Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 263

With Manhoja’s words, the demonic alliance crumbled, and it became a free-for-all to obtain the Bocheondan [a powerful, rare pill]. But this was inevitable.

Even though the Sky Cauldron hadn’t appeared, a single Bocheondan had rolled out, and who wouldn’t want it! Not only the demonic cultivators but also the righteous ones would be greedy.

Geuk-eum realized that arguing with Manhoja was pointless and released the Cheondo Yosi [a type of magical artifact] to retrieve the Bocheondan.

However, the farmer-like cultivator’s technique was strange; as soon as he released the Yosi, green tendrils would appear from nowhere, obstructing its path. It was a frustrating moment for Geuk-eum.

In fact, not only Geuk-eum but all six Core Formation cultivators were in similar situations.

Some reached for the treasure, while others desperately tried to stop them. Everyone was incredibly cunning, so no one was achieving their goals.

The Core Formation cultivators in the void were so busy fighting that they didn’t notice Han Li, who was standing with a complicated expression right in front of the barrier.

He had clearly been hit by a Core Formation cultivator’s magical treasure. However, he was surprised that he hadn’t died from the Seonggung elder’s desperate blow.

Only after Han Li examined his chest again did he discover the Yellow Scale Armor that Manhoja had temporarily lent him.

The outer clothes were already cut, but the scale armor underneath was only dented where it had been attacked.

He secretly sighed. After inspecting the armor and finding nothing wrong, he realized he had been wearing it under his clothes all along. As a result, he had avoided death.

However, the reason he survived the attack was also thanks to the jade pendant that was a mix of red and yellow.

When he tried to use the jade pendant to block the attack, he had faintly seen a silver wolf’s head appear from within. That wolf had helped him by taking the brunt of the attack.

Otherwise, no matter how great the Yellow Scale Armor’s defense was, he couldn’t have been so unscathed. Even if his body hadn’t been completely torn apart, he would have been severely injured and collapsed.

He wanted to study the jade pendant’s function in detail, but now was not the time. He carefully placed the jade pendant back into his storage pouch.

Then, the pain in his hand became real. He gritted his teeth, and a white light flashed, regenerating the torn flesh at a visible speed.

With a cautious gaze, he alternated between observing the battle in the void and the corpse of the Blood Jade Spider, which lay tragically dead on the altar.

A look of regret crossed Han Li’s face, but he soon steeled his heart. He began to fly along the barrier wall toward the stone steps in the distance.

He had memorized the path he had taken so far with his excellent memory, so he believed he could escape to the first floor without any problems.

It was a risk, but it was much better than standing there foolishly and being dragged around by the old Core Formation monsters.

Since the Blood Jade Spider was already dead, there was no reason for them to keep him alive. Now, he could only rely on their mercy. But shouldn’t he be the one to control his own destiny!

Besides, if he failed to obtain the Sky Cauldron and didn’t even get the Bocheondan, he would be furious.

The more he thought this way, the more cautious his actions became, and he moved without making a sound. Just as he flew about ten yards, a voice called out to him.

“Han Li, where do you think you’re going?”

Hyun-gul’s calm voice wasn’t loud, but it was enough to reach the ears of Geuk-eum and the others floating in the void.

At the same time, the gazes of Geuk-eum and Manhoja swept over Han Li.

Han Li froze in place as if his whole body had turned to ice. Hyun-gul was one thing, but if the Core Formation cultivators intervened, he would be dead.

It would take time to open the barrier at the entrance anyway, and in that time, Geuk-eum could kill him several times over.

He looked at the stone steps calling to him in the distance with a sad gaze and obediently turned back. A sneer spread across Hyun-gul’s lips as he had been constantly monitoring Han Li with his consciousness.

Han Li, who had returned to his spot, glared at him and thought it was strange. He clearly had the upper hand against Oh-chuk, yet he didn’t seem to have the will to blow him away and take the Bocheondan.

Mancheonmyeong, seeing that the Bocheondan was below, couldn’t contain his anger as he was repeatedly blocked by Manhoja’s golden hand and threatened him.

“Manhoja, you’d better clear the way before this sect leader uses the Heavenly Net Thunder.”

Manhoja flinched at first but soon mocked him.

“Heavenly Net Thunder. Geuk-eum and Cheong-yeok may fear it, but I’ve been curious about its power. But I doubt you can bear to use it.”

He clearly believed that the opponent wouldn’t be able to use that treasure.

Mancheonmyeong’s face hardened, and he glared at the Bocheondan with greedy eyes before gritting his teeth.

“Fine. Remember that you brought this upon yourself!”

He struck his own head without hesitation, and a clear sound rang out as a purple light soared from his crown. It was surprisingly a naked infant.

The baby’s white and soft body was enveloped in purple light, and surprisingly, it had the same face as Mancheonmyeong, holding two purple beads in its hands.

As soon as Manhoja saw it, his expression changed drastically, and he shouted ominously.

“To extract your Core Formation [the essence of a cultivator’s power] from your body, do you truly wish for your soul to scatter and disappear!”

“If I can’t obtain the Bocheondan, my lifespan is short anyway. What difference does it make whether I die a little earlier or stay in the same place forever?”

After barely saying these words, the baby’s breathing became rough, showing that he was exerting all his strength. Mancheonmyeong’s original body closed its eyes as soon as the infant appeared and seemed to have lost its reason.

Manhoja coldly glared at Mancheonmyeong’s Core Formation.

“Do you really think there’s no difference? Aren’t you afraid that I’ll refine your Core Formation so that you can’t even reincarnate?”

“If you have the ability, then so be it. But first, take this sect leader’s Heavenly Net Thunder!”

