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

by Translator: Johnchen

  "By the way, Junior Martial Brother Han, I have something that I have to tell you. With your current power level, normal late-Nascent Soul cultivators will be no match for you, so you'll have to abide by the rules established between us Deity Transformation cultivators now. Don't replicate the incident that took place at the Yin Sifting Sect. Otherwise, we'll be forced to hold you accountable," Xiang Zhili cautioned as he stowed the jade slip away.

  "There are rules among Deity Transformation cultivators?" Han Li was rather surprised to hear this.

  "It's not an extensive set of rules or anything like that. It's just that Deity Transformation cultivators are far too powerful, and if any one of them decides to give themselves free rein and do whatever they wanted, their actions could result in severe repercussions for the order of the human world. As such, rules were established between Deity Transformation cultivators of the human world a long time ago. After reaching the Deity Transformation Stage, not only is conflict between other beings of the same power level strictly prohibited, Deity Transformation cultivators are also not allowed to take part in any matters in the cultivation world. You killed so many Nascent Soul cultivators from the Yin Sifting Sect, including a great cultivator, and this has already caused unnecessary turmoil to order of the Great Jin. However, you weren't aware of these rules at that point, and nor are you a Deity Transformation cultivator, so we'll let things slide on this occasion, but you're clearly far more powerful than normal great cultivators, so these rules should be applicable to you as well. At the very least, you can't kill so many Nascent Soul cultivators in such a short span of time, nor do something that would severely impact another sect. Of course, these rules are to restrict you, but they’re also for your benefit; from now on, other Deity Transformation cultivations won't be able to attack you as they please, either," Xiang Zhili explained with a smile.

  Han Li faltered initially upon hearing this, but a smile quickly appeared on his face. "I'll be happy to abide by these rules seeing as I rarely ever address matters in my sect anyway. As for the incident surrounding the Yin Sifting Sect on this occasion, they deployed cultivators to the Heavenly South Region to hunt me down first, so I decided to retaliate and teach them a lesson."

  "The Yin Sifting Sect incident is behind us now. As long as you don't do something like that again, you won't be held reprehensible. What are you planning to do in the upcoming span of time? If you don't have any urgent matters to attend to, how about accompanying Brother Feng and me to the Devil Cliff Mountain? We can introduce you to Brother Hu in the process. Fellow Daoist Hu has taken a few new concubines recently, and he sent an invitation to me to attend the ceremony. Fellow Daoist Feng, I trust you would've received an invitation as well, right?" Xiang Zhili suddenly changed the subject.

  "I have, indeed. Otherwise, why would I appear here? I heard that not only are his three new concubines all early-Nascent Soul cultivators, all of them are also exquisite beauties. Speaking of which, is this the fifth or sixth time that we've been invited to the Devil Cliff Mountain by Old Devil Hu because he's taking new concubines? He sure is an energetic old devil. He already has so many concubines, yet he's still looking for more," Eccentric Wind said with a resigned shake of his head.

  "Haha, it's not like you're not aware of this, Brother Feng; Old Devil Hu has always been fond of expanding his harem. Despite the number of concubines he has, he's extremely respectful toward the virtuous maidens who catch his eye. He'll refrain from taking their virginities without consent, and he'll always hold a grand ceremony for them in order to officially establish their new identities as his concubines. He doesn't have an official Dao Companion, either, so these concubines basically share the role of his Dao Companion," Xiang Zhili chuckled.

  "Hmph, I couldn't care less whether he continues to expand his harem or not. It's just that every time we're invited to one of these blasted ceremonies, we have to prepare congratulatory presents, but if I don't go, he might take offense to my absence. On top of that, he has extremely high standards and won't accept normal treasures, so I have to offer something of substantial value each time," Eccentric Wind said in a gloomy manner.

  "We're only inclined to attend because we seek the spirit medicines growing on his Devil Cliff Mountain. If we're all saints with no desires like Fellow Daoist Bai, then we wouldn't be forced to attend these ceremonies," Xiang Zhili gave a nonchalant smile, seemingly unbothered by this minor inconvenience.

