Han Li scratched his own head in a slightly awkward manner, and only after a long while did he slowly approach the wooden bed with a faint blush on his face.
Han Li had never actually seen his new wife, who was from the neighboring village; he had only heard some details about her from the matchmaker, Auntie Liu.
Apparently, she was an extremely clever woman who was good with her hands, and was quite beautiful as well. She had immediately caught the eye of his parents, who had offered her family a pig and three lambs as a dowry, and their marriage had been sealed with this wedding, which had been arranged in a short span of just half a month.
What was his wife's pet name again? Chun Mei? Chun Wan? Or was it Xiao Ling?
Han Li was suddenly struck with a sense of disorientation, and he discovered that he was unable to recall the pet name of his bride; there were only several names that sounded familiar, but didn't seem quite right.
However, none of that was important. This woman had become his wife, and just like his sister-in-law, she was going to have two or three, perhaps even more children for him. After that, he would watch his children grow up and make families of their own, just as his parents had done...
At this point, Han Li was already standing beside the bed, but he was rather perplexed by why all of these random thoughts had suddenly popped into his head. Just as the teasing villagers had jibed, shouldn't his mind be more fixated on the activity that he had been yearning for for such a long time?
Han Li took a deep breath to strengthen his own resolve, then laid a hand onto the piece of red fabric draped over his wife's head.
The petite figure beneath the piece of red fabric shuddered slightly, seemingly also feeling rather uneasy.
Han Li felt like throat had run a little dry, but he still mustered up the courage to remove the piece of fabric in a slightly panicked manner.
A set of shy and relatively beautiful features were thus revealed to Han Li.
A bashful and extremely satisfied smile appeared on Han Li's face as he tossed the piece of red fabric away, yet just as he was about to say something to the woman, a chilling sensation suddenly surged up to his head from his dantian, following which a stream of memories that had originally been sealed away came flooding out into his mind.
Han Li's smile remained on his face, but his expression had instantly stiffened.
The woman seemed to find Han Li's reaction to be rather strange, and she stood up from the bed before extending a slightly curtsey toward Han Li as she called out in a gentle voice, "Husband."
Han Li seemed to have returned to his senses, and instead of giving a reply, the smile on his face slowly faded as he appraised the woman before him. Only after a long while did he muse in a cold voice, "Good try, but unfortunately, it won't be that easy to fool me into falling for this illusion."
As soon as his voice trailed off, Han Li swept a sleeve through the air, releasing a streak of azure light that instantly sliced the woman's body in half.
The two halves of her body immediately collapsed beside the bed as blood flowed all over the floor.
Han Li took an expressionless glance at the woman's dismembered body, then chuckled coldly to himself, "Even now, you're still not willing to give up. You must think I'm a fool if you think this will be enough to fool me."
After that, he flicked a finger, and a bolt of golden lightning sprang out of his fingertip before hurtling directly toward the body at his feet.
All of a sudden, the two halves of the body reared up as a cloud of black Qi, but Han Li was already prepared for this, and he immediately made a hand seal, upon which the golden lightning swerved and struck the cloud of black Qi with unerring accuracy.
A shrill cry rang out as most of the black Qi was instantly destroyed, but a vicious male voice then immediately rang out.
"Don't get cocky, Han brat. I may not have succeeded this time, but I can make you go through all walks of life in this inner tribulation; I'll be sure to find a chink in your mental state, and when that time comes, I'll be able to easily replace you."
"I've already mastered the Spirit Refinement Technique, so my spiritual sense is comparable to that of a Grand Ascension cultivator. On top of that, my mental state is completely resolute; even if you're my inner demon, there's no way you'll be able to shake my resolve," Han Li chuckled in a nonchalant manner.
"Is that so? Are you really that confident? Don't forget that in a sense, you and I are one and the same. I have all of your memories and emotions, and I know which things are most unforgettable to you. Your resolve may be strong now, but I'll make you go through countless reincarnations. If you slip up in even one of them, haha..." The man within the black Qi suddenly burst into raucous laughter.
