Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 473

474. Moths Drawn to the Flame

Having gathered his thoughts, Han Li directed the Gold Devouring Beetles and intensified the speed of the Lightning of the Evil-Slaying and the Violet Aurora Flames to attack the demonic soul.

The demonic soul, seeing this, raised its head and laughed. Then, it suddenly switched its front and back heads, flicking its red tongue. Despite Han Li’s fierce attacks, it remained unfazed, shaking its four arms to activate three treasures.

It seemed that Han Li and the demonic soul’s spirits were about to clash again.

At that moment, a thunderous roar echoed from somewhere. The sound was so loud that even from a distance, it sent chills down the spines of those who heard it.

Han Li’s expression hardened at the majestic roar, and the demonic soul’s expression also changed drastically. It immediately retrieved its treasures, turned into a black streak of light, and flew away. It let out a long whistle, disappearing like lightning in the direction the sound had come from.

Han Li hesitated, then stopped the lightning, Violet Aurora Flames, and the Gold Devouring Beetles’ attacks, watching as the opponent fled. He remembered that the place where the roar had come from was marked on the map of the Chuma Valley.

It seemed that something enormous was happening there.

Given that the opponent had whistled loudly as it flew away, it was highly likely that there was another demonic soul.

The white-clad woman and Old Man Linghu looked relieved as they watched the demonic soul flee, their expressions improving.

Although Old Man Linghu had lost a treasure, he was fortunate to have survived. If he hadn’t encountered Han Li by chance, he didn’t know what would have happened to him and the Great Elder of the Yan Moon Sect.

The cultivators who had entered the Chuma Valley with them had been caught off guard by Nan Longhou, their nascent souls extracted and killed. When the demonic soul disappeared, Old Man Linghu and the white-clad woman approached Han Li.

“Fellow cultivator Han, you have saved this old man’s life this time,” Old Man Linghu said, clasping his hands respectfully. At the same time, his gaze turned to the puppets behind Han Li and the Heavenly Fiend Banner emitting an eerie aura.

To possess so many treasures and abilities at such a young age, what a promising cultivator! Making an agreement with him was a wise decision. If such a person were to help, they would be safe for a thousand years, no matter what crisis came.

And even the junior sister of Nangong Wan, who had a bad history with Han Li, expressed her gratitude this time.

“Thank you for your kindness, fellow cultivator.”

“It was merely to protect myself, so there’s no need for thanks. But what do you two plan to do now? Will you go there?”

Han Li raised a hand, summoning the lightning, etc., some of which disappeared into his body, and others into his sleeves.

“Of course not. Only a Nascent Soul late-stage cultivator could handle such a monster. What would we do there?” Old Man Linghu shook his head without hesitation.

“I see. I was thinking of going, but it would be foolish to go alone.”

Honestly, he was disappointed, but it was too dangerous if the two Nascent Soul cultivators didn’t go with him. As Han Li and the two cultivators were about to leave the Chuma Valley, the continuous roars made his expression strange.

“What’s wrong?” Old Man Linghu asked urgently, watching him closely.

In the distance, strange black and purple lights flickered, covering the vast sky. And below, green clouds rose, causing tremors.

The black and purple lights were the same demonic energy that Nan Longhou had emitted when he transformed into the Twin-Headed Serpent. However, its power and quantity far exceeded Nan Longhou’s.

But what made Old Man Linghu’s expression change was the green cloud below.

“Viper Corpse Poison! Isn’t that the cloud created by Fellow Cultivator Wei’s poison technique! Ordinary cultivators would lose their lives just by touching it…”

The white-clad woman exclaimed in surprise, recognizing the green cloud.

The green cloud’s aura was immense, and it was clearly being suppressed by the demonic energy. An opponent that even a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator couldn’t handle was definitely not the Nan Longhou who had just fled.

“Then we…”

The woman hesitated, about to say something, when a chilling consciousness swept over the three of them. Han Li felt a chill in his chest, and Old Man Linghu was also at a loss.

“We’ve already been discovered by the opponent. If we don’t run now, there won’t be another chance. But since even the demonic creature we were fighting has flown away, we won’t last long if we don’t help Fellow Cultivator Wei. If Fellow Cultivator Wei is defeated and pursued, no one will survive.”

Han Li said expressionlessly after a moment of silence.

He had also spread his consciousness towards that side, but the opponent’s spiritual energy was so powerful that he couldn’t get close at all. Old Man Linghu and the white-clad woman looked at each other after hearing Han Li’s words.

In truth, they wanted to run away immediately, but as Han Li had said, if Wei Wuai was defeated, the rest of them wouldn’t be able to escape safely. This was the central part of the Chuma Valley, and it would take a long time to get out.

Han Li sneered, putting his hands behind his back, not urging them.

“Among the three of us, Fellow Cultivator Han’s abilities are the most outstanding, so we will listen to your opinion,” Linghu asked Han Li, narrowing his brows.

“Me? Haha…” Han Li didn’t answer directly, trailing off with a laugh. Linghu smiled wryly at this, inwardly marveling at his cleverness.

Then, Han Li suddenly looked troubled.

“Other cultivators are flying over. Well, with such a commotion, all the cultivators within thousands of miles must have sensed it.”

Old Man Linghu and the white-clad woman were surprised and looked in the direction Han Li was looking. Only then did they faintly see a group of cultivators moving.

‘Ah, why are they going to such a dangerous place!’

Han Li sighed after confirming their identities with his consciousness. Two of the three cultivators were people he knew.

One was True Person Tian Jing, with whom he had traded, and the other was the silver-haired old man from the Falling Cloud Sect, his senior brother, Zheng. And the last one was an unfamiliar old man who had entered the Chuma Valley with Old Man Zheng.

