Chapter 64
Translator: penny
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: Caught the Tail (2)
The moment the grand hall containing Hyang Mae and Ahan was devoured by the massive wood dragon, I felt a colossal rage surging up from within me.
“Uwaaaaaah!!”
Even as my eyes rolled back in fury and I let out a howl, a corner of my mind remained strangely calm, sensing something off.
Oddly enough, my voice crying out in rage didn't feel like my own. It resembled the scream-like roar of the dragon that had been attacked by the bird during my enlightenment in the Immortal Realm.
The situation was bizarre—me raging madly and the me analyzing that rage coexisting—but unfortunately, the circumstances didn't give me time to calmly analyze this phenomenon.
My enraged body swiftly formed the mudra for the Water Harmony Art, followed by a hand seal I'd never formed before, one I'd never even seen.
Along with it, unfamiliar knowledge bubbled up from the depths of my consciousness.
'This is...!'
I knew what this phenomenon was.
When great beings of the Immortal Realm enter reincarnation and become cultivators in their next life, they gradually awaken to their past lives through cultivation.
And among them, not just simple memories of past lives, but forgotten knowledge of spells and divine abilities from those lives can suddenly well up.
This current phenomenon resembled that.
The spell I was now unleashing was the divine ability dwelling within my Immortal Realm enlightenment.
Though it should have been a divine ability, since I—a Core Formation cultivator—like the saying "even the greatest treasures appear mundane in the mortal world," it manifested in the form of a spell.
Lamenting Fury Dragon Hand
Divine ability from Immortal Realm enlightenment, manifested as spell
Spiritual power soon gathered to my left side, taking the form of a massive dragon's hand.
The dragon's hand resembled a bird's leg covered in scales.
Four toes extended—three forward, one back—each curved like hooks with claws sharper than any famed sword glinting fiercely, the entire foot covered in orange scales that gleamed like jewels, making it look at a glance like an artistic piece crafted from gems.
Yet the energy contained within was more ferocious than any spell I'd ever seen, vividly conveying the grief and rage of a dragon as if the heavens themselves had been upended.
'...I get it.'
Seeing that spell, I realized the source of the rage now surging within me.
With that small realization, I sent my divine sense into the wood dragon to pinpoint the exact locations of the three, then swung the Lamenting Fury Dragon Hand.
The massive dragon's left claw tore through the air as it swung, cleaving the wood dragon in two in an instant. From one of the four severed segments, the three burst out, wrapped in a water barrier.
The moment So-hu realized they were out, it wrapped Hyang Mae and Ahan in its tail and swiftly dashed to my side. The two, who hadn't grasped the situation, spotted me and broke into bright smiles before throwing themselves into my arms.
“Yoo Lang!”
“Master!”
“So-hu.”
I hugged the two clinging to me and spoke to So-hu.
“Yoo Lang?”
“I know this rage surging inside me right now isn't mine.”
When I'd previously devoured Hoo's spirit nature, a tiny heart demon had come to me.
In the form of irritation and anger.
Back then, I'd thought it was simply because of the heart demon that my mind so easily grew irritated and enraged.
But this time too, the heart demon had come in the form of anger, trying to swallow me whole.
Even though my soul was protected by the Eighty-Four Thousand Verses Precious Pagoda, an utmost-grade immortal treasure.
“This rage stems from your spirit nature—your rage, So-hu.”
It was astonishing.
No matter how much the Eighty-Four Thousand Verses Precious Pagoda was sealed layer upon layer, suppressing its power, its essence was beyond supreme-grade. There was no way some paltry heart demon could shake me.
Yet in reality, until just moments ago, I'd been subtly gripped and shaken by the heart demon without even noticing.
That meant the source of this heart demon—Hoo's spirit nature—held something extraordinary. And the dragon I'd seen in the Immortal Realm enlightenment was no ordinary dragon commonly found there.
“Looks like we'll need to have a talk later, just the two of us.”
This wasn't just empty words. A threat. Sensing the coercive intent in my words, So-hu hesitated a moment before nodding.
“Understood.”
She replied...?
“You could talk this whole time?!”
“So-hu spoke!”
“Wha?! How, without even using the Fiery Punishment?!”
We three turned to So-hu in shock, and as we all stared at it simultaneously, So-hu startled, fur bristling, and hurriedly pointed its horn toward the wood dragon in panic.
“Th-there's a reason I haven't spoken until now. I'll explain later, but for now...”
