Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 329

The other cultivators couldn’t hide their surprise as they gazed at the endless mist. For those who hadn’t encountered many formations or restrictions, it was a completely new experience.

At that moment, the young man from the Yu family slowly brought the flying magical artifact to a halt. He then took out a blue flag from his sleeve and began to chant. A soft blue light emanated from the flag, growing increasingly dazzling.

“Open!” the young man shouted, waving the flag towards the white mist. A pillar of light shot out, piercing through the mist.

Amidst the turbulent mist, the area touched by the light pillar stabilized, and with a clear resonance, a passage two or three *zhang* [approximately 3-6 meters] wide was created. Seeing this, the young man from the Yu family immediately maneuvered the magical artifact into the passage.

As soon as they disappeared, the mist filled the gap again, and only the faint sound of thunder echoed.

After about an hour, Han Li and his group entered a place that resembled a utopia. Before they could even take in the scenery, a dense spiritual energy rushed towards them, and Han Li involuntarily inhaled the fresh air.

In the distance, against the backdrop of towering mountain peaks thousands of *zhang* high, various beautiful flowers bloomed amidst the vast greenery.

Around the mountain peaks, countless residences and pavilions of all sizes were scattered, and cultivators in various attire bustled about, looking very busy.

As some of them expressed their surprise and joy, the young man smiled and pointed to one of the peaks.

“This is the Six Lodging Peak, where the Falling Cloud Sect’s main gate is located. Take a good look. If you are accepted, this will be your sect. Now, we will first go to the Welcoming Pine Residence on the Heavenly Spring Peak to verify your identities and test your cultivation and techniques.”

* * *

The young man immediately moved the bowl-shaped magical artifact towards a place called Heavenly Spring Peak.

Most of the people they encountered on the way were low-level Qi Refining cultivators. They respectfully greeted the young man, who seemed to be a well-known figure in the Falling Cloud Sect. The only Foundation Establishment cultivator they met was an ugly man who looked like a monkey.

The Foundation Establishment cultivator, wearing a yellow robe, seemed to be on his way out of Heavenly Spring Peak. As soon as he saw the young man, he approached with a wide smile.

“Junior Brother Yu, are these the new disciples? It seems there aren’t many of them!”

The energetic young man from the Yu family frowned unconsciously at the sight of him, but a calm smile appeared on his face.

“Ah, Senior Brother Yan… These people have not yet been tested for their cultivation, and they will only become official disciples after the sect leader’s approval. We are just transporting them for now.”

“I see. As you know, this senior brother needs more disciples to make talismans. Could you possibly let two of them join my lineage?”

The man scanned the group behind the young man. Although he didn’t show it, his gaze was unpleasant. He was looking at them as if they were objects, and his tone suggested that he was looking for laborers.

The other Qi Refining cultivators also seemed to sense this, and their expressions turned sour.

“That is not something I can decide. The sect leader has always decided how to allocate disciples. If you need more disciples for talisman making, it would be best to ask the sect leader. I cannot delay any longer as Senior Brother Miao is waiting at the Welcoming Pine Residence. I must be going now.”

“… !”

The young man from the Yu family politely refused and immediately flew away on his magical artifact. The yellow-robed cultivator tried to say something, but upon hearing the name of Senior Brother Miao, he hesitated and quickly left the scene.

The yellow-robed cultivator, displeased, glared at the young man, snorted, and flew in another direction.

The young man and his group soon arrived at the first floor of a pavilion and met another person. The person sitting on a wooden chair, reading a book, was a gaunt young man.

He was only in his early thirties, yet he had surprisingly reached the late stage of Foundation Establishment. Although he had just reached the late stage and his cultivation was not yet stable, he was an exceptionally rare talent. Given his young age, he had a high chance of succeeding in Core Formation and reaching the Nascent Soul stage. It was understandable why the ugly, monkey-faced cultivator had hesitated upon hearing his name.

The others in the group also widened their eyes at the gaunt young man’s remarkable cultivation. By this time, the young man had already put down his book and turned his gaze towards the young man from the Yu family.

“Junior Brother Yu, you’ve had a hard time. You must have met Senior Brother Yan from the Locked Smoke Peak.”

The handsome young man from the Yu family replied with a somewhat disgusted expression.

“Why do you ask when you already know? Is that person here to bother Senior Sister Pei Ling again?”

“That person? Watch your words. He is also a fellow disciple of our Falling Cloud Sect. If you are not careful and are overheard by the master, you will be severely punished.”

The sickly young man’s reprimand seemed to lack any strength. Nevertheless, the young man from the Yu family quickly nodded.

“I will keep your words in mind, Senior Brother.”

The gaunt young man gave a faint smile. After nodding, he turned his head and shifted his gaze to Han Li and the others.

His gaze slowly scanned each person from head to toe, making most of them feel anxious! However, whether it was Han Li’s imagination or not, when he looked at the bearded giant, his gaze seemed to linger for a moment before quickly moving on to the next person. Although Han Li’s cultivation made it impossible for him to be detected, it was a memorable action.

After a while, the man called Senior Brother Miao withdrew his gaze and took out a silver talisman from his waist.

“There are seven of you, which is about what I expected! If we had accepted more people, we might have run out of Mind Inquiry Talismans. Junior Brother Yu, please attach a talisman to each of them and bring them to my training room after the effects take hold.”

Senior Brother Miao spoke coldly, handed the talismans to the young man, and went up to the second floor. However, as he slowly climbed the stairs with his thin body, he suddenly bent over and coughed. The sound suggested that he was in great pain, but after straightening up, he immediately disappeared. Han Li looked puzzled for a moment but quickly returned to his expressionless state.

