Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 307

Han Li, now the target of everyone’s curses, found himself in an unfamiliar place, the Great Naeyi Order [a powerful artifact] in hand. Ever cautious, he had already changed his appearance, anticipating the possibility of encountering enemies.

Before he could even get his bearings after being teleported, a languid voice reached his ears.

“Fellow Daoist, you seem quite impatient. It appears we two arrived first; the others haven’t shown up yet.”

“Ah, is that so?”

At those words, Han Li almost flinched, but he quickly composed himself and replied, then raised his head. A man dressed in black was sitting on a rock not far from the teleportation array.

Catching Han Li’s gaze, the man smiled, revealing his pearly white teeth. Han Li was greatly surprised internally upon seeing the other’s face.

His features were extremely grotesque; his face was gaunt, almost skeletal, and a bluish light flickered in his eyes as he looked at Han Li. In Han Li’s eyes, he was a Core Formation mid-stage cultivator, a high-level cultivator rarely seen in the Outer Star Seas.

The skeletal-faced man also recognized that Han Li was a Core Formation late-stage cultivator and became much more polite.

“Let’s rest a bit before the others arrive. If we succeed in this mission, we’ll receive a considerable reward.”

Han Li didn’t understand what he was talking about, but he couldn’t show it, so he followed the other’s lead. After looking around, Han Li relaxed.

This place was inside a cave about twenty yards wide, and besides the ancient teleportation array he had come out of, there were two more teleportation arrays installed. The scenery here was exactly as Madam Fan had described Imperial Bright Island, confirming that he had indeed returned to the Inner Star Seas.

Soon after, a yellow light flashed from another teleportation array, and a large man appeared. The black-clad man immediately stood up and approached him.

Taking this opportunity, Han Li raised a blue sword energy at his fingertip and made an almost invisible scratch on the teleportation array he had come out of.

By doing this, the ancient teleportation array would lose its effectiveness, relieving him of the worry that Miao Xue or Ye Fengshu would obtain a teleportation talisman and chase after him. His actions were so secretive that neither the black-clad man nor the burly man who had just been teleported noticed anything.

The two seemed to know each other, exchanging jokes and expressing their delight. Han Li watched them for a moment, then silently moved towards the cave exit.

Before he could take more than a few steps, the skeletal-faced man’s voice reached him.

“Where are you going when not everyone has gathered yet? It was said that a total of five Fellow Daoists would be moving, so we’re missing the man to deliver the orders and one other. Your face is unfamiliar; could it be that you’re participating for the first time?”

The black-clad man was answering his own question. For some reason, he didn’t seem to suspect Han Li’s identity at all. Han Li slightly narrowed his brow and muttered with a hint of dissatisfaction.

“Is it necessary to be so bothersome? I didn’t hear anything about such a rule.”

The skeletal-faced man clicked his tongue and laughed.

“Hehehe. It must be that your cultivation is so high that the others were hesitant to speak. Just wait a little longer, and once the mission is complete, you can move around freely.”

Based on his words, Han Li was able to grasp the current situation.

Han Li was about to open his mouth to say something when light burst from another teleportation array, and two people walked out together. They were an old man in a gray robe with a beard and a very thin, experienced-looking man.

The faint spiritual energy emanating from the blue flames embroidered on the old man’s robe was not an ordinary mark. With the arrival of the two, a total of five people had gathered in the cave.

Among them, Han Li was at the Core Formation late stage, the skeletal-faced man was at the Core Formation mid-stage, the burly man and the old man were at the Core Formation early stage, but the remaining thin man was only at the Foundation Establishment late stage.

* * *

The skeletal-faced man who had arrived first and the old man and thin man who arrived later didn’t seem to know each other, so naturally, no one was curious about who Han Li was. Among them, the thin Foundation Establishment late-stage man looked around at the five Fellow Daoists gathered in the cave, clasped his hands, and began to explain.

“I’ve come to see you under the orders of the Gau Clan to deliver the orders to the seniors and guide you. Please verify the spirit tablet.”

He naturally took out a spirit tablet from his waist and handed it to Han Li. He assumed that the one with the highest cultivation among the three Fellow Daoists who had arrived first was the leader of the group.

Han Li reached out and took the spirit tablet, glanced at it roughly, and then passed it to the skeletal-faced man. The skeletal-faced man also didn’t examine the spirit tablet closely and immediately returned it to the thin man, languidly ordering.

“What are you trying to do by verifying the spirit tablet? If you hadn’t received permission, there’s no way a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator like you would be here! Since everyone gathered here has received orders, there’s no need to waste time verifying identities. Hurry up and explain the mission.”

It seemed that this wasn’t the first time this had happened, as the skeletal-faced man looked very annoyed. The thin man smiled awkwardly at those words, cleared his throat, and introduced the old man next to him.

“This is Senior Jeong, a protector from the Azure Yang Sect. This mission is for the three seniors to assist Senior Jeong in capturing a criminal from the Azure Yang Sect, so please discuss the specific details directly.”

After speaking, Gau quietly stepped back. The skeletal-faced man’s blue eyes flashed.

“Azure Yang Sect, are you talking about the Azure Yang Sect where the Three Yang Merchant is?”

“……!”

The burly man with the fierce appearance and Han Li, who had been listening quietly, also changed their expressions. Old Man Jeong of the Azure Yang Sect smiled and stepped forward.

“Hehe! It seems everyone knows my grandmaster, so I won’t say much. The reason my grandmaster personally requested help from the Six Paths Alliance of the Gui Alliance is because we’ve discovered the whereabouts of the criminal who ran away with the Azure Yang Sect’s treasures after several years.

