Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 259

“Moreover, since the Blood Jade Spider’s grade is much higher than the Golden Silkworm’s, which was only at the second level, one Blood Jade Spider is far superior to them.”

Having confirmed that the Blood Jade Spider was fine, they didn’t delay any further. Geuk-eum gave his orders without hesitation.

“Then, let’s begin. Han Li, have the spider release its web to pull up the Heavenly Essence Cauldron. My two fire serpents will also assist the Blood Jade Spider.”

“Yes!”

“With your cultivation, you cannot withstand the Azure Ice Flames near the Heavenly Essence Cauldron, so descend from the altar.”

Geuk-eum’s gaze shifted from Oh-chuk and Hyun-gol to Elder Cheong-yeok.

“My disciple, Han Li, will need Elder Cheong’s help.”

The old man accepted his request with a smile.

“For the sake of the Heavenly Essence Pill within the Heavenly Essence Cauldron, I will take responsibility to ensure nothing goes wrong.”

Oh-chuk and Hyun-gol obediently descended from the altar and stopped only after taking a few more steps back. Han Li, seeing the old monsters, commanded the Blood Jade Spider.

*Shhh.*

At the same time, a white spider web shot out and entered the pit. Now, he had no choice but to act as things unfolded.

He could only hope that after finding the treasure, Geuk-eum would not immediately kill him, considering the gazes of the other Nascent Soul [a high level of cultivation] old monsters. That would open up a very slim chance for him to survive.

Therefore, whether they succeeded or failed in pulling up the Heavenly Essence Cauldron was completely outside his concern. Whether they succeeded or failed, it was no longer his concern.

While Han Li was lost in these thoughts, Geuk-eum walked up to him and took out a black spirit beast pouch. He released the pouch and lightly shook it.

A red light flashed, and two crimson serpents appeared on the ground.

The two serpents’ entire bodies were covered in armor-like scales, and their heads were adorned with bizarre patterns, their small eyes gleaming. As soon as the fire serpents appeared, Geuk-eum flicked his fingers.

Then, two black pills flew out, and surprisingly, the serpents swiftly devoured them. Geuk-eum pointed his finger at the pit.

“Go!”

The red serpents were merely circling around the pit.

Geuk-eum formed another hand seal and chanted an unintelligible incantation to urge the spirit beasts. Then, something astonishing happened.

As the incantation grew longer, the red serpents’ bodies turned dark crimson and began to tremble all over.

*Thud. Thud.*

The serpents thrashed and slammed their tails into the ground, embedding them deep as if blades were piercing the altar. Then, like boneless creatures, their bodies stretched out, and their heads dropped into the pit.

With their tails fixed on the altar outside the pit and their heads stretched out, they looked exactly like red fishing lines.

Han Li’s eyes widened in surprise, and Geuk-eum, with a face full of joy, shouted at him.

“The serpents have latched onto the Heavenly Essence Cauldron, so pull it up quickly. Although I used medicine, I don’t know how long they can withstand the Azure Ice Flames, so hurry!”

Geuk-eum’s face was filled with the undisguised ruthlessness of an exploiter. Han Li felt a chill in his heart.

‘Whether we find the treasure or not, my life is hanging by a thread, but it’s better to prevent you from getting the treasure!’

However, he had no choice but to make the Blood Jade Spider pull the web with all its might. Man Ho-ja and Elder Cheong, standing behind him, were watching his every move with hawk-like eyes.

At the silent command, the semi-transparent white spider web became taut, and the spider slowly began to move backward.

At the same time, the serpents’ bodies, stretched into the pit, also exerted their full force.

*Kukwakwang.*

A tremendous sound echoed, and the altar shook. The blue light flashed dazzlingly, but the spider was not affected at all and continued to exert its strength.

Elder Cheong-yeok grinned from ear to ear and muttered.

“Yes, that’s it!”

However, the Heavenly Essence Cauldron was sunk deep in the pit, and despite the efforts of the Blood Jade Spider and the two serpents, it only shook and did not move any further.

Geuk-eum was not flustered at all and opened his mouth to spew out black energy. It seemed to be boosting the energy of the two serpents. Then, he turned his head and urged Man Ho-ja.