  "The two of you are referring to the fellow Daoist in the Heavenly Devil Sect, right? I haven't received an invitation, so wouldn't it be rather inappropriate for me to barge into such an important ceremony? Besides, I haven't prepared a suitable present in advance, either." Han Li was rather hesitant.

  "There's no need to trouble yourself with such trivial matters, Junior Martial Brother Han. I'm sure Old Devil Hu won't say anything if I bring a guest to his Devil Cliff Mountain. Besides, you've already presented a fantastic present in the form of the information in the jade slip, and I'm sure Old Devil Hu will be very thankful. If you really want to offer additional presents, then just give him an ancient treasure or two. You're not all that familiar with Old Devil Hu anyway, so it would instead be rather strange if you were to offer something of significant value. Besides, making this trip to the Devil Cliff Mountain will be an opportunity for you, Junior Martial Brother Han. The Demonic Heavenly Origin Pill that's unique to the Devil Cliff Mountain is quite useful when attempting a breakthrough to the Deity Transformation Stage. This pill can only be refined using the spirit medicines growing on the Devil Cliff Mountain, so you won't be able to find it elsewhere. If you can take this opportunity to exchange for a pill or two, it'll be much easier for you to sense the world's origin Qi when attempting a breakthrough," Xiang Zhili said in a meaningful manner.

  "The Demonic Heavenly Origin Pill? Is that the Demonic Origin Pill that's been missing since ancient times?" Han Li was quite startled upon hearing the name of this pill.

  Xiang Zhi was rather taken aback by the fact that Han Li was aware of this pill, but he still smiled, and said, "Indeed, that's the one. I didn't think that you'd also know of this pill, Junior Martial Brother Han. In that case, I won't need to elaborate on it any further. Would you be willing to make the trip with us now?"

  Han Li's expression became rather hesitant and indecisive.

  The Misty Lunar Mountain Ranges are situated in the northwestern region of the Great Jin, extending for hundreds of thousands of kilometers along a border between two states. There were countless steep mountains within those mountains ranges, the tallest of which was extended for hundreds of thousands of feet into the air! The top half of that mountain was perpetually enshrouded under a layer of snow all-year-round, while a massive plot of flat land had been cleared out on the mountain's summit, upon which was constructed a series of huge palaces.

  There were countless buildings on this plot of land, all of which were extremely beautiful and intricate, and had been refined from rare types of wood or jade.

  The entire summit of the mountain was protected by some kind of restriction, such that even though there was a snowstorm perpetually raging outside, the climate within the formation was always warm and pleasant. There were countless types of exotic flora here, and beautiful women in palatial dresses of all colors were playing around between the palaces and building, letting loose peals of tinkling laughter from time to time that could completely entrance the listener.

  This place was like paradise!

  This was none other than the Devil Cliff Mountain, and the buildings on the summit of the mountain collectively formed the vastly renowned Devil Palace.

  The master of the Devil Palace was none other than one of the few remaining Deity Transformation cultivators in the Great Jin, the grand elder of the Heavenly Devil Sect, Hu Qinglei.

  He was a legendary figure who'd forged a resounding reputation for himself as far back as 1,000 years ago, and singlehandedly made the Heavenly Devil Sect the number one Devil Dao sect of
the Great Jin. He was currently situated within the largest palace on the mountain summit, preparing a banquet to entertain a group of esteemed guests.

  There weren't that many guests present at the banquet; only around seven or eight, but they were seated in two rows.

  At the center of the palace stood several tens of lithe and graceful women in palatial dresses, performing a captivating dance.

  On the main seat of the palace sat an elderly man with a wooden crown and a set of rather sickly features. He was leaned back in his seat with his eyes closed in a carefree manner.

  Chapter 1240: Guests of the Devil Palace

  There were both male and female guests sitting on either side of the palace, and all of them wore smiles on their faces.

  Moments later, the women in palatial dresses finally concluded their dance, then extended a respectful bow toward the elderly man perched on the main seat before exiting the hall.

