Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 589

590. The Golden Demon Ring and the Ice Soul Valley

In truth, Hyuncheongja wasn’t particularly concerned about the lives of others. However, after receiving information that the Yeop family had created the crack in the seal, he was trying to investigate further. But then, an order came down from within the sect, instructing him to enter the crack with the Seven Mysteries True Immortal of the Heavenly Demon Sect and prevent other cultivators from entering.

The identity of the cultivator who secretly issued this order was so influential within the Taiyi Sect that there was no room for defiance. Otherwise, Hyuncheongja, with his status, would never have taken on such a burdensome and unrewarding task.

It was only after receiving a jade slip containing a letter that he learned about this place. Hyuncheongja was shocked and deeply regretted having so readily allowed Geon Noma and others to enter earlier.

Now, he would absolutely not allow any other cultivators to pass through this place.

If the cultivators went in and messed things up, and that led to the seal breaking, it was impossible to know if there would be any adversaries left in the human realm. Moreover, there was a treasure called the Heaven Piercing Treasure inside, and he couldn’t let it fall into the hands of others.

Hyuncheongja cleared his throat, lost in thought. He was pondering what to say to appease the others when a cold voice echoed from afar.

“Is there anyone who dares to defy the path blocked by the Heavenly Demon Sect and the Taiyi Sect?”

As soon as he heard the voice, Old Man Ra’s expression changed, and a black streak of light flew in from afar, stopping in front of everyone.

The light dissipated, and a middle-aged scholar with a hooked nose, wearing a beige robe, appeared. He coldly scanned Old Man Ra and the cultivator in the green mist.

“Seven Mysteries True Immortal!”

Old Man Ra recognized the scholar at once, and his heart sank.

It wasn’t because the other’s cultivation was superior to Hyuncheongja’s, but because he was a notorious demon, a law enforcement elder of the Heavenly Demon Sect, known for his cruel and vicious methods.

“Of course not. Since your sect and the Taiyi Sect have stepped forward, waiting a few more days is nothing,” Old Man Ra said with a smile, naturally retreating into the crowd. The cultivator in the green mist also retreated without a word.

The surrounding cultivators were shaken by the sight of the righteous and demonic sects joining forces. The fact that the top sects of both sides were acting so firmly suggested that something enormous was hidden behind the crack in the seal.

At that moment, seven or eight cultivators from the Heavenly Demon Sect flew in from afar, and surprisingly, all of them were Nascent Soul stage cultivators [a high level of cultivation].

As soon as they arrived, they threw out formation tools and discs, creating a powerful restriction, and a thick fog arose, completely obscuring the entrance to the crack.

Then, Hyuncheongja, the Seven Mysteries True Immortal, and the others disappeared inside. Hyuncheongja, taking a breather at the center of the formation, smiled at the Seven Mysteries True Immortal.

“Brother Seven Mysteries, you arrived sooner than expected. It would have been difficult for me alone to stop the other cultivators. It seems that for such matters, a person with a renowned reputation is needed.”

“And that reputation isn’t a bad one?”

“That’s not what I meant.”

Hyuncheongja chuckled at the middle-aged scholar’s chilly question.

“Enough about that. After all, we both came here under orders, so we have no choice. But I heard that cultivators from the Eumra Sect went in. Did Geon Noma take the lead?”

“When I arrived, they had already entered the seal with other cultivators. The reason I let the cultivators from the Eumra Sect and the Heavenly Orchid Prairie in later was because there was a Great Master among them, and at the time, we didn’t know much about this place, so there was no reason to stop them.”

Hyuncheongja deliberately avoided mentioning the women from the Hwaseon Sect, whether by mistake or on purpose.

“Who would have known that the Yeop family would use a fake Heaven Piercing Treasure to draw attention and plot such a thing? If it weren’t for a spy we planted within the Yeop family long ago, we wouldn’t have known they were after the real Heaven Piercing Treasure until now!”

The Seven Mysteries True Immortal muttered darkly.

