Han Li had already anticipated this to be the case, but his heart still sank slightly upon hearing this. However, what Master Black Rain said next immediately put his heart at ease.
He could see the peculiar look that had appeared in Han Li's eyes, and he immediately added, "To put it more accurately, we're here for a certain spirit item within the Earthly Hellish Flames."
"There are spirit items within the Earthly Hellish Flames? I've never heard of something like that before," Han Li said in a rather surprised manner.
"Indeed there is, and this spirit item takes 50,000 years to come into fruition. Have you heard of an item known as the Pipe Dream Stone, Benefactor Han?" Buddhist Master Tian Chan asked.
"Pipe Dream Stone? Is that the top-grade material used to set up large illusionary formations?" Han Li asked as his brows furrowed slightly.
"Indeed. However, what we're searching for is not an ordinary Pipe Dream Stone; it's a Pipe Dream Stone Spirit, which has already attained intelligence. Not only can this type of stone spirit only emerge among Pipe Dream Stones, a rigorous set of conditions must be met before they can come into existence. As such, not many people are aware of its existence, and the stone spirit here was something a senior of our race unintentionally discovered tens of thousands of years ago. Unfortunately, that senior was unable to capture it, and it was startled into fleeing into the Earthly Hellish Flames.
"Even Grand Ascension cultivators wouldn't dare to venture into the Earthly Hellish Flames lightly, so there was no way that anyone could pursue the stone spirit. However, the mighty figures of the holy island have recently conducted divination and predicted that the day of the Pipe Dream Stone Spirit's tribulation will arrive soon, so there's no way it can continue to hide in the Earthly Hellish Flames. As such, this will be the only chance we have to capture it," Buddhist Master Tian Chan explained.
"I see, so the Pipe Dream Stone Spirit has already been residing within the Earthly Hellish Flames for tens of thousands of years; no wonder I've never heard of it. However, even if it is a stone spirit that has attained intelligence, it shouldn't be all that powerful; wouldn't it be a simple task for you to capture it?" Han Li asked.
"This Pipe Dream Stone Spirit is far different from normal stone spirits. Not only does it possess the abilities common to all stone spirits, it also possesses the ability to instantly conjure up powerful illusions that one could fall into without even realizing it. The senior of our human race who first discovered the stone spirit was quite a renowned figure at the time, but not only was he unable to capture the stone spirit, he was trapped in its illusions for half a year before finally managing to escape.
"On top of that, it was said that the ordeal had heavily taxed his body and caused him to fall severely ill after he escaped. The task that we've been assigned with is to capture the stone spirit alive, so even though Buddhist Master Tian Chan and I have made extensive preparations, our chances of success still aren't very high," Master Black Rain explained.
"I see. The innate abilities of spirit items such as stone spirits are generally all extremely powerful, so it's no wonder that the two of you are proceeding with such caution. By the way, would you happen to know the reason why the holy island sent you two to capture this stone spirit?" Han Li asked.
"It seems that the demon core within this stone spirit is going to be quite an important asset against the Elder Devil Race, and this task was delegated to us by Master Mo Jianli through the holy island; that's all the details that I'm aware of," Master Black Rain replied without any hesitation.
"The instruction came from Senior Mo?" Han Li drew a sharp breath upon hearing this.
"Hehe, Fellow Daoist Tian Chan and I are relatively powerful figures in our human race; if it weren't for the fact that Senior Mo was the one who delegated this duty to us, we wouldn't have come to this place," Master Black Rain said with a smile.
"In that case, it's only right that I do my part as well. Please tell me what you need me to do," Han Li said in a serious manner.
Buddhist Master Tian Chan was ecstatic to hear this, and he replied, "Hehe, I knew that you wouldn't turn us down, Brother Han. We don't actually need you to take on any complex tasks; all we need is for you to assist us as the situation requires. If the stone spirit manages to slip past us, we'll be counting on you to stop it so that it doesn't manage to flee back into the Earthly Hellish Flames."
Master Black Rain also expressed his gratitude toward Han Li.