“Ah, Master! That's the man! The one in the blood-red robe we fought over the Wood Spirit Lotus Grove! He ambushed us!”
“I see. So that's how it is.”
Having swung the spell once, with my rage somewhat subsided, I regained a bit of calm.
Carefully checking my soul, I saw the pagoda emanating a soft glow, enveloping my spirit root.
'Now that I've clearly recognized the heart demon, the pagoda's exerting its power more actively.'
The Eighty-Four Thousand Verses Precious Pagoda—refined from the unutterable true teachings into eighty-four thousand verses of scripture, then forged into pagoda form—was a dharma treasure that protected me, vanquished my outer demons, and guided me on my path.
That 'guiding power' also included protecting me from heart demons and supporting my Dao heart from shaking. Knowing that only made me more curious about So-hu's origins.
At the same time, I wondered why I kept encountering so many Immortal Realm beings.
I'd thought it strange how, starting from the Ancient Secret Realm, I'd continuously formed karmic ties with Immortal Realm existences, but now it turned out I'd been tied to them since So-hu.
As I pondered this while warily watching the unmoving enemy, the man in the blood-red robe stepped onto the wood dragon's body—which hadn't collapsed and still held its form—and stared at me.
'As expected. He's younger, but it's definitely the same man I fought before.'
That was all I thought, but for some reason, the man before me stared back with eyes wide as if he'd seen something he shouldn't have.
Wary of his movements, I retrieved the Tiger Dragon Stormwind Armor and Heaven-Defying Golden Crown from my storage pouch and donned them, forming the Water Harmony Art mudra as I kept my guard up against him.
Ahan, lacking combat ability, fell back, and the man—who'd stood still while Hyang Mae summoned her tamed spirit beast from the blue lotus-shaped water orb—suddenly convulsed and burst into laughter.
“Hahaha! Heh heh heh! So this is what they call fate?”
Then, spreading his arms wide, he shouted to the heavens.
“Heavens! On this day, I thank you for your existence! To think I'd meet my sworn enemy so soon!!”
The man aimed a pitch-black wood spear at me with his freakish arm—a demon beast's, seemingly replacing the one I'd ground to dust before.
The moment the wood spear targeted me, an intensely ominous chill washed over me.
“What do we do, Yoo Lang? He's Nascent Soul Realm.”
“We'll see.”
Nascent Soul Realm. Nascent Soul Realm, huh.
Could I handle him?
I had experience fighting a Nascent Soul puppet, but puppets were objects that followed pre-programmed action patterns unless directly controlled by a cultivator.
No different from a boss monster in a game moving according to patterns.
That's why, even at mere Foundation Establishment Perfection, I'd been able to fight a Nascent Soul puppet, learn its patterns, and gradually achieve better results.
'I can't expect rigid, predictable puppet-like actions from a living Nascent Soul cultivator.'
Still, judging from how I'd sliced through the wood dragon with the Lamenting Fury Dragon Hand, even if I couldn't overwhelm him one-sidedly like I'd done to a Core Formation cultivator back at Foundation Establishment, I could at least hold my own in an even fight.
If I'd fully mastered the Crimson Immortal Merging Strike Art and integrated it into the Water Harmony Art, learning spells befitting Core Formation, I might have fought even better... but the bastard screaming about vengeance wouldn't give me that leisure.
“Yoo Lang, was it? Dao companion? Wife? Doesn't matter! Thanks to her, I can exact even sweeter revenge! I'll hack off your limbs and toss you in a pigsty! Then fuck your woman right in front of you!”
“......”
From my throat came a growl resembling So-hu's. The heart demon suppressed by the pagoda threatened to surge again.
“Yoo Lang.”
Hyang Mae grabbed my shoulder, her eyes signaling me to calm down.
“Don't worry. I'm merciful, you see? I'll specially attach a sow for you. If you can't hold back while I fuck your woman, feel free to enjoy the pig!”
At his following words, I felt Hyang Mae about to erupt in anger this time.
I hurriedly clasped my hands together like Elder Battle Guardian Buddha had done.
Clap!
As I clasped, I simultaneously released pure spirit power in all directions, and Hyang Mae—who'd seemed ready to charge in her rage—calmed down instantly.
“Hyang Mae. Just stall for time. Stall.”
“Yoo Lang.”
“Trust me, and focus on enduring while we escape.”
Saying that, I unleashed the Water Harmony Art at him.
Water Harmony Single Sun Jade.
