Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 362

The crowd silently watched as the three Core Formation stage cultivators left the main hall to assess the situation. However, before they even reached the entrance, something happened.

Suddenly, a clear sound like a dragon’s roar echoed, causing the three cultivators to stop in their tracks.

In a fleeting moment, over a dozen streaks of blue light shot down from the sky, enveloping the three cultivators. The light was so intense that most of those inside the hall involuntarily squeezed their eyes shut.

In an instant, the blue light vanished back outside the hall.

The old man in the blue robe and the two protectors from the Demonic Flame Sect stood frozen, their backs to the cultivators. The cultivators inside the hall were greatly startled and confused, unsure of what had just happened.

Suddenly, a female cultivator’s scream drew everyone’s attention. Next to her, a Fu Clan retainer’s head had been severed.

In addition, over a dozen Fu Clan cultivators, regardless of their status as retainers or disciples, had already lost their lives.

“The blue light, just now, the blue light! Someone is using a magical treasure to launch a surprise attack. The Fu Clan members are in danger… Ugh!”

It seemed someone with close ties to the Fu Clan was trying to warn the old man in the navy robe, but they couldn’t continue speaking, as if their breath had been cut off.

The old man in the navy robe, who had been standing with his back to the guests, and the other three Core Formation stage cultivators were simultaneously torn apart, their bodies collapsing to the floor in pieces.

With things having reached this point, even those who had come to offer congratulations were now trembling with fear. They frantically looked around, shaking uncontrollably.

Various colorful protective barriers appeared, and hundreds of cultivators began to take out bizarre magical artifacts and talismans to protect themselves. Those who were close to each other gathered together, back to back, guarding all directions.

If someone could harm three Core Formation stage cultivators and over a dozen Foundation Establishment stage cultivators in an instant, it was highly likely that a Nascent Soul stage cultivator was involved!

If a Nascent Soul stage cultivator had appeared, killing all the cultivators in the hall would not be a difficult task.

As they thought about it, fear washed over them, and no one dared to move rashly. Many of them regretted their decision; who would have thought that they would face such a life-threatening crisis after coming all this way to gain some benefits!

The inside of the hall was as silent as a graveyard.

The remaining Core Formation stage cultivators tried to spread their spiritual sense [a form of energy perception] to survey the outside of the hall where the attack had begun, but they were unable to because of a barrier that restricted their spiritual sense, which had been set up to strengthen the defenses. In this helpless situation, curses against the Fu Clan involuntarily arose in their minds.

While everyone was at a loss, a strange man’s voice came from outside the hall.

“From now until one hour from now, anyone who tries to come out will die! After one hour, you are free to go your own way.”

The killing intent in his voice made those who heard it tremble. However, many cultivators were also relieved by his words.

Based on his words, it didn’t seem like he intended to kill them all, which was a stroke of luck!

One hour was both long and short.

During that time, the sound of low conversations could occasionally be heard inside the hall, but they quickly died down at the sound of the miserable screams from outside. The screams were always death throes, and there were no sounds of spells or conversations that followed.

Someone was annihilating the entire Fu Clan, and no one had the ability to resist. The cultivators inside the hall were dying of curiosity as they waited for the situation to end.

‘How did they stupidly pick a fight with a Nascent Soul stage cultivator?’

It was clear that they had offended a great cultivator or displeased a noble family. There were quite a few people who were gloating as they watched the Fu Clan’s destruction.

Watching a fire from across the river could be enjoyable if one’s safety was guaranteed. However, barely a quarter of an hour had passed, and now even the screams had ceased.

After an hour had passed, one of the Core Formation stage cultivators finally bravely left the hall. It was only natural that the others followed suit after confirming his safety.

The outside of the hall was already empty. Apart from the blood pooling on the floor, there was no trace of any cultivator’s aura.

The direct line of Fu Clan cultivators had all been killed, their bodies reduced to ashes and completely gone.

However, those who flew into the air to survey the situation soon realized that the commoners living outside the city and the Fu Clan’s collateral and lower-ranking disciples were all alive and well.

They were all going about their normal lives, unaware of what had happened inside the city. It seemed that the cultivator who had taken action this time had spared the collateral and commoners, only eliminating the direct line.

After experiencing such a calamity, very few cultivators lingered in this place. Most of them immediately flew away on their magical artifacts, going as far as possible. The remaining few briefly discussed what to do about the current situation before flying off to their respective bases.

The Fu Clan’s annihilation was not a trivial matter for other sects and families, whether they were on friendly terms or not. If this news spread, there would be a great upheaval in the capital of the Yuan Wu Kingdom for some time.

Moreover, since two protectors of the Demonic Flame Sect had died on the spot in this incident, they would surely react as well!

Their current task was to inform their own families or sects of this information as quickly as possible, so that they could seize the benefits and avoid the dangers in this turmoil.

Not long after the last cultivator had hastily left the city, a few unfamiliar-looking cultivators strolled into Jade Capital Mountain.

They were stunned for a moment when they saw the defensive barrier, which was now unguarded and already dismantled. At this time, the collateral disciples outside the city had also become aware of the calamity inside the city and were in an uproar.

The group of green-robed cultivators was speechless as they listened to the lower-ranking cultivators’ shocked clamoring.

The story that the Fu Clan, the number one family in the Yuan Wu Kingdom, had been annihilated in a single day by a mysterious figure, presumed to be a Nascent Soul stage cultivator, spread throughout the entire capital of the Yuan Wu Kingdom in just a few days.

The large and small forces of the Yuan Wu Kingdom were in an uproar.

Among them, the higher-ups of the Demonic Flame Sect expressed their anger at the murder of their two protectors and dispatched sect disciples to investigate the truth. There were even rumors that they had sought out the Nascent Soul stage patriarchs within the sect to ask them to deal with the culprit.

