Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 755

*

“By the way, I heard that Cheolri and Jeokmyeol have also entered this place. With such a big event happening, all the Five Elements Spirit Clans must have dispatched personnel. Do you know which spirit leader the Water Spirit Clan sent?”

“I don’t know about that. The Water Spirit Clan is the most secretive among our Five Elements Spirit Clans, and they value their divine blood, so it wouldn’t be surprising no matter who they sent.”

“I see. Rumor has it that the Artifact Spirit Clan has also stepped forward?”

“The Artifact Spirit Clan? They have no shame. How dare they get involved in this when the traitor came from their own clan!”

Old Man Hwangseok burst into anger at the woman’s words.

“It’s true, but it seems the Artifact Spirit Clan is actually claiming that they should be the ones to catch the traitor.”

“Hmph, just empty words. Aren’t they just greedy for our Five Elements Clan’s divine blood!”

Hwangseok scoffed, still not over his anger.

“The Artifact Spirit Clan has a high understanding of the human and demon races, so they might be helpful in tracking down the traitor. The fact that he fled here means there’s a high possibility that the traitor colluded with the human race, right? Someone from the human race will probably be sent to help him, so we must find him before that happens.”

The woman in the green skirt muttered ominously.

“That’s right! He was severely injured by us, and there’s a mark on the traitor’s body, so if we guard this entrance well, he won’t be able to escape. Besides, once our people gather, there will be no way for him to flee.”

The woman in the green skirt nodded at Hwangseok’s words. After that, the two spirit clans discussed something in low voices before disappearing into the bushes with a flash of light.

* * *

At the same time, in a secret chamber of the Setting Sun Fortress, extraordinary individuals were gathered around a stone table.

“Lord Nam, are you saying that the spirit race is trapped in the Setting Sun Mystic Realm and waiting for our rescue?”

A monk wearing black prayer beads asked a middle-aged man in a white robe.

“Yes, that’s the latest news. It seems they were injured while fleeing from the spirit race’s pursuit. Their injuries have worsened, and the situation is so urgent that they couldn’t escape to the Setting Sun Fortress. We must go and bring them back.”

“Brother Nam, shouldn’t we also find out what exactly that spirit race brought out? We’re one thing, but even Senior Hwangryang has been invited. I’m curious how precious this item is.”

A giant with dark skin spoke up.

“Cultivator Geun, you misunderstand. I didn’t come because Lord Nam invited me, but because I’ve been feeling restless lately and came to get some fresh air. However, I am also curious about what the spirit race brought out.”

This person was none other than the renowned Lord Hwangryang. And ‘Lord Nam’ referred to the lord of the Setting Sun Fortress.

“Senior Ryeo, and Cultivator Geun, if I knew what it was, I wouldn’t have kept my mouth shut until now. I don’t know what the spirit race ran away with, but I know for sure that it’s an order from the Holy Emperor Palace.”

“An order from the Holy Emperor Palace?”

The monk and the giant were startled, and Lord Hwangryang’s eyes also gleamed.

“Does that mean the Holy Emperor himself is involved?”

The monk asked suspiciously.

“Well, I don’t know. But does it matter whether it’s an order from the Holy Emperor or the other two? Besides, at the same time as the order was delivered from the Holy Emperor Palace, a special envoy was dispatched and is on their way to the Setting Sun Fortress. The distance between here and the Heavenly Origin Fortress is far, and there are spatial rifts in between, so it will take quite some time. Until then, we must protect this spirit race and ensure they meet the special envoy from the Holy Emperor Palace.”

Lord Nam said solemnly.

“If it’s an order from the Holy Emperor Palace, there’s nothing more to discuss. I’m also looking forward to the item that the spirit race child is carrying.”

Lord Hwangryang smiled lightly, and the monk and the giant, Geun, also exchanged glances and no longer questioned it.

“Alright. Since Senior Ryeo and the two cultivators are with me, let’s depart for the Setting Sun Mystic Realm in two days. The spirit race we need to find is currently hiding in the Setting Sun Mystic Realm’s…”

“Who’s there!”

Just as Lord Nam was about to reveal where the spirit race was hiding, Lord Hwangryang reached out towards one of the walls of the secret chamber and shouted.

Thud!

A yellow crystal hand appeared and grabbed something, which burst out with a flash of gray light. In an instant, countless gray threads shot out in all directions.

“Damn it, it’s Soul Binding Silk!”

Lord Hwangryang shouted in surprise and then flapped his sleeves, covering his body with yellow energy. The others were also shocked by the sound.

The monk tore off the prayer beads from his neck, turning them into a black cloud to protect his body, and the dark-skinned giant took out an iron shield to block the front.

Also, Lord Nam opened his mouth and created a sparkling ice lotus, which vanished with a flash.

Everyone was tense from the sudden attack, but the gray light that had covered the secret chamber disappeared in an instant.

Everyone was dumbfounded.

“An illusion!”

Lord Hwangryang was the first to regain his senses and gestured, causing the yellow crystal hand to fly back. Upon closer inspection, there was something like silver powder flickering like will-o’-the-wisps inside it.

Hwangryang took some of the powder with his finger and examined it. The silver powder suddenly turned pink and then disappeared.

“To detonate a fully grown Illusion Flame Moth’s clone! Well, only a spirit insect of this level could transform into an intangible form and hide here. The clone must have escaped while we were off guard, and the main body is probably hiding near the Setting Sun Fortress. I wonder how much of our conversation it overheard… Ah, there’s a different demonic energy left in the moth’s powder. It seems to be a spirit insect raised by the demon race.”

Upon hearing that, Lord Nam’s face darkened even more.

“…We must depart tomorrow. We can’t let the demon race make the first move!”

* * *

An hour later, halfway up a mountain a hundred miles outside the Setting Sun Fortress.

