Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 265

Han Li didn’t directly catch the book Hyun-gul threw; instead, he waved his hand. A blue light flashed, and the book, enveloped in a bluish light barrier, fell into his grasp. Han Li used his spiritual sense to scan the contents.

He didn’t have time to thoroughly verify its authenticity, but it didn’t seem fake. Not only was the Nine-Crooked Spirit Ginseng [a rare medicinal herb] mentioned, but he also glimpsed some of the auxiliary medicinal ingredients he had heard of.

After withdrawing his spiritual sense, he accepted the book without hesitation.

“Alright. I agree to the deal. Let’s hurry then.”

Once he made a decision, it was best to act swiftly. Han Li immediately released the Spirit Beast Pouch, summoning the Blood Jade Spider with its ominous aura.

“Very well thought out.”

Hyun-gul, his face showing excitement, had his spider-like puppet emit spiderwebs.

Han Li, with a cold expression, also ordered the Blood Jade Spider to use its webs to envelop the Illusionary Sky Cauldron below the pit.

Hyun-gul cast various spells of different colors on the Blood Jade Spider’s body and then explained to Han Li,

“We don’t have much time, so we must hurry. Although my techniques have limitations, and I can’t use the Berserk Spell, I can use a few other auxiliary spells.”

At the same time, the remaining spider became ferocious, its body turning red, and black and green energies swirled around it, creating a bizarre sight.

Han Li’s brow furrowed slightly, but he didn’t say anything. After all, without the aid of these spells, the Blood Jade Spider couldn’t move the Illusionary Sky Cauldron.

As the two Blood Jade Spiders began to exert their strength, the cauldron gradually rose, pulled by the spiderwebs. Simultaneously, intense vibrations and a dark blue light began to emanate.

This time, there was no Qing Yi Layman [a title for a Taoist recluse] to protect him, so he had to deal with it himself. He quickly deployed a fire-attribute protective barrier and enhanced the power of the White Jade Pendant he wore on his waist. And on the innermost layer, he deployed the Azure Essence Sword Shield, a blade shield from the Azure Essence Sword Technique.

A blue light barrier enveloped Han Li, and within the dazzling blue light, a faint golden hue could be seen. As expected, the green energy spread greatly, and a dense ghostly aura protected him.

He still felt a bone-chilling cold, but as he fully utilized the Azure Essence Sword Technique, it wasn’t enough to harm his body.

Letting out a small sigh, Han Li focused most of his spiritual sense on the pit while also remaining vigilant of Hyun-gul.

No matter how logical the old demon’s words were, he had to be suspicious. While the Blood Jade Spiders were frantically pulling, the Illusionary Sky Cauldron was slowly rising again.

Unlike before, when it was unrelated to him, the speed at which the Illusionary Sky Cauldron was rising felt too slow. If even one of the old monsters returned, they would be doomed.

Hyun-gul, enveloped in green energy, remained calm, but as the dark blue light from the pit intensified, his face gradually flushed. Under the watchful eyes of the two cultivators, the Illusionary Sky Cauldron was rising smoothly.

Even amidst his anxiety, it was fortunate that no one showed any signs of returning, indicating that Manhoja had lured the other old monsters far away.

Han Li and Hyun-gul, who had been staring at the pit, simultaneously soared into the air. Then, a dark blue flame emerged from the pit, and once again, a dark blue flower bud bloomed, turning the world into an ice field.

The vague black shadow within the dark blue flames made Han Li’s heart race.

When the ritual cauldron called the Illusionary Sky Cauldron first appeared, he was too distracted by the rampaging old monsters to take a good look. Now, he was finally seeing its true form.

It had only risen about halfway, but he could already tell what it looked like.

The oval-shaped cauldron had two handles and three legs, and its height was about four feet, so it wasn’t considered very large.

The cauldron was covered with a round, convex lid, on which were engraved images of various insects, fish, and beasts frolicking in mountains and seas. Looking at the lifelike carvings, Han Li felt the ancient aura of the ancient cultivators of the Desolate Era [a mythical ancient period].

After revealing itself, the Illusionary Sky Cauldron began to hum, and the sound grew louder and louder. The blue flames surrounding it also grew several times larger.

