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

Chapter 258 For Whom Do We Live?

From then on, Han Li and his group temporarily settled in Yunmeng Mountain.

He diligently cultivated and honed his magical power, striving to bring his cultivation level close to the peak of the mid-stage Nascent Soul realm.

He was learning alchemy from Cheng Tiankun.

Of course, Han Li provided all the materials for practice himself.

In addition, I also discussed formations with Xin Ruyin.

He gave the short-to-medium distance teleportation arrays he obtained from the Chaotic Star Sea to Xin Ruyin for research, and he also learned from them himself.

During this time, he also had a heart-to-heart talk with Xin Ruyin.

"Senior Han, those who harmed Brother Qi back then, I want them all to go down and join Brother Qi in death."

This was one of Xin Ruyin's greatest wishes.

Xiao Mei, who was standing nearby, saw this and felt a pang of sorrow in her heart.

I feel sorry for Qi Yunxiao and regret for Xin Ruyin.

Qi Yunxiao treated his mistress and servants very well. Unfortunately, he got caught up in the sect's internal strife and died young.

"Miss Xin, is it something you need me to do on your behalf?"

"No, such a trivial matter is not worth troubling you, senior. What I am worried about is that the subsequent retaliatory actions will alarm the Nascent Soul cultivators of the Hehuan Sect. At that time, I would be grateful if you could step in and deter them. I am willing to offer my experience in array formations as a reward, and I am also willing to join your sect and dedicate my remaining years to the development of the Xuantian Sect."

Xin Ruyin said sincerely.

His tone and expression were even more resolute.

"That's it?"

"These are all my humble requests, and I hope you will grant them."

The beautiful woman in the white palace dress bit her lip tightly.

Han Li tapped his knuckles on the table, pondered for a moment, and then nodded:

"Yes, Fellow Daoist Qi can also be considered a friend of mine."

He didn't have many friends, and Qi Yunxiao could barely be considered half of them.

That short, dark-skinned guy was a rare source of "comfort" in his appearance.

In his early years, he was also given the forging techniques of the Divine Weapon Sect.

Although the weapon-forging techniques taught by Qi Yunxiao did not include the methods for forging various magical treasures, but only those for top-grade magical artifacts, they still helped him lay a very solid foundation in forging, which benefited him greatly later.

Therefore, even if Xin Ruyin didn't say it.

He will still find a way to get justice for Qi Yunxiao in the future.

"Thank you, senior."

"You should call me Sect Master now."

"Thank you, Master."

The Xuantian Sect's "two academies, eleven halls, and one pavilion" now has a person in charge of the Heavenly Array Hall, following the Elders' Academy, Welfare Academy, Body Refining Hall, Transmission Hall, and Scripture Hall. This person is Xin Ruyin and her servant.

Time flies, and more than three years have passed in the blink of an eye.

During this time, Han Li used the thousand-year-old spiritual medicine he had obtained to once again concoct the Mingqing Spiritual Water.

For the past three years, I have cleansed my eyes with a vat of spiritual water every ten days or so.

He had enough of the pure liquid to prepare over three hundred doses, and he had already used thirty or forty doses. Now that he was at the Luoyun Sect, he couldn't pass by without taking advantage of the opportunity. Cheng Tiankun was quite generous; he exchanged only two level-seven demon cores for a sufficient quantity of thousand-year-old spiritual herbs.

Over time, whenever he used his spiritual power to activate it, he could see an increasingly intense blue light in his eyes.

The Ming and Qing dynasty spiritual eye has finally been completed.

Of course.

In terms of body refinement, thanks to the guidance of Barbarian Beard and the presence of some precious elixirs he had collected in his early years that aided in body refinement, his progress in body cultivation accelerated considerably. His physical strength was rapidly approaching the level of a high-ranking demon beast.

In the past few years, Man Hu Zi has refined two ordinary Nascent Soul level pills made from two level eight demon cores and two high-quality pills made from two level eight demon souls, which slightly increased his magic power. However, he was still unable to shake the bottleneck of the peak of the mid-Nascent Soul stage.

Seeing that his cultivation was restricted, he began to diligently cultivate the Great Evolution Technique and study the Brahma Saint Fragment of the demon race.

