pursuit.

  At that moment, Swift Crane flew in through the shattered ceiling. After seeing the faint glow of white light from the formation, his expression immediately revealed both fury and amazement.

  Unfortunately for Swift Crane, his sudden appearance had made him the new target of Feng Xi’s gaze. Killing intent began to emanate from his blood-red eyes.

  “All the humans here... WILL DIE!” Brimming with rage after Han Li escaped right before his eyes, Feng Xi brutally shouted. His entire body blazed with an azure light, and instantly turned into a streak of azure light, pouncing towards Swift Crane in a display of overbearing ferocity!

  Swift Crane’s expression massively changed at the sudden change of events and he instinctively threw out his ancient mirror and jade hammer in panic.

  Beams of different colors burst forth from the cave and intertwined as they shone down upon the previously tranquil island.

  ...

  A month later, the human cultivators in the nearby seas heard that the Nascent Soul cultivator Daoist Master Swift Crane fleshly body had been exterminated by a grade nine demon beast. In order to survive, he had to exhaust the entirety of his body to transport his Nascent Soul back to his cave residence. For a while after this event human cultivators were left trembling in fear at the demon beast’s viciousness.

  However, none of them could’ve expected that such a momentous event was only the beginning.

  Several months later the flood dragons of the depths suddenly dispatched large quantities of high grade members to scour the seas, hunting all human cultivators at Core Formation and beyond.

  Although this only lasted for a few short years, the devastation it caused among high grade cultivators was comparable to the beast torrent. There were even two Nascent Soul eccentrics that had met their end after being surrounded by several grade nine demon beasts.

  From that moment on, whenever word of any flood dragons appeared in the nearby seas, no humans dared to rashly leave their cave residences. This continued for over ten years before the lingering fear finally started to fade.

  However, the few cultivators that had been fortunate enough to escape from the demon beast’s hands were bewildered to discover that all them were searching for a Core Formation cultivator surnamed Li. Anyone remained silent in the face of flood dragon’s interrogation about him would find themselves immediately attacked.

  As a result, many cultivators came to believe that the massive wave of attacks from the flood dragons was likely a result of this Cultivator Li. Just what had this person done to enrage the flood dragons to this degree!?

  When word of this spread, everyone it became common to hear people cursing this unknown cultivator for having invited this calamity upon all of them. It reached the point where everyone wanted to find this Cultivator Li and capture him, delivering him to the flood dragons as an apology and to appease their rage.

  However, everyone was bewildered to discover that there was no one by the name of Li among the higher grade cultivators. So even if they wanted to apprehend him for his offences, they were incapable of even trying.

  ...

  In a flash of white light, the now infamous Han Li appeared in an unfamiliar place with a Greater Displacement Medallion in hand.

  As a result of his careful nature, Han Li had already prepared for the possibility of meeting enemies upon arrival and had preemptively changed his appearance to that of an unfamiliar man. Before he had even managed to recover from the dizziness caused by the teleportation, Han Li heard a lazy voice from his side, “It seems that your esteemed self has a penchant for punctuality as well. You and I were the first to arrive, and are stuck waiting on the others!”

  Upon hearing this, Han Li inwardly trembled and grunted in response before moving off of the formation and standing off to the side.

  Not far from the transportation formation, there was a black-clothed man wearing a hood that grinned upon seeing Han Li, revealing his gleaming white teeth.

  However, when Han Li clearly saw this person’s appearance, he immediately felt his stomach lurch. The man appeared truly frightening with a face so shriveled he looked like a skeleton. Additionally, his eyes twinkled with a faint blue light.

  Despite his shock, Han Li didn’t dare to scorn him, because he could tell at a glance that this skeletal looking man was a mid Core Formation cultivator. He could already be considered a rarely seen high grade cultivator among the Scattered Star Seas.

  At the same time that Han Li saw his face, the skeletal man realized Han Li was a late Core Formation cultivator. Astonishment clear in his eyes, his tone became much more respectful as he continued, “The others should be arriving soon, so please feel free to take a short rest, Brother. We can look forward to all of the rewards we will reap from the upcoming operation, hehe.”

  Han Li was at a loss about what to do, but under such vague circumstances he could only nod his head and maintain his stiff expression to avoid making any mistakes.

  He felt his heart slightly relax after examining his surroundings, and discovering that they matched the description of Bright Emperor Island that Lady Fan had given him. When the Exquisite Sound Sect Disciple had said that the transportation formation was untested, Han Li had felt slightly uneasy. In the end his luck held out and he had truly returned to the Inner Star Seas after all these years.

  He was currently in a cave over sixty meters wide, and apart from the ancient transportation formation that he had appeared from, Han Li saw two additional transportation formations in the cave. While Han Li chatted with the skeletal man, another transportation formation flickered with yellow light, faintly revealing a tall silhouette.

