Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 203

According to the book, the silver Metal Devouring Insects were just newly hatched larvae, making them incompatible with the white spiders that had reached the first level of the upper realm. However, before that, it was necessary to test if the insect demonic beast was really that powerful.

Han Li placed the Soul Puppet in front of him.

Blood light spread from the Soul Puppet’s body, and as its five fingers spread, a crimson blood color enveloped the silver sphere. Yet, the silver sphere remained motionless, as if dead.

Han Li was a little disappointed at the sight. If the Spirit Beast Sect cultivator hadn’t exaggerated, how could the reaction be so sluggish!

After hesitating for a moment, Han Li decided to have the Soul Puppet continue to observe. A blood-red light flashed in the Soul Puppet’s eyes, and it raised its hand high, chanting an incantation.

Then, the blood light surrounding the silver sphere suddenly turned purple and began to burn with a fierce momentum.

As black flames emitting an eerie energy blazed, the silver sphere finally began to change.

Sizzle. Small silver pieces, like a collapsing sandcastle, began to buzz.

When Han Li examined them closely, they were all winged insects the size of beans, and except for their sharp fangs, they didn’t look much different from ordinary beetles.

He was a little doubtful. He might have confused the Metal Devouring Insects with another demonic beast. However, as he continued to watch them, Han Li was startled.

The small larvae were not burning in the flames created by the Soul Puppet; instead, they were running around happily.

Even more mysterious was that they were constantly eating the flames, and only half of the Soul Puppet’s demonic fire remained.

Only then did a smile spread across Han Li’s face.

Han Li immediately released the Blood Jade Spiders from the leather pouch at his waist. Without delay, he ordered the spiders to capture the Metal Devouring Insects.

Upon receiving his command, the Blood Jade Spiders, after greedily devouring the last of the black flames, sprayed white liquid, trapping the Metal Devouring Insects in their webs.

The Blood Jade Spiders’ webs, unlike ordinary spiderwebs, were fine and tough, not easily torn by the sharp teeth of the Metal Devouring Insects, making them ideal for trapping them.

The silver beetles, sensing danger, shot out like arrows and collided with the webs.

Thud! Thud!

However, the webs firmly blocked all attacks. When their attacks failed, the Metal Devouring Insects began to thrash wildly, gnawing at the webs.

The sound of countless insects continuously gnawing at the webs, though faint, was chilling.

But the Blood Jade Spiders wouldn’t just stand by and watch. The spiders jumped in front of the webs and continuously sprayed white liquid, and the webs soon formed a huge circle.

Han Li also knew that he wouldn’t be able to hold the Metal Devouring Insects for long with this method. He immediately took out a jade box from his pocket, crumpled the webbed mass into it, and sealed it.

In fact, when carrying demonic beasts, it was best to use a spirit beast pouch specially made for spirit beasts.

Otherwise, ordinary spirit beasts could suffocate due to lack of air.

However, insect demonic beasts, especially those ranked higher, were different. They had strong vitality and could survive even in ordinary storage bags. Otherwise, the Spirit Beast Sect cultivators wouldn’t have carried them around in all sorts of miscellaneous containers.

Han Li, having carefully placed the jade box in the storage bag, checked his residence again to see if he had missed anything.

However, he found nothing unusual except for the dense holes in the storage room.

Han Li, who had no intention of staying here long, immediately went outside, collected the three sets of formation tools, and flew into the sky.

* * *

When Han Li and the Soul Puppet had hurriedly reached the sky above Sohwando and barely escaped about ten miles, the Divine Wind Boat stopped moving.

Han Li, looking ahead, called out in a calm tone.

“There’s no need to hide, come out!”

Then, eight Foundation Establishment cultivators appeared in the void, emitting various colors of light. Among them, an old man in the late Foundation Establishment stage stepped forward and shouted with dignity.

“Han Li! You dare to collaborate with a cultivator surnamed Gok to steal the Gangjin Pill and kill a disciple of the Mist Island Lord. Our law enforcement cultivators will punish you on behalf of the island lord. The Mist Island Lord is waiting for the results, so don’t even think about resisting!”

Han Li and the Soul Puppet were hiding their cultivation to avoid the attention of others. That was why they could come out so confidently.

They were surprised that Han Li and the Soul Puppet had noticed their ambush, but after all, it was a very advantageous situation for eight Foundation Establishment cultivators to face one Qi Refining cultivator and one late Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Han Li silently scanned them and then opened his mouth.

“Are you cultivators from Gwaeseong Island? Do you have any proof that we killed other cultivators?”

The white-haired old man seemed a little flustered, but soon sneered.

“The testimony of Elder Myo of the Six Pavilions is enough! Don’t try to get away with clever words. Lord Mok has already ordered that if you capture your junior brother and sister, immediately abolish their cultivation and bring them in.”

At those words, Han Li’s expression changed slightly, and a chill settled on his face.

“Abolish our cultivation? Lord Mok won’t even give us a chance to defend ourselves.”

“Hehe! What chance to defend do criminals who have been on the run for years have? What are you waiting for, capture them now!”

The old man glared and turned his head towards the other cultivators. Then, the eight cultivators activated their respective magic tools and simultaneously attacked Han Li.

Han Li’s eyebrow twitched.

‘Judging by their actions, they’re not going to abolish our cultivation and bring us in! It’s clear they’re trying to kill us in one blow!’

