A Record of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality (Chapter 401-Chapter 600)

“Humph! Youngster, I don’t have the time to waste on you, so I will tell you the truth. Long ago, I found a pair of Bloodjade Spiders and put them into the care of my other traitorous disciple, Zenith Brilliance [1]. I thought to bring the spiders to the Heavenvoid Hall and seize the cauldron when they were a higher grade, but I hadn’t expected that my disciples would betray me before that happened. Since you had that jade talisman, I figured that your Bloodjade Spider had originated from the Zenith Brilliance’s pair. You may not know this, but Bloodjade Spiders possess some peculiar characteristics. Although a nest will have many eggs, only two of them will survive. These two spiders are certain to be a male-female pair. In addition, they can only ascend grades when the male and female spider are together. This was something that I had personally concluded after observing a pair of wild Bloodjade Spiders. After all, one must be familiar with a spirit beast’s properties if they are to promote its grade. However, this was unknown to Zenith Brilliance. He believed I had acquired both a male and female spider out of pure luck! Since the grade of your spider was so high, you must certainly have another. How about you take it out?”


The Bone Sage’s quick explanation had left Han Li dumbfounded for a moment, as he truly hadn’t known any of this. It seemed that the rainbow skeleton from back then had likely been Zenith Brilliance, but how did that fit together with the Emperor of Yue and Zenith Yin Island’s cultivation arts? Although Han Li’s mind was flooded with doubts, he licked his lips and calmly replied, “That's right, I do have another Bloodjade Spider. But why should I help you acquire the Heavenvoid Cauldron? Are you willing to give me half of it? Moreover, there will be tremendous, world-shaking tremors as the Heavenvoid Cauldron is extracted. Wouldn’t this disturbance attract the attention of the other Nascent Soul cultivators and make them immediately return? That would just quicken our deaths. Also, it was only with the help of the flame pythons that the Bloodjade Spider had been able to slowly pull up the Cauldron. My remaining Bloodjade Spider isn’t enough to pull it up.”

Han Li spoke these words with a calm expression. Although he felt immense temptation towards the Heavenvoid Cauldron, he stifled the burning excitement in his heart, allowing reason to seep through. He didn’t wish to die just because of greed. After a moment of consideration, Han Li decided his best choice was to immediately escape. Without waiting for the Bone Sage’s response, Han Li flickered, blurring towards the exit.

However, it seemed that the Bone Sage had already predicted what Han Li would do. The next words he uttered caused Han Li to slow to a stop.





Chapter 490: The Cauldron’s Reappearance


The Bone Sage coldly said, “Youngster Han, don’t you wish to condense a Nascent Soul? The Heavenmend Pill’s greatest effect is that it purifies a Core Formation cultivator’s innate spiritual roots, allowing a cultivator to enter the Nascent Soul stage with greater ease.”

Han Li was silent for a moment before turning around. He narrowed his eyes and spoke with disbelief, “Purify one’s spiritual roots? You must think I am a child! How could there be such a legendary, heaven-defying medicine?”

“Hehe, it’s up to you whether or not you believe it. Do you think that I have lived my many years idly? Back then, I had captured a Star Palace elder and used soul searching techniques to acquire this information. The outside rumors that this pill can break through the bottleneck of the Nascent Soul stage, causes a massive increase of one’s magic power, and can lengthen one’s life are completely false. It had been proven when a Star Palace Master had personally consumed the Heavenmend Pill.”

The Bone Sage calmly continued with a careless expression, “And since you’ve already acquired the Ninecurl Ginseng, with the complimentary effects of the Heavenmend Pill, your odds of condensing a Nascent Soul will reach forty percent. If you wait another three hundred years to acquire a Heavenmend Pill, its effects will be of little use by then. This is due to the long process of spiritual root purification. It will take over a hundred years for the effects to be fully displayed.”

“A forty percent chance at Nascent Soul condensation?” Han Li felt giddy with excitement.

