Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 960

The Qilin phantom paused for a moment before speaking. “Anyway, don’t worry! I’ve already prepared a way to control them both. It would be best if neither of them has ulterior motives, but if problems arise, I can stop even beings slightly stronger than you.” “That might be true for ordinary cultivators! But are there any ordinary people among them? What if the method you prepared doesn’t work?” The Jeongjok woman sharply pointed out the core issue. “Although I was hiding inside your body, I think I understand after meeting them a few times. Woljong’s energy fluctuates, sometimes strong and sometimes weak, and when you get close, you can faintly feel a murderous aura. My intuition tells me he has mastered a domineering technique with a deadly divine ability. On top of that, his other divine abilities and secret arts are not to be underestimated, which is why he has survived frequent trips to the Magma Mountain Range. But Han Li is the one you should be even more wary of! Not only is his cultivation much higher, but the techniques and divine abilities he has mastered are also mysterious. He is a being that makes me feel a sense of inexplicable danger. However, the method I taught you is the most powerful means you can use at your current level. It may not kill the enemy, but it will save your life, so rest assured.” The Qilin phantom’s tone was filled with confidence. “Qiyoung, I’ll trust your words. But there’s something else I’m more worried about.” Seomseom sighed and narrowed her eyes. “What is it?” “When the Qilin’s original spirit self-destructed, 100,000 divided souls escaped. If you’re not the only surviving divided soul, there might be others who know about the True Spirit’s blood point. What if someone has already been there after hundreds of years?” “Although numerous divided souls were scattered at the time, only a handful succeeded in escaping. They may have suffered mishaps later or failed to find another body. I can’t be sure until we examine the True Spirit’s blood point, but I think the possibility of someone having been there is slim!” “I hope that’s the case. If this matter succeeds, my cultivation speed will increase dramatically.” “Haha, it certainly will.” Qiyoung chuckled at Seomseom’s words. “Right, Han Li’s consciousness seems quite strong, so try not to contact me as much as possible. I hope the next time you summon me, it will be at the True Spirit’s blood point!” Qiyoung finished his instructions and plunged into the Jeongjok woman’s body, disappearing. Seomseom sighed briefly and walked into the teleportation array, leaving the space. * * * Three days later, a small mountain near Unseong. A young man with an ordinary appearance, wearing a blue robe, stood with his hands behind his back. His face was expressionless as he looked down at the mountain. He was Han Li, who had arrived at the meeting place first. It seemed he had come a little early, as the sky was just beginning to brighten. It felt quite pleasant to spend some leisurely time and breathe in the fresh air after a long time. Half an hour later, a sonic boom was heard, and a streak of crimson light landed beside him. “Greetings, Senior Han. I hope you haven’t been waiting long.” Woljong greeted him with a cupped fist salute. “No, I haven’t.” At Han Li’s words, Woljong smiled and casually tidied up the surroundings, finding a clean spot to sit cross-legged. However, Han Li remained standing on the rock, surveying the area. After about an hour, Seomseom finally arrived. Seeing the white light soaring, Woljong also rose from his seat. “Now that Fellow Immortal Seom has arrived, let’s depart.” Han Li first transformed into a streak of blue light and soared into the sky, with Woljong and Seomseom obediently following behind him. For them, a month was a time that was both long and short. If things went well, three months, including the return trip, would be sufficient. * * * One month later, Han Li, Seomseom, and Woljong stopped in front of an endless mountain range. A large amount of blue clouds formed a sea of clouds in front of them. “This is the Qingling Cloud Sea, a restriction surrounding the Magma Mountain Range. It’s the only entrance to the mountain range. If you try to enter recklessly from another place, you won’t be able to avoid disaster.” Woljong’s eyes gleamed as he looked at the blue cloud sea. At Woljong’s words, Han Li fell into thought, while Seomseom’s eyes showed a hint of heat. They once again activated their escape lights and flew as Woljong led the way. It was quite a distance, but their speed was fast, and they were able to approach the Qingling Cloud Sea in about an hour. “…….” Han Li’s expression subtly changed as he flew. He hadn’t noticed it from afar, but as they got closer, he could hear a roar echoing from within the blue mist. Woljong’s blue light stopped first, and he took out a golden spirit tablet and threw it. As the spirit tablet disappeared into the mist, the blue mist receded wherever the golden light spread, creating a passage. “Please follow me closely. You must not stray from the passage.” Woljong gave his instructions and flew forward, activating his escape light. Han Li didn’t know the reason, but he didn’t want to cause any unnecessary trouble, so he calmly followed Woljong. However, Seomseom looked puzzled as she followed. “I’ve been to the Magma Mountain Range before, shouldn’t we stop by another place first?” “That would be the case for other cultivators. But I have some reputation here, so there’s no need for such trouble.” Woljong shook his head. They flew for a long time through the cloud sea, guided by the golden light. After a while, the view suddenly brightened, and buildings could be seen in the distance. It was a village with hundreds of large and small stone buildings gathered along a main road. The tall pavilion in the center of the village had a total of five floors and was made of specially carved blue-gray stone, displaying a magnificent appearance. However, there were not many people walking the streets. Woljong headed straight for the pavilion in the center of the village, and Han Li and Seomseom followed him. Above the large gate, the words “Thundercloud Pavilion” were written in ancient characters. “Please come inside! This is where you receive the restriction spirit tablet. Fellow Immortal Seom, you’ve been here before, haven’t you?” Woljong smiled and looked at the Jeongjok woman. “Yes, I’ve been here once. At that time, I