Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 917

Han Li sat quietly, his eyes closed within the black mist. He didn’t know what the black mist was, but it slowly circled him before dissipating.

‘That’s a peculiar magic tool. It injects information on its own without needing to manipulate my consciousness.’

Han Li opened his eyes, fluently speaking the Wa Clan language.

‘It’s just a minor trick. Here is the sea chart of our Hwa-Ho Archipelago, please take a look!’

The woman said humbly, this time throwing him a white stone fragment. This time, the stone fragment didn’t explode, and Han Li released his energy, placing it on his forehead.

A slight surprise flickered across his face before disappearing. The woman, who had been watching Han Li’s expression, didn’t miss it.

After a moment, Han Li removed the white stone fragment from his forehead, tossed it back to the woman, and fell into thought. The woman waited patiently, sensing his contemplation.

After a while, Han Li raised his head and asked calmly,

‘So, this island is about half a year away from the Thunderous Continent?’

‘Half a year? That’s at your speed, Senior. For juniors like us, it would take decades. Not to mention the extremely dangerous journey.’

The woman was startled and gave a wry smile. Han Li nodded and spoke again.

‘Looking at the map, the islands occupied by the Hwayang Clan aren’t that many. Are there others living on the remaining islands?’

‘Actually, we can only stay on this Hwa-Woon Island. We occasionally visit nearby islands for food or materials. Most of the other islands are occupied by other powerful races. Some islands are inhabited by seniors like you, Senior. Our Hwayang Clan isn’t a very large race in this area.’

The woman sighed softly.

‘I see!’

‘Senior, you seem to have come from far away. Is there anything we can help you with? Although our cultivation isn’t high, we will actively assist you if there’s anything we can do.’

‘I’m certainly not from this area. I triggered an unknown restriction somewhere else and was transported here. And because of that, I ended up in this state.’

‘Although you may be unwell now, I know that your cultivation is at a level I cannot fathom. How about this? Our Hwa-Woon Island isn’t very large, but it has a decent spiritual vein [a source of spiritual energy]. If you’re willing, we can arrange a place for you to recover your energy.’

‘Resting on this island…’

Han Li smiled, giving a response that was neither affirmative nor negative. Seeing this, the woman became anxious and quickly added,

‘Our island’s spiritual vein is comparable to any other nearby island. Moreover, we can also offer you the spiritual herbs and spirit stones we’ve collected on the island.’

As she finished speaking, the smile on Han Li’s face disappeared.

‘I’m not one to accept help carelessly. It would be best if you spoke plainly about what you want from me.’

The woman finally realized that she had been too hasty, and her expression changed.

‘Sigh, it seems you’ve already guessed to some extent, Senior, so I won’t hide it any longer. You all, step back!’

The woman sighed and ordered the snake people in the main hall. The snake people wearing white robes bowed and left the hall. Once they were all gone, the woman looked at Han Li with a serious expression.

‘What do you think of my cultivation, Senior?’

‘It’s not bad.’

Han Li quietly replied after scanning the woman.

‘However, until a month ago, I, like the other members of my clan, didn’t have two legs. It means I haven’t been in the Upper Clan body for long.’

‘The Upper Clan you speak of…’

‘It refers to a cultivator who has gone through the Transformation Stage and has acquired an Upper Clan body. It means breaking away from one’s original clan body and becoming a member of the Upper Clan.’

‘Oh, judging by your tone, you didn’t reach this stage through normal means. Did you forcefully achieve this stage using spiritual medicine or a secret technique?’

‘You are indeed insightful. I barely reached my current stage by using a few rare elixirs. However, as a result, I can no longer advance in the cultivation world, and my lifespan is only half that of a normal Upper Clan member. I did this because the future of the Hwayang Clan is hanging by a thread.’

The woman’s expression became serious.

‘Tell me more.’

‘Half a year ago, the Tip-Tooth Clan, another branch of the Wa Clan adjacent to us, was annihilated. All the women in the clan were eaten, leaving only bones, and the men disappeared. Not long after, the Scorpion-Tail Clan, another branch of the Wa Clan next to them, suffered the same fate.

Our three clans were the only branches of the Wa Clan in the nearby sea area, and since the other two have been annihilated, isn’t the Hwayang Clan next? The cause of the annihilation is still unknown, but it’s not the work of one person, and a powerful race must be involved.

The cultivation of the leaders of the two annihilated clans was similar to mine, so I had no choice but to forcefully use a secret technique to elevate myself to the Upper Clan Transformation Stage.’

‘So, you were planning to keep me here to prevent that disaster from befalling you! Weren’t you worried that I wouldn’t even be able to take care of myself?’

Han Li smiled after hearing the whole story.

‘I don’t know what your cultivation is, Senior, but I know that your magical power and cultivation are far superior to mine. Your injuries will be greatly helped by the ‘Blazing Sun Divine Pill,’ which is particularly effective for the ailments of our Hwayang Clan. If you stay and help us, we will offer you this pill and do our best to help you recover in a short time.’

The woman gritted her teeth and finally revealed her trump card.

‘Blazing Sun Divine Pill! It must be a fire-attribute spiritual pill. My injuries are beyond what a cultivator can imagine, so just one pill won’t be of much help.’

‘Senior, this pill is refined from the inner core of a Twin-Headed Flame Serpent and has been cultivated in our clan’s earth fire for thousands of years. Its effectiveness is beyond doubt.’

The woman, seeing a glimmer of hope in Han Li’s words, explained earnestly, but Han Li still hesitated.

