Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 62

Zhong Yingdao waved his hand, signaling the middle-aged scholar to explain.

“Disciple Ye, this time, your grandnephew will have to bear with it. One of those two is the only descendant left by Senior Hongbul in the mortal world. Although the young lady’s magical power didn’t meet the requirements, it was decided that she would still be included in the list to receive the Foundation Establishment Pill. Disciple Ye wouldn’t suggest taking away her Foundation Establishment Pill, would you?”

Upon hearing the name Hongbul, the old man began to fidget.

“If she is Senior Hongbul’s descendant, then of course, we must take care of her. How could I, a junior, be disrespectful to a senior! I have no objections to that at all.”

Sect Leader Zhong understood the old man’s pale expression. Who among those present wouldn’t know the temper of Senior Hongbul, the only cultivator who had reached the Core Formation stage in the Yellow Wind Valley? If they were to take away that child’s Foundation Establishment Pill, not only would the old man be struck by lightning, but even he, the sect leader, would see his good days come to an end.

“Then who is the other one?”

The old man, still unwilling to give up, continued to ask.

“The remaining one possesses the ‘Unusual Spiritual Root of Heaven.’ Is that a sufficient reason?”

Zhong Yingdao stroked his beard and answered leisurely, causing the old man to shut his mouth. It was a matter clearly stated in the Yellow Wind Valley’s rules.

‘Those with the Heavenly Root or Unusual Spiritual Root shall be given priority for Foundation Establishment!’

With the opportunity for Foundation Establishment given to those with the Heavenly Root or Unusual Spiritual Root, what could he possibly say?

“Then, is there really no hope for my grandnephew? If he misses this opportunity, he will have to wait another ten years, and by then, the most suitable time to reach the Foundation Establishment stage will have passed. Does this mean he won’t be able to reach the Foundation Establishment stage in this lifetime?”

His words were so pitiful that they caused a stir among the group sitting beside him.

“Disciple Ye, there is a way, though not entirely without its challenges.”

A hawk-nosed old man stood up and comforted Old Man Ye.

“What way is that, Senior Brother Oh?”

Old Man Ye, as if suddenly awakened by Senior Brother Oh’s words, who was known for his wisdom and cunning, asked anxiously. Old Man Oh smiled, and without answering immediately, turned his head towards Zhong Yingdao and bowed.

“I would like to ask the Sect Leader, have you tested the spiritual root attribute of the person who brought the Ascension Token? What was his aptitude like?”

“It wasn’t that great! Disciple Wang, you personally brought him and even conducted the test, so why don’t you tell us?”

“Yes, Sect Leader!”

Sect Leader Zhong looked at one of the people sitting in a row on the left, and a middle-aged man wearing a light green robe stood up.

“That person is not very old, about seventeen or eighteen, and he has mastered the Wood Attribute Basic Cultivation Method to the early stage of the ninth level. His spiritual root attribute is a mix of four attributes, excluding metal, which makes him a ‘Pseudo Spiritual Root’ [a spiritual root with multiple attributes, considered inferior to single-attribute roots]. Overall, his aptitude is poor, and if it weren’t for some fortuitous encounter and arduous training, he wouldn’t have reached his current level. If he doesn’t have better opportunities in the future, he might only reach the twelfth level of the basic cultivation method even after a lifetime of training. Reaching the Foundation Establishment stage is almost impossible, and even if he were to take a Foundation Establishment Pill, the chance of entering the Foundation Establishment stage is one in a hundred…”

“That’s right!”

Old Man Oh interrupted Disciple Wang loudly before he could finish his sentence.

“What is it?”

Old Man Ye asked, bewildered, and the others also waited for Old Man Oh’s answer, but only Zhong Yingdao seemed to have grasped Old Man Oh’s thoughts, his eyebrows twitching.

“I ask the Sect Leader, if the person who brought the Ascension Token were to give up the opportunity to take the Foundation Establishment Pill, wouldn’t our sect be breaking its promise?”

“That’s right. But no one should use threats or coercive methods. Otherwise, we will tarnish the name of our Yellow Wind Valley!”

