Chapter 103
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 103
Chapter Title: Bleaching
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-Grrr, grroooooh!?
A movement of swiftness reaching near-lightspeed, possible only for an amorphous main body without even physical substance, transcending sound itself.
It had leaped through space, crossed obstacles, and succeeded in fleeing far away.
"Well now, you even know how to run away?"
Yet why had it been caught by the collar again by that terrifying prey that had been relentlessly carving it up without respite?
It simply couldn't comprehend.
An aggregate of space without physical form, unbound by terrain or even air resistance—an amorphous demon.
It had even employed a near-shrinking earth divine technique by manipulating spatial properties.
It was an outstanding escape that could shake off even peak transcendent masters.
However, So-hyang had detected its intent and the precursor to flight through the divine sense enveloping the surroundings.
And she happened to possess a perfect means to capture such a being, allowing her to seize it effortlessly regardless of its absolute speed.
Spirit Circle.
A technique that circulates the flow of spirit energy in a circle, generating attractive force through rotation.
The gravitational pull that devours all natural energies was effective even in snatching amorphous existences.
The formless entity, fleeing at tremendous speed, was inexorably drawn in like a fallen leaf sucked into a drain, ending up dangling in So-hyang's hand.
"Hmmm..."
-Groooooh...!
So-hyang looked down at the lump of space dangling from her hand with narrowed eyes, as if finding it amusing.
This demon, which had only influenced a small well before, had evolved into a demonic realm capable of swallowing an entire city in an instant, even shedding its main body to attempt escape.
"Even for a capricious demon, this is a bit much, isn't it?"
Learning in real-time, altering its behavior, and even mutating its abilities accordingly?
If the one responding hadn't been So-hyang, something horrific would have happened dozens of times over.
"Truly wondrous..."
All the demons So-hyang had seen and beaten until now had strong wills but faint egos, and thus lacked superior intelligence.
This one was an inorganic vessel, no less.
Typically, they possessed distinct properties without clear egos.
'Drives the user to slaughter.'
'Instills the desire to burn people.'
'Grants pleasure from crushing bones.'
Simple behavioral patterns, backed by bizarre abilities enabling them.
Actively adapting like this... was exceedingly rare.
"A genius among demons, perhaps?"
-Grooooaaah...
Even as it dangled like a cub gripped by the scruff, observed from all angles, the formless entity's thoughts continued to whirl without pause.
Hunting was impossible.
The prey's neck was too distant. The power gap was despairingly overwhelming.
Escape was impossible.
She possessed an unprecedented means to pull it in with a mere finger twitch.
Staying put would lead to being mounted and preserved like the old prey warned.
That couldn't happen.
Better to shatter.
Negotiation or submission might work on So-hyang, but demons inherently couldn't conceive such methods.
Cornered, despite the hopeless situation, it could only bare its fangs—no other judgment possible.
Even its fragile body swelled to engulf the prey holding it.
-Grooooaaah!!
"Oh my?"
So-hyang let out an exclamation of surprise and delight, willingly yielding her body to the darkness.
Despite the clear power disparity, charging aggressively while disregarding survival.
From the formless entity's perspective, this was the optimal choice.
Like a cornered rat biting a cat, or a backed army fighting to the death.
The only option creating variables was baring its teeth.
Whether complacency from assured victory or arrogance underestimating the demon's potential, the pale prey offered no resistance to the demonic erosion.
-Grooooaaah...!
Instantly dyeing the prey's body with demonic energy and seizing its mind, the formless entity roared in ecstasy.
But alas.
"Ah, can't escape, so you charge in instead?"
Choosing the best option doesn't guarantee the best outcome.
The gap between them wasn't as mild as cat and rat.
Blackened sclera in reverse eyes—the telltale sign of a human dominated by a demon.
"-Look, look here!"
The people nearby stared at So-hyang in unanimous horror.
It was common knowledge that even peak transcendent masters couldn't resist erosion by demonic weapons or spirits.
Unless one enveloped the body in protective gang qi to block erosion entirely, once infiltrated, there was no counter.
