Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 408

Old Man Ma and the Mo Yong brothers then set off to greet the rescue alliance cultivators.

Meanwhile, Han Li and the pouty-lipped Gok Ssang-po were guided by the female cultivator of the Lee family and Chung Woon-ja to their lodgings.

As they went, Han Li and Gok, who had a protruding lip, headed in a different direction, and the female cultivator led Han Li to a secluded and elegant pavilion.

“Senior Han, this place is off-limits to disciples of the lower realms, so it will be a good place for you to rest quietly.”

The female cultivator pointed to the pavilion and stepped aside.

“It’s quite nice.”

Han Li nodded, looking satisfied.

“Senior, is Fellow Daoist Seop really safe? It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Senior Sister Seop either…”

The female cultivator hesitated for a moment before asking, not immediately leaving.

“You seem to know Fellow Daoist Seop well?”

Only then did Han Li take a closer look at the woman. She was clearly a stranger, yet her features were familiar. The female cultivator blushed, looking uneasy under his gaze.

“This junior was recommended by Senior Sister Seop to join the Hwado Sect, so how could I not know her well?”

“Young-ah! Then, Lee Young-ah?”

Han Li looked at her closely, unable to believe it.

“Have you heard my name before?”

“What is your mother’s name, and what country were you from before?”

Han Li did not answer her question but hastily asked back.

“My mother’s name is Moon Ok-joo, and she was from Wol Country. Why do you ask?”

The woman hesitated before telling the truth, as it was not something to hide.

“Do you still have that jade pendant?”

After a moment of silence, Han Li asked the woman, and she widened her eyes as if something had occurred to her.

“Yes, I have a jade pendant that I’ve had since I was a child.”

The woman blushed at Han Li’s gaze and stepped back slightly, searching her robes. Soon, she held out a jade pendant with a white aura to Han Li.

Han Li stroked the smooth surface of the jade pendant with his finger, and without realizing it, he sighed and was lost in regret. After a while, he spoke again.

“You probably know who I am now. What did your mother tell you?”

Knowing her identity, he looked at her, and there were more than one or two similarities to Moon Ok-joo.

“My mother only said it was a gift from a fellow cultivator who was a friend of hers. I tried several times to find out the identity of the jade pendant after entering the cultivation world, but I couldn’t. But to think that you gave it to me, Senior! And that you would be in the Falling Cloud Sect, I never imagined it.”

Lee Young-ah also murmured, seemingly with mixed emotions.

“It’s only recently that I joined the Falling Cloud Sect, so it’s natural that you wouldn’t know. But it’s strange that you joined the Hwado Sect instead of the Spirit Beast Sect.”

Han Li rubbed his nose and gave a wry smile.

“The Spirit Beast Sect?”

“Do you know anything about your father?”

Han Li paused, seeing that Lee Young-ah knew nothing, and asked instead.

“I know almost nothing. I only remember that there was a family tragedy, and my grandfather and father passed away early. My mother took me away from Wol Country, and we wandered for a long time before settling in the Rescue Alliance.”

“I see. It’s likely that you were caught up in the power struggles within the Demonic Path. Now, it’s not the Spirit Beast Sect but the Ghost Spirit Gate that holds the reins of the Demonic Path.”

Han Li speculated based on what he knew.

“Power struggles within the Demonic Path…”

The woman murmured as if she couldn’t understand. Han Li smiled as he returned the jade pendant to her.

“You’ve had the Spirit Communication Jade [a jade that enhances spiritual connection] your whole life, so it’s completely yours now. Before I entered the cultivation world, your mother and I were like sworn siblings. So, it wouldn’t be strange if you called me Uncle-Master.”

“Uncle-Master Han.”

Lee Young-ah hesitated before calling Han Li softly, and then her face turned red.

“Since you call me Uncle-Master, I should at least show some sincerity since we’ve met. These are elixirs that are useful for overcoming the hurdles of the Core Formation stage, so take them and use them.”