  "Senior Hu, this group of servants seem to be even more beautiful than last time. Looks like Fellow Daoist Yu and the others have been working quite hard," a blue-robed scholar sitting on the left suddenly said with a smile.

  "Hehe, I have no other hobbies in life aside from my love for women. Perhaps I'll be able to take a step further in my cultivation base when I overcome this hurdle. Martial Nephew Yu and the others should dedicate more of their time and effort into cultivation. If one of them can reach the Deity Transformation Stage, then I won't have to worry about the Heavenly Devil Sect being eradicated when I pass away someday," Hu Qinglei said in an indifferent voice.

  "There's no way that would happen, Senior Hu. There are many fellow Daoists from the Heavenly Devil Sect who are only a step away from the Deity Transformation Stage, and it's only a matter of time before they ascend to such heights. With the Heavenly Devil Sect's resounding reputation, no one would dare to offend it" the blue-robed scholar said with a fawning smile.

  "Is that so? I heard that the Yin Sifting Sect is no longer one of the 10 great Devil Dao sects. This sect was once the number one Devil Dao sect for thousands of years, and their reputation was certainly no less prominent than that of my Devil Palace today. To think that they would also fall to such a pitiful state; even if they can avoid complete eradication, they would still be reduced to nothing more than a second-rate sect," Hu Qinglei chuckled coldly in response.

  The blue-robed scholar and the other cultivators glanced at one another, wondering what Hu Qinglei was trying to say. None of them were able to decipher the meaning behind his words, so they all refrained from offering any replies.

  "I heard that not only were seven or eight Nascent Soul Stage elders of the Yin Sifting Sect killed during this incident, even Fellow Daoist Fang has perished. However, the Yin Sifting Sect has no idea who the culprit could be. That's quite strange, when you think about it. Could it be that the Yin Sifting Sect has drawn the ire of a Deity Transformation Stage senior?" A brocade-robed man suddenly changed the subject in a seamless transition.

  Hu Qinglei chuckled, and said, "Hehe, most of you have probably come here due to the Yin Sifting Sect incident, right? You can all rest assured; even though I don't know who the perpetrator is, it's definitely not one of us Deity Transformation cultivators from within the Great Jin. Otherwise, how could I be completely kept in the dark? It may be a certain powerful being from outside the Great Jin. However, if that being continues it's killing spree, we won't stand by and watch any longer." A dangerous light flashed through Hu Qinglei's eyes before quickly disappearing.

  All of the other cultivators present were all very relieved to hear this. Thus, none of them mentioned this topic any further and began to discuss some interesting recent news in the cultivation world instead.

  "By the way, Senior Hu, the last time you expanded your harem was 200 years ago; which female cultivators have caught your eye this time?" a green-robed woman who appeared to be in her thirties asked with a smile. She was also quite a beautiful woman herself.

  All of the other cultivators were also quite intrigued to hear the answer to this question. After all, even though this grand elder of the Heavenly Devil Sect was an avid lover of women, there weren't actually all that many female cultivators who were official concubines of his in the Devil Palace.

  "I didn't think that I would expand my harem any further, either. All three women are exceptional specimens with breathtaking beauty and brilliant cultivation bases to match. In particular, there's one woman who stands among the three, and she's the main reason why I've decided to expand my harem." A pleased smile appeared on Hu Qinglei's face at the mention of this topic, indicating that he was very pleased with these three women.

  "Hehe, to think that they'd receive such glowing praise even from Senior Hu; I'm really looking forward to seeing them," a mendicant with a set of vicious features chuckled.

  All of the other cultivators present were also filled with anticipation, wondering what exceptional beauties the three female cultivators had to be to have caught Hu Qinglei's eye.

  "Cultivators like us don't have a lot of rules and taboos like the mortals do. If you'd like to see them, I can call them here to pour some wine for all of you," Hu Qinglei offered with a smile.

  However, the mendicant who had spoken immediately shook his head and politely refused with a slightly overawed expression on his face.

  Hu Qinglei ignored his objections and ushered over a young woman in a palatial dress who was standing nearby.

