Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 723

Han Li tossed the ball of light in his palm into the air and, with one hand, reached for a small flag from his waist. The crimson flag emitted a faint bloody glow, and eerie cries echoed from within. Ling Yuling flinched at the sight of it, glancing at Han Li.

However, he seemed to have no intention of explaining. He immediately chanted an incantation and threw the flag above his head. The flag, now glowing, expanded wildly to the size of a mat, and a bloody aura dripped from it as if it were soaked in thick blood.

As Han Li pointed at it, the massive flag fluttered, releasing a bloody mist that flew towards the Nascent Soul Mountain. The bloody mist stopped abruptly at the peak of the small mountain. After a moment, it surged and spread, enveloping most of the mountain from the top down, emitting a strong stench of blood.

Ling Yuling was startled by the immense soul energy emanating from it, her heart sinking. At that moment, Han Li strode towards the Nascent Soul Mountain and gestured towards the ball of light in the air. The ball of light shot towards the small mountain, disappearing into it.

Thrum!

He raised one hand and clenched his fist in the air towards the small mountain, causing the surface of the mountain to shimmer with five-colored light and vibrate. Eventually, the small mountain slowly floated towards the bloody mist. Ling Yuling was speechless, silently watching the massive Nascent Soul Mountain disappear into the bloody mist. Only then did Han Li cast a magic seal.

The bloody mist writhed for a moment before contracting, turning into a red flag about a few inches long, which fell into Han Li’s hand. The cave was now empty, and the Nascent Soul Mountain had vanished without a trace, as if it had never been there.

“A spatial treasure!” Ling Yuling murmured in surprise, finally regaining her senses.

“It’s just a treasure with a slight spatial ability,” Han Li said with a smile, scanning the Blood Spirit Banner with his consciousness, satisfied.

“A spatial treasure that can contain the Nascent Soul Mountain… there can’t be many even if you searched the entire human realm. It’s amazing that Brother Han found one,” Ling Yuling exclaimed, but inwardly she smiled wryly. The method left by the Heavenly Star Twins to subdue Han Li required him to stay in the palace and master the Nascent Soul Divine Light. The woman sighed inwardly, giving up on the idea of keeping him in the palace.

As the bloody light flickered and the flag disappeared, Han Li was silent for a moment before speaking to her. “I plan to stay in the palace for a while to share insights on cultivation and practice. I also want to look into any problems with the cultivators’ training. However, there is one thing I need the palace’s help with.”

“You are the palace’s benefactor, so we must help you with anything! There’s no need to be so formal with me,” Ling Yuling said, pausing before smiling lightly.

“It’s not a difficult matter. I would like to know the recent whereabouts or location of the Golden Flood Dragon King of the Outer Star Sea.”

He spoke as if it were nothing, but at the mention of ‘Golden Flood Dragon King,’ Ling Yuling paused, her eyes sparkling. “You want to know the whereabouts of the Golden Flood Dragon King! Brother Han, could it be…”

“I have a reason to find the Golden Flood Dragon King. If you provide the information, I will ensure that the palace suffers no harm, so please don’t worry. Am I asking too much?” Han Li glanced at her, raising an eyebrow.

“Even if it’s a difficult task, the palace owes you a great debt, so we cannot refuse. However, the palace has withdrawn its cultivators from the Outer Star Sea, so it might take some time to find the Golden Flood Dragon King, who is a tenth-level demon beast,” Ling Yuling explained seriously, shaking her head.

“If it’s a matter of time, I can wait even a few years.”

“In that case, I will immediately dispatch cultivators to find out the news. Please wait patiently,” Ling Yuling replied without hesitation. They chatted for a while before leaving the cave, passing through the jade gate and departing.

* * *

Two years later, a man and a woman appeared on a deserted island in the Chaotic Star Sea. The man had an ordinary appearance with clear eyes, and the woman had a delicate appearance and a small stature. They both looked very young, appearing to be of the same age, but the woman treated him with utmost respect.

