Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 80

The sideburn man also glared fiercely at Han Li, clearly issuing a warning. Han Li’s eyebrows drooped.

It seemed the girl might be having a hard time in the Spirit Beast Mountain.

The sideburn man was one of the strong individuals he had noticed, possessing thirteen levels of cultivation. Being targeted by such a person could lead to hardship.

However, he wasn’t a member of the Spirit Beast Mountain, and once inside the forbidden area, everyone was an enemy. So, without any intention of holding back, he gave the man a blatant sneer.

This action seemed to infuriate the sideburn man, as blood rushed to his face. However, unable to do anything to Han Li right away, he turned his head and shouted something at the girl again.

The Spirit Beast Mountain disciples nearby were all startled and avoided her, making it impossible to understand what was being said. Seeing this, Han Li’s anger flared, and his pity for the girl grew even more. However, they were too far apart, and he couldn’t hear the sideburn man’s words.

At that moment, the discussions among the sect leaders finally ended, and they returned to their respective disciples. Then, they all flew into the sky and headed towards the forbidden area.

It was closer than expected, and they flew towards the border of the Wonmu Kingdom, landing in front of a vast yellow dirt hill. Except for some rocks, there wasn’t a single blade of grass to be seen, and all around was a yellow landscape.

‘Could this be it?’

Like the others, Han Li couldn’t believe that spirit herbs would be found here. The Core Formation elders gathered again to talk, and then a sturdy elder from the Giant Sword Sect stepped forward alone.

He raised his left hand, and a yellow light flashed, scratching the ground and creating a flow of mud as if a yellow dragon was rising. The yellow dirt in the Giant Sword Sect elder’s hand transformed into the shape of a huge sword.

He raised his other hand and brushed it from the hilt to the tip of the dirt sword. Following his hand, light flowed, and it instantly turned into a gray-white stone sword.

The disciples of the seven great sects marveled at the intermediate spell that turned dirt into stone.

However, the hand that made the sword didn’t rest, and he immediately put strength into it, aiming it forward with a speed as fast as a falling star.

The stone sword, imbued with such a powerful strike, flew for tens of yards, and then, as if it had collided with something, it trembled and disappeared into dust.

At the same time, a blue light shone in the void where the sword had met, spreading out with the force to almost cover the sky. It was such a powerful light that the disciples watching could see their bodies in blue.

The blue light surged, unsettling the disciples, and with a tremendous wind sound, countless wind blades appeared and raged wildly.

The barrier of wind blades that they formed was so vast that even when they turned their heads, they couldn’t see the end of it, and they couldn’t even guess how far it extended. Only the blue light flickered with the sound of a whirlwind.

If one were to carelessly intrude into this barrier, they would immediately feel what it was like to be torn to pieces. It was believable that one could be split into a thousand pieces.

This was the forbidden area. Such an enormous scale and majesty made one wonder which mysterious cultivator from the ancient times had set it up.

The giant formation guarding the main gate of the Yellow Wind Valley was nothing more than child’s play compared to this. At that moment, the Giant Sword Sect elder shook his head and turned back.

In response, the other sect leaders ordered their disciples to rest for a while, as it wasn’t yet time.

Every two hours, the Giant Sword Sect cultivator repeated the same action. It was to measure the strength of the forbidden area, and when the fourth stone sword was launched, they finally discovered that the blue light emanating from the forbidden area had greatly diminished. Then, as if by agreement, the other six Core Formation cultivators took flight.

They all stood shoulder to shoulder, and when this sect leader spread his hand, a wooden object emitting a silver light appeared. The Taoist hit himself on the back of the head and opened his mouth, from which a blue light burst out and turned into a flying sword. The other five also each equipped themselves with dazzling objects.

A pink ribbon, a dragon-shaped staff, a dark-colored giant sword, a red-lighted long blade, and a huge seal with a flamboyant yellow light. The seven objects of seven colors emitted various lights, drawing arcs as they charged towards the Great Wind Blade Formation.

Those were probably the magical treasures they had created through arduous refinement after reaching the Core Formation stage.

The disciples of each sect also became tense, and following the orders of their senior Foundation Establishment disciples, they all stood in formation behind the seven. They were now ready to enter the forbidden area.

‘Kwa-gwa-gwang!’

With a tremendous roar, the wind blades and the seven-colored magical treasures clashed sharply. Sparks of various lights flew, and strange reverberations echoed continuously, making the hearts of the watching disciples anxious.

The sect leader’s ruler spun around, and the silver light it emitted and its size increased and decreased. It was as if it was moving on its own, crushing the wind blades.

The blue flying sword had already transformed into a huge dragon, and it growled strangely each time it devoured a wind blade.

The other five magical treasures also displayed their own skills, and in particular, the giant seal of the Heavenly Punishment Sect elder was incredibly powerful.

Each time it crushed the wind blades, it grew as if a small hill had been moved, and it made a thunderous sound of destruction, but when it moved to another spot, it returned to its original size.

However, its flying speed was slow, making it look a bit clumsy. Even though the seven magical treasures were displaying tremendous power, they were still not enough compared to the wind blade formation, which had weakened in momentum.

As they repeated the same actions within the wind blade barrier, beads of sweat began to form on the foreheads of the seven sect leaders.

After two or three hours of fierce resistance, the sect leaders were sweating as if it were raining, and the magical treasures finally began to overwhelm the wind blades, creating a circular passage in the barrier. The passage was dark, and it seemed that nothing could be seen if one entered.