“The unfortunate thing is that the Yeop family’s surveillance was so tight that the news was delayed. It was only after destroying part of the barrier they were trying to create and escaping in the confusion that we could send the message. If we had known a little sooner, we could have prevented the seal from breaking. No matter how precious the Heaven Piercing Treasure is, if the avatar of the Ancient Demon Saint escapes, the losses will outweigh the gains. It’s been a while since Geon Noma went in, so I’m worried he might already be breaking the seal.”

Hyuncheongja sighed.

“Geon Noma isn’t that foolish, so he won’t do that if he knows the truth. However, the cultivators from the Heavenly Orchid Prairie, who have nothing to do with the Great Jin, are a concern.”

“Oh, I heard that your sect and the Radiant Sacred Hall have some connections, but I didn’t expect you to be so wary of them.”

“Connections? It’s just a matter of shared interests.”

“The seals of the ancient cultivators won’t be broken so easily, so if it’s not too late, we can stop them. Even if the Ancient Demon’s avatar has already escaped, it would have suffered greatly from the suppression of the restrictions for a long time. If we work together with the Golden Demon Rings, we can subdue it again.”

“The Golden Demon Rings? Isn’t that an ancient artifact that is specially refined in the Spirit Realm to subdue demons?”

“It’s a treasure that the Spirit Realm cultivators used to subdue high-level demons when the Ancient Demon invaded the human realm. Even if it’s just an avatar of the Ancient Demon, five Golden Demon Rings will be enough to subdue it.”

The Seven Mysteries True Immortal sneered at the surprised Hyuncheongja.

“I was worried that this mission might be too dangerous, but it’s a relief. I didn’t expect you to come so thoroughly prepared. I feel reassured!”

Hyuncheongja’s expression brightened.

“Where would I get such treasures? The sect gave them to me to use for this mission. Didn’t the Taiyi Sect give you anything?”

“I was in such a hurry to get here first that I didn’t have time for that. But I have the Heavenly Asura Sword, so it will be of help.”

Hyuncheongja smiled wryly.

“The Heavenly Asura Sword is the best for dealing with demons.”

“But I still don’t understand. The letter said that unless it’s the worst-case scenario, we shouldn’t kill the Ancient Demon but reseal it. What does that mean? If we just kill it, the threat will be gone forever!”

“Who knows? I received the same order, so there must be some reason. But considering that the ancient cultivators also sealed them instead of killing them, there must be a special reason, so we should just do as we’re told.”

The Seven Mysteries True Immortal adopted a cautious attitude.

“You’re right. Then let’s hurry. I’m worried that something might go wrong if we waste time. You brought the Spirit Turtle Flying Chariot, right?”

Hyuncheongja said, looking at the crack in the seal. The Seven Mysteries True Immortal smiled at his words and flicked his sleeve, and a black light spread out, circling in front of the two cultivators.

Suddenly, a carriage the size of several sheets of paper appeared, shaped like a giant turtle shell. The Seven Mysteries True Immortal and Hyuncheongja gave a few instructions to the cultivators who had come with them, then leaped into the carriage.

The Spirit Turtle Flying Chariot turned into a black streak of light and immediately disappeared into the seal.

* * *

The True Huan Mountain Range was one of the four great spiritual veins of the Great Jin, where the righteous sect, the Taiyi Sect, was located.

In fact, the Taiyi Sect could be considered the largest sect, regardless of whether it was righteous or demonic. The Heavenly Demon Sect and the Myriad Demon Valley were barely on par with it, and there was no other place in the Great Jin with such power.

That was why all the spiritual mountains of the True Huan Mountain Range, spanning a hundred thousand miles, were under the control of the Taiyi Sect cultivators.

The Ice Soul Valley was just one of the many valleys in the vast mountain range.

Unlike the other valleys in the True Huan Mountain Range, which were warm like spring all year round, this place had sparse spiritual energy and was covered in eternal snow, with bone-chilling winds blowing. It was such a harsh environment that even if someone were told to go there, they would all shake their heads. It was one of the forbidden areas known only to a very few within the Taiyi Sect.

