Han Li’s curiosity was greatly piqued, and he began to carefully look through it while becoming increasingly more excited.
The stone tablet was a manual specifically intended to teach the demon language. Furthermore, it was extremely detailed and gave word by word explanations. The cultivator who carved this had an immense familiarity with the demon beast language.
Although Han Li couldn’t immediately grasp the teachings, if he recorded the text and slowly read through it day by day, he was certain to be able to learn it. As such, he would be able to clearly understand the demon techniques that were recorded in the old hide book and the copper demon plate.
As for whether or not humans could learn the techniques of demons, Han Li didn’t bother thinking much about it. Even if the demon techniques were of no use to him, there were only benefits to be gained from learning the demon language. Who knew whether or not it would be useful in the future?
After all, this was an incredibly rare opportunity.
After spending a rather long period of time, Han Li managed to utilize his eidetic memory and commit every character on the tablet to memory without fail. He then took a deep breath and left the room without even bothering to take another look at the magic tools on the tables.
After leaving the stone building, Han Li began to wander around the village and examined a few of the more peculiar buildings. He would examine them closely and talk to a few of the nearby villagers about them. Fortunately for him, these villagers were rather simple-minded. Although he as a complete stranger, they amiably answered any questions he had.
With this, Han Li quickly began to understand a few basic things about the Umbra Realm.
For example, since there were no iron mines or such, they could only refine weapons from the bones of particular umbra beasts. Of course, weapons couldn’t directly be made from the bones themselves and were immersed in a liquid known as “dark water”, hardening the weapons as a result. Additionally, they gained the added effect of Yin flames, causing them to become particularly powerful against umbra beasts. But because the supplementary effect of the Yin flames quickly expired, these weapons had to be re-immersed in dark water every so often in order to maintain their deadliness. This greatly aroused Han Li’s curiosity.
Furthermore, every few months, there would be a storm of Yin winds that lasted several days. During this time, a majority of the umbra realm would be covered in bone-chilling black Yin winds. Humans are incapable of moving outside during this period, as they would be turned into black ice sculptures by the Yin winds. Only with the protection of the village’s spell techniques could the villagers remain unharmed.
In contrast, umbra beasts were most active during the storm and would frequently appear, sometimes attacking the villages in groups, much to the worry of humans.
Han Li had acquired quite a lot of information in this manner before suddenly being inspired to ask about the slender-eyed white-faced man that seemed to bode him ill. They told him that he was an outsider surnamed Feng who had been sucked in several years ago that possessed astonishing martial arts. He had killed powerful umbra beasts many times since arriving and was rather renowned in the village. As a result, he had become an elder despite his young age and was responsible for teaching the youths in the village martial arts, gaining great prestige amongst the village youth as well.
While Han Li didn’t feel particularly fearful after hearing this, he inwardly frowned and felt that the man would prove quite troublesome.
After strolling around the village for a while longer and seeing what there was to see, he leisurely made his way back to his building.
But just as he arrived, Han Li suddenly heard a man’s voice coming from within the room.
“What? Everything I just said was sincere. So long as Lady Mei marries me, not only will you have no lack of food, but you need not risk your life to carry out missions. I have remained alone for many years, not because I am a fickle person, but because Lady Mei is the first that truly touches my heart.” At some unknown time, the middle-aged man surnamed Feng had arrived within the room.
Chapter 586: An Eye for an Eye
When Han Li heard what was being said he was stunned, but he soon found himself unsure whether he should laugh or cry.
He eventually realized that the speaker was the middle-aged man surnamed Feng. Han Li finally knew the reason he was so hostile towards him. The man mistakenly believed that Han Li and Mei Ning had some sort of intimate relationship because they had arrived together.
However, it was no surprise to Han Li that this Elder Feng would feel his heart stir upon seeing Mei Ning. The women in the village that he had seen weren’t beautiful in the least.
