Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 118

Senior Brother Wu Gun immediately put on a smile and led Han Li out, but before they even left the main hall, he began to chatter away.

“Our Master’s Green Wave Cave is, well, hundreds of square…”.

The woman watched Han Li and Wu Gun gradually move away, smiling.

“I wonder if the new disciple will be able to endure Wu Gun. I already feel a headache just thinking about him talking. Being too talkative is also a problem.”

“Sigh! What can we do? Even I, your husband, am helpless, let alone you. Han Li definitely won’t be able to stand it.”

“That’s true. By the way, what kind of request do you think your disciple will make tomorrow?”

“What else could it be? At most, it’ll be pills, cultivation methods, or magic tools. If you hadn’t repeatedly pleaded with me, how could I have given such a reward to a disciple?”

“Don’t say that. If we don’t repay even the grace of life, how can we achieve the Ice Heart Technique, which is rooted in a clear and pure heart? And if you can’t surpass the Foundation Establishment stage, how can you reach the Core Formation stage and be with me forever?”

The woman’s eyes widened as she spoke, but her words were filled with concern for him, which moved Li Huayuan.

He immediately patted his chest and resolved to satisfy Han Li’s request. If it would help his wife’s cultivation, what wouldn’t he do?

Han Li had no idea that the sweet deal he had received was related to his Mistress’s cultivation.

He was currently following Senior Brother Wu, touring the place, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was strange about this sudden stroke of luck.

As they reached a large stone chamber, a man who was just coming out spoke to Wu Gun. However, his gaze remained fixed on Han Li.

“Senior Brother Wu, what brings you to the Sword Debate Hall? Would you like to join me in researching magical techniques?”

“I’m fine. Everyone knows that Fourth Brother is the best in our sect when it comes to the Five Elements magic, why would I embarrass myself?”

Upon hearing the man’s words, Wu Gun’s expression immediately changed, and he refused with a smile. But then, he suddenly turned his head and pointed at Han Li.

“Let me introduce you. This is our eighth junior brother, Han Li, whom Master has officially accepted.”

“And this is our Fourth Senior Brother, Song Meng. Say hello to each other. You’ll be fellow disciples from now on.”

“Eighth Junior Brother!”

As soon as Fourth Senior Brother heard the introduction, his eyes lit up as he looked at Han Li. Before the other could say anything more, he spoke.

“Greetings, Fourth Senior Brother. I’m still lacking since I’ve only recently succeeded in Foundation Establishment, so I ask for your guidance.”

Upon hearing Han Li’s words, the man looked visibly disappointed, then nodded with a look of disinterest and disappeared without further ado. Han Li and Wu Gun were left standing there, staring blankly at each other.

“Haha. Don’t worry too much about it, Junior Brother Han. Senior Brother Song is just like that. He may seem cold on the outside, but he’s a good person once you get to know him.”

Wu Gun tried to break the awkward atmosphere and made excuses for Senior Brother Song. Han Li, who looked like he understood, started walking again while talking to him.

It was quite a large place, but other than Li Huayuan, his wife, Wu Gun, and Song Meng, there was no one else.

Even the other senior brothers were nowhere to be seen. It turned out that they also had their own residences and only came to pay their respects occasionally.

However, Wu Gun and Song Meng had grown up by Li Huayuan and his wife’s side since they were young, so they didn’t have separate residences and lived here.

After hearing about the other senior brothers through his conversation with Wu Gun, they had already toured the entire place.

However, Wu Gun seemed to be in the mood to talk, so he dragged him to his bedroom and made him sit down.

He was a little flustered by the endless stream of stories, but since he was the senior brother, Han Li felt he should at least show him some respect, so he didn’t refuse.

At first, he tried to find useful information in what he was saying. But as time went on, his stories flowed like a river, making Han Li’s head ache as if he were being attacked by sonic magic.

* * *

The next day, Han Li stood before Li Huayuan and his wife again.

“Han Li, if you’ve thought it over, tell me what you want.”

“I wish to learn a cultivation method that suits me. Please grant my request, Master.”

Without much thought, he stated what he wanted. Li Huayuan didn’t look surprised at all and just glanced at his wife.

It was clear that he was thinking, ‘See, I was right. It would be a cultivation method at most.’

“Alright, you’ve made a good choice. I will examine your spiritual roots and give you a suitable cultivation method.”

At those words, Han Li immediately extended his arm without hesitation. As the other person grabbed his wrist, a hot energy quickly flowed through his meridians.

“Hmm. It seems you can cultivate other attributes besides the metal attribute. Unexpectedly, you have four spiritual roots. It’s truly astonishing. I only noticed that you had mixed spiritual roots before, but I never imagined it would be to this extent!”

Li Huayuan looked genuinely surprised and sighed. The woman also stood to the side, looking surprised, and couldn’t help but scan Han Li again.

“My talent is so poor that I have disappointed Master.”

“It doesn’t matter. Since the heavens have allowed you to reach Foundation Establishment, it’s just your good fortune. However, this makes it difficult to choose a suitable cultivation method for you.”

“What do you mean?”

Han Li blinked his eyes at the unexpected words.

“You really need to explain things properly. You always end your stories like this, without any context. What your master means is that he wanted to give you a good cultivation method, but he’s worried after seeing your spiritual root attributes. In fact, the more advanced the cultivation method, the harder it is to learn, so it might be better to learn a simple method and achieve success quickly.”

The woman scolded Li Huayuan and then explained in a gentle voice.

“That’s right, what my wife said is exactly what I meant.”

Li Huayuan nodded and then began to explain in detail.

“Cultivators’ cultivation methods are divided into three types based on their power and speed of achievement.

