Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 1049

When Han Li and his group arrived in front of the massive main hall at the center of the mountain range, two old men with similar appearances were waiting.

“Senior Han, these are my uncles! They were originally in secluded cultivation, but they came out to greet you personally upon hearing the news of your arrival,” Xu Jiao said, stepping forward to introduce the two old men.

“Xu Hua and Xu An greet Senior Han!” the two old men said, hurriedly clasping their hands in greeting. They were cultivators in the early and mid-stages of the Void Refinement Realm. It was surprising for an ordinary cultivation family to have Void Refinement Realm cultivators. Usually, in small families, Nascent Soul Realm cultivators were the foundation of the family.

It seemed that Xu Tianyu’s words about the Xu family being quite famous within the Heavenly Origin Territory were true.

“I am only here because I was asked to come, so there is no need to be so polite,” Han Li said, waving his hand. He spoke to the Xu family cultivators in a very amiable tone. The old men guided Han Li into the main hall, and after everyone was seated, maids brought tea.

“We heard that you possess an item to be delivered to our ancestor, Immortal Bing Bai, or her direct descendants,” Xu Jiao said, bringing up the main topic first.

“That’s right. However, I heard from Fellow Daoist Tianyu that Immortal Bing Bai’s descendants are not only from the Xu family. The Xu family head must prove that he is a direct descendant before I hand over the item,” Han Li stated his request directly.

“What kind of proof do you require, Senior? All the nearby cultivator families know that we are of Immortal Bing Bai’s bloodline,” the old man named Xu Hua said, looking troubled.

“For example, the cultivation method or divine ability that Immortal Bing Bai practiced at the time, or any treasures she left behind, could serve as proof.”

“Our ancestor disappeared with all her treasures, so we have nothing to show you. As for cultivation methods, there are a few that have been passed down, but the conditions for cultivation are so strict that few have been able to master them. Fortunately, my uncle Xu An has mastered one of them. Uncle, would you mind showing it?” Xu Jiao asked Xu An.

“It is a humble skill, but I will show it since Senior wishes to see it,” the old man, who had been hesitant, nodded reluctantly.

He took out a thin hand from his sleeve, and a dark blue flame flickered on his palm. The light of spiritual energy flowed, and the flame bloomed into a dark blue lotus, so exquisite that it looked like a real lotus.

“Azure Ice Flame!” Han Li’s eyes sparkled as he recognized the identity of the cold flame.

“You have excellent insight. This cold flame is a famous divine ability of Immortal Bing Bai. It is said that if one cultivates it to the extreme, one can build a thousand-mile ice wall and freeze the void. Of course, I am still far from that level,” a smile spread across Xu An’s gaunt face.

The old man floated the dark blue lotus on his palm into the air, and another old man next to him threw the teacup he was holding into it. Strangely, the teacup turned into a dark blue ice cube and remained motionless in the air.

Han Li was a little surprised by this.

‘I didn’t expect the Azure Ice Flame to have such a divine ability!’ he thought.

Upon closer thought, it was not that strange. The Azure Ice Flame he had obtained in the Xuanchen Cauldron was not something he had cultivated himself, so there was no way to increase its level.

However, Xu An had created the cold flame through long years of cultivation and had also mastered the cultivation method’s incantations, so naturally, as his cultivation improved, the power of the Azure Ice Flame would also increase.

These two methods had their advantages and disadvantages.

Absorbing and refining a cold flame was quick, but to strengthen its power later, external forces or other extreme cold flames were needed.

However, if one created a cold flame through cultivation, like the old man or Immortal Bing Bai, it would take a long time, but the cold flame itself could reach a higher level.

Han Li had obtained the Azure Ice Flame in the Human Realm, and at that time, Immortal Bing Bai was at most a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator, so it was natural that it could not compare to the cold flame of a Void Refinement Realm old man.

The dark blue energy that Old Man Xu An had floated in the air shattered like glass in an instant, and the dark blue teacup also fell to the ground.

The old man Xu Hua next to him pulled the teacup enveloped in the Azure Ice Flame, and at the same time, a bright red energy flashed from his hand, and the ice melted away. The teacup returned to its original state as if it had never been frozen.

“How is it? Can my uncle Xu An’s divine ability prove the relationship between our Xu family and Immortal Bing Bai?” Xu Jiao asked, looking at Han Li with a smile.

