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

by Translator: Johnchen

  "As long as there isn't another human cultivator who's entered the Elder Devil Realm and creating a massive spectacle, then that does appear to be me," Han Li replied with a wry smile.

  "So it really is you! I've heard that not only are you at the pinnacle late-Body Integration Stage, you also possess a giant crab puppet that's more powerful than even most Sacred Ancestors; is that true?" Violet Spirit asked in an elated manner.

  "The rumors are slightly exaggerated, but they're mostly grounded in truth. The giant crab puppet is currently accompanying me on my journey, but I'm not its master, and I'm unable to directly control it," Han Li replied with a smile.

  "To think that you've reached the cusp of the Grand Ascension Stage in such a short time; I'm sure you've endured a lot of hardships and perils since we last met, right?" Violet Spirit sighed.

  "I did, but I managed to weather the storm and cultivate to this point, so those hardships weren't endured for nothing, at least. I can sense that the devilish Qi within your body is extremely pure; you're not far away from making a breakthrough to the Body Integration Stage, right?" Han Li asked in a concerned manner.

  "At the very latest, I'll be attempting a breakthrough to the Body Integration Stage in 100 years, but I can't even begin to compare with you; ever since I arrived in the Elder Devil Realm, I've been given all of the resources I could ever need for my cultivation, and even the pills required to make the Body Integration Stage breakthrough have been prepared for me well in advance. Otherwise, there's no way I would've been able to progress to this point with my aptitude," Violet Spirit replied.

  Han Li faltered slightly upon hearing this before immediately asking, "Who would provide you with all these resources for no reason? They must have some ulterior motive!"

  "I'm sure you've heard of Sacred Ancestor Liu Ji by now, right?" Violet Spirit sighed.

  "Of course, she's one of the three devilish patriarchs! Having said that, I've never met her in person. Is she the one supporting your cultivation?" Han Li asked as his eyes narrowed slightly.

  "That's right, I'm currently her seventh and youngest disciple. I'm referred to as her disciple, but in reality, I'm most likely just a backup clone," Violet Spirit replied.

  Han Li's expression changed drastically upon hearing this, and a furious look appeared in his eyes. "Backup clone? Did she place a restriction on your body?"

  Chapter 2128: Violet Spirit's Crisis

  "It's not an actual restriction, but the devilish arts I'm cultivating were created by her, so she's naturally set up some precautionary measures. Unless my cultivation base progresses to outstrip hers one day, she can strip me of my entire cultivation base with just a single thought. Also, Liu Ji had informed me of her intentions to make me a backup clone, and I agreed to this path, so I really can't blame her. Without her help, I wouldn't even have been able to ascend; I would've already perished in the human world at this point," Violet Spirit sighed.

  "What happened to you? How did Sacred Ancestor Liu Ji end up assisting you in your ascension?" Han Li asked.

  "Back in the human world, I was limited by my aptitude and was unable to progress to the Deity Transformation Stage. At my cultivation base at the time, venturing into a spatial node would've been akin to committing suicide. Hence, I had no choice but to begin traveling to all of the secret regions of the human world to search for spirit medicines that would help me break through my bottleneck. I had thought that at the very least, I would be able to find some powerful protective treasures, and I would take a risk to venture into a spatial node before my lifespan ran out.

  "However, after searching for several centuries, I didn't find any suitable spirit medicines or treasures, but stumbled upon an ancient devilish altar and unintentionally triggered it instead," Violet Spirit said with a resigned smile.

  "Could it be that you contacted Sacred Ancestor Liu Ji through the altar?" Han Li asked as an enlightened look appeared in his eyes.

  "The process wasn't quite that simple, but yes, that was the end result. A wisp of Liu Ji's spiritual sense descended into the human world through the altar, and with its assistance, I injected the residual devilish Qi in the secret region into my own body, thereby switching to a devilish cultivation art. As a result, I was quickly able to progress to the Deity Transformation Stage, and the ease with which the breakthrough was made was astounding to me. According to Liu Ji, I possess the extremely rare Yin Maiden Physique, meaning I was virtually born to become a devilish cultivator.