He also began practicing the Nine Transformations of Gale.

After mastering a certain level of agility, the margin for error increases further.

On Qingyi's side, he only managed to gather one of the demon cores and spiritual herbs mentioned in the Chaotic Star Sea Pill recipe. After refining the two bottles of pills, his cultivation improved, but only by thirty or forty years. This was far inferior to that of Barbarian Beard.

Han Li's cultivation level is much higher than Qing Yi's, but still much lower than that of Man Hu Zi.

As for the rest of the people...

Their cultivation levels all improved to varying degrees.

The one who improved the most was undoubtedly Dong Xuan'er.

The effects of the Azure Flame Wine are truly remarkable; my cultivation has advanced by leaps and bounds, and I'm just a little short of reaching the peak of the late Core Formation stage.

Moreover, the stagnant third level of the Great Evolution Technique has started to stir again after obtaining a Soul Nourishing Wood Bracelet.

The Soul-Nourishing Wood spontaneously strengthens the cultivator's primordial spirit, and the Great Evolution Technique guides this increased primordial spirit power, manifesting it as divine consciousness. With the Soul-Nourishing Wood nourishing the primordial spirit, mastering the fourth level of the Great Evolution Technique is only a matter of time. It also greatly aids in the cultivation of the subsequent three levels.

The Soul-Nourishing Wood is a cheat tool for cultivating the Great Evolution Technique.

The Biling Island Spirit Mine is a cheat code for reaching the third level of cultivation.

The two are compatible, not to mention the large-scale production of high-level cultivators.

At the very least, it can provide the sect with outstanding talents to ensure stability.

That's why.

The scroll containing the Soul-Nourishing Wood from Master Cangkun, the Soul-Nourishing Jade Box from Kunwu Mountain that nurtured half of the Linglong Demon Consort's soul, and even the three scrolls containing the killing intent of the three elders and three paths of Kunwu—all these are things he will fight for in the future.

It's all good stuff.

...

It was at this moment that Han Li was summoned out of seclusion by Dong Xuan'er.

Without him.

The "ten-year grand plan" of the three sects of Yunmeng is about to begin.

The reason he emerged from seclusion at this time was only because of one person: Meng Di, the Nine Spirit Sword Body of the Meng family, a great clan of immortal cultivators!
This young man was a disciple recruited by the Ancient Sword Sect during the ten-year grand recruitment event of the three sects, which was right before the Sword Trial Tournament.

"What has the Meng family said in the past two years?"

He had arranged for someone to contact the Meng family three years ago.

They wanted to intercept the Ancient Sword Sect and poach the sword genius Meng Di ahead of time.

"Meng Di herself is willing, but the Meng family is still observing."

Dong Xuan'er said.

"Waiting and watching? Hmph, it's more like waiting for the best price. Or rather, they don't dare to refuse outright, so they can only stall for time until Meng Di joins the Ancient Sword Sect, at which point I'll have no reason to take him as a disciple?"

Han Li snorted coldly.

Some people in the Meng family seem to have lost their sense of reason.

Of course, he understood the Meng family's actions.

After all, the Meng family is too deeply connected with the Ancient Sword Sect.

If the Meng family sent people to him, they would offend many high-ranking members of the Ancient Sword Sect. However, some members of the Meng family seemed eager to break out of the family-style deadlock and seek a new path by dismantling the old chain of interests, so they had Meng Di maintain contact with him.

But he doesn't like the feeling of being ignored.

It's either willing or unwilling; fishing like a fisherman is boring.

"Then let Meng Di attend the Ancient Sword Sect's disciple recruitment ceremony and see if any Nascent Soul cultivators are willing to participate, and see what kind of treatment the Ancient Sword Sect will offer him. Finally, ask Meng Di for his own opinion."

After a moment of contemplation, Han Li said calmly.

Even if Meng Di joins his household, he will not give the Meng family any special treatment.

It's true that the Xuantian Sect needs talents who can form their Nascent Soul in two or three hundred years, but it's not so urgent that they have to grovel and beg for them.

"Okay, I'll make arrangements right away."

"By the way, Senior Sister, have you made contact with the far west?"

