[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-a-mortal-s-journey-to-immortality":3,"chapter-a-mortal-s-journey-to-immortality-a-mortal-s-journey-to-immortality-chapter-995":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","A Mortal's Journey to Immortality",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2335921,4565,"Chapter 995","a-mortal-s-journey-to-immortality-chapter-995",995,"\u003Cp>“Huh! What’s on this stele’s surface?” Before Han Li could make sense of it, the elderly man with the Fu surname suddenly pointed at the back of the stone stele, his face filled with shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Li raised an eyebrow. He was certain the back of the stele had been completely empty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the old man wouldn’t make such a move without reason. In an instant, his body flickered slightly, and he appeared mysteriously behind the stele, now facing Han Li.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a single glance, Han Li too was stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The back of the stele had cracked into fragments, yet within the deep fissures, shimmering blue light flickered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Spirit stone?” Han Li’s eyes flickered; he wasn’t certain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, he flicked his ten fingers in rapid succession, sending over a dozen green sword qi crisscrossing through the air, instantly forming a swirling mass of green light that enveloped the upper half of the stele.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stone chips flew everywhere, shrouding the surrounding area in a gray haze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet with the sharpness of Han Li’s sword qi, within moments, blue light began to appear beneath the blades, growing increasingly brilliant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Han Li finally stopped his fingers, the green light vanished, revealing the stele now cleanly cut open—its center embedded with a deep blue crystal, as if it had always grown within the stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crystal was several feet long, glowing a vivid blue, exquisitely translucent. Though not fully exposed, it appeared rectangular and flat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire green stone stele seemed nothing more than a thick casing for this crystal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not a spirit stone,” Bai Yao said, her clear black-and-white eyes blinking twice. “Though it looks nearly identical to a water-element spirit stone, it doesn’t contain water-element spiritual energy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Indeed not a spirit stone,” Han Li murmured, gazing at the exposed surface of the crystal. “No one would use a spirit stone directly to forge an object, let alone engrave runes upon it. This appears to be a stele inscription.” He exhaled softly as he noticed the raised and recessed ancient characters glimmering on its surface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without further hesitation, he gathered his magic power, then reached out a single hand toward the crystal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instantly, a green-glowing hand materialized before the stele, fingers curled like claws, reaching forward to grasp the top of the crystal and pulling upward with all his strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was incredibly heavy—but Han Li, prepared for this, used his overwhelming magic power to forcibly wrench the entire crystal free from the stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A blue-hued crystal stele now floated before Han Li, its runes flowing and emitting a faint, ethereal blue glow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Li glanced briefly at the inscriptions, his heart stirred—but his expression remained unchanged. He quickly formed hand seals and pointed sharply at the crystal stele.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crystal stele trembled slightly, then shrank rapidly—within moments, it became a brick-sized object, and with a soft “whoosh,” vanished into Han Li’s wide sleeve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the old man and Bai Yao were equally intrigued by the crystal stele, seeing Han Li’s clear reluctance to let them examine it, they wisely said nothing further. After a brief discussion, the three agreed to ascend the stone steps upward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point, they were certain—the distant rumbling sound indeed came from higher up the mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately, the three concealed their auras and flew upward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Li, of course, had no idea that the rumbling they heard was actually the sound of the Ye family’s cultivators, far up the mountain’s mid-slope, desperately breaking through a barrier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the distance between them and the Ye cultivators was not as close as they assumed—between them lay another barrier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, the cave where they had been teleported was far lower than the fixed point where the Ye family’s cultivators had entered through the barrier’s fissure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, the strange man and the Ye family’s Grand Elder, two late Nascent Soul cultivators, floated motionless side by side above a cliff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Below them, at a short distance, the other Ye family cultivators stood in fixed positions around a hastily formed array, using its power to launch various magic treasures in furious assault against a massive, faintly visible archway atop the stone steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ancient demon also mingled among the Ye cultivators, coldly directing a jet-black flying sword—its origin unknown—as he attacked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The archway itself emitted ten thousand rays of colorful aura, effortlessly absorbing every single attack, as if it were a divine treasure in its own right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Youngster, how much longer until you break through the Wanxiu Gate?” The strange man, gazing at the archway wrapped in swirling spiritual light, turned to the white-robed scholar. His expression held a trace of anxiety.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Another day and night should suffice,” the scholar replied calmly. “This archway is far more troublesome than I imagined. No wonder the Wanxiu Gate carried such a legendary reputation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’ve wasted too much time here already,” muttered the big-headed strange man. “If you and I could join them below, we could cut the barrier-breaking time in half.