Since the criminal is only at the Core Formation stage, it would be a simple matter for my grandmaster to handle, but he’s unable to spare the time, so he decided to seek your help. If four Core Formation Fellow Daoists work together, what difficulty would there be in capturing a mere vixen?”

The burly man with the fierce appearance questioned the word ‘vixen’.

“Are you talking about a female Fellow Daoist?”

Han Li didn’t show any particular reaction, but someone flashed through his mind. The old man explained with a grinding of teeth, as if the thought was terrible.

“That’s right. That vixen is called Yuan Yao, and at the time, the young sect master of our sect was trying to take her as a concubine. That wicked woman conspired with another woman and assassinated the young sect master, then stole all sorts of treasures and rare medicinal herbs and ran away!

And she succeeded in forming her core and became a Core Formation Fellow Daoist, so how could the Three Yang Grandmaster, who had only one heir, not be furious? If the three of you help me capture that woman, there will be a great reward from our sect.”

The skeletal-faced man and the burly man with the fierce appearance exchanged glances, looking as if they didn’t care, and Han Li just scratched his nose.

Another Yuan Yao!

It was unexpected that such a past was hidden behind her, who boasted such great beauty.

He recalled her cautious appearance after succeeding in forming her core in a short period and meeting again. It turned out that she had been able to achieve such rapid progress by consuming a considerable amount of rare elixirs stolen from the young sect master of the Azure Yang Sect.

She was in danger, and he was hesitant about what to do. They weren’t that close, but she was still a woman he could call an acquaintance.

At that moment, the skeletal-faced man standing next to him asked again.

“Since the order has been given, we’ll do our best. So, where is that woman now? Judging by the fact that we gathered here, she must be nearby.”

“As the Fellow Daoist said, the place where the vixen is hiding is an island north of Imperial Bright Island. If she hadn’t come out to the market to buy things and been discovered and followed by our sect’s disciples, we still wouldn’t have found her base. She’s that cunning and has many treasures, so you must be careful. Especially the power of the Azure Yang Thunder, which is a treasure of our sect, is considerable.”

Warning them, the old man especially clasped his hands towards Han Li.

Since he was the highest-level cultivator in the group, a Core Formation late-stage Fellow Daoist, he naturally had to be given importance. Han Li decided to save Yuan Yao first and then deal with everyone else since she was nearby.

Gau and the others discussed the specific plan and then led everyone to depart.

* * *

At the same time, in a certain stone chamber, a disheveled Fellow Daoist was looking down at the teleportation array at his feet, dumbfounded.

He had been fine when he stepped onto the teleportation array and tried to activate it, but for no reason, the formation had lost its spiritual power. He rubbed the back of his head, unable to hide his bewilderment.

* * *

They flew north, bypassing the layers of restrictions guarded by several Fellow Daoists, guided by the old man from the Azure Yang Sect.

Han Li’s cultivation was the highest, and he had a cold face, so no one dared to speak to him first. As a result, half a day later, a small island, no more than a few dozen miles in radius, came into view of the five Fellow Daoists.

A coldness flashed in the old man’s eyes, and he stopped in the air first.

“This is where the vixen is hiding!”

Everyone looked at the island in the distance. The island had only a few trees and a few low stone mountains, and the spiritual energy was very sparse.

The burly man with the fierce appearance raised a question.

“Senior Woo, is this the right place? You’re saying that a Core Formation Fellow Daoist is cultivating in such a place?”

“This is definitely the place, so don’t worry.”

As he formed a hand seal, a dazzling yellow light pierced through the air. A moment later, the same light flashed from one side of the island. The old man showed a happy expression and hurriedly turned his head towards Han Li.

“Let’s go. Our sect’s disciple has been constantly monitoring the vixen’s movements there, so she definitely hasn’t left this island yet.”

However, the old man didn’t seem to be moving. Rather, a streak of red light flew towards them from the place where the yellow light on the island had shone.

When the light faded, a man in gray robes appeared, a Foundation Establishment mid-stage cultivator with the same blue flame mark as the old man embroidered on his sleeve. Of course, his mark was much smaller than the old man’s.

The man immediately recognized Old Man Woo and bowed deeply.

“This disciple greets Senior Woo and the seniors!”

“Has the vixen not left the island yet?”

“Yes! Since I followed her to this island, she hasn’t left her residence.”

“Well done! Once this is over, I’ll accept you as my inner disciple. Lead the way.”

The middle-aged man couldn’t hide his joy at the old man’s praise and replied.

“Thank you for your grace, Senior! I’ll guide you.”

As he turned and flew towards the island, the group followed. The middle-aged man pointed to a stone mountain and said respectfully.

“I couldn’t get close due to the vixen’s high cultivation, but I confirmed that she disappeared here. Her residence is probably in this mountain.”

At those words, the skeletal-faced man’s eyes lit up as he examined the mountain, then slowly nodded.

“A powerful barrier covers the surface of the stone mountain. If we hadn’t gotten this close, we would never have found it. It’s a place where a woman could hide for a long time.”

The old man revealed his anger again.

“Hmph! She even stole the young sect master’s various scriptures, so it wouldn’t have been difficult. I’ll break the formation first, and then you can move.”

“Don’t worry. Even if the woman is six feet tall and has wings, she won’t be able to escape this time.”

The old man was pleased with the skeletal-faced man’s answer and moved both hands, fiercely emitting a dazzling yellow light.

“Disappear!”

With a low shout, the yellow light surged towards a certain part of the stone mountain.
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