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

by Translator: Johnchen

  The projection made different seals with each of its six hands, and translucent spiritual light swirled around its body, following which it attained a substantial form.

  It had three extremely clear and life-like faces that were identical to that of Han Li, and at the same time, there was a layer of golden scales all over each of its six arms. There were also faint runes running along the lengths of its arms, creating quite a mysterious sight to behold.

  This was none other than Han Li's Provenance Golden Body.

  Even the Long Family patriarch could no longer maintain his composure at the sight of this three-headed golden body. A stunned look appeared on his face, and he exclaimed, "That's a golden body!"

  Not just him, but the two mid-Body Integration cultivators of the Ye Family and the Lin Family were clearly aware of the existence of golden bodies as well, and they were just as astonished.

  In the instant that the golden body took shape behind Han Li, the toxic cloud and countless Fire Ravens had also reached him, and it looked as if he were going to be completely inundated.

  However, a cold light flashed through Han Li's eyes, and he suddenly let loose a loud cry. In the next instant, the golden body behind him swayed and somehow ended up in front of him. Bright golden light erupted from its body, and it swelled drastically to several tens of feet in size, then raised all six of its arms at once and thrust them toward the toxic cloud and Fire Ravens.

  A string of spluttering sounds rang out in rapid succession, and a golden ball of light emerged within each of the golden body's six large hands. The balls of light revolved incessantly over their palms before being hurled forth in unison.

  The balls of light then converged and combined in mid-air to form a golden vortex. At the same time, the golden body opened all six of its eyes at once and began to utter three completely different chants that stacked on top of one another.

  Within the vortex, loud thunderclaps rang out alongside Buddhist chants, and the vortex expanded to 30 to 40 feet in size in a flash.

  Immediately thereafter, a golden shockwave that was visible to the naked eye erupted from within the vortex. The oncoming toxic cloud and Fire Ravens were completely unable to put up any resistance and were swept up by the shockwave before being drawn into the vortex.

  Moments later, the devastating attacks that Lao Ai had unleashed ceased to exist, and he was naturally very alarmed by this development.

  He hurriedly raised the giant brush in his hand to try and unleash another wave of attacks, but it was too late.

  The Provenance Golden Body raised all six of its arms at Han Li's behest before unleashing punches toward Lao Ai from afar.

  Six shimmering golden fist projections erupted forth amid a string of dull thumps, then instantly vanished into thin air.

  "Crap!"

  Lao Ai was a seasoned veteran when it came to battles, and he immediately knew that he was in trouble. Instead of unleashing an attack with his giant golden brush, he suddenly withdrew it before drawing a circle with it in mid-air.

  Golden light flashed, and a round golden shield appeared in front of him out of thin air.

  At the same time, the red bamboo tube he had summoned earlier also transformed into a red light barrier that enveloped his body within it.

  In addition to the black light formed by the black ferule, he had instantly set up three layers of defenses, all of which appeared to be quite formidable.

  However, in the instant that these defenses took shape, the six shimmering golden fist projections suddenly re-emerged out of thin air.

  Initially, they had only been around the size of human hands, yet they were now as large as a human head and struck the defenses amid a string of sharp ringing sounds.

  Blinding golden light flashed as the first three fist projections exploded, and the three layers of defenses were vanquished, exposing Lao Ai to the rest of the attacks.

  Lao Ai was naturally petrified to see this, and he immediately brought his hand together before separating them again to produce a white bone hammer.

  He grabbed onto the long shaft of the hammer with both hands and swept it horizontally before him like lightning.

  The white bone hammer instantly swelled to around 10 feet in size, following which the remaining three golden fist projections reached him at alarming speeds.

  An earth-shattering boom rang out as golden and white light intertwined. Lao Ai felt a burst of enormous power crash into his hammer, sending sharp pain spearing through his fingers, and he took an involuntary step backward.