The first type, when practiced, has a normal or slow accumulation of magical power, but the secondary attack power or special means are very strong.

In actual combat, they can defeat enemies like a fish in water, so they can defeat cultivators of higher realms even when their magical power is low.

Therefore, most of those who have given up on reaching the Core Formation stage in this life choose this kind of cultivation method.

The second type, on the other hand, has a relatively fast cultivation speed and is easy to learn. But where there is gain, there is also loss!

The advantages of the first type of cultivation method are the weaknesses of this type. They lack powerful means to fight enemies, and the secondary effects are also minimal. If you learn this cultivation method, you will have to live as the weakest among cultivators of the same level during your cultivation.

However, those who dream of reaching higher realms as cultivators and want to learn the Dao of Heaven learn this kind of cultivation method. After all, it’s an easier path to Core Formation.”

He paused for a moment, narrowed his eyes, and looked at Han Li.

“Which type of cultivation method will you learn?”

“Master, you said there were three types, but you’ve only told me about two.”

At those words, Li Huayuan looked at his wife and smiled, then met Han Li’s eyes.

“Yes, besides those two, there is a third type of cultivation method. It’s the top-grade cultivation method that most cultivators praise, but I can’t recommend it to you. None of your seven senior brothers have learned the third type of cultivation method yet. This kind of cultivation method combines the advantages of the first and second types, and its power is strong, and the speed of cultivation is amazing. However, keep in mind that there are many restrictions and that you will face many difficulties during cultivation.”

Li Huayuan warned him again because he didn’t want Han Li to choose the last cultivation method.

At this, Han Li had no choice but to lower his head and fall into contemplation. It was a really difficult problem. But soon, he raised his head with a calm expression.

“Master, if you don’t mind my impudence, may I ask you one thing? What kind of cultivation method did you learn?”

“Hahaha. I learned the True Yang Technique, one of the top-grade cultivation methods. However, I was born with the Three Yang Body, a talent comparable to the Heavenly Spiritual Root, so I learned it easily, but it would have been difficult with other cultivation methods.”

He was surprised by his disciple’s bold question, but he still answered with an arrogant tone.

“I understand your words well, Master. Then, I will learn the second type of cultivation method.”

“The second type?”

Li Huayuan was slightly surprised by Han Li’s calm request, but he immediately returned to his original cold expression. Li Huayuan and his wife seemed to be intrigued by Han Li’s choice.

“Since you’ve chosen the second type of cultivation method, I don’t know what to say as your master. It’s admirable that you have such a firm will in cultivation. But you must know that the ease of learning the second type of cultivation method is only for those with good talent. Even those who are so talented rarely reach the late Foundation Establishment stage with similar cultivation methods.”

Li Huayuan, who was trying to persuade Han Li further, darkened his face as if he had remembered something. Naturally, his voice also stopped and didn’t continue. The woman, who was watching him, sighed softly and continued.

“Han Li, think about it carefully. Do you really have to choose the second type of cultivation method? Even if it goes against our wishes, we won’t oppose it if you’ve made up your mind. It’s the same even if you choose to learn the top-grade cultivation method. But I’m saying this because I wouldn’t feel comfortable if that happened. Isn’t it too unrealistic to dream of something that isn’t just a firm will to cultivate?”

“Yes, that’s exactly what your master means. I’ll ask you one more time. Is this really your decision?”

Li Huayuan, who seemed to have come out of his thoughts, agreed with the woman’s words.

“Yes, I have decided.”

Han Li listened to the long persuasion and still answered in a calm voice.

“Alright. If that’s your wish, let’s go to the library. Wife, please stay here for a while. I’ll go with Han Li.”

The library was close to the main hall and was about the size of a normal stone chamber. However, the entire stone chamber was blocked by a red barrier, preventing anyone else from entering. Li Huayuan approached the barrier and poked his finger into it, and a passage large enough for two people to pass through appeared. After that, they could simply open the door to the stone chamber and enter.

Once inside, an amazing sight unfolded. Various jade books, scrolls, boxes, and books were all floating in the air. The fact that over fifty books were emitting a faint light made it clear that these were the cultivation method books that Li Huayuan had collected over hundreds of years.

“Each volume is sealed with a restriction, so only my wife and I can take them out directly. The moment someone else touches them, the restriction inside the stone chamber will be activated, and anyone will be trapped and killed alive.”

Li Huayuan explained triumphantly, but it also seemed like a warning.

Han Li made a face as if he understood his intentions, and Li Huayuan, satisfied, stretched out his hand into the air.

Then, a red light flew out and pulled a jade book. He handed it to Han Li without even checking it, and then pulled seven more in a row and stopped. A pile of books was already in Han Li’s arms.

“These are cultivation methods that are fast at increasing magical power and easy to learn. Choose one you want as your main cultivation method. Put the rest back in their original place, and call me again when you’re ready.”

After finishing his words, Li Huayuan found a flat spot in the stone chamber, laid out a cushion, and sat cross-legged. The cultivation methods he held in his hand were so distinct that Han Li felt a little dazzled.

As he carefully examined the cultivation methods, he opened a golden scroll in a jade box and was startled.

The style and size of the scroll were so familiar that it was exactly the same as the silver scroll he had.

The only difference from the one he had obtained from the barefoot giant sword sect man during the last forbidden expedition was that this one was a little thinner and didn’t have strange patterns engraved on the top.

Instead, after carefully examining the densely written ancient script, it turned out to be an ordinary cultivation method called the Qi Condensation Technique. The only technique that came with the cultivation method was the Spirit Gathering Technique, which increased the speed of gathering spiritual energy.