Han Li and Hyun-gul, who were relatively close to the pit, quickly retreated with drastic changes in their expressions. This was because the area within a dozen feet of the altar had been completely frozen by the dark blue flames, forming ice pillars.

Everything was frozen except for the two spiders, which were emitting red energy and moving freely. If Han Li and Hyun-gul had been a little slower, they wouldn’t have escaped unscathed.

The altar now looked like it was encased in a giant dark blue crystal. Han Li asked in surprise,

“How are we supposed to find the treasure like this?”

It seemed as if even the surrounding spiritual energy was frozen, and there was no way to deal with it. Hyun-gul, with a serious face, stared at the dark blue flames and answered without blinking,

“There’s no way to eliminate the Azure Glacial Flame, but the Dark Soul Ghost Fire I’ve mastered is also an extreme substance, so I can control it for a short time. During that time, you pull the Illusionary Sky Cauldron out of the pit.”

Han Li couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

His opponent had unexpectedly taken on the dangerous Azure Glacial Flame and was telling him to pull out the Illusionary Sky Cauldron. Han Li looked at Hyun-gul with suspicious eyes.

‘Could it be that pulling out the Illusionary Sky Cauldron is more dangerous?’

However, now was the time to act rather than be cautious. If he sensed anything strange while taking the Illusionary Sky Cauldron, he could just run away to save his life, forgetting about the Heaven Mending Pill.

Having made up his mind, he nodded to signal his agreement to Hyun-gul. Hyun-gul also responded with a smile on his face.

Then, the old demon, with a strange expression, began to spin in the air as he stared at the flames.

“Kieeeek.”

The ghostly aura surrounding his body also spun, creating a swirling, dark green gale with a diameter of about ten feet, accompanied by an eerie sound and ghostly wails.

Then, the gale, having left Hyun-gul, fell onto the dark blue ice pillar.

Bang!

With a tremendous collision sound, the gale transformed into a fiercely burning pillar of flame, as if it had caught fire. The flame was somewhere between black and green, with no heat at all, and it exuded an icy aura.

Han Li widened his eyes and watched as the pillar of fire burrowed into the dark blue ice pillar.

Chwa chwa jang!

The dark blue, black, and green colors clashed dazzlingly, and the sharp sound of metal rubbing against metal echoed in his ears.

Han Li’s heart, which had been tense, relaxed a little.

Hyun-gul’s pillar of fire was indeed creating a passage, flying into the dark blue flames at the center of the altar. He watched it anxiously and quickly connected with the Blood Jade Spider.

He planned to move the Blood Jade Spider the moment his opponent separated the Azure Glacial Flame and the Illusionary Sky Cauldron. Eventually, the pillar of fire covered the pit according to Hyun-gul’s instructions.

Facing the dazzling dark blue flames, the pillar of fire exploded without hesitation, and instantly, a huge dark green lotus bloomed, embracing the Azure Glacial Flame and the Illusionary Sky Cauldron.

Han Li was startled when he saw it.

The first thought that came to his mind was the worry that Hyun-gul might break the deal and monopolize everything. Immediately, Han Li took out the five-colored rings and held them in his hand, watching the situation.

The giant lotus merely snatched the dark blue flames and disappeared, leaving only the Illusionary Sky Cauldron behind.

Seeing this, Han Li’s heartbeat gradually quickened, and his face flushed with joy. He was impressed by Hyun-gul’s miraculous skill and immediately ordered the Blood Jade Spider to pull the spiderwebs desperately.

The spiderwebs, which were already taut, were pulled even more fiercely, and an anomaly occurred.

The Illusionary Sky Cauldron, which had been as heavy as a thousand pounds, unexpectedly popped out with the Blood Jade Spider’s strength and flew towards Han Li. Although it was something to be happy about, he felt uneasy.

Unable to take any risks, Han Li quickly shot out a blue sword light, and the two swords, which split in mid-air, each supported one of the cauldron’s handles.

Han Li flew to a spot about three or four feet away from the Illusionary Sky Cauldron. It was even more suspicious that it was so easily controlled. It must have been because the Azure Glacial Flame had been removed, causing it to be easily ejected.