The man asked the woman with a calm expression, “It is said that the Golden Flood Dragon King will come here soon. He won’t change his mind and go somewhere else, will he?”

“Elder Han, please rest assured. We have already confirmed it several times, and we even captured a high-level demon beast and used soul-searching on it, so the information is definitely accurate. There is a rare spirit fruit that grows on the seabed here, which is useless to human cultivators but is a favorite of the Flood Dragon clan. The Golden Flood Dragon King comes here every ten years when the spirit fruit ripens, and he never misses it, no matter what. If the spirit fruit is transplanted elsewhere, it will wither and die, so even the Flood Dragon clan can’t do anything about it. Now that the spirit fruit is about to ripen, the Golden Flood Dragon King will be here soon.”

The young woman explained confidently, as if she knew the Flood Dragon clan well. “Then let’s wait a few days,” the man murmured. The man was naturally Han Li, and the woman beside him was a disciple sent by Ling Yuling. After two years of the palace’s full effort in tracking, they had finally pinpointed the Golden Flood Dragon King’s whereabouts.

Han Li had left the Heavenly Star City with the woman, crossed over to the Outer Star Sea through a teleportation array secretly hidden by the palace, and was now lying in ambush here. However, several months had already passed, and the Golden Flood Dragon King had not shown his face. He was getting a little impatient, but hearing the palace woman’s words, he felt a little relieved.

At that moment, Han Li coughed, his expression changing as he abruptly turned his head. “He’s finally here! Judging by the aura, it’s definitely the Golden Flood Dragon King. It could be dangerous, so you should leave immediately.”

At Han Li’s words, the woman quickly concealed her aura and immediately turned into a white streak of light, shooting off in the opposite direction. Once she had left, Han Li flicked his sleeve, releasing a black bottle. A grayish-white demonic aura flowed out, and five skeletons slowly appeared.

“Go.”

At Han Li’s command, the five skeletons scattered on the wind of demonic aura. Han Li didn’t stop there, touching the spirit beast pouch, and twelve centipedes appeared, flapping their wings. Under Han Li’s control, the centipedes burrowed into the island below and disappeared.

Looking back at the distant sea, Han Li chuckled and suddenly vanished from the spot. Everything happened in an instant, and the wind blew on the island as if nothing had happened.

After about an hour, a flash of spiritual light appeared at the far end of the sky, and golden and blue streaks of light flew in. Soon, the dazzling light faded, and those who had arrived revealed themselves. One was a man in a golden robe with a burly physique, curly hair, and a beard, and the other was a gaunt man in a silver crown and a blue robe.

The golden-robed giant was looking around with a puzzled expression. “Golden Fellow Daoist, what’s wrong? Is there anything strange?” the blue-robed cultivator asked, looking puzzled.

“It seems someone detected us from afar with their consciousness. But that consciousness was so weak that it might have been my imagination.”

“If that really happened, it means the other party’s consciousness is much stronger than yours, Golden Fellow Daoist, right? Is that even possible?” the blue-robed man said, shaking his head with a chuckle.

“Fellow Daoist Feng, you think too highly of me. Although I am called the Golden Flood Dragon King, I am only known in this surrounding sea area. If I leave this place, I am nothing special.”

The golden-robed giant scanned the area around the island again with his consciousness before finally relaxing. However, the Five-Directional Demonic Heart [a type of formation] had already been deployed high in the sky, and the Six-Winged Demonic Insects were buried hundreds of feet underground. Even though Han Li was using an invisibility technique, he had a much stronger consciousness than his opponents, so he was not detected at all.

“You are too modest. Who in the world, except for the Transformation Stage cultivators, can harm you, Golden Fellow Daoist? But I didn’t expect you to come to such a remote place. If the fellow daoist hadn’t told me, who would have known that the Dragon Scale Fruit was here!”

