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

by Translator: Johnchen

  "Conditions? Go on, then," the elderly man prompted with furrowed brows.

  "I want a Kun Peng Relic, as well as the right to record my name on the replica scroll of the Tian Peng Vow," Han Li replied with a faint smile.

  "You know of those things?" All three Tian Peng beings' expression changed drastically in unison upon hearing this.

  "That's impossible! Our race only has a dozen or so Kun Peng Relics in total, and every one of them was left behind by our race's past grand elders when they passed away; how could we give one to you? As for the Tian Peng Vow, our race only has three replica scrolls, and there's no space on them for you to record your name," the elderly man immediately refused with a dark expression.

  "Indeed, those two items are both extremely valuable to our race. Would you be willing to accept any other conditions?" the beautiful woman among the trio asked.

  The young woman didn't say anything, but she wore a contemplative look on her face."I'm not asking for the Kun Peng Relic solely for myself. Only after consuming the relic will I be able to grasp the power of the Kun Peng and manifest a Kun Peng body. Only then will I be able to pose as your race's holy disciple and not have my cover blown by other races. With the relic in addition to the Kun Peng feather and Kun Peng true blood that I've fused with my body, I should have the right to record my name on a replica scroll of the Tian Peng vow. That's the only way to show me that your race doesn't harbor any ill will toward me after the event," Han Li said in a calm voice.

  "How do you know of these things? Did someone in our race disclose this information to you?" the elderly man asked with a steely expression.

  "That shouldn't be the case. Fellow Daoist Han stayed for an entire day within the Omniscient Pavilion in the city, so he most likely gathered this information from the books in there. I almost forgot that all humans can possess eidetic memories once they reach a high enough cultivation base," Jin Yue said in a calm voice.

  "Even so, we absolutely cannot accept these conditions." The elderly man shook his head in a stubborn manner.

  "Why not? If a holy master doesn't appear among your race during this trial, you'll most likely be removed from the 72 branches of the Flying Spirit Race, and you'll be forcibly conquered by other more powerful branches. Compared to that, I think what I'm asking for is very reasonable, unless the three of you were planning to turn on me after the event from the very beginning," Han Li said in a slow voice.

  Both the elderly man and the beautiful woman's expressions darkened upon hearing this.

  After a brief silence, Jin Yue suddenly said, "Alright, I accept your conditions."

  "You can't..."

  "Grand Elder, we should discuss this matter in greater depth!"

  Both of the other elders hurriedly tried to dissuade her.

  "There's no need for further discussion. It's just as Fellow Daoist Han has said, this crisis could quite possibly spell the downfall of our race. In contrast, his conditions are indeed very reasonable. I'm making an executive decision here; speak no further on this matter," Jin Yue said in a cold voice as she raised a hand toward the two elders.

  The two elders glanced at one another hesitantly upon hearing this, but they decided to keep their mouths shut in the end.

  "I can accept the conditions you stated, but in order to ensure that you'll do everything in your power to assist our two holy disciples to pass the trial, I'll need you to sign a blood vow. If no holy master emerged from our race following the conclusion of the trial, as the Grand Elder, I can sacrifice some of my lifespan to remove you from the Tian Peng Vow, then kill you on the spot." Jin Yue's gaze suddenly became as sharp as daggers.

  Han Li's heart stirred slightly in response, but he merely put on a faint smile, and said, "Rest assured, Senior. If the holy disciples fail to pass the trial due to lack of effort on my part, then I'm willing to accept any punishment you hand down to me."

  "Good. Go back and prepare; I'll send someone to get you tomorrow so we can hold your spirit initiation ceremony and officially welcome you into our race," the young woman said in an implacable voice.

  Han Li naturally had no objections, and he immediately cupped his fist in a farewell salute to the tree elders before departing.

