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

by Translator: Johnchen

  Chapter 861: Return to the Drifting Cloud Sect

  “I have no interest in cultivating to the point of becoming a monster akin to that Elder Devil.” Han Li coldly responded.

  After a moment of silence, Monarch Soul Divergence spoke with a strange tone, “Youngster Han, you don’t truly believe that all the Elder Devils take a grotesque form?”

  “What does Senior mean? Could it be that after I transform into an Elder Devil I won’t take on that otherworldly form? Will I be able to retain a human image?”

  “You’ve gained a wrong impression. According to the records that I’ve read, devil cultivators that ascend to the Devil Realm may join the rank of Elder Devils, but they retain their human appearance. Of course, that’s a different story if you use a devilish technique to change your body. At the end of the war between ancient cultivators and Elder Devils, there was a small portion of cultivators that were enticed by high grade Elder Devils and were completely fused with devilish Qi. With these cultivators joining the ranks of the Elder Devils, the final battle only grew more fierce. It was said that humans that were devilfied, restrained their outer appearance and intelligence, but since they had subjected themselves to those high grade Elder Devils, it is unknown if there was anything else behind this. This started the legend that humans who cultivated Elder Devil techniques to their peak would ascend to the Elder Devil Realm.

  “There are two types of Elder Devils that can take on fantastical and grotesque shapes. One type are peak existences that originated from the Elder Devil Realm known as ‘Divine Ancestors’. These devils are sparse in number and each of them are beyond fearsome. There are even a few cultivators that practice some Elder Devil Arts and repeatedly call out to the names of these ‘Divine Ancestors’ to take in their devilish Qi for cultivation. The other kind are demon clans from our mortal realm that cultivated devilish arts and ascended to the Elder Devil Realm. Demon beasts originally weren’t human to begin with so their Elder Devil forms are vicious and ugly.”

  Having heard this, Han Li said, “Demon clans? How is that possible? How can...”

  Monarch Soul Divergence lazily cut him off, “How can they cultivator Elder Devil Arts, right? Don’t ask me about it; I’m not sure myself. It was merely something that the records had lightly touched. But although the specifics are unknown to me, it seems that the ancient demons contacted the Elder Devils at some point, seemingly much earlier than the humans did. However, I have met a few high grade demon clan members and they didn’t actually cultivate any devil arts, neither did their bodies emit any devilish Qi. Perhaps you’ll come across an answer in the Jin Empire. If any place should have ancient cultivator records, it would be there.”

  Han Li’s expression wavered and he thought to take out the Sacred Providence Plate which was a legacy treasure of the demon clans. It described a three-headed, six-armed cultivation art and it bore a striking resemblance to the Elder Devil’s two-headed four-armed appearance. ‘Could it be that they have some sort of unknown connection?’

  After a moment of silence, Han Li couldn’t help but break out into laughter. Even if the demon clans and Elder Devils had some sort of hidden connection or secret, he didn’t have the time to waste discovering it. It was best to leave these matters to those who were interested.

  As for the Sacred Provenance Plate, it was already ruined, and even if it was intact, he didn’t have any business cultivating demon arts. After all, he didn’t know how much longer it would take for him to cultivate the Azure Essence Sword Arts to completion. Besides, since these techniques had something to do with both Elder Devils and demon clans, it was entirely unsuitable for a human to cultivate.

  Han Li shook his head and tossed the matter to the back of his mind, focused back on the conversation at hand.

  He then bluntly said, “There is no need to worry about the matter of your grand puppet. I will assist you in collecting the materials regardless of whether or not I go to the Jin Empire. However, you did mention that the refinement process of the Sevenflame Fan was nearly complete about two years ago. It should be completely finished by now. If that’s the case, you may as well give it to me now. I am missing two of my flying swords and am incapable of laying down the sword formation. I am in urgent need of an overpowering treasure.”

  In the years they spent in detention inside the pocket dimension, Han Li and Monarch Soul Divergence had come to understand each other rather well. Their relationship had grown deeper and friendlier to the point where they could be considered half friends and half master-student.

