You Trod Upon It (10)
“Unfurl the Wall-Breaking Array!”
Cheongmun Jung-jin’s shout rang out, and the Foundation Establishment cultivators—who had already been issued flags—hurried to form their ranks.
The moment the flags settled into precise formation, they erupted with a brilliant blue glow and vibrant, multi-colored light.
Kugugugu!
The multi-colored radiance formed an imposing mountain and a colossal barrier, blocking the Blood Wind and shielding the cultivators.
200 years ago they had only managed a crude life-saving array to repel Won Rip’s attack. This was something entirely different—far more precise and flawless.
[Pretty tough, huh?]
Won Rip’s Blood Wind slammed against the mountain wall and faded away completely.
Cheongmun Jung-jin’s voice echoed across the battlefield.
“Everyone! Draw your weapons!”
And weapons began to shine from countless family arsenals.
Core Formation cultivators on their warships formed seals in unison.
Dozens of naval cannons mounted on the ships swiveled toward Won Rip and unleashed their light.
Lawboat cannons of the Chulcha and Hampo types followed suit.
And even the Foundation Establishment cultivators in front drew forth their own lawboats.
200 years earlier, when they had faced Won Rip, they had only 200 Foundation Establishment cultivators. Now the total reached over 400—new recruits trained with every ounce of their families’ power.
Lawboats and law techniques from all four directions converged on a single target.
And then…
Paaaat!
A blood light erupted in the midst of countless explosions and billowing dust.
Kiiiiriririr!
Inside the blood light, thousands of black-red zombies began moving.
“The Blood Wood Daoist’s zombie legion!”
Kieeeeeeeek!
Four high-cultivation zombies converged to clash against a single Foundation Establishment lawboat.
Kweeeeeek!
The zombies’ screams sent shockwaves that actually pushed back the Foundation Establishment cultivators’ law techniques.
“If even four zombies gather, they’re at Core Formation level!”
One cultivator cried out in panic, face pale.
And then.
At the rear of the camp, the sixteen Eastern Warlords stepped forward.
Beneath them, figures wrapped in black bandages spewed eerie poison.
Three chieftains from the northern great plains stepped out and opened their lawbeams, unleashing countless twisted monsters.
From the Western Three Kingdoms, the lords of Makri, Ori, and Jun sects advanced.
Makri’s lawbeam released the same zombie legion as before, Ori’s poured out corpse-poisons, and Jun’s unleashed the ghost souls refined from resentful souls.
Great Demons versus Great Demons!
Makri’s blood-red ghosts clung to Won Rip’s black-red zombies.
Although each individual was far weaker, Makri’s sect used sheer numbers—massacred souls from across the Three Kingdoms—to overwhelm them.
Chwaaaraaarak!
Soon after, an elder from Makri opened his lawbeam. The stench of rotting corpses turned into a river of foul water.
Makri’s zombies grew stronger the moment they touched the green-tinted water and rushed forward.
In an instant, Won Rip’s zombie army’s momentum collapsed.
“Fire Soul Dyeing Pleasure.”
Hwaririririr!
Three elders from Jin Sect formed seals and called forth a flame spirit.
The Fire Spirit trembled with pleasure each time the elders completed a seal, soaking in ecstasy.
And with every wave of pleasure, the color of the soul light shifted—red to orange, orange to gold, gold to azure, until it became pure azure fire.
“Go!”
Kugugugugu!
The elders’ seal sent the soul light crashing toward Won Rip’s zombies.
Jin Sect had specialized in countering Great Demons for hundreds of years, and their azure flame spread instantly, burning the zombie legion.
The flames spread especially well to corpses and pursued the fleeing zombies, refusing to let them escape.
Makri’s zombies bit and clung to Won Rip’s, preventing them from fleeing.
Hwaririririr!
In the blink of an eye, a sea of fire ignited across the desert.
The Great Demon sects of the East, North, and West, joined by Jin Sect’s combined assault, completely annihilated Won Rip’s zombie legion.
We thought it was over.
Kwaaang!
A blood-light cannon shot toward the mountain wall.
Won Rip simply pierced the multi-colored mountain, crossed over, and swung his Battleaxe.
Chwaaaaraaarak!
Blood Wind howled, slicing through seven Foundation Establishment cultivators and four hundred Core Formation ones who had been standing in the rear.
[Blood Cloud, Red Sea.]