  The elderly man looked on as Han Li exited the room, then took a deep breath and exhaled before turning to Jin Yue with a heavy expression. "Grand Elder, I still oppose this course of action. I can accept giving him the Kun Peng Relic, but if we record his name onto the replica scrolls of the Tian Peng Vow, none of our brethren will be able to do anything to him unless he commits the few extremely severe crimes listed in the vow. Beings from foreign races could easily use this against us and bring calamity to our race."

  "I'm naturally aware of this. However, you seem to have forgotten something, Elder Xu. The Tian Peng Vow can only restrict our brethren; have you forgotten about that traitor from 3,000 years ago?" A peculiar look appeared on Jin Yue's face as she spoke.

  "Could it be..." The beautiful woman among the trio was beginning to understand where this was going.

  Jin Yue gently stroked her hair as she replied, "A few days ago, I met the Flying Spirit Generals that have recently returned to the city with the worshipful offerings, and I learned some things about that human from them. According to them, this human cultivator appears to only possess the cultivation base of a mid-Flying General, but he's actually at least as powerful as an early-Great Spirit General. With him on our side, our holy disciples are virtually guaranteed to pass the trial, so I'm willing to make these concessions. Furthermore, when all is said and done, as long as this human is willing to stay in our holy city and doesn't come into contact with any of his brethren, we don't have to resort to that final step. What we do have to be wary of is those enemies of our race plotting against us during the trial."

  "Your wisdom is unmatched, Grand Elder!" The two elders were greatly reassured.

  On the other end, Han Li had just arrived back at his residence when he encountered a few visitors.

  They were none other than Feng Xiao, Bai Lei, and Bai Ning, who had returned to the city with him.

  The three of them greeted Han Li in a very warm and enthusiastic manner and stayed to chat with him for the better part of half a day before departing.

  After seeing off this trio of siblings, Han Li's smile faded as he returned to the room with a contemplative look on his face and closed the doors.

  Sure enough, eight Tian Peng beings came to find him the next morning, four of which were male while the other four were female. Even though their cultivation bases were only at the Foundation Establishment Stage, they were all very young, so their aptitudes were quite brilliant.

  After casting a glance at the eight of them, Han Li didn't say anything as he departed behind them toward a certain location in the holy city.

  After flying over more than half of the entire city, Han Li appeared within a strange building situated on a corner of the city almost half a day later.

  This building was a massive plaza that kind of resembled an arena. The entire plaza was circular in shape and was surrounded by massive stone walls that were roughly 1,000 feet tall, taking up an area of several kilometers.

  Atop those stone walls stood hundreds of stone bird statues, and all of them were flashing with different colors of light. They had clearly had some kind of restriction placed on them, and the light emanating from the statues combined to form a rainbow barrier of light that enshrouded the entire plaza.

  At the center of the plaza stood a sacrificial-altar-like tall platform that was entirely constructed from pristine and flawless white jade.

  Han Li currently stood atop the jade platform with a dozen or so white-robed Tian Peng beings standing around him in a solemn and intimidating manner. There were both men and women among them, and all of them were at the Spatial Tempering Stage.

  Jin Yue and the three Tian Peng Race elders stood right in front of Han Li while a pair of young women who appeared to be servants stood
behind them, holding a silver disk each.

  "Fellow Daoist Han, all of the preparations have been made. In order to completely activate the power of the Kun Peng Relic and Kun Peng Blood within you prior to the commencement of the trial, the two elders and I will be unleashing our abilities to assist you in refining those two items in a short time. We'll then be bestowing upon you the transformation technique of our Tian Peng Race. I hope you won't disappoint us, Fellow Daoist Han," Jin Yue said as she looked directly into Han Li's eyes.

  "Rest assured, Senior. I've already made a promise to all of you, so I'll definitely do everything within my power to assist the holy disciples," Han Li replied in a serious manner.

