A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality: Immortal Realm - Chapter 588: Final Stand

Chapter 588: Final Stand

After the giant rat skeleton was gobbled up by Jin Tong and Xiao Bai, the bottom of the ravine had suddenly become a lot more spacious.

Han Li swept his gaze over his surroundings, and he suddenly noticed that there were some specks of flashing green light at the foot of the cliff face that had previously been concealed by the skeleton.

He approached the area, then leaned down to take a look, and he discovered that there were around a dozen semi-transparent plants growing there, each of which was around a foot in height.

Their leaves were as thin and transparent as ice crystals, and the veins inside were very clearly visible and giving off faint green light.

Han Li swept his spiritual sense over the strange plants briefly, but wasn’t unable to detect any special aura from them.

Even though he was unable to identify these plants, it was clear that they were no ordinary plants, considering they had been able to grow at the bottom of a ravine with such immense baleful qi around.

However, he didn’t have the time to be pondering such matters.

Thus, he flipped a hand over to produce around a dozen white jade boxes, then uprooted all of the green plants before carefully placing them into the boxes, then adhered a silver talisman onto each of the boxes.

After that, he remained still on the spot for a moment, seemingly in deep thought, then suddenly said, “Come out, Mo Guang.”

As soon as his voice trailed off, his shadow suddenly became as black as ink, then gradually elongated to around twice its original length, following which Mo Guang emerged from it.

“Have you made a decision on my proposal, Fellow Daoist Han?” Mo Guang asked with a smile.

“I am aware of the value of a Gray Immortal’s body. We’re in the midst of a major crisis right now, so if you can maximize the body’s value, then I have no reason to turn down your proposal,” Han Li replied.

“Rest assured, Fellow Daoist, a Heavenly Devil Contract has been signed between us, so there’s a relationship of codependence between us. The more powerful I become, the more powerful you become, so ultimately, it’ll still be beneficial to you,” Mo Guang said as a hint of elation flashed through his eyes.

“That’s true. However, my understanding of Gray Immortals is very limited, so as a safety precaution, I’ll have to plant a few restrictions in your body. Will that be acceptable?” Han Li asked.

Mo Guang faltered slightly upon hearing this, then nodded in response. “Of course.”

Han Li wasted no further time with words as he joined his middle and index fingers before pointing them at his own glabella, releasing a burst of spiritual sense that fell upon Mo Guang.

After that, he made a hand seal and channeled his Spirit Refinement Technique, upon which several translucent threads shot out of his glabella before flying into Mo Guang’s glabella, chest, dantian, and several other vital regions.

Mo Guang gave a muffled groan as his face became slightly twisted with pain, but he merely suffered in silence.

Some time later, the pain etched on his face faded, and Han Li removed his fingers from his own glabella as he declared, “These restrictions won’t affect you in any way under normal circumstances, but once you enter the Gray Immortal’s body, if you inadvertently fall under the control of its residual soul or something like that and try to do something out of line, then those restrictions will activate on their own.

If that happens, even I may not be able to react in time to stop the restrictions from taking effect.”

“Rest assured, Fellow Daiost Han, these restrictions will never have to take effect,” Mo Guang said with a smile.

“That would naturally be best. Before you begin refining the Gray Immortal’s body into an avatar, I’ll have to trouble you to give me a detailed rundown of the refinement process,” Han Li said with a serious expression.

Mo Guang nodded in response and did as he was told.

Han Li listened to the refinement process that was being described while comparing it against the contents of the jade slip that he had been given by Mo Guang earlier, raising questions whenever there was something that he didn’t understand.

Three days later, a triangular array with Black Marrow Crystals embedded onto it had taken shape at the bottom of the ravine. Han Li and Mo Guang were standing on either side of the array, while the Gray Immortal’s body was placed at its center.

The two of them exchanged a glance, then sat down with their legs crossed in unison, making a hand seal while chanting a collective incantation.

As the Black Marrow Crystals in the array began to lit up, a black flame that wasn’t giving off any heat rose up at the center of the array, enveloping the Gray Immortal’s body to commence the refinement process.

Close to a year passed by in the blink of an eye.

The bottom of the ravine was teeming with baleful qi, and the triangular array was completely enshrouded in a cloud of dense black mist.

Han Li was seated with his legs crossed around 30 feet away from the array with a layer of azure light shimmering over his body, and waves of golden ripples were also spreading from his body, giving off peculiar energy fluctuations.

Moments later, a burst of black baleful qi suddenly drifted out of his face, then flashed momentarily before vanishing again.

Shortly thereafter, Han Li opened his eyes, and his pupils were glowing a bright silver color.

