Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 524

“Our Yellow Clear Temple’s formation is the work of a master, so it’s not easy to break in from the outside. If that person walked out on their own, then it makes sense. What is the name and background of the missing disciple?”

The old female Taoist asked, her brow furrowed.

“It’s a person named Han Li, a mountain cultivator that Martial Niece Hwa-ryun brought from the White Dew Academy two years ago.”

“Han Li? Isn’t that the same name as the new elder who joined the Ye family?”

“Yes. I was surprised when I heard the name, but wouldn’t it be a coincidence? What connection could there be between a Foundation Establishment cultivator and a Nascent Soul cultivator?”

“A coincidence? How many such coincidences are there in this world? It just so happens that he disappears at a crucial time, and his name is the same as the new elder who joined the family… We’ll have to thoroughly investigate whether it’s a coincidence or not. Also, summon Hwa-ryun and ask her about the process of bringing that child here. It might be a trap set by the White Dew Academy. Moreover, tell them not to slow down the refinement and to complete it within three years.”

The old female Taoist ordered expressionlessly.

“Yes, Senior Uncle!”

“Understood!”

The two women answered in succession and left the pavilion as ordered. Only after seeing them leave did the old female Taoist let out a long sigh and close her eyes.

Two months later, in the grandest market of Ik Province, a young man bought a seemingly worthless piece of ore for ten thousand spirit stones.

Five months later, at an exchange meeting in Beon County, a masked cultivator paid 150,000 spirit stones to win the bid for three pieces of petrified wood and disappeared. Half a year later, a theft occurred at the Myunggeom Sect in Bongju Gaeryungbu. The hidden horn of the Iron-Horned Rhinoceros had vanished.

Eight months later, a grotesque-faced, mid-Nascent Soul giant suddenly appeared at the Jongpyeong Family, the leading family in Gok County, and tried to trade a thousand-year-old spirit herb and a seventh-grade demonic beast core for the Five-Colored Wood that the family possessed.

When the head of the Jongpyeong Family refused the trade, a fight broke out with two of the family’s Nascent Soul elders. However, due to the opponent’s overwhelming strength, the two Nascent Soul elders were frozen solid.

When the family head had no choice but to hand over the Five-Colored Wood, the grotesque giant laughed maniacally, threw the thousand-year-old spirit herb and demonic core, and disappeared. The two elders of the Jong Family spent a long time breaking free from the ice, but their vitality was greatly damaged.

Nine months later…

In just one year, in the southern region of Great Jin, a young man, a masked cultivator, and a grotesque-faced giant appeared frequently, taking away rare materials from various places.

Among them, the young man specialized in buying strange, little-known materials, and the masked man released an unlimited amount of spirit stones, mainly at auctions.

The grotesque giant, without hesitation, raided the strongholds of various families and small sects, trading spirit medicines and demonic cores for the rare treasures they possessed. Of course, there were also sects of considerable size among them, and even their well-hidden treasures were stolen.

While the actions of the first two could be overlooked, the grotesque-faced giant was raiding the treasuries of the cultivation sects under the guise of trade, causing an uproar in the southern cultivation world of Great Jin.

The sects that lost their treasures were furious and sent out their disciples to search for them, and those who were forced to trade also supported them from behind, enraged.

* * *

Long Province was a large province located on the western border of Great Jin, with high and rugged mountain ranges known for their poisonous miasma and insects. Unlike other regions, it was home to the Evil Yang Palace and the Demonic Wood Sect, one of the ten great demonic sects, making it a place where other forces could not easily interfere.

The small local cultivation forces were too small to pose a threat to them, and instead, they each relied on the protection of the two sects. Thus, it was no exaggeration to say that the entire Long Province was in the hands of these two sects.

The Evil Yang Palace was located on the massive peak called Namcheon Peak, at the center of the Cheonak Mountain Range in Seocheonbu, and had tens of thousands of disciples. Its security was so strict that no cultivator dared to invade it.

