For the rest of these days, Han Li wholeheartedly spent his time refining various talismans.
During that time, his gold-silver Gold Devouring Beetles had already begun to cannibalize one another, much to his joy. He was sure that while the Gold Devouring Beetles were still far away from complete evolution, they were growing quite close to the legendary all-devouring stage.
However, the Weeping Soul Beast in the neighboring room was proving quite troublesome for Han Li. It had remained soundly asleep this entire time without any sign of awakening. Fortunately, with the Weeping Soul Pearl refined within his body, he knew that there was nothing wrong with the beast. However, he couldn’t help but feel worried. After all, it was taking too long to complete its transformation....
A month later, the Drifting Cloud Sect’s main mountain was bustling with exceptional liveliness. Cultivators began to unceasingly gather at the top of the mountain, with several thousands cultivators that came to observe the contest. It appeared everyone that was off duty had come.
While they weren’t participating the battle, watching other cultivators battle in a contest of skill was a vastly enriching experience.
The contest was being held on three large, flat stages near the top of the mountain. Each of the stages were surrounded by spell formations over three hundred meters wide. They all raised a huge dome of light around the stage to prevent the spectators from receiving any injuries.
There were three late Foundation Establishment cultivators acting as judges to prevent any deaths from occuring.
The sect selection was now undergoing its third day. The past two days had resulted in many cultivators being sadly defeated.
In total, the selection contest was being conducted between five hundred cultivators. Although there were three stages to conduct battles, this process would take many days given the large number of participants.
That being said, the forty cultivators of Dayspring Mountain had been among the smaller factions. They paled in comparison to the number from Firecloud Mountain which had over a hundred disciples participating.
There were only four Foundation Establishment cultivators in the contest, but they weren’t required to fight until the final round. Although they weren’t among those that were chosen by the mountain lords, they had still managed to reach Foundation Establishment before the age of thirty. Since they were undoubtedly talented individuals, they would be given a position with just a single victory against a Qi Condensation cultivator.
At that moment, Han Li silently stood among several Dayspring Mountain cultivators. They were all watching a battle occur inside a light barrier between a cultivator of Dayspring Mountain and White Phoenix Mountain.
White Phoenix was a peculiar existence amongst the six mountains. Not only did the mountain have two female Core Formation mountain lords, they primarily relied on female disciples. As a result, their mountain possessed few disciples and only a dozen female cultivators were participating in the battle.
The Dayspring Mountain disciple that was fighting appeared somewhat aged, but he was actually in his late twenties. Although he was an external affair disciple, he was born in a reputable cultivation clan in the State of Xi. That was why he possessed a high grade magic tool of considerable power, a white gold dagger-axe. Although the young female cultivator from white Phoenix Mountain was being pushed back, her eyes were full of hope.
The Dayspring Mountain cultivators beside Han Li were clearly good friends with the male cultivator and cheered him on with excitement.
But just as the man’s white dagger-axe was about to chop down, the woman raised her brow and shout a ball of azure light from her hand, blocking the white streak. The woman’s body then blurred and she disappeared without a trace.
When the man saw this, he hurriedly formed an incantation seal with his hands as his expression vastly changed. Just as he thought to force back the woman with a magic technique, a red mist suddenly enveloped him from behind.
Then with a flop, the Dayspring Mountain disciple fell to the ground.
The lanky cultivator that was floating above the stage announced, “White Phoenix Mountain’s Jin Rong is victorious.”
When the female cultivator heard this, she respectfully saluted the judge and took out a small bottle from her storage pouch. After she placed it next to the nose of the unconscious cultivator, he began to slowly regain consciousness.
Once he realized what had happened, the Dayspring Mountain cultivator walked from the stage with a deep red expression. Afterwards, the female cultivator flew out from the spell formation with a proud appearance. The nearby female cultivators immediately surrounded her and showered her with praise, attracting the attention of a few nearby male cultivators.
