Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 457

As they rounded a bend in the cave, the two cultivators leading the way halted.

The passage had suddenly widened considerably. Above and below, strange stalactite-like rocks hung, emitting silvery rays of light.

“This is the Arctic Primal Light. As you all know, but I’ll remind you once more, you must not use spiritual power or magical treasures within the Arctic Primal Light, except for the Yang-type Ring. If any spiritual energy leaks out and the Arctic Primal Light detects it, we’ll all be dead.”

As soon as Nam Rong-hu finished speaking, Han Li silently reached into his sleeve and took out a jet-black ring. The ring’s black light was ominous.

When Han Li produced the Yang-type Ring, Nam Rong-hu and Old Man Ro immediately moved behind him.

As he blew blue energy onto the ring, the jet-black light flashed and rose above his head with a whoosh.

Then, as Han Li cast a hand seal, the size of the Yang-type Ring expanded and contracted, suddenly transforming into a huge ring about six to seven yards long.

“Go.”

Han Li pointed his finger at a spot.

Swish!

The huge ring moved forward with a strange sound. Seeing this, Nam Rong-hu and Old Man Ro’s expressions also turned serious.

When the huge ring finally entered the tens of thousands of silver rays, something strange happened.

As if parting the surface of water, the rays that touched the Yang-type Ring bent, creating a passage! Seeing this, Han Li breathed a sigh of relief, and Nam Rong-hu and Old Man Ro also smiled.

However, Han Li was also curious about the original power of the Arctic Primal Light. After a moment’s thought, he took out a fist-sized navy blue bead from his storage pouch and threw it into the passage.

The navy blue bead, a high-grade protective magic treasure, was immediately engulfed by the silver rays as it entered the Arctic Primal Light. Soon, numerous rays pierced through the protective barrier and into the bead.

Bang!

Eventually, the bead exploded and disappeared with a flash of light. Han Li, who had been quietly watching, narrowed his eyes slightly, and Nam Rong-hu and Old Man Ro’s faces also darkened.

However, Han Li, returning to his original expression, gestured to call back the Yang-type Ring. The huge ring, returning above his head, created a jet-black protective barrier that could cover the three cultivators.

“Let’s go.”

Han Li strode forward first, and Nam Rong-hu and Old Man Ro diligently followed behind, staying within the range of the protective barrier.

Frankly, Han Li was a little worried, but fortunately, after entering the Arctic Primal Light, the silver rays avoided the jet-black protective barrier, allowing them to move forward safely.

* * *

Somewhere in Chuma Valley. In an icy region near the center, cultivators of the Ghost Spirit Sect, dressed in black, were battling a lizard-shaped ancient demonic beast using various magical treasures.

In the nearby sky, an old man with a pale face floated, watching the battle between the Core Formation cultivators and the ancient demonic beast with cold eyes.

As time passed and his disciples failed to defeat the demonic beast, he frowned and stepped forward himself.

As the old man formed a hand seal, jet-black energy rose from his body and coalesced into a jet-black coiling dragon shape, engulfing the lizard. Then, a huge cyan net spread out, and fist-sized green flames fell towards the demonic beast.

Krrrr!

After the jet-black energy and green flames passed, the charred corpse of the giant demonic beast appeared. As the old man waved his sleeve, a gust of wind blew, sending even the corpse flying a dozen yards away.

As the giant demonic beast’s body disappeared, a narrow ice canyon appeared behind it.

“Go.”

As the old man commanded in a low voice, the other Ghost Spirit Sect disciples quietly followed behind him. However, the Ghost Spirit Sect Master and Wang Cheon-go were still nowhere to be seen.

As they disappeared, a fierce blizzard swept through, and snow piled up on the charred body of the demonic beast, making it look like a small hill.

* * *

In the forest, Ja Ryeong was looking down at an ordinary-looking mound of dirt.

She looked around for a moment, then extended her finger and released a white ball of light. Then, the things covering it flew away, revealing the charred remains of tree roots.

“It’s here. I thought they would find it quickly since there are so many Ghost Spirit Sect disciples. To leave traces like this without knowing someone is tracking them.”

Ja Ryeong showed a look of delight, then waved her sleeve to cover the pit again and took out a green talisman, throwing it at a nearby tree. Then, the talisman disappeared into the tree.

After that, she carefully determined her position and flew up again.

* * *

Standing before a huge canyon, the old man’s face hardened as he looked at the restrictions within. Behind him stood two fierce-looking puppets.

At the end of the canyon, a large amount of red energy was faintly surging. This canyon was one of the passages leading to the center.

No matter how skilled the old man was in various formations, he was not sure if he could break through so many ancient restrictions in a short time.

The old man hesitated, wondering whether to look for another passage or start breaking the restrictions.

“Cultivator Cheonjeong, are you worried about breaking all the restrictions alone? If you don’t mind, how about working with this old man?”

A sinister voice suddenly came from behind the old man.

The old man was Cheonjeong Jin-in, who had previously traded with Han Li for Soul Stones. He was accompanied by two ancient puppets he had newly refined using Soul Stones, each possessing the strength of an early Core Formation cultivator.

At the voice from behind, the old man turned around.

About six to seven yards away, several cultivators in green robes were floating silently, and the owner of the voice was a sinister-looking old man with a long beard.

Cheonjeong Jin-in examined their cultivation and his heart sank. They were all Nascent Soul cultivators!

