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

by Translator: Johnchen

  When Han Li recalled the details inside the jade slip, he pondered, weighing the potential risks and gains.

  A moment later, Han Li raised his head and calmly asked, “Even if we find the Spirit Kindle Fruit, won’t we need to refine it inside the valley because it would quickly lose its medicinal power? Has Lady Violet Spirit finished preparing the supplementary pill ingredients?”

  Violet Spirit was overjoyed at his response, but she promptly suppressed her excitement. With a bright expression, she said, “The supplementary ingredients for the Nature Origin Pill aren’t easy to find, but I’ve managed to piece them together over the past few years. So long as we have the Spirit Kindle Fruit and our luck doesn’t take a turn for the worse, there shouldn’t be a problem with refining the Nature Origin Pills.”

  Han Li’s face turned grim and he emotionlessly said, “Since it shouldn’t be difficult to find, I will make an attempt. But Lady Violet Spirit, you should know of the dangers of Devilfall Valley. I will make an effort to protect you inside, but be warned that if I encounter a danger that even I cannot withstand, you must be prepared to defend yourself.”

  “This is natural. If something truly happens to me, I will not hold it against Brother Han. Besides, I am quite confident in my ability to survive.” Violet Spirit replied without any hesitation, the soft lines of her face replaced with staunch resolution.

  Han Li’s expression relaxed as these words were much to his satisfaction. “Can you three Fellow Daoists inquire on how the Ghost Spirit Sect will be entering the valley? When I arrived, I heard that the Ghost Spirit Sect are issuing Devilfall Medallions to restrict the number of people that can enter the valley. It seems strange. Under such circumstances, there is no difference whether a few hundred or a few thousand cultivators enter the valley. Yet there seems to be a limitation on how many people may enter. Otherwise, the Ghost Spirit Sect would definitely capitalize on this opportunity as they’re selling each Devilfall Medallion for several tens of thousands of spirit stones.”

  After a moment of surprise, Violet Spirit smiled and said, “As expected, Brother Han is quite discerning. You’ve just about guessed the truth. Although Mei Ning and I haven’t managed to acquire the specifics of the method to enter the valley, we’ve faintly discovered from our source, that Ghost Spirit Sect disciple, the method of entry requires the power of many Ghost Spirit Sect disciples as well as a large quantity of spirit stones to enter to valley at a specific time. It does seem that the number of people that can enter the valley is limited.”

  “Regardless of the method to enter the valley, our Drifting Cloud Sect has been given three Devilfall Medallions and I acquired one when I had returned to the sect. There should be no problem entering the valley for me, but the depths are a different matter. I have no certainty of making it out safely. I believe that the majority of cultivators will be staying on the outer reaches of the valley and search for their treasure there. Only Nascent Soul cultivators would dare to enter the depths. Naturally, there will be Core Formation cultivators that will wish to fight one another, but there shouldn’t be too many. Fellow Daoist Violet Spirit shouldn’t experience too many dangers in the outer valley and should be able to handle herself there. As for when we enter the inner valley...” Han Li’s eyes flickered and he continued speaking to her through voice transmissions.

  When Cultivator Song and Mei Ning saw this, they showed no dissatisfaction. Given the immense danger, it was only expected for them to be more careful.

  When Han Li finished speaking, Violet Spirit hesitated for a moment before nodding. “It is all as Brother Han says.”

  “Then I will see you again inside Devilfall Valley. Ah yes, Martial Niece Song, I’ve heard from the sect disciples that Senior Martial Brother Cheng has already arrived. Do you know where he is?”

  Cultivator Song paused before hastily responding, “I do not know. Martial Senior Cheng had arrived here with a group of his close friends. I haven’t seen him yet.”

  “So it was like that. It seems Senior Martial Brother Cheng wishes to enter the valley before he reaches the end of his lifespan.” Han Li muttered as if speaking to himself.

  After a moment of silence, Han Li frowned and asked, “I’ve also heard that the Moulan will be entering Devilfall Valley as well. Is this true? Do you have any information on this?”

