Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 1044

1045. The Harm of True Blood

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“I heard that the Heavenly Mystic Spirit Emperor of the Three Emperors has passed away, and a new Spirit Emperor will be chosen within a hundred years. Is that true?”

Han Li, who had been lost in thought, suddenly asked a question that startled Cheok Hubing and Daoist Xiaofeng.

“Y-yes, that is correct. A Composite Body cultivator selected from the Saint Clan’s martial arts competition, held in a hundred years, will assume the position of the new Spirit Emperor. Could it be that Senior is also interested in the position of Spirit Emperor?”

“Why do you ask? Am I not qualified to participate in the Spirit Emperor selection?”

The old man in the blue robe asked with a strange expression, and Han Li lightly smiled and retorted.

“That’s not it. Any human cultivator above the Composite Body stage can compete for the position of Spirit Emperor. However, historically, the positions of the Three Emperors have been held by cultivators who have reached the Great Accomplishment of the Composite Body stage. Even if there were exceptions, they were Composite Body mid-stage cultivators with heaven-defying divine abilities.”

“We know that Senior Han’s divine abilities, inherited from the blood of a True Spirit, are extraordinary, but isn’t it too early to aim for the Spirit Emperor position? A hundred years is barely enough to stabilize your cultivation, so how can you compete with late-stage cultivators?”

The old man in the blue robe gave an ambiguous smile, and the woman also gently dissuaded him.

“Haha, of course, I don’t expect that I, who have just reached the Composite Body stage, will take the Spirit Emperor position! I just want to interact with the many cultivators of the same level who will gather at the competition. However, I am grateful for your offers, but I have no choice but to refuse. I am not one to stay in one place for long. Also, I am interested in the techniques related to the True Spirit bloodline of the True Spirit families. If Daoist Xiaofeng is willing, I would like to trade for them with other treasures or cultivation methods. What do you think, Daoist?”

The woman was speechless at Han Li’s proposal. He didn’t want to become a Supreme Guest Elder of the Gu family, but he wanted to obtain the secret techniques related to the True Spirit bloodline!

Daoist Xiaofeng barely maintained her smile and replied,

“I am sorry, but I cannot agree to that. The Gu family’s secret techniques cannot be passed on to outsiders. There is no precedent for that, so it would be the same no matter how great the treasures or cultivation methods you offer.”

“Then, I suppose we should end this conversation here. I have no intention of joining the Gu family or any other force. I am sorry, but it seems that you two have made a wasted trip.”

Han Li did not seem to mind the woman’s refusal and looked back and forth between the old man and the woman, making his point clear. Daoist Xiaofeng sighed softly, and Cheok Hubing did not mention the elder position again.

After that, they only talked about cultivation methods and insights. The awkward atmosphere became more relaxed again.

Several hours later, the woman and the old man got up from their seats, and soon after, two streaks of light shot out of the clouds.

“Senior Cheok, it seems we are all returning empty-handed this time. I am going straight back to the Gu family. Are you also going to the Heavenly Origin City, Senior?”

“This old man is not going straight back to the Heavenly Origin City. I am thinking of going to the Xuanwu Territory! I heard that there is a cultivator there who has recently reached the Composite Body stage. I heard that he has already accepted the Xuanwu Tyrant’s offer, but I still intend to give it a try.”

“Then, I will take my leave first.”

The woman bowed to the old man and turned into a silver streak of light, flying towards the horizon. Watching her disappear from sight in the blink of an eye, the old man in the blue robe released a cyan flying boat and boarded it.

As the flying boat scattered green light and disappeared into the distance, the area around the clouds became quiet again. However, less than half an hour later, a silver streak of light flew back from the horizon.

The woman in the streak of light calmly moved her lips towards the clouds, and the clouds writhed, revealing the passage again. Daoist Xiaofeng had returned to Han Li’s residence.

She came out of the passage in the clouds again after two hours and this time truly disappeared without a trace.

At the same time, Han Li was sitting in the main hall of his residence, holding a silver-white jade pendant and pondering. On one side of the silver-shining jade pendant was the character ‘Gu (谷 – Valley),’ and on the other side was a drawing of a monster with three red heads.

It was a horned horse head covered in scarlet scales, a black tiger head, and a navy blue lion head. It was the True Spirit Li Hou, which he had only heard about in stories.

It belonged to the mid-level True Spirits, but its three heads could simultaneously unleash different attributes of power, making it not only extraordinary in battle but also highly effective in other aspects.

This jade pendant was given to him by Daoist Xiaofeng when she came to see him separately. The Gu family was a True Spirit family that inherited the bloodline of the True Spirit Li Hou.

‘Hmm…’

Han Li recalled what the woman had said when she came back.

As soon as she saw him, she threw the jade pendant at him and made an offer that was hard to refuse. She asked him to help them just once at the True Spirit Grand Battle, where the True Spirit families would gather in ten years, without needing to formally belong to the Gu family for ten thousand years.

If he helped the Gu family in the True Spirit Grand Battle, they would pass on some of the Gu family’s True Spirit bloodline secret techniques. Of course, the woman drew a line, saying that the content she would pass on to him was not the core secret technique of the Gu family.

Even so, it was clear that it was a secret technique that could not be easily learned even if he visited any True Spirit family. The fact that he would not be bound for a long time and only needed to do it once was certainly tempting.

Although the Awakening of Insects Art could also refine the blood of the True Spirit, it was a technique created for the Bi Ling Clan and was not suitable for humans to use.

Before reaching the Composite Body stage, there was only a slight difference, but over the past year, he felt that the True Spirit blood he had refined was not settling properly. Surprised, Han Li suppressed the True Blood that he had not yet refined with his magic power.

If time passed like this and he absorbed other True Blood, there could be some unforeseen side effects.

