Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 344

On the mid-slope of the main peak of the Falling Cloud Sect, Elder Feng stood with his eyes closed in the pavilion where the Core Formation cultivators had gathered for discussions.

As he opened his eyes, a flame flew in from an unknown direction. The old man calmly extended a hand, and white mist spread out, catching the flame, which soon turned to ash and disappeared.

The message from the Sound Transmission Department, delivered by the woman in blue, was simple.

“Han Li is unharmed, but Du Dong’s intentions are dark.”

The white-bearded old man muttered coldly, a chill settling on his face.

“Hmph! He had ulterior motives. I knew it. The Du family and the Bu family of the White Cult had such close ties back then, so why would he join our Falling Cloud Sect?”

The old man muttered, sounding slightly envious.

“Song Sa-mae’s [Junior Sister] Spirit Communication is becoming more formidable by the day. Aside from the two Senior Uncles, I’m not sure if I could evade her abilities.”

* * *

Two months later, in a mountain valley within the White Cult’s sect in the western mountain range of Yunmeng Mountain, White Cult disciples in various attire gathered in the central plaza.

They were murmuring excitedly, their faces flushed, while also looking up at the sky as if waiting for something.

On a platform set up in front of thousands of White Cult disciples, dozens of distinguished figures were seated.

The seven or eight cultivators at the front were all Core Formation cultivators, while the dozens of male and female disciples behind them had cultivation bases above the Foundation Establishment stage.

They were the White Cult’s leaders, elders, and officials in charge of various important duties. A sharp-eyed disciple, whose name was unknown, shouted excitedly.

“They’re coming!”

At the same time, almost all the lower-level cultivators looked up at the sky. A flash of light appeared in the empty sky, and a group of various colored lights flew in.

“The Ancient Sword Sect disciples are all flying in on sword-shaped flying artifacts!”

Everyone pointed at them, their agitation evident. An imposing old man at the very front, his face darkening, coldly rebuked them.

“Quiet! What do you think you’re doing? Do you intend to make our White Cult a laughingstock in front of the other sects?”

The chilling voice echoed in the ears of over a thousand disciples, and those who had been acting rashly quickly shut their mouths, creating an instant silence. Only then did the imposing old man’s expression improve.

The other Core Formation cultivators exchanged smiles as they watched this scene, but no one found it strange.

At that moment, the Ancient Sword Sect cultivators flew directly above the plaza. Although someone had said they were all flying on swords, some of them were calmly floating in the air without relying on the power of artifacts.

A frail old man, who looked to be about fifty or sixty years old, from the Ancient Sword Sect, smiled and descended first.

“Oh! I didn’t expect Brother Bu and the others to come out to greet us personally. This is an honor for Kang Mo.”

Along with him, a scholar-like man in a blue robe and a woman in white followed, smiling as they descended. They seemed to be a married couple.

At the same time, the other lower-level cultivators of the Ancient Sword Sect also descended from their artifacts one by one. The imposing old man, with a calm face, cupped his hands and greeted the three of them.

“It’s only natural to personally welcome Brother Kang, who has come to lead his disciples this time. Moreover, it’s an honor to have the renowned White Jade Twin Swords couple visit us.”

“Enough. If we keep praising each other, the onlookers might secretly laugh at us. By the way, where is the Falling Cloud Sect? They haven’t been able to show their skills in the sword competition and have always remained at the bottom. Do they lack confidence again this time? Haha!”

The cultivator surnamed Kang belittled the Falling Cloud Sect as if they were insignificant, but Elder Bu merely smiled wryly and avoided his gaze.

Unlike the Ancient Sword Sect, the White Cult knew that if they lightly agreed to such words, it would cause a storm if it reached the ears of the Falling Cloud Sect’s higher-ups.

Before Elder Bu could decide how to respond, a middle-aged man in a deep blue robe stepped forward from behind him and interjected.

