Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 1043

The woman wore a faint smile, and no energy could be felt from her entire body, making her look like an ordinary person.

“Daoist Xiaofeng! I didn’t expect the head of the Gu family to come all the way here in person,” the old man in the blue robe said, narrowing his eyes as he looked at the woman’s face.

“I wondered who was already here, but it was Elder Cheok of the Heavenly Origin Sect. Senior, did you also come to meet the cultivator staying at Ukil Peak?” the woman asked, slightly lowering her head.

“The Heavenly Origin Sect is only a few months away from here, so it’s been a long time since the news of a Composite Body cultivator appearing spread! The other elders are either in seclusion or out on missions, so this old man had no choice but to come here. Isn’t the Gu family head’s purpose the same?” the old man in the blue robe replied with a smile. Despite the other party’s lower cultivation, he treated the woman with respect.

“That’s right. Actually, one of our Gu family elders contacted the senior at Ukil Peak before, but I didn’t expect him to become a Composite Body cultivator in just one year. Naturally, I thought I should come and meet him in person.”

“If I remember correctly, the True Spirit Great Ceremony of the True Spirit Aristocratic Families, which happens once every three thousand years, will be held in a few years. I understand that the Gu family head wants to quickly increase the Gu family’s power! But if the cultivator at Ukil Peak is truly a Composite Body cultivator, then know that this old man cannot yield. The Heavenly Origin Sect has already lost two elders due to the last invasion of the alien races, and two more elders are about to face the Great Heavenly Tribulation [a major trial for cultivators], so we don’t know what will happen. We are in a situation where we urgently need to replenish our Composite Body power.”

“I see. However, this is also a matter of the Gu family’s honor, so please understand that I cannot easily back down,” the woman said, giving a wry smile at the old man in the blue robe’s words.

“Hahaha, in fact, would a Composite Body cultivator just now join another force so easily? It’s most likely that we’ll both return empty-handed, so let’s meet the person in question first and then talk again.”

“You’re right. Then, would you like to go with me?”

At the woman’s suggestion, the old man in the blue robe nodded without refusing. He flew up with her and stopped at the edge of the sea of clouds. The old man took a deep breath and shouted loudly, “This is Cheok Hubing of the Heavenly Origin Sect and Daoist Xiaofeng of the Gu family! May we have a moment to speak?”

The old man’s voice was filled with spiritual power and spread clearly far and wide. Han Li also opened his eyes and fell into thought for a moment.

He didn’t hesitate for long and took out a white formation disc, moving his lips. Han Li’s calm voice echoed in the ears of the old man in the blue robe and the beautiful woman, “Honorable guests have come to visit! I am still in closed-door training, so I cannot greet you in person. If it’s alright, please come to the east and wait. I will come to see you as soon as I come out of seclusion.”

Soon, the sea of clouds below opened, and a wide passage appeared. The old man in the blue robe and Daoist Xiaofeng exchanged glances and entered the passage.

When they arrived at the entrance of the east side of the mountain, the door was already wide open. They went inside and took seats separately in the main hall.

At that moment, a woman in white came out with a tray, served fragrant spiritual tea, and stepped aside. The old man in the blue robe and Daoist Xiaofeng glanced at the woman in white and couldn’t help but be surprised.

“Senior Cheok, am I seeing things? That woman seems to be a puppet,” the woman said in a voice transmission with a suspicious tone.

“You are not mistaken, Daoist. That woman is indeed a puppet. Moreover, she seems to be at the Nascent Soul level [a high level of cultivation]. What’s strange is that she doesn’t seem to be controlled by anyone but moves on her own,” the old man in the blue robe said, seeing through many things at once with his sharp eyes. While the surprised woman was examining the woman in white, light footsteps were heard from outside the main hall, and a young man walked in.

The woman turned her gaze and, upon seeing the young man, immediately stood up and bowed. “On behalf of the Gu family, I congratulate you on reaching the Composite Body stage.”

The old man in the blue robe also smiled, stood up, and clasped his fist. “I am Cheok Hubing, an elder of the Heavenly Origin Sect. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

“I am sorry that I could not greet you in person, even though you came from afar.”

“Haha, it’s alright. How could this old man not know that you are in the midst of stabilizing your realm after just reaching the Composite Body stage?”

With the old man’s words, the three cultivators sat back down in the main hall and continued their conversation.

“To be honest, when I first heard the news that you had reached the Composite Body stage, I found it hard to believe. Just recently, Elder Gu Yun of our clan returned and told us about you, and you were still a Nascent Soul cultivator then.”

“Haha, at that time, I was already preparing to move to a higher cultivation. However, it was unexpected that I reached the Composite Body stage in one attempt. I didn’t intend to deceive Daoist Gu Yun, so please don’t misunderstand,” Han Li said, showing a look of apology at the Gu family woman’s words.

“I know. It’s a very important matter to overcome the Composite Body hurdle, so it’s natural that you acted cautiously!”

“This old man also sought out a very remote place when breaking through the Composite Body hurdle. I believe everyone feels the same way.”

The woman and the old man in the blue robe smiled as if they understood. They soon began to chat without any particular topic.

Han Li’s experiences and knowledge from wandering alone through the two continents were needless to say, and the insights of Elder Cheok, the Heavenly Origin Sect elder who had lived as a Composite Body cultivator for a long time, and Daoist Xiaofeng, the head of a True Spirit Aristocratic Family [a family with a powerful bloodline], were also considerable.

They continued their conversation in a very friendly manner. In particular, the old man and the woman felt that their perspectives had broadened thanks to Han Li.