Won Rip formed seals.
Simultaneously, the life force and blood essence of the fallen cultivators rose as Blood Cloud, surging into the sky.
A massive blood cloud swirled, rushing toward his previously charred zombies.
Right after, the charred zombies stirred, inhaling the blood cloud.
Twitch… twitch…
The charred bodies twitched as they absorbed the blood cloud.
Then, the charred zombies regenerated from the blood.
Kugugugugu!
The zombies rose again, fully regenerated.
[Is this the end?]
Won Rip laughed mockingly and began forming seals once more.
“Unfurl the array again!”
Kugugugugu!
The protective array that had been shattered reformed around Won Rip.
The cultivators redoubled their assault.
The elders of Jin Sect and Makri sneered.
“What a ridiculous monster. Is this really the end? Once resurrected, two deaths and he’s done.”
Makri’s zombies charged Won Rip’s again, while Jin Sect’s elders summoned azure flames that slammed into the zombies.
And…
Hwaririririr!
The black-red zombies no longer burned.
“W-what…!?”
Jin Sect’s elders’ faces twisted in shock.
The black-red zombies not only refused to burn—they absorbed the flames and grew even more lively, attacking Makri’s zombies with ferocious power.
The most terrifying part was that when the black-red zombies struck Makri’s, the Makri zombies were sucked straight into Won Rip’s army.
Makri’s elders trembled.
Kieeeeeeeek!
The Eastern and Northern Great Demon cultivators scattered their demonic lifeforms, but the zombies simply absorbed their law techniques and grew stronger.
[Not bad at all. The Blood Wood Ghost Corpse gains powerful resistance to any law technique it once endured, and that resistance allows it to absorb the technique and replenish its own power…]
Kugugugugugu!
Won Rip opened his mouth, and blood clouds burst forth, wrapping around him.
Simultaneously, the blood clouds spread outward, crushing the Foundation Establishment cultivators’ protective arrays.
“The monster is using power!”
“Scatter!”
[Even if you gather into a gang, can you possibly defeat me?]
KuoOOOO!
The blood clouds began to rotate.
Chwarak!
At the same time, blood waters shot up from Won Rip’s lawbeam, transforming into a sickle-wielding Ghost King.
The Ghost Kings merged with Won Rip’s blood clouds and formed two colossal Ghost Kings of blood cloud.
Kiiiiiaaaaaarararar!
The two blood-cloud Ghost Kings raised their sickles and swung them in opposite directions.
Kwaaaang!
A Nascent Soul-level double strike!
The protective arrays of the Foundation Establishment cultivators shattered again.
[Pathetic insects. All of them…]
And then.
Paaaat!
A blue flash of light darkened the heavens and shot toward Won Rip once more.
[…!]
Won Rip flinched and formed seals. The two Ghost Kings of blood cloud crossed their sickles to block him.
Kukwaaak!
The blue flash exploded.
After the light faded, the Ghost Kings of blood cloud had lost half their bodies, while Won Rip in the center held a pagoda lawboat to protect himself.
Even the pagoda lawboat’s light had dimmed considerably, showing how strong the previous attack had been.
Won Rip frowned behind his black translucent mask.
[That power… wasn’t there before…]
Won Rip’s gaze shifted to the far side, where the Eastern Warlord Man Rim-in-rap stood, his body wrapped in white bandages, aiming a cannon at him.
Wiiiiing!
Man Rim-in-rap held the cannon with one arm and formed a seal with the other.
The cannon’s muzzle shone, and blue light began to gather once more.
A far stronger aura surged from the blue light.
[Oh… so that’s it. By absorbing the ghost souls of the Foundation Establishment cultivators who died just now, the power is further strengthened with their soul power…? The more casualties, the more powerful this cannon becomes…]
Blood light exploded from Won Rip’s two eyes.
[I see. I’ve heard of it. The main cannon of the Seopmyeong Ship in Black Ghost Valley. One of the destroyed main cannons from the battle against the Goe-gun drifted onto the Eastern coast, and the rumor’s protagonist was this one.]
Wiiiiing!
Man Rim-in-rap held the cannon silently, simply pouring spiritual energy into the barrel.
Kiiyaara…
Kiaaa…
Inside the cannon, faint ghost valley sounds echoed.
And then.
Kwaaaang!
Another blue light shot toward Won Rip.
Even more vicious than before!