“Man, please use the Berserk Technique on the Blood Jade Spider!”

“Don’t worry.”

Man Ho-ja seemed to have anticipated the request. He looked at the Blood Jade Spider, moved his lips, and then emitted a red light from his mouth.

“Haaap!”

With Man Ho-ja’s shout, the red light targeted the Blood Jade Spider.

*Poof.*

A small explosion occurred on the Blood Jade Spider’s body. The red light scattered like a blood-colored mist, trapping the spirit beast within it.

*Shhh! Shhh!*

The Blood Jade Spider made strange noises and appeared unstable. It seemed to be agitated by something. Han Li’s expression darkened.

Berserk Technique! Just hearing it, he knew it was a demonic secret art with tremendous aftereffects.

The old monsters had cast a spell on the Blood Jade Spider without even asking its owner. They probably didn’t care what would happen to the spider once the spell’s effects wore off.

It was clear that they didn’t care about a Core Formation [a mid-level of cultivation] cultivator. It was something he already knew, but experiencing it firsthand made him feel uneasy.

As the blood-colored energy seeped into the Blood Jade Spider, the spider, which had originally had a transparent body, turned blood-red.

‘This is…’

This change in the Blood Jade Spider reminded him of the mother spider that had attacked him in the cave. It had turned the same deep red color, a change that only appeared when it was enraged.

Amidst these worries, he sensed that the Blood Jade Spider seemed to have lost some reason and wisdom in its frenzied agitation. Han Li was shocked and tried to calm the Blood Jade Spider, but Man Ho-ja, standing next to him, shouted.

“Why aren’t you having the Blood Jade Spider pull it up! The Berserk Technique has a time limit!”

He was furious at those words, but he made the Blood Jade Spider exert even more force.

Fortunately, even in its crazed state, it faithfully followed his commands as its master. After the red energy flashed in its eyes, it surprisingly began to move backward, pulling the web.

*Kwakwakwakwang.*

A more tremendous friction sound than before echoed. At this sight, Man Ho-ja and the others couldn’t hide their joy. Then, the blue light became even more intense, soaring over ten feet above the altar.

His body, which had been chilly, quickly warmed up. A blue protective barrier had enveloped him. In the instant the blue energy intensified, Elder Cheong expanded the range of his protective barrier.

Elder Cheong said with a serious face.

“When the Heavenly Essence Cauldron truly rises, an even more intense chill will engulf us, so be careful. Many cultivators suffered greatly from such a chill before.”

It was clearly a warning to Han Li, but his gaze never left the pit. Elder Cheong-yeok was also tense.

Han Li was puzzled by his words. According to the old man, many cultivators had almost succeeded in pulling up the Heavenly Essence Cauldron, so how was it still there?

He had these questions, but now was not the right time to ask. He also focused on the pit in the middle of the altar.

The Heavenly Essence Cauldron moved only very slightly, even with the spirit beasts exerting their full force. Geuk-eum and the other Nascent Soul old monsters, as well as Oh-chuk and Hyun-gol, were all watching the situation unfold without blinking.

Oh-chuk clenched his fists tightly, revealing both his tension and greed. Hyun-gol, on the other hand, had a very complex state of mind, mixed with anticipation and hesitation.

As the Heavenly Essence Cauldron was pulled up, the roar grew louder, and those gathered there watched the scene, holding their breath. However, only Han Li was looking at his Blood Jade Spider with a worried gaze.

In fact, no matter how great a treasure the Heavenly Essence Cauldron was, it wouldn’t fall into his hands anyway! But the Blood Jade Spider was a spirit beast he had raised himself for a long time.

While he was worried, he noticed something strange. The spider web, which had been white, was now tinged with a faint blue light. It was difficult to see with the naked eye, but it was definitely there.

*Chwareuk.*

As he tried to look closer at the suspicious phenomenon, he heard a very faint sound from behind. It was an extremely small sound, but everyone was holding their breath, so he could hear it.

Surprised, he quickly turned his head. It was the sound of someone trying to break through the protective barrier here. The sound was coming from outside the stairs leading to this place.