  Monarch Soul Divergence replied openly as well, “I’ve substituted the extinct materials in the Sevenflame Fan for you, but I don’t dare to claim that there is a high chance in a successful refinement. And with this refinement method, the fan would be more appropriately named the Triflame Fan. It originally needed eighty one fire-attribute spirit materials to refine, and I now changed it to thirty one. Of course, its might will also be reduced by over a half.”

  “It doesn’t matter if its might is reduced. If Divine Spirit Treasures are as formidable as legend has it, the Triflame Fan should be something that common cultivators won’t be able to block.”

  “Very well.” Monarch Soul Divergence indifferently said, “Take a proper look, I’ve placed the refinement method inside this jade slip. However, there are still many materials that are difficult to find. I reckon it will cost you quite a bit to refine the fan.”

  Afterwards, the bamboo tube on Han Li’s back opened and a white jade slip streaked out. Han Li grabbed it and slowly immersed his spiritual sense into it. After reading through its general contents, he unconsciously frowned.

  Then, Monarch Soul Divergence lazily said, “The other materials will only take a bit of time together and you can refine some of the others, but the plume of a Horizon Yang Bird and the scales of the Scarlet Flame Flood Dragon will be nearly impossible. At the very least, I haven’t heard of any easily found materials that could replace them. These particular materials should be impossible to find in the Heavenly South. When I made a trip to the Jin Empire in the past, I saw a young woman from the Yang Summit Palace raising a Horizon Yang Bird. But now that such a long time has passed, even if the bird no longer exists, there should be a few materials that remained behind. You should take a look for them. As for the Scarlet Flame Flood Dragon, that will be up to chance. However, you should be able to easily resolve it if you go to the Jin Empire as well.”

  Han Li snorted and helplessly said, “You still wish for me to make a trip to the Great Jin.”

  “Hehe! I want you to go to the Jin Empire for your own sake too. Once you make the trip, you will come to know why it is known as the sacred land of cultivators. The Great Jin Empire is known as the heart of the all cultivation.”

  Having made his mind, Han Li said, “Then so be it. But there is something I must first do before I leave the State of Dongyu. I need to take a look at the outskirts of Devilfall Valley.”

  “What do you plan on doing at Devilfall Valley?” Monarch Soul Divergence spoke with a tone of alarm.

  “Don’t worry, I don’t plan on entering. Do you remember the Sovereign Devil Corpse? Before I entered the spatial tear, I used a secret technique on it. Of course, I need to see if it still remains in Devilfall Valley and see whether or not I can summon it.”

  Han Li stopped speaking and suddenly increased his speed, tearing through the sky as an azure steak.

  When he entered the Chang Province, Han Li immediately headed towards the Myriad Chain Mountains and arrived at the entrance of Devilfall Valley.

  After lingering there for two whole days, he was able to determine the location of the Sovereign Devil Corpse in the valley. However, it seemed to be trapped somewhere. No matter what spell seal Han Li cast, he wasn’t able to get it outside of the valley.

  Han Li hesitated for a long while and could only gloomily depart. It appeared he would have to wait until Devilfall Valley opened once more to rescue his corpse puppet
, given that it survived over the years.

  ...

  Two months later, Han Li reappeared in the vicinity of the Dreamcloud Mountains. When he drew near it, he came across a patrol of Drifting Cloud Disciples. They were filled with excitement at Han Li’s appearance and they gave him a warm welcome before sending word to the two sect elders.

  Not long after, all the disciples in the Drifting Cloud Sect emerged and greeted Han Li as an illustrious grand elder of the sect. At the head of this esteemed welcome was Lu Luo and Senior Martial Brother Cheng.

  The two were filled with delight when they saw Han Li. They spoke no further and hastily welcomed Han Li back into the sect before dismissing the other disciples.

  The three went to the main hall of the Drifting Cloud Sect and took a seat. Senior Martial Brother Cheng then excitedly said, “Junior Martial Brother Han, I knew that with your abilities nothing would’ve happened to you. But since you survived, why didn't you return to the sect earlier? You’ve caused us quite a bit of worry.”

