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

by Translator: Johnchen

  The light receded to reveal a young man in azure robes.

  He looked at Daoist Master Swift Crane and chuckled coldly as he said, "I was right to have waited for you for so long. So you really were planning to head to Green Spirit Island. Are you going to hand over your spirit stones or will I have to take them from you?"

  The young man wore a nonchalant expression, completely fearless in the face of Daoist Master Swift Crane and the yellow-robed man, both of whom were early-Nascent Soul cultivators.

  The two of them swept their spiritual sense toward Han Li, upon which hints of fear appeared on both of their faces.

  The two of them were unable to detect Han Li's cultivation base. However, from the spiritual pressure that was indistinctly emanating from his body, they could tell that his cultivation base definitely outstripped theirs. This was most likely a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator. Furthermore, the fact that he had immediately exposed the secret behind their journey came as a huge shock to them.

  "Fellow Daoist, I am Huang Kun of Fire Dragon Island! I'm afraid I'm not sure what you mean by high-grade spirit stones. Perhaps you were misled by some rumors and harbor some sort of misunderstanding toward us." The yellow-robed man was extremely wily and crafty. He could tell that this enemy was more powerful than them, so he immediately put on a polite smile.

  "Misunderstanding? Hehe, I heard your voice transmission conversation from earlier; is that a false rumor? You can only blame your luck for seeking out Swift Crane and running into me. Swift Crane, do you still remember me?" A deriding sneer appeared on the young man's face. He then turned his attention to Daoist Master Swift Crane as a frosty look appeared on his face.

  He was naturally none other than Han Li, who had split his spiritual sense into over 1,000 strands, then employed the assistance of his Gold Devouring Beetles to track down Daoist Master Swift Crane.

  The yellow-robed man's smile immediately stiffened upon hearing Han Li's cold words.

  "You... you're Han Li? You progressed to the Nascent Soul Stage?" At the same time as Han Li was replying to the yellow-robed man, Daoist Master Swift Crane was struck by a sense of familiarity. All of a sudden, he recalled back to the events that had transpired all those years ago, and he finally recognized Han Li. Upon making that realization, an incredulous look appeared on his face, as if he had seen a ghost.

  "Brother Swift Crane, do you know this man? Who is he?" Shock and rage were surging through the yellow-robed man and he turned to Daoist Master Swift Crane with a dark expression.

  Han Li clearly had no intention of settling this in a peaceful manner, so a battle was inevitable. The yellow-robed man knew that he wouldn't be able to detach himself from the upcoming battle, so it was naturally best to get a gauge of what he was dealing with here. Even though they were facing a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator, both of them were early-Nascent Soul cultivators and if they were to join forces, they wouldn't have to fear this opponent.

  Han Li hovered in the air with his arms crossed, looking at the two of them with a cold sneer on his face.

  "Fellow Daoist Huang, this man is the one who obtained the Heavenvoid Cauldron all those years ago. I didn't think that he would have progressed to the Nascent Soul Stage already," Daoist Master Swift Crane replied with a dark expression.

  "What? He's the man that was being hunted down by the Starfall Alliance? I knew he looked familiar somehow, but wasn't he just a Core Formation Stage brat? How has he reached the mid-Nascent Soul Stage already?"

  "I'm not sure of that myself. The Heavenvoid Cauldron is known as the number one secret treasure of the Scattered Star Seas, so perhaps it contains some kind of unimaginable pill that can drastically improve one's cultivation base. No one has ever opened the cauldron before, so it's not impossible for that to be the case." Daoist Master Swift Crane speculated with a greedy look in his eyes.

  "If that really is the case, then we're in deep trouble. His cultivation base is already this fearsome and he has the Heavenvoid Cauldron. Even if we combine our powers, we may not be able to defeat him," the yellow-robed man transmitted his voice to Daoist Master Swift Crane as he looked at Han Li with a wary expression.

  "I'm naturally aware of that, but even if that turns out to be the case, how will he be able to stop us if we run away?" Daoist Master Swift Crane's lips twitched slightly, but a confident look appeared on his face.

