Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 446

Han Li remained still, not moving an inch, as the Soul Subduing Bell seemed to receive a command, puffing out energy. The yellow energy tried to envelop the ghostly woman’s face.

“What is this!” the woman exclaimed.

Startled, she tried to retreat but was instantly sucked into the energy. The Soul Subduing Bell’s power was extraordinary.

The ghostly energy, in the form of a woman’s face, realized it couldn’t overcome the yellow energy. It severed the mist enveloped by the yellow energy and retreated.

The green mist fluctuated and then quickly shot towards the corpse on the rock. It planned to find a body first and then attack Han Li again.

Han Li watched the ghostly woman’s face retreat and smirked.

He calmly gestured towards the dozen or so golden needles. Just as the green mist was about to enter the corpse’s body, the huge needles pierced into it.

Thud, thud, thud, thud!

The corpse, with its skin as hard as steel, couldn’t stop the huge needles from piercing through.

At the same time, the golden arcs on the surface of the giant needles gathered to form a net, instantly enveloping the corpse.

A fishy smell emanated from the corpse’s body, and the original spirit that had entered it was ejected. Surprisingly, the green mist was even larger than before it had entered, and two blurry faces could be seen within it.

The two faces desperately tried to re-enter the corpse’s body, but they shrieked at the golden lightning flashing from the silver needles.

“So, you hid a clone inside the corpse’s body!” Han Li said, pleased that his prediction was correct. He used his consciousness to command the Soul Subduing Bell. At the same time, the Soul Subduing Bell’s large nose flared again, and a more intense yellow energy than before emerged, heading towards the mist containing the two faces.

Kyahak!

This time, unlike before, luck was not on their side, and the faces in the green mist were sucked straight into the Soul Subduing Bell’s mouth.

The Soul Subduing Bell opened its mouth wide and swallowed them, then excitedly patted its belly. Han Li chuckled at the sight and retrieved the giant silver needles, walking towards the corpse.

The corpse on the rock was still tightly bound by the silver chains. He pondered for a moment and then suddenly flicked his finger, releasing a golden sword energy.

Clang!

The silver chain hit by the sword energy was unharmed. As if he had expected this, Han Li opened his mouth and spat out a golden flying sword.

He activated a technique, and the noticeably brighter golden light silently cut through the silver chain. After the golden light passed, a small gap appeared in the silver chain, but that was all.

This time, Han Li’s expression changed slightly.

He had thought that the silver chains binding a powerful zombie like the corpse were not ordinary magical artifacts, but he hadn’t expected them to withstand the sharp attack of the Azure Bamboo Cloud Sword, which had been enhanced with refined essence.

He continued to cast hand seals, and the flying sword flew towards the same spot. Only after several attempts was the silver chain cut.

Han Li reached out towards the silver chain out of curiosity, and the chain that had been restraining the corpse moved like a snake, flying towards him in two silver strands.

He touched the silver chain with his fingertips and discovered that it had spells engraved on its smooth surface.

The fact that the spells were engraved so delicately meant that it was not something from the Tiannan cultivation world [a region in the novel’s world].

Thinking that it might be a rare ancient treasure, Han Li put the two silver chains away. He planned to find out if the chains could be repaired and what their power was when he had the chance.

He then looked back at the corpse’s gruesome body.

Han Li’s expression darkened slightly as ten blue threads shot out from his hand and pierced into the corpse’s entire body.

After observing the corpse for a long time, he nodded in satisfaction.

Except for the fact that it was missing an arm, it was perfect for refining. Its unusually powerful body was difficult to injure even with ordinary magical treasures, and the corpse fire and corpse poison within it were also exceptionally potent.

Han Li paused, looking at the corpse’s severed arm, lost in thought.

As soon as he finished thinking, he tapped his spirit beast pouch, and a swarm of three-colored spirit devouring beetles emerged and swarmed towards the corpse’s severed arm.