A thought then suddenly occurred to Buddhist Master Tian Chan, and he asked, "By the way, why are you here when Deep Heaven City is in such a perilous situation, Brother Han? Do you have something you need to do here as well?"
"Indeed. I need to use the Earthly Hellish Flames to refine a few treasures of mine, but that naturally pales in significance next to the task that you two have been assigned," Han Li replied.
"Thank you for prioritizing our objective above your own, Brother Han. I'll have to ask you to refrain from approaching the Earthly Hellish Flames for now. Otherwise, if the stone spirit detects the presence of outsiders, things could become rather troublesome," Buddhist Master Tian Chan said as an apologetic look appeared on his face.
Thus, after exchanging some more pleasantries, Han Li joined the two of them and sat down beside the crater as well. He cast his gaze toward the bottom of the crater, and his brows furrowed slightly. The crater was several acres in area, but it was clearly divided into two completely different parts.
The top half was comprised of ordinary grey stone, but the bottom half of the crater was as smooth as jade. On top of that, that section of the crater was of a sinister dark green color, and at the very bottom was a cloud of yellow mist that was surging incessantly. The occasional burst of rumbling could be heard coming from within the yellow mist, and it was flashing erratically with faint light, as if it were concealing some type of living creature.
Han Li's eyes narrowed slightly, and he abruptly flipped a hand over to produce a white formation plate.
He flicked his wrist, and the formation plate was instantly hurled toward the bottom of the crater as a streak of white light.
As the formation plate passed through the top half of the crater, nothing happened to it, but once it entered the bottom half, layers of ice suddenly began to appear over its surface. It was quickly completely sealed in ice, then thudded heavily into the mist before shattering amid a crisp crack.
"The Yin Qi here really is as powerful as the rumors proclaim!" Han Li murmured to himself, but his expression remained unchanged.
"Hehe, it's said that the Earthly Hellish Flames here arise directly from the depths of hell. Even though it's in the form of flames, it contains extraordinary glacial power. Unfortunately, this glacial power is completely different from normal glacial power and can't be refined by a living being. We humans can only use it to refine some special treasures, and that's quite a pity," Buddhist Master Tian Chan chuckled in a wistful manner.
"The powers of Yin, Yang, and the five elements stem directly from chaos; they're the foundation powers of the laws of heaven and earth. The Earthly Hellish Flames here are imbued with extremely astonishing glacial powers, so it only makes sense that its uses are very limited. Otherwise, if a person using a glacial cultivation art could absorb the Yin Qi here as they pleased, their cultivation base would progress at an unprecedentedly rapid rate; there's no way that such an outrageous cultivation shortcut could exist," Master Black Rain interjected in an indifferent manner.
"Indeed. However, I've heard that these Earthly Hellish Flames could be one of the entrances that lead directly into the infernal realm. If that's the case, then these flames really are very intriguing," Han Li said with a smile.
"That's a rumor that's been circulating since ancient times, but these Earthly Hellish Flames are incredibly lethal. Body Integration cultivators like us can only delve around 10,000 feet into it at most, and even Grand Ascension cultivators will be at risk of losing their lives once they reach any
deeper than 100,000 feet. Hence, no one can verify that legend," Buddhist Master Tian Chan mused in a contemplative manner.
"Hehe, there's no need to entertain such a thought for too long. If these flames really do lead to the infernal realm, then what awaits us on the other side will only be a hellish landscape rife with malicious ghosts and vengeful spirits. The ultimate pursuit of cultivators like us is naturally to ascend to the True Immortal Realm, where we can truly attain eternal life," Master Black Rain chuckled.
Buddhist Master Tian Chan shook his head with a serious expression in response. "I beg to differ. Those of us who follow in Buddhist teachings believe in karma and causality. In order to pursue immortality, one must first..."
Thus, the two began to share their viewpoints on the matter, and an impromptu debate suddenly commenced, one that Han Li found to be rather amusing.
