Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 587

Han Li, having taken out a moonstone and levitated it above his head, called to Kyu-ryeong and entered the stairs leading underground.

Upon entering the Devil Subduing Pagoda, the first few floors were very spacious and quiet. There wasn’t even a trace of a ghost to be found, as if the cultivators who had entered earlier had cleared them out. However, judging from the remaining signs of battle, it was clear that a fierce fight had taken place.

When they reached the third underground floor, a yellowish, burnt corpse lay next to a stone pillar. Han Li examined it and found that it seemed to be one of the Ye family cultivators.

The fourth underground floor was unremarkable, and when they arrived at the fifth floor, two more corpses were discovered. Their entire bodies were dyed green, and it was clear at a glance that they had died from a potent poison.

One of them was a giant from the Mountain and Water group, whose head was severed and whose body was hacked to pieces by flying swords. The giant’s eyes were wide open as if in disbelief, indicating that he had been attacked in an instant.

Han Li turned the corpses to ashes and went down to the sixth floor with Kyu-ryeong.

‘Hmm.’

This time, unexpectedly, they encountered a living person—a woman in palace attire trapped inside a huge block of ice.

When he went closer and examined the woman’s face, it was surprisingly Baek Yo-yi. She was holding a transparent flying sword, her hands forming a hand seal, and her eyes were closed.

If it weren’t for the faint fluctuations of spiritual energy that could be sensed within the ice, he would have thought she was dead due to her extremely pale face.

Han Li did not immediately release her seal but used his spiritual sense to examine her in detail. When he could not find anything unusual, he finally raised one hand and brought it close to the huge ice block.

Sizzle.

Purple flames flowed along his palm, absorbing the cold as they moved across the ice block. After a while, the ice melted, and Baek Yo-yi, her eyelashes fluttering, finally opened her eyes.

Recognizing Han Li, she immediately relaxed her tense expression.

“It was you, Brother Han! I was tense, thinking you were another cultivator.”

The woman’s weak voice and smile revealed how severe her injuries were.

“Cultivator Baek, you should be familiar with ice-attribute techniques. Did you seal yourself in on your own?”

Han Li frowned as he scanned the woman’s face.

“I was severely injured and had no way to fight back, so I used my natal magic treasure [a magic item tied to one’s life force] to release the profound ice cold energy I had been refining for a long time. It seems that because it was a chaotic battle and everyone was eager to go down to the lower floors, I barely survived.”

“Was the cultivator who attacked you someone you didn’t recognize?”

“It seemed like they were a group that had created a gap in the sealing barrier. I was fighting another cultivator when a stranger suddenly joined in and ambushed me. The ice created by my profound ice cold energy is difficult to break in an instant unless you are a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator [a high level of cultivation], so I released it to protect myself, but I was also severely injured and couldn’t get out. Fortunately, I met Cultivator Han and received help. You were able to remove the cold energy so quickly; you are truly amazing.”

“It’s nothing. So, what are you going to do now, Cultivator Baek?”

“My deputy and I separated from Brother Han and obtained quite a harvest in one of the pavilions. We were originally going to be satisfied with that and retreat, but then a strange phenomenon occurred, which only happens when treasures appear in the Devil Subduing Pagoda.

As if possessed, I couldn’t overcome my greed and came here, where I encountered and fought many cultivators. There were cultivators from the Yin Fiend Sect, the Silver Yaksha, and the Mountain and Water groups, as well as many unfamiliar faces.

Each group was attacking the others indiscriminately, and we were caught up in it. I was chased by someone and had to flee, so I got separated from my deputy. Judging by the situation, it seems my deputy took the opportunity to escape.”

Baek Yo-yi told Han Li what she had experienced, then glanced at the ugly woman beside him, showing signs of unease. The demonic energy that Kyu-ryeong was emitting was considerable.

“Cultivator Kyu has agreed to join forces with me, so you don’t have to worry. Otherwise, there’s no way I would have jumped into this place alone.”

Han Li noticed her concern and smiled. Kyu-ryeong also made a smiling expression, following his lead.

