Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 1033

When Han Li exited the Commander’s Hall, a large silver flying chariot was waiting outside. Six mantis-like beasts were pulling the square chariot, which was adorned with elaborate patterns.

Inside the chariot, Moon Fairy and Liu Shui’er were already seated, while a burly man with a dark face stood at the front, watching the entrance of the Commander’s Hall. When Han Li appeared, the burly man’s eyes flashed.

“Fellow cultivator Han, we need to depart immediately, so please come aboard quickly.”

“Thank you, Senior!”

Although it was unexpected that the dark-faced man was waiting for him, Han Li didn’t show it and boarded the chariot, taking a seat in the corner. The dark-faced man whistled, and the six mantis-like beasts flapped their wings and took off.

The moment the chariot ascended, a cyan protective barrier spread out.

Even though the Horned Chi Clan had invaded Yun City, it had not yet fallen. The Heavenly Cloud Clan controlled the rear of Yun City, so the chariot proceeded smoothly.

* * *

Fifteen days later, Han Li arrived at another large city in the Heavenly Cloud region, Fuxiao City. Unlike Yun City, which floated in the sky, Fuxiao City was located on an endless mountain range.

Half of the city walls were connected to the mountain range, and there seemed to be over a thousand large and small mountain peaks within the city. The mountain peaks inside the city were filled with buildings, and oval-shaped roads followed the peaks, creating a unique landscape.

However, Fuxiao City also felt tense due to the war. Powerful restrictive spell fluctuations were constantly felt, and patrols of a dozen or a hundred soldiers flew around frequently.

Even though the giant chariot Han Li was riding had the Heavenly Cloud mark clearly engraved on it, some soldiers still surrounded and inspected it. Of course, when the dark-faced man showed an identity token proving his status, they respectfully retreated!

Thus, the chariot landed outside the city gates without any issues.

“Senior Bing has arrived! These are the cultivators returning from the Guanghan Realm, correct? The elders of Yun City have ordered that the cultivators be taken to the Star Cloud Pavilion as soon as they arrive.”

A Nascent Soul stage soldier in charge of the checkpoint outside the city gates recognized the dark-faced man and greeted him respectfully.

“Understood! Please enter the city. I have matters to attend to and must return to Yun City.”

The dark-faced man immediately acknowledged the message and spoke to Moon Fairy and the middle-aged man. As the cultivators disembarked, he whistled without delay, turning the chariot around and flying back to Yun City.

As they entered the city, most people wore worried expressions. Fuxiao City was the closest large city to Yun City, and it was natural that it was bustling with various races that had retreated from Yun City.

They called for two spirit beast-drawn carriages to take them to the Star Cloud Pavilion, and the two carriages sped towards a certain mountain peak.

While looking out the window of the carriage, Han Li suddenly noticed someone and his expression changed. An old man with gray hair, wearing a gray robe, was talking to someone at the entrance of a material shop, his face pale with illness.

The person he was talking to was a man with a pale purple face and a yellow robe, with a menacing look. Han Li frowned and called out.

“Stop the carriage. I have something to take care of, so please go to the Star Cloud Pavilion first. I will follow soon.”

The others in the carriage were puzzled but had no reason to stop him. When the coachman stopped the carriage, Han Li got out alone and walked towards a certain direction. The voices of the two men from the Moon Clan were getting louder as they argued.

“Anyway, if you don’t repay the spirit stones within three days, I won’t let it slide.”

“Fellow cultivator Huang, you know my situation, so why are you doing this? How can I gather so many spirit stones in three days?”

The old man, looking ill, pleaded with difficulty at the man’s threat.

“Whatever your situation is, it’s none of my business. Just repay the spirit stones on time. If you don’t, don’t blame me for what happens.”

“That is…”

The old man was about to say something at the purple-faced man’s cold words, but he noticed the man looking at something with a puzzled expression. Then, a calm voice came from behind.

“How much does Senior Xiang owe? I will repay it for him.”

