Chapter 589: The Return of the Demonic Text

A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality, Volume 4: Winds Rise Overseas

Han Li stood on an empty high platform, looking at the extremely strange circular stone disc before him, a hint of surprise on his face.

The disc was about ten feet in size, lying flat. It was engraved with peculiar patterns and many seemingly profound runes and incantations. Although no one was currently performing a ritual there, a faint purple mist still emanated from it, curling upwards to merge with the purple clouds hovering over the village.

Han Li himself had considerable expertise in formation arrays, so he immediately narrowed his eyes and began to study the stone disc.

Soon, Han Li's expression became unsettled, shifting between sudden realization and deep concentration, his brows furrowed. His mind was completely engrossed in it.

"Oh? Friend, have you discovered something profound?" Just as Han Li was completely absorbed, an unfamiliar voice suddenly came from behind him.

Han Li's heart jolted. He inwardly cursed himself for being so careless, allowing someone to approach him from behind without his knowledge. If this person intended him harm, wouldn't he be in danger?

However, this situation couldn't be entirely attributed to Han Li's carelessness.

Having been accustomed to controlling everything around him with his spiritual sense, he suddenly found himself devoid of spiritual sense and magic power, making it naturally difficult to adapt quickly.

Han Li remained secretly vigilant, but turned around without betraying any emotion.

Before him stood a white-haired old man with a long beard. His face was full of wrinkles, yet his eyes were sharp and lively as he smiled at Han Li.

"Are you also a cultivator?" Han Li could only guess hesitantly, as his spiritual sense was gone.

"I am Bao Huanzi of the Five Dragon Sea. You must be one of the two newly arrived cultivators, aren't you?" the old man replied with a smile.

"Five Dragon Sea?"

Han Li's heart stirred upon hearing the name; the Grand Elder seemed to have mentioned it. He became somewhat interested in conversing.

"So it's Fellow Daoist Bao Huanzi. My name is Han, a rogue cultivator from the Scattered Star Seas," Han Li said, his expression softening.

"Scattered Star Seas? We once had a fellow Daoist from there, but sadly, they perished during a mission after encountering a powerful Yin Beast. However, there aren't many cultivators truly proficient in talismans in the cultivation world. Seeing how diligently you're studying this stone talisman, your expertise in this area must be considerable!" The old man first sighed, then changed the subject to ask.

"Stone talisman? Are you referring to this disc?" Han Li showed a peculiar expression. This wasn't feigned; it was genuinely the first time he had heard that name.

"Haha! It's no wonder you don't know about this. Stone talismans, jade talismans... these things have probably been lost in other places. Only some sects in our Five Dragon Sea still know how to create such ancient talismans," the long-bearded old man said, his eyes narrowing and the wrinkles on his face trembling slightly, looking quite proud.

Upon hearing this, the peculiar expression on Han Li's face disappeared.

"I truly haven't heard of such things as stone talismans and jade talismans in this world. However, I have studied the path of talismans for some time and was surprised to see runes inscribed on this stone disc. Your words have indeed cleared up some of my confusion. But this stone talisman also seems to exhibit characteristics of a formation array. Could I be mistaken?" Han Li said, looking at the old man with a slight frown.

"I never expected you, Fellow Daoist, to be proficient in both formation arrays and the path of talismans! I am truly impressed! Fellow Daoist Han, you are not mistaken. This Sandalwood Cloud Stone Talisman is indeed different from a true stone talisman. To harness the power of Yin Nether, special modifications resembling a formation array were made. This allows it to possess some of the effects of both a talisman and a formation array. Although this significantly reduces its overall power," the long-bearded old man said, initially a little surprised, then he clapped his hands and burst into laughter.

Han Li nodded thoughtfully upon hearing this, but then turned to look at the stone disc again and suddenly asked:

"The Grand Elder mentioned that you can use Yin Nether power here by combining Yin Nether Beast Crystals with formation arrays to cast spells. However, I don't see any beast crystals embedded in this stone talisman. Is there something else unusual about this stone talisman?" Han Li's face showed a hint of doubt.

