Chapter 2138: Seven Sessions Extra Story Brother Zhui Fan Series

Volume 13: Seven Realms Side Story - Chasing Brother Fan-fiction Series

My Pursuit of a Mortal

A plain-faced young man in a green robe stood alone on a mountain peak. He appeared calm, yet a hint of anxiety occasionally flickered in his eyes. Dozens of miles away, a world-like expanse lay completely sealed off by a massive, impenetrable light barrier that stretched endlessly. It was incredibly dense, almost tangible, with innumerable thick, five-colored lightning arcs wildly flashing across its surface. Even from such a distance, the immense pressure emanating from the barrier secretly alarmed him. This person was Han Li, the first to arrive at this location. He wondered if Elder Long's intelligence was flawed, or if a major new upheaval had occurred here. Of course, it was also possible Elder Long had deliberately concealed some information. He had searched outside the barrier for several days but found no possible entrance. Moreover, once he approached within a few miles of the barrier, the five-colored lightning arcs would strike fiercely, their power so immense that even Han Li, with his current cultivation, could not remain for long. Left with no choice, he abandoned the idea of venturing in alone, and waited for a full ten days.

Ten days later, Elder Long and several others arrived one after another. Though some were somewhat disheveled, they were all unharmed.

"Brother Long, is this the location of the Spirit Cleansing Pond?" Han Li asked calmly.

"The direction is certainly correct," Elder Long replied, "but this place should still be tens of millions of miles away from the location marked on the map. Moreover, this light barrier seems somewhat amiss.""More than just 'amiss'," Han Li added, "the lightning power contained within this barrier is virtually identical to the five-colored lightning tribulation faced by our Grand Ascension cultivators in the Spirit Realm!"Han Li's words sent a shockwave through everyone present.

"It seems a major change has occurred here," Elder Long continued. "Our recent encounter with the new fortress guarded by several powerful Demon Lords also seems related to this. They gathered so many people, seemingly to set up a super spell formation. After we broke through their defenses, they didn't pursue us. I wonder if any fellow daoists noticed that for millions of miles afterward, we encountered almost no demonic cultivators or even low-level demonic beasts. Furthermore, the closer we get to the light barrier, the more abundant the spiritual energy becomes."No sooner had Elder Long finished speaking than a sudden anomaly occurred. The distant light barrier erupted without warning in dazzling five-colored light. The barrier seemed to teleport, appearing thousands of feet directly in front of them, and with another flash, it threatened to engulf everyone."Quickly, disperse the demonic aura on your bodies!" Han Li roared.The event was so sudden that no one had time to escape, but everyone present was an ancient monster who had cultivated for countless years. Upon hearing Han Li's warning, they immediately reacted. Almost simultaneously, the barrier flashed again, drawing everyone inside. Han Li felt a dizzying sensation, and after enduring several waves of five-colored lightning attacks, he found himself in a different world.

Through his spiritual sense, Han Li perceived that this place was likely near their original standing spot, with the massive light barrier now hundreds of miles behind them. Even stranger, the demonic energy in this world had completely vanished, while the spiritual energy was surprisingly as abundant as that in a spiritual mountain in the Spirit Realm. The other few individuals beside him were not as composed as Han Li; each looked disheveled, and some of the weakest among them had sustained minor injuries. This was still because they had dispersed their demonic aura after Han Li's warning; otherwise, only Heaven knew what the consequences would have been.

"Fellow Daoist Han was the first to arrive here. What are your thoughts on this matter?" Saintess Qianqiu asked Han Li gravely. After traveling together, everyone had witnessed Han Li's immense supernatural abilities and no longer dared to show him the slightest disrespect.

"Indeed, I arrived a few days earlier than the rest of you," Han Li replied with a worried expression, "which is how I inadvertently discovered this light barrier's demon-purging properties. I speculate that the newly established demonic fortress was also built in response to this anomaly. This light barrier expands several times at irregular intervals, though without any discernible pattern. The two minor expansions I witnessed only extended a few miles, but what we just experienced was far more terrifying. I estimate that even an ordinary Demon Lord caught within it would barely survive. I can't quite figure out what major change has occurred up ahead, but our current situation is a mixed blessing! We can now largely rule out the possibility of demonic obstruction, but we face even more unpredictable adversaries. How we can safely leave this place is also unknown."

