A Record of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality

Drawing Pillar

Just as Han Li and Violet Spirit were chasing after Elder Zhong and the others, the Ghost Spirit Sect’s Master Wei Wuya and the others had already crossed the huge mountain and appeared in a basin.

The basin was dark and humid, and there were puddles of various sizes all over the ground, causing the group of people who had no choice but to travel on foot to feel quite depressed.

Although they could use a few small magic techniques to block the mud and dirty water, their speed naturally decreased again and again.

But this time, neither Wang Tiangu nor Wei Wuya complained.

This was because they had seen a huge altar at the center of the basin when they had climbed over the mountain.

At this moment, everyone who had followed the Ghost Spirit Sect’s Master here immediately perked up and threw their original doubts to the back of their minds.

Ever since they entered the valley, this was the first time they had seen such a complete building. Needless to say, this place was definitely not ordinary. It was most likely related to the Spirit Ether Garden that the Ghost Spirit Sect’s Master had mentioned.

As such, the group of cultivators began to move even more slowly, but none of them appeared to be in a hurry.

It wasn’t that nobody had attempted to use the Floating Technique, but the only gain was that a crimson bolt of lightning struck down from the sky, nearly shattering the cultivator’s protective magic treasure. It seemed the closer they got to the center of the basin, the stricter the restriction became.

As such, the others no longer thought of playing tricks and could only slowly advance in single file.

A Ghost Spirit Sect disciple was leading the way. When they encountered shrubbery and other obstructions, he could easily open up a small path with a few fireballs.

After walking for half a day, the group finally approached the altar and saw the incomparably huge figure from afar.

The altar was constructed entirely from white mountain rock, and it was surrounded by stairs. It towered into the clouds and was several thousand feet tall. It was truly magnificent. However, the altar was a bit far away and too high, so it was impossible to see what was at the top.

“We’re almost there. It looks like we’ll be there in an hour or two at most. Sect Leader Wang, I’m even more curious as to how you know about the Spirit Ether Garden.” Although Wei Wuya was also walking on foot, his entire body was emitting a faint green light. After taking a light step forward, he silently slid several tens of feet away, appearing extremely relaxed.

The Ghost Spirit Sect’s Master smiled and indifferently said, “Brother Wei, don’t worry. I will definitely explain this matter to you.”

Wei Wuya nodded. Just as he was about to ask something else, spiritual light suddenly flashed from the Ghost Spirit Sect disciple at the very front, and his body staggered. Soon after, his body was soundlessly split into two from his shoulder to his waist, and his corpse silently fell to the ground.

“A spatial tear!” When the Ghost Spirit Sect’s Master saw this, his expression greatly changed.

Wei Wuya and Wang Tiangu’s expressions also darkened upon seeing this.

Although they didn’t know what the Ghost Spirit Sect’s Master was planning, they hadn’t encountered a single invisible spatial tear since they entered the valley according to the route he had pointed out. They had originally been relaxed, but now that a spatial tear had suddenly appeared, their hearts couldn’t help but tremble.

The other three Ghost Spirit Sect disciples also paled.

The group of people came to a stop and stopped advancing.

The Ghost Spirit Sect’s Master’s expression wavered as he looked at the severed corpse. Meanwhile, Wei Wuya closed his eyes as if he were trying to sense something with his spiritual sense, but he soon opened them again.

Wei Wuya shook his head expressionlessly and said, “That won’t do. This spatial rift isn’t something that can be sensed by one’s powerful spiritual sense. I can’t sense the existence of this rift.”

When Wang Tiangu heard this, he raised his hand and flicked his finger, sending five fireballs forward.

With a few pops, three of the fireballs were extinguished in a flash. However, two of them were sent flying several tens of feet away, smashing into the ground and creating two large craters.

Wang Tiangu slowly said, “This rift is very small. As long as we’re slightly off course, we will be able to bypass it.”

The Ghost Spirit Sect’s Master didn’t appear happy. Instead, he wore a gloomy expression and muttered, “Although this rift isn’t large, who knows how many more will appear along the way? We don’t have that many lives. As far as I know, there shouldn’t be any rifts blocking our path. Could it be that he hid something?”

Wei Wuya’s expression changed upon hearing this, but he didn’t say anything. Instead, Wang Tiangu looked at the altar in the distance and then at the corpse lying on the ground, feeling somewhat puzzled.

“Then what does Sect Master mean?”

The Ghost Spirit Sect’s Master frowned and looked up at the sky without immediately replying. After a long while, he let out a long sigh.

He wore a strange expression and said, “I originally wanted to wait until we arrived at the altar before revealing something to you. However, it seems I won’t be able to conceal it any longer. I’ll reveal something to you here.”

Wei Wuya and the others faltered upon hearing this before exchanging glances with one another.

The Ghost Spirit Sect’s Master waved his sleeve, and silver light flashed as a scroll appeared in his hand.

