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

Chapter 692: A Measure of Skill

With the astonishing speed of both Han Li’s crimson cloak and the Wind Riding Chariot, they deeply headed over fifty kilometers deep into the Moulan Plains.

As Han Li pushed the crimson cloak to even greater speeds, he used his spiritual sense to sweep behind him. Surprise appeared on his face.

He was already exercising the full might of the cloak, but not only was he unable to shake off the chariot, but it was actually able to close over half the distance between them. It was no wonder why that old man surnamed Yun had revealed shock when he saw the chariot despite being a mid Nascent Soul cultivator.

The Wind Riding Chariot was truly a top grade flight treasure. It seemed that unless he used lightning movement or Bloodshadow Evasion, he wouldn’t be able to escape it.

But ever since Han Li formed a Nascent Soul, he had yet to fight against a cultivator of the same grade. Although he had confidence in his mystical treasures, he truly had no idea where he stood amongst Nascent Soul cultivators with regard to power.

Nascent Soul cultivators didn’t take the measuring of their skill lightly. Even with the several years he stayed at the Drifting Cloud Sect, he had only discussed techniques with the two sect elders. He had yet to spar with them. And at Soaring Skies city, he merely had a contest of spiritual sense with Marquis Nanlong. It wasn’t enough to gauge his true strength.

Now that the spell warrior in the Wind Riding Chariot was chasing him, he had a suitable opponent to measure his own skill. Furthermore, he was quite interested in the spirit techniques of spell warriors. If he was able to repel or even kill the other party, it would an optimal result. But if that wasn’t possible, he would be easy to use his Thunderstorm Wings to flee. Additionally, he couldn’t allow the fight to take up too much time since he was located inside the Moulan Plains.

Having quickly come to a decision, Han Li’s body wildly flickered with crimson light. It immediately faded away to be replaced with a sudden eruption of azure light. At that same moment, he stopped and turned around.

He coldly glanced at the white light that was pursuing him and swept his sleeve, releasing a swarm of several tens of azure swordlights. With a series of dull cries, they formed a densely layered formation in a display of astonishing grandeur.

Since this was his first battle against a Nascent Soul cultivator, Han Li had no intention of being sloppy. In addition to his seventy-two Bamboo Cloudswarm Swords, he reached for his spirit beast pouch and tossed it into the air. A huge cloud of black-tained Gold Devouring Beetles appeared above him. With a quick incantation, they revolved once in the air before rushing towards him.

Han Li’s eyes became spirited. He waved his arms and two spell seals struck the beetle swarm. The swarm suddenly enveloped him and covered Han Li, soon to form a tri-colored armor on his body. It possessed a shining simplicity and glowed with faint azure light.

Just as it so happened, the Wind Riding Chariot had arrived just as Han Li finished. The spell warrior inside the chariot witnessed the shocking scene of the insects turning into armor. The flying chariot slowed down, coming to a stop three hundred meters away from Han Li.

Han Li expressionlessly glanced at him and didn’t pay him any heed. Instead, he took the opportunity to spread his hands and summon a flower basket in one hand and a small bell in the other.

Soon after, he wordlessly tossed the small bell in front of him. In a flash of silver light, the small bell instantly expanded to ten meters in width and shot towards the enemy in an overwhelming charge.

At that same moment, Han Li inwardly commanded the seventy-two flying sword to turn into three, forming two hundred sixteen azure swordlights. As soon as Han Li uttered the command, they loudly rang and converged with sparkles of light before surging towards the opponent in a three-hundred-meter long wave of azure light. It closely followed after the silver bell as if wishing to shatter the Wind Riding Chariot in a single strike.

The silver bell that was first released had already begun to display its might. It flew above the chariot and began to spin. With a series of continuous hums, faintly visible silver soundwaves began to ripple from the center of huge bell, enveloping the Wind Riding Chariot beneath it.

If the spell warrior didn’t defend, Han Li was confident that the strike would cause great damage. While the silver bell hadn’t undergone any changes, Han Li’s vast increase in cultivation had increased its might several times greater than when he had used it during Core Formation stage.

