Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 664

After Han Li’s figure blurred and disappeared into it, the barrier vibrated and slowly returned to its original state. As soon as Han Li entered, a dozen or so cultivators in white palace attire were waiting.

“Is it just you?”

It seemed that the defense force, mainly composed of Foundation Establishment stage cultivators, was too weak for a place that had just suffered a large-scale attack.

“After a fierce battle a few days ago, many cultivators have returned to the city to rest. We are just rotating patrols, and there are over a hundred disciples on standby nearby, so please rest assured.”

“How did you recognize me?”

When Han Li released the pressure of his spiritual energy and hardened his face, the Core Formation stage man was helplessly pushed back.

“A few months ago, the palace sent down a jade slip [a communication device] containing the appearance and identity of a senior to the disciples guarding the island. They were instructed to treat you with the utmost respect whenever you arrived.”

The man, whose consciousness had been repelled by Han Li, spoke urgently.

“I see. So the two Palace Lords are showing me this much attention…”

Han Li smiled and withdrew the pressure of his spiritual energy. Relieved, the man was about to say something with a smile when Han Li raised his head and looked at a light approaching from afar.

“Did you report to someone else?”

“Yes, we were ordered to report to the elders immediately if there was any news of Senior Han so that they could greet you in person.”

“Is that so?”

“It seems Elder Jo is coming to greet Senior Han in person.”

The man tried to please Han Li, but Han Li simply nodded and watched with his arms crossed. The man was dumbfounded to see him maintaining such an arrogant posture even though an elder-level figure had appeared.

He was not a Nascent Soul stage cultivator, and since his consciousness had been repelled, he had not been able to confirm his exact cultivation level, so he was only guessing that he was an early Nascent Soul stage cultivator.

The light faded, and an old man with white hair appeared from within the white beam. The old man, wearing a silk robe and a jade belt, had long, thin eyes that gave him a cold impression. The early Nascent Soul stage cultivator spotted Han Li, his eyes gleaming as he approached and clasped his hands in greeting.

“Are you Brother Han? I rushed here, but I’m late. Please understand.”

The old man spoke warmly, smiling broadly like an old friend.

“It’s alright. I heard that Eunsa Island had a big incident a few days ago. How is the situation now?”

“The demon beasts caused some disturbances, but there were no Transformation stage demon beasts, so there were no major issues. The person in charge here is originally Elder Young, but he left temporarily to investigate the cause of the demon beast invasion, so I was waiting for you, Brother Han.”

“Waiting for me?”

“That’s right! The two Palace Sovereigns asked to see you as soon as you returned to the inner sea. To be honest, I’ve been waiting here for you for months.”

“Do you know what it’s about?”

“How about we move to a quiet place to talk in detail?”

“Very well. Would that place be alright?”

At the old man’s suggestion, Han Li thought for a moment and pointed to a small mountain about ten miles away.

“Anywhere you wish, Brother Han.”

Elder Jo looked at the small mountain and answered immediately. Then, he gave a few instructions to the palace disciples and led Han Li, flying towards the mountain. It was not a long distance, so the two arrived at the top of the mountain in the blink of an eye.

“If you have anything to say, please get straight to the point.”

Han Li said calmly as soon as his feet touched the ground.

“Haha, it’s very good news for you, Brother Han.”

“Good news? I don’t know what you mean.”

“I heard that your age is quite young.”

“So?”

“Then that’s settled. What do you think of Elder Reung of our palace?”

Elder Jo’s face still held a smile.

“Are you talking about cultivator Reung Ok-ryeong?”

“Yes, she is the daughter of our Palace Sovereigns!”

“She is a cultivator who reached the Nascent Soul stage at a young age, so I think she has outstanding talent. Why are you asking me this?”

“Elder Reung is indeed talented, but she is lacking compared to you, Brother Han. How wonderful would it be if the two of you could cultivate together, helping each other! What do you think about taking Elder Reung as your partner?”