“Brother Kang, don’t be so impatient! There’s news that Bai Feng Peak’s Song Seon-ja [Fairy Song] will be leading the Falling Cloud Sect this time. She’s a rare beauty among our three sects, and she’s come a long way for the competition. Isn’t that a good thing! Unfortunately, she usually stays secluded, so this is a chance to see Song Seon-ja, who rarely interacts with cultivators from other sects.”

Kang Yun of the Ancient Sword Sect nodded, his face showing interest.

“The Song Seon-ja that Brother Seok is talking about must be Bai Feng Seon-ja. I’ve heard she’s incredibly beautiful, but I’ve never had the chance to meet her in person. If she really is leading the group this time, it’s worth waiting a bit longer.”

The male and female disciples of the Ancient Sword Sect were surprised by their conversation. Among them, a scholar-like man in a green robe asked with a puzzled look.

“Isn’t Bai Feng Seon-ja the genius of the cultivation world, who was born with the Heavenly Root and succeeded in Core Formation in less than a hundred years, a once-in-a-millennium talent? It’s quite unexpected to see her at this sword competition.”

“Indeed. Although I am also a woman, I’ve been curious about Song Seon-ja, whom I’ve only heard rumors about. I hope I can meet her today!”

The scholar’s wife, a woman in white, had an ordinary face but a soft and gentle voice that pleased the ears of those who heard it.

“That’s… Ah! The Falling Cloud Sect cultivators are coming.”

Elder Bu, with the surname Bu, smiled and was about to say something when he shifted his gaze towards the sky. Everyone else looked up, and a huge black dot was approaching from the east.

“What is that?”

Kang, the cultivator from the Ancient Sword Sect, seemed to know what had changed his expression. Soon, something in the shape of a giant monstrous bird began to appear, flying at an astonishing speed.

They were the Falling Cloud Sect cultivators.

“Hmph! It’s a Qingguang Condor. It’s just a flashy, fifth-level demon beast that only knows how to increase its size.”

At Kang’s words, the Core Formation cultivators of the White Cult beside him closed their mouths as if they hadn’t heard anything. However, the young disciples gathered in the plaza cheered at the sight of the large spirit beast they were seeing for the first time.

The giant condor flew above the crowd in just a few flaps of its wings. When the condor spread its wings, its shadow covered the entire plaza. At the same time, a fierce, blood-tinged wind swept through the plaza, causing some of the lower-level disciples to lose their balance and turn pale.

“Stop!”

A man’s voice suddenly rang out from above the monstrous bird, and the condor stopped flapping its wings. Only then did several cultivators fly down from above, riding on their artifacts.

Elder Bu’s eyes lit up when he saw the red-robed old man at the front, and he quickly stepped forward.

“Oh, isn’t that Brother Dang from Hwaun Peak? It’s been a while!”

“It’s been a while since we met in Yunju!”

The red-robed old man, chuckling, scanned behind Elder Bu. As if expecting it, Elder Bu spoke first.

“You’re looking for Elder Changjeong, aren’t you? Unfortunately, he had an urgent matter and had to leave. However, he will return before the competition begins.”

A faint look of disappointment appeared in the red-robed old man’s eyes, but he immediately returned to his usual gentle expression and smiled at the beautiful woman beside him.

“Is that so? It can’t be helped! I was hoping to reminisce about old times, but it seems our paths are not meant to cross. Everyone knows about Brother Woo, and I believe this is the first time you’re meeting Song Sa-mae. Let me introduce you.”

Elder Bu, narrowing his eyes and glancing sideways, was amazed by the beauty of Song Seon-ja.

“I’ve heard of Bai Feng Seon-ja’s reputation for a long time. Seeing you today, it’s clear that it was not an exaggeration!”

“Brother Bu, you flatter me. The title of Seon-ja is embarrassing.”

When the woman smiled, the hearts of the men around her fluttered as if a stone had been dropped into a calm lake. Although they were much better off than the lower-level cultivators with their dazed faces, even the higher-level cultivators couldn’t help but have a fiery glint in their eyes.