  As if feeling a slight headache over the matter, Cultivator Song could only helplessly respond, “We’ve also heard rumors of this, but the matter is unclear. We don’t know if it is true.”

  Han Li stroked his chin and remained silent. A moment later, his expression faintly changed and he bid them farewell. As a result, the three women in the room looked at each other with dismay.

  “What’s going on? Why was Brother Han in such a hurry to leave?” Violet Spirit’s eyes flickered with bewilderment.

  Mei Ning frowned, appearing slightly disappointed. “I don’t know, but it seems Senior Han has other business to attend to.”

  Cultivator Song glanced at the room’s door and muttered to herself for a moment.

  ...

  At that moment, Han Li was walking down a remote street in a calm and methodical manner. But in truth, he was harshly scolding someone in his mind, “Were you trying to scare me out of my mind!?”

  An aged voice carelessly replied within Han Li’s mind, “Hehe! I was merely thinking that girl named Violet Spirit was deathly beautiful. Stirring a few of your thoughts is only natural.”

  Han Li snorted and angrily continued, “Don’t tell me you forgot how you affected the emotions of my second Nascent Soul when you used the Seven Passions Art on it? You can feel whatever you wish, but don’t involve me. After all, my second Nascent Soul is linked with my consciousness. Besides, Violet Spirit’s current appearance isn’t anything special; you’ve yet to see her true appearance. And your concubine in the past, Ruyun, was said to be a beauty peerless in this world. How can a woman with an appearance like that drive you out of control? You aren’t trying to trick me, are you?”

  “I originally thought to use the Seven Passions Art in order to deal with your primal soul, but who could’ve thought that a trifling early Nascent Soul cultivator possessed a second Nascent Soul and was able to resist calamity. How else would I have met my end here? Although the Seven Passions Art cannot control a cultivator’s consciousness, it can still control their emotions. Likewise, it can reduce one’s will to live in a fight and one’s resolution to kill. As for the girl, although she is using some sort of secret technique to hide her true face, I am able to see through it with my spiritual sense.” The old man’s voice slowed near the end as if somewhat resentful.

  “Even if your Seven Passions Art was more powerful, you will have little luck in leading me astray from my objectives. Although I do share some sensation with my second Nascent Soul, your Seven Passions Art won’t prove to be anything more than a minor hindrance. However, I completely didn’t expect that the Core Founder of the Thousand Bamboo School and the creator of the Great Development Technique, the Monarch of Soul Divergence, had survived until now by possessing a puppet. Were it not for your inconceivably powerful spiritual sense and your complete knowledge of the Great Development Technique, I wouldn’t have believed it. But regardless, if you casually stir my emotions over a female cultivator again don’t blame me for being impolite.” Han Li’s tone turned harsh at the end.

  The old man snorted and disdainfully said, “Youngster Han, you should know that even with the assistance of the Soul Nurturing Wood my soul would last only several tens of years more before it disappears. Were if not for the fact that I had mostly finished my final puppet, I would’ve gladly passed on and reincarnated. After spending countless years inside a sensationless puppet, I’ve felt I’ve lived long enough. And if you hadn’t seen a woman for as long as I had, you’d be the same as well.”

  When Han Li heard him, he rubbed his nose and felt his head deeply ache.

  The true body of the old eccentric was actually h
idden in the tube behind his back. Were it not for his agreement to teach Han Li the final three layers of the Great Development Technique and his willingness to impart several powerful puppet designs onto him that had never been published, Han Li would’ve dealt with him with several methods and exterminated him.

  But most annoying of all was the old eccentric’s unfathomably powerful spiritual sense. Even as he was currently, his soul searching techniques still had no effect on the defenseless eccentric. Rather, the old eccentric was nearly given the opportunity to control Han Li’s soul, scaring Han Li away from using such a method again.

  When faced against the Monarch of Soul Divergence, an eccentric that had lived over ten thousand years, Han Li found himself feeling completely powerless.

