Chapter 979
Chapter 979
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 979
Chapter Title: Path of Radiant Ascension
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“Wah. You’re doing something awfully cute. You ronin scum. I’ll suck every last drop from your souls.”
Mobi-seol rose to his feet. Even with a sword lodged in his body and blood spewing from his mouth, he stood up calmly without so much as a scream. The sight was enough to instill terror in the squad members.
Doesn’t look like bluffing. Is it a trait of being a yokai?
Good thing. I could just capture him and pry info about Muk Ji-ryeon out of him.
“What are you waiting for? Don’t just stand there—attack.”
I gave the order to the squad. Seong Ji-gon moved first. His recent spars with the others had sharpened his senses. His sword aimed straight for Mobi-seol’s neck. But Mobi-seol raised a hand and caught the blade.
The squad members charged from all sides, stabbing at Mobi-seol’s body. Thud, thud-thud. Grisly sounds echoed. Yet Mobi-seol’s face remained serene.
“Your swords pose no threat to me.”
Mobi-seol spun his body. The squad members flew backward. A few collided with his arms, their heads bursting open. Seong Ji-gon slammed into the wall, letting out a faint groan as he pulled himself up.
“Ngh… What kind of monster is this?”
Mobi-seol slowly pulled the weapons from his body. His wounds began healing at a rapid pace.
I stood up. The energy radiating from Mobi-seol felt like the Five Qi realm—same as mine. Seong Ji-gon and the Iron Five couldn’t handle him.
“Not sorcery, huh? Martial arts? Or a power you were born with?”
“Heh heh. Ever heard of the Immortal Divine Art? That’s the technique I’ve mastered. Perfect it, and no attack can kill you—you become an immortal god.”
He boasted proudly. Buying time to heal, no doubt. I used the opening to press further.
“Who’s behind Muk Ji-ryeon?”
“Behind Muk Ji-ryeon? What’re you talking about?”
“A guy like you must hold a high position in Muk Ji-ryeon. Cut the act and spill. Who’s pulling the strings? To make it simple: who gave you this note?”
I shook the note in my hand. Mobi-seol’s face stiffened for a moment upon seeing it. But he soon grinned.
“Oh, that note? Picked it up on the way. No idea.”
Not planning to talk easily, huh. Fine. I’d chop off his limbs and ask again.
I gripped my Flame Lotus Sword and stepped forward. Mobi-seol grinned, then opened his mouth wide.
“Wah! Baby!”
The squad members scattered in all directions. Meanwhile, my body was pulled toward Mobi-seol by some inexplicable force.
“You look tasty enough to savor. I’ll eat you headfirst, alive.”
I didn’t resist. I saw it as an opportunity.
Get close and finish him. Swing first before he grabs me.
The moment I raised my sword, his palm moved faster. An orange energy flashed from it.
“Behold—the Vermilion Divine Palm.”
Orange energy burst from his palm, slamming into me. It hit my abdomen dead-on, sending me tumbling backward across the floor.
Palm wind… A palm technique.
Ptoo. I spat the blood pooling in my mouth onto the floor. With my internal energy reinforcing my body, a few palm strikes wouldn’t take me down.
But keep taking hits, and I’m in trouble.
I didn’t want to get pummeled either.
Acceleration.
I charged at Mobi-seol. He grinned and raised his right hand, vermilion energy gathering there.
Moment.
In an instant, I leaped to his side.
Shadow Heaven Style: Thunder Light.
My blade flashed, red lightning crackling along it.
“Ugh, wah!”
The sword didn’t connect. A shockwave from him hurled me back.
“Wah! Wah!”
Escaping danger, Mobi-seol laughed, mimicking a baby’s cry. My body floated up, drawn toward him again.
Every time that bastard cries, it either pulls me in or pushes me away. Repulsion and attraction?
Not rattled. I’d half-expected it. Still, being yanked around by someone else’s will pissed me off.
“This time, I’ll smash your guts to pulp!”
Vermilion energy swirled in his palm. As he thrust it out, I triggered my skill.
Heaven’s Heart.
The pulling force vanished.
Moment.
I dodged the palm strike and swung my sword. Red lightning danced wildly along the blade.
Shadow Heaven Style: Thunder Light.
The red slash carved into his shoulder. I didn’t stop. My left hand—swordless—shot toward his abdomen.
Heavenly Demon Divine Art: Heavenly Demon Divine Palm.
“Gwaaaah!”
Mobi-seol’s massive frame flew back, crashing through the inn’s wall, rolling across the dirt into the wooded forest.
Stabbed repeatedly and still fine. Won’t go down from that.
I stepped out through the shattered wall. Seong Ji-gon and the ronin followed at a distance, watching.
“Ugh, wah… My guts are mush… It hurts so much… Wah…”
Mobi-seol lay face-down on the ground, curling up like a pill bug.
“Wah… Wah… Waaah.”
He wailed. The low, spreading baby cries sent chills down the spine.
Crunch, crrrunch.