Of course, the Wind Riding Chariot wasn’t about to receive this strike. Its wooden wings slightly flapped and shot over thirty meters forward, dodging the soundwave that was about to envelope it.

The chariot glowed with vast white light, and a silhouette flew out and floated above it. At that moment, a huge azure wave of light was about to strike the chariot.

When the silhouette saw this, they calmly raised their hand. A barrier of deep blue light abruptly appeared from the top of the chariot. In the instant that the azure wave struck the barrier, an explosion sounded out. Although the strike had caused the light barrier to shake, it was ultimately unharmed.

Han Li’s complexion changed as he gazed at the sight with narrow eyes.

At that moment, the spell warrior began to mutter and spat a thin blue thread out from his mouth. In an instant, the thread transformed into a huge python as it threw itself out of the light barrier towards Han Li’s wave of azure swordlight. In a clash of azure and blue light, the air began to rumble.

In that moment, the spell warrior raised their hand and struck the Wind Riding Chariot with a spell seal. The chariot quickly shrank and flew into the spell warrior’s hand once it was the size of a palm. Once it was safely placed away in their storage pouch, they raised their head to glance at Han Li, revealing a gloomy, shriveled expression.

Han Li’s eyes narrowed. This figure was an old man that was beyond the age of sixty. Odd azure tattoos laid on his cheeks and he wore oddly-styled blue embroidered robes. But what most shocked Han Li was the old man’s immensely powerful spiritual Qi fluctuations. This old man was actually a spell warrior at the peak of early Nascent Soul stage, just on the verge of entering the next level. It was no wonder he was able to easily block both of his attacks.

Han Li had already discovered the the blue light barrier wasn’t a technique. It was something that was released from a fist-sized pearl that was being held in the old man’s hand. As for the strange blue python, he saw that it wasn’t a treasure, but something that was entirely composed of spiritual power.

Han Li’s heart grew more vigilant and his expression grew icy. The ancient flower basket treasure in his hand began to flicker with white light and was about to release.

When the old man saw that Han Li was about to continue the attack, his expression grew solemn and he shouted, “Cease! Although your esteemed self possesses vast ability, are you not being too impatient? I’ve yet to even speak and you’ve already attacked me.” His voice seemed somewhat harsh.

Han Li frowned and coldly said, “What words are there to be said between cultivators and spell warriors?” Nevertheless, he pointed to the silver bell and had it cease its attack. As for the flower basket in his hand, he withdrew his spiritual power from it and waited for what the spell warrior had to say.

The old man chuckled and nonchalantly said, “While your words hold some truth, at our cultivation there are times where a fight to the death is unnecessary. So long as you answer my questions to satisfaction, I can release you.”

Han Li glanced at the old man and sneered, “Answer? I have nothing to tell your esteemed self. How about you you answer my questions instead?”

Han Li could already guess what the old man intended to ask. Anyone would be bewildered to see so many Nascent Soul cultivators appear in a single place.

“It seems Fellow Daoist is refusing my kind intentions!” The old man’s face grew sullen after hearing Han Li’s response.

Han Li snorted and suddenly pointed to the sky in front of him. The tangled and turbulent swordlight suddenly condensed towards its center and formed a huge sword that spanned a hundred meters. In several lightning fast strikes, the strange blue python was severed into pieces and the sword took advantage of the opportunity to chop down towards the old man through the light barrier with great force.

A fierce expression appeared on the old man’s face. With no further words, he raised his hand and the fist-sized pearl in his hand flew into the air. Soon after, he opened his mouth and spat a mist of pure Qi onto the pearl.

The pearl flickered with blue light and it quickly began to revolve. Lines of slim blue light began to revolve around the pearl, forming a huge blue net underneath the light barrier in the blink of an eye.

At that same moment, the old man quickly muttered something and grasped both of his hands in an incantation gesture. Blue light then began to surge from his body, forming a huge sphere of blue light above the old man.

As the huge sword descended, it clashed with the light barrier. To no surprise for Han Li, the huge sword condensed from over two hundred swordlights easily pierced through the light barrier.

With a huge burst of wind, the light barrier was cleaved into two and the sword moved on to strike the huge net underneath it.