Chapter 368
Chapter 368
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 368
Chapter Title: As Long as Breath Remains (6)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
To prevent a fight from breaking out between Sa-gyeom and the Red Dragon Palace, he said the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's plan had gone awry and the Ten Thousand Souls Blood had dissipated.
However, the truth was that the Ten Thousand Souls Blood had not dissipated.
'I've only temporarily sealed it by borrowing Master's power.'
I needed to discuss it with my Eon brothers.
But the Dokgo family's Pure Blood Unit members and the Red Dragon Palace attendants were there together.
And I was disguised as Ghost Face Elder.
'It's not the right time to bring that up.'
To separate them, I came up with a suitable excuse.
"...The young warrior you're looking for clashed fiercely with the witch who turned this land into a hellish realm for the mortal world. He's exhausted now and recovering in a remote spot on the Sakwol Archipelago, so don't worry."
It was then that Dokgo-cheol spoke up.
"If it's a remote spot, we should search the outer islands of the Sakwol Archipelago."
He seemed to have caught on to my attempt to create an opening for escape.
He took the excuse I'd tossed out and made it more specific, zeroing in on Jeongwonhae.
"Little Palace Lord. Will you help?"
Following Dokgo-cheol, the quick-witted Paeng So-jin chimed in.
"That sounds good. Little Palace Lord, could you check the outer islands? We left some of Mount Mosan's disciples behind, and we'll handle the main island."
"Understood."
Paeng So-jin would head to the secret docking bay on her own.
There was no need to add anything else.
'The sun's setting.'
Just in time, the sun dipped below the horizon, and darkness began to blanket the area.
This made it easy for me to slip away.
'I'll use Dark Transformation.'
Not only would it hide my tracks, but it would also leave the Red Dragon Palace attendants with the impression that they'd encountered the Water God.
Sha-haak—
I put my idea into action right away.
And dove into the water.
Thanks to a significant number of the resentful spirits that had filled the sea achieving nirvana, the sea's malice had subsided considerably.
"Puha!"
Thus, swimming back to the secret docking bay was no trouble at all.
But when I arrived, Dang Ok-gi and Cheon Jang-ho were waiting for me.
Of the two, Cheon Jang-ho, clutching his side, spoke first.
"You left with a look like something big had happened. What was it?"
"The Red Dragon Palace folks don't know I'm in charge of the Pure Blood Unit."
"Ah, right? But technically, they're allies. The Red Dragon Palace guys and Sa-gyeom's side don't know that."
"Yeah. I barely stopped what could have been bloodshed between allies in a battle we were about to win. What about you?"
"Me?"
"Does the thing that burst on your side feel okay?"
"Burst...? Who do you take me for, a dumpling?"
"Then why did your side burst if you're not a dumpling?"
"...No. Those guys were no joke, real masters. You know that too, Brother Yong-un!"
"You're talking back like that, so you must be fine. Need to get squeezed to snap out of it? Come here."
"Eek."
"Should I go?"
Dang Ok-gi, who had been watching quietly, shook her head and spoke up then.
"It's stitched up well, but don't overdo it. So, did you take care of that woman named Chae Hyang yourself? She had the Ten Thousand Souls Blood?"
"Well, sort of?"
"What kind of answer is that?"
"I'll explain to everyone when they get here. They're coming soon. And I'm pretty worn out too, so I need to circulate my qi and rest."
"Yeah. Oh, got it. No need for a pulse check?"
"No. Just leave me be for a bit. I'll handle it."
How much time passed as I regulated my inner state?
Kkigeok—
Along with the sound of a boat docking, my Eon brothers who had been out at sea returned.
I looked at Jeong Hyeon among them.
"Earlier, we were separated and things were chaotic, so I only glanced, but... now I see your aura's changed a bit?"
Jeong Hyeon brushed it off as unimportant and asked back instead.
"More importantly, what happened with where you went? We thought you were with the wrecked Heavenly Demon Divine Cult fleet."
"Here's what went down..."
With that opener, I recounted everything from the fight with Chae Hyang in the hidden annex connected to the docking bay.
As soon as I finished,
Paeng So-cheon crossed her arms and spoke.
"So, basically, the Ten Thousand Souls Blood is gone?"
"No. It's still there. That's what I'm saying—we need to deal with it now."
It was then that Paeng So-jin asked.
"And by 'deal with it'... you mean you're going to absorb it yourself, right, Yong-un?"
