A Record of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality

Chapter 844: Offense

Two months later, Han Li and Shi Chuankong appeared in the air above a giant lake.

The lake stretched as far as the eyes could see in all directions, and it looked no different from the vast sea.

"This lake is called Thousand Wave Lake, and Daoist Master Black River resides in the water palace on the lakebed. Fellow Daoist Li, I think we should aim for a peaceful resolution first, then only resort to violence if necessary," Shi Chuankong said.

"Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Shi, we're dealing with a Great Encompassment cultivator and also an ally to His Highness, so I won't rush in recklessly," Han Li replied in a calm manner, and Shi Chuankong was very relieved to see this.

"Come to think of it, we're already very close to the border of the Black Water Region. Beyond this lake is the Black Savage Region, right?" Han Li suddenly asked.

"That's right," Shi Chuankong replied.

The Black Savage Region was home to the Scalptia Spatial Domain.

Han Li nodded in response and didn't speak any further on the subject.

The two of them flew into the lake, then began a descent.

The lake was extremely deep, and even after descending for hundreds of thousands of feet, the lakebed was still nowhere in sight.

At this point, there was tremendous water pressure from all directions, and even Han Li was feeling a little uncomfortable.

Shi Chuankong opened his mouth to release a blue bead, which, in turn, released a hug ball of blue light that enveloped the two of them, upon which the surrounding water pressure completely abated.

After descending several more tens of thousands of feet, the two of them finally reached the lakebed, which had an undulating terrain, much like an underwater mountain range.

There were also many giant, immeasurably deep chasms on the lakebed that looked as if they led straight into the depths of hell.

Under Shi Chuankong's guidance, the two of them made their way into one of these chasms before continuing their descent.

"You seem to be very familiar with this place, Fellow Daoist Shi. Have you been here before?" Han Li asked.

"No, but I did make some contributions to the alliance that was formed between Pokong and Daoist Master Black River, so I conducted some research into his place of dwelling in the past," Shi Chuankong explained with a smile.

"I see," Han Li replied.

The water in the chasms on the lakebed was a little different from the water elsewhere in the lake. The deeper they descended, the more viscous and darker in color the water became, and it almost resembled heavy water.

At this point, it was so dark that visibility was extremely limited, but after descending for a short while longer, the chasm suddenly opened up into an enormous underground cave, at the center of which was an enormous island that was tens of thousands of acres in size.

The island consisted of an entire chunk of black crystalline material, and there were countless pavilions, pagodas, and palaces that had been constructed upon it.

The largest of the palaces had a plaque that was several hundred feet in size hanging above the entrance, and the words "Black River Water Palace" could be seen on the plaque.

The entire island was giving off rippling light that was black in color, but somehow still had a glittering and translucent quality to it, giving this place the appearance of an underwater crystal palace. It was an extremely spectacular sight to behold, and the island was also encompassed within a giant black light barrier that kept the surrounding lake water at bay.

Countless runes could be seen on the black light barrier, giving off formidable energy fluctuations.

Han Li was certain that if anyone were to try and attack the light barrier by force, the restrictions on it would be capable of instantly killing even a High Zenith cultivator.

"We're finally here. This entire island is actually an enormous piece of Yin Zenith Water Jade, and it's been refined by Daoist Master Black River for countless years, so the island is essentially an enormous devilish treasure. Hence, unless we've exhausted all other options, it would be best for us to avoid a conflict," Shi Chuankong said.

Han Li remained silent as a look of resolve flashed through his eyes.

Shi Chuankong heaved an internal sigh upon seeing this, and he knew that his advice had fallen onto deaf ears. Hence, he didn't bother to say anything further, and he flipped a hand over to produce a blue jade badge before tossing it forward.

The jade badge flew through the black light barrier as a streak of blue light, then vanished into thin air.

Moments later, a slightly wary female voice rang out from the island.

"Who has come to visit our Black River Water Palace?"

"I am Shi Chuankong, and I've come to meet Daoist Master Black River," Shi Chuankong replied as he stepped forward to present his purple badge.

The female voice was silent for a moment before ringing out again.

"Welcome, Your Highness. Forgive me for not coming out to greet you sooner."

At the same time, the section of the black light barrier directly in front of Han Li's duo parted to create a passageway that was several dozen feet in size.

Once again, a sense of gratitude toward Shi Chuankong welled up in Han Li's heart. It was only thanks to his status as a prince that they had been granted entry so easily. Otherwise, given how cautious the woman appeared, just entering the Black River Water Palace alone would've been a difficult task for Han Li.

The two of them exchanged a glance before flying into the opening together, and as soon as they did so, they were immediately enveloped by bursts of black light.