Chapter 1945: Trap
One of them was a devout follower of Buddhist teachings, while the other subscribed to Daoist mantras, so they naturally had conflicting viewpoints. As for Han Li, he was leaning more toward Master Black Rain's perspective.[1]
All those who embarked on the journey of cultivation should focus entirely on attaining the ultimate objective of immortality. In comparison, everything else really did pale in insignificance.
After that, Han Li slowly closed his eyes and entered a meditative state. As for Buddhist Master Tian Chan and Master Black Rain, their debate naturally wasn't going to lead to any definitive outcome, so they eventually fell silent and began to meditate as well.
Time slowly passed by, and three days and three nights flew by in a flash, but the yellow mist within the giant crater still hadn't displayed any changes.
On this day, Han Li opened his eyes and casually swept his spiritual sense toward the bottom of the giant crater, upon which his brows furrowed slightly. "How long has it been since the two of you have arrived here? Could it be that the date of the Pipe Dream Stone Spirit's tribulation transcendence has been misjudged?"
"Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Han; the mighty figures on the holy island are renowned for their accurate divination. Buddhist Master Tian Chan and I only arrived around half a month before you, and according to the result of the divination, the stone spirit will be transcending its tribulation during this month, so the time will definitely come soon," Master Black Rain said in a calm manner.
"I see. It seems I was being too impatient. Hm?" All of a sudden, Han Li's expression changed slightly, and all three of them turned toward the giant crater down below in unison with serious expressions.
The yellow mist at the bottom of the crater had suddenly begun to churn violently, and a burst of glacial aura that was far more powerful than before began to emanate from it, creating a layer of yellow ice over the bottom half of the crater.
All of a sudden, a resounding boom rang out overhead, and Han Li hurriedly cast his gaze upward to discover that a series of inky-black clouds were quickly converging from all directions. At the same time, bursts of dull rumbling could be heard coming from within the clouds, and it seemed that countless bolts of lightning were taking shape.
"Haha, the stone spirit's heavenly tribulation has arrived! It won't be long before it emerges from the Earthly Hellish Flames now. Buddhist Master Tian Chan, let's begin," Master Black Rain said in an elated manner before rising up into the air as a ball of black light.
Buddhist Master Tian Chan was also ecstatic as he flew up into the air as well.
Immediately thereafter, the two of them began to chant in unison as they released one formation flag and formation plate after another. These formation treasures quickly filled the entire air above the giant crater, then vanished in a flash.
An extremely powerful formation had been set up by the two of them in the blink of an eye, and the power of the restriction had spread over every single inch of the mountain summit.
Right at this moment, Master Black Rain withdrew his hand seals and rotated on the spot, upon which countless black specks of light erupted from his body. These specks of light then self-detonated and vanished into countless black threads.
Meanwhile, Buddhist Master Tian Chan let loose a low cry, then flipped a hand over to produce a fiery red bowl, from within which emerged three balls of crimson flames amid a clear phoenix cry.
Each fireball was only around the size of a human head, but they instantly swelled to over 100 feet in size each at Buddhist Master Tian Chan's behest, then transformed into three giant crimson fiery birds.
Han Li drew a sharp breath upon seeing the three birds, and he exclaimed, "Fire Phoenixes!"
"Hehe, these are merely Flamebirds that possess faint traces of the Fire Phoenix bloodline; they can't even begin to compare with a true Fire Phoenix. The stone spirit had been residing in the Earthly Hellish Flames for tens of thousands of years, so it should've already attained an extreme Yin constitution. As such, the powers of these three Flamebirds should be very effective against it," Buddhist Master Tian Chan explained with a smile.
Even so, Han Li still found the three birds to be quite remarkable. "I see. The Flamebirds truly bear a startling resemblance to the Fire Phoenix. If it weren't for their slightly inferior auras, it would be quite difficult to distinguish one from the other."
After releasing the countless specks of black light, Master Black Rain suddenly opened his mouth to expel a miniature purple gourd. The gourd was only several inches in size, and its surface was flashing with specks of mysterious silver light.
