The Crimson Veil Descends
“Huh?”
At my reply, Buk Hyang-hwa suddenly noticed the strange atmosphere and opened her eyes.
“The air… it’s vibrating with a faint fishy stench.”
I looked up at the sky.
‘This… this is bad.’
With my Eyesight activated, I scanned the surrounding spiritual energy. Everything around us was vibrating with ominous energy.
“Lady Buk Hyang-hwa, the heavenly qi feels extremely inauspicious. Please enter the castle at once.”
“Oppa…”
She had been reading the heavenly qi with me for a moment, and now her brows furrowed deeply.
“I’ll figure it out right away.”
Instead of stopping her, I focused my consciousness even harder, searching for the source of the stench.
And then I realized it was coming from the castle itself.
‘What in the world is this… the entire castle?’
Just as I was about to lose my composure,
whoooosh!
A fierce wind suddenly erupted from the east, heading toward the Dabcheon Desert.
My eyes widened.
Far to the east, beyond the horizon of the Dabcheon Desert, something like a red cloud was slowly crawling up.
A chill ran down my spine.
The dense malice was rapidly approaching.
Soon, other people began gathering on the castle walls. Cheongmun Ryeong, Kim Young-hoon, Buk Jung-ho, and more.
“What is that?”
“More importantly, the spiritual energy inside the castle is strangely twitching!”
“Could it be that the Cheongmun Sect has received news from the Cheongmun Clan?”
Kim Young-hoon drew his saber with a guarded expression, while Cheongmun Ryeong took out his sound-transmitting talisman and contacted the Cheongmun Clan.
Buk Jung-ho was issuing orders through the entire castle via sound-transmitting talismans.
Kugugugu!
Watching the approaching blood-colored clouds, I suddenly recalled a single name.
‘The Blood Wood Daoist… Won Rip!’
Why is he coming here?
Doubt filled me, but there was no time to ponder.
I asked Buk Jung-ho.
“The being approaching from over there is the Blood Wood Daoist, Won Rip, a demonic cultivator who has surpassed the Core Formation realm. He treats the slaughter of people as routine, so it’s likely he’s come for the same reason. Do we have a way to evacuate the residents of the castle immediately?”
“Since there are many cultivators in Cheon-saek Castle, if we board civilians on their flying technique talismans…”
At that moment,
chiiiiiik!
The fishy stench emanating from the castle itself thickened until it turned into a thick fog of blood, spraying in all directions.
“What…!”
The blood fog condensed into six massive blood pillars that encircled the castle, and between them, a red curtain of light spread out, enveloping the entire structure.
Kugugugu!
Simultaneously, the veins of power beneath the castle began to surge wildly.
“This is…”
At the same time, my own blood and qi inside me started twitching in response to the surging veins.
“Aaaaaah!”
“M-my body…!”
“I can’t move! Aaaaaah!”
“Save me…!”
The residents of the castle.
The guilty among them all fell to the ground, writhing in agony.
The martial artists who had practiced the arts were slightly better off, but they too had to circulate their qi endlessly to suppress the surging blood and qi.
Kim Young-hoon’s expression also looked troubled, but thanks to his inner pill, he quickly calmed his blood and qi and regained his composure.
“This is the Blood Sacrifice Formation!”
Cheongmun Ryeong’s face turned deathly pale.
“Blood Sacrifice?”
“Human flesh offering! It’s the method demonic cultivators use to absorb life force and cultivation by sacrificing large amounts of lives!”
My face contorted as Kim Young-hoon drew his golden blade and swung it hard at the blood wall.
Kwaaang!
The golden light struck the blood wall, but it didn’t break easily because it was connected to the castle’s veins of power.
“Damn it… it won’t even budge.”
“Seo Doo. Do you know who Won Rip is? Perhaps you do?”
“That person…”
Suddenly, I recalled an event from my past life.
The Dabcheon Desert Massacre.
It had happened in the nearby tribes and castles of the Dabcheon Desert, a cruel slaughter.
That massacre had caused countless Core Formation sect masters and elders to become furious, and he had become the catalyst for a great war two hundred years later.
‘Wait… something feels off.’
In my previous life, when I first met Buk Hyang-hwa, forty years had passed after my regression.
But now, it had only been ten years.
