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

by Translator: Johnchen

  At Han Li's current cultivation, he was capable of traveling at extraordinary speeds. Even though he hadn't unleashed his full speed, the rate at which he flew was still quite astonishing.

  Along the way, Han Li would encounter the occasional cultivator, and all of them felt as if they had only just seen a spot of azure light flash several times in the distance before it had passed them by in the blink of an eye, an observation that left many of them completely dumbstruck.

  These cultivators were all naturally given a fright upon seeing this. Some of the cultivators with superior cultivation bases were aware that they had just encountered an unfathomably powerful senior, while the low-grade cultivators began to speculate about supernatural activity, thinking that they had just encountered some kind of monster in broad daylight.

  It only took Han Li several days to fly out of the State of Yue and reach the State of Yuan Wu.

  After flying for a further two days in the State of Yuan Wu, a thought suddenly occurred to Han Li, upon which he hesitated momentarily before flying in another direction with Tian Qin'er in two, temporarily altering his itinerary.

  Near a secluded mountain on the border of the State of Yuan Wu, a spot of azure light flashed in the distance. A dazzling streak of azure light over 100 feet in length then shot forth and reached the air above the mountain in the blink of an eye, upon which the azure light receded. Han Li and Tian Qin'er were revealed as a result.

  Han Li looked down at the mountain peak and a hint of emotion appeared in his eyes. He swept his spiritual sense downward, and a look of surprise suddenly appeared on his face.

  This was the mountain where Xin Ruyin had once resided in hiding. The mountain itself looked no different compared to how it did back then, but Han Li could sense the auras of many cultivators down below, most of which were at the Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment Stages, but there also appeared to be two Core Formation cultivators among them.

  Some of the formation spell restrictions that Xin Ruyin had set up were still in place, creating a dense layer of white mist down below that made it impossible for anyone to see what was going on down below.

  Han Li's eyes narrowed as he fell into deep thought.

  "Master, is something wrong?" Tian Qin'er blinked and asked carefully.

  "Not really. It's just that I haven't been here in a few years, and it seems that some unwelcome guests have settled in this place," Han Li replied indifferently. However, the young girl could see hints of displeasure on Han Li's face, and she immediately knew that it was best not to pry further into the matter.

  However, Han Li suddenly turned to her, and asked her something that caught her completely off guard.

  "What do you think of this mountain?"

  Tian Qin'er was very confused by this question, and she carefully examined the small mountain down below before replying hesitantly, "This mountain? The spiritual Qi here isn't very abundant, but the scenery isn't bad."

  "This was the residence of one of my past acquaintances." A hint of disappointment appeared on Han Li's face, but he soon recomposed himself before raising a hand.

  A spluttering sound rang out as a crimson fireball abruptly emerged.

  Right before Han Li's expressionless eyes, the fireball began to revolve incessantly above his palm, and it began to expand drastically at a phenomenal rate. Within the span of a breath, it had become as large as a washbasin. This was quite a startling transformation.

  Han Li looked down with a cold expression before waving his hand through the air, upon which the fireball came hurtling down from above like a shooting star, disappearing into the mist in a flash.

  The mist began to tumble violently as a loud boom erupted. A fiery cloud exploded within the white mist as waves of fire surged aggressively, puncturing a hole into the restriction that was over 100 feet in diameter, and this hole was still rapidly expanding, while the mist was reduced to water vapor.

  The entire restriction had been destroyed by Han Li with ease using a mere fireball.

  The white mist dissipated and the scenes down below were gradually revealed. A series of buildings and pavilions had been constructed on the mountain, yet the bamboo buildings that Xin Ruyin had constructed were nowhere to be seen.

  Han Li's expression darkened upon seeing this.

  All of the cultivators down below had naturally been alerted by such a loud commotion, and all of them instantly discovered Han Li and Tian Qin'er hovering in the air up above.

  A dozen or so cultivators immediately rose into the air atop their treasures as they headed straight for Han Li.

