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

by Translator: Johnchen

  Following a string of rumbling thunderclaps, the lightning net converged at Han Li's behest, and layers of golden lightning enveloped the wooden box, transforming it into a shimmering golden rectangular brick.

  Only then did Han Li's expression ease slightly as he swept a sleeve forward to release a burst of azure light, which drew the golden brick into his storage bracelet in a flash.

  After that, Han Li sat down with his legs crossed again to contemplate his current situation.

  He began to wonder whether the green liquid from his mysterious small vial would work on this incomplete Profound Heavenly Treasure. Unfortunately, with that Sacred Ancestor in the treasure, he didn't dare to conduct any reckless experiments.

  Otherwise, if he were to somehow damage the restrictions in the treasure and release the Sacred Ancestor, then he would be in a world of trouble!

  Han Li naturally wasn't going to do something so risky, so he could only repress this urge for now.

  As for whether that Sacred Ancestor Xue Guang would send people to hunt him down, Han Li was confident that self-preservation wouldn't be an issue as long as he didn't get surrounded by four or five late-Body Integration Stage devilish lords at once. Sacred Ancestor Xue Guang's clone would definitely be far more powerful than the average late-Body Integration Stage devilish lord, but as one of the generals of the devilish army, he definitely couldn't just abandon his post to pursue Han Li himself.

  Furthermore, even if he did come after Han Li, there was no telling who would emerge on top in a battle as Han Li had a Profound Heavenly Treasure as a trump card.

  With that in mind, Han Li was convinced that he would be fine at least for the short term. As for several decades from now, if Sacred Ancestor Xue Guang really did manage to descend into the Spirit Realm, then the powerful human and demonic beings on the holy island would be able to oppose him. All he had to do was leave Deep Heaven City prior to that, and no one would be able to find him.

  Having devised a course of action in his mind, he closed his eyes and entered a meditative state.

  ...

  Over a month later, a flying carriage drawn by a pair of giant black birds suddenly appeared near the valley where the devilish army was situated.

  Within the carriage were two high-grade devilish beings, one male and one female, and they were conversing with one another with grim expressions.

  Chapter 1914: The Battle Commences Again

  "Lord Tie isn't lying to us, is he? The human cultivator who killed Lord Li's trio just so happens to be in Heavenlean City? Is he saying this to make us join their attack against Heavenlean City? I've heard that this city is an extremely difficult nut to crack, unlike the other human settlements we've destroyed in the past," a pink-robed beauty said in a concerned manner.

  Her companion was a silver-robed middle-aged man, and he shook his head in response. "Rest assured, Lord Tie is a borrowed devilish lord, and he has quite an uncouth personality, but he definitely wouldn't lie about something like this. After all, this is a task handed down by Master Xue Guang himself; there's no way he would risk invoking the wrath of Master Xue Guang. Besides, if that human cultivator really is in Heavenlean City, then there's no harm in lending them our power to attack the city."

  "That's true. We did manage to find the place where Lord Li's trio was killed quite quickly, but the entire battlefield had been cleaned up, so we weren't able to find any useful leads. It really is quite fortunate for us that we've received some information here. At the very least, we'll be able to answer to Master Xue Guang," the woman sighed in a resigned manner.

  "Indeed. I would be very fearful of the consequences that await us if we return without the item that Master Xue Guang is searching for. Alright, now that we have a solid lead, we have to prepare for a grueling battle now. Those human cultivators were able to kill Lord Li's trio, so even with the treasures that Master Xue Guang entrusted to us, we'll have to tread with caution. On top of that, those people are hiding in Heavenlean City; it'll most likely take a lot of effort to force them out of the city," the middle-aged man said as a cold look flashed through his eyes.

  "Hmph, Lord Tie wishes to use our power to attack Heavenlean City, so he'll naturally be responsible for that. If he can't even do something so simple, then he has no right to join forces with us. Our only task is to kill the perpetrators behind the deaths of Lord Li's trio, and to recover the item that Master Xue Guang is searching for," the woman said in a proud manner.