  "Good. Fuse the Kun Peng True Blood into your body first and Elder Xu will activate the power of the spirit blood, then forcibly fuse it with your blood so that they become one and the same. The process will be a little painful, but I'm sure you'll be able to handle it. After that, you can consume the Kun Peng Relic, and I'll personally assist you in refining the relic. You have to take care during this process not to suffer backlash and go into Qi deviation from the power of the relic. After all, you're not a true Tian Peng being, so this procedure may be rather perilous," Jin Yue cautioned.

  Han Li naturally nodded in response.

  Han Li's willingness to cooperate was very pleasing for Jin Yue, and she also nodded before waving a hand behind her.

  One of the female servants immediately made her way over to Jin Yue in a respectful manner before offering the silver disk in her hand to the grand elder.

  Jin Yue took an indifferent glance at the silver disk before flicking a slim finger toward the screen of light.

  White light flashed erratically before disappearing soundlessly to reveal a small thumb-sized azure vial. The vial was rather antiquated and appeared to be made from neither metal nor jade.

  Jin Yue looked at the small vial as faint silver light flashed from her body, and her expression suddenly became extremely solemn and dignified.

  Meanwhile, all of the other Tian Peng beings bowed in unison toward the small vial with expressions of awe and veneration on their faces.

  Chapter 1424: Fusing the True Blood

  Jin Yue began to chant something in a voice that was very pleasant to the ears, and she pointed a finger at the small vial. An azure thread shot forth from her fingertip before striking the vial, upon which it tremored before rising into the air, heading directly toward where Han Li was situated.

  Han Li immediately sat down onto the jade platform with his legs crossed.

  At this moment, Elder Xu and the beautiful woman raised their hands in unison to summon an object each, one of which was as crimson as blood while the other carried a refreshing green hue.

  They were, respectively, a palm-sized crimson lotus flower and a green banana leaf.

  The crimson lotus flower rotated on the spot, expanding to around 10 feet in size and emanating a faint fragrance. Meanwhile, the banana leaf also expanded to around the size of a grown human amid a burst of green light, and a series of strange green runes appeared over its surface, glowing with a dazzling light.

  Han Li raised his eyebrows, yet before he could identify what purposes these two items served, the crimson lotus was already descending toward his head.

  Han Li was initially startled to see this before he suddenly experienced a rush of weightlessness, having been gently carried up into mid-air by the crimson lotus flower.

  The faint fragrance of the lotus flower wafted into his nostrils, striking him with a slightly intoxicating sensation.

  However, Han Li didn't panic in response. Instead, he merely sat at the center of the lotus flower with his eyes narrowed, seemingly having fallen asleep, but he made sure to retain a wisp of clarity in his mind.

  Elder Xu let loose a low cry and the petals of the crimson lotus flower slowly converged toward the center.

  In the blink of an eye, all of the petals had joined together to form a vibrant red flower bud.

  Jin Yue flicked both fingers toward the small vial upon seeing this.

  Several azure threads shot forth, disappearing into the small vial in a flash.

  A ball of green light erupted from the small vial, and its lid abruptly vanished as a ball of azure light emerged from within.

  Following a crisp cry, the ball of light receded and transformed into an azure bird that was several inches in size, and it attempted to spread its wings and fly away.

  However, Jin Yue was already prepared for this, and she flapped the golden wings on her back.

  Swaths of golden light immediately swept forth from her wings, completely enshrouding the azure bird within.

  The bird struggled for a while within the light before turning into a small drop of azure liquid with faint undertones of silver light peeking through it.

  Jin Yue then made a hand seal with a calm expression on her face before pointing a finger at the drop of azure liquid.

  The golden light tremored before carrying the azure liquid down toward the flower bud.

  The azure drop of liquid then disappeared into the crimson lotus amid a dull thump as golden and crimson light intertwined.

  Right at this moment, Elder Xu's body swayed and he appeared on one side of the crimson lotus flower in a wraith-like manner. He then raised a hand and placed it on onto the lotus flower before spreading open a pair of silver wings on his back. Silver spiritual light began to surge from his hand into the crimson lotus flower while the beautiful woman appeared on the other side of the flower and replicated Elder Xu's actions. However, the spiritual light flowing from her palm was white.