‘How about this? You stay here for a while and see for yourself how effective the Blazing Sun Divine Pill is. If it doesn’t have a significant effect, I won’t ask you for help. But if it does…’

‘If that Blazing Sun Divine Pill can really help my injuries, I will help the Hwayang Clan overcome this crisis. But let me say in advance, if the enemy is too powerful, there’s nothing I can do about it.’

‘Of course! Even if I’m foolish, how could I ask you to risk your life for our clan?’

The woman was overjoyed at Han Li’s words. Han Li nodded, concluding the matter. After that, they continued to discuss the surrounding alien races, and after the conversation, she guided him to a place where he could rest.

The woman took out a white handkerchief from her bosom and waved it. The white handkerchief magic tool transformed into a white cloud the size of several meters, lifting Han Li, still sitting on the chair, into the air.

As the white cloud left the main hall, the snake people waiting outside the door all bowed their heads, seeing the woman off. The speed of the white cloud wasn’t very fast, but it quickly took Han Li to a small mountain with good water and lush greenery.

* * *

At the foot of the small mountain was a manor with green buildings. The woman drove the white cloud to a stop in front of it and smiled at Han Li.

‘Senior Han, how is this place?’

Han Li took a deep breath, feeling the rich spiritual energy, and nodded in satisfaction. The woman was pleased and moved the white cloud again, intending to enter the manor and take Han Li into a room.

At that moment, Han Li smiled and stopped her.

‘Thank you for your trouble. I’ll go in on my own from here.’

He stood up on the white cloud and slowly descended to the ground.

‘Se, Senior…’

‘I have serious injuries, but I’m now able to move around.’

‘Congratulations. I was going to send a few disciples to serve you, but it seems there’s no need.’

‘I don’t want anyone around when I’m resting. This is a good place to stay for a while. Bring me the Blazing Sun Divine Pill as soon as possible. If it’s effective, I need to recover quickly to help your clan, right?’

‘Yes, of course. However, it will take a few days to retrieve it from the earth fire, so please understand.’

‘I can wait a few days. Anyway, bring it as soon as possible. And now, I’ll rest, so you can go back.’

As Han Li issued the order to leave, the woman rode the white cloud and departed alone. Han Li watched quietly until the white cloud disappeared into the distance, then turned and entered the room.

The room wasn’t very large, and the furniture was all made of wood. As soon as he entered the room, he immediately sat cross-legged on the bed on one side of the room.

‘Just standing for a moment and the magical power I’ve accumulated is already depleted again. I’ve lost too much essence and blood.’

He brushed his storage pouch and took out four or five medicine bottles, pouring them into his mouth before closing his eyes. Soon, the area near his dantian [an energy center in the body] became hot and then cool, as heat and cold flowed through his body, nourishing it.

‘As expected, the restorative elixirs refined from ten-thousand-year-old spiritual herbs are effective!’

Soon, a faint golden light appeared on his body, and a golden shadow appeared above his head, swaying.

At the same time, the woman, who had returned to the earth castle, descended in front of the main hall of the plaza. Dozens of low-level priests were waiting for her.

‘Yeom-Moo, follow me inside, and the rest of you, bring those who first discovered Master Han.’

‘Yes!’

At the woman’s command, the snake people moved busily, and Yeom-Moo, who had brought Han Li, followed her quietly into the main hall.

‘You brought him here, so tell me what he’s like. You must tell me everything you’ve seen and heard!’

‘I will tell you everything I saw and heard. At the time, I was at the harbor…’

Yeom-Moo recounted the process of accompanying Han Li in great detail. The woman listened very intently, even to seemingly insignificant details.

Several hours later, Jang-Han, who had first discovered Han Li, and his group rode lizard monsters into the earth castle and headed to the main hall. They hurried inside, and it was almost half an hour before they left the main hall with Yeom-Moo.

At that time, the woman, sitting on the upper seat of the main hall, was leaning back in her chair, deep in thought.

‘Mother, is there something troubling you?’

A clear voice suddenly echoed through the main hall.

‘Joo-Ah-Ni? When did you return?’

The woman asked, her face lighting up as soon as she heard the voice.

Then, a white light flashed, and a slender snake woman appeared. The young-looking girl had silver rings dangling from her head and carried a large yellow bow and three white bone arrows on her back.

She also had a black pouch at her waist and a white flag in her hand. In particular, the girl’s snake tail was so white that no scales or patterns could be seen.

‘It’s really our Joo-Ah! Your cultivation has improved a lot in the few years I haven’t seen you.’

The woman quickly got up and hugged the girl.

‘I was also surprised. I never thought that Mother would have reached the Transformation Stage.’

‘How could I have overcome the hurdle I couldn’t pass for hundreds of years? I just consumed the Immortal Refining Fruit.’

‘What? You consumed the Immortal Refining Fruit! Doesn’t that greatly reduce your lifespan?’

The girl’s expression changed drastically, and she grabbed the woman’s hand to check her pulse, her face paling.

‘What’s the point of lifespan when we don’t know what will happen in the future? That’s enough. But did your master not come with you?’

‘When I received the letter Mother sent, my master had just gone to another island to meet a friend. Fearing that something big had happened, I immediately flew here with some treasures my master left to protect the island. I had just entered the main hall when I saw Mother investigating something related to ‘Master Han,’ so I waited quietly.’

‘The fact that your master didn’t come is truly a dire situation.’

The woman’s expression changed upon hearing the girl’s words.