"At this point, we can only take things one step at a time," Elder Long suggested. "If no one has any objections, let's first proceed to that location and then make our plans. How about that?" The others had no better alternative and could only agree.

As Han Li had predicted, the journey thereafter was extremely smooth. Soon, everyone arrived at their true destination, one of the Demon Realm's Three Secret Lands, rarely known even among demons: the Spirit Cleansing Pond.

Legend had it that this place came into existence when the Demon Realm's laws naturally compressed sparse spiritual energy, which was then forcibly confined by powerful Tribulation Transcendence stage cultivators using great divine abilities. Over countless years of evolution, this process formed the Spirit Cleansing Pond and nurtured the Spirit Cleansing Lotus, a rare heavenly spiritual item. These two items were of little use to demons but were of heaven-defying value to those from the Spirit Realm. Therefore, news of this place was not only strictly sealed off but also guarded by Demon Lords year-round. Now, due to the anomaly, not only had the demonic seals that had previously deterred them vanished, but there was also no one guarding the place. Facing the Spirit Cleansing Pond so close by, everyone felt an eerie sense of unreality...

Chapter 281: A Thousand-Year Dream, The Ethereal Grand Formation

The pond was only a few hundred feet in size, with milky-white, semi-transparent water churning within. Streams of extremely pure spiritual energy continuously gushed forth from it. Aside from its more intense spiritual energy fluctuations, it bore a striking resemblance to the Spirit Eye Spring in the secret chamber of the Void Heaven Temple back then, prompting Han Li to murmur to himself. In the low air above the center of the pond, a seven-colored lotus floated quietly, unmoving. Everyone's hearts burned with excitement, but no one made a move that could be misinterpreted by the others.

"Although we encountered many strange dangers on this trip, we have finally seen this spiritual item safely," Elder Long said calmly. "Its current growth seems much better than we anticipated. I have a proposal for distributing this treasure. Are all fellow daoists willing to hear it?"

"Fellow Daoist Long, please, speak your mind first," Han Li interjected.

"This lotus has now grown five seedpods," Elder Long explained, "and it is the main ingredient for refining the 'Mortal Chasing Pill,' which has miraculous effects for breaking through to the Grand Ascension stage. If we divide this item equally, it won't be of significant use to anyone. Currently, including myself, there are precisely five individuals who urgently need this item. Of course, the other fellow daoists can receive other treasures of comparable value as compensation from the five of us. Moreover, the other parts of this spiritual item are rare, top-grade refining materials, which can be equally divided among the remaining individuals." After saying this, Elder Long's gaze coldly swept over the few Mid-Body Integration stage cultivators beside him.

"This one has no objections," Saintess Qianqiu said after exchanging a few telepathic messages with the others.

"Han also finds this method feasible," Han Li stated. He thought to himself, 'Even if the others are extremely reluctant, they'll probably just have to accept it.'

Thus, the treasures were smoothly distributed among them, much to everyone's satisfaction. Han Li also exchanged several millennium-old spirit herbs for the roots of the multi-colored lotus, intending to try cultivating them later using his mysterious small bottle. If successful, then...

As he was happily pondering, a strange scene suddenly unfolded. A soft sigh entered Han Li's ears. The sound was not loud but resonated like a thunderclap in his mind. He violently spat out several mouthfuls of vital blood, then his vision went black, and he nearly collapsed. The surrounding scenery became blurred. They were still hundreds of feet away from the Spirit Cleansing Pond. The others stood motionless like puppets, their eyes dull and lifeless. The seven-colored lotus, which they had supposedly divided, still floated in the low air. They had all unknowingly fallen into an extremely terrifying illusion formation earlier, and the others were still trapped within it. Even Han Li, whose spiritual sense was powerful enough to rival Grand Ascension stage cultivators, hadn't realized when he was ensnared by the illusion, which showed how dreadful this formation was. If someone hadn't secretly intervened to help him, he would have been trapped forever, slowly depleting his magical power and essence until death. Suppressing his physical discomfort and inner shock, Han Li immediately wanted to cast a spell to awaken the others. Suddenly, a faint female voice reached his ears: "Fellow Daoist, do not rush to awaken them. You have been trapped in this formation for several years. If you forcibly awaken them now, given the strength of their physical bodies, it won't be as easy as merely spitting out a few mouthfuls of vital blood, like you. This is the 'Thousand-Year Dream, Ethereal Grand Formation,' renowned even in the Immortal Realm."