‘Why did the event accelerate by decades?’
I gritted my teeth and looked around.
“Cheongmun Doo, can you perhaps dismantle this Blood Sacrifice Formation?”
“It’s connected to the veins of power. I’ll try, but it’ll take time.”
“Then we’ll buy you the time. Please dismantle it as quickly as possible.”
“Understood.”
Cheongmun Ryeong descended below the castle with a determined face, grabbing the array nodes and starting to work.
I looked at Kim Young-hoon and Buk Jung-ho.
“The person coming is the demonic cultivator Won Rip, who has surpassed the Core Formation realm. His realm is either at the Core Formation peak or slightly above.”
The massacre had already occurred earlier than in my previous life.
‘Even so, he wouldn’t have obtained Core Formation strength this early.’
The Law Treasure that would let him surpass one realm was a black castle-shaped treasure I had seen before, and his realm would only rise inside it.
‘He’s coming out into the open now. So maybe…’
I glanced at Kim Young-hoon.
If Kim Young-hoon and I fought together at Core Formation level, perhaps we could hunt Won Rip.
“I and Brother Kim have reached Core Formation peak, so it’s not impossible to stall him. While Kim and I hold him back, Buk Jung-ho and Lady Buk, please protect the castle from the aftermath of the battle and ensure the civilians aren’t caught in it.”
Buk Jung-ho nodded, and Buk Hyang-hwa looked at me with worried eyes.
“Are you sure you’re okay, oppa?”
I glanced at the puppet with contempt.
“Lady Buk Hyang-hwa, if we can escape through the puppet, please leave right now.”
“But Cheon-saek Castle is where I grew up…”
“Lady Buk Hyang-hwa.”
I grabbed her shoulder.
“Please try.”
“Alright.”
A moment later, Buk Hyang-hwa activated the spatial array inscribed on the puppet’s body and activated it.
But the puppet didn’t break through the blood fog; it only bounced off harmlessly.
“…This formation is also blocking spatial transfer. We’ll need the formation to weaken a little before we can escape.”
“Understood. Lady Buk Hyang-hwa, if Cheongmun Doo weakens the formation even slightly, promise me you’ll immediately run away on the puppet.”
“Oppa, but…”
“Promise me.”
I brought our eyes to the same level and said.
“I can die, but you must live.”
“Hyang-hwa, do as I say.”
Buk Jung-ho added with a solemn expression.
She wanted to say something but closed her mouth.
“…Alright.”
“Then I wish you good fortune.”
Buk Jung-ho took Buk Hyang-hwa below the castle wall and began gathering the cultivators to spread a protective formation for the civilians.
Kim Young-hoon and I each drew our formless swords and golden blades, staring at the approaching blood-colored clouds beyond the Blood Sacrifice Formation.
And then,
kuuuuu!
The blood-colored clouds enveloped the entire Blood Sacrifice Formation.
Simultaneously, a figure in blood robes began descending from within the clouds.
Uuuuung!
He easily passed through the blood curtain and entered the castle.
The same blood robes.
And a semi-transparent black mask.
The Blood Wood Daoist, Won Rip.
‘I have to capture him now…’
I glared at him.
The aura he gave off was only at the level of Core Formation peak.
At best, Song Jin level.
And Song Jin was someone I could definitely catch.
‘Wait…’
At that moment, I realized something was different about him from my past life.
‘Wrinkles?’
Yes.
In my past life, Won Rip wore a mask, but his skin was smooth and his physique young.
But now, his hands were covered in wrinkles, his body was much smaller, and his hair was white instead of glossy black.
I revealed the momentum of my formless sword and shouted at Won Rip.
“Blood Wood Daoist Won Rip! Why have you come to Cheon-saek Castle?”
At my words, he looked at me.
‘Damn it…’
Behind his gaze, I felt a disgusting inner feeling rising in my stomach.
It was exactly the same.
Even if the exterior differed slightly, his inner state was unchanged.
“Hoo, do you know my illustrious name?”
Won Rip stroked the chin hidden beneath his mask with a rough voice.
“Strange. How do you know my name? Everyone who knew it is dead, and the others I tracked down and killed…”
“I know nothing of that. But how could you already be surrounding an entire castle like this so soon after the Heavenly Person senior cultivators were all defeated?”