"Ah, that you wouldn't know. I suppose you also saw the Treacherous Beast today, didn't you? Although most villagers have practiced some martial arts and their combat abilities are far superior to ordinary people outside, if such a powerful Yin Beast were to charge forward, no matter how skilled a martial artist, a single person would never be its match. Even if we relied on sheer numbers to defeat them, many villagers would be injured or killed, and we simply cannot afford such losses. Therefore, using Yin Nether power to cast spells to trap enemies has become crucial for the village's survival. And the quantity of stored Yin Nether Beast Crystals, which are consumed during spellcasting, is the standard by which the village's strength is measured," the old man said with a slight smile, pausing briefly before continuing, as if he had more to say:

"However, these Beast Crystals are truly hard to find! Generally speaking, the more powerful a Yin Beast is, the higher the chance of finding a crystal in its head, but this isn't guaranteed. Sometimes, we exert great effort to eliminate extremely powerful Yin Beasts, only to find their heads empty. Yet, like the villagers who brought you back today, they might kill a few weak Fire-Scaled Beasts on the way and surprisingly find a small Beast Crystal. It's truly unpredictable."

"Overall, the village frequently needs to cast spells to repel enemies and for daily protection, so the demand for Beast Crystals is very high. However, the total number of Yin Nether Beast Crystals collected in a year is usually just over ten, barely enough. Therefore, the Beast Crystals are typically managed separately by several elders in the village. They are only entrusted to us for use when spells are needed to drive away enemies. Once a battle is over, they are immediately taken back. As for this stone talisman, a few days' worth of power is usually infused into it beforehand to cover daily consumption. Beast Crystals are not directly embedded in it. This has somewhat wasted the embedding slots specially left when the talisman was originally created," the long-bearded old man said, seemingly dissatisfied with the village elders' practice. He bent down and touched the rhomboid grooves around the stone disc, a hint of self-mockery on his face.

Han Li did not interrupt the other party, merely smiling faintly without speaking.

Although he didn't know the other party's intention for speaking so freely, he guessed it likely involved power struggles within the village. He had no intention of staying in this village long-term, so naturally, he didn't want to get involved.

It seemed that once these cultivators' paths to cultivation were cut off, they became just like mortals, engaging in power struggles and schemes for personal gain.

Han Li sighed inwardly, finding it rather pathetic.

Seeing that Han Li didn't actively engage, a hint of disappointment flashed in the old man's eyes. But he quickly returned to his usual demeanor and began chatting with Han Li about other matters.

"As you know, Fellow Daoist, this wretched place has existed for tens of thousands of years. Although few cultivators are drawn into it, over all these years, there must have been hundreds, if not thousands, of cultivators who perished in this Yin Nether realm. And I've heard that among them, there were even cultivators at the Core Formation and Nascent Soul stages who were trapped here until their deaths," the old man casually mentioned.

"Nascent Soul stage cultivators have been here?" Han Li was somewhat moved by this statement.

"Yes. Although I don't know how many years ago it was, this esteemed individual, after being drawn into this place, lived out his remaining years in this village. He likely encountered an outburst of Spirit-Severing Qi, just like you two Fellow Daoists. Otherwise, ordinary strange mists would be powerless against someone with such great divine abilities," the old man sighed softly.

"Perhaps. But this Spirit-Severing Qi is truly terrifying. I suppose only cultivators at the legendary Soul Transformation stage remain unaffected by it," Han Li said with a bitter smile.

"Soul Transformation stage! Haha, you're thinking quite far ahead, Fellow Daoist. However, although that Nascent Soul senior perished, he left behind some ancient texts during his leisure time. Some of them are records of his cultivation experiences. If these things were outside, they would naturally be extremely valuable. But here, well..." The long-bearded old man shook his head, showing a hint of regret.

"Cultivation insights! I am truly interested. Fellow Daoist, do you know where these items are now?" Han Li's face showed a hint of interest upon hearing this.

Insights from a Nascent Soul stage cultivator were naturally extraordinary. He certainly intended to take a look.

"Haha! Your reaction is just like mine when I first heard about it. But once you've been here for several years, you won't be interested in these things anymore. Without magic power, no matter how many such items there are, they're useless. But if you're truly interested, you can go and take a look. They, along with other cultivators' relics, are specially stored in a warehouse," the old man said noncommittally, stroking the wrinkles on his face. He then turned and pointed to a very dilapidated stone house in a corner of the village.

Han Li suppressed the surprise in his heart and calmly thanked the old man.

After a few more words, the long-bearded old man, noticing Han Li's absentmindedness, smiled slightly and took his leave.

Han Li watched the old man's retreating figure, pursed his lips, pondered for a moment, then shook his head and stepped down from the stone platform as well.

