Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 557

The giant wolf, sensing the shift in the situation, inhaled deeply and unleashed an even more intense torrent of corpse fire. Bai Yaoyi responded by producing a fan from her mouth.

With a gentle flick of the fan towards the corpse wolf, a blizzard, laced with countless ice crystals, surged forth.

Hee-oong, kugoogugung!

Turquoise and white lights overwhelmed the other treasures’ glow, and explosions echoed for a prolonged period.

The corpse wolf’s fire was incredibly potent, showing no signs of weakening even against the opposing ice attacks. Bai Yaoyi’s face flushed with a red tinge, and in her anger, she channeled more magical power into her fan, causing it to double in size.

As the blizzard intensified, Old Man Bu conjured about a dozen fire chains, aiming them at the wolf’s head like a massive net.

Lady Mi also began to chant, and her three red flying swords trembled, merging into a single, giant sword that soared forward. Simultaneously, the giant silently retrieved his jade pendant and produced a dark blue gourd, this time spewing out a thick purple mist.

Finally, Han Li, having assessed the others’ abilities, shook a red thread from his sleeve.

Faced with such a barrage of attacks, even the giant wolf would struggle to endure. It was already being pushed back by the fire chains and red sword energy, and the purple mist was about to join the fray.

Though not particularly intelligent, the corpse wolf instinctively sensed the danger. A green light flashed across its body, and it shrank significantly, causing the fur on its back to bristle.

Kwang!

With a roar, a dense green light erupted from the wolf and hurtled towards the five cultivators.

Shushushushuk.

While the cultivators reinforced their barriers, the corpse wolf abruptly changed direction and fled in a frenzy.

Just then, a red light flashed, and a red needle appeared beside the giant wolf. The needle, flashing red once more, pierced through the turquoise flames protecting the creature.

Pook!

The incredibly sharp red needle sliced through the flames, and the startled wolf desperately turned its head, but the needle had already pierced its neck and exited the other side.

Kwang!

Howling in agony, the corpse wolf emitted black energy from its paws before vanishing into the yin wind, leaving no trace. The old man and the others showed signs of relief at this.

“Let’s pursue it quickly!”

Someone shouted, and the cultivators surged forward, their speed enhanced by their own lights. However, a beast’s cry from Han Li’s waist caused him to halt.

Though faint, the cry drastically changed Han Li’s expression, and he unleashed blue sword energy, striking the ground a dozen feet away.

Perpeopeong!

Dark light flashed from the ground, and pitch-black hands materialized in the air, deflecting the sword energy with ease. Then, a powerful yin wind rose, and three shadows emerged—the ganshi [undead corpses].

They had somehow bypassed the formation at the entrance and followed the cultivators.

When Han Li and the others suddenly increased their speed, one of the ganshi inadvertently revealed its energy, which the Soul Devourer in the spirit beast bag keenly detected.

The ganshi were all withered corpses, but their physiques varied. Han Li, with his exceptional memory, recognized one as the corpse that had previously turned to ashes and disappeared.

At this, the other cultivators cried out in surprise.

“How are the ganshi alive and moving? They were clearly dead…”

Lady Mi murmured in black, indicating that she too had encountered ganshi during her search. Bai Yaoyi was equally surprised, having witnessed Han Li eliminate one of them.

“Do you know what these are? This isn’t the time to worry about such things; it’s crucial to track down the Yin Earth Demon. Cultivator Han, Cultivator Shang, please stay behind and deal with these ghouls, while the rest of us continue the pursuit! Once the Yin Earth Demon hides, it will be difficult to find again.”

Old Man Bu was also puzzled by the ganshi’s appearance, but the Yin Earth Demon remained the priority.

After Lady Mi and Han Li nodded, the remaining cultivators flew towards the corpse wolf. Han Li summoned his flying swords and stood beside Lady Mi, facing the three ganshi.

Although the ghouls’ powers were strange, they had been shattered by the Evil-Slaying Divine Lightning, making their reappearance a mystery. Therefore, Han Li, though outwardly calm, was on high alert.

