Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 584

Geon Noma, enraged, scattered into a crimson mist, attempting to reassemble his physical form nearby. However, the silver chains relentlessly pursued him, denying him any time to recover.

As this repeated, the crimson hue visibly faded.

“Do you wish to die!” Noma’s furious roar echoed from within the crimson mist. Despite his outburst, Geon Noma realized the situation was turning against him.

In this space filled with the Arctic Origin Light [a powerful energy field], no matter how quickly the crimson mist moved, the silver chains could strike from anywhere.

Instead of reforming, the crimson mist condensed into a tight crimson bead.

“Blood Demon Orb!”

“Did you think this old one would truly fear the likes of you? Die!” Noma’s voice emanated from the crimson bead, which then transformed into a beam of light and shot towards Han Li. Han Li responded by casting hand seals, causing the silver chains to reappear and attack the Blood Demon Orb once more.

However, the orb was incredibly fast, easily breaking through the silver chains.

Clang! Clang!

Each time the orb vibrated, the silver chains were lightly deflected.

In response, Han Li calmly flipped one hand, generating golden lightning, while his other hand, hidden within his sleeve, held the Three-Flame Fan [a powerful artifact].

Since Noma had poured both his Nascent Soul [a core of spiritual energy] and Divine Soul into the Blood Demon Orb, destroying the orb would end it all.

The Blood Demon Orb was renowned among demonic techniques, as it allowed one to use their Nascent Soul and Divine Soul as a second body.

It was said that refining it required the blood of over a hundred spirit beasts and mastery of several special demonic arts.

However, for Han Li, this was an excellent opportunity to deal with his opponent easily. Once the Blood Demon Orb got close, he planned to unleash the Evil-Slaying Divine Lightning to trap it, then finish it off with a single strike from the Three-Flame Fan.

He waited, fully prepared, but the orb, which had been flying as a beam of light, suddenly burst into flames and vanished.

Han Li raised an eyebrow, scanning his surroundings. He was wary that Geon Noma might be attempting a surprise attack using some special stealth technique.

However, the Blood Demon Orb, engulfed in flames, reappeared far away within the Arctic Origin Light.

“Do you think this old one is so foolish! Rather than risk my life fighting high-level cultivators like you here, I’ll go outside and join forces with others to deal with you!”

The Blood Demon Orb rapidly disappeared through the dense silver rays. It was now impossible to pursue. Although it was an unexpected turn of events, he showed no signs of panic.

Instead, Han Li’s gaze shifted towards the Automaton Heart Demon [a powerful puppet], which was still battling Gyu Ryung.

The giant skeleton was still wielding its bone sword, showing no signs of fleeing like Geon Noma.

Han Li’s expression changed, and with a thunderous sound, wings sprouted from his back. He stared coldly in the direction Geon Noma had disappeared.

After pondering for a moment, he opened his mouth and spat out something enveloped in blue light. It was the Void Sky Cauldron [a magical artifact].

At that moment, a loud explosion echoed from within the Arctic Origin Light, followed by Geon Noma’s distant curses. The crimson light was returning through the Arctic Origin Light, with a gaunt figure chasing close behind.

Geon Noma felt a chill as he saw Han Li waiting for him.

As the Blood Demon Orb hesitated, the figure in the silver light behind him drew a red arrow and launched it into the air, causing countless arrows to appear and shoot forward.

Han Li smirked at Geon Noma, who had transformed into the Blood Demon Orb, and waved the Three-Flame Fan. A phoenix cry echoed as three-colored flames flowed out, transforming into a firebird that lunged at the orb.

Geon Noma was terrified by the attacks coming from both sides. He had already witnessed the power of the Three-Flame Fan, and the attack from behind was incredibly sharp, having already caught him by surprise.

Forced to choose, the Blood Demon Orb retreated, unleashing a burst of crimson light. A gray demonic face emerged from the orb, opening its mouth and spewing out a jet-black banner.

The banner, which grew several feet in size with the wind, was filled with Yin energy [a dark, negative energy] and exuded a ghostly aura.