“Hurry and go in! It won’t last long!”

The Taoist shouted first. He was the weakest in magical power among the seven cultivators, and he was sweating profusely.

The disciples, upon hearing this, didn’t hesitate for a moment and rushed into the passage in groups.

Although no one said it, their expressions were grim, knowing that once they entered the forbidden area, a life-or-death battle would begin, and even fellow disciples couldn’t be trusted.

Han Li was positioned in the middle to rear of the formation, with the Giant Sword Sect disciples in front and the Fire Dao Sect people behind.

The passage wasn’t long, and in the blink of an eye, they emerged from the exit. As soon as he came out of the exit, his vision spun, and the moment he saw light, he was already gone.

* * *

The first scene Han Li saw as he regained his senses was a dark gray, muddy ground, constantly bubbling puddles, strangely twisted trees, and unknown blood-colored grass under his feet. These, along with a strange odor that stung his nose, were what he saw.

Without even having time to examine this unusual scene, Han Li immediately became alert and checked if anyone was nearby.

After all, the most dangerous people right now were the disciples of other sects who had entered the forbidden area at the same time as him.

Luckily, there was no sign of anyone else nearby except for Han Li.

He was relieved for now, but he couldn’t completely let his guard down. He soon held a talisman in one hand and took out the Golden Cicada Blades in the other, preparing for any eventuality.

Only now could he calm his mind and calmly observe the strange scenery here.

Han Li wasn’t particularly surprised, even though he had just arrived here. Before the expedition to the forbidden area, the officials had distributed relevant materials to each disciple.

The materials stated that anyone who entered the forbidden area would be scattered to various locations within it due to the influence of another formation installed inside. However, where and with whom one would end up was entirely up to luck.

Some would land in the best places and find spirit herb habitats as soon as they opened their eyes, while others would land in places teeming with beasts. Those who were truly unlucky would be sent to places like cliffs and die, but such cases were rare. The most likely scenario was like Han Li’s, where one would land in a safe place in the forbidden area and have to search for herbs on their own.

This phenomenon occurred because they had forcibly broken through the forbidden area. Since they weren’t officially entering, other smaller formations were triggered, causing these unexpected effects.

Han Li carefully examined his surroundings while comparing the information he had seen in the materials with the surrounding scenery, and he eventually recalled some useful information.

The information was based on the memories of disciples who had previously visited the forbidden area, and it was a great help to those who were embarking on a new expedition.

‘The Black Dragon Pond is located in the northeast of the forbidden area, with a deep pond spanning tens of yards, surrounded by vegetation such as the Bone Rot Flower and the Serpent Vine Tree. They are used for making poisons, but their prices are not high.’

‘Every ten years, the Frost Smoke Grass also grows in the center and along the edges of the Black Dragon Pond. It is a versatile basic herb, and if it can be collected, a reward can be obtained. The point to note is that a group of First-Grade Lower Realm demonic beasts, the Frost Ice Toads, inhabit the depths of the pond. They are generally docile, so they are not dangerous unless provoked.’

After repeating the information several times, a good idea came to mind. The closer one got to the center of the forbidden area, the more precious spirit herbs there were, and the groups of demonic beasts guarding them also grew larger.

The Black Dragon Pond was a bit on the outskirts, but overall, it wasn’t too remote, so if he hurried, he could reach the center of the forbidden area in about a day.

Han Li immediately jumped up and climbed a large tree in the dense forest. From the top, he could see in all directions and roughly determine his direction.

There was a path leading to the center of the forbidden area to the south of the pond, so he took note of it. He cast the Concealment Technique and began to walk quietly.

His movements were so cautious that they seemed a bit excessive, but nothing happened even after walking for a long time. It seemed that he was the only one around the Black Dragon Pond.

As the sound of flowing water reached his ears, Han Li gradually relaxed the tension he had been holding.

After passing through numerous trees blocking his path, the jade-colored edge of the pond appeared. Han Li shivered at the coldness of the pond, which had been untouched by human hands for a long time.

‘So, this is the Black Dragon Pond?’

The pond wasn’t very large, and it was surrounded by Serpent Vine Trees.

The surface of the water was so cold that even just looking at it made one feel a chill, and a thin layer of ice had even formed around the edges of the pond, making it clear how cold it was.

More than these things, a dozen white, fluffy grasses in the recessed terrain around the pond caught his eye.

Each stalk had five leaves, and their entire bodies were pure white, emitting a faint energy. The atmosphere that the small grasses gave off was quite like that of a spirit herb.

‘That’s the Frost Smoke Grass! It’s the same as described in the materials.’

Han Li felt happy after confirming the Frost Smoke Grass. This spirit herb had nothing to do with the Foundation Establishment Pill, but to obtain a spirit herb as soon as he entered the forbidden area was a good omen!

As if it had become a habit, he looked left and right, and just as he was about to take a step, his face suddenly hardened, and he stepped back a few steps. Han Li hid his body in the bushes and watched the forest on his left.

Soon, a figure flashed, and a man from the Heavenly Punishment Sect walked out of the bushes, looking around cautiously.

Judging by his attire, he was a member of the Heavenly Punishment Sect, and he was moving very carefully, turning his head three or four times.

He was approaching the Frost Smoke Grass, preparing for an attack.