Kukwaaak!
The light exploded.
Blue light blasts created storms in all directions, forcing the Core Formation cultivators behind the cannon to pour out every ounce of their power to withstand it.
The blasts subsided.
But the next instant.
Chwaaak!
A blood-light cannon pierced the blue blast and slammed into Man Rim-in-rap.
Won Rip flew forward holding a crystal skull staff.
[If it’s wreckage from the Seopmyeong Ship, I’d like it too. Hand it over…!]
Man Rim-in-rap furrowed his brows and tried to fire again, but Won Rip was faster.
Chwaaak!
Won Rip reached Man Rim-in-rap in an instant and raised one hand.
Chwaaaarak!
A massive blood light gathered above his palm.
[Go.]
“…”
The next moment.
Chwarararak…!
Black light tentacles wrapped around Won Rip.
[…!]
The tentacles were not living tissue but dark mist.
Chwaaaarak.
Where the mist touched, immense pain spread and decay began.
[Yin Soul Ghost Curse…?]
Won Rip stared at the dark mist.
The mist consisted of thousands of tiny Yin Soul Ghost Curses.
Chwarak, Chwarararak!
The curse waves wrapped around Won Rip.
And in the moment Won Rip was bound by the curses…
Man Rim-in-rap hurriedly retreated. Wol-ryang, the old man wearing a brown robe, descended to replace him and drew forth a brown-wheel lawboat.
“Die, you monster!”
Chwaririririr!
The brown wheel spun.
When Wol-ryang formed a seal, the wheel charged toward Won Rip like a mad thing.
[Annoying pests…]
But when Won Rip reached out to summon blood clouds, the wheel lawboat was blocked.
Won Rip spat blood light and said irritably.
[Such an outstanding curse sorcerer, but still lacking. Still… quite annoying, though.]
Chwaaaarak!
Blood light pushed back the curses.
[I shall acknowledge you…]
And then.
Kwaaaarang!
Man Rim-in-rap’s main cannon shot blue light straight at the talking Won Rip.
The Foundation Establishment and Core Formation cultivators who had been gathering power unleashed their siege weapons at Won Rip wrapped in blue light.
―――――!
The ground shook. A glass crater formed in the desert.
A flash of light bloomed, dyeing the desert and turning the light into darkness.
At the center of the explosion, Won Rip formed seals and rolled his blood light into a circle around him, defending against all attacks.
[After 200 years of growth, I’m quite formidable. If I had been at Nascent Soul early on, it would have been dangerous…]
His barrier shook precariously but never cracked.
[As long as I hold on…]
And then.
[Hm?]
Won Rip saw a lawboat.
The wheel-shaped lawboat Wol-ryang had thrown.
It had spun madly in front of him, but its rotation speed gradually increased.
At first he paid it no mind, but its power and speed kept rising.
And then Won Rip’s eyes widened.
[What is this…?! That guy…]
Kugugugugugu!
The brown wheel turned blood-red and sprayed bright red steam, slamming with terrifying force into his barrier.
[He’s pouring in true origin true energy…!]
In other words, Wol-ryang was shedding tears of blood, vomiting blood from his mouth, and pouring his own life force into his lawboat.
“Die, you monster…! I’ll burn you to ashes with every drop of my life, but I’ll leave a small wound before I go!”
Kiiiing!
The wheel spun even faster.
Ugeuk, uguggeuk…
Won Rip watched his barrier wobble as the wheel drilled closer.
[Do you think a trash like you can break through mine?! Ridiculous!]
Won Rip spat blood light and raised his cultivation.
And at that moment, tiny characters floated up behind Won Rip.
Seo Eun-hyun’s Yin Soul Ghost Curses.
Won Rip had thought he had shaken them off completely, but the sticky malice still lingered.
Twitch… twitch…
Seo Eun-hyun’s Yin Soul Ghost Curses climbed his body and settled around his heart.
* * *
Outside Won Rip’s bombardment.
Seo Eun-hyun, standing beneath Bongmyeong Castle, told the Foundation Establishment cultivator from Cheongmun Clan who had come to help.
[Plant it.]
“Understood.”
The Foundation Establishment cultivator planted a seed in the desert and formed a seal.
Kugugugugu!
Spiritual energy from the cultivator’s throat flowed into the seed, causing it to sprout rapidly into a tree.
When the cultivator formed a seal, the tree grew into a bizarre shape.