Han Li's expression changed slightly upon hearing this, but before he had a chance to say anything, the black Qi in the distance exploded, and a burst of peculiar energy instantly swept through the entire space.
The surrounding scene abruptly shattered like a mirror, following which Han Li appeared in another world amid a flash of white light.
This was the courtyard of an affluent family filled with all types of plants and flowers, and there was a winding stone path leading to a round door. Standing in front of the door was a beautiful green-robed young woman who appeared to be around 16 years of age, and she was currently appraising him with a wide smile.
"As my senior martial brother, shouldn't you be offering me a present on our first meeting?" the young woman said as she extended a slender and fair arm toward Han Li.
The woman was Mo Cailian of the Mo Estate! [1]
Han Li almost instantly recognized the young woman standing before him, and he involuntarily asked, "What type of present would you like?"
"I'm not a picky girl; I'll accept jewelry or anything that's fun and catches my eye. If you don't have anything like that, I guess 7,000 or 8,000 silver coins will suffice as well," Mo Cailian said in a confident manner.
Han Li's lips twitched slightly upon hearing this familiar reply, but a burst of mysterious power then swept over his body, and he instantly forgot everything, retaining only the memories leading up to the point before he entered the Mo Estate.
Memories such as joining the Seven Mysteries Sect and accepting Doctor Mo as his master had become extremely clear, as if those events had taken place only a day ago.
Under these circumstances, Han Li reflexively replied, "There's no way I would have 7,000 silver coins; how about I give you something else in the future?"
A pitiable look immediately appeared on the young woman's face upon hearing this, and Han Li was at a complete loss for what to do...
......
In the outside world, Han Li's physical body and Nascent Soul were still seated on the spot, but the devilish Qi around them was becoming denser and denser, and devilish creatures that were far more powerful than before were frequently appearing before attempting to attack Han Li.
Even though these devilish creatures were also forced back by the golden lightning that erupted out of Han Li's physical body, they were appearing with increased regularity and also attacking more frequently, seemingly very determined to take Han Li's body for themselves.
1. This is Mo Caihuan. The name was translated differently between double and johnchen.
Chapter 2189: Arrival of the Monarchs
"Senior Han hasn't been moving for a long time now; could it be that something's happened to him?" Zhu Guo'er asked in a concerned manner as she looked on from the mountain peak in the distance.
"Don't worry, with Brother Han's powerful spiritual sense and mental fortitude, transcending this inner demon tribulation shouldn't be an issue. It's just a surprise that he's attracted so many Heavenly Devilish Monarchs, but we're unable to do anything about that. Having said that, I'm sure he would've set up additional countermeasures against these Heavenly Devilish Monarchs, so there's no need to worry." Despite what Silvermoon was saying, her expression suggested that she was clearly very con
cerned herself.
Zhu Guo'er was aware that Silvermoon was also very worried about Han Li, but her heart still eased slightly upon hearing this response. However, she then suddenly seemed to have detected something, and she cast her gaze toward the other mountain peak.
"Huh? Where did Senior Xie go?"
In contrast, Silvermoon was completely unsurprised by Daoist Xie's absence, and she replied, "Two powerful beings are approaching this place; even I may not be able to defeat them, so Daoist Xie has gone to intercept them. I also have to go and deal with another group of unwelcome guests, and there will most likely be even more people coming, so Daoist Xie and I may not be able to come back. As such, we'll leave everything here to you for now. If anything happens within the basin, make sure to inform us right away."
As soon as her voice trailed off, Silvermoon flipped a hand over to reveal a formation plate, upon which a string of silver runes were flashing incessantly, indicating that Xu Qianyu's group was sending out an alert signal to her.
"Rest assured, Senior; I'll be sure to do my best," Zhu Guo'er replied with a serious expression.
