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

by Translator: Johnchen

  Within an extremely secretive hall in Cloud City, a dozen or so important figures were seated in two rows on a pair of wooden benches.

  Among these people, there were some who were familiar to Han Li, such as the three elders of the Myriad Ancient Race, Cai Liuying of the Crystal Race, and Duan Tianren of the Stone Cocoon Race. The others were all beings whom Han Li had never met before, but the spiritual pressure emanating from their bodies indicated that they were beings of the same caliber as the likes of Qian Jizi. All of these vasty renowned holy race beings were gathered with solemn and cautious expressions on their face, while a man and a woman sat at the very center of the hall.

  The man wore a set of white robes and appeared to be around 27 to 28 years of age, while the woman had a head of golden hair, but a face so deeply wrinkled that it appeared she was barely even able to keep her eyes open.

  If Han Li were present at the scene, he wouldn't have paid much attention to the elderly woman, but he certainly would've been quite alarmed by the sight of the white-robed young man.

  This was none other than the Grand Ascension cultivator with the Weng surname, who had appeared during the last Four Races Auction.

  At this moment, the young man wore a thunderous expression, and there was a menacing aura emanating from his body.

  "It's been so many days, yet all of you still haven't managed to find the Jiao Chi Race infiltrator. It looks like the infiltrator has already fled Cloud City or is hiding somewhere that's beyond the scope of your search. Fellow Daoist Bai, Your Water Wraith Race has always been responsible for this area as of late; what do you think?" the white-robed young man suddenly asked in a cold voice.

  The person that he had questioned was a man in a brocade robe with a head of white hair, but a set of youthful facial features. His expression soured slightly upon hearing this question, but he still hurriedly rose to his feet as he cupped his fist in a salute, and replied, "Senior Weng, we've already deployed all of the beings in our race who are proficient in interrogative techniques, and investigated all of the suspicious beings who have come to our Cloud City in the past six months. During the process, we've even weeded out hundreds of spies that had been planted in our Cloud City from various other races, but we've still been unable to find that Jiao Chi Race being who infiltrated our Enshrinement Hall. I think the infiltrator has most likely already left Cloud City. Otherwise, there's no way that he would've been able to escape such an exhaustive investigation."

  Chapter 1673: Old Mistress Sha

  "That's not necessarily the case. Perhaps that infiltrator is very proficient in disguise techniques, and you may have unwittingly set them free already," a figure enshrouded in grey light remarked in an indifferent manner.

  "Hmph, our Water Wraith Race may be lacking in combat prowess and power compared to other races, but our expertise in disguise techniques is definitely among the best in all of the 13 races. If you think your Yin Demon Race can do better, then I'll naturally be happy to hand over this duty to you, Brother Cang Ying," the white-haired being replied in an abrasive manner.

  "I'm only saying this as a mere suggestion; there's no way that our Yin Demon Race would be more suited to this task than your Water Wraith Race," the grey figure chuckled in a nonchalant manner.

  A cold light flashed through the white-haired man's eyes, and he was just about to say something else when the white-robed young man interjected, "Alright, that's enough bickering from you two. There's no way that Jiao Chi Race infiltrator could've managed to escape. After I discovered that that thing had been stolen, I immediately issued a command to seal off all of the exits of the city. During the past few days, no one has been allowed to leave, so not even a single mosquito could've flown out of Cloud City. On top of that, according to one of the guards who had been injured by the infiltrator, that being was only at the Spatial Tempering Stage, so it's very unlikely that they could've fooled Fellow Daoist Bai and his subordinates. In that case, this indicates that the infiltrator has most likely been in our Cloud City for a long time. As such, we have to investigate suspicious targets that have entered the city even longer than six months ago."

  Both the white-haired man and the grey figure immediately fell silent in an obedient manner upon hearing this.

  "If that really is the case, then things are going to get quite troublesome. If we begin investigating all suspicious beings who were allowed into the city from even further back than half a year ago, there are simply way too many beings to investigate. If all of the outsiders begin to panic upon realizing what we're doing, then that would spell even more trouble for us," Qian Jizi suddenly said after clearing his throat.