It resembled a human form.
Arms spread wide like a person.
A shadow locked inside black curses.
Seo Eun-hyun reached toward the wooden man, and one strand of curse flowed into the wooden man’s heart.
[Suffering will reside in this vessel.]
Kiiing!
The curse flowing into the wooden man’s heart began to glow.
* * *
[Hm?]
Won Rip shuddered at the sticky malice emanating from his heart.
But before he could react, the malice exploded.
The Foundation Establishment cultivator from Cheongmun Clan beside Seo Eun-hyun punched the wooden man’s heart, creating a hole.
The Cursing Puppet activated.
[Kiaaaak!]
Wook!
Won Rip gritted his teeth and clutched his chest at the sudden pain in his heart.
And in that brief gap.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa!
Wol-ryang’s lawboat, spewing red steam, tore through Won Rip’s barrier and charged straight at him.
Chwarararak!
One side of Won Rip’s upper body was ripped away.
Wol-ryang’s wheel flew past him and straight toward Won Rip’s back.
Countless lawboats and law techniques flew toward the torn upper body of Won Rip.
Won Rip squeezed out his pure force, temporarily regrowing an arm, and formed a seal.
[Resolve.]
And the explosion swept him up.
Kugugugugu…
Countless Foundation Establishment cultivators held their breaths, watching the explosion subside.
Cough, cough!
Wol-ryang dropped his usual brown robe, vomited blood, and glared inside.
An all-out attack using every law technique Foundation Establishment and Core Formation cultivators could muster!
Everyone stared at the inside with anticipation in their eyes.
And then, inside the dust cloud, a bizarre bloody something appeared.
“That’s…”
Cheongmun Jung-jin frowned.
Seven empty talismans now floated around Won Rip.
The talismans were blank white paper, and only the seven Demon Souls’ auras could be felt.
The Demon Souls were surrounding and protecting Won Rip.
[Hehe, thrilling, isn’t it?]
The faces of the united forces darkened.
[But is this really the end?]
Won Rip had regenerated half his upper body.
A crystal skull staff rested in one hand, a Battleaxe in the other.
[Try harder. Your excitement is still not enough…!]
Kugugugugugu!
The Blood Wood Ghost Corpses Won Rip had summoned began squeezing out the law techniques, other zombies, and demonic lifeforms’ auras they had absorbed.
The auras from the Blood Wood Ghost Corpses condensed into blood light and flew toward Won Rip.
Chwararararak!
When Won Rip raised the crystal skull staff, it opened its mouth and drank the blood aura.
Simultaneously, the consumed spiritual energy returned to its peak.
Chiiiie―
Won Rip had completely recovered to the state he was in right after leaving the seal.
[Tsk tsk, even the excitement from the news has died down. Anything left to show me?]
Chwarararak!
A lump of black curses was swallowed by Won Rip from below.
[Tsk…]
Kwaang!
But this time the curses only bounced off his barrier without touching him.
Won Rip’s gaze locked onto the shadow manipulating the curses from afar.
[Ever since earlier, that person has been sending tiny curses sneakily. It was you. Hehe, now I see—you’re not even a Foundation Establishment cultivator, are you?]
He lifted his blood fan.
[Even though you’re just a Core Formation cultivator, sending annoying Core Formation-level curses is admirable. Quite impressive. And then…]
Won Rip turned again to look at the gasping Wol-ryang.
[Using your life to take a hit from me was impressive. Well… your lawboat’s power seems to have run out completely.]
Won Rip sneered deeply at Wol-ryang.
Wol-ryang panted.
And then he laughed.
“My lawboat’s power… isn’t completely gone, you monster.”
[Hm?]
“I delivered… it.”
[What strange words…]
“Then. Since everyone has suffered enough, go well.”
Won Rip swung his blood fan toward the united forces that had just launched their all-out attack.
Kwaaaaraaaarak!
Blood Wind covered the united forces.
“Hold on…”
“The time has come!”
“Soon…”
Cheongmun Jung-jin and countless Foundation Establishment cultivators vomited blood and unfolded the protective array once more.
But unlike the first array, this one was already heavily depleted of energy, and cracks spread across it as the blood wind pushed through.
[Kiaaaak!]
[Lord! Save me!]
The Foundation Establishment cultivators held on, but many Core Formation ones were swept away by the blood wind seeping through the gaps and turned to ash.