  "Go and invite the three fairies here," Hu Qinglei instructed.

  "Yes, I'll call them right aw..." Before the young woman had a chance to finish her reply, a streak of red light shot forth from outside the palace. The red light hurtled toward Hu Qinglei before revealing itself to be a voice transmission talisman.

  A hint of surprise flashed through Hu Qinglei's eyes as he made a grabbing motion. The talisman was drawn into his grasp as a result before igniting into a ball of raging flames.

  "Oh, looks like Eccentric Wind and Fellow Daoist Xiang are here, and they've brought a guest along with them as well. Who could be held in such high regard by those two?" A hint of bewilderment appeared on Hu Qinglei's face as he flipped his hand over to snuff out the ball of flames.

  "Could it be Senior Feng from Paradise Island or Senior Xiang from the West Spirit Mountain?" the blue-robed scholar suggested.

  Everyone else's expressions changed upon hearing this.

  "Who else could it be aside from those two? However, it sounds as if they've also brought along someone whom I'm unfamiliar with. I really am getting rather curious now. Seeing as they've already reached the palace, it looks like I'll have to come out and greet them," Hu Qinglei chuckled.

  "All of us should also go and greet the two seniors," the brocade-robed man said as he hurriedly rose to his feet.

  Everyone else followed his example.

  Hu Qinglei merely nodded in response before standing up and slowly making his way out of the palace, followed closely by all of the other cultivators.

  The entire Devil Cliff Mountain was enshrouded under particularly fierce snowstorms, but a massive yellow light barrier was keeping it at bay, shielding the entire palace from the elements. The scenes outside the light barrier were a little murky, but one could still roughly make out what was going on out there.

  At this moment, there were three humanoid figures hovering in the air above the light barrier, two of which were elderly men while the other was a young man. The trio was hovering in mid-air with calm expressions on their faces.

  They were none other than Xiang Zhili, Eccentric Wind, and Han Li.

  "The Devil Palace seems to have expanded, and there seem to be even more female servants in there now. Tsk tsk, looks like it's quite a sweet gig to be the grand elder of the number one Devil Dao sect," Eccentric Wind remarked as he looked at the clusters of buildings down below.

  "Are you envious of me, Brother Feng? If so, you'll only need to raise the issue to Old Devil Hu. I'm sure he'd love to make you into the second gr
and elder of the Heavenly Devil Sect. In that case, he'll definitely construct a cave abode for you that's just as lavish as his palace," Xiang Zhili replied with a hint of a smile on his face.

  "Forget about it. I'm a man who likes his peace and quiet. If I were to live in a place like this for too long, my mental state would eventually be compromised," Eccentric Wind sighed with a shake of his head.

  Xiang Zhili smiled and didn't say anything further on the matter. Right at this moment, a group of cultivators emerged from the main palace down below before flying up to meet them.

  Even though Han Li rarely spoke on the way here, he had been quite alert and attentive this entire time, and he quickly identified the elderly man with the wooden crown as a Deity Transformation cultivator. He then cast his eyes toward the other cultivators, and a faint cry of surprise escaped his mouth.

  "Is there an acquaintance of yours here, Junior Martial Brother Han?" Xiang Zhili turned to him with a rather surprised expression. "There is indeed someone here whom I've met once before," Han Li replied in a calm voice.

  "I see." Xiang Zhili nodded in response, but didn't pry any further.

  At this moment, Hu Qinglei had already reached the light barrier, and he made a hand seal as he began to chant something.

  Spiritual light immediately flashed from the light barrier before Han Li's trio, following which an opening appeared.

  Xiang Zhili and Eccentric Wind flew in without any inhibitions. Han Li hesitated momentarily before also flying in as a streak of azure light.

  The yellow light barrier quickly sealed over again.

  Moments later, the three appeared before Hu Qinglei and the other cultivators.

  "Brother Xiang, Fellow Daoist Feng, you two are a little late. I received news a while ago that both of you had already set off, how is it that you've only gotten here now? Did you encounter some unforeseen delays along the way?" Hu Qinglei asked with a slightly lackadaisical smile.