Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 665

Ling Suifeng and Wen Qing exchanged glances, their doubts not entirely dispelled, but they didn’t press further.

“You must have heard from Elder Jo why we wanted to meet with you, Fellow Daoist Han?”

“Yes, I have. You wish to discuss methods for overcoming the Transformation stage bottleneck.”

“We have been stuck at the late-stage Nascent Soul realm for hundreds of years without reaching the Transformation stage, but we know some secret techniques that might help you avoid a long detour. If luck is on your side, one of them might be effective.”

The palace lady spoke in a pleasant voice.

“Oh, of course, you wouldn’t just share such techniques without a condition, would you?”

“Of course, if you had married Okryeong, we would have told you without any conditions. But since you refused, let’s make a deal.”

“I’m listening. What kind of deal are you proposing?”

“In exchange for the secret techniques and our insights, we would like you to help our daughter manage the Sacred Palace. Just until her position is secure.”

“You want me to help Fellow Daoist Ling.”

Han Li frowned and remained silent, and the Heavenly Twins didn’t rush him, giving him time to think.

“Isn’t Fellow Daoist Ling currently at the early-stage Nascent Soul realm?”

“That’s correct.”

At Han Li’s sudden question, Wen Qing realized his thoughts and immediately replied with a smile.

“How long do you think it will take for Fellow Daoist Ling to reach the late stage? A hundred years, two hundred years, or perhaps even longer!”

“We have a way to help our daughter reach the mid-stage within a hundred years. Reaching the late stage will be difficult, but we’ll have to rely on luck.”

This time, Ling Suifeng answered coldly.

“Do you think the Sacred Palace can be maintained without a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator? Surely you’re not suggesting I waste hundreds of years here?”

Han Li stroked his chin and sneered. Wen Qing’s smile briefly faltered at his blunt tone, but she quickly regained her composure.

“…If you don’t like the conditions, we can change them. You know that the Reverse Star Alliance has been rampant for a long time. If you promise to join forces with us to eliminate both Lu Dao and Man Samgo, we will give you all the secret techniques. After all, I know you have a grudge against the key figures of the Reverse Star Alliance regarding the Void Sky Cauldron. It’s a win-win situation, isn’t it? You can get revenge and make a deal.”

“To put it simply, Lu Dao and Man Samgo are famous Grand Cultivators in the Chaotic Star Sea, and even if we join forces, I can’t guarantee their safe elimination. Besides, I have no intention of getting involved in the power struggles of the Chaotic Star Sea. I was planning to enter secluded cultivation as soon as I finished my business in the outer sea, so I cannot accept the second condition either.”

When Han Li rejected even the second proposal, Wen Qing stopped smiling and fell silent. Then, Ling Suifeng, who was next to her, spoke.

“The secret techniques we possess are the result of long research by many past Palace Lords. Any late-stage cultivator would value them more than any treasure. Surely, you didn’t agree to this meeting hoping to get the techniques for free?”

The man also showed his displeasure.

“As far as I know, most of the past owners of the Sacred Palace remained at the late-stage Nascent Soul realm, and only a few reached the Transformation stage. So, I doubt whether these so-called secret techniques for overcoming the Transformation stage bottleneck are effective. Of course, they might be helpful, but I cannot waste too much time for them.”

Han Li stated his position with his hands behind his back, regardless of their complaints. The couple’s expressions darkened at his words. Then, they moved their lips and exchanged a telepathic message in front of Han Li.

However, Han Li didn’t pay attention. After a while, the Wen Qing couple seemed to have finished their discussion, and Ling Suifeng opened his mouth expressionlessly.

“We propose that you help our daughter three times in exchange for the secret techniques. You only need to step in three times.”

“I can agree to those conditions. However, it must be a matter of life and death for Fellow Daoist Okryeong, and I will only help with what I can.”

“Very well. There is no need for unnecessary oaths for a Grand Cultivator like Fellow Daoist Han. Here are three Myriad Mile Talismans [talismans that allow communication over vast distances] used by ancient cultivators. If you write a message on one half, the same message can be seen on the other half, even if they are ten million miles apart.”

Ling Suifeng waved his sleeve, and a jade talisman with a white glow floated in the air. With a flick of his hand, golden threads flashed, and the three talismans were precisely divided into six pieces.

Three pieces returned to his sleeve, and the other three flew towards Han Li. The talismans were covered with complex spells on their jade surfaces, and even after being split in half, the flow of spiritual energy was abundant, indicating they were not ordinary items.

He immediately flipped his palm and stored the Myriad Mile Talismans in his storage pouch.

“We have placed our insights and secret techniques in this jade slip. With your vast knowledge, Fellow Daoist Han, you will know at once that they are not fake.”

Wen Qing, who had regained her smile, raised her beautiful hand and sent out a jade-colored light. Han Li took the palm-sized blue jade slip and unhesitatingly poured his consciousness into it. Inside, various secret techniques were written.

While Han Li was busy examining the jade slip, Wen Qing glanced at Ling Suifeng with a proud look.

“Indeed, they are not fake. They will be of great help.”

“Then the deal is done! We have other matters to attend to and cannot stay long.”

“This is still within the territory of your palace, so I should be the one to see you off! I’ll take my leave first.”

At Ling Suifeng’s words, Han Li smiled, cupped his fist, and transformed into a blue streak of light and flew away. Seeing him fly over twenty feet away as soon as he finished speaking, the Heavenly Twins’ expressions subtly changed.

“He has the divine abilities to be so arrogant. Do you think that Han fellow was fooled, husband?”

As the blue light disappeared into the distance, Wen Qing turned to her husband.