  Chapter 799: The Soul Attachment Technique

  Han Li paused for a moment and asked, “Old Eccentric, when you possessed the puppet body, you didn’t think about moving your primal soul out of it? It shouldn’t be difficult with your abilities.”

  “You think the Soul Attachment technique is so simple to use? In the past, during my lifetime of great genius, I had divided my attention to too many things. Not only did I create the secret technique to strengthen one’s spiritual sense, but I also founded the Thousand Bamboo School and researched the long extinct puppet methods of the Heavenly South. These matters consumed a majority of my lifespan, not to mention that I had also cultivated during this time. Eventually, I reached late Nascent Soul stage and I ran amuck in the region without match.”

  “You ran amuck in the region and were without match?” Han Li wore an odd expression on his face.

  “What, you think I’m just running my mouth? When my cultivation reached great heights, I had challenged renowned cultivators, but I had always kept a low-profile about my successes. As a result, my name didn’t spread and only a few peak cultivators knew of my reputation. Not to mention other lands, the number one cultivators of the Heavenly South Righteous and Devil Dao at the time had both been beaten into submission by my hand. They were even willing to hand the Far West over to me and relinquish their forces over it. Do you truly believe that the Heavenly South cultivators would stay away otherwise? Even if the Far West was lacking even more resources than it was now and only had enough land for two countries, it is still enough to support many sects.” The Monarch of Soul Divergence spoke with a prideful tone.

  “The Far West was something you fought for?” Han Li asked.

  The old man continued with an even greater air of pride, “Not only that, but I forced the two leading figures of the Righteous and Devil Dao to swear a venomous oath: within ten thousand years, their disciples and ancestors are not to tread into the Far West.”

  “For someone of their stature to be driven as such.” The corner of Han Li’s mouth curled from disbelief.

  “If they were unwilling, I would’ve clearly exterminated their disciples and descendants. Do you believe me to be the soft-hearted sort? If they wished to surround me with numbers, my thousand puppets would prove to be a fair fight. However, it is surprising that neither the Devil or the Righteous Dao haven’t invaded the Far West until now. Could it be that they are still obeying their ancestor’s orders until now?” The Monarch of Soul Divergence seemed somewhat baffled.

  Han Li grew silent. The old eccentric wasn’t simply talking big. Even if he were exaggerating about the past, the thousand puppets that the Thousand Bamboo Sect possessed weren’t something to take lightly, even if they were only at Foundation Establishment stage. As for the Righteous and Devil Dao’s oaths to prevent them from conquering the Far West, there was also the matter that the distance to the Far West was too great, the resources too sparse, and the disinterest as well. Han Li didn’t bother to think too much about it as if it had little relation to him. As he thought about this, he heard the old man sigh.

  “Just as I finished this and believed I stood at the peak of the cultivation world, I discovered I’d made a fatal error. My lifespan had fallen short and my cultivation had halted at late Nascent Soul stage. Although my aptitude and abilities were amazing, I only had a mere two hundred years of time left, not nearly enough for me to breakthrough to the Deity Transformation stage. If I hadn’t been distracted with puppet arts from the very start and created my own designs, I believe I would’ve had a very real chance of entering the Deity Transformation stage and ascended to the Spirit Realm. Instead, I was trapped inside of a puppet body for over ten thousand years, leaving me terror-stricken the entire time.” The Monarch of Great Divergence spoke with a sullen voice as if he were dejected.

  When Han Li heard that, he pursed his lips and rolled his eyes. He even felt a tinge of envy.

  Ordinary cultivators would find it extremely difficult to form a Core or condense a Nascent Soul. As for this old man, he spoke of entering the Deity Transformation stage as if it weren’t a difficult matter in the least. If his words were true, then he was a heaven-defying existence, a cultivation genius that was seen only once in ten thousand years.