Above the dome of light, the lanky cultivator expressionlessly announced, “The next battle will be between Dayspring Mountain’s Han Li and Firecloud Mountain’s Xun Tong!” Although his voice wasn’t loud, the nearby cultivators heard him clearly.
When Han Li heard this, he smiled and slowly walked into the spell formation.
Not long after, a handsome, white-clothed cultivator entered from the other side. As soon as this person entered, an uproar was raised amongst the nearby spectators.
Chapter 623: Overwhelming Supremacy
“That’s Junior Martial Brother Xun! He just entered the sect a few years ago!”
“It’s said that this Junior Martial Brother possesses Heavenly Yangfire Veins. Is it true?”
“Isn’t the Xun Clan a cultivation clan of great renown in our State of Xu? Surely he must possess mighty magic tools!”
“Who is this Junior Martial Brother Han? I don’t think I’ve seen him before. Did he just enter the sect?”
“I got to say that Han Li is sure out of luck. He came across a fearsome opponent!”
Before the battle even started, Han Li could clearly hear a lively discussion coming from outside the stage’s light barrier.
‘Heavenly Yangfire Veins?’ Han Li’s expression slightly stirred upon hearing this and examined his opponent with interest. In addition to his handsome appearance and tall figure, his cultivation was quite decent at the twelfth layer of Qi Condensation.
Seeing that Han Li had an ordinary appearance and only possessed a cultivation at the tenth layer, a trace of disdain appeared on the white-clothed youth’s face, but he still saluted him nevertheless.
When Han Li saw this, he inwardly sneered and indifferently returned the salute with a faint smile. The white-clothed youth revealed a trace of anger at his casual response.
At that moment, the lanky cultivator up above indifferently said, “Start the battle!”
As soon as this was said, the white-clothed youth wore a harsh expression and immediately formed an incantation seal with his hands. A flash of fiery light suddenly pulsed from his body, enveloping him in a barrier of scorching light. He then waved his hand and opened his fingers, revealing an egg-sized red ball that floated from his grasp. The white-clothed youth then started to mutter an incantation in preparation of attacking Han Li with the magic tool.
When Han Li saw this, he felt a faint sense of familiarity with this method and couldn’t help but feel surprised.
At that moment, many yelps of astonishment came from the outside.
“Quickly look, Junior Martial Brother Xun instantly enveloped himself in a fire attribute barrier without a talisman. He really does have Heavenly Yangfire Veins!”
“What’s that? That bead in his hand seems to be his clan’s famed Firewave Bead. That youngster facing him is certain to lose! Perhaps the match will be decided in an instant!”
Han Li inwardly sneered and calmly waved his hand, taking out a stack of about forty talismans from his storage pouch.
He raised his head to look at the white-clothed youth only to discover that the youth was completely focused on using his magic tool and was oblivious to Han Li’s actions. It appeared he held absolute confidence in his barrier.
Since
this was the case, Han Li decided to cease any pleasantries and slapped his hands together. In a burst of red light, forty fist-sized fireballs shot out from his hands in a dense barrage towards his opponent. The scene caused the spectators to shout in surprise.
At that same moment, the Firewave Bead floating above the white-clothed cultivator’s hand was set ablaze and was now ready to attack. But just as he was basking in his delight, he heard the spectators cry in surprise and couldn’t help but raise his head in confusion. As a result, he caught sight of several tens of fireballs simultaneously striking his barrier.
With a series of loud explosions and flashes of glaring red light, the youth’s senses were overwhelmed. As for the light barrier surrounding him, it shattered in a pitiful display, lasting for only a moment.
The roasting flames rushed towards him before his eyes and were one step away from completely enveloping him. Although this young talent was gifted with the Heavenly Yangfire Veins and had been meticulously nurtured by his sect elders, he now found himself on the verge of death. He cried out with a pale face and lost himself to fear, wanting to turn around and flee. But during this moment of peril, the youth felt his collar tighten and his body became lighter. He was immediately lifted in the air and the wave of flames completely passed him by.