Lady Mi, as an elder of the Gu You Sect, was knowledgeable about demonic arts and yokai, and she sensed that the ganshi were not to be underestimated. The red giant sword circling her head emitted an even more intense light.

Seeing the two cultivators’ composed demeanor, the ganshi in the distance made the first move.

The ganshi in the middle stepped forward and opened its mouth, spewing out gray threads towards Lady Mi.

“You seek death.”

Lady Mi’s expression hardened, and she flicked her sleeve, sending out a dozen fireballs in succession. The giant sword also sliced through the air, releasing a bright red sword energy.

She assumed the thin threads were merely condensed corpse energy and used fire-attribute techniques, their natural counter.

However, something astonishing occurred.

Pupuk!

The gray threads pierced through the fireballs as if they were nothing, and the flames were cleanly absorbed into the threads.

The red sword energy that followed was also instantly absorbed and vanished. The thin threads then flew directly towards Lady Mi.

“… !”

Startled, she raised an arm and released a blue shield, while the giant sword in the air attempted to cut the gray threads directly.

Reasoning that spiritual power and magic were absorbed, she thought they would be vulnerable to magic treasures. As expected, when the giant sword struck, the gray threads momentarily stopped moving.

Lady Mi was pleased and tried to infuse more energy into the giant sword, but the gray threads suddenly became indistinct and split into over a hundred strands.

They instantly wrapped around the giant sword.

A strange dark light appeared along the gray threads. Each time the sword’s red light touched the dark light, it dimmed, and the giant sword’s surface gradually turned black.

Lady Mi’s consciousness was linked to the giant sword, causing her movements to slow for a moment. In that instant, her expression hardened, and she summoned a wheel-shaped treasure from her sleeve.

Kkwagwang!

However, before she could activate the treasure, a thunderous sound erupted from the side, and a dazzling golden lightning bolt shot out, striking the giant sword.

Pachit! Kkwagwang!

The gray threads were torn to shreds in the golden light with a loud noise, and the giant sword was freed.

“Thank you.”

The woman expressed her gratitude and quickly formed a hand seal. The giant sword immediately dissolved into three streaks of red light and disappeared into her sleeve.

However, the gray threads that had been torn to shreds surprisingly re-condensed and recovered. The other two ganshi also stepped forward, as if preparing to launch a joint attack.

At this, Lady Mi’s face hardened, and she looked closely at the gray threads, suddenly realizing something.

“Soul-Slaying Threads! That’s not the energy of a jiangshi [Chinese hopping vampire]; it’s made of the jiangshi’s killing intent.”

“You mean corpse killing energy?”

The killing intent of a jiangshi was a unique energy created when the killing intent of a cultivator, who originally possessed it, combined with the energy of a jiangshi after death.

This energy was extremely difficult to create, requiring the corpse of a cultivator above the Core Formation stage and meeting various conditions. Once formed, it was nearly impossible to eliminate and had the strange ability to contaminate the five elements of spiritual energy and various magic treasures and artifacts.

It seemed that even the Evil-Slaying Divine Lightning could not completely eliminate the Soul-Slaying Threads. As Han Li finished assessing the situation, the three ganshi simultaneously stretched out their hands, extending gray threads.

Lady Mi activated the wheel she was holding and chanted a spell. The wheel spun in the air, and a seven-colored light of spiritual energy enveloped Han Li and her.

“Seven colors, it’s a Buddhist treasure!”

Han Li, who was about to release golden lightning from his fingertips, was surprised. No matter how fast and powerful the Soul-Slaying Threads were, they were blocked by the seven-colored barrier.

Buddhist techniques were naturally the opposite of ghost techniques, so it was not surprising, but it was unexpected that Lady Mi, an elder of a demonic sect, possessed a Buddhist treasure.

Even though the Soul-Slaying Threads were ineffective, the three ganshi did not give up and continued to flick their fingers. Countless pale gray threads split and began to surround the barrier in layers.

Han Li spread his arms, his gaze cold.