“Daoist Han, you seem to know a lot about the alien races! There is a lot of information not recorded in the human race’s scriptures, and you seem to be familiar with the situation on other continents. Could it be that you have experience traveling to other continents?”

“You are perceptive. I have been wandering around the Great Desolate World and have just returned, so I have a good understanding of the alien races. I also happened to have traveled to other continents,” Han Li said honestly.

At Han Li’s honest answer, the old man in the blue robe and the woman simultaneously gasped.

“No wonder you have such high cultivation, but we had never heard of you before. You have been wandering abroad and only recently returned to the human race! However, according to Elder Gu Yun, you mentioned the Ye family and the Nong family, which are True Spirit Aristocratic Families. May I ask you about that?”

“Oh, what is it? Feel free to speak.”

“Since you said that, I will be direct. After hearing about you from Elder Gu Yun, I investigated cultivators with the same name as you. There was a cultivator named Han Li who served as a Qingming Guard of the Heavenly Origin Sect hundreds of years ago. Is that perhaps you, Senior?” Daoist Xiaofeng asked gently, and the old man in the blue robe was startled.

It was unexpected that Han Li was a member of the Heavenly Origin Sect, but it was even more surprising that a Nascent Soul cultivator had become a Composite Body cultivator in just a few hundred years.

“The reputation of the True Spirit Aristocratic Families is not in vain! To have figured out my background in such a short time. Yes, I served in the Heavenly Origin Sect, performed a mission, and then left as a free man,” Han Li said, his expression changing slightly before he answered calmly.

“Then, the cultivator that the Nong family and the Ye family were looking for was Senior Han.”

“The Ye family and the Nong family were looking for me?”

“The Ye family seems to have given up after searching for a hundred years, but the Nong family, known as the number one True Spirit Family, has not yet withdrawn their orders. Recently, the relationship between the Ye family and the Nong family has deteriorated quite a bit, and although there have been no large-scale battles, there have been many conflicts. Now that I think about it, it seems to have happened after the two families started looking for you, Senior,” the woman muttered meaningfully. Han Li frowned but did not answer immediately and fell into contemplation.

“Ahem, you were a Qingming Guard of the Heavenly Origin Sect before? That’s great! Then, we can get straight to the point without beating around the bush. I believe you can guess why this old man has come all the way here,” the old man in the blue robe said, clearing his throat and quickly opening his mouth.

“Elder Cheok, are you not inviting me to the Heavenly Origin Sect?”

“That’s right! I am formally inviting you on behalf of the Elder Council. Of course, we will treat you as a member of the Elder Council as a Composite Body cultivator. You are well aware of the treatment that Heavenly Origin Sect elders receive.”

“That matter is…” Han Li did not refuse outright and seemed to be considering it, so the woman’s eyes sparkled, and she hurriedly interjected.

“I also have a similar proposal to Senior Cheok. If you would take the position of Supreme Guest Elder, we will give you satisfactory treatment, and we will never bother you unless it is a matter of the Gu family’s rise or fall.” As soon as Daoist Xiaofeng started talking, she did her best to persuade him. The old man in the blue robe looked slightly uncomfortable but did not say anything to the woman. Her authority as the head of a True Spirit Aristocratic Family was no less than that of a Composite Body cultivator.

“There are not many Composite Body beings in the human and demon races, and there is no place where as many Composite Body cultivators are gathered as in the Heavenly Origin Sect, even among the Three Sovereigns and Seven Territories. The elders of the Elder Council often exchange their cultivation insights with each other, and they also hunt powerful ancient beasts together in the Great Desolate World! This is impossible elsewhere. Please carefully consider joining our sect’s Elder Council,” the old man in the blue robe, who had been silent, spoke to Han Li, and Han Li showed a look of interest.

“Our Gu family only has one Supreme Elder at the Composite Body stage, but as one of the True Spirit Aristocratic Families, we possess unique secret techniques when it comes to operating and controlling the blood of the True Spirit. I heard that you revealed the Dharma Form of the Mountain Giant Ape when you broke through the Composite Body hurdle.

As far as I know, none of the human race’s True Spirit Aristocratic Families have inherited the bloodline of the Mountain Giant Ape. You must have obtained the bloodline of the True Spirit from somewhere else. If you come to our Gu family, you will be able to learn how to refine and handle the blood of the True Spirit. Also, if you want to establish your own True Spirit Aristocratic Family ten thousand years from now, we will not stop you and will help you.”

The woman played her final card, and the old man in the blue robe was surprised once by the fact that Han Li possessed the True Spirit bloodline and again by the conditions the woman had offered.

“A new True Spirit Aristocratic Family!” Even Han Li looked surprised.

“How can we keep a senior who has inherited the True Spirit bloodline for long with just the empty title of Supreme Elder? You will serve as the Supreme Guest Elder of the Gu family for only ten thousand years, and then you will establish a new True Spirit Aristocratic Family. Even if you are a senior with outstanding skills, it will not be easy to establish a family on your own, so we will support you. The various families that share the benefits will not welcome the emergence of a new force.”

At the woman’s smiling words, Han Li fell into deep thought. Elder Cheok couldn’t help but smile wryly. Although the other party had not yet answered, he thought that if he joined another force, it would definitely not be the Heavenly Origin Sect.

The woman, the head of the Gu family, was also restless despite her calm appearance. She was not at all sure whether her strongest condition would work on the other party.

After all, not all high-level cultivators were interested in establishing a family or growing their power. If they only wanted to focus on cultivation, they might be reluctant to be bound by unnecessary restrictions, even in name only.

Isn’t that why the Heavenly Origin Sect has not been able to replenish its Composite Body elders until now?