Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 271

It was indeed the same ghost-headed tablet that the elders of the six pavilions had previously shown to Oh Chuk. Although there were slight variations, it was undoubtedly the same pattern.

The righteous and demonic paths were secretly colluding, having waited for this moment for a long time, holding their breath.

He was slightly surprised, but without showing any reaction, he returned the book to the old man.

“So, you’re heading to Heavenly Star City to observe the battle between the Star Palace and the Rebel Alliance, and then decide which side to choose.”

“That is correct. We are on our way to assess the situation under the orders of our sect leader. After all, our Three Immortal Sect is not a large sect, so we must adapt to the circumstances.

However, I heard that the Rebel Alliance has already attacked the outer sea of Heavenly Star City and is gaining the upper hand. Some islands have even volunteered to join the Rebel Alliance, betraying the Star Palace. It won’t be long before the inner sea becomes chaotic as well.

Taking advantage of this chaos, evil groups are causing trouble, and countless cultivators and small sects have suffered, with corpses piling up like mountains or being completely destroyed.”

There was a reason why all the cultivators they had passed had been wary and hostile towards others. Satisfied with the answer, Han Li waved his hand.

“Alright, I understand. Now, go on your way.”

The old man was overjoyed and bowed.

“We will take our leave then.”

Although Han Li did not seem like a bad person, there was no reason to welcome a strange Core Formation cultivator [a cultivator at a specific stage of power] in times like these. They hurriedly flew in the direction they were headed.

Han Li floated in place, lost in thought. The fact that the Star Palace and the righteous and demonic paths had finally entered a war was both good and bad news.

The good thing was that a major war had broken out, so the attention of the old monsters he had seen in the Void Sky Hall would be focused there.

They were all affiliated with either the righteous or demonic paths, so they could not avoid getting involved in this matter, and as a result, they would naturally become negligent in their pursuit of the Void Sky Cauldron.

The bad thing was that returning to Heavenly Star City in this situation had become very troublesome. This was especially true for Core Formation cultivators like himself.

Moreover, if the war started before he reached Heavenly Star City, it would become impossible to enter at all. The Star Palace would not allow just any cultivator inside at this time.

The more he thought about it, the more he sighed. Over the next few days, he occasionally stopped low-level cultivators and asked them, but their answers were no different from what the old man had told him.

Now, Han Li was at a crossroads. He floated on the water, staring blankly into the distance, hesitating.

He looked up at the azure sky and suddenly flipped his palm, taking out a blue bottle. It was the bottle containing the Myriad Year Spirit Milk. There was no other choice.

It was a pity to use such a precious treasure so quickly, but otherwise, he would not be able to reach Heavenly Star City before the Rebel Alliance’s attack began.

If that happened, not only would he be unable to visit his cave dwelling in Heavenly Star City, but he would also be unable to use the teleportation array to escape to the outer sea.

After much deliberation, he finally opened the bottle and poured a few drops of the transparent liquid into his mouth. He immediately flapped his Bloodwind Cloak and disappeared.

For the next half month, he flew without stopping, taking a few drops of Myriad Year Spirit Milk whenever his magic power waned. He greatly accelerated his schedule, flying at a speed comparable to that of a Nascent Soul cultivator [a cultivator at a higher stage of power].

As a result, the Core Formation cultivators he occasionally encountered saw Han Li in his red aura and assumed he was a Nascent Soul cultivator, quickly making way for him. Naturally, no one dared to provoke a Nascent Soul cultivator.

* * *

After flying at an astonishing speed, Han Li finally arrived in the waters near Heavenly Star City. As he got closer to his destination, he removed his blood-red Bloodwind Cloak and began flying like a normal Core Formation cultivator.

The surrounding waters were very chaotic, so it would not be unusual for a Nascent Soul cultivator to appear nearby. To avoid attracting the attention of such high-level cultivators, he had to be discreet.

Also, since there was no news of Rebel Alliance figures appearing yet, he naturally felt a little more at ease.

Ahead was South Bright Island, the last stop before reaching Heavenly Star City. Although it was not very large, a large number of Star Palace cultivators were stationed there. It was essentially an outer outpost of Heavenly Star City.

The port, which used to be bustling with large and small merchant ships, ordinary people, and cultivators, was now empty. It seemed that ordinary people and cultivators had gone into hiding after hearing the news of the impending war.

Those who were now coming and going were mostly cultivators dispatched by various forces to gather information. Han Li, tired from his long flight, decided to rest here for a while.

And while he was there, he also needed to visit the market on South Bright Island to replenish supplies for his trip to the outer sea. After all, he did not know the current situation inside Heavenly Star City, so it would be best to prepare in advance.

As he entered the port’s formation, he could feel that the security level on South Bright Island was very strict. At least three Core Formation cultivators began scanning him, and it was only after a long time that they stopped.

The Star Palace also seemed to be preparing for a surprise attack by the Rebel Alliance cultivators. Han Li calmly walked towards the market.

The market on South Bright Island was located in a city not far from the port, for the convenience of the cultivators and merchants passing through.

The scale of the market was not comparable to that of a large city, but all kinds of goods were available, and the prices were cheaper than in the markets within Heavenly Star City.

Since he was short on time, he entered the market and immediately began searching for the apothecary that Hyun-gol had given him for the Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng.

* * *

In a spacious hall, a middle-aged cultivator with a neat appearance was speaking cautiously.

