After pondering the situation for a while, he seemed to have arrived at a decision, and he flew away as a streak of dazzling golden light.
Thus, peace and quiet returned to the surrounding area. However, around an hour following the young man's departure, a ball of red light suddenly flew out from beneath the rubble down below amid a faint buzzing sound.
This was a fist-sized ball of light that contained a purple eyeball-like object, and it hovered in mid-air before turning toward the direction that the golden-robed young man had flown away in.
This was clearly a treasure that was being controlled by someone, and it was clearly quite a remarkable treasure considering it had completely escaped the golden-robed young man's detection.
All of a sudden, the purple eyeball began to rotate on the spot, following which the light shimmering around it began to fluctuate in brightness, but it didn't make so much as a single sound.
Almost at the exact same moment, there was an elderly man with a remarkably youthful set of facial features appraising a white crystal ball with a dark expression. The elderly man was seated on a black wooden chair in a golden palace within a sea of clouds, and a series of images were slowly unfolding on the surface of the crystal ball. The images depicted the golden-robed young man defeating the three Holy Spirits, and there were some accompanying voices that could be heard as well.
When the elderly man heard the young man utter the term "spirit servant", his expression immediately changed slightly, but then quickly returned to normal.
However, as soon as the golden-robed young man released that giant silver net, the elderly man instantly rose to his feet, and exclaimed, "That's a Spirit Capturing Heavenly Net! That's impossible! Even someone who's descended from the True Immortal Realm definitely won't be able to bring such a treasure into this realm."
The elderly man's face immediately became twisted with fury and resentment at the mention of the Spirit Capturing Heavenly Net.
After watching the battle for a while longer, the elderly man seemed to have discovered something, and his expression eased significantly. He began to pace around the room with his hands clasped behind his back as he murmured to himself, "No, this has to be a replica. Otherwise, a true Spirit Capturing Heavenly Net wouldn't have taken so long to defeat those three. Even so, it seems to still be extremely potent against us Spirit beings and can't be ignored. I don't care if this man really did descend from the True Immortal Realm; we can't allow him to leave our Spirit Race alive! However, if he really is a true immortal, then it's very unlikely that we'll be able to kill him. It looks like we'll have to use that thing to completely seal him away." After pacing around the room a few more times, the elderly man suddenly stopped before sitting back in his chair as a contemplative look appeared on his face.
Meanwhile, in the human race, there was an azure streak of light flying over a mountain range that lay on the border of the Holy Sovereign City and Deep Heaven City. The streak of light was flying at an incredible speed, and it suddenly changed directions before flying down into a secluded valley.
After just a single flash, the streak of azure light landed on a giant grey rock, then faded to reveal the azure-robed Han Li.
Han Li cast his gaze throughout the surrounding area with a calm expression, then suddenly focused his attention on an ordinary-looking tree with an unblinking gaze.
"Heehee, I knew this little trick of mine wouldn't be able to fool Fellow Daoist Han." A giggling female voice rang out from within the huge tree, following which it blurred and warped before transforming into a burly yellow-robed that was several tens of feet tall.
Standing beside the burly man was a beautiful young woman in a five-colored feather dress, and she was appraising Han Li with a wide smile, but there was clearly a hint of astonishment in her eyes.
"Greetings, Fairy Ye; sorry to keep you waiting," Han Li said with a smile as he cupped his fist in a salute.
This woman was none other than the matriarch of the Ye Family, and Han Li had met her once during the Myriad Spirit Platform gathering. Her powers seemed to be no less formidable than those of the Long Family patriarch, so Han Li naturally had to afford her some respect.
"I only arrived a few hours before you, so I didn't have to wait too long. I was trying to play a little prank on you using this Yellow Cloth Puppet I recently obtained, but you saw through it right away. It looks like there are some issues with this puppet," the woman said with a smile as she patted the burly yellow-robed man beside her, creating a hollow thumping sound.