  "That's indeed a possibility, and it's also what I'm most worried about. However, this infiltrator has stolen the blueprints of the restriction formation that we'd just set up in the entire Cloud City, so we can't let them escape without paying a price. Otherwise, if the army of the Jiao Chi Race were to reach our city, that restriction would be virtually useless against them," the white-robed young man replied.

  "That's a very valid concern, Senior Weng. As long as the Jiao Chi Race infiltrator remains in the city, we naturally can't allow them to leave. However, if we were to really conduct an exhaustive investigation, we could perhaps keep it up for a month or two with no issues, but if that infiltrator decides to play the waiting game and hides somewhere in the city for years on end, we can't afford to keep this up forever," an elderly man with a long black beard said in a grim voice.

  "Oh? Does that mean you have a good idea you'd like to propose, Fellow Daoist Ning?" the white-robed man asked.

  "I don't have any valuable insights to offer, but we have Fairy Cai here, don't we? With Fairy Cai's intellect and talents, I'm sure she'll be able to find a solution with ease." The elderly man hurriedly waved his hands in response before suddenly thrusting Cai Liuying under the limelight.

  Cai Liuying's eyes flashed upon hearing this, and she smiled as she said, "Surely you jest, Brother Ning. With Senior Weng and Mountain Master Sha here, there's no place for my little tricks. I can only do my best to fulfill the duty that I'm assigned."

  "Fellow Daoist Cai, now's not the time for modesty. I want to hear what insights you have to offer as an elder of the Crystal Race," the white-robed man insisted in a serious manner.

  Cai Liuying's brows furrowed slightly, but she then quickly reverted back to her normal expression as she rose to her feet, then extended a bow toward each of the two beings seated at the center of the hall. "In that case, I'll do my best to propose a solution."

  "Alright, please go ahead, Fairy Cai."

  "I'm sure you won't disappoint us, Fellow Daoist Cai."

  Everyone present smiled and offered words of encouragement.

  It appeared that even though Cai Liuying possessed one of the lowest cultivation bases among all of the beings present, she seemed to be quite a popular and influential figure.

  Even the elderly woman that had her eyes virtually half-closed opened her eyes slightly wider as she appraised Cai Liuying.

  The white-robed man beside her was also looking at Cai Liuying with an expectant gaze.

  After looking at everyone gathered in the hall, Cai Liuying said, "In my opinion, it's not a good idea to pour all of our resources into conducting an exhaustive and lengthy investigation. Instead, we should lay a trap to lure out the infiltrator."

  "What kind of trap do you propose?" the white-robed man asked.

  Cai Liuying replied, "Regardless of what kind of method the infiltrator will adopt to try and escape, it looks like it'll be quite difficult to capture them in a short time. As such, I suggest conducting an exhaustive investigation for a month, doing everything we can within reason to search for the infiltrator. If we catch them during this time, then that would be ideal. However, if we fail to do so, we can slowly withdraw resources from the search, thereby making it appear as if we're giving up and conceded that we won't be catching the infiltrator, but in reality, we'll be deploying more peopl
e to the four city gates, where they'll be conducting investigations from the shadows. On top of that, I suggest organizing a group of elite individuals who continue to investigate suspicious beings leaving Cloud City during the upcoming period in secret. In that case, if the infiltrator is in a hurry to deliver the blueprints back to the Jiao Chi Race, they'll be sure to fall into our trap. On the contrary, if they plan to continue hiding in the city, I'm sure that once it becomes seemingly apparent that we're calling off the search, they'll gradually grow complacent, and that'll be their downfall."

  "That is indeed a good idea, but what if that infiltrator is extremely proficient in disguise techniques, and they manage to bypass our investigation after we open the four city gates? Won't we be shooting ourselves in the foot and allowing them to escape instead?" The white-robed man initially nodded in response, but then shook his head quickly thereafter.

  Everyone else thought that Cai Liuying's plan was quite good, but now that the white-robed man was stating a different opinion, everyone was rather hesitant again.