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Since this mountain has produced ancient beasts like the Lion-Bird, I must remain vigilant,” the scholar replied coolly. “Better to take one or two extra days than risk exhaustion. Uncle Seven, be patient. We’ve only been in this mountain for a few days—time is still plentiful. Rushing leads to failure.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s true,” the strange man sighed. “Even if other sects’ Nascent Soul cultivators move quickly, by the time they arrive here and find the seal’s fissure, they’ll still need time to enter. But even this single Wanxiu Gate has taken us so long—I fear what lies ahead will be even more troublesome.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No need to worry, Uncle Seven,” the scholar smiled faintly. “Our Ye family has planned this operation for years—we’ve already gathered several specialized treasures designed to break barriers. We simply haven’t reached the point to use them yet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then I’m relieved,” the big-headed strange man said, his expression easing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two then silently observed the barrier-breaking efforts. But soon, the strange man’s nose twitched slightly, and his face darkened. Without a word, he flicked his fingers toward a certain direction. Instantly, several yellow sword qi shot out without warning, engulfing a large tree dozens of zhang away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A gust of wind stirred beneath the tree, and suddenly, a monstrous creature covered in green fur, with silver wings sprouting from its back, appeared there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The creature didn’t move its hands—only flapped its wings once, effortlessly deflecting the sword qi away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, the creature—its pointed ears and monkey-like face—glanced coldly at the Ye family cultivators below, then at the scholar and the strange man, and without a sound, spread its wings and shot backward, vanishing in a few flashes, dissolving once more into the wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did I see that right? That’s an incredibly refined Wind-Dodging Technique—able to vanish within the wind. That thing is surely the Silver-Winged Night Demon. Had it not carried a faint aura of corpse energy, I’d have been fooled completely.” The big-headed strange man didn’t pursue, but his expression turned grave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Corpse energy? I sensed nothing. Only your Blood-Cart True Scripture, Uncle Seven, could grant such acute perception. But more than that—this Silver-Winged Night Demon seems to possess considerable intelligence.” The scholar stared at the spot where the creature vanished, his expression darkening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is Mount Kunwu, said to be a land of immortals—yet everything we’ve encountered are beasts like the Lion-Bird and flying corpses! Thank heavens we came together—if one of us had come alone, it would’ve been deadly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“‘Land of immortals’ is an old saying,” the scholar replied slowly. “Now, Mount Kunwu is sealed for reasons unknown. Some strangeness is to be expected. But none of it matters to us. Our goal is the Heaven-Piercing Divine Treasure. Everything else is irrelevant.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s true,” the big-headed strange man said, his gaze turning cold. “But mindless beasts, no matter how powerful, aren’t truly dangerous. This Silver-Winged Night Demon has high intelligence—we must be extra cautious. Don’t let it ruin our mission.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you for the warning, Uncle Seven. I’ll keep a close eye on it,” the scholar replied, his tone more serious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the very moment the Ye family’s Grand Elder encountered and drove off the Silver-Winged Night Demon, high above the stone pavilion where the Ye cultivators had rested, a seemingly ordinary thick barrier suddenly flashed with light—and a head full of white hair poked through, peering around curiously, looking absurd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing no one was present, the figure immediately darted forward, silver light shimmering over his body as he squeezed through the barrier. Then, standing atop a giant disc of light, he floated slowly toward the pavilion and landed firmly on its roof.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did he raise his head, revealing a face full of wrinkles, with small, shrewd eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was none other than the mysterious old man, Xiang Zhili!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So this is Mount Kunwu,” he muttered. “Hmm! The spiritual energy is truly extraordinary. But who in their right mind would dare break this seal? If they release that thing, do they plan to drag all of Da Jin down with them? I’m cursed—right here nearby, and I can’t pretend I didn’t hear a thing.” Xiang Zhili glanced around, faintly hearing the distant rumbling, then began hopping and cursing on the pavilion roof, his face twisted with annoyance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you know coming here is bad luck, why are you here? I admire your courage,” came a sweet, feminine voice suddenly in his ear—soft, tender, like a lover’s whisper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at the sound of that voice, Xiang Zhili’s entire body froze, every drop of blood seeming to halt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Senior… you… you’ve emerged!” The old man swallowed hard, his voice trembling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Emerging? I emerged tens of thousands of years ago. But the final barrier, sealed by the Three Masters of Kunwu using the strength of ten thousand lives, is beyond my power alone to tear open. Otherwise, I would have left long ago. Why wait until now?” The woman’s voice remained gentle—but Xiang Zhili’s face turned instantly ashen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Net\u003C\u002Fp>",1661,"2026-06-20T21:12:49.722Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","6643047ca3bb6bd3a3842dbf4e1719b8240f24d006533a538b8ad656229ff7b4","a-mortal-s-journey-to-immortality-chapter-996","a-mortal-s-journey-to-immortality-chapter-994",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-mortal-s-journey-to-immortality-cover.jpg"]