“I see. Well, Brother Han is much wiser than I am!”

Baek Yo-yi didn’t believe that the relationship between the ugly woman and Han Li was just a simple alliance, but she was still somewhat relieved.

“On the way here, I found the remains of your deputy. He had already lost his life.”

“My deputy lost his life?”

Baek Yo-yi was startled and momentarily lost her senses.

“I took care of the remains, but there were no signs of his Nascent Soul [the core of a cultivator’s power] escaping. Did you happen to sense any other cultivators passing by while you were trapped in the ice?”

Han Li’s eyes flashed coldly as he recalled the blood-colored blade.

“Other cultivators? No. Could it be that another cultivator has entered?”

“Then that’s fine. Cultivator Baek, your injuries seem severe. What do you plan to do now?”

Han Li, who had been pondering, asked calmly without mentioning the Scatter Sand True Man.

“What else can I do? No matter how many great treasures there are here, I won’t have any more vain hopes. I must leave this place immediately and wait until the gap in the sealing barrier opens again.”

“It’s good that you’ve made up your mind. Then, I must be going.”

“Brother Han seems confident, so I won’t stop you. Please be careful!”

“Cultivator Baek, please be careful as well.”

Han Li cupped his fist in salute and rushed towards the entrance leading to the lower floor. Baek Yo-yi watched Han Li and Kyu-ryeong move away, then took out a medicine bottle from her sleeve and put a red pill in her mouth.

At that moment, Han Li, who was already about twenty feet away, suddenly turned his head.

“I’ve heard of the reputation of the Northern Wild Small Pole Palace. If I have time, may I visit?”

“Of course. You are always welcome, Cultivator Han.”

Baek Yo-yi hesitated at the sudden question, then smiled and replied.

“I’m relieved to hear you say that.”

Han Li also smiled and disappeared below. Baek Yo-yi, her smile gone, fell into thought as soon as they were completely out of sight.

‘Why?’

She had answered that he was welcome without hesitation, but she was puzzled as to why he wanted to go to the Northern Wild Small Pole Palace.

Han Li had now reached the seventh floor. The space where the Goma and other powerful ghosts had fought was now completely empty. Han Li and Kyu-ryeong immediately went down to a small stone chamber on the eighth floor and stopped in front of a small white and black teleportation array.

Looking down at the teleportation array, Han Li stroked his chin.

“Eun-wol, do you sense anything? Both of them seem to be short-range teleportation arrays that lead to the next floor. Which one feels like it’s calling to you?”

“Strangely, I feel a familiar aura from both of them. But the white teleportation array feels stronger.”

“That’s enough. Anyway, I felt uneasy about the black teleportation array because of the evil energy.”

With a calm face, he sent a voice transmission and immediately walked into the white teleportation array, with Kyu-ryeong following him.

As he threw in a magic seal, light flashed everywhere, and they disappeared.

As soon as they arrived on the ninth floor, Han Li and Kyu-ryeong each released their Yuan Magnetic Shield and blood-colored armor to protect themselves. It was a natural precaution, as someone might be targeting the cultivators who were being teleported.

There was no ambush, but the scene before them was utter chaos.

Flying sword-type magic treasures were flying wildly in the air, and the light of dull glows and spiritual energy was rampant.

After a quick scan, there were about a dozen people, including the Silver Yaksha, the Sand Gold Beast, the young man from the Xu family, the Heavenly Orchid Saintess, and the two women from the Fire Immortal Sect.

Gal Cheon-ho and the other Yin Fiend Sect cultivators were nowhere to be seen, so it seemed they had either died on the way here or had not yet arrived. The cultivators were not attacking each other but were scattered around a palace in the center.

Around the palace, which was built on top of a huge formation, were dozens of altars, and on each altar stood a stone golem made of white jade, each several feet in size.

The stone golems, fully armed with armor, were wielding golden blades in both hands. With the power of the huge formation, they were fighting against a large number of cultivators without being pushed back at all.

However, the gazes of the cultivators fighting the stone golems were frequently directed towards the top of the palace.