had to stop by another place first and purchase a Cloud Dividing Token before I could enter here.” “The Cloud Dividing Token you purchased can only be used for a month. The treasure I used to cut through the cloud sea is a reusable treasure! I frequent the Magma Mountain Range so often that a senior who guards this place specially gave it to me. The Thunderclap Umbrella we are about to receive is the true pass to enter the Magma Mountain Range. Even Saint-level beings cannot recklessly break through the thunder and lightning restrictions.” Woljong explained in detail as he entered the pavilion. There was nothing on the first floor except for a few tables and chairs. They passed through the first floor and went straight to the third floor. Upon reaching the third floor, a white light barrier floated at the entrance of the stairs. Woljong passed through the light barrier without any hesitation, and Han Li also entered the light barrier with an expressionless face. He too was able to pass through without any obstruction. As soon as they passed through the light barrier, they could hear murmuring voices from above the stairs. It seemed that quite a few people had gathered. The noisy sounds made even Woljong and Seomseom look puzzled. However, they soon regained their composure and turned to the people on the third floor. The third floor was not very large, but it was crowded with over thirty cultivators of various races, all sitting on the floor. Except for a circular stone table in the middle, the floor was filled with cushions placed by the cultivators. “Oh, Brother Wol!” “Fellow Cultivator Wol, you’ve arrived?” “Haha, I was wondering why I hadn’t seen Brother Wol.” Almost half of those gathered there greeted him warmly, and some of them had higher cultivation than Woljong. Even those who did not have a personal relationship with him changed their expressions upon hearing the name Woljong. His claim of being famous in the Magma Mountain Range was true. Those who did not react to Woljong instead scanned Han Li. ‘Hmm…’ Most of them were at the Nascent Soul stage, and three of them had reached the peak of the Nascent Soul stage. There was also another person who had concealed their true cultivation with a treasure, making it impossible to determine their exact level. “Senior Yan, you’ve come all the way here? Is something happening in the Magma Mountain Range?” Woljong greeted the cultivators who spoke to him one by one with a cupped fist salute. Then, he noticed an old man with gray hair and approached him first to greet him. The old man was a cultivator at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage and seemed to be close to Woljong, sending him a kind look. “Wasn’t Fellow Wol also trying to enter the Magma Mountain Range for that matter?” The gray-haired old man asked back, as if surprised. “I came here for a separate matter. It’s the period when the demonic energy of the mountain range is erupting, so why are so many cultivators gathered here? Surely, they didn’t all come for the Thunderclap Umbrella.” Woljong scanned the faces of the unfamiliar cultivators. “If you’re not going to ascend the Magma Mountain Range, who would come here? To explain the reason, it’s a bit long… But, who are these cultivators?” The old man asked, looking at Han Li and the Jeongjok woman standing behind Woljong. “Senior Han and Fellow Immortal Seom are the ones who will be entering the Magma Mountain Range with me this time. Senior Yan, you can just say what you need to say. After all, we three are the only ones here who don’t know the situation.” “That’s true! To put it simply, a few days ago, a Zhixian [a spirit plant that has taken human form] suddenly descended into the village, attacked a cultivator, and then fled into the Magma Mountain Range.” “A Zhixian in human form? Is that true?” Woljong asked back in great surprise, and Han Li and the Jeongjok woman also exchanged glances. “It’s true! Someone attacked the Zhixian and obtained a few drops of Zhixian blood, which they exchanged for a large amount of spirit stones.” “It’s already incredibly difficult for a spirit herb to transform! It’s not like they gain spirituality just by growing old. But a spirit herb in human form is a rare sight even in the entire Spirit Realm. If this news spreads, the entire Heavenly Luck Region, if not other places, will be in turmoil. So, are the cultivators gathered here those who happened to hear the information while nearby?” Woljong couldn’t hide his surprised expression. “That’s right. As time passes, more cultivators will flock here. But those who hear the news too late will never catch the Zhixian. The Zhixian that appeared this time is proficient in both earth and wood escape techniques and also possesses a long-distance movement ability called ‘Floating Light Transformation Shadow’.” A neat young man with a pale face interjected with a smile. “Floating Light Transformation Shadow! You’re saying you’re going to search inside the Magma Mountain Range after a Zhixian who has mastered such a legendary escape technique? It seems like it would be difficult to catch even if Saint-level cultivators came, let alone the cultivators gathered here.” Seomseom asked with a look of disbelief. “That’s because the cultivator who was attacked by the Zhixian had mastered a special divine ability. When he was caught off guard, he immediately shot out a light called ‘Golden Origin Restricting Light’. The Zhixian, who was trying to escape after being hit by it, tried to use its long-distance movement divine ability, but the Golden Origin Restricting Light malfunctioned, and it failed. So, it forcibly broke through the powerful lightning of the Thundercloud Grand Formation and fled into the Magma Mountain Range.” The neat young man paused for a moment and then continued his story. “According to the cultivator who attacked the Zhixian, the Golden Origin Restricting Light will last for a month or two. He also said that he could refine a formation disc to track the golden light within the Zhixian’s body. It can locate the Zhixian if it’s within a hundred miles. Even if the Zhixian is skilled in escape and concealment techniques, its combat ability is not very high, and it was seriously injured, so it probably couldn’t have fled deep into the Magma Mountain Range. If that’s the case, then the next month or two will be the perfect opportunity to catch the Zhixian. Cultivators who hear the news from afar will miss their chance.” Han Li and his group finally understood.