A Mortal’s Journey to Immortality: Wang Yu’s Rebirth as the Reincarnation Dao Ancestor - Chapter 255

Chapter 251 Two Choices (Bonus Chapter 13 for Monthly Tickets)

This pavilion has three floors, decreasing in size.

Above the pavilion door hangs an antique silver-edged plaque with the three large golden characters “Crystal Dragon Pavilion” written on it.

Approaching the pavilion door, the scene inside made Han Li narrow his eyes:

“A very good illusion.”

Inside, the pavilion was filled with numerous guests eating and drinking, and several waiters were bustling about with trays of food. Various delicacies were quickly served, and the sounds of clinking glasses filled the air.

However, in Han Li’s divine sense, all of this was merely an illusion.

Ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators probably couldn’t distinguish the real from the fake.

Such a method was quite sophisticated.

It was enough to discern the strength of the divine sense of different Nascent Soul stages.

“It’s good that the person is in the Crystal Dragon Pavilion,”

Han Li nodded to himself.

He had been worried that searching and waiting would be troublesome if the person wasn’t there.

Now, he didn’t need to worry about that.

Stepping inside, his divine sense swept across the room, instantly locking onto a drinker among the various characters—the innkeeper, waiters, customers, and cooks.

This person, dressed in a grey robe, wasn’t drinking wine, but rather tea; however, the illusion, amplified by the manipulation of his senses, created the illusion of alcohol.

“Fellow Daoist Tianjing, greetings,”

Han Li said, bowing to the only True Person present.

“Hmm? Such powerful divine sense. Forgive my poor eyesight, I don’t recall ever seeing you before.”

As the grey-robed elder’s voice faded, the surrounding environment underwent a dramatic change.

The once bright and cheerful pavilion dimmed, all the customers and waiters vanished like dreamlike bubbles, and the previous commotion ceased abruptly.

Furthermore, the tables and chairs disappeared, replaced by a faint grey mist and an empty hall—a hall three to five times larger than it appeared from the outside. In the center of the hall stood an old wooden table. A bronze oil lamp lit the table, behind which sat a kind-faced old man sipping tea. The old man, in his fifties or sixties, looked at Han Li with a face full of surprise and doubt.

“I am merely a rogue cultivator from Tiannan, simple and dull-witted, unworthy of the attention of major sects. Years ago, I was fortunate enough to receive guidance from a master from Xiling Mountain in the Great Jin Dynasty, who imparted to me a wondrous method, allowing me to achieve Nascent Soul stage many years ago. Later, I traveled to the Great Jin Dynasty and recently returned. It is normal that Fellow Daoist Tianjing does not recognize me.”

“Guided by a master? Traveled to the Great Jin Dynasty?”

Upon hearing this, the old man’s expression changed slightly.

He knew that Tiannan was separated from the Great Jin Dynasty by two large grassland tribes.

Adjacent to Tiannan were the Mulan people, who had been at odds with the people of Yan in Tiannan for generations. How difficult it was for the people of Tiannan to cross the grasslands! This person could traverse the Tianlan Grassland; he must possess extraordinary abilities.

Moreover, for this person to call him a master, the master’s cultivation level must be unimaginable.

In an instant, countless streams of information flashed through the old man’s mind.

However, he didn’t hesitate to ask,

“What brings you here, Fellow Daoist Han?”

“A trade.”

“A trade?”

What kind of trade?

“I, Han, am fond of the art of puppetry and have been studying it for nearly two hundred years. I heard that Fellow Daoist Tianjing recently acquired an ancient puppet manual, and I have come to learn from it and make a trade.”

“Fellow Daoist knows about our affairs?”

The gray-robed elder’s face showed displeasure.

Han Li’s eyes flickered slightly: So you really acquired it at this time?

He deduced this based on the Xuan Tian Immortal Vine incident.

A few years ago, the righteous and demonic factions joined forces with the Nine Kingdoms Alliance to launch a counterattack against the Mulan people in the border region, and they happened to discover the ruins of an ancient sect that had disappeared for countless years. In the south, the righteous and demonic factions and the Nine Kingdoms Alliance obtained the withered Xuan Tian Immortal Vine, and the other cultivators involved also gained something. True Person Tianjing was one of them.

Although surprised by the matter, he didn’t stop talking:

“Fellow Daoist, I only happened to learn some information.”

As he spoke, he took out twenty or thirty level 4 giant tiger puppets and over a hundred level 3 giant wolf puppets.

The old man’s eyes lit up at the sight. His

first thought was: A fellow Daoist.

After examining a few, the light in his eyes shone even brighter.

Although the craftsmanship was rather rough, they were indeed independent mid-level puppets. Moreover, this person could control so many puppets at the same time, obviously having cultivated a related divine sense amplification secret technique. No wonder he could see through his illusion.

“Fellow Daoist Han’s puppets look like puppets of the Thousand Bamboo Sect in the far west?”

“They are indeed puppets of the Thousand Bamboo Sect. I myself came from the far west.”

Han Li said with a straight face, making up nonsense.

“I see.”

The old man stroked his beard, believing him to some extent.

After pondering for a moment, he made a hand seal, dispelling the mist and revealing a passage.

“This isn’t the place to talk, fellow Daoist, please.”

With that, he led the way.

The doors and windows of the Crystal Dragon Pavilion slammed shut by an invisible force, and a sign reading “Closed for Business” hung on the main entrance.

Han Li thought for a moment, then readily followed.

The passageway was inlaid with hundreds of fist-sized moonstones, each emitting a soft white light, making the passageway brightly lit.

Soon, the two arrived on the second floor.