Han Li's brows furrowed slightly upon seeing this, but he didn't put up any resistance, and in the next instant, they appeared in a spacious hall.

The walls and the ground of the hall were all a translucent black color, and even the furniture in the room was directly connected to the floor. As it turned out, everything in the entire hall had been carved out, so it was all tightly interconnected.

The sound of footsteps rang out from within the hall, and a beautiful woman in a light blue robe with three golden hairpins in her hair emerged, followed by four maidservants.

The woman appeared to be in her thirties with fair skin and gorgeous features, but there was a slightly cold and domineering aura about her.

Han Li could see that she was at the early-High Zenith Stage, and given her disposition, it seemed that she was an important figure in this Black River Water Palace.

"Please forgive me for not arranging a more elaborate welcome, Your Highness," the woman said as she extended a curtsey.

"Don't worry about it, we're the ones to blame for arriving unannounced," Shi Chuankong replied with a smile.

The woman took a glance at Han Li, and her brows furrowed ever so slightly, but she didn't say anything.

Shi Chuankong could see the apprehension in the woman's eyes, so he delivered an introduction for both sides. "Fellow Daoist Li, this is Lady Ju, Senior Black River's dao partner. This is Fellow Daoist Li, and even though he comes from the Immortal Realm, he's a very close friend of mine."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Ju," Han Li said as he cupped his fist in a salute.

Lady Ju's expression eased slightly upon hearing this, and she extended a slight curtsey in return.

Lady Ju invited Han Li's duo to sit down, then ordered the maidservants behind her to bring out some tea and fruits before asking, "To what does our Black River Water Palace owe this honor, Your Highness?"

"I've come here today to speak to Senior Black River about something. Is he in the palace right now?" Shi Chuankong asked.

"That's unfortunate. My husband went into seclusion to cultivate a powerful secret technique many years ago, so I'm afraid he won't be able to come out to see you," Lady Ju replied, and Han Li was internally quite relieved to see this.

"I see, that is indeed rather unfortunate timing," Shi Chuankong said as he took a subtle glance at Han Li out of the corner of his eye.

"Prior to going into seclusion, my husband assigned me with the task of taking care of all of the Black River Water Palace's affairs. May I ask the purpose of your visit today? As long as it doesn't require any major decision-making, I should be able to help you," Lady Ju said with a smile.

Even though she was doing her best to disguise it, there was still a hint of pride and haughtiness in her eyes.

"It's nothing overly important. I heard that your Black River Water Palace recruited an ascended cultivator by the name of Violet Spirit about a century ago, is that correct?" Shi Chuankong asked.

The smile on Lady Ju's face instantly vanished upon hearing this, and a cold look of envy flashed through her eyes.

However, the change in her expression only lingered for a moment before she regained her composure, and she replied, "That's correct. Why do you ask about her, Your Highness?"

Even though the change in Lady Ju's expression was only for an instant, it failed to escape the notice of Han Li and Shi Chuankong, and Han Li's heart sank slightly upon seeing this.

"Violet Spirit just so happens to be a friend of Fellow Daoist Li's from the time when they were both in the lower realm, and Fellow Daoist Li has decided to pay her a visit after learning that she's ascended. Would you be able to invite her out to meet him?" Shi Chuankong requested.

"You two were friends, you say? More like lovers, am I right? I knew she was a slutty vixen, seducing men everywhere she goes!" Lady Ju sneered as she took a cold glance at Han Li.

"Violet Spirit has only recently ascended to the Holy Realm, so she's still quite unfamiliar with everything here. If she's caused you any offense, please allow me to apologize on her behalf," Han Li said as he rose to his feet before cupping his fist in a salute.

Lady Ju merely harrumphed coldly and offered no response.

"As a show of my sincerity, I would like to offer a few gifts," Han Li said as he swept a sleeve through the air, releasing a burst of azure light over the table beside him.

The azure light then faded to reveal four objects, namely a blue flag, a purple seal, a piece of blue crystal, and a length of black wood.

The blue flag and the purple seal were both graded devilish treasures, while the blue crystal and the black wood were both materials that harbored tremendous law powers, giving off law power fluctuations that were even more formidable than the pair of devilish treasures.

These four items were all from Daoist Master Bone Shine's storage tool, and even Shi Chuankong couldn't help but be drawn in by them.

Lady Ju's eyes also lit up at the sight of the items, but she then harrumphed coldly as she turned away, clearly refusing the offering.

Han Li's expression darkened slightly upon seeing this.

"Lady Ju, would it be possible for you to do me a favor and allow them to meet just this once?" Shi Chuankong asked.