Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 491

Han Li examined the treasures without hesitation in front of the three men. Among them, three were treasures with strong Yang energy and fire attributes, while the black flag was, conversely, a famous treasure of the Demonic Path.

According to Old Devil Hehuan, the flag could originally summon ghostly winds, but it also had the effect of absorbing demonic energy, which would help protect the body.

Upon hearing this, Han Li became interested and examined it for a while before putting it into his storage pouch.

After collecting all the treasures, Han Li bid farewell to the cultivators and flew towards the vortex. Several hours later, Han Li smoothly descended below the vortex.

When Han Li saw the demonic energy at the lower part of the light barrier, he immediately clapped his hands together, creating the Evil-Slaying Divine Lightning. Thick golden lightning flashed all over his body, and a golden net flowed along his protective barrier.

Only then did Han Li curl his lips into a sneer. No matter how cunning Wei Wuya and the others were, they could never have imagined that he possessed seventy-two Gold Lightning Bamboo Flying Swords.

As expected, it was enough to travel back and forth through the abyss of demonic energy not just once, but twice. Otherwise, there would have been no reason for him to take the risk and volunteer for this task.

This time, he had deceived them to confirm the words of Merchant Zhiyang when he was at the White Cultivation Garden, that it would be helpful to the Falling Cloud Sect, and also because he wanted them to misunderstand his abilities.

In the future, the only threats to him in Tiannan would be the three of them and the Morlan Divine Lords.

As before, Han Li, protected by golden lightning, fell into the pitch-black abyss of demonic energy.

The sound of thunder grew fainter, and the golden light of the Evil-Slaying Divine Lightning gradually faded into the darkness. At that moment, on the surface of the sea, Merchant Zhiyang and the other cultivators were talking to each other.

“Brother Zhiyang, do you think Fellow cultivator Han’s Evil-Slaying Divine Lightning is insufficient to travel through the demonic energy?”

Wei Wuya asked, looking at Merchant Zhiyang with his hands behind his back.

“Are you saying you don’t believe what I said?”

“Haha! Of course not. It’s just that Fellow cultivator Han agreed to this task too easily, which is strange.”

“That… I’m not sure either. But it’s true that the consumption of magic power increases the deeper you go into the abyss of demonic energy. To return safely, you would need a tremendous amount of Evil-Slaying Divine Lightning. Does he really have that much?”

“Perhaps he has other divine powers besides the Evil-Slaying Divine Lightning that can withstand the demonic energy.”

“Indeed, there are countless cultivation methods and secret techniques in the cultivation world with strange effects. In any case, as long as we can resolve this matter smoothly.”

Wei Wuya smiled and turned his gaze to Old Devil Hehuan. However, Old Devil Hehuan remained silent, arms crossed, staring at the center of the vortex.

* * *

Three thousand feet below the demonic energy, Han Li, surrounded by a golden protective barrier, remained motionless.

Inside the barrier, he was checking the jade slip that recorded the location for installing the formation disk. After a while, he focused his consciousness and surveyed his surroundings.

Judging by the pitch-black light, he seemed to have reached the very bottom of the abyss, but it was impossible to gauge the distance.

He opened his mouth and spat out a one-inch-long flying sword. The small, golden, glittering flying sword escaped the protective barrier and circled above his head like a ring of light. As Han Li formed a hand seal, the flying sword soon turned into a golden beam of light and shot out. He followed closely behind without hesitation.

The flying sword moved horizontally for hundreds of feet before suddenly changing direction and shooting downwards.

Bang!

The flying sword seemed to have hit something, as half of its blade was embedded and it remained motionless. The surroundings were still dark, but the golden lightning flashing from the flying sword allowed him to see the surroundings to some extent.

The flying sword seemed to be embedded in a flat, giant stone. After pondering for a moment, Han Li raised both hands and placed his palms on the protective barrier.

The lightning on the protective barrier grew brighter, and golden lightning bolts shot out from within, coiling around like serpents. As they did, the demonic energy within a radius of about ten feet was instantly cleared away by the writhing golden serpents.

Han Li, who was examining the giant stone, was dumbfounded. The stone was shaped like an altar and was so large that it could not be fully seen even in the light of the lightning. He had never imagined that the formation disk would be installed in such a place.

Using the golden lightning, he realized that this place was a square, about 30 square feet in size. Judging by the patterns engraved on the four sides, it was clearly very old.

Han Li returned to his original position and gestured towards the flying sword, which turned back into gold and returned to him.

After a while, as Han Li flew towards the center of the square, he saw a white light flashing and sped up. There, a broken stele stood with its upper part shattered.

Han Li’s eyes lit up as he examined the remains of the stele. Although the stele was damaged, it was engraved with spells that were impossible to fathom, and the refined spiritual energy still remained.

“Is this a material more precious than Gold Lightning Bamboo?”

Han Li gestured in the air, and a piece of the stele floated into the air and fell into his hand.

He turned it over and over, then began to rub the piece with force. Then, a strange thing happened.

The stele flashed white light and became soft. Han Li’s fingers, holding the stele, sank into it.

Han Li was startled and asked the Great Evolution Divine Lord.

“What is this? Senior Great Evolution, can you tell what this is?”

“Hmm… This old man has never seen anything like it either. In the ancient times, there were countless bizarre materials, so it’s not surprising. If you don’t mind, put a piece in. I have nothing else to do, so I’ll take a look.”

At the Great Evolution Divine Lord’s words, Han Li threw the piece he was holding into the bamboo tube behind him. Then, a white light flowed out of the bamboo tube, enveloping the stone piece and drawing it in.

Looking at it again, the stele seemed to be related to the barrier that sealed the demonic energy, but it didn’t seem to have been damaged long ago.