“Haha! Sect Leader, please rest assured! That is a given.”

Sect Leader Zhong spoke quietly but firmly. Old Man Oh accepted Zhong’s command with a smile and turned his head towards Old Man Ye.

“Disciple Ye, how about offering some useful items in exchange for the Foundation Establishment Pill? Since his aptitude is low, the success rate of the Foundation Establishment Pill is also low, so the trade might be successful. We can make him give up the Foundation Establishment Pill and obtain something much more practical!”

Old Man Oh confidently advised.

“Ah! That’s a very good idea, Senior Brother Oh!”

Old Man Ye’s eyes lit up, unable to hide his excitement. He then turned his head towards Zhong Yingdao, asking with expectant eyes.

“Sect Leader, please allow me to meet the owner of the Ascension Token. I will negotiate with him and make him give up the Foundation Establishment Pill himself!”

Zhong Yingdao sighed and nodded. However, he did not forget to remind him once again not to force the trade and assigned Disciple Wang to go to the uninvited guest. As soon as Old Man Ye and Disciple Wang left the main hall, they immediately stepped onto a leaf-shaped magical artifact and flew towards the Yellow Wind Valley’s Guest Pavilion.

* * *

In a room of the Yellow Wind Valley’s Guest Pavilion, a young man was lying on the bed, lost in thought. It was Han Li, who had come to the Yellow Wind Valley with the winners of the Ascension Tournament. He had safely arrived at the Ascension Tournament venue. As the Ascension Tournament began in earnest, a brutal and fierce battle unfolded, more so than what Hu Pinggu had described.

After a series of deadly duels, only the final victors remained. It was then that the guides from the Seven Great Immortal Sects revealed themselves, and the guide from the Yellow Wind Valley was none other than Disciple Wang.

Han Li was conflicted upon seeing the guide from the Yellow Wind Valley, but he decided to take a chance and showed him the token. Disciple Wang was greatly surprised and brought Han Li back to the sect. What to do with him and the Ascension Token was up to the sect leader’s decision. After all, it had been almost four or five hundred years since the last Ascension Token was retrieved.

Naturally, Han Li had no reason to refuse his offer. How difficult would it have been for him to find the Yellow Wind Valley’s gates on his own?

Thus, amidst the puzzled gazes of other cultivators, he came to the Yellow Wind Valley with ten winners on a large, boat-shaped magical artifact. Disciple Wang had arranged accommodation for him in the Guest Pavilion and told him to wait, while the other winners had gone elsewhere. He didn’t know where.

Several days had passed, but he had not stepped outside his room once. Except for a young servant who brought him meals at regular times, he had not met anyone. This was not because Han Li was the type to obediently follow instructions, but because of what Disciple Wang had said after testing his attributes. Han Li was not yet a disciple of the Yellow Wind Valley, so his room would be under a restriction, and if he went out carelessly, he would be trapped by the restriction and suffer.

Moreover, after hearing from Disciple Wang that he was a Pseudo Spiritual Root with four attributes, it was difficult for him to accept for a while. Of course, he had realized that his aptitude was relatively poor, but hearing it directly made him feel gloomy and depressed all day long. It seemed that to achieve any success in the cultivation world, he would have to rely on elixirs or external forces.

However, now that the Everlasting Spring Technique had reached the ninth level, the effects of the Yellow Dragon Pill and the Golden Marrow Pill were gradually diminishing. These things were no longer of great help to his cultivation, so he had to find a suitable apothecary for other cultivators to advance in his training. He was deep in thought when he heard a commotion outside. Judging by the sound of footsteps, it was not just one person. Han Li regained his senses and hoped that it was the news he had been waiting for.

“I wonder if the young friend is doing well here.”

The door opened, and Disciple Wang’s voice was heard. As he took a few steps in, an old man with a red face followed behind him.

“Greetings, Senior Wang!”

Han Li immediately got off the bed and bowed respectfully. He knew that being polite and humble would never do any harm.

“And this person is…?”

“Hmm. This is my senior brother, whose surname is Ye,” Disciple Wang explained with a smile to Han Li’s question.

