Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 649

Han Li’s decision to leave the Ice Phoenix and fly towards the island was solely to assess the situation in the Chaotic Star Sea and then return to the Great Dipper Star Island to use the ancient teleportation array. However, the middle-aged man had enthusiastically welcomed him first, so he didn’t refuse.

The middle-aged man, surnamed Gan, hurriedly sent voice transmission talismans [magical messages] to his disciples to prepare for his arrival.

Han Li was heading to Bitter Gate Island, a fairly large island with several cities inhabited by ordinary people, all under the exclusive management of the Yellow Sand Sect. To the north of Bitter Gate Island, about a million miles away, was Kui Star Island, one of the twelve inner star islands.

After a short while, the middle-aged man led him past the harbor and deep into the island, arriving at a mountain with dense spiritual energy and beautiful scenery. At the summit of the mountain were many splendidly built palaces and beautiful towers, with unknown birds flying around, making it seem like a true paradise.

“Sect Leader Gan, your sect seems to be thriving,” Han Li said with a smile to the middle-aged man.

“Not at all. It’s all just child’s play,” the middle-aged man, surnamed Gan, replied with a wry smile. In fact, all of it was a fake scenery created by illusions.

Soon after, the sound of musical instruments could be heard from the mountain peak, and a group of beautiful women in palace attire came out to greet them, led by three Core Formation stage cultivators [a cultivation stage], two men and one woman.

Han Li smiled faintly and calmly descended from the sky. He was guided into a large hall, which, unlike the splendor outside, was rather serene inside.

After the middle-aged man, surnamed Gan, and Han Li took their seats, the other three Core Formation stage cultivators stood by their sides, guarding the area. As soon as the conversation began, Han Li directly asked about the recent situation in the Chaotic Star Sea.

The middle-aged man, surnamed Gan, was momentarily puzzled, but he assumed that Han Li was a cultivator who had been in seclusion for a long time, so he didn’t ask further. After hearing that the situation in the Chaotic Star Sea was chaotic, Han Li fell into contemplation.

“Senior Han, is the place you just came from perhaps the legendary Illusory Sky Palace? How did you come out of such a place?” After a while, the middle-aged man, surnamed Gan, realized that Han Li was not of a violent nature, and finally asked what he was most curious about.

At those words, Han Li’s expression subtly changed, but he quickly regained his composure.

“You recognized the Illusory Sky Palace at a glance, Sect Leader Gan, your knowledge is vast. There’s no special reason, I was just trapped inside for a while and just got out,” Han Li replied calmly.

“I see. Then, the fellow immortal who came out with Senior Han…”

“She was a cultivator who was trapped with me, but she said she had some business and left first.”

“Ah, then that person is also a late-stage cultivator like Senior Han?”

“That cultivator has been in the late stage for a long time and has a much higher cultivation than I do,” Han Li said, glancing at the middle-aged man with a meaningful smile.

The middle-aged man, surnamed Gan, was startled and thought of the high-level female cultivators in the Chaotic Star Sea that he knew, but none of them matched the woman in the silver robe.

However, he didn’t think it was too strange because high-level cultivators who were focused on cultivation often didn’t appear in the world for five or six hundred years.

“I urgently need mid-grade spirit stones and materials, and high-grade spirit stones would be even better. How about I exchange them for two treasures I have?” Han Li suddenly took out two items, one silver and one yellow, from his sleeve and placed them on the table. They were a silver ring and a yellow spear, which he had found after killing high-level demon beasts in the Small Polar Palace’s Illusory Realm.

To Han Li, they were like chicken ribs, not worth discarding but useless, but to the cultivators of the Chaotic Star Sea, where magical treasures and materials were scarce, they were invaluable. Judging by the spiritual light emitted by the two treasures, they were rare high-grade treasures.

“Is that so? Our sect has quite a few mid-grade spirit stones and materials, and we can send disciples to the market for the missing materials. However, we only have about seven or eight high-grade spirit stones on the entire island. Of course, if you wish, you can exchange them for as many as you need,” the middle-aged man, surnamed Gan, said, his eyes gleaming at the sight of the treasures, and he immediately agreed to the trade.

