Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 197

Han Li entered a small general store and managed to find most of the items he needed, but he still had to visit more shops to find the remaining rare items.

He strolled along the street, browsing through various stores. In fact, he was always short on things like medicine recipes and scriptures detailing cultivation techniques, so he thought it would be good to acquire one or two more new medicine recipes.

While visiting several stores, Han Li couldn’t help but be surprised.

When he asked the owner of a pill shop, where he had left Guk-hon waiting outside, if they had any medicine recipes suitable for Qi Condensation cultivators, the owner had presented him with dozens. He was so taken aback that he examined them closely and was even more speechless.

These medicine recipes didn’t use herbs but rather the cores of various grades of demon beasts as their main ingredients. What was particularly rare was that they required the cores of sixth and seventh-grade demon beasts.

Of course, they also needed spirit herbs that had grown for hundreds of years, but these only served as auxiliary agents to enhance the medicinal properties, and any spirit herb could be used by changing the type. So, even with the medicine recipes in hand, Han Li didn’t know what to do.

He bought several medicine recipes at a low price and left the store. However, after a while, when he visited another apothecary, he realized that they all had similar items.

At the last store he visited, Han Li cautiously asked if they had any medicine recipes that didn’t use demon beast cores. The shopkeeper looked like he had heard a bizarre question and replied,

“If high-grade medicine recipes don’t use demon beast cores, then what are they made of?”

Only then did Han Li give up on finding medicine recipes that used spirit herbs as their main ingredient. It was clear that the Nascent Soul cultivators of the Chaotic Star Sea had developed medicine recipes in a completely different way from the cultivators of the Tiannan Region.

When he thought about it, it was a natural outcome.

In the endless sea, countless demon beasts lived, and no matter how many were caught, they would not become extinct. So, unlike the Tiannan Region, the ancient medicine recipes had no choice but to be passed down as they were.

With these thoughts, Han Li carefully examined the medicine recipe for a pill called the Qi Condensation Pill among the ones he had purchased.

The pill was almost identical to the medicine recipes of the Tiannan Region, except that the main ingredient, which he had barely managed to obtain during the Blood Gold Trial, was replaced with a fifth-grade demon beast core.

Han Li fell into deep thought.

After a while, Han Li finished his thoughts and went back to the stores to inquire about cultivation techniques.

This time, there was nothing particularly unusual. The cultivation techniques and Five Elements spells sold in each store were almost identical to those of the Tiannan Region.

The only slight difference was that water-attribute spells were very developed, and some were new spells that Han Li had never heard of.

Han Li was about to look at the water-attribute spells when he ended up buying a book related to pills.

This book contained a description of the Dustfall Pill, which he had heard about in the six pavilions earlier.

Having bought enough items, Han Li took Guk-hon and left the city again. After leaving the barrier area, they rode the Wind Chariot and sped towards the direction where the old residence was located.

In less than half a day, Han Li saw the familiar scenery approaching in the distance. However, he didn’t immediately rush to the old residence. Instead, he slightly changed direction and headed towards his old dwelling.

The log cabin was still there, but it was much more dilapidated since he had left it a long time ago. Han Li sighed at the passage of time and quietly opened the door and went inside.

“Huh?”

Surprisingly, it wasn’t the dusty room he had imagined, but rather a clean space as if someone had been visiting. Moreover, there was even a blue flower placed on one side of the table, indicating that someone was taking care of it.

Han Li scratched his nose and muttered,

“Old Gao is taking good care of it.”

Without lingering any longer, he left Guk-hon at the dwelling and slowly descended to the foot of the mountain where the old residence was located.

The reason Han Li didn’t immediately fly over the walls of the old residence on his magical artifact was out of respect for Old Gao.

As he approached the gate, one of the two burly men guarding it asked,

“What brings you to the Gao residence?”

“Tell the family head that a person with the surname Han has come to visit.”

“The family head is not meeting any outsiders right now… Hmm? If it’s the surname Han… Could it be Senior Han?”

The burly man was about to refuse outright but took another look at Han Li.

“Do you know me?”

“It really is Senior Han! Please wait a moment. I will inform the family head immediately.”

He quickly ran inside. Not long after, a group of people poured out of the estate. The old man at the front bowed to Han Li with a welcoming smile.

“Senior Han, you’ve finally arrived! We’ve been waiting a long time.”

As the old man bowed, those behind him naturally bowed even deeper. Han Li looked at the old man and saw that Old Gao, who had been middle-aged back then, had turned into an old man with white hair.

“How have you been, Old Gao?”

Under Old Gao’s respectful guidance, they entered the grand manor.

As they entered the room, Old Gao presented Han Li with a huge spirit stone pouch that he had prepared before Han Li could even speak. Then, he began to enthusiastically introduce his young children.

Han Li couldn’t possibly not understand his intentions. Old Gao’s lifespan was running out, so he hoped that a trustworthy cultivator would take care of his descendants.

Han Li smiled calmly and conveyed his intention to do as he wished, out of their old friendship. Old Gao was so moved that he immediately offered to hold a banquet for Han Li, but Han Li immediately refused.

Han Li exchanged brief greetings with Old Gao, then called Guk-hon, who was on the mountain, and flew to a nearby village on his magical artifact.

He rented a room at an inn in the village and immediately began to study the book all night long.

* * *

The next day, he finally had a general understanding of the various pills of the Chaotic Star Sea, and he had almost memorized everything about the Dustfall Pill.

According to the book, the refining of the Dustfall Pill required not only various demon beast cores but also rare spirit herbs, making it a very precious pill.

Its effect on assisting with the Core Formation was not very significant, but even that small possibility made it a treasure for cultivators on the verge of Core Formation.

