The Footprint You Trampled (1)
Three days before Won Rip arrived.
“I will kill him.”
Cheongmun Jung-jin let out a small sigh as he looked at me.
As the Core Formation cultivator who had first discovered the Dabcheon Desert Massacre, he had been temporarily given command of this hunting party.
His face was dark as he spoke.
“I want to tear him apart too. But we need a plan. Right now we have over a hundred Core Formation cultivators gathered, but the period of gathering has been short and there hasn’t been enough time to discuss. To face that monster… we need more time.”
“...”
“I understand that you and several other Core Formation cultivators are boiling with rage right now. But right now is the time to unite our strength. If we act this uncooperatively, we’ll only get in each other’s way.”
“...My goal is to kill him.”
“...If the plan we just formed with the Core Formation array masters succeeds, we can finally free ourselves from the terror Won Rip caused for a considerable amount of time. Even better, if he dies inside it.”
Crack.
I ground my teeth while black tears streamed down my face.
“...Can’t I... kill him with my own hands...?”
Cheongmun Jung-jin sighed deeply.
“Why wouldn’t I want to tear him into a thousand pieces too... But if this plan fails, that monster will scatter a slaughter like the one we experienced across the entire continent without hesitation. Right now there isn’t a single Nascent Soul cultivator on the continent to stop him.”
“...”
“Please... for the peace of the entire continent... help us. At the very least, everyone gathered here... must unite as one and participate in the plan...”
I looked at Cheongmun Jung-jin.
His own will was stained with pain.
“Please lend me your strength. I even took the hidden family secret of the Gongmyo Se clan that my master had concealed...”
Upon hearing his request, I clenched my teeth for a moment.
“...Then I have one condition.”
“What is it?”
“I will cooperate with the plan and push Won Rip according to Master’s orders, but when an opportunity arises I will do my utmost to kill him. That is my condition.”
“Understood. That’s only natural. Not just you... all those gathered here will probably do the same.”
Cheongmun Jung-jin nodded, confirmed my participation in the plan, then turned to urge the old man from the Gale Clothes of Liberation who had been shouting.
I watched Cheongmun Jung-jin for a moment, then looked again at the plan that had been formed by countless Core Formation cultivators and array masters.
The center of that plan, the eastern side of Won Rip and the black castle, came into view.
‘Will it succeed?’
The probability was high.
If things went according to their plan, the world would remain at peace for hundreds of years.
I had felt that peace for hundreds of years after the Dabcheon Desert Massacre in my previous life.
‘If... it succeeds, won’t my revenge simply be postponed?’
Was that truly right?
Right now, could I hold back and not tear apart his flesh without mercy?
‘...I’ll do everything I can.’
I watched for a gap. If the Core Formation cultivators couldn’t even form such a complex plan, I would kill Won Rip on the spot!
And so three days later.
Won Rip began to appear beyond the horizon.
* * *
I recalled the conversation I had had with Cheongmun Jung-jin days ago and gripped my Invisible Sword tightly.
‘Make sure the plan doesn’t even take shape... kill him here and now.’
I poured everything into it from the start.
I maintained the stance of Mountain Beyond Mountain is Endless and linked the qi-formed meridians directly to my Invisible Sword.
I was risking my life.
BOOM!
My Invisible Sword shot out faster than any attack and collided with Won Rip.
However, it was only blocked by the blood cloud surrounding him.
Thwack, thwack, thwack, thwack!
Behind me, other Core Formation cultivators lined up and spat out their techniques and treasures.
The techniques and treasures corresponding to Water, Fire, Wind, and Thunder pierced through the blood cloud.
“Die, you evil ghost!”
The old man from the Liberation sect, whose grandson he had taken, spat out a technique shaped like a violet wheel from his mouth.
Through the holes the cultivators had opened in the blood cloud, the old man and the others each inserted their techniques.
Boom, boom, boom!
A flash of light exploded, and Won Rip smiled hideously.
Kiiing!
Beyond the flash, a red curtain flashed.
He had already pulled out four red towers and spread a barrier around himself.
‘He’s gotten even sturdier.’
Last time I fought him with only Core Formation level cultivators, he had taken Core Formation level power and the barrier had only shaken after a few strikes.
Now, with Nascent Soul level power inside, the barrier held firm even though we poured techniques and treasures at it.
[Tsk tsk, you’re making quite a racket.]
Won Rip smiled wickedly and raised his hand.
“Block!”
“The monster is using his technique!”
“Everyone attack!”
Over a hundred Core Formation cultivators began to unleash their techniques and the strongest martial arts at once.
The heavens and earth shook violently, and even without direct impact the nearby desert turned to glass and melted, sandstorms spreading in all directions.
