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

by Translator: Johnchen

  "We are most definitely interested, but a small portion of this spirit herb seems to be missing. As such, its value will be discounted," the golden-masked figure said in a slow voice.

  "I've taken the seeds for this spirit medicine for myself. As I'm sure you're aware, the seeds of this Yin Phoenix Herb aren't worth much at all, so even if the value is to be discounted, it shouldn't be by much. As such, I definitely won't be willing to exchange it just for this Heavenmatch Bell alone. If you want this spirit herb, then show me some sincerity. Didn't you say that the Black Realm has some other precious treasures to put up for exchange? If you're unwilling to negotiate, then I would rather keep this Yin Phoenix Herb to exchange with the other fellow Daoists present." Han Li's eyes narrowed as he transmitted his voice in a cold manner.

  "This is quite an important matter, so I'll have to discuss it with some other people before I give you a response," the golden-masked figure replied in a solemn manner after a brief hesitation.

  "Of course, go ahead," Han Li replied.

  After that, the golden-masked man raised his head to look up into the sky, and his lips tremored incessantly as he held a discussion with his hidden colleagues.

  Everyone could only wait while the discussion took place. Thankfully, the discussion ended quite quickly, and not long after that, the golden-masked man transmitted his voice to Han Li again. "Aside from this Heavenmatch Bell, we're willing to offer you another one of the most precious treasures that we have for exchange. However, you don't get to choose what that second treasure is. Of course, if you're not happy with the second treasure and decide to pass up on it, we'll compensate you with a huge sum of spirit stones."

  Chapter 1823: The Item in the Pouch

  "If I don't get to choose, then I'd rather keep this spirit herb for the next round of exchanges," Han Li replied with furrowed brows.

  "You're naturally well within your right to do that, but I must caution you that different materials will be required to exchange for the next few treasures we'll be offering. These treasures have all been contributed by different elders of our Black Realm, and all of them have different needs. Hence, there's no guarantee that you'll be able to exchange for two treasures even with this spirit herb of yours if you pass up this Heavenmatch Bell," the golden-masked figure said.

  "Are you saying the next few treasures will be even more precious than this Heavenmatch Bell?" Han Li's heart stirred upon hearing this.

  "Hehe, that'll depend on what you perceive to be of value," the golden-masked man replied in an ambiguous manner, not disclosing any further information to Han Li.

  Han Li's lips twitched slightly upon hearing this.

  The golden-masked man thought that he was interested in the Heavenmatch Bell, when in reality, he only wanted the accompanying foreign body refinement art; as for whether he could secure the bell or not, that was completely inconsequential to him.

  With that in mind, Han Li asked, "How will I know that this second treasure is one of the most precious treasures on offer for exchange as you proclaim? What if you find a random treasure to swindle me with?"

  The golden-masked man was clearly very confident in this second treasure, and he replied in a proud manner, "Hehe, you don't have to worry about that, Fellow Daoist; I'm sure that a cultivator of your caliber will be able to identify a precious treasure from a dud. If you're not satisfied with the second treasure, you can always refuse to make the exchange."

  After a brief pause for contemplation, Han Li agreed to this arrangement. "In that case, you have to let me see the second treasure first, right? If it's indeed useful to me, then I'll accept the exchange."

  The golden-masked man's confident display made him quite curious about just what this second treasure was.

  "Sure, please wait a moment, Fellow Daoist." The golden-masked figure smiled as spiritual light flashed from his hand, and a golden cloth pouch appeared before being tossed into the air.

  White light flashed, and the white snake sprang forth like lightning, swallowing the pouch before flying out of the light barrier and heading back to Han Li.

  Han Li extended a hand, and the golden pouch fell into his grasp.

  He raised an eyebrow as he immediately loosened the opening of the pouch, then swept his spiritual sense into it, following which a stunned look abruptly appeared on his face.

  As soon as he opened the pouch, bright azure light erupted forth, accompanied by a burst of buzzing. Immediately thereafter, something attempted to fly out of the pouch, and Han Li immediately placed a hand over the pouch's opening, sealing it amid a flash of golden spiritual light.

  The azure light and the strange buzzing sound both vanished after that flash of golden light.

  "What is the meaning of this?" Han Li stared blankly at the pouch for a long while before abruptly turning to the golden-masked man and transmitting his voice toward him again.

  "I'm offering that item and the Heavenmatch Bell for your Yin Phoenix Herb," the golden-masked figure replied with a confident smile.

  "Hmph, if this item were completely refined, then it would naturally be an extraordinary treasure, but you're trying to exchange for my Yin Phoenix Herb with just an embryo? You sure are a shrewd businessman!" Han Li harrumphed coldly.

  "Do you think we'd be offering this item if it were completely refined? In that case, even without the Heavenmatch Bell, just this item alone would be worth seven or eight Yin Phoenix Herbs of the same age," the golden-masked figure replied in an unyielding manner.

  "That's true. This item would indeed be indispensable to any cultivator after being fully refined. However, an embryo is still an embryo; it's still far from being completely refined. Who knows if it'll be worth exchanging such a precious spirit herb for something that'll be completely useless during the upcoming devilish tribulation?" Han Li sighed after a brief pause.