The burly man was identical to a real human, but it was only a humanoid puppet.
"Surely you jest, Fairy Ye. There are no inherent flaws with this puppet; it's simply not of a high enough caliber to fool the likes of me and you," Han Li said with a smile.
"Don't underestimate this puppet; it was created by Old Man Mu Gu, and he assured me that there was a good chance it would be able to fool even Body Integration cultivators. I didn't think that you would see through it right away; it seems that he was exaggerating. In contrast, it seems the tales that I've heard about your rapid rate of progression certainly weren't exaggerations, Fellow Daoist Han," the woman said with a smile.
"I encountered some opportunities and was very lucky to have progressed to the late-Body Integration Stage, but my powers can't even begin to compare with those of a veteran late-Body Integration cultivator like you, Fairy Ye," Han Li replied in an indifferent manner.
"Hmph, you're still trying to placate me by saying something like this. I heard that a Sacred Ancestor clone and a late-Body Integration Stage devilish lord fell by your hands during the same battle; don't you think you're being too pretentious by saying something like that?" The woman pouted as she rolled her eyes in an unconvinced manner.
"Those are just exaggerated stories; I was only able to kill those powerful opponents as I had received assistance from other fellow daoists. Otherwise, my powers wouldn't have been anywhere near enough to achieve such a feat," Han Li chuckled in an ambiguous manner.
The woman's pout became even more pronounced upon hearing this. "Hmph, do you think I'll believe you?"
Han Li merely smiled and remained silent.
Seeing as Han Li didn't want to continue on this subject, the woman withdrew her Yellow Cloth Puppet before moving on to a different topic. "Back when I last met you, you had only just reached the Body Integration Stage, yet in just a few centuries, you've progressed to the late-Body Integration Stage; this rate of progression is almost unheard of! If it weren't for this devilish tribulation, the holy island would've most likely invited you to join them already."
"I've heard that the holy island has the purest spirit veins in our human and demon territories, and that countless precious ingredients and medicines are planted on the island; it would indeed benefit me immensely if I could join the island," Han Li replied.
The woman paused momentarily before asking, "Brother Han, did you know that the holy island itself is half of a Profound Heavenly Treasure and is the last resort for our two races to continue our heritage?"
Chapter 2014: Request
"Is that so? This is the first time I've heard that," Han Li replied as his expression changed slightly.
"It's no surprise that you're unaware of something like this; aside from the old monsters on the holy island, there are definitely less than 20 people who are aware of this. These include the three sovereigns, the Long Family patriarch, and myself," the woman replied with a smile.
"Why are you telling me this?" Han Li asked with a curious look in his eyes.
The woman paused momentarily before replying, "Seeing as you've appeared here, I'm sure you already know that the three devilish patriarchs are going to descend into our Spirit Realm. Have you thought about how you're going to protect your disciples and descendants if our two races were to be defeated by the devilish army?"
"Hehe, I only have a few disciples, and I haven't set up any sect or power, nor do I have descendants to worry a
bout," Han Li chuckled in response.
"Oh? Then why is it that I've heard that your disciples have taken many disciples for themselves?" the woman asked in a slightly surprised manner.
"That's just a sect founded by my disciples; I've never had any direct connection to it. Whether the sect survives or falls will be decided by their fortune," Han Li replied with a smile.
The woman faltered momentarily upon hearing this before a smile returned to her face. "In that case, it seems that I was too nosy."
"Are you really that pessimistic about our chances against the devilish army? The devilish patriarchs are indeed extremely fearsome, but if the Grand Ascension Stage beings of our races were to join forces, we would certainly stand a chance. Besides, the three devilish patriarchs have resounding reputations, but who's actually seen them in action? Perhaps their abilities have been greatly exaggerated," Han Li said.
"I don't think that our races have no chance at all, but the three devilish patriarchs are definitely far more fearsome than the average Sacred Ancestor," the woman replied as a concerned look appeared on her face.
