Like any other day in the desert, the sky is clear that day.
"Seo Eun-hyun, stop wandering around."
I realize I have been aimlessly pacing in front of Cheon-saek City upon hearing Kim Young-hoon's reprimand.
"Sorry. I'm just... quite nervous."
"What's there to be nervous about? You're ridiculous, really. Tsk tsk..."
I sigh deeply.
'Is this the right thing to do?'
Is it right to offer my affections to someone?
I've told you before, haven't I? There's no waste in the world, just things that haven't found their fate or connection.
That means, if the right fate touches it, anything can become a beautiful craft. Right?
I recalled her words.
'Being with you is so comforting.'
Its so peaceful and happy that sometimes it feels like a dream.
I, who has always been abandoned by fate, realized through her words that the proper fate I had never reached was indeed with her.
'Even if swept away by time, even if the connection eventually fades...'
If the connection, the feelings, reach each other, can't they create something beautiful?
'Even if I have to return again someday, and everything disappears...'
Her presence heals all the pain and wounds I have ever experienced.
People live with wounds.
For over 700 years, I have only lost connections.
I will continue to lose them again.
But...
People of Byeokra like glass. It's easily made from desert sand, and though its true value is not seen in the dark, it reveals itself in the light.
I am nothing more than dust, a grain of sand.
But she is unequivocally my light.
Therefore, in this life, even if only for a moment, I am determined to shine with her.
'Even if you're not the same person in the next life.'
My feelings have grown too large. I will burn brightly in this life.
I steel my resolve and lift my head.
"You've made up your mind, I see."
Kim Young-hoon smiles at me knowingly.
"Yes."
Whoosh!
Cheongmun Ryeong and Buk Joong-ho approach, each on their flying artifacts, landing in front of me at the gates of Cheon-saek City.
"Daoist Seo, finally we'll see you and Cultivator Buk live happily ever after. I thought I'd go mad with frustration, but is today the day it finally happens?"
"I've been holding back from grabbing you by the collar and forcing an engagement with my daughter, but it seems there's finally some progress."
Buk Joong-ho chuckles.
"Just do the wedding now. Oh, right. I'll prepare everything for the ceremony."
"...There's no need for that..."
"Don't you dare argue with your future father-in-law!"
He spoke sternly.
"Cultivator Cheongmun Ryeong, if Daoist Seo confesses to my daughter, take them to Yeon's tomb. Let them make their eternal vow in front of her grave. I'll prepare everything for the wedding there."
"Ah, but..."
"Go on, hurry."
I try to protest, but Cheongmun Ryeong and Kim Young-hoon hold me back while Buk Joong-ho excitedly flies off to his wife's tomb.
"Ha ha, you poor thing. Just get married already."
"Is a wedding something to decide so hastily?"
As I look bewildered, Cheongmun Ryeong and Kim Young-hoon laugh heartily.
"Daoist Seo, we've seen you and Cultivator Buk together for 10 years, and it was obvious you like each other. Isn't it rather late to officially become a couple?"
"But..."
"What 'but'? Everyone in Cheon-saek City already thinks you two are a married couple, so it's better to make it official now."
After enduring their unsolicited advice, Im finally released.
While they were holding me,
Whoosh!
A bee puppet flew out of Buk Hyang-hwa's workshop, carrying a formation disc and a small wooden box, and flew off into the distance.
'What's that?'
As I wonder,
Thud, thud.
Buk Hyang-hwa slowly approaches from afar.
"Ahem, then I shall leave now."
"Ill be going too. Daoist Seo, do your best."
Kim Young-hoon and Cheongmun Ryeong vacate the place for Buk Hyang-hwa and me, and she comes up to me.
"Daoist Seo, may I ask what you wanted to say?"
"That is..."
I hesitate.
She smiles warmly.
"Eun-hyun Orabeoni, are you feeling hot? Your face is red. I've learned a bit of pulse reading from you; shall I do it for you?"
"Hem, hem..."
Imitating myself, she looks at my face and laughs brightly.
'So this is how it feels...'
During this time, she had been clenching her teeth and pretending not to know about my emotions.
And now, I feel like my emotions have been exposed to her.
It feels like Im being teased, but its not a bad feeling.
"Miss Hyang-hwa, it seems you are feeling hot too. Your face is all red."
"Ah..."
She seems surprised for a moment, then chuckles.
We both chuckle at each other.
"Shall we take a walk for a while, Miss Hyang-hwa?"
"Yes, Eun-hyun Orabeoni."
We strolled around Cheon-saek City.
The ordinary mortals and cultivators of the stores in Cheon-saek City greeted us.
I wandered around the market with her, buying and eating food, and looking at the shops.
Since Buk Hyang-hwa's father, Buk Joong-ho, was the supervising cultivator in charge of Cheon-saek City, we even climbed the city walls to view the desert.
"The desert is really hot. The air is so dry that even when I try to create water with the Water Surpassing Path, it hardly gathers... I thought I was going to die when I crossed it before."
"Oh, really?"
"Yes, if Miss Hyang-hwa hadnt given me water, I would surely have died of thirst."
I remember the first time I drank water from Buk Hyang-hwa.
Of course, the Buk Hyang-hwa who first gave me water is not the same as the current Buk Hyang-hwa.
'No, that's not right.'
In fact, thinking about it, the Buk Hyang-hwa I met the second time and drank water from, is not the 'current' Buk Hyang-hwa either.
My Her is the Her of this moment.
'Maybe...'
I am afraid of the disappearance of time.
That's why I am afraid of forming connections and having feelings.
However, thinking about it, humans actually change every moment, every second.
Therefore, a human from one second before and one second after are actually different beings.
That's why I have always distinguished the people I met in each return from the people of previous returns.
'Even if people change, the heart should not. Have I just been too afraid until now?'
After all, all humans die.
If there is a meeting, there will be a parting.
However, I was too afraid of the pain of parting that I might not have seen the feelings of the present.
'Well, even if I return again someday...'
I made up my mind.
'From the moment I decided to be with her, all the events that have happened are already in my heart. All the events that will happen in the future will also become one with me in my heart...'
I decide to confess these feelings.
"..."
"..."
Of course, even after making up my mind, its not easy to verbalize it.
Strangely, its hot.
My face is turning red.
Buk Hyang-hwa is the same.
Cultivators always covered their skin with a protective method, so the harshness of the sunlight and the heat are not a big problem.
Qi Building cultivators naturally form defensive Gang Qi with their Pure Spiritual Force, making them even tougher than ordinary cultivators.
But no matter what method I use, I cant do anything about this heat.
"Um..."
"Orabeoni..."
We both tried to speak at the same time and then chuckled again.
"You go first."
"Well, actually... I have something prepared for Eun-hyun Orabeoni."
Whoosh!
Suddenly, the bee puppet appears, leaping through space in front of us.
Whoosh!
The flapping of the bee puppets wings cools the heat between us.
In the forelegs of the bee puppet, there are two fans.
Buk Hyang-hwa grabs the two fans and hands one to me.
"Twin Immortals Dance, do you remember the dance we did that time?"
"I remember."
"In a few days, there will be a small festival in Yeon-do City far away, would you like to dance there again?"
"Oh, you were impressed by the dance we did back then."
"Yes. I really wanted to dance with Eun-hyun Orabeoni again."
"Ha ha, now that you mention it, I also want to dance with Miss Hyang-hwa again. But..."
I look at her and say,
"If we're going to do the Twin Immortals Dance, wouldn't it be better to go back to Shengzi and dance there? Let's set up the formation in Serving Command Palace with Daoist Cheongmun and go to Shengzi. Let's visit the village we protected together again."
"That's a great idea, but actually, I've prepared a gift for you in Yeon-do City."
"A gift..."
Suddenly, I feel a bit embarrassed about the gift I have prepared.
"Actually, I have also prepared a gift for Miss Hyang-hwa."
"Oh, what is it?"
I take out a Wood attribute spirit stone.
Its my first magic artifact, created from the brief teachings I had received from Buk Hyang-hwa.
"Is this... a starfish?"
She asks teasingly looking at the form of my magic artifact, and I playfully respond while infusing spiritual power into the artifact.
"Have you ever seen a starfish like this?"
Im not skilled enough to make a magic artifact that looks exactly like a flower in an instant.
However, I can engrave circuits in the artifact and infuse it with the desired spell.
And in such cases, I am confident.
Whooosh!
Wood spiritual energy shines brightly.
The spiritual energy of the Thousand Lustrous Forest Sea glows brilliantly.
At the same time, as the spiritual energy gathers, it transforms into the shape of a flower.
Its a white magnolia.
"Since you gave me a quince flower yesterday, I will give you a white magnolia."