  "This was why she had helped me ascend to the Elder Devil Realm; if a normal human cultivator had managed to contact her, she would've simply ignored them. Only after I ascended to the Elder Devil Realm and met Liu Ji was I made aware that she had only helped me so that I could become a backup clone for her," Violet Spirit Said.

  "In that case, there was no need for you to agree to become her disciple. As for the debt you owe her for the part she played in your ascension, you'll just have to repay her some other way in the future," Han Li said with a dark expression.

  "Thing's weren't that simple. At the time, she gave a choice; either she would strip away the devilish Qi and devilish cultivation art she bestowed upon me, thereby reducing me to a low-grade cultivator again, or I had to become her seventh disciple and backup clone. She had made it very clear that due to the limitation in the cultivation art that she was using, she could only have six clones, including her true body, so if nothing happened to any of her clones, then I wouldn't need to fill in. With Liu Ji's lofty status as a devilish matriarch, even her clones are generally very safe, so there's a good chance that I'll simply continue to act as her disciple.

  "Her eldest disciple has already reached the pinnacle of the late-Body Integration Stage and lived for tens of thousands of years without having to fill in for one of Liu Ji's clones. If Liu Ji were to ascend to the True Immortal Realm someday, she wouldn't need any clones, and we would truly be free then. Prior to this, she would supply us with all of the cultivation resources that we required. According to my knowledge, the Elder Devil Realm is a far more perilous place than the human world and the Spirit Realm, so countless high-grade devilish beings perish every year during their search for cultivation resources. If you had been in the same position as me, what would you have chosen, Brother Han?" Violet Spirit asked with a slightly dejected look in her eyes.

  Han Li's expression changed slightly upon hearing this, and he raised his head to the heavens as he heaved a faint sigh.

  "I've always admired your resolute willpower; perhaps if you had been in my place, you really would've made a different choice. However, on one hand, I would have to fall back to square one and struggle to survive in the perilous Elder Devil Realm, while on the other hand, I would at least be able to live for tens of thousands of years without having worry about cultivation resources; the temptation simply wasn't something that I could resist. Hence, I became Liu Ji's seventh disciple. I've forged a bit of a reputation for myself in the Elder Devil Realm, and I even have my own subordinates now," Violet Spirit sighed.

  "It's no wonder that you made such a decision; I would've most likely done the same thing. However, you can't just live the rest of your life like this; haven't you explored any ways to escape these restrictions?" Han Li asked.

  Violet Spirit had clearly already considered this, and a wry smile appeared on her face. "The six disciples above me are all Body Integration Stage beings; if there were a way to escape Liu Ji's control, they would've done so long ago. Besides, Liu Ji is a devilish matriarch with countless subordinates willing to do her bidding; even if we could escape her control, how long would we be able to hide for? The only way would be to flee to another realm, but without the abundant devilish Qi here in the Elder Devil Realm, my devilish arts would be completely ruined. Not only will I have no chance of making further progress, there's a very good chance that my cultivation base could plummet drastically."

  "That is indeed very troublesome, but there is a rather risky solution," Han Li
said with a contemplative look in his eyes.

  "You have a solution to this situation, Brother Han? Forget about it; you are indeed quite powerful right now, but you still can't contend with the likes of Liu Ji; please don't place yourself in harm's way for my sake," Violet Spirit said as she shook her head in a concerned manner.

  "It would indeed be impossible for me to contend with Liu Ji right now, but my cultivation base isn't just going to remain stagnant. Give me some time; I have some confidence that I'll be able to progress to the Grand Ascension Stage. When that time comes, I'll be at least close to being able to match Liu Ji in battle, and I'll be able to negotiate with her then," Han Li said with a cold smile.

  "You're confident that you'll reach the Grand Ascension Stage?" Violet Spirit already had a very lofty evaluation of Han Li's powers, but she was still stunned by this, and even her voice was trembling slightly.

