Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 788

The formation in the main hall still shimmered with spiritual light, but the dots at the corners of the silver barrier were much dimmer and harder to see. After confirming this, Han Li replaced the high-grade spirit stones at the corners of the formation, reactivating it. The silver light barrier emanating from the octagonal formation disc became clearer. Han Li silently scanned the silver barrier, his expression grim. The four scattered dots had converged into one, and he confirmed that it was only four or five hundred miles away from his residence. There were two reasons why he had come out of the secret chamber today. First, he had finally succeeded in refining a single Taiyi Azure Talisman [a powerful, high-level talisman]. Second, one of the Silver Devouring Beetles he had sent out to monitor had disappeared for an unknown reason. He didn’t know if it was trapped or dead. Through the second Nascent Soul [a secondary soul used for cultivation], who was in charge of maturing herbs in the East, he learned that the four dots representing the investigators had gathered in one place several days ago. ‘Could they have already found their target?’ Han Li calmly began to think, sitting cross-legged in front of the silver barrier and watching it for three days and nights. However, the light spot remained in place, showing no signs of moving or scattering. Finally, on the morning of the fourth day, he sighed and stood up. “I’ll have to move myself.” Whatever their purpose, if something went wrong in his territory, he didn’t know if he could avoid disaster by hiding in the East. Several hundred miles was a distance that could be covered in the blink of an eye for cultivators of the same level or higher. How could he cultivate in peace when they were hovering so close to his residence? If the opportunity arose, it wouldn’t be bad to become a troublemaker and gain some benefits. After fighting with the Void Refinement cultivators [cultivators at a very high level of power] in the Spirit Realm, he had judged that even if he couldn’t be a match for them, he could at least survive. Now that he had the Lightning Pouch, the Lightning Bead, and even the Taiyi Azure Talisman, he felt confident. Also, since all four of the intruders had not noticed the surveillance of the Myriad Dragon Pearl, it seemed that there were no Body Integration cultivators [cultivators at an even higher level than Void Refinement] among them. After finishing his thoughts, Han Li turned into a blue light and shot out of the East. As his light circled in the air, he chanted an incantation, and the color of the light gradually faded, eventually becoming transparent. This kind of concealment technique was not as good as the Taiyi Azure Talisman, but it was not easily detected unless the opponent directly searched with their spiritual sense. Han Li changed direction and headed towards the location he had seen on the silver barrier. He could have arrived at their location in an instant. However, he deliberately slowed down and moved stealthily, so it took him about an hour to get there. As he got closer to his target, Han Li silently landed on the ground and burrowed into the earth, emitting a faint yellow glow. It was an improved version of the Earth Escape Technique, and it was very stealthy. He formed hand seals, erasing even his aura and magical power. However, after advancing about ten miles underground, Han Li suddenly stopped, stared ahead, and silently chanted an incantation. Then, golden dots flickered in the darkness and swarmed towards him. Buzz! The released Silver Devouring Beetles returned and disappeared into his sleeve. Han Li’s expression became strange as he retrieved the threads of consciousness he had attached to them. “So, they are indeed looking for something. But the thing they’re looking for is there? That’s unimaginable. But the fact that they discovered the Silver Devouring Beetles and killed one means there must be a Void Refinement cultivator.” Han Li muttered to himself as he sorted out the situation. Swoosh. He brushed his wrist against the storage bracelet, and a purple talisman appeared in a flash of spiritual light. The surface of the talisman glittered as if sprinkled with gold powder, and dense silver characters shimmered. It was the newly refined Taiyi Azure Talisman. Unlike the previous talisman, this Taiyi Azure Talisman was made exactly according to the materials and refining method written in the Golden Jade Book, so it was on a different level from the previous incomplete talisman. He didn’t have the confidence to approach the place where the Void Refinement cultivators were gathered without being detected, so he reluctantly used the Taiyi Azure Talisman that he had painstakingly refined. Using the talisman would make him disappear like an illusion, so he wouldn’t be detected. He planned to find out the identities and cultivation levels of the four cultivators first. No matter how precious a talisman was, it was not more important than his life. Moreover, this Taiyi Azure Talisman was a finished product, so its power was higher than the previous one, and it could be used continuously as long as its effect did not wear off. The purple talisman exploded, and the silver characters floated up as if they were alive, dancing around Han Li. Han Li made a serious face and cast a spell. Whoosh. The spell characters turned into a silver mist that covered him. After the mist disappeared, nothing was left. ‘This is the difference.’ Han Li instantly noticed the difference from the previous Taiyi Azure Talisman. Now, he could move the magical treasures and a large amount of spiritual power within his body. Perhaps if he really took out a magical treasure or used a powerful technique, the talisman’s effect would disappear on its own, but he was greatly satisfied with this alone. At least it meant he could make a preemptive strike when no one knew. With that, he moved forward again, and after flying a few miles, he gradually rose upwards. Han Li silently appeared on the ground and looked around. He was standing on the middle of a barren rocky mountain. Considering that it was a spiritual land with a spiritual vein [a source of spiritual energy], it was very strange that there was no grass growing on the ground. When he first surveyed the spiritual land, he had found it strange and came down to investigate, but he couldn’t find anything unusual. At that time, he was too busy establishing the East, so he didn’t think about it for long and went back. It wasn’t common for this to happen in a land with a spiritual vein, but it wasn’t unprecedented either. ‘The fact that they are staying here means that there is definitely something wrong with this place.’ Han Li recalled various pieces of information and moved towards the top of the mountain. Using the talisman, he felt as if he had no body, and there was no resistance when he moved. When he reached the top, he stopped and looked around, but nothing was different from before. Han Li raised his eyebrows and spread his spiritual sense. Then, he activated his Brightsight Spirit Eyes to the extreme, seeing things he couldn’t normally see. This time, something was definitely different. Faint beams of light were rising from all sides of the mountain, forming a bizarre square formation. The light beams were transformed from strange treasures, and the formation was formless and colorless, with no spiritual energy fluctuations at all. ‘They’ve temporarily set up a restriction. If I hadn’t been monitoring their movements in advance, I wouldn’t have noticed it even if I had passed by this place.’ However, the restriction had the function of hiding, but it had no effect on preventing someone from entering. Han Li, who was well-versed in formations, immediately recognized this, formed hand seals, and fearlessly flew into the mountain. The formation did not react when it came into contact with Han Li, and he seeped into the mountain without resistance. After going more than twenty yards underground, he saw a navy blue light mass. The light mass, about the size of a human head, was constantly rotating and contained a seven-colored vortex. Han Li stopped and observed it before trying to approach. Then, something unimaginable happened. The moment he stopped, the vortex in the navy blue light mass sensed his presence and emitted light in all directions. The seven-colored energy flashed and was absorbed into his body. ‘This!’ Han Li, who was completely unprepared, was shocked and felt his whole body being influenced by an unknown, enormous force. Then, his surroundings suddenly became hazy, and at the same time, he was instantly teleported to an unfamiliar place. Then, the talisman’s effect broke, and his body was forcibly exposed. A purple light flashed on his chest, and a talisman strangely appeared. Startled, he quickly reached out and retrieved the Taiyi Azure Talisman. Not far from him, two people were standing. They were startled by Han Li’s sudden appearance and shouted. “Who are you? How did you get here!” The man who shouted was the On cultivator with raised eyebrows, and the other was the plump Geum cultivator. If Han Li hadn’t used the Taiyi Azure Talisman to be cautious, he would have vomited blood and depleted his essence when he was engulfed by the seven-colored energy. The seven-colored energy looked similar to the light of the Fire Seed’s spiritual energy, but in reality, if an ordinary cultivator was engulfed by it, all the magical power in their body would become useless, and their body would be covered in blood due to the pressure. That was why the On and Geum cultivators’ masters had struggled for three days and nights to break the restriction and finally enter this place. Han Li was actually a little relieved to see the two of them. If there were no Void Refinement cultivators, he could handle them even if they attacked him together. So, even after his concealment technique was exposed, he smiled at them. “You must have set up the restriction outside. What are you doing here? If I remember correctly, there is a rule in the Natural City that prohibits trespassing on another’s territory. If you have a reason to stay, you must ask the owner for permission. If you don’t, you will be punished with the Poison Whip if you are discovered by the Heavenly Guards [law enforcement officers].” As he spoke, Han Li’s face turned cold, revealing that he had not come with good intentions. The On and Geum cultivators, who were in the Nascent Soul stage [a mid-level cultivation stage], also changed their expressions at the mention of the Poison Whip. The Geum cultivator rolled his eyes and soon smiled broadly. “Cultivator Han, this is all a misunderstanding. Cultivator On and I just happened to discover this place. We were passing by and were about to take a break on the mountain when we accidentally triggered some restriction and were teleported here!” “Do you think I’ll believe Cultivator Geum’s words? By the way, I don’t see the other two.” Han Li asked meaningfully, with his hands behind his back. Looking around, he was in an unknown, mysterious space. It was a hundred yards high and about a mile wide, and seven-colored energy shimmered in the air and all around. Even more surprising, seven large, milky-white light masses floated in the sky like seven suns, making the viewers’ hearts chill. And in the center of the seven light masses, seven-colored light doors were pierced. Upon hearing Han Li’s words, the surprised On and Geum cultivators’ expressions darkened as his gaze reached the light doors. “How did you find out about that?” The Geum cultivator’s voice became as cold as ice. “Are you two thinking of attacking me?” “I forgot to mention something, but before I came here, I left several sound transmission talismans in the restriction. If something happens to me, the restriction will react and fly to my companions and Senior Zho Mu Gui. If you harm a fellow cultivator who is carrying out a mission after trespassing on someone else’s territory, wouldn’t the Law Enforcement Team take an interest? That kind of crime could result in the Ice Prison Mountain Punishment. Besides, do you really believe that the two of you working together can kill me?” Han Li smiled meaningfully without any sign of anger. “You know Heavenly Guard Zho?” The On cultivator was startled and questioned him. The Geum cultivator’s face also hardened. “I am a cultivator that Senior Zho personally brought to the Natural City. How could I not know him?” At Han Li’s leisurely attitude, the On and Geum cultivators exchanged glances. “I’ll be direct! It’s not just the two of us here, but also our sect’s elders. They are examining the depths of the restriction, and we are under orders to guard this place. A mere Nascent Soul cultivator can’t stop them. Even if the Natural City’s rules are like that, it’s only when judging right and wrong. Who would try to hold two Void Refinement cultivators accountable for the sake of a single Nascent Soul cultivator? Knowing Senior Zho Mu Gui is probably just a superficial acquaintance.” After a moment of silence, the On cultivator suddenly said this. “Is that so? So, Cultivator On is trying to gamble? Oh dear, what should I do? Before I came here, I suddenly thought of a cultivator and mentioned his name in the sound transmission talisman. It seems that Cultivator On’s magical power is so high that he is not afraid of the Law Enforcement Team’s soul-chasing technique.” Han Li smiled and did not back down at all. If they were not afraid of the Natural City’s Law Enforcement Heavenly Guards, why would they have sneaked in like this! At Han Li’s words, the On cultivator also showed a troubled expression. Once this matter was known to the outside world, he would be implicated no matter what. That was the same as challenging the authority of the Heavenly Guards and the Elder Council.