"Wow..."
The white magnolia, created with numerous spells.
Buk Hyang-hwa looks at the white magnolia for a moment, then chuckles.
"You... didn't make a magic artifact."
"Why can't you just compliment me?"
"You always give me advice when you see me using flying sword artifacts. Every time you say, 'That's not how you handle a flying sword.'"
"That's... haah."
While Im flustered, Buk Hyang-hwa takes the magic artifact I made and carefully puts it in her bosom.
"Anyway, thank you. The circuits of the magic artifact are well made and concise."
"Thank you for the compliment... But don't you, Miss Hyang-hwa, prefer to make complex circuits?"
Wasn't saying it was well-made and concise a bit of an insult?
"Oh, that's just my style."
She says, looking over Cheon-saek City from the city wall.
"My maternal grandfather, Gongmyo Cheon-saek, fathered many illegitimate children, including my mother. Among them, those with the potential for cultivation were given the Gongmyo surname, but those without talent, like my mother, were not even given a surname and were cast out from the family like an unwanted child."
Her story continues.
"When he made magic artifacts, he used to make the circuits concise. It made them more versatile and much easier for the user. The complexity of the circuits I made so far might have been a kind of rebellion against my grandfather."
Suddenly, she strokes the bee puppet and says,,
"But, you know what? Eun-hyun Orabeoni. After hearing from you, I successfully repaired the central circuit of this bee puppet. I thought the central circuit would be very complex, but it turned out to be surprisingly concise. The simplicity of those circuits cause changes, spreading into countless circuits and operating this puppet."
Somehow, its operating principle seems similar to human emotions.
I, too, had witnessed in Three Flowers Gather at the Summit how seven emotions can create so many changes.
"Thanks to Orabeoni, I have grown, and I've been able to free myself from my strange rebellion against my grandfather."
She looks at me and smiles brightly.
"Thank you, Eun-hyun Orabeoni."
"...Me too."
I smile back at her smile and confess.
"I receive so much comfort from Miss Hyang-hwa. Thanks to you, the many wounds I have acquired in life seem to heal, and the pains of life seem to be forgotten every time I meet you."
Before I knew it, I had taken Buk Hyang-hwa's hand.
In this moment,
Everything is going well.
The day to obtain the Longevity Fruit is near.
Theres a high possibility of reaching the new realm.
This connection can be finally realized.
In this moment, I am deeply grateful.
She closes her eyes.
"I can't explain it, but to me, you are..."
I slowly, slowly move my face closer to hers.
"..."
"..."
"...Orabeoni?"
With her eyes closed, she asks in a trembling voice.
I hold her hand with furrowed brows.
"...Miss Hyang-hwa."
"Yes, Orabeoni!"
With a face full of expectation, she calls out to me with her eyes closed.
But I, tense all over, lift my face away from hers and ask,
"...Isnt there a smell of blood coming from somewhere?"
Translator Notes: Fk
***
Yes?
At my words, Buk Hyang-hwa also opens her eyes, sensing that something is off in the atmosphere.
"There's a sudden stench of blood in the air."
I look up at the sky.
This is
Fate is ominously clouded.
Using demon senses, I observe that the surrounding spiritual energy is also ominously vibrating.
"Miss Hyang-hwa, it looks like the celestial energy is ominous. Please stay inside."
"Orabeoni"
After reading the celestial energy with me for a moment, she frowns.
"For now, I'll try to figure out what's happening."
Instead of trying to dissuade her, I focus more intently on locating the source of the smell.
And then, I realize that the smell is emanating from the city itself.
What? The entire city
I was bewildered when suddenly:
Whoosh!
A strong wind starts blowing from the east, from the direction of the Heaven-Treading Desert.
My eyes widened.
From the east of the Heaven-Treading Desert.
Something like a red cloud is crawling up from beyond the horizon.
Chills run down my spine!
My skin starts to prickle.
A thick evil presence is approaching.
And soon, others gather on top of the city walls.
Cheongmun Ryeong, Kim Young-hoon, Buk Joong-ho, and others.
"What is that?"
"More importantly, the spiritual energy in the city is writhing strangely!"
"Is Cultivator Cheongmun able to contact the Cheongmun Clan?"
Kim Young-hoon, with a vigilant expression, draws his saber, and Cheongmun Ryeong takes out a communication device to contact the Cheongmun Clan.
Buk Joong-ho sends messages to the entire city administration, issuing orders.
Rumble!
Looking at the blood-red cloud rolling in from afar, I think of one being.
'Bloodwood Practitioner, Yuan Li!'
Why is that person coming here?
Although I have questions, it isnt the time for them.
I ask Buk Joong-ho.
"The being coming here is Bloodwood Practitioner Yuan Li, a devil path cultivator who has surpassed Core Formation. He takes pleasure in devouring humans, so its likely hes coming here for similar reasons. Is there a way to evacuate the city residents immediately?"
"There are many cultivators in Cheon-saek City, so if we use their flying artifacts to carry the mortals"
Just then.
Screech!
The smell of blood emanating from the city intensifies, spreading a blood mist in all directions.
"What...!"
The blood mist converges into six blood-red pillars, surrounding the city. A curtain of red light appears between the pillars, enclosing the entire city.
Rumble!
Simultaneously, the dragon vein beneath the city begins to boil.
"This is...!"
Simultaneously, as the dragon vein beneath the city stirs, the vital force (Qi) and blood in my body also begins to wriggle.
And then.
"Aaaaah!"
"My, my body...!"
"I can't move! Aaaah!"
"Sa, save me...!"
The city residents.
All the mortals among them are writhing in agony on the ground.
While the martial artists who have learned martial arts look a bit better off, they too have to continuously calm their boiling vital force and blood.
Kim Young-hoon also seems to have boiling vital force and blood, but thanks to his Inner Core, he quickly subdues it and regains his composure.
"This is a Blood Sacrifice Formation!"
Cheongmun Ryeongs face turns pale.
"Blood Sacrifice?"
"A human sacrifice! A method used by devil path cultivators to offer a large number of lives to increase their vitality and cultivation!"
"!"
As my face contorts, Kim Young-hoon strikes the blood wall with his Surpassing Radiant Saber.
Boom!
The golden radiance of the saber struck the blood wall, but the wall, being connected to the city's dragon vein, does not easily break.
"Damn, it's not budging."
"Daoist Seo. What do you know about this Bloodwood Practitioner Yuan Li? Do you know him?"
"That person is"
Suddenly, I remember an incident from my past lives.
The Heaven-Treading Desert Massacre.
An incident where brutal massacres occurred in tribes and cities near the Heaven-Treading Desert.
That massacre agitated the spirits of many cultivator clan elders and clan heads, eventually leading to a great war 200 years later.
'No, something's strange!'
In my previous life.
When I met Buk Hyang-hwa, it was 40 years after my return.
But now, only 10 years have passed.
'Why has the incident been brought forward by decades?'
I grit my teeth and look around.
"Daoist Cheongmun, can you dismantle this Blood Sacrifice Formation?"
"...The dragon vein is indeed connected. I'll try, but it will take time."
"Then we will buy you time. Please dismantle the formation as quickly as possible in the meantime."
"...Understood."
Cheongmun Ryeong descends with a stern face, grab a formation artifact, and begins to work on something.
I speak to Kim Young-hoon and Buk Joong-ho.
"The one coming now is a devil path cultivator named Yuan Li, the Bloodwood Practitioner. His realm is likely at the Grand Perfection of Core Formation, or perhaps slightly beyond."
Its indeed earlier than in my previous life when the massacre occurred.
'Even so, he couldn't have achieved Nascent Soul by now.'
The dharma treasure that is said to elevate his realm by one stage is the black castle-shaped dharma treasure I had seen, and he only increases his cultivation 'inside' it.
'Now that he's come out in the open. Perhaps...'
I look at Kim Young-hoon.
If Kim Young-hoon and I, both with Core Formation fighting capability, combine forces, perhaps we can hunt down Yuan Li.
"I and Kim Hyung are of Core Formation strength, so it's not impossible for us to hold him off. Meanwhile, Elder Buk and Miss Hyang-hwa, please protect Cheon-saek City from the fallout of the battle."
Buk Jung-ho nods, and Buk Hyang-hwa looks at me with worried eyes.
"Will you be alright, Orabeoni?"
I glance at the bee puppet.
"Miss Hyang-hwa, if you can escape with the bee puppet, please leave right now."
"But, Cheon-saek City is my..."
Miss Hyang-hwa."
Thump.
I grab her shoulder and plead.
"Please, try."
"...Alright."
Soon after, Buk Hyang-hwa activates the teleportation array engraved on the bee puppet.