  "There should be a decent chance for me," Han Li replied with a confident smile.

  Violet Spirit stared blankly at Han Li for a while before replying in a gentle voice, "You're not one to make baseless claims, so I definitely believe in you, but let's discuss this matter after you reach the Grand Ascension Stage. When that time comes, you should be able to tear through space and enter the Elder Devil Realm with ease."

  Han Li contemplated the situation for a moment before determined that this was indeed something that he couldn't resolve in the near future, so he could only repress his own concern. "Alright, your current cultivation base isn't very high, so even if one of Liu Ji's clones does fall, you won't be next in line to replace it, so you'll just have to wait for me for now."

  "We've been discussing me this entire time; why don't you tell me about your experiences, Brother Han? You've progressed to the late-Body Integration Stage in such a short time; I'm sure your experiences in the Spirit Realm have been far more spectacular than mine." Violet Spirit changed the subject in an attempt to distract Han Li from his concerns.

  Han Li faltered slightly upon hearing this before replying with a smile, "I did indeed have many interesting experiences in the Spirit Realm."

  Thus, he began to recount his experiences following his arrival in the Spirit Realm through the spatial node. Of course, there were some secrets that he intentionally neglected to mention.

  Violet Spirit was completely enraptured by his recount, displaying a vast array of reactions in response to the experiences that Han Li detailed.

  After Han Li finished his own recount, Violet Spirit also gave him a recount of her time in the Elder Devil Realm, and also told him about how she had made Lan Ying's acquaintance.

  Only then was Han Li made aware that Violet Spirit had once saved Lan Ying's life by chance, which was why they had become as close as sisters.

  All of a sudden, a thought occurred to Han Li, and he asked Violet Spirit what she had asked Lan Ying to conduct divination about.

  However, Violet Spirit blushed deeply upon hearing this, and she refused to tell him no matter what.

  Her display of embarrassment was already enough to tell Han Li everything, so he merely smiled and didn't pry any further into the matter. Instead, he asked if Lan Ying had any way to help Violet Spirit resolve her predicament, in response to which Violet Spirit shook her head in a resigned manner.

  Even the Vast Origin House was powerless to do anything as a devilish matriarch was concerned.

  The former master of the Vast Origin House was Lan Ying's grandmother, who passed away during an accident, which was why Lan Ying had been handed the reins.

  However, many of the high-grade powerful beings of the Vast Origin House had perished during the same incident, so the Vast Origin House was currently in an extremely feeble state.

  Otherwise, if the Vast Origin House had been at the height of its powers, even Liu Ji would've been quite wary of it, and perhaps she would've been open to releasing Violet Spirit from her obligations if the Vast Origin House had stepped in.

  Han Li nodded in response upon hearing this explanation.

  Thus, the two of them chatted for close to half a day, discussing matters surrounding cultivation and daily life.

  They were completely engrossed in their conversation and didn't notice the passage of time at all.

  After a long while, the five-colored light barrier enshrouding the room suddenly rippled, and Lan Ying's voice sounded in the room.

  "Have you two finished your chat? It's already night time, so our Vast Origin House is about to close soon. Brother Han, regarding the question you asked me earlier, would you like an answer to it now?"

  Chapter 2129: Five Elemental Yin Yang True Light

  "Looks like we've been chatting for too long and Sister Lan has grown impatient. By the way, why did you come to the Vast Origin House today? Did you encounter some type of insurmountable problem?" Violet Spirit asked in a concerned manner.

  "Not at all, my main objective for coming here has already been completed; I simply asked Fairy Lan something in passing," Han Li replied in a nonchalant voice.

  "In that case, I'll deactivate the restrictions so you can speak with her," Violet Spirit replied with a relieved nod.

  Han Li naturally had no objections to this, and Violet Spirit summoned the restriction badge again before waving it through the air.

  The light barrier around them instantly disintegrated, and the smiling Lan Ying soon emerged from the fifth floor with the devilish woman.