Still in a panic, the white-clothed cultivator turned around to see the lanky judge grasping him by the collar. He indifferently muttered, “Dayspring Mountain’s Han Li is victorious.”
At that moment, the white-clothed youth realized that he had already lost. His face then turned deathly pale after realizing that he had been easily defeated by talismans of the lowest grade.
As for the many cultivators spectating, after recovering from their shock, they all looked at each other in dismay. They all knew that while the fireball talisman was the simplest low grade elementary talisman, they each cost a spirit stone to purchase.
However, Han Li had used forty of these talismans in a single breath, equating to forty spirit stones that had been thrown away in the fight. That was the price of a good low-grade magic tool. This wasn’t merely being loose with money; he was completely squandering it. Could it be that he planned on sparing none of his wealth in order to prevail in the selection?
Underneath the peculiar gazes of the Drifting Cloud Sect, Han Li saluted the lanky Foundation Establishment cultivator and walked out of the light barrier with an unchanged expression.
As for the white-clothed youth, he resentfully glared at Han Li as he departed, but underneath the cold watch of the lanky cultivator, he could only helplessly depart.
With his first battle concluded, Han Li had no thoughts of observing other’s battles and returned to his cave residence.
Two days later, the first round of the competition came to a close. There were many marvelous battles during the contest that were being enthusiastically discussed by the spectators.
While Han Li’s use of tens of fireball talismans had left many speechless, it had aroused much admiration as well. Many of the spectators believed Han Li to be a disciple of a large clan for him to be able to spend so many spirit stones.
This had led to Han Li developing somewhat of a reputation among some of the spectating disciples.
In the second round of the competition, Han Li was selected to fight in the afternoon of the first day. He arrived at the center of the stage with a calm expression. A few of the disciples that had watched Han Li’s last battle were currently muttering to each other.
“It’s that guy from Dayspring Mountain. Two days ago, he defeated his opponent in a single blow by using several tens of talismans.”
“Is that the truth? He appears completely unremarkable. Could he be feeling a hole in his pocket?”
“Yi! There doesn’t seem to be a cultivation clan with the name of Han in our State of Xu. Could he have come from a different country?”
Han Li listened to all of their words with a calm expression. He was currently examining his opponent with a calm expression.
He was a male disciple in his mid twenties who possessed a refined appearance. He had well-fitted azure robes, and apart from the storage pouch at his waist, there was nothing about him that seemed out of place. He was watching Han Li with a solemn expression. It seemed their discussions had reached his ear as he soon frowned.
“Start.” As soon as that was said, the young disciple reached for his storage pouch and rushed to raise his hands. In a flash of white light, two sparkling icicles shot in Han Li’s direction. His body then flickered with azure light before directly pouncing towards Han Li in a gale.
It seemed this person had heard of Han Li. He thought to forcefully interrupt Han Li by using the two ice spike talismans and charged towards Han Li with a body lightening technique.
After some brief surprise, Han Li couldn’t help but smile. His body then blurred, having the two icicles brush past his body.
Then seeing that his opponent was excitedly charging towards him with an outreached hand glowing with yellow light, Han Li grew indistinct before disappearing by using his Shifting Smoke Steps.
The young disciple’s pounce had completely missed, much to his shock. The yellow radiance in his hand dimmed as well. It was actually a net-type magic tool.
But before the young disciple could search for Han Li, he suddenly felt a sharp pain from the back of his neck. The world around him became black and he fell to the ground, oblivious to what had happened.
A trace of astonishment flickered across the lanky cultivator’s face, but he calmly declared, “Dayspring Mountain’s Han Li is victorious!”
A moment ago, Han Li had appeared behind his opponent and chopped at the back of his opponents neck, knocking him out.
Several cultivators had rushed onto the stage and examined the unconscious disciple. After nodding to the lanky cultivator, signifying that there was nothing wrong, they dragged him off the stage.
