Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 440

“What in the world is going on!” Han Li exclaimed, his face contorted with rage as he stared at the silver-haired old man in a secret chamber of the Fallen Cloud Sect.

He had returned to the sect and gone to greet the old man, who then led him to a secret chamber filled with yin energy [the negative, passive force in Taoist philosophy]. There, Han Li found Nangong Wan.

She had been transformed into a child of about seven or eight years old and was trapped inside a pillar of ice. Her eyes were closed, and she appeared to be unconscious.

This sight filled Han Li with immense fury.

“Ah! If only you had returned ten days earlier, my disciple. She was struck by the Soul Sealing Curse of the Demonic Path, and there was nothing we could do. But don’t worry too much. This way, we’ve at least stopped the curse from spreading. Her life shouldn’t be in danger for the time being,” the silver-haired old man said with a wry smile.

“How could Wan have been afflicted by something like the Soul Sealing Curse? That secret art has been lost in the Tiannan region for a long time. Could it be…?” Han Li asked, startled by the old man’s words. He immediately thought of something, and his face hardened.

About half a month ago, one morning, Nangong Wan was collecting dew filled with the yin energy of heaven and earth from a mountain near her residence, as she usually did for her practice of the Maiden Reincarnation Technique [a cultivation method].

But then, a man in black suddenly appeared and attacked Nangong Wan. His powerful demonic techniques shattered even the protective treasures she always carried. She immediately tried to escape while calling for help, but it was no use.

When the silver-haired old man and the disciples of the Fallen Cloud Sect arrived after hearing the commotion, she had already been struck between the eyebrows by the man’s fingertip and was falling.

The shocked silver-haired old man immediately mobilized all the disciples to attack, but the man just laughed at the appearance of the Fallen Cloud Sect disciples, threw down a jade slip [a thin piece of jade used for writing], and disappeared.

The silver-haired old man rescued Nangong Wan and immediately began treatment, but she had already been afflicted by the Soul Sealing Curse.

The Soul Sealing Curse was a secret art that had been lost long ago. Once cursed, the soul would be gradually sealed, turning the victim into a living corpse. It was a terrifying restriction.

The old man was shocked to learn the identity of the restriction, but there was nothing he could do. Then, Nangong Wan, who had awakened, realized that she had been afflicted by the Soul Sealing Curse. Her face turned pale, but she immediately came up with a solution.

She decided to use the power of the Maiden Reincarnation Technique to seal herself in ice, delaying the onset of the curse. That was why Nangong Wan was in this state when Han Li arrived.

After finishing his explanation, the old man took out a blue jade slip and a red jade slip and handed them to Han Li.

“One was left by the man in black who attacked your sister, and the other is a letter your sister asked me to give you before she used the sealing technique. Take a look at them quickly.”

Han Li accepted the two jade slips with a dark expression. He first infused his consciousness into the jade slip left by Nangong Wan.

Soon, his face became strange. He was filled with worry but also seemed somewhat relieved. The silver-haired old man watched him, slightly surprised by Han Li’s expression.

Han Li sighed deeply and picked up the remaining red jade slip.

After a moment, his face turned cold, and a purplish-red flame exploded from his hand, turning the jade slip into smoke.

Han Li was silent for a moment before speaking.

“Senior Brother Zheng, what did the attacker look like, and what was his cultivation level? I want to see if he is the same person I know.”

“He didn’t look bad. He was a handsome young man. As for his cultivation, he seemed to have used a secret technique to conceal it, so I couldn’t determine it with my abilities, but I believe he was at least in the mid-Nascent Soul stage [a high level of cultivation],” the old man said, recalling the events.

“A young man?” Han Li’s eyes gleamed. This was unexpected information.

“Judging by his cultivation, he must have consumed some related spirit pills or elixirs, or mastered a special technique, just like you, my disciple. Is he really a demonic cultivator from the Jin Kingdom? I also checked the jade slip he left behind. He wants you to come to the Xuantian Peak with a treasure refined from Gold Thunder Bamboo! Do you really possess a treasure refined from Gold Thunder Bamboo?”