  The black-robed man’s eyes immediately brightened and he hurriedly walked over. Han Li took the opportunity to quietly shoot two small streaks of azure light from his legs into the transportation formation below him, creating a crack in it that would be difficult to spot.

  As a result of this small crack, the ancient transportation formation was disabled and he no longer had to fear any pursuit from either Swift Crane or Feng Xi.

  It appeared that Han Li’s covert sabotage had gone unnoticed by both the black-clothed man and the cultivator that had just arrived. While the two of them were lively bantering with each other, Han Li inspected the new arrival and discovered it was a large man with a fiendish appearance.

  When Han Li saw them speaking with each, he silently walked down from the transportat
ion formation and headed towards the cave opening. However, he had only walked a few steps before he heard the black-robed man saw with an astonished tone, “Brother, not everyone has arrived yet. I was told that there would be five people simultaneously taking action, and the rest of our orders and members have yet to arrive. It would be best for us to wait in the cave for the time being. Otherwise, it will be hard to explain! Now that I think about it, Fellow Daoist’s appearance is quite unfamiliar! Is there any chance that this is the first time that Brother has participated in an operation like this?”

  For some unknown reason, the black-robed man hadn’t doubted Han Li’s identity since he arrived despite not recognizing him.

  Han Li slightly frowned at the question before mumbling with a deliberately impatient voice, “How troublesome, none of this was explained to me.”

  “Hehe! Since Fellow Daoist’s cultivation is quite high, it is only natural for your guide to be hesitant in telling you what to do. However, Brother should exercise some patience. So long as you complete your task, you’re free to do as you wish.” The black-robed man faintly smiled and seemed to be implying something .

  When Han Li heard this, he managed to come up with a fairly certain idea about what was going on. After slightly rolling his eyes, he intended to give a vague response, but right then another transportation formation began to radiate light before bringing forth two more people.

  A strange expression flickered deep within Han Li’s eyes upon seeing the new arrivals. One of whom was an old man who had blue flame emblems that emitted a faint spiritual Qi, and flickered as if they were alive embroidered on on his wide robes. Based on his appearance he seemed to be some notable character, while at his side stood a lean, elegant man.

  With the appearance of these two, there were now five people in the cave and Han Li was the sole late Core Formation cultivator. The skeletal man was at mid Core Formation, while the large man and the old man were both at early Core Formation. As for the lean, elegant man, he was only at the late Foundation Establishment stage.

  Chapter 562: Yuan Yao and the Azure Yang Sect

  Just like the skeletal man and the fiendish man, the new arrivals didn’t ask any questions about Han Li’s identity either. When the elegant man saw that there were five people present, he directly saluted the three people that had arrived earlier and respectfully said, “I am Ke Yu. With respect, I’ve come to deliver your orders and guide you. Here is my proof of identity, please feel free to confirm it.” The elegant man then took out a black command medallion and handed it over to Han Li. As he clearly had the highest cultivation among the three that had first arrived, he naturally took the leading position.

  Han Li wordlessly received the medallion and glanced at it before casually tossing it to the skeletal man.

  The skeletal man took a cursory glance at it as well and then casually tossed it back to the elegant man. He then said with a lazy tone, “What use is there in showing the command medallion? Since a Foundation Establishment cultivator such as yourself was allowed to use the teleportation formation, there is little doubt about your role. As for our identities, there is also no use in examining them. We’ve only arrived here due to receiving orders as enforcers; it is impossible for there to be outsiders. So how about you start telling us our orders?”

  The skeletal man appeared quite familiar with the process and boldly spoke with an expression of impatience.

  When the elegant man heard this, he hesitated for a moment before revealing an embarrassed smile. He didn’t raise the matter about identifying Han Li or the others and only let out a dry cough before introducing the old man at his side.

  “This is Senior Ding, an enforcer of the Azure Yang Sect. Your assignment is to assist Senior Ding in capturing a criminal of the Azure Yang Sect. Senior Ding will continue with the details, this Junior’s role was merely to introduce him.” He then obediently stepped back and deferred to the old man beside him.

  “Azure Yang Sect? Don’t tell me that it’s Lord Three Yang’s Azure Yang Sect?” A blue glint appeared in the skeletal man’s eyes as he revealed astonishment.

  When Han Li and the fiendish man to his side heard this, they also revealed surprise.