“If he has the desire to reach the Transformation stage, he won’t be able to escape! The secret techniques we gave him are not fake, but he will soon realize that their effects are minimal. He will think that the method of borrowing the power of the Five Elements to overcome the Transformation stage bottleneck is the most useful! He is still young, so he will be suitable for cultivating the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light [a powerful technique], and he will think he can achieve great success before his lifespan runs out.”

Ling Suifeng raised the corners of his mouth.

“I deliberately mentioned the characteristics of the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light and its divine abilities after great success, so he will be tempted. He won’t easily give up if he thinks he can overcome the Transformation stage bottleneck! Once he decides to cultivate the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light, he will need the power of the Yuan Magnetic Mountain, and it’s obvious that he will walk the same path as us.

He will obediently guard the Heavenly Star City and grow old, and only when his lifespan is running out will he realize the extreme conditions for achieving great success in the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light. Of course, Okryeong must reach the late-stage Nascent Soul realm before that to avoid disaster.”

“But what if Okryeong doesn’t reach the late-stage Nascent Soul realm?”

“If she doesn’t reach the late-stage Nascent Soul realm even after we’ve bought her so much time, then it’s her fate. In that case, it would be better for her to leave the Heavenly Star City as soon as possible and live an ordinary life in the mountains and rivers.”

Wen Qing sighed at Ling Suifeng’s concern.

“Now that that fellow is roughly dealt with, we only need to handle Lu Dao and Man Samgo in the remaining hundred years. But since the demon beast cultivators of the outer sea are causing trouble now, should we temporarily make peace with the Reverse Star Alliance?”

“Hmph, it’s clear that they are getting ideas because no Transformation stage cultivators have appeared in the inner sea for a long time, and the number of Grand Cultivators is less than before. They probably think we are helpless!

But we have trained many elite disciples over the years, so even if tenth-level demon beasts attack all at once, they won’t be able to occupy the inner sea. Besides, according to the rumors, the demon beast cultivators of the outer sea are not unified into one force.”

“Are you talking about the fight between the Flood Dragon clan and the Mountain Ape royal family?”

“That’s right. The Mountain Ape clan, the royal family of the outer sea, was originally stronger than the Flood Dragon clan, but one of the tenth-level demon beasts died three hundred years ago, and now the situation has reversed. If we plan well and incite discord between the two demon beast forces, we can protect the inner sea safely without much effort.”

The man seemed to already have a plan.

“Then I’m relieved. But it’s a pity about the Spirit Stone mine on Biling Island. If I had known this would happen, I would have ordered the retrieval of all the top-grade spirit stones and the recently mined high-grade spirit stones as soon as I heard the news, and returned to the inner sea. We were one step too late. Even Elder Gye was lost to the Golden Flood Dragon King.”

Wen Qing said with a regretful expression.

“After all, the outer sea is the domain of demon beasts, so it was expected. In the past, there were no major conflicts, and the high-grade demon beasts didn’t consider the low-grade demon beasts as their own kind, so they turned a blind eye to our comings and goings, but this time it’s different. The high-grade spirit stone mine is something they desperately wanted, so they have no choice but to intervene.”

Ling Suifeng shook his head.

“We were going to focus all our efforts on strengthening our foundation before Okryeong takes over as the owner of the Sacred Palace, but the Reverse Star Alliance and the rogue cultivators won’t easily give up the outer sea, will they?”

“Then that’s even better! As soon as we return, we will open the teleportation array to the outer sea and allow anyone to use it for a fee. Since the Reverse Star Alliance was formed, the rogue cultivators have become very disrespectful to our Sacred Palace, so we need to teach them a harsh lesson this time. Later, when the demon beasts of the outer sea calm down, we only need to uproot the Reverse Star Alliance. Lu Dao and Man Samgo are probably relieved, thinking that we can never leave the Heavenly Star City, but the day they realize that’s a misunderstanding, they will be dead men, won’t they? Every hundred years, the Yuan Magnetic Mountain loses its magnetism for a month, so at that time…”

Ling Suifeng’s face was filled with killing intent.

“At that time, my grudge with Lu Dao will also come to an end!”

“You still haven’t forgotten about that incident?”

“How can I forget? If I hadn’t met you, I would have already died and turned to dust. Last time, if it hadn’t been for the restrictions of the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light, I would never have let that man escape.”

Wen Qing’s beautiful face contorted, and Ling Suifeng sighed as he looked at her.

“Do as you please. When the time comes to fight them, I will leave Lu Dao to you.”

After saying that, Ling Suifeng turned into a white streak of light and flew away first, followed by Wen Qing.

* * *

The day after Han Li left, news spread to Silver Sand Island that the cultivators of Biling Island had been annihilated. At the same time, the story of top-grade spirit stones, the highest grade of spirit stones, being found in the spirit stone mine caused a stir in the Chaotic Star Sea.

And two days after he met the Heavenly Twins, the high-grade demon beasts of the outer sea declared an expulsion order to the human cultivators in the outer sea.

All humans had to leave the outer sea within three months, and anyone who remained after the deadline would be killed. This caused an uproar not only among the rogue cultivators but also among the large and small forces of the inner sea.

For the cultivators of the Chaotic Star Sea, the demon beast cores of the outer sea had long become as essential as spirit stones, and if they could no longer obtain such important cultivation resources, each force would suffer a fatal blow.

In response, the Sacred Palace and the Reverse Star Alliance opened the teleportation arrays to the outer sea, and many forces and rogue cultivators gathered near the high-grade spirit stone mine where the top-grade spirit stones were said to have been found.

A large-scale war between the human cultivation world and the demon beasts of the outer sea was on the verge of breaking out.

And amidst this chaos, the Void Sky Cauldron reappeared, and rumors spread far and wide that a Core Formation stage cultivator who ate the spirit pill inside had become a late-stage Nascent Soul Grand Cultivator in less than two hundred years.

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