"Yes, exactly, Sister."
"Is it safe to absorb that? Didn't you say that woman Chae Hyang turned into a complete monster?"
"I think I can handle it."
Dang Ok-gi raised her voice at the exchange.
"Hey! Greed has its limits! That could end badly!"
"It's not for personal gain. A blessing made by clumping human resentful spirits isn't something I particularly covet."
"Then?"
"I temporarily sealed it with Regret, but in that process, I touched the ghostly qi leaking out. No ordinary exorcism could send those spirits to nirvana—they're that densely packed. If we leave it, this whole sea area will be corrupted by that yin energy."
If that happened, the spirits would drag living people in, turning the entire sea into a sea of death.
"And though the Black-and-White Twins are dead, the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult still has all their research data intact. Even if we seal it and leave, they'll reclaim it. Then all our efforts and the sacrifices would be for nothing."
Having convinced my Eon brothers like that, I stood up and told them I was heading out.
"Keep that in mind. Sister So-jin, please direct the altar squads along the coast and have them search the main island thoroughly. There might be traces they didn't burn in the chaos."
"Got it."
"Yes. Be careful of any hidden cultists lurking."
With that,
Eon Yong-myeong and Jeong Hyeon spoke up in turn.
"You just said the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult might target it. Then wouldn't they go for that annex? We'll need protectors."
"Lady Paeng's thoughts align with mine."
Paeng So-jin spoke again.
"Right. If they're targeting anything, it'll be that place over others. Yong-un, take these two with you."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Their opinion that the enemy would target the annex if anything made sense.
So, I took Eon Yong-myeong and Jeong Hyeon and entered the annex where I'd left Master behind.
Bogeul—
Passing through the water path, Eon Yong-myeong spotted the cave studded with night-luminescent pearls and let out a hollow laugh.
"Ha. A place like this existed. I slipped down and headed straight to the front sea, so I had no idea."
"It's a trick of the formation. It draws your gaze that way inevitably. I went straight to the front sea at first too."
"You did?"
"Yeah. Actually, I completely missed it, but earlier... those spirits passing on told me."
"Primeval Heavenly Lord. Truly, the Dao has opened for you."
As we chatted, we arrived at the inner chamber.
"Nothing here."
"Nothing here either."
I carefully checked again with them for any connected spaces or hidden presences.
"Then let's start."
Gripping Regret, I greeted Master.
'Didn't you miss your disciple?'
- Hmph. Miss what? I see your face all the time—what's to miss?
'...Ha. There was talk among the Eon brothers about sealing it and leaving it, but maybe I should've just done that.'
- What?
'Of course, I refused. Without my respect for my master, I'm left with nothing but a corpse—how could I leave you behind?'
- ...You told me to meet a disciple just like you, Master. And then you send an even worse one?
'...Shouldn't you keep that to yourself?'
- I'm saying it so you'll hear—why keep it inside?!
After a brief exchange,
Master spoke in a suddenly serious tone.
- Anyway, I've been suppressing the Ten Thousand Souls Blood's ghostly qi, but these grudge spirits' yin energy is no joke. As you said, this isn't some ordinary spirit pill.
'Yes. Strictly speaking, it's more like a barrier trapping the resentful spirits.'
- Spot on. So, you plan to absorb it?
'Yes. No other way.'
- ...To absorb this, Yong-un, you'll have to dismantle the unique mental barrier protecting your mind and draw the spirits into your inner realm to subdue them.
'Yes, I'm prepared.'
- I trust you, but... be careful. Among the fleeting thoughts of the countless spirits brushing past, I think I glimpsed that witch Chae Hyang.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Master seemed to have stopped suppressing the Ten Thousand Souls Blood's energy after his advice.
Ghostly qi began creeping up Regret's blade.
Sa-ha-haek—
First, I opened my Blood Wheel to protect my meridians.
Then, wrapping the ghostly qi clinging to my body with Heaven-Splitting inner energy drawn from my lower dantian, I tried channeling it into my meridians.
Kkieeeek!
A horrific wail echoed in my head, and at the same time,
Immense yin energy started infiltrating my meridians.
'...I can hold for now. But if this goes on long, my meridians will freeze and shatter.'
As Master said, the usual spirit pill absorption method wouldn't hold—the body couldn't take it.
'I need to deactivate Mental Immunity.'
Confirming that, I focused my mind and entered my inner realm.
A space where everything was pure white, with only me reigning