While Mei Ning wasn’t on par with country-shattering beauties such as Yuan Yao or Fairy Violet Spirit, she was still exceptionally gorgeous by all accounts. With the addition of her many years of cultivation, she possessed an alluring aura that mortals couldn’t possibly match.
“I can pretend that I didn’t hear that. I am a cultivator, I can’t marry a mortal. Please leave.” To Han Li’s surprise, Mei Ning was unwavering even while alone and spoke with a blunt coldness.
The middle-aged man grew enraged at Mei Ning’s refusal and his tone grew sinister, “Humph! It seems Lady Mei still doesn’t realize the situation she is in. This is the Umbra Realm, and your status as a cultivator has no value here. Perhaps commoners might hold some reverence towards you, but in my eyes, without any umbra beast gems you are merely an ordinary mortal. Could it be that you truly believe your male companion would be able to fight me? My martial arts were unrivaled in the entire Four Crest Seas. If I wanted to kill him, who could stop me?”
It was beyond Mei Ning’s imagination that a mortal would dare to threaten her and her voice began to tremble, “You dare to threaten me?”
“Of course I dare. Why wouldn’t I?”
“What do you intend...”
Not knowing what the man would do, Mei Ning suddenly yelled out in terror.
When Han Li heard this, he rubbed his nose and bitterly chuckled in his mind. Although it could be said that he had no prior relationship with the woman, she was still a fellow cultivator that was trapped in the Umbra Realm just like him. He wasn’t so heartless that he could ignore her current plight.
With that thought, Han Li wryly smiled. Bang! Before Mei Ning screamed a second time, he kicked open the room and confidently walked in.
Mei Ning was pushed into a corner of the room by the middle-man surnamed Feng. When he heard the door burst open, his evil grin was replaced with a look of astonishment.
When he saw that Han Li was the one who entered, his expression quickly grew sullen.
When Mei Ning saw Han Li, her pale expression immediately brightened as she ran out of the corner to Han Li’s side.
The woman managed to regain her bearings and immediately warned, “Fellow Daoist Han, be careful. That man wishes to do you harm!”
Without turning his head away from the man surnamed Feng, he calmly said, “Relax! I heard what he said from outside the room.”
The middle-aged man coldly stared at Han Li and asked with a harsh tone, “When did you return? I didn’t hear any movements.” He was extremely confident in his inner strength. With it, he could hear the rustling of leaves and grass from over forty meters away. However, he was baffled by the fact that he hadn’t been able to detect Han Li.
Han Li lazily turned his head towards the man surnamed Feng and half-heartedly said, “It seems you are quite confident in your martial arts. However, it was quite stupid of you to target me.”
When the middle-aged man heard this, a malicious look appeared in his eyes, “Stupid? It’s been a while since anyone has called me that. I’ll have to break one of your arms to discipline you.” His body then blurred without another word and he shot towards Han Li. As his palm fiercely struck towards Han Li’s right forearm, it grew somewhat larger and carried a powerful gale.
From his actions,
it appeared that he truly wanted to break Han Li’s forearm in two.
As Han Li watched his quick and violent strike, his figure blurred with a calm expression and he left behind four different afterimages as he met his strike.
The middle-aged man was greatly shocked and reflexively turned his palm halfway to strike the silhouette before him. However, that silhouette was only an illusion, and his palm only struck air.
“This is...” Before the middle-aged man realized what had happened, a small azure dagger had silently been pressed against his throat.
The man felt an ice-cold sensation tremble throughout his body and his hair stood on end.
The middle-aged man heard Han Li speak from behind him with an emotionless tone, “It’s best that you don’t flail about. Although I don’t wish to leave the village due to murder, if you force my hand, I will reluctantly do so.”
The middle-aged man immediately froze as the dagger at his throat was incredibly sharp. He didn’t believe in the slightest that Han Li would hesitate to slice open his throat, and it would take but the slight movement. However, the fear on his face was accompanied by complete disbelief. He hadn’t been able to perceive Han Li going behind him in the slightest.
