A Mortal's Journey to Immortality: Wang Yu Transmigrates into a Book, the Dao Ancestor of Rein

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

This attic has three floors, with the size decreasing from large to small.

Above the attic door hangs an antique silver-edged plaque with the three large golden characters "Jinglong Pavilion" written on it.

As Han Li approached the pavilion's entrance, the scene inside made him narrow his eyes:
"A very good illusion."

Inside the pavilion, not only were there many guests eating and drinking, but several waiters were also busy serving dishes. Various fine wines and delicacies were quickly served, and the sounds of clinking glasses and exchanging toasts filled the air.

However, in Han Li's consciousness, these were all just illusions conjured up by magic.

Ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators probably couldn't distinguish between the real and the fake.

Such methods are quite clever.

This is sufficient to distinguish the strength of divine sense at different Nascent Soul stages.

"It's fine as long as you're inside the Crystal Dragon Pavilion."

Han Li nodded and thought to himself.

He was also worried that if the person wasn't there, searching and waiting would be troublesome.

Now we don't have to worry about those things anymore.

As he stepped inside, his divine sense swept across the room, instantly locking onto a customer drinking among the various roles of the shopkeeper, waiter, customer, and cook in the kitchen.

The man was dressed in a gray robe and was not drinking wine, but tea. However, after the illusion affected his five senses, the visual and olfactory effects presented were those of drinking wine.

"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Tianjing."

Han Li cupped his hands in greeting to the only True Person present.

"Hmm? Such powerful divine sense. Forgive my poor eyesight, but I don't think I've seen you before."

As the gray-robed old man's voice faded, the surrounding environment underwent a dramatic change.

The once bright and beautiful attic dimmed, and all the guests and waiters vanished as if from a dream, and the noise from before stopped abruptly.

Not only that, the tables and chairs had also disappeared, replaced by a faint gray mist and an empty hall—a spacious hall that appeared three to five times larger than it did from the outside. In the center of the hall stood an old wooden table. A bronze oil lamp burned on the table, and behind it sat a kind-faced old man, seemingly enjoying tea. The old man, in his fifties or sixties, was looking at Han Li with a face full of astonishment and suspicion.

"I am merely a rogue cultivator from Tiannan, honest and dull-witted, and not worthy of the attention of major sects. In my early years, I was fortunate enough to receive guidance from a master from Xiling Mountain in the Great Jin Dynasty, who passed on a wonderful method to me, and I was able to form a Nascent Soul many years ago. Later, I traveled to the Great Jin Dynasty and returned not long ago. It is normal that Fellow Daoist Tianjing does not recognize me."

"Guidance from a master? Travels throughout the Great Jin Dynasty?"

The old man's expression changed slightly upon hearing this.

It should be noted that there are two large grassland tribes separating them from the Great Jin Dynasty in the south.

Adjacent to Tiannan are the Mulan people, who have been at odds with the people of Yan in Tiannan for generations. How difficult it is for the people of Tiannan to cross the grasslands! This person must have extraordinary abilities to be able to traverse the Tianlan Grassland.

Moreover, for this person to be called a master, the level of that master's cultivation must be unimaginable.

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

However, he was quick with his words:
"What brings you here, Fellow Daoist Han?"

"trade."

"trade?"

What are we trading?
"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 went out and obtained an ancient puppetry manual, so I have come to learn from him and make a deal."

"Fellow Daoist, are you aware of our affairs?"

The old man in the gray robe looked displeased.

Han Li's eyes flickered slightly upon seeing this: So they actually managed to get it at this time?
He made this deduction based on the matter of the Mysterious Heavenly Vine.

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. They happened to discover the ruins of an ancient sect that had vanished for countless years. In the south, the righteous and demonic factions, along with the Nine Kingdoms Alliance, obtained the withered Xuan Tian Immortal Vine. Other cultivators involved also gained something. Tianjing Zhenren was one of them.

Although he was surprised by this, he didn't stop talking:
"Fellow Daoist, I only learned about some of the situation by chance."

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 when he saw it.

The first thought that arose in my mind was: We are kindred spirits.

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

Although crudely crafted, they were indeed independent mid-level puppets. Furthermore, the fact that this person could control so many puppets simultaneously clearly indicated they had cultivated a related divine sense amplification technique. No wonder they could see through my illusions.

"These puppets of Fellow Daoist Han look like puppets from the Thousand Bamboo Sect in the far west."

“Indeed, it is a puppet of the Thousand Bamboo Sect. I myself came from the far west.”

Han Li was talking nonsense with a straight face.

"I see."

The old man stroked his beard and believed it to some extent.

After a moment of contemplation, he made a hand seal, dispelling the mist and revealing a passage.