However, the bee puppet does not teleport through space, it just rushes hrough the void.
It simply bounced off the Blood Sacrifice Formation and was repelled.
"...This formation is also hindering space teleportation. We might be able to leave once the formation weakens a bit."
"Understood. Miss Hyang-hwa, promise me that when Daoist Cheongmun weakens the formation even slightly, you will immediately escape using the bee puppet."
"Orabeoni, but..."
"Promise me."
I match her eye level..
"It's alright if I die, but you must live."
"Buk Hyang-hwa, do as he says."
Buk Joong-ho also speaks to Buk Hyang-hwa with a serious face.
She seemed about to say something but then closes her mouth.
"...Alright."
"Then, may luck be with you."
Buk Joong-ho takes Buk Hyang-hwa to the base of the city walls and begins to deploy a protective formation to shield the civilians inside the city.
Kim Young-hoon and I draw our Formless Sword and Surpassing Radiant Saber respectively, eyeing the blood-red clouds flying towards us beyond the Blood Sacrifice Formation.
And then...
Whoosh!
The blood-red cloud envelops the entire Blood Sacrifice Formation.
Simultaneously, a figure in a blood-red robe slowly descends from within the cloud.
Whoosh!
He easily penetrates the blood-red curtain and enters.
The same blood-red robe.
And a translucent black mask.
Its Yuan Li, the Boodwood Practitioner.
'Now, I must catch him...!'
I observe him.
The aura emanating from him is at best Grand Perfection of Core Formation.
At best, at Song Jins level.
And if hes Song Jins level, I am confident enough to hunt him.
'Huh?'
Suddenly, I noticed something different about him compared to my past life.
'Wrinkles?'
Indeed.
In my past life, even though Yuan Li wore a mask, his skin was smooth, and his physique was youthful.
But now, Yuan Li's hands are wrinkly, his physique significantly smaller, and his hair not a lustrous black but ash-gray.
I shout at Yuan Li with the momentum of the Formless Sword.
"Bloodwood Practitioner Yuan Li! What brings you to Cheon-saek City?"
He looks at me upon hearing my words.
'Damn...'
I feel nauseous from the disgusting heart essence emanating from within him.
Its still the same.
Although there is a slight difference in appearance, his inner heart essence is no different from before.
"Oh, you know my title?"
Yuan Li strokes his chin from inside his mask with a rough voice.
"Strange indeed. How do you know my title? Those who knew it have all perished, and those who could have known, I have tracked down and killed..."
"There's no need to know about such things. How long has it been since our Heavenly Being seniors ascended? Why would you start such a brutal act over a single city so soon?"
"Ha ha, what does a mere Qi Building cultivator need to know? Be quiet and just die."
Kuguguguguuu!
As Yuan Li forms a hand seal, the blood cloud he brought with him flows into the core of the Blood Sacrifice Formation.
Inside, there's an eerie echo of ghastly cries and the thick smell of blood.
I exchange a look with Kim Young-hoon and we both swing our Surpassing Radiant Saber and Formless Sword.
Kua Gwang Gwang Gwang!
Golden and colorless lights sweep through, dispersing the blood cloud.
Surprised by our momentum, Yuan Li looks down at us with a slightly startled expression.
"Ho, not Qi Building but Core Formation cultivators in hiding."
"Answer me! Even if its you, do you think you can safely face both of us?"
Kim Young-hoon and I have both reached the Core Formation level in the Path Beyond the Heavens. In my case, the combination of Qi Building and Path Beyond the Heavens have a synergistic effect, enabling me to exert the power of the highest level of Core Formation.
Moreover, I have honed my Formless Sword for over 200 years in the Path Beyond the Heavens.
If Yuan Li is only at this level, it wouldn't be impossible to hunt him down.
"Hmm... alright. You're not just Qi Building bugs, so you deserve an answer."
He strokes his chin as he speaks.
Chwaak!
Then, he runs his hand over his nape, revealing a certain 'handprint.'
'That is...?'
"Ten years ago, during the period when the Ascension Gate was open, and before all the Heavenly Being seniors ascended, I was attacked and almost killed by a Heavenly Being senior. Though I was spared thanks to the seniors change of heart, this curse he left on me continued to eat away at my body."
"..."
'The butterfly effect of Mad Lord's actions...!'
The curse spread by the Mad Lord accelerated Yuan Li's actions by decades.
"In the end, I realized that to lift this curse, I needed to regain my Nascent Soul cultivation, so I decided to collect my Blood Soul a bit earlier than planned."
"Blood Soul?"
"You know my name, but not that, huh?"
Yuan Li chuckles, then extends his hands.
Wo-wooong!
Blood erupts from his hands, absorbed by the Blood Sacrifice Formation.
Simultaneously, the formation trembles, and my vital force and blood become even more restless.
Kim Young-hoon's complexion worsens.
Boom Bam Boom!
Among the mortals writhing inside the city, those with weaker bodies began to burst open.
Pop Pop Boom!
Their bodies exploded, and their vital force, blood, and life force emerged, rising towards the center of the Blood Sacrifice Formation.
"Stop it!"
Enraged, I charge at him with my Formless Sword.
Kim Young-hoon, seeing this, hardens his face and unfolds his Surpassing Radiant Saber, targeting Yuan Li.
But then.
"Tsk, tsk. How foolish. You seem to be mistaken about something."
Kiyaah!
Eerie ghostly wails echo from within his blood-colored robe.
"Indeed, at this moment, my cultivation is only at Core Formation Grand Perfection"
He takes out a staff from his storage device.
The staff, stained with blood, has a crystal skull decoration at the top, and the wooden body is covered with small branches that resemble human hands.
Shoo-woo-woo!
Five translucent blood-colored banners extend around him.
As he speaks, four red pagoda-shaped dharma treasures emerge, lining up around him like guards. As he rummages through his bag, a gush of scarlet blood water surges out.
The blood water rises beside him, transforming into the shapes of two massive ghost kings wielding scythes.
"I was originally a Nascent Soul cultivator. In order not to be captured when they were about to ascend, I scattered my Nascent Soul into Blood Spirits and sprinkled them around the Heaven-Treading Desert, temporarily lowering my cultivation."
Chwaak Chwaak ChwaaK!
Even as he spoke, he continued to take things out from his storage device and throw them into the air.
Seven scrolls unfold beside him and in front of the ghost kings.
The scrolls depict sea creatures drawn in blood: seahorse, dragon, octopus, striped marlin, orca, coral reef, and clam.
"All the dharma treasures and magic artifacts I've collected since reaching Nascent Soul, as well as the powers I've developed, are intact. Although my cultivation is only at Core Formation Great Perfection, do you think you can oppose me?"
Chwaah!
Finally, he spits out seventeen bone daggers from his mouth.
The handles of the daggers are carved with weeping skulls.
"Come at me, Core Formation trash. I'll grind your Golden Cores into my Blood Spirits. Ahahaha...!"
Kim Young-hoon and I silently take our fighting stances.
Boom Boom Boooom@
Below us.
Buk Hyang-hwa and Buk Joong-ho, along with other cultivators, try to stop it, but the mortals bodies continue to explode.
Crack...
No words were needed to start the fight.
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, First Move, Transcending Peaks!!
The opening technique cuts across Yuan Li horizontally.
Kiiiiing!
The red pagodas surrounding him connect, forming a red curtain.
My Formless Sword is blocked by the curtain, and inside, I see Yuan Li forming a hand seal.
"Go!"
Kiiyaaaa!
The two ghost kings made of blood water swing their scythes at Kim Young-hoon.
"Block them, I'll break through."
"Yes."
Kim Young-hoon gathers energy, and I step forward, unfolding my Formless Sword.
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, Joy of Mountains and Peaks
Hundreds of trajectories crisscross, blocking the ghost kings' scythes, and even engulfing their forms.
Paaat!
A golden explosion is felt from behind.
I dodge, and a dazzling ray of light shoots forward.
Severing Vein Saber Method, Mountain Wind, strikes the barrier surrounding Yuan Li.
Kwaang!
The barrier trembles and finally breaks.
But inside the barrier, Yuan Li calmly completes his hand seal.
"Release!"
Chwaak!
The scrolls unfold beside him.
Sea creatures drawn in blood leap from their scrolls.
"These are the demon souls refined by my Blood Sea Overwhelming Light. Let's see how you handle them...!"
'Each one is at Core Formation...!'
I stand beside Kim Young-hoon, gripping my Formless Sword.
"The energy from those demon souls are explosive, but they deplete quickly. I'll hold them off while you approach him. Be careful not to let your head touch the blood-colored banners around us."
"Understood."
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, Landscape Painting!