The scroll was about a meter long and was shimmering with silver light. It appeared to be quite ancient.

“This is…” When Wang Tiangu saw the scroll, he cried out in alarm.

The Ghost Spirit Sect’s Master glanced at Wang Tiangu and indifferently said, “Hehe! It seems you recognized this item. You personally handed it over to me. Everything related to the Spirit Ether Garden was obtained from this scroll.”

Wang Tiangu was completely stunned when he heard this.

This scroll was the portrait and scroll of Master Cang Kun that he had obtained at the Moulan Plains.

As for the Ghost Spirit Sect’s Master, he tossed the scroll into the air and wrapped it in a ball of spirit energy. He then formed an incantation gesture with a grave expression and pointed at the scroll.

With a sizzling sound, the scroll quickly opened, revealing the scene inside.

The back of a scholar with a long sword on his back, looking up at the sky, suddenly appeared on the painting.

Wang Tiangu and the others widened their eyes and stared at the portrait for a long time, wanting to discover something, but they found nothing.

However, Wei Wuya also took a deep look at the painting, and a hint of surprise appeared on his face as he swept his spiritual sense across the entire scroll.

The Ghost Spirit Sect’s Master’s heart stirred upon seeing Wei Wuya’s expression, and he praised, “As expected of a late-Nascent Soul Stage cultivator, to be able to discover the mysteries within so quickly. I was only able to discover the abnormality of this painting because of a secret technique that I cultivated.”

“It’s nothing. It’s been many years since I’ve seen such a spatial treasure. If you hadn’t reminded me in advance, I wouldn’t have been able to discover it so easily,” Wei Wuya replied with a strange expression.

The Ghost Spirit Sect’s Master smiled and didn’t pursue the matter any further. He immediately raised his hand and released a black incantation seal, striking the open scroll. At the same time, he coldly snorted and said to the scroll, “You’re still not coming out? Do you want me to use the devil flames to chase you out?”

The others were given a fright upon hearing this, and they also felt somewhat baffled. Wei Wuya also raised an eyebrow in surprise, and a hint of bewilderment flashed through his eyes.

As a result, an unbelievable scene occurred.

“Didn’t we already agree that I wouldn’t be summoned until we arrived at the designated location? Now that you’ve awakened me in front of so many people, don’t tell me you don’t want to continue the deal anymore!” A clear male voice sounded from the scroll.

Soon after, silver light erupted from the projection, and the scholarly man suddenly turned around to face them, revealing the face of a middle-aged man with three strands of long beard. However, his face was ice-cold and filled with displeasure.

Not only were the remaining Ghost Spirit Sect disciples dumbfounded by this scene, but even Wang Tiangu, who had personally come into contact with the scroll, had his mouth wide open in shock.

Wei Wuya was the only one to recover from his shock quickly. His expression soon returned to normal as he stared at the portrait of the scholar with a pensive expression.

The Ghost Spirit Sect’s Master looked at the portrait and bluntly asked, “You’re asking me? Didn’t you repeatedly guarantee that the route you gave me would be absolutely safe? This spatial tear has caused our sect’s disciple to die in vain!”

“The path I took back then was absolutely safe. How could there be a problem?” The scholarly portrait on the scroll refuted.

The Ghost Spirit Sect’s Master glanced at the spatial tear with a sullen expression and coldly said, “Then take a look at what’s over there.”

The scholar in the portrait was stunned for a moment before muttering to himself for a moment and disappearing. Spiritual light flashed from the surface of the portrait, turning it into a layer of azure light.

Soon after, light flashed and a ball of green light shot out from the light barrier, transforming into a blurry humanoid figure. It was none other than the scholarly man in the scroll.

At that moment, the scholar’s body was completely made up of greyish-white light. It emitted a faint spiritual light as if it could be extinguished with a single breath.

“How should I address you? Could it be that you’re the Master Cang Kun from back then? How could you maintain your primordial spirit and live until today?” Wang Tiangu felt that his voice was dry, and even he felt a trace of shock in his words.

“I have limited time outside the scroll. If you have any questions, you can ask your sect master later. I’ll take a look at the spatial tear first.” The scholar paid no attention to Wang Tiangu’s shock. Instead, he stared in the direction of the spatial tear and frowned slightly. He opened his mouth and spat out a ball of gray light.

With a bang, the ball of light was silently devoured by the spatial tear. The scholar’s expression immediately became strange.

“That’s strange! There really wasn’t such an invisible rift here in the past, so it should be one of the few newly formed rifts. There’s no need to worry about it, Fellow Daoists. It’s just a coincidence. I’ll be heading back.” The scholarly man was slightly surprised at first, but after some thought, he eventually calmed down.

Soon after, his body instantly faded away and he flew back into the scroll as a ball of green light, as if he didn’t want to waste any more time.