  "Hehe, that'll be up to your luck, Fellow Daoist. If you can survive the devilish tribulation, then find a way to refine this item, then you'll have earned yourself an extraordinary asset. Truth be told, this is something that one of our Black Realm elders was refining, and he only decided to offer it for exchange as he knew that he wouldn't be able to completely refine it," the golden-masked man revealed in a truthful manner.

  Han Li stroked his chin and fell into silent contemplation.

  The item in the pouch was a legendary treasure among the human and demon races, and once successfully refined, it could assist a cultivator significantly in their cultivation. It was said that only a tiny handful of people possessed this type of treasure in the entirety of the two races. At present, it was only a semi-finished product, but if it weren't for the imminent devilish tribulation, Han Li would exchange it for his Yin Phoenix Herb almost without any hesitation, let alone the fact that the Heavenmatch Bell was also being thrown into the deal. However, this treasure was a spirit item that was born from heaven and earth. Not only was it extremely difficult to form its embryo, completing its refinement was virtually an impossible task. Otherwise, such a valuable treasure wouldn't be so exceedingly rare among the two races.

  Even so, the miraculous effects of this treasure in its fully refined form still posed quite a tempting prospect to Han Li, and it was no wonder that the golden-masked man was so confident that he would agree to this exchange.

  At the same time, it also showed just how determined he was to secure this Yin Phoenix Herb.

  Through the interaction between Han Li and the golden-masked man, the other people in the nearby stone pavilions had also deduced that there was a good chance that this exchange would be a successful one.

  As such, many people were naturally curious about just what was in the jade box that Han Li had offered, and what was in the cloth pouch that the golden-masked man had offered in exchange. However, with the powerful spiritual sense restrictions in this place, they were naturally unable to ascertain any of those details.

  "Alright, I agree to this exchange!" Han Li officially agreed after just a brief mo
ment of contemplation.

  "You've definitely made the right decision, Fellow Daoist!" the golden-masked man said with an elated look in his eyes.

  He then swept his sleeve toward the Heavenmatch Bell to send a burst of golden light surging toward it, and the giant bell rapidly shrank down to around the size of a human palm in the blink of an eye, then hovered in mid-air within the golden light.

  The purple club had also shrunk down to around the thickness of a finger, and was drawn into his hand as a streak of purple light.

  The rest of the process was very simple. The golden-masked man placed these two items into a wooden box before making a hand seal, and a giant black crow abruptly appeared in the air above the platform. The crow caught the black box between its beak before delivering it to Han Li, while the golden-masked figure carefully stowed away the jade box containing the Yin Phoenix Herb.

  Han Li also stowed away the Heavenmatch Bell and golden pouch before laying back in his seat and closing his eyes again. Thus, the exchange had been completed.

  Number 11 immediately resumed her gentle massage.

  "Alright, the first treasure has been successfully exchanged. I'll now be bringing out some tool and pill refinement materials that are extremely rare in the outside world; I'm sure they'll pique the interest of many of the fellow Daoists present. These materials aren't extremely precious, but they're all very pragmatic items that are in severe shortage. Due to the vast amount of these materials, we'll be exchanging them in three separate batches. Please pay attention, I'll now be displaying a new list of items that we're looking for in exchange for these materials. If more than one person sets their eyes on a single batch of materials, then I'll be the one to decide which exchange is more favorable for our Black Realm," the golden-masked man announced.

  At the same time, two jade slips appeared in his hands, and he waved them through the air in unison.

  The ancient characters hovering in the air began to change, with some of the original items vanishing, while many new items were added to the list, as well.

  At the same time, another light screen appeared beside the existing one, and that screen displayed the three batches of materials that the Black Realm was offering for exchange, of which there was an absolutely staggering amount.

  It was quite clear that these materials were extremely popular, and as soon as they were displayed, many people immediately began to offer exchanges, and the silent atmosphere in the hall was immediately set alight.

  As for Han Li, he merely looked on and displayed no intention of making any offers.

  The three batches of materials were quickly exchanged, and the next "item" that the golden-masked man presented came as quite a surprise to Han Li.

  This was a group of seven exquisitely beautiful human women, each of which were at the Foundation Establishment Stage or above, and they all had special constitutions that made them extremely viable dual cultivation partners.

  They were all quite young, and only minimal nurturing would be required to develop them into exceptional concubines or dual cultivation partners, so there was naturally a lot of interest displayed toward them as well.

  After much competition, a mysterious purple-robed man secured this "item" with a piece of Profound Light Iron in exchange.

  After that, the Black Realm brought out their second major treasure for exchange, which was a peculiar antiquated yellow flag.

  It was an extremely powerful treasure left behind by a mighty figure back when the human race first established itself in the Spirit Realm. Even to this day, that mighty figure was still vastly renowned, and it was said that this treasure possessed extraordinary powers. On top of that, it was very versatile and could be used as the core of a super formation, or simply used as a weapon against enemies in battle.