“Hahaha, Core Formation cultivators don’t know what that means anyway. Just shut up and die.”
Kugugugu!
As Won Rip formed a seal, the blood clouds he had brought flowed into the Blood Sacrifice Formation.
Inside it, eerie ghost cries and a thick fishy smell filled the air.
I exchanged glances with Kim Young-hoon and swung our golden blades and formless swords.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwang!
Golden and colorless light swept across all directions, dispersing the blood clouds.
Startled by our momentum, Won Rip looked at us with slightly surprised eyes.
“Hoo, so the ones who hid their Core Formation realm and call themselves Core Formation cultivators.”
“Answer me! Even you can’t defeat the two of us, can you?”
Kim Young-hoon and I had both reached Core Formation peak, and I could wield the strength of Core Formation’s absolute peak thanks to the interaction between my Foundation Establishment realm and my Heavenly Martial Arts realm.
Moreover, I had refined the formless sword for over two hundred years.
It was not something that could be easily matched, and if Won Rip was still at this level, hunting him was not impossible.
“Hmm… good. You’re not just Core Formation bug-level, so you deserve an answer.”
He stroked his chin and said.
Chwaaak!
And with the hand that had been stroking his chin, he brushed his nape.
Uuuuung!
Blue light erupted from his nape, revealing a certain ‘handprint.’
‘What is this…?’
“Ten-odd years ago. When the Ascension Gate was open, before all the Heavenly Person cultivators were defeated. I was attacked by a Heavenly Person cultivator and nearly died. Because the Heavenly Person cultivator suddenly felt good, I survived, but the curse he left inside me didn’t disappear and ate away at my body.”
“…”
‘The butterfly effect of Goegun’s curse…’
The curse Goegun had cast had accelerated Won Rip’s movements by decades.
“…”
‘So ultimately, I realized I could only recover my Core Formation strength to dispel the curse, and I decided to recover my blood spirits a little earlier than scheduled.’
“Blood spirits?”
“I know my name, but I don’t know yours.”
Won Rip chuckled and stretched out both hands.
Uuuuung!
Blood spurted from his hands and was absorbed by the Blood Sacrifice Formation.
Simultaneously, the formation began to tremble, and my blood and qi started surging more wildly than before.
Kim Young-hoon’s face grew even more troubled.
And then,
paeong, paeng, paebung!
Among the civilians inside the castle who had been writhing, starting from the weakest, their bodies began to burst.
Paebung, paebebeobung, paeong!
Their flesh exploded, and the blood essence and life force inside them rose toward the center of the Blood Sacrifice Formation.
“Stop it!”
I roared and rushed at him with my formless sword.
Kim Young-hoon also hardened his face at the sight and aimed his golden blade at Won Rip.
However,
“Tsk tsk. You’re being foolish. You’ve misunderstood something.”
Kiiiaaaa!
An eerie ghost cry echoed from inside his blood robes.
“My cultivation is indeed only at Core Formation peak right now…”
He drew a staff from his sleeve.
The staff was dyed red, with a crystal skull ornament at the top, and tiny branches resembling human hands sprouted densely on the wooden body.
Shuuuung—
Five semi-transparent blood flags appeared around him.
And as he opened his mouth, four red pagoda-shaped treasures floated up around him and lined up to protect him, and when he rummaged in his sleeve, a gushing blood water erupted.
The blood water rose beside him and transformed into two massive ghost kings holding scythes.
“Originally I was a Core Formation cultivator. To avoid being caught before I could ascend, I scattered my Core Formation soul into blood spirits and placed them around the Dabcheon Desert, which only lowered my cultivation temporarily.”
Chwaak, chwaak, chwaak!
Even as he spoke, he pulled things from his staff and body and threw them into the air.
Seven talismans spread out beside him and in front of the ghost kings.
On them were drawn seahorses, dragons, eight-tailed carp, blue sea bream, sperm whale, coral, and oysters drawn in blood.
“All the Law Treasures and artifacts I gathered when I reached Core Formation, and all the divine arts I comprehended when I reached the Core Formation realm, are perfectly intact. My Law Power is only at the Core Formation peak, so can you, worms, really dare to confront me?”
Chwaaa!