The demonic old monsters also heard this sound, of course. Man Ho-ja’s expression changed, and he immediately released his spirit beast pouch, unleashing a yellow light.

When the light disappeared, a leopard-like spirit beast with yellow spots all over its body appeared. This leopard was several times larger than a normal beast and, surprisingly, had three eyes.

A coldness flickered in Elder Cheong’s eyes.

“The Mancheonmyeong group has returned after eliminating this old man’s Azure Finch and Oh’s fellow cultivator’s demon beast. They haven’t given up on the treasure after all.”

Geuk-eum also said with an icy face.

“The Heavenly Essence Cauldron is almost lifted, but the more it is lifted, the stronger the suction force becomes, making it harder to pull up. Let’s buy as much time as possible.”

It was an attitude that they had anticipated the return of the righteous cultivators.

“Let’s do as you say, Senior Brother!”

The old man prepared for battle, emitting a large amount of blue light from his sleeve. Each one transformed into over a hundred Azure Finch demon beasts.

They were only the size of a fist, but the birds with sharp beaks and steel-like feathers circled above the old man’s head. Just looking at them, one could feel their tremendous power.

On the other side, Geuk-eum also formed a hand seal and summoned black energy. When the black energy dissipated, a dozen or so demon beasts armed with iron armor appeared in various places.

“…”

Man Ho-ja looked at the two of them without saying anything.

Oh-chuk, who was below the altar, hurriedly approached the Nascent Soul old monsters, expressing his anxiety, but Hyun-gol was just observing the situation, not moving from his spot.

At that moment, a beam of light flew towards them at an incredible speed. The righteous cultivators, including Mancheonmyeong, had arrived.

Mancheonmyeong saw the Blood Jade Spider pulling the Heavenly Essence Cauldron from the altar and the pit where the blue light was fluctuating, and shouted.

“It’s going very well, I see.”

Man Ho-ja immediately glared and retorted.

“It’s going well. It would have been better if Sect Leader Man hadn’t appeared.”

“Man Mo didn’t want to return either, but when I learned that a young friend possessed a Blood Jade Spider, which has been extinct for a long time, I couldn’t help but come back.”

After speaking, a strange whistling sound came from his mouth. Man Ho-ja and the others tensed up, wary of what the opponent was up to.

The stone floor where Mancheonmyeong was standing suddenly sparkled, and a blue rat popped up and jumped onto his shoulder. The sect leader of the Manbeop Sect was smirking cunningly, mocking Man Ho-ja and the others.

Cheong-yeon shouted upon seeing the rat.

“Fossil Beast!”

“If I hadn’t hidden this child to monitor you all, you wouldn’t have appeared at such a critical moment. The Fossil Beast doesn’t have any special abilities, but once it hides in a stone, it’s not easily discovered, isn’t it!”

Mancheonmyeong stroked the rat on his shoulder with one hand and said leisurely, looking at the Blood Jade Spider.

“I will give you two options. First, kill the spider immediately and say goodbye to the Heavenly Essence Cauldron forever. Second, the demonic and righteous sides will share the treasures of the Heavenly Essence Cauldron fairly. After all, we can’t let you monopolize the Heavenly Essence Cauldron, can we?”

“Share fairly?”

Geuk-eum frowned at those words, but he seemed a little tempted. Since he would take Han Li’s share anyway, he would end up with a considerable amount of treasure.

However, before Geuk-eum could speak, Man Ho-ja, who was standing at the front, laughed like a madman.

“Share the treasure? You’re talking nonsense! You want to snatch the meat this old man has in his mouth. You’ve got some nerve.”

After speaking, he signaled the leopard before even hearing a reply.

*Kuhang!*

The spirit beast roared and emitted a beam of yellow light from its third eye on its forehead, flying towards Mancheonmyeong. Mancheonmyeong shouted at this.

“A mere beast dares to act so recklessly!”

He hadn’t expected Man Ho-ja to reject his offer so decisively. Mancheonmyeong hurriedly emitted a purple light to block the yellow beam. The moment the purple light met the yellow beam, the yellow light exploded.

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