Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 794

‘If this transaction is successful, I’ll be able to make the elixirs I urgently need to overcome my cultivation bottleneck!’

The woman was curious about what Han Li was doing with so many spirit herb seeds, but as long as she received a fair price, she had no intention of questioning him.

Han Li seemed satisfied after his inspection and nodded.

“Excellent, most of them are what I mentioned before. This is the payment that you deserve, please check it.”

He took out several jade boxes and handed them to her. The woman carefully checked each one, not missing a single detail.

“They are all ten-thousand-year spirit herbs. Although this is our last transaction, if you survive the upcoming great disaster, we might have another chance to trade.”

“I hope so too. Now, I should go see what other cultivators have brought. Given the urgent situation, some might bring out hidden treasures to trade.”

Han Li said, scanning the stalls spread across the main hall.

“Fellow cultivator, you are quite clever. I’ve also looked around, and there are indeed more rare items than before. However, I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave first.”

“Please, do as you wish, Fellow Immortal.”

As the woman bowed, Han Li returned the gesture. The woman in black aura turned and walked towards the demon race entrance.

After she left the main hall, Han Li couldn’t help but smile.

After several transactions with the woman, he could finally make two types of elixirs needed for the mid-stage of the Transformation Realm. Now, he wouldn’t have to worry about elixirs for a while.

With the problem that had been bothering him resolved, Han Li felt much better and headed towards a nearby shop. After looking around, he frowned.

There were many items, and the number of rare treasures had increased, but nothing caught his eye. Right now, he needed secret techniques or cultivation methods more than magical treasures or materials, but few were willing to trade those.

He decided not to waste any more time there and left the main hall, returning to the stone tower where he was staying.

In fifteen days, a senior cultivator from the Heavenly Light Hall would be giving a lecture, and he also had other matters to attend to, so leaving the Heavenly Origin City immediately was not an option.

After returning to the stone tower, Han Li exchanged his merit jade token for a spirit token that would allow him to attend the lecture. Then, he returned to his squad’s garrison and entered his private chamber.

***

Three days later, a blue streak of light rapidly left the stone tower and flew out of the city. Half a day later, the blue streak of light was hovering above a valley outside the city.

It was an ordinary valley with lush vegetation, but nothing else stood out. The blue streak of light circled in the air and descended into the valley.

The light faded, and Han Li appeared in front of a thirty-foot-high stone wall. After checking his surroundings and finding nothing amiss, he flicked his sleeve and took out a golden talisman.

*Paaah.*

The talisman entered the gray stone wall and disappeared. Soon, something incredible happened.

A layer of gray light appeared on the surface of the stone wall, and a two-foot-high passage formed in front of Han Li. The square passage was made of blue rock that shimmered with spiritual energy.

Han Li smiled and entered. After walking for about forty or fifty feet, he came to a white jade door covered by a white light barrier. Without hesitation, Han Li formed a hand seal, and the light barrier vibrated and split in the middle.

Inside was a thirty-foot-wide hall. Except for over twenty stone chairs and a large stone table in the center, the space was empty. Eight or nine cultivators were already seated in the chairs. They were of different genders and wore different clothes, but all of them were cultivators at the Transformation Realm or higher.

Some of them smiled when they saw Han Li approaching.

“Brother Han, you’ve arrived!”

“You’re early this time.”

“I heard you captured a Green Shadow? You’ve brought honor to us Ascended cultivators.”

Han Li smiled and responded to their greetings before taking a seat on one side of the hall.

Then, he closed his eyes to calm his mind. After a while, a few more cultivators entered the hall and greeted each other.

Two hours passed, and the number of cultivators in the hall had reached sixteen, but they all sat quietly and waited. After some more time, a calm male voice came from outside the hall.

“It seems everyone who is coming has arrived. Some are unable to make it due to their duties. Brother Jo, let’s begin.”

“Hmm, it seems like most of us are here. I’ll do as Brother Moon says.”

As Han Li heard the familiar voices, he immediately opened his eyes.

One was the cultivator with the surname Moon who had settled Han Li’s merits not long ago, and the other was Jo Moo-gwi. The appearance of the Nascent Soul cultivators caused a brief stir in the hall.

“Cultivator Bum, who was in charge of the new Ascended cultivator meeting, is busy, so we’ve come instead. Does anyone have any objections?”

Jo Moo-gwi asked calmly, scanning the hall. The cultivators in the hall nodded, indicating they had no objections. Seeing this, the cultivator with the surname Moon smiled.

“Although Cultivator Jo could have presided alone, a special situation has recently occurred, and there are important matters to discuss, so I’ve joined him.”

“If it’s a special situation, are you talking about the possibility of the other races attacking the city?”

A red-faced old man with a red nose spoke up. The others were surprised by the old man’s words and looked at Moon and Jo Moo-gwi for their reactions.

“Let’s talk about that later. First, as in previous years, let’s hold an exchange meeting to share our cultivation insights! If you have any difficulties in your cultivation, you can ask us for guidance. Of course, as with Cultivator Bum, there will be a price to pay. Finally, if you have any important news or information, please report it. If it’s useful, we will generously reward you with elixirs like the Annihilation Pill.”

Jo Moo-gwi declared coldly.

With the presence of the Nascent Soul cultivator, the exchange meeting proceeded smoothly. Han Li was able to exchange some rare talismans using ten-thousand-year mystic jade.