"Senior Brother Feng made a special trip and has already made contact. The two from the Yan family arrived a few days ago."

"Then I'll have to go see him. Can you help me make an appointment?"

"Ah."

The two people from the Yan family were Yan Xuanhao and Yan Ruyan.

The three of them discussed philosophy over two days and had a very pleasant conversation.

Afterwards, the two members of the Yan family returned to the far west.

More than a year later, in the far west.

When the two told the Yan family patriarch about Han Li's general situation and conditions, the red-haired old man was so shocked that he remained speechless for a long time.

Pseudo-spiritual root, over two hundred years old, mid-stage Nascent Soul?
Such a progress in cultivation is simply terrifying.

"It's a pity, it's a pity."

"Ancestor, what a pity?"

Yan Ruyan was very puzzled by this.

Yan Xuanhao also looked confused.

Then the patriarch of the Yan family revealed a secret from back then:
"Do you two still remember the treasure hunt held at Yan Family Fortress nearly two hundred years ago?"

"Naturally remember."

"That time, I was actually quite optimistic about Hong Fu, who had entered the late stage of Core Formation. With her lifespan, if Old Monster Linghu was willing to help her with all his might, especially by making good use of Wang Chan and Tian Buque as bargaining chips, it was very possible that Huangfeng Valley would have another Nascent Soul cultivator."

"Senior Hong Fu was not yet four hundred years old back then, and still had more than a hundred years of lifespan. If she had the strong support of a veteran Nascent Soul cultivator, she would indeed have a chance to break through to the Nascent Soul stage a hundred years later."

Yan Ruyan nodded.

"At that time, Xuanhao had not yet formed his Nascent Soul, but was only at the peak of the mid-stage of Core Formation. If my Yan family could befriend Hongfu, it would be like gaining a great external ally. Therefore, after much consideration, I proposed a marriage alliance to Fairy Hongfu."

The red-haired old man said.

"A marriage alliance? Could it be Yan'er?" The burly man was greatly surprised.

At the time, as the core of the Hidden Pulse, he was unaware of this matter.

"Yes, it's Yan'er. The one I've got my eye on is Han Li, a pseudo-spiritual root disciple of Hong Fu Sect."

The Yan family patriarch nodded.

"There's actually such a thing? Ancestor, you actually chose a pseudo-spiritual root for Yan'er?"

The big man was even more puzzled.

"So what if he has a pseudo-spiritual root? My Yan family, Wang Chan, the young master of the Ghost Spirit Sect, and Tian Buque, the second young master of the Joyful Union Sect—weren't they all victims of this kid's schemes? This kid's intellect is incredibly sharp. At the time, his cultivation was already at the late Foundation Establishment stage. A pseudo-spiritual root, nearly thirty years old, yet already at the late Foundation Establishment stage. Do you think he's that bad?"

"No, it's not bad."

The big man shook his head.

What's wrong with it?
A true genius.

Either they consumed an ancient elixir, or they obtained a heaven-defying opportunity.

"and then?"

He immediately pressed for an answer.

“Hong Fu was extremely resistant and refused the marriage proposal. When she looked at me at the time, she didn’t give me a kind look at all.”

The old man smiled.

"So, Fellow Daoist Han is her chosen grand-nephew-in-law? And the quality of his spiritual root is very likely not a pseudo-spiritual root? That so-called pseudo-spiritual root aptitude is just a smokescreen? A disguise to hide top-tier talent and avoid being targeted?"

"Now it seems absolutely so. Ha, reaching the mid-Nascent Soul stage in just two hundred years? No matter how heaven-defying the opportunity, achieving this level is impossible. It must be to prevent premature death. As the saying goes, 'The tallest tree in the forest catches the most wind.' Back then, although we understood this principle and had you, Xuanhao, hidden away, we still exposed Ruyan, causing the Yan family to be targeted by all sides far too early..."

The Yan family's several moves were largely due to Yan Ruyan's innate talent in the Heavenly Spiritual Root.

"In that case, it is indeed a pity. Fellow Daoist Han is exceptionally talented and has been blessed with great opportunities. This chaotic era in Tiannan is probably his. Tsk tsk... What a pity, what a pity."

