Han Li appeared entirely calm, but he already guessed that this likely had to do with the fatal injury he had dealt to the old man, forcing his Nascent Soul to escape. Could it be that the old man had a close relationship with the two?
As Han Li pondered, the two spell warriors fiercely glared at him before glancing at each other and revealing a trace of hesitation. They softly sent a few voice transmissions to one another before wordlessly retreating in two flashes of bright light.
The others were surprised by this. After a moment of hesitation, they decided to not pursue them. In the blink of an eye, the two spell warriors had already disappeared off into the horizon.
Wang Tiangu mysteriously smiled and asked, “Fellow Daoist Han, those two seemed to be particularly mindful of you. Do you recognize those two spell warriors?” It was unknown what he had intended by the question.
Han Li replied without any hesitation, “I don’t recognize them. This is the first time I’ve arrived in the Moulan Plains. How could I possibly know them?”
Marquis Nanlong frowned but he soon unfurrowed his brow.
“Alright, regardless of what was going on with those two spell warriors, let’s hurry and acquire the treasures. We can’t stay for long in the Moulan Plains.” Marquis Nanlong didn’t inquire much about the situation and pretended that it hadn’t happened.
Wang Tiangu immediately dropped the matter upon hearing the Marquis. Although the others were also puzzled, they didn’t speak much of it. Since the two spell warriors seemed to look upon Han Li with resentment, the party felt disinclined from digging too deeply into the matter.
As a result, Marquis Nanlong and the white-clothed old man led the way, and the party quickly traversed through the Moulan Plains.
Following along the border of the Moulan Plains, they headed west and arrived before a barren, ashen-grey mountain. It was only several hundred meters tall and was devoid of any vegetation. Han Li and the others glanced at the mountain with astonishment.
Master Cang Kun’s cave residence was such an unremarkable mountain? The spiritual Qi was also sparse here. If Marquis Nanlong hadn’t led the way, they definitely wouldn’t have arrived in such a place.
“Alright, here we are. Fellow Daoist Yun and I will open the outer layer of restrictions. Follow us closely.” Marquis Nanlong gave the party a word of warning before leading the way alongside the white-robed old man. When they arrived at the center of the mountain, they each took out a small flag.
These two flags were a meter long. One sparkled with dazzling green light, and the other was yellow and fluttered with faint talisman characters. One could tell they were unordinary at first glance.
The others couldn’t help but hold their breaths in anticipation as they attentively gazed at the two’s actions.
The two began to softly mutter incantations without pause. The two flags simultaneously began to twinkled with light and gradually began to tremble as if attempting to break free from their grasp.
“Go!” At nearly the same instant, Maquis Nanlong and the white-clothed old man released their flags at nearly the same time. In a flash of brilliance, the small flags dug into some portion of the earth and disappeared without trace.
A short moment later, there was no sign of movement. Han Li and the others all revealed traces of doubt.
The old woman signed and was about to ask a question when the earth began to tremble. Most of the party was unable to keep their balance amongst the trembling ground.
However, the following scene left Han Li startled.
Chapter 697: Lightning Fire Spike
As the ground fiercely trembled, a fine crack spread from the top of the mountain down the base of the mountain. White light began to shine from the crack as if the mountain were split into two.
Han Li and company felt their breathes turn cold. Their hearts felt complete awe at the sight of Marquis Nanlong and Fellow Daoist Yun splitting open the mountain. Despite their shock, they still managed to appear calm as they observed what was happening.
The two with the lowest cultivation, Wang Chan and Yan Ruyan, stood behind Wang Tiangu in complete silence.
After Han Li coldly glanced at the two, he turned his sights back on the mountain. It seemed he wouldn’t have an opportunity to slay Wang Chan before they acquired the treasure.
As Marquis Nanlong and the white-clothed old man continued their incantations for a moment more, the mountain eventually split into two, creating a huge crevice that was over thirty meters wide. A limestone stairway laid within.
