Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 610

Han Li, his expression hardened, retrieved a jade bottle from his pocket and drank, replenishing his magical power. He intended to use another method to deliver a powerful blow.

At that moment, a yellow light shot in, instantly transforming into a yellow talisman that adhered to the barrier.

Then, the yellow light spread across the barrier, and something wrapped in golden light flew in like a meteor shower. It was a beast engulfed in golden flames.

The space barrier finally shattered, and light poured in from the outside. Overjoyed, Han Li was the first to transform into a streak of blue light and pass through the hole, the human-shaped puppet disappearing from the spot.

As his vision cleared, he found himself in the familiar main hall, followed by several streaks of light that landed in succession.

Besides the Ten Thousand Year Stone Bear and Im Eun-byeong, even Hyang Ji-rye, who had been by the altar just moments before, was there. The place they had escaped from was the main hall on the 7th floor of the True Devil Tower!

Han Li looked surprised. Hyang Ji-rye smiled and was about to speak when a golden pillar of light erupted from within the barrier, and a silver-haired woman appeared.

Hyang Ji-rye, noticing the situation, swallowed the words he was about to say and closed his mouth. The hole in the barrier quickly disappeared.

Silence fell in the main hall as everyone warily eyed each other.

“If we stand here idly, we will all be killed by the demonic creatures that have absorbed the demonic energy,” Ryeong-rong said coldly, scanning the other cultivators before speaking first.

“Are you perhaps Senior Rongmong?” Hyang Ji-rye asked hesitantly, as if unsure. The one who had imprisoned him in the Illusionary Heavenly Realm was a new soul formed by the fusion of Rongmong and Goma’s divided souls, so it was bound to be different from Ryeong-rong.

“You know that name, so Gon-o Samno must have left some words for you. The Rongmong you mentioned is only a part of me.”

Hyang Ji-rye blinked, unable to grasp the complex story. Ryeong-rong narrowed her brows and moved her lips. After hearing a few words from her via telepathy, Hyang Ji-rye was startled, his eyes changing as he examined Ryeong-rong with his spiritual sense.

The old man bowed respectfully to the silver-haired woman in front of him, who did not seem to possess any demonic energy.

“Queen Ryeong-rong, congratulations on breaking the seal! Gon-o Samno had instructed us about your matter. He said that what happened back then was unavoidable, that the original spirit of Seonja Rongmong had unexpectedly merged with Goma’s soul and was sealed together.”

“Hmph, that’s a matter I’ll discuss again when I return to the Spirit Realm! Right now, we need to find a way to control the demonic energy… If I am submerged in True Demonic Energy for more than three days, even my body will be completely demonized. If Goma recovers his original power, obtains abundant demonic energy, and leaves this place, it won’t be difficult to raise an army of demons. The Human Realm will be engulfed in a war like the Great War of Antiquity.”

Ryeong-rong spoke calmly.

“I know what Your Majesty is worried about. True Demonic Energy is frightening, but if Goma himself recovers his cultivation, there will be no one in the Human Realm to oppose him. Moreover, the 9th floor is already filled with demonic energy, and there is no way to kill him now. Besides, I only have two of the Disruption Talismans I received from Taeil Sect left.”

Hyang Ji-rye wrapped his arms around himself, looking troubled.

“Then, is there no way to reseal the demonic energy?” Im Eun-byeong, who had been listening, suddenly asked.

“Do you think it’s that easy? First of all, the sealing formation has been damaged, so we need to activate the backup formation prepared for this situation. But before we escaped this place, I saw Goma destroy the Fire Dragon Bird. Now there is no way to suppress the demonic energy…”

Hyang Ji-rye shook his head and sighed. Everyone was worried and troubled, and the main hall fell silent again.

“If the ancient cultivators prepared a backup formation, it’s unlikely they would have left only the Fire Dragon Bird as the artifact to control it,” Han Li said calmly, breaking the silence.

At Han Li’s words, Hyang Ji-rye pondered for a moment before shaking his head.

“That’s right. Not only the backup formation, but the ancient cultivators also prepared another artifact to control the Gon-o Mountain restriction. However, unlike the Fire Dragon Bird, the other artifact has been missing since the ancient era. There were rumors that it was hidden somewhere in Gon-o Mountain, but the only other descendant of Gon-o Samno who knew its location has now disappeared.”