The transformation began. His body swelled. Solid muscles melted into squishy flesh, expanding. Eventually, he became a house-sized infant. The true form of the yokai Mobi-seol.
“Wah!! Waaaaaah! Wah wah!”
His cries were deafening, ears ringing. An invisible force raged around him, snapping trees, hurling leaves and stones with lethal force.
No rationality. Completely abandoned reason for instinct?
Nothing special. Most yokai valued instinct over reason.
I glanced up. Outside the inn—no ceiling. Clear night sky, not a cloud in sight.
Lightning Strike.
Krarum!
His wail cut off abruptly.
“…Waaaaaah!”
It grew louder.
Not one shot? How about two, three?
Thunder boomed as lightning struck repeatedly. The area flashed bright. Seven bolts in three seconds—yet Mobi-seol was unscathed.
Way too tough. Earth attribute?
Earth countered lightning.
Lightning ineffective? I’ve got my sword.
I charged. Heaven’s Heart still active.
About ten seconds left. End it in one go. Genius Time.
My senses sharpened intensely. His invisible telekinetic-like force tried snatching me but failed repeatedly. With Heaven’s Heart active, I was immune to debuffs. No invisible power could halt me. Hurling trees or rocks would hurt more.
A hurricane swirled around Mobi-seol. Trees and stones flew wildly.
I can feel every single pebble.
Genius Time made my senses razor-sharp. I blocked what I had to, deflected the rest, and reached him.
His stubby hand reached out. His massive mouth gaped like a toad’s, filled with razor teeth—disgusting on its own.
Whoosh.
Flame Lotus Sword’s blue aura erupted like flames, coalescing into a sword beam.
I swung. No form, no meaning—just mechanically fast.
“Waaaaaah! Aaaah! Aaaagh!”
Mobi-seol screamed. His blood splashed me. I didn’t stop. The sensation of slicing flesh felt exhilarating today.
“Ah, aaaah…!”
When I snapped out of it, he was shredded everywhere but the head.
Oh, right—I had questions.
Lost in the fight’s flow, I’d diced him up except the head.
Nothing for it. I’ll investigate later… Huh?
Flesh and organ chunks on the ground wriggled like maggots, slowly gathering. Regenerating steadily. He wasn’t dead.
His Immortal Divine Art, was it? Plus yokai blood.
The art seemed closer to sorcery than martial arts.
Good I didn’t hold back. But left like this, he’ll fully recover.
My shoulders ached. Heaven’s Heart used up. Didn’t want round two.
I called Seong Ji-gon and the Iron Five over after a moment’s thought.
“Hey, you lot. Quit spectating and get over here!”
I beckoned. The Iron Five rushed up, awe in their eyes.
“Keep attacking so he can’t regenerate. I’ll be right back.”
“Where to, sir?”
Jin Gu-eon asked.
“If he’s truly immortal, I need another way.”
“Yes, sir! We’ll stop him regenerating! Uh, mind if we try burning him?”
I doubted mere fire would do it.
“Knock yourselves out.”
In a spot out of sight, I used spatial transfer. Light enveloped me, depositing me on Nakwol Mountain. I’d ask Mi-ryeong how to deal with the undying Mobi-seol. As a Three Peaks sorceress, she’d know.
“Mi-ryeong! Hubby’s here!”
???
I returned to the inn at dawn. Mi-ryeong gave a simple solution—in under ten minutes. My late return? Catching up physically with her after so long.
“Yu-jin. Find a way?”
“Of course.”
Seong Ji-gon leaned against the inn. I raised my hand, showing the talismans Mi-ryeong gave me. He nodded in admiration.
We headed to Mobi-seol. The air reeked of blood and burning meat.
“Sung Yu-jin-nim! You’re back!”
Jin Gu-eon bowed deeply. Having seen my power firsthand, he was even more deferential.
I nodded and eyed Mobi-seol. Smaller than hours ago—his head shrunken to human size, face twisted in pain.
Chunks of his flesh twitched around him. The squad hacked, smashed, and burned nonstop.
“Any issues?”
“He’s shrunk some… but no other problems. Weird thing—even burning the flesh, it regenerates.”
I approached. His head dangled from a tree branch.
“Ready to answer now?”
“…Wah… Do what you want… I won’t talk.”
“Why not? You want relief too. Let’s end this easy.”
“I don’t die. Not in years, decades. Sung Yu-jin, right? One day, I’ll chew you alive.”
Hatred dripped from his words. The squad flinched. Made sense—headless immortal threatening like that was creepy. Not to me, though.
“A guy whose head I can crush is bluffing.”
“Think that’ll kill me? If you really believe it, smash it.”
He smirked. No falling for the bait. Annoying if he didn’t die, disastrous if he did.
“That confident, huh. Fine. You win. Won’t ask. I’ll wait till you feel like talking.”
I approached. His eyes shook at the talisman in my hand.
“…That’s an ominous talisman. What is it?”
“Cuts off regeneration.”
“…No such talisman exists…!”
“Let’s find out.”