Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 238

The fireballs exploded upon contact with the black energy escaping the bead, and a faint scream seemed to echo from within.

A cunning demon had lured him with its bead form, tempting him to touch it directly. Had he been greedy and touched the bead carelessly, he would have been embroiled in a war with three evil spirits within his own body.

It was expected that the combined demon tiger’s body would be vulnerable to the Evil-Slaying Divine Lightning. Given the reputation of the Golden Thunder Bamboo, it would have been absurd if four flying swords unleashing their full power of lightning couldn’t subdue a single demon.

Having such a deadly technique, he hadn’t been too worried since arriving in the Land of Resentful Souls. Even when the demons were merging one by one, he hadn’t felt particularly impatient.

Of course, he hadn’t intended to use the Evil-Slaying Divine Lightning from the start due to the gazes of Fairy Ziling and the black-robed figure.

However, after merging, the demons unexpectedly displayed tremendous power, even managing to subdue the Azure Bamboo Cloud Sword with their bare hands.

He wasn’t one to miss such a good opportunity. With this decision, a demon more powerful than a late-stage Core Formation cultivator had vanished from the world.

Han Li shook his head, looking down at the two pieces of the bead, then slowly turned and walked towards Fairy Ziling and the black-robed figure.

The black-robed figure’s eyes were wide with surprise. Although they had missed the final decisive moment, they had clearly seen the demon using spirit possession techniques, transforming, and merging.

Yet, unexpectedly, Han Li had easily dispatched the monster, which was simply unbelievable.

‘Could he possess some incredible treasure?’

Otherwise, there was no way a mere early-stage Core Formation cultivator could have accomplished such a feat. If their guess was correct, they could try to bring him to their side and make him a pillar of support in the Void Sky Hall.

It was believed that no one except Nascent Soul old monsters could defeat the powerful demon they had just witnessed without sustaining any injuries.

Having finished their thoughts, the black-robed figure looked at Han Li with complex emotions. Fairy Ziling was also greatly surprised, but she had known that he was different from ordinary Core Formation cultivators, so she quickly regained her composure.

She calmly spoke,

“You are amazing, Senior Han! To so easily deal with such a formidable demon. It is my good fortune to have been transported with you, Senior.”

“Easily? It was not easy at all.”

Fairy Ziling smiled at Han Li’s calm denial.

“You are too modest.”

She thought his answer was just empty words.

“What was that light you used just now? It unleashed such tremendous power!”

The black-robed figure, who had been listening, spoke up, their low, grating voice unpleasant to hear. Hearing that voice, Han Li suddenly burst into laughter. Then, with his laughter gone, he calmly looked at the black-robed figure.

“Since I know you are a woman, there’s no need to use a disguised voice.”

Fairy Ziling also wore a calm smile. The black-robed figure flinched, their eyes filled with embarrassment.

After a moment, the black-robed figure’s voice changed into a soft, feminine one.

“Since you two have already noticed, there’s no helping it. I merely disguised myself as a man for the sake of convenience during this journey.”

After speaking, she paused for a moment, then finally removed the mask covering her face, revealing her exquisite beauty.

She had snow-white skin and long, black hair, and the golden, radiant diadem on her forehead added a mystical charm. Even her cold and arrogant face was incredibly beautiful.

When the black-robed figure revealed her face, even Fairy Ziling, a woman herself, showed surprise. Then, as if something had occurred to her, she glanced at Han Li. The result made Fairy Ziling feel a little strange.

Han Li was staring intently at the woman’s face, wearing an expression different from his usual one. A faint blush appeared on the black-robed woman’s face. She felt displeased but also a little triumphant.

She coldly asked,

“Please stop staring. Is there something wrong with my face?”

Even though the woman had snapped at him, Han Li didn’t look angry at all. He still didn’t avert his gaze and even wore a playful smile, as if he had discovered something interesting.

At that sight, the black-robed woman raised her eyebrows, and even Fairy Ziling’s heart pounded. She was wary that Han Li might have some strange intentions.

However, upon a little thought, there was nothing strange about it. Due to the limitations of their innate talent, women who reached the Core Formation stage were extremely rare, so many men naturally took an interest in Core Formation women as their partners.

Moreover, if they were as beautiful as the black-robed woman, there was no reason for Han Li’s heart not to be swayed.

Just as the black-robed woman was about to get angry from the continued staring, Han Li stopped smiling and spoke seriously,

“Congratulations, Miss Yuan, on successfully reaching the Core Formation stage in just 100 years.”

Her embarrassed expression vanished the moment the name ‘Miss Yuan’ was mentioned. The black-robed woman denied his words with a flustered look.

“Miss Yuan? You must have mistaken me for someone else. My surname is Wan.”

That attitude surprised Han Li, and he looked at her again. At this, the woman’s face turned pale, and she placed a hand on her interspatial pouch, revealing hostility.

For some unknown reason, tension had built up. It was all because of Han Li’s words, ‘Miss Yuan.’ Han Li was still smiling, but the situation was just as unclear.

Fairy Ziling was confused by the situation. She naturally took a half-step towards Han Li, not revealing any expression.

Regardless of their strength, standing by Han Li’s side, whom she had known for a long time, was the best choice in the current situation. Han Li calmly explained,

“There seems to be some misunderstanding. Perhaps it’s been too long, and since we only met once, Senior Yuan doesn’t seem to remember me.”

“You only saw me once 100 years ago?”