"It's you!" Han Li exclaimed, seeing a peerlessly beautiful woman not far away, and the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily.

The woman, dressed in a white palace gown, was none other than Ancestor Bao Hua, who had been secretly tailing them. However, the demonic alligator was nowhere to be seen.

"Besides being imperceptible to those trapped within it, this formation also possesses a law of time distortion," Bao Hua explained. "You've been trapped for several years, but the time you experienced within the illusion should have been no more than a quarter of an hour, right?"

"Senior, you know so much about this place and can appear here so easily, unfazed by the demon-purging restrictions. Is this your place of seclusion?" Han Li asked, trying to remain calm.

"I was merely trapped in this formation for over a thousand years, tens of thousands of years ago," Bao Hua said with a bitter smile. "Tens of thousands of years ago, an item from the Immortal Realm tore through space and landed in this Spirit Cleansing Pond, bypassing ancient restrictions as if they were nothing. Such a feat could only be achieved by a Tribulation Transcendence stage cultivator! However, within just a few hundred years, whether this item developed its own sentience or an Immortal Soul of a high-ranking Immortal from the Immortal Realm awakened, it not only effortlessly removed all existing restrictions but also laid down three incredibly terrifying new Immortal Formations here. You have already witnessed the fearsome power of two of them. The first continuously expands outward, purifying demonic energy. Judging by the current situation, in a few thousand to tens of thousands of years, the Demon Realm will be completely purified and transformed into something akin to the Spirit Realm. The second is this illusion formation that can kill without a trace. As for the third, it is said to be a boundary-breaking teleportation formation that leads directly to a certain location in the Immortal Realm."

"Senior, do you mean someone from the Immortal Realm intends to reverse the Demon Realm's nature, transforming it into something like the Spirit Realm?" Han Li asked, somewhat stammering. No wonder the scale of this demonic tribulation far surpassed previous ones. So, it was because such changes occurred in the Demon Realm. Many previous questions suddenly seemed to find answers, yet even more new questions flooded his mind. "Senior, you've explained all this in such detail. Do you require my assistance with something?" Han Li didn't believe this mysterious senior was one to talk idly.

"Indeed," Bao Hua replied. "I urgently need several spirit herbs tens of thousands of years old or more to recover my cultivation. Then, with your help, we shall jointly break this illusion formation. I wish to confront the one who has been hiding within it." A flicker of complex emotion crossed Bao Hua's eyes. "Back then, if my sister Ming Luo hadn't accidentally been trapped in an Immortal Formation, causing me to lose a great asset, how could those two old geezers, Tianqi and Heyan, have suddenly attacked me while I was injured? I had no choice but to break through the realm barrier and flee to the Spirit Realm to protect my subordinates." Remembering a divination before her last entry into the Saint Realm, which indicated someone could help her break an Immortal Formation and find a great opportunity, a peculiar look appeared on her face.

"I do possess several spirit herbs that are over two hundred thousand years old, obtained inadvertently. Senior, please see if they are suitable." Han Li's expression changed several times, but after assessing the current situation, he spoke with unusual forthrightness. With a flick of his sleeve, several jade boxes covered in restriction talismans slowly flew towards her...

Chapter 282: Immortal Envoy Juzheng

"Excellent, these spirit herbs are indeed very useful for recovering my cultivation," Bao Hua said. Han Li's two-hundred-thousand-year-old spirit herbs were all obtained from the Guanghan Realm. Although his heart ached, he knew that if he kept the seeds, he could cultivate them again given enough time."Next, these items should also be of some use to you," Bao Hua said with a faint smile, tossing a box to Han Li. Han Li caught it and gently opened the lid. Inside were seven pieces of Exotic Demonic Gold of varying sizes, with even the smallest piece being several times larger than any he had previously obtained. 'It seems this senior has been paying unusual attention to me!' Han Li thought, first delighted, then with a wry smile.

