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

by Translator: Johnchen

  The monk’s heart sank by what he saw next.

  The fire chains grew alongside projection and didn’t suffer the slightest strain.

  The monk formed an incantation gesture and the golden projection abruptly shrunk in size, yet the fire chains followed the transformation, remaining tightly wound around it.

  In the following moment, the silver-robed monk’s expression massively changed as well.

  When he saw the three-colored flame raven arrive near it as it remained defenseless, he tossed the jade bottle into the air.

  The silver bottle spun once in the air before directly charging at the flame raven with its mouth pointed at it. Then, it brightly glowed silver and religious chants echoed from it, followed by a large wave of seven-colored Buddhist light directly wrapping around the oncoming flame raven.

  The raven cried out and spread out its wings, evading it and arriving right above the silver-robed monk.

  But soon, the light caught the raven and Buddhist light brightly shined, swiveling around the raven. With the raven wrapped tightly, it drew it back into the bottle. It seemed the light was the raven’s natural enemy.

  The monk’s expression relaxed for a moment, then pointing at the bottle in the air.

  The bottle trembled and spouted out another mist of Buddhist light. This time, it was aiming at the wave of purple flame trailing after the flame raven.

  It appeared he intended on using this treasure to deal with both attacks.

  But at that moment, Han Li uttered, “Burst.” The small silver bottle floating in the air violently shook and instantly warped in shape, its surface bending unevenly as its silver light slowly flashed. Muffled booms sounded from it, only growing louder by the second.

  “Not good!” The silver-robed monk swept his spiritual sense past the silver bottle and discovered something astonishing. Soon after, the white lotus underneath him blurred and he disappeared.

  All that was left behind was the meter-large lotus slowly turning in the air and the restrained golden projection.

  At the same time the monk vanished, the small silver bottle flickered and let out a thunderous explosion.

  A three-colored halo burst out from the silver bottle, destroying it in its entirety.

  Talisman characters wandered in the air as the halo spread several times its size, completely submerging the white lotus and the golden projection.

  The golden projection remained bound by the chains, unable to move a single inch. Although the golden projection was able to somewhat withstand the flames for just a moment, it quickly collapsed like foam. As for the lotus, it was instantly vaporized.

  In an area over a hundred meters away, white light flashed, followed by the appearance of the silver-robed monk. His expression abruptly turned deathly pale in the exact moment the golden projection collapsed, and he coughed up some blood essence. At the same time, the golden color of his flesh greatly dimmed, clearly display his loss of vitality.

  It appeared the bond he shared with that projection was much like that of a bonded magic treasure, linked to his blood and soul.

  Han Li expressionlessly cast a spell seal and the roiling wave of purple flames suddenly transformed. In just a second, it took the form of a python over thirty meters long with a white pearl in its jaw and pounced towards the monk.

  Before it even arrived in front of the monk, it stirred up icy gales and plummeted the temperatures nearby as if one suddenly found themselves in a snowstorm.

  White light flashed from below monk, producing another lotus as the one he stood in before. His legs remained still but the lotus twirled several times and he reappeared thirty meters away. He let out a forced laugh and said, “Please stop! I won’t compare my skills with you further. I concede defeat against Fellow Daoist Han’s amazing abilities!”

  After the monk took the initiative to admit defeat in their battle, he looked in the direction of the broken silver bottle with a trace of pity.

  The bottle was a top-grade Buddhist treasure that he acquired with much difficulty. He felt deeply depressed that it was destroyed in a spar and was unwilling to continue the fight.

  Although both parties hadn’t displayed their full powers, Han Li’s abilities were superior, and the monk suffered a few injuries as well.

  When Han Li heard this, his gaze flickered and he waved his hand in the distance.

  The python of purple flame suddenly froze and burned up into purple smoke. As for the white pearl remain floating in the air, Han Li commanded it to return to him along with the fire chains.

  The two treasures flickered and vanished after entering Han Li’s body.

  Han Li saluted the monk and calmly said, “You went easy on me,” before dropping to the ground.