  Lu Luo smiled and spoke with genuine happiness, “That’s right. Had Junior Martial Brother Han returned earlier, he could’ve saved us a lot of worry.”

  “Senior Martial Brothers are mistaken. I was trapped in a pocket dimension and wasn’t able to escape until just recently. I returned as soon as I could.” Han Li pursed his lips and revealed an expression of helplessness.

  “Regardless, it is enough that Junior Martial Brother Han has returned alive. Now that I think about it, I’ve never thanked you for saving my life. If it weren’t for Junior Martial Brother Han, I would’ve certainly perished.” Senior Martial Brother Cheng stood up from his chair and deeply saluted Han Li.

  “It was nothing,” Han Li smiled and said with a sincere tone, “Ever since I entered the Drifting Cloud Sect, Senior Martial Brother Cheng has treated me well. When I saw that you were in danger, how could I not save you?”

  “How could something as trivial as that compare to the kindness of saving my life? Ah yes, I’m sure that Junior Martial Brother Han is still worried about Sister Nangong. Please be at ease. She is still safe and sound inside the ice.”

  When Han Li heard this, he deeply sighed with relief. At that moment, Lu Luo examined Han Li for a moment and wore an expression of disbelief. “Junior Martial Brother Han, you’ve entered mid Nascent Soul stage! When did this happen? It is truly inconceivable! Did you have a fortuitous encounter inside Devilfall Valley?”

  Chapter 862: Feeding the Core

  When Senior Martial Brother Cheng heard Lu Luo, he was stunned. He hastily examined Han Li’s inner Qi with his spiritual sense and saw that Han Li had truly entered mid Nascent Soul stage, much to his shock.

  “I knew that with your quick wits, you would’ve quickly discovered it. I did indeed come across a fortunate encounter inside Devilfall Valley and bitterly cultivated to enter the next stage. As a result, I was able to enter mid Nascent Soul stage after such a short amount of time, something that even I hadn’t expected. But if I hadn’t known that you two were protecting Wan’er, I would’ve spent my many years trapped inside the pocket dimension with worry on my mind, preventing me from wholeheartedly cultivating. My progress is much in thanks to you two as well.”

  Han Li then saluted the two and uttered his thanks.

  “What is Junior Martial Brother saying? Since I am Sister Nangong’s sworn brother, it is only natural that I look after her. And it's not like we did much with regards to that. To our shame, she is still trapped in ice!”

  “Junior Martial Brother Han reached mid-Nascent Soul stage in less than three hundred years of cultivation. Such an announcement would shake the entirety of the Heavenly South. Let alone late Nascent Soul stage, it is highly possible that Junior Martial Brother could reach the Deity Transformation stage!”

  Lu Luo words were filled with admiration. There were only a sparse few characters in history that had progressed at the same speed as Han Li.

  Speed on this level no longer had anything to do with cultivation aptitude and most likely came from luck and destiny.

  Of course, Han Li simply responded with a few humble words before changing the topic and asking about what had happened after he disappeared in Devilfall Valley. The information he acquired straight from someone who witnessed the battle was far better than whatever was heard from rumors.

  When the old man heard Han Li, he bitterly smiled.

  After Han Li was swallowed by the spatial tear, the other Elder Devil was thrown into a fury. Just as Senior Martial Brother Cheng thought that his life was forfeit, the other cultivators had arrived.

  Although the newly arrived cultivators had joined hands with Wei Wuya, they were still unable to deal with the two-headed four-armed Elder Devil. But just as these cultivators were about to be put in crisis, the Moulan had finally arrived.

  With both sides joining hands, they trapped the devil. In the battle that followed, Spell Warrior Le summoned the Moulan Sacred Bird and they were able to grievously wound the devil. The Moulan Divine Sage Zhong was able to cut off one of the devil’s heads. But in the end, the Elder Devil managed to escape.