He then quickened his pace towards the dilapidated stone house.

Along the way, he encountered a few villagers who found Han Li's face unfamiliar and looked at him curiously for a few moments, but no one came up to question him.

Han Li easily reached his destination.

Looking at the extremely old, dark stone house before him, Han Li hesitated for a moment before stepping forward and giving a slight push, but the stone door didn't budge.

"Does this door have some sort of mechanism?" Han Li was slightly surprised. But he took a deep breath and suddenly exerted all his strength with both arms.

Although he hadn't practiced any external martial arts, after the bone-cleansing and meridian-transforming effects of Foundation Establishment and Core Formation, he could exert over a hundred catties of force.

With a heavy creaking sound, the door, though very slowly, finally began to open inch by inch.

Seeing this, Han Li was pleased.

It was then that he realized, for some unknown reason, this door was more than twice as thick as an ordinary stone door. It was so heavy that no wonder he had almost thought there was a mechanism on it earlier.

Han Li's figure flashed as he stepped into the room, and a decaying, damp odor assailed him.

His face tightened, and Han Li quickly held his breath.

A moment later, outside air rushed in, and the smell inside the room gradually returned to normal.

Only then did he gently exhale and, using the faint light from outside the door, surveyed the interior of the room.

The place was remarkably simple. Aside from rows of similarly sized stone tablets lining the walls, there was only a rough stone table in the center of the room.

The stone tablets were about ten feet wide and twenty feet high. They were quite large, causing Han Li to pause in surprise when he saw them.

On the stone table, there were no ancient texts or bamboo slips. Only a few seemingly dull and dim magic tools.

The stunned expression on Han Li's face quickly faded. After a moment of thought, he let out a wry laugh.

This wasn't the outside world; where would one find paper and bamboo? As for jade slips and similar items, they were naturally unusable without spiritual power.

These stone tablets were clearly the records of this place. On them, presumably, were the insights left behind by those cultivators.

As for the magic tools on the stone table, it seemed they were like his own flying swords: their owners hadn't stored them properly before they were pulled into this place along with their belongings. Naturally, they couldn't be put back into storage bags.

However, there were no storage bags. Han Li didn't see any inside the room. It seemed those owners had their own methods of dealing with them, and they weren't displayed here.

After surveying the room, Han Li casually walked to a stone tablet and glanced at it.

It was covered in a thick layer of dust, making it hazy and impossible to discern what was inscribed on it.

After a frown, Han Li, not minding the dirt, leaned closer. He then tore a piece from his robe and gently wiped it clean.

A moment later, clear and legible inscriptions appeared before his eyes.

These were not the characters commonly circulated in the current cultivation world, but a less common ancient script. Fortunately, Han Li had a broad range of knowledge and easily recognized them.

However, Han Li only looked at this stone tablet for a few moments before losing interest.

This was merely a miscellaneous text recording the life experiences of a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Han Li naturally had no interest in reading more and immediately turned to other stone tablets.

There were over twenty stone tablets in the room. When Han Li had wiped down and examined the sixth one, his expression finally shifted, and he paused. This was precisely what he was looking for: the cultivation insights left by that Nascent Soul cultivator.

Han Li stood motionless before the stone tablet for an unknown duration. Finally, he let out a long breath, a complex expression on his face.

"So many taboos for forming a Nascent Soul... It seems that if I hadn't known about these things, even with the aid of the Nine-Curved Spirit Ginseng, my chances of success wouldn't have been very high. Falling into this Yin Nether realm this time truly is a mixed blessing!" Han Li muttered to himself.

Although the stone tablet didn't inscribe any specific cultivation methods, the unnamed Nascent Soul cultivator had recorded his experiences in incredibly meticulous detail, from Foundation Establishment to Core Formation, and then to the process of forming a Nascent Soul. Upon seeing this, Han Li felt a mixture of surprise and joy. With the guidance of this Nascent Soul cultivator's experiences, he could avoid many detours and correct some previous misconceptions about forming a Nascent Soul.

After reading the stone tablet several times to ensure nothing was overlooked, Han Li turned his head with satisfaction and looked at the remaining tablets.

He had originally intended to leave, but then he thought, since he had already read almost half, he might as well finish the remaining tablets to gain more knowledge.

So, Han Li, with a relaxed expression, examined them one by one.

