A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality (Web Novel)

Han Li quickly took out a blue talisman from his storage pouch and gently slapped it onto his wound. With a flash of white light, the bleeding immediately stopped.

But when he turned his head back to meet Crooked Soul’s icy gaze, Han Li wordlessly emitted an azure light around his body, which reached ten meters in height, and had his emerald swords revolve around him in streaks. It all appeared blindingly bright.

Han Li had already made a firm resolution that if he were going to leave this place, he needed to have these Bamboo Cloudswarm Swords outside his body to protect against any tricks this ancient eccentric may have in store.

To tell the truth, this was the most fearsome, menacing enemy he had encountered since entering the cultivation world. If his reactions were the slightest bit slow, he would’ve already had a hole through his heart. Were his spiritual sense not stronger and his mind not nimbler than a common cultivators, he would’ve undoubtedly met certain death from Crooked Soul’s recent ambush.

The Blood Spirit Drill was truly vicious and sinister. It could hardly be blocked.

But now, Han Li didn’t have to worry about any further attacks from the Blood Spirit Drill. That last attack was the last charge that Crooked Soul had cultivated.

However, Han Li still felt incredibly gloomy.

According to the External Incarnation Technique, he clearly should have refined his spiritual sense fragment and Crooked Soul’s physical body into one. Just how had this old ghost been able to take control of Crooked Soul without his knowledge?

He wasn’t even given the slightest warning. Were if not for his quick wits in hastily retrieving his divided consciousness from Crooked Soul, he feared the shadow would’ve already used it as a method for consuming him.

Han Li now found himself in a truly troublesome situation.

Since the enemy had possessed Crooked Soul, then the green shadow must be deceased and was closer to an evil demonic spirit or primal soul. The shadow possessing Crooked Soul wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, and it may have quite possibly given Han Li the opportunity to exterminate him.

With that thought, Han Li flipped his hand and an exquisitely-crafted small brass bell appeared in his hand: the Spirit Guiding Bell he had kept stored away for so long.

This bell contained the blood essence of Crooked Soul’s physical body. Although he couldn’t count on it to arrest the enemy, it could still be used to create an advantageous opportunity!

At that moment, “Crooked Soul” was stretching and moving his body as if wanting to familiarize himself with it.

Having seen Han Li’s action, he eerily chucked as if the result of the coming battle were laid in stone.

Han Li’s expression darkened, and he no longer hesitated to ring the small bell.

With a series of clear bell rings, Crooked Soul’s red eyes flickered, but no other change occurred from his body as if nothing was wrong.

Han Li’s heart sunk.

“Regardless of what tricks you perform on this Fiend Core Avatar, since I’ve become the master of this body, do you believe that minor restriction will have an effect one me?” Crooked Soul’s rough voice slowly spoke with a mocking tone.

“You know that it is a Fiend Core Avatar?” Han Li’s heart stirred with surprise.

“Hehe! The Fiend Core and External Incarnation Technique were something I had originally passed down to my two traitorous disciples. Did you believe I wouldn’t see through them? You sure are courageous to use them in front of me! Could it be that your master didn’t warn you that so long as this secret technique was used to refine an avatar, that I would be able to easily control it?” Crooked Soul twisted his neck left and right and indifferently said with crossed arms.

Han Li was bewildered, but his face wore a strange expression.

“What master? The avatar creation technique was something I acquired from a jade talisman. Could it have some relation to you?” Han Li asked, unwilling to be a scapegoat for Grandmaster Zenith Yin. Regardless of whether his words were true or false, Han Li still gave a dull explanation.

“Jade slip? Youngster, did you believe that by not admitting to be the apprentice of my two traitorous disciples that I would let you go? After I capture you, I will refine your soul and acquire everything that I want to know.” Crooked Soul didn’t seem to believe Han Li and spoke expressionlessly.

With that said, he beckoned to the skeleton pile nearby without further hesitation, causing it to float in the air. In an instant, it reassembled into a complete skeleton, and flew towards Crooked Soul with a flash of white light.

Although Han Li didn’t know what he intended, he wasn’t going to allow his opponent to smoothly succeed.

He immediately flicked his finger three times, shooting out three streaks of azure swordlight from his hand. The Azure Essence Swordstreaks shot straight towards the skeleton.