  However, there were many Nascent Soul cultivators that perished in the battle. Nangong Wan’s Senior Martial Sister in particular suffered in the Elder Devil’s last struggle; he turned her body and Nascent Soul into ash with a ball of black devilflame. As for Ancestor Linghu, he ended up somewhat better. Although his body was destroyed, his Nascent Soul managed to survive.

  But none were as unfortunate as the Ghost Spirit Sect Elder Zhong who had his Nascent Soul seized and devoured by the Elder Devil. As a result, all the Ghost Spirit Sect cultivators that entered the valley perished, apart from a few Core Formation cultivators, much to the shock of everyone.

  As for everything that happened afterwards, it was mostly as Huang Yuanming had mentioned. According to ancient records, devils couldn’t remain in the mortal realm for long, and none took the risk to chase it down. But against everyone’s expectations, the devil managed to persist in this world through some unknown method and went on a killing spree in the Heavenly South, killing cultivators and devouring their Nascent Souls. With fury and rage built up, a hunting party was launched.

  When Han Li heard this, he frowned and said, “I’ve heard a few rumors with regards to the hunting party’s battle with the devil. But is it true that two of the Great cultivators and the Moulan Divine Sage weren’t able to slay the devil? Given your identities, you should know the truth of the matter.” With that said, Han Li’s expression turned heavy.

  “We didn’t participate in the campaign against the devil, but according to the information that the alliance sent, the Elder Devil received grievous life-threatening injuries, but it still managed to escape through some strange secret technique. Master Sunreach and the others attempted to give chase to eradicate the devil, but they gave up the case at the border of the Moulan Plains out of fear of provoking the Soaring Tribes. However, many years passed without the devil being sighted in the Heavenly South. And given how calm the Moulan Plains are, if the devil hasn’t succumbed to its wounds, it should have crossed the Moulan Plains into the Great Jin.”

  “The Great Jin Empire?” Han Li couldn’t help but reveal shock.

  Senior Martial Brother Cheng and Lu Luo saw the surprise in Han Li’s words, but they tactfully dropped the subject. After all, Han Li current abilities and cultivation were beyond the two so they couldn’t help but feel a bit of admiration for him.

  They chatted for a moment more before Han Li eventually mentioned how he found a cure for Nangong Wan in Devilfall Valley and wished to make an attempt to dissolve her curse.

  The two were overjoyed when they heard this. If Nangong Wan recovered, the might of their Drifting Cloud Sect would increase once more. They hastily concluded their chat and personally guided Han Li to the restricted area.

  Senior Martial Brother Cheng and Lu Luo stood at the entrance to the restricted area and personally kept watch, allowing Han
Li to take care in dissolving the Soul Seal Curse. He uttered a quick word of thanks before approaching the stone gate.

  Han Li glanced at the gate and saw that the restrictions hadn’t been further activated since the last time it had been opened. It appeared that Senior Martial Brother Cheng and Lu Luo had only used their spiritual sense to see how Nangong Wan was doing inside, much to Han Li’s satisfaction.

  With his hand forming an incantation gesture, a series of spell seals flew out and struck the stone door, causing it to open with groans. Han Li then silently walked in with an odd expression, followed by the gate closing shut.

  The room was exactly the same as in the past. It was completely clean because the restriction placed, and the moonlight stones embedded in the ceiling were as bright as ever. Nangong Wan’s child form was still sealed in the sparkling wall of ice with her eyes closed and a pale face.

  With sadness across Han Li’s face, he took several steps towards the ice wall and stopped three meters away. Then, he stared at Nangong Wan’s deathly pale face and a complicated expression appeared on his face.

  An unknown amount of time passed before he finally let out a long sigh. He then slapped his storage pouch and summoned a jade box into his hand.

  He lightly tapped the top of the box with his other hand and it suddenly flung open, revealing a thumb-sized scarlet demon core that pulsed with red light. It appeared mysteriously alluring.

  Han Li squinted his eyes as he examined the demon core before suddenly opening his mouth and spitting out an azure mist onto the demon core. Afterwards, he tossed the demon core and had it hover in the air towards the ice.