“Partner?”

At that moment, Han Li was startled and couldn’t close his mouth.

“Yes! You and Elder Reung are well-matched in age and cultivation! How about you consider it, thinking of me as a matchmaker?”

As the surprised look faded, Han Li’s eyebrows narrowed sharply, and the old man became slightly uneasy.

‘Is there anyone who would refuse such a good offer?’

Originally, in the cultivation world, female Nascent Soul stage cultivators were as rare as dragon horns and phoenix feathers. Moreover, it was like picking stars in the sky to meet someone of the same age, so most people, knowing the advantages of dual cultivation, had Core Formation or Foundation Establishment stage concubines.

But Reung Ok-ryeong was a Nascent Soul stage cultivator with a beauty like a flower, and even the daughter of the Palace Lord! Where else could one find such a good marriage prospect?

He had expected the other party to be surprised, but seeing his face turn so indifferent, he couldn’t understand what was going on.

“The two Palace Sovereigns said that if you marry and join our palace, the next master of the palace will be you. The master of the palace is the same as the master of the Chaotic Star Sea, and also…”

The old man recited the conditions offered by the Heavenly Twins with an envious expression. Han Li, who had been silent, sighed inwardly and interrupted him.

“I am truly grateful for your palace’s kindness. But I don’t think I can accept.”

“Yes? Please consider it a little more. You can give me an answer in a few days.”

Elder Jo was taken aback when Han Li, who had been expressionless despite his persuasion, rejected the offer outright.

“It’s not because of Elder Ok-ryeong or your palace, but because I already have a partner. She is also a Nascent Soul stage cultivator.”

Han Li replied calmly but firmly.

“I see. Then there’s nothing I can do. It seems that you and Elder Reung are not meant to be. But it’s truly a pity.”

Elder Jo could not persuade him any further after hearing Han Li’s reason. He already had a female Nascent Soul stage cultivator as a partner, so what more could he say! But the strange thing was that in the last few hundred years, there had been no female cultivators who had reached the Nascent Soul stage except for Reung Ok-ryeong.

‘Could his partner be a female cultivator who has been focusing on cultivation and is not known to the public?’

He thought that the unfamiliar high-level cultivator that the Heavenly Twins were trying to recruit was someone who had been in secluded cultivation and whose face was not known in the Chaotic Star Sea.

“Then it’s difficult to mention this matter further, and there is something else the Palace Sovereigns have instructed me to tell you. May I?”

Elder Jo, letting out a deep sigh, changed the subject.

“I’ll listen.”

It was not strange that the palace was trying to recruit him amidst the competition between various forces.

“The two Palace Sovereigns would like to formally meet with you. Of course, you are free to choose the meeting place as long as it is not outside the sea area around Heavenly Star City. The matter to be discussed this time is about how to overcome the Transformation stage bottleneck.”

“How to overcome the Transformation stage bottleneck…”

Han Li stroked his chin and pondered. If it were other conditions, he would have refused immediately, but since the matter was significant, it was worth considering the pros and cons.

“If the two Sovereigns of your palace are alright with it, I will wait on a small island about a thousand miles north of Heavenly Star City in three days.”

Han Li, after much thought, finally came to a conclusion. As long as he was not trapped by his divine abilities, he could escape even if surrounded by Nascent Soul stage cultivators.

“Then I will report that.”

After that, they exchanged a few more words before Han Li left first. He flew straight to the place where the teleportation array was located.

Coincidentally, the disheveled cultivator who had been on duty last time was still standing in front of the stone chamber today, shaking his head as if refusing something to a few unfamiliar cultivators. A strange blue light appeared in front of them.

“Greetings, Senior Han.”

The disheveled cultivator immediately recognized Han Li and came forward to greet him.

“I need to return to the inner sea. Is there any problem?”

“Of course not! Please, come in!”