Even if it only increased the probability of Core Formation by one percent, they couldn’t give it up.

However, the more he learned about the true value of the pill, the more he was convinced that the task that offered such a good reward was not as safe as the other party had said, simply maintaining a formation.

If he accepted the offer, he would face great danger, and he didn’t know what kind of difficult situation he would encounter.

However, as a cultivator about to undergo Core Formation, Han Li couldn’t help but desire the Dustfall Pill. Of course, the same was true for Guk-hon, who was about to undergo the Nascent Soul transformation.

After pondering for a long time at the inn, Han Li finally decided to take the risk.

In fact, both he and Guk-hon were late-stage Qi Condensation cultivators, so he judged that they would have the ability to protect their lives even in a dangerous situation.

Moreover, the power of the six pavilions seemed considerable, so he thought that establishing a good relationship with them might be beneficial for his future life in the Chaotic Star Sea.

However, before making any decisions, he decided to hear some rumors about the six pavilions. It would be awkward if they refused to pay after the job was done, wouldn’t it?

He headed back to the Strange City.

* * *

About 15 days later, a huge ship departed from the Strange City harbor. Soon after, white and blue lights flew down from the sky and landed on the ship.

When the light disappeared, three people appeared on the deck: a huge but ugly-looking man, a middle-aged man with a beard, and a young man with an ordinary appearance.

A middle-aged man with large eyes ran out of the ship and bowed respectfully.

“Welcome, Seniors! I am Luo Zheng, the captain of the ship. The others have already gathered, so I will safely take you to the area where demon beasts appear.”

The three people were naturally Han Li, Guk-hon, and Zhao Lu, the shopkeeper of the Hundred Treasures Tower.

“Senior Guk, please be careful, and I will go first.”

Zhao Lu bowed to Guk-hon and flew away first.

“We have prepared accommodations, so please come inside.”

Han Li looked around the ship and entered with Guk-hon, followed by Captain Luo Zheng.

As Han Li stepped inside, he was a little surprised by the situation before him. Instead of the narrow passage he had imagined, there was a large hall that seemed to be over ten feet wide.

In the center of the hall, there was a long table and a dozen chairs where people were talking to each other. They turned their heads at the sound of footsteps and looked at the two of them, but their main focus seemed to be on Guk-hon.

Guk-hon’s body blurred, and he stood in front of Han Li, saying expressionlessly,

“I am Guk-hon, and this child is my junior brother, Han Li. How should we address the other seniors?”

“Welcome to join us on this voyage. I am Feng San Niang of the six pavilions, and I will be maintaining the formation with you.”

A middle-aged woman who looked to be about forty years old stood up quietly. Madam Feng was not particularly beautiful, but she had a fair face for her age.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Senior Feng.”

Guk-hon replied in a low voice and walked to the table with Han Li. Then, unfamiliar figures came into Han Li’s view.

There was a middle-aged man dressed as a scholar, a beautiful woman in her twenties, an old man with gray-white eyes, a young man whose whole body was glowing crimson, and the woman who had just called herself Feng San Niang, making a total of five people.

The beautiful woman was only an early-stage Qi Condensation cultivator, but she seemed to be close to the middle-aged man dressed as a scholar, suggesting that they were partners. As Han Li observed the situation, Madam Feng began the introductions.

“You’ve arrived just in time. We were all discussing the Six Evasion Water Wave Grand Formation. Before we start talking, let me introduce the other seniors.”

Madam Feng seemed to be skilled at interacting with people. She had already created a friendly atmosphere before she had even said a few words.

“These two are Senior Mo, a disciple of Senior Qian Tai, the island lord of the Tail Star Island, and his partner, Senior Xue.”

She pointed to the middle-aged scholar and the woman. However, the middle-aged scholar looked at Han Li with cold eyes and interrupted her.

“Guk-hon? If you’re a cultivator from Strange City, I should know you, but I’ve never heard of you?”

The middle-aged scholar seemed to be bothered by Guk-hon, and his tone was disrespectful from the start. Guk-hon also retorted in an emotionless voice.

“I’m not originally a cultivator from Strange City. I came here to see a junior brother who lives here, so that’s why. I’ve never heard of your name either, so it’s natural that you haven’t heard of mine.”

The middle-aged scholar’s face hardened as if he was annoyed, and he was about to say something more, but Madam Feng tactfully continued.

“Since you haven’t heard of him, I should introduce him. This is Senior Qing Shan Zi, who is in seclusion on the Golden Turtle Island. No one among the Qi Condensation cultivators can match his wood-attribute spells. This Senior Yan is skilled in the Dark Fire Body and can freely manipulate a tremendous amount of Yang Qi.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet Senior Qing and Senior Yan.”

Guk-hon nodded to the old man and the young man as a greeting. Both of them were late-stage Qi Condensation cultivators like the middle-aged scholar, but Han Li felt that their magical power was stronger than the scholar’s.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Senior Guk.”

“Yan greets Senior Guk.”

Both of them accepted the greeting in a friendly manner. The middle-aged scholar seemed even more displeased at this. Perhaps that was why Madam Feng suddenly got up from her seat.

“I need to go back to my quarters and rest, so let’s talk about the formation later.”

As soon as she finished speaking, she flicked her sleeves and left the hall, and the woman also gave the others an apologetic look before following him.

The crimson light flashed from the young man’s body, expressing his anger.

“Hmph! Just because he has an island lord as his master, he’s acting so arrogant.”

The old man and Madam Feng’s expressions also changed slightly, but the old man’s face immediately returned to an expressionless state, and Madam Feng forced a smile. It seemed that they didn’t want to mention the middle-aged man.

# 199