  “After seeing that I no longer had any hope to enter Deity Transformation stage, I was unwilling to helplessly wait for my death to approach. It is said that the soul is immortal and that it reincarnates into another life. But is that still me if I don’t have any memories from that lifetime? I would be an entirely different person. In the next world, I may simply be an ordinary commoner lacking spirit roots. The chances of becoming a cultivator are extremely small. With this fear in my heart, I spent my remaining two hundred years of life toiling to create a way to extend my life or to retain my memories after reincarnation. As a result, I failed many times only to discover the Soul Attachment Technique by using the Great Development Technique as its base. It was a secret technique that hadn’t been discovered before.” With that said, the old man coldly laughed.

  Han Li mysteriously smiled and said, “You abandoned a majority of your cultivation only to put your consciousness into a puppet. As a result, you became a living corpse for about ten thousand years.”

  “Don’t you understand? I didn’t have any time and could only complete the Soul Attachment technique halfway through. Regardless, I used it due to a lack of a better choice and I ended up as I am today. After attaching myself to this puppet, I didn’t think that my cultivation would disappear and I was only barely able to use my spiritual sense. Manifesting my Nascent Soul was out of the question. As for the secret room I was located in, it was guarded with fearsome spell formations and over a hundred puppet guards. Without a body or magic power, I wouldn’t be able to control the puppets even if I managed to break the restrictions. Because I feared retaliation from my enemies, I hadn’t told anyone about the secret room, and my disciples were only at Core Formation stage and were without the ability to find me, leaving me stuck there for ten thousand years. Were if not for my puppet body and the many spirit stones I stored in that secret room, I would’ve long since perished.” Near the end, the old man’s voice turned ice-cold.

  Han Li frowned and became pensive. But soon, his expression grew lax and he asked, “Old Eccentric, why are you so talkative today? When I asked you about the past before, you were always indifferent and lazy, but now you are speaking in such great detail.”

  The old man snorted and angrily said, “Who said that I wasn’t going to tell you? Since you’ve cultivated the Great Development Technique, you can be considered some kind of a disciple. Also, if you hadn’t found the secret room at the Thousand Bamboo School so quickly, my soul would’ve soon scattered. After all, the Soul Attachment technique isn’t a true method to extend one’s life. Even if the puppet body managed to last ten thousand years, my soul would’ve burned out since it had lacked the nourishment from a true body for so long. I didn’t expect that you would be so clever as to notice that my body was different from the other puppets and would rush to strike me first. You even nearly killed me.”

  “I was the one who rushed to strike? Were it not for you launching a sneak attack on me with your rubbis
h Seven Passions Art, I would’ve left you alone despite sensing there was something different about you. As a result, you formed a codependent bond with my second Nascent Soul and couldn’t further act out of fear of repercussion. It is true that you are able to drive my second Nascent Soul mad with the Seven Passions Art, but likewise, I can have my main Nascent Soul use the Assimilation Technique to remove your existence from the second Nascent Soul.”

  “How could I have known that a young eccentric such as yourself was able to condense a second Nascent Soul. You should know that I could only use my spiritual sense at the time as I wasn’t able to use any magic power. Also, I only attacked you out of self-preservation.” Feeling that he had done no wrong, the old man instead spoke with a righteous tone.

  At that moment, Han Li grew silent and no longer wished to continue the conversation.

  After a moment’s pause, the old man said with a self-mocking tone, “Alright, let’s drop the conversation for now. I didn’t expect that you’d have a treasure made of Soul Nurturing Wood. Else, I would’ve perished after a year at most even if I had taken a hold of you. This is indeed a silver lining.”

  Han Li came to a sudden stop and calmly said, “I only allowed you to use the Soul Nurturing Wood because you agreed to teach me the last three layers of the Great Development Technique, not to mention my interest in your puppet designs. After all, you had spent the last ten thousand years sealed inside that secret room researching puppet designs. Since I’ve cultivated your Great Development Technique, I cannot allow those puppet designs to go to waste. This is simply a matter of business between us.”

  The old man roared with laughter from the back of Han Li’s mind. “Youngster Han, you are becoming more pleasant to me by the moment. In the past, I also held deception in disdain. Were it not for the fact your aptitude is too poor and you are incapable of cultivating my art, I would’ve taken you in as a disciple and imparted my knowledge to you.”