  Those at the gate looked upon Han Li with reverence.

  Although the two were both grand cultivators, Han Li was able to easily defeat Buddhist Monk Yuan Zhi. It was likely Can Ku would share a similar result.

  The young man, Monk Yan Zhu, met Han Li’s eyes and couldn't help but wear an odd expression. His previous calm was gone.

  Although the silver-robed monk was no match for Han Li, the Hidden Fortunate Pavilion Master smiled openly and took the initiative to be friendly, “Your fight truly opened my horizons. I hope to one day reach your heights! Since you’ve won, I will be discreet about this. I’ll send someone to retrieve the miniature space refinement technique.”

  “Sorry for the trouble, Pavilion Lord.” Han Li replied with a faint smile.

  Can Ku repeatedly replied, “Of course”, and immediately took out a command token and handed it to a Core Formation behind him. He carefully gave his orders.

  The cultivator immediately received the token with both hands and hastily departed below.

  Apart from the Hidden Fortunate Hall, there were several other towering pavilions in the air. They were all built grandly. Previously, some people were leaving and entering them, but due to the recent battle between Han Li and the silver-robed monk, no one else appeared from them.

  Carrying the command token, the Core Formation cultivator disappeared into one of the building below.

  At that moment, the silver-robed monk took a calming breath and descended to the ground. He took out a white medicine bottle and tossed a fire-red medicine pill into his mouth.

  “Master Yuan Zhi, are you well?” Han Li looked over and asked.

  Yuan Zhi looked over at Han Li and casually smiled at him as if he didn’t mind the injuries Han Li inflicted on him. He aloofly answered, “I’m fine. With medicine pills, I’ll only need several months to recover. But I must say that fan of yours is no ordinary treasure. Even top-grade magic treasures couldn't damage my golden projection as much as your fan, and I wasn’t able to resist it in the slightest. It should be a spirit treasure replica, but not a genuine article.”

  “The master is quite observant. My fan is indeed a spirit treasure replica.” Han Li answered with a chuckle.

  When the silver-robed monk heard this, a faint smile appeared on his indifferent face. But just as he thought to say something Can Ku interjected. The fat old man rubbed his hands together and chuckled,

  “Fellow Daoists, we may as well continue our discussion inside the hall. I happened to acquire a bottle of the Crossing Dragon’s Roar. It is said that when ordinary cultivators take a drink of it, it can accomplish about a month of dedicated cultivation. More importantly, the flavor is said to be exquisite beyond description. How about we taste it together?”

  At that moment, he no longer appeared to be a pavilion lord, but rather a hospitable old man of humble origins.

  “The Crossing Dragon’s Roar? I have heard of that wine’s name. It is said to be created from several rare fruits that have long been extinct from the mortal world. The wine is fragrant beyond all others. Fellow Daoist, please don’t be surprised. Although I hail from a Buddhist sect, I will find it hard to deny something of this value.” Yuan Zhi smiled upon seeing Han Li’s amazement and teasingly replied, �
�In the past, Fellow Daoist Can Ku became a guest elder of our sect by enticing him with tens of ancient spirit wines. But don't think he is a base monk. He respects all the other commandments.” His tone was friendly.

  When Han Li heard this, his heart stirred and he silently smiled.

  Then, the party entered the main hall.

  Chapter 1232: Halfway Interception

  Someplace high in the air, an azure light slowly moved forward. Past the faint cover of light was a smiling youth that fiddled with a faint red jade slip in his hand.

  This person was Han Li, who just left the Hidden Fortunate Hall not long ago. He held a jade slip in hand that contained the secret technique to refine a compressed miniature space.

  “I didn’t expect that something as famous as a miniature space would have such a simple refinement technique. Most of the materials needed for it are also quite simple. If that was the case, refining it should be quite easy,” Han Li muttered to himself as he flew.

  “Hehe, you can call that a miniature space? I only see it as a method of creating a fixed teleportation formation to a spatial tear. True compressed spaces are treasures that can be carried on hand and can always be entered as will.” A boy’s voice lazily sounded in Han Li’s ear.

