The Seven-Colored Treasure Pagoda (4)
Watching the scholar try to sow discord with his clone was, well...
It was so absurd it drew nothing from Jin Somyeong but a dry laugh. He shook his head at the ridiculousness of it all, only to pause.
Only then did he realize the Blood Spirit Clone was far more complete than he had expected. Combined with the orthodox-grade Cheonbyeonmanhwagong, even a mid Golden Core cultivator had failed to notice it was a clone.
Then again, it can use every ability I have except the Boundless Great Ability. It was never an ordinary clone to begin with.
He was inwardly admiring it when the scholar persisted.
"Fellow Daoist, say something. Do you truly think it's right for you alone to suffer while attacking the restriction?"
Watching the man cling to the matter so tenaciously made irritation well up in him. Under normal circumstances, Jin Somyeong would have drawn his sword by now. He had no reason to stand around listening to nonsense.
Yet ever since entering the Seven-Colored Treasure Pagoda, there had been a subtle sense of wrongness that made him hesitate.
Is this killing intent really mine...?
Call it instinct. The question had surfaced abruptly, but he could not afford to dismiss it lightly.
"Listen. What exactly are you worried about? If you and I join hands, dealing with that man will be an easy matter."
Jin Somyeong watched the scholar chatter away, trying to persuade the clone, then endured it one last time. For some reason, he felt he needed to be certain of this now.
After all, by some absurd chance, perhaps the scholar was interfering because he simply despised seeing the weak oppressed.
Manipulating the clone, which had been standing there in stony silence, Jin Somyeong made it speak.
"Enough. I don't need your help, so leave."
At the firm refusal, the scholar's brow twitched.
"What a frustrating man. I don't know how close the two of you are, but if only one of you keeps breaking the restriction like this, the gap between your abilities will grow wider and wider. Do you know why?"
"..."
"When the restriction breaks, spiritual energy will surge out. But with your spiritual power exhausted, you'll have to recover before you can even think of cultivating. Am I wrong?"
"I suppose so."
"Meanwhile, he will raise his cultivation. In other words, the more time passes, the more unfair your relationship becomes. Before long, I imagine you'll be treated like a slave."
The scholar looked at him as though asking whether he understood, but the clone remained as impassive as ever. Its expression was so plain that it almost made it look like a stubborn fool.
"Hah! I've never seen such a cowardly sword cultivator. Fine. Just wait quietly, then. I'll handle it myself."
A flash of killing intent crossed the scholar's eyes as he looked at Jin Somyeong. Seeing that, Jin Somyeong felt he finally understood the man's true aim.
So his goal was simply to make me and the clone suspect each other so we'd hesitate to fight together.
The scholar probably had never believed the discord would truly work. He must have thought that if they failed to cooperate even for a moment, it would be enough.
Now that the man's black heart had shown itself, Jin Somyeong felt oddly refreshed.
In any case, if the man had come to kill him, then Jin Somyeong could kill him without the slightest reservation.
This is definitely my emotion.
Perhaps it was the relief of certainty. Jin Somyeong could not hold back his laughter, and the scholar's brows drew sharply together.
"What is so funny to a man about to die?"
"Good. I happened to need a practice opponent. This works out perfectly."
It had been exactly half a year since Jin Somyeong obtained the Blood Spirit Clone divine ability. He had trained diligently during that time and could control the clone freely, but he had yet to use it in actual combat.
He wanted to test how strong a clone infused with thirty percent of his power truly was.
Jin Somyeong stepped well back and gestured. The clone moved forward.
"...I cannot understand this. Breaking the restriction was not enough, and now you intend to take charge of the battle as well? Is that man truly your master?"
"Stop spouting nonsense and stay alert. If you die too quickly, you won't even serve as practice."
As the clone leveled its sword and warned him, the smile vanished cleanly from the scholar's lips.
"Ha. Master and slave alike, you're exactly the same. Low-realm trash, both of you, so eager to die that—"
Boom!
The instant the clone stamped down, the ground split open as though it had exploded.
Launching into a surprise charge, the clone swung the Five Elements Sword in a horizontal arc. Just before the blade, wrapped in Sword Qi, reached the scholar's neck, the scholar clicked his tongue and brought out a folding fan as white as snow.
Hssss...
Cold air embroidered the empty space and seized the sword blade. The clone's movements slowed at an alarming rate, and just as it froze completely, the scholar snorted.
"Hmph."
He thrust out his palm. Cold energy formed in the shape of a hand from the center of his palm and slammed into the clone.
KABOOM!