"I will go and refine these spirit herbs into pills, which might take about a year. While I'm gone, you should carefully study this set of secret arts here. No problem, right?" Seeing Han Li nod in agreement, the woman lightly stepped on a spot in the void. A phantom image of a flowering tree, covered in exotic blossoms, appeared behind her. Then, her figure shifted and merged into it, disappearing into the void moments later, as if she had never been there.Looking at the others, who still seemed like puppets, Han Li gave a wry smile. He shot several miles backward to a mountain cliff, and with a flick of his sleeve, dozens of sword lights burst forth, quickly carving out a small cave dwelling. After habitually setting up several spell formations, he sat down in a quiet room, took out the jade slip Bao Hua had given him before leaving, and immersed his spiritual sense into it to examine it carefully.

The jade slip recorded a secret art called the "Spirit Breaking Art." This art not only demanded unusually powerful spiritual sense from its practitioner but also required a strong physical body, making it likely unlearnable for others. This cultivation method was probably created by Bao Hua specifically to break the "Thousand-Year Dream, Ethereal Grand Formation." Even so, if it could truly break an Immortal Realm wonder formation, it would surely be immensely useful when encountering similar illusion formations in the future! Han Li cast aside all distracting thoughts and diligently began to study the cultivation method.

More than a year passed in the blink of an eye. Han Li, who had completed his cultivation of the "Spirit Breaking Art" and was meditating in the quiet room, suddenly opened his eyes. He didn't know if it was due to his extraordinary talent or if the cultivation method was simply suited for him, but Han Li had thoroughly comprehended the spell in just a few months. He spent the remaining time cutting open each of the newly acquired Exotic Demonic Gold pieces, surprisingly obtaining three more clusters of mysterious green energy. After absorbing all of them, his magical power reached the Grand Completion stage. Of course, all those unknown substances were placed within his second nascent soul. Now, he only needed a suitable opportunity to attempt breaking through his bottleneck, increasing his confidence in advancing to the Grand Ascension stage. This was one of the few good pieces of news during this period.

Moments later, Han Li arrived at the edge of the Spirit Cleansing Pond, where Ancestor Bao Hua was already standing, her gaze solemn.

"Presumably, your group's objective on this trip was to enter the Spirit Cleansing Pond to cleanse your marrow and change your physique, and to obtain the Spirit Cleansing Lotus, right?" Without waiting for Han Li to answer, Bao Hua continued, "Therefore, we have no conflict of interest, and you needn't worry that I will make things difficult for you. Rest assured, if you lend me a hand, I will give you great benefits in return.""It seems I have no other choice," Han Li said helplessly. "What great benefits does Senior speak of?""It's best if you understand," she replied. "Long ago, I inadvertently obtained a page of something your Spirit Realm calls the 'Golden Jade Script.' It's a complete inner page, and while it's useless to me, it's exceptionally precious to your human race. Do you think that qualifies as a great benefit?" Her bright eyes sparkled as she teased Han Li.

"The 'Golden Jade Script,' a 'complete inner page'!" This was an Immortal Realm cultivation method! It was rumored that all human cultivators from the Spirit Realm who ascended to the Immortal Realm had cultivated the techniques found in this inner page. Its value was immeasurable to Han Li.

Over the next nearly ten years, the two finally broke this illusion grand formation, and all those trapped within it were freed. However, whether due to being trapped for too long or having experienced something utterly terrifying within the illusion, everyone was mentally dazed and severely weakened. One human Mid-Body Integration stage cultivator even showed signs of an unstable cultivation realm. Moreover, the Spirit Clan cultivator named "Zhi Shui" was nowhere to be found. Bao Hua's brows furrowed tightly at this. When she was trapped in this formation back then, if it weren't for a Xuantian treasure she carried actively awakening and startling her awake, even with her Tribulation Transcendence stage cultivation, she wouldn't have been able to leave. This Spirit Clan cultivator, though somewhat peculiar, only had a cultivation realm of late-stage Body Integration Grand Completion. How could this be? Could it be...

