The Ground You Trod Upon (8)
Clop, clop…
From deep within the cave, something was walking out.
A single gulp.
With every step the curse energy that poured from its body grew thicker.
Finally, the wall-bound saint could endure no more. He soared into the air and rose above.
Gugugugu…
Darkness.
A thick, hemispherical darkness enveloped him.
Wall-bound saint stared at the countless curse marks swirling within that darkness and offered a greeting.
The two monks who had been chattering noisily also greeted him as they followed. pGT>“Long time no see, Senior Seo.”
Wall-bound saint greeted him once more and carefully examined his strength.
‘Foundation Establishment… Fourth Star.’
Jiao, Gang, Ji, Fang, Xin, Wei, Ji.
Dou, Niu, Nü, Xu, Wei, Shi, Bi.
Kui, Lou, Wei, Mao, Bi, Zi, Can.
Jing, Gui.
Twenty-three stars. The aura of spiritual energy from the stars was felt.
Wall-bound saint felt the pure force flowing from the center of the curse marks and looked at him.
‘Only Foundation Establishment, Fourth Star… yet… those terrifying curse marks… even though he has only just reached Core Formation… I cannot imagine he will win.’
Normally, curse sorcerers who mastered curse techniques would handle thirty to forty marks when using them. Some would handle sixty or seventy.
In extremely exceptional cases, they would exceed ninety.
But what was this?
‘At a glance, there are thousands more than that….’
This meant he was a curse sorcerer hundreds of times stronger than ordinary ones.
Foundation Establishment, Core Completion, being hundreds of times stronger than peers meant his power was already equivalent to Core Formation.
Wall-bound saint spoke toward the shadowy thing at the center of the black orb. pGT>“As I said, the time has come for the Great Ghost to awaken….”
【I know.】
From the rough center came a coarse voice.
The voice was as dark as if it did not belong to a human, and it had a strange effect that shrank the listener’s soul.
【Hurry. Lead the way.】
“…Yes, I understand.”
It was then. pGT>“Wait a moment. Even so, is this not too commanding?”
One of the monks following Wall-bound saint spoke toward the center of the black sphere. pGT>“When someone comes looking, not even looking at their face while talking… and the spiritual energy feels like Foundation Establishment… even so, do you think it is proper for us Core Formation monks to act with such discourtesy?”
“Gongmyo Seonja!!”
Wall-bound saint’s face turned deathly pale as he tried to stop the Gongmyo Clan’s disciple. pGT>However, the proper Gongmyo Seonja seemed not to stop. pGT>“They say he went mad, roaming the mountainous regions of Byeokra Kingdom, secretly watching fan dances, then suddenly screaming and going wild. If he really is mad, I could understand, but seeing him speak properly….”
“Quiet down!” pGT>And then.
Kugugugu! pGT>From the black sphere, a huge pile of curse marks began pouring toward her.
Chuaaaak! pGT>The pile of curse marks immediately transformed into a giant black hand and spread its fingers as if to swallow her. pGT>“E, eek!” pGT>The Gongmyo Clan disciple furrowed her brows and formed a seal to activate her defensive technique. pGT>A blue sphere blocked the black hand. pGT>“What kind of trick is this!? You….” pGT>And just as she was about to scold him. pGT>The protective shield touched by the black hand began to rot and collapse. pGT>“W, what…!?” pGT>“Gongmyo Seonja! Use the Blessing Mark!”
At Wall-bound saint’s shout, she took something from her pocket and held up a talisman. pGT>And in that moment, the black hand struck her.
Kwaaaang! pGT>She was sent flying straight to the opposite side of the mountain ridge and was impaled. pGT>A cloud of dust rose. pGT>“Wait! This crazy… what did you do to Gongmyo unnie!” pGT>“Jinseonja, stay still. I will resolve this with words!” pGT>“Wolgongja, stay still. Do not disrespect the Jinsi Clan!” pGT>She gritted her teeth and formed a seal, causing thousands of fireballs to appear around her and fill the entire surroundings. pGT>“I will burn up this arrogant shadow! Disappear!”