The burly man from the Yan family sighed repeatedly.

"Speaking of which, Elder Linghu is the most interesting one..."

The old man smiled knowingly.

Evaluating senior figures and experts is a dangerous thing.

In the far west, far from the emperor's reach, he could speak freely.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with commenting on Linghu Laozu.

"Yes, that guy is really interesting. He first angered Fellow Daoist Hong Fu, but after Fellow Daoist Hong Fu arrived at Luo Yun Sect, with the help of Venerable Mu Li, she successfully formed her Nascent Soul. Moreover, after Fellow Daoist Hong Fu left, the entire Hong Ying Mountain lineage followed her away. Now, Fellow Daoist Han has not only formed his Nascent Soul, but has also reached the profound cultivation of the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm. Dong Xuan'er has also reached the late-stage of the Core Formation realm, and she might very well form her Nascent Soul in a hundred years... And then there's our Yan family, tsk tsk tsk, they've angered three or four Nascent Soul cultivators at once..."

Despite immense wealth and a promising situation, Linghu Laozu squandered it all due to his petty and narrow-minded scheming.

"Actually, I also heard something else from the Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Linghu family..."

The burly man continued.

"What's the matter?"

The old man and Yan Ruyan were both extremely interested in the gossip surrounding this Nascent Soul cultivator.

"When Huangfeng Valley withdrew from Yue Kingdom, it suddenly gained the resources of several thousand Foundation Establishment Pills, thanks to Fellow Daoist Han."

"How do you say this?"

"Because it was Fellow Daoist Han who used a deceptive tactic, during the Battle of Golden Drum Plains, at the height of the battle, instigated the three major families of Yellow Maple Valley to secretly open the Crimson Forbidden Land, obtaining a large quantity of spiritual herbs for refining Foundation Establishment Pills, as well as various other centuries-old spiritual herbs. Furthermore, Yellow Maple Valley's ability to prepare for evacuation in advance and successfully cut their losses was also due to Fellow Daoist Han's advance warning. But other suspicious rumors have also surfaced..."

The red-haired patriarch of the Yan family exchanged a glance with the stunningly beautiful Yan Ruyan, and sensed another piece of gossip in their eyes.

The reason is very simple.

Faced with such a meritorious person, why did Huang Fenggu later disregard the fate of the Hongying Mountain lineage?

Could there be some despicable act here, like discarding someone after they've served their purpose?
...

The grand event of the three sects of Yunmeng Mountain, marking the culmination of ten years of preparations, was held as scheduled.

Following the instructions of the Meng family elders, Meng Di went to the Ancient Sword Sect to become an apprentice.

However, once the Nine Spirits Sword Body's top-tier sword physique was revealed, no Nascent Soul cultivator appeared to take on disciples.

It only alarmed a few Core Formation stage cultivators vying for the position of disciple.

The reason is also very simple.

Meng Di is sixteen years old, at the twelfth level of Qi Refining, but has not yet established his foundation.

Generally speaking, a Qi Refining stage cultivator is not qualified to become a disciple of a Nascent Soul stage cultivator, not even as a nominal disciple; they must first establish their foundation.

This is a dead rule.

The Nascent Soul stage cultivators of the Ancient Sword Sect either have their own things to do—for example, Fire Dragon Child is very busy lately, gathering intelligence on both the righteous and demonic paths—or they are in seclusion, completely unaware of what's happening outside. Others are too arrogant, inflexible, and unwilling to change the rules.

In any case, in the eyes of the old monsters, it was already a great honor to arrange for Meng Di, a sword master in the mid-to-late stage of Core Formation, to become their disciple.

This was not the only thing that disappointed Meng Di.

What disappointed him most was the treatment he received.

Although the Ancient Sword Sect offered decent treatment, it was nowhere near as good as what Han Li's side offered. It was two or three times worse.

This further provoked Meng Di herself.

He didn't know what kind of exchange of benefits his family had reached with the Ancient Sword Sect, but still clinging to a last hope, he asked one of the elders who was traveling with him:
"Fourth Grandfather, is this all the resources I'll have on a daily basis?"

"This is the kind of treatment countless people dream of, so don't be ungrateful."