The woman, who had always been composed, suddenly thought of a possibility and her expression changed drastically. "Hurry and leave! Any later and you might not be able to!" With a flick of her fragrant sleeve, she threw two jade boxes toward Han Li, transmitting a message: "One contains methods and materials for breaking the outer layer of restrictions here using formations. The other is what I promised you, Fellow Daoist. The Spirit Cleansing Pond and Spirit Cleansing Lotus, while precious, you likely won't have time to obtain them." She then released the full, immense spiritual pressure of a Tribulation Transcendence stage cultivator. Elder Long and the others, facing this woman, could not muster even a shred of resistance. No matter how important treasures were, one needed to be alive to enjoy them. With reluctance on their faces, the cultivators summoned their escape light and shot towards the horizon, quickly disappearing into the distance.

Almost simultaneously, in a grand hall somewhere in the Immortal Realm, a person enveloped in a milky-white halo frowned. "Someone!" a majestic middle-aged man's voice resounded."What are your orders, Lord?""Go to the 'Immortal Essence Pavilion' and check if there's any change in 'Immortal Envoy Juzheng's' Immortal Soul Tablet.""Yes, Lord," replied an immortal, whose true face was also obscured by a halo, as he accepted the command and departed.'The 'Thousand-Year Dream, Ethereal Formation' was actually broken by someone from the Demon Realm. Is Immortal Envoy Juzheng still in slumber? Or have people from other Immortal Domains noticed something...'

Chapter 283: Annihilation

If the Immortal Venerable's plan became known to people from other Immortal Domains, a storm would be inevitable.

A moment later, the person who had gone to check returned to the hall to report, "Reporting, Lord. The current state of Immortal Envoy Juzheng's Immortal Soul Tablet is somewhat peculiar. Your subordinate cannot comprehend it. I beg for your forgiveness, Lord."

"You may leave. I will go and check myself." As he spoke, his halo shimmered gently, and he vanished. Almost simultaneously, dozens of miles away, in front of a giant tower-like building, a faint light flashed, and the immortal appeared out of thin air. This place was precisely the "Immortal Essence Pavilion." A swath of colorful light then flew from his sleeve, sweeping towards the heavily restricted main gate. The gate opened instantly. Inside the hall, countless jade tablets, each flickering with various spiritual lights, were densely arranged on the altars, stretching as far as the eye could see. This was merely one floor of the "Puluo Immortal Domain," one of the four great Immortal Domains, where Immortal Soul Tablets of mid-tier immortals were kept. The vastness of the Immortal Realm far exceeded the imagination of those in the lower realms.

With a gentle lift of his hand, a jade tablet shimmering with blue and black appeared in his grasp. The tablet was only a few inches in size, with several ancient golden characters inscribed at its bottom, identifying it as Immortal Envoy Juzheng's Immortal Soul Tablet. The man's expression was grave as he continuously cast several incantations towards the tablet, then enveloped it in a hazy gray light. He closed his eyes slightly, as if sensing something. A soft gasp escaped him: "How could there be another immortal soul's power intertwined with Fellow Immortal Juzheng's? Fortunately, Fellow Immortal Juzheng seems to be overwhelmingly dominant. If my perception is not mistaken, this other soul should belong to someone from the 'Feisha Immortal Domain.' It seems this matter can no longer be concealed. I must report it to the Immortal Venerable immediately."

Han Li, of course, knew nothing of what was happening in the Immortal Realm. At this very moment, he was grim-faced, surrounded by more than ten individuals. Not far behind him was the massive five-colored light barrier.

"Fellow Daoist Han, are you truly unwilling to let us see the second item that senior gave you?" Elder Long asked, a hint of ill-will on his face. The others also stared intently at Han Li, their expressions varied—some showed greed mixed with apprehension, while others were resentful and determined to go all out.

"I have already informed all fellow daoists how to set up the formation to leave this place. As for other matters, I regret I cannot comply. Are all fellow daoists preparing to join forces and use coercion?" Han Li asked coldly, a flash of killing intent in his eyes."Fellow Daoist Han, please don't misunderstand," Saintess Qianqiu said. "We exerted great effort to reach this place, but we are returning from the treasure mountain empty-handed, and our vital energy is severely depleted. Yet, Fellow Daoist Han has had no small fortune; not only has your magical power reached the Grand Completion stage in a short time, but you also received a precious treasure from the senior. We are merely curious and wish to understand some details."