Finally, he spat out seventeen bone-handled blade treasures from his mouth.
On their handles were carved smiling skulls with tears of blood.
“Come at me, you Core Formation trash. I’ll crush your golden cores together with your blood spirits. Aha ha ha…!”
Kim Young-hoon and I silently formed a formation.
Paeong, paebung, paebebeobung!
Below us, Buk Hyang-hwa, Buk Jung-ho, and the cultivators were holding back the civilians, but the bodies of the civilians began to burst, and their blood essence and life force gradually gathered in the sky at the center of Cheon-saek Castle.
Puuuuduk…
The battle needed no words.
Danak Sword Art, First Strike, Wolak!
The opening stance cut horizontally across the opponent.
Kiiiiiing!
The red pagodas surrounding him connected with each other and struck a red curtain.
My formless sword was blocked by the curtain, and inside it, Won Rip was forming a seal.
“Get out!”
Kiiiaaaaa!
Two ghost kings made of blood water swung their scythes at Kim Young-hoon and me.
“Block them! I’ll break through!”
“Yes.”
Kim Young-hoon gathered his qi, and I stepped forward and unfolded my formless sword.
Danak Sword Art, Mountaintop Sword!
Hundreds of meters of trajectories crisscrossed and blocked the ghost kings’ scythes, swallowing their bodies instead.
Pa aa aa ah!
Golden light exploded from behind.
I dodged, and a dazzling light shot forward.
The Danmak Sword Art’s Mountaintop stance advanced and collided with Won Rip’s surrounding barrier.
Kwaa aaang!
The barrier shook violently, and the curtain was finally pierced.
But inside the curtain, Won Rip had completed his seal at his leisure.
“Resolve!”
Chwaa aak!
The talismans lined up beside him.
The blood-drawn sea creatures burst out from the talismans.
“These are the yao souls refined with my Blood Demon Sea Light Barrier. Come and take them!”
‘They’re all Core Formation level…’
I stood beside Kim Young-hoon and gripped my formless sword.
“The energy from those yao souls is explosive but consumes quickly. I’ll hold them off. Brother, approach him. Be careful not to touch the blood flags around.”
“Alright.”
Danak Sword Art, Mountain Flower!
As soon as I finished speaking, I scattered my formless sword in all directions.
The Core Formation yao souls charged at me with blood light.
The eight-tailed carp’s tentacles enclosed me, and the blue sea bream aimed its sharp beak at me.
Coral branches shot out like thorns from inside and pressed against me.
Danak Sword Art, Strange Rock, Weird Rock!
The formless sword bundled with countless bizarre changes swept around me, becoming an all-around attack.
The blue sea bream bounced off, and the tentacles and branches of the coral and eight-tailed carp were all cut away.
Kuuu oooo!
A blood sperm whale rushed at me with its mouth wide open.
Danak Sword Art, Vein Energy, Yuung!
The formless sword instantly strengthened with faster qi rotation in my hand and pierced straight into the sperm whale’s mouth with a gentle thrust.
Danak Sword Art, Spirit Mountain Heart Sky!
Inside the sperm whale, the formless sword greatly amplified and exploded the whale’s body.
Fragments of the sperm whale yao soul rushed in all directions, and through the gap, a blood seahorse charged at me and spat blood foam.
Bubgul bubgul bubgul…!
Seeing the countless foam, I swept it all away with my formless sword.
But three bubbles that missed me flew at me and gradually grew larger, eventually overlapping into one and trapping me inside.
‘Guk…’
Kugugugugu!
My entire body suddenly felt heavy.
It was hard to move.
But…
Danak Sword Art, Mountain Life Song Response!
Tiiing!
The formless sword vibrated and sent out a sword cry.
The vibration with its own momentum raged inside the foam.
Because the trajectory of Danak Sword Art was in my hand, I wasn’t injured by even a single scratch, and the foam gradually trembled and finally burst.
Paeoong!
Danak Sword Art, Heart Mountain!
I quickly dove into the seahorse’s arms that were trying to pour foam down again and slashed with my formless sword.
However, at that one moment,
chwaa aak!
A blood oyster slipped between me and the seahorse.
Tiiing!
My formless sword couldn’t pierce the oyster’s shell, and the oyster opened its mouth to swallow me whole.