  After that, Han Li revealed some of the special characteristics of the mysterious green Qi within his body to Lan Ying.

  As expected of the Vast Origin House Master, even though Lan Ying's cultivation base wasn't all that outstanding, she had an extraordinary wealth of knowledge and experience and was quickly able to identify what the green Qi was based on the characteristics described.

  "You're saying this is the Baleful Yin Qi imbued within Five Elemental Yin Yang True Light?" Han Li almost jumped out of his seat upon hearing Lan Ying's answer.

  "Looks like you've heard of the Five Elemental Yin Yang True Light as well, Brother Han. I can't say for absolute certain, but I'm fairly confident that's what it is. It's said that any cultivation art or ability can be fused with Five Elemental Yin Yang True Light, and it's even known as the mother of all arts. However, if this true light were to remain deep within a profound yin region for too long, then there's a chance that it would transform into this Baleful Yin Qi. Apparently, there was once a devilish patriarch who possessed Five Elemental Yin Yang True Light in ancient times."

  "After fusing his devilish arts with this true light, his powers were enhanced so significantly that even the other two patriarchs combined were no match for him, and he almost ruled over the entire Elder Devil Realm. However, he disappeared under mysterious circumstances during a trip to an alternate realm. Otherwise, the Elder Devil Realm could be completely different from how it currently is," Lan Ying said.

  "I've seen some records of this in an ancient devilish tome that I've read. However, the main reason that that devilish patriarch was able to almost conquer the entire Elder Devil Realm was due to the devilish arts he was cultivating at the time. It was known as the number one devilish art in all of the Elder Devil Realm, and countless people have cultivated it, but no one has been able to cultivate it to the extent that that patriarch had. In addition to the Five Elemental Yin Yang True Light, it's no wonder that he was completely invincible at the time.

  "How did you manage to come into contact with this Baleful Yin Qi, Brother Han? Have you already encountered Five Elemental Yin Yang True Light? I've heard that this light has no set form; it could be a rock, or a piece of wood, or anything you can imagine," Violet Spirit said.

  "I haven't encountered Five Elemental Yin Yang True Light at all; this Baleful Yin Qi is something that entered my body from a piece of ore I obtained, and I've been unable to get rid of it ever since," Han Li said with a wry smile, but his heart was filled with turbulent emotions.

  Five Elemental Yin Yang True Light w
as an ability that one of the five extreme mountains was supposed to possess. However, that true light had disappeared from the Spirit Realm long ago, so this extreme mountain was the one that he was least confident in tracking down; never did he think that he would find leads related to it in the Elder Devil Realm!

  Even though he was still far away from actually tracking down the Five Elemental Yin Yang True Light, it instilled him with a hint of hope where there previously hadn't been any.

  It seemed that he would have to stay in the Elder Devil Realm for a while longer.

  "It makes sense that you obtained it from a piece of ore; even though Five Elemental Yin Yang True Light hasn't been sighted in the Elder Devil Realm for many years, there are occasionally pieces of ore discovered that contain Baleful Yin Qi. However, the powers who have discovered such pieces of ore have all dug deeper at the original site, but haven't been able to find anything. It's speculated that there had once been Five Elemental Yin Yang True Light situated in the underground area nearby, but due to some unknown reason, it seems to have shifted to a different location; the piece of ore you obtained most likely stems from one of those regions, Brother Han," Lan Ying replied with a contemplative look in her eyes.

  "Is there any harm to having this thing in one's body for a long time, and is there a way to eradicate it?" Violet Spirit hurriedly asked.

  "For some individuals who are using special cultivation arts in our Elder Devil Realm, this Baleful Yin Qi is extremely valuable. However, seeing as Fellow Daoist Han is a human cultivator, this Baleful Yin Qi will only prove to be detrimental to him and could slowly cause his meridians to atrophy. However, there's no need to be too concerned; there have been others in the past who have also been afflicted by the same issue, so a refinement mantra was invented that could allow one to directly refine this Baleful Yin Qi," Lan Ying replied in a confident manner.