"This is not the place to discuss matters, fellow Daoist, please leave."

As he spoke, he led the way.

The doors and windows of Jinglong Pavilion were slammed shut by an invisible force, and a sign that read "Closed for Business" was hung on the main door outside the pavilion.

After thinking for a moment, Han Li immediately followed along without hesitation.

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

Before long, the two arrived at the second floor.

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

Without him.

The reason is that the space on the second floor is seven or eight times larger than the lobby on the first floor.

It's important to know that from the outside, the Crystal Dragon Pavilion appears to decrease in size from bottom to top. However, once you get to the second floor, you'll find that the reality is quite the opposite.

The second floor is much more spacious than the first floor.

Moreover, this is clearly not an illusion, but a formation technique that can contain a vast universe within a small space.

Looking at the first-floor lobby from the street outside the pavilion, one might mistake it for an inn of a few dozen feet in size. Upon entering, however, it becomes clear that the actual first floor is several times larger than it appears from the outside, easily exceeding a hundred feet in size. The second floor is even more astonishing, being 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 array formations as well."

Han Li offered a compliment.

Upon hearing this, Tianjing waved his hands repeatedly and said modestly:

"No, no, this formation was set up by a friend of mine. I prefer puppets."

After the two were seated, tea appeared in the blink of an eye.

After a few more pleasantries, they immediately got down to business:
"Fellow Daoist Han, as a puppeteer, you should know the power of ancient puppets, right? Ordinary things cannot be exchanged 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 declined long ago. But this person was clearly a genuine mid-stage Nascent Soul expert, and the other party had even learned that he possessed puppetry skills.

Refusing at this point would be a losing proposition that offends people.

Although he possessed the cultivation of the peak of the early Nascent Soul stage, and this place was Tiantian City, he was not afraid that this person would take advantage of him, but he was also unwilling 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. They really know how to make trouble for themselves.'

Han Li politely took out several items.

There were materials from a level seven demon beast, some unused thousand-year-old spiritual herbs, and three level seven demon cores.

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

"A level seven demon core? That's a good thing."

The old man in the gray robe exclaimed in admiration.

Then he opened his mouth and asked:
"Could these all be specialties of the Great Jin Dynasty?"

"good."

Han Li nodded:

"In the southeastern sea area of ​​the Great Jin Dynasty, 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 may choose any three as bargaining chips for me to exchange for the Puppet Technique."

After pondering for a moment, Tian Jing suddenly asked, "Does Fellow Daoist Han possess an eighth-level earth-attribute demon core?"

Upon hearing this, Han Li did not immediately answer the question, but instead asked the other party in return:

"Fellow Daoist Tianjing, are you a rogue cultivator?"

The old man nodded.

"In that case, would you be willing to join our sect? If so, I, Han, will offer you an eighth-level demon core as a welcoming gift."

As he spoke, he took out a jade box, inside which was the earth-attribute demon core of an eighth-level tortoise demon.

Tianjing: "?!"

"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 that, but his heart was racing.

“Fellow Daoist Tianjing, in this Tiannan, I dare not say that there is only one level eight demon core, but I am probably the only one willing to offer such a level eight demon core to attract you.”

In the southern region, even level seven demon cores are rare, let alone level eight demon cores 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 could at best be considered a high-quality pill. For him, now at the mid-Nascent Soul stage, it was merely an ordinary pill.

Something that's better than nothing.

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

However, for other early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators with excellent cultivation aptitude, it is definitely a rare treasure!

It helps to break through bottlenecks!

If the Heavenly Crystal Immortal, who has been stuck at the initial peak for many years, could obtain this level eight demon core, he might be able to advance even further.

"Fellow Daoist Han, you are putting this humble Daoist in a difficult position."

Han Li raised his glass, smiling but saying nothing.

He took out a level seven demon core as bait.

Ever since the other party curiously inquired about the eighth-level demon core, they have taken the bait.

When he actually took out the turtle demon's core, the other party only had two choices left.

As for why they wanted to win over Tianjing?

Of course, it's for the purpose of consuming the descendants of the deceased.

A veteran Nascent Soul stage cultivator who is nearly a thousand years old can be arranged ahead of time.

This person has a wide network of connections and is shrewd and worldly-wise. He is famous in Tiannan for his superb illusion techniques and formations. In recent years, he has also become obsessed with puppetry. He is a rare and multifaceted talent.

In addition, he needs the connections of independent cultivators behind Tianjing.

Perhaps he could make contact with Tianhen Old Monster, known as the "Number One Unaffiliated Cultivator in the South".

That person is also someone we can win over.

The old monster Tianhen will ask the Xu Kingdom to establish a sect in the future, which will be a perfect opportunity for him to benefit.

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

(End of this chapter)