As if having seen through Han Li’s thoughts, the Bone Sage smiled and added, “As for your worries that the tremors would be far too noticeable, even if a great catastrophe struck, there would be no way they could possibly know unless they saw it for their own eyes; the barrier completely isolates any disturbances that occur from within. They can’t use their spiritual sense to observe what happens in here either. Why else would this Tailstar Barrier have been so renowned even in the era of antiquity! And if you’re worried about your single Bloodjade Spider being unable to lift the cauldron, don’t forget that I am Zenith Yin’s master. Even as a demon ghost, I am still capable of refining corpses.”

With that said, the Bone Sage immediately opened his mouth and spat out a fist-sized ball of glimmering light towards the Bloodjade Spider’s corpse next to the altar. In the blink of an eye, a dense, green mist enveloped the spider corpse that quickly absorbed it. A short moment later, the two halves of the spider began to join together. Green light flashed from the point of incision, and the Bloodjade Spider shakily stood up, whole once more.

Although Han Li managed to maintain a calm expression as he watched the scene, he was inwardly overwhelmed with shock. The world of cultivation truly had no shortage of extraordinary things! There was even such a technique that can refine a corpse in nearly an instant.

The Bone Sage made the spider corpse walk several steps before he turned to Han Li and confidently said, “My corpse refinement technique is passable, yes? Although the refined spider corpse won’t last for long, and it is somewhat weaker than when it was alive, it will have no problem lifting the cauldron with your surviving Bloodjade Spider. After we acquire the treasure, I will give you all the Heavenmend Pills as I have no need of them. Also, I will cede half of the Heavenvoid Cauldron’s other treasures to you, but the cauldron is mine. How do you feel about this trade?”

“Humph! Your words may be extravagantly beautiful, but how do I know you won’t immediately attack me after the Heavenvoid Cauldron is secure? After all, your cultivation and techniques are both an entire realm above me.”

When the Bone Sage heard this, he inwardly rejoiced. Although Han Li’s tone was quite harsh, it was clear he was on the cusp of agreeing. Now, it was only a matter of haggling over price.

As a result, the Bone Sage smiled and hastily said, “Han Li, you’re being far too humble! If I guessed correctly, if we were to fight to the death, the odds would be fifty-fifty. Moreover, such a battle wouldn’t be concluded in a short amount of time, allowing an increased window for the others to return. Do you truly believe me to be so foolish as to bring about both of our deaths? Naturally, so long as you agree to help me acquire the treasure, I will hand over the Ninecurl Spirit Ginseng refinement formula over to you as a token of our sincere cooperation.”

After this was said, the Bone Sage flipped his hand and tossed a white jade slip with an ancient aura towards Han Li.

Han LI quickly raised his hand and beckoned to the approaching jade slip. With an azure flash, a ball of azure light enveloped it, quickly bringing it to his palm.

The Bone Sage responded to Han Li’s great carefulness with a chuckle and said nothing else.

Han Li quickly swept through the contents of the jade slip with his spiritual sense. Although he didn’t have enough time to mull over whether or not the pill formula was genuine, it did mention the Ninecurl Spirit Ginseng as well as three supplementary medicinal ingredients Han Li had never heard of before.

After some consideration, Han Li bluntly put the jade slip into his storage pouch and raised his head. He calmly gazed at the Bone Sage and said, “Fine, I will agree to these conditions. Let’s immediately start retrieving the cauldron!”

Since he had agreed to act, Han Li no longer delayed, as it would only allow their enemies more time to return. He quickly pat his spirit beast pouch causing his other Bloodjade Spider to appear with a flash of light.

“Very good, you made the right choice.” With an expression of excitement, the Bone Sage approached the hole and ordered the refined spider corpse to spit out a web at the cauldron, finishing his preparations first.

Han Li followed suit, calmly ordering his Bloodjade Spider to shoot a web at the Heavenvoid Cauldron as well.