“Let’s go.” With a trace of excitement on the old man’s face, he led the way. As for the other founder of the party, Marquis Nanlong remained behind with a smile.
Han Li felt his heart stir. It seems that this white-clothed old man was quite the character to have Marquis Nanlong actually guard the rear.
The others saw this and glanced at each other, but they all tactfully kept silent on the matter. Instead, they calmly walked inside.
The stairs lasted for quite a while. White moonstones were embedded in each side, but the further they descended, the colder it became. Not long after, they were already three hundred meters deep into the mountain, and the moonlight stone’s faint white light had soon turned into a faint green for some unknown reason. This caused the descending passage to appear ominous.
When Han Li saw this, he frowned and unconsciously pulled away from the tan cultivator ahead of it. If anything happened, the distance would give him enough time to react. Han Li wasn’t the only one to do this. Apart from Marquis Nanlong and the white-clothed old man, the other cultivators began to keep a distance of about thirty meters from each other.
Marquis Nanlong and the old man surnamed Yun clearly knew that the other cultivators were actually taking precautions against them. However, they deliberately ignored this and continued forward without a trace of dissatisfaction.
After the time it took to finish a meal, Han Li and company had arrived in a large mysterious hall. The reason why it was mysterious was because it appeared as if the entire hall appeared was created from a giant hollowed boulder of jade. Its sparkling and translucent blue light appeared extremely beautiful.
Now that they stood within the hundred meter wide hall, everyone wore a face of amazement. This material obviously couldn’t have been true jade. Once they swept their spiritual sense past the walls, they were promptly repelled. It was incapable of seeing past them.
Han Li wasn’t alarmed by this. He used his spiritual sense to probe the other parts of the hall only to find that they were all the same.
Han Li inwardly pondered with a sense of apprehension and turned his gaze to the other cultivators in the room. Wang Tiangu and the others also frowned. It was clear that they also found this to be troublesome.
Could this be where the Wondrous Soul Restriction was located? It seemed Marquis Nanlong wasn’t exaggerating. Just as Han Li’s mind began to wonder, the entire hall began to violently shake and they heard a series of huge tremors from behind them.
The old woman and the others hastily turned their heads in alarm. They discovered the the stairway had unknowingly disappeared and was replaced with walls of sparkling blue light.
A moment later, the entire hall became deathly quiet.
“Fellow Daoist Nanlong, what is the meaning of this?” The tan cultivator asked with a sullen expression. The other cultivators also became vigilant as they glanced at Marquis Nanlong and the white-clothed old man; their eyes flickering around the room.
Marquis Nanlong didn’t display the slightest surprise and calmly said, “Be at ease, Fellow Daoists! The outside restrictions were merely reactivated, causing the mountain to close once more. The last time we came here, this also happened. We merely had to wait three days until the restrictions’ strength was at its weakest before leaving the mountain. We won’t be trapped here. Moreover, with the outer restrictions shut, we have no fear of spell warriors discovering us.”
While the others were so
mewhat skeptical of that explanation, they appeared visibly relieved. So long as Marquis Nanlong and the white-clothed old man were in the hall with them, they had no fear of any trap being set or any malicious planning.
The tan cultivator saluted and said, “So it was like that! It seems I was being rash.”
Fellow Daoist Nanlong chuckled and casually said, “It’s nothing! Let’s hurry to break the restriction. Last time, Fellow Daoist Yun and I returned dejected from failure. This Wondrous Soul Formation isn’t easy to break.”
The old woman’s wrinkly face broke into a smile and she said, “Is the formation truly that difficult to break? I’ve acquired a treasure in the past that was specialized in breaking many restrictions and barriers. Perhaps we can save ourselves the trouble and simply use this treasure to break the restriction?”
A trace of joy flickered from the white-clothed old man’s expression and he immediately replied, “Yi? If Lady Tai possesses such an exceptional treasure, please give it a try. Our method of using spiritual sense to dissolve the restriction isn’t guaranteed to be successful.”
Revealing a trace of delight, Marquis Nanlong said, “That’s right. Fellow Daoist Tai, please go ahead.”
