Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 1010

Mountain Peak, Palace, and Stone Steps

“How can we obtain treasures if we don’t take risks?” Han Li advised, his eyes gleaming as he looked at the worried Liu Shui’er.

“I agree with Brother Han. With the Horned-Winged Race wandering around, we don’t have time to delay,” Shi Kun added.

“Since you both say so, I will follow,” Liu Shui’er said, steeling her resolve. Shi Kun chuckled and released a black object from his sleeve. However, as soon as the black light escaped his sleeve, it fell to the ground and tumbled. It was a steel puppet in the shape of a black wolf.

“The metal restriction is even affecting magic tools!” Liu Shui’er exclaimed in surprise, her face showing concern. This meant that they would have to rely solely on their magic power and secret arts to overcome any dangers. Han Li also raised an eyebrow, becoming more cautious, but Shi Kun simply smiled and strode towards the mountain peak.

While ordinary cultivators would be in a difficult situation without their magic tools and treasures, Shi Kun, whose sturdy body was a weapon in itself, was not. Han Li smiled slightly and followed behind him.

Liu Shui’er also followed them, her eyes wavering.

The stone steps at the base of the mountain led all the way to the summit. The single-width stone steps snaked up the mountain like a white serpent. Although they couldn’t fly due to the metal restriction, these steps were not difficult to climb.

However, as soon as Shi Kun stepped onto the stairs, his expression twisted. His pace slowed with each step, which was unusual for someone as impatient as him.

Han Li, puzzled by this, stepped onto the white stairs and finally understood the situation.

A powerful suction force was acting on the steps, making it very difficult to lift his legs. And surprisingly, the suction force increased as they climbed higher. The difference was so subtle at first that it didn’t have much of an effect, but the thought of the ten thousand or so steps leading to the summit made his hair stand on end. Fortunately, the suction force gradually weakened and eventually dissipated if they stood still in the same spot.

It was a strange restriction, but Han Li didn’t pay much attention to it. His body, trained in the Profound Heavenly Devil Arts, was stronger than that of the Saint Race. No matter how strange the stone steps were, they couldn’t stop him from reaching the summit.

If Shi Kun had any hidden abilities, he would be able to reach the summit without stopping, but it would be impossible for Liu Shui’er to reach the palace using only her physical strength without resorting to other methods.

Han Li took a dozen or so steps and turned back to look at Liu Shui’er.

The woman was standing still on the first step, lost in thought. A hint of anger could be seen in her wavering eyes.

She had also realized the situation and was getting frustrated. Although no one had said it, the first person to reach the palace would be the first to claim the treasures.

This put her at a disadvantage compared to Han Li and Shi Kun. Of course, that didn’t mean she couldn’t climb the stairs.

*Pat! Pat! Pat!*

Liu Shui’er took out several talismans of various colors and attached them to her body. The spiritual energy of the yellow, silver, and red talismans spread from her body, pushing back the pressure from the stone steps. She had temporarily strengthened her body by combining talismans with different auxiliary divine abilities.

Liu Shui’er began to climb the steps quickly.

Auxiliary talismans were like a double-edged sword for high-level cultivators, no matter how effective they were. They could be used without hesitation when needed. Ordinary cultivators who mainly trained their magic power were not very interested in talismans that strengthened the body, and they were not very helpful in fighting enemies.

Body Refinement Cultivators, who trained their bodies, were already strong, so the effects of talismans like the Vajra Talisman were minimal.

How much stronger could they become by using high-level auxiliary talismans to enhance their already near-limit physical strength? They would only increase the power of a Body Refinement Cultivator by about 10 to 20 percent, at most.

Therefore, Han Li stopped paying attention and continued to climb the stairs.

At first, even if the power of the restriction increased, he could rest in place for a while and then overcome the suction force to move forward.

The three of them quickly climbed one-third of the way. From this point on, their expressions changed noticeably. Shi Kun, who had climbed the fastest, was still climbing vigorously, but his chest was heaving, and sweat was beading on his forehead, showing how difficult it was for him.

Han Li, in the middle, had a calm expression, except for the fact that his skin was gradually turning golden. Finally, Liu Shui’er, who was wearing a bamboo hat to cover her face, was clearly slowing down, and her body trembled with each step. The light of the three-colored spiritual energy flickered erratically, and it was unclear when it would disappear. Auxiliary talismans would not last long. The woman knew this, so her complexion was not good.

When she had climbed 300 steps, Liu Shui’er finally let out a long sigh and stopped walking. Although he could sense her situation without turning his head, Han Li did not stop climbing the stairs.

After a while, Shi Kun reached the middle of the mountain. Shi Kun was sweating profusely, and his body trembled with each step. He was emitting a yellow light from his body, but he looked exhausted.

He used his consciousness to check on Han Li, who was following behind. Han Li’s golden skin had become a little darker, and he had the same expression as when he first started climbing the mountain. It was as if he was the only one unaffected by the restriction.

‘Was he a high-level Body Refinement Cultivator! Even better than me!’ Shi Kun’s heart sank.

Liu Shui’er, who had remained below to catch her breath, was also moving again, taking pills to recover her energy.

Shi Kun became anxious and wanted to climb faster, but his steps became heavier and slower, as if a mountain was pressing down on him. Now, his joints were even creaking.

Shi Kun was slowing down, and Han Li was consistent, so after a while, their order was reversed. Han Li passed the sweating Shi Kun, gave him a calm smile, and quickly widened the distance between them.

Shi Kun gritted his teeth and stopped in his tracks, glaring at Han Li’s receding figure. Even after climbing over a hundred more steps in an instant, his figure showed no signs of slowing down.

