Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 850

Chuk-eumja, inside the light barrier, looked grim as he watched Han Li leave.

“Senior Brother Chuk, shouldn’t we follow him?”

“Hmph, how can we chase him? Once we leave the sparring arena, we can’t fight anywhere. I never imagined he would avoid the fight like this. But it wasn’t a complete waste; I learned that he is proficient in wind and thunder attributes. His mountain-shaped treasure surprisingly blocked my Crimson Flame Claws, so I need to be careful. I’ll think about how to deal with him when we get back.”

Chuk-eumja scoffed at Hongsa’s words. Hongsa carefully agreed, nodding his head.

They descended to the ground, joined Jeokcheon in the crowd, and swaggered away. The remaining Bi-ryeong spectators talked about the duel and Han Li for a long time.

* * *

“What is the meaning of this? I specifically told you not to. How could you leave the clan’s residence and act alone! And why did you fight with the Jeok-yung clan in the sparring arena?”

The Great Elder of the Cheon-bung clan stared coldly at the silver-robed woman with an icy expression. Elder Seok also didn’t say anything, but his eyes showed disapproval.

Noeran’s face turned pale as she was being scolded. Baek-byeok and Han Li were also standing next to her. Baek-byeok was hanging his head, looking anxious, while Han Li remained calm.

Not long after he returned with Noeran, Geum-yeol learned of the incident and came personally to reprimand the two Saints severely. Although Noeran was the one who caused the trouble, Baek-byeok also failed to stop her, so it was natural for him to be scolded as well.

“The Jeok-yung clan’s Hongsa had a Thunderstone. With that, the possibility of reaching the Spirit General level increases by 30%. I was momentarily distracted and…”

Noeran finally confessed the truth.

“A Thunderstone! It’s understandable that you were tempted. But that’s no reason to act so recklessly. If you compare your cultivation with the life and death of our clan, don’t you know what’s more important? You must remember how many elixirs and spirit stones our clan has poured into raising you two Saints. No matter how talented you are, you wouldn’t have reached the Spirit General level so quickly without the clan’s help.”

Geum-yeol raised his voice, still not calming down. Then, Elder Seok smiled calmly and spoke.

“That’s enough, Elder Geum. Although Noeran made a mistake, nothing happened thanks to Fellow Daoist Han’s timely arrival. So, Fellow Daoist Han, what do you think about this matter?”

“What other reason could there be? The Jeok-yung clan was suspicious of my appearance and was testing the waters.”

“Haha, I heard that Fellow Daoist Han didn’t lose even when fighting Chuk-eumja. But it was a wise decision not to fight for too long.”

Elder Seok praised him.

“I am well aware of what is important.”

“From today, the three Saints are not to leave the pavilion and must wait quietly for the trial to begin. Leave everything else to us.”

Geum-yeol ordered with a composed face.

“Yes, Great Elder!”

Baek-byeok and Noeran respectfully accepted the order, and Han Li also clasped his hands. Han Li’s position in the Cheon-bung clan was very special. He had joined the clan and received the nominal title of Saint, but he was a guest elder who was invited out of necessity.

Moreover, the Cheon-bung clan desperately needed his help, so unlike the other Saints, the elders were considerate of his feelings. After Geum-yeol and Elder Seok left, Han Li and the others stayed inside the pavilion and did not go outside.

For the next fifteen days, the Bi-ryeong clan elders, including Geum-yeol, gathered daily at the Jade Emperor Hall to discuss various matters. Two months later, thousands of flying beasts and insects flew over the desolate yellow plateau. It was the Bi-ryeong clan group departing from the Jade Emperor Hall and heading towards the entrance of the Earth Abyss.

The Cheon-bung clan members, including Han Li, were also flying on white giant beasts. Han Li sat quietly on the back of the giant bird, observing his surroundings. The entrance to the Earth Abyss was much farther from the Jade Emperor Hall than he had expected. Suddenly, he heard a sound from the front, and the group’s speed slowed down.

Han Li immediately sent out his consciousness to investigate. About a thousand miles away from them, there was a huge wall. The bluish-gray wall was three or four stories high and stretched so long that its end was not visible to the naked eye.

Pillars ten stories high were engraved with strange magical characters, emitting a blue light. Next to the huge wall, cylindrical pavilions were densely packed. There seemed to be thousands of them.

Tens of thousands of Bi-ryeong clan members were floating above the pavilions, waiting for them. The Bi-ryeong clan group, including Han Li, gradually slowed down and stopped.

“Greetings, Elders.”

A middle-aged man wearing blue armor clasped his hands from afar.

“It seems that Fellow Daoist Geumbong is on duty this year. Did you come out to greet us after hearing the news we sent?”

In response to the blue-armored man’s greeting, an old man with a cane, a middle-aged man with white hair, and a tattooed old man stepped forward.

They were the most authoritative members of the Joint Elder Council, and it was the middle-aged man who spoke. They were very polite to the middle-aged man on the other side.

Han Li was inwardly startled when he saw the blue-armored man. His cultivation was so profound that his level could not be fathomed, and he was by no means inferior to the elders of the Joint Elder Council.

‘No wonder… they are treating him so respectfully.’

The blue-armored middle-aged man’s armor was a bit unusual. It looked ordinary, without any magical characters or patterns, but when he scanned it with his consciousness, it felt familiar. He widened his eyes and looked closely, and was shocked.

If his intuition was correct, his blue armor was surprisingly made by condensing dense killing intent. It was no wonder he felt familiar when he looked at the armor.

It was unbelievable that he could be safe while carrying such a large amount of killing intent and that he could push it out of his body and materialize it. Surprised, Han Li turned his gaze to the Bi-ryeong clan members behind Geumbong.