"Curiosity?" Han Li retorted, showing no weakness. "We are all still in a dangerous situation now. Escaping with our lives is paramount.""Attack!" the rarely speaking late-stage Spirit Clan cultivator suddenly shouted. Various magic treasures surged towards Han Li. Elder Long and several others also acted simultaneously. It seemed they had long planned to first join forces to eliminate Han Li, the top master, and then contend for the treasures among themselves. This was partly because they feared Han Li's counterattack with his divine abilities, and partly because everyone was severely weakened and could not sustain a prolonged battle. Thus, they immediately unleashed their most powerful cultivation techniques and treasures.

"Excellent!" Han Li said. Faced with such an astonishing onslaught, Han Li remained unperturbed. He formed a hand seal, and a tangible golden Dharma idol with three heads and six arms materialized behind him. Simultaneously, seventy-two Azure Bamboo Cloudfleece Swords hovered in front of him before vanishing into the void in a flash. Raising both hands, a hazy primal magnetic divine light and Spirit-Devouring Heavenly Fire erupted from his body, forming two massive light shields around him. He dared not show the slightest carelessness against so many people's simultaneous, life-and-death attacks. He not only secretly deployed his newly upgraded sword formation but also intended to use his "Nirvana Saint Body" if necessary, to ensure all of them were annihilated. Before Han Li could activate his sword formation, a telepathic message from the woman surnamed Ye suddenly entered his ears: "Brother Han, I will help you." The woman surnamed Ye, who had transformed into a multi-colored phoenix, suddenly changed her attack direction, drawing two nearby mid-stage cultivators into her assault, and the three engaged in a fierce battle...

An hour later, the sounds of battle finally ceased. In their place stood a somewhat pale-faced young man in a green robe and a disheveled, stunning woman—Han Li and the Ye Family Ancestor. "It seems I made the right gamble," the woman said. "Even without my assistance, Brother Han's divine abilities would likely have still annihilated us, though perhaps with a little more effort." Thinking of the terrifying power of the suddenly appearing grand sword formation, the woman still felt a chill. 'It seems this person has a significant connection to Qingyuanzi, who was renowned for his mysterious sword formations in earlier times. Both are fearsome existences capable of defeating enemies beyond their cultivation level.'

"Fellow Daoist, here are some pills to help recover from injuries." The woman took the several rumored top-grade pills and was surprised once more. These pills could not only quickly heal injuries but also significantly aid in cultivation advancement. 'It seems this person won't have any ill intentions towards me for a while,' she thought, letting out a long sigh of relief in her heart.

"What are your plans, Fellow Daoist?" Han Li gently asked after seeing the woman confidently take the pills.

"The Demon Realm was already extremely dangerous, and now with such a major upheaval, I wish to return to the Spirit Realm as soon as possible to relay this news to Saint Island, so everyone can make their plans early."

"Han feels the same way," Han Li replied. "There's no time to lose. Let's quickly set up the formation and leave this place first." Although they hadn't obtained the Spirit Cleansing Lotus or entered the Spirit Cleansing Pond on this trip, the True Dragon Blood obtained from eliminating Elder Long was several times more potent than what he had gained from Longdong years ago. It seemed his previously ineffective True Dragon transformation might now greatly increase in power.

Several years later, the two returned to the Spirit Realm safely after their perilous journey. Upon parting ways, the Ye Family Ancestor surprisingly produced a bottle of True Phoenix Spirit Blood and handed it to Han Li, asking only for a promise of his assistance once if the Ye family faced a great calamity. Seeing such a clear display of weakness from the other party, Han Li estimated that if he didn't accept, the woman would find it difficult to feel at ease. Moreover, the True Phoenix Spirit Blood was indeed greatly beneficial to him, so after a slight hesitation, he agreed to her request. The woman was overjoyed and parted ways with Han Li, returning to her clan.

Han Li decided to first ascertain the general situation of the years he had been away before making further plans. Having made his decision, he transformed into a streak of escape light and shot into the distance...