‘Then…’

He raised his head to look at the purple palace at the summit, then checked on Liu Shui’er, who was slowly following from below, and took out a small blood-colored bottle from his pocket. A mysterious aura emanated from the small bottle, which was covered in talismans.

*Hoo!*

Shi Kun blew on the bottle, causing the yellow aura to shake off the talismans.

*Pop.*

The talismans exploded in the air like fireworks, and a pill surrounded by blood-colored flames rolled out. Shi Kun swallowed the blood-colored pill, and in the blink of an eye, a fierce energy spread through his meridians and throughout his body.

Han Li, who was ahead, noticed Shi Kun’s actions and watched him carefully.

A strange blood-colored aura swirled around the giant’s face, and his white skin flushed red, emitting a strange light of spiritual energy that was a mixture of yellow and red.

“*Kuh!*” Suddenly, veins popped out on Shi Kun’s forehead, and the sound of his muscles bursting could be heard as his body swelled to two or three times its original size. The giant Shi Kun *thumped* and jumped over two steps at once.

He chased after Han Li at a faster speed than before. It was clear that he had used a secret art to increase his strength.

Han Li was not one to stand idly by. He took a long breath and formed a hand seal, covering his body with golden scales. Then, a golden phantom with three heads and six arms appeared behind him and rushed into Han Li’s body.

After absorbing the Dharma Idol, Han Li’s face turned yellow, and he donned a strange, glowing armor all over his body. After that, Han Li’s speed increased even more, and even the giant Shi Kun could not close the distance. Both Shi Kun and Liu Shui’er were greatly surprised, but they were already climbing the mountain with all their might, so there was nothing they could do.

Han Li, who was protected by the golden armor that had transformed from the Dharma Idol, quickly climbed the stone steps, cutting through the wind. Even though Shi Kun hurried, Han Li was getting further and further away.

After a while, Han Li was more than 400 steps ahead, and Shi Kun could no longer maintain his speed. This time, he was so exhausted that he was not only sweating, but also emitting white steam as if his whole body was boiling.

Han Li, who was ahead, also slowed down his pace due to the powerful suction force of the steps. It was only 200 or 300 steps to the summit, but the suction force was beyond imagination.

Even Han Li, who was exerting power beyond that of the Saint Race, found it difficult to endure, and his legs trembled with each step, forcing him to move slowly.

Shi Kun and Liu Shui’er, who were behind, also stood still, resting and watching Han Li climb up blankly.

However, even he had no choice but to stop before reaching the summit. When he was ten steps away, his golden armor trembled and looked as if it would collapse at any moment.

Han Li waited for the suction force under his feet to decrease, stopping and moving repeatedly.

It took him half a quarter of an hour to take the last ten steps, but the moment his two feet touched the summit, the suction force that had been tormenting him disappeared as if it had been washed away, and his body felt as light as a feather.

Han Li let out a long sigh and dispersed the golden armor on his body. When he turned his head, Shi Kun was panting and looking gloomy hundreds of steps below, and Liu Shui’er was like a small dot 2,000 steps below.

However, they knew that the purple palace was very large, so even if Han Li arrived first, he would not be able to break through the hidden powerful restrictions and take all the treasures in the meantime, so they were not greatly agitated.

Han Li smiled and immediately turned his body towards the purple palace.

The magnificent palace gate was tightly closed, and dozens of large crystal stones with ornate patterns were neatly embedded, giving it an extraordinary feel.

Han Li, who had been slowly examining the gate, was startled. All of the dozens of crystal stones were rare, top-grade spirit stones, much purer and larger than the top-grade spirit stones of the Spirit Realm.

This time, he turned his gaze to the purple palace wall. The high wall, made of some unknown material, had a strange purple glow, and it was densely covered with incantation characters of various sizes.

Han Li’s lips curled up. The incantation characters were the familiar ‘Ancient Script’.

‘Is this truly the architecture of an immortal from the True Immortal Realm!’

He was outwardly calm, but his eyes were filled with fervor as he looked at the palace. He had seen many rare treasures on his path of cultivation, but the treasures left by a True Immortal Realm immortal still made his heart flutter.

It was no wonder that Cai Liying and Dan Tianren were so sure that there would be pills here that could help them overcome their bottlenecks.

*Kwaang!*

Han Li calmed his mind and reached out, sending out a golden lightning bolt. However, the moment the golden lightning bolt reached the top of the wall, a strange thing happened.

An unknown sound echoed from the empty air, and the golden lightning bolt disappeared. Han Li’s face darkened.

Even after activating his Brightsight Spirit Eyes, he could not figure out what had happened, and his consciousness was also repelled by an invisible force. He gave up on the idea of climbing over the wall and turned his gaze to the palace gate.

Han Li pondered for a moment and then summoned the monkey puppet from his storage pouch. The puppet, which was larger than most burly men, fell to the ground, unable to withstand the power of the metal restriction.

Han Li flicked his fingertip and absorbed a magic seal, and the monkey puppet slowly rose to its feet and walked towards the palace gate. The monkey puppet reached out and opened the door.

*Creak.*

Han Li, who had been narrowing his eyes, was a little bewildered. The main gate of the palace had opened easily.

Not letting go of his suspicion, he quickly peered inside the gate. Beyond the door, a plaza paved with blue bricks stretched out, and jade fences could be seen on all sides.

And at the far end of the plaza, a huge, purplish-gold building stood tall. Next to it, three buildings that appeared to be side halls, about one-third the size, were arranged in a 品 shape, surrounding the main hall.

Behind the main hall, a low pavilion could also be seen. Han Li hesitated for a moment and then controlled the puppet to enter the palace gate first.

“…”

When nothing happened, he also stepped over the gate and onto one side of the plaza. The puppet, under his control, was passing through the center of the plaza and heading towards the main hall.