After a while, a glossy, three-colored arm appeared. Except for the lack of green hair, it looked exactly like the other arm.

Han Li smiled in satisfaction and then took out several formation flags and formation disks from his storage pouch and began setting up a formation in the stone chamber.

* * *

When Han Li, who had been in the rock for over two months, reappeared on the mountain peak where his residence was, his face was extremely pale, and he looked like he had greatly depleted his vital energy.

He summoned Eunwol and immediately entered the secret chamber to begin closed-door cultivation. A month later, when the stone door of the secret chamber opened, he walked out with a calm expression.

“Master, the Six-Winged Frost Centipedes have begun to hatch,” Eunwol, who had been standing guard outside the door, respectfully informed him as soon as he came out.

“Let’s go take a look.”

Han Li looked pleased and strode towards the stone chamber where the demon beasts were kept. He could check the situation through the hole in the stone door, which was sealed with a golden restriction.

The Six-Winged Frost Centipedes had devoured each other and evolved, becoming much larger than when Liu Mei had given them to him, and the cold energy they emitted was also stronger.

The Six-Winged Frost Centipede eggs were pitch black and were emitting a dense cold energy while trapped in ice blocks. Han Li’s gaze shifted to several giant centipedes. They seemed to have sensed something and raised their heads, making sharp noises towards the stone door.

Ignoring their threats, Han Li observed the eggs.

“Twenty-four should be enough. Eunwol, tell Liu Mei to take the spirit beasts away.”

“Yes, I will send a sound transmission talisman right away.”

Eunwol took out a talisman from her pouch and threw it away. The talisman turned into a red beam of light in the air and disappeared.

After checking the Six-Winged Frost Centipede eggs, Han Li moved to the next stone chamber where the spirit devouring beetles were.

For a while, the green liquid had been mainly used to raise the Six-Winged Frost Centipedes, so he hadn’t paid much attention to the changes in the golden spirit devouring beetles.

The golden spirit devouring beetles had not changed much from before, and they were still clustered together like large golden beads, hanging on the tree that Han Li had prepared for them.

Han Li frowned.

They seemed like they would become adults after one more evolution, but their growth rate was too slow, which was frustrating. It seemed like they wouldn’t evolve for a while.

“Eunwol, how is the Profound Heaven Immortal Lantern?”

“That… it would be best if Master saw it for himself.”

Eunwol hesitated, as if she was about to say something. Han Li was puzzled by her reaction, but he didn’t press her and followed her to the herb garden.

Seeing the roots of the Profound Heaven Immortal Lantern buried in the ground, Han Li understood what she meant.

The roots, which had turned yellow and withered, had turned green, but their size remained the same, and there was no sign of leaves growing.

“What happened?” Han Li asked.

Even when Han Li spread his consciousness, he couldn’t feel any vitality from the roots of the Profound Heaven Immortal Lantern.

“I don’t know either. I poured the green liquid on the roots of the Profound Heaven Immortal Lantern several times, but there was no change at all. I had no choice but to pour the Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Milk and pure essence together, and it worked. The roots turned green. So, I thought the Profound Heaven Immortal Lantern had come back to life, but after that, there was no change at all,” Eunwol sighed softly.

“There was a reaction, so it can be revived. It’s just that we don’t know how to revive it right now. But we don’t have time for that now, so let’s take a look at it again after we return from the Extreme West. We don’t have much time, so we should leave soon.”

“Are you leaving right now?”

“Tomorrow! I’ll say goodbye to Senior Brother Jeong for a moment, seal the residence, and take all the important items with me. Going to the Extreme West won’t be dangerous, but I must return within three years. That way, I won’t miss the most suitable time to enter the Chuma Bone [a location or event in the novel’s world].”

Eunwol nodded in agreement.

Soon, the two of them walked out of the herb garden, and Han Li went to see the silver-haired old man, while Eunwol began to organize the residence and prepare to leave.