Many Foundation Establishment cultivators’ faces twisted.
But the endless blood wind soon subsided.
Man Rim-in-rap, who had been holding on behind the protective array, raised the Seopmyeong Ship’s main cannon once more.
Kiiiing!
By absorbing the ghost souls of the dead Core Formation cultivators, the main cannon of the Seopmyeong Ship flashed with an even stronger blue light.
But Won Rip laughed when he saw Man Rim-in-rap.
[Laugh if you want. I already know how long it takes for the Seopmyeong Ship’s main cannon to charge. Even if you’ve eaten a lot of ghost souls, firing still takes time, right?]
He slowly walked toward Man Rim-in-rap.
[Come now, kindly hand over the Seopmyeong Ship’s wreckage.]
Chwa jwa jwa jwak!
Realistic-looking curses flew at Won Rip and bound his feet.
Won Rip smirked and looked at the shadow sending the curses.
[Aren’t you embarrassed? Sending curses that don’t even work…]
[Time.]
And the shadow interrupted him and looked at Cheongmun Jung-jin.
[Time has come.]
“Everyone! Prepare!”
Cheongmun Jung-jin roared, and the united forces moved in perfect synchronization.
[Hm?]
And several Core Formation cultivators charged toward the shadow wrapped in curses.
They formed seals around the shadow, and an altar rose from the ground.
Altar for offering sacrifices to the sky.
Won Rip stared at them with confused eyes.
[Core Formation ascension altar…? Did they all go mad together?]
But Won Rip soon shifted his gaze elsewhere.
Kiiiiing…
The doors of Bongmyeong Castle were opening.
[Yes, it’s done. What more can you do against my bugs? I have things to do, so just die.]
Blood light began to explode from Won Rip’s body.
And an invisible sword flew toward him.
Kukwaaak!
[…!]
Won Rip flinched and shot his blood light toward the invisible sword.
Kugugugugu!
The surroundings trembled.
[Huh, what is this…?]
Won Rip’s gaze moved toward the open doors of Bongmyeong Castle.
Inside, a lump of black curses poured out like a river.
And at the center of that black river stood a man in white clothes, tears streaming down his face.
[Two curse sorcerers…?]
Won Rip looked at the other shadow.
And Won Rip shuddered.
Shuuuuk!
The curses covering the shadow’s entire body were sucked inside.
The shadow’s entire body was revealed.
It was a life-sized glass puppet.
A glass puppet the size of a human, filled with thousands of curses, moving exactly like a human!
The exquisitely crafted glass puppet was shaped exactly like Won Rip.
The glass puppet that had absorbed the curses raised its hand, and a brown wheel flew into its palm.
―My lawboat’s power… isn’t completely gone, you monster.
―I delivered… it.
The glass puppet shaped exactly like Won Rip sucked up the blood and flesh fragments that had burst from Won Rip’s upper body and were stuck to the brown wheel.
[Cursing Puppet!]
Ossik!
Won Rip did not hesitate and raised his Battleaxe.
‘Dangerous. If a Core Formation Integration-level Cursing Puppet absorbs my blood and a first-class curse sorcerer casts the curse…’
Kwaang!
But the invisible sword’s trajectory struck him, preventing his action.
And the curse sorcerer who had shed black tears from Bongmyeong Castle.
Seo Eun-hyun raised one hand on the river of curses.
“Yin Soul Ghost Curse.”
Black curses roamed around him.
“Thousand Luminous Tree Sea.”
From the river of curses, a black emerald-green forest of curses rose.
“Jade Earth Long Wall.”
Between the black emerald-green forest, the spiritual veins flowing through Bongmyeong Castle rushed toward Seo Eun-hyun according to his will.
Kugugugugugu!
And the auras gathered around Seo Eun-hyun began to rush into his dantian.
Pure force surged and boiled across Seo Eun-hyun’s entire body.
Jiaogong, Dingfang, Xinwei, Jifu.
Dou, Niu, Nu, Xu, Wei, Shibi.
Kui, Lou, Wei, Mao, Bi, Zi, Shen.
Jing, Gui, Liu, Xing, Zhang, Yi, Zhen.
The Twenty-Eight Mansions, Core Formation Integration Extreme Completion!
Tick, tick, tick, tick!
And four more figures in black robes appeared around Seo Eun-hyun.