I scatter my Formless Sword in all directions.
Core Formation level demon souls rush at me, radiating blood-colored brilliance.
The octopuss tentacles trap me, and the striped marlin aims its sharp bill at me.
The coral reef extends like spikes from the inside, pressuring me.
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, Bouldered Cliff, Strange Rock!
My Formless Sword morphs into a mass with numerous bizarre changes, creating a defensive and offensive unity.
The striped marlin is repelled by the rotation of my Formless Sword, and all the tentacles and branches of the octopus and coral reef are cut off.
Kuooo!
The blood-colored orca charges at me with its mouth wide open.
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, Dragon Vein, Flowing Ridge.
My Formless Sword rapidly rotates in my hand, strengthening, and smoothly pierces into the mouth of the orca.
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, Qi Mountain Heart Heaven!
Inside the orca, my Formless Sword instantly expands and explodes the body of the demon.
The remnants of the orcas soul is scattered in all directions, and in that gap, a blood-colored seahorse rushes at me, spewing bloody foam.
Bubbling...
Watching the numerous bubbles, I slash through them all with my Formless Sword.
But three bubbles that I failed to cut grow larger and fly at me, eventually merging into one and trapping me.
Ugh...!
Kugugugugu!
Suddenly, my whole body feels heavy.
Its hard to move.
However.
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, Mountain Echoes Valley Responds!
Tiing!
My Formless Sword vibrates, shedding a sword cry.
The self-generated vibration carrying its own aura of anticipation wildly swirls inside the bubble.
Thanks to the trajectory of the Severing Mountain Swordsmanship in my hand, my body is unharmed, not even a single scratch, and gradually, the bubble trembles and finally bursts
Paaang!
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, Deep Mountain!
I quickly dive towards the seahorse about to release more bubbles, slashing upwards with my Formless Sword.
But, at that moment.
Chwaak!
A blood-colored clam quickly wedges itself between me and the seahorse.
Tiing!
My Formless Sword fails to pierce the clams shell, and the clam opens its mouth to swallow me.
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, Nine Mountains Eight Seas.
I rotate my Formless Sword over 90 times in place, then slice the clam in eight directions.
Chwaak!
The clam and the seahorse behind it are both cut into 16 pieces and scatters.
Kugugugugu!
Then, I see the blood dragon behind the seahorse and clam, gathering energy in its mouth.
That is!
Remembering the dragon's breath that Seo Ran had fired in dragon form, I raise my Formless Sword.
A direct hit will be fatal, even for someone at the top of Core Formation.
Flash!
The blood-colored energy surges towards me.
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, Echoing Valley!
I capture the blood-colored beam with my Formless Sword and spin around, throwing it towards the distant battlefield where golden and blood-colored lights are clashing.
The energy shot by the blood dragon flies towards Yuan Li, and the four pagodas moving around him form another barrier.
Kwaang!
But the barrier shatters instantly under the blood dragon's breath, and the four pagodas lose their light in an instant.
Kwua Guang Guang Guan!
The breath, weakened by the barrier, pours down on Kim Young-hoon and Yuan Li.
I rush towards the blood dragon, gathering strength, and raise my Formless Sword.
The blood dragon writhes its massive body towards me, lunging with its horn.
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, Secluded Valley.
I divert and nullify its power with a twist, then slash upwards with my Formless Sword.
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, Entering Mountain!
Chwaak!
My Formless Sword splits the blood dragon in half, scattering it into pieces.
Shoo-woo-woo!
Despite having scattered all seven demon souls, they start to slowly reassemble in the air, hinting at regeneration.
Thankfully, they regenerate slowly.
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, Layered Mountains.
Chuachachacha!
My Formless Sword extends in all directions like thorns, scattering the regenerating demon souls again.
I then kick off towards the battlefield of clashing gold and red.
Kugugugu!
A storm of blood presses against the golden radiance.
Yuan Li, using the Flying Escape Technique, matches Kim Young-hoons speed, launching seventeen dagger dharma treasures at him.
Occasionally, his Five Elements Blood Curse Banners would fly at Kim Young-hoon, distracting him.
The two ghost kings formed from the blood river looked to have regenerated, pressuring Kim Young-hoon from both sides, while Yuan Li bombards him with numerous spells.
Kim Young-hoon shouts upon seeing me join.
Be careful of his spells with that staff! Every time a spell from that staff touches you, it absorbs vital force and blood, and he recovers his energy!
Kim Young-hoons complexion is paler than before, probably having had his vital force sucked a few times by Yuan Li.
Understood. Kim Hyung, deal with the demon kings and bone daggers. I'll target his main body.
I stand in front of Kim Young-hoon, who targets the bone daggers with 17 Mountain Wind thrusts, then pulls in the ghost ghosts kings to pressure them.
Quite capable, you two. It would have been more interesting if I brought my special jiangshis.
Yuan Li chuckles, forming a hand seal.
His crystal skull staff's mouth opens.
Blood clouds forming blood hands spew out from the crystal skull by the hundreds and thousands, rushing at me.
If they touch me, theyll drain vital force and blood, and Yuan Li will recover...
Then, I just need to make sure none can touch me.
Kwaang!
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, Bloudered Cliff!
The Formless Sword rotates around me, forming offensive and defensive unity.
Kuang Kuang Kuaaang!
I spin my Formless Sword, repelling all the blood hands, and charge at Yuan Li.
Hmph!
Kuuu!
A red pagoda strikes down on me from the sky.
Though its for defensive methods it looks like it can also be used offensively.
Toong!
I divert the pagodas power to my side with Secluded Valley and continue to charge at Yuan Li.
He relentlessly bombards me with spells.
A tidal wave of blood crashes down, and blood branches stretch in all directions.
Several blood rays target me and blood moths rush at me.
I repell every single spell, gradually approaching Yuan Li.
Stronger than Song Jin!
Though Song Jin is said to be a remnant soul of a Heavenly Being cultivator, he had to constantly resist the underworld's pull by relying on the ghostly energy of the Nether Crossing Ship without a physical body or dharma treasures. Yuan Li, showing his full strength at the peak of Core Formation and using numerous dharma treasures, is incomparable.
But.
Together with Kim Young-hoon, we can definitely catch him!
Paaang, boom!
Kim Young-hoon bursts the blood-formed ghost kings behind me and shakes off Yuan Lis dharma treasures, coming to join me.
I plunge into Yuan Lis embrace, and our eyes meet.
Farewell!
And then.
Kwaak!
Yuan Li holds a translucent blood-colored banner in his hand.
Youre caught.
Kwaak!
He thrusts the blood-colored banner into my head.
Twitch!
I stop in my tracks.
I summon more than just five Five Elements Blood Curse Banners.
The previous five blood-colored banners have been chasing Kim Young-hoon.
As Yuan Li forms a hand seal, several more blood-colored banners begin to rise around him.
If the source of the Five Elements Blood Curse Banner is properly placed in the upper dantian, I can summon as many as I want. Haha, performing so well before me, you two will be useful as my blood slaves
Chwaak!
I swing my Formless Sword at the chattering Yuan Li.
Eh?
Yuan Li, with his upper body severed, looks at me bewilderedly.
How?
About that Five Elements Blood Curse Banner
I smirk, lifting my Formless Sword.
It seems it doesnt work on someone who has mastered the same curse.
How didyou?
Chwaaaak!
I slice his upper body into thousands of pieces and kick away the remaining lower half.
The Five Elements Blood Curse Banner he just planted was absorbed by the Five Elements Blood Curse Banner I refined with the One Emotion Method...
Because of that, the refining rate of my Five Elements Blood Curse Banner, which was 99%, dropped to around 95%, but it doesnt really matter.
Is it over already?
If he hadnt used the Five Elements Blood Curse Banner just now, it would have been dangerous, but anyway, I finished him.
"That's a relief.Then"
[Hmm, you seem like experienced fighters, but do you lack experience in battling Core Formation cultivators?]
Shiver!
I shiver and look back.
Yuan Li's lower half, despite the absence of the upper half, is still floating in the air.
Chwarak Chwa ra ra rak!
Blood surges from Yuan Lis lower half, gradually regaining the shape of his upper half.
"Wh-what in the world!"
As Kim Young-hoon exclaims in shock, Yuan Lis consciousness echoes.
[Qi Building cultivators and above can survive for days even if several organs are torn due to the flow of Pure Spiritual Force in their meridians, and can regenerate if well-rested for a few months. But thats it. Qi Building cultivators die if their neck is cut.]
I charge at him before he can fully revive while he is talking.
Kwaang!
However, the blood-colored clam suddenly blocks my way.
Chwaak!
The seven demon souls I had scattered earlier have completely regenerated.