Danak Sword Art, Nine Mountains Eight Seas!
I spun my formless sword ninety times in place and then slashed the oyster in all directions.
Chwaa aak!
With the slashing power, the oyster and the seahorse behind it shattered into sixteen pieces and scattered.
Kugugugugu!
And from behind the seahorse and oyster, I saw a blood dragon gathering energy in its mouth.
‘That’s it!’
I recalled the dragon’s breath Won Rip had shot and raised my formless sword.
A direct hit would be fatal, regardless of whether it was Core Formation peak or not.
Flash!
The blood energy slashed at me.
Danak Sword Art, Public Song All Energy!
I lifted my formless sword, contained the blood light in it, spun it once, and hurled it toward the battlefield of golden and blood light colliding far away.
The blood energy from the blood dragon flew at Won Rip, and the four pagodas moving around him created another barrier.
Kwaa aang!
However, the barrier was instantly shattered by the blood dragon’s light, and the four pagodas lost their light in an instant.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwang!
The light was blocked by the barrier and, with its power split, rained down on Kim Young-hoon and Won Rip.
I rushed at the blood dragon trying to gather power again and raised my formless sword.
The blood dragon twitched its massive body and charged at me, thrusting its horn at me.
Danak Sword Art, Yuung!
I deflected the power and turned it into harmless energy, then slashed with my formless sword.
Danak Sword Art, Entrance Mountain!
Chwaa aak!
The formless sword split the blood dragon in half, and it scattered.
Shuuuung!
I dispersed all seven yao souls, but they were slowly clumping together in the air again, as if they had regeneration.
‘That’s fortunate; their regeneration speed is slow.’
Danak Sword Art, Layered Mountains!
Chwaa aaaa!
The formless sword shot out like thorns in all directions and dispersed the yao souls that were re-clumping again.
After that, I stomped into the air toward the blood and golden light fiercely clashing over there.
Kugugugu!
The blood storm was pushing the golden light back.
Won Rip was using the Buddha’s Law and reacting to Kim Young-hoon’s speed, pouring out seventeen blade treasures at him.
At the same time, his Five Elements Blood Curse Flag occasionally flew at Kim Young-hoon and scattered his nerves.
Moreover, the two ghost kings made of blood water were pressing him from both sides again, and Won Rip was gripping his staff and raining down countless Law Arts at him.
Kim Young-hoon shouted while looking at me who had come as reinforcements.
“Be careful of the Law Arts the staff uses! Every time they touch the Law Arts coming from the staff, your blood and qi are absorbed, and he recovers his power!”
He looked a little paler than before, as if he had been drained of qi once or twice by Won Rip.
“Understood. Brother Kim, please take the ghost kings and blade treasures. I’ll handle his main body.”
I stood in front of Kim Young-hoon, and he stood behind me, firing seventeen Mountaintop strikes at the blade treasures and dragging the ghost kings to press the enemies.
“You really have some guts. If you’d brought your special puppets, it would have been more interesting.”
Won Rip laughed loudly and formed a seal.
The crystal skull on his crystal staff opened its mouth.
Blood hands made of blood clouds spurted out in hundreds of thousands from the crystal skull’s mouth and slashed at me.
‘If it touches, the blood essence is quickly absorbed and he recovers his power…’
Then don’t let it touch at all.
Kwaang!
Danak Sword Art, Weird Rock!
The formless sword rotated around me, becoming an all-around attack.
Kwaang, kwaang, kwaang, kwaang!
I spun my formless sword and swept away all the blood water, then charged at Won Rip.
“Hmph!”
Kuuuung!
A red pagoda descended from the sky toward me.
It was a Law Treasure for defense, but it could also be used offensively.
Tuung!
I used the Yuung stance to deflect the pagoda aside and continued charging at him.
Won Rip really spat Law Arts without rest, raining down attacks.
A blood tsunami enveloped me, and branches made of blood spread in all directions.
From inside, several blood light rays aimed at me, and blood vessels rushed toward me.
I swept away all of them so not a single one touched my body and gradually approached Won Rip.
‘Stronger than Song Jin!’
He was just a remnant soul, but compared to Song Jin who relied on the Seopmyeong Ship’s ghost energy to barely survive in the underworld, Won Rip was displaying Core Formation peak power without hiding anything and using a lot of treasures. There was no comparison.