At this time, the red-robed old man saw the Ancient Sword Sect cultivators and stepped forward to greet them. Although Kang’s attitude was lukewarm, he reluctantly exchanged a few words.

Unexpectedly, the woman in white took Song Seon-ja’s hand and chatted affectionately, appearing so close that one might believe they were sisters. Song Ga’s woman responded with a consistently gentle and elegant demeanor.

Afterward, the White Cult, having welcomed the other two sects, provided two large mansions for the Ancient Sword Sect and the Falling Cloud Sect, allowing them to prepare for the official martial arts competition the next day.

The next morning, the fierce martial arts competition of the three sects of Yunmeng Mountain began.

The competition was divided into three groups, with ten members from each sect forming a group.

In each group, pairs would compete, and only four people would be selected. Then, the twelve disciples would draw lots and compete against each other to select the final ten, including the winner.

Since there were not many participants in the official sword competition, there was no need to prepare multiple venues. They would simply compete in the same place in order.

The order of appearance was determined by the leaders through random draws, so there was no need to worry. However, the judges were dispatched by a third sect that was not participating in the competition, so there was no need to worry about bias.

Amidst the countless White Cult disciples surrounding the competition venue, a bald giant stood inside the protective barrier and calmly announced the start of the competition.

“Group 1, Han Li of Falling Cloud Peak versus Yo Bong of the Ancient Sword Sect!”

Then, one person each from the Falling Cloud Sect and the Ancient Sword Sect walked out and entered the competition venue. The White Cult disciples immediately began to murmur as they saw the two.

“Did you see? One is at the eleventh level of Qi Refining, and the other is at the early stage of Foundation Establishment.”

“The difference in cultivation is too great!”

The face of the Ancient Sword Sect disciple, who had a long sword and a short sword crossed on his back, also showed a strange look. With such a difference in cultivation, defeating the opponent would be no different than blowing out a candle with a puff of breath.

However, the ordinary-looking young man in a blue light armor stood there with a frown, looking troubled.

The Core Formation cultivators, who were gathered separately in the air outside the protective barrier, were also talking to each other. Kang Yun of the Ancient Sword Sect chuckled the moment he saw the Falling Cloud Sect participant.

“Brother Dang, has the Falling Cloud Sect really given up on this competition? How could they send out a Qi Refining disciple like that? Did they just pick anyone to fill the quota?”

The red-robed old man replied without any agitation.

“Oh, the eleventh level isn’t bad. I remember he was only at the tenth level of Qi Refining in the internal selection, so he has made considerable progress in the meantime.”

“What did you say? He passed the selection with a tenth-level Qi Refining cultivation? Are you joking?”

The red-robed old man simply smiled at Kang Yun’s incredulous reaction and didn’t open his mouth. Seeing this, Kang Yun felt uneasy and turned his head back to the competition venue.

The bald giant shouted loudly in the air.

“Begin the match!”

As soon as the young man heard the sound, he shrugged his shoulders, and red and navy blue flying swords soared from his back and floated above his head. At the same time, light was emitted from his hands, completing a green protective barrier.

Then, he quickly formed hand seals and prepared to attack by activating his flying swords.

However, by the time he had done all this with practiced movements, fifty or sixty fireballs were already flying towards him. The wave of flames was filled with a fierce aura.

“Ah!”

The Foundation Establishment cultivator named Yo Bong was startled, and his face turned pale in an instant.

Still, being a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he was used to sudden attacks, so even in the rush, he didn’t stop the spell to activate his artifact and threw himself towards the ground, sensing the fireballs passing like a swarm of bees behind him.

Startled, he was instantly covered in cold sweat.

Even more enraged, he stood up abruptly and glared at his opponent, but suddenly, a huge, dark foot appeared above his head and mercilessly crushed him.

Then, Yo Bong of the Ancient Sword Sect lost consciousness as his vision blurred.

# 346