Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 756

Unlike Han Li, who was lost in thought, the small beast seemed to have grown tired of their standoff. Its eyes flashed fiercely as it prepared to pounce again.

Startled, he tightened his grip on the long spear and, with his other hand, pulled out a spirit beast pouch containing a swarm of Gold Devouring Beetles. [Insects known for their voracious appetite for metals and minerals.]

If the small beast attacked again, he planned to use the permanent ring to open the spirit beast pouch.

He couldn’t command the spirit insects with magic power, but considering the Gold Devouring Beetles’ instinct to devour anything, they should be able to handle a mutated monster.

The only drawback was that releasing the spirit insects would prevent him from emitting consciousness, meaning he would have to spend a considerable amount of time and effort to recall them. However, given the situation, he couldn’t hesitate any longer.

The small beast let out a low growl, its form blurring. Suddenly, it multiplied from one to two, then from two to four, and then abruptly to over thirty. They bared their sharp teeth from the trees across from him, ready to leap. Only then did Han Li realize that his opponent hadn’t been using its full strength, and he was about to throw the pouch forward.

But just then, a bizarre cry echoed from afar. It sounded like a crow’s caw, yet it was sharp and piercing.

Upon hearing the bird’s cry, the small beast stared at Han Li intently before turning and disappearing into the deep forest.

Relieved, Han Li retrieved the pouch he had been about to release and put it back in his robe. He didn’t know what had happened, but he didn’t particularly want to find out.

What he needed to do now was find a quiet place to organize the insights he had gained from the recent battle.

In the fight, he had exerted superhuman strength, and a faint, new sensation seemed to be hovering at the edge of his mind. This was the perfect time to seize the opportunity and break through a cultivation bottleneck.

Han Li took a blue robe from his wrist storage and put it on, then soared away in the opposite direction.

Han Li traveled over a hundred miles in one go, carved a cave into a small valley, and sat down in a meditative posture.

Three days and nights passed.

When Han Li opened his eyes again, his face was filled with disappointment. He had gained some insights, but not enough to break through his cultivation bottleneck.

However, it wasn’t a cause for great disappointment. Although he had failed this time, he had confirmed that fighting monsters in close combat helped to improve his cultivation.

If he steadily accumulated experience, he would eventually achieve his goal. He composed himself and walked out of the small cave.

After a moment of contemplation at the cave entrance, he decided that the small beast he had fought a few days ago was a suitable opponent.

He thought that if he sparred with it a few more times, he might suddenly gain some enlightenment.

It was dangerous, but considering his body’s recovery ability, it wasn’t something to worry about. Han Li left the valley and ran towards the direction where the small beast had disappeared.

However, he was soon disappointed.

He searched the surrounding hundreds of miles without rest, but found no trace of it. With no other choice, he decided to leave the mountain and look for a suitable target elsewhere.

* * *

About ten days later, near a huge lake.

Over a dozen cultivators wearing various attire were surrounded by snake monsters, back-to-back, desperately wielding their spirit tools. [Magical items used by cultivators to enhance their abilities.]

The snake monsters, in turn, spewed out blood-red poisonous mist and coiled their bodies like bows to attack the cultivators.

The cultivators had poison-repelling pills in their mouths, so the poisonous mist wasn’t a problem, but the snake monsters were incredibly fast and powerful, making it impossible to block their body attacks.

The cultivators used their spirit tools to shoot down the charging snake monsters, but they couldn’t inflict serious damage.

As time passed, the human cultivators grew weaker and lost their momentum.

The giant snake monster leading the pack watched this and hissed with satisfaction.

At that moment, a bizarre roar like a thunderclap echoed from the surface of the nearby lake.

Then, a large amount of silver light flashed on the lake’s surface, and countless water arrows shot up, raining down on the lakeshore.

Thud! Thud thud thud!

The cultivators didn’t even have time to scream as they and the snake monsters were riddled with holes, collapsing onto the muddy ground, never to rise again.

Only the giant snake monster at the very back managed to nimbly twist its body and retreat a dozen yards away, avoiding the water arrows.

However, as the giant snake monster landed, the rocks below shattered, and a huge silver hand burst through the dust, aiming for the monster.

The giant snake immediately opened its massive mouth to bite the silver hand.

A tremendous collision sound rang out as the giant hand and the snake monster clashed. However, the silver hand was unscathed, while the snake writhed in pain, spewing blood.

The silver hand was so hard that it couldn’t be cut by the snake’s sharp teeth.

The snake, trying to escape in immense pain, lost its chance when the silver hand reappeared. The giant hand grabbed the snake’s head and crushed it mercilessly.

Blood gushed like a fountain from the snake’s headless body, and the silver hand released its grip, letting the head fall. At that moment, the dust swirling around dissipated, and the figure of a man, his entire body shimmering silver, appeared.

And then, the lake water surged, and a human-sized, crystal-like water spirit also appeared.

“Su Mae! It was indeed you.”

The silver figure shouted loudly at the water spirit.

“Cheol In, have you come to find this venerable one? I suppose Jeokmyeol is with you as well.”

“I was going to step forward anyway.”

A strange laugh was heard, and crimson flames appeared beside the silver figure. His entire body was ablaze.

“If I remember correctly, the two of you had no dealings with me, so your sudden visit must be related to the traitor, yes?”

“That’s right. We’ve found where the traitor is hiding.”