Han Li's expression remained unchanged, but his heart stirred slightly as he said, "Oh? It sounds like you know something about them, Fairy Ye."
The woman paused momentarily before asking, "Come to think of you, you've saved my granddaughter's life in the past and have some ties with our Ye Family, so I'll disclose this to you. How much do you know about the ancestors of our Ye Family, Brother Han?"
"I've only heard that your Ye Family is a true spirit family with a history that stretches back to ancient times; I don't know much more aside from that," Han Li replied.
"There have been several ancestors of our Ye Family who have managed to reach the Grand Ascension Stage, and through a stroke of immense fortune, one of them was able to stimulate her true spirit bloodline to its maximum potential. As a result, she attained incredible powers and snuck into the Elder Devil Realm on several occasions."
Han Li's eyes narrowed slightly in contemplation upon hearing this, but he merely continued to listen in silence.
The woman paused momentarily before continuing, "It's said that this ancestor of ours fought many times in secret with Grand Ascension Stage beings of foreign races, but was never defeated once. However, in order to take that final step, she had to venture into the Elder Devil Realm to search for a few types of precious spirit medicines. The first few trips went very smoothly, but she never returned from her last trip, so she most likely perished in there. However, prior to making that final trip, she left a journal in our Ye Family, and it contained many stories about the Elder Devil Realm. One of those stories was about the time when she had witnessed one of the three devilish patriarchs battling a true spirit in the Elder Devil Realm.
"According to her own assessment, she definitely wouldn't have been able to withstand more than seven or eight attacks from that devilish patriarch, and if she had been discovered at the time, her chance of escaping alive would've been less than 50%. Senior Ao Xiao and Senior Mo Jianli both possess unfathomable powers, but they definitely wouldn't be much more powerful than that ancestor of our Ye Family. If they were to face the devilish patriarchs..."
The woman's voice trailed off there, but it was very clear what she was implying.
Han Li's expression also darkened upon hearing this, but he replied, "Even if the devilish patriarchs really are that powerful, we won't need to directly face them in battle. As beings of a foreign realm, they would definitely be debilitated by the power of our Spirit Realm, and on top of that, I'm sure the holy island and the two Grand Ascension Stage seniors would've devised countermeasures against them. Otherwise, what would be the point of even fighting this battle? As soon as they received news that the devilish patriarchs were going to descend into this realm, they would've evacuated the entire human race."
"That's also my thought process. Otherwise, I would've evacuated our Ye Family long ago. However, if some of our Ye Family could receive protection from the holy island, our heritage wouldn't be completely severed even if our two races were to be defeated," the woman said.
"In that case, why haven't you sought out someone from the holy island to discuss this? Why are you telling me all of this?" Han Li was truly perplexed now.
"Hehe, it seems that you're still not aware of your own worth, Fellow Daoist Han," the woman chuckled.
"What do you mean by that?" Han Li asked.
"Even without this devilish tribulation, how much longer do you think Senior Mo Jianli and Senior Ao Xiao would be able to protect our two races? One of them most likely won't be able to transcend their next major heavenly tribulation, while the other has also been at the Grand Ascension Stage for a very long time and won't be able to transcend many more tribulations, either. Aside from those two seniors, there is no third Grand Ascension Stage being among our two races. Among the Body Integration cultivators, who has the greatest chance of progressing to the Grand Ascension Stage? I haven't heard of any Body Integration Stage beings in the demon race with particularly outstanding talent, and both the Holy Sovereign and the Tyrant Sovereign have a sliver of a chance, but they can't even hold a candle to your freakish aptitude.
"If I'm not mistaken, if it becomes apparent that our two races are going to lose the battle against the devilish army, the first thing that the holy island will do will be to invite you onto the island. Even if we were to lose our current territory, as long as another Grand Ascension cultivator could arise among us in the future, we'll be able to make a resurgence elsewhere," the woman said.