Kuuuoooo!
A pit one li deep and five li wide was carved out by the combined attack of the Core Formation cultivators.
Whoooo!
The terrain shifted and the earth shook.
Kugugu...
And beyond the explosion, inside, the blood cloud swirled.
“Ugh, crazy...!”
“Even like this it’s not dying...!?”
Fear filled the faces of the Core Formation cultivators.
And the sound of Won Rip clicking his tongue echoed everywhere.
[For a normal Nascent Soul initial stage, it would have been dangerous. But... I’m not even a normal Nascent Soul initial stage cultivator... and you bugs don’t even have the low-grade talent that couldn’t even touch me this time, do you?]
Piiing!
From inside the blood cloud, a blood glow burst forth.
“Everyone form a formation. The monster is about to use his technique!”
I glared at Won Rip and shouted in all directions.
Thanks to the testimonies of the two survivors who had barely escaped death from Won Rip on the great prairie, the characteristics of his technique had spread to all Core Formation cultivators.
That was why the Core Formation cultivators who had heard our testimony knew something about his technique and its power.
“Everyone over here!!”
Cheongmun Jung-jin and Gongmyo Ryeong shouted loudly beside me.
Countless Core Formation cultivators rushed to them and completed the formation using the protection array we had practiced for days.
It was the simple protective formation that lower-level cultivators learned, but when Core Formation cultivators activated it with their combined power, it created an enormous defense.
Flash!
Won Rip’s technique exploded.
Blood light swirled in all directions, as if the heavens and earth were being devoured by crimson.
Crack, crackle!
The protective formation had developed cracks as if it would shatter at any moment, but the array formed by over a hundred Core Formation cultivators was unbreakable.
Chiiing!
A moment later, the blood light faded.
And beyond the fading blood light, we saw Won Rip preparing another similar-scale technique.
“Everyone attack again!”
“Don’t give him a gap!”
Over a hundred and forty Core Formation cultivators divided into five groups and attacked from all directions and the sky.
I didn’t take my eyes off Won Rip’s face and swung my Invisible Sword wildly in front of him.
Colorful techniques and treasures beat against his defensive barrier.
And.
Won Rip completed another technique.
“Blood, Tree, Sea!”
Swish swish swish!
Won Rip absorbed the blood fog around him.
He pulled out a staff.
A tree staff embedded with a red crystal skull.
The branches on its body, like a baby’s hand, sprouted densely and emitted a crimson light.
Swish swish swish!
The small branches on the staff grew madly and spread in all directions.
Kwakwakwak!
“Blood, blood!”
“Never touch them!”
“Ah, no! Get away!”
The branches spread and spread until they formed a blood sea around Won Rip, turning the desert into a crimson forest.
Several Core Formation cultivators who couldn’t avoid the attack were trapped inside Won Rip’s tree sea and instantly turned into mummies, their vital energy completely drained.
And in the center of the tree sea, Won Rip seemed to have recovered his spent energy after draining several Core Formation cultivators.
“Damn, monster...! Still, you’re going to take all of us...”
Swish, swish, swish!
Seven talismans floated around Won Rip.
“Resolve!”
When he completed his technique, the ghosts painted on the talismans were released.
But instead of attacking us individually like last time, the ghosts merged in midair with each other.
Kugugugu!
And every time one ghost overlapped with another, the power of the ghost surged.
Kiiing, kiiing, kiiing!
The ghosts, which had been Core Formation level, gradually passed Core Formation mid-stage peak, entering Core Formation late-stage, and then Core Formation peak.
And.
Kiiing, kiiing, kiiing!
When the seven ghosts completely overlapped, forming a bizarre shape that wasn’t any kind of beast, the power emanating from the ghosts reached Nascent Soul.
“Ah, aaah...”
“Haha...”
Although the aura felt like a real Nascent Soul, it wasn’t; the technique could only use about five at a time before the energy ran out.
However, the important thing was that a Nascent Soul-level powerhouse had just appeared right next to Won Rip.
Kiiiiaaaaa!
But it wasn’t over yet.
When Won Rip opened the portal, a ghostly howl echoed and blood that I had seen before gushed forth, transforming into two Blood Kings holding scythes.
And those Blood Kings entered the blood fog surrounding Won Rip and merged with it as per his technique.
Kugugugugu!
Won Rip’s blood cloud clumped together massively and formed the shapes of two Blood Kings.
“Crazy...”
“Even a normal Nascent Soul cultivator... no...”
The newly strengthened Blood Kings each possessed power slightly below Nascent Soul initial stage, and when combined they had enough power to equal Nascent Soul initial stage.
