Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 781

782. The Unwelcome Guest

* * *

Han Li gazed at the two branches, lost in thought.

Suddenly, his eyes flashed. With a flick of his finger, he sliced off one of the branches. A golden light flickered, and within the white lightning, the branch split into two again.

This time, prepared, he manipulated his consciousness, placing one of the branches in front of him to observe the silver-white cross-section. Han Li activated his Brightspirit Eyes [a special vision technique] to watch the phenomena occurring on the cut surface.

It was the same silver-white, but the patterns created by the lightning strands were completely different from the first time. After a moment, the cut surface of the branch was covered in jade green.

Han Li slowly closed his eyes, pondering repeatedly.

He continuously flicked his finger, cutting the severed branch again and again. Each time a new lightning pattern appeared, he examined it closely before cutting the next branch.

In an instant, half of the wood fragment was split into countless pieces, scattering on the ground.

‘This is!’

Realizing something, he emitted a faint sword light towards the remaining intact half. A silver light flashed, and the branch split into two pieces. Upon closer inspection, as the sword energy continued to be released, half of the lightning wood was cut away as if it were thin paper.

Yet, the remnants of the lightning wood maintained a stable form, and the power of the lightning did not burst outward.

Han Li raised one hand and held the white jade slip. He recorded everything he had seen on the cross-section a moment ago, leaving nothing out.

After a while, Han Li let out a long breath. No matter how good his memory was, it was not easy to remember all of these complex and detailed patterns at once.

He calmed his mind and quietly began to study the lightning patterns. He couldn’t explain why, but the moment he saw the lightning patterns, he felt that they would play an important role in forming the lightning wood.

Han Li remained motionless like a wooden statue in that spot for an entire day.

Kwagwang! Kururung Kwagwang!

Then, suddenly, his eyebrows twitched, and he flicked all ten fingers. Golden lightning shot out in a row, splitting and turning into numerous lightning threads that spread in all directions.

Han Li chanted an incantation, moving his ten fingers incessantly, striking the air. The lightning threads twitched and condensed, rapidly forming a design in the air. It was faint, but it was the exact same shape as one of the lightning patterns Han Li had memorized.

Just as the lightning shape was about to be completed, a special object, like a golden thread, burst with a ‘bubuk!’ sound. It disappeared with a small popping sound, like a firecracker.

However, Han Li did not seem disappointed but rather excited. His hunch was correct. Just as the golden lightning shape was about to take form, he felt an unknown power from the golden thread.

Unfortunately, a slight error occurred in the combination of the lightning threads before he could examine it closely.

Kururung Kwagwang!

He took a breath and clasped his hands together, shooting out a thick golden lightning again. The thick lightning turned into numerous golden lightning threads, and the number of threads that appeared densely was even greater than before.

Following Han Li’s consciousness, the lightning threads were woven into the shape of the patterns that appeared on the cut surface of the lightning wood. However, due to the difficulty of fine control, he failed repeatedly, and each time, the golden shape that was about to be completed burst.

After seven attempts, a golden, radiant handkerchief floated in the air, motionless. The palm-sized piece of cloth had a lightning pattern in the middle, shining mysteriously.

Han Li, who had been quietly watching it, made his eyes sparkle and summoned the handkerchief. The handkerchief was so soft that it was even smoother than one made of real silk. Han Li rubbed the golden handkerchief, examining it, and suddenly threw it into the air, sending out a hand seal.

Kwagwang!

The handkerchief turned golden, spinning above his head, and a low thunder sound echoed. Then, the cloth split, and a lightning pattern emerged like a phantom from within the golden light.

From the transparent lightning pattern, a huge pressure of spiritual energy burst out with a sky-piercing momentum. It was the mysterious power he had felt a moment ago.

‘This can’t be!’

Han Li was extremely excited to see the golden pattern created in the air. Even though he had not yet activated the lightning pattern with a hand seal, the strength of the spiritual energy it contained was more than ten times that of the Evil-Slaying Divine Lightning possessed by the handkerchief itself.

If this power were turned into an attack, even the golden restriction protecting the stone chamber would not be able to withstand it. Thinking this, he gestured towards the lightning pattern in the air.

Kwagwang!

The golden pattern flashed and returned to its original form, landing in his hand. After that, Han Li began to emit golden lightning again to condense the second lightning pattern.

At first, he failed repeatedly, but soon he was able to obtain another lightning pattern. This time, it was not a handkerchief but a golden, radiant round bead, with a faint lightning pattern shimmering on its surface.

Han Li reached out and grasped the bead, carefully examining the differences between the two patterns. After a moment, as if he had an idea, he spat out a ball of silver flame from his mouth. As he formed a hand seal, the flame cried out clearly and burst with a ‘pop!’ sound, fluttering like countless silver petals.

Han Li chanted an incantation, wrapping the silver sparks with his consciousness, and the silver sparks turned into thin fire threads.

Kwang!

However, just as he was about to create something with the thin threads, it exploded after only about half of the process, returning to a ball of silver flame.

The silver flame turned into a firebird and flew back into Han Li’s body, disappearing.

He condensed his original magic power again, creating blue spiritual energy threads, and repeated the same process. As a result, just like with the Western Spirit Heavenly Flame, the spell scattered on its own halfway through.

At this, Han Li stopped trying and fell into deep thought. Clearly, the two mysterious powers originated from the same place, but they were distinctly different.

The power of the lightning in the handkerchief was stable and pure, while the power of the lightning in the bead was in an unstable state, on the verge of going berserk.