Upon reaching the second floor, Han Li couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.

The reason was simple:

the space on the second floor was seven or eight times larger than the first-floor hall.

It should be noted that from the outside, the Crystal Dragon Pavilion appears to decrease in size from bottom to top.

Upon reaching the second floor, however, they discovered the reality was quite the opposite.

The second floor was far more spacious than the first.

And this was clearly not an illusion, but a formation technique that allowed them to “contain Mount Sumeru within a mustard seed.”

From the street outside, the first-floor lobby appeared to be a small inn, only a few dozen feet in size. But once inside, they found the actual first floor to be several times larger, easily over a hundred feet. The second floor was even more exaggerated, seven or eight times larger than the enlarged first floor.

“Fellow Daoist Tianjing’s array techniques are truly remarkable. I originally thought you were just a puppeteer among us, but I didn’t expect you to be a master of arrays as well,”

Han Li flattered.

Tianjing, upon hearing this, waved his hands humbly, saying,

“Not at all, not at all. This array was set up by a friend of mine; I still prefer puppets.”

After they each took their seats, tea appeared in the blink of an eye.

After exchanging pleasantries, he immediately got down to business:

“Fellow Daoist Han, as a puppeteer, you should know the power of ancient puppets, right? Ordinary items cannot exchange for the puppetry skills in my hands.”

If the person before him were merely an unknown early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator with no significant background, he would have politely declined long ago. But this person was clearly a genuine mid-stage Nascent Soul expert, and had even learned of his puppetry skills.

Refusing at this point would be a losing proposition, offending him.

Although he possessed peak early-stage Nascent Soul cultivation, and this was Tian Tian City, he wasn’t afraid of this person resorting to force, but he also didn’t want to offend a mid-stage expert.

‘Sigh, I wonder which friend had the audacity to leak the secret of their exploration of the ancient cultivator’s ruins to this person. Truly asking for trouble.’

Han Li then politely took out several items.

There were materials from level seven demonic beasts, some useless thousand-year-old spiritual herbs, and three level seven demon cores.

These were rare and precious items in Tiannan, and most Nascent Soul cultivators would be tempted by them. Tianjing Zhenren was clearly no exception.

“Level seven demon cores? Good stuff.”

The gray-robed elder exclaimed.

Then he asked,

“Could these all be special products of the Great Jin?”

“That’s right.”

Han Li nodded:

“In the southeastern sea area of the Great Jin, although there aren’t many level seven demonic beasts, there aren’t a few either. Occasionally, you can even encounter level eight or nine transformed demonic cultivators who are comparable to us Nascent Soul cultivators. If you, fellow Daoist, are interested in these demonic beast resources, you can choose any three as bargaining chips for me to exchange for the Puppet Technique.”

Tianjing Zhenren pondered for a moment and then suddenly asked, “Does Fellow Daoist Han have any level eight demon cores of the earth attribute?”

Upon hearing this, Han Li did not answer immediately, but instead asked the elder,

“Fellow Daoist Tianjing, are you a rogue cultivator?”

The elder nodded.

“Since that’s the case, would you be willing to join our sect? If so, I, Han, will offer you an eighth-grade demon core as a welcoming gift.”

With that, he took out a jade box containing the earth-attribute demon core of an eighth-grade tortoise demon.

Tian Jing: “?!”

“Fellow Daoist Han is joking. We rogue cultivators are not used to those rules and regulations, which is why we are rogue cultivators. Otherwise…”

He said this, but his heart was pounding rapidly.

“Fellow Daoist Tian Jing, in this Tiannan region, I dare not say that this is the only eighth-grade demon core, but I am probably the only one willing to offer such a demon core to recruit you.”

Even seventh-grade demon cores are rare in Tiannan, let alone an eighth-grade demon core like this.

For a Nascent Soul cultivator with a pseudo-spiritual root, a Nascent Soul-level pill refined primarily from an eighth-grade demon core is at best considered a high-quality pill. For him, now at the mid-Nascent Soul stage, it’s merely an ordinary pill.

Better than nothing.

It can only be used for regular cultivation, not for breaking through bottlenecks.

For other early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators with exceptional talent, this is an absolute treasure!

It can help them break through bottlenecks!

The Heavenly Crystal Immortal, stuck at the peak of the early stage for many years, might be able to advance further if he obtained this eighth-grade demon core.

“Fellow Daoist Han, you’re putting me in a difficult position,”

Han Li said, raising his cup with a smile but remaining silent.

He had used the seventh-grade demon core as bait.

Ever since the other party curiously inquired about the eighth-grade demon core, he had taken the bait.

When he actually produced the tortoise demon’s demon core, the other party only had two choices.

As for why he wanted to win over Heavenly Crystal Immortal?

Of course, it was to take advantage of his family’s wealth.

A nearly thousand-year-old veteran Nascent Soul cultivator could be arranged in advance.

This person had extensive connections, was shrewd and worldly-wise, and was renowned in Tiannan for his exquisite illusion techniques and formations. In recent years, he had also become engrossed in puppetry, making him a rare multifaceted talent.

Furthermore, he needed the connections of the rogue cultivators behind Heavenly Crystal Immortal.

Perhaps he could make contact with the “Number One Rogue Cultivator in Tiannan,” Old Monster Tianhen.

That person was also someone he could win over.

The Old Monster Tianhen will eventually demand the establishment of a sect in the Xu Kingdom, which would be a perfect opportunity for him.

Therefore, if they can win over Tianjing, they will not only gain a significant fighting force but also benefit the future development of the Xuantian Sect.

(End of Chapter)