"Good. I'll be leaving now," Silvermoon replied with a nod before immediately flying away as a streak of silver light.
......
High up in the air tens of thousands of kilometers away, Daoist Xie was facing a pair of Body Integration Stage beings with his hands clasped behind his back.
The two Body Integration cultivators were comprised of a heavily-bearded burly man, and a woman in a black dress. The man wore a set of golden robes, and most of his face was concealed behind his heavy facial hair, but his dark yellow eyes were still visible, and the mere sight of them struck one with a sense of dizziness.
As for the woman, she was quite beautiful and had wisps of black light emanating from her body. There was faint demonic Qi being released by both of them, indicating that they were Body Integration Stage demonic beings.
In particular, the woman was at the late-Body Integration Stage.
However, both of them currently had fearful looks in their eyes, and their faces had paled significantly in the face of the fearsome aura radiating from Daoist Xie's body.
The pressure being exerted upon them by Daoist Xie surpassed even that of Patriarch Ao Xiao, and it was beyond a doubt in their eyes that this young man was a Grand Ascension Stage being who was far too powerful for them to contend with.
Finally, the woman managed to collect herself before extending a respectful curtsey. "This is the first time that we've met, Senior; please forgive me if we've unintentionally offended you in any way."
She was stunned by the fact that such a fearsome being had suddenly appeared to stop her in her tracks, but she was also quite relieved to see that Daoist Xie had no devilish Qi within his body.
Otherwise, if the two of them had identified Daoist Xie to be a Sacred Ancestor, they would've immediately turned around and fled for their lives.
"You haven't offended me in any way, but from now on, you must stay right here. If you take even half a step away from this place, I'll kill both of you right away," Daoist Xie said in a wooden manner as he continued to release his terrifying spiritual pressure without any reservation.
"Could it be that the phenomena that took place earlier had something to do with you, Senior?" the burly golden-robed man couldn't help but ask.
"You don't need to know that," Daoist Xie replied in an expressionless manner.
Even though there were countless thoughts racing through the woman's mind, she still immediately agreed, "I see. In that case, we'll be sure to follow your instructions and stay here for as long as you'd like us to, Senior."
Daoist Xie gave a slight nod upon hearing this, then cast his gaze toward the burly man.
A wry smile appeared on the golden-robed man's face, and he also replied, "I wouldn't dare to oppose your wishes, Senior."
Only then did Daoist Xie withdraw his fearsome aura, but he still remained standing on the spot without displaying any intention of leaving.
The woman and the burly man exchanged a glance, then released a black wheel and a yellow gourd, respectively.
After that, the two of them sat down onto their treasures and appeared to have begun meditating.
However, in reality, the two of them were using an extremely rare spiritual sense secret technique of the demon race to communicate with one another. "Fellow Daoist Phoenix, who do you think this man is? He doesn't seem to be a human or demon, but why would such a powerful foreign being appear on the border of our human and demon territories? Could it be that he's after that thing as well? Since when have our two races allowed foreign Grand Ascension Stage beings to enter our territory as they please?" The burly man's voice was tinged with a hint of rage as it sounded within the woman's mind.
"That's hard to say, Fellow Daoist Dong Tian. Due to the devilish invasion, many of the super formations protecting our two races have been destroyed, so it wouldn't be too difficult for foreign Grand Ascension Stage beings to sneak into our two races. As a Grand Ascension Stage being, that thing shouldn't be of much use to him, so he's most likely not here for that purpose; I'm guessing that he just so happens to be doing something here, and we bumped into him at the wrong time. Thankfully, he doesn't seem to have any intention of killing us as long as we don't provoke him," the woman replied using the same secret technique.
These two were none other than two of the demon monarchs, Black Phoenix Monarch Xiao Guan, and the mysterious Mouse Monarch Dong Tian.
Han Li had met Xiao Guan once during the Myriad Treasure Convention, but he had only ever heard of Mouse Monarch Dong Tian.