Of course, an uproar was raised from the spectators outside.
“Did you see that? What magic technique did he use to appear behind his opponent in the blink of an eye? That’s inconceivable!”
“Fool, that isn’t a magic technique! That was clearly a movement technique from the mortal world’s martial arts, but I’ve never seen one used with such high skill!” A few of the more experienced disciples managed to recognize the source of Han Li’s movements.
Chapter 624: Discussion
On the thirteenth day of the Drifting Cloud Sect’s selection, the final round was currently being concluded.
At that moment, there were eight Core Formation cultivators assembled together in a pavilion at the center of the mountain discussing something. Two of them were the mountain lords of Dayspring Mountain, the middle-aged man surnamed Xin and the fierce-looking, grey-clothed old man surnamed Yu.
A blue-robed old man with a white fluttering beard and a faceful of wrinkles frowned and asked, “Are there any Junior Martial Brothers willing to escort the disciples to the Sword Trial Assembly?”
A middle-aged man with a lazy expression and a long, thin mustache snorted and indifferently replied, “Senior Martial Brother Feng, the Sword Trial Assembly will always be dominated by the Ancient Sword Sect, and that vitriolic fellow Jiang Yun is always the one to bring the Ancient Sword Sect members. I don’t wish to be embarrassed without reason.”
A yellow-faced old man shook his head and said, “That’s right! I’ve even heard that in the past few years, the Ancient Sword Sect picked up a disciple that possessed a Ninesword Constitution. They will be certain to have him participate. As such, there is no hope of winning this Sword Trial Assembly. Although we do hold a few disciples that possess a peculiar constitution, they are inferior in comparison. And there is also news that the Hundred Possibilities Sect had acquired a direct descendant of the Guan Clan. It is said that while he was still in Qi Condensation, he defeated his clan’s elders by using his personally refined magic tools. I fear this could be quite a difficult trip!”
When the white-haired old man heard this, he revealed an expression of dissatisfaction. He gravely said, “Junior Martial Brothers, you aren’t wrong. The Sword Trial Assembly has already become a stage for the Ancient Sword Sect to display their power, but that is something beyond our control. If our sect does not send over any disciples that participate in the assembly, I fear we won’t even acquire a quarter of the Wine Nectar. Besides, this could easily cause the Ancient Sword Sect to view us with hostility. It would be detrimental to our sect’s development in the Dreamcloud Mountain for ages to come. We have more things to worry about, like the many clans that are covetously eyeing the three sects of Dreamcloud Mountain. We cannot reveal any weakness to them.”
A square-faced, red-robed old man with a formal appearance suddenly proposed, “Since Senior Martial Brother Feng said this, I’ll be the one to bring the disciples. Rather, I haven’t seen the Hundred Possibilities Sect’s Elder Chang Zheng in quite a while. A chance to chat would be nice.”
Old Man Feng glanced at him and hesitantly said, “Junior Martial Brother Duan, as the Mountain Lord of Firecloud Mountain, you have the most disciples under you. It would be improper for you to leave the sect.”
The red-robed old man nonchalantly said, “It is of no matter. Junior Martial Brother Li will still be there to handle Firecloud Mountain. Besides, it’s not like I’m leaving the Dreamcloud Mountains. I’m just traveling to the western range.”
With that said, the white-haired old man didn’t persist in his objections and nodded his head. He then swept his gaze over the other cultivators before staring at the fierce-looking, grey-clothed old man. He slowly said, “Junior Martial Brother Yu, I know that you don’t have any pressing responsibilities at Dayspring Mountain. How about you assist Junior Martial Brother Duan? Junior Martial Brother Xin, do you have any objections?”
The middle-aged man surnamed Xin faintly smiled and said, “Of course not. I’m sure Junior Martial Brother Yu is completely willing to go.”
A Record of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality c1-2248 Page 335