[But you know, from Core Formation onwards, you dont need a head or anything else. Core Formation cultivators from righteous sects practicing righteous path methods might need months of recuperation if their neck is cut or heart is plucked. However, devilish cultivators like myself, who practice the Blood Path, regenerate instantly unless their Golden Core is destroyed.]
Kim Hyung!
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, Ultimate Move, Severing Mountain!
I pour all my strength at the seven demon souls to break through.
They struggle desperately to protect their master, but I initiate Endless Mountains Beyond Mountains, launching Severing Mountain again and again.
Meanwhile, Kim Young-hoon, seizing the opportunity while Yuan Li is babbling, flies towards him with the speed of light.
Chuaaarakk!
Yuan Lis upper body regenerated over 90%.
Kim Young-hoon uses Surpassing Radiant Saber and Severing Vein Saber Methods Ultimate Move, Saber Tomb, to attack him in that state.
Light flashes and Yuan Li, who has regenerated over 90%, is again torn to shreds.
Yuan Lis upper and lower halves are scattered, with only a fist-sized Golden Core floating in the air.
Just as Kim Young-hoon is about to destroy the Golden Core...
[Did I ever say my]
Chwaak!
From inside the Golden Core, a blood-colored spear shoots out.
The spear aims straight for Kim Young-hoon's heart, who dodges back in surprise.
[Dharma treasures are limited to this...?]
Chiik!
Blood mist spews from the spear, forming another blood-colored ghost king.
Damn it! Is he even human?
You become completely different from humans starting from Qi Building, what are you saying!
I shake off the demon souls and step towards the Golden Core, while Kim Young-hoon also faces the spear-wielding ghost king and moves towards the core.
Then, the remnants of Yuan Li begin to gather around the Golden Core, regenerating his body again.
Damn it!
We must stop it!
Just then...
Puk-quak!
Boooom!
[Ah?]
A bee puppet, appearing suddenly in the area, injected its Pure Spiritual Force sting into Yuan Lis defenseless Golden Core.
It was Buk Hyang-hwa.
[How, how dare you...!]
Booom!
Chwaak!
The bee puppet injects several more stings into the Golden Core, which retaliates with spells, pushing the puppet back. But the core is already cracked and losing light.
[Youbastard!]
Yuan Lis voice fades.
And the Golden Core falls straight down.
Miss Hyang-hwa!
Below, I see Buk Hyang-hwa with a determined expression, manipulating the puppet, her face filled with satisfaction.
Chwaak!
And then, something done by Cheongmun Ryeong seems to have an effect, as the Blood Sacrifice Formation starts to fade.
It doesnt disappear completely, but its significantly weaker than before.
Ha ha
I feel a release of tension.
Yes, this way, we have prevented the sudden Heaven-Treading Desert massacre from happening decades early due to a small butterfly effect from the Mad Lord.
Thats what I thought.
[Impressive.]
What?
Wriggle, wriggle
It isnt Yuan Lis Golden Core.
In the center of Cheon-saek City.
From the life force and essence blood of those who died due to the Blood Sacrifice Formation, a voice emerged.
Hyung!
I know!
Kim Young-hoon rushes towards it, but then...
Chwaak!
The blood cloud brought by Yuan Li.
The blood energy that covers the outside of the Blood Sacrifice Formation rushes inside.
Chwaak!
The blood cloud rushes at us, obstructing our way.
This is!
I sense from within the blood cloud, the life force and essence blood of tens of thousands, along with their grudges and pain.
This, this is!
Human.
Each droplet of this blood cloud is the life of a human.
Kugugugugu!
Yuan Li's blood cloud absorbs the shattered Golden Core, regenerating it.
The falling Golden Core rises again into the air.
Then, something begins to emerge from the central blood pillar in Cheon-saek City.
Its a baby.
A baby in the form of a soul body, with dozens of eyes, mouths, and hands all over its grotesque body.
From its mouth emerges Yuan Lis rumbling consciousness.
[Qi Building cultivators have a moderately strong regenerative power, and Core Formation cultivators dont die easily unless their Golden Core is destroyed.]
The grotesque baby flicks its finger, and Yuan Lis falling Golden Core flies towards it.
Kim Young-hoon and I try to stop it, but the blood cloud surrounds and obstructs us.
[From Nascent Soul onwards, as long as the Nascent Soul is intact, you dont die even if the Golden Core is shattered. Normally, shattering the Golden Core would mean losing all cultivation. However, I am thoroughly prepared, so that wont happen.
And, didnt I tell you? I had already reached Nascent Soul but just scattered my Blood Spirits around the cities near the Heaven-Treading Desert to avoid the eyes of the Heavenly Being cultivators.]
Kugugugu!
The blood clouds are drawn into his Golden Core.
In an instant, Yuan Li regenerates his body and bursts out from the blood cloud.
Kuguguugugu!
The blood clouds scattered outside the Blood Sacrifice Formation are also sucked into Yuan Li's body.
His cultivation begins to skyrocket.
Surpassing Core Formation Grand Perfection.
Kim Young-hoon laughs hopelessly, looking at Yuan Li.
[Well played. Golden light, over there. I'll refine you into my blood slave And you, I dont know how you did it, but since you learned the Five Elements Blood Curse Banner, mental restraints wont work on you. Youll just have to die.]
Yuan Li, having absorbed all the blood clouds, exudes the power of an early Nascent Soul cultivator.
[Your city is not the first I visited. Instead, I first gathered all my Blood Spirits I had left in the Northern Grasslands, absorbed the nourishment there, and then came here to play for a while. It seems you were quite spirited. Anyway, it was impressive. Farewell.]
Whooosh!
The next moment, Yuan Li emits a burst of blood-colored radiance.
-x-X-x-
When I open my eyes again, the surroundings have turned into a sea of blood.
"Uh...?"
The only survivors are cultivators.
The entire Cheon-saek City has crumbled, and all the mortals left nothing but white bones behind, their life forces rising into the sky and converging in the void.
The area is filled with their blood.
At least the cultivators seem unharmed, but the weaker Qi Refining cultivators begin to vomit blood, and their dantians burst open, spewing out spiritual power and life force into the sky.
"Stop... it...!"
Cough, cough!
I vomit blood and stand up.
My whole body is aching.
Looking around, Kim Young-hoon is spewing more blood than me, barely managing to stand.
"Didn't I tell you... to stop...!"
Despite my shouts and swinging my Formless Sword, the Pure Spiritual Force and Gang Qi from my Inner Core are nearly depleted, causing the Formless Sword to disperse in the air.
Yuan Li continues to activate the Blood Sacrifice Formation without paying any attention to me, absorbing the life force of numerous mortals and the spiritual power and life force of cultivators into his Blood Spirit.
"Cough, cough...!"
I continue to vomit blood blood.
'What about... the others...?'
Affected by the formation, even Qi Building cultivators like Buk Joong-ho, Buk Hyang-hwa, and the Cheongmun Ryeong are staggering out from the rubble in the distance, also drenched in blood.
We gather in one place.
"Is this... the end?"
"Nascent Soul cultivator... Haha, there's no way we can beat that."
Buk Joong-ho and Cheongmun Ryeong look up at Yuan Li in the sky with a look of despair.
I grit my teeth.
"If I risk my life... maybe it's possible."
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship's final move.
Foolish Old Man Moves Mountains...
Maybe I can at least injure that Nascent Soul monster...!
"Alright, I'll risk my life too."
Kim Young-hoon, wiping the blood from his mouth, speaks with a haggard face.
His hands tremble as he touches his abdomen.
There are several holes in his stomach.
Its impossible for him, whos not a Qi Building cultivator, to survive such injuries.
"I'm already a dead man. I'll hit that damned guy at least once before I die. If Eun-hyun and I risk our lives, surely..."
Just then.
Suddenly, Kim Young-hoon locks eyes with Buk Hyang-hwa.
Buk Hyang-hwa seemed to mutter something.
It looked like telepathy.
After hearing her telepathy, Kim Young-hoon looks surprised.
'What did she say?'
I try to read her lips but the blood flowing from my head obscures my vision, and I fail to read properly.
Kim Young-hoon shakes his head with a bitter expression, and Buk Hyang-hwa nods.
'What conversation...'
That's when it happens..
Buk Hyang-hwa forms a hand seal.
Wooosh!
The bee puppet flies from the rubble towards us.
Clank, clank!
The bee puppet, damaged by the earlier impact, moves awkwardly.
Vrooosh!
As she forms another seal, a protective formation unfolds around us.
Judging by the soundproofing spell, it looks intended to prevent Yuan Li from overhearing our conversation.
Yuan Li glances at us for a moment but focuses back on the Blood Sacrifice Formation without much care.