But…
‘Kim Young-hoon and I can definitely catch him!’
Paeong, paebung!
From behind, Kim Young-hoon exploded the ghost king made of blood water, shook off Won Rip’s treasures, and felt him coming to join us.
I dove into Won Rip’s embrace, and our eyes met.
‘Farewell…’
And then,
kwaaak!
A semi-transparent blood flag was held in Won Rip’s hand.
“Caught you.”
Kwaa aak!
He slammed the blood flag into my head.
Startled,
I stopped in place.
“My Five Elements Blood Curse Flag can summon more than just five at most.”
The five blood flags chasing Kim Young-hoon.
And as Won Rip formed a seal, several more blood flags began rising around him.
“If the origin of the Five Elements Blood Curse Flag is properly established, I can summon as many as I want. Hahaha, I’ve been showing off so much in front of you two, so you two will be my blood slaves too…”
And then,
chwaa aak!
I swung my formless sword at the noisy Won Rip.
“Eh…?”
Won Rip, with his upper body severed, looked at me with dazed eyes.
“H-how…?”
“That thing called the Five Elements Blood Curse Flag…”
I grinned and raised my formless sword.
“It doesn’t work on people who know the same Law Art.”
“What…?”
Chwaa aak!
I shattered his upper body into thousands of pieces and kicked away the remaining lower body.
‘The Five Elements Blood Curse Flag he stabbed became fully absorbed by the Five Elements Blood Curse Flag I had refined with my Law…’
Because of that, although the Five Elements Blood Curse Flag had been 99.9% refined, its refinement rate dropped to 95%, but that was irrelevant.
“Oh, you finished it already?”
“If he had used a different Law Art just now, it would have been dangerous, but anyway, it’s over.”
“Thank goodness. Then…”
[Hmph, you seem like a veteran with a lot of battle experience, but you’re not experienced in fighting against Core Formation cultivators?]
A chill ran down my spine.
I turned around.
Won Rip’s lower body was still floating in the air even though his upper body was gone.
Chwa rak, chwa ra la raak!
Blood vessels spurted from his lower body and gradually began to restore the upper body shape.
“Th-that’s what…”
When Kim Young-hoon was shocked, Won Rip’s voice echoed.
[Foundation Establishment and above, because of the pure qi circulating in the meridians, even if several organs are torn out, a few days of survival is possible, and a few months of recovery is possible. But that’s it; Core Formation cultivators die when their necks are cut.]
I rushed at him before he could fully revive while he was talking.
Kwaa aang!
However, a blood oyster had already blocked in front of me.
Chwaa aaa!
The seven yao souls I had dispersed had completely regenerated again.
[But you know that from Core Formation onward, you don’t need a neck or anything. Core Formation cultivators who practice the Degree Law need months of recovery if their neck is cut or heart is pulled out, but cultivators like me who practice the Blood Path Law can immediately regenerate as long as their golden core isn’t broken…]
“Young-ho hyung!”
Danak Sword Art, Secret Art, Danak!
I poured all my strength into the seven yao souls and carved out a path.
They struggled to protect their master, but I activated Mountain Beyond Mountain Endless and poured the Danak stance into them again.
Meanwhile, Kim Young-hoon flew at the same speed as a light ray while Won Rip was boasting.
Chuuu ruruk!
And Won Rip’s upper body had regenerated more than 90%.
In that state, Kim Young-hoon poured out the secret art of the Danmak Sword Art, Mountaintop Sword, into him with his golden blade.
The light ray flashed, and Won Rip, who had regenerated more than 90%, was torn apart again.
Won Rip whose upper and lower body were all scattered.
At the spot where he had been, only a golden core the size of a blood fist floated in the air.
And that was when Kim Young-hoon raised his saber to smash Won Rip’s golden core.
[My treasures are not that easy to destroy…]
Chwaa aak!
From inside Won Rip’s golden core, a blood spear shot out.
The spear aimed straight for Kim Young-hoon’s heart, and Kim Young-hoon flinched and retreated.
[I didn’t say that though…?]
Chi i i i ik!
Blood fog spurted from the blood spear, and it took the form of another blood ghost king.