  As for those Core Formation Stage disciples, in such a perilous situation, they would simply have to be left behind.

  "You're right!" The yellow-robed cultivator faltered upon hearing this before bursting into laughter.

  "Hmph, are you done talking? If you're done, then it's time I sent you two on your way. Don't even think about trying to escape!" Han Li stirred as he chuckled coldly.

  "Crap! We forgot that he can eavesdrop on our voice transmissions!" The yellow-robed man's expression changed upon realizing this.

  Daoist Master Swift Crane's expression also faltered upon hearing this. Right at this moment, a thunderclap erupted from behind Han Li as his Thunderstorm Wings appeared on his back. His body then swayed, and he disappeared amid another loud thunderclap.

  "Look out! He possesses a strange treasure that allows him to unleash lightning movement techniques!" Daoist Master Swift Crane had seen Han Li use his Thunderstorm Wings in the past, and he immediately offered words of caution to the yellow-robed man. Spiritual light flashed on the green jade hammer and it transformed into a barrier of azure light that shielded him within. At the same time, he feigned a grabbing motion with his other hand to summon a fiery red shield. The shield also transformed into a red barrier of light that surrounded his body.

  Meanwhile, the yellow-robed man made a hand seal. The white threads nearby instantly flashed through the air, interweaving with one another to form a dense net that encompassed his own body.

  After the two of them had unleashed their defensive techniques, silver light flashed over 100 feet in front of them as Han Li reappeared.

  Upon seeing the defensive measures they had taken, Han Li merely sneered and didn't even bother to summon any treasures. He raised both arms and a layer of purple flames surfaced over his body. His body then swayed as he transformed into a massive fireball, hurtling directly toward the yellow-robed man.

  The elderly man's heart shuddered at the sight of Han Li's ferocious attack, but he didn't have any time to think as he let loose a low roar. The white threads in front of him immediately changed directions, flying toward the fireball in unison as if he were trying to puncture countless holes into Han Li's body.

  A vicious light also appeared in Daoist Master Swift Crane's eyes as he pointed to the jade hammer in front of him, upon which light shot forth from the treasure in all directions. The green light that erupted from the hammer emitted loud rumbling booms before crashing toward Han Li.

  In the face of their attacks, Han Li took no evasive measures whatsoever. He plunged straight into the dense expanse of threads and the deriding sneer on his face was obscured by his purple flames.

  Chapter 1146: News About Zenith Yin

  A peculiar turn of events unfolded!

  As soon as the white threads came into contact with the purple flame, they came to an abrupt halt as if they had been dealt a heavy blow, revealing them to be a series of needles that were as thin as hair.

  Han Li swept an arm through the air and the purple flames over his body expanded by over a foot, instantly engulfing the thin needles within.

  Purple light flashed over the needles, instantly sealing them in layers of purple ice, upon which the needles all began to plummet as they had lost their spiritual nature. As for the oncoming green jade hammer, Han Li nonchalantly waved a sleeve through the air and a purple light flashed past, sending the hammer flying as if it had been struck by an immense force.

  Daoist Master Swift Crane hurriedly made a hand seal to try and arrest its momentum, but all to no avail. Light began to shimmer along the surface of the hammer as well before it was also sealed
in a block of purple ice in the blink of an eye.

  The Daoist priest's expression had become extremely strained!

  The yellow-robed man was also struggling to believe his own eyes.

  Never would he have thought that the treasures he relied so heavily upon would be nullified so easily. This was simply incredible to him!

  At the sight of the oncoming Han Li, he hurriedly sent a silver wheel flying out from within his sleeve.

  However, Han Li was moving as fast as the wind and he reached the yellow-robed man in a flash as his purple flames tumbled through the air.

  The silver wheel had only flashed twice before a golden light appeared, upon which the wheel was soundlessly sliced in half and plummeted toward the ground.