Above the palace, a peculiar jade-colored wooden ruler was floating leisurely, emitting a green light. The ancient wooden ruler was half a foot long and rotated slowly. If it were an ordinary treasure, it would not have attracted the attention of the cultivators like this.

Every time the wooden ruler rotated, countless silver lotuses appeared around it, and within them, the phantoms of eight spirit beasts appeared faintly.

The phantoms of the spirit beasts raised their heads and howled towards the ruler, as if paying homage to the treasure.

“Suan Ni, Eight Qilin Deer, Golden Scale Dragon…”

Han Li, who was deducing their identities through the phantoms, was surprised. Each of them had the appearance of a famous ancient demonic beast.

“The Eight Spirit Ruler! I didn’t expect that a Heaven-Reaching Treasure that Kunwu Three Old Men didn’t take to the Spirit World would remain!”

Before Han Li could say anything, Kyu-ryeong, who was standing next to him, muttered in surprise.

‘The Eight Spirit Ruler?’

“It’s one of the Heaven-Reaching Treasures, a rare treasure that was used even in ancient times, so it’s not well known. But since it’s a Heaven-Reaching Treasure, its power must be immense.”

Eun-wol explained in his mind.

“But is it okay?”

Han Li sensed something strange in Eun-wol’s voice and narrowed his brows.

“I don’t know. It’s definitely a treasure I don’t recognize, but suddenly, many facts came to mind. Also, something inside the palace is calling to me. No, not something, but someone very close! …No, my other half is inside.”

Eun-wol’s consciousness suddenly seemed to recall something and began to ramble.

Han Li was about to ask in detail when the young man from the Xu family and the Silver Yaksha, who were far away, noticed his appearance and glared at him with hostility.

With no other choice, Han Li strode out of the teleportation array and floated into the air.

“I didn’t expect Cultivator Han to appear here. Your audacity is truly admirable.”

The young man from the Xu family sneered and released silver light with one hand, destroying one of the stone golems.

“Is there any reason why I shouldn’t come? Surely, you wouldn’t want to fight me in front of a Heaven-Reaching Treasure.”

Surprisingly, the rubble of the stone golem that had collapsed with a crash was reassembled as if new, wielding its golden blade again as white light flashed from the altar.

The Great Master of the Heavenly Orchid Prairie was about to retort to Han Li’s nonchalant words when the Silver Yaksha spoke from afar.

“Have you forgotten that you have a grudge to settle with me? Even if there is a treasure in front of us, I want to resolve that first.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the Sand Gold Beast next to the Silver Yaksha growled menacingly.

“Is that so?”

Han Li chuckled at those words. Kyu-ryeong, who was standing next to him, sighed and stepped forward, causing the Silver Yaksha’s expression to change completely.

“Cultivator Kyu, what does this mean? Why are you with that human cultivator?”

“Are you really asking because you don’t know? Or do you think I’m a fool? You only took your own lifebound talismans [a talisman that binds a cultivator’s life force] and disappeared, not caring about my life or death! Since my lifebound talisman fell into the hands of another cultivator, I have no choice but to obey his orders if I want to live.”

Kyu-ryeong glared fiercely at the Silver Yaksha and shouted. The human cultivators who were listening were dumbfounded by the sudden situation.

At her rebuke, the Silver Yaksha looked embarrassed, and the Sand Gold Beast immediately closed its growling mouth. Since they had known each other for a long time, they would have retrieved Kyu-ryeong’s lifebound talisman if they could have.

However, the situation at the time was too complicated and urgent, and they barely managed to take care of their own lifebound talismans, so they had no time to worry about others.

“Cultivator Kyu, please calm down. We will help you retrieve your lifebound talisman.”

The Silver Yaksha quickly regained his composure and revealed his hostility towards Han Li.

“What’s the point of saying that now? Since I have no choice but to obey his orders, I won’t hold back if you insist on fighting.”

Kyu-ryeong still shouted with wide eyes, and the Silver Yaksha gave a wry smile.

# 589