Hwaeurueuk! pGT>The fireballs began moving in unison. pGT>It was then. pGT>“U. Rain.”
Piiieet! pGT>“Chung. Impact.”
Chwa-ja-ja-jwaak! pGT>From inside the black sphere, hundreds of curse marks flew toward her like arrows. pGT>One hundred curse marks exploded the fireballs, and several of them grazed her body.
Piiit!
A single drop of blood appeared on her cheek. pGT>“How dare… even so, I am Foundation Establishment…!!” pGT>However, the being inside the black sphere clicked its tongue. pGT>“It is over.” pGT>“What nonsense! I have not even shown you my power! Watch this! I will demonstrate the Fire Silk Hot Cloth technique of the Jinsi Clan!”
Hwaeurueueuk! pGT>Flames resembling silk threads began to undulate around her. pGT>The heat of the fire silk gradually rose infinitely, and just the heat dried up the moisture of the surrounding terrain. pGT>But the being inside the black sphere said nothing. pGT>Instead, he formed a seal and a clay doll rose from below.
Sreureu…. pGT>And a single curse mark floated into the air. pGT>One drop of blood was on the curse mark. pGT>“Take this!” pGT>Simultaneously, she fired her technique, and the being inside the black sphere flicked a finger, taking the curse mark soaked in blood and absorbing it into the clay doll. pGT>And that was the end.
Peishik! pGT>“Eh, e-eh?” pGT>【Why, attack.】 pGT>Still dazed, she looked at the clay doll. pGT>The curse marks transformed and were seen embedded in every corner of the doll’s body. pGT>And the places where the curse marks were embedded were exactly the spiritual meridians used when activating techniques. pGT>【Can you not?】 pGT>Sararak…. pGT>The being inside the black sphere formed a seal, and red food was smeared on the neck of the clay doll. pGT>In the next moment, she felt something strange and looked at her own neck through a mirror technique. pGT>“What…!?” pGT>On her neck was food smeared in the exact same shape as the clay doll’s neck. pGT>【Allowing blood to curse sorcerers is foolish. What if I cut this neck?】 pGT>She stood dazed for a moment, trembling like a poplar tree with a fearful face. pGT>By now, blood was flowing steadily from her cheeks. pGT>It was only a thin cut, yet the blood would not stop.
Sreung― pGT>Suddenly, the sound of drawing a sword rang from inside the sphere. pGT>Clop, clop…. pGT>And the black figure began walking toward the clay doll. pGT>“No, do not!” pGT>Knowing what would become of her, or perhaps having anticipated the result. pGT>Her face turned deathly pale as she begged. pGT>And. pGT>“That will do, Senior Seo.” pGT>Wall-bound saint appeared and blocked the space between the clay doll and Seo Eun-hyun. pGT>“It is not right to fight among allies while waiting for the day to catch the Great Ghost.” pGT>[…I will not do that.] pGT>Tap! pGT>He spoke and flicked a finger, and only then did she see the curse marks that had already seeped into her cheeks and body places emerge back outside and return to the black sphere. pGT>And the Gongmyo Clan disciple who was her companion also saw thick black curse marks pouring out from her entire body. pGT>Only then did they look at the person in front of them. pGT>It was not Foundation Establishment. pGT>It was not even the same Foundation Establishment. pGT>He had simply not yet reached Core Formation. pGT>His power was in reality equivalent to Core Formation. pGT>‘This… the decisive weapon to fight the Nascent Soul Great Ghost….’ pGT>She closed her mouth and walked toward the Gongmyo Clan disciple. pGT>Cough, kulk…. pGT>The Gongmyo Clan disciple held a Blessing Mark in her hand. pGT>The power of blessing neutralized the curse, so her entire body did not rot, but she had suffered some internal injury. pGT>[Then, go.]
