Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 270

If word spread that a group of Nascent Soul cultivators had engaged in a massive bloodbath in the inner hall, only for a Core Formation cultivator to run off with the treasure, it would be a laughingstock in an instant.

Moreover, how could they allow a treasure like the Void Sky Cauldron to fall into someone else’s hands!

Man Hoja also had strange thoughts. The situation was too different from what he had agreed upon with Hyun-gol. Could it be that he really took the treasure and ran away?

If it were a normal early-stage Core Formation cultivator, it would be impossible to leave the Void Sky Hall through the third-floor secret chamber, but considering Hyun-gol’s identity as a former Nascent Soul cultivator with a unique technique for controlling ghosts, it wasn’t entirely impossible.

However, without revealing any of these suspicions, he was instead scheming to confuse the judgments of others. Man Hoja intentionally let slip a remark.

“The two fellows from the Star Palace might be hiding nearby, waiting for an opportunity to kill all three of us and take the Void Sky Cauldron.”

Everyone fell into deep thought at those words.

* * *

After getting far away from Yuan Yao, Han Li couldn’t resist the urge and took out the Void Sky Cauldron. He was curious about the treasures inside.

However, it wasn’t long before he faced an absurd situation.

No matter what magic he used, the cauldron lid wouldn’t open. It was as if the lid and the cauldron were one, stuck together and unmoving. It was the same even when he injected spiritual power like crazy or attacked it with all sorts of magical treasures in anger.

Occasionally, a blue light would flash, but it remained in its original form. His pounding heart cooled down in an instant.

He couldn’t do anything except increase or decrease the size of the Void Sky Cauldron.

Realizing this, Han Li was so frustrated that he shouted towards the empty sea. What on earth was the owner of the Void Sky Cauldron thinking, making a treasure like this!

It was clear that the Void Sky Cauldron could only be activated by a Nascent Soul cultivator or higher, or by using a special method. It meant that simply opening it by force or injecting spiritual power was useless.

‘Could it be related to the Azure Glacial Flame that was surrounding the cauldron?’

With this speculation, his excitement subsided.

Han Li decided to put the cauldron into his storage pouch for now and study it later when he had time. And this time, he took out the jade pendant engraved with a wolf’s head and fiddled with it.

He quickly figured out two functions. One was that when he injected spiritual power, a protective barrier mixed with yellow and red colors was created.

He had already confirmed the defensive power of this barrier inside the Void Sky Hall, so he knew it was formidable.

The other was that when Han Li recited an ancient incantation, he could summon two baby wolves engraved on either side, or a fully grown silver wolf.

The red baby wolf was born with pure fire attributes and could use useful fire-attribute magic, while the yellow baby wolf was born with earth attributes and was skilled in earth-attribute magic.

Among them was the Earth Escape Technique, which Han Li had always wanted to learn but had never succeeded in.

He was very happy, but he was troubled by the fact that he had no way to control the huge silver wolf that he could summon instead of the two.

It would respond when Han Li gave an order, but it was too obvious that it was doing it half-heartedly. Then, when he tried to make it use a technique, it would pretend not to hear the order.

He was speechless when he noticed the annoyance in the wolf’s eyes.

In his view, the yellow wolf was just an incarnation of the red wolf or the silver wolf, and the true spirit of the jade pendant was definitely the silver wolf.

However, the reason why the silver wolf was arrogant and disobedient was probably because he had not thoroughly refined it.

But seeing how Hyun-gol had even taken out the Golden Thunder Bamboo to try and take the silver wolf, there was no doubt that the wolf spirit was extraordinary.

Han Li put away the jade pendant and then examined the other treasures he had obtained from the Void Sky Hall.

He examined the ring given by the old demon, the white jade pendant, and the Cold Ice Pearl in turn, but found nothing strange, so he put them in his storage pouch without keeping them on his body.

The only thing he kept wearing inside his clothes was Man Hoja’s Yellow Scale Armor, as he was still lacking in transcendent defensive power. And he also kept the remains of the inner hall guards, half a bottle of Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Milk, and the base of the Soul Nourishing Wood safely in his possession.