‘Ye family? Could it be that it has been revealed that the Ascension Token was stolen from Jin Guangshang? Is that why someone from the Ye family has come?’

Han Li was greatly surprised by Disciple Wang’s words, but the old man’s expression was not that of someone facing an arch-enemy. Contrary to his trembling heart, Han Li outwardly bowed very politely.

“So you are Senior Ye.”

Old Man Ye also sized up Han Li, but he could not find anything extraordinary about him.

“Haha! There’s no need to be so polite. If a young friend has come to the Yellow Wind Valley with the Ascension Token, then you are already as good as a disciple of our sect. From now on, you can just call me Uncle-Master.”

Han Li felt much more at ease with the old man’s gentle face, but he was not completely relieved. Judging by the way he spoke, he certainly had not come to seek revenge. However, his kindness was excessive.

“The sect leader has approved your entry, and he will also give you a Foundation Establishment Pill, so prepare yourself.”

“Really?”

Even Han Li, who was usually calm and composed, could not help but be excited at this moment and wanted to dance with joy. Disciple Wang burst out laughing at Han Li’s reaction. Han Li’s reaction was exactly as he had expected.

“Disciple Wang, I would like to have a private conversation. Could you leave us for a moment?”

The old man, as if he could not wait any longer, said what he wanted to say as soon as he entered the room.

“Of course. Then, Senior Brother, please come with Disciple Han after your conversation.”

Disciple Wang secretly sighed and left the room. Now, only Disciple Ye and Han Li were left in the room. Han Li, who had been watching what had just happened, was clueless. He did not know what the Ye family wanted, but he had a bad feeling.

The old man noticed Han Li’s anxiety but did not care at all. He was confident that he could make this young man, who had not seen much of the world, open his eyes wide and make the deal.

“Disciple Han, your uncle-master is a straightforward person, so I won’t beat around the bush. What I want to talk about is the Foundation Establishment Pill that you will receive. To put it bluntly, I want to buy that Foundation Establishment Pill. What is your opinion?”

The old man went straight to the point.

‘Are you saying you want to buy the Foundation Establishment Pill that they are giving me? Did I hear correctly? No, who would give away something like a Foundation Establishment Pill?’

Han Li immediately froze, and his face contorted in an unpleasant way.

“Disciple Han, rest assured. I’m not saying I’m going to take your Foundation Establishment Pill for nothing. I’ll give you seven mid-grade spirit stones, some low-grade intermediate spirit talismans, and some very good magical artifacts. If that’s not enough, I can also give you some elixirs that can enhance your magical power. Although they are not as good as the Foundation Establishment Pill, they are rare spiritual medicines that are hard to find even within the sect! If you agree, I would like to trade all of this for the Foundation Establishment Pill!”

The old man quickly listed his conditions, watching Han Li’s expression. Han Li’s expression improved considerably. He could feel the sincerity in the other’s tone, and he felt that the other person really wanted to trade rather than steal his Foundation Establishment Pill.

Han Li listened attentively, with a polite expression on his face. Old Man Ye was also quite pleased with Han Li’s attitude, as he had not immediately rejected the idea of exchanging the Foundation Establishment Pill.

In fact, he did not expect to actually obtain the Foundation Establishment Pill with what he had just offered. No one in their right mind would sell such a precious item for such a low price, so it was just a ploy to test the other party. However, now that the other party seemed willing to talk, he felt much more at ease.

“Disciple Han, you must know your spiritual root attribute, right? In fact, with your aptitude, even if you take the Foundation Establishment Pill, the chances of successfully reaching the Foundation Establishment stage are slim. Even if you take the Foundation Establishment Pill, you will only improve by two or three levels in your basic cultivation method. Wouldn’t that be a waste of the Foundation Establishment Pill? So, how great would it be if you could exchange the Foundation Establishment Pill for something more practical? If…”

The old man kept talking, trying to persuade Han Li. On the surface, he pretended to listen attentively to Uncle-Master Ye’s words, but in his mind, he was analyzing and refuting his words.
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