The impact was like being hit by a truck. The clone shot backward like a cannonball and buried itself deep in the earth.
"Know your place. Stay buried there quietly. After I kill your master, I will become your new one. Since you seem so fond of breaking restrictions, I shall use you for that purpose."
Not a speck of dust clung to him as the scholar spoke with relaxed ease, glancing sideways at Jin Somyeong.
His eyes seemed to ask whether Jin Somyeong still intended to remain still, but Jin Somyeong merely pointed toward the clone buried in the soil.
The scholar paused and turned his head.
When he saw the clone spring out of the pit, he frowned. It was covered in dirt, but otherwise more or less intact.
"...A rather sturdy body."
Snap!
The scholar's gaze sank as he spread the folding fan.
The five white tigers painted upon the fan began to move as though alive, then sprang out of the fan itself.
—Graaaaaaah!
The white tigers erupted with savage killing intent and pounced all at once. They bit, tore with their claws, and trampled with their massive bodies. Surrounded by the tigers, the clone was drenched in blood in an instant.
The scholar curled up the corner of his mouth and glanced at Jin Somyeong.
"Do you still have leisure to spare? You had best start joining in soon."
Instead of answering, Jin Somyeong chuckled and jerked his chin. The scholar's brow twitched.
He looked at the clone with an expression that said surely not, and his pupils trembled faintly.
In the brief moment he had looked away, two of the five white tigers had had their heads sliced off.
At first, the clone had been one-sidedly pushed back, but as time passed, its movements grew increasingly refined. Through actual combat, Jin Somyeong's proficiency in controlling the Blood Spirit Clone was rising with frightening speed.
"...You're rougher than I expected."
The clone stared calmly at a claw that swept right in front of its eye and thrust its sword forward. It looked like a sword demon that cared nothing for its own life.
Slice!
In the end, even the last white tiger had its head severed.
Torn apart by Sword Qi, the white tiger shattered like a broken jar and reverted to cold energy.
The clone was hardly unscathed either. Blood dripped from between the tatters of its clothing. It was, quite literally, a mess, yet its eyes were brimming with vitality. There was even a smile at the corner of its mouth.
That was only because Jin Somyeong had grown better at controlling the Blood Spirit Clone, but to someone unaware of the circumstances, it looked no different from a madman intoxicated by battle.
The scholar, who had not lost his composure once until now, turned serious for the first time.
"Mm... My apologies. It seems I mistook the kind of men you are—"
His tone had become courteous again before he tried to retreat, but it was already too late. After things had gone this far, Jin Somyeong had no intention of letting him leave.
Boom!
A red line was drawn through the air as the clone, its entire body crimson with blood, charged forward.
The scholar summoned an ice wall to block it and spoke as if annoyed.
"Tsk. You should have known when to stop."
He clicked his tongue and spread his palm.
Rumble!
The surroundings darkened, and a hand so massive it seemed to blot out the sky came crashing down.
The clone stirred a gale with the Wind-Fire Divine Scripture.
A tornado rising like a spike pierced the center of the descending palm, and in the same instant—
Crack!
The palm falling like a meteor shattered like a pane of glass.
That easily?
The moment Jin Somyeong sensed something was off and sharpened his vigilance—
Whoooooosh!
The shattered pieces of the palm transformed into a storm of cold energy and swept over everything.
The clone, surrounded by a blizzard, froze solid in an instant. It stood stiff and motionless like an ice statue.
A sharp icicle formed immediately after, and just before it pierced the clone between the brows—
Crackle!
Red lightning scattered in every direction.
The instant lightning hotter than flame wrapped around the clone's entire body, the distance between the scholar and the clone vanished.
Rumble!
The scholar was horrified by the sight of the Lightning Escape Art, and the clone poured out Sword Qi at him in a frenzy.
"What...?"
Only now did the scholar seem to realize something was wrong. After failing several times to escape, he gritted his teeth.
He glared at the clone as though he meant to kill it, apparently realizing he could not leave this place without dealing with it first.
Crack, crack, crack!
The cold energy scattered in all directions gathered into the scholar's fan.
"Die!"
The folding fan was aimed like a thrusting spear at the clone, and the cold energy gathered into a single point surged forward as a beam of pure white light.
It was fast.
It was an attack that could not possibly be avoided, but at the same time, it was an opportunity.
The clone drew up spiritual power and blood energy, amplifying every aspect of its body...
Then thrust its sword straight into the oncoming cold.
Crack-crack-crack!
As expected, a spell unleashed with the full power of a mid Golden Core cultivator was different.