A handsome young man was sitting cross-legged on a rock with his eyes closed. Above his head, a fist-sized moth was flying, and the colorful light emitted from its wings was very beautiful.

Behind the young man stood a slender woman with a bow. She had long, sharp eyes and thick eyebrows, and a fierce aura could be felt from her at first glance.

It was the demon race woman from the Black Wind Clan who had met Han Li before.

She, who usually had an arrogant face, was standing quietly behind the young man, waiting silently.

A faint sound of air being pierced was heard, and a thin gray thread appeared in the air and disappeared into the moth above the young man’s head. At that moment, the young man opened his eyes, which were deep and clear.

He gestured with his white hand, gracefully summoning the moth, which landed on his fingertip, emitting various colors from time to time. After a while, the moth stopped flickering.

“It was strange that old man Hwangryang appeared in the fortress. It seems he was involved with the spirit race. The Holy Emperor Palace has stepped in, so the item the spirit race’s traitor has must be significant. The information is worth more than losing the Illusion Flame Moth’s clone.”

He was lost in thought for a moment, then sent the moth flying above his head and stepped down from the rock.

“Cultivator So, I heard that the child the Black Wind Clan found last time surprisingly has the blood of a mutated True Phoenix Clan? His talent is so outstanding that he reached the 5th level in an instant.”

The young man asked the woman with the bow behind him.

“As Senior Hwan said, that child, Dae-ah, is indeed talented.”

“Speaking of which, our Gyeongseo Clan also has a young man with decent talent. He’s not that old, so how about we arrange a marriage between the two?”

“That… I am grateful for your deep interest, Senior, but Dae-ah is the clan leader’s granddaughter, so I cannot dare to decide on her marriage.”

The woman with the bow was startled, but she answered politely on the outside.

“I know that. I’m just asking you to pass the word to Gongson. The young man I’m talking about is also of considerable status and would be a good match for her.”

“Yes, I will definitely pass on the message as soon as I return.”

“If Gongson agrees, we will send someone from our side to discuss the marriage with your clan. And you must have heard what I just said? A spirit race is trying to flee to the human race, and they have a precious treasure that even the Holy Emperor Palace is interested in! If we didn’t know, it would be one thing, but now that we do, we can’t let the human race take this treasure. The Black Wind Clan all have spatial divine powers, so you should infiltrate the Setting Sun Mystic Realm first, inform the demon race, and tell them to find that person before the human race does. I will secretly follow the old man Hwangryang.”

The young man ordered in a clear voice.

“Yes! I obey!”

The woman with the bow bowed respectfully and stepped back, then drew a line in the air with one hand. A white lightning flashed, and her figure disappeared.

The young man remained in place, pondering for a long time, then emitted a yellow light from his body and slowly sank to the ground with the moth.

Soon after, the human and demon races in the Setting Sun Mystic Realm received orders from their higher-ups almost simultaneously.

‘Find the spirit race hiding in the Setting Sun Mystic Realm by any means!’

Moreover, both sides promised rewards that would make anyone’s eyes pop out.

In particular, the rewards for the human cultivators included spirit pills that would drastically improve their cultivation, millions of spirit stones, and even Lord Hwangryang’s Heavenly Heart Pill.

As a result, the Setting Sun Mystic Realm began to boil, and everyone was frantically searching for the spirit race, driven by the rewards.

Originally, human and demon cultivators would avoid each other if their strengths were similar, but with the rewards on the line, the atmosphere became tense, and fights between the two races became frequent.

However, Han Li was completely unaware of these facts. He was currently engaged in a dangerous battle for the first time since entering the Setting Sun Mystic Realm.

Looking at the beast thirty feet away, Han Li took a deep breath and regained his composure. However, his eyes did not leave his opponent for even a moment.

The cat-sized Golden Coin Leopard was so fast that even with the use of the Raging Flame Step, he couldn’t catch up.

Due to the previous battle, his blue robe was tattered, and golden skin was visible through the gray armor.

The small beast had four sharp claws, and the various claw marks and bloodstains left on the armor were enough to show how ferocious it was.

Fortunately, with the help of the Heavenly Time Pearl and Dragon Scales, Han Li’s muscles were as hard as a magic treasure, and his recovery was extremely fast, so his wounds healed as soon as they were inflicted.

Still, Han Li was dumbfounded.

Han Li had been so captivated by the adorable sight of the beast sleeping soundly on a tree branch that he had approached it as if possessed and tried to pet it.

However, the beast, startled by the unfamiliar touch, had become enraged and fiercely attacked Han Li.

The little creature was so fast that it jumped around, making it feel like he was being attacked by almost a dozen small leopards.

Since he couldn’t release his divine sense, the Bright Sight Eyes weren’t very effective.

In an instant, he was pushed back by the beast and suffered minor injuries. Unable to help it, Han Li used the Raging Flame Step to its extreme and exerted superhuman strength, swinging his arms.

Then, the long spear-shaped magic tool in his hand was imbued with black light.

Whoosh!

The long spear cut through the air, leaving afterimages, and only then did the beast become a little wary and slow its attack.

However, no matter how strong Han Li was, he couldn’t keep swinging his spear forever.

As Han Li’s spear-swinging speed slowed down, the small beast quickly pounced and slashed at his neck.

Horrified, Han Li swung his spear even faster, and the small beast retreated a few feet, glaring at Han Li with its blue-green eyes.

Thus began the standoff between Han Li and the small beast.

Except for its small size, the beast clearly looked like a Golden Coin Leopard, but it was not listed in the materials he had examined in the Setting Sun Fortress. Moreover, it was not a demon beast either.

Like him, it only fought for physical strength, and no demonic energy could be felt at all.

‘It must be a mutated monster!’