Therefore, the material of the stele would not be ordinary either. After finishing his thoughts, he emitted a blue light and put all the remaining stele fragments into his storage pouch.

Then, he released a blue sword qi. He intended to break the lower part of the remaining stele and take it as well.

Kukukung.

Successive loud sounds echoed, and after the blue light faded, the sword qi disappeared into the stele without a sound.

“A strange stele indeed.”

Han Li was a little surprised, but he decided to leave the lower part of the stele as it was. Although he could have stayed here longer with the remaining Evil-Slaying Divine Lightning, it was better to leave such a dangerous place as soon as possible.

Successive collision sounds were heard, and a foot-deep pit appeared next to the stele. Han Li quietly dusted his hands, and the formation disk turned white and disappeared into the pit.

While forming hand seals, Han Li stared at the glittering disk for a long time.

After a while, the formation disk began to hum with a clear sound, and white pillars of energy as thick as an arm rose from the disk and disappeared upwards.

Only then did Han Li feel relieved. The formation disk had been installed successfully.

Han Li flicked his sleeve again, and a blue wind blew, causing the scattered stone fragments to fill the pit again.

Looking back at the place where the pit had been, Han Li showed a satisfied expression. Then, he stretched out his hand and sent out a magic seal, causing the golden serpents that had been circling and driving away the demonic energy to explode and disappear, and the demonic energy began to fill the area again from afar.

Han Li was about to ascend to the surface of the sea with golden lightning covering his protective barrier when suddenly the Great Evolution Divine Lord’s voice was heard.

“Wait a moment.”

“Do you have something to say before I return?”

“Although this place is the eye of the formation, it is also the place where the demonic energy is most concentrated. Since the ancient times, demonic energy has been confined here, so a few pieces of Demonic Marrow Drill might have formed. According to ancient scriptures, it is a material for refining precious treasures of the Demonic Path. Could you explore the surrounding area and underground a bit more?”

“Demonic Marrow Drill!”

As if remembering something, Han Li immediately brushed his storage pouch and took out a yellow jade wolf head scepter.

This was a treasure where Yin Yue had resided. Although the spirit was gone, it still allowed him to use simple earth escape techniques.

As Han Li chanted a magic incantation, the protective barrier around Han Li grew larger, and a white beam of light escaped from his sleeve and fell down. It was the pure white fox that Yin Yue had transformed into.

“Time is of the essence, so let’s search separately.”

Han Li quickly explained and threw a lump of golden lightning to Yin Yue.

“That level of Evil-Slaying Divine Lightning won’t last long, so you must return immediately if you feel your energy weakening. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Master! But I don’t know what Demonic Marrow Drill looks like.”

“Demonic Marrow Drill is a jet-black, crystal-like object. It possesses tremendous demonic energy, so you should be able to recognize it.”

The Great Evolution Divine Lord spoke first instead of Han Li.

“Ah, I see! I’ll move right away.”

The white fox nodded and disappeared under the stone altar. Han Li also immediately emitted a yellow light from the jade scepter in his hand and seeped into the stone.

After Yin Yue and Han Li disappeared, the surroundings became a realm of demonic energy again, so dark that one could not see an inch ahead.

After a long time, the sound of thunder was heard, and Han Li, wrapped in a golden protective barrier, appeared. However, even after looking around, there was no trace of Yin Yue.

A worried expression flashed across his face, but he revealed a jet-black crystal. It was a small crystal, only about the size of a thumb.

“As I expected, there was indeed Demonic Marrow Drill! Even ancient demonic beasts would yearn for such a treasure. Fortune is on our side.”

The Great Evolution Divine Lord burst into laughter.

“Is that so? It doesn’t look that special to me.”

Only then did Han Li raise the crystal to eye level and examine it. The crystal emitted an eerie aura, as if it would suck even the soul into its pitch-black darkness.

Han Li was startled and immediately averted his gaze.

At that moment, a silver light flashed beneath his feet, and a white fox, surrounded by faint golden lightning, jumped into Han Li’s protective barrier.

“I was about to summon you if you didn’t return.”

Han Li reached out his hand towards the fox at his feet, and a blue aura wrapped around the small fox and pulled it in. The fox immediately spat out three lumps of jet-black crystal.

“Well done.”

Han Li praised with a happy expression, and the fox smiled and disappeared into his sleeve. Han Li immediately collected all four Demonic Marrow Drills and put them into his storage pouch.

“It’s time to go now.”

He covered his protective barrier with golden lightning again and slowly ascended. His speed was quite slow, and it took a full quarter of an hour before he could see the white light barrier again.

As soon as he escaped the demonic energy, he withdrew the Evil-Slaying Divine Lightning around him. However, instead of going straight up, he took something out of his storage pouch.

It was a small, cyan flag.

“That, isn’t that the Yin Fiend Banner we saw before?”

Yin Yue asked in surprise.

“The Yin Fiend Banner has lost the Yin ghosts that resided in the flag, but it is still a rare Demonic Path treasure. I saw before that it could absorb ghostly energy and restore itself. Old Devil Hehuan lent me a demonic flag for exorcism and said that both demonic and ghostly energy are extremely Yin in nature, so I need to see if that’s true. If it can’t be restored in a place full of such pure demonic energy, then there’s nothing I can do.”

Han Li explained calmly and raised a blue aura from his hand, enveloping the small flag. The flag turned into a blue beam of light and sank into the demonic energy.

Then, the spiritual energy around the flag was instantly devoured by the demonic energy, and the damaged Yin Fiend Banner was exposed to the demonic energy. Han Li formed a hand seal and stretched out his arm towards the cyan flag.

The Yin Fiend Banner, which had been as still as death, emitted a green light and gradually began to grow in size. The giant flag, which had grown to a length of one zhang [about 10 feet], was full of holes and looked miserable.

# 493