The blue-robed Feng cultivator flattered the Golden Flood Dragon King, not minding his cautious behavior. “I discovered it by chance a long time ago. Since then, I have harvested the fruit once every ten years! It is said in human scriptures that its effects are so great that one can ascend to the heavens after consuming it. However, even high-level cultivators don’t recognize it. It’s only known that our Flood Dragon clan enjoys eating it. Who would know that frequent consumption can lead to a transformation and make one stronger? You need to eat it often to see the effects, but it’s so difficult to obtain. But it’s truly amazing that Fellow Daoist Feng knows the secret of the Dragon Scale Fruit and how to transplant it.”

The Golden Flood Dragon King stared at the blue-robed Feng cultivator. “I also accidentally found a book left behind by the ancient demon race, which revealed the effects of the Dragon Scale Fruit and how to transplant it. It said that with each consumption, the body changes very slightly, and one can have a body as strong as a true dragon! Is that true?”

“Theoretically, it’s possible. But in reality, it’s impossible! Even if you gathered all the Dragon Scale Fruits in the world, you wouldn’t be able to consume enough to reach that level. That’s how precious each Dragon Scale Fruit tree is to our Flood Dragon clan. If Fellow Daoist Feng hadn’t confidently claimed to know how to transplant it, I wouldn’t have brought you here.”

“Don’t you know that I have many friends among the Flood Dragon clan? I wouldn’t deceive you, Golden Fellow Daoist, with such a matter. More importantly, what about the promise you made…?”

The blue-robed demon was surprisingly Feng Xi, the ninth-level Gale Demon who had almost killed Han Li, and the golden-robed giant was the Golden Flood Dragon King. He no longer looked like a half-human, half-beast, but almost exactly like a human cultivator.

“If the method you know works, Fellow Daoist Feng, I will not break my promise. I will give you the necessary spirit herbs,” the Golden Flood Dragon King said, flicking his sleeve. At those words, Feng Xi looked delighted and clasped his fist.

“I will thank you in advance, as they are essential for me.”

“There’s no need for that. Everything depends on whether the Dragon Scale Fruit can be transplanted or not.”

“Don’t worry about that. If I wasn’t confident, I wouldn’t have come this far with you, Golden Fellow Daoist. This method was researched by that ancient cultivator throughout his life, and it works not only on the Dragon Scale Fruit tree but also on other spirit herbs and trees!”

“Let’s hope so.”

Unlike his words, the Golden Flood Dragon King seemed to trust Feng Xi quite a bit. Feng Xi smiled and was about to descend below, his blue light shimmering. “Wait!” the Golden Flood Dragon King shouted, stopping Feng Xi.

“I have a bad feeling. My heart is pounding, and I have goosebumps. I need to use a secret technique to scan the surroundings carefully.”

The Golden Flood Dragon King unexpectedly said this with a dark expression. Feng Xi was a little displeased at those words, but he had no reason to stop him, so he nodded. The Golden Flood Dragon King opened his mouth wide and released a golden bead, which he held and placed on his forehead before closing his eyes.

As time passed, the light of the bead grew stronger, and the Golden Flood Dragon King seemed to be exerting all his strength. The bead was a very rare auxiliary treasure that temporarily amplified a cultivator’s consciousness several times. With the help of the bead, the Golden Flood Dragon King’s consciousness became much stronger than before, and the range of his search also widened.

After a while, the Golden Flood Dragon King’s expression changed immediately, and he opened his eyes wide, shouting, “Who dares to harm me! Show yourself now!”

A thunderous roar echoed in all directions. Feng Xi was also startled by the shout and spread his consciousness. The Golden Flood Dragon King was glaring at a spot on the island with a cold gaze.

“I didn’t expect you to have such a treasure,” a calm male voice said from the spot the Golden Flood Dragon King was glaring at, and a blue streak of light shot out, stopping dozens of feet in front of the two demons.

“You are!”

“It’s that brat!”

The Golden Flood Dragon King and Feng Xi recognized Han Li at the same time and raised their voices, but their expressions were clearly different. Feng Xi was gleeful, while the Golden Flood Dragon King was clearly wary of his opponent.