“……!”

While checking the items, he discovered a bead that emitted five different colors, and his expression hardened. It was the object that had transformed from the strange skeleton next to the ancient teleportation array in the Tiannan Region.

The Blood Jade Spider was next to it, so it was highly likely that the skeleton was the Inverse Devil Hyun-geuk, as Hyun-gol had said. However, he didn’t know why the skeleton was shining in five colors or what its relationship was with the Emperor of Yue.

Looking at the bead again today, he couldn’t help but think of the Treasure Heaven Pill that had popped out of the Void Sky Cauldron. It was the same color, but it was larger and emitted a more dazzling light than the Treasure Heaven Pill.

Han Li, who had been lost in thought while holding the bead, carefully put it away again with a cautious face. After deciding on a direction, he took out the blood-colored cloak.

He was enveloped in a blood-colored light and began to shoot towards the direction of the Heavenly Star City like a meteor falling in the night sky.

This required a large amount of spiritual power, but he could move several times faster than a normal Core Formation cultivator.

Now, he had to return to his cave dwelling in Heavenly Star City as quickly as possible before the other old monsters escaped from the Void Sky Hall.

Even if he had to give up other things, he couldn’t leave behind even one of the Gold Devouring Beetles that he had raised with such care over the years.

He had no intention of handing over the Gold Devouring Beetles to the old monsters who might track him down to his dwelling. They might have secret techniques to accelerate the growth of insectoid demon beasts!

He planned to abandon the cave as soon as he arrived at Heavenly Star City and took what he needed, and then flee to the Outer Star Sea.

He intended to kill demon beasts in the Outer Star Sea to replenish his demon cores, observe the situation, and focus on his cultivation to break free from the early stage of Core Formation.

He sped along until his magic power was almost depleted, then switched to normal flight and used intermediate spirit stones to replenish his magic power. And when his magic power had recovered to some extent, he activated the blood-colored cloak again to hasten his journey.

His speed was so astonishing that he covered a distance that would normally take half a month in just ten days.

He encountered several cultivators along the way, but they were at most low-level cultivators of the Qi Refining or Foundation Establishment stage, so he passed them by without paying any attention.

However, the closer he got to Heavenly Star City, the more frequent his encounters with cultivators became. Some of them were moving in groups of several or a dozen.

Finally, after a month, Han Li saw a Core Formation cultivator for the first time. However, as soon as that cultivator noticed Han Li’s presence, he fled far away.

One person might be an exception, but when two Core Formation cultivators showed the same behavior within a few days, he began to suspect that something was wrong.

‘Did something happen in the Chaotic Star Sea while I was in the Void Sky Hall?’

Now that he had doubts, he couldn’t just rush on his way. Han Li slowly flew over the surface of the water while holding a spirit stone in his hand, and then he discovered a group of cultivators flying from another direction.

It was obvious at a glance that all six or seven of them were Foundation Establishment cultivators belonging to some faction. Without hesitation, he increased his speed and flew towards them.

There was a brief commotion in the group when they discovered Han Li, but the commotion soon subsided due to the reprimand of the cultivator who seemed to be the leader. The old man leading the group had white hair, but his eyes were sharp.

He first bowed to Han Li. His polite demeanor was beyond reproach.

“Senior, what brings you to us?”

Han Li appeared as the blue light disappeared. He scanned the group and asked calmly.

“Where do you belong, and where are you headed?”

“We are cultivators of the Three Immortals Sect, and we are heading to Heavenly Star City under the orders of our sect master.”

Han Li frowned and asked again.

“To Heavenly Star City? I noticed that the number of people heading to Heavenly Star City suddenly increased while I was traveling, and I thought the atmosphere was unusual. What happened?”

The old man secretly breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly replied with a smile.

“Haha! It seems you haven’t had any contact with others for a while. A big event happened in Heavenly Star City a few days ago, and almost all sects and factions are heading there.”