“Since your esteemed self planned to break my arm, it is only proper that I return the favor in kind.” Without waiting for a response, Han Li swiftly grabbed onto to his forearm at an odd angle and suddenly squeezed.
Crack. The middle-aged man’s forearm bones were cleanly snapped with an inconceivable burst of strength.
“Agh!” Although the middle-aged man was extremely hardy, he still felt an immense pain from his arm and groaned in pain. However, he wasn’t an ordinary man and managed to forcibly stifle his yelp despite the cold sweat covering his face.
Han Li resisted the impulse to finish him off and his body blurred away. With a calm expression, he warned, “Remember that if you dare to enter this building again, it won’t end with your arm. I’ll be taking your life as well.”
Han Li was able to suppress the man by utilizing the miraculous effects of the Shifting Smoke Steps, but he didn’t really intend on killing him as there would surely be someone who had seen the middle-aged man enter this building. He didn’t wish to suddenly be a target of pursuit immediately after coming to this unfamiliar land.
By breaking the middle-aged man’s arm, he had given himself half a month’s breathing room before he would recover his strength. This would give Han Li enough time to plan out what he would do in the future.
He knew that such a minor punishment was only a temporary measure, and that if he let him go, he would surely come back for trouble, given his forceful temperament. If a suitable opportunity arose in the future, Han Li wouldn’t mind secretly killing him.
“I’ve truly made an error in judgement . I didn’t expect that your esteemed self was a top rank martial arts expert. I admit defeat.” With an ashen expression, the middle-aged man uttered this before quickly leaving the building. His departing figure made for a rather sorry sight.
When Mei Ning saw the middle-aged man depart from the building she let out a breath of relief. She then saluted Han Li with a slight blush and said, “Many thanks for Brother Han’s assistance!”
Han Li casually fiddled with one of his flying swords before casually placing it back inside his robes. He nonchalantly said, “It was nothing. If you truly hold no interest in this person, then you should do your best to avoid him. However, if Lady Mei intends to remain in this village, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to become his bride.”
Mei Ning shook her head and bluntly said, “Marry him!? Absolutely not. Ever since I set foot on the path of immortal cultivation, I made a pledge that I would only be wed to a high grade cultivator. How could I possibly agree to marry a mortal without any spiritual roots?”
Han Li’s expression remained unchanged upon hearing the woman. He silently walked over to a chair and calmly sat down before closing his eyes.
While the woman was unable to achieve the same level of calm as Han Li after what she had just experienced, she went to the stone bed and also sat down. Not long after, her expression fluctuated as she expectantly asked, “Fellow Daoist Han, do you have any good plans to escape this place?”
After a moment of silence, he opened his eyes and insipidly said, “Did Lady Mei not listen to the method to depart this place? How could I possibly have a good idea for that already?”
When Mei Ning heard his response, she clearly didn’t believe him and her eyes quickly reddened, “Fellow Daoist Han, don’t deceive me. When I heard the elder’s method, I believed that it was impossible. Although Fellow Daoist remained silent, you appeared calm and confident. You clearly must have some method of escaping this place. Could it be that Brother Han believes this little woman to be a hindrance and plans to move by himself?”
Chapter 587: Transient Spirit Qi
Han Li frowned for a moment before calmly saying, “Fellow Daoist Mei, since we arrived here together, it could be considered that there is some destiny between us. Since Lady Mei already mentioned it, I won’t conceal it any longer. I feel that I am somewhat able to climb Stormwind Mountain. Regardless of whether it’s the flying umbra beasts that circle the mountain or the hallucinogenic mist, I have methods of dealing with them. However, these methods will only work for me alone. I do not have the skill to bring along anyone else as I would only be able to take care of myself when danger approaches. Fellow Daoist Mei would be certain to die. Since you are so young, it would be better to stay here. Perhaps there will be another opportunity to leave in the future!”
