Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 78

“Alright, I’ll take that bet! But what exactly are you after?” After a moment of contemplation, this Uncle Master agreed to the bet. He felt the odds were about even, and his desire for the opponent’s inner core was too strong. However, he cautiously sought to confirm the other party’s intentions. “Hehe. This poor Daoist doesn’t need any of your other treasures. If I win this bet, I only ask that you refine two pieces of Iron Essence, the same size as the one you previously gave, within 20 years. Your refinement skills are well-known among the Seven Great Sects, so it should be a simple task!” “Two more Iron Essences?” The Taoist narrowed his eyes and smiled, exuding a cunning aura. In contrast, this Uncle Master’s face turned so red it seemed about to burst. “You’re treating me like your servant, you Daoist rascal!” “How could I? If you win, you won’t have to do anything. Besides, it’s a fifth-level demonic beast’s inner core. For us cultivators, it’s equivalent to the early stage of the Core Formation stage [a significant level of cultivation], so its value is undeniable.” The Taoist nodded, seemingly impressed by his own words. This Uncle Master’s face flushed red and then pale before he finally extended a hand. “The rules are the same as last time, right? First, we’ll see who gathers more spirit herbs, then we’ll assess their value, and finally, we’ll count the number of disciples who survive the forbidden expedition.” “Everything is the same as before.” The Taoist was overjoyed and quickly reached out to slap this Uncle Master’s palm. Thus, the bet was made. *Clap!* The sound of two palms meeting echoed crisply. However, the Taoist’s expression was far from joyful; instead, he looked like he was about to cry. What he had slapped was not this Uncle Master’s hand but a grimy hand that had appeared out of thin air. It was covered in grease and grime, making it unimaginable how long it had been since it was washed. Moreover, the owner of the hand was nowhere to be seen. The disciples, who had been watching their respective Uncle Masters, all held their breaths at this bizarre situation. “Senior Gong!” The Taoist and this Uncle Master exclaimed simultaneously, their faces turning pale. “Senior? Aren’t we all in the Core Formation stage? I only entered the realm a few years earlier!” A languid voice echoed between the two, and the figure of a person in strange attire gradually materialized. He had short hair, about a few inches long, and wore a navy blue shirt that looked like it had been patched up many times. A faded blue cloth bag hung from his waist. His face was covered in grease and grime, making it impossible to see his true features. “A few years? There’s a difference of hundreds of years.” Upon seeing the person’s face, both this Uncle Master and the Taoist inwardly sighed, realizing it was indeed him, but they couldn’t show any disrespect outwardly. This eccentric was not only surprisingly old but also a powerful cultivator who was close to reaching the Nascent Soul stage [a very high level of cultivation]. The Formless Escape Technique he had created was renowned throughout the Yue Kingdom’s cultivation world and was also known in several surrounding countries. It was unknown why he hadn’t reached the Nascent Soul stage, but his personality had become increasingly bizarre over the past 100 years. He enjoyed teasing other Core Formation stage cultivators, and among the few dozen high-level cultivators in the Yue Kingdom, there was no one who hadn’t been troubled by his antics. However, even those who were revered as Uncle Masters within their sects were helpless before him. In terms of magical power, he was the best among the Core Formation stage cultivators, and in terms of background, he was a member of the most powerful sect among the Seven Great Sects, the Hidden Moon Sect. To stop him, even the Nascent Soul stage elders of each sect would have to come forward to reprimand him, but most of these elders knew him and didn’t want to create trouble over trivial matters. Thus, he had become like a rogue and hooligan among the high-level cultivators. When encountering him, one could only hope that he was in a good mood that day. Otherwise, one would have to endure his nasty pranks. For this reason, ever since this senior had joined, both this Uncle Master and the Taoist had been on tenterhooks. Both had suffered from his pranks before. “Since you’re making a bet, wouldn’t it be too lonely with just the two of you? How about this old man joins in?” It seemed that Senior Gong was in a good mood today, as he uttered words that made the two of them groan inwardly. “You jest, Senior. How could our disciples possibly defeat the talented individuals of the Hidden Moon Sect? It’s obvious we’ll lose without even trying, so we won’t make the bet. We’re at too much of a disadvantage.” The Taoist maintained a forced smile, trying to appease Senior Gong. This Uncle Master, without saying a word, even closed his eyes, agreeing with the Taoist’s words at least twenty times over. The old man Gong rolled his eyes and chuckled. “Would I do something so unfair? Don’t worry. If the combined results of your two sects surpass mine, I’ll consider myself defeated. And then you two can determine your own winner and loser.” “Really?” The Taoist breathed a sigh of relief and confirmed. Although Old Man Gong was fickle and his mood changed frequently, he had never broken a promise once made. If it was as he said, this bet would not only be fair but even slightly advantageous for the Taoist and this cultivator. “I’ll bet three Formless Needle Talismans. I originally refined them when I was idle, but since I don’t have any descendants, I might as well use them for a bet.” The old man raised his hand, and a talisman with seven-colored needles flashed and disappeared. This Uncle Master and the Taoist couldn’t hide their surprised expressions. When their eyes met, they could see the desire in each other’s eyes. The Formless Needles were something that even the two of them had coveted for a long time. This magical treasure was made from the essence of five metals combined with Old Man Gong’s Formless Escape Technique. It could injure people without leaving a trace, making it impossible to find the cause. Rumor had it that even Nascent Soul stage cultivators would have a headache when facing the Formless Needles, which was another reason why Old Man Gong could act so freely. If one obtained a Formless Needle Talisman that sealed its power, its special ability to conceal its form could save one’s life during a duel. For Core Formation stage cultivators, this talisman was an extraordinary item that they couldn’t defend against. “Very well. We’ll make the bet according to Senior Gong’s words.” The Taoist carefully considered the situation and, finding no flaws, accepted his conditions. This Uncle Master also gritted his teeth and pretended not to notice the enormous reward that would follow victory. *Clap!