The old woman chuckled and a trace of spirit flickered from her dull eyes, “Since you Fellow Daoists have both agreed, I’ll be blunt. If this somehow manages to luckily break the restrictions, will I have first pick alongside you two as well?”
The other cultivators had slightly changed expressions after hearing this.
Marquis Nanlong revealed slight surprise, but after glancing at the white-clothed old man, he suddenly said to the others, “Regardless of whether it be Lady Tai or anyone else, so long as you succeed in breaking the formation, they will have priority selection for a treasure after us two. What does everyone think?” Once that was said, Marquis Nanlong swept his gaze past the party.
Han Li and Wang Tiangu both appeared indifferent to this, but the tan man and the stern-faced cultivator appeared displeased. Regardless, no objections were raised.
Marquis Nanlong smiled and decisively said, “The others have no objections. Lady Tai, you may take action.”
“Since that’s the case, I will be making an attempt.” The old woman was inwardly delighted. She held quite some confidence in her treasure. So long as it wasn’t an intangible formation like an illusion formation, she had a large chance of success. Why else would she take the risk of angering the rest of the party?
Lady Tai flung out her sleeve and took out an object that was only several inches long. This fire-red object was narrow at the front and thick at the back, resembling something like a spike.
The old man paid no attention to the others and spat a mist of blinding light onto the spike. A short moment later, the spike flickered with red light and began to emit waves of heat that quickly spread throughout the hall.
As experienced as they were, the Marquis and the white-clothed old man immediately knew that this object was unordinary and unconsciously took a few steps away from the woman as they glanced at her spike.
Wang Chan and Yan Ruyan revealed shock upon contacting the heat wave and hastily enveloped themselves in a crimson barrier. They felt their bodies scorch. As late Core Formation cultivators, they were unable to endure such temperatures.
With a flash of white light, the spike began to crackle.
Han Li and the others began to keenly gaze at the spike, discovering that the spike’s flames faintly pulsed with white lightning.
This was an ancient treasure with the dual attributes of lightning and fire! The cultivators looked upon the old woman with varied emotions.
The woman ignored this and deeply glanced at the blue wall in front of her. Her wrist shook and she thrust the Lightning Fire Spike into it. Fiery light flourished and muffled booms sounded out. The spike began to swiftly revolve above her head and soon its speed increased to the point where it became a blur.
The faint red-white blur quickly flew throughout the hall, barely able to be seen. The cultivators in the hall all watched with amazement.
Han Li was particularly alarmed at the sight. This was the first time he had seen such a swift ancient treasure. Even Nascent Soul cultivators would find it difficult to defend against it. If he were to fight against such a treasure, he would have no way of dealing with it apart from the Thunderstorm Wings.
Chapter 698: Taking Action
The old woman pointed at the faint blur of light in the air and solemnly shouted, “Go!” Suddenly, red and white light flickered and the Lightning Fire Spike fiercely struck the blue crystal wall in front of the old woman.
With a muffled bang, lightning and flames ruptured and enveloped the side of the wall. The resulting light made the scene blinding to the eye.
Han Li’s pupils contracted. Although he wasn’t able to see it, the spike’s spiritual Qi fluctuations were quite powerful. It was no wonder why Lady Tai held such confidence in it.
‘But against the Wondrous Soul Restriction, this power isn’t...” Before Han Li finished his thoughts, the lightning fire had already faded away.
The spike was gently floating several inches away from the wall, but the wall appeared completely unscathed.
Marquis Nanlong revealed a trace of disappointment, but then he chuckled and said, “While the might of this magic treasure is quite powerful, it still lacks the strength to break through the Wondrous Soul Restriction. Thank you for your trouble, Fellow Daoist Tai! Are there any other Fellow Daoists that wish to make an attempt to break the restriction?”
Unresigned, the woman snorted and said, “When did I say that this was my treasure’s true power? It was merely a probing strike. It seems anything less than its complete stress won’t do.”