After speaking in a weak voice, the baby unhesitatingly threw one of the two purple beads in his hand.

As soon as the bead left the baby’s hand, it exploded and turned into a purple mass of light the size of a cartwheel, aiming for Manhoja.

Manhoja narrowed his brow and clasped his hands together with a fierce expression. A clear sound rang out from his head, and a faint golden infant appeared, emitting golden light in all directions.

The infant’s face was also the same as Manhoja’s, but it was two and a half inches taller than Mancheonmyeong’s Core Formation. It had its eyes tightly closed and was firmly holding a blue shield in both hands.

The round shield was exquisite and beautiful, with a bean-sized crystal embedded in the middle, emitting a glow.

Even though the purple mass of light was right in front of him, Manhoja’s Core Formation didn’t open its eyes. As the baby raised the shield, a blue protective barrier spread out, covering Manhoja’s entire body.

The purple mass of light collided with a fierce momentum.

Cheon-oja and Geuk-eum, who were nearby, realized that the two had truly risked their lives by releasing their Core Formations from their bodies one after another.

Kwagwagwagwang!

A thunderous explosion echoed, and Manhoja’s protective barrier was completely covered in purple light. A thundercloud with a diameter of over ten yards appeared, trapping him completely.

Purple lightning struck wildly within the cloud, and the deafening screams, wind sounds, and eye-straining light were incessant. It was a terrifying power, as if the sky were punishing him.

The others were also greatly surprised by the sight.

They had heard that the Heavenly Net Thunder was powerful, but it was the first time they had seen it up close. It was an immense power worthy of its reputation.

Mancheonmyeong’s Core Formation didn’t even glance at Manhoja, who was trapped in the thundercloud, and waved its small hand to summon a purple sword.

Just as the purple light flashed, the sword and the baby disappeared at the same time. When he reappeared, he was only five yards away from the Bocheondan.

The faces of the other four cultivators, who had been fighting fiercely, changed.

“Core Formation Sword Control!”

What Mancheonmyeong’s Core Formation had just shown was not an illusion caused by excessive speed. It was teleportation, a special ability that the Core Formation gained when it was freed from the constraints of the physical body.

Everyone’s hearts pounded as Mancheonmyeong disappeared with an unexpected teleportation. Geuk-eum and Old Man Cheong also abandoned their opponents as if they had made a pact and turned around.

And their rivals, Cheon-oja and the withered old man, only pretended to block them with a few spells and didn’t truly interfere.

Mancheonmyeong’s Core Formation turned its head to check on Geuk-eum and Old Man Cheong, and a sneer that didn’t suit the baby’s face appeared.

With this much distance, who could stop him?

As expected, before they could catch up, Mancheonmyeong’s Core Formation reached the five-colored light and finally grasped the Bocheondan.

When the dazzling light disappeared, a transparent, five-colored pill remained in the baby’s hand. Mancheonmyeong wanted to jump for joy, but Geuk-eum and Old Man Cheong, who arrived late, wouldn’t just stand by and watch.

Geuk-eum shouted with eyes that seemed to be spitting fire.

“Mancheonmyeong! Hand over the Bocheondan!”

Geuk-eum’s massive Dark Yin Demonic Energy, as well as Cheong-yeok’s green energy, densely covered him.

“Do you think you can trap me!”

The baby smiled, and as a purple light flashed, he appeared outside their attack range.

The Core Formation rode a purple sword about ten yards away and mocked them. But soon, the smile disappeared, and the baby looked up in terror.

The color drained from Mancheonmyeong’s face.

Mancheonmyeong’s body, which was floating in the void, was being strangled by someone with a sturdy build. The body, which was shining with gold, was clearly Manhoja.

Manhoja’s hair and beard were burnt and curled, and his clothes were torn to shreds. And the golden scales and fierce face on his entire body were emitting an even more powerful aura.

“No way! How can this be?”

Mancheonmyeong turned his head toward the thundercloud with a disbelieving expression. The purple thundercloud had long since dissipated, leaving no trace.

Manhoja showed the purple crystal in his hand.

“Hehe! You’re really unlucky. A long time ago, I happened to obtain a Thunder Stone that absorbs lightning from a whale demon, the Thunder Whale. No matter how powerful the Heavenly Net Thunder is, the Thunder Stone absorbed most of its power, so it couldn’t harm me.

I’ll count to three. If you don’t hand over the Bocheondan, I’ll destroy your body. You know the consequences!”

Manhoja was relentless.

“One!”

“Two!”

As if not giving the opponent a chance to speak, Manhoja brought his golden hand to Mancheonmyeong’s head.

Mancheonmyeong was dumbfounded. He had clearly placed several powerful restrictions before escaping in the form of his Core Formation, but he had never expected to fall into Manhoja’s hands so quickly.

It was absurd that the opponent happened to have a stone that absorbed lightning.

But there was no time to hesitate. With his level of only reaching the mid-stage of Core Formation, if his body really disappeared, he would only vanish like blue smoke. He was not at a level where he could wander the world in the state of his Core Formation after leaving his body.

This was why, even though they could use powerful special abilities by leaving their bodies as Core Formations, they didn’t do so easily.

Mancheonmyeong had made a big mistake by being blinded by the Bocheondan. Now that Manhoja was clearly not in a mood to negotiate, it was clear what he had to do.

When he counted ‘two,’ he didn’t hesitate any longer and threw the Bocheondan.

Mancheonmyeong used Core Formation Sword Control to seize the Bocheondan in an instant, and then, before long, he threw it to Manhoja. The situation had changed so rapidly that it was hard to keep up.

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