  Before he even had a chance to steady himself, the second fist projection struck the bone hammer as well amid another resounding boom.

  Lao Ai's face turned completely pale and devoid of color as the bone hammer was forcibly wrenched out of his hands, flying away into the distance alongside the second fist projection.

  The third fist projection then struck the protective spiritual light around his body without giving him any chance to react, and he could only look on in horror and despair at the oncoming unstoppable attack.

  Golden light flashed, and a burst of enormous power erupted forth, sending him flying without being able to offer any resistance. His body flew through the air like a cannonball, crashing straight through the light barrier with a dull thump before flying over 100 feet away from the Myriad Spirit Platform.

  Only then did he just barely manage to stabilize himself in mid-air, and he hurriedly examined his own body, upon which he heaved a long sigh of relief.

  Lao Ai then turned to Han Li with a grateful look on his face before cupping his fist in a salute. "Thank you for holding back, Brother Han. Your powers are far superior to mine."

  It was quite clear that he knew that he was only able to remain completely unscathed as Han Li had held back in his final attack.

  "There's no need to thank me. This is only a sparring match, so my objective isn't to wound you," Han Li replied with a nonchalant smile.

  He naturally wasn't going to make enemies for himself for no good reason.

  At this point, all of the onlookers from the true spirit families were completely flabbergasted. Most of them had already identified that Han Li was definitely no ordinary early-Body Integration cultivator, yet it still came as a massive shock to everyone that he was able to defeat Lao Ai so easily.

  As for the Body Integration cultivators among the true spirit families, they were now appraising Han Li with awe and veneration, while a small portion of them were looking at him with complex contemplative looks on their faces.

  Han Li flew casually out of the light barrier and returned to his seat among the Gu Family entourage, upon which Bai Guo'er immediately offered a cup of spirit tea to him in a respectful manner. "Master, please have some tea!"

  Han Li took a glance at her to find that her cheeks were slightly red from excitement. It was no wonder that she was displaying such a reaction; she was already aware that Han Li was a Body Integration cultivator, but he had never displayed his powers before her. As such, how could she not be elated and excited upon witnessing Han Li's extraordinary powers?

  Han Li smiled as he accepted the cup of spirit tea before taking a sip. Meanwhile, Fairy Xiao Feng and Elder Xiao were also appraising Han Li with surprise and elation. His powers had clearly far exceeded their expectations as well.

  The Gu Family's spot in the top five was now truly assured. The rest of the process was quite simple.

  All of the true spirit families were aware of how powerful one another were, so there weren't that many challenges. After just a few matches, all of the rankings had been decided. After that, it was time to distribute the badges created by that Myriad Spirit Beast, as well as other resources, according to these new rankings.

  Han Li naturally played no role in this and left things to Fairy Xiao Feng and Elder Xiao.

  He merely sat in his seat with an amused smile as the family leaders gathered on the Myriad Spirit Platform completely cast aside all pretenses of affability and civi
lity, arguing with one another with spittle flying in all directions.

  Even the slightest compromise would lead to the loss of an astonishing amount of benefits, so there were naturally no families who were willing to back down.

  Thankfully, the rankings that had just been established aided in speeding up this resource distribution process. Otherwise, they would most likely argue indefinitely without a consensus ever being reached.

  However, the Body Integration cultivators among the true spirit families naturally weren't going to stoop to this level, and they all remained in their seats as well, patiently awaiting the result of the negotiations.

  Some of them were appraising Han Li with curiosity in their eyes, and on this occasion, none of them dared to display any animosity, so Han Li merely rested with his eyes closed and pretended not to notice.

  All of a sudden, the voice of the Long Family patriarch rang out within his ears. "Fellow Daoist Han, your abilities aren't limited to the clone and golden body you displayed just now, right?"

  Han Li's expression changed slightly as he opened his eyes and turned toward the Long Family patriarch. He then also transmitted his voice calmly in response. "Oh? I'm sure your abilities aren't just limited to your half-dragon transformation, isn't that right, Brother Long?"

