Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 719

The thousand-foot-high mountain was completely sealed off by the phantoms of eight spirit beasts, leaving Han Li with a pale face, contemplating whether to unleash an even more powerful treasure to shatter it completely.

At that moment, Xiang Zhili, who had been observing, suddenly burst into laughter and said,

“Fellow Han and Fellow Hu’s divine abilities are truly remarkable. Isn’t this enough? If we drag this out any longer, it will only damage our unity.”

His figure flickered and disappeared silently. The next moment, he appeared between Han Li and Hu Noma, grasping at the void with one hand.

*Bang!*

A demonic claw enveloped in black energy appeared in the void, grabbing and lifting the top of the massive mountain peak.

Han Li’s expression changed at Xiang Zhili’s display of power, and Hu Noma also showed a troubled look.

“I didn’t know Fellow Xiang’s Giant Spirit Claw had reached such a level. Are you showing off your power in front of me now?”

Hu Noma glared coldly at Xiang Zhili.

“The Giant Spirit Claw is just a minor trick! It’s just that I thought Fellow Hu was too engrossed and forgot our original agreement. Isn’t this enough for Fellow Han to have withstood one blow?”

“How could I, the Palace Lord of the Demonic Palace, break an agreement with a mere Core Formation cultivator? Let’s consider Fellow Han to have withstood my blow!”

Hu Noma’s expression darkened for a moment, then he nodded towards Xiang Zhili and gestured towards the large mountain. The entire mountain trembled and flashed with jade-green light.

Then, Xiang Zhili’s demonic claw, which had been holding the top of the massive mountain peak, disappeared as well.

Following that, the thousand-foot-high mountain split into eight pieces, making a whooshing sound as it shrank and returned into the scroll. It then transformed back into an ancient landscape painting and disappeared into Hu Noma’s possession.

“…Although I couldn’t take Ziling as a concubine, there are still other women left. We will hold the ceremony again in three days, so Brother Xiang, don’t leave yet and have another drink with me!”

Hu Noma glanced over Han Li and Xiang Zhili, then suddenly smiled. It was as if there had been no conflict between him and Han Li, Xiang Zhili, and the others.

“Of course! I’ve already given the gift, so I can’t miss the celebratory drink.”

“Fellow Han, you should also stay in my palace for a few more days and leave after the ceremony is over.”

Hu Noma, who had been nodding, said this to Han Li with a calm face.

“Yes, I will. Fellow Xiang and Fellow Feng are staying, so I can’t leave alone.”

“That’s good. Then let’s all return to the palace and drink to our hearts’ content.”

Hu Noma burst into laughter and turned into a black streak of light, returning to the palace first.

The cultivators who had been watching from below were chilled by the divine might Han Li and Hu Noma had displayed, but upon hearing his words, they hurriedly followed behind. Even Old Monster Feng returned with a smile, leaving only Ziling below, her face full of joy.

“Fellow Han, let’s go too! Don’t worry about Fellow Hu. He already agreed that you withstood one blow, so he won’t say anything more about it. You can rest assured and stay in the Demonic Palace with that child for a few days.”

Xiang Zhili said to Han Li and then flew straight towards the palace. Han Li smiled wryly, shook his head, and slowly descended.

“Brother Han, are you alright?”

Ziling could no longer hold back and approached him first, looking at him with a mix of worry and gratitude.

“I’ve only slightly injured my vital energy, so I’m fine. More importantly, does Miss Ziling plan to leave right away? Or will you stay to see Hu Noma take a concubine?”

“I will leave with Brother Han when you leave.”

“Then we’ll have to stay a few more days before moving.”

“Leaving now would only provoke Hu Noma and the other cultivators. They don’t seem to look down on Brother Han, so if we stay here, Hu Noma won’t say anything else.”

Ziling pondered for a moment and nodded.

Having regained her freedom, she had returned to her intelligent and wise self.

As she regained her energy, Han Li smiled and walked towards the palace.

“…”

Ziling, who had been watching his back, felt a blush creep onto her cheeks, wondering what she was thinking. She followed Han Li with light steps.

* * *

Three days later, the Demonic Palace held the ceremony to welcome Hu Noma’s concubine again. This time, there were about 20 to 30 cultivators who had come to offer their congratulations, and even the lowest among them were in the mid-Core Formation stage [a cultivation stage].

This made Han Li realize the strength of the Great Jin cultivation world, which was incomparable to Tiannan. The newly joined cultivators were shocked to see Han Li interacting with the three Nascent Soul seniors [a high cultivation stage] on equal terms.

They had heard from the cultivators who had arrived earlier that Han Li was the one who had caused the Yin Fiend Sect’s downfall, that he had snatched the concubine from Hu Noma’s grasp, and that he had withstood the latter’s blow without any harm. Their attitude towards him became extremely respectful.

After that, Hu Noma treated Han Li comfortably and did not mention Ziling at all.

It was a fortunate turn of events, but Han Li remained vigilant, and Ziling also stayed by his side at all times.

Once the ceremony was over, Han Li bid farewell to Xiang Zhili and the others, and left the Demonic Palace with the woman, descending Mount Mata.

* * *

Three months later, on the summit of an unnamed mountain with beautiful scenery.

Han Li, dressed in a blue robe, stood quietly, gazing into the distance. His eyes showed a mix of complex emotions and a hint of hesitation. Suddenly, he raised his hands and stared at them silently.

Just a day ago, these hands had been moving passionately over Ziling’s smooth body, and he had been mesmerized by her jade-like, soft, and warm touch.

But now, she was gone, and he was left alone.

