Chapter 52
Chapter 52
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: Chapter Defense (3)
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◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Meanwhile...
In front of the half-exposed ruins, Yuk-gyeong stared at the Wando Sect disciple standing across from him, wondering how things had come to this.
'How the hell did it end up like this?'
Yuk-gyeong's memory rewound back in time.
"Elder Bu, give me a Gathering Qi Pill, a Gathering Qi Pill!"
That was too far back.
"Disciple Yi Yuk-gyeong, this is a mission assigned by the sect headquarters. Head to the Radiant Moon Sect's border and learn the details there."
Yeah, around here.
Under the guidance of an outer disciple from the Inner Treasury Hall, which handled sect missions and merit points, Yuk-gyeong made his way to the Radiant Moon Sect's border.
Only upon arrival did he learn that his mission involved excavating ancient ruins.
"This ruin excavation will be overseen by Jade Maiden Peak."
A Jade Maiden Peak inner disciple shouted that out, and the ruin excavation began.
"By the command of Han Elder, the Peak Lord of Jade Maiden Peak!"
Ancient ruins excavation?
Was there an opportunity like this in the novel?
The timeline was completely different, so a ruin that had already been excavated back then might still be in the process now.
With that thought, Yuk-gyeong decided to gladly participate in the excavation.
'Ancient ruins, opportunities like that—I can't resist them.'
That was how Yuk-gyeong, who had missed the Gathering Qi Ceremony, ended up joining the ruin excavation.
However, he wasn't assigned any dirty work. So Yuk-gyeong leisurely wandered around the excavation site, sightseeing.
Occasionally, outer disciples who saw him wandering without working grumbled jealously, but the inner disciple supervising them silenced them with a glare.
"Ugh, what tempers. You want to make a frail disciple like me dig with a shovel?"
Yuk-gyeong elegantly flicked his sleeves and gave them a glance.
Still, he wasn't completely shameless; sometimes he'd help by using spells to dig up the earth. With Earthbirth Metal, he felt his metal-attribute spiritual energy stirring actively within the earth-attribute spiritual energy.
In this way, Yuk-gyeong continued the excavation while practicing his spells.
'If only these peaceful days had lasted, but everything changed once the uninvited guests showed up.'
The atmosphere shifted completely after people from Wando Sect arrived.
Before, the excavation had proceeded slowly in a relaxed manner, but now it was frantic, as if war was about to break out.
A tense atmosphere like the calm before the storm hung in the air.
Radiant Moon Sect disciples eyed the Wando Sect disciples who appeared intermittently with heavy suspicion.
According to orders from the inner disciples, they were to block Wando Sect disciples from approaching the ruins.
But they were also told to avoid friction as much as possible.
"Working hard today as well. Have you all eaten? You seem short on manpower—looks like you could use some help from us Wando Sect disciples."
A Gathering Qi disciple under Junior Elder So approached with a hearty laugh.
It had already been several days of this.
He kept subtly implying they needed Wando Sect's support and nitpicking the Radiant Moon Sect's event. He'd offered help once or twice. But how could Radiant Moon Sect accept such obvious bait?
If Wando Sect helped even a little with the excavation, they'd obviously demand rights in return.
Han Elder's direct disciple, who was supervising the site, had endured as much as he could.
That morning, he had reported everything to Han Elder.
The disciples under Junior Elder So kept coming, picking fights and interfering with the excavation—like vultures waiting for scraps.
Just that morning, he had received permission from Han Elder to get tough.
Han Elder had said she'd turn a blind eye even if violence broke out.
'If Wando Sect disrespects Radiant Moon Sect one more time, show them the consequences. Make sure they never dare again. I'll take responsibility.'
Recalling those words, the direct disciple shouted at his opponent.
"Hmph, Radiant Moon Sect will handle it ourselves. It'll be done before you die, so keep your worries to yourself. Thank you for dragging your old bones here to praise our disciples' hard work. You can leave now."
Junior Elder Sohan-byeong was old himself, but his direct disciple was equally infamous for his age.
That was why even Radiant Moon Sect's Gathering Qi disciples showed him respect when they met—not out of fear, but courtesy for his years.