He probably thinks of our efforts as the last struggle of insects.
"Thanks to Senior Cheongmun weakening the formation, this puppet can perform space teleportation once."
My eyes widen.
"Miss, Miss Hyang-hwa! This is truly fortunate news! Hurry. Hurry, get on it and escape!"
Yes, she must have set the spatial coordinates for the bee puppet to the neighboring Yeon-do City.
If she goes to the neighboring city, it will be hard for Yuan Li to follow.
Yeon-do City, being relatively inside the domain of Byeokra and next to the territory of the Gongmyo Clan, is safe.
However, upon hearing my words, Hyang-hwa looks around.
Swoosh, swoosh!
The power of the Blood Sacrifice Formation grows stronger. Not only mortals, but also the dantians of middle and low level Qi Refining cultivators burst, rising into the sky, and even peak Qi Refining cultivators are vomiting blood and dying.
"It seems we're the only ones who can possibly survive. But when I talked to Sir Young-hoon just now, he said his death is certain. So among us, only father, me, Senior Cheongmun, and you dear can escape on the bee puppet. But looking at the puppet's condition, it will break after one teleportation."
"Then... what..."
Hyang-hwa looks at Cheongmun Ryeong.
"Why don't Senior Cheongmun go?"
However, Cheongmun Ryeong laughs bitterly and speaks.
"Forget it. I'm an old man who has lived enough, and there's not much life left anyway. Do you want me to live with nightmares of abandoning my friends for the rest of my life? I've done everything needed for the clan, so let one of the younger ones go instead of bothering this old man."
Saying so, he steps out of Buk Hyang-hwa's protective formation, indicating he will no longer listen.
Kugugugu!
As if to resist until the end, he raises the Thousand Lustrous Forest Sea method, glaring at Yuan Li.
Green spiritual energy blossoms around Cheongmun Ryeong, forming a formation diagram.
"I'll die here! But I won't die easily!"
Kugugugu!
Cheongmun Ryeongs formation sprouts green trees in the form of spiritual energy which grow and intertwine, forming a giant tree to shield us from Yuan Li.
Kim Young-hoon smiles, holding his broken saber, and steps out of the protective formation.
"I'm already dead. What more is there to say! I'm off!"
Tadatt!
He activates all his remaining energy, climbing the giant tree made by Cheongmun Ryeong with his Surpassing Radiant Saber.
The tree looks as if a golden bird has perched upon it.
I too follow Kim Young-hoon out of the protective formation.
But then.
Thud!
Buk Joong-ho and Buk Hyang-hwa grab me at the same time.
"What are you doing?"
The two exchange glances, then smile and pull me back.
"Where are you going, son-in-law?"
"It will be better for Orabeoni to live."
"Don't talk nonsense. If Young-hoon and I risk our lives, we can at least wound Yuan Li..."
"I heard it when Sir Young-hoon and I were exchanging telepathy."
Buk Hyang-hwa looks at me.
"He said, even if you and Sir Young-hoon risk your lives, the chances of inflicting a significant wound on that old monster are slim."
"What does that matter! Shouldn't we atleast avenge the people of Cheon-saek City!"
"Then, son-in-law,"
Buk Joong-ho speaks with a serious face.
"Shouldn't we, who have lived in Cheon-saek City much longer than you, be the ones to do so?"
"This city holds memories of his wife for my father and my childhood with my mother. Even if I die today, I won't leave this place."
"Elder Buk! Please stop Miss Hyang-hwa!"
"Quiet. You seem out of strength anyway. Go ahead. I have no intention of fleeing from this place where I lived with my wife... As for my daughter..."
After glancing at Buk Hyang-hwa, he looks at me and continues.
"...she has decided to save you."
Kwaak!
Buk Joong-ho's spell firmly grasps my body.
I try to break his spell with my Formless Sword, but its difficult to resist with my depleted strength.
Vroom!
"Stay alive!"
The bee puppet grabs me, and I cough blood, looking at them.
"No, don't do this! Miss Hyang-hwa! I actually..."
Kuaaaak
Buk Hyang-hwa comes close, hugs me, and places her mother's jade norigae in my pocket.
"Thank you for everything. And I've prepared a gift for you at the destination."
"Ahhhhh!"
Booong!
I try with all my might to break Buk Joong-ho's binding and switch places with Buk Hyang-hwa.
"I can die!! Even if I die, I re-"
Then, Buk Hyang-hwa forms a hand seal.
"Farewell, dear."
Fwoosh!
The protective formation releases, and the bee puppet swiftly ascends into the sky.
In the distance, Yuan Li is startled and forms a hand seal.
Cheongmun Ryeongs giant tree and Kim Young-hoon's Surpassing Radiant Saber are engulfed in the bloody tide.
Buk Joong-ho uses a white tiger-shaped magic artifact, and Buk Hyang-hwa also starts countering with numerous magic artifacts from her storage device.
Kim Young-hoon begins using Foolish Old Man Moves Mountains, and the remaining Qi Building cultivators burn their lives as a last resort.
The last scene I see is Buk Hyang-hwa looking back at me.
The bee puppet breaks through the void.
Fwoosh!
Pshhh!
"Ahhhgh!"
Boom!
I fall in front of Yeon-do City in Byeokra.
The bee puppet shattered into pieces mid-teleportation.
"Keughk Krgh..."
Bleeding, I staunch my wounds and immediately begin circulating my internal energy, pouring it into my Inner Core.
Kugugugu!
My Inner Core absorbs the energy, rapidly filling with power.
Trembling, I reach into the storage pouch Buk Hyang-hwa had given me and pull out a few spirit stones.
Wooom!
I absorb the spirit stones' energy, rapidly recovering more spiritual energy.
After a while, my strength somewhat recovers.
Realizing I can generate a few Gang Spheres, I immediately stand up.
I have to go.
I have to return to Cheon-saek City!
Just then.
Kugugugu!
As I move, the sand rises, revealing a hidden formation.
'This is...'
In the center of the formation, something shine and rises up.
Its a small wooden box.
Remembering Buk Hyang-hwa's 'gift', I quickly pocket the box and dash madly towards Cheon-saek City.
'Please, please...!'
Yeon-do City quickly recedes behind me, and the scenery rushes by.
I run forward frantically, frothing at my mouth.
'Please...!'
How long have I been running?
How much time has passed?
The familiar smell of blood reaches my nose, and soon, Cheon-saek City comes into view again.
The Blood Sacrifice Formation that had enveloped the city is gone.
"Please...!"
I rush towards Cheon-saek City.
Squelch, squelch...
Cheon-saek City is a sea of blood.
Bodies are scattered everywhere, and I, trembling, begin searching through the city.
Then, beyond the rubble of a collapsed building, I find the ones I am looking for.
"Ah, aah..."
Kim Young-hoon's body is neatly laid out in eight segments.
Cheongmun Ryeong lays dead with bloodwood sprouting all over his body.
Buk Joong-ho is dead with his neck missing and a hole in his dantian.
And Buk Hyang-hwa...
"Ah, aah... Aaah..."
Shes alive.
In a dazed state, I scramble through the debris towards her.
Shes breathing.
But her lower body is gone.
From where her dantian used to be, everything below has completely vanished.
"Hyang-hwa... Hyang-hwa..."
Half out of my mind, I rush to her.
"Just, just wait... I'll, I'll find your lower body..."
Babbling nonsense, I grab her hand.
Shes barely breathing, thanks to the little Pure Spiritual Force left in her meridians.
I press her acupoints to ease her pain and squeeze Gang Qi out of my body into hers.
"Y-you can live. If, if we find your lower body..."
Then, she looks at me.
"...My dantian was torn out, how can you speak of survival?"
Her voice is cold.
"Cultivator Seo."
"Hyang-hwa... don't give up. I'll save you..."
"Cultivator Seo."
She speaks coldly.
"Don't delude yourself. I'm dying now."
Oddly, she seems more rational than ever, even in the face of death.
"Listen to my last wish."
"No, what last wish. You're not going to die..."
"Cultivator Seo, you are... a foolish person."
"Yes...?"
"Regrettably, I planned to use your influence to raise my standing in the clan and avenge my mother against elder Gongmyo Cheon-saek.
"..."
"I guess you thought we had real feelings. My father encouraged you, making you believe something was there. It was all prearranged with my father to lure you to me. It's liberating to confess now that I'm dying."
"..."
"From the moment I saw your power, I planned to seduce you into a political marriage. I thought you were just an exceptional Qi Building cultivator, but to have Core Formation strength. I told my father, and immediately..."
Tears well up in my eyes.
'Miss Hyang-hwa. Why are you so cold?'