That was why he was interested when the woman mentioned the Gu family’s True Spirit bloodline refinement technique. There was no guarantee that he could completely refine the remaining True Blood with the secret techniques of the True Spirit family, but it would be helpful for his future cultivation.

For example, if he researched the human refinement technique based on the Awakening of Insects Art and improved its shortcomings, he could eliminate future problems.

Of course, he had no intention of belonging to the Gu family for ten thousand years, and there were ways to obtain the secret techniques of other True Spirit families through unconventional means, so he had refused the initial offer.

However, he agreed to compete with other True Spirit family cultivators in the True Spirit Grand Battle and gain some benefits for the Gu family.

Daoist Xiaofeng left the residence with a bright face after hearing his answer, and the jade pendant was a token that proved he was an elder of the Gu family for the time being.

Han Li weighed the pros and cons several times and then returned to the secret chamber to focus on stabilizing his Composite Body stage cultivation.

After that, several large forces contacted him, including people sent by the Heavenly Origin City Lord. However, Han Li refused them all.

Several years passed like that. One day, three years later, Han Li came out of the secret chamber and turned into a blue streak of light, leaving his residence.

He had completely mastered the magic power in his body through closed-door cultivation, so now he had to take care of the pending matters. He naturally headed to the nearest Heavenly Origin City and arrived at the city walls two months later.

After pondering for a moment, Han Li flew somewhere and soon headed towards the pavilions located between the two stone towers. These were temporary residences provided by the Heavenly Origin City for outsiders.

Those with lower cultivation used one pavilion for a dozen people, but high-level cultivators above the Nascent Soul stage sometimes monopolized an entire pavilion.

Four Nascent Soul stage cultivators were using one of these pavilions. They were quite skilled and had been to the Desolate Wastelands several times. According to nearby informants, they had gone deep into the Desolate Wastelands and were now recuperating from severe injuries.

There were many such people in the Heavenly Origin City. However, on this day, the voice of someone echoed in the ears of the cultivators who were cultivating inside the pavilion.

“May Han Mou [Han, a humble way to refer to oneself] pay a visit?”

The restrictions placed on the pavilion seemed to be non-existent, and his voice clearly echoed in the ears of the four cultivators. They were startled, thought of someone, and hurriedly got up from their seats and gathered on the first floor of the pavilion.

The middle-aged man, whose arm had been cut off, was the first to arrive and opened the main door of the pavilion wide. Han Li was standing quietly outside, waiting.

“Greetings, Senior Han! It is an honor for you to come to such a humble place in person.”

The middle-aged man bowed with a surprised expression and led Han Li inside. As Han Li nodded and entered, the red-armored giant and two women had also arrived on the first floor.

They confirmed Han Li’s face and bowed respectfully.

“There is no need for such formalities!”

Han Li waved his hand, accepted their greetings, and sat down on the main seat in the hall without hesitation. The four cultivators, including the middle-aged man, stood beside him, waiting for him to speak.

“It seems that you are still suffering from the injuries you sustained in the Desolate Wastelands.”

Han Li lightly scanned the cultivators and easily grasped their physical condition.

“You have a keen eye, indeed. Our cultivation is not very high, and our vitality was greatly damaged, so we have only recovered about half of it.”

The middle-aged man answered honestly.

“Then, take these pills and consume them. You will be fully recovered in a month.”

Han Li took out four jade bottles of light green color and floated them in the air.

“Thank you, Senior!”

The cultivators were startled, and the middle-aged man was the first to receive the jade bottle, followed by the others. When they opened the lid, a fragrant aroma filled the hall. Just smelling the aroma made them feel refreshed and invigorated.

The cultivators were overjoyed, realizing that the pills in the jade bottles were extraordinary. The pills might have more effects than what Han Li had said.

“What brings you to our place? If you have any orders, Senior, we will do our best.”

The middle-aged man checked the pills and asked first, sensing the situation.

“Well, it is true that I have something for you to do. It is a simple task, but it will take some time, so I would like someone who will stay in the Heavenly Origin City for a long time to do it. Can you do it? Of course, I will not ask you to do it without compensation.”

Han Li spoke in a kind tone.

“We had no intention of leaving the Heavenly Origin City within a hundred years anyway. You can rest assured and entrust the task to us! We will do our best, no matter what it is.”

The middle-aged man was relieved that it was not a dangerous task and readily agreed.

“I need you to help me find a woman named Nangong Wan in the Heavenly Origin City. She is an ascended cultivator and may have changed her name, so I will leave you a jade slip with her portrait. If she is not in the Heavenly Origin City yet, please keep an eye out for such a woman for the next hundred years. If you find her, I will give you a generous reward.”

“Understood! We know quite a few cultivators who are close to the Heavenly Origin City, so we will definitely find the person you mentioned, Senior, if she appears.”

“Besides that, there are a few pills that I am preparing to refine, and the necessary ingredients are diverse and not easily obtainable. Even in the Heavenly Origin City, it will not be possible to gather them all in a short time.

I have to go away for a while, so I would like you to gather the ingredients for me. The spirit stones in this pouch should be enough to purchase the necessary ingredients. You can keep the rest of the treasures for yourselves.”

Four jade boxes of various sizes and a black leather pouch floated from Han Li’s sleeve and landed on the table. The cultivators exchanged a few words with each other through telepathy and accepted the order with serious expressions.

After that, the middle-aged man checked the pouch as a representative, and his expression changed drastically, looking incredulous. The red-armored giant and the two women also scanned it with their divine sense, and their expressions towards Han Li changed.

Fortunately, the middle-aged man was the first to regain his senses and hurriedly said,

“To give us so many top-grade spirit stones at once, you are very generous! It must mean that the ingredients we need to find are truly rare. We will do our best since you trust us so much.”

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