[Yes, keep going, you bugs?]
At that moment.
“Everyone, don’t give up!”
It was Gongmyo Ryeong, the head of the Gongmyo Se clan.
Even with his face pale, Gongmyo Ryeong, wearing Gale Clothes, pulled out countless techniques and shouted.
“We all know we can’t deal with a Nascent Soul cultivator anyway! Push him according to the original plan!”
“Y-yes...! If we only follow the plan...”
“Correct! We can deal with him just fine!”
[Ho...?]
The Core Formation cultivators were all people who valued their lives and had been cautious about facing Won Rip.
Therefore they hadn’t planned to face him directly.
During the days Won Rip was here, they had prepared a plan to deal with him and were already moving according to it.
Of course, I and a few others were looking for the maximum chance to kill him regardless of the plan.
‘Kill him.’
The plan is unnecessary.
Isn’t this a compromise made by people who were afraid to face Won Rip directly?
I can kill him.
As long as there’s a gap!
BOOM, BOOOOOOM!
“KRAKAAAAAK!”
“Mon-monster...”
With the combined assault of the bizarre ghosts and Blood Kings below Nascent Soul initial stage, the Core Formation cultivators were being pushed back one-sidedly.
But even so, they rushed at Won Rip like madmen and pressed him.
“Die! You demon!”
I and the Gale Clothes old man from Liberation attacked Won Rip madly in front of him.
Pssht, pshisht!
The cracks in the tower barrier protecting Won Rip grew larger due to our attacks.
“Die! Die! Vanish!!”
The Gale Clothes old man from Liberation poured out techniques with tears of blood, and I also poured out curses mixed with black tears while striking the barrier with my Invisible Sword.
Several other Core Formation cultivators who had lost loved ones to Won Rip and were going crazy to kill him joined us and struck the barrier.
And.
BOOOOOOM!
The combined attack of me and the old man finally pierced the tower barrier.
“Press him!!”
Cheongmun Jung-jin roared from behind.
The elders of Cheongmun Se rushed past the broken barrier and threw themselves at Won Rip.
Kwaak!
Three Cheongmun Se elders clung to Won Rip and began to push him in one direction.
[These bugs... how dare they touch me.]
Swish!
Three semi-transparent blood banners rose above Won Rip.
BOOM!
But the blood banners were swept away by my Invisible Sword and vanished, and other Core Formation cultivators besides the Cheongmun Se elders rushed at Won Rip, while some pressed him with their techniques and treasures.
[Who... are these?]
Won Rip, realizing the direction we were pressing, looked at us and said.
[What kind of scheme is this?]
“Die!!”
“I’ll pull out your neck.”
The Gale Clothes old man and I each shot out an Invisible Sword and a wheel-shaped technique toward Won Rip.
And Won Rip opened his mouth.
Shiiiaaaak!
Seventeen bone-sharp techniques burst from his mouth.
Ching, chiriling!
Strange sounds came from the sharp techniques and blood aura scattered in all directions.
“Wait, everyone disperse!”
Cheongmun Jung-jin’s voice rang out, and the Cheongmun Se elders hurriedly retreated.
But some Core Formation cultivators whose reaction was too late couldn’t avoid Won Rip’s techniques.
Chuaaak!
The blood slash spread in all directions.
The ones clinging to Won Rip were instantly torn apart, and their golden cores were swallowed by the blood cloud around him.
For a moment screams sounded from inside the blood cloud but quickly vanished.
And Won Rip absorbed the blood cloud around him and recovered his energy again.
[A swarm of bugs is troublesome too. If I had only reached Nascent Soul mid-stage, they would have become nothing more than my small meal....]
“He’s recovering!”
“Block!”
The first ones to rush at Won Rip were me and the Gale Clothes old man from Liberation.
“Die!”
“Die!”
We shouted at the same time and poured attacks into Won Rip.
Chuaaak!
The sharp techniques scattered slashes at us.
But the Gale Clothes old man used a strange technique to block the slashes, and I covered my entire body with my Invisible Sword to block them.
BOOOM!
Me and the old man rushed at Won Rip like body-slamming him and pressed him.
Cheongmun Jung-jin’s voice approached from behind.
“We’re almost there! Array masters, prepare!”
BOOOM!
Cheongmun Jung-jin, with a blue flash, crashed into me and the old man with his heavy body.
[These... bugs...!]
And finally the plan the Core Formation cultivators had set to confront Won Rip activated.
BOOOM!
When Cheongmun Jung-jin struck with power, Won Rip’s body was sucked into the black castle, his eastern side, and inside the inner barrier there.