Han Li gave a warm smile and flipped his palm, handing two medicine bottles to the woman. There was no reason to be stingy in helping the descendant of an old friend.

“Thank you, Uncle-Master!”

The woman bowed, accepting the medicine bottles with surprised eyes.

“What kind of magic treasure are you using now? Surely, you’re not still using the flying daggers you used for flying? What are they made of?”

“Yes, I am using these flying dagger magic treasures. They are made by refining Blazing Flame Iron [a type of metal] as the main material and mixing it with Mysterious Crystal [a rare crystal], and their power is not bad.”

“They would have been useful in normal times, but they seem insufficient when fighting Dharma Masters.”

“But even if Uncle-Master were to give me a new magic treasure, there wouldn’t be enough time to refine it.”

Han Li began to think. He brushed his sleeve, summoning the Tri-Colored Gold Devouring Beetles. Following his gesture, some of the flying insects broke away from the group, and Han Li cast a blue magic seal towards them.

Soon, the small group of Gold Devouring Beetles glowed blue and merged into one, quickly turning into a fist-sized bead that fell to the ground.

“These are spirit insects that I have raised with great care, so keep them well. If you encounter a difficult enemy, throwing this might save your life.”

Han Li handed the mass of Gold Devouring Beetles to the woman.

“Thank you for your kindness, Uncle-Master Han!”

Lee Young-ah, her eyes wide with surprise, exclaimed in gratitude at Han Li’s words and accepted the tri-colored bead. Now, Lee Young-ah believed that everything Han Li had said was true.

Otherwise, there was no way a cultivator who had nothing to do with her would give her such a precious thing.

“That’s enough, go now. I need to rest a bit.”

After speaking, Han Li collected the remaining Gold Devouring Beetles and waved his hand. He had been flying day and night for a long time, so his magic power was not insignificant.

“Yes, Uncle-Master! Then, please rest comfortably. I will let you know as soon as the Dharma Master army arrives.”

Now, her tone towards Han Li had changed slightly.

Han Li sat with his eyes closed in the room, and a blue light swirled around him. Strange magic seals were formed on his ten fingers, and an egg-sized purple flame floated on his palm, endlessly flickering.

It was a flame refined by combining the Cold Azure Ice Flame [a type of cold flame] and the cold energy of the Six-Winged Frost Cicada [a rare insect].

The flame, which possessed a coldness that surpassed the Cold Azure Ice Flame, was now Han Li’s best move. He had been steadily trying to refine it, and it was only now that he had succeeded.

Han Li named this flame the Violet Extreme Flame (紫羅極火) to distinguish it from the Asura Sacred Flame (修羅聖火).

No matter how powerful a Nascent Soul late-stage cultivator was, they would not be safe if they touched the Violet Extreme Flame. However, since he had no experience fighting a Nascent Soul late-stage cultivator directly, it was difficult to judge whether he could kill them.

Unfortunately, due to the difficulty in refining the Cold Azure Ice Flame, the amount of Violet Extreme Flame he could control was limited. If he could handle a much larger amount, he would have nothing to fear, even against a Nascent Soul late-stage cultivator.

“Congratulations, Master! The power of the Violet Extreme Flame seems to be much stronger than before. I look forward to seeing how much stronger it can become.”

Eun-wol’s laughing voice echoed in Han Li’s mind.

He opened his mouth and inhaled, and the Violet Extreme Flame instantly turned into fine threads and disappeared into his stomach.

“The power of the Violet Extreme Flame is great, but the amount is small. For now, opening the Void Sky Cauldron [a powerful artifact] is the best option. If the power of the Heaven Piercing Treasure [a legendary treasure] is not an exaggeration, then it will be possible to control the Southern Sky. Only then will I be able to live in peace.”

Han Li said calmly, opening his eyes.

“Don’t worry, Master! The divine power of the Void Sky Cauldron is more than what I told you, and definitely not less.”