The young man from the Yu family looked worriedly after him, sighed, and turned to face Han Li and the others.

“What I have in my hand is the Mind Inquiry Talisman. You should know the effects of this talisman without me having to explain it in detail, right? If anyone is hiding something or has other intentions for joining the sect, speak up now. If any irregularities are found during the interrogation, we will show you what the Falling Cloud Sect is capable of.”

After speaking, the young man scanned the seven people with a cold gaze.

When no one stepped forward, he slowly nodded. He then spread his hands, and seven silver lights split off, each attaching to the right shoulder of one of them. Then, he slowly sat cross-legged and closed his eyes.

The bearded giant and the others didn’t dare to touch the talismans on their shoulders and remained still. However, the corners of Han Li’s mouth slightly curved upwards before returning to their original position as if nothing had happened.

Not long after, the talisman on Han Li’s shoulder began to emit a silver light, flickering on and off. The Yu cultivator suddenly opened his eyes and pointed at him.

“You, go up. Senior Brother Miao is waiting for you.”

After glancing at the talisman, Han Li silently moved and quickly reached the second floor. It was completely empty, with only two cushions placed there. The gaunt young man was sitting cross-legged on one of them, smiling at Han Li.

“Sit down. The Mind Inquiry Technique is not a charm technique. It only judges the truth of your answers, so don’t worry.”

“Understood,” Han Li replied, nodding obediently. He sat facing the young man, but inwardly, he was laughing. If the Mind Inquiry Technique could extract his true thoughts, the opponent would not be a Foundation Establishment cultivator!

Senior Brother Miao checked the silver talisman on Han Li’s shoulder and began to ask questions.

“Alright, let’s begin. First, tell me about your background…”

* * *

Half a day later, the young man from the Yu family led the seven cultivators, including Han Li, towards the highest and largest mountain peak. All seven had passed the gaunt young man’s interrogation.

Now, if they registered their names with the Falling Cloud Sect’s sect leader, they would officially become disciples of the Falling Cloud Sect.

The highest peak was the central peak of the Six Lodging Peak, reaching three to four thousand *zhang*, resembling a moon floating among the stars. From the mountainside, a faint purple mist enveloped it, creating a mysterious atmosphere.

However, the area below the mountain peak was quite bustling.

The densely packed buildings ranged from roughly built stone structures to grand halls, and there were markets along the various paths paved with limestone.

Various stalls along the streets were haggling prices with many Falling Cloud Sect disciples. As they passed through the market street, the seven cultivators were wide-eyed, but the young man from the Yu family passed by without even glancing, as if it were an everyday occurrence. He headed towards a stone hall that stood alone, hundreds of *zhang* high.

The stone hall was made of stacked limestone blocks, with small side halls on either side. Several cultivators were flying in and out of the hall, up the stairs in front of it.

After leading everyone to the front of the stone hall, the young man from the Yu family put away his copper bowl magical artifact and instructed them.

“Wait here for a moment. I will report to the sect leader first and then call you in.”

He strode forward, and the Qi Refining disciples guarding the door recognized him and respectfully greeted him, leading him inside.

Time passed, and there was still no call from inside the stone hall. Then, another white light flew in front of the hall.

The white light disappeared, and the young man from the Yu family appeared on a large piece of silk. He was bringing another four people with him.

The pale-faced young man looked a little surprised to see the seven people, but he quickly averted his gaze, left the four young people behind, and entered the stone hall alone.

The seven from Han Li’s group and the four young people with exceptional spiritual roots stood on opposite sides, looking at each other. Although the reason was unknown, a strange sense of hostility was in the air.

After a while, the young man from the Yu family came out, gestured to Han Li and the others, and then turned to the four young people.

“You all come in as well. The sect leader wants to see everyone.”

After speaking, the young man from the Yu family immediately turned around, and both groups followed him without delay. They followed the young man through a short corridor and arrived at a large hall about thirty *zhang* wide.

Inside, seven or eight cultivators with various expressions were sitting around a table, talking in low voices. When they saw the young man from the Yu family bringing in new disciples, they immediately stopped talking and focused their attention on them.

Han Li respectfully lowered his gaze but used his spiritual sense to observe the appearances and cultivation of those gathered here.

There was one late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, two mid-stage, and the rest were all early-stage cultivators. Senior Brother Chu and the pale-faced young man were among them.

The late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator in a navy robe, sitting in the highest seat, smiled and gestured.

“Junior Brother Yu, you’ve had a hard time. Please, take a seat.”

He was none other than Wei Yiming, the sect leader of the Falling Cloud Sect.

He had small eyes and an ordinary appearance, but his demeanor was confident and authoritative.

“Yes, Sect Leader Senior Brother!” the young man replied, cupping his hands, and then found an empty chair to sit on.

At this moment, the cultivators’ gazes swept over everyone and eventually landed on a sturdy young man among the four, with a fervent look.

Just as Han Li was wondering why, the voice of the Falling Cloud Sect leader rang out.

“These disciples are quite good this time. Now, let’s hear the opinions of the junior brothers on how to allocate them.”

“Of course, we should follow the sect leader’s decision!”

An old man with graying hair and a short beard stroked his chin and humbly spoke before getting straight to the point.

“However, in the last recruitment, only two inner disciples were assigned to our Hidden Sword Peak, while the outer disciples were fine. This time, more should be assigned to our peak. The other disciples are fine, but the one with the Refined Metal Body should be given to the Hidden Sword Peak.”

# 331