  Han Li shook his head. “Although Fellow Daoist’s words are reasonable, it isn’t possible to create such a treasure with the abilities of the mortal world’s cultivators. Even your All-encompassing Pouch and the original Blackwind Flag only possess minor spatial abilities, nothing like the miniature spaces that you speak of.”

  The boy replied with a smile, “That is reasonable. To the best of my knowledge, I only know several characters that own a true miniature space, each of them a top-grade existence in the spirit realm. Otherwise, others would’ve seized these treasures from them.

  Since you acquired the refinement technique for the compressed space, will you now head to Yin Sifting Sect and acquire the Ghost Sifting Banners? Fellow Daoist, will you boldly face their entire sect?”

  “Of course I won’t,” Han Li shook his head, “Even if the Yin Sifting Sect only has one grand cultivator, they are still one of the ten great Devil Dao sects. Who could know what fearsome restrictions they’ve placed inside their sect, or what other killing measures they have in place. The Yin Sifting Sect has an ancient legacy. I don’t plan on risking my life over this.”

  “Then you mean...” The boy’s curiosity was piqued.

  “Its quite simple, to take out evil, I must first take out their king. After I deal with the Yin Sifting Sect Master, I’ll finish off the rest of the Nascent Soul elders of the sect. Furthermore, we’ve made inquiries about them before. Over these past few years, there are many Devil Dao Sects that have been eyeing their position in the ten great sects. This Yin Sifting Sect Master has also been leaving the sect often. We’ll only need to wait for an opportunity to kill him outside of the Fangmang Mountains. Without a grand cultivator standing guard, the restrictions at the Yin Sifting Sect will be particularly powerful, but that isn’t anything that I’ll have to worry about too much. However, before I take action, I’d best start on other objectives. After all, I’ll have to finish the matter quickly after I start. If a Deity Transformation cultivator finds out to discover me and decides to interfere, it will be greatly troublesome.” Han Li’s voice turned sullen.

  The boy smiled, “That is so. The grand cultivators of the mortal realm can’t take actions as they wish. If you intended on destroying such a large sect, I fear one of those fellows won’t be able to sit still.”

  This time, Han Li didn’t reply. He simply wore a cold smile. After he withdrew the jade slip from his hand, his speed increased several times and he disappeared from the nearby skies in the blink of an eye.

  ...

  Many years passed.

  A massacre was occurring in a nameless mountain range bordering the Feng Province and Han County.

  It consisted of six black-robed cultivators commanding over a thousand armored refined corpses to surround and kill several tens of differently dressed cultivators.

  The armored corpses weren’t weak, and with the addition of the black-robed cultivators commanding them, their corpse Qi soared. In only the time it took to finish a meal, the corpses easily devoured the party of cultivators apart from the most powerful Core Formation cultivators of the group.

  These survivors felt that they would soon face their deaths as well.

  But at that moment, a shrieking whistle sounded from the distant sky, the sound seemingly capable of spreading through all of the nine heavens. When the cultivators in this battle heard this, they felt their ears ache until they only heard loud ringing.

  When the black-robed cultivators heard this, their expressions massively changed. As for the cultivators that were surrounded, joy beamed from their faces.

  Spiritual light flashed from the distant, followed by the faint sounds of thunder. An emerald green acre-large cloud streaked over to them. At its incredible speed, it traveled over three hundred meters in the blink of an eye to where the cultivators were fighting.

  At that moment, a cold voice sounded from the air. Following a black flash, a vague silhouette strangely warped into view. “I was wondering who thought to personally bring a force to attack my sect. It turned out to be the Blood Bone Sect’s Fellow Daoist Bi!”

  Soon after, this person waved his sleeves in a dance, sweeping flashes of silver light to cut the oncoming green cloud.

  “Old Devil Fang!”

  A cry of surprise was shouted from the devilish cloud, and it immediately changed direction to flee.

