Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 387

Han Li focused his mind and observed his surroundings, discovering that Old Man Mu’s Nascent Soul [a cultivator’s soul] had reappeared about a hundred yards away. However, the Nascent Soul vanished again in a flash, without even a moment to catch its breath.

And the blue bead also trembled and disappeared along with it. When the Nascent Soul and the bead reappeared, the bead was already embracing the Nascent Soul.

Old Man Mu’s Nascent Soul glared venomously at Han Li, then turned into a small dot and flew away into the distance.

Han Li watched the Nascent Soul flee without moving from his spot. He could chase after it with the Wind Thunder Wings, but the opponent’s speed was considerable, and he didn’t feel the need to pursue and kill the Nascent Soul.

Once Old Man Mu’s Nascent Soul had completely disappeared, Han Li expressionlessly brushed off his hand. His frozen body shattered into pieces, turning into blue ice powder that fell to the ground.

Although he hadn’t managed to kill his opponent this time, the loss of his physical body meant that he wouldn’t be able to recover his vitality without decades of nurturing. Even then, it would only be possible if he managed to seize another cultivator’s body in time. Finding a suitable body was one thing, but whether he would succeed in seizing it was another matter entirely.

If he were to target a safe target to avoid danger, it was obvious that his cultivation would greatly decline.

Even with just the two magic treasures and the storage pouch left behind, the gains from this battle were considerable. Even if he didn’t find any great treasures in Merchant Chang Kun’s cave, it was worth risking the journey to the Peony Plains.

Han Li pulled the storage pouch over and looked inside.

However, he was greatly disappointed. Inside the storage pouch, there were only about a dozen or so medium-grade spirit stones, along with some ordinary refining materials and a few bottles of pills.

He opened the pill bottles to check, but there was nothing special about them. It seemed that the Peony Plains were indeed severely lacking in resources that cultivators needed. For a Nascent Soul stage cultivator to possess so little…

He had also hoped to find items containing cultivation methods or spirit techniques, like jade slips, but there were none.

‘I was hoping to study the hand seals of the spirit techniques to understand how to unleash such powerful spells in an instant,’ he thought.

Then, he raised his head and looked at the huge mountain peak. Even though Old Man Mu’s Nascent Soul had escaped, the black mountain was still shining with a majestic glow.

Han Li narrowed his eyes and reached out towards the treasure. The magic treasure, having lost its owner, quickly shrank and flew towards him. When it landed in Han Li’s hand, it had already returned to being a palm-sized mountain peak.

He looked at it with curiosity, but it didn’t feel heavy at all. He flipped the mountain peak over and examined the bottom of the small black mountain, revealing golden characters.

“Thousandfold Peak.”

After carefully storing the mountain peak, Han Li took out the Wind-Riding Chariot. He looked in the direction where Old Man Mu’s Nascent Soul had disappeared, and after some deliberation, he chose a direction and began to fly.

Soon, Han Li disappeared from sight.

* * *

Three days later, in a small hilly area somewhere in the Peony Plains.

Apart from the man-high grasses, there was no one to be seen. However, not long after, a blue light flashed at the edge of the sky, and a beam of light flew over.

The blue beam of light circled above the hill once and then retracted its light, revealing Han Li within.

He looked down and flicked his sleeve, causing blue lights to pour down like a meteor shower towards a certain spot on the hill.

The surface of the hill cracked open, revealing a hidden white protective barrier. Inside, four cultivators were looking up at him, chatting and laughing.

It was Nan Longhou, the white-robed old man, the old woman, and the dark-skinned man. Nan Longhou stroked his beard and laughed heartily, and soon the protective barrier disappeared.

“Haha! So, Fellow Cultivator Han has arrived safely!”

“Have the others not arrived yet?”

Han Li landed in front of the four cultivators with a smile.

“The others probably haven’t escaped so easily. When they scattered, I saw that the mages were following Fellow Cultivator Wang and Fellow Cultivator Long. It’s not easy to shake off the pursuit of mages.”

The dark-skinned man shook his head and said calmly.

“So, it’s quite surprising that Fellow Cultivator Han arrived safely and on time. If this old man’s eyes don’t deceive him, the one being chased by the Peony Clan’s Wind-Riding Chariot was Fellow Cultivator Han. To escape faster than the Wind-Riding Chariot, it seems this old man has recruited some truly capable cultivators this time.”

Nan Longhou praised Han Li with delight. However, Han Li could sense the surprise and doubt in his words, and he curled his lips.

“If nothing else, I am quite confident in my escape techniques.”

Han Li smiled calmly and brushed it off.

Seeing that he had no intention of explaining how he had escaped the pursuit, Nan Longhou didn’t press the matter further and changed the topic to the changes that would occur to the National Salvation Alliance and the Tiannan region forces due to the war with the Peony Clan.

Everyone except the white-robed old man seemed very interested in this topic.

“The last great battle with the mages lasted for over ten years, didn’t it? I wonder how long it will last this time… But the righteous and demonic paths of Tiannan, and the Heavenly Dao Alliance to which Fellow Cultivator Han belongs, will also send cultivators. Since the Falling Cloud Sect has a position in the Heavenly Dao Alliance, they will surely send at least one Nascent Soul stage cultivator. Fellow Cultivator Han might have a chance to return to the Peony Plains again.”

Nan Longhou spoke in a peculiar tone.

“Besides the three major forces, there will also be some independent cultivators who volunteer to help the National Salvation Alliance. The Peony Clan won’t be able to gain the upper hand so easily.”

The old woman nodded and said in a low voice.