  The yellow-robed man's pupils contracted drastically upon seeing this. There was yellow light flashing in his mouth and he was just about to summon his magic treasure. However, during this split-second delay, an eerie smile appeared on Han Li's face as one of his arms suddenly turned blurry before disappearing in a flash. Almost at the exact same moment, the yellow-robed man felt something tighten around his neck as a frosty hand rested itself around his throat. A purple light then flashed in front of his eyes and his spiritual sense lost connection with the magic treasure that he was about to release.

  "Argh!"

  The yellow-robed man was absolutely petrified. He only had time to let loose a howl of anguish before purple ice began to spread from his neck, encompassing his entire body and rendering him completely immobilized. His face was immortalized in an expression of the utmost horror in the block of ice.

  Han Li chuckled coldly as he carried the humanoid ice sculpture in one hand. He turned and swept his expressionless gaze across all of the other cultivators.

  The four Core Formation cultivators knew that they wouldn't be able to intervene in a battle between Nascent Soul cultivators and even though they had all summoned their treasures, they could only look on from afar with fear surging through their hearts. At the sight of the yellow-robed man being subdued by Han Li, they all glanced at one another before yelling in unison as they dispersed, transforming into streaks of light as they fled for their lives.

  As for Han Li's main target, Daoist Master Swift Crane, he had fled the scene even before the four Core Formation cultivators.

  In the instant that the yellow-robed man was captured by Han Li, Daoist Master Swift Crane was extremely shocked to discover that Han Li was far more powerful than he had imagined. He knew that he had zero chance of securing victory, so he immediately made a snap decision and hurtled toward the stone city as a green streak of light.

  He was initially quite concerned that the golden beetles in the air would converge to try and stop him. However, to his surprise, the spirit insects were all rooted to the spot, as if they were puppets, allowing him to escape without any impediment.

  Daoist Master Swift Crane was overjoyed to see this and after flashing through the air a few times, he had already covered a distance of over 1,000 feet.

  Han Li didn't waste any time upon seeing this. He swept his long sleeve toward the Core Formation cultivators first, upon which four streaks of golden light shot forth, traveling so quickly that they were able to catch up to the four cultivators almost instantaneously.

  A series of agonized cries rang out in quick succession!

  The cultivators' protective treasures were all punctured by the golden light, sending blood raining down from above along with their mutilated bodies and ruined treasures.

  Only then did Han Li turn his attention to Daoist Master Swift Crane, who had almost disappeared from view. He chuckled coldly upon seeing this and didn't give chase. Instead, a loud thunderclap erupted from the hand that was carrying the ice sculpture, summoning several bolts of thick golden lightning, instantly transforming into a golden net that ensnared the ice sculpture within.

  Lightning flashed violently and the ice sculpture was pulverized by the golden light. At the same time, a yellow Nascent Soul that was about an inch in height appeared. The features on the Nascent Soul were completely identical to that of the yellow-robed man.

  The Nascent Soul wore an expression of sheer panic as it quickly made a hand seal. Spiritual light flashed over its body and it disappeared on the spot.

  However, in the next instant, a loud boom erupted from a certain spot on the golden net and the Nascent Soul was forced to reveal itself. Teleportation techniques were completely useless in the face of restrictions created by the Divine Devilbane Lightning.

  Han Li didn't say anything as he feigned a grabbing motion. The golden night abruptly contracted, forming a golden ball of light that ensnared the Nascent Soul within. He then raised a hand and several talismans flew through the air, plastering themselves to the Nascent Soul's body.

  The Nascent Soul's spiritual power congealed as a result, and it was immediately completely immobilized.

  Han Li clasped his hands behind his back and turned his attention away from the Nascent Soul. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and directed his gaze toward the direction that Daoist Master Swift Crane had disappeared in.

  At this point, Daoist Master Swift Crane was already several thousand feet away. Magic power was flowing within his body without any reservation and he was traveling almost as fast as lightning. Even so, he still turned to look behind him from time to time, seemingly in constant fear that Han Li would be able to chase him down.