Despite Han Li’s cold question, the palace cultivator smiled and quickly took out a teleportation talisman. Although it was not necessary with the Great Teleportation Talisman, Han Li did not refuse and accepted the talisman before entering the stone chamber.

A moment later, a white light flashed in the stone chamber, and he disappeared. The faces of the tense cultivators finally regained their composure when he appeared.

Among them, a Core Formation stage cultivator who was with the disheveled cultivator opened his mouth.

“Brother Yeo, is that person an elder of your palace? I don’t think I’ve ever seen him before.”

“He’s not yet, but judging by the fact that he has a guest elder token, it’s only a matter of time, isn’t it? He’s probably a new elder that the palace is recruiting.”

“If that’s the case, the palace’s power will become even stronger. Is he an early Nascent Soul stage cultivator, or a mid-stage one?”

“I’m not sure about his exact cultivation level. But it’s likely that he’s an early stage cultivator. It’s rare to find someone unknown among the mid-stage cultivators, isn’t it?”

“That’s true. Still, compared to us, they have a lifespan of over a thousand years, so I can only be envious. I wonder if the day will ever come when we can condense our Nascent Soul.”

The cultivator with a sword on his back sighed and muttered.

* * *

Three days later, a small coral island about a thousand miles north of Heavenly Star City.

Han Li sat on a red rock with his eyes closed. He had returned to Heavenly Star City in the inner sea a few days ago and stayed for a while before leaving immediately, as he didn’t know what the Heavenly Twins might do.

But it was an unnecessary worry, and he had left the palace’s sphere of influence without any problems. Relieved, he spent a few days nearby before flying here as promised. To be cautious, he did not forget to constantly spread his consciousness to monitor hundreds of miles around.

He could not underestimate great cultivators like the Heavenly Twins, who had ruled the Chaotic Star Sea for so long. So, before the two Sovereigns arrived, he checked the surrounding terrain and prepared for any possible unpleasant events.

Soon, a white light flickered at the end of the sky, and two beams of light approached the island.

Han Li immediately stood up and stared at the beams of light with an expressionless face.

The approaching cultivators also spotted him from afar and increased their speed, arriving in an instant. When the light faded, a man and a woman appeared. The woman was dressed in a jade-colored palace dress, and the man was wearing a white robe, looking like an ordinary scholar, but his eyes under his thick eyebrows were like blades.

The two cultivators observed Han Li from a distance of thirty feet. In response, Han Li lightly floated into the air.

“I have long heard of the Heavenly Twins’ reputation. It is an honor to meet you like this today.”

“There are not many late Nascent Soul stage cultivators in the Chaotic Star Sea, so it is our blessing that you agreed to meet us. This is my husband, Reung So-pung. Although we are famous, very few cultivators know our real names.”

The woman spoke first, her red lips moving as she introduced the man. Han Li smiled and met the gaze of Reung So-pung, who was scanning him with a cold look. At the same time, they both realized that the other was not easy to deal with, and their hearts grew cold.

“I heard from Elder Jo that you already have a partner, which is a pity. But there are hardly any female cultivators who have recently reached the Nascent Soul stage in the Chaotic Star Sea. Could she be from the Great Jin?”

Reung So-pung said something that Han Li had not expected as soon as he opened his mouth.

“You two have been to the Great Jin!”

Han Li asked without denying it, and the Heavenly Twins thought that their judgment was correct.

“The Great Jin is a famous place of cultivation, so how could we not go? However, the place where the ancient teleportation array connecting the Chaotic Star Sea and the Great Jin is located is so shrouded in secrecy that we only went there once, risking danger.

Apart from the successive Palace Lords, few know about that place, and we have not heard of any reports of cultivators going there, even though we have dispatched elders to guard the area. It would be impossible unless one spent over ten years crossing the sea, so how did you come to the Chaotic Star Sea?”

On Cheong asked without hiding her curiosity.

“I came by chance, not by intention. However, it will be extremely difficult for anyone to try that method again, so you two can rest assured.”
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