Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 179

Ancestor Linghu calmly restored order to the hall. “Quiet! We are already at a disadvantage due to the enemy’s numbers. What good will arguing do now? The most important thing right now is for our valley to avoid annihilation. The cultivators at the front lines will only be able to hold out for two or three days at most, so we must retreat from Yue Country while they buy us time.” ‘Retreat from Yue Country?’ The disciples in the main hall were all stunned into silence at the mention of retreat. Having been born and raised in Yue Country, it was a difficult concept for them to accept, and no one dared to speak up first. “What, do you dislike the idea?” “Even if Ancestor and the other Nascent Soul [a high level of cultivation] seniors were to step forward, wouldn’t they be able to repel the Demonic Path people?” Finally, a young man of about thirty years old hesitantly spoke up. “If I and a few other old men were to join forces, we could certainly repel them.” Ancestor Linghu answered without any hesitation. “Then why…” Ancestor Linghu sighed lightly and revealed a situation that the disciples had not been aware of. “Do you think that the six great Demonic Path sects, which have such great reputations, have no Nascent Soul cultivators? We have already fought against their old men several times, and we were at a disadvantage. Thus, according to their wishes, we made an oath that neither they nor we would participate in this great war, and that only cultivators at the Core Formation stage and below would be involved in the war.” Han Li finally understood why cultivators above the Nascent Soul stage had not shown their faces in this great affair. “If we don’t flee, the entire Yellow Maple Valley will be surrounded and annihilated, and according to the oath, I cannot save you. Our sect must retreat from Yue Country. Not only us, but the other five sects will also retreat from Yue Country, so even if we settle in an unfamiliar place, we will be able to create a foundation for revival. We can always cultivate our strength and reclaim Yue Country someday.” Ancestor Linghu’s decision was already made, so even if they had any objections, no one could step forward. They could only follow his orders. “Everything else is prepared, and only a few need to take on dangerous tasks.” The old man in golden robes suddenly turned to the crowd and said this, and everyone just looked at each other. “Those I point out will all stand up and move to another hall, and the rest will remain and follow the arrangements of the Sect Master.” He immediately stepped down from his seat and walked expressionlessly among the Foundation Establishment [a mid-level of cultivation] disciples. “You, and you…” More than half of those gathered were pointed out, and Han Li and Old Man Ma were also among them. After designating the personnel, Ancestor Linghu immediately left the council hall. Han Li and the others were uneasy, but they had no choice but to follow him. Inside the hall located behind the council hall, Ancestor Linghu was waiting for them with his hands behind his back. When the dozens of cultivators had all entered, he spoke plainly. “You have either good aptitude or have learned special cultivation methods, so you are the talents who will become the foundation for our sect’s revival. Therefore, pack your belongings for half a day and follow Junior Sister Huang to retreat first.” At that, one disciple was surprised and stepped forward. “Ancestor, the Demonic Path people will only break through the defense line in two days. Is there a need to rush like this?” “Hmph! It is true that the front line will only be breached in two days, but do you think the enemy will just watch us leave? Some have already bypassed the defense line to attack each sect. Their mission is to stop our retreat. So, while those who remain in the council hall buy us time, you must succeed in escaping. If anyone leaks this fact while packing their belongings, I will personally deal with them.” “Yes!” The old man in golden robes gave a cold order, and the cultivators all trembled and accepted the order. * * * The Foundation Establishment cultivators, including Han Li, bowed respectfully and all left to pack their belongings. Old Man Ma and Han Li also dispersed to their respective residences, and they were both so overwhelmed with thoughts that their heads felt like they would explode. Since his residence was relatively far away, Han Li had no choice but to use the Wind Riding Technique [a movement technique] to sprint at full speed. His mind was more complicated than ever. According to Ancestor Linghu’s words about retreating from Yue Country, he would not only survive but also gain the trust of the higher-ups due to the lack of personnel. If this were to happen, the remaining Foundation Establishment cultivators would have to perform a large number of tasks to rebuild Yellow Maple Valley and establish a new foundation. It was also clear that they would not have time to cultivate. By the time all the chaos was resolved and the six sects had settled down, Han Li would have missed the best time to make a breakthrough. There was no way Han Li could accept such a future. However, even if he tried to escape now, the old man’s consciousness would be monitoring him, so he would be considered a deserter and killed before he could even leave the Taiyue Mountain Range. He felt foolish for not running away when he knew this would happen. With no other choice, he obediently returned to his residence. He rushed into his bedroom, gathered all the talismans in the storage rack into his arms, and went to the storage room to collect the remaining medicinal herbs. Finally, he collapsed the door to the secret room where the Spirit Eye Spring was located, concealing its existence. He had no immediate use for it, and he had no intention of letting it fall into the hands of the Demonic Path people. After meticulously cleaning up, he looked around his residence once more to make sure he hadn’t missed anything. Then, he summoned Gokhun and retrieved the flags and disc of the Five Elements Formation [a type of defensive formation]. As the formation’s barrier disappeared, the entrance to the residence was exposed to the world. Han Li suddenly shot out a pair of black light streaks from his hands, collapsing the cliff where his residence was located, and the entrance to the cave disappeared. He took Gokhun again, boarded the Wind Riding Technique, circled in the sky, and returned the way he had come. When he arrived at the council hall with Gokhun outside, almost everyone else had returned. Surprisingly, in addition to the dozens of Foundation Establishment cultivators, there were also hundreds of Qi Refining [the lowest level of cultivation] disciples. ‘Are they retreating together as well?’ Looking around the group, he saw Old Man Ma and Xiao Cui standing together in the distance, talking in low voices. Naturally, Han Li’s steps turned towards them. “Senior Uncle Han!” Xiao Cui bowed respectfully to Han Li. “Are the Qi Refining disciples also going with us?” His voice was very low so as not to attract the attention of others. “Yes, they are all disciples with good aptitude or special status, so we can’t abandon them. My disciple is also here because of her outstanding aptitude.” Old Man Ma answered calmly, but he showed a little pride when he spoke about Xiao Cui. After a while, Ancestor Linghu reappeared with a middle-aged man. “According to the intelligence we just received, Demonic Path cultivators have already appeared nearby. While I and the others draw their attention, you will immediately move under the guidance of Junior Sister Huang.” Ancestor Linghu’s expression was serious. Everyone’s heart turned cold at the news that the Demonic Path had arrived so quickly. The middle-aged man next to Ancestor Linghu shouted coldly. “Since many people are moving together, you must move in an orderly manner according to the orders. Anyone who disobeys will be considered a traitor and executed on the spot. Depart!” With that, he bowed deeply to the Ancestor next to him and led everyone out of the hall. Then, the others had no choice but to follow Junior Sister Huang. After that, hundreds of people formed a line and flew towards the northeast. Half a day later, everyone left the Taiyue Mountain Range and increased their speed even further. Han Li’s Wind Riding Technique was flying relatively in the front, and Old Man Ma, seeing that the white raft was quite large, took a seat with Xiao Cui. Xiao Cui seemed to be interested in Gokhun, who was standing behind Han Li, and kept looking at him with sparkling eyes, but Old Man Ma immediately noticed something strange, asked something, and then lost interest. When they had barely left the Taiyue Mountain Range by about a hundred li [a unit of distance], a blinding white light suddenly chased them from behind and fell on Junior Sister Huang, who was leading the group at the very front. Unexpectedly, it was a white light that had flown a letter attached to a flamboyant dagger. The middle-aged man’s face hardened, and he immediately stopped everyone. After taking the letter and throwing the dagger into the air, it disappeared in an instant in the direction it had come from. Junior Sister Huang read the letter, her face darkened, and she lowered her head and pondered. It was clear that the situation was not going well. “Foundation Establishment cultivators, step forward. The situation has changed, so I will give you new orders.” The Foundation Establishment cultivators, including Han Li, were surprised, but they had no choice but to ride their magical artifacts forward, and Xiao Cui wisely jumped off the Wind Riding Technique first. “Senior Uncle, what happened?” Everyone had clearly seen the letter that had just been attached to the dagger. “The Ancestor has informed us that the Demonic Path people have already discovered our movements. They have figured out our strategy and have divided their cultivators into two groups, with some heading to Yellow Maple Valley and others chasing after us. For the safety of the majority, we will select some to draw their attention again. The designated cultivators will follow me to block the enemy, and the rest will continue to flee.” Junior Sister Huang said coldly. Everyone’s heart sank at her words. Anyone who remained to block the enemy now knew that they would most likely die. Most of them avoided eye contact, but Junior Sister Huang mercilessly gestured and immediately selected about twenty Foundation Establishment cultivators. Unfortunately, Han Li was among those chosen, but Old Man Ma was not. In the end, one of the Foundation Establishment cultivators designated by Junior Sister Huang led the rest and departed, leaving only about twenty people behind. “I know that most of you are not happy with this mission. However, what I want is not for you to fight the enemy with all your might. You just need to ambush the pursuers, draw their attention, and run away to buy time for those ahead.” Junior Sister Huang calmly explained the mission and took out twenty scrolls from her bosom. “Memorize the marked terrain and destroy it! After dispersing, gather again at this location.” Before she could finish speaking, the scrolls flew from her hand and were delivered to each cultivator. Her calm and decisive orders had already brought many people back to their senses. If they were not actually dealing with the enemy but running away, their chances of survival would be greatly increased. Everyone began to memorize the map while holding the scrolls. However, Han Li was only glancing at it while his mind was elsewhere. If he were to stay here and face the enemy, it would be his last chance to escape. He could not risk his entire life for the collapsing Yellow Maple Valley. Junior Sister Huang made sure that everyone had checked the scrolls and turned them into ashes. Then, a yellow light flashed from her hand, and a small flag appeared. It was a white flag, but it emitted a yellow light, and it was difficult to see what was embroidered on it. “I will use the Wind Cloud Banner to conceal our movements, so ambush them immediately when the enemy appears.” White mist billowed from the flag, forming a huge cloud that could cover all the Foundation Establishment cultivators. It was suitable for hiding because they were not exposed to the outside while in the thick cloud, and their vision was clear. Following Junior Sister Huang’s method, the huge cloud rose vertically with the group, blending in with the other clouds and becoming indistinguishable. Han Li secretly clicked his tongue. The Wind Banner was a magical treasure that formed a dense fog similar to his Azure Fire Barrier, but it was much more powerful. The Azure Fire Barrier had a very narrow range and could only conceal himself. Perhaps his fellow disciples would start to be poisoned as soon as they entered the Azure Fire Barrier. Han Li’s gaze went to Junior Sister Huang. She was now sitting cross-legged in the center of the cloud, motionless, and two Foundation Establishment disciples were standing guard beside her. Junior Sister was now spreading her consciousness to find traces of the enemy. With the strong consciousness of a Core Formation [a high level of cultivation] cultivator, she could easily grasp the situation within a hundred li radius.