Indeed, the remaining stone tablets contained nothing useful to him. Even if there were some cultivation techniques or incantations, they were completely unappealing to him, who possessed the Profound Yin Scripture.

After about the time it takes to eat a meal, Han Li reached the last tablet.

He absently brushed off the dust, and after a brief look at the stone tablet, an expression of unexpected astonishment appeared on his face.

The stone tablet before him was completely different from the previous ones. It was densely inscribed with countless tiny characters, no larger than grains of rice, far smaller than those on the earlier tablets.

Furthermore, with a glance, Han Li saw that the characters on it were in two distinctly different scripts: one was the common ancient script he recognized, and the other was the Beast Script he had encountered multiple times before.

Han Li's curiosity was greatly piqued, so he immediately stepped forward and began to observe it closely.

After only a brief look, Han Li became slightly excited.

This stone tablet actually contained a scripture specifically teaching the Beast Script! Moreover, it was incredibly detailed, with every character explained, clearly inscribed by a cultivator who had a complete mastery of the Beast Script.

Although Han Li wouldn't master it immediately after reading, if he memorized the entire text and slowly comprehended it later, it wouldn't be difficult to truly grasp the Beast Script.

This way, he would finally understand what Beast Clan cultivation technique was recorded on the Beast Clan copper plate and the beast skin scroll he had acquired earlier.

As for whether humans could truly cultivate Beast Clan techniques, Han Li didn't ponder it too deeply.

Even if those techniques were useless to him, learning the Beast Script could only benefit him, not harm him. Who knew if it might have another use in the future?

After all, this opportunity was truly rare!

Spending a considerable amount of time, Han Li relied on his photographic memory to forcefully memorize every single character on both sides of the stone tablet.

Only then did he let out a long breath and leave the room. As for the magic tools on the table, he didn't even glance at them.

After leaving the stone house, Han Li circled the village a few times. When he saw some peculiar buildings, he would approach them for a closer look and chat briefly with nearby villagers.

Fortunately, the original inhabitants of the village seemed quite simple and honest. While not overly enthusiastic towards him, a stranger, they answered every question he had.

Through this, Han Li quickly learned some common knowledge about the Yin Nether realm.

For example, because there were no iron ore deposits or similar resources here, they had to use the exceptionally hard bones of certain Yin Beasts to craft weapons.

Of course, these bones couldn't be used directly as weapon materials; they first had to be soaked in a liquid called "Sunken Water."

This way, the bone materials not only became a third stronger and harder than before, but they also gained some Yin Fire power. When forged into weapons, they had a special lethality against Yin Beasts.

However, because the Yin Fire wasn't lasting, these weapons had to be re-soaked in "Sunken Water" every so often to maintain their lethality.

This sparked Han Li's curiosity about the so-called "Sunken Water"!

Furthermore, in this Yin Nether realm, there were a few "Yin Wind Days" each month. During these days, biting cold black Yin Winds would sweep across most areas, making it impossible for humans to venture outside. Covered by these Yin Winds, humans would surely turn into black ice sculptures. Only within the village, protected by certain spells, could the villagers remain safe.

Conversely, during Yin Wind Days, Yin Nether Beasts were most active. It was common for single beasts or groups of them to attack the village, as had happened today, keeping the villagers constantly on edge.

Han Li inquired about many such details. On an impulse, he even asked about the identity of the slender-eyed, pale-faced man who seemed hostile towards him.

He learned that this person's surname was Feng, and he was also an outsider who had been drawn in a few years prior.

It was unknown what this person did originally, but he possessed astonishing martial arts skills and had killed powerful Yin Beasts multiple times. He had contributed greatly to the village, which was why he was recommended to become an elder at a young age, specifically responsible for teaching martial arts to the young people. He seemed to have considerable prestige among the youth.

Upon hearing this, Han Li, while not feeling any fear, secretly frowned, finding the situation somewhat troublesome.

After wandering around the village for a while longer, when he had seen all there was to see, Han Li slowly made his way back to his room.

Just as he reached the doorway, Han Li heard a man's voice coming from inside the room.

"What do you think? Everything I just said was from the heart. As long as Miss Mei is willing to marry me, not only will she never have to worry about food again, but she also won't have to frequently leave the village and risk her life. I, Feng, have been single for many years, not because I'm frivolous, but because I truly have feelings for you." It was the middle-aged man named Feng, who had entered the room at some point.