Even if they had the courage, there was no way to break through the thirteen layers of massive barriers that stretched outside Namcheon Peak.

One day, as the disciples of the Evil Yang Palace were passing by a certain mountainside, a blue light flashed from the top of a mountain where no one had been, and a young man appeared. The young man in a blue robe was silently watching the Evil Yang Palace disciples disappear into the distance.

“Are you trying to mess with the Evil Yang Palace? You need to think carefully. The Evil Yang Palace is one of the top five sects among the righteous ten great sects.”

The Great Yan Divine Lord sent a telepathic message.

“I know. But haven’t we collected almost all the materials for the Three Flame Threads? Now, only the feathers of the Howling Yang Bird and the scales of the Red Fire Dragon remain. I’ve already gotten news about the Red Fire Dragon from the market. There’s a story that a powerful flood dragon has appeared on the eastern coast of Great Jin, devouring the cultivators on the shore, and it happens to be a red flood dragon.

I don’t know if it’s the Red Fire Dragon, but I’ll have to test my luck. But as for the Howling Yang Bird, even after searching the entire southern region, the only news I’ve gotten is that the Evil Yang Palace is raising one. What else can I do? I know the Evil Yang Palace is not an easy force to mess with, but I have no choice.”

“Why not just go directly instead of trying to be sneaky? With your mid-Nascent Soul cultivation, if you offer some rare treasures, they might give you face and agree.”

“Don’t joke around. That’s only possible when the forces are similar. What face would the Evil Yang Palace, where late-Nascent Soul cultivators reside, give to a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator who comes alone?

Moreover, although the Evil Yang Palace is raising two Howling Yang Birds, they have become the sect’s representative spirit beasts, passed down through generations. They wouldn’t let their feathers be plucked and damage their vitality. Also, if I offer precious treasures, they might have other intentions. If I were a late-Nascent Soul cultivator, I might have tried it as you said.”

“That makes sense. But it’s already been over ten days since we’ve been wandering around here. Are you going to wait until the Howling Yang Bird flies over on its own?”

“I’m looking for a suitable place to set a trap.”

“A trap? Let’s hear what your plan is.”

Han Li smiled, and the Great Yan Divine Lord smiled along.

“You’ll naturally find out when I find a suitable place. But the Evil Yang Palace has two Howling Yang Birds. I wonder if the big one or the small one would be better…”

Han Li muttered, looking at various parts of the mountain range.

“What are you talking about? The big one is said to be an eighth-grade demonic beast. Do you have the ability to take it down in a short time?”

“That’s true. It’s fortunate that the ancient spirit beasts haven’t fully formed their consciousness yet, so it’s impossible to transform them. Then, the small spirit beast is at the seventh-grade level, so I’ll have to go with that.”

“Still, if you refine it using the feathers of the eighth-grade Howling Yang Bird, the power of the Three Flame Threads will surely be even stronger.”

“It can’t be helped. It’s not that I can’t deal with an eighth-grade demonic beast, but the risk is too great. If I delay and the Evil Yang Palace cultivators find out, I’ll be chased like I was in the Tianlan Grasslands.”

Han Li shook his head.

“I guess that’s true. Still, both of them mostly stay within the Evil Yang Palace and only go out for about a hundred miles before returning. How will you lure them out?”

“Don’t worry. According to what I learned from an Evil Yang Palace disciple using Dream Incantation, the Howling Yang Birds regularly leave the Evil Yang Palace to move around. It’s difficult to manage both spirit beasts together, so they are specially allowed to get some fresh air on a fixed date each month. That’s when the opportunity will come.”

“Since you have a plan, I won’t interfere. But you must not miss the upcoming exchange meeting! I still need a few materials for refining the puppet.”

The Great Yan Divine Lord suddenly remembered the exchange meeting and urged him.

“How could I miss the Great Jin’s triennial auction that comes around once every ten years? As soon as I finish this, I’ll participate in the exchange meeting, and then I’ll head to the eastern part of Great Jin to find the flood dragon.”