The old man flinched at the voice that came from so close. He was surprised that someone had approached so close without him noticing. He hurriedly turned around and looked at the young man in the blue robe.

“Junior Brother Han!”

The old man recognized him and called out happily.

“How have you been, Senior Brother Xiang?”

“So, you were in Fuxiao City too. I went to look for you before I left, but I couldn’t find you, so I was worried.”

“It would have been difficult to find my whereabouts, so you shouldn’t have bothered. Anyway, how many spirit stones does Senior Brother Xiang owe you?”

Han Li bowed lightly to Xiang Zhili and asked the purple-faced man again. The man was a Core Formation stage cultivator, similar in level to Xiang Zhili.

The man’s face paled as he sensed the profound cultivation that Han Li possessed, which he could not fathom with his spiritual sense. The purple-faced man bowed deeply and recited like a machine gun.

“Ah, no, it’s nothing. I didn’t know that Senior Xiang was so close to you, Senior. I have been rude. What are a few spirit stones? Please consider it my offering and forget about it.”

“Do I look like someone who would accept an offering from someone I don’t know? Enough, just tell me how much it is.”

Han Li said coldly with a serious expression.

“It’s not much. The amount is, well…”

The purple-faced man’s heart sank, and he quickly stated the amount. It was a small amount that was not even worth mentioning to Han Li. Han Li handed over a small pouch and said firmly.

“Now, you can leave.”

As soon as the purple-faced man received the pouch, he bowed and quickly left the scene.

“I’m ashamed to show you such a pathetic sight. I’ve wasted your spirit stones for nothing.”

Only then did Xiang Zhili smile wryly and bow to Han Li.

“Spirit stones are nothing. However, I am surprised to meet Senior Brother Xiang here again. You told me to come back and find you when I returned to Fengyuan Continent. Can you tell me what happened now?”

Han Li waved his hand and created a gray protective barrier around them. It was a temporary restriction using the Primal Magnetic Light, preventing others from eavesdropping. Xiang Zhili did not know what kind of divine power the gray barrier was, but he roughly guessed and asked excitedly.

“Does that mean you are returning to Fengyuan Continent?”

“That’s right. I have done some work for the Heavenly Cloud Clan and have been granted access to the super-large teleportation array. It seems I will be leaving the Thundercloud Continent soon.”

“That’s great! But I don’t have the item I wanted to give you with me right now. How about waiting for me at Qingjiao Peak outside the city in three days? We can meet then and finish our conversation.”

Xiang Zhili was very happy, as if it were his own matter.

“Qingjiao Peak? Understood, I will do as you wish, Senior Brother.”

“Then, let’s do that. By the way, your cultivation has increased greatly again! I don’t know your exact level, but your aura is different.”

“I had some enlightenment and made some progress.”

He chatted with Xiang Zhili for a while, then removed the Primal Magnetic Light, grabbed a spirit beast-drawn carriage, and left the place. Xiang Zhili watched the carriage disappear into the distance, his lips twitching. He had a strange smile on his face.

Fuxiao City was large, but it was smaller in scale compared to Yun City. Han Li, sitting in the carriage, arrived at the foot of a certain mountain peak in just half an hour. Pavilions and halls were built one after another, surrounding the mountain peak.

As the coachman had told him, Han Li followed the mountain path and reached the middle of the mountain, where he encountered soldiers. The soldiers confirmed that he was with Liu Shui’er and the others who had passed by earlier and immediately let him through.

Shortly after, Han Li arrived in front of a large pavilion at the top of the mountain. A large golden plaque with the silver characters ‘Star Cloud Pavilion’ was clearly visible, and eight cultivators in silver uniforms with long swords on their backs stood on either side of the gate.

However, what surprised Han Li was the plump old man in a yellow robe. The old man, smiling as he approached him, was the Myriad Ancient Clan’s Tian Qizi.

“Greetings, Senior Tian Qizi.”

“Haha, no need to be so formal. Fellow cultivator Han, have you already reached the ninth level!”