The lifespan limit for Gathering Qi cultivators was around 200 years, and Junior Elder's direct disciple was nearing 170.
So he needed to break through to Core Formation quickly, or he'd hit his limit and die.
Perhaps because of that, Junior Elder's direct disciple was sensitive about his age.
Maybe because death loomed close. He hated mockery about death or age.
Yet here he was, getting snide remarks from Han Elder's direct disciple, who was much younger.
Caught off guard like a surprise attack, Junior Elder's direct disciple felt his blood boil in reverse.
"How dare you spout such nonsense before me? You whelp who hasn't even lived a fraction of my years!"
"Must be nice being so old. Still lingering at Gathering Qi at your age—Junior Elder must be thrilled."
"Fine. Let's settle this here today. I need to knock one Radiant Moon Sect inner disciple down a peg as a lesson. I can report to your elder later."
"Do you even have the skill to teach Radiant Moon Sect a lesson?"
The two Gathering Qi disciples' gazes clashed fiercely, spiritual energy waves sweeping the surroundings.
They began gathering inner power and wielding heaven-earth spiritual energy. Their auras dominated the area, and the slightest move would ignite the confrontation.
A silence fell around them so deep a pin drop would be heard.
The watching disciples couldn't even swallow, forgetting to breathe at times.
A powder keg ready to explode.
At that moment!
Buuuuuum—!
The sound of swarming bees echoed from somewhere. It came from all directions, impossible to pinpoint.
Someone shouted then.
"The elders! The elders are making their move!"
No sooner had the words left than a massive boom erupted from somewhere far from the ruins!
From the source, enormous ancient trees crashed down with cracks!, and human figures shot into the air.
The figures were the two elders: Han Elder and Junior Elder So.
Han Elder's body floated effortlessly into the sky.
The surrounding air cradled her gently as if obeying her command, and the laws of the world aided her defiance of gravity.
Junior Elder So across from her also levitated into the air. Multicolored clouds billowed around him.
Flashes sparked in the sky from their clashing auras, creating anomalous phenomena.
'Han Elder is making her move! She can't just stand by and watch Wando Sect's behavior anymore...!'
Before Core Formation elders' duel, the squabbling of two Gathering Qi disciples was less than child's play.
The two Gathering Qi disciples abandoned their fight and retreated to their respective camps.
At the same time, Han Elder and Junior Elder So surged their auras in midair!
The two elders crossed paths toward each other, their tidal-wave auras rippling outward. They circled like planets orbiting an invisible star in between.
Splat! Tsssh!
Whooooosh—!
A spiritual energy storm on another level from the Gathering Qi disciples' aura clash. This wasn't mere swirling energy—it resembled a massive natural disaster.
Those sensitive to spiritual energy like Yuk-gyeong could see it vortexing into the two Core Formation elders at the center.
Just witnessing it deepened Yuk-gyeong's understanding of heaven-earth spiritual energy.
The two Core Formation elders, orbiting like planets around an unseen star, gradually closed the distance.
Their auras intensified; Han Elder’s sleeves billowed, while Junior Elder So drew his sword.
Thus, the two Core Formation elders clashed in the sky!
Kwaang!
A deafening explosion as air burst in the heavens, light scattering so the fight was invisible.
Kwagwagwang! Kwaaaa—!
A heaven-shaking, earth-quaking duel that turned the land upside down and split the skies.
All cultivators below Core Formation plummeted from the sky to the ground. Even those on flying swords or flight artifacts were no exception.
They hit the dirt, staggering against the pressure descending from above.
"Urk! Just their midair fight creates this much pressure..."
"Regulate your bodies with inner power! You won't last otherwise!"
"Protect the Response Qi disciples around you! Shield the Response Qi disciples from Core Formation pressure!"
The pressure of those who had achieved 'Core Formation'!
One who reaches Core Formation harbors the heaven-earth spiritual energy within their body to form a core transcends mere accumulation—beginning a qualitative change beyond humanity.
Form the core, and the heavens marvel; form the primordial spirit, and the heavens rage.
Thus, core formers could astonish the heavens.
How could those below endure the pressure they exuded?
