A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality: Immortal Realm-Chapter 1317: Hiding Away

A long time passed by, and Han Li continued to walk through the city with his eyes closed.

Finally, Violet Spirit was unable to resist the urge to ask, "Why have we come here, Brother Han?"

It didn't appear as if he was going to be helping anyone here.

"The True Immortal Realm is very abundant with spiritual qi, so most of the immortal regions are very prosperous places. It's very rare to see a place as barren and decrepit as this, so I want to bask in the special environment here," Han Li replied.

"What's there to bask in in such a rundown city?" Violet Spirit asked with slightly furrowed brows.

Han Li hesitated momentarily, but ultimately merely shook his head in response.

One of the reasons why he had come here was actually to further his cultivation of the Spirit Refinement Technique.

In contrast with the previous six levels, cultivation of the seventh level was far more complex, and it wasn't something that could simply be mastered through aptitude and willpower alone. In addition to that, one had to witness and understand people in all types of circumstances, those who were successful, downtrodden, wealthy, impoverished...

In doing so, he would be refining his own mental state to give his own soul an all-inclusive quality, and only then could he hope to master the seventh level of the Spirit Refinement Technique.

Hence, they had been traveling not just to satisfy Violet Spirit's wanderlust, but also for him to see people from all walks of life and see the world through their eyes.

Upon mastering the sixth level of the Spirit Refinement Technique, Han Li had also become able to glean the thoughts of others through their soul fluctuations, just like Weeping Soul.

This entire city was filled with a decrepit aura, presenting a stark contrast with the other places that he had visited, and that was why he had been drawn here.

Violet Spirit didn't ask any further questions as she continued to trail along behind Han Li in silence.

Only after strolling through the city for an entire night did Han Li finally stop in his tracks and open his eyes.

"Done?" Violet Spirit asked.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Han Li replied with a nod.

"It's fine. What are you planning to do from here? Continue to help people?" Violet Spirit asked.

Han Li smiled and offered no response as he released his spiritual sense, and it wasn't long before he found his next target.

A golden lightning array was quickly conjured up around the two, and they instantly vanished from the spot before reappearing in the sky above a small courtyard in the city.

There were seven or eight muscular men surrounding an elderly man, seemingly trying to rob something from him.

"Stop!" Han Li yelled as he flicked a finger through the air, sending a bolt of lightning crashing down onto the nearby ground.

A huge crater was blasted into the ground, and the robbers were sent flying by the resulting shockwaves.

Han Li didn't dare to take any lives for fear of losing touch with his kind corpse soul. In fact, over all these years, he hadn't even slain a single wild beast.

The color instantly drained from the robbers' faces at the sight of Han Li and Violet Spirit, and they frantically scrambled to their feet before scurrying away, while the elderly man was momentarily rooted to the spot in a daze before hurriedly rushing over to Han Li's duo to offer his gratitude.

However, to Han Li's dismay, even though he had just helped the elderly man, the latter's gratitude hadn't bestowed any further kind intent upon him.

With his brows slightly furrowed, he gave the elderly man a slight nod before teleporting to the next site of conflict.

After his first half a month or so in this barren city, Han Li had committed over a hundred acts of kindness, yet not a single one yielded any kind intent.

At this moment, the two of them were seated together in a relatively tidy tea shop in the city.

Placed on the table in front of Han Li was a cup of spirit tea that was giving off a fine fragrance, but he was in no mood to taste it.

Violet Spirit's tea was also untouched, and she was reading through a thick book.

This was a book concerning the concepts of good and evil that Han Li had purchased from the Reincarnation Palace trading interface, and Violet Spirit was trying to see if there was anything in the book that could help Han Li out of his current predicament.

Han Li and Violet Spirit were the only customers in the tea shop, so it was very peaceful.

Right at this moment, they were approached by a thin middle-aged man, who smiled and asked, "Is the tea not to your liking? Should I switch to another tea?"

This man was the shopkeeper of the tea shop, and he was a Grand Ascension cultivator, but for some reason, he had taken up residence here to run this tea shop.

Given that he was on the cusp of the True Immortal Stage, his cultivation base was already quite lofty as far as this area was concerned, but of course, Han Li was able to see through him right away.

"There's no need for that. The tea is just fine, it's just that we're not in much of a mood for tea right now," Han Li replied with a faint smile, then took a sip of the tea in his cup before giving the shopkeeper a slight nod.

As for Violet Spirit, she paid no heed to the shopkeeper at all as she continued to read her book.

"It sounds like the two of you are troubled by something. In that case, this tea is not quite right for you. I just so happen to have a tea here that can cleanse one's heart and calm one's mind. I'll bring it out for the two of you to try," the shopkeeper said, then departed before Han Li had a chance to respond.

Moments later, he emerged with two cups of green spirit tea, then set them down onto the table.