Han Li pondered over the two lightning patterns for a long time, and gradually, the corners of his mouth turned up. If his guess was correct, these lightning patterns were mysterious spell characters formed naturally, and each pattern possessed its own unique ability.

They might be similar to the immortal characters like the Silver Seal Script [a type of ancient writing]. Han Li placed the objects created by the lightning patterns in a jade box, attached several golden restriction talismans, and put them in the storage bracelet along with the jade slip.

Then, for the rest of the time, he withdrew his consciousness and closed his eyes to rest.

* * *

On the morning of the third day.

Han Li released the restriction of the secret chamber and went out through the stone door. He habitually spread his consciousness throughout the entire hall, and a familiar voice reached his ears.

Han Li slightly tilted his head, his brow furrowed, but he did not slow his pace as he headed towards the main hall. Before he even exited the passage, he heard a man laughing wildly.

“Fellow Immortal Xu, if you lost the bet, you should accept the result, no matter what. You must accept my disciple’s marriage proposal, right?”

His laughter was very unpleasant, like the sound of metal scraping. Han Li calmly exited the passage and surveyed the situation inside the main hall.

Inside, four people were standing as if facing off against each other. On one side were the pale-faced Fellow Immortal Xu and the blue-eyed giant, Zhuo Chong, and facing them were men in black robes.

One was an old man with a thin, long face and triangular eyes, wearing clear armor, and the other was a middle-aged dwarf with pockmarks all over his face.

The one laughing loudly was the old man with the triangular eyes.

“Senior Han!”

As Han Li appeared in the main hall, the blue-eyed giant greeted him happily. Lady Xu also looked at him, a hint of joy on her face.

“So, you are the new Fellow Immortal Han!”

The old man’s laughter stopped abruptly, and he scanned Han Li with a surprised look. At the same time, Han Li also realized with his consciousness that the old man was a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator [a stage of cultivation], and his eyebrows twitched.

“Who are you two, causing such a commotion here?”

‘A guy with lower cultivation than me dares!’

Han Li’s voice was cold, and the old man with the triangular eyes became angry. However, he remembered that Han Li was a non-ascended cultivator and said with an awkward smile.

“This old man is Huang Po, the captain of the 27th squad. I came to your hall because I have something to discuss with Fellow Immortal Xu, so it would be best if you didn’t interfere.”

“What do you have to discuss with me? This matter was originally between your disciple and me. Suddenly coming here like this is nothing more than using your power to pressure a junior.”

“Fellow Immortal Xu, are you not going to keep the promise you made with my disciple? There was no mention that you couldn’t seek help from others. If a cultivator has the ability, they can seek help as much as they want. If you don’t keep your promise, the Xu family will also suffer.”

The old man with the triangular eyes glared at the woman like a venomous snake.

“My matter has nothing to do with the Xu family. Senior, please do not involve innocent people.”

“How can it be unrelated? When you and my disciple made the bet, the Xu family acted as witnesses. If you, a cultivator, are now going to break your promise, I will naturally go and question the witnesses.”

At the old man’s words, Fellow Immortal Xu’s face turned pale, and she turned her gaze to Han Li. Although she didn’t say anything, her expression was pleading. The blue-eyed giant, who was watching from the side, just looked regretful.

“What is this promise?”

Han Li scratched his nose and asked calmly.

To be honest, if Lady Xu hadn’t been a descendant of the Ice Phoenix Immortal, he wouldn’t have asked. Asking this question in this situation meant that he was going to get involved in this matter.

As he stepped forward, the old man’s expression changed slightly.

“I proposed marriage to Fellow Immortal Xu. Fellow Immortal Xu, confident in the mysterious coldness of her Ice Crystal Sword, promised to accept my proposal if my natal magic treasure did not turn into an ice block even after being struck by the Ice Crystal Sword. But when I succeeded, she broke her promise and hid here.”

The dwarf with the pockmarked face said, rolling his eyes.

“Is that really what happened?”

Han Li now asked Lady Xu.

“It is true that such a thing happened. But how could a mere early Nascent Soul cultivator block my attack without using some trick on his natal magic treasure?”

Fellow Immortal Xu answered reluctantly, but she was still angry. The old man didn’t say anything, but his triangular eyes showed a smug look.

“No matter what the reason, it is a clear fact that the Ice Crystal Sword did not freeze my Green Wave Blade. Fellow Immortal, you must acknowledge this.”

The dwarf with the pockmarked face chuckled, and Fellow Immortal Xu glared at him with frosty eyes and closed her mouth.

“Did that happen? But I also don’t believe that Fellow Immortal Xu’s Ice Crystal Sword couldn’t freeze your magic treasure. Then, let’s do it again in front of me! Fellow Immortal Huang, if this is true, I will not interfere. But if it is not, please take your disciple and leave this place. This is the 56th hall, not a place for the 27th.”

Han Li’s gaze became sharp, and the atmosphere suddenly turned cold.

“Senior, that is…”

“Let’s do that. However, I hope Fellow Immortal Han will keep his word.”

Fellow Immortal Xu was surprised and tried to say something, but the old man readily accepted the proposal. He was also wary of Han Li’s identity and didn’t want to make an enemy unless it was necessary.

The dwarf with the pockmarked face immediately spat out a green flying knife from his mouth and sneered. The flying knife’s spiritual light was so dazzling that it didn’t look ordinary at first glance.

Han Li narrowed his eyes and carefully examined the flying knife with his blue-tinged eyes. The Green Wave Blade was a flying knife that coexisted with relatively weak and powerful forces, containing two completely different spiritual powers.

‘Indeed, he has tampered with it.’