“You have that many high-grade spirit stones?” Han Li was surprised, and his expression became strange. He had thought that the Chaotic Star Sea was more lacking in spirit stones than the Great Jin and Tiannan, but a single sect had such a large quantity!

The middle-aged man, surnamed Gan, paused for a moment at Han Li’s expression, then seemed to realize something and said, “I almost forgot to mention an important piece of news. Actually, about a hundred years ago, a huge spirit stone mine was discovered on a deserted island in the outer sea. The amount of high-grade spirit stones produced there is quite substantial, so although they are still rare, the situation is much better than before.”

“A high-grade spirit stone mine was discovered? It’s amazing that such a vein still exists in the human realm,” Han Li said, surprised.

“Indeed. At first, many cultivators thought it was just a rumor, but later, the Star Palace and the Anti-Star Alliance fought a major battle over this island, proving it to be true! Moreover, the high-level demon beasts of the outer star sea also joined the battle for the mine, and many cultivators and demon beasts died. Now, the mine is divided among three forces.”

Han Li nodded and remained silent for a moment.

‘What welcome news!’

He was running out of high-grade spirit stones for his humanoid puppets due to the numerous battles. Since this place was not far from the Heavenly Star City, he could use the Star Palace’s teleportation array to visit the mine without delaying too much.

Han Li quickly made a decision and took out a jade slip from his waist, copying the list of materials he needed. Then, following the Yellow Sand Sect’s Elder’s orders, a burly man in a yellow robe took the jade slip and immediately left for the market.

Naturally, a conversation began between Han Li and the middle-aged man, surnamed Gan. Since the other party was doing his best to entertain him, the atmosphere became pleasant. Having met a late-stage cultivator after so long, the middle-aged man also talked about his questions and difficulties in cultivation.

Although Han Li had only recently reached the late stage of the Nascent Soul [a cultivation stage], he had learned countless cultivation methods and scriptures, and he knew quite a few bizarre secret techniques that crossed the boundaries of orthodox and demonic paths. Just giving simple answers was enough for them to gain enlightenment.

Moreover, the old man in the blue robe and the seductive woman who were guarding the side also gained insights into their cultivation by listening to their conversation.

Several hours later, the burly man returned with a bulging storage pouch at his waist.

“Senior, except for a few items, I have gathered all the materials you requested. I have also put the high-grade spirit stones together,” the burly man said, holding the storage pouch with both hands. Han Li scanned it with his spiritual sense and was very satisfied.

“Then, I have some business to attend to and cannot stay long, so I will take my leave first,” Han Li said, nodding slightly to the middle-aged man as he received the storage pouch. Then, Han Li immediately turned into a streak of blue light and disappeared into the sky.

“He’s finally gone! I was so worried that our Yellow Sand Sect was going to be in big trouble. But Senior Han seems to have a better personality than I thought,” the seductive woman said, relaxing and chattering as soon as Han Li’s escape light left the hall.

However, the middle-aged man, surnamed Gan, glared at her and moved his lips. Unexpectedly, he was sending a voice transmission to the three Core Formation stage cultivators present.

“Now is not the time to say whatever comes to mind. Do you have any idea how far a late-stage cultivator’s spiritual sense can spread? He will be listening to everything you say.”

The seductive woman was startled and immediately shut her mouth. The burly man and the old man in the blue robe also exchanged glances and didn’t say a word. The light in the middle-aged man, surnamed Gan’s, gray-white eyes flickered, and only after a moment did the blue light in his eyes disappear.

“The other party has already left thousands of miles away, so it’s fine now, but it’s still better to be careful,” he said.

*Ping!* He flicked his finger, and a green light quickly flew and was absorbed into the pillar of the hall, creating a small protective barrier.

*Rumble.*

“Now, speak!”