“By the way, I’ve been greatly surprised by you lately. I thought it would take at least three or four years to gather this many materials, but you’ve already obtained so much! Your method of targeting treasures from both the light and the dark is quite something. Tsk, tsk, I should have had such decisiveness.”

“I also wanted to gather materials in a safe way, but time doesn’t wait. Just like how your soul is being sustained by the Yang Soul Wood, but it doesn’t have much time left.”

“You’re quite thoughtful. I knew I couldn’t hide anything from you. I’ll probably only last three or four more years before my soul dissipates. But since the materials are being gathered so quickly, I might be able to complete the puppet before I enter reincarnation.”

The Great Yan Divine Lord gave a wry smile.

“I deeply remember how you’ve helped me many times. I’m not someone who doesn’t know gratitude, so I’ll do my best to help you fulfill your wish.”

“I helped you to save myself too. What would happen to me if you died at the hands of others?”

The Great Yan Divine Lord, slightly moved, spoke the truth. Han Li smiled and flew away, disappearing in a blue light.

Two days later, Han Li appeared in a small valley on another peak. The forest was lush, and flowers were in full bloom below, creating a beautiful scene. He floated in the air, surveyed the terrain, and showed a satisfied expression.

“This place is far enough from the Evil Yang Palace cultivators, and it’s suitable for deploying formations.”

Han Li muttered to himself and then transformed into a blue streak of light, descending into the forest. Without hesitation, he began to move busily through the area.

He took out about seven sets of formation tools of various colors, but only two of them had the effect of trapping enemies. The rest were for illusions and concealing the true appearance of the forest.

The Great Yan Divine Lord was curious about what he was trying to do, but he didn’t ask and quietly watched. However, Han Li, who had set up the barriers, didn’t immediately take action but sat cross-legged in the center of the forest and closed his eyes.

* * *

Three days later, in the evening, Han Li, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, finally opened them.

He looked up at the pitch-black sky and then flipped his palm, taking out a moonstone. When he threw it into the air, a milky light poured out, illuminating the surrounding forest as if it were daytime.

He quietly got up and took out a red coral the size of several thousand feet, carefully placing it in the forest, and then took out a jade box.

Inside was a spirit herb with 13 leaves, which was the Anticipation Herb he had used countless times.

“Is this what you’ve prepared?”

When Han Li planted the Anticipation Herb on the coral, the Great Yan Divine Lord couldn’t help but ask. He had seen it being used as food for the Silver Devouring Beetles, but he was curious about what other purpose it would serve.

“This spirit herb is called the Luring Demonic Herb, meaning it’s a spirit herb that lures demonic beasts. So, you should understand without me saying more.”

“Luring Demonic Herb! Then…”

The Great Yan Divine Lord immediately understood Han Li’s plan.

“Yes, six days later, when the day comes to release the small Howling Yang Bird… hahaha!”

* * *

Bang Jeo was a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Evil Yang Palace. There were over eight hundred cultivators with this level of cultivation in the Evil Yang Palace, so he was not usually noticeable. However, even the Core Formation senior uncles and senior brothers treated him with respect and never dared to treat him carelessly.

In fact, he was well aware that such treatment was due to the task he was in charge of. He was the cultivator who managed the smaller of the Howling Yang Birds.

He was born with the special ability to understand the language of avian spirit beasts, so no one else could replace him. Taking care of spirit beasts was almost like commanding them, so it was not something to be taken lightly.

The spirit beast’s cultivation was comparable to a late-Core Formation cultivator, so it was natural that they were wary of him, who managed such a spirit beast. He had been managing spirit beasts for 30 years now, so he was very skilled.

The only inconvenience was that he had to be with the spirit beast all day long, no matter what he was doing, and it was the same even when he was taking it for a walk around the vicinity like today.

However, he was at ease, believing that the hundred thousand miles of the Cheonak Mountain Range were within the control of the Evil Yang Palace. Thus, Bang Jeo was following the Howling Yang Bird from afar, which had flown out of its cage early in the morning.

# 526