* *Clap!* The three of them slapped each other’s hands, confirming the bet. “Senior, but how did you end up here? Could it be that you’re leading this Hidden Moon Sect expedition?” Just as the three were about to disperse, the Taoist suddenly remembered something and asked Old Man Gong. “Would the sect be at ease if I were to lead the children? This time, the Hidden Moon Sect disciples are being led by that girl, Ye Xiang. I’m just here to see if there are any useful disciples in each sect.” Senior Gong scanned the disciples of Huangfeng Valley and Qingxu Sect. “Now that I see them, they’re all ordinary. Perhaps they’re too precious to be shown off! They must be holding them close to their chests like jewels. But they should know that no matter how outstanding their talents are, if they don’t overcome difficult crises, they’ll be slaughtered like lambs when they encounter the demonic cultivators!” The old man showed his displeasure, seemingly dissatisfied with the methods of each sect. The two of them maintained calm expressions, but inwardly, they strongly disagreed. ‘That old monster speaks so easily! Does he think it’s easy to get a disciple with innate talent in our sect? Most of them die if they’re included in this expedition. It’s good to gain experience, but there are many other things to do. Is it really necessary to send them to the Blood Gold Trial [a dangerous trial for disciples]?’ Of course, they couldn’t say these words out loud to Old Man Gong’s face. They might end up inviting trouble upon themselves if they spoke carelessly. Both the Taoist and this Uncle Master were well aware of the situation. As they had spent a long time in the cultivation world, they knew that the one with the strongest fist was the most important. At that time, the disciples of both sects had heard everything about the bet that these three were making regarding their expedition. They all thought it was bizarre. However, no one stepped forward to rebuke them. They could only suppress their anger inwardly. Those three could kill them, mere novices in the cultivation world, with a flick of their fingers. After the other two left, this Uncle Master immediately turned to face the Huangfeng Valley disciples. Then, in a cold tone, he began to tell a story that shocked Han Li and the other disciples. “You must think that we’re disregarding you by making a bet with your lives at stake. If it were someone else, they would have made excuses to explain. But I’ve always thought it wasn’t worth it. Today, I will tell you the truth about the cultivation world and its cruelty. Consider this a piece of advice and listen carefully. In the cultivation world, whether it’s a righteous sect or a demonic path, everyone seeks power that defies the heavens. The strong prosper, and the weak are eliminated. It’s just that the cultivation methods of the righteous sects are slow to achieve, like a single drop of water eventually forming a vast river, but their magical power is gentle. Most of the petty people who raise the banner of eliminating the demonic path are just hypocrites. The demonic cultivators of the evil path achieve rapid progress, and their magical power is strong, but their cultivation process is insidious and cruel, and they stop at nothing to achieve their goals. It’s said that they are naturally unruly, but in reality, as they progress in their cultivation methods, their actions gradually become more extreme, and they lose their human nature, becoming bloodthirsty. However, the righteous and evil paths, as well as other cultivation sects, are all governed by the law of the jungle, regardless of what they say. Cultivators are different from ordinary mortals. Just because a cultivator has a higher level of cultivation, they can treat lower-level cultivators like insects. It’s not uncommon for them to kill someone just because a single word displeases them.” Having said this, this Uncle Master paused for a moment. From his tone, it seemed that he didn’t think much of either the righteous or evil paths, which confused many of the disciples. Among them, one of the bolder disciples couldn’t help but ask, “Uncle Master, is our Huangfeng Valley a righteous sect or an evil sect?” “Neither righteous nor evil. The same goes for the other six sects in the Yue Kingdom.” He answered coldly, twitching his lips. “You are young and haven’t been in the sect for long, so you probably haven’t heard about the history of the Yue Kingdom’s cultivation world. 1,000 years ago, the Yue Kingdom, like other regions, had both righteous and evil paths, and at that time, the Seven Great Sects were just insignificant small sects. To survive, they lived like weeds between the walls of the righteous and evil sects. Even if they tried to attach themselves to the side that grew stronger, small sects like ours were not even worthy of their attention. Then, one day, a massive battle broke out between them, and countless experts died without a trace. After that, the power of both the righteous and evil paths was broken, and there was no force left to suppress small sects like our Huangfeng Valley. After a long time, the Seven Great Sects unexpectedly joined forces and uprooted both of them. They even eliminated their traditions, leaving no chance for them to rise again. Most of the cultivation methods you learn today are the spoils of war left behind by both the righteous and evil paths at that time. Having laid the foundation in this way, the Seven Great Sects monopolized the Yue Kingdom. So, if a righteous or evil sect tries to invade this place, the sects will immediately unite and repel them, giving them no chance to gain a foothold. In the end, the cultivation methods passed down in our Seven Great Sects include those from the righteous path, the evil path, and some that are unique. From a factional standpoint, we are neutral between the righteous and evil paths.” As he finished his long explanation, a satisfied expression appeared on this Uncle Master’s face. “You stay in the valley to cultivate, and at most, you wander around the small land of the Yue Kingdom, so you’ve never experienced the true cultivation world, let alone faced the dark and bloody side of it. In reality, in other regions, the five major cultivation factions of the righteous, evil, Buddhist, Daoist, Confucian, demonic, and demonic are all mixed together, and the chaos is beyond imagination. Killing people for treasures and even having entire sects destroyed overnight are commonplace. In many regions, the demonic side has the upper hand, and they kill people at the drop of a hat, filling the air with the stench of blood.” At this point, this Uncle Master’s face became even more serious.