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

by Translator: Johnchen

  Han Li was quite taken aback by this answer, but his expression remained unchanged as he nodded in response. "Is that so? It instills me with great confidence to hear that."

  "Seeing as your doubts and concerns have been erased, you can tell me what you'd like to know now; the price of the information will be decided based on how valuable it is," Lan Ying said with a serious expression.

  "I want to know where I can get a large quantity of premium Bloodtooth Rice in one transaction in Blue Waterfall City," Han Li replied without any hesitation.

  Lan Ying's expression eased slightly upon hearing this, and she smiled as she said, "Hehe, I see."

  "Is there something strange about this request?" Han Li asked.

  "That's not the case. Truth be told, around a fourth of the guests that visit our Vast Origin House ask this exact same question, so we naturally have relevant information on this matter. However, just because this information is regularly purchased doesn't make it any cheaper," Lan Ying replied with a smile.

  Chapter 2126: Reuniting With a Soulmate

  Han Li was ecstatic to hear this, and he immediately said, "As long as the information is reliable, price is not an issue."

  "Alright, I've enclosed part of the information within this slip along with the price; please take a look. If you accept these terms, then I'll give you the rest of the information, and we'll complete this transaction right here and now," Lan Ying said as she tossed what appeared to be a black stone toward Han Li.

  Han Li caught the stone before pressing it against his own forehead and injecting his spiritual sense into it.

  Lan Ying merely sat across from him in silence with a faint smile on her face.

  Around 15 minutes later, Han Li removed the slip from his forehead as an enlightened look appeared on his face. "Who would've thought that there would be people in the city lord's manor selling large amounts of Bloodtooth Rice in secret? Judging from the information in the slip, this group of people seems to occupy lofty positions in the city lord's manor. Alright, I'll take this information, and I accept the price; please disclose the contact method to me, Fairy Lan."

  "Sure," Lan Ying replied with a nod before sending another stone flying toward Han Li with a sweep of her sleeve.

  Han Li caught the stone and only injected his spiritual sense into it momentarily to ascertain the contact method, then rubbed his hands together to crush the stone into white powder.

  After that, he flipped a hand over to produce a palm-sized white jade box.

  "The item in the box should be more than enough as compensation for this information. If there are no issues, then I'd like to ask you about something else," Han Li said as he tossed the jade box toward Lan Ying.

  "I'd be happy to help," Lan Ying replied as she drew the jade box into her grasp, then removed the lid and inspected its contents, upon which a pleased smile appeared on her face.

  "Do you know the origins of this item?" Han Li asked as he flicked a finger through the air, and a green thread shot forth before revolving around the spinning wheel, then swept back toward him before forming a pea-sized ball of green Qi that rapidly revolved around his fingertip.

  In the next instant, the spinning wheel was suddenly reduced to a pile of dust amid a dull thump. [1]

  Both Lan Ying and the devilish woman's expressions changed slightly upon seeing this.

  The spinning wheel appeared to be extremely mundane, but it was actually a devilish treasure of quite a high caliber. Otherwise, Lan Ying wouldn't have been able to spend so much time spinning yarn with this wheel without growing bored of the process.

  However, the reaction that she had displayed wasn't due to distress from having the spinning wheel destroyed. Instead, it was due to the fact that the spinning wheel was constructed from a rare type of material known as Charred Devilish Wood, and after being processed using special methods, it was virtually indestructible.

  Thus, the two women were naturally very alarmed that it had been reduced to dust so easily by that nondescript streak of green Qi.

  Lan Ying's eyes narrowed slightly as she scrutinized the green Qi revolving around Han Li's fingertip with a peculiar look in her eyes.

  Han Li could sense that a wisp of Lan Ying's spiritual sense had enveloped the ball of green Qi, and that she was carefully inspecting it.

  The devilish woman had also swept her spiritual sense toward the green Qi, and moments later, Lan Ying's expression changed slightly, while the devilish woman remained just as confused as ever.