Marquis Nanlong’s eyes brightened and he happily said, “Oh! If Fellow Daoist Tai still wishes to continue her attempt, please don’t hesitate to do so.”
The old woman didn’t reply and promptly held her hands in an incantation gesture. The floating Lightning Fire Spike returned above the old woman’s head. Then under the influence of the old woman’s incantation gestures, it began to revolve in place. Its speed began to quickly increase, slowly merging lightning and blazing fire as one as it emitted a strange hum.
The others’ spirits were shaken as they stared at the scene.
A short moment later, the Lightning Fire Spike appeared to have truly fused together its lightning and flames. Bizzare scarlet lightning continuously arced from its surface.
This scene caused Han Li’s heart to stir. He made a faint connection in his mind and he sunk into thought. The others were also amazed by this scene. They began to think higher of the Lightning Fire Spike.
“Break,” the old woman muttered. With the sound of tearing wind, the Lightning Fire Spike brimming with scarlet lightning disappeared from sight and struck the crystal wall once more.
This time, there was no eruption of lightning or fire. There was only a light pop. With assistance from its high speed rotations and scarlet lightning, it was able to drill into the crystal wall with only a moment of resistance.
Once the drill bore into the wall, its speed greatly decreased, but under the influence of the old woman’s incantation gestures, it slowly pulled forward and drilled with all its might.
A short moment later, the white-clothed old man and Marquis Nanlong revealed delight. Wang Tiangu and the others watched the scene with spirited gazes and nervousness. It was unknown whether they hoped the old woman would succeed or fail.
Han Li inwardly scoffed and wore a faint smirk on his face.
No one else noticed Han Li’s change of expression, except for Yan Ruyan who had unintentionally glanced in Han Li’s direction. The woman was startled for a moment and revealed a trace of bewilderment.
When the Lightning Fire Spike drilled about a foot into the crystal wall, it met calamity. The originally still crystal wall had suddenly shined with blue radiance. Countless threads of scorching white light emerged from the
wall and tightly wrapped around the Lightning Fire Spike in a profuse glimmering display.
With a huge boom, the Lightning Fire Spike exploded and the resulting light faded away, revealing the wall to be completely restored.
The old woman’s face paled, but soon, furious alarm could be seen from her face. The Fire Lightning Spike was an ancient treasure she had expended vast effort into acquiring. It was impossible for her to not feel distress over having it so easily destroyed. For a time, she felt a burning sensation at the pit of her stomach as if she were about to spit up blood.
The others were dumbstruck by the sight and were quite alarmed. As for Yan Ruyan, she glanced at Han Li with astonishment and wore a pensive expression.
Fortunately, the old woman was an exceptional character. After a moment of tense rage, she took a deep breathe and was able to calm down her raging blood.
She turned her heads to the other and bitterly smiled, “It seems I’ve made quite a fool of myself. The Wondrous Soul Restriction is truly worthy of its name as one of the top ten ancient formations. I have no method of destroying it. However, you Fellow Daoists possess vast abilities. Perhaps one of you may be able to break the restriction!” Once that was said, she took several steps back in a gesture of resignation.
Marquis Nanlong’s smile had long disappeared and he could only sigh, “Despite Fellow Daoist Tai’s efforts, she failed. A truly unfortunate matter indeed. Are there any other Fellow Daoists that are willing to give it a try?” Once that was said, Marquis Nanlong glanced at Wang Tiangu in particular. After all, he was a spell formation grandmaster renowned throughout the cultivation world.
But since the others witnessed the destruction of the old woman’s ancient treasure, any interest in making an attempt had been thoroughly extinguished. With their attempts only ending in tremendous failure, who would dare to risk their treasures?
Wang Tiangu remained silent as he stood at the corner of the hall. Although he did possess some understanding of ancient spell formations, he had yet to encounter something on the level of the ten great ancient restrictions, let alone have a method to dissolve it. As such, he wasn’t about to volunteer and make a fool of himself.
A Record of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality c1-2248 Page 374