Upon hearing this, Meng Di's lips trembled slightly.

He knew very well that the Ancient Sword Sect and the Meng family were deeply intertwined. Given the resources provided by the Ancient Sword Sect and the family, he would probably be a hundred years old by the time he reached the Core Formation stage.

In the past, he would have been very content.

Because this is a prodigy who is already three or four hundred years old and has a great chance of breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage.

After meeting Han Li, he finally understood what kind of treatment a true prodigy should receive. In short, he simply couldn't accept the distressing thought of his most precious cultivation time being wasted.

But the problem is, he is a member of the Meng family. Does he dare to go against the will of the family's higher-ups?
"Fourth Grandfather, why can't I become that senior's apprentice?"

"Child, although that person has a complicated relationship with Fairy Hongfu of the Luoyun Sect, he has no connection with the Ancient Sword Sect. By choosing that person, you are essentially offending the Ancient Sword Sect. My Meng family will likely suffer greatly from this; the repercussions are far too numerous..."

Too many members of the Meng family have their interests tied to the Ancient Sword Sect, and those clansmen are the shackles that prevent Meng Di from making better choices.

This is the helplessness of family cultivators.

"So, am I living my life for myself, for certain people in my clan, or for my family?"

"Xiao Di, what kind of life do you want?"

"Fourth Grandfather, my life deserves a brighter future, and I can lead the Meng family to even greater heights. Can you trust me just this once?"

This is a high-stakes gamble for a young man.

Taking a little-known Nascent Soul cultivator as a disciple carries considerable risks.

After struggling for a moment, the old man sighed softly:
"Are you sure you want to gamble with your family?"

"I believe in the two Core Formation stage seniors, Xiuting and Xiulan, and I also believe in Senior Han."

"Then go ahead and go down the mountain on your own. But from now on, the family will not be able to help you in any way."

There is gain in loss.

"Thank you, Fourth Grandfather."

The boy expressed his gratitude.

Although using a honey trap is a bit shameless and somewhat unfair, as long as it works, that's all that matters.

Furthermore, the Hongying Mountain range is indeed dominated by yin and deficient in yang, and needs to be balanced.

...

After the young man descended the mountain, he headed towards Elder Feng of the Luoyun Sect.

Another Core Formation stage cultivator appeared:
"Brother Meng, is this the choice your Meng family has made?"

"It was the child's choice, so please don't involve the Meng family."

"Hmph, do you know that Senior Brother Jin is only temporarily accepting disciples on behalf of Senior Jin? If Meng Di can form his core, he will definitely be able to become a disciple of Senior Jin and receive the sect's top-level swordsmanship inheritance?"

"know."

"Then what are you still...?"

"The lineage of that person from the Luoyun Sect is equally impressive, and it has enabled Xiaodi to steadily enter the Core Formation stage. Furthermore, the chances of her reaching the Nascent Soul stage in the future are also very high."

The old man said.

"You, you've picked up a sesame seed but lost a watermelon."

This Core Formation stage cultivator turned and left.

The old man, however, had a different opinion:

"Xiao Di, bravely walk your own path. Our Meng family should produce a Nascent Soul cultivator soon."

Having finally found a Nine Spirits Sword Body, of course we must guide that child onto the path most beneficial to ourselves.

Admittedly, the Ancient Sword Sect is a good fit, and Old Monster Jin is one of the three great sword masters. However, Old Monster Jin is in seclusion year-round and has no interest in teaching. The key issue is that Jin Wuhuan's sect has more than ten sword disciples and nominal disciples, representing multiple families. Meng Di would have to compete with more than ten people and multiple families for favor.

Hongying Mountain is different.

Two Nascent Soul cultivators.

One of them was only a little over two hundred years old.

This person currently has no disciples.

Moreover, both Nascent Soul cultivators wield swords and possess the same top-tier swordsmanship lineage.

The Meng family could absolutely take a gamble.

Previously, I hesitated because some members of my clan were obstructing me.

These people cannot sacrifice the interests of the majority of their clan for the sake of Meng Di alone.

Some of the more enlightened members of the clan are waiting for Meng Di to make his own courageous choice.

(End of this chapter)