  The Long Family patriarch was silent for a moment before asking a question that caught Han Li completely off guard. "Of course. However, your powers are far superior to what I anticipated. Are you related in any way to the holy island, Brother Han?"

  Chapter 1840: Meeting

  Han Li's heart stirred slightly upon hearing this, but his expression remained unchanged as he asked, "The holy island? Why do you ask, Fellow Daoist?"

  "It's fine if you don't want to tell me. However, I have something I would like to discuss with you. Would you be interested in meeting me in the Myriad Spirit Hall tonight?" the Long Family patriarch asked with a faint smile.

  "The Myriad Spirit Hall?" Han Li's brows furrowed slightly upon hearing this, and many thoughts raced through his mind at once.

  The so-called Myriad Spirit Hall was a hall that had been carved into a mountain face in this valley. The hall was where the true spirit family leaders and elders had first gathered to discuss the proceedings of the ceremony.

  The fact that the Long Family patriarch was extending an invitation to meet him later in this hall suggested that he definitely had something very important to talk about.

  Han Li didn't reject this offer right away, but he took a rather cautious route as he asked, "Would you be able to reveal what you would like to speak to me about so I can make a decision?"

  The Long Family patriarch was silent for a moment before replying in a calm manner, "I can't reveal too much to you, but what I can tell you is that this has something to do with a major event that will take place following the arrival of the devilish tribulation. On top of that, this event could bring you enormous benefits; it could even decide whether we would have the opportunity to progress to the Grand Ascension Stage."

  Despite Han Li's calm and steadfast nature, he was still stunned by what he had just heard. "The Grand Ascension Stage?"

  "Indeed. I've already made agreements with several other fellow Daoists to join me, and with the powers you've displayed, you've earned the right to participate in this matter as well," the Long Family patriarch confirmed.

  Han Li forcibly repressed his own astonishment, and only after a long while did he finally make a decision. "Alright, in that case, I'll be meeting you later tonight."

  The Long Family patriarch seemed to be very pleased with Han Li's answer, and he chuckled, "Hehe, you've definitely made a wise decision, Fellow Daoist. I'm sure what we're going to be talking about will be of great interest to you." After that, he didn't speak any further about this matter.

  The rest of the true spirit ceremony was very simple. After finally arriving at an agreement about the distribution of resources, the entire ceremony drew to a conclusion.

  Fairy Xiao Feng led Han Li to a secluded place and handed over what she had promised to Han Li without any delay. After that, she couldn't help but extend another invitation for Han Li to join the Gu Family, and she stated that if Han Li were to agree, not only would he receive the same benefits afforded to the grand elder of the Gu Family, he would have absolute authority in the family second only to the family leader herself.

  However, Han Li euphemistically turned her down again. Fairy Xiao Feng was very disappointed by this, and she could only ask Han Li to visit the Gu Family whenever he had some free time. It was quite clear that she wanted her Gu Family to establish good relations with Han Li.

  Han Li naturally agreed with a smile to this proposal.

  Thus, some of the true spirit families began to depart from the Myriad Spirit Valley and embarked on the journey to return to their respective territories.

  In contrast, most of the families decided to remain in the Myriad Spirit Valley for a few more days to exchange some resources and cultivation arts, which would make the journey to come here somewhat worthwhile for the ordinary members of these true spirit families.

  The Gu Family was one of the families that stayed, temporarily settling in a cluster of buildings within the valley, among which Han Li occupied a small pavilion to himself.

  That night, he silently departed from the pavilion and flew toward the Myriad Spirit Hall. Upon approaching the hall, he discovered that there was someone standing at the entrance in silence, seemingly stationed there specifically to wait for him.

  Han Li focused his gaze on the figure to find that it was Elder Hui of the Long Family.