Why call our time together a lie?
'Why sound so cold, yet...'
Your intent, is it really directed at me?
Hyang-hwa's intent, even facing death, is not tinged with fear.
Her intent is a clear pink, covering only me.
Through Hyang-hwa's intent, her heart speaks to me.
"You're too naive for a Qi Building cultivator, Cultivator Seo."
I don't want to be a burden to you in the future.
"Since you came, at least listen to my last wish."
So please forgive me for speaking like this.
"Bury my father next to my mother's grave, and me under my workshop. If possible, gather the remains of Cheon-saek City's people."
I'm leaving now, but I wish you'd forget me and live a new life.
"You can take the remaining artifacts from my workshop. Think of it as compensation for gathering the remains."
I wish I could have given you more.
"Anyway, sorry for using you. I didn't have feelings for you, but you were a great tool to keep the pests away."
I'm sorry for saying this. But by saying this, I hope you forget me and find happiness with someone new.
"...Why are you crying?"
Don't cry.
"...There was much I disliked about you. Couldn't even make artifacts..."
There was so much I wanted to do with you...
"Clumsy hands, poor mind, sometimes arrogant towards the weaker."
As clumsy as you are warm, as simple-minded as you are gentle, as arrogant as you are caring.
"Oddly emotional for no reason. Stop your blubbering. I hate men who are unmanly."
I'm sorry for leaving first. Don't cry.
"Now... I can... meet my mother..."
In front of my mother, I wanted to pledge myself to you.
Her pink intent turns into a flower, enveloping me.
"Well, farewell... Cultivator Seo"
I wish to be with you again. Seo Orabeoni.
Drip, drop...
I can't see through my tears.
Her pink intent obscures my entire vision.
Then, her intent begins to fade.
Her body grows cold.
As Hyang-hwa's intent scatters, her breathing ceases.
Wiping my tears, I see her soul ascend to the heavens.
I try to grab her, but my hands just pass through.
Her soul flies into the void and disperses.
I watch, hollow-eyed.
Around me, pink intent still swirls.
Not Hyang-hwa's, but mine.
Soon, my pink intent turns blood-red.
Like the blood flooding Cheon-saek City, my intent turns red, filling the surroundings.
Holding Hyang-hwa's lifeless hand, I speak with a trembling voice.
"Wait... just a moment."
Drip, drop
Somehow, the color of my tears are black.
No, its not the tears that are black.
From my eyes, mouth, nose, ears, from the seven orifices.
No, from every pore of my body.
Black curses from the Yin Soul Ghost Incantation seep out.
The creator of the Yin Soul Ghost Incantation is said to have handled 108 curses simultaneously.
Shhhhhhiiiii
But the number of curses emanating from my body has already far surpassed 108.
Whooosh...
As I inhale, the curses crumble into spiritual energy and flow into my body.
In an instant, my dantian is filled with spiritual power again.
I convert the spiritual power into internal energy and store it in my Inner Core.
Sssss...
A chilling cold spreads around me.
I stand up.
With my recovered internal energy, I summon the Formless Sword and clench it in my hand.
"I'll rip out... his heart."
With tears mixed with black curses streaming down my face, I turn and soar above Cheon-saek City.
-x-X-x-
I will kill him.
I will kill that creature.
Fiercely, savagely, I will shred his body into ten thousand pieces and kill him.
Swoosh!
As I fly through the air, kicking the void, swarms of black curses pour out around me like ants, leaving their mark.
I follow his trail with the demon senses active.
It isn't hard to track him down.
The spiritual energy of the places he had passed through are all unstable and flickering, and the scent of blood is blatantly strong.
Whoosh!
I absorb the Yin Soul Ghost Incantations swirling around me. I turn them into spiritual power, converting that spiritual power into internal energy for my Formless Sword, and then accelerate the Formless Sword even further.
Boom!
The sound of breaking air rumbles, and the impact of me rushing through the void causes the surrounding sand to scatter and turn into a sandstorm.
With bloodshot eyes, I run towards an area with a strong scent of blood.
"..."
Its a desert tribe located south of Cheon-saek City.
This tribe too has turned into a sea of blood.
Yuan Li is continuing his blood sacrifice, gradually regaining his Nascent Soul cultivation, and his speed is starting to increase.
I won't be able to catch up at this rate.
He is likely to keep getting faster.
What should I do?
As I ponder, a brown flying dharma treasure zooms towards me.
Boom!
I block the dharma treasure with my Formless Sword and glare at the person who shot it.
"You... Is it you! Are you the one who massacred this tribe under the Gongmyo Clan?"
He looks to be an elder of the Core Formation stage of the Gongmyo Clan.
His face bloodshot, beholds the massacred tribe and shouts at me.
"You! Answer me!"
I swing my Formless Sword without a word.
Kugugugu!
Although weaker than when I was fully prepared for facing Yuan Li, Im still a formidable Core Formation level force.
The elder of the Gongmyo Clan is startled by my power and withdraws his dharma treasure, glaring at me.
I look at him with empty eyes.
"If you saw what just happened, you would know. The energy of the blood sacrifice in this city and the energy of my strike are completely different... I am also chasing the monster responsible for this. This creature killed all my dear ones."
"But, but... There's no proof that you're not involved in this! Do you know how precious these resources are? Compensate immediately..."
Kuaang!
I send another Formless Sword attack towards the annoying elder of the Gongmyo Clan.
A small valley forms right next to him.
"Noisy, shut up. Before I kill you."
Swoosh!
Every time I open my mouth, hundreds of curses gush out, filling my surroundings.
The curse spells are countless, filling the area around me, appearing akin to black mist surrounding me.
"Ugh, how can I trust the words of a devilish cultivator like you who practices such devilish arts...!"
"...This is not a devilish art."
Cough, cough!
Feeling a tightness in my chest, I cough, and more curses flood out of my mouth.
"Its a method... a method of curse incantations that only realizes one's own pain to understand pain. Yes, a method that sacrifices no one, a method that doesn't need to sacrifice anyone... This is not a devilish art...! I didn't sacrifice anyone...!"
I scream, clutching my head.
Hack, hack!
Black curses continue to cascade every time my mouth opens.
"But why...! Why are they taking them from me...! Why...! Why! Why!"
I cry black tears mixed with curses, holding my head, emitting a black mist of curse spells from my whole body.
"Why!!!"
Its then that the elder of the Gongmyo Clan, who has been watching me go mad, flinches.
Flash!
From far away, in the direction of Cheon-saek City, a blue light flashes, and someone flies over.
"Who!!! Who killed Ryeong! Who!!!"
Cheongmun Jung-jin.
The head of the Cheongmun Clan.
He seems to have rushed over in a hurry after hearing Cheongmun Ryeong's message, but it was already too late.
His eyes meet mine amidst the black mist.
"You are... You! What is this about! Explain!"
"Ah, the head of the Cheongmun Clan. Do you know him?"
"A friend of Cheongmun Ryeong."
"I suspect this person is the monster behind this massacre. That black thing... If that's not devilish arts, then what is?"
"...I will vouch for his identity. Ryeong who was in Cheon-saek City is also dead. This person was Ryeong's friend, so it can't be him."
Cheongmun Jung-jin vouched for my identity, and I explained the situation to him with empty eyes.
"So, you're saying a Nascent Soul old monster pretending to be of Core Formation in the Heaven-Treading Desert has started this massacre now that the Heavenly Being seniors have ascended...!"
I nod, and both Cheongmun Jung-jin and the Gongmyo Clan elder's faces grow serious after hearing my explanation.
The elder of the Gongmyo Clan says gravely,
"We must catch him! If what this person says is true, then this Yuan Li, the Nascent Soul old monster, is not only regaining his power by collecting his Blood Spirit but also absorbing the lives of each city, becoming stronger than his original cultivation! Now is the weakest he will be, we must catch and kill him!
But Cheongmun Jung-jin looks unwell.
"What do you intend to do? That Nascent Soul old monster is gradually regaining his Nascent Soul strength and becoming faster and stronger, while we can barely match up, let alone catch him!"
The elder of the Gongmyo Clan takes out a communication device.
"I will contact the elders and clan head! You too, contact the elders of the Cheongmun Clan and gather the Core Formation cultivators! If that Yuan Li went to the Northern Grasslands as well, the Core Formation cultivators of those tribes must be urgently chasing him by now!"
He declares,,
"We must immediately gather all the Core Formation cultivators of the continent and kill that Nascent Soul old monster!"
The two Core Formation cultivators sent messages to their clans.
Do you have any idea how that Yuan Li, the Nascent Soul cultivator, might move?
I shake my head.
I can follow the traces, but his speed is increasing, widening the gap.