“As expected, my master can’t be blocked by the barrier.”
Cheongmun Jung-jin muttered while looking at Won Rip.
I briefly chewed my lip, looked at him, then raised my power to complete a seal.
The array masters gathered with me and poured power into the barrier.
‘Didn’t I kill him?’
Crack...
My head felt like it was about to explode.
But Cheongmun Jung-jin’s words flashed through my mind.
―Why wouldn’t I want to tear him into a thousand pieces too... But if this plan fails, that monster will scatter a slaughter like the one we experienced across the entire continent without hesitation. Right now there isn’t a single Nascent Soul cultivator on the continent to stop him. ―Please... for the peace of the entire continent... help us. At the very least, everyone gathered here... must unite as one and participate in the plan...
Crack...
I clenched my teeth and added power to the array formation above with the other array masters.
‘Yes, there’s no other choice this time.’
But.
“Must...”
Next time.
“I will rip out your neck! Won Rip!”
I will avenge their hatred...!
I poured black tears mixed with curses while, together with the other array masters, spreading a sealing array using the black castle’s barrier.
“Seal!”
Kugugugugu!
Above the eastern side of Won Rip, multicolored light spears swirled and formed a prison that trapped him.
Kugugug!
The array masters completed the sealing array at the same time, and the other cultivators each moved the surrounding dragon veins with their secret arts.
“Yangcheon (Yang Heaven).”
The head of Jin Clan and the elders under him pulled Yang-attribute dragon veins and connected them to the array.
“Umshin (Yin God)!”
The head of Makri Se and the elders under him pulled Yin-attribute dragon veins and connected them to the array.
The yin and yang were connected to the array, and each clan head pulled additional dragon veins corresponding to Tae (Dui), Ri (Li), Jin (Zhen), Son (Xun), Gam (Kan), and Gan (Gen) to complete the array.
Yin and yang each became Qian (Kun) and Kun (Gen), and the dragon veins corresponding to the Eight Trigrams were connected to the array.
Gongmyo Ryeong, head of Gongmyo Se, and three Core Formation military lords from the east completed the seal on the sealing array above and finished the sealing array.
“Eight Trigram Soul Absorption Sealing Array! Seal!”
Pa aa aa at!
Kugugugugu!
The dragon veins flowing in the Dabcheon Desert connected to the array and completed the array.
And.
Kwoong, kuuuwoong!
Inside the array, blood light flashed and the array shook violently.
“It’s useless! The Eight Trigram Soul Absorption Sealing Array that descends with the Gongmyo Se’s secret technique can imprison even a Nascent Soul cultivator if properly activated. Moreover, the array masters researched the strange barrier in Won Rip’s eastern side for days and strengthened the barrier with the array’s nature. As long as you don’t reach Heavenly Person stage, or rather before you reach Heavenly Person mid-stage, you can never break the array!”
Kwoong...
Upon hearing Gongmyo Ryeong’s words, the shock wave from inside the array disappeared.
And Won Rip’s voice echoed.
[A fine sealing array. I won’t escape easily.]
“You monster, I don’t know how much of your lifespan remains, but probably you’ll be trapped here until you grow old and die!”
Upon hearing Gongmyo Ryeong’s confident words, there was a moment of silence inside the array, then a loud laugh burst out.
[Hahahaha! Interesting. You remember. When I break the seal, you’ll be all cute and show me.]
Gongmyo Ryeong looked slightly taken aback by his own confident words, but smiled and looked down at the array.
“Old man, you’re bluffing! Does this array look that easy? Did you eat too much nonsense?”
[Tsk tsk, I’m not that unreasonable, kid. Think carefully. Core Formation cultivators can read the heavenly secrets! Read the stars and see what kind of place this is around here...!]
“What?”
Gongmyo Ryeong looked at the sealing array as if she didn’t understand.
[Kukukuku... Don’t understand? I’ll give you a clue. Where did the previous Liberation City appear?]
“What...?”
Upon hearing his words, one of the military lords from the eastern side of the Dabcheon Desert looked up at the sky with bright eyes.
It was midday now, but Core Formation level cultivators could read the heavenly secrets and even the stars at midday.
“W-wait...! This coordinate... and thinking of the place where the previous Liberation City appeared, and calculating the next position...”
And suddenly fear appeared in that military lord’s eyes.
“This... this place! It will appear nearby, the Liberation City!”
Upon hearing that, one of the tribal leaders of the great prairie opened his eyes wide and asked.
“Bongmyeong Castle!? That spot is where the next Bongmyeong Castle will appear...!?”
“What...? The, the Bongmyeong Castle is going to appear...?”