Tian Qizi scanned Han Li with his spiritual sense, and his expression changed slightly.

“I had a small stroke of luck in the Guanghan Realm.”

Han Li sighed inwardly but didn’t show it. He used a secret technique to conceal that he had reached the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, so cultivators of the same level could not detect it.

Moon Fairy and Ying, the middle-aged man, had just become Body Integration stage cultivators, and their cultivation was not stable, and their spiritual sense was not as strong as Han Li’s, so they could not detect it. However, Tian Qizi, a late-stage Body Integration cultivator, had recognized it at once.

“To surpass two levels at once, what a great stroke of luck! Haha, the reason I was waiting for you here is that there are two people who want to see you. Let’s go there together.”

Tian Qizi erased his surprised expression and smiled.

“Two other people?”

“They are people you know well, so there is nothing to worry about.”

“I will follow your orders, Senior.”

“Good, let’s go!”

The old man immediately turned around and walked into the pavilion, and Han Li followed behind him. Since the Myriad Ancient Clan elder was leading the way, the guards in silver uniforms did not stop them.

The first floor of the main hall was empty except for a few small teleportation arrays. Tian Qizi led Han Li into one of them. A light flashed before their eyes, and they were transported into another main hall.

In the center of the hall was the teleportation array they had stepped on, and around it were tables and chairs neatly arranged. And there, four cultivators were sitting.

Two men and two women, all of whom Han Li knew. They were Cai Liuying and Dan Tianren, and their disciples, Shi Kun and Liu Shui’er.

“So, it was Senior Dan and Senior Cai. Greetings.”

Han Li bowed to the two Star Domain cultivators.

“Haha, no need for formalities! This time, thanks to you, Cai and I were able to obtain the items we wanted, right?”

Dan Tianren laughed, and his eyes shone with a different light as he looked at Han Li. Like the Myriad Ancient Clan’s Tian Qizi, he had noticed that Han Li’s cultivation had changed. Cai Liuying, who was beside him, didn’t say anything, but she also looked surprised.

“I was just fulfilling my promise.”

Han Li smiled and answered humbly. Strangely, Tian Qizi was listening to the conversation with a natural expression.

“I heard from my disciple that you handled things smoothly in the Guanghan Realm, thanks to your outstanding divine powers. Now that your cultivation has greatly improved, you probably have the strength to match a Star Domain early-stage existence. You are now on equal footing with us.”

Cai Liuying opened her mouth with a smile.

At her words, Han Li glanced at Tian Qizi and Dan Tianren, but neither of them showed any change in expression. So, Han Li quickly thought and didn’t deny it, but instead asked.

“There must be a reason why the three of you wanted to see me. Is there a problem with using the intercontinental teleportation array?”

“How can we go back on the agreement that I and several elders have jointly approved? Besides, Senior Bi has personally given his orders. So, there should be no more problems.”

Tian Qizi stroked his beard and said.

“Then why me…”

Han Li asked calmly, as he had a vague idea of what was going on.

“I heard from my disciple that you broke the restriction on the medicinal herb field inside the ruins and took all the spirit herbs there. Most of the immortal herbs that grew there are either extinct or rare in the Spirit Realm. They will be of great help to us Star Domain cultivators. No matter how great your strength is, you probably can’t use them properly yet, so how about we trade them for mutual benefit?”

Cai Liuying suggested with a smile.

“What kind of trade are you proposing, Senior?”

At his calm demeanor, Tian Qizi and the other Body Integration stage cultivators looked surprised. They exchanged glances, and Tian Qizi stepped forward and spoke directly.

“Given our status, we would not propose a trade that would be disadvantageous to you. We have pills, materials, and treasures to help you overcome the Star Domain bottleneck. How about we trade these for the spirit herbs? No matter how precious the immortal herbs are, they can’t be more valuable than the opportunity to become a Star Domain cultivator.”

‘Pills to prepare for the Star Domain bottleneck!’

At those words, Han Li was definitely tempted.