Then, I remember the location of the castle where Yuan Li resided.
...I don't know where the old monster will go, but I know where he will return.
What! Really?
I recall the black castle I had seen and the corresponding location, and share this information with them.
Yes, then lets inform the elders of the clan and the head of the Byeok Clan. The whole continent should know that a Nascent Soul old monster has started his rampage. Ill also send messages to the Jin Clan of Yanguo and the Makli Clan.
"Shengzi will be informed by the clans of Yanguo, and the Gongmyo Clan will contact the lords of the Eastern States beyond the Heaven-Treading Desert. I dont know if the Nascent Soul old monster has already visited there, but at least we can warn them."
The Cheongmun Clan will also get in contact with the chiefs of the Northern Grasslands.
Cheongmun Jung-jin and the elder of the Gongmyo Clan, with serious expressions, took out their communicators and made contacts.
After a while, both nodded.
"With this, the whole continent should be informed. Let's go east to the coordinates this person has given, where the Nascent Soul old monster will return!"
After speaking, the elder of the Gongmyo Clan flies towards the Heaven-Treading Desert using the Flying Escape Technique.
Cheongmun Jung-jin looks at me.
"You should go back and take care of the remains of those who left. You were a friend of Ryeong, and his remains too"
"Let's go together."
I gaze at Cheongmun Jung-jin.
"I also have business with that creature."
You dont understand, do you? With your skill, merely at the Qi Building stage
Boom!
I swing my Formless Sword, showing my true strength.
Cheongmun Jung-jin stares at me in surprise.
"I apologize for hiding my strength. I am of Core Formation prowess. Please let me take part in avenging Cheongmun Ryeong."
Understood.
Cheongmun Jung-jin nods, and I fly with him to Yuan Lis castle.
Whoosh!
Theres a formation here.
Me, Cheongmun Jung-jin, and the elder of the Gongmyo Clan observe the giant sandstorm in the middle of the Heaven-Treading Desert.
"Seeing this formation, it's likely that within is the residence of the Nascent Soul old monster."
I dont know much about formations
Both look a bit perplexed, and I silently step forward to start analyzing the formation.
"Ah, do you know how to handle formations?"
"Its fortunate indeed. After all, you did research formations with Ryeong"
Thinking of Cheongmun Ryeong, Cheongmun Jung-jin clenches his fists tightly.
Days pass.
Boom!
In the middle of the Heaven-Treading Desert.
Here, Core Formation cultivators began to gather.
Core Formation cultivators from the Northern Grasslands, dressed in the attire of their tribes.
Core Formation cultivators from beyond the eastern direction of the Heaven-Treading Desert, ruling as lords.
The Three Clans of Byeokra.
Cheongmun Jung-jin, head of the Cheongmun Clan, and his six Core Formation elders.
Head of the Gongmyo Clan, Gongmyo Ryeong, and his six Core Formation elders.
Head of the Byeok Clan, Byeok Cheon-gi, and his five Core Formation elders.
The Two Clans of Yanguo.
Head of the Makli Clan, Makli Hwang-cheon, and his seven elders.
Head of the Jin Clan, Jin Yeo-woon, and his five elders.
The Seven Clans of Shengzi.
Head of the Jinlu Clan, Jinlu Yeon-cheon, and her eight elders.
Head of the Ha Clan, Ha Ryeon.
Head of the Geo Clan, Geo Bok-won.
Head of the Jun Clan, Jun Je-yeol.
Head of the Yeoljeon Clan, Yeoljeon Ri.
Head of the Ori Clan, Ori Cheon-ryeong.
Head of the Jeon Clan, Jeon Chil-seon.
49 Core Formation cultivators from the Western Three Countries of the Heaven-Treading Desert.
43 Core Formation cultivators from the Northern Grasslands of the Heaven-Treading Desert.
54 Core Formation cultivators from the Eastern States of the Heaven-Treading Desert.
And three rare Core Formation loose cultivators.
Over 100 Core Formation cultivators densely surround the formation.
One of the tribal chiefs from the Northern Grasslands shouts angrily,
"This is outrageous! We cant even count how many tribes that Nascent Soul old monster has massacred!!!"
"Our Byeokra as well! That Nascent Soul old monster has committed massacres in dozens of cities! We cant let such a devil roam free!"
"He hid his cultivation waiting for the Heavenly Being seniors to ascend. Nobody knows what vile intentions that old monster harbors! We cant let that Nascent Soul old monster roam free!"
Many Core Formation cultivators outside the formation are seething with anger, and a few formation masters among them began to dismantle the sandstorm formation with my help.
"We must wait here for that old monster, ambush, and kill him!"
Among them, one of the three Core Formation hermits, an old man wearing a bamboo hat and gray robes, raises his voice angrily.
"He killed my great-grandson! I will kill him! I will grind his bones and eat his flesh!!!"
Just like me, those who have lost loved ones.
"That old monster massacred a tribe under the Gongmyo Clan! How precious are the ores mined from that tribe! That Nascent Soul old monster must pay!"
Those who seek compensation.
"To massacre the bloodline of the grasslands, what a disgrace! I will tear his flesh and restore the honor of my fallen tribes!"
Those who sought honor.
"That creature completely destroyed our state's city! Such a dangerous being cannot be left free. He must be eliminated quickly!"
Those who want to eradicate Yuan Li before he becomes stronger.
Many opinions are exchanged, but the conclusion is one.
Yuan Li, the Bloodwood Practitioner.
This murderous old monster must be killed.
Boom!
Thanks to the efforts of me and several Core Formation masters, the sandstorm formation disappeared, revealing the black castle inside.
"First, let's invade his headquarters and destroy any dharma treasures or formations that might aid him!"
"Yes, good! We need to be fully prepared to face the Nascent Soul old monster!"
Silently, I fly among the Core Formation cultivators towards the black castle.
I approach Cheongmun Jung-jin and inform him regarding the ability of the castle.
Cheongmun Jung-jin shouts to others,
This castle is a kind of dharma treasure. The Nascent Soul old monster can elevate his cultivation by one level inside it! If he recovers his early Nascent Soul cultivation, he can wield mid-Nascent Soul strength inside. If he recovers his mid-Nascent Soul cultivation, he can wield late Nascent Soul strength inside! We must pulverize this castle before the old monster returns!
Cheongmun Jung-jins words quickly gained trust and spread among those present.
Numerous Core Formation cultivators took out their dharma treasures from their storage devices and began to strike the black castle.
However, a kind of barrier appeared over the dharma treasure.
The barrier blocked the attacks of the Core Formation cultivators and protected the castle from crumbling.
Ugh, it seems difficult to penetrate this barrier without a Nascent Soul level attack.
"Then..."
The Core Formation cultivators quickly convened for a meeting.
"It's an ancient formation. Even if formation masters rush in, dismantling this ancient barrier is a remote possibility. There's no other way than to break it by force."
"What should we do then..."
Numerous discussions are exchanged, and we, on the Heaven-Treading Desert, discuss strategies to confront Yuan Li with serious expressions.
And a few days later.
Kugugugugugu!
From afar, beyond the horizon, a blood-red cloud rises.
The faces of the more than a hundred Core Formation cultivators darken.
"Early Nascent... Peak...!"
As Yuan Li approaches within the red blood cloud, the Core Formation cultivators grit their teeth.
Yuan Li's momentum is much stronger than when I had faced him, and his malice is beyond description.
[Haha, the bugs are quick with rumors. Have you come thinking you could handle me?]
Kugugugugu!
Yuan Li, enveloped by the blood cloud, looked around the audience and spoke calmly.
"Even if it's you, do you think you can defeat so many Core Formation cultivators...?"
Cheongmun Jung-jin shouts, stepping forward and glaring at Yuan Li..
Kugugugugu!
Yuan Li, amidst the blood cloud, looks down at us calmly and speaks,
[Just because there are many fireflies, does it compare to the light of the sun?]
The killing intent of many Core Formation cultivators are directed at Yuan Li, who has regained the strength of the peak early stage of Nascent Soul.
[Come at me, insects.]
Then.
Im the first to step forward, drawing my Formless Sword.
I have fully recovered my spiritual power and internal energy over the past few days.
Definitely. This time for sure.
I will kill this monster.
Translator Notes: Well Prepare yourselves everyone.
On that note, Sir Chang-ho turned out to be a title instead of a name. The author didnt give the hanja/chinese characters so idk what it means exactly but could be Blue Tiger Person if translated literally.
I made the mistake in my misunderstood bias cuz my friend's name is also Chang-ho. The guys real name appears later in this arc so youll find out anyway but its gonna be a pain in the butt having to make all the changesThe author barely uses his real name anyway.
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