“Y-yes! If we calculate based on the rules of the Liberation City and the position where the previous Liberation City appeared, the Liberation City will appear nearby! In 200 years this seal will be completely useless!”
The Core Formation cultivators looked at the sealing array with eyes full of fear upon hearing that.
[Hahaha, foolish things. Didn’t you think of Bongmyeong Castle...? I will be released in 200 years. Until then, I will use the energy I collected and stored by recovering the blood spirits to raise your cultivation to Nascent Soul late-stage, so you should prepare to fight Nascent Soul late-stage cultivators in 200 years...!]
“N-no way!”
“You idiots! Why didn’t you think of Bongmyeong Castle!”
“Who can even calculate that! The previous Bongmyeong Castle appeared 200 years ago, and now at this spot it would be thousands of years ago!”
“You fools! Because of the Liberation City that demon was going to be released!”
The Core Formation cultivators of each faction raised their voices, and three Core Formation cultivators, including me and San-su, were simply looking around the area stupidly.
Since they didn’t belong to any specific faction, they seemed weak in information.
Among them, the old man who wore the Gale Clothes of Liberation and had been trying to tear Won Rip apart shouted.
“You bastards! What are you saying! What is this Liberation City, what is Bongmyeong Castle roughly, but why does Bongmyeong Castle appearing nearby mean the seal is released!”
Upon hearing the old man’s question, Gongmyo Ryeong, head of Gongmyo Se, tore at her lip and said.
“Since you were San-su, you probably didn’t have the chance to receive information. Bongmyeong Castle is also called Liberation City. Because Bongmyeong Castle itself symbolizes liberation, and when it appears the heavenly qi of the surrounding area responds to the symbol of liberation and releases the imprisoned things.”
“What...? Bongmyeong Castle has such a power?”
I also listened carefully to her words.
‘Was the reason Won Rip caused the massacre and appeared 200 years later... that?’
Gongmyo Ryeong continued her explanation.
“Among high-level cultivators, there is a rumor that Bongmyeong Castle was created to release something that has been sleeping somewhere in this world from the beginning. It might be a special heavenly treasure, or some mythical bloodline, or the soul remnant of an ancient being, but we don’t know.”
“I don’t care what Bongmyeong Castle was made for. So... what are you trying to say? It’s not what I think, right?”
“Probably what you think is correct. In short, if there is a seal where Bongmyeong Castle appears, that seal will completely disassemble or greatly weaken in response to the Liberation City’s aura.”
“That means...”
Cheongmun Jung-jin took over the old man’s words and said gravely.
“That monster will be released again when Bongmyeong Castle appears in 200 years.”
...
The faces of countless Core Formation cultivators turned deathly pale.
Countless Core Formation cultivators trembled with fear.
At that moment.
Cheongmun Jung-jin shouted.
“Listen up, everyone!”
The gazes of the people turned to him.
“There is no need to be afraid! It might even be a good thing!”
“What do you mean by that, Cheongmun Head?”
“We knew that the monster started the massacre, and the Core Formation cultivators of the continent gathered urgently and desperately fought Won Rip. Surely not everyone was in perfect condition, right?”
“Y-yes!”
“Y-yes. During my cultivation, a Nascent Soul monster committed a massacre, so I rushed out without finishing my cultivation and couldn’t use my full power!”
Cheongmun Jung-jin continued.
“Two hundred years is not a long time for people like us, but it is certainly not short.
Even if all the geniuses of the continent achieved victories together with the Heavenly Person seniors, only those who reached Nascent Soul would have qualified. There are still plenty of geniuses who can reach Core Formation! We can train more talents over 200 years, increase the number of Core Formation cultivators, and prepare even more thoroughly.
Just as we trapped that monster in a trap with only a few days of preparation, with 200 years of preparation we can even catch a Nascent Soul late-stage monster, or even a Nascent Soul peak-stage monster!”
Upon his words, the faces of the Core Formation cultivators scattered across the place gradually brightened.
“In 200 years! We will prepare for 200 years and catch that Nascent Soul monster! Of course, if the monster’s lifespan runs out within 200 years, it would be even better... but even if not, we have talents we can nurture and a future! We can prepare even more!”
At the same time his words continued, I finally felt I could roughly understand the whole picture of the thing I had been curious about after repeating my regression ten years.
“Let us prepare for the great war that will be fought with the monster in 200 years, remembering the Dabcheon Desert Massacre that occurred this time!”
Regressed tenth year.
Due to a small butterfly effect caused by the actions of the madman.
The Dabcheon Desert Massacre was accelerated by several decades.
And as a result, the entire continent began to prepare for the war with the blood wood daoist, Won Rip, in 200 years.