The silver figure replied in a rumbling voice, then shimmered and shrunk to a size similar to the fire figure.

“Finding him but not capturing him means you’ve encountered a problem.”

The water spirit’s expression turned fierce at the mention of the traitor, and ripples formed in the water that made up its body.

“We were a step too late, and the cunning bastard hid in the Blazing Light Pool within the Chaos Valley. You know what kind of place the Blazing Light Pool is! Only you, Su Mae, with your water-attribute divine abilities, can find the traitor hiding inside.”

“The Blazing Light Pool! How could you let him escape there? It’s a place even I can’t enter carelessly.”

The water spirit’s voice sharpened, sounding somewhat angry at the fire figure’s explanation.

“We were suddenly obstructed by the demon race while pursuing the traitor. One of them was even a Black Wind Clan demon cultivator.”

“What? How did the demon race find out about this?”

“We can’t be sure, but isn’t it possible that the information was leaked from the human race? More importantly, we don’t have time to waste. A battle between us and the demon race is about to break out! Human cultivators are probably searching as well. Cheon Aeng and Hwangseok are guarding the Chaos Valley, but they won’t last long if human and demon Nascent Soul stage cultivators [A high level of cultivation] swarm in.”

The fire figure urged the other.

“There’s no need to worry. Do you think humans or demons can enter the Blazing Light Pool, which even I, with my Water Spirit Body, can’t enter carelessly?”

“Still, this is the territory of humans and demons, so they might know a way to enter the Blazing Light Pool. If they seize the Chaos Valley, we’ll have to give up on finding the divine blood and returning.”

“It seems you still don’t know, but those sent by the Spirit Clan are scheduled to arrive in a few days. Among them is Ukcheon, one of the eight great Spirit Clan’s Mysterious Spirits.”

“Mysterious Spirit Ukcheon!”

The silver figure and the fire figure exclaimed simultaneously.

“Do you understand my intentions now? Once the Spirit Clan arrives, the traitor will have nowhere to run. Be patient and wait a few more days.”

“But if that happens, won’t the divine blood fall into the hands of the Spirit Clan?”

The silver figure seemed displeased.

“It’s better for the divine blood to fall into the hands of the Spirit Clan than for it to be taken by the humans or demons. If the secret of the divine blood is revealed, how much loss will our Spirit Race suffer? It’s a pity that our Five Elements Spirit Clan only sent Spirit General level members. Those above the Mysterious Spirit level are busy fighting against others and have no time to pay attention to this.”

Su Mae also sighed lightly.

Upon hearing his words, the bodies of the fire figure and the silver figure flickered erratically, revealing their unease.

“I understand you haven’t been here long. How is the situation over there?”

The fire figure couldn’t help but ask.

“It’s not good. Even the Holy Spirits have stepped in, but several Yaksha Kings from the Yaksha Clan have also moved. We’re barely holding off their attacks. The Yaksha Clan is naturally inclined to devour the spirits of heaven and earth, and they can suppress many of our divine abilities, making them a true formidable enemy for our Spirit Race. So, while killing the lower-level humans and demons is fine, it’s best not to cause unnecessary trouble. If we turn them into enemies as well, our clan’s situation will worsen. Our Spirit Race is originally one of the weakest among the many races in the Spirit Realm, isn’t it?”

Su Mae replied, sounding troubled. The fire figure and the silver figure were left speechless by his words.

* * *

At the same time, on a barren hillside.

A woman dressed in a palace attire, surrounded by demon cultivators of the Fire Clan, was watching the entrance of a gray valley.

“Is it still impossible to contact Senior Huan?”

“We’ve sent several groups of experts in stealth techniques, so we’ll surely find him.”

A burly man with a yellow face replied in a deep voice.

“You must guard this entrance well and prevent the Spirit Race from escaping. When Senior Huan arrives, he will kill those two Spirit Race members. And when the time comes, this palace will bestow a great reward!”

The woman promised in a sinister tone, and the demon cultivators rejoiced, accepting her command. The Black Wind Clan was one of the seven great royal clans of the demon race, so their great reward would certainly be substantial.

At those words, the morale of the surrounding demon cultivators soared.

* * *

On a jade-green prairie, over a dozen cultivators were quickly passing by. They were Nascent Soul and Core Formation stage cultivators, [Different levels of cultivation] including the Lord of the Desolate Wasteland and the Lord of Setting Sun Fortress. They were by no means a weak force.

“Lord Nam, are you sure the Spirit Race is in the Chaos Valley?”

The burly man, Lord Geun, asked Lord Nam, who was flying alongside him.

“They must be there. There are many who have reported it. Quite a few people saw Spirit Race and demon high-level cultivators fighting, but they couldn’t intervene due to their low cultivation. The Chaos Valley isn’t too far, so we should arrive within a few days.”

Lord Nam replied in a slightly excited tone.

“Isn’t the Chaos Valley a bit strange? I’ve heard that many people who entered it disappeared for unknown reasons. There were also rumors for a while that someone found traces of ancient giants inside the valley.”

Lord Geun frowned.

“I heard those rumors and went in to investigate myself. They were all just false rumors that spread as if they were true. And most of the missing cultivators and cultivators were low or mid-level, so it’s not strange that they died inside. However, the Blazing Light Pool in the Chaos Valley is a mysterious place, so I’ve never investigated it myself.”

Lord Nam said seriously.