The tea was virtually completely devoid of aroma, but Han Li's eyes lit up with intrigue as he took a sip out of one of the cups, and a cool and refreshing sensation instantly flowed throughout his entire body as the tea entered his stomach.

As a result, much of the frustration that he was feeling instantly dissipated.

"You are truly exceptional at your craft, shopkeeper," Han Li praised.

"You're far too kind, Fellow Daoist. I can see that both of you appear to be cultivators, is that right? On top of that, it seems like you're not from these parts," the shopkeeper said with a smile, and he seemed to have quite an outgoing personality.

"You're correct. We only came to this city around half a month ago. My name is Han Li, and this is Violet Spirit," Han Li replied.

"I see. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Li Hai," the shopkeeper said as he cupped his fist in a salute.

Violet Spirit looked up from her book momentarily to give the shopkeeper a slight nod, then turned her attention back to her reading again.

"There's no one else in the shop at the moment, so why not have a seat and join us for a chat, Shopkeeper Li?" Han Li invited.

Li Huai duly obliged, sitting down at the table.

"How were you able to tell that we're not from this area, Shopkeeper Li?" Han Li asked.

"Both of you possess very exuberant auras like that of the rising sun, and that's far different from the dispositions of the people that I see here. Anyone who has resided here for an extended period of time inevitably takes on the aura of this place," Li Hai replied with a smile.

"You possess a keen eye, Shopkeeper Li. Are things this bad everywhere around these parts, Shopkeeper Li?" Han Li asked.

"I'm afraid so," Li Hai sighed. "All of the spirit veins on this continent have been completely overexploited as far back as tens of thousands of years ago, and everyone who's able to leave has already left. All those that are left are those who are unable to leave or are attached to their homeland, so over time, it's become a rather depressing place."

"This continent isn't the only place in this situation, right?" Han Li asked.

"That's right. It sounds like you've been to a lot of places, Fellow Daoist Han," the shopkeeper replied with a nod.

"You're not a local here, either, right, Shopkeeper Li? In fact, I daresay you're not even from this immortal region," Han Li said as he set down his teacup with a smile.

"Oh? What makes you say that?" the shopkeeper asked with a surprised expression.

"I'm not well versed in the art of tea, but I've heard that the neighboring Green Water Immortal Region excels in tea arts and the production of tea leaves. I've even heard that in order to improve their skills, many of the tea masters of the Green Water Immortal Region have even pursued special cultivation arts to help hone their craft, the most popular of which is the Green Water Brewing Mantra.

“I can see that the water-attribute cultivation art that you're using is very similar to the Green Water Brewing Mantra, and there are also some traces of the style of the Green Water Immortal Region that I can see in the construction of the tea shop, and it's this combination of clues that led me to my conclusion," Han Li explained with a smile.

"You possess a far sharper eye than my own, Fellow Daoist! Indeed, I am originally from the Green Water Immortal Region," Li Hai praised as a hint of admiration appeared in his eyes.

He was unable to glean Han Li and Violet Spirit's cultivation bases, and he had initially assumed that they had hidden their cultivation bases using some type of aura concealment secret technique. However, given that Han Li was able to freely traverse between immortal regions and see through his cultivation arts with ease, it was clear that he had to have been at least at the True Immortal Stage.

However, at the same time, he could tell that Han Li had no intention of revealing his cultivation base, so he wisely decided not to ask.

"You tea-brewing skills seem to be quite impressive, so why is it that you left the Green Water Immortal Region to come to a barren immortal region like this one?" Han Li asked.

"You think far too highly of me, Fellow Daoist. I didn't really have a future in the Green Water Immortal Region, given my paltry tea-brewing skills and my lowly cultivation base. I strove to reach greater heights in the past, but it didn't work out in the end. In any case, I'm just happy to be able to lead a peaceful life and no longer have to constantly worry about my future," Li Hai replied with a wry smile, and Han Li nodded in response.

"That's enough about me. I'm assuming the two of you came here to do something, right? My cultivation base may not be all that impressive, but I've been here for many years, and I'm quite familiar with this place, so perhaps I can help you out," Li Hai said.

"Thank you for your kind hospitality, but what I've come here to do is a little special, and no one can help me," Han Li replied with a shake of his head.

"In that case, I can only wish you all the best. If you need any help from me, feel free to ask," Li Hai said.

Han Li could sense that Li Hai was being very genuine here, and he cupped his fist in a salute as he said, "You have my thanks."

Right at this moment, the voice of a young boy rang out from outside the shop.

"Uncle Li, are you there?"

It was a mortal boy dressed in ragged clothes, and he was standing outside the tea shop in a timid manner.

"Please excuse me for a moment, fellow daoists," Li Hai said, then stood up and made his way out of the tea shop.

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Han Li took a sip of tea as he casually cast his gaze out of the tea shop.