“Another descendant! Hmph, those three fellows were very thorough in their preparations.”

Ryeong-rong, who had been listening, snorted and pondered about Gon-o Samno’s intentions. Im Eun-byeong and the Ten Thousand Year Stone Bear also looked worried. But then, Han Li narrowed his brows and asked,

“What kind of treasure is the other artifact? Is it perhaps a seal-shaped treasure like the Fire Dragon Bird?”

“No, it’s a stele called the Heavenly Crystal Stele. If we had that, we could summon the backup formation,” Hyang Ji-rye replied casually.

‘Heavenly Crystal Stele!’

Han Li’s heart skipped a beat. He remembered the object he had found while climbing Gon-o Mountain.

‘Were the ancient characters written on it the Heavenly Crystal Stele?’

As Han Li was lost in thought, he felt Ryeong-rong’s gaze on him. Han Li’s heart sank.

“If there’s no other way, we should leave this place for now. It will take a few days for that demonic creature to escape this place, so in the meantime, I will gather all the cultivators of Namgang. We can set up a powerful formation to temporarily reseal Gon-o Mountain. And then, we must inform the other sects. No matter how much demonic energy the demonic creature absorbs and how powerful it becomes, it will be difficult to deal with if thousands upon thousands of cultivators gather. And the True Demonic Energy can be contained by designating the surrounding ten thousand miles as a restricted area and slowly resolving it.”

“What Senior Hyang said makes sense. Let’s proceed as planned! I will also return to the Myriad Demon Valley and inform the Valley Lord about this. This is not just a problem for human cultivators, so our demon race must also lend a hand.”

The Ten Thousand Year Stone Bear sighed deeply, expressing his own sincerity.

“Oh! It would be a great help if your valley would step in. Especially the Deputy Valley Lord of the Myriad Demon Valley, who is very famous, but this old man has not had the chance to meet him! I think I heard that he has been in secluded training?”

Hyang Ji-rye welcomed his words. The Ten Thousand Year Stone Bear just chuckled and did not answer, but suddenly turned his head and asked Ryeong-rong respectfully,

“Queen Ryeong-rong! Our Valley Lord said that he had a connection with you before. He…”.

His words trailed off, and the Ten Thousand Year Stone Bear moved his lips. A different light flickered in Ryeong-rong’s eyes, which had originally been devoid of any emotion.

“I wondered how I knew you were sealed in the True Devil Tower, but now I understand the inside story.”

Ryeong-rong unexpectedly seemed to be reminiscing about the past, filled with regret.

“Now that Your Majesty knows the identity of our Valley Lord, how about returning to the Myriad Demon Valley with me? There are various demon beasts gathered in the Myriad Demon Valley, so it won’t be difficult for Your Majesty to find a suitable body.”

“I have no intention of going to the Myriad Demon Valley. I will not leave Gon-o Mountain. I will return to that space again after a while.”

“You mean you won’t leave Gon-o Mountain and will return there again?”

“Yes. But not alone. That one possesses the Evil-Slaying Divine Lightning, so he is useful, and I will return with him.”

Ryeong-rong pointed at Han Li with her finger. Hearing those words, Han Li raised his eyebrows and was about to say something but stopped.

“Are you joking? Is it really necessary to take such a risk?” Hyang Ji-rye looked at Han Li for a moment, then couldn’t help but try to dissuade the silver-haired woman.

“My situation is different from yours. I descended to the Human Realm with a real body from the Spirit Realm. Even if I raise my cultivation to the late stage of Transformation, it means I cannot ascend again. To return to the Spirit Realm, I must recover my body and return through the Reverse Spirit Passage. This time, I have prepared the unique secret technique of the Silver Moon Wolf Clan, so if I can approach that demonic creature, there is a 50% chance of regaining my body.”

“That can’t be… Your Majesty, please think carefully.” The Ten Thousand Year Stone Bear looked very troubled, and Hyang Ji-rye also hurriedly tried to dissuade the silver-haired woman. The silver-haired woman brushed her hair back with her beautiful fingers and raised the corners of her mouth.

“I know that you want to hear the location of the Reverse Spirit Passage from me. That’s why you’re so anxious that I might go back and die!”

At those words, the Ten Thousand Year Stone Bear was embarrassed, but Hyang Ji-rye pretended not to know, making excuses that it was a misunderstanding.