Han Li immediately recognized the banner. Except for the much denser demonic energy, it was identical to the one he had obtained before. It was not surprising that Geon Noma, the Great Elder of the Yin Fiend Sect, possessed a Ghost Spirit Banner [a demonic artifact].

The banner unfurled, blocking the path of the Blood Demon Orb.

Immediately, a powerful Yin wind blew, and the surroundings filled with black mist. Within it, grotesque demonic heads appeared one after another, spitting flames at the incoming arrows.

The arrows pierced through the Yin energy, causing explosions. Geon Noma, hiding behind the banner’s power, manipulated the Blood Demon Orb and the Ghost Spirit Banner to escape, glancing back.

However, the phoenix made of fire was spreading its wings and pursuing him closely. Startled, Geon Noma increased the green energy of the Ghost Spirit Banner, causing black holes to appear on its surface.

Yin energy poured out from the pitch-black darkness, and a demon emerged, revealing sharp teeth. Unlike the previous demonic heads, this hideous demon had limbs, wore black armor, and held a trident in its hand.

The green ghost fire flickering at the tip of the trident looked incredibly powerful. The demon, having been trapped within the Ghost Spirit Banner for a long time, roared with excitement as it appeared.

At that moment, the three-colored firebird flew towards the demon. The demon opened its mouth, releasing pitch-black Yin energy, and extended the trident in its hand.

Bang!

The moment the firebird and Yin energy collided, an explosion occurred. A mysterious energy spread, filling the surrounding area with three-colored magic.

Within it, the hideous demon and the released Yin energy vanished like melting snow, but thanks to that, the Blood Demon Orb was able to escape the three-colored energy.

Geon Noma, relieved, felt a pang of pain as he looked at the Ghost Spirit Banner. The Ghost Spirit Banner, a treasure of the Yin Fiend Sect, had lost its luster and most of its spirit.

The reason the Ghost Spirit Banner was considered a treasure of the Yin Fiend Sect was not because of its apparent power. Its true power was unleashed when all 18 banners were gathered, allowing one to survive even against a Transformation Stage cultivator [a very powerful cultivator].

However, since it was impossible for one cultivator to possess all 18 Ghost Spirit Banners unless the sect was facing annihilation, the 18 highest-ranking cultivators each possessed one.

And Han Li had one of them. Geon Noma’s teeth clenched at the thought.

He was somewhat relieved to be attacked by the Three-Flame Fan. The more powerful a treasure was, the more magic power it consumed, and since he had already used it once against the woman from the Fire Immortal Sect, he wouldn’t be able to use the fan again.

However, contrary to Geon Noma’s expectations, an unexpected event occurred.

The figure in the silver light shot out something jade-colored from his hand, which disappeared mid-air with a loud noise.

‘No!’

Geon Noma had a bad feeling, recognizing the familiar energy. He had been severely injured by the Evil-Slaying Divine Lightning during the initial attack. Noma couldn’t allow that to happen again.

The demonic face swallowed the Ghost Spirit Banner, and the Blood Demon Orb became hazy. Just before the short jade-colored arrow, carrying golden lightning, pierced through it, the Blood Demon Orb vanished.

About a dozen feet away, crimson flames exploded, and the Blood Demon Orb reappeared. However, as soon as the Blood Demon Orb appeared, a black light flashed, and a flying dagger silently flew towards it.

Clang!

A clear sound of the orb shattering and Geon Noma’s scream echoed simultaneously.

“Impossible! The Blood Demon Orb, destroyed so easily… Even the Heavenly Asura Sword of the Taiyi Sect couldn’t do this!” Geon Noma cried out in disbelief. Finally, the crimson orb shattered completely, and his Nascent Soul escaped from within.

The Nascent Soul’s appearance was truly bizarre. In addition to the crimson shield and banner, five skull heads were biting his entire body. The sight of the black skull heads tightly gripping and sucking blood from the Nascent Soul was spine-chilling.