Kuuu! pGT>Scattering the black curse marks, Seo Eun-hyun walked out. pGT>He flew through the sky hiding in the darkness, and Wall-bound saint also stared at them for a moment, then handed over the Purification Mark and Healing Mark to the two. pGT>“Senior Seo says he has removed the curse, but please purify it once more with the Purification Mark to draw out the poison of the curse, then heal it. The curse author’s curse is especially thick with poison, and they say that if you relax just because the curse has disappeared, you will suffer greatly from after-effects.” pGT>“T, thank you. Wolgongja.” pGT>“Haa, and….” pGT>Wall-bound saint furrowed his brows slightly and gave the two a warning. pGT>“…Since you have been injured like this now, I recommend you do not appear in the battle against the Nascent Soul Great Ghost.” pGT>‘Even if I do, I will die in an instant and become food for the Nascent Soul Great Ghost.’ pGT>Wall-bound saint barely swallowed the rest of his words and turned back. pGT>Suddenly, Wall-bound saint’s eyes caught something sparkling inside the cave where Seo Eun-hyun had come out. pGT>‘That is….’ pGT>Wall-bound saint approached the sparkling thing as if entranced. pGT>It was a piece of glass craftsmanship. pGT>The glass craftsmanship was made with exquisite detail, depicting a pair of man and woman dancing while holding fans. pGT>In the case of the man, the face was not accurate, but in the case of the woman, it was made quite accurately, so one could immediately tell who it was. pGT>Wall-bound saint stared at the glass craftsmanship of the woman for a long time and showed an indescribably complex expression. pGT>He hesitated for a moment, picked up the craftsmanship, put it into his technique, left the cave, and began following after Seo Eun-hyun. pGT>*** pGT>Kugugugugu! pGT>East of Byeokra Kingdom. pGT>Two hundred years ago, the land where the castle of Cheon-saek once stood. pGT>Here, a black shadow landed. pGT>Clop, clop…. pGT>The shadow now stepped on the ground that had become a desert. pGT>[Long time no see. Everyone.] pGT>The shadow, Seo Eun-hyun, looked around with a bitter voice. pGT>The tomb he had made, the glass swords. pGT>All of them, buried under the sand for a long time, and now their original forms could no longer be found. pGT>[Perhaps… in about a month, the time will come. For that oath at that time, I will absolutely… make an effort.] pGT>Staring at the desert for a moment, he formed a seal. pGT>Kuuu! pGT>The curse marks leaked from him and scattered black yin wind in all directions. pGT>The surrounding sand was blown by the huge storm, and the sand around Cheon-saek Castle was also blown away.
A few days later. pGT>Below the place that had been a desert. pGT>There, a tomb appeared with many worn-out glass swords embedded in it. pGT>A few of the buildings from two hundred years ago also remained. pGT>Among them, the building that still maintained the original appearance well was the workshop of Buk Hyang-hwa. pGT>He walked toward the workshop. pGT>[This place also has no one managing it now, so it seems it will collapse.] pGT>The workshop had only maintained its form, and it was on the verge of falling apart. pGT>Perhaps if Seo Eun-hyun had simply touched it, it would have collapsed. pGT>He looked around. pGT>[When I come back later to dig up the sand, that will be funny too.] pGT>He took the Formation Flag and the magic tools from his pocket. pGT>The magic tools he had briefly bought at the Yeongdo Market before coming here.
Shik, shiiik, shiiik!
Kung, kung, kung! pGT>The flag and magic tools flew and were planted everywhere, blocking the desert wind from covering the tomb.
Plainly, a formation that only blocks desert storms. pGT>Nothing else. pGT>After installing the formation, Seo Eun-hyun looked around. pGT>At that time, all the glass swords he had made were broken and crushed, and many did not maintain their form. pGT>He had made thousands, but only about five thousand maintained their shape.
