Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 807

Several hours later, a blue streak of light appeared in the sky, hovering over the area where they were waiting. When the light faded, Han Li was revealed.

“Brother Han, you’re safe! It’s fortunate you survived the Spirit Race ambush,” Nong Dong said with a smile.

“It’s a relief to see that everyone else is unharmed,” Han Li replied, scanning the other cultivators with a calm smile.

“Now that Brother Han has arrived, let’s rest for half a day and then depart immediately. The Spirit Race might cause more trouble,” So Hong suggested.

“Fellow Daoist So is right. We can’t stay here for long,” Nong Dong agreed. Han Li and Ye Ying nodded in agreement.

Half a day later, the four of them used their escape techniques to secretly head out.

After flying for over ten thousand miles, the wind gradually intensified. The further they went, the more violent it became, making it difficult to see ahead in the sandstorm. The surroundings were filled with yellow sand and floating rock fragments, making it hard to breathe.

Fortunately, they were protected by spirit energy shields; ordinary people would have been killed by the rocks in the storm.

After another thousand miles, Nong Dong, who was leading the way, suddenly stopped. A voice transmission reached the others.

“We’ve arrived. The One-Line Sky is ahead. If the higher-ups hadn’t given us two Wind Stabilizing Pearls each, we wouldn’t be able to pass through this place. With the pearls, we should be able to go back and forth safely. However, a group of Wind Dragons resides within, so everyone must be careful. Of course, the chances of encountering them in the vast One-Line Sky are slim.”

“Besides that, everyone must remain vigilant. It bothers me that the Spirit Race seemed to be waiting for us in ambush. There might be traps inside as well, so we must prepare for any eventuality,” So Hong added with a solemn expression.

Han Li seemed to be half-listening, his dark blue eyes piercing through the sandstorm, gazing into the distance.

About a hundred miles away, an extraordinary phenomenon was occurring.

It was as tall as the sky, with the upper part black, the lower part yellow, and a straight, white line stretching endlessly between them.

The group, having hurried on, soon saw the scene that Han Li had witnessed.

The sky, where there should have been empty space, was filled with black mist, and below, yellow sandstorms raged. At the point where the two met, a huge white river, a hundred feet high, separated the black mist and the yellow storm.

The black mist and the yellow storm were drawn into the white river, as if heading into an endless abyss.

“This is the One-Line Sky! How interesting,” Ye Ying said, her lips curling up.

“Let’s go. It’s fortunate that the sandstorm is at its weakest now. If we waited a few more days, it would be much harder to find the entrance and enter,” Nong Dong said cautiously. He flipped his palm, and a fist-sized blue bead appeared. He rolled it with his fingers, making it much smaller, and put it in his mouth.

The others, including Han Li, also took out their beads and consumed them.

Then, a strange glow enveloped the four of them, and the raging wind around them seemed to melt away upon touching the glow. This was the effect of the Wind Stabilizing Pearls that the high-ranking members of the Heavenly Origin had given them before their departure.

Without hesitation, they approached the strange phenomenon. An invisible force pulled them into the huge ditch.

The moment Han Li was pulled in, he felt the suction disappear and his body become comfortable. However, the white wind blades and the ear-splitting sounds made him realize how powerful the storm was.

Without the Wind Stabilizing Pearls, they would have had to use magical treasures to protect themselves, which would have resulted in a loss of magical power.

Han Li looked around and realized that he couldn’t extend his consciousness outside his body. Even with his Brightsight Spirit Eyes, he could only see about a hundred feet, and he couldn’t locate the others, who seemed to be further away.

Han Li narrowed his brows and turned into a blue streak of light, flying into the storm.

* * *

Several days later, a flash of spirit energy suddenly appeared at the entrance of the One-Line Sky, and two streaks of light emerged.

When the light faded, two middle-aged cultivators wearing golden robes appeared. They had similar attire and wore purple headbands, their eyes shining brightly.

One of them had an abnormally pale face, and half of the other’s robe was torn, indicating that they had been in a fierce battle.

The two examined the huge rift, moved their lips, exchanged voice transmissions, and then plunged into the tunnel of light.

Not long after, another red shadow flew in from the sandstorm. The red shadow hesitated upon seeing the One-Line Sky, then let out an angry roar and turned back.

Now, only the storm remained around the One-Line Sky; no one else was left.

* * *

Several months later, Han Li sat alone on a rock at the top of a blue mountain, gazing into the distance. A vast forest began several dozen miles away from the small mountain.

Strangely, the forest had black patterns etched into the green of the trees and grass. From a distance, it looked like a dark green color.

This was the Black Leaf Forest, the destination where Han Li and the others were to carry out their mission, and the border area closest to the Wood Race forces. After observing for a while, Han Li withdrew his gaze and fell into deep thought.

Although it took some time, they were able to pass through the One-Line Sky without any problems. In fact, the fact that nothing happened was unexpected.

The frustrating thing was that he couldn’t contact the other three, no matter how many days he waited at the exit. He didn’t know what had happened to them.

After pondering, he boldly gave up waiting and moved on to carry out the mission alone.