“It is indeed the Azure Ice Flame. Moreover, Fellow Daoist Xu An’s ability to handle the cold flame is also excellent.”

“Does that mean…”

“Haha, rest assured. I have confirmed that the Xu family is a direct descendant of Immortal Bing Bai, so I will hand over the item,” Han Li said, smiling quietly. He took out a dark blue jade slip and a pure white jade box from the table. Both were sealed with golden talismans. The white-clothed man examined the items with a solemn expression and asked carefully, “May I ask who entrusted these to you?”

“It’s not that I can’t tell you, but you probably wouldn’t know them. That senior is not of the Human-Demon race, and even I have to look up to them.”

“Are you talking about a different race?”

“If it is a cultivator that even Senior has to look up to…” The people of the Xu family murmured in surprise. Han Li’s answer had exceeded their expectations. Han Li did not find their reaction strange and remained silent.

Xu Jiao organized his thoughts and opened his mouth. “When our ancestor left, she had just reached the Fusion Realm, but she must have traveled all over the Myriad Desolate World and the Fengyuan Continent. If so, it is possible that she made friends with some cultivators of different races. Could these items provide clues about our ancestor’s whereabouts?”

“Perhaps,” Han Li replied.

The old men, including Xu An, exchanged glances with Xu Jiao and showed expressions of joy, while Xu Tianyu and the giant also looked excited.

“I think we need to check. Please wait a moment, Senior, and we will be back soon. Uncle Xu An, please take care of Senior with Tianyu,” Xu Jiao said, taking a deep breath, picking up the items on the table, and asking Han Li for his understanding.

“Do as you please,” Han Li said, not minding at all. After Xu Jiao left with Old Man Xu Hua and the giant, only Han Li, Xu Tianyu, and Xu An remained in the main hall.

“I heard that you guided Tianyu when you were in Tianyuan City. If not for that, this child would not have reached the Nascent Soul Realm so quickly. I would like to thank you on behalf of Tianyu,” Xu An said, bowing his head while chatting.

“It’s nothing, Fellow Daoist Tianyu’s talent was outstanding,” Han Li replied.

“Hearing about what happened back then, it seems that Senior has a connection with Immortal Bing Bai. Is that true?” Xu An asked.

“I have never met Immortal Bing Bai, but I cannot say that I have no connection. That is why I received this request. Fellow Daoist will understand when you see this,” Han Li said, looking at the curious old man and raising a dark blue cold flame from his index finger.

*Paa.*

The dark blue cold flame exploded slightly and bloomed into a dark blue ice flower.

“Th-the Azure Ice Flame!” the surprised old man said, unable to take his eyes off the dark blue ice flower.

“Could it be that Senior also…” Xu Tianyu, who was watching from the side, was startled and interjected.

“Unlike what you think, I did not learn the related cultivation method. I only happened to obtain a cold flame that Immortal Bing Bai left in the Lower Realm,” Han Li explained.

“I see,” Xu An said, many questions in his heart, but he could not ask in detail.

At the same time, in a secret room surrounded by layers of restrictions, the family head, Old Man Xu Hua, and the giant were discussing something.

“The talisman is too powerful, and my cultivation is not enough to forcibly remove it. It seems that the item was indeed given by a Great Ascension Realm cultivator of a different race, as Senior Han said,” Old Man Xu Hua said, having tried various methods to remove the talisman but failed.

“If it is the method of a Great Ascension Realm cultivator, it is natural for the restriction talisman to be so profound. If we try to forcibly remove the talisman, the contents might be damaged. Is there no other way?” Xu Jiao asked, stroking his smooth chin and falling into contemplation.

“If you, the family head, have something you want to try, go ahead. If it doesn’t work, we can find another way,” Old Man Xu Hua said.

“Understood,” Xu Jiao said, who had been lost in thought. He spat out a white light from his mouth towards his wrist. Then, something sharp cut his wrist and returned to his mouth.

The next moment, a thin bloodline appeared on his wrist, and drops of bright red blood fell onto the talisman sealing the jade slip. The blood drops quickly seeped into the talisman.

*Paa.*

The talisman emitted a golden light, and small golden magic characters appeared on its surface. After the golden magic characters scattered and disappeared, the powerful energy of the talisman had vanished as if it had been washed away.