  However, right at this moment, a clear voice suddenly rang out from down below.

  "Which esteemed senior has come to visit our Wing Transformation Sect? My name is Guan Qing, and I apologize for failing to offer a proper welcome." Just as this voice faded, a streak of red light shot forth from the mountain. The red light outsped the Foundation Establishment cultivators down below and instantly reached Han Li. The light receded to reveal a middle-aged man in a set of scholar robes.

  This was one of the Core Formation cultivators that Han Li had detected earlier.

  From within the tallest pavilion down below, a ball of yellow light also emerged. The yellow light was traveling just as quickly as the streak of red light and quickly reached Han Li as well before revealing a dark-skinned elderly man with an extremely well-built physique.

  This was naturally the other Core Formation cultivator.

  Only then did the Foundation Establishment cultivators reach converge at the scene, and all of them stayed behind the two Core Formation cultivators with grim expressions on their faces.

  "Wing Transformation Sect? I've never heard of it. Is this a newly-founded sect?" Han Li raised an eyebrow as astonishing spiritual pressure erupted from his body, crashing directly toward the two Core Formation cultivators.

  The scholar and the elderly man's expressions changed drastically, and they stumbled back several steps before finally arresting their momentum.

  "A Nascent Soul cultivator?" the scholar exclaimed.

  "Senior, you're a late-Nascent Soul great cultivator?" The dark-skinned elderly man swept his spiritual sense toward Han Li, upon which an incredulous look appeared on his face.

  Han Li made no attempt to hide his cultivation base and this elderly man had quite a powerful spiritual sense for a cultivator of his caliber, so he was naturally able to detect Han Li's power.

  "A late-Nascent Soul cultivator?" The scholar was given another fright as he also swept his spiritual sense toward Han Li.

  Meanwhile, Han Li stood with his hands clasped behind his back, surveying the two of them expressionlessly.

  After the scholar had ascertained Han Li's cultivation base with his spiritual sense, his expression had also become very strained. The two Core Formation cultivators glanced at one another before extending respectful bows in unison, and the elderly man said, "We pay our respects to the esteemed senior! Our sect is indeed a newly-founded one; may I ask for the purpose of your visit, Senior? If there's anything I can help you with, I'll be sure to do my best."

  The scholar also wore a respectful look on his face.

  This was a great cultivator that could destroy their entire sect with ease, and the two of them were feeling extremely uneasy.

  After all, Han Li had just destroyed the restriction down below in an extremely violent manner, and that certainly didn't bode well for them.

  Upon seeing their masters concede in such a tame manner and hearing the words "late-Nascent Soul cultivator", the Foundation Establishment cultivators behind them were also completely petrified.

  After all, to low-grade cultivators like them, late-Nascent Soul cultivators were at the upper limit of power in the human world. It was everyone's dream to be able to reach such a lofty cultivation base.

  "Seeing as this is a newly-founded sect, then you should have a Nascent Soul cultivator among your ranks. Where is your master?" Han Li asked coldly.
<
br />   The elderly man mustered up his courage, and replied, "Our master is Huang Yao the Enlightened, and he left to visit a friend a month ago. The two of us are currently looking after the sect in his stead."

  "He's not here? So be it, it doesn't matter anyway. When did all of you move into this place and where's the person that used to live here?" Han Li asked.

  The elderly man was slightly taken aback by this question, and he turned to the scholar beside him as he replied, "Our sect moved here 70 years ago. As for the person who once lived here..."

  The scholar was also surprised by this question, but without even turning his head, he immediately yelled, "Feng Zhi! Come here; this senior has something to ask you."

  Right as his voice fell, all of the Foundation Establishment cultivators turned to one of their members in unison.

  This was an elderly man with refined features who appeared to be over 60 years of age.

  This cultivator by the name of Feng Zhi also wore a stunned look on his face.

  Chapter 1171: Reincarnation

  "You're calling for me, Master?" The elderly man by the name of Feng Zhi hesitated before confirming the situation, in fear that he had misheard.