He didn’t know what their intentions were, but they had certainly instilled enough killing intent in Han Li.

A cold voice echoed.

“Soul Puppet, kill them all! Don’t let a single one escape.”

The Soul Puppet, who had been standing by his side, silently stepped forward, and his whole body was enveloped in a tremendous blood-red light.

A yellow light flickered at the Soul Puppet’s feet as he growled lowly, and he met the magic tools flying like arrows.

After a brief flash of light, the magic tools, having lost their original luster, lost their movement within the Soul Puppet’s blood-red barrier, which was still emitting a red aura.

The Soul Puppet made a hand seal expressionlessly within it.

“Imprison!”

With a single word from the Soul Puppet’s mouth, the magic tools flew into his sleeves as if being pushed by something and disappeared.

“Core Formation! He’s a Core Formation cultivator!” [Core Formation is a major cultivation stage]

Someone finally noticed the Soul Puppet’s true cultivation and shouted, his face turning ashen. The others were just as flustered, and two of them immediately tried to escape on their magic tools.

The old man who had stepped forward also lost his arrogant demeanor and just looked incredulous.

The Soul Puppet, his eyes turning bright red, looked at the two who were running away and stretched out his hand, emitting a blood-red beam of light from his hand.

It was so fast that it instantly reached the backs of the two cultivators who had already escaped tens of feet.

One was wearing an earth-colored armor, and the other had deployed a seemingly extraordinary barrier, but as soon as the beam of light touched them, the magic tools, as well as the cultivators, turned to ashes.

The faces of the remaining cultivators turned pale. The white-haired old man cried out in panic, terrified.

“Senior, it’s a misunderstanding! We were just…”

But there was no way the Soul Puppet would listen to him. His shoulders trembled, and the blood-red energy that had been enveloping his body soared into the sky, forming a blood cloud above the remaining cultivators.

The remaining Foundation Establishment cultivators below, with despair on their faces, had no choice but to raise their magic tools to try to block the flames.

However, they couldn’t withstand it even for a moment and turned to ashes under the Soul Puppet’s cold gaze. Then, the Soul Puppet quickly collected several storage bags.

Han Li, who had collected the storage bags of the two who had died while fleeing, returned to his side. Then, Han Li, who was wary of his surroundings, muttered.

“It would be a disaster if even a Core Formation cultivator appeared, let’s go!”

His words seemed to be directed at the Soul Puppet and also to himself. As the Soul Puppet got on the Divine Wind Boat, Han Li activated the magic tool at full speed and turned into a streak of light.

Shortly after, blue and red lights flew from the direction of Gwaeseong Island towards Sohwando.

As the dazzling light disappeared, a cunning-looking old man and a middle-aged man wrapped in gray light appeared.

The middle-aged man said with a stiff face.

“Judging by the fact that the spiritual energy fluctuations haven’t dissipated yet, the culprit couldn’t have gone far.”

When one of the law enforcement cultivators who had been guarding this place died, the technique his master had placed on him was activated, alerting him that something had happened.

The middle-aged man, knowing that his disciple was in danger, immediately flew over, but he was a step too late.

The cunning-looking old man pointed in the direction Han Li had disappeared and leisurely opened his mouth.

“Lord Won, after using my Floating Cloud Tracking Technique, it seems the culprit went in that direction. If we chase him now, we should be able to catch up.”

“Then let’s chase him right away.”

“However, judging by the fluctuations of spiritual energy, it seems a Core Formation cultivator has intervened. Although only one person has made a move, there’s no guarantee that there aren’t other companions. Lord Won, are you going to clash with a fellow cultivator of the same level just for an ordinary disciple?”

The old man changed the subject and advised the middle-aged man not to do so. At those words, the middle-aged man flinched and opened his mouth with a helpless expression.

“If I don’t step forward even though my disciple has died, I will be branded as a petty person.”

“Hehe, who else is here besides you and me, Lord Won? The culprit is a Core Formation cultivator, and judging by the fact that he dared to commit murder near Gwaeseong Island, it’s highly likely that he’s not from the Southwest Sea Region.

So, will he go around talking about this? Or am I the type to spread this around? We can just pretend we don’t know and say we were a step too late. It’s dangerous to fight a Core Formation cultivator whose background is unknown just for an ordinary disciple.”

The old man smiled, looking as if he didn’t care. As Lord Won listened to his words, his face gradually relaxed, and he looked as if nothing had happened.

After organizing his thoughts for a moment, he bowed to the old man.

“I am grateful for the senior’s good teachings. I will generously compensate the family of the deceased disciple, so let’s go back quickly.”

“That’s right. Those of us who walk the path of cultivation must make every move count. We should only move when there is a reward that is worth the risk.”

“But I wonder how the law enforcement cultivators who were guarding this place were killed by a Core Formation cultivator. Could it be related to the two guys who were simultaneously wanted by the Six Pavilions and Gwaeseong Island?”

At the middle-aged man’s question filled with doubt, the old man showed his displeasure.

“That’s enough. Even if it’s related to those guys, what does it have to do with us? If Lord Mok didn’t have some kind of relationship with the Six Pavilions, there would be no reason for our island to chase after them. We are just deputy island lords, why should we care about such things?”

The middle-aged man smiled in agreement. The man called Lord Won and the old man chatted for a while before turning towards their residences.