The final sentence was supposed to comfort her, but when Han Li heard himself say it, he couldn’t help but feel that it sounded quite artificial. However, he had been speaking the truth.
Mei Ning’s face instantly paled and she bit her lips in silence.
When Han Li saw the woman turn silent, he sighed and closed his eyes once more.
To tell the truth, he didn’t have a bad impression of Mei Ning. Were she capable enough, he may have provided assistance. But as of right now, Han Li couldn’t afford to increase the burden to himself. He could only still his heart and leave the woman behind. Fortunately, even if she was left behind in the Umbra Realm, she wouldn’t have too difficult a life. At worst, her path of Immortal cultivation had come an end. He didn’t have anything to feel guilty about!
The room settled into silence. After an unknown amount of time passed, Han Li believed that the woman was crestfallen. When he was about to drift off to sleep, he suddenly heard her say, “If I can temporarily restore a bit of your magic power, would you be able to bring me out?”
“What?” Han Li’s eyes shot open and he stared at the woman with disbelief. His sleepiness had completely disappeared.
Mei Ning had her hands wrapped around her knees as she sat on the bed. Her face turned to the side as if she hadn’t spoken.
Just as Han Li was doubting whether or not he had misheard, the woman stretched her body out and raised her head with determination clear in her eyes. “I have a method to temporarily restore a bit of magic power to Brother Han. Although it will last only a moment, it should be of great assistance when Han Li climbs the mountain. However, in addition to taking me away from this land, I have another condition for my assistance.”
After Mei Ning said this, her expression appeared strange, causing Han Li to feel slight doubt.
Han Li stared at the woman and spoke with a heavy tone, “It’s not that I don’t believe you, but even a Nascent Soul cultivator was trapped here, incapable of restoring his abilities. Is Fellow Daoist Mei joking?”
At that moment, his expression was filled with doubt, but it also contained a trace of hope. If he could temporarily restore his magic power, his odds of escaping would be almost certain. Even if it was only a small bit of magic power for a short amount of time, it would be more than enough.
His storage pouch had several threads that didn’t need spiritual power to activa
te. With their wondrous powers, his safety would be further guaranteed.
As for his spirit beast pouches, although the Gold Devouring Beetles and the Bloodjade Spider require spiritual sense to control, he would just barely be able to use the Weeping Soul Pearl within his body to control the Weeping Soul Beast. Although those Umbra Beasts weren’t malicious spirits, they were condensed from umbra Qi, something reminiscent of Yin Qi. They should at least be easily restrained, and wouldn’t pose much of a threat to him.
With that thought, Han Li grew excited.
With a hesitant expression, Mei Ning whispered, “Although this little woman doesn’t have mutated spiritual roots or heavenly spiritual roots, I possess the Transient Jade Phoenix Marrow constitution. Brother Han should know what this means. Through a secret technique, I will be able to give Brother Han my Transient Spirit Qi. The Transient Spirit Qi is extremely pure spiritual power, and will be able to ward off the Spirit Extinguishing Qi for a moment. Of course, the Transient Spiritual Qi will eventually scatter, and Fellow Daoist will once again be without any magic power.”
“Transient Jade Phoenix Marrow constitution!” Han Li was stunned for a moment. But soon after, he started to examine the woman with a strange gaze as his face revealed a trace of understanding.
Mei Ning slowly said, “That’s right. If Fellow Daoist doubts me, he may examine me to know that my words aren’t false.” At the same time, a slight blush arose from her face.
“The you must excuse me.” After a moment of hesitation, Han Li stood up and walked over. With something so important, he had no choice but to make certain.
At that moment, Mei Ning forced herself to be calm as she rolled up her sleeve, revealing her arm. The arm actually had a spot of gecko cinnabar on it.
A Record of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality c1-2248 Page 316