“As expected!” Xu Jiao was overjoyed and thought that his guess was correct. Only the descendants of Immortal Bing Bai could remove the talisman.

With a *whoosh* of air from his mouth, the golden talisman fell off the jade slip without a sound.

The faces of the old man and the giant who were watching also brightened. Xu Jiao removed the talisman attached to the jade box in the same way, then reached for the dark blue jade slip.

The white-clothed man placed the jade slip on his forehead and closed his eyes. As time passed, surprise appeared on the man’s face. Old Man Xu Hua and the giant waited anxiously for the man to come out of his trance.

After a short while, Xu Jiao took the jade slip off his forehead and let out a long sigh.

“What was written on it?” Old Man Xu Hua asked.

“I think you should see it yourself, Uncle,” Xu Jiao said, handing over the jade slip with a complicated expression and closing his mouth. The old man infused his consciousness into the jade slip, and Xu Jiao turned his gaze to the jade box.

When he opened the lid of the jade box, there was a small, bright red bottle the size of a finger. A faint, blood-like smell emanated from the small bottle with strange patterns engraved on its surface.

“Oh, this is!” the giant said, recognizing the identity of the small bottle at once.

“Yes, it is the Blood Soul Bottle that has been passed down in our family. There was originally a pair, but Immortal Bing Bai took one with her, so only one remained. I never dreamed that it would return like this,” Xu Jiao replied with a dark expression.

“So it really was the Blood Soul Bottle…” Old Man Xu Hua said.

“You must immediately take my command medallion and summon the secret soldiers to guard the mountain peak where the ancestral temple is located, and open all the restrictions in the vicinity to prevent even an ant from entering. Also, ask my eldest uncle, who is in secluded cultivation, to come out and come to the ancestral temple,” Xu Jiao commanded.

“Are you really saying to summon the secret soldiers and ask the eldest uncle to come out of seclusion?” the giant asked back with an incredulous expression at Xu Jiao’s command.

“This is a very important matter related to Immortal Bing Bai, so it must be done. And it is something that only the eldest uncle can handle,” Xu Jiao said.

“So there are clues about our ancestor’s whereabouts. Understood, I will go right now!” the giant said, not hesitating and running out. After the giant left the secret room, Xu Jiao turned his gaze to the small bottle in the jade box. After a while, Xu Hua also checked the contents of the jade slip and opened his eyes.

“I never thought that our ancestor would have gone to the Myriad Desolate World and even to another continent! What on earth happened that only a strand of her blood soul returned?” Old Man Xu Hua said.

“There was nothing else in the jade slip except for the Blood Soul Secret Technique. We can only find out the details by awakening the blood soul using the ‘Blood Crystal Coffin.’ It is fortunate that Immortal Bing Bai prepared a pair of Blood Crystal Coffin and Blood Soul Bottle long ago. Otherwise, we would have no way to deal with the blood soul even if we had it,” Xu Jiao said.

“More importantly, it was written that we must perform the awakening ritual within a few days of removing the talisman. The blood soul that has been contained in the Blood Soul Bottle for so long could scatter,” Old Man Xu Hua said.

“Don’t worry. I plan to perform the ritual tonight,” Xu Jiao said, making a determined vow as Xu Hua showed a worried expression.

“That would be best. Then, what should we say to Senior Han? According to Tianyu, he has a connection with Immortal Bing Bai and even brought the blood soul himself, so he probably has no ill intentions towards our family?” Old Man Xu Hua asked.

“He has just reached the Fusion Realm, but he is well-versed in ancient formations and is a skilled cultivator. Maintaining a good relationship with him will be of great help to our family in the future. It would be good to keep him here for a few days, complete the awakening ritual, and then deepen our friendship,” Xu Jiao said.

“You are right. Let’s do that,” Old Man Xu Hua said, nodding at Xu Jiao’s decision and was about to leave the secret room alone.

“Wait a moment. To show our sincerity, I, the family head, will go with you, Uncle,” Xu Jiao said.

“That’s right! We are dealing with a Fusion Realm senior, so the more polite we are, the better,” Old Man Xu Hua said.

Thus, Xu Jiao took the jade box and left the secret room with the old man.