  "Hehe, don't underestimate Lord Tie and the others. Lord Tie himself is at the pinnacle of the late-Body Integration Stage, and he's only one step away from becoming a Sacred Ancestor. Fei Ya is still quite young, but as a direct lineal descendent of Sacred Ancestor Xue Tian he possesses powerful glacial abilities, it's said that even Master Xue Tian himself once praised his powers. On top of that, that Fairy Yu is a descendent of Sacred Ancestor Ming Luo as well, so she should definitely have a couple of powerful trump cards up her sleeve. The weakest one among them is most likely only Lord Yan." The middle-aged man seemed to have a very detailed understanding of the devilish lords that were attacking Heavenlean City.

  "That's true. They want to borrow our power, so why don't we do the same. Let's get down there; I'm sure they've already sensed our arrival," the woman chuckled.

  Almost as soon as her voice trailed off, the black devilish clouds above the valley abruptly surged, following which groups of black-armored cavaliers emerged amid a burst of loud drumming.

  These cavaliers were led by a black-armored elderly man, who was standing in mid-air with a hint of a smile on his face.

  Behind him stood Fei Ya, Fairy Yu, and Lord Yan.

  Fairy Yu wore a faint smile on her face, while Fei Ya was still as expressionless as ever.

  "Thank you for your hard work, fellow Daoists; you've arrived far sooner than I anticipated," Tie Long chuckled as he cupped his fist in a salute from afar.

  "We came as quickly as we could after receiving the news; it seems like we weren't too late," the woman said with a smile.

  "Haha, indeed, you're here just in time; it won't be long until we launch our attack against Heavenlean City. Let's go down into the valley before we discuss anything further," Tie Long said as he made an inviting hand gesture.

  "Sure, we were also wanting to ask you how you're so certain that the person we're looking for is in Heavenlean City," the middle-aged man replied with a smile.

  The two giant black birds then flew down into the valley with the flying carriage in tow, and the four devilish lords followed along behind them.

  After that, the six devilish lords and a group of high-grade devilish beings gathered in a hall within the valley and held a discussion for over half a day, and when the devilish lords emerged from the hall, they all seemed to be extremely pleased.

  ...

  Around half a month flew by in a flash, and Han Li was just meditating in his secret chamber when he suddenly heard a flurry of cries of surprise outside.

  He immediately opened his eyes before standing up and making his way over to the window. As he did so, he swept a sleeve through the air, and the window opened on its own.

  Han Li only took a quick glance outside before his expression abruptly changed, and he flew out of the room as a streak of azure light. After just a few flashes, he was several thousand feet in the air, and he looked up even further to find that a grey mark had appeared on the edge of one of the seven suns in the sky, and the grey color was gradually spreading to the center of that sun.

  It was as if someone were slowly covering the sun with their hand.

  Everyone down below was looking up at the phenomenon taking place up above with panicked expressions.

  Even though the higher-ups of Heavenlean City had done everything they could do to keep this a secret, news that the formation would be rendered defunct on the day when the five suns transitioned into moons still inevitably spread through the city, causing a lot of panic.

  The remaining two
Body Integration cultivators of the four sects had come forward in person to reassure everyone with a series of promises, but even so, everyone in the city still couldn't help but panic at the arrival of this phenomenon.

  Right at this moment, the toll of a bell rang out across Heavenlean City, and a series of high-grade cultivators from the four sects flew out of various different buildings. At the same time, groups of armored cultivators and warriors also spilled out onto the streets.

  They patrolled both the air and the ground, and the atmosphere in Heavenlean City instantly became very tense.

  Instead of being further alarmed by this, the panicked individuals on the street became calmer at the sight of these patrolling cultivators and warriors, and they all returned to their homes.

  In a matter of minutes, all of the streets in the city were cleared of civilians, and a deathly silence ensued.

  Han Li paid no heed to everything that was going on around him, and merely inspected the phenomenon unfolding up above in silence.