Han Li had talked with Ziling about what had happened after they had left the Heavenly Fiend Sect’s territory and parted ways at the Chuma Valley.

Their conversations were fascinating, and they had burst into laughter one after another.

Eventually, a strange current began to flow between them, and after spending several months together, they could no longer control their emotions.

However, after that incident, Ziling made her position clear. She knew that Han Li could not marry her, and she had no intention of becoming his concubine.

Furthermore, she did not think she would ever be swayed by any man other than Han Li, and she had no intention of marrying anyone else. She would devote herself to cultivation and strive to achieve the Great Dao [the ultimate path of cultivation] for the rest of her life.

In the end, she calmly sorted out her feelings and left his side.

He could have held her back, but Han Li watched her leave, moved by her resolute demeanor.

Now, standing alone on the mountain peak, recalling the past few months he had spent with Ziling, he felt an indescribable emptiness and heartache.

This was a phenomenon caused by an unstable mind, so he did not use any techniques to force himself to calm down. Instead, he quietly endured the pain and waited.

Soon, his blurred expression cleared, and he was able to return to his usual self.

“We had a connection, but not a destiny!”

Han Li muttered, then soared into the sky as a streak of blue light. A moment later, he disappeared into the distant horizon.

* * *

The Fire Prison, one of the Great Jin’s Seven Forbidden Lands, had existed in the southwest of Great Jin since ancient times.

This fiery zone had no colors other than black and red, and it was home to countless volcanoes.

Some were as high as ten thousand feet, while others were just small hills of a hundred feet or so.

The volcanoes varied in type: some spewed bright red flames, some were blackened and dead, and others constantly emitted steam.

The high sky was filled with dark red fire clouds, making the surroundings always dim. Large amounts of volcanic ash flew around, and the areas near the volcanoes were filled with the pungent smell of sulfur and heat.

This place was completely inaccessible to ordinary people, and even cultivators who tried to pass through it on their magical artifacts would often fall or crash and disappear.

Therefore, most of those who passed through this place were high-level cultivators with advanced cultivation.

The Fire Prison was notorious, but it was also an excellent place to find fire-attribute materials.

And the true meaning of the Seven Forbidden Lands was not the volcanoes that rose from the ground, but the vast mountain range located in the center of the Fire Prison.

That place was completely covered by an endless expanse of red mist, and very few who entered ever returned alive.

But one day, a flash of light appeared in the sky, and a streak of blue light flew in, stopping a hundred feet above the red mist. When the light faded, it revealed Han Li.

After calming his mind and flying here for several months, he surveyed the area and discovered a sea of mist not far away.

The vast amount of red mist was completely different from any mist he had seen before, and it exuded an aura of death. He stood with his hands behind his back, staring at it for a while, then transformed into a streak of blue light and plunged into it.

*Tss tss tss!*

As he plunged into the sea of red mist, explosions erupted between his protective blue light and the red mist. The battle between the red and blue spiritual energy became more intense over time.

“…”

Han Li narrowed his brows and flew for about a hundred feet before brushing his hand across his storage pouch. A red light flashed, and a dozen or so bright red lights shot out, transforming into crystal-like cylindrical pillars. The pillars, each about a foot long, were engraved with red flood dragons.

These were the Fire Dragon Pillars, treasures he had obtained from Mount Kunwu. He slowly chanted an incantation and pointed at the pillars with one hand. Immediately, the pillars began to rotate and fly up, stopping a foot away from him.

Red light flashed, and the red flood dragons opened their mouths, emitting a bright red light barrier that enveloped Han Li.

Strangely, once the fire-attribute barrier was deployed, the red mist no longer exploded and did not hinder him at all as he passed through. Han Li was very satisfied and increased his speed.

The sea of fire mist seemed to restrict consciousness, as even his powerful consciousness could not scan a large area. If he had come before reaching the Nascent Soul stage, he would have suffered even more.

‘It was a wise decision to come here after reaching the late Nascent Soul stage.’

Han Li had come here to find the Solar Essence needed to refine the Rejuvenation Elixir. He had learned from the Nascent Soul of Han Li Shangren of the Small Extremity Palace that the Solar Essence was located within this Fire Prison.

However, because it was such a dangerous place, he had only come after reaching the late Nascent Soul stage.

The Rejuvenation Elixir was extremely precious and important because it had a special effect on extending one’s lifespan.

Although he had conceded a bit to Hu Noma in the Demonic Palace, he still had enough ingredients left to make enough Rejuvenation Elixir for five or six people.

However, this was not a place where he could stay for long, so it would not be easy to find the Solar Essence.

Otherwise, there was no way that Han Li Shangren, who had already reached the late Nascent Soul stage, would not have found it. However, Han Li possessed the Lunar True Flame, which he believed would give him a higher chance of finding the Solar Essence, which was why he had come here.

This place was known as one of the Great Jin’s Forbidden Lands not only because of the power of the lightning fire formed by fire-attribute spiritual energy.

High-level fire-attribute demon beasts of the 6th and 7th grade, which were difficult to imagine, appeared frequently, and even Nascent Soul cultivators could lose their lives if they were not careful.

‘Moreover, the dangers within the red mist are not limited to that.’

Han Li organized his thoughts and flicked his finger, causing a golden light to flash and a sword qi to pierce through the red mist and disappear.

*Kueeek!*

A strange cry was heard, and a black shadow emerged from the mist.

The crimson avian demon beast, several feet in size, had a purple crest on its head and dark blue eyes.

However, when the bird spread its wings, a bloodstain was visible, and a fist-sized hole was bleeding.