  “Humph! Since you’ve arrived at the border of the sect, there is no need for you to leave.” Following an icy snort, the grey light chased after the cloud, the grey light traveling several times faster as its color turned pitch-black.

  In a short amount of time, they traveled over a hundred kilometers in their pursuit and they disappeared from the horizon.

  When the black-robed cultivators saw this, they regained their calm and commanded the armored corpses to resume their attacks with increased intensity. As for the surrounded cultivators, their hopeful expressions were replaced with despair after they saw what happened. Despite this, they strived their hardest, managing to kill many armored corpses before they were eventually wiped out.

  Afterward, the black-robed cultivators released black pouches which absorbed the armored corpses into them. But they didn’t immediately depart. Rather, they whispered among each other as they looked to the distant sky.

  After some time passed, the light flashed from the sky and a black streak was flying back in their direction.

  The black-robed cultivator immediately stopped talking, they split into two rows, standing at attention.

  Black light flashed in front of them to reveal a silhouette wrapped in black Qi.

  “We pay our respects to the sect master!” These black-robed cultivators grandly saluted with reverent expression

  The silhouette in the black Qi asked, “Have those from the Blood Bone Sect been wiped out?”

  A lanky old man took several steps forward and solemnly answered, “Please be at ease, Sect Master. Of the seventy-three Blood Bone Sect members that entered, all are dead. Not one escaped.”

  The silhouette coldly said, “The flesh body of that Blood Bone Sect Elder Bi Huo has also been destroyed. Only his Nascent Soul escaped me. After this, I presume that the Blood Bone Sect won’t dare to launch another attack on me. Humph! Were it not for our lacking numbers, I would’ve sent our sect to eliminate them.”

  The other black-robed cultivators didn’t dare to speak and simply stood there awaiting further orders.

  After muttering to himself for a long while more, the silhouette eventually commanded, “There is nothing else to do here for the time being. First, return to the sect. I have other matters I must deal here with myself. I’ll return later.

  “As you command!”

  The black-robed cultivators didn’t
dare to raise any opposition and all acknowledged his orders. Afterward, they took off in streaks of various-colored light, cleanly departing from the area.

  Now, all that remained in the area was the silhouette wrapped in black Qi. He looked in the distance and remained motionless in place.

  After an unknown amount of time passed, he eventually said, “Isn’t it about time for you to appear after watching so much? Could it be that you wish for me to force you to appear?”

  Once he said that with a hostile tone, he looked around to a nearby area with seemingly no one there.

  In a flash of azure light, a youth in azure robes appeared with his hands behind his back. “Oh? It seems you are deserving of your position as the Yin Sifting Sect Master to have discovered me. But why would you reveal me after you sent off your disciples? Could it be you don’t wish to involve them?”

  The youth was Han Li. His objective was the silhouette in the black Qi, the Yin Sifting Sect Master Fang.

  To tell the truth, to intercept the sect master, he watched over the Fangmang Mountain Range for at least half a year. Now that an opportunity finally arose, he stealthily followed after him.

  “It’s you!” When the Sect Master Fang saw Han Li’s face, his body trembled and he fiercely glared at him.

  “So it appears Sect Master Fang recognizes me.” Han Li’s face remained indifferent.

  “So you’ve managed to enter late-Nascent Soul stage. Did you come here intending on killing me?” The black Qi surrounding the sect master vanished to reveal a man in his late twenties with an extremely pale complexion. A green light faintly glinted from his eyes.

  “That’s right. Since I’m here, only one of us will be leaving this place.” Han Li spoke leisurely as if he were only having a chat with a friend.

  When the Yin Sifting Sect Master heard Han Li’s words, his expression changed several times, but eventually, green light flashed from his eyes as he raised his head in wild laughter. “Good, very good. Even if you didn’t come seek me out, I eventually planned to hunt you down in the Heavenly South. They say Old Devil Qian and North Night Palace’s Master Arctic Dragon have died by your hand. To tell the truth, I don’t believe those rumors, so your trip here to seek your own death is something I could only wish for. I will be sure to avenge the deaths of my wife and our sect elders.”