Han Li pondered this for a moment before replying, "I think you're exaggerating, Fellow Daoist, but even if all that is true, what are you trying to say?"
"I have a few descendants who have inherited the purest heavenly phoenix bloodline; I would like you to accept them as your disciples and send them to the holy island along with your other disciples before the final battle commences. If you're willing to do that, I'll be sure to follow your lead during our upcoming journey to the Elder Devil Realm," the woman said in a serious voice.
"You want me to accept them as my disciples? Surely you jest, Fairy Ye!" Han Li exclaimed as he shook his head emphatically.
"I wouldn't make jokes about something like this. I can assure you that all of them are exceptional talents, and you'll only need to provide them with basic instruction, so they definitely won't hold you back," the woman insisted.
"But I have no intention of accepting more disciples. Besides, you don't have to do this if all you want is for some of your descendants to be able to seek refuge on the holy island. If you really think that the holy island will take my opinion into account, then I can write a letter to the elders of the holy island relaying your request to them, but I can't guarantee that it'll work. As for following my lead in the upcoming journey, there's no need for that; I'm sure you'll be able to make wise decisions on your own as demanded by the situation," Han Li said with a meaningful smile.
"In that case, we'll do as you say. It seems that those descendants of mine simply aren't fortunate enough to be chosen as your disciples. Having said that, I promised to follow your lead, and I intend to see through that promise, so you can rest assured. Truth be told, even without raising this request, I had still planned to follow your lead during this journey," the woman said with a slightly sly smile.
"Oh? You seem to have a lot of trust in me, Fellow Daoist. Isn't the leader of our group supposed to be Fellow Daoist Long?" Han Li asked as he stroked his own chin.
"Hmph, the Long Family has plotted against our Ye Family on countless occasions; I'm not going to place my trust in him. I'm doing this not only for the sake of my descendants, but also for my own sake. I hope we can forge an alliance to ensure our survival in the Elder Devil Realm. Who knows if Fellow Daoist Long and those Spirit beings will have other plans once we enter the Elder Devil Realm? I have no interest in becoming cannon fodder for anyone," the woman harrumphed coldly.
"I see. Alright,
I'll enclose a message in a jade slip, and I'm sure you'll have a way to get the jade slip to your descendants. Just tell them to deliver the jade slip and an item that I can be identified by to Deep Heaven City and seek out my disciples. Our trip into the Elder Devil Realm could take up to several decades, so we'll most likely miss the final battle against the devilish army," Han Li said as he flipped a hand over to produce a jade slip.
The woman was ecstatic to hear this. "You have my thanks, Brother Han."
Han Li merely smiled and injected his spiritual sense into the jade slip to store a message into it.
Chapter 2015: Meeting Between the Two Races
Spiritual light flashed from the surface of the jade slip before quickly fading, following which it was tossed toward the woman along with a translucent jade pendant.
The woman caught the two items before briefly injecting her spiritual sense into them, then extended her gratitude toward Han Li in an elated manner.
"It seems that both of us have arrived several days earlier than the agreed date; how about we take advantage of this time to exchange some cultivation insights and experiences? I've only just reached the late-Body Integration Stage, and I'm sure there are many things that I can learn from you," Han Li said with a smile.
"You're far too modest, Brother Han; I would love to discuss cultivation with you. On top of that, there are also some details about our upcoming journey to the Elder Devil Realm that I'd like to speak to you about. I opened up a cave just over there; how about we take a seat in there?" the woman asked with a smile.
Han Li naturally had no objections to this, and the two of them flew toward the cave as two streaks of light.
......
High up in the air close to 10 kilometers away from the valley, there was a white cloud drifting lazily over the sky.
Within the cloud were two humanoid figures, one of which was a slender woman who was concealed within a layer of pink mist. She was holding a treasure that was shimmering with crimson light while chanting something, and thumb-sized runes were occasionally drifting out of the treasure.
A Record of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality c1-2248 Page 1162