Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 512

“Warm Stone?”

Han Li turned his head to find two women sitting next to him.

Clad in yellow and green robes, they weren’t stunning beauties, but they possessed a pleasing charm. The woman in green, seated closer to Han Li, was the one who had spoken to him.

“We apologize for our rudeness, Fellow Cultivator. This is my younger cousin, and it’s her first time traveling, so she lacks discretion,” the woman in yellow quickly said, looking apologetic. Han Li responded with a good-natured smile, as if it were nothing.

“Haha, it’s alright. I’ve heard of Warm Jade before, but this is indeed my first time seeing Warm Stone. Could you perhaps explain it to me? It doesn’t seem like a common material.”

“Warm Stone is far inferior to Warm Jade. However, it is a specialty of the Seolreung Mountain Range, so it’s understandable that cultivators from other regions might not know about it. Aside from being pure white and having a warm touch, it doesn’t have any special qualities, making it a precious item only in the mortal world,” the woman in the yellow robe explained with a smile.

“I see. Thank you for the detailed explanation,” Han Li said, expressing his gratitude before returning to his upright posture, focusing on the top-grade magical artifact that the middle-aged man on the stage had brought out.

The woman in the green robe glanced at him, looking regretful, but she closed her mouth at her cousin’s stern gaze.

Although no items that caught his eye had appeared at the auction hosted by the clan, it was a good opportunity to compare the prices of goods in Daejin and Cheonnam.

In Daejin, the prices of spiritual medicines and magical artifacts were higher than in Cheonnam. Although Daejin was ten times larger than Cheonnam, the number of cultivators was far more than ten times greater.

However, the variety of goods was greater, with many spiritual medicines and refining materials that he had not seen in Cheonnam or even the Nanhai Sea [South Sea]. If he visited a few top-grade markets, it wouldn’t be too difficult to find the materials he needed.

As he was thinking this, the middle-aged man on the stage brought out a new tray. The deep red crystal on the tray boasted a beautiful color, as if fire was burning inside.

“Here are three Fire Melting Crystals. They are the best materials for refining fire-attribute magical artifacts. Let’s start the bidding at 500 spirit stones.”

Han Li, who had been casually observing the crystal, suddenly lit up.

“Kid, what’s with you? What’s so special about a few crystals like that?” Great Yan Divine Lord sent a lazy telepathic message.

“It’s not a crystal. Even you make mistakes sometimes, Senior,” Han Li said with a light laugh, immediately offering 600 spirit stones to participate in the auction.

“Even if my cultivation is gone, my consciousness remains. There’s no way I’d be wrong.”

“In terms of experience and knowledge, you are definitely ahead, Senior, but when it comes to demon cores, I am confident that I am unmatched. There are few who know as much about demon cores as I do.”

“Demon core? But even the appraiser who examined the items before the auction should be experienced. How could they make a mistake?” Great Yan Divine Lord asked, suspicious. Han Li simply smiled and offered a higher price, outbidding the other competitors.

“Alright. The three Fire Melting Crystals go to Cultivator number 243 for 800 spirit stones. Please pay the spirit stones at the back and pick up your item,” the middle-aged man said loudly, delighted that the Fire Melting Crystals had sold for much more than their market price. Han Li picked up his jade plate and walked towards a small door.

A Qi Condensation stage cultivator in a white robe was waiting there and guided him to a small room. Han Li sat down, and the female cultivator brought him a cup of spiritual tea before leaving.

Han Li didn’t touch the spiritual tea and looked around. Soon, a bald Foundation Establishment stage old man entered.

“Sorry for the wait. Please check if the item is correct!” the old man said with a smile, narrowing his eyes as he presented the tray. Han Li took the tray and examined the crystals for a long time.

“Is there a problem with the Fire Melting Crystals?”

“No. It’s exactly what I was looking for,” Han Li said, taking back the crystals and leaving. The old man frowned as he watched him go.

Back at the auction, Han Li flipped his palm and took out one of the Fire Melting Crystals, smiling with satisfaction.

“You spent 800 spirit stones to buy three Fire Melting Crystals. You’re quite generous,” the woman in the green robe next to him couldn’t help but comment after seeing his expression.

“It’s something I’ve been looking for a long time, so the spirit stones I paid are not a waste,” Han Li said, glancing at her before flipping his palm to take back the crystal.

The woman in the green robe was startled when she saw a flash of blue light in Han Li’s eyes. She tried to say something but swallowed hard instead.

At that moment, Great Yan Divine Lord, who was in a good mood due to the unexpected gain, asked Han Li, “So, what’s the connection between that and the demon core?”

“As you might have guessed, one of the three Fire Melting Crystals is actually a seventh-grade demon beast’s core. However, it has been left for so long that it has turned into a crystal. Even with a strong consciousness, it wouldn’t be easy to recognize.”

“A seventh-grade demon beast’s demon core? If you didn’t recognize it with your consciousness, how did you know?”

“It’s deeply related to the killing intent in my body. I’ve killed thousands of high-grade demon beasts before, which is why I have such a dense killing intent. Because of that, the killing intent is most sensitive to demon cores. Moreover, I’ve refined many demon cores over the years, so I have my own method of identifying them.”

“If you’ve killed that many demon beasts, I can understand the killing intent in your body. But I don’t think I’ve heard this story before? It seems you’re still hiding a lot from me?”