Her wariness was still present, but the black-robed woman’s expression had softened slightly. The woman looked at Han Li closely, and when her doubts didn’t disappear, she asked,

“Your face is very unfamiliar to me, and I don’t know where I’ve seen you. You’re not trying to deceive me, are you?”

“Do you remember going to the Heavenly Capital Market of the Strange Star Island 100 years ago?”

“If it’s the Heavenly Capital of the Strange Star Island, I’ve certainly been there several times. Are you saying we met there?”

The black-robed woman nodded, searching her memory, then naturally looked at Han Li’s face. She seemed to be vaguely remembering something.

“That’s right. At the time, you were with someone named Senior Lian, and I was with Martial Uncle Qu, and we ran into each other while browsing the market.”

When mentioning Qu Hun, Han Li glanced at Fairy Ziling. Fairy Ziling knew that Qu Hun was just a clone.

She wore a strange expression at the mention of him pretending to be his martial uncle. She didn’t know the situation back then, but the thought of him acting like a puppet with his clone made her laugh without realizing it.

However, there was no reason to reveal that fact without a reason. However, it was already questionable why he hadn’t brought Qu Hun. How could he not bring such a great helper?

The black-robed woman blinked, and suddenly, something seemed to occur to her.

“Now that you mention it, you do look familiar. Could you be the person who was standing at the entrance of the Heavenly Capital with Senior Qu, who was at the late stage of Qi Condensation!”

Her face showed an expression of disbelief. Han Li gave a wry smile but laughed out loud as he answered,

“You finally remember. It seems my impression was too ordinary back then.”

At his words, the black-robed woman’s face flushed. She was greatly relieved that he wasn’t the person she had imagined, and she also felt a little apologetic.

“Please don’t take it too harshly. It’s just that at the time, your cultivation was…”

“At the time, Han’s cultivation and appearance were too ordinary, so it’s no wonder Miss Yuan didn’t notice me.”

Han Li’s relaxed demeanor reassured the black-robed woman. Since she knew he was quite capable, she had been worried that he might hold a grudge for her rudeness today.

Her magical treasure had also been greatly damaged, so she couldn’t afford to be on bad terms with Han Li. With this in mind, the woman smiled.

“I also congratulate Senior Han on your achievements! To have advanced from the Qi Refining stage to the Core Formation stage in just 100 years is truly amazing! Moreover, your magical power is so profound that you even easily dealt with the Ghost King.”

Han Li shook his head inwardly at the woman’s congratulations, which were meant to improve their relationship. What did she mean by advancing from the Qi Refining stage to the Core Formation stage? He was already a Foundation Establishment cultivator back then, and even then, he wouldn’t have reached the Core Formation stage without the Three Revolutions Origin Art.

The woman before him was the very definition of someone who had advanced from the Qi Refining stage to the Core Formation stage in such a short time! In fact, he had been greatly surprised when he recognized the black-robed woman.

She must have had a talent that surpassed ordinary people or encountered some fortuitous encounter in the past 100 years. Otherwise, such rapid progress would have been impossible.

He had confirmed that she was an early-stage Core Formation cultivator like himself when he examined her earlier, but he couldn’t determine her spiritual root due to her magical power.

He was about to say something with a smile when Fairy Ziling, who was standing next to him, frowned and said,

“How about we continue on our way? It would be a disaster if another demon appeared, so we shouldn’t stay here for too long.”

Han Li agreed with a smile. The black-robed woman, Yuan Yao, also had no objections. Thus, the three of them once again found their direction and continued to break through the ghost fog.

* * *

In an unnamed flower garden, strange flowers and grasses grew, and there were several exquisitely jade-built pavilions where 20 to 30 cultivators were resting.

Most of the cultivators had pale faces or bloodstains, indicating that they had gone through a great ordeal to arrive here. Yet, their faces revealed an excitement that they couldn’t hide.

Nascent Soul cultivators such as the Extreme Yin Ancestor and Man Tianming were also present, occupying the pavilions in two separate groups.

Two white-robed figures who claimed to be from the Star Palace had taken their seats in the middle of the two groups, whether intentionally or coincidentally, and sat cross-legged like statues.

All around the flower garden, about a hundred feet away, was a dense, black ghost fog, making the inner world completely different from the outside.

Suddenly, the ghost fog parted, and a young man with a calm gait walked out. He was a handsome cultivator with delicate features, wearing a green robe.

What was unusual was that there was nothing wrong with his body, as if he had arrived without any hardship. The others looked at him with strange eyes, their hearts filled with complex emotions.

At this moment, Extreme Yin, who had been closing his eyes to gather his strength, opened them slightly, confirmed the young man, and then closed them again with a disappointed look.

It meant that he didn’t care about the young man who had just appeared. However, a vicious look flashed in the young man’s eyes as he looked at the Extreme Yin Ancestor. He quickly hid this emotion and strode into the flower garden.

He didn’t sit in the pavilions with the other cultivators but chose a corner, put his hands behind his back, and looked at the others with a cold gaze.

However, when he didn’t see Han Li among them, his eyebrows drooped, and he returned to his expressionless face. At this moment, a deep voice that others couldn’t hear echoed in the young man’s head.

“Why isn’t your helper here? Hehe, maybe he was defeated by a powerful demon.”

The young man angrily retorted through his consciousness,

“Shut your mouth! Don’t make noise inside my body at any time. I told you that if even one of the Nascent Soul cultivators had a strong consciousness, we would be discovered!”