  Right at this moment, Han Li's finger tremored slightly, and the ball of green Qi vanished into his fingertip.

  "My apologies, but I'm unable to control this thing, so I can only force it out of my body for brief periods at a time. However, I'm sure that was already enough time for you to complete your inspection; have you managed to identify it?" Han Li asked as he appraised Lan Ying intently.

  The green Qi was none other than the residual energy left behind after he had absorbed the mysterious energy within the crystalline beads found in the pieces of Foreign Devilish Metal.

  The energy within the crystalline beads was able to rapidly enhance his magic power, but the residual green Qi was also giving him a massive headache.

  He had sealed it away in the body of his second Nascent Soul for now, but seeing as this Vast Origin House claimed to know everything, he decided to ask Lan Ying if she had any idea of what this was.

  If she could provide an answer, then that would naturally be ideal. Otherwise, he would just have to find a way to take care of it once he returned to the Spirit Realm.

  "I can't give you any conclusive answers, but there are several items in my memory that are similar to this thing. However, I'll have to ask you some questions to make a more informed judgment; would you be willing to answer my questions, Brother Han?" Lan Ying asked with slightly furrowed brows.

  "Of course, go ahead, Fairy Lan," Han Li replied without any hesitation.

  "Where did you obtain this thing from, and aside from the astonishing power it just displayed, does it possess any other special characteristics? Also, how long has it been in your body?" Lan Ying asked.

  "The avenue through which I obtained this thing is a secret, so I won't be disclosing it to you. However, I can tell you about some of its special properties. As for how long it's been in my body, it's not been a very long time; less than a century," Han Li replied after a brief moment of contemplation.

  "Alright, then please tell me about its special properties; I'll see if I can make a final judgment based on that," Lan Ying replied.

  A faint smile appeared on Han Li's face, yet just as he was about to say something, his expression suddenly changed slightly, and he abruptly fell silent.

  A hint of puzzlement appeared on Lan Ying's face upon seeing this, but before she could ask any questions, the woman beside her suddenly strode forward and grabbed a white talisman out of thin air.

  The woman injected her spiritual sense into the talisman briefly before immediately turning to Lan Ying. "Young Mistress, we're receiving a visit from Young Mistress Violet, and she's already downstairs."

  A hint of elation appeared on Lan Ying's face upon hearing this, but that was quickly replaced by an expression of concern. "Ah, Sister Violet! Why is she here? Could it be that my divination proved to be incorrect?"

  "You instructed everyone to grant free passage to Young Mistress Violet whenever she comes to visit, so she's already about to reach this level," the woman said as she glanced at Han Li.

  "I can go elsewhere for now if you're entertaining a guest, Fairy Lan," Han Li said as he rose to his feet.

  "There's no need for that; Sister Violet is a good friend of mine, and she should be here just to ask me some questions. It shouldn't concern any secrets, so you can just wait for a moment here," Lan Ying replied.

  Han Li didn't force the issue any further and merely nodded in response.

  Moments later, the sound of light footsteps rang out on the staircase outs
ide, and a delightful voice akin to heavenly music drifted into the room.

  "Ying'er, you owe me an explanation! I paid such a heavy price for your divination, but today is the last day that you stipulated, and I still haven't seen the person I want to see! Are you toying around with me? If so, you're going to have to return several times the spirit medicines I gave to you."

  As soon as the voice trailed off, a slender young woman enveloped in a layer of black mist appeared at the top of the staircase.

  Through the black mist, one could see that the woman had a pair of enchanting eyes that were as beautiful as stars, and was wearing a long purple dress.

  She was currently giggling in an amused manner, so it was clear that she had been joking.

  As soon as Han Li caught sight of the woman, his entire body abruptly stiffened as if he had been shocked by electricity.

  Excitement and ecstasy filled his eyes, only to then be replaced by a hint of hesitance.

  The woman in purple had naturally also caught sight of Han Li, and a hint of bewilderment had appeared in her eyes as well.

  "Sister Lan, who is this?" the woman in purple asked.