They were also shadows wrapped in black curses—Seo Eun-hyun’s Cursing Puppets.
And all five Cursing Puppets had achieved Core Formation Integration.
“They had already reached Core Formation level with the suffering from 200 years ago. But for today, they endured Core Formation to accumulate even more suffering and law power, and all five reached Core Formation Integration…”
Drop, drop…
Seo Eun-hyun shed black tears and fell from Bongmyeong Castle.
Chiiiing…
The ground where his black tears fell rotted away.
“I have come to return this suffering to you, Won Rip.”
Chwaaaarak!
The four Core Formation Cursing Puppets standing beside Seo Eun-hyun rushed to the four prepared altars, occupied positions around them, and stepped onto them.
[Hehehe, you came with a lot of swagger… but are you going to show off your dignity in front of just a Core Formation ascension ritual?]
Kiiiing!
Won Rip’s Battleaxe began to glow.
[What the hell… did they all go insane together…?]
“Go, Seo Eun-hyun!”
Kwaaak!
And Wol-ryang, tears of blood streaming down his face, charged toward Won Rip who was trying to hand over the fan.
“I’ll hold him! Kill him!”
[Tsk, this bug…]
Won Rip clicked his tongue and tried to shake him off.
But Wol-ryang’s body burned red.
Chwaaaarak!
His blood evaporated, and Wol-ryang’s entire body ignited.
The ghost fire burning in brown light shone brightly like the golden sand of the desert.
[Even if I burn my life away, I will kill you!]
Kwaaak!
The body of Wol-ryang who was burning his golden core broke through Won Rip’s barrier and entered his arms.
Kwaduduk!
[This… trash!]
[Go, Seo Eun-hyun! This time I will settle the score! Curse him!]
Taaat!
Seo Eun-hyun, leading the curses, entered the altars spread out in all directions and nodded.
[What…!]
A glass Cursing Puppet resembling Won Rip gently laid itself in front of Seo Eun-hyun.
[This, this guy…!]
Seo Eun-hyun looked at Wol-ryang’s brown-wheel lawboat with tears streaming down his face.
He lifted the wheel lawboat.
The glass puppet handed over the lawbeam it had been holding, and Seo Eun-hyun exchanged glances with Wol-ryang after receiving it.
Both avengers nodded at the same time.
[This guy…!]
Kwaaang!
The wheel Seo Eun-hyun lifted smashed the Core Formation Integration-level Cursing Puppet filled with Won Rip’s blood directly.
Kwa jang chang chang!
The glass Cursing Puppet shattered into countless pieces and scattered, while the curse that had consumed a Core Formation Integration-level Cursing Puppet was driven straight into Won Rip.
[Kweeeeeeeek!]
Blood poured from Won Rip’s seven apertures.
For the first time, a genuine scream came from a mouth that had only sneered and clicked its tongue.
[This… damned trash…!]
Won Rip roared in anger.
But Seo Eun-hyun turned his gaze away from Won Rip.
“The ascension to Core Formation has begun.”
Tick, tick, tick, tick!
The four altars.
Five Core Formation Integration-level Cursing Puppets stood on the altars.
The Cursing Puppets formed seals.
They had already performed the Seven-Star Ceremony from Qi Condensation 7th stage to open the eyes to fate, receiving blessings from the Seven Mansions.
And with the blessings received during the Core Formation stages, they could advance their realms even faster.
To reach Core Formation, a Core Formation Integration cultivator needed to perform the ritual again for each of the 28 Mansions’ spiritual stars in their body.
That was to embed the Heavenly Qi into each spiritual star.
This kind of sacrificial ritual was common for most cultivators, but the details differed slightly depending on the law technique they had mastered.
And Seo Eun-hyun’s Yin Soul Ghost Curse technique was to place Cursing Puppets on the four altars and let them curse themselves to embed Heavenly Qi into the spiritual stars.
Uuuung!
Seo Eun-hyun’s ritual began.
[Jiaogong, Dingfang, Xinwei, Jifu—Heavenly Venerable Pure Heavenly Venerable Seo Eun-hyun offers this sacrifice—please accept it!]
The Cursing Puppet on the eastern altar wove the curses into a rope and used it to strangle its own neck.
Uuduk!
The eastern altar’s Cursing Puppet’s neck broke, and it fell onto the altar.
