Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 676

He should have been scattered after being critically injured by an attack from one of the Great Cultivators back then, but he had cultivated the Profound Yin Demonic Qi that Han Li had passed on, absorbed the demonic energy of the abyss within the Ghost Cry Banner, and managed to survive.

If his distance from Han Li hadn’t been too great, he should have returned immediately upon regaining consciousness. However, Han Li was also severely injured and sealed in ice, drifting through the Great Jin, so even after the second Nascent Soul recovered its energy, it couldn’t find Han Li’s whereabouts and ended up wandering the grasslands.

After 20 or 30 years, having gained some intelligence, he secretly returned to Chuma Valley and found the Heavenly Fiend Corpse in the center. Although his original energy was greatly damaged by the attack of the Ancient Fiend, he was made from the body of a corpse, so he was slowly recovering to his original state.

The Heavenly Fiend Corpse would have regained its own intelligence after several hundred years, but Han Li’s second Nascent Soul found him first, placed a restriction on him, and took over his body. Thus, the second Nascent Soul stayed in Chuma Valley without seizing another cultivator’s body.

With the help of the demonic energy flowing from the spatial rift where the Ancient Fiend’s body was hidden, the cultivation of the Heavenly Fiend Corpse, and the Ghost Cry Banner, the second Nascent Soul managed to master most of the Profound Yin Demonic Qi in just a few decades and reached the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm [a high level of cultivation].

He was wandering around Chuma Valley, trying to find some treasures to take out, when he happened to encounter the three women.

Having cultivated the Profound Yin Demonic Qi and injected pure demonic energy, his demonic nature had become stronger, making him completely different from Han Li’s personality. Originally, he had intended to devour them in one go and prevent his actions from being leaked, but Han Li’s memories resurfaced, causing him to hesitate. In the end, he captured them, placed restrictions on them, and imprisoned them.

“How long do you intend to keep us locked up?” Mo Paeryeong asked courageously. The reason she recognized the second Nascent Soul at once was because Eunwol had given her an unnamed jade pendant when he delivered the elixir. The jade pendant contained the energy of the second Nascent Soul, which had been hidden under the guise of a spirit.

Eunwol had her carry the jade pendant in case the second Nascent Soul lost control. The man in the black robe looked at Mo Paeryeong coldly in response to her question.

“Until there is only one Han Li in this world, of course.”

“Knowing your Martial Uncle’s [a term for a senior in a sect or family] divine abilities and cultivation speed, do you really think there’s any hope?” Song asked calmly, having barely regained her composure.

“I may not be a match for him in my current state, but I am confident in my ability to escape. Besides, with you in my hands, that guy won’t be able to act recklessly. You don’t need to worry about how I’ll get my hands on him.”

“Then you are…” Liu Yu began to say something, her eyes darting around, but the man interrupted her.

“What are you thinking? All of you, be quiet. You can only get out of here if I devour that guy, or if that guy erases my consciousness and turns me back into the second Nascent Soul. So, it might be good to take a nap for now!”

As he formed a hand seal and chanted a spell, a flash of spiritual light erupted from the floor where the three women were sitting, and a large amount of black energy surged up. They were unexpectedly in the center of a large formation. As the black energy enveloped the women, they lost consciousness again and collapsed.

The man in the black robe stopped the spell and looked at the black energy, revealing a complex emotion.

* * *

A month later, in the Xuanwu Grand Hall of the Taijin Sect, the number one righteous sect in Tiannan, an old man with white hair and a long beard was deep in thought, holding a white jade slip.

After a while, he sighed deeply and called out to the outside,

“Is anyone there?”

As soon as he finished speaking, two middle-aged cultivators entered.

“Yes, what are your orders?”

“Deliver this invitation to the Golden Glow Valley. Tell them that it’s an invitation from the Falling Cloud Sect, saying that the fourth Great Cultivator has emerged in the Gui Kingdom, and ask if the Supreme Elder will go in person or if one of the Martial Ancestors [a very high-ranking elder in a sect] will go.”

“Yes! I will deliver it to the Martial Ancestor in person.”

The two cultivators’ expressions changed as the old man carefully handed over the jade slip. They immediately took the jade slip and flew away from the hall towards the back mountains.

* * *

The Heavenly Yang Pond was a famous forbidden area within the Harmonious Union Sect. Although it was not large, only a few hundred yards, it was covered in thick gray fog all year round, and even Nascent Soul stage elders did not dare to enter it carelessly.

Usually, no cultivators would wander within twenty miles of the Heavenly Yang Pond. However, today, half a dozen cultivators in various attire were standing just a dozen yards away.

“The fourth Great Cultivator, Han, his cultivation speed is too fast! I thought he would reach that level soon, but only a hundred years… However, now that things have come to this, I must go in person.”

The cultivators outside the fog stood respectfully with their hands clasped.

* * *

On an island in the Seven Spirit Islands, an old man with an ordinary appearance, wearing a blue robe, stood at the edge of a cliff, looking out at the vast sea with his hands behind his back. His expression was calm. A white jade slip was gleaming in his hand behind his back.

* * *

Inside a pavilion on Mount Linglong in the Northern Liang Kingdom.

A man with a neat appearance and a fat old man were sitting across from each other at a wooden table. The old man cautiously asked the man,

“Um… Senior Brother Oh, are you planning to attend the Falling Cloud Sect’s ceremony in person? That person has reached the late Nascent Soul stage at such a young age, so he will be ruling Tiannan for the next 700 or 800 years. It would be good for the future of our six sects to build a good relationship based on old ties.”

“Martial Nephew Lei, are you thinking of trying to recruit that Han cultivator again?”

“You misunderstand. With his current status, there’s no way he would return to a small sect like the Yellow Maple Valley. However, our sect and the Gui Palace have a deep connection with him, so wouldn’t it be good for the future of the six sects to build a relationship in advance?”