“Uncle-Master is indeed cautious.”

“With an opponent with such terrifying cultivation, no matter how careful we are, it’s not excessive.”

“That’s right. How many cultivators with high cultivation have strange personalities! If we accidentally offend him, we could put the entire sect in danger. But among the famous Nascent Soul seniors in the Chaotic Star Sea, there is no one with a similar appearance to the man and woman who appeared today. Judging by his tone, he seems familiar with the Chaotic Star Sea, so isn’t he a cultivator who has been in seclusion for a long time?”

The burly man in the yellow robe hesitated before expressing his opinion. However, the old man in the blue robe frowned and didn’t say a word.

“Senior Shi, what’s wrong?”

“After thinking about it, that person’s face seems familiar.”

“You’ve met him before?”

“He looks so ordinary, could it be that Senior Brother is confusing him with someone else?”

“It’s a common face, but I’m sure I’ve met him before. A long time ago… The Han family! I remember now. He’s the cultivator that the Anti-Star Alliance issued an extermination order for and was chasing after.”

“An extermination order? How dare any force issue an extermination order for a Nascent Soul cultivator and openly chase after him?” The middle-aged man, surnamed Gan, was startled, and his face darkened.

“That’s a misunderstanding. When the extermination order was issued, he was still a Core Formation cultivator and had not yet formed his Nascent Soul. At that time, Junior Brother Quan and Junior Sister Jing had not yet reached the Core Formation stage, so Senior Brother Ma and I were in charge of the sect’s affairs.

We sent a few people to deal with it and didn’t report it to Uncle-Master separately. It’s been two hundred years, but I still have the jade slip with the order.”

The old man explained, beads of sweat forming on his forehead, and then he rummaged through his storage pouch and took out a jade slip with a devil’s face engraved on it, handing it to the middle-aged man.

“Nonsense! How can a Core Formation cultivator reach the late stage of the Nascent Soul in such a short time?” the middle-aged man, surnamed Gan, said, but his expression darkened further as he examined the jade slip. Then, his expression rapidly changed, eventually becoming one of disbelief.

The illusion in the jade slip vividly showed Han Li’s appearance in a blue robe, and it was exactly the same as the late-stage cultivator who had just left. The middle-aged man, surnamed Gan, was overwhelmed with questions and surprise, and even after withdrawing his spiritual sense from the jade slip, he couldn’t speak for a while.

The old man, the burly man, and the woman who were watching could only keep their mouths shut and wait for him to speak again.

“It seems that the person the Anti-Star Alliance was trying to exterminate is indeed the same person as before. But you must remember my words! This matter must never leak out. The Anti-Star Alliance’s power has grown immensely, and the opponent who just left is a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, so we must not offend either side.”

The middle-aged man, surnamed Gan, gave a resolute order.

“Yes!” The three cultivators, including the old man, hurriedly replied in unison.

“Also, the three of you must not leave the sect for the next ten years and return to your residences to focus on cultivation. Two unfamiliar late-stage cultivators have suddenly appeared, and one of them has a grudge against the Anti-Star Alliance. There might be another bloodbath in the Chaotic Star Sea. Strictly control the rest of the disciples and tell them not to leave the island for unnecessary reasons and to quietly close the sect!”

The three cultivators were chilled by the series of orders. Soon, the Core Formation stage cultivators left to carry out the orders, and only the middle-aged man remained alone. His constantly changing expression seemed troubled.

“…I must let go of my greed. If that person was the one who took the Illusory Sky Palace, then the giant cauldron is that treasure, but what does that have to do with me? Even if there is someone in the world who can snatch a treasure from a late-stage cultivator, it is definitely not me! If this news spreads, it will only hasten my death.”

After a while, he sighed deeply, muttered to himself, and got up. However, the news that the Illusory Sky Palace had appeared quickly began to spread to the nearby sea areas.

It was because two Core Formation stage cultivators who happened to be passing by recognized the Illusory Sky Palace, which they had seen in the scriptures.

# 651