A blue crystalline scorpion then sprang out of the gourd. The scorpion was only around a foot in size, but it was extremely intricate in appearance and had a pair of semi-transparent wings on its back.
After that, Buddhist Master Tian Chan and Master Black Rain cast a series of incantation seals toward these spirit beasts to conceal their bodies and auras.
At this point, the dark clouds up above had already completely concealed the entire sky, and if it weren't for the occasional flash of silver lightning, one could be forgiven for thinking that night had suddenly arrived.
"Brother Han, we'll have to leave this mountain for now. Buddhist Master Tian Chan and I will use a treasure to erase the residual aura we've left behind here," Master Black Rain said in an apologetic manner.
"Of course. All spirit items possess astonishing senses; if we don't take the necessary precautions, there's no way we'll be able to fool it." Thus, Han Li rose to his feet and vanished on the spot as a plume of azure smoke.
In the next instant, spatial fluctuations erupted in the distance, and Han Li re-emerged before crossing his arms as he hovered in mid-air.
Buddhist Master Tian Chan and Master Black Rain exchanged a glance before one of them flipped a hand over to produce a translucent bead amid a flash of white light. The bead was giving off remarkable glacial power, and as soon as it emerged, Master Black Rain swept a sleeve through the air to release a ball of azure light, which then revealed itself to be an azure fan.
Buddhist Master Tian Chan gently waved the bead through the air, and a flurry of five-colored runes revolved within the bead as it released a burst of white glacial Qi.
Master Black Rain also pointed a finger toward the azure fan, and the treasure waved itself through the air several times at his behest.
Gusts of fierce azure winds swept out of the fan, then formed a fierce hurricane that intertwined with the glacial power. A snowstorm instantly swept over the mountain summit, and everything was covered under a blanket of ice and snow.
Buddhist Master Tian Chan and Master Black Rain then exchanged another glance, and they also departed from the mountain just as Han Li had a moment ago. The residual auras left behind by the trio were then instantly dispersed by the fierce snowstorm.
"Prepare that thing now! Judging from the overhead conditions, the Pipe Dream Stone Spirit is most likely going to emerge soon," Buddhist Master Tian Chan said as he looked up at the sky through narrowed eyes.
Master Black Rain chuckled in response before
rubbing his hands over, and a silver net abruptly appeared amid a flash of silver light.
"Go!" Master Black Rain yelled as he released the silver net, and it transformed into a vast expanse of silver mist that instantly enshrouded the entire mountain down below.
After that, he made a hand seal, and the mist quickly began to fade before vanishing into thin air.
"Hehe, with this Silver Celestial Lightning Net, there's no way the stone spirit will be able to escape through an aerial route. What's even more remarkable about this net is that it won't have any impact on the lightning tribulation up above, so the Pipe Dream Stone Spirit definitely won't be able to sense it," Buddhist Master Tian Chan chuckled as he rubbed his hands together.
"Indeed. This net is ranked quite highly even on the Chaotic Myriad Spirit Roll. If it weren't for the fact that this is an extremely important mission, the holy island wouldn't have allowed me to take it out of the island. Now that we've sealed off all aerial routes of escape, we have to prevent the stone spirit from being able to escape back into the Earthly Hellish Flames as well. Once the stone spirit becomes feeble from transcending its tribulation, we'll immediately activate the restriction to cut it off. However, the formation alone may not be enough to stop it, so we'll be counting on you to prevent it from escaping, Brother Han. Oh, and don't forget to look out for the stone spirit's illusionary abilities," Master Black Rain said in a solemn manner.
"Rest assured, fellow Daoists; I'll do everything in my power to make sure it doesn't escape." Han Li's spiritual sense was no less powerful than that of a Grand Ascension Stage being, so he was naturally very confident.
Master Black Rain was still a little uneasy, but he couldn't say anything further after witnessing Han Li's confident display. "In that case, there shouldn't be any issues. Buddhist Master Tian Chan and I will take care of capturing the stone spirit."
Thus, after a brief discussion, all three of them unleashed concealment techniques and went into hiding.
A Record of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality c1-2248 Page 1123