Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 262

The silver wolf began to change its form, eventually turning into a jade pendant-like object that fell into his possession.

Just as Han Li was about to examine the jade pendant, the blue-robed old man and Geuk-eum, who had been robbed of their treasures in the void, noticed him.

Geuk-eum frowned, but with Mancheonmyeong, a formidable opponent, in front of him, he didn’t have the luxury to interfere with the situation below. Besides, it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing that the treasure had fallen into Han Li’s hands.

Was a treasure with the ability to change forms even suitable for a Core Formation cultivator? It was more likely to end up in the hands of his master.

Having finished his thoughts, Geuk-eum turned his gaze back to Mancheonmyeong.

However, they weren’t even given a chance to test their martial skills as another loud burst of light erupted from the altar.

This time, the tremors were even more violent than before, as if the whole world was collapsing.

At the same time, a blue flame poked its head out from the entrance of the pit. Although only a small part was exposed, the moment the flame appeared, it was as if magnificent blue flowers bloomed all over Hanryeodae, centered around the pit’s entrance.

Crack.

The ground turned bluish, and ice and frost spread rapidly. Startled, Han Li quickly flew into the air.

However, while Oh-chuk hesitated for a moment, the blue ice had already begun to climb up his feet. The Dark Yin Demonic Art [a technique that uses dark energy] that protected his body was completely ineffective against the blue energy.

Panicked, he tried to fly away immediately, but his feet were already bound, and there was no way to escape.

“Ugh, ugh!”

Even as he screamed in terror, the ice passed his ankles, then his calves, and then his thighs.

Han Li and Hyun-gul, who had fled first, exchanged glances, and they could read the bewildered look in each other’s eyes.

Just as Oh-chuk was about to turn into a blue ice pillar, a thin black energy fell from the void.

Then, black flames rose from Oh-chuk’s body, melting the blue ice. Seeing the ice disappear, leaving behind blue steam, Oh-chuk immediately flew into the sky.

At that moment, Geuk-eum’s cold telepathic voice, as if he was frustrated, was heard.

“Be careful. I might not be able to save you in time next time!”

Geuk-eum, his granduncle, had used the Heavenly Dao Transformation [a powerful technique to alter fate] to save Oh-chuk’s life from the void.

The demonic old monsters were all staring at the blue flames that had appeared in the pit, some with excitement, others with tension and greedy faces.

Geuk-eum, who had saved his grandson in one go, also moistened his dry lips and stared passionately below.

The Heocheonjeong [a legendary treasure], the number one treasure of Nanseonghae, which had existed for who knows how long, had finally revealed itself to the world.

At this time, both the Blood Jade Spider and the Fire Web were exhausted and trembling, and the old monsters who were watching them were anxious. No one could help them.

The area around the pit was already overflowing with blue energy, and even the old monsters found it difficult to descend easily, except for the three spirit beasts that were emitting red light and resisting it.

The Core Formation cultivators, including Han Li, had all retreated thirty feet from the pit and were only observing the situation from afar.

In a truly precarious moment, Manhoja suddenly raised his head and shouted, looking somewhere.

“Who is secretly hiding! Come out right now!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than he threw a punch, and a golden hand shot out, trying to grab something.

Bang!

However, a blue protective barrier appeared, blocking the golden hand, and inside it was someone wearing white clothes.

“You are!”

“The Sacred Palace!”

Regardless of whether they were righteous or demonic, the old monsters all seemed surprised, and the expressions of Manhoja and Mancheonmyeong also changed.

Geuk-eum was the first to lash out.

“What is the Law Enforcement Elder of the Sacred Palace doing like a rat? Didn’t the Sacred Palace declare that it would never enter the inner war!”

The white-clothed elder did not answer Geuk-eum’s question and calmly replied, looking at Manhoja.

“Ha! It’s just not my lucky day. I didn’t know there would be such a huge commotion when the Heocheonjeong appeared. I used my hand to block the cold energy, and it seems I was caught by Brother Man. It seems that the cultivator with the highest cultivation here is Brother Man.”

His face was so calm that he didn’t seem like someone who had just been caught hiding.

Geuk-eum was furious at the disregard, but he couldn’t recklessly oppose the Sacred Palace.

The blue-robed old man had been stroking his beard and lost in thought ever since the Sacred Palace elder had appeared, but he suddenly cried out in surprise.

“Oh no! Another one is missing. We have to protect the Blood Jade Spider and Han Li!”

Han Li, who had been listening from afar, froze for a moment.

Before he could fully grasp the situation, two streaks of white light shot out from the other side of the altar in the void. The streaks of light, emitting a burning glow, were aimed at Han Li and the Blood Jade Spider.

The color drained from Han Li’s face.

‘Fast! Too fast!’

This was the thought that flashed through his mind the moment he saw the white light. Without even having time to think, he used the jade pendant he had just obtained and was fiddling with to block it.

Bang!

Han Li’s hands momentarily lost sensation from the tremendous impact, and pain spread through his chest, sending him flying backward. He could only hear the sound of the wind and the shouts of Manhoja and others in his ears.

Before he could even regain his balance, another severe pain was transmitted from behind, and he crashed against a huge protective barrier and fell down.

“……!”

The Sacred Palace elder who had just emitted the white light widened his eyes as if he couldn’t believe it.

If the magic treasure, the Gwanil Sword, that he had just shot had hit the opponent, he should have been cut in two. But he was only thrown backward with all his limbs intact. He must have possessed an incredible treasure.

But he didn’t care much. There was another flying sword that he had sent flying in the other direction. The Sacred Palace elder looked at the altar with a cold face.

The spider was split in a miserable state, and the Geonram Ice Flame of the Heocheonjeong, which it was struggling to lift, had also revealed about half of its form before silently sinking back down.