“That’s enough. It doesn’t matter what you’re thinking. Although many humans and demons descended to the Human Realm through the Reverse Spirit Passage at the time, there were very few who knew about it in detail. The Reverse Heaven Passage is not a place that ordinary cultivators in the Spirit Realm can access. However, the so-called Reverse Spirit Passage does not actually exist. So, of course, there is no exact location.”

Hyang Ji-rye and the Ten Thousand Year Stone Bear were dumbfounded by the silver-haired woman’s leisurely words. Han Li pretended to listen intently, his eyes shining, while secretly examining the Heavenly Crystal Stele in his storage pouch.

Im Eun-byeong, who was next to him, was also engrossed in the secret history of the cultivation world called the Reverse Heaven Passage and did not pay attention to him.

“What do you mean it doesn’t exist?” Hyang Ji-rye had a hunch but asked urgently.

“To put it simply, the Reverse Spirit Passage is a temporary passage created by borrowing the power of heaven and earth in the Spirit Realm. So, of course, it disappeared after the human and demon races descended to the Human Realm through the passage.”

“No. After the Great War of Antiquity, someone definitely returned through the Reverse Spirit Passage, didn’t they? If there is no Reverse Spirit Passage, how is that possible?” The Ten Thousand Year Stone Bear asked anxiously, as if he couldn’t believe it.

“When the Goma Realm invaded the Human Realm, have you forgotten how the Human Realm cultivators asked us for help?”

“The World-Transmitting Incense!” Hyang Ji-rye’s face darkened.

“Yes, that’s it. When they returned, they burned the World-Transmitting Incense to ask the Spirit Realm to open the passage again. You don’t even have the World-Transmitting Incense, but even if you did, do you think the Spirit Realm would open the Reverse Spirit Passage for you? The amount of top-grade spirit stones consumed each time a passage is opened is something that even if the human and demon races gathered all their strength, they would not be able to obtain.”

Ryeong-rong shattered the Ten Thousand Year Stone Bear’s last hope.

“Then, how do you plan to return after regaining your body, Your Majesty!” Hyang Ji-rye asked an important question.

“As the queen of the Heavenly Regulation Demon King and the princess of the Silver Moon Wolf Clan, I cannot be the same as other cultivators. The Reverse Star Mark is engraved on my body and consciousness. The mark can only be activated when my consciousness is in my body, and by using a special formation that the elders made for me, a small Reverse Spirit Passage will be opened by the power of the Reverse Star Mark.

Only I can enter this passage, and if another person enters, the mark will not match, and they will be shattered into pieces. If I hadn’t had my body stolen by the avatar of the Origin Killing Saint Ancestor back then, I could have returned to the Spirit Realm immediately!” Ryeong-rong concluded with a sigh.

“The Reverse Star Mark? So, Your Majesty’s Reverse Star Mark is not a physical treasure. No wonder the power coming from the rumored treasure of the Spirit Realm is not as great as I thought,” The Ten Thousand Year Stone Bear looked at the disc Ryeong-rong was holding and nodded as if he finally understood. Hyang Ji-rye’s face, which had been smiling, also hardened, and his complexion was not good.

Who would want to smile when the last thread of hope they had held onto for hundreds of years had disappeared?

“Then, is there no other way except to reach the late stage of Transformation? As Your Majesty knows, with the spiritual energy of the Human Realm having changed like this, the possibility of cultivating to the late stage of Transformation is almost non-existent,” The Ten Thousand Year Stone Bear sighed and pleaded with his last hope.

“Actually, besides opening the Reverse Spirit Passage, there is only one other way to ascend to the Spirit Realm. However, this method is only theoretically possible, and very few have succeeded. It is said that nine out of ten fail and lose their lives, but would you still like to hear it?”

“Of course, I want to hear it. No matter how dangerous it is, it’s better than waiting helplessly to die in the Human Realm!” Hyang Ji-rye immediately replied, his mind sharpened, and the Ten Thousand Year Stone Bear also nodded.

“It is possible to tell you, but there is a condition. You must lend me something that will help me regain my body.”

“Yes?” Hyang Ji-rye and the Ten Thousand Year Stone Bear flinched without realizing it. But Ryeong-rong smiled and said,

“I will take your imitation of the Demonic Dragon Blade and Senior Hyang’s two Disruption Talismans!”

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