“Damn it…! Is that a person!”
“It was already human-like from Foundation Establishment! What are you talking about!”
I swept away the yao souls and took a step toward the golden core, and Kim Young-hoon also walked toward the golden core while facing the ghost king with the spear.
And Won Rip’s remains gradually began to regenerate his body around the golden core.
‘Damn it!’
I have to stop it! I have to stop it…
At that moment,
puuok!
Boo oung!
[Eh…?]
The puppet appeared in the castle and pierced the pure qi into Won Rip’s unguarded golden core.
Buk Hyang-hwa.
[This, this bastard…!]
Boo oung!
Chwaa aaaaak!
The puppet worm inserted several more needles into the golden core, but the golden core was already full of cracks and losing light.
[This… bastard…!]
Won Rip’s voice grew faint.
And the golden core fell straight down.
“Lady Buk Hyang-hwa!”
I looked at the place below with determination and saw Buk Hyang-hwa manipulating the puppet.
She had a satisfied smile on her face along with the relief of having done it.
Chwaa aaa!
And Cheongmun Ryeong, having done something, the Blood Sacrifice Formation began to fade.
It didn’t completely disappear, but it was noticeably thinner than before.
“Haha…”
I felt the tension suddenly release.
Yes, thanks to this tiny butterfly effect of Goegun’s, we had stopped the sudden Dabcheon Desert Massacre that happened decades early.
I thought that.
[Admiration is coming out of you.]
“Eh?”
Kuuul, kuuul…
It wasn’t Won Rip’s golden core.
At the center of Cheon-saek Castle.
The life force of those who died from Won Rip’s blood essence being sucked out by the influence of the Blood Sacrifice Formation.
From the space where that gathered, his voice was coming out.
“Hyung!!”
“I know!”
It was when Kim Young-hoon was about to rush at him.
Chwaa aaa aaa!
The blood clouds Won Rip had brought here.
The blood energy covering the Blood Sacrifice Formation flowed inside.
Chwaa aaa aak!
The blood clouds rushed at us and blocked us.
‘This is…’
Inside the blood clouds, I read tens of thousands of life forces, blood essences, and their resentful ghosts and pain.
‘This, this is…’
People.
Every drop of blood from these blood clouds was the life force of a person.
Kugugugu!
Won Rip’s blood clouds were absorbed into the falling golden core that had been split, and the golden core regenerated.
And the falling golden core rose back into the air.
And from the light group at the center of Cheon-saek Castle, something began to emerge.
It was a baby.
The baby made of spiritual body had a bizarre form with dozens of eyes, mouth, and hands all over its body.
From its mouth, Won Rip’s voice spurted out.
[Core Formation cultivators have slightly stronger regeneration, and as long as the golden core isn’t broken, they don’t die easily…]
The bizarre baby wiggled its fingers, and the falling golden core flew toward the baby.
Kim Young-hoon and I moved to stop him, but the blood clouds surrounded and blocked us.
[From Core Formation onward, as long as the Core Formation soul is intact, even if the golden core is shattered, you don’t die. Well, in normal cases the golden core being shattered loses all cultivation, but I was prepared for that…]
And I said it. I scattered my Core Formation soul into blood spirits early and avoided the eyes of the Heavenly Person cultivators and spread them around the castles near the Dabcheon Desert.]
Kugugugugu!
The blood clouds were pulled into his golden core.
In an instant, Won Rip regenerated his body and emerged from inside the blood clouds.
Kugugugugug!
The blood clouds he had scattered outside the Blood Sacrifice Formation were all sucked into Won Rip’s body.
His aura began to surge rapidly.
He surpassed Core Formation peak.
Kim Young-hoon smiled bitterly and looked at Won Rip.
[You played well. There, golden one, you will be refined into my blood puppet… and as for you, I don’t know what happened, but since you learned the Five Elements Blood Curse Flag technique, the spirit seal won’t work, so just die.]
Won Rip who had absorbed all the blood clouds was emitting the power of early Core Formation.
[Originally, I didn’t come to your castle first, but I recovered all my blood spirits left in the northern great prairie, absorbed the food there, and came here to play a little, and then I got excited. Anyway, it was impressive. Farewell.]
Pa aa aa ah!
The next moment, Won Rip spat blood light.