  All of a sudden, a buzzing sound rang out from the crimson lotus, and the crimson light on its surface also began to flash erratically.

  Right at this moment, the green banana leaf hovering mid-air also descended from above. However, as soon as it came into contact with the crimson lotus flower, the banana leaf self-detonated, following which countless green lines shot forth in all directions before disappearing into the lotus flower.

  Immediately thereafter, a series of strange green patterns appeared over the surface of the crimson lotus. In the next instant, the crimson light receded, and the buzzing sound also subsided.

  Elder Xu and the beauty paid no heed to this as they both closed their eyes, focusing wholeheartedly on injecting pure spiritual light into the lotus flower.

  However, Jin Yue heaved a long sigh of relief upon seeing this, and she smiled as she murmured to herself, "It's just as I predicted; the aura within this human's body is able to accept the Kun Peng True Blood. The most important thing now is to see just how much of the Kun Peng Blood's power he can activate as a human."

  After that, Jin Yue turned to the other higher-ups of the Tian Peng Race standing nearby, and said in a cold voice, "You've all seen what's happened; the survival of our race hinges on this man. Hence, all of you must keep all information about this man strictly confidential to the outside world. From now on, this man will be known as the third holy disciple that we've been nurturing in secret after sending him far away for cultivation purposes. Understood?"

  The Spatial Tempering Stage Tian Peng beings stirred as they vowed in unison, "Yes, Grand Elder; we won't tell a single soul."

  Jin Yue nodded as her expression eased, and she said, "I trust that you wouldn't do something severely detrimental to our sect, either. Two months from now, I'll select a few people among you to accompany me and the holy disciples to the trial grounds."

  "Two months? Why are we going so early? Isn't there still a year left?" someone immediately exclaimed.

  "Apparently, a dozen or so races, including the Chi Rong Race and the Raven Race, requested for the trial to be held earlier than the designated time. Our elders vehemently opposed this proposal on the panel of elders, but it was still passed due to a majority vote."

  "Why? Surely they have to at least provide a reason for this," another Tian Peng being chimed in in an enraged voice.

  "Of c
ourse they've prepared a reason for this. They say that the earth abyss has been a little chaotic lately, so it's best to hold the trial earlier in case any mishaps occur due to excessive delays," Jin Yue explained in a calm manner.

  "The demons of the earth abyss have always been sworn enemies of our Flying Spirit Race; when has it not been chaotic over there? They're just doing this to target the weaker branches!" Another Tian Peng being flared up with rage.

  "There's no point in discussing the matter any further. The panel of elders has already delivered their verdict, so we can only accept it. Aside from the upcoming trial that we have to prepare for, there have also been beings of foreign races that have frequently appeared on our territory of late, and they've been plundering our lands with reckless abandon. I'll assign some troops to some of you to set off immediately and kill off these abhorrent cowards. Make sure to teach all of the other branches a lesson that they won't be forgetting anytime soon." Jin Yue's voice suddenly turned frosty and forbidding as she spoke.

  "Yes, Grand Elder!" the Tian Peng beings answered in unison as they lowered their heads.

  After that, Jin Yue began to assign missions to everyone, and all of them departed one after another to carry out their designated tasks.

  The jade platform became virtually empty in the blink of an eye. Aside from Jin Yue and the two elders, as well as the two servants standing behind Jin Yue, there was no one else standing on the platform.

  Jin Yue turned and cast her gaze toward the crimson lotus flower, where the two Body Integration Stage elders were still relentlessly pouring forth their spiritual power, and the flower seemed to have expanded even further.

  At the same time, the green patterns on the surface of the lotus flower also began to flash erratically as if they'd come to life.

  Jin Yue suddenly made a grabbing motion toward the silver disk that the other servant was carrying, and a white bead whistled forth from the disk before being drawn into her grasp.