  "Hehe, I've actually only disclosed half the plan, Senior Weng. I think you'll be interested to hear the second half of my plan," Cai Liuying said with a smile.

  Her lips then began to move slightly, but she uttered no sounds, and it was quite apparent that she was transmitting her voice directly to the white-robed man.

  The man was initially rather taken aback by this, but after listening for a while, a hint of surprise appeared on his face, which then quickly turned into elation.

  Only after close to 10 minutes did Cai Liuying finally cease her voice transmission.

  "Is that true?" The white-robed man took a deep breath before suddenly casting his gaze toward Qian Jizi.

  "I wouldn't dare joke about such an important matter," Cai Liuying replied with a serious look on her face.

  All of the other holy race beings present wore different expressions as they glanced at one another in the aftermath of that mysterious exchange between Cai Liuying and the white-robed man.

  However, all of them were naturally smart enough not to inquire about the contents of the voice transmission.

  "In that case, I'm certainly convinced. Mistress Sha, I'm sure you just heard Fellow Daoist Cai's voice transmission as well; what do you think?" The white-robed man suddenly turned to the elderly woman beside him in a polite manner.

  "I have no objections. I'm just an old woman who doesn't want to think anymore. All I'm responsible for is helping out when we encounter enemies that are too powerful for these little guys to deal with. I'm not going to pay any heed to anything else, and nor do I have the energy to do so. Seeing as you've formulated a plan, I'm going back to rest now. Fellow Daoist Weng, you can make all of the decisions that arise from here onward," the old woman said in a feeble voice as she rose to her feet in a wobbly manner.

  A wry smile appeared on the white-robed man's face upon hearing this. However, before he had a chance to say anything else, the woman had already departed, and she really did leave just as she said she would.

  All of the other beings present were naturally slightly bemused to see this.

  This elderly woman had always been extremely mysterious. All of them knew that she was a Grand Ascension Stage being, but no one knew which of the 13 races she hailed from, nor what kind of ability she'd cultivated to progress to the Grand Ascension Stage.

  According to some rumors, she was the oldest of all of the current Grand Ascension Stage beings in the 13 races, and it was said that she'd lived for an unimaginably long time.

  At the very least, all of the cultivators had known of her existence for many years.

  As such, even though she appeared to be a frail old woman who could be blown over by a stiff breeze, even the white-robed man regarded her as a senior, so all of the other beings present naturally treated her with the utmost respect.

  After the old woman finally hobbled out of the hall, the white-robed man could only heave a resigned sigh before withdrawing his gaze.

  After a brief pause, the white-robed man announced in a decisive manner. "Seeing as Mistress Sha has already left and there's not really anything left to discuss this matter, we'll all do as Fellow Daoist Cai says. Fairy Cai, Fellow Daoist Bai, I'll leave this to the two of you. Everyone else, you must cooperate with the two of them to the best of your abilities."

  Everyone in the hall naturally agreed to this arrangement.

  "Alright, let's discuss the matters surrounding the Vast Glacial Realm next. Qian Jizi, you can tell everyone about this." The white-robed man suddenly changed the subject.

  Everyone's expressions changed slightly upon hearing the words "Vast Glacial Realm".

  Some of the more impatient beings present couldn't help but ask, "What's going on, Fellow Daoist Qian? Is the Vast Glacial Realm about to open soon?"

  Meanwhile, Cai Liuying and Duan Tianren exchanged a glance in a reflexive manner before immediately averting their eyes.

  "The Vast Glacial Apparatus in the Sentient Hall of our Myriad Ancient Race has displayed a reaction two days ago, and according to past experience, this means that the Vast Glacial Realm will open in a few months to three or four years," Qian Jizi explained in an unhurried manner.

  Chapter 1674: Guest

  "It's opening that quickly?"

  "This is not a good time!"

  A stir immediately ran through the entire hall.