  The black-robed man had completely discarded his animosity toward Han Li, and he cupped his fist in a salute with a warm smile on his face. "You really are a man of your word, Fellow Daoist Han. Brother Long and the other fellow Daoists have been waiting for some time already."

  "Oh? Has Brother Long invited other people as well?" Han Li asked in a contemplative manner.

  "Haha, indeed he has. All will be revealed soon enough; please follow me," the black-robed man chuckled as he made an inviting hand gesture.

  "Alright, then please lead the way, Fellow Daoist Hui," Han Li replied with an indifferent nod.

  The black-robed man seemed to be completely unfazed by Han Li's rather aloof demeanor, and the two of them strode into the hall one after the other.

  The entire hall was almost completely empty, devoid of even the guards that were normally stationed here. It was quite clear that they had been asked to vacate the hall in advance.

  Han Li was led by the black-robed man into a rather secretive side hall connected to the main hall, and there were already three people seated around a massive stone table waiting for him there.

  As soon as Han Li made his way into the room, everyone turned toward him in unison, and upon catching sight of these people, Han Li's pupils immediately contracted slightly.

  The trio consisted of the Long Family patriarch, as well as the woman in the five-colored dress from the Ye Family and the mid-Body Integration cultivator from the Lin Family.

  Thus, there were five cultivators who possessed powers at or above the mid-Body Integration Stage gathered here at once, and that was quite a formidable lineup.

  The woman from the Ye Family turned toward Han Li with a wide smile, while the man from the Lin Family merely took an indifferent glance at him before looking away, and it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.

  A rare smile appeared on the Long Family patriarch's face at the sight of Han Li's arrival, and he said, "Please take a seat, Fellow Daoist Han."

  Han Li gave a faint smile in response before making his way over to the table in an unhurried manner, then sitting down in one of the empty chairs.

  As for Elder Hui, he sat down directly beside the Long Family patriarch.

  "Old Man Long, why have you gathered all of us at once? I don't have much time to waste here!" the man from the Lin Family said in an impatient manner.
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  "Hehe, let's not rush things, Fellow Daoist Lin; I'll introduce one more person to everyone, and after that, I'll elaborate on everything," the Long Family patriarch chuckled in a nonchalant manner.

  "Oh? There's someone else who's yet to join us? How many people did you invite, Brother Long? Don't tell me the Feng brothers were invited as well," the woman from the Ye Family said with a smile.

  "The Feng brothers combined possess powers that aren't inferior to those of a mid-Body Integration cultivator, but their combination techniques have too many limitations. On top of that, it would be best to keep our numbers to a minimum for what we're going to do, so I didn't invite them. As for the person I'm going to introduce to all of you, she's already arrived in advance. Please come out to meet everyone, Fellow Daoist Thousand Autumns." The Long Family patriarch shook his head in response before turning toward a seemingly empty corner of the hall.

  Everyone was quite alarmed to see this, and they hurriedly turned toward that corner as well.

  All of a sudden, an extremely feeble aura emerged from that corner of the hall, followed by a flash of yellow light, and a yellow copper mirror appeared out of thin air.

  The mirror then blurred and warped slightly before transforming into a yellow-robed young woman.

  Han Li's pupils immediately contracted slightly at the sight of this woman.

  The man from the Lin Family immediately rose to his feet with a wary look on his face. "That's the holy maiden from the Spirit Race! What's the meaning of this, Fellow Daoist Long?"

  Indeed, this yellow-robed woman was none other than Holy Maiden Thousand Autumns, who had appeared once during the Myriad Treasure Convention.

  It was quite clear that this grand elder of the Lin Family had also attended that convention, so he was able to immediately identify her.

  "No need to be alarmed, fellow Daoists; Holy Maiden Thousand Autumns' presence is imperative for what I want to discuss with all of you today. Without her inclusion, there's no way our plan can be set into motion," the Long Family patriarch said in a calm manner.