  A thought suddenly occurred to Lan Ying at the sight of this Sister Violet's bewildered expression, and a hint of incredulity also appeared in her eyes. "This is an esteemed guest of our Vast Origin House, Fellow Daoist Han; his cultivation base is no lesser than that of Aunt Zhu. Have you met him somewhere before, Sister Violet?"

  "What? His surname is Han?" the woman in purple shuddered slightly, and she began to scrutinize Han Li even more intently.

  The final trace of doubt in Han Li's heart was erased upon seeing this, and he took a deep breath before sweeping a sleeve through the air, sending a burst of azure light surging toward his own body.

  A string of cracks and pops rang out, and he grew slightly shorter, while his facial features transformed into those of an ordinary-looking young man who appeared to be in his twenties.

  "Long time no see, Violet Spirit; have you been well?" Han Li asked in a gentle voice.

  1. Well that was rude

  Chapter 2127: Disciple to Liu Ji

  The woman in purple stared blankly at Han Li, as if she had been completely intoxicated by the sight of him.

  At the same time, the purple mist around her faded to reveal a set of peerlessly gorgeous features.

  Her face was slightly pale, but there was no mistaking it; she was none other than Han Li's soulmate from the human world, Violet Spirit.

  However, her aura had changed drastically, and not only was she cultivating devilish arts, she had reached the late-Spatial Tempering Stage.

  Han Li now realized that the familiar figure that he had seen in Blue Waterfall City had been none other than Violet Spirit, but he had simply convinced himself that it wasn't her due to the massive change in her aura.

  After spending several romantic months with Han Li all those years ago, she had completely disappeared, and aside from Nangong Wan, she was definitely the woman that Han Li thought the most about.

  Now that he was unexpectedly meeting her in the Elder Devil Realm, his heart was naturally filled with elation.

  "I didn't think that I would ever get to see you again after entering our holy realm, Brother Han. Even now, I'm wondering to myself whether I'm daydreaming again because I miss you so much," Violet Spirit said in a gentle voice, and Han Li's heart throbbed slightly with pain upon hearing this.

  A wry smile appeared on his face as he said, "I've also been keeping an eye out for you ever since I ascended, but I didn't manage to find any news about you; never did I think that you would be in the Elder Devil Realm!"

  However, as they were speaking, he suddenly took a glance at Lan Ying and the devilish woman as a cold look flashed through his eyes.

  The devilish woman's expression darkened slightly upon seeing this, and she stepped forward to position herself in front of Lan Ying.

  Lan Ying immediately realized what was happening, and she waved a hand toward the woman with a faint smile as she said, "So this is the man you've been thinking day and night about, Sister Violet. I had thought that he'd be extremely handsome to make you enamored by him. If it weren't for my divination, you wouldn't have turned up today, and the two of you wouldn't have been reunited; are you planning to kill the matchmaker now that the match has been made?"

  "Stop spouting nonsense, you silly girl! Your divination only worked due to sheer dumb luck; it doesn't count! Brother Han, there's no need to worry about silencing them; Ying'er is an extremely close friend of mine, and there's no way she'll leak your identity. On top of that, the Vast Origin House isn't a power that's local to the Elder Devil Realm. Instead, it has branches spread over several realms, and there are over 10 stand-in house masters like her in each realm; they even have branches in the human world. Otherwise, the Vast Origin House wouldn't have been able to stand for so many years under the scrutiny of so many Sacred Ancestors," Violet Spirit explained.

  Han Li drew a sharp breath upon hearing this, and an incredulous look appeared on his face. "They have branches across several realms? Why have I never heard of the Vast Origin House in the human world?"

  "We are known as the Vast Origin House here, but we're naturally going to use different names in different realms. Otherwise, someone traveling across multiple realms would easily be able to draw the connection," Lan Ying said with a hint of a smile on her face.

  "I see, forgive me for being presumptuous," Han Li said as he cupped his fist in an apologetic salute.