“What I’m curious about is why the other side would start another war, knowing that they can’t compete with the combined forces of Tiannan. They already lost the last war, so why provoke us again? Did they recruit new tribes into their alliance this time?”

The dark-skinned man frowned.

“That’s not impossible. But…”

Suddenly, Nan Longhou, who was speaking, stopped and looked somewhere. The others also looked in the same direction with tense expressions.

Since this was the Peony Plains, they always had to be mindful of the possibility of encountering passing Peony Clan mages.

“Everyone, relax. It’s Fellow Cultivator Wang and the two juniors.”

Nan Longhou smiled, and the others also relaxed. Indeed, a moment later, Wang Tiangu, Wang Xian, and Lian Yu Yan appeared from a beam of light.

This time, Nan Longhou had released the restriction first, so Wang Tiangu and the others immediately joined the group.

“Huh! To think that Fellow Cultivator Han would arrive before us, I’m surprised!”

Wang Tiangu seemed genuinely surprised that Han Li was standing among them. This Ghost Spirit Sect cultivator had also seen the Wind-Riding Chariot chasing after Han Li. He probably enjoyed watching the show from across the river!

“I was lucky. I’m even more impressed that Fellow Cultivator Wang managed to return safely while taking care of his juniors.”

Han Li deliberately replied a beat late, after glancing at the two people behind Wang Tiangu, making it sound very meaningful.

“Haha! The escape techniques of the mage who was chasing us weren’t very fast, so we were able to shake him off easily. I doubt he had as much trouble as Fellow Cultivator Han, who was being chased by a Wind-Riding Chariot.”

Han Li, who was about to reply to Wang Tiangu’s words, suddenly changed his expression and closed his mouth.

“It seems Fellow Cultivator Long is coming. It’s quite fortunate that everyone has gathered on time. I was worried that we might not be able to release the restriction if one or two people were missing.”

Nan Longhou looked towards the distant sky with a cheerful expression, and the others also smiled.

They all knew that if even one person was missing, it would be difficult to obtain the treasure, so they couldn’t help but welcome the return of the others.

“Be careful! It seems Fellow Cultivator Long is being pursued by someone.”

The white-robed old man, who had been silent until now, said with a serious expression. Startled by his words, the group looked towards Fellow Cultivator Long again.

Indeed, behind the white beam of light, green and red beams of light were desperately chasing after him. In an instant, they arrived near the hilly area.

“It seems Fellow Cultivator Long is in trouble. But since there are only two mages, let’s all join forces and attack!”

Nan Longhou made a bold decision and turned golden, soaring into the sky first. The rest of the people looked at each other and, without objection, revealed their forms.

Eight different colored lights rose above the hilly area.

The white beam of light increased its speed and joined the group. The light disappeared, and Fellow Cultivator Long appeared with a blank expression. His face was pale, indicating that his vitality had been damaged.

“I am grateful that you came out to help me.”

Fellow Cultivator Long cupped his fist and removed his urgent expression.

“Of course, we should help! But how did two mages end up chasing you? I remember there was only one at first.”

Nan Longhou showed his concern.

“While I was fighting the mage who was chasing me at first, another mage appeared, and that’s how it happened. I ran for two days and nights to shake off the two mages, so my vitality is a bit damaged!”

The expressionless cultivator gave a wry smile, as if he found the situation amusing.

“If anyone other than Fellow Cultivator Nan Longhou and Fellow Cultivator Yun had encountered two mages at the same time, they would have been helpless.”

The old woman sighed and comforted Fellow Cultivator Long.

“I don’t know their strength, but they seem quite bold. To not run away immediately in this situation, are they trying to break a rock with an egg?”

Han Li, who had been looking into the distance, smiled lightly. The other cultivators naturally followed his gaze.

The two mages had stopped even after seeing the nine cultivators, and they didn’t seem to have any intention of running away. The cultivators quickly scanned them with their powerful senses.

One had a yellowish face, wearing hemp clothes and a hemp hat, while the other was a fierce-looking green-robed mage. Both were at the early Nascent Soul stage.

Nan Longhou’s face hardened, and he shouted,

“Are you two still here because you’re waiting for us to attack first? Keep in mind that you could die here!”

It was a clear threat.

“We two may not be able to deal with all of you, but you won’t be able to kill us either. If we try our best to stall for time, do you think you’ll be able to return safely from here? If you surrender now, we’ll guarantee you a peaceful path to reincarnation.”

The hemp-clothed mage rolled his eyes and replied sharply.

“Stall for time? Do we look like scarecrows to you!”

Nan Longhou was also angered by the opponent’s words and sneered. At the same time, a dazzling golden light emanated from his body.

“Whether we can stall for time or not, we’ll have to see! Since you cultivators have gathered in the Peony Plains, we, as the owners of this place, will give you a grand welcome!”

The other green-robed mage declared expressionlessly.

“Hmph! You don’t know the fear of the world. Brother Yun, let’s go.”

Nan Longhou turned his head towards the white-robed old man. However, the white-robed old man was not pleased with this situation.

“We should be conserving our magic power before the main event. But since these ruffians are acting out of line, we have no choice. Let’s move!”

The white-robed old man sighed and immediately spat out a silver wheel from his mouth, which began to slowly rotate near his chest.

The two mages also immediately retreated, raising their auras as if preparing for the cultivators’ attack.

Nan Longhou flicked his sleeves, releasing golden flying swords. The other cultivators also silently gathered their magic power and moved forward.

At that moment, a red light suddenly flashed behind the two mages, and flames flew towards them.

Not only Nan Longhou’s group, who were about to attack, but also the mages, sensed something strange and stopped their movements for a moment.

# 389