When he examined them with his Brightspirit Eyes, he saw that they were also wearing various colors and shapes of armor, and like Geumbong, their armor was made of killing intent.

The level of cultivation and the amount of killing intent varied greatly, so some looked like real armor, while others looked vague. Seeing the soldiers in armor with a fierce aura, Han Li had many thoughts.

At that moment, Geumbong looked around at the people behind the elders and smiled.

“How could we dare to neglect the clan’s trial, which is held once every 300 years? But recently, the monsters in the Earth Abyss have been rampant, so if it had been another year or two, we might not have been able to hold the trial.”

“Haha, that’s why we rushed to advance the trial period after receiving the news. The Earth Abyss Black Tide hasn’t started yet, has it?”

The old man asked.

“Not yet. The dark energy is more dangerous than usual, but it will still take a year for it to officially explode. However, there is a possibility that the dark monsters have left their lairs, so we cannot guarantee that only Spirit General-level monsters will appear within the third underground level in this trial. There is a high probability that you will encounter higher-level Earth Abyss monsters. But no Monster King level has appeared yet. The Joint Elder Council should consider this carefully before making a decision. Don’t blame me later.”

Geumbong explained calmly.

“As long as no Monster King level appears, it’s fine. The trial must proceed.”

The white-haired middle-aged man said without hesitation.

“I agree. If we miss this opportunity, we won’t be able to hold the trial for at least a hundred years, and many branches can’t afford to wait that long.”

The old woman also frowned, expressing her opinion on the unfavorable situation. The tattooed old man lowered his head and sighed, but he had no choice but to nod.

With the agreement of the three, Geumbong in blue armor chuckled and extended one arm. Then, a fist-sized blue light orb flashed and disappeared, strangely appearing hundreds of feet above in the sky.

Kwa-kwang!

A thunderous roar shook the heavens and the earth, and the light orb exploded, unleashing a burst of blue energy.

Then, a blue sun with a diameter of several feet appeared in the sky. Seeing this, the armored soldiers behind immediately split into two, creating a path. The countless Bi-ryeong clan members moved in perfect unison, their intangible aura piercing the sky.

Seeing this, the faces of the elders of each clan changed slightly, but the Saints who were participating in the trial for the first time were shaken and could not hide their surprise.

As the three Joint Elders gestured, the Bi-ryeong clan group, including the Saints, slowly moved towards the wall again. Han Li sat on the giant bird, carefully observing the armored soldiers.

Most of them did not speak or laugh carelessly, and only the younger ones with lower cultivation occasionally showed curious glances. Even those with lower cultivation were at the Core Formation stage or higher, with most being Nascent Soul or Spirit Transformation stage, and some even at the Void Refinement stage or Spirit General level.

Han Li’s heart pounded. The garrison force stationed here at the Earth Abyss alone was comparable to the entire force of the human cultivators in Cheonyeon Fortress.

Although they were fewer in number than those in Cheonyeon Fortress, each was a highly trained elite soldier, and they had to fight the monsters that frequently emerged from the Earth Abyss, so it was natural that they had abundant combat experience.

Moreover, judging by the size of the buildings, it didn’t seem like all the Earth Abyss garrison soldiers were gathered here. While Han Li was comparing them to the human forces, the group crossed the wall and entered a space with empty pavilions.

The elders were busy arranging their disciples in various places to recover their magical power. This was to ensure that they would be in the best condition for the trial early the next morning.

The Cheon-bung clan group also stayed in the same pavilion. Great Elder Geum-yeol and Elder Seok guarded the first floor, and the Saints, including Han Li, each used one floor to recover their strength without being disturbed by external influences.

However, Han Li was not in a good mood. He had other plans for staying here for one night, but Geum-yeol and Elder Seok were guarding the first floor and preventing him from leaving, which made things difficult.

He sat cross-legged on the bed, deep in thought. How long had it been? Han Li chuckled and got up from his seat, leaving the room.

When he appeared on the first floor, Geum-yeol and Elder Seok simultaneously opened their eyes and looked at him. Han Li felt a chill run down his spine at their piercing gazes.

“Fellow Daoist Han, why did you come down instead of resting?”

Unexpectedly, Elder Seok spoke first.

“I have something to do, so I need to go out for a while.”

“What is it that you need to go out now?”

Geum-yeol expressed his dissatisfaction at Han Li’s confident attitude. He wanted him to prepare quietly since the trial was just around the corner.

“It’s nothing much. I saw that the garrison soldiers here have a unique technique for condensing killing intent into armor, so I want to find someone and learn about its mysteries.”

“If you’re talking about condensing killing intent into armor, are you referring to the Four Killing Armor Transformation Technique? This technique is only possible with a massive amount of killing intent, and it won’t be very powerful otherwise. Why do you want to learn that technique?”

Geum-yeol briefly explained the secret technique and asked with a strange expression. Elder Seok, who was sitting next to him, had a similar expression. In response, Han Li smiled and, with a hand seal, emitted a golden light from his entire body.

Suddenly, an enormous aura was felt, and dense killing intent erupted from his body. He had pushed out the killing intent that he had refined with the Vajra Incantation [a Buddhist mantra]. Geum-yeol and Elder Seok were both startled when they confirmed his killing intent.

“To think you possessed such dense killing intent, it’s no wonder you’re interested in the Four Killing Armor Transformation Technique! Haha, then there’s no need to go outside to seek guidance. This old man is also proficient in this technique. If you learn it, it might be useful in the Earth Abyss trial, so I’ll teach it to you myself!”

Elder Seok laughed out loud and said the words Han Li had been waiting for. Seeing that all the garrison soldiers were using the same technique, he had expected that the clan elders, Geum-yeol and Seok, would also know it.