  After seeing only a vast expanse of inky darkness behind him, Daoist Master Swift Crane finally heaved an internal sigh of relief. However, he didn't slow down in the slightest. Instead, he flipped a hand over to summon an azure talisman before making a hand seal, appearing as if he were preparing to activate the talisman.

  Unbeknownst to Daoist Master Swift Crane, in the instant that he had turned to face forward once again, a faint silver light appeared behind him, following which an azure humanoid figure emerged in a wraith-like manner.

  The humanoid figure appeared to be flying at a leisurely pace, but it wasn't being outsped in the slightest. This was naturally the humanoid puppet that Han Li had already released in advance.

  However, the Daoist priest was completely oblivious to this as his attention was focused on the talisman in his hand.

  The puppet raised a hand and a silver fist flew soundlessly through the air.

  The protective barrier around the Daoist priest's body formed by that red shield was instantly punctured by the silver fist as if it were a mere papier mache construction. The fist then struck him on the back and the protective layer of spiritual light over his body was also instantly pulverized.

  Daoist Master Swift Crane's heart sank at the realization that he was being attacked from behind, but it was already too late for him to react.

  The fist suddenly protruded out from the front of the Daoist priest's chest, leaving a gruesome crimson trail in its wake. The fist was then violently withdrawn, creating a puncture wound with a diameter comparable to that of a bowl on Daoist Master Swift Crane's chest. A bloodcurdling howl erupted as Daoist Master Swift Crane's body plummeted powerlessly toward the ground.

  The humanoid puppet rubbed its hands together before waving them downward, upon which a silver net of light descended from above. 10 minutes later, Han Li had already settled onto the nearby mountain peak when he saw a silver streak of light appear in the distance. The streak of light was flying directly toward him and a faint smile appeared on his face.

  A loud thump erupted as Daoist Master Swift Crane was hurled down from above, landing heavily at Han Li's feet. He had already been encapsulated in a layer of silver light and there were talismans of all different colors plastered onto his body.

  A humanoid figure flashed and the puppet appeared behind Han Li.

  Only then did Han Li turn his attention to Daoist Master Swift Crane. The latter's body was splattered with blood and he was already half-dead. A hint of a smile appeared on Han Li's face...

  Four hours later, a streak of azure l
ight silently flew out from Lightning Sky Island, disappearing into the distance in the blink of an eye.

  The azure streak of light was none other than Han Li and he was holding two green storage pouches in his hands with a contemplative look on his face.

  The pouches were storage pouch that he had obtained from Daoist Master Swift Crane and the yellow-robed man. There were over 100 high-grade spirit stones in each pouch and they were going to sneak them back to Green Spirit Island.

  It turned out that Daoist Master Swift Crane appeared to have allied himself with the other powers on the island, but he had actually pledged his allegiance to the Starfall Coalition in secret. He was planning to control the islands near Green Spirit Island with the Starfall Coalition's support, and this Lightning Sky Island was one of his targets.

  The high-grade spirit stones being sold on Lightning Sky Island by the sect that Daoist Master Swift Crane belonged to were given to him in secret by Starfall Coalition cultivators. The cultivators from the Starfall Coalition had excavated those spirit stones from Green Spirit Island and was doing this to support Daoist Master Swift Crane, so he could increase his influence on Lightning Sky Island. The yellow-robed man was a Nascent Soul itinerant cultivator who had been bribed by the Starfall Coalition. He was responsible for taking over another island and his position was similar to that of Daoist Master Swift Crane.

  This man had appeared at Lightning Sky Island as he had received an incredible order, just as Daoist Master Swift Crane had. They were ordered to gather all of the high-grade spirit stones they had, then transport them over to Green Spirit Island as quickly as possible. It appeared that there was an extremely important matter that required these high-grade spirit stones as well as the power of these Nascent Soul cultivators. They had also been told to do their best to keep all of the cultivators from the other powers in the dark about this.

  Due to the facts that this order was very strange, and the island that the yellow-robed man was staying on was very close to Lightning Sky Island, the two of them decided to meet up before traveling to Green Spirit Island together, thinking that they would have more strength in numbers.