"Damn it all, why...!"
The general, who had been overwhelmed by So-hyang's unimaginable feats and merely observed, twisted his face in dismay.
She wasn't the sort to be devoured by such a pathetic demon—now stripped of its demonic realm advantage...!
Complacency?
Arrogance?
Whatever the reason, it was undoubtedly his oversight.
Self-reproachful for entrusting everything to So-hyang in a daze, the general summoned thunder qi.
Fortunately, erosion was recent. If he struck her with exorcising lightning now, he might expel the demonic influence—
"Mmm, everyone, I'm fine...?"
"-What?"
Receiving unintended concerned gazes, So-hyang awkwardly smiled and waved.
"Lady So-hyang... are you maintaining your sanity...?"
"Maintaining? I'm perfectly fine."
"No, how...?"
"Huh? Just endure with mental fortitude?"
"No, I mean, how exactly...?"
So-hyang had clearly allowed mental erosion without resistance, her body dyed in demonic energy.
She had simply retained consciousness in that state.
-Gr, grooooh...?
The formless entity couldn't comprehend this at all.
If erosion had failed, fine—but having blackened even the sclera, the prey should be incapable of resistance.
This was instinctive knowledge.
Seducing with ecstasy denser than any pleasure life offered, whipping with pain dozens of times fiercer than searing agony.
Humans should be unable to defy demonic domination. That was fact.
Yet this prey, what...!
Pain, pleasure, illusions—none elicited the slightest reaction.
-Gr, grrooowgh...!!
Something was wrong. It had entered a body it shouldn't have. It needed to leave now—
"Tsk, no backing out once entered."
So-hyang smiled softly, yanking the fleeing formless entity back with Spirit Circle's pull as it tried to escape her body.
-Grooooh...!
What it saw as its sole escape—So-hyang's flesh—became an impeccably perfect prison.
Having inadvertently succeeded in trapping the demon within her body, So-hyang stroked her chin amusedly.
This was a seal firmer than most, and maintaining it would allow the dean to arrive and resolve things smoothly.
"But that would be no fun, right?"
"Pardon? Fun, what do you—"
Since she already harbored the demon, why not test that idea she'd pondered before?
Grinning playfully, So-hyang plopped down cross-legged, closing her eyes.
Seated meditation, inward immersion.
She posed a koan.
The Spirit Sword absorbs all energies of heaven and earth without discrimination, refining them into pure white spirit energy.
While typical martial artists' heart arts filter and purify natural energies for specific types, Spirit Sword accumulation takes all energies wholly.
Thus, a proposition arises.
Demonic, evil, bewitching, turbid, filthy energies are ultimately part of nature.
Then, what reason prevents absorbing demonic energy too?
So-hyang contemplated her internal energies.
The ceaseless circulating flow: Spirit Circle.
She sensed the formless entity, pinned immobile by rotational gravity.
A being of malice antagonistic to humanity above all.
Similar in nature to the heart demon within human minds, yet fundamentally distinct.
Almost like tribal hatred, polar opposites.
What differs heart demon from bewitching demon?
In essence, human malice versus non-human malice—what sets them apart?
Not a question for immediate answers; better focus on the original goal.
Repel corrupt energies, alien egos, crude yet brilliant intellects, irrational—how to extract them?
The conclusion was simple and clear.
Grind them down.
"...Suuuuuh—"
Deep inhalation drew in energy, accelerating Spirit Circle's steady rotation.
-Gr, grrooooogh!?
Recalling a past life's artifact: vortex washing to cleanse filth.
Adding chemicals to eliminate lingering stains.
The former vortex: spirit energy's rotation.
The latter chemicals: exorcising intent.
Bleach demonic qi into spirit energy.
-Gugh!? Gr, grgrk! Gugrk, grgrrooowgh!!!
Though an inorganic being insensate to pain, the formless entity felt agony.
Not comparable to the loss of severed space—its very existence torn and pulverized.
A crisis unimaginable throughout its lifetime.
Worse than mere destruction.
Better to be sealed and used as a tool by prey.