Now that the two of them had appeared in the same place at the same time, they naturally couldn't have come out solely for a casual stroll.
However, never did the two of them think that they would be forcibly trapped here by a Grand Ascension Stage being.
Both of them were feeling very frustrated, but they naturally didn't dare to oppose a Grand Ascension Stage being, so they could only hope that they would be released once Daoist Xie finished whatever it was that he was doing.
As for the phenomena in the distance, now that the two demon monarchs knew that it had something to do with this Grand Ascension Stage being, they naturally didn't dare to pry into the matter any further.
"I wouldn't be so sure of that. That thing won't be of much use for this man, but perhaps he's trying to secure it for his juniors. If we miss out on that thing, we could be losing our final opportunity to progress to the Grand Ascension Stage," Mouse Monarch Dong Tian communicated as his expression darkened slightly.
"If that really were the case, then we can only lament our ill fortune; are you going to contend with a Grand Ascension Stage being for that thing?" the woman asked in a resigned manner after a brief silence.
"If this man really is here for that thing, then I'll have no choice but to concede it. As for whether that really is the case, I'm sure we'll know once the phenomena in the distance concludes," Mouse Monarch Dong Tian replied.
The woman merely closed her eyes and offered no response to this, and shortly thereafter, Mouse Monarch Dong Tian also closed his eyes to meditate.
Daoist Xie seemed to be completely unaware of the secret conversation that had just taken place between them, and continued to stand expressionlessly on the spot.
......
Meanwhile, Silvermoon had summoned a massive silver wolf projection elsewhere in the mountain range, and it was currently tearing through a group of devilish beings.
Countless streaks of silver light flashed through the air around the giant wolf projection, dismembering devilish beings with unstoppable might.
All of a sudden, a resounding boom rang out, and the giant wolf projection was stopped cold in its tracks by a massive shield being wielded by a two-headed and four-armed elder devil.
The elder devil was around 40 feet tall, and extremely hideous in appearance, wielding a shield, a truncheon, a hammer, and a staff in h
is four hands.
After stopping the wolf projection with his giant shield, a ferocious look flashed through the elder devil's eyes, and he instantly lashed out with his three weapons to strike the silver wolf projection with devastating force.
As a result, the projection was instantly destroyed amid an anguished howl, and due to the spiritual connection that she shared with the projection, Silvermoon's face paled slightly as she threw up a mouthful of blood, staining the front of her dress.
Even though Silvermoon had reached the Body Integration Stage, she had only just progressed to this level, and her powers were still far inferior to those of a seasoned elder devil of the same cultivation base.
A sinister smile appeared on the elder devil's face as he vanished on the spot as a cloud of black Qi.
In the next instant, spatial fluctuations erupted above Silvermoon, and the elder devil appeared before sending all four of his weapons crashing down toward her in unison.
Silvermoon immediately attempted to take evasive measures, but it was already too late, and a hint of horror began to surface within her eyes.
However, right at this moment, a grey blade projection suddenly appeared silently behind the elder devil, then swept through his necks in a flash, following which he was instantly decapitated, and a pillar of blood erupted several feet up into the air.
Chapter 2190: Slaying the Inner Demon
Having lost his heads, the weapons of the elder devil immediately slipped out of his grasp, and his headless body swayed slightly before plummeting out of the sky.
Only then did a slender black-robed woman emerge up above amid a flash of grey light.
The woman wore a wolf head mask and a pair of black gloves, revealing not even a sliver of skin.
"Thank you for saving me, Liao Ying."
A mixture of relief and gratitude appeared on Silvermoon's face at the sight of the masked woman. "No need to thank me. I am your shadow guard, so it is my duty to ensure your safety. In order to prevent any further mishaps from taking place, allow me to kill these devilish beings together with you, Young Mistress," Liao Ying said with a smile.
A Record of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality c1-2248 Page 1256