However, anyone with even a little bit of sense knew that this was just a show for others to see.

In any case, from the Demonic Flame Sect’s perspective, the fact that the two protectors had secretly formed a close relationship with the Fu Clan and profited from it was also displeasing. Moreover, it was just bad luck that they had encountered a Nascent Soul stage cultivator who had come to the Fu Clan to settle a personal grudge.

Furthermore, the Nascent Soul stage cultivator had vanished immediately after annihilating the Fu Clan. No matter how strong the Demonic Flame Sect was, how could they find him?

Also, it was extremely difficult to kill or subdue a Nascent Soul stage cultivator. It was an impossible task unless three or four cultivators of the same level joined forces or set up a trap in advance with an extremely powerful barrier.

It was absurd for the Demonic Flame Sect to send out so many Nascent Soul stage cultivators just to avenge two Core Formation stage protectors.

Regardless of how they reacted, it was certain that a major change would occur in the capital of the Yuan Wu Kingdom.

For now, other forces would rush to seize the benefits from the spiritual veins [areas rich in spiritual energy] and businesses that the Fu Clan had occupied, but this was irrelevant to Han Li.

Unlike the other cultivators’ assumptions, he did not leave the Yuan Wu Kingdom immediately. Instead, he was heading towards a small mountain only a few days away. Floating in the air, he looked down at the thick fog surrounding the shallow mountain and expressed his doubts.

“Even after 100 years, it’s still the same. The fact that the restriction is still in place means that another cultivator is living here.”

After using the flying swords transformed from the Three-Colored Gold Devouring Beetles to eliminate the direct line of Fu Clan disciples and taking only the head of the Fu Clan’s patriarch, he was on his way to the small, nameless mountain where Xin Ruyin had lived in seclusion.

He had formed a bond with Xin Ruyin and Ji Yinshao, and since he had avenged them, he intended to hold a memorial service with the head of the Fu Clan elder to conclude the matter. However, he was surprised to find that Xin Ruyin’s residence was still there.

Han Li pondered for a moment before flying towards the mountainside.

With his current cultivation, this level of restriction was not worth his attention. In front of the thick fog, his five fingers twitched, and various life-force hand seals extended and disappeared into the restriction.

Soon, the fog stirred and automatically created a passage. Han Li immediately transformed into a streak of blue light and entered.

A moment later, a bamboo pavilion, identical to before, came into view where the fog had disappeared.

It was the very residence that Xin Ruyin had built herself. Looking at the yellowish, large and small bamboo houses, a sense of reminiscence flashed in Han Li’s eyes.

The people were gone, but the mountains and rivers remained.

At that moment, a woman who appeared to be in her forties pushed open the bamboo door and walked out. She could not be called beautiful, but she had a faint spiritual aura, indicating that she was a low-level cultivator at the third level of Qi Refining [the initial stage of cultivation].

However, Han Li felt a strange familiarity with her, and his brow furrowed.

“Ah, you are… who are you? How did you get in here?”

The middle-aged woman, who had come out without knowing anything, saw Han Li and her expression changed drastically as she asked. Then, her hand went to her waist, and she immediately pulled out two red talismans [paper charms with magical properties].

Her hostility was palpable, but it was not unexpected.

It would have been even stranger if she hadn’t been wary when an unknown cultivator had intruded into her residence, which was protected by a barrier.

Moreover, with the woman’s low cultivation, she would not be able to recognize Han Li’s true cultivation, and she would only be filled with fear at the boundless spiritual aura she sensed.

“You, could it be that you are Senior Han Li, who uses the surname Han?”

Just as Han Li was about to ask about her background, the woman looked at him closely and surprisingly recognized his name at once. Startled, he remained silent for a moment before opening his mouth, having guessed the reason.

“What is your relationship with Miss Mei? You have a resemblance.”

“Miss Mei? Ah, you must be talking about my grandmother! She passed away decades ago and entrusted me with the care of Miss Xin’s residence.”

The woman realized that she had seen correctly when Han Li mentioned her grandmother’s surname, and she bowed deeply in greeting.

“You are that child’s descendant? Ha, I never would have imagined it. That young child has become a grandmother and passed away.”

Upon hearing her words, Han Li simply smiled wryly, without any sign of suspicion. However, he still needed to confirm a few things.

“How did you recognize me?”

“My grandmother left behind a portrait of you that she had personally drawn. I grew up looking at it, so I recognized you at a glance.”

“A portrait of me? Can I see it?”

“Of course. Please wait inside for a moment, and I will prepare it and show it to you right away.”

She slightly turned her body and politely led Han Li into the room. Han Li hesitated for a moment but did not refuse and stepped through the door that she had come out of.

The interior was quite clean and tidy. After he sat down on a chair, the woman hurriedly brewed tea and served it to him.

Of course, it was not as good as the spiritual tea that Xin Ruyin had served before, but it still had a clear fragrance that pierced the nose and was a high-quality tea that was different from ordinary tea leaves.

After watching him take a sip of the tea, the woman quietly left to find the portrait. The woman entered a secluded building that was quite far from the living quarters.

The first floor was practically empty, but on the second floor, there was a long yellow wooden table, and on top of it, two jet-black memorial tablets were enshrined.

Using his spiritual sense, Han Li followed her and confirmed that the names Ji Yinshao and Xin Ruyin were engraved on each of them.

A heavy feeling settled in Han Li’s heart. The young lovers who had smiled so beautifully back then, and their voices were still clear in his ears, but so much time had passed since they had left this world.

The woman respectfully bowed to the memorial tablets before quickly descending the stairs, having found something in a narrow space behind the wooden table.

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