Recently, his eyes had been periodically taking on this gray color, and the timing and duration fo these bouts of eye color changes were seemingly completely haphazard.

Furthermore, with each successive onset, Han Li could sense a burst of baleful qi deep in his consciousness becoming stronger and stronger, while an unreasonable sense of aggression rose up in his heart.

If it weren’t for his tremendous spiritual sense, he would’ve most likely already fallen prey to this aggressive intent.

Han Li exhaled as the layer of baleful qi over his face gradually faded, and his pupils also returned to normal, following which he closed his eyes to meditate once again.

……

Two months later.

A burst of loud rumbling suddenly rang out from the bottom of the ravine, and the dense baleful qi there began to churn violently.

The baleful qi rose up until it had almost spilled out of the entrance of the ravine, and a perplexed look appeared in the eyes of Daoist Xie as it observed the unfolding scene from above.

At this moment, there was an enormous vortex of baleful qi that was swirling violently as it converged toward the center of the triangular array.

Outside the array, Han Li and Mo Guang were standing with their hands clapsed behind their backs, and both of them were looking rather weary.

“My sincerest apologies, Fellow Daoist Han. I thought that the refinement process would be complete in just 64 days, never did I think that it would take this long,” Mo Guang said while intently scrutinizing the enormous baleful qi vortex at the center of the array.

“It’s fine, we still have enough time. How confident are you in your ability to complete the fusion process?” Han Li asked as his gaze fell upon the Gray Immortal body at the center of the array.

Compared with when it was first discovered, the body had grown significantly in stature, and it was also looking more supple and full of vitality. Its wizened and sinsiter features had also become a lot softer, and it was finally beginning to resemble a living person.

“Truth be told, my chances of success are only at around 50%. If I can successfully take over this body, my cultivation base will rise all the way to the Golden Immortal Stage, and I could even progress straight to the late-Golden Immortal Stage. However, if I fail, then I’ll be trapped in this body, doomed to become sustenance for it,” Mo Guang replied with a wry simle.

“Why did you propose this method if there’s such a major element of risk involved?” Han Li asked.

“I had no choice! Your cultivation base has been progressing at an extraordinary rate, and all of your spirit pets and puppets are also far more powerful than I am. Right now, I’m nothing more than a piece of redundant baggage for you. If I don’t take such this leap of faith, I’ll eventually just be completely forgotten or abandoned altogether,” Mo Guang sighed.

“That’s a very interesting way of looking at things,” Han Li replied in an ambiguous fashion.

“Alright, here I go. Wish me luck, Fellow Daoist Han,” Mo Guang said, then flew into the swirling vortex as a black shadow.

A resounding boom rang out, and the Gray Immortal’s body at the center of the triangular array suddenly sprang bolt upright.

Its eyes were still a completely lifeless gray color, but its mouth had gaped open to an extreme extent.

Han Li watched as Mo Guang flew headfirst into the body’s mouth, quickly entering its belly as a stream of black mist.

Immediately thereafter, the Gray Immortal’s body began to tremble in an uncontrollable fashion while moving its own limbs around erratically in a jerky and uncoordinated fashion.

Furthermore, holes that resembled countless immortal acupoints had emerged all over its body, and they were devouring the black baleful qi in the ravine in a frenzy.

This spectacle lasted an entire month before the vortex of baleful qi in the ravine finally disappeared, and at this point, the Gray Immortal’s body had already returned to normal, but it was still hovering in mid-air in a completely still manner.

Han Li was standing nearby, and he swept his spiritual sense over the body, only to find that it wasn’t giving off any energy fluctuations.

If it weren’t for his connnection to Mo Guang through their Heavenly Devil Contract, he would’ve already been led to believe that Mo Guang had already been devoured by the Gray Immortal’s body as sustenance.

Han Li shook his head as he heaved a faint sigh.

All of a sudden, he raised an eyebrow before sweeping a sleeve through the air to summon Jin Tong, then asked, “How did it go? Have you consolidated your cultivation base?”

“After eating the two pills you gave me, I’ve consolidated by current cultivation base, but I haven’t been able to go any further beyond that,” Jin Tong replied with a slightly disappointed expression.

Han Li was rather amused by Jin Tong’s disappointed expression, and he said, “The High Zenith Stage is a major hurdle that’s extremely difficult to overcome. Just look at how those guys were fighting tooth and nail for High Zenith Pills back in the Infernal Frost Immortal Manor! All you had to do to reach the High Zenith Stage was eat half a skeleton, how could you still be unsatisfied?”

Seven days ago, Jin Tong had suddenly awakened and reached the early-High Zenith Stage.

Furthermore, it seemed that she hadn’t been afflicted by any of the five decays, much to Han Li’s amazement.