“Yes, that’s right. I can’t be sure if he’s the person I’m thinking of, but there must be a connection. I thought they were seeking revenge for what happened during the war, but I didn’t expect them to be after the Gold Thunder Bamboo treasure. It’s my fault that Wan is suffering like this…”

Han Li replied calmly, suppressing his anger and regaining his composure.

“The Gold Thunder Bamboo treasure is the best treasure for dealing with demonic techniques, so it’s understandable that they would target it. Then, how about this? We can invite some friendly cultivators to attack together. It would be much easier to deal with a demonic cultivator from the Jin Kingdom that way,” the silver-haired old man said, seemingly angered by the fact that the man in black had dared to do such a thing at the Fallen Cloud Sect’s mountain gate.

“No. If he is the person I suspect, he has a cultivation level comparable to the Divine Lord of the Peony Clan. I don’t want to make things worse by dragging others into this. Also, he is the one who holds the method to undo the Soul Sealing Curse, so we shouldn’t provoke him.”

“A cultivation level comparable to the Divine Lord of the Peony Clan? Does that mean he’s a cultivator in the late-Nascent Soul stage? Then, even more so, I can’t let you face him alone! Let’s ask the Ryongham couple for help,” the silver-haired old man said, surprised and trying to dissuade him.

“If Ryongham and Feng Bing were to help, we could deal with him, but it would take at least three or four months for them to be contacted and arrive here. However, there are only two months left until the date written on the jade slip.

He probably calculated the time it would take for me to return to the sect, but he didn’t expect me to return so quickly. I must find a way to undo the Soul Sealing Curse. So, I’ll think about it a bit more.”

“Then, do so. If you need to mobilize the disciples, tell me immediately!”

“Thank you. According to the letter Wan left, the secret technique she used can delay the onset of the Soul Sealing Curse for almost a hundred years. However, we don’t know what will actually happen, so I’m worried,” Han Li said, looking at the child trapped in the ice with concern.

“Don’t worry. I can read faces a little, and Nangong Fellow Daoist’s face is definitely not one that will die young. I’ll also look through ancient scriptures to see if there’s a way to undo the curse. If we find a way, there’s no reason to fulfill the man in black’s demands, is there?”

“I’m troubling you, Senior Brother. I was wondering if I could spend some time alone here. Would that be alright?” Han Li asked, forcing a smile.

“Of course. I’ll go to the library right away then,” the old man said, and soon left the secret chamber, leaving Han Li and the young girl alone.

Only then did Han Li turn his head to look at the ice wall. He sighed with a desolate expression and did not leave the secret chamber for a full day.

The old man, who had returned from the library, was worried when he found that Han Li was still there, but half a day later, Han Li walked out with a calm expression.

“Are you alright?” the old man asked as soon as Han Li came out of the secret chamber. Han Li was surprised to see him waiting, but he soon felt at ease.

“I’m fine. I was thinking about how to deal with the enemy inside, and time just flew by. I’ve worried you again, Senior Brother. And since there’s still some time, I’m thinking of going into seclusion to prepare.”

“Now? What are you going to do in such a short time?”

“I’m going to refine my treasures again using the essence I obtained this time. It will be a great help when facing the enemy.”

“I see. Then, of course, you should go into seclusion. I’ll make sure to tell my disciples not to disturb you,” the old man said, nodding immediately.

“And since the ice wall has already been created here, it seems impossible to move it. I’ll set up a barrier around it, but I would appreciate it if you could also keep an eye on it,” Han Li said, looking seriously at the old man.

“Don’t worry about that. Nangong Fellow Daoist suffered this misfortune in our Fallen Cloud Sect, so as the Great Elder of the Fallen Cloud Sect, I cannot avoid responsibility. I’ve already designated this place as a restricted area and strictly prohibited the disciples from entering, so you can rest assured and go into seclusion.”

“I’m relieved to hear you say that. Then, since there isn’t much time, I’ll set up a barrier here and go into seclusion right away.”