This applied even to Gathering Qi.
Weaker-willed Gathering Qi disciples clutched their heads, reeling in agony. Even the strong staggered but steadied themselves.
But Gathering Qi was still Gathering Qi.
They quickly regained composure and protected sect disciples in various ways.
Several Radiant Moon Sect Gathering Qi disciples flicked their sleeves, erecting inner power barriers to shield Yuk-gyeong and other Response Qi disciples.
'It really feels like the sky is crushing down on me.'
Yuk-gyeong gazed at his trembling hands, feeling the greatness of Core Formation with his body.
Terror!
An existence beyond human that overwhelmed people merely by existing!
Yuk-gyeong wondered if Core Formation beings were true immortals. What else could they be?
Then, a nearby Response Qi disciple couldn't hold his shaking knees and collapsed.
Drip!
Blood poured from his nose, eyes rolled back, and he fainted. Yuk-gyeong startled, caught him to prevent hitting his head.
Even with Gathering Qi protection, the faint-hearted couldn't withstand the pressure.
"Response Qi disciples, don't just rely on Gathering Qi protection! Draw heaven-earth spiritual energy to shield yourselves!"
The lead Gathering Qi disciple bellowed.
Response Qi disciples hastily pulled in ambient heaven-earth spiritual energy, however feebly, to protect themselves.
Yuk-gyeong likewise wrapped himself in spiritual energy to guard against Core Formation pressure.
Kwagwagwagwa—!
Goooo—!
Sword strikes from the sky slashed the ground, frosting the area with cold energy.
Scattered attack aftershocks flew about; no one dared face them, all dodging frantically.
Perhaps mindful of the disciples, the elders moderated their power—no deaths from fallout yet.
"Between those two, who would win?"
"It's Wando Sect versus Radiant Moon Sect—would they go to the death?"
"No disciples have died from the aftermath so far, so they're clearly holding back."
Despite the disciples' optimistic outlook, the fight dragged on.
Growing fiercer and more terrifying.
Kwang! Kwagwang!
Pukwaaaaak!
Ice shards scattering skyward, razor-sharp sword winds, air bursting from their assaults.
Flashes, quakes, booms exceeded what formations could conceal.
The fierce battle reached its climax.
Though forms were invisible, the sounds grew deadlier, aftershocks more numerous and harder to evade.
If it continued, someone would suffer grave injury before it ended.
Then,
A bizarre roar echoed from afar, drawing closer. To Yuk-gyeong, it sounded like an approaching fighter jet.
Hahahaha—!!!
"Hahaha! What's this? Starting the party without me? Enjoying yourselves first and leaving me out—you trying to ditch your superior?!"
The nearing laughter was thunderous.
Ear-splitting, like a massive bell tolling across heaven and earth.
The sheer volume left tinnitus ringing even after it faded.
Ting—!
Qi Condensation and below knelt, clutching ears; Gathering Qi staggered. Only Core Formation cultivators frowned silently.
The only standing Qi Condensation disciple was Yuk-gyeong. Prepared since the laughter began, he avoided kneeling but staggered like the Gathering Qi ones.
'Another Core Formation? Shrimp's back exploding in a whale fight.'
The bell-like laughter halted the midair Core Formation elders' duel.
Radiant Moon Sect's Han Elder had her left hand in a seal, right raised to the sky; Wando Sect's Junior Elder So gripped a sword seal in one hand, controlling a flying sword with the other.
The two, locked in furious combat, halted at the laughter's owner's arrival and shouted.
"Superior Sanggwan, you old monster!"
"Blood Asura Superior Sanggwan-geuk!"
Blood Asura Superior Sanggwan-geuk!
A Blood Slaughter Sect Core Formation elder infamous for his vicious temper and explosive personality—a true demon among demons.
Twenty years ago, he annihilated an entire city, earning a Moon Kingdom warrant, but as a sect elder, he evaded capture. That was the source of his notoriety.
Sanggwan-geuk, rumored to bathe daily in boys' blood and revel in gore and violence, revealed himself with an artificially taut, youthful face.
He rode a blood cloud, followed by Blood Slaughter Sect disciples.