The two exhausted fire serpents could only support the Heocheonjeong for a very short time.

Having confirmed the result, the white-clothed elder gathered his magic treasures with satisfaction and sneered at the righteous and demonic cultivators, whose faces had turned pale.

The Nascent Soul old monsters were distracted by the Sacred Palace elder who had appeared for the first time and were unable to block the attack of the other elder who had targeted Han Li or the Blood Jade Spider. Seeing the Blood Jade Spider split in half before their eyes, they were not only furious but also felt as if sparks were flying from their eyes.

Manhoja was now unstoppable. He cursed and put his hands together, growing in size, showing the momentum to attack the Sacred Palace elders immediately.

However, the Sacred Palace elder who had launched the surprise attack was enveloped in white light and turned into a small cluster of light and disappeared. And in that place, only a golden talisman remained and fell down.

The white-clothed elder, who was hiding in the blue protective barrier, was the same. Manhoja suppressed his anger and muttered.

“To use the Sacred Palace’s Transformation Talisman [a talisman that allows for teleportation]! They didn’t show up in person to save their lives, so how can we settle this…”

Geuk-eum and Mancheonmyeong also all looked at the golden talisman that was falling down and turning into ashes with gloomy faces.

* * *

In a secret place on the fifth floor of the inner war, two white-clothed elders who were sitting cross-legged opened their eyes at the same time. One of them opened his mouth as if relieved.

“It’s a great relief that we followed those guys. Otherwise, we would have almost lost the Heocheonjeong.”

The other one seemed to have some regrets.

“It would have been better if we hadn’t been discovered so early. After the Heocheonjeong was completely lifted, we could have taken the treasure and escaped while they were all fighting each other.”

“Haha! You shouldn’t be too greedy. It’s a great achievement just to have made the righteous and demonic factions miss the best opportunity to obtain the treasure. When the Heocheonjeong appears next time, it will be the Sacred Palace’s anyway.”

“That’s true, but I don’t know if both of us will be able to see that day. I was curious if the Bocheondan [a legendary pill] really replenishes the impurities of the spirit root and creates a Heavenly Spirit Root.”

“It’s a shame. But for those of us who don’t have much time left, it’s too late even if we get the Bocheondan. Who knows who spread the joke that the Bocheondan not only extends lifespan but also allows one to overcome the hurdle of the Nascent Soul stage and reach a higher realm. It’s ridiculous that they all gathered here believing that.

If that were true, why wouldn’t Yukdo or Pungpaja appear here? It is said to be very effective for Core Formation cultivators to reach the Nascent Soul stage, but it is too difficult to refine.”

“Hmph! Do Core Formation cultivators even have the ability to come here? Also, they are all people who have made no progress even after years of effort like us, so they are just hoping for something like this. If the previous Palace Lord hadn’t returned with a single Bocheondan after countless hardships, we would still believe it.

Let’s move quickly. If those guys can’t control their anger and chase after us, things will get complicated.”

With these words, the sound in the darkness disappeared.

As the two elders of the Sacred Palace had predicted, the righteous and demonic people gathered there were too heated and disappointed.

However, they were not people who had lived for only a year or two, so they quickly regained their composure. Since they couldn’t go to the Sacred Palace to argue anyway, they began to be wary of each other instead.

Han Li also straightened his body, which had crashed against the barrier and fallen down, and floated back into the air.

He was staring at his hand. It wasn’t the torn and cracked wounds with clotted blood that caught his attention, but the jade pendant he was holding in his right hand.

At this time, Mancheonmyeong also cleared his throat, drawing everyone’s attention.

Keaaak!

At the same time, the Fire Web, which had finally reached its limit, made a strange sound and failed to hold onto the Heocheonjeong. The Heocheonjeong rapidly sank with a tremendous vibration. But an unexpected thing happened.

Thud!

Swoosh.

While the Heocheonjeong was rapidly descending, it seemed to have received some kind of stimulus, and a fist-sized, five-colored light soared into the sky, piercing through the blue flames.

The old monsters shouted in unison.

“Bocheondan!”

The appearance of the Bocheondan caused great chaos.

Those who had stopped fighting and were trying to compromise with each other instantly turned into six streaks of light and began to chase after it.

However, they soon became entangled with each other, and no one could get ahead.

Light fluctuated and demonic energy danced among them. And the five-colored light was floating at the entrance of the pit, seemingly asleep, with no intention of moving.

Everyone saw a single pill rolling inside the five-colored light. Every time the pill rotated, the light sparkled as if it were alive.

Oh-chuk and Hyun-gul were dumbfounded as they watched the great battle unfolding in the void. At that moment, Geuk-eum’s cold voice echoed in Oh-chuk’s ear.

“You fool! What are you doing instead of going to get the Bocheondan!”

Only then did Oh-chuk come to his senses and turned into a black energy, rushing towards the Bocheondan. At this time, Hyun-gul also began to make a move. However, his target was not the Bocheondan but Oh-chuk’s back as he flew towards it.

Oh-chuk had not let his guard down, and he sensed the surprise attack even though the green sphere had approached silently. He couldn’t continue forward and twisted his body.

“Do you want to die! How dare you attack me!”

Oh-chuk’s Dark Yin Demonic Art covered Hyun-gul with a ghostly wail. Hyun-gul also sneered and responded with an eerie green energy. Geuk-eum, seeing Oh-chuk’s situation, shouted at Manhoja.

“Manhoja! What are you doing!”

Manhoja attacked Mancheonmyeong with a huge golden hand and laughed wildly.

“Hahaha. What am I doing? I’m stopping you from monopolizing the Bocheondan. Did you think that just because we belong to the same demonic path, I would hand over the Bocheondan to you?”

Geuk-eum’s face contorted.