  The Azure Yang Sect Elder surnamed Ding faintly smiled and saluted the three, “Hehe, it seems there is no need for me to speak of my sect’s founder since you already know his name. The Martial Ancestor has personally requested Coalition Leader Archsaint Six Paths for this matter. This is due to the fact that not only is the criminal a Core Formation cultivator but she is also in possession of many of the Azure Yang Sect’s most valuable treasures. It has already been many years since she escaped, but we recently acquired word of her whereabouts. Had the Martial Ancestor personally set out to capture her, it would naturally be quite easy, but unfortunately, he has more pressing matters at hand. As such, he was forced to ask you Fellow Daoists for assistance. With us four Core Formation cultivators, we will be able to capture that witch alive with certainty.” When he said that last sentence, his expression subconsciously became stern.

  After hearing him say ‘witch’, the fiendish man bewilderedly asked, “Is this criminal a female cultivator?”

  Han Li frowned, having faintly recalled something.

  “That’s right, the witch is called Yuan Yao. Originally, she was a concubine that was prepared for the young sect master. However, it was beyond our expectations that this witch would be so vicious and merciless, and using her outstanding beauty and bewitchment techniques, she conspired with another woman and killed the young sect master in secret. Yuan Yao then took the young sect master’s treasures and precious medicine pills and fled, later succeeding in Core Formation. As that young master was Martial Ancestor Three Yang’s sole descendant, he naturally has a bone-deep hatred for the woman and views her as a top priority. So long as you three assist me in capturing the woman alive, our sect will be certain to repay you accordingly. We won’t leave you under compensated for your efforts.” The old man gritted his teeth as he spoke of the objective

  The skeletal man and the fiendish man glanced at each other with a meaningful gaze. As for Han Li, he rubbed his nose in complete silence.

  ‘So the culprit turned out to be Yuan Yao!’ This mysterious and beautiful woman’s shocking history was far beyond Han Li’s imagination.

  He had been suspicious about how the woman had managed to reach Core Formation in such a small period of time and why she had acted in such a secretive manner, but he wouldn’t have guessed that she had stolen everything from the corpse of a young sect master and was being pursued by the Azure Yang Sect. The many precious medicine pills on the Young Master seemed to have greatly benefited Yuan Yao. But now, it seemed the woman was trapped in a troublesome situation, and vague thoughts of disrupting their plan had sprung into his mind. However, they remained nothing more than thoughts for the moment. While they couldn’t be considered to have a particularly close relationship, they could at least be considered acquaintances.

  At that moment, the skeletal man at his side started to speak, “Since we’ve already received orders from our superiors, my brother and I would’ve participated regardless. Do you know where this woman appeared? Since we’ve gathered here, then she mustn't be too far away!”

  “Fellow Daoist is right, the witch lives in seclusion on a desolate island north of Bright Emperor Island. When she went out to purchase a few goods, one of our disciples happened to recognize her and followed her back to the island. Up until that moment, we didn’t have the slightest idea about where she could be. This woman is extremely cunning and she possesses treasures with tremendous might, not to mention our sect’s precious Azure Flameblasts. As such, everyone should take proper care.” When the old man gave his warning, he spoke towards Han Li especially. Since Han Li was a late Core Formation cultivator, the old man held him in even higher regard than the others.

  But against their wildest imaginations, while Han Li was expressionlessly nodding his head, he
was inwardly pondering whether or not he should exterminate them. However, when Han Li heard that Yuan Yao was located nearby and that she had many precious treasures on hand, his heart stirred. After a mere moment of thought, Han Li decided that after he saved her, he would take the opportunity to demand heavy rewards from her.

  With the explanation completed, Ke Yu finished examining the people in the room and respectfully asked them for confirmation that they understood before setting off from the cave.

  ...

  Somewhere else in the Inner Seas a cultivator with disheveled hair glanced down at the transportation formation under his feet with confusion. The transportation had been flickering with light when he had entered, but once he was about to teleport, the formation had lost power for some unfathomable reason. This caused him to gloomily rub the back of his head; he was at a loss of what to do.

  ...

  Leaving behind the people guarding the formations, Han Li and the party arrived on the side of a mountain. In the distance, a village could vaguely be seen. The party of five then took to the skies and under the guidance of the Azure Yang Sect Elder, they left the island and flew north.

  The flight was uneventful and the party flew in silence. With Han Li’s detached and withdrawn mannerisms, none dared to tactlessly chat along the way as he possessed the highest cultivation among them.

  About half a day later, the group of five spotted a small island about ten kilometers wide ahead of them.

  A cold light flickered within the old man’s eyes as he came to a stop, and coolly said, “This is the place. The witch should be hiding inside one of the hills.”

  Han Li and the others soon came to a stop and gazed at the island in the distance. Apart from some sparse vegetation, there were only a few small stone mountains and the spiritual Qi was extremely scarce.

  After taking a look at the island, the fiendish man couldn’t help but doubtfully ask, “Fellow Daoist Ding, are you not mistaken? The witch is a Core Formation cultivator. Why would she cultivate in a place like this?”