Uung! pGT>Seo Eun-hyun used the sword technique and selected three thousand of the still intact glass swords. pGT>[…I am sorry to come to you in such a state. I will borrow your strength. Please understand.] pGT>Not only Buk Hyang-hwa. pGT>The neighbors who had blessed her. pGT>All the lives and connections who had lived in this castle. pGT>They were all precious to him. pGT>Therefore, this revenge should not be ended by him alone. pGT>It should be done with everyone’s strength. pGT>He pulled the swords planted in their tombs in front of him. pGT>The Law Treasure, Colorless Glass Swords, were a law tool treated as three thousand swords in one. pGT>Seo Eun-hyun took out the structure diagram of the Colorless Glass Swords left by Buk Hyang-hwa. pGT>The method of making the Colorless Glass Swords was simple. pGT>Make three thousand swords from glass. pGT>Add a simple spiritual energy circuit to each glass sword. pGT>However, the spiritual energy circuits must be slightly different for each sword. pGT>But the slight differences had a rule established by Buk Hyang-hwa, and it was enough to only change the direction of the circuit slightly and carve it. pGT>Night and day changed quickly. pGT>He succeeded in carving all the spiritual energy circuits into the three thousand old Colorless Glass Swords. pGT>Seo Eun-hyun carved one spiritual energy circuit on each of the three thousand, added one or two spell marks that were basically included in the law treasure, and infused law power.
Uuuung! pGT>Thus, the Colorless Glass Swords recognized him as their master. pGT>Really, an incomprehensibly simple refinement method. pGT>The materials were easy to obtain, and the refinement method was easy. pGT>‘Checking the power with the Invisible Sword….’ pGT>He decided to check the power in front of Won Rip. pGT>After all, it was for cutting the guy’s neck. pGT>There was no way he would have made the power insufficient. pGT>He looked at the completed Colorless Glass Swords and continued confirming while looking at the structure diagram left by her. pGT>It was completed without any problem. pGT>Sarak. pGT>And suddenly, Seo Eun-hyun read the words written at the very bottom of the structure diagram. pGT>The words he had read before coming here. pGT>The words she was sending him. pGT>―Oppa, the Colorless Glass Swords are a law treasure of three thousand swords as one. pGT>―It seems a bit many, but if you look at how you handle swords, there should be no way you cannot handle it. pGT>―Do you know? Actually, the original number of Colorless Glass Swords was not three thousand, but three thousand six hundred fifty. pGT>―Did you know that yesterday, the day exactly ten years had passed since you came to Cheon-saek Castle? pGT>―The Colorless Glass Swords were made to commemorate that. pGT>―It is a law treasure made to commemorate every single day you sent me here. But the remaining six hundred fifty… I left them as incomplete so that only three thousand would operate, because I wanted you and me to design and make them together. pGT>―Even though it is still incomplete, I hope we complete it together in the future. Will you answer?
Chik, chiiik…. pGT>Black tears fell from the face part of Seo Eun-hyun, covered by the shadow. pGT>The falling tears scattered into curse marks and corroded the sand.
Chiiiii― pGT>The sand below Seo Eun-hyun began to corrode wildly. pGT>The curse marks surrounding him grew thicker. pGT>[…I… I will keep it in my heart. I will complete it….] pGT>Seo Eun-hyun looked at Buk Hyang-hwa’s grave. pGT>[I will return.] pGT>And he left the land of Cheon-saek Castle together with the three thousand Colorless Glass Swords. pGT>Chuaaaa! pGT>In the eyes of the one who had been flying through the air out of Cheon-saek Castle, someone was caught. pGT>It was Wall-bound saint riding the Law Treasure, Colorless Glass Sword. pGT>[What?] pGT>“…I was waiting. Because the Lord entrusted me with the task of bringing you.” pGT>[…Grief is a deep blue color.] pGT>“Hm?” pGT>[Your consciousness is also deep blue.] pGT>“…” pGT>[You were not waiting for me, but you were mourning her too, weren’t you?] pGT>Wall-bound saint did not answer and just turned his head. pGT>[When this war ends…] pGT>Seo Eun-hyun spoke to Wall-bound saint. pGT>[Let us go together and mourn her.] pGT>“…Let us hurry.” pGT>[Yes.] pGT>The two men flew to the center of the Dabcheon Desert. pGT>Toward Won Rip’s sealing site. pGT>[The time has come to see the long conclusion.] pGT>---