* * *

The next morning, Han Li, who had rested for a night, left his residence with Eunwol, and Mo Paeryeong was quietly waiting for him.

“I left you the elixirs you would need for several years of cultivation, so why are you out here instead of cultivating?” Han Li asked Mo Paeryeong calmly.

“Young Master! I’ve thought about it, and since I haven’t reached a critical point in my cultivation, I would like to accompany you. As your handmaiden, isn’t it my duty to serve you closely?” Mo Paeryeong lowered her head, but she couldn’t hide her flushed cheeks. Her attractive face and slender but voluptuous body were enough to stir a man’s heart.

Han Li paused for a moment when he heard her words, but after thinking for a while, he nodded.

“If you want to come with me, then so be it. If you receive guidance on your cultivation along the way, you will be able to reach a decision faster.”

“Thank you,” Mo Paeryeong said, delighted to hear that and expressing her gratitude. Han Li smiled at the sight and flicked his sleeve, taking out a white Wind-Riding Carriage.

Eunwol smiled at the sight and turned into a white light, disappearing into Han Li’s sleeve. Mo Paeryeong was startled to see Eunwol disappear and covered her red lips.

“I’ll tell you about Eunwol on the way. Get in!”

“Yes, Young Master!” Mo Paeryeong was not an ordinary cultivator, so she quickly hid her surprise and quietly boarded the carriage.

The moment her foot touched the carriage, a blue light flashed, and Han Li also boarded the Wind-Riding Carriage. He formed a hand seal, and a white light barrier enveloped the Wind-Riding Carriage. As a clear sound rang out, the Wind-Riding Carriage turned into a white beam of light and soared into the sky.

Not long after, rumors about Han Li spread throughout the entire Falling Cloud Sect.

It was said that Elder Han had injured his vital energy in a battle with a demonic cultivator and had entered closed-door cultivation for a while.

The other two sects in Yunmeng Mountain sent cultivators to inquire about Elder Han’s condition, but the silver-haired old man dealt with them perfunctorily and sent them away. Other cultivators also came to ask about his well-being but returned without any results.

Thus, the news that Elder Han of the Falling Cloud Sect, who had recently become famous, was seriously injured spread rapidly throughout the entire Gui Kingdom. Even sects from other countries were paying close attention to his news.

However, everyone seemed to believe the rumors. After all, it was true that Han Li had killed an elder of the Yin Corpse Sect of the Jin Kingdom, and it was not strange for an early Nascent Soul cultivator [a stage of cultivation] to injure his vital energy when fighting a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator.

Because of this, Han Li was etched into the minds of others as a skilled cultivator comparable to an old monster. And the reputation of the Falling Cloud Sect also increased, and many cultivators sought to build friendships with them.

In a short time, the Falling Cloud Sect was treated as the number one sect in the Gui Kingdom, and the disciples of the Falling Cloud Sect were overjoyed.

* * *

The Dongyu Kingdom of Tiannan was one of the very few countries that did not belong to the four major powers. It wasn’t because these countries were small in area or lacked cultivation resources.

On the contrary, the territories of some countries were vast, and their cultivation resources were so abundant that they were among the top ten in all of Tiannan.

The reason why such countries were able to remain independent of any power was entirely due to geographical reasons. The Nine Nations Alliance was too far away and had no connection, but they were right on the borders of the other three major powers.

Moreover, this place was a mix of righteous and demonic sects, and there were many small sects that did not belong to any side. The most important thing was that there was no force strong enough to overwhelm the other sects, making it difficult to represent the Dongyu Kingdom.

Thus, despite the constant secret struggles between the three major powers, the Dongyu Kingdom and several other countries eventually became neutral zones.

Of course, many of the sects in these countries also grew with the support of the righteous, demonic, or Heavenly Dao Alliance. As the balance of power was maintained for over a hundred years, many wandering cultivators flocked to these neutral countries, and these countries became more prosperous and developed.

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