Starting from the sword tip, ice spread all the way to the clone's wrist in an instant.
In that fleeting moment, Jin Somyeong sensed this was where victory and defeat would be decided, and he pushed his focus to the limit.
Just before the ice passed the forearm and froze the entire right arm, he infused the wind raised by the Wind-Fire Divine Scripture with Sword Qi.
In a world that had slowed to a crawl—
Slash!
The clone cut off its own right arm.
A fountain of blood erupted from the empty shoulder. Toward the scholar, who staggered back with shock in his eyes—
Thud!
The clone drove a fist into his solar plexus. Of course, it was no ordinary punch.
Acceleration from the Lightning Escape Art, Sword Qi, the Wind-Fire Divine Scripture—everything it had built up was gathered into that single blow.
"Kuh-hurk!"
The scholar smashed into the ground with an explosion and vomited blood.
Just one hit. The clean, immaculate appearance he had maintained vanished without a trace. Before the man, now reduced to a beggar-like state, could regain his senses, the clone pressed the attack.
"W-wait...!"
He cried out desperately, but Jin Somyeong had no intention of giving him time. The clone was almost at its limit. He had to end this as quickly as possible.
Boom!
The clone kicked the reeling scholar in the side, then stomped down on his abdomen as though planting another forceful step.
The scholar's expression changed from moment to moment.
At first, he looked indignant. He seemed unable to accept being beaten down without even properly displaying his skills.
Jin Somyeong could understand that much. The scholar still had plenty of spiritual power. He simply could not come to his senses because the clone was pressing him without the slightest pause.
Of course, that indignation did not last long.
By the time he vomited blood for the third time, the eyes that had been filled with confusion and rage were stained with fear.
"Fellow Daoist! Wait, just for a moment!"
He muttered words that would never work, unable even to cast proper spells as he blindly poured out cold energy.
It seemed this was the first time he had ever been driven this far. He had completely lost his composure.
With his hair disheveled, he tried desperately to flee.
Even after losing an arm, the clone clung to him like a rabid dog, and the scholar thrashed in a frantic attempt to get away. But the match had already been decided.
Rumble!
The clone activated the Lightning Escape Art and slipped into his chest.
With its one remaining palm, it struck the scholar's heart and drew up the Cheonroedochegyeol.
Crackle!
The Five Elements Divine Lightning, imbued with flame, burned away not only the scholar's meridians but his organs as well.
"Aaaaaaaaargh!"
How long did that scream, thick with terrible agony, continue?
Thud.
The scholar, blackened like charcoal, collapsed.
On the verge of death, he wrung out the last of his strength and raised his head. He was not looking at the clone, but at Jin Somyeong.
"How in the world did you make such a madman your subordinate...?"
He must have truly wanted to know. His expression was surprisingly earnest, but Jin Somyeong had no intention of answering. Why would he explain his divine ability at length to an enemy?
"Damn it..."
When Jin Somyeong did not answer, the scholar's trembling head dropped with a soft thud. In the end, he died without even resolving his curiosity.
"Hm."
In the wasteland, now restored to silence, Jin Somyeong stroked his chin as he looked back and forth between the dead scholar and the one-armed clone.
The clone is stronger than I thought...
The Blood Spirit Clone had no need to fear injury.
After actually fighting with it, he realized that this advantage was far more powerful than he had vaguely imagined.
Ordinarily, people said that giving up flesh to take bone was a profitable exchange. But the clone was different.
It could simply charge in recklessly.
Even if it gave up its life to cut off an arm—no, even a single finger—it would still be a profit.
If I add Condensing Light to Extinguish Dust on top of that... then it will be a living bomb, in the most literal sense.
As he replayed the battle in his mind, Jin Somyeong began to move.
He melted the still-frozen Five Elements Sword with fire-aspected lightning energy, then collected the scholar's storage pouch and folding fan.
"Oh."
He swept over the scholar with Divine Sense to check if he had missed anything, and saw prayer beads around the man's wrist, as well as a necklace made from jade stones threaded together.
He examined the necklace first. He thought it might be a magical treasure, but on closer inspection, it was merely a jade slip.
Why would he go out of his way to make a jade slip into a necklace and wear it?
He could have kept it in his storage pouch. Jin Somyeong tilted his head, then infused it with Divine Sense.
There is an extremely high chance that this opening of the Seven-Colored Treasure Pagoda is abnormal. Keep this fact in mind at all times, and be cautious.
Jin Somyeong's eyes narrowed at the sentence that surfaced in his mind.