  "Yes, I'm calling for you! Hurry up and get over here! This senior has some things to ask you. Didn't you live in this place before we came here?" the scholar urged in a stern voice, in fear that Han Li would be irked by this slow disciple.

  "Yes, I'm coming right away." After confirming that he hadn't misheard, the Foundation Establishment Stage elderly man could only muster up his courage and fly over to the scholar's side.

  Han Li turned his attention to Feng Zhi, and asked, "You lived in this place before?"

  "Yes, Senior. Prior to joining this sect, I did indeed live in this place, as had many generations of my forefathers," Feng Zhi replied in an uneasy manner.

  Han Li nodded before raising a question that came as quite a surprise to everyone. "I see. How did you reach the Foundation Establishment Stage?"

  Feng Zhi was also puzzled by this question, but he still hurriedly replied, "My mother encountered a powerful senior many years ago, and he gifted my mother a Foundation Establishment Pill, which allowed me to reach the Foundation Establishment Stage."

  "So that means you're Xiao Mei's descendant." Han Li's expression eased slightly.

  Feng Zhi faltered momentarily upon hearing this before a thought seemed to have occurred to him, and he exclaimed, "Xiao Mei? Could you be referring to my maternal grandmother, Senior? Are you the one who gifted my mother the Foundation Establishment Pill all those years ago, Senior?"

  "You're pretty quick-witted, after all." Han Li confirmed this notion indirectly with a chuckle.

  "Thank you for your kindness, Senior! I've always wanted to meet you and thank you in person!" The elderly man hurriedly fell to his knees in mid-air with an expression of surprise and elation on his face.

  Meanwhile, the scholar and the dark-skinned elderly man were completely stunned.

  Han Li allowed the elderly man to extend a salute to him before continuing, "Back then, I was nowhere near as powerful as I am today, and I met your forefathers on several occasions. After that, I encountered your mother and gifted her a Foundation Establishment Pill. However, your cultivation base seems to have stalled at the mid-Foundation Establishment Stage, so it appears your aptitude isn't all that great. You’ve also reached quite an old age now, so your cultivation path will most likely end here."

  "My apologies for disappointing you with my mediocre aptitude, Senior," Feng Zhi replied with a shameful blush on his face.

  "Hehe, I have nothing to be disappointed about. By the way, how did this Wing Transformation Sect move into this place? This is the place where the master of your maternal grandmother once resided, are you not aware of this? The master of your maternal grandmother was once a good friend of mine." Han Li's expression suddenly darkened as his voice turned cold and forbidding.

  The expressions on the faces of the scholar and the dark-skinned man immediately changed drastically.

  Feng Zhi's heart jolted upon hearing this, and he hurriedly replied, "I am indeed aware of this, which is why I made sure to move the bamboo buildings that Senior Xin once resided in to the other side of the mountain. They've since been kept in their original condition, and I've allowed no harm to come to them. This is one of the conditions I stated before allowing the sect to settle here."

  "Is that so?" Han Li turned to the two Core Formation cultivators with a cold light in his eyes.

  The scholar seemed to have identified the reason for Han Li's displeasure, and he hurriedly explained, "That is indeed the case. This place is not where our Wing Transformation Sect is actually situated. Instead, it's only a temporary dwelling for us. The reason why so many of our disciples are here is because we have to take care of a few matters in the State of Yuan Wu, so we had no choice but to stay here for the time being. After transferring Fellow Daoist Xin's bamboo buildings to the other side of the mountain, we haven't touched them at all."

  "I see. Regardless of all that, this is the past residence for an old friend of mine, and I don't want to see any other cultivators here. I trust the two of you are aware of what you should do next," Han Li said in a cold voice.

  The dark-skinned man shuddered, and immediately said, "Of course. We'll move out of this place with our disciples right away."

  The scholar nodded eagerly in agreement.

  "That would be great. I'll leave you to it, then. Take me to Fellow Daoist Xin's bamboo buildings." Han Li turned his attention to Feng Zhi and asked him to lead the way.