Geon Noma immediately used the Ghost Spirit Banner to block the Arctic Origin Light, transforming into black energy to escape. In response, the giant skeleton that had been fighting Gyu Ryung roared at Geon Noma’s sharp cry, scattering into five gray-white energies and returning.

Since the Blood Demon Orb was destroyed, he couldn’t use the crimson shadow to replace his body, but his Nascent Soul could possess one of the Automaton Heart Demons.

Naturally, Gyu Ryung wouldn’t let the Automaton Heart Demon leave. She immediately returned to her original form, transforming into a black and white beam of light and chasing after it.

Han Li, expressionless, flapped his silver wings and appeared in front of the black energy, extending his hand.

Boom!

A thunderous sound echoed as the net formed by golden lightning enveloped the Nascent Soul. Recognizing the Evil-Slaying Divine Lightning, the Nascent Soul quickly changed direction, but a pale-faced middle-aged cultivator blocked his path.

The cultivator, wearing a yellow robe and with a wooden expression, held a red bow in one hand. It was the puppet that Han Li had refined.

The puppet appeared without a sound, and while Geon Noma’s Nascent Soul was startled, it emitted purple light from its eyes.

Geon Noma’s Nascent Soul was enveloped in the purple light, falling into it as if possessed by a ghost. He even felt a desire to never escape from there.

“This is, a Soul Confusion Technique!” Noma, with his strong consciousness, quickly regained his senses and shouted. Panicked, he immediately turned his head, avoiding the middle-aged cultivator’s eyes, and tried to flee in another direction.

However, a strange spiritual energy wave was detected, and a small cauldron blocked his path.

The cauldron, slowly rotating in the air, emitted a blue light. Although it was the first time he had seen it, Noma, who had lived for hundreds of years, immediately realized that something was wrong with the cauldron and tried to escape quickly.

At that moment, the small cauldron vibrated with a clear sound, and blue energy flowed out, pouring towards Geon Noma.

With a tremendous burst of light, Geon Noma screamed within the black energy, but neither his crimson Nascent Soul nor the Ghost Spirit Banner could move, trapped by the blue light.

Boom!

Silver light flashed, and Han Li used his Lightning Escape Technique to stand in front of Geon Noma. He smiled faintly and extended his hand, causing ripples to appear in the air as the blue cauldron appeared and fell down.

Han Li, holding the cauldron, looked at Geon Noma’s Nascent Soul with calm eyes.

The Nascent Soul was already terrified, and at his hostile gaze, he gritted his teeth, trying to spit out blood. Han Li’s gaze grew even colder.

Thwack! Thwack!

Golden and silver talismans flew and attached themselves to the Nascent Soul, immediately stopping all his actions and scattering the vicious secret technique he was about to unleash.

At this moment, silver light flashed, and the middle-aged cultivator wearing a yellow robe approached. It was a movement that left no trace. Han Li’s face relaxed, and he smiled mysteriously.

From the beginning, he had hidden the puppet near the entrance of the Kunwu Hall. It was to prepare for the cunning Geon Noma’s escape.

Since the puppet was not a living being, it had no breath or pulse, and with its high cultivation, it could perform almost perfect stealth.

As his defeat became imminent, Geon Noma, who was trying to escape, was ambushed by the puppet that had been waiting for him. He tasted bitterness from the arrows made of the Thunderfire Bow and Golden Thunderwood and had no choice but to return.

However, since Han Li needed to capture Geon Noma’s Nascent Soul alive, he used the Demon Marrow Flying Dagger, refined with Demon Marrow and other rare materials, to destroy the Blood Demon Orb and used the Evil-Slaying Divine Lightning to force Noma’s Nascent Soul towards the puppet.

He used the puppet’s eyes, refined with Mystic Light Essence, to cast a Soul Confusion Technique to buy time and used the Void Sky Cauldron to capture the Nascent Soul.

Han Li looked down at the small cauldron in his hand.

He had only just mastered the first level of the Heavenly Cauldron Art, allowing him to emit spiritual light from the Void Sky Cauldron. He would probably need to reach the late Nascent Soul stage to properly open the cauldron lid.

# 586