  After a while, when the entire sun had turned grey, Han Li finally turned and flew toward a certain massive hall in the city as a streak of azure light.

  Heavenlean City was an enormous city, but thankfully, the pavilion that he was staying in wasn't far from the hall where important conferences were supposed to take place.

  Thus, it only took just over two hours for Han Li to reach the hall.

  "You're a little late, Brother Han!" A gentle chuckle rang out from the entrance of the hall, following which an elegant figure wearing a silver mask emerged.

  It was none other than Fairy Silver Light.

  "Greetings, Fellow Daoist Silver Light, I was inspecting the situation in the city for a while, so I was slightly delayed. It seems that Fairy Lin and Fellow Daoist Azure Dragon have done a good job to keep the situation under control," Han Li replied in a calm voice.

  "Of course. Sister Lin and Master Azure Dragon are both veteran Body Integration cultivators and grand elders of the four major sects; it's naturally no difficult task for them to take care of these matters. The suns are already beginning to transition into moons, so the devilish army will most likely arrive soon. You are going to be the most powerful being in the city, so do take care of yourself, Brother Han," Fairy Silver Light cautioned in a solemn voice as her smile faded.

  Han Li was rather surprised to see the genuine look in Fairy Silver Light's eyes, and he smiled as he replied, "Thank you for your words of caution, Fellow Daoist, but to say that I'm the most powerful being in the city is an exaggeration. Fairy Lin Luan and Fellow Daoist Azure Dragon's powers are not inferior to mine."

  "Sister Lin and Master Azure Dragon are unaware of your true power. Otherwise..."

  Just as Fairy Silver Light and Han Li were conversing with one another, Master Azure Dragon's voice rang out from inside the hall, and it was tinged with a hint of stress. "Fellow Daoists, please come and join us in the hall. I've just received news that the devilish army has been mobilized, and will arrive at our city soon."

  Han Li didn't want to continue with the previous conversation anyway, so he said, "Let's not keep Fairy Lin and Fellow Daoist Azure Dragon waiting, then, Fellow Daoist Silver Light."

  "Alright, let's go in, Brother Han," Fairy Silver Light agreed with a nod.

  Thus, the two of them strode into the hall together.

  At present, the entire hall was packed to the rafters with over 100 Spatial Tempering cultivators present, as well as hundreds of armored guards that were standing around the hall in a stationary manner.

  At one end of the hall were four chairs, two of which were slightly more elevated than the other two. At the center of the hall was a giant light screen, and the image in the light screen depicted a rather familiar-looking city in a great level of detail.

  There were currently clouds of black Qi that were inching toward the city from all directions.

  Chapter 1915: The Battle of Heavenlean City (1)

  This was clearly a treasure that was able to simulate the entire Heavenlean City, and as for the clouds of black Qi on the screen, those naturally symbolized the approaching devilish army.

  These clouds of black Qi seemed to be moving extremely slowly, but in reality, the devilish army was approaching at a rapid speed.

  "Please take a seat, Fellow Daoist Han, Fairy Silver Light. This battle is going to decide the fate of our Heavenlean City, so we'll be counting on you, fellow Daoists," Master Azure Dragon said in an earnest manner as he rose to his feet.

  "Of course, it's only right that we do our part in such an important battle," Fairy Silver Light said with a smile.

  An elated look appeared on Master Azure Dragon's face upon hearing this, and he immediately offered words of gratitude.

  Fairy Lin Luan was also appraising the two with a smile on her face, and once they had taken their seats, she said, "According to the news provided by our scouts, the devilish army is throwing everything at us on this occasion, and leaving nothing in reserve. Thankfully, we had already anticipated that this would be the case, and we've also made some preparations for this day. As long as we can hold off those devilish lords, there's a very good chance that we'll be able to force back the devilish army. Of course, we are very grateful that Sister Silver Light and Fellow Daoist Han have come all the way here to reinforce our city, and our four sects certainly won't make this a thankless trip for the two of you. We've prepared some presents; please do accept them."