First and last regret felt.
Instinct screamed: this was existential erasure, true annihilation.
Impossible for demons premised on immortality and rebirth...
Total death.
-Kiiiiiiing...!
Whirled in the ferocious vibrational rotation, the formless entity fully lost its existence and met death.
"Phew, success."
"-Wait, what exactly did you succeed at..."
So-hyang opened her eyes and rose, clenching and unclenching her fist with satisfaction, gauging her gains...
"Spirit energy total increased slightly, and spirit nature grew a bit too."
Far more energy gained than ingesting a fine spirit pill.
The total increase wasn't major, but mastering demonic-to-spirit conversion was significant.
Grinding an ego-formed being boosted her spirit nature too—satisfactory enough.
But she gained one more thing.
"Ho, more than expected..."
Above So-hyang's palm, in empty air, a pristine white void floated.
The formless entity's unique.
The demon's spatial manipulation—independent sub-dimension—now in So-hyang's grasp.
And beside such So-hyang, an unfamiliar woman's voice rang out.
"...What the hell? The whole place is a mess. Those shattered traces look like sword marks no matter how I squint—did that sword nut Sky-Splitting Sword Sovereign show up?"
A transcendent appeared amid rising azure flames, undetected by So-hyang's senses.
So-hyang gasped in shock.
Constantly deployed divine sense.
Ever-sharp qi sense.
Five senses honed to extremes.
Her innate body, plus the elder's madness reflowering spiritual intuition.
No hint from any sense.
She sensed it only after it was upon her, speaking.
Now manifest, its presence rivaled Sword Venerable Namgung Geukbeon or the Martial Alliance Leader.
Genetically impossible azure hair like blue gems.
Clear jade-green eyes like autumn skies.
"No deaths, though... really that sword freak?"
On a beautiful girl's face, teetering between child and adult, doubt and irritation surfaced plainly.
One who reached transcendence via a path alien to So-hyang's knowledge.
Azure Flame Star, the dean had returned.
"Hey, your communication said a demonic realm erupted in the academy? Not a speck of demonic qi nearby—what gives?"
"Dean, what happened is..."
The dean, arriving late via professors' explanations and finding nothing left to do, let out an incredulous chuckle.
"So, you lot experimented with a secretly stashed demon, it blew up into a demonic realm."
"...Yes."
"And that white-clad swordswoman sliced it all up and stopped it?"
"Correct."
"Haa... Dealing with you idiots later—first, seal the demonic realm. Where is it?"
"Well, Lady So-hyang here... exterminated? Purified? Anyway, it's gone now...?"
Even the professor who witnessed it firsthand was dubious; the dean couldn't grasp it.
"...? What nonsense is that?"
Vivid question marked the dean's face.
"Even if you say so, it actually happened..."
Confirming no falsehood through transcendent eyes half-freed from mortality's shackles, the dean addressed So-hyang.
"Hey, So-hyang, right? Explain purifying a demon... wait, wrong order."
Scholarly curiosity briefly distracted her, but human priority came first.
"...Thanks for protecting the academy in my absence. Without you, countless students and people would have died."
A humble bow and fitting gratitude first.
"Any reward you desire, say it. Whatever within my power—"
"One spar, please."
So-hyang's request was singular.
"-What?"
"A spar, please."
"No, not repeating 'cause I didn't hear... You know I'm a sage, right?"
"Yes, so please spar."
"...I'm a sage? Like, fire essence level for martial artists—"
"That's why I'm asking? Please spar."
"Tr, treasures or divine artifacts, spirit pills I personally refined with azure flames..."
"Spar."
"...No, uh, huh?"
Before the consistent demand, the dean was at a loss.
Now noticing her eyes spun slightly.
Peering inward with starlight eyes revealed worse.
Solely fixated on sword intent.
The spar desire pure sincerity.
Her obsessive gaze, as if dismantling the dean, sent chills.
Even surface thoughts' complexity induced vertigo.
"Wow, what crazy bitch is this?"
Forgetting her as the academy's savior, even resorting to rude terms.