Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 388

The hemp-clothed mage calmly extended his hand towards the flames when, unexpectedly, a sound transmission talisman flew in from an unknown direction.

“What?!”

The hemp-clothed cultivator quickly channeled his consciousness into the talisman to understand its contents, then exclaimed in surprise. The cultivators hundreds of feet away clearly saw his shocked expression.

He moved his lips, sending a sound transmission to the green-robed cultivator beside him, and the fierce-looking green-robed mage’s expression also changed.

Then, the two mages glared at Han Li among the cultivators. Han Li appeared calm on the surface, but he had a guess about what was happening.

‘They must have heard about Old Man Mu being severely injured and escaping as a Nascent Soul [a stage of cultivation where one’s soul can exist independently of the body]. Are they acquaintances of Old Man Mu?’

The two mages hesitated when they saw Han Li standing there indifferently, not caring about their glares.

After exchanging sound transmissions, they immediately turned into streaks of light and flew back the way they came. The cultivators were also bewildered by this, but they did not pursue them.

Soon, the two mages, now reduced to two small dots, disappeared from sight.

“Those two seemed very interested in that cultivator. Are you acquainted with them?” Wang Tiangu asked meaningfully, with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“I don’t know them. This is my first time in the Peony Prairie, so how could I be acquainted with mages?” Han Li replied without any hesitation. Nan Longhou slightly raised his eyebrows, but quickly relaxed his expression.

“I don’t know what’s going on, but let’s move quickly. Let’s break the restriction, find the treasure, and leave the Peony Prairie as soon as possible. The Peony Prairie is not a place to stay for long, is it?” Nan Longhou urged, as if they were short on time. Wang Tiangu and the others didn’t understand the situation either, but they didn’t object to Nan Longhou’s suggestion.

It was clear from the two mages’ expressions that they held a grudge against Han Li, but what was the point of figuring out the reason?

Thus, guided by Nan Longhou and the white-robed old man, the streaks of light quickly left the hilly area.

* * *

Half a day later, the group of cultivators arrived at a rocky mountain. The stone mountain, only a few hundred feet high and devoid of any vegetation, looked insignificant compared to the surrounding massive rocky mountains.

The other cultivators doubted whether the residence of Merchant Chang Kun was really hidden in such an unremarkable place. It was a desolate stone mountain with even sparse spiritual energy, and they would never have found it if Nan Longhou hadn’t guided them.

“Here it is. I and Fellow Daoist Yun will first open the external restriction, so just follow us.” Nan Longhou moved forward first, side by side with the white-robed old man. They each took out a small flag from their sleeves. One flag shimmered with green light, and the other had a yellowish surface with faint spells fluttering on it. They didn’t look like ordinary objects.

The other cultivators watched them.

As the two calmly chanted incantations, the light from the flags intensified, and they seemed ready to fly away at any moment.

“Go!” The flags shot out from Nan Longhou and the old man’s hands. The light disappeared, and the flags vanished into the seemingly ordinary stone mountain.

However, nothing happened for a long time.

Just as some cultivators were about to express their doubts, the ground shook, and something astonishing happened. Cracks appeared from the bottom to the top of the stone mountain, accompanied by a faint white light.

Surprisingly, the stone mountain itself was splitting in two.

The other cultivators became even more wary of Nan Longhou and the white-robed old man’s abilities after witnessing this.

Unlike the Nascent Soul cultivators, who maintained their composure on the surface regardless of their inner thoughts, Wang Xian and Lian Yu’e, who had the lowest cultivation, couldn’t close their mouths behind Wang Tiangu.

Han Li glanced at them and then looked away. It seemed that there would be no chance to deal with Wang Xian before they returned with the treasure.

Finally, Nan Longhou and the white-robed old man stopped muttering, and the stone mountain had already split, revealing a massive crack about ten feet wide.

Inside, a blue stone staircase leading underground was visible.

“Let’s go.” The white-robed old man’s eyes gleamed as he walked forward first, followed by Nan Longhou with a smile. Han Li had a sudden thought about their subtle psychological changes.

He had thought the white-robed old man was suspicious from the start, but now that they had come this far, Nan Longhou also seemed concerning. The other cultivators seemed to have noticed it as well, but they were all so cunning that they didn’t show it.

The staircase was quite long, and although there were moonstones embedded on both sides, it became darker as they went down.

The group soon descended to a depth of a hundred feet below the stone mountain.

The moonstones, which originally emitted a white light, now emitted a gloomy green light, and the surrounding atmosphere became even more eerie.

Han Li, observing the situation, widened the distance between himself and the dark-skinned cultivator walking in front of him. This was to buy time to react in case an unexpected situation occurred.

Not only Han Li, but all the old monsters except Nan Longhou and the white-robed old man were also taking similar actions.

As everyone widened the distance, the group stretched out by more than ten feet, but Nan Longhou and Old Man Yun pretended not to notice and didn’t express any dissatisfaction.

After walking down for a full hour, the group emerged into a mysterious-looking great hall. The four walls of the hall shone like blue crystals, making it feel as if they were inside a celadon jar.

Those who entered the vast hall, which was dozens of feet wide, looked around with curious eyes.

Han Li spread his consciousness the moment he entered the hall, but it was reflected off the walls and bounced back. Not surprised by this, he calmly examined every corner of the hall.

Wang Tiangu and Cultivator Long also seemed to have finished their exploration, and their expressions were slightly grim.

‘Is this the place where the Grand Mystic Divine Restriction is deployed? Nan Longhou’s words were not exaggerated.’

As Han Li was thinking this, the great hall shook, and a series of loud noises echoed.

The old woman and the others hurriedly looked towards the source of the sound, only to find that the entrance they had come through had disappeared and was now shining blue like the other walls.