“That’s not true. It’s just a minor incident from the past. By the way, do you know what this crystallized demon core, the Purified Demon Core, is used for?” Han Li quickly changed the subject, not wanting to talk about what happened in the Nanhai Sea with the old monster.

“I’ve never even heard of the term Purified Demon Core, so how would I know its use?” Great Yan Divine Lord quickly took the bait, showing his curiosity.

“A demon core that has turned into a crystal is no longer a true demon core. If you use it to refine pills, it will definitely contain a strange poison. Although it’s not as potent as the Ten Severing Poisons, an ordinary cultivator would die the moment they consume it. The best way to use it is to refine it into a needle-shaped magical treasure. It’s extremely fast and can hide the light of spiritual energy when attacking, making it good for ambushes. However, the possibility of a demon core changing like this is extremely low, and there’s no specific way to recognize it, so I wouldn’t have been able to recognize it if I didn’t have killing intent.”

Han Li stroked his chin, thinking about the jade slip that contained the refining method using the Purified Demon Core.

He had obtained this jade slip from one of the cultivators he had killed in the Nanhai Sea. He had kept it because he thought the content was interesting, but he never expected that he would find such a rare refining material.

“It seems there are still many things I don’t know in this world. Well, I guess no cultivator has traveled the entire human realm. As far as I know, there are at least six or seven cultivation realms like Cheonnam, and I’ve only been to two of them besides Daejin.”

Great Yan Divine Lord seemed to have lost a bit of his energy.

“Life and reincarnation are something everyone experiences. Even if you ascend to the Spirit Realm, you won’t be able to escape the shackles. Perhaps only the immortals in the Immortal Realm are truly one with this world and its lifespan.”

“It’s still a shame. You were born with unparalleled talent, but unexpectedly, you’re hiding in a puppet’s body, barely clinging to life. If I had just one more chance, reaching the Transformation Stage wouldn’t be difficult,” Great Yan Divine Lord muttered, filled with regret, before finally falling silent. Han Li also felt a bit melancholic at his words.

The old man, who had been the master of a sect that oversaw the entire Geukseo region, must have had a time when he had no rivals in Cheonnam. It was because he had failed to reach the Transformation Stage that he was in such a miserable state. This made Han Li’s heart heavy.

There was no guarantee that Great Yan Divine Lord’s current state wouldn’t be his own future.

The auction proceeded smoothly, and more and more precious items appeared, but nothing caught Han Li’s eye. He left before the last few treasures and spiritual medicines were even presented.

He left the stone building and walked slowly between the pavilions.

He occasionally saw disciples of the clan trading with other cultivators, but no one paid him any attention. He reached a very secluded place and slowly stopped.

He had spotted a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator in a white robe waiting in front of a pavilion. Han Li spread his consciousness and found that there were no other restrictions or cultivators within several dozen yards.

Without hesitation, he changed direction and walked towards him.

“What is it?” the burly man with a fierce appearance asked, surprised that Han Li was approaching him.

“Are you a cultivator from the Gong Clan?”

“Yes, I am an outer hall steward of the Gong Clan. May I ask who you are, Fellow Cultivator…?” the burly man replied politely, judging that the other party was not an ordinary cultivator after seeing the many spirit beast pouches and storage pouches hanging from Han Li’s waist.

“I have a matter to discuss with your clan’s patriarch. Could you contact him for me?”

“You wish to see the patriarch? That might be difficult. Our patriarch is currently avoiding contact with outsiders due to important matters. Could you tell me what it is about?”

“I’m just coming from the auction, and it seems there’s a problem with an item,” Han Li said, deliberately showing a suspicious expression.

“If it’s a problem with the auction, you should talk to the cultivators in charge of it.”

“It’s not something that can be resolved that way. You’ll understand if you see the item I won at the auction,” Han Li said, moving his hand towards his storage pouch. The burly man, who was also experienced, became wary for a moment and moved his hand towards his own waist, but he relaxed when Han Li took out a red crystal.

“This is a Fire Melting Crystal. It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to see the patriarch for this,” he said, taking the crystal. At that moment, a faint blue light flew along the surface of the crystal. It was an unavoidable attack at such close range, and the burly man froze without even being able to scream.

Han Li flicked his sleeve, picked up the large block of ice wrapped in blue energy, and entered a nearby pavilion.

* * *

He entered the most secluded room in the pavilion and placed the frozen burly man on the floor. The burly man in the ice had his eyes wide open, filled with terror.

Han Li flipped his hand and took out two silver needles, throwing them towards the burly man’s head. The light in the burly man’s eyes gradually faded, and his gaze became hazy.

Chanting an incantation and casting a hand seal, the cold air left the burly man’s body, and he sat down in a cross-legged position like a puppet.

Han Li flicked his sleeve, and various colored formation flags flew out, creating a barrier that concealed their energy. Then, his figure flickered and appeared behind the burly man.

Han Li spread his five fingers and poured energy into the burly man’s head.

“What is your name, and what do you do in the Gong Clan?”

“Gong Du. Outer hall steward!”

“Where are the residents who lived in Junun Town, which the Gong Clan occupied?”

“Seven years ago, the mortals who lived there were moved to Seolgang City, a hundred miles away.”

“What is the purpose of the Gong Clan’s Three Kings Assembly this time?”

“…”

Through this question-and-answer session, Han Li was able to grasp a rough understanding of the situation.

When he withdrew his fingers, the burly man immediately collapsed and could not get up. Han Li took out a pill, put it in his mouth, and then pierced several acupoints with silver needles.

# 514