“Even if you want to improve our relationship with him, don’t expect too much from me. Although I was on good terms with Martial Sister Nangong, I haven’t contacted him since he left. However, it would be most appropriate for me to attend the ceremony as a representative of the Strict Mountain Sect.”

“It would be wonderful if Senior Brother Oh could go in person.”

The fat old man was delighted to hear the answer he wanted.

“Indeed, it’s understandable that the Yellow Maple Valley is sensitive to his movements. Since the death of Cultivator Linghu, no Nascent Soul stage cultivator has emerged! If Cultivator Linghu hadn’t asked for his help and informed the other five sects, the Yellow Maple Valley wouldn’t have been able to survive in the Northern Liang Kingdom.”

“You are right.”

The man glanced at the fat old man and smiled.

* * *

Within two months, the entire Tiannan was in an uproar.

All the sects of considerable size in the Tiannan cultivation world received invitations from the Falling Cloud Sect, stating that a late Nascent Soul stage Great Cultivator had emerged and would be holding a grand celebration ceremony, and requesting their attendance.

Smaller sects responded with great humility, saying they would definitely attend, while larger sects were inwardly shocked but calmly replied that they would send elders or higher-ranking members.

Once again, Han Li’s name spread to every corner of Tiannan. From reclusive hermits to cultivators gathered in the mountains with spiritual veins, there was no one who didn’t know Han Li’s name.

Everyone was very interested in the fourth Great Cultivator of Tiannan, who had reached the late Nascent Soul stage at such a young age. Three months passed like this, and the Falling Cloud Sect held the ceremony.

Over a hundred Nascent Soul stage cultivators arrived, and if you included the Core Formation stage cultivators they brought with them, the number was several times that. On the first day of the ceremony, Han Li briefly showed his face, said a few words, and then gathered a dozen or so cultivators above the mid-Nascent Soul stage in the main hall. Surprisingly, Harmonious Union Old Devil and the Woe of Fire Sect’s Wei Wuya were among them.

After three days and nights, the Nascent Soul stage old monsters who came out of the hall all had pale faces and were vaguely terrified. Wei Wuya and Harmonious Union Old Devil were no different, their faces dark.

Some cultivators asked what had happened, but they all just smiled bitterly and shook their heads.

The ceremony lasted for about half a month, but Han Li did not show his face again after that. What was surprising was that the dozen or so cultivators with the highest cultivation did not show any displeasure about it.

They stayed until the end of the ceremony and then immediately left the Falling Cloud Sect. This made people even more curious about what had happened between them in the hall.

Everyone kept their mouths shut at the time, but some of them told their close friends and subordinates, and soon some of the details spread, causing another uproar in the Tiannan cultivation world.

Inside the hall, the fourth Great Cultivator of the Falling Cloud Sect first proposed to Wei Wuya and Harmonious Union Old Devil that they test their skills.

This was not unusual. It was a celebration of reaching the late Nascent Soul stage, so it was a chance for the Great Cultivators to interact and show off their power in front of the mid-stage cultivators.

However, Han Li proposed to fight not one-on-one, but to face Wei Wuya and Harmonious Union Old Devil at the same time, which shocked the cultivators present.

Wei Wuya and Harmonious Union Old Devil hesitated for a moment, wondering what he was thinking, but then accepted the proposal, and the result left the rest of the old monsters speechless. Han Li single-handedly used several extraordinary divine abilities in succession, completely defeating the two Great Cultivators.

Wei Wuya and Harmonious Union Old Devil, who had ruled Tiannan for hundreds of years, were no match for Han Li even when they joined forces, and the battle ended with them suffering minor injuries.

However, what surprised the old monsters even more was that Han Li, who had been calm throughout, had not used his full strength. So, they were all speechless and had no choice but to keep their mouths shut.

After that, under Han Li’s leadership, the Nascent Soul stage old monsters had a session to exchange insights on cultivation, but while they talked, they all felt like they were sitting on pins and needles.

When this incredible rumor spread, most people didn’t believe it, but no matter how much this story circulated, none of the dozen or so old monsters who had attended the ceremony refuted it. So, some people thought it might be true and became cautious even when mentioning Han Li.

Soon, the title of the number one cultivator in Tiannan quietly spread.

* * *

On the sea near the Seven Spirit Islands, a middle-aged Taoist was floating leisurely with an old man in a blue robe. The old man thought for a long time before speaking first.

“Brother Zhiyang, what brings you here in person? If you have something to say, just say it.”

The old man in the blue robe was Wei Wuya, one of the three Great Cultivators.

“Brother Wei, you know why I’m here. Is there anything else we could be talking about?”

“It seems Brother Zhiyang has also heard the rumors!” Wei Wuya said with a sneer, raising one corner of his mouth.

“It seems the rumors were somewhat true. Is it true that you and Harmonious Union Old Devil were almost defeated by that person?”

“It was more than that.”

Wei Wuya narrowed his eyes and stared at Merchant Zhiyang.

“Are you saying that it’s true that the two of you couldn’t do anything to him even when you joined forces?”

“You overestimate me. We attacked together, but we could only hold out for a while before we had to retreat, having damaged our original energy.”

“That’s absurd. No matter how great his divine abilities are, how can a cultivator who just reached the late stage be a match for two Great Cultivators?” Merchant Zhiyang shook his head in disbelief.

“Why would I lie about being defeated by a cultivator who just reached the late stage? Besides, he didn’t use his full strength that day, so we couldn’t gauge his true power. In my opinion, with his strength, he could easily kill a late Nascent Soul stage cultivator.”

Wei Wuya’s expression changed as he recalled that day. Merchant Zhiyang was just stunned by his words.

# 678