  "Right away, Senior." Feng Zhi naturally didn't dare to delay as he gave a respectful reply. He bowed toward the scholar before activating his treasure and flying toward the other side of the mountain.

  Azure light erupted from Han Li's body, sweeping up Tian Qin'er within as he flew along behind Feng Zhi.

  The scholar heaved a sigh of relief before transmitting his voice to the dark-skinned man as he asked, "Is that man really a late-Nascent Soul cultivator? We haven't made a mistake here, have we? Why is it that he doesn't look like any of the three legendary great cultivators?"

  Even from so far away, he still didn't dare to communicate directly with words.

  "That should be the case. The spiritual pressure he released just then was several times more terrifying than even our master's. That man is indeed not one of the three legendary great cultivators; perhaps a fourth great cultivator had finally appeared?" the dark-skinned man speculated.

  "If that's really the case, then news of this man should've spread through the entire Heavenly South Region already," the scholar murmured.

  "Forget about it. No matter who he is, he's definitely someone whom our master wouldn't even dare to mess with. Let's hurry up and evacuate this place. If we're too slow in moving out and he decides to change his mind, we'll be in big trouble," the dark-skinned man said with a grave expression.

  "You're right, Senior Martial Brother. I'll start the evacuation process right away. What a pity that we have to give up such a fantastic dwelling, though," the scholar sighed reluctantly.

  "Hmph, we're already extremely fortunate. Thank heavens you recruited Feng Zhi into our sect. Without him here, I feel like that man would've destroyed our sect in a fit of rage. How come I didn't know that this disciple of yours has ties with such a powerful senior? Were you aware of this, Junior Martial Brother? And who was the person that lived here in the past? To think that they were once the acquaintance of a late-Nascent Soul cultivator," the dark-skinned man sighed.

  "You've stumped me there, Senior Martial Brother. You already know this; I accepted Feng Zhi as my disciple very early on, but that was only because he was a Foundation Establishment cultivator. In terms of aptitude, his is very mediocre, so I didn't pay much attention to him and don't know a lot about him as a result. I did ask him about the former owner of the bamboo buildings here once. After all, the restrictions here are rather crude,
but they're very practical and useful. However, Feng Zhi told me that this person was only a Qi Condensation cultivator, so I paid this matter no heed." The scholar was also becoming quite confused.

  "A Qi Condensation cultivator and a late-Nascent Soul cultivator; even if this were many years in the past, surely the disparity between them is a little too large." The dark-skinned man was feeling rather speechless.

  The scholar could only give a wry smile upon hearing this.

  After that, the two of them didn't dare to delay any longer, and immediately led the other cultivators back to the buildings down below. At their behest, the 300 to 400 disciples present all began to pack up their belongings in preparation to vacate this site.

  At this moment, Han Li had made his way into a green jade building with Tian Qin'er by his side.

  The jade building was very clean and well-maintained, but its age was very apparent.

  Feng Zhi led the way, and explained in a fawning manner, "After these bamboo buildings were transferred to this place, I did as I was told by my mother, and cast some spiritual light on them at regular intervals to prevent them from rotting, and also cleaned them regularly."

  "That's good to hear." Han Li's lips twitched as he strode into the main hall of the jade building before surveying his surroundings.

  If he recalled correctly, this pavilion was the one that Xin Ruyin had once resided in. Everything here was still the same, yet she had already passed away.

  Han Li heaved an internal sigh as he turned his gaze toward Tian Qin'er, upon which his heart stirred slightly in response to what he saw.

  Tian Qin'er's eyes were completely glazed over as she stroked the bamboo tables and chairs within the hall. As she began to slowly walk around the room, she appeared to have fallen into a trance.

  A complex expression flashed through Han Li's eyes upon seeing this.

  He was silent for a while before waving Feng Zhi away as he instructed, "Leave us alone in this place. I'm going to spend a day here with my disciple, and you can come back again tomorrow."