  Lan Ying opened her mouth to say something further, but Violet Spirit suddenly interjected, "Don't blame Brother Han for being overly cautious, Ying'er; he doesn't know about our relationship, so it's no surprise that he's treating the situation with caution."

  "Never did I think the day would come when Sister Violet would value love over friendship; you've only just reunited with your old lover and you're already speaking for his sake," Lan Ying said with an amused smile.

  In the presence of Violet Spirit, her calm and steadfast facade had been completely discarded, and she was now more like an impish little girl.

  "What nonsense are you spouting now!" Violet Spirit glared at Lan Ying as a blush appeared on her face.

  Lan Ying merely smiled in response and suddenly changed the subject. "I'm sure there are many things you two would like to discuss, so Aunt Zhu and I are going to rest on the fifth floor for now; we'll come back down after you two finish catching up. You're very familiar with the restrictions Vast Origin House, so I'd suggest you activate the restrictions first before discussing anything else. Here is the restriction badge for this level."

  Lan Ying rose to her feet as she spoke, then swept a sleeve through the air to release a badge that was enveloped in a ball of white light.

  "You have my thanks, Ying'er," Violet Spirit said as she caught the badge in an elated manner.

  "I'll be taking my leave then," Lan Ying extended a slight curtsey before making her way upstairs with the devilish woman.

  The two of them arrived in a room with antiquated decor on the fifth floor, and Lan Ying sat down on a chair with a contemplative look in her eyes, while the devilish woman stood beside her.

  "What do you think of this Fellow Daoist Han, Aunt Zhu?" Lan Ying suddenly asked.

  "Which area are you referring to?" the woman asked in a befuddled manner.

  "Let's talk about his powers first. Do you think he's the human Body Integration Stage cultivator who's been wreaking havoc all over our holy realm with that Faux Immortal Puppet?" Lan Ying asked.

  "He's a human cultivator, and his surname is Han, so they're most likely one and the same. As for his powers, I can sense that his aura is extremely complex, and he definitely isn't a normal Body Integration cultivator. On top of that, I can sense that he's very dangerous and has definitely killed a lot of people," the woman replied.

  "In that case, even if we discount that Faux Immortal Puppet, it would be very much worth trying to recr
uit him," Lan Ying mused.

  "That would indeed be fantastic for us. Seeing as he's a good friend of Young Mistress Violet, I'm sure it wouldn't be too difficult to recruit him," the woman said with a smile.

  "I don't think so," Lan Ying said with a shake of her head.

  "Why is that?" the woman asked.

  "Sister Violet and I are indeed extremely close, but that doesn't mean that man also sees us as close friends. I haven't interacted with him much, but I can tell that he possesses immense mental fortitude and definitely won't be easily swayed by things like relationships and emotions. If we want to befriend him, we'll have to offer him some practical benefits," Lan Ying analyzed in a very level-headed manner.

  "Back when the old house master was around, she would always praise your unmatched intellect; I'm sure you're making the right judgment here. However, our Vast Origin House is currently situated in a tough period, so it would be difficult for us to offer anything that would catch the eye of a late-Body Integration cultivator like him," the woman said with furrowed brows.

  "Have you forgotten our line of business, Aunt Zhu? We may not be able to offer him any valuable treasures, but we just so happen to have a massive favor that we can redeem, isn't that right?" Lan Ying replied with a smile.

  An enlightened look appeared on the woman's face upon hearing this. "You don't mean..."

  Meanwhile, Violet Spirit was chanting an incantation while waving her badge through the air, and the entire fourth floor of the pavilion was enshrouded within a colorful light barrier,

  Violet Spirit then stowed the badge up her sleeve, following which Han Li asked, "I recall you weren't cultivating any devilish arts back in the human world, Violet Spirit; how did you ascend to the Elder Devil Realm and cultivate this devilish art to such an extent in such a short time?"

  "That's a long story. In comparison, I'm more interested to know if you're the human cultivator who's been tipping our holy realm onto its head recently, Brother Han," Violet Spirit said with an amused smile.