“I am truly sorry, Senior. Although I have been running a material shop for a long time, I have never heard of a material called Thousand Leaf Dew. Also, Agate Horn is the horn of a very rare demon beast, the Agate, which ordinary cultivators would never have the chance to see in their entire lives. It seems you will have to look for it at other shops or auction houses.”

Han Li, with a frown, sat on a wooden chair, expressing his dissatisfaction.

“This is the largest material shop here, where else am I supposed to go? Besides, I don’t have time to wait for items to appear at an auction.”

At those words, the middle-aged man looked troubled. The items Han Li was requesting were truly impossible to find.

Seeing this, Han Li sighed softly and stood up. It seemed that he would have to find another way to obtain the final two ingredients for refining the Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng.

Since he would only use them when he reached the peak of the late Core Formation stage, just before forming his Nascent Soul, there was no need to rush. The middle-aged man was seeing Han Li off when he suddenly seemed to have an idea.

He hesitated for a moment, but eventually spoke to Han Li again.

“Although we don’t have the Thousand Leaf Dew in our shop, it might be known by another name.”

“What do you mean?”

“It may sound like I’m boasting, but Wan Bae has been running this material shop for 100 years. I have handled countless rare and strange materials. If it is a spirit herb that I have never heard of, it is most likely an old name used by ancient cultivators, and it now has a new name. This has happened several times before, where the name was difficult, but it was actually a very common spirit herb.”

It made sense to Han Li.

The Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng itself was a legendary immortal herb, so its apothecary must have been passed down from ancient times. It seemed that he would have to search through scriptures dealing with the ancient era to find out the true identity of the Thousand Leaf Dew.

With a gentler expression, he nodded and quietly left the shop. Now it was time to gather apothecaries suitable for Core Formation cultivators and prepare to refine pills.

He had already gathered enough other auxiliary materials, so much so that he didn’t even need to use the mysterious bottle.

He would not be able to return for a short time once he went to the outer sea, and he did not want to hinder his cultivation due to a lack of minor auxiliary materials.

Now that he had several high-grade treasures, he could hunt sixth and seventh-grade demon beasts with the help of formations. Of course, if an eighth-grade or higher demon beast appeared, he would have to run immediately.

He had heard that when demon beasts reached the eighth grade, parts of their bodies began to resemble human forms, and their intelligence became comparable to that of ordinary people.

Moreover, their combat abilities were innate, making them beings that even Nascent Soul cultivators of the same level would avoid. Han Li had no intention of facing a demon beast with a sharp mind.

Having achieved his goal in just half a day, he flew back to the port.

It was already dark, and the night was deep.

Kwakwakwang.

Just as Han Li had flown a short distance, a bright light spread out, and a loud roar came from the port. At the same time, Han Li, greatly alarmed, poured his magic power into his body and flew high into the sky.

He stopped before reaching the port, his face dark as he surveyed the situation.

In the sky not far away, countless colorful lights covered the sky, trying to break the barrier outside the port.

Judging by the momentum, at least a thousand cultivators were attacking together. However, the powerful island’s barrier emitted a red light, blocking most of the attacks.

Below, a considerable number of white-clad cultivators were desperately attacking the invaders using magic tools and techniques.

A bitter smile appeared on his face.

The Rebel Alliance had moved so quickly that even though he had hurried, a major battle had broken out right in front of him. Now that the battle had begun, the news would have already reached Heavenly Star City.

Even if he went to Heavenly Star City now, it would already be too late.

It was a very frustrating situation. However, after calming his emotions, Han Li thoroughly activated his concealment technique.

He did not want to get caught up in the conflict between the two forces. Han Li quietly spread his consciousness. As he had predicted, the area around the port would soon be swarming with cultivators.

Indeed, countless lights flew from inside the island, and all of them arrived nearby, hiding silently. They were quietly observing the battle.

Most of them were Foundation Establishment cultivators, numbering about a hundred, and there were also a few dozen Qi Refining cultivators mixed in who were brave enough to come. However, there were only about six Core Formation cultivators like Han Li, and the one with the highest cultivation was a mid-Core Formation cultivator. That person was hiding in a hilly area, seemingly unaware that Han Li had discovered him.

Han Li, who had cultivated the Great Evolution Technique, possessed a powerful consciousness comparable to, if not greater than, that of old monsters like the Extreme Yin. He should be able to sense even a Nascent Soul cultivator hiding nearby, even if it was only a slight feeling.

The fact that there were no such old monsters nearby was a great relief. However, if the Rebel Alliance dared to attack South Bright Island, they might have sent a Nascent Soul cultivator. It was best not to reveal himself for now.

He planned to quietly wait for the battle to end and then sneak away.

* * *

The battle at the port did not last long.

The red light of the barrier and the various lights inside and outside the port were mixed together, and a gray-white light filled with evil energy joined the attack.

The barrier finally began to break under the rain of magic tools and techniques.

Whether it was the nature of the barrier or the manipulation of the Star Palace cultivators, the fragments of the red barrier that were torn apart soared into the sky, confusing the Rebel Alliance cultivators.

Taking this opportunity, the Star Palace cultivators scattered in all directions, as if they had planned it in advance, and began to flee.

Among them were figures emitting dazzling light, leaving the port at tremendous speed. It seemed that the Star Palace had left quite a few high-level cultivators on this island.

At the same time, similar streaks of light emerged from the attacking group, trying to pursue them.

They disappeared from sight in an instant.

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