They must think that a battle over some great treasure or elixir was taking place. If they knew that they were flying towards a demonic creature that devoured nascent souls, would they be flying so excitedly!

The distance was already far, and it was too late to send a voice transmission or shoot a voice transmission talisman.

However, Wei Wuai must be rejoicing now. How happy he must be that a string of sacrifices were flying in to fight for him.

He didn’t care about the others, but Senior Brother Zheng had shown him much kindness. So he couldn’t just watch him die.

Originally, he had planned to go and observe the situation secretly, but if Senior Brother Zheng’s group jumped in, he would have to change his plan.

He would go there first, and if it seemed dangerous, he could use the Blood Shadow Escape to flee. However, he shouldn’t use it unless it was the last resort due to the risk of encountering spatial rifts.

Having made his decision, Han Li turned and said to Old Man Linghu and the white-clad woman,

“Since other cultivators are helping, I can’t just stand by. If you two aren’t going, I’ll go first. But with the distance so close, Fellow Cultivator Wei might have already sensed your presence…”

After speaking words that were a mix of warning and threat, Han Li immediately turned into a streak of blue light and flew into the sky.

Old Man Linghu and the white-clad woman were speechless at Han Li’s words.

Even at this moment, black and purple were engaged in a fierce battle with the green light. Although they were about ten miles away, it wouldn’t be difficult for Wei Wuai to identify them if he wanted to.

Han Li’s warning was not empty.

“Let’s go. Fellow Cultivator Han is right. We must step up in such a situation,” Old Man Linghu said with a wry smile, and the white-clad woman nodded with a dark face.

If so many cultivators attacked at once, there would be a greater chance of survival. The two cultivators transformed into streaks of light and flew away, hoping for luck.

They didn’t know that Elder Dong Mengdu of the Spirit Beast Sect was also on his way here, with three green-robed disciples, about a hundred miles away.

Of the cultivators with nascent souls transformed from the Five Elements Spirit Infants, two had already died, leaving only three. However, Dong Mengdu was not at all regretful, but rather excited.

Judging from the vibrations of spiritual energy, he guessed that a massive battle over a great treasure was taking place.

* * *

The Sect Elder of the Ghost Spirit Sect was flying with his disciples, his face extremely pale. Despite having a map, two of his disciples had died in spatial rifts, and the Spirit Candle, their target, had been taken by someone.

Even though he was highly cultivated and old, he couldn’t help but be furious.

The Spirit Candle was essential for him to reach the late stage of the Nascent Soul. However, due to its nature, it had to be made into a pill and consumed immediately, so it couldn’t have gone far.

He searched the surrounding areas with his disciples, but after several days, he found nothing.

As he was about to return with his dejected disciples, a powerful shockwave surged like a wave from somewhere. Fortunately, he had a top-grade defensive ancient treasure, so he overcame the crisis, but soon after, another tremendous roar came from the same direction.

The Sect Elder felt the immense spiritual energy fluctuations and changed direction with his disciples.

Han Li did not retrieve the Heavenly Fiend Banner and the puppets, but rather released over a dozen turtle puppets as he went.

Old Man Linghu and the white-clad woman, who were following behind, were surprised but also relieved. The puppets might not be able to inflict fatal injuries, but with that many, they could hold off ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators for a while.

Han Li quickly approached the battlefield, stopping about a hundred yards away to assess the situation.

The black and purple he had seen from afar were actually the light emitted by black tentacles moving within a crimson-purple aura. And at the center was a demonic creature.

The demonic creature had a horn on its forehead and a ferocious appearance, but its body was identical to a human’s. Its skin was so glossy that it looked like it was made of jade.

The demonic creature’s eyes were closed, making it seem like it was asleep, and although its mouth was clearly closed, a tremendous roar was coming from its stomach. The demonic creature was generating black flames and throwing them towards the green cloud below. The seemingly ordinary black fireballs exploded, creating black flame waves of about ten yards in size.

However, Wei Wuai’s poison cloud was not to be underestimated. While being scattered by the black flames, it released a large amount of energy, attacking the demonic creature in the form of a green serpent.

“That demonic creature doesn’t seem to be fully awakened or is under some kind of restriction. Now is the perfect opportunity to eliminate it,” Old Man Linghu said, approaching Han Li, who had stopped.

“If it were that easy, Fellow Cultivator Wei would have already moved, not just be holding out in the poison cloud. Judging by the demonic energy, it must be related to the demonic creature that just fled,” Han Li said, shaking his head, and scanned the surroundings with his consciousness. It was strange that he couldn’t see Nan Longhou, who had flown away earlier.

He turned his head and saw that the silver-haired old man’s group was staring with wide eyes in shock. And soon, Old Man Zheng, who had spotted Han Li, was happy to see him but hesitated to approach, considering something.

Han Li sent a voice transmission first.

“Senior Brother Zheng, how did you end up here? That demonic creature is something that even Fellow Cultivator Wei Wuai has difficulty dealing with. Moreover, there is a Twin-Headed Serpent demonic creature hiding nearby.”

“The one below is Fellow Cultivator Wei Wuai, and there’s another demonic creature! Is it perhaps the demonic creature that Fellow Cultivator Han fought?” The silver-haired old man asked in surprise, moving only his lips to send a voice transmission.

“I did fight one of the demonic creatures, but I couldn’t see its true strength. However, it was similar to a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. I barely managed to hold out with the help of the two cultivators next to me. The demonic creature devours cultivators’ nascent souls, moves like the wind, and is skilled in concealment, so you must be careful,” Han Li hurriedly explained about the demonic soul and warned him.

“I understand. I’ll discuss it with the cultivators next to me.”
# 475