Eun-wol revealed her confidence with a sweet laugh. Han Li nodded and was about to open his mouth when a beam of light suddenly entered, and Lee Young-ah’s urgent voice was heard.

“Uncle-Master Han, you must come to the main hall immediately! Senior Ma has returned, and the Mo Ran people are about to arrive.”

The white light circled the pavilion and then extended out again. Han Li’s face hardened as he got up.

* * *

When he entered the main hall, Gok Ssang-po and a haggard giant were already seated, and Old Man Ma and a golden-robed cultivator were telling them something with pale faces.

The Mo Yong brothers, Lee Young-ah, and two unfamiliar Core Formation stage cultivators stood nearby, listening to the story with dark expressions.

Lee Young-ah smiled when she saw Han Li enter.

“Cultivator Han has arrived. Let me introduce you. This is Cultivator Bok Woon-hak, who was guarding the Heavenly Terrace Valley. This is Cultivator Han Li of the Falling Cloud Sect.”

The haggard giant barely smiled as he introduced the two cultivators. Han Li, who had been walking in slowly, subtly hardened his face as he saw the situation.

The situation seemed worse than he had expected.

“I heard about Brother Bok from Brother Ryuk. I’m glad you escaped safely.”

Han Li showed goodwill and greeted them politely.

“I am ashamed to show you this state. Fortunately, Senior Ma came to meet me, or it would have been dangerous.”

Cultivator Bok had already heard about Han Li’s existence from others, so he was not surprised at all and replied.

“Haha, I was just doing what I had to do. It’s just a shame that the pursuing soldiers retreated before they could even do anything!”

“That’s because the cultivator’s magic treasure was so powerful that even the Dharma Masters didn’t dare to engage. But this invasion by the Dharma Masters seems very different from before. The soldiers are well-trained, and the power of the giant demonic beasts that seem to have come from the ancient times is astonishing.

Their skin is so thick that it’s hard to inflict damage with ordinary weapons, and their size is enormous. Moreover, they have strange restrictions on their bodies, so once they are allowed to enter the formation, they break through even huge barriers in an instant.”

Cultivator Bok’s face was full of worry.

“Surely, you, Brother Bok, a Nascent Soul cultivator, can’t do anything about the demonic beasts?”

Han Li, who was momentarily startled by those words, asked, finding it strange.

He had already heard the news that the Dharma Master army was advancing with giant demonic beasts, but if a Nascent Soul cultivator was saying this, it was too much.

“It’s not that I can’t injure the demonic beasts with my cultivation and magic treasures combined. But at the time, I was busy blocking the attacks of two Dharma Masters, so I had no time. In the meantime, the giant barrier was broken by the demonic beasts. The stronghold that Brother Ryuk is guarding has received reinforcements, so it won’t fall as easily as the Heavenly Terrace Valley.”

Bok Woon-hak’s face also became more relaxed.

“Cultivator Bok, do you know how many Grand Dharma Masters there are among the Dharma Master group? If there are few, the five of us can advance at once and subdue them. It would be great if we could kill a Nascent Soul-level Dharma Master, and it wouldn’t be bad if we could seriously injure them and make them retreat.”

Gok Ssang-po suggested with a gloomy face.

“Unfortunately, that won’t be possible. I haven’t fought them all, but I saw one more in addition to the two Grand Dharma Masters who revealed themselves. Although I didn’t directly exchange blows, the energy they possessed was extremely strange.

They may be transformed beings of a different race, so we must be careful. Moreover, we don’t know how many high-level Dharma Masters are hiding besides them.”

Bok Woon-hak sighed.

“Is that so? Then, understanding the opponent’s strategy is the top priority. If the opponent’s strength is powerful, we should try to hold out by borrowing the power of the barrier. Our current mission is to buy time.”

The haggard giant nodded at Cultivator Bok’s words. Gok Ssang-po narrowed his brows but soon did not insist on his opinion as if he didn’t care.

Han Li and Old Man Ma had no objections either.

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