  Even Han Li was tempted by these treasures, but unfortunately, the golden-masked man presented a list of only three other treasures in exchange for this item, each of which was no less precious than this flag, and that naturally proved to be a significant hurdle for those who were interested in the treasure.

  Coincidentally, one of the people present really did have one of the three stipulated treasures, and not only did he secure the yellow flag, after some bartering, they also secured an additional large sum of spirit stones in exchange as well.

  This was a mysterious individual enshrouded under a cloud of blood mist, and Han Li couldn't help but turn toward him with an intrigued expression.

  Chapter 1824: Encountering Golden Crow True Flames Again

  After that, the golden-masked man brought out some items that were produced in the Wood Tribe and Spirit Race, and all of these items had special uses. As such, they were very attractive to the convention-goers present, and they clambered to offer the items required by the Black Realm for exchange.

  A few more major treasures were brought out by the golden-masked man thereafter, all of which were vastly renowned and possessed abilities that weren't inferior to the Heavenmatch Bell and the antiquated yellow flag.

  Furthermore, these treasures either had astonishing defensive abilities or extraordinary offensive capabilities, so they were a lot more pragmatic than the two aforementioned treasures, and they definitely provided a fantastic shortcut to enhance one's powers.

  As such, the entire hall was stirred up into a near frenzy as everyone competed for these treasures.

  The final treasure was a Sea-parting Fan, which was ranked slightly above the middle of the pack on the Chaotic Myriad Spirit Roll. It was said to be able to move mountains and part oceans, possessing unimaginably enormous power.

  Over 20 cultivators pulled out all types of materials in heaps and piles in a bid to secure this treasure, and in the end, the golden-masked man chose the one who had offered the most materials, and exchanged the Sea-parting Fan in exchange for those materials, as well as a few more powerful treasures.

  Han Li was also interested, but unfortunately, the treasure was being exchanged for some precious legendary crystals rather than spirit medicines, and Han Li didn't possess any of those crystals.

  Following that transaction, all of the items that the Black Realm had prepared had been exchanged, and none of them had to be auctioned off for spirit stones. This was a clear indication that the Black Realm had done their homework beforehand and were well aware of what everyone wanted.

  The golden-masked figure was clearly very pleased with the proceedings thus far, and he announced, "Everything our Black Realm had to offer has been exchanged; it's now time for the free exchange segment of the convention. If you have any items that would be of interest to our Black Realm, I'd like to ask you to consider offering them to us for exchange. As for the rules, they're the same as always; only a maximum of three people at a time will be allowed onto the stage to display the items they'd like to offer for exchange, and it'll be up to you to negotiate all of the terms. Our Black Realm won't intervene at all during this segment. Alright, I hereby announce the commencement of the free exchange segment!"

  "Hehe, in that case, allow me to go first."

  As soon as the golden-masked figure's voice trailed off, a sinister voice abruptly sounded. Immediately thereafter, a streak of black light shot forth from one of the stone pavilions, and after just a few flashes, it appeared in the air above the white light barrier.

  This was a grey-robed man with his entire body enshrouded within peculiar wisps of black light.

  "Hmph, you sure seem like you're in a hurry, Fellow Daoist!"

  "I'll also be taking the stage with you!"

  ......

  Several more streaks of light shot forth from other hovering pavilions almost in complete unison, but seeing as someone had arrived on the platform first, one of the streaks of light immediately brightened significantly before vanishing on the spot, then reappearing within the light barrier in the next instant as if via instant teleportation.

  This was an elegant figure enshrouded within a layer of five-colored light. It was a female cult
ivator.

  A sharp cry rang out from another streak of light, and it blurred slightly before doubling in speed, arriving on the stone platform ahead of its competition.

  A hint of surprise appeared on Han Li's face upon catching sight of this third person, who had an extremely peculiar figure. He was around 10 feet tall, and about just as many feet wide, resembling a massive meatball as he stood on the platform.

  However, on this meatball was the head of a normal man, which was currently etched with a concerned expression, and completely unconcealed.

  Everyone else was too slow, and they were rebounded by the white light barrier, preventing them from descending onto the platform.

  "Please go back for now, fellow Daoists; you can come back in the next round," the golden-masked man said as he cupped his fist in a polite salute.

  The people outside the light barrier were naturally quite reluctant to leave, but they could only depart in a disgruntled manner.

  The grey-robed man who had descended onto the platform first let loose a burst of delighted laughter. It was naturally quite a privilege to be able to present their items in the first round. Otherwise, if something they needed were taken by someone else before they could take the stage, that would naturally be quite infuriating.

  The golden-masked man glanced at the human meatball before chuckling, "I'm glad you came to participate in our exchange conference again, Brother Zhu. On top of that, you seem to be very eager; I'm sure the memory of missing out on that treasure during the last convention still haunts you to this day."

  "We both had Hundred Segment Beads, but mine was clearly of a higher caliber. If he hadn't taken the stage before me, how would the treasure have ended up in his hands? I really hate participating in this exchange convention as my figure makes me stick out like a sore thumb no matter how I try to disguise myself, but I hardly have any choice," the meatball sighed as the concern in his eyes was exacerbated even further.