* * *

Half a day later, Han Li returned to his residence.

Unexpectedly, Mo Peiling was waiting for him in front of his cave, having heard that he had returned. Han Li invited her into his residence.

“Is Senior Sister alright? I heard she was attacked and injured. I’ve been worried because I haven’t been able to find out what happened,” Mo Peiling asked anxiously as soon as she entered the main hall.

“It seems you’ve been getting along well with Wan,” Han Li said calmly, taking a seat.

“Yes. Senior Sister has a very good personality, and she has been guiding me in my cultivation while you were away, so I’ve benefited a lot.”

“That’s good to hear, but I can’t be happy because Wan has been afflicted by the Soul Sealing Curse and is sealed. I’m planning to go into seclusion for over a month to resolve this issue.”

“The Soul Sealing Curse? It’s terrible that she was afflicted by such a vicious demonic curse. You must have a way to solve it, right?”

“What way is there? The only way is to find the person who cast the curse.”

Han Li’s face, which had seemed calm, turned grim for a moment, and Mo Peiling was at a loss for words.

Soon, his disciple Liu Mei also appeared in front of the cave. She had come to greet her master, who had returned after a long time, and to inquire about Nangong Wan’s situation.

If she was smart, she would have tried her best to build a relationship with Nangong Wan, who would soon become her mistress.

Since Han Li had no reason to deceive her, he repeated the story about the Soul Sealing Curse. Liu Mei was also saddened, but with her cultivation and knowledge, she naturally had no idea how to solve the Soul Sealing Curse.

Han Li was not in the mood to talk to them for long, so he sent them away after a while. Only after confirming that the two women had completely disappeared did he look around the herb garden and the secret chamber where he raised spirit insects.

Then, he immediately took the materials and entered another secret chamber.

He planned to melt the essence into 36 flying swords using the Nascent Soul flame [a powerful flame used by cultivators]. In addition to the essence he had exchanged with Jiyang Shangren and Wei Wuya, and the essence prepared by the Peony Clan, Ryongham had also gathered the power of the Heavenly Dao Alliance to obtain a small lump of essence just before he came to the Heavenly Star City, so he had enough essence.

Since he was not refining a treasure from scratch but only adding essence, it would be possible in about a month. If he could refine even a small-scale Great Stellar Sword Formation, he would be able to fight against a cultivator in the late-Nascent Soul stage.

He believed that the man in black who had placed the restriction on Nangong Wan with the Soul Sealing Curse was most likely the Sect Master of the Yin Fiend Sect. Having made up his mind, he took out the materials and threw a storage pouch into the air. Light emanated from it, and several lumps of essence were placed at his feet.

He sat down in a lotus position and immediately extended his finger towards the smallest lump of essence. A faint golden ore floated into the air.

Han Li watched the essence without blinking and formed a hand seal. Then, he spat out a blue infant flame from his mouth.

*Bang.*

The blue flame touched the essence and instantly enveloped the ore. As he chanted an incantation, the blue flame grew stronger, and the essence inside slowly began to melt.

Han Li watched the essence with a serious expression. After half an hour, most of the impurities had turned into a white liquid and fallen to the floor.

The essence had now become translucent and was almost half its original size. Then, he shook his sleeve and picked up a jade box that he had placed on the floor.

As the jade box opened, silver powder appeared. The silver powder shot out in streaks of light and entered the translucent liquid in the air, causing blue light to spread in all directions.

But then, something strange happened.

The translucent liquid split on its own and formed six silver beads that rotated in the air. Han Li took a deep breath and fiercely bit his tongue, spitting out a mouthful of blood. As his vital blood touched the beads and disappeared, the color of the beads changed to a deep golden color.

Seeing this, Han Li opened his mouth again and spat out a blue light. The blue light circled in the air and returned to him, revealing a small sword about an inch long inside.

Then, Han Li pointed at the golden beads that had transformed from the essence. The golden beads shot towards the sword and evenly coated its surface, causing the small sword to shine dazzlingly with a golden light.

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