  "The Vast Glacial Badges had only appeared not long ago, so it's indeed rather out of the ordinary that the Vast Glacial Apparatus is displaying a reaction so soon. This also coincides with the invasion of the Jiao Chi Race, so we won't be able to focus wholeheartedly on preparing for this event. However, the opening of the Vast Glacial Realm is a great opportunity for the races all over the Thunder Continent to receive a boost in power, so we naturally can't just not prepare for it, either. As such, I need everyone to formulate a course of action," Qian Jizi said with a serious look on his face.

  "Indeed, Fellow Daoist Qian. The invasion of the Jiao Chi Race has drawn most of our attention, but thankfully, this isn't the first time we've had to prepare for the opening of the Vast Glacial Realm, so there's no need to panic even if it's happening a little earlier than normal," the white-robed man said with a nod.

  "To be honest, whether we can reap much rewards from the Vast Glacial Realm depends almost entirely on the luck and potential of our juniors. All we can do is ascertain the roster that is to enter the Vast Glacial Realm as soon as possible, then set up the formation required for them to enter the realm. On this occasion, our 13 races didn't manage to secure too many Vast Glacial Badges, and our Cloud City only has two. As such, we only need to prepare two formations on our end. The other Vast Glacial Badges will naturally be taken care of by others, so we don't need to worry about them," a burly man with a body that was as black as charcoal chimed in in agreement.

  "Indeed!"

  "However, we have many juniors in Cloud City who are at the pinnacle of the Spatial Tempering Stage, so it won't be easy to ascertain this roster."

  "In order to prevent that Jiao Chi Race infiltrator from wreaking havoc during this time, we have to make sure that the two teleportation formations are extremely well-guarded."

  Some of the beings present were quite elated, while others were rather concerned, and all of them offered their opinions.

  Meanwhile, the white-robed man merely listened to their discussion with a smile on their faces, and when the chatter finally died down, he turned to Cai Liuying, and asked, "Fairy Cai, do you have anything to add?"

  Cai Liuying faltered slightly after being singled out, but she then immediately smiled as she replied, "All of the areas have been addressed in detail by all of my fellow Daoists, so there's nothing for me to add."

  After a brief pause for contemplation, the white-robed man finally made his decision. "Alright, in that case, we'll prepare for the opening of the Vast Glacial Realm just like we've always done in the past. As for the specific roster of juniors to b
e sent into the realm, I'll leave that to all of you to decide. However, all of the beings chosen must be at least at the late-Spatial Tempering Stage, and we must deploy three times as many people as we have in the past to guard the teleportation formations. On top of that, the area in a radius of five kilometers around the two formations will be sealed off as a restricted area that's barred from entry to unrelated individuals. Only the Myriad Ancient Race knows how to set up the formations, so I'll leave that to you, Fellow Daoist Qian."

  Qian Jizi and the two Myriad Ancient Race elders next to him naturally bowed and accepted these orders.

  A thought then suddenly occurred to the white-robed man, and he asked, "By the way, have you chosen the candidates to activate the Vast Glacial Badges?"

  "One of the candidates has already been chosen, but the other badge has already been activated," Qian Jizi replied after a brief hesitant pause.

  "If I recall correctly, all of the candidates chosen to activate the Vast Glacial Badges are selected through a rigorous selection process, and the badges are only activated on the cusp of the opening of the Vast Glacial Realm; why was a badge activated so early this time?" The white-robed man's expression darkened upon hearing this.

  "Please forgive me, Senior; the situation with this Vast Glacial Badge is rather special, and it had already been activated by the time we obtained it. Here's what happened..." Thus, Qian Jizi gave a careful recount of what had happened with Han Li.

  "I see. So that being isn't a Heavenly Cloud being. In fact, he isn't even from our continent," the white-robed man surmised with a surprised look on his face.

  "Indeed. I have also agreed to let him use the super teleportation formation after returning from the Vast Glacial Realm, but he has to supply the spirit stones required for that himself," Qian Jizi replied in a truthful manner.

  The white-robed man's expression returned to normal before he continued, "That's not really an issue, but what's important is that you make sure there's nothing fishy about him."