“You dare to so presumptuously release those granules of light?” Crooked Soul sinisterly said. He then opened his mouth and spouted out a beam of blood light.

With a series of explosions, the blood light and the azure light struck and scattered into radiance.

Han Li frowned and wore a solemn expression. After being possessed, Crooked Soul’s cultivation was no longer restricted to early Core Formation stage. How truly odd!

But what happened next left Han Li even more aghast!

Once the white skeleton flew in front of Crooked Soul, it merged into his body without the slightest obstruction.

Crooked Soul then loudly roared with his head facing upwards. His body emitted several different flashes of colors: from dark-green otherworldly flame, pitch-black ghost mist, and Crooked Soul’s Divine Blood Light. These three distinct radiances tangled with one another, continuously wandering throughout Crooked Soul’s body and fully covering him within it.

As Crooked Soul roared, a small explosion could be heard from within his body. With his body bowed in pain, his limbs and body began to slowly shrink.

Once this was done, he stood up appearing much shorter, exactly like an ordinary person.

But what caused Han Li to be most shocked was Crooked Soul’s face had changed to that of a youth’s with delicate facial features. Even the flourishing blood-red in his eyes had greatly dimmed. In that instant, Crooked Soul had undergone a transformation into a completely different person.

Han Li was stupefied for a moment before revealing a bitter smile.

Han Li originally wished to used this opportunity to strike his opponent given how audaciously he used magic in front of him, but he didn’t expect that this technique would be performed so quickly that there wasn’t an opportunity to make use of.

After a moment of silence, Han Li dryly asked the youth a bizarre question, “Is this possession? Or complete body seizure?”

The delicate youth mysteriously smiled and glanced at Han Li with narrowed eyes, serenely saying, “ You greatly underestimate my Profound Soul Demonification Technique. It is a secret art that only a Nascent Soul cultivator is capable of performing. So long as it is cultivated, there are no restrictions with body seizure, and profound souls may be added to another body as one wishes. Now that my profound soul has solidified its bones, I will have you be a blood sacrifice so that this Divine Ancestor may rise once again!”

He raised his hands, suddenly turning his fingers into incisive claws with dark green fingernails several inches longs.

Han Li’s expression darkened, and he didn’t further waste his breath. He tossed out the spirit beast pouch that he had been holding since the beginning and released his several thousands of Gold Devouring Beetles. A short moment later, a glowing cloud of gold and silver floated above his head.

Then with a wave of his arms, white lights continuously flickered around him, surrounding Han Li with forty huge ape puppets. Each of them stared at the youth with an icy gaze.

But Han Li didn’t stop there. With his two hands forming an incantation seal, his nine small swords flew out as azure light and converged into a three-meter-long emerald sword. The sword streak endlessly twinkled with faint golden arcs of light continuously sparking from it.

Upon seeing this, the delicate youth’s expression greatly changed, revealing surprise and a grave expression.

After the youth’s gaze flickered several times, he suddenly said, “Flying swords refined from Heaven Lightning Bamboo, insect control techniques, and puppets! It seems you really aren’t the disciple of Zenith Yin and Zenith Brilliance. Since this is the case, then how about we have a proper chat?”

Han Li, who had just prepared his entire offensive, was stunned upon hearing this. But after a moment of silence, he coldly said, “Unfortunately, I really want to test whether or not your esteemed self is capable of receiving my flying swords!”

Without the slightest hesitation, Han Li pointed towards his huge flying sword, and it immediately launched towards the youth in a green streak of light as thick as a python. As it flew, it occasionally rolled with sounds of thunder.

The youth’s face slightly sank upon seeing this, and he lightly waved his claws in front of him. Five crescents of black radiance appeared out of the air and rapidly expanded, blurring several times before quickly chopping towards the green sword streak.

Upon contact, the green sword streak sparked with faint golden arcs of lightning, completely obliterating the crescents of black radiance. They weren’t able to withstand even a single blow!

Although the youth’s expression remained calm, his mind was greatly startled. The power of the Gold Lightning Bamboo was far greater than he had anticipated.

In the blink of an eye, the green sword streak had arrived in front of the youth. However, he was still calm and collected as he indifferently watched the huge sword approach him as if he still had something up his sleeve.