Han Li asked with a nonchalant face.

“I was in secluded cultivation for the past few days, so I didn’t hear about it. What happened?”

The old man clasped his hands and asked cautiously.

“If you wish to know, Senior, it is only right that I tell you everything. But may I know your esteemed name?”

That was a bit unexpected, but Han Li replied with a strange look.

“You’re a cautious one. I am Elder Han, an external elder of the Myriad Sound Sect. Have you heard of it?”

Upon hearing Han Li’s identity, the old man completely relaxed and smiled broadly.

“If you are Elder Han of the Myriad Sound Sect, then you are not unrelated at all. Isn’t Sect Master Seoljeok of our sect close friends with Sect Master Jaryeong of your sect!”

Han Li chuckled as the other party spoke as if they were suddenly close friends. The old man’s face slightly hardened, and he began to feel uneasy.

“Did I say something wrong?”

“I don’t pay attention to sect matters, so I don’t know if what you’re saying is true or false. However, if you answer my questions honestly, I have no intention of harming you for no reason. So, what exactly happened?”

“I am absolutely not deceiving you, Senior. I am really telling you the truth.”

The old man hurriedly explained, and then quickly continued when he saw Han Li’s face turn cold.

“Recently, a huge rumor has been circulating in the Chaotic Star Sea. It was said that the Heavenly Star Twins of the Star Palace had completed their secluded cultivation after mastering the Nascent Soul Light, and they were taking this opportunity to reorganize the forces that had not been following their control.

Originally, most people thought it was just a rumor, but a few days later, the Star Palace really issued orders to all the large and small forces. They ordered all sect masters and island lords of all sects to come to Heavenly Star City to meet the Heavenly Star Twins as soon as they received the Heavenly Star Decree. Otherwise, they would be punished for being disrespectful to the Star Palace.”

Han Li asked in disbelief.

“They ordered the leaders of each force to come and bow before the Heavenly Star Twins themselves? There would be a lot of backlash, how could they issue such an order?”

“That’s what I’m saying. Each force was also confused when they received this order. It would have been understandable if the Star Palace’s power was at its peak, but the Righteous and Demonic factions have already become quite formidable, so it didn’t make sense.”

Han Li looked at the old man’s group again.

“Then, are all the cultivators I saw on the way going to see the Heavenly Star Twins?”

The old man hesitated and answered vaguely.

“It’s not necessarily the case.”

“What do you mean?”

“There is something I haven’t told you yet, Senior. Not long after the Star Palace issued this order, the Righteous and Demonic factions suddenly declared an alliance and formed a force called the Anti-Star Alliance.

Man Samgo, the chief protector of the Myriad Law Sect, and Yukdo Geukseong, the current leader of the Demonic faction, have proclaimed themselves the co-leaders of the Anti-Star Alliance in order to overthrow the Star Palace and regain control of the Chaotic Star Sea.

As soon as the Anti-Star Alliance was established, organizations and factions that were subordinate to the Demonic and Righteous factions joined them, and other forces also responded, with a dozen or so Nascent Soul cultivators and island lords joining and being given the position of elder.

The Anti-Star Alliance, like the Star Palace, also distributed spirit tablets with a ghost engraved on them, called the Anti-Star Decree, and declared that any force that went to meet the Heavenly Star Twins would be considered an enemy and would not be spared. Moreover, they even announced that they would attack Heavenly Star City in the near future and that all forces should watch the battle and make their choice.”

Such a huge event had happened while he was in the Void Sky Hall, it was unexpected. For a moment, his mind became complicated.

Then something flashed through his mind.

“Do you have the ghost tablet called the Anti-Star Decree with you now?”

“Our sect also received one, but our sect master has it. However, we have copied its shape in a book, would you like to see it?”

“Let’s do that!”

The old man rummaged through his storage pouch and took out a yellow jade book and offered it to Han Li. Han Li quickly took the book and injected his consciousness into it, and his expression changed.

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