But it was all just suspicion.

There was no time to think deeply, so he first wrapped the cauldron in blue sword energy and slowly brought it over. As he chanted a spell, the Illusionary Sky Cauldron came into his hand.

Everything was too smooth, and he didn’t feel anything strange. Han Li touched the cauldron with his fingertips.

‘Is this the number one treasure of the Chaotic Star Sea, the Illusionary Sky Cauldron?’

Han Li muttered as he looked at the small, fist-sized cauldron.

“It’s not fake, is it…”

At that moment, a mad burst of laughter interrupted his thoughts. It was clearly Hyun-gul’s voice, but the madness in his laughter made his skin crawl.

“Kuhahaha! With the Azure Glacial Flame, Dark Soul Ghost Fire, and Evil-Repelling Divine Lightning combined, I can now master the legendary Asura Sacred Fire! I knew I wasn’t wrong. Hehehe…!”

Han Li held the cauldron in one hand and looked at Hyun-gul with a blank expression. As a result, he saw Hyun-gul in an astonishing state.

The huge dark green lotus had already disappeared, and he was simply holding up a huge ball of light with both hands.

When he first saw the ball of light, it looked like a mixture of black and green, but upon closer inspection, he could see a dark blue flame burning at its center. It was a flame that was trying to break through the dark green outer layer.

What was even more surprising was that black lightning was constantly crackling outside the ball of light. Han Li’s expression changed.

‘Hyun-gul’s real purpose is…’

At that moment, Hyun-gul approached Han Li. He stopped about ten feet away and looked at the Illusionary Sky Cauldron Han Li was holding.

“Well done. Now that you’ve brought out the Illusionary Sky Cauldron, everything is perfect.”

Han Li just snorted and didn’t say a word. The old demon smiled and continued leisurely,

“Judging by your expression, you’ve figured it out. There’s no time, and there’s no need to explain to a guy who’s about to die. I’ll make good use of your soul.”

Faced with his opponent’s clear murderous intent, Han Li’s heart turned cold. He didn’t have the time to beg or waste words with his opponent.

The best course of action was to strike first and gain the upper hand.

Han Li moved his hands and formed hand seals, and the rings quickly shrank, digging into Hyun-gul’s neck and limbs.

Even amidst the pain of the rings tightening, Hyun-gul sneered at him.

“Hehe, the Five Elements Rings. They’re relatively famous among ancient treasures, but they’re useless against those who possess Spirit Roots [a cultivator’s innate talent], cultivators with superior cultivation, and cultivators who use evil techniques like me.”

As if nothing had happened, he raised his arm and struck the ball of light floating in front of him.

The surface of the ball of light flashed for a moment, and unexpectedly, the center split open, revealing a large mouth. Dark blue flames writhed in the gap, and then, leaving a long tail, they flew away.

As this flame, as if alive, brushed against Hyun-gul’s neck and limbs, frost formed on the rings that had firmly held him in place.

Hyun-gul’s body twisted in an unknown way, and the frozen rings fell to the ground as if they had lost their life force, making a clear sound.

In response, Han Li immediately opened his mouth and spat out nine blue daggers. The nine daggers combined into a giant sword in mid-air and flew to strike Hyun-gul’s neck.

Even with this attack, the smile on Hyun-gul’s face didn’t disappear. He raised the ball of light high, and once again, a mouth opened, spewing out dark blue flames.

The dark blue flames this time transformed into an ice dragon with sharp claws, grabbed the giant sword, and attacked without hesitation, emitting dark blue energy.

The giant sword held out for a very short time before its light greatly diminished, and frost formed on its surface, reducing its speed.

Bang.

Thunder and lightning struck, and a faint golden thunderbolt appeared on the surface of the giant sword, attacking the ice dragon. At that moment, the giant sword broke free from its restraints and retreated.

Hyun-gul moved his lips and shouted fiercely,

“Where do you think you’re going? Leave behind the Golden Thunder Bamboo magic treasure you possess! I wonder how long you can hold out, since the Evil-Repelling Divine Lightning probably isn’t much left!”

# 267