“Fellow Daoist Nan Long, what does this mean?” the dark-skinned man demanded with a dark expression. Wang Tiangu and the other cultivators also watched the situation with wary eyes.

“You all worry too much. The outer restriction closed on its own, so there’s nothing to worry about. When we came here last time, we were also trapped here, but we were able to escape after waiting for about three days when the restriction was at its weakest. Besides, now that the outer restriction is closed, the mages chasing us won’t be able to find us, right?” Nan Longhou replied nonchalantly. Whether they really believed his words or not, the expressions of the dark-skinned man and the others became much calmer.

“I see! I was rude just now.”

“Rude? Not at all! Let’s quickly break the restriction. The Grand Mystic Divine Restriction is not something to be taken lightly.”

“Is this restriction really that powerful? This old one has a treasure that I obtained some time ago, and there’s nothing better for breaking restrictions. Without further ado, may I try to break the restriction?” the old woman suggested unexpectedly, with a wide smile on her wrinkled face.

“Oh! If Fellow Daoist Tai has such a treasure, then please do so. After all, there’s no guarantee that the ritualistic fire formation method we prepared will succeed.” The white-robed old man and Nan Longhou agreed happily.

“Then, if I break the restriction, will I be able to claim one of the treasures first, just like you two?” The old woman revealed her reason for stepping forward. At those words, the expressions of the expressionless cultivators, as well as Wang Tiangu and the others, changed as they waited for Nan Longhou and the white-robed old man’s answer.

Nan Longhou, also surprised, glanced at the white-robed old man’s expression and then announced to everyone,

“Not only Fellow Daoist Tai, but anyone who breaks the restriction will share the right to claim a treasure first with us. What do the others think?” As he said this, Nan Longhou carefully observed the expressions of the other cultivators. Han Li and Wang Tiangu had indifferent expressions, while the dark-skinned cultivator and Cultivator Long looked slightly displeased but didn’t object.

“Since the other cultivators seem to agree, Fellow Daoist Tai, please do as you wish.”

“Yes, I will.” The old woman seemed pleased, as if she was very confident in her treasure.

She was confident that she could break any restriction that wasn’t an intangible one like an illusion formation, so she stepped forward even at the risk of offending the other cultivators.

When Madam Tai flicked her sleeve, a small object about a few inches in size appeared. It was pointed at the front and thicker towards the back, resembling a red awl [a pointed tool for making holes].

The old woman opened her mouth and spat out a bright light, pouring it onto the awl. The red light filled the entire hall. The Nascent Soul cultivators with extensive knowledge recognized that Madam Tai’s treasure was no ordinary object and retreated.

*Papat!*

A strange sound began to emanate from the red awl as a white light flickered. The other cultivators were surprised to see faint white lightning bolts fluctuating within the flames. This treasure was surprisingly an ancient treasure with both lightning and fire attributes.

Ignoring the gazes of the others, the old woman threw the flaming awl, which was imbued with lightning, towards the blue wall. Then, with a thunderous sound, the flames intensified.

The speed was so fast that everyone’s expressions changed. It was the first time Han Li had seen an ancient treasure move so quickly. If he didn’t have the Wind Thunder Wings, he wouldn’t be able to escape the attack.

“Go!” With the old woman’s voice, the Lightning Fire Awl relentlessly attacked the blue crystal wall.

*Bang!*

The flames imbued with lightning engulfed the entire wall, making it impossible to assess the situation for a moment. Han Li narrowed his eyes and focused.

Although he couldn’t directly see the power of the Lightning Fire Awl, he could tell from the spiritual energy fluctuations that it was exerting tremendous force. Madam Tai had good reason to step forward with confidence.

‘Even so, this is the renowned Grand Mystic Divine Restriction among ancient restrictions, so this much is not enough…’

Before Han Li could finish his analysis, the flames disappeared. The Lightning Fire Awl was floating in front of the wall, and the blue wall was completely unharmed.

Everyone was disappointed that the blue wall hadn’t even cracked, but Nan Longhou still said with a smile,

“Although it’s not as powerful as the Grand Mystic Divine Restriction, you possess a remarkable treasure. Does anyone else want to try?”

“Did I say that this was the end? I haven’t even unleashed its true power yet.” The old woman’s voice turned cold, as if she had lost face.

“Ah! Then please, try as you wish.” Nan Longhou’s smile deepened.

The old woman immediately formed a hand seal, and the Lightning Fire Awl, which was floating in the air, returned above her head and began to spin. With a strange wailing sound, the flames and lightning surrounding the Lightning Fire Awl were merging.

Everyone was captivated by this strange phenomenon.

The lightning and flames of the Lightning Fire Awl merged, creating a sinister red lightning fire that flashed brightly.

“Break!”

*Chwaaak!*

With a speed that the eye couldn’t follow, the bizarre lightning disappeared and struck the blue wall once again. This time, the flames didn’t explode, and only a small ‘pffft’ sound was heard.

The Lightning Fire Awl had pierced into the blue wall using its high-speed rotation and the power of the crimson lightning. Although its speed had significantly decreased after piercing the blue wall, it was still advancing under the old woman’s control.

The white-robed old man and Nan Longhou were delighted, but Wang Tiangu, Cultivator Long, and the other cultivators looked visibly tense.

Han Li sneered secretly and raised the corners of his mouth. While the others were not paying attention, only Lian Yu’e noticed his sneer.

The woman paused, looking puzzled.

At that moment, the Lightning Fire Awl, which had penetrated a foot into the blue crystal wall, was counterattacked. The crystal wall, which had shown no change, suddenly emitted a blue light, and white threads shot out, tightly binding the Lightning Fire Awl.

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