Water Harmony Single Sun Jade
A small sun born of water essence, vastly amplified in power
The small sun I created hurtled toward him at a speed incomparable to my Foundation Establishment days, engulfing the man. But he swung his wood spear, effortlessly slicing the Single Sun Jade apart.
“Uhahaha! Impressive! Your spell's power rivals mine! But! The gap between Nascent Soul and Core Formation is wider than you think!”
Shouting that, the man formed a divine ability mudra and swung his hand. A massive flower bloomed in the air, instantly swallowing us whole.
Trapped inside the flower, we were like insects caught by a carnivorous plant, our bodies entangled in sticky mucus.
Hyang Mae, close to me, pressed her chest against my face, while Ahan behind me clung tightly to my lower body—a situation that would have been quite awkward if we hadn't already consummated our relationship.
But the real problem wasn't this awkward position or the stickiness.
“Master! Our spirit power's being absorbed!”
As So-hu cried out, the flower began draining our spirit power.
“Damn it!”
The first to be fully drained was the fish-shaped spirit beast Hyang Mae had summoned; it melted away and vanished the moment its spirit power was gone.
I tried to incinerate the flower with my remaining spell power via Blazing Palm Seal, but the flower wasn't even singed by the hit—instead, it deliciously absorbed the Blazing Palm Seal.
“Heh heh heh! You'll never escape my divine ability.”
And then that irritating voice rang in our ears.
I tried several spells, but the flower only grew larger and lusher, feasting on them.
Hyang Mae, Ahan, and So-hu tried something too, but with no effect.
'...No choice then.'
Suppressing my sorrow, I pulled out a shield-shaped flying dharma treasure.
I hurled it at a spot away from us, then detonated it with the Water Harmony Art.
KABOOOOM!!!
A massive shockwave hit us.
A huge hole tore open in the flower, and the mucus evaporated instantly upon contact with outside air, allowing us to escape quickly.
“Cough! Cough!”
But before I could rejoice at breaking free, I fired a Single Sun Jade. It collided with the man's spell, causing a massive explosion.
The shock blew away the weakened flower.
“You should have used a divine ability. Was that flower the extent of your divine abilities?”
“......Impossible! No way! How could a mere Core Formation shatter my divine ability?!”
The man finally lost his composure, eyes rolling back as he screamed.
He'd thought he could toy with me as a Nascent Soul, but since I fought better than expected, irritation had set in.
But... I'm irritated too. I had to sacrifice a dharma treasure, and we've stalled this long—what the hell is that guy doing!
I looked up at the sky and shouted.
“Senior Pyeong! You've arrived already—when are you going to help?!”
At my outburst, everyone's gazes turned skyward. High above, Pyeong Yu-ran appeared from within the sunlight, laughing. Beneath her favored red armor, she wore the distinctive brown robe of High Heaven Sect. Even to me, who'd been in seclusion for a year, she looked every bit the proper Nascent Soul cultivator of High Heaven Sect.
“Young Master Yong, you're fighting so well—wouldn't it be rude for me to butt in and ruin the fun?”
At Pyeong Yu-ran's words, I let out an exasperated chuckle and shot back sharply.
“Senior Pyeong, I wouldn't know what manners exist in the Su Realm where you were born and raised, but here, if a fellow sect member is fighting, you help first and ask questions later.”
Pyeong Yu-ran grinned even more mischievously at my words.
“Hahaha. My apologies. It's a shame Young Master Yong just emerged from seclusion and hasn't fully consolidated your power and enlightenment yet. Otherwise, you could've fought even more spectacularly.”
Pyeong Yu-ran drew the Great Freedom Heaven Sword she'd used against me before, laughing as if truly regretting missing a good show. Its blade gleamed far sharper than at my Core Formation Perfection, with an even more ornate appearance.
Pyeong Yu-ran clashed lightly with the man a few times before pulling back, sword aimed at him as she said.
“It's been a while since we met at the ruined outer sect grounds... Shall we finish that unfinished fight?”
“......”
Alternately glaring at me and Pyeong Yu-ran, his face twisting further, the man unleashed Wood Escape Technique and vanished beneath Bright Accumulation Valley.
“Haa.”
Seeing that, I slumped over So-hu and sighed.
Once back, sort out the heart demon and consolidate my enlightenment and cultivation.
Then...
Let's kill that bastard.
In this state, it was nearly a draw close to defeat, but with more preparation, I could win.
'Dare to say that shit about my woman?'
You're dead next time we meet.