[Dou, Niu, Nu, Xu, Wei, Shibi—Yin Venerable Seven Mansion’s Human Path Seo Eun-hyun offers this sacrifice—please accept it!]
The northern altar’s Cursing Puppet created a black sword with curses and cut its own neck.
The northern altar’s Cursing Puppet’s neck rolled across the altar, and it fell onto the altar.
[Kui, Lou, Wei, Mao, Bi, Zi, Shen—White Venerable Seven Mansion’s Human Path Seo Eun-hyun offers this sacrifice—please accept it!]
The western altar’s Cursing Puppet created a black dagger with curses and slashed its own stomach.
Black curses poured out from the western altar’s Cursing Puppet’s stomach, and it fell onto the altar.
[Jing, Gui, Liu, Xing, Zhang, Yi, Zhen—Yang Venerable Seven Mansion’s Human Path Seo Eun-hyun offers this sacrifice—please accept it!]
The southern altar’s Cursing Puppet wove the curses, and the curses turned into Yin Fire, surrounding the Cursing Puppet.
The southern altar’s Cursing Puppet burned in the Yin Fire and fell onto the altar.
Seo Eun-hyun, standing in the center of the four altars, gathered the curses rushing in from all directions.
The Core Formation ascension ritual did not require timing.
He only needed to embed the Heavenly Qi he had mastered into the 28 spiritual stars.
Paaaat!
The black curses rushing from all directions pierced his entire body.
Seo Eun-hyun closed his eyes, shedding black tears.
The twenty-eight stars in his dantian began to embed the Heavenly Qi and connect to each other.
At the same time, the stars began to rotate.
Jiaogong, Dingfang, Xinwei, Jifu represented the East,
Dou, Niu, Nu, Xu, Wei, Shibi represented the North,
Kui, Lou, Wei, Mao, Bi, Zi, Shen represented the West,
Jing, Gui, Liu, Xing, Zhang, Yi, Zhen represented the South.
The spiritual stars symbolizing the four directions rotated in Seo Eun-hyun’s dantian and began to form an [Domain] inside it.
The Heavenly Domain, or also called the Heavenly Sphere Map, was inscribed on his dantian.
And the areas of the dantian with the Heavenly Sphere Map began to condense.
Uuduk, ududuk…
The dantian’s domain gathered the pure force flowing in his body and imprisoned it.
The pure force condensed further and began to form a solid shape.
Kuuuung!
The Heavenly Qi of the four directions was sucked into Seo Eun-hyun’s flesh.
[Cough, cough…]
Won Rip spat blood from his seven apertures.
Kwaaang!
He threw Wol-ryang, who was holding him back, far away by burning his true origin true energy, and looked at Seo Eun-hyun.
He had not yet fully healed the curse inflicted by sacrificing the Core Formation Integration-level Cursing Puppet.
But even so, a smile never left his face.
[You crazy guy… everyone is ridiculous. I don’t even need to pull out the thing I’ve been hiding. With just one more Core Formation, what change could there be in the world?]
He laughed.
[Hahaha, yeah. Are you trying to go down with me using that curse? Come on! Aren’t you treating Nascent Soul cultivators too casually? Even if you cast a curse at that level, I can just eat a few to recover immediately!]
Won Rip pointed at the sky.
[If you have eyes, read the Heavenly Qi! Do you think you can win?! Wasn’t there a great misfortune already hanging over you?! The heavens know!]
Won Rip’s voice shook the entire desert.
[Today’s victor will be me. The heavens will testify to it…]
And then.
Kureung, kurureung…
In the clear sky of the desert, dark clouds began to gather.
Kwaaang!
Seo Eun-hyun, who had reached Core Formation, flew toward Won Rip and used the invisible sword to shatter his barrier and charged into his arms.
“Enjoy this good sky as much as you want.”
Kureung, kurureung…
In an instant, the dark clouds appeared and severed the connection between heaven and earth.
The Heavenly Rejection phenomenon.
To prevent the lifespan of the Jongmyeongja from being newly recorded, the heavens began to gather their power.
Seo Eun-hyun entered Won Rip’s arms and squeezed him tightly.
Flare, flare…!
Inside the dark clouds.
Blue light beams twitched.
They were even larger than when Seo Eun-hyun had reached Core Formation.
Seo Eun-hyun smiled brightly.
“It’ll be quite thrilling.”
The heavens dropped azure lightning toward the Heavenly Rejecter.