He had dealt with minor issues along the way and killed a few low-level Wood Race members he had encountered by chance, arriving at this place. Nong Dong and So Hong had already shared the detailed information of the mission, so he was confident that he could succeed alone.

The individuals dispatched by the Human and Demon Races to the Wood Race had, over the years, risen to quite high positions. The mission was to enter the depths of the Black Leaf Forest, receive detailed information from the person dispatched to the Wood Race, and secretly observe the Wood Race’s movements.

It seemed like a simple mission, but it was difficult to travel through the Myriad Wastelands to reach the mission site, and it was also difficult to make contact with the spy in the Black Leaf Forest without being noticed by the Wood Race.

There was little interaction between the Human and Wood Races, so not much was known about the Black Leaf Forest. Therefore, it was essential to gather information about the Wood Race before a war broke out.

Han Li had waited here for over half a month, but he couldn’t meet the others, and the deadline for the mission was approaching.

He couldn’t wait any longer. After much deliberation, he raised his head and looked at the sky. Three moons and four suns were already in the sky. Night would soon fall, and the sky would turn black.

According to what he had heard, the Wood Race had naturally poor senses and relied heavily on spirit energy when communicating or fighting enemies. Therefore, the high-level cultivators who assigned the mission recommended waiting for nightfall before infiltrating the Black Leaf Forest.

Looking at the growing moons and the distant forest, Han Li made a decision. Whether the others arrived on time or not, he had to obtain the Extinction Pill. He had to carry out the mission alone.

Having made up his mind, Han Li closed his eyes on the rock.

Several hours later, the sky had turned completely black, and night had fallen. The Black Leaf Forest at night was as silent as a huge black beast lying prone. Han Li formed a hand seal, making his form ambiguous, and then disappeared from the rock like a phantom.

He used his concealment technique to slowly approach the Black Leaf Forest. He had slowed his speed to the maximum several dozen miles away, so it took him half an hour to reach the edge of the forest.

Considering the endless size of the Black Leaf Forest, it was impossible for Wood Race members to be guarding every corner. However, he had no intention of entering without any preparation.

This was because a spirit tree called the Dream Net was usually planted within the Wood Race’s territory.

It was said that the Dream Net was a unique guardian spirit tree of the Wood Race that controlled a certain range and a certain number of other trees, and it could unleash several mysterious divine powers. Of course, the range and the number of trees that a single Dream Net could control varied.

In the case of the Dream Net trees in the Black Leaf Forest, the Heavenly Origin had already confirmed their surveillance range.

Since the Black Leaf Forest, located on the border, was vast, the Dream Net here also controlled a very wide area. However, conversely, the number of trees it could control was not large, and it could only detect those who had surpassed the Transformation stage [a cultivation stage].

Of course, even if the other races openly entered and acted, they would not be caught by the Dream Net, but they would not be able to avoid the eyes of the Wood Race members.

Han Li completely concealed his aura and transformed into a phantom, flashing through the forest.

With his strong physique, he freely used the Gale Transformation and the Raging Flame Step, moving like a ghost through the gaps between the trees. The ambiguous blue light appeared and disappeared repeatedly, and in an instant, he had traveled over a hundred miles and entered the depths of the forest.

Han Li listened to the sound of the wind in his ears and remained silent.

If things went smoothly, he would arrive at the agreed location in three days, and even if he only received the information, it would be as good as completing the mission.

At that moment, the blue shadow flashed again and disappeared behind a large tree.

Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!

Almost simultaneously, heavy footsteps were heard from ahead. It sounded like a huge object was approaching. Han Li, hidden among the lush leaves of a large tree, remained motionless and watched below.

After a while, he saw two green monsters, each holding a huge copper harpoon, approaching with heavy thuds. They looked like giant monkeys, about ten feet tall.

The monsters looked like monkeys at first glance, but they had three eyes and long green fur. The monsters constantly rolled their three eyes, watching their surroundings.

Han Li waited for the monsters to pass under the tree and then quietly descended. His eyes were filled with doubt as he looked in the direction where the monsters had disappeared.

The monsters that had just passed seemed to be patrolling the Black Leaf Forest, but they were not Wood Race members. Judging by their behavior, they seemed to have developed intelligence.

‘Could they be another unknown alien race?’

He shook his head as he pondered. As far as he knew, the Wood Race was very exclusive and would not allow other alien races to roam freely in their territory.

‘Then are they combat beasts trained by the Wood Race?’

Combat beasts, also known as war beasts, were no different from spirit beasts. Just as the Human and Demon Races used various secret techniques to tame spirit beasts, other alien races also tamed ancient beasts using drugs or other training methods.

The training and control methods, as well as the types of beasts raised, varied greatly depending on the race. However, not all types of ancient beasts could be tamed.

The two-headed snake monster he had encountered before was also a unique war beast of the Spirit Race, and they were probably the only ones who knew how to tame it. However, he had not heard that the Wood Race possessed war beasts, so they might have recently succeeded in taming them.

Han Li pondered for a while and then dismissed it from his mind. If they couldn’t even detect him when he was so close, they were probably not very threatening, despite their ferocious appearance. Han Li organized his thoughts and disappeared with a flash.