Even if you asked the general disciples about the Ice Soul Valley, most of them would say they had never heard of it. That was why there was only an illusion formation at the entrance of the valley, and no other powerful restrictions were needed, nor were there any cultivators guarding it.

Nevertheless, no one had entered it for hundreds of years, and even when high-ranking elders visited, they dared not step inside.

But today, when the Seven Mysteries True Immortal and Hyuncheongja entered the crack in the seal from the Southern Frontier, an old man in a sickly gray robe appeared like a ghost.

He sneered at the illusion formation at the entrance of the valley, then turned into a streak of green light and passed through it without any difficulty.

A moment later, the old man appeared inside the valley. He looked at the massive ice wall and coldly opened his mouth.

“Old Man Baek! Knowing that a guest has arrived, are you just going to keep sitting inside there?”

The old man’s voice wasn’t loud, but it echoed throughout the valley. The ice wall trembled as if it were about to collapse. The old man in the gray robe narrowed his eyes and waited for something.

Not long after, another man’s sigh was heard from deep within the ice wall.

“Why has Fellow Cultivator Ho come to the Ice Soul Valley instead of resting in the Demon Tundra Mountain? I don’t recall inviting you.”

“Do you think I came here because I wanted to? It’s all because of Mount Kunwu.”

The old man in the gray robe snorted, showing his displeasure.

“I thought you had already sent disciples from each sect to Mount Kunwu? What’s the matter now?”

The man inside the ice wall asked in an emotionless tone.

“If only it were that simple! I don’t think you know yet, but it seems that Old Man Hyang has had an accident at Mount Kunwu.”

“Old Man Hyang? You must be mistaken. He’s the most skilled cultivator among us old-timers. What could have happened to him?”

The old man in the gray robe said with a dark face, and the person inside the ice wall finally showed a hint of surprise.

“I don’t know what happened, but this is the news that Old Man Pung sent directly through a flying sword letter [a method of long-distance communication]. Old Man Hyang and Old Man Pung were originally close friends, weren’t they? It seems they shared a Nascent Soul Pearl [a cultivation artifact]. After Mount Kunwu appeared, Old Man Hyang happened to be passing by and went to investigate, and then the light of the Nascent Soul Pearl dimmed.

That means he was either seriously injured or trapped by a powerful restriction… Unfortunately, Old Man Pung also has his own troublesome matters to deal with, so he couldn’t go himself and asked us to go instead! In return, he’ll give us each a Blood Qi Pill.”

“A Blood Qi Pill? Old Man Pung must have made a big decision. Such a pill could extend one’s lifespan by decades. But how did Old Man Pung know that Old Man Hyang had an accident at Mount Kunwu?”

The man inside the ice wall asked cautiously.

“Would Old Man Hyang, who is so meticulous, have entered Mount Kunwu without any precautions? He must have sent a flying sword letter to Old Man Pung beforehand! Fellow Cultivator Baek, are you going with me or not? You know that refining a Blood Qi Pill requires considerable effort.”

The old man subtly urged him to go together, but the man inside the ice wall remained silent and didn’t answer immediately. After a long time, the man’s voice was heard again.

“I’m not going, so go alone if you want to.”

“Even with a Blood Qi Pill at stake?”

“I don’t want to risk danger for a Blood Qi Pill.”

“What are you saying? Are you perhaps afraid that if the demon breaks free from the seal, we won’t be able to handle it?”

The old man sneered.

“It’s not that I’m afraid! It would have suffered greatly from the suppression of the restrictions for a long time. It can’t run wild like it did during the ancient war. At most, it would only be able to unleash the divine powers of the Refinement of Emptiness stage [a high level of power].”

“Then why aren’t you going?”

“I consumed a Fire Essence Jujube three years ago. I’m forcibly overcoming a cultivation bottleneck by borrowing the power of a spiritual creature, so I can’t go with you! The chances aren’t high, but I can’t give up.”

# 591