After the trading was over, the cultivators took turns sharing their insights from cultivation or facts they had learned while practicing special techniques.

Some cultivators spoke vaguely, while others described things in detail, but they all stopped talking at the crucial points of their insights.

Those who were interested would send private messages to trade insights and treasures or other cultivation methods one-on-one. Moon and Jo Moo-gwi sat quietly and did not participate in the event.

Han Li had been researching talisman techniques recently, so he briefly explained his findings.

However, not many cultivators in the hall were interested in talisman techniques, so no one paid much attention to his insights.

Only Moon and Jo Moo-gwi showed a hint of surprise when they heard that Han Li was researching the Silver Inscription Talisman.

Many high-level cultivators knew about the Silver Inscription, but researching related talismans was quite difficult.

After everyone had taken their turn, some asked Moon and Jo Moo-gwi for guidance. Moon answered with a few short words, and if they went deeper, he would smile and remain silent.

Jo Moo-gwi answered through voice transmission. He would finish what he had to say and not answer any further, regardless of whether the questioner nodded or not.

Almost all of the new Ascended cultivators had problems with their cultivation, and most of them, except for Han Li, did not miss the opportunity.

Han Li was also having difficulties walking the path of dual cultivation of body and magic while practicing the Devilish Heavenly Art, but since there were hardly any people who had walked this path, there was no one to ask for guidance, so he was just observing.

For an hour, everyone took turns asking questions, and some provided information and news that only they knew, receiving elixirs from Jo Moo-gwi and Moon.

If it were any other time, the meeting would have ended there. But this time, Moon lightly cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention and then stood up.

“Now that we’ve dealt with the minor matters, let’s move on to the important issues. From now on, I will convey Elder Lei Luo’s instructions, so listen carefully.”

At those words, the expressions of the other cultivators, including Han Li, became solemn. Two of the five Human Race elders in Heavenly Origin City were Ascended cultivators: True Person Lei Luo and Immortal Jin Wol.

Immortal Jin Wol focused solely on cultivation and rarely paid attention to other matters, so naturally, True Person Lei Luo was the leader of the Ascended cultivators in Heavenly Origin City and was highly respected among them.

However, Han Li had not seen the two elders directly since coming to Heavenly Origin City. He had attended the Heavenly Light Hall lectures several times, but he had only seen the other three elders.

“Elder Lei Luo has finally obtained definite information through various channels. Within ten years, Heavenly Origin City will be invaded by other races, and a coalition of three or more races will attack. There is a very low probability that a second Hundred Races War will occur.”

Jo Moo-gwi’s words echoed through the hall. It was something they had expected, but the mention of the Hundred Races War made some of the cultivators turn pale.

Most of those gathered here had ascended to the Spirit Realm less than a hundred years ago, but there was no one who did not know about the Hundred Races War. It was a massive war that almost wiped out both the Human and Demon Races.

The war had lasted for ten thousand years, and the attacks against each other were beyond imagination.

Han Li, who was sitting in a corner, also sighed. The situation was worse than he had thought, and he needed to come up with a plan.

If a war broke out like this, there could be casualties not only among the Transformation Realm cultivators but also among the Fusion Realm elders.

“What is the reason that the seniors are telling us this news? There must be a good reason.”

A barefoot man stood up, bowed, and then asked respectfully.

“The cultivators gathered here have completed arduous cultivation in the lower realms where spiritual energy is scarce and have reached their current level. Those who have ascended to the Spirit Realm after countless hardships are not ordinary people. To put it bluntly! When a new Ascended cultivator is born in Heavenly Origin City, they are given the position of the Azure Guard. On the surface, it seems like they are being given important roles, but in reality, Ascended cultivators are almost always assigned to dangerous missions. In fact, we, who are less than one-tenth of the high-level cultivators, are in charge of dangerous missions, while the rest of the cultivators are sent to safe places. Everyone has been in Heavenly Origin City for some time, so I believe you already know this. Some of you have been sent on dangerous missions several times. You may not know this, but the current situation is the result of our Ascended cultivators uniting and Elder Lei Luo’s hard work. Before Immortal Jin Wol and Elder Lei Luo joined the Elder Council, the situation was even worse, and almost half of the Ascended cultivators who were on duty in Heavenly Origin City died.”

As Jo Moo-gwi finished speaking, the cultivators’ expressions darkened. It was a fact they had been experiencing. In fact, in recent years, the number of Ascended cultivators who were injured or killed on dangerous missions had increased.

If that were not the case, only a dozen or so people would not have attended today’s meeting.

However, Han Li’s face remained indifferent.

As soon as he became an Azure Guard, he was dispatched to dangerous areas like the Burying Marsh. Besides his squad, there were other units patrolling the Burying Marsh, but except for the units led by Spirit Realm natives, the rest were all Ascended cultivators.

It was something he had suspected for a long time. That was why he had readily accepted Jo Moo-gwi’s request to attend the Ascended cultivator meeting.

After living in Heavenly Origin City, he had learned that other cultivators feared or avoided Ascended cultivators. Otherwise, he would not have been able to chase away the old demon Myung so easily when he tried to invade his territory to find treasures.

Since a backer had come to him and wanted to get along well, there was no reason to refuse.

Patrolling the Burying Marsh was a dangerous mission, but after attending the Ascended cultivator meeting, he was not forced to take on other dangerous missions or other troublesome tasks.