Thick golden lightning erupted from both arms, striking the barrier’s surface, and a loud noise echoed as the outer gray threads disappeared.

The ganshi were unfazed and continued to release Soul-Slaying Threads. Through this attack, the scattered gray energy began to re-condense.

“Cultivator Shang, let me out!”

Han Li shouted urgently, and with a thunderous sound, silver wings appeared behind him.

Lady Mi, who had tried to stop him, also saw this and opened a gap in the barrier. Simultaneously, his wings flapped, and he vanished.

The ganshi looked around, seeing this.

A moment later, a silver light flashed behind them, and Han Li reappeared.

The three ganshi immediately flicked their fingers, sending out gray threads. But Han Li seemed to have no intention of dodging, and he spat out three golden streaks from his mouth, ambushing them.

In terms of speed, Han Li’s golden light was slightly faster than the gray threads.

Pook, pook, pook.

The small, golden, dazzling swords instantly pierced through the ganshi’s chests. However, the Soul-Slaying Threads, with Han Li’s shout, deployed a seven-colored barrier, blocking them.

Lady Mi was also dumbfounded at the sight of the seven-colored barrier.

Han Li expressionlessly stretched out his hand towards the three ganshi, and thunder sounded three times as golden lightning erupted from each sword, trapping the ganshi in a lightning net.

Before the ganshi could even struggle, the golden lightning exploded in the net, blasting their entire bodies. But from within the golden light, black energy rose and began to fuse on its own.

Han Li narrowed his brow.

“That seems to be the main body of the corpse. Surprisingly, it has fused corpse killing energy with its body. It seems impossible to kill, so let’s temporarily seal it with a restriction.”

Lady Mi, who had shown joy when Han Li dealt with the ganshi in one go, suggested this after seeing the black energy.

“There’s no need for that. It seems we can’t trap it with ordinary restrictions anyway, so we should see this through to the end.”

“Huh?”

Before Lady Mi could understand his intentions, Han Li’s hand brushed against the spirit beast bag, and a glossy, pitch-black furred monkey appeared.

The Soul Devourer, forgetting its drowsiness due to the jiangshi’s energy, was clearly excited. As soon as it emerged, the Soul Devourer snorted without waiting for Han Li’s command.

A yellow energy escaped from the Soul Devourer’s nose, wrapped around the black energy in the golden lightning, and entered its mouth. The Soul Devourer swallowed the energy a few times, then patted its belly and ran around excitedly.

Lady Mi, who was watching from the side, widened her eyes.

There were rare spirit beasts that devoured ghouls, but they were not unheard of. However, the sight of the small monkey easily devouring a ghoul made of corpse killing energy was truly bizarre. Moreover, a monkey-shaped yokai that devoured ghosts reminded her of the legendary Azure-Eyed Spirit Ape, but its appearance was completely different.

While she was surprised, Han Li was relieved at the Soul Devourer’s unharmed appearance. When he gestured, the monkey obediently jumped up and sat on his shoulder.

“Let’s go now. I don’t know if they’ve caught the Yin Earth Demon.”

“Perhaps they have? The corpse wolf was injured, so it couldn’t have run far. Besides, there are three cultivators.”

Cultivator Shang smiled, barely taking his eyes off the Soul Devourer. Han Li also smiled and was about to move when he suddenly looked at Lady Mi.

“… !”

“Oh no!”

Han Li and Lady Mi, their expressions changing drastically, took out formation disks from their sleeves.

“Cultivator Won’s mark has disappeared. Cultivator Shang, can you sense it?”

“The mark I left has disappeared. It seems something has happened.”

“Perhaps they’ve encountered a powerful enemy and are trapped by a restriction, so the mark isn’t appearing.”

“Cultivator Han is right. Then let’s go quickly. It seems that Senior Brother Bu is not far away either.”

Two streaks of light shot off the ground and flew through the passage.

They passed through passages and alleys in succession and stopped about a dozen feet away. In a rather large space, there was an abandoned ore vein.