“Fellow disciples of the Spirit Controlling Sect, it seems. The other cultivators are unfamiliar. Are they all elders of your sect?”

“You could say that. But the puppets behind you are quite extraordinary.”

“They are just puppets, nothing special. More importantly, why do you want to join hands with this old man?”

“I have stayed within the Spirit Controlling Sect and haven’t had much interaction with other cultivators, but I have heard that Cultivator Cheonjeong is a master of formations. If we each try to break the restrictions, it will take a long time, but if we work together, the chances of success will be higher, wouldn’t they?”

Dongmun-do said to Cheonjeong Jin-in, who had a cautious expression. However, Cheonjeong Jin-in did not immediately agree and fell into thought.

“Why are you hesitating? Are you worried that I might harm you? We are only working together temporarily until we enter the center, what could I possibly do?

Unless we want the same thing, there is no reason to waste time and spiritual power. And I have also studied formations quite a bit, so I will be of great help.”

Dongmun-do’s expression slightly darkened, but he still patiently persuaded his opponent. Cheonjeong Jin-in also thought it made sense, so he looked at the five green-robed cultivators behind Dongmun-do and nodded.

“There is no reason for such worries. Very well. Let’s break the restrictions together and then go our separate ways.”

“That’s a wise decision! Cultivator Cheonjeong’s puppets also seem formidable, so there is no reason for me to have other thoughts. Once we enter the center, let’s leave the rest to fate!”

The old man in the green robe immediately burst into laughter.

‘Is this the center from here?’

Han Li looked around.

Behind him, a cliff over a thousand yards high rose, and below it was the cave they had passed through.

Nam Rong-hu and Old Man Ro also seemed speechless for a moment at the sight before them.

It was a colorful world where countless mountain ranges stretched endlessly.

The entire sky sparkled with various colors, and even the light streaks where the mist spread like silk were dazzling. What surprised them even more was that the flow of spiritual energy in the center was unstable and chaotic, as if it could explode at any moment.

“It was said to be a battlefield of ancient cultivators, and even the flow of spiritual energy is completely ruined. In this state, any cultivator will be hindered in using their spiritual power.”

Nam Rong-hu sighed.

“That’s a problem, but the real headache seems to be that.”

Han Li suddenly reached out and pointed somewhere in the sky. At the tip of his finger, a white light about ten yards long was floating gracefully.

“There are so many spatial rifts [tears in space]. And they are moving on their own!”

Old Man Ro exclaimed in surprise. Nam Rong-hu’s expression was just as grim.

“It was already expected that there would be more spatial rifts than on the outskirts. Otherwise, so many Nascent Soul cultivators would not have failed to return. From now on, we must also move according to the map left by Merchant Changkon. Otherwise…”

Han Li looked at it and smiled wryly.

“Nam is right. We must be especially careful of the transparent spatial rifts, as they are more dangerous. The moving spatial rifts are not fast, so we should be fine if we pay attention.”

“But there seem to be more than ten times as many as on the outskirts. And if the spatial rifts move like that, isn’t the map left by Merchant Changkon useless?”

Old Man Ro looked anxiously at the sky. Han Li also raised his head, and a navy blue light surged in his eyes.

“Both of you, please rest assured. Merchant Changkon recorded that the hidden spatial rifts never move.”

“How did you find that out?”

Old Man Ro asked suspiciously.

“Do you believe that Merchant Changkon was just lucky to escape Chuma Valley with his severely injured body? It was possible because he possessed a kind of divine power that could see through the hidden spatial rifts.”

At that, the old man’s expression became much more relaxed.

“Such a secret technique exists! Then it is definitely not just luck that Merchant Changkon survived.”

Han Li already knew that the hidden spatial rifts did not move, but he pretended to be relieved.

“Shall we depart then? According to the map, it will take a day to reach the habitat of the Fire Silkworms. Please be even more careful during the journey. We can’t delay any longer, let’s go.”

He first set a direction and began to fly slowly, his whole body shimmering with golden light. Han Li and the old man also flew closely behind him.

If they strayed even a little and encountered a hidden spatial rift, they would be dead.

During the journey, Nam Rong-hu moved strangely, sometimes flying straight, sometimes circling around. And at certain times, he would stop, reorient himself, and then depart again.

He was not relying on the jade slip but on his memory. Cultivators had extraordinary memories due to their basic training in the Five Elements Technique, so it was not a difficult task.

Half a day had passed, but they had not faced any danger. Han Li also began to believe that Nam Rong-hu definitely knew the way.

While traveling, he memorized the path and used his consciousness to survey the surroundings. He sensed strange fluctuations of spiritual energy in at least three or four places, which must have been the remains of ancient cultivators and the restrictions surrounding them.

However, Han Li steeled his heart and suppressed his rising greed. He had studied ancient restrictions for a long time, so he knew their terror even more.

The power of ancient restrictions was by no means inferior to spatial rifts. Therefore, if one touched them without knowing anything, they would lose their life in an instant.

However, Old Man Ro’s wandering gaze was unusual. Han Li secretly sighed.

Perhaps most cultivators would be consumed by such greed. If Han Li had little time left to live, he would also risk challenging the remains of ancient cultivators.

If he succeeded in finding a precious elixir by taking the risk, his lifespan could be extended.

While he was thinking this, Nam Rong-hu suddenly stopped and stared ahead with a dark face. At that sight, Han Li had a bad feeling.

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