  As soon as her voice trailed off, she clapped her hands twice, and two azure-armored guards immediately strode into the hall from outside. Each of them was carrying a silver platter covered by golden silk fabric, and they made their way over to Han Li and Fairy Silver Light before raising the platters high above their heads as a gesture of respect.

  A peculiar look flashed through Han Li's eyes as he waved a hand toward one of the silver platters, and the section of golden silk fabric draped over the platter rustled slightly before a blue bracelet flew out and was drawn into his grasp.

  This was a storage bracelet of quite a high caliber.

  Han Li injected his spiritual sense into the bracelet, and immediately drew a sharp breath. He had already anticipated that the items in the storage bracelet would be extremely valuable, but even he didn't think that it would be filled with so many precious materials and ingredients. This was virtually the equivalent of the entire wealth of a medium-sized sect.

  As expected of one of the most prominent superpowers of the human race, the four major sects truly were extremely wealthy.

  Of course, this was also due to the fact that the survival of Heavenlean City truly hinged on the upcoming battle. Otherwise, no matter how grateful Master Azure Dragon and Fairy Lin Luan were toward Han Li and Fairy Silver Light, there was no way they would offer such staggering compensation.

  On top of that, if Han Li and Fairy Silver Light were to accept this massive offering, then they would have no excuse to not give everything they had in the upcoming battle.

  A faint smile appeared on Han Li's face, and he said, "Thank you for the present, fellow Daoists."

  He flipped his hand over as he spoke, and the storage bracelet vanished amid a flash of spiritual light.

  After inspecting the contents of her storage bracelet, a hint of elation also flashed through Fairy Silver Light's eyes, and she accepted it as well.

  Both Fairy Lin Luan and Master Azure Dragon were very elated to see this, and the latter said, "If we can defend the city from the devilish army, we'll have another present for the two of you following the battle as thanks for your efforts."

  "Indeed, as long as we can withstand this attack, the suns will return to normal, and the Nine Sun Astral Formation will recover its function, which will restore the city's ability to protect itself. However, prior to this, the four of us will definitely have a grueling battle ahead. I hope our presents will suffice as a show of our heartfelt gratitude," Lin Luan said with a smile.

  "This is indeed a very large present, a
nd I'll be sure to do everything in my power to help the city withstand this attack. The All-encompassing Devilish Cavaliers aren't a concern as the copper puppet army will be able to counter them, but those Jialun War Devils are going to be very troublesome; I'm concerned that ordinary cultivators won't be able to handle them," Han Li said in a slow voice.

  "Rest assured, Brother Han; we're also aware of just how powerful these Jialun War Devils are, so we've organized a group of elite cultivators and prepared some special methods to oppose them. I'm sure we'll be able to keep those devils at bay," Master Azure Dragon replied in a slightly ambiguous manner.

  "Oh? It sounds like my concerns were unnecessary, then. You seem to already have everything planned out; would you be able to disclose your plans to me and Fairy Silver Light?" Han Li asked with a calm smile.

  "Of course. Aside from the Nine Sun Astral Formation, we've spared no expense to activate all of the other formations in the city to their maximal extent. On top of that, we've also brought out the 32 Spatial Tempering Stage puppets stored in our treasure vault, which is one of our trump cards..." Thus, Master Azure Dragon began to introduce the preparations they had made, and Fairy Lin Luan would interject from time to time to provide additional details.

  Both Han Li and Fairy Silver Light listened with rapt focus, and close to two hours later, a large number of high-grade cultivators suddenly began to frequently enter and exit the hall. All of them wore grim expressions and flew away to different parts of Heavenlean City to carry out the orders they had received.

  Not long after that, a resounding bell chime rang out across the entire city, and groups of armored warriors and countless streaks of light appeared in the city before rushing to all of the city walls.

  At the same time, a series of formations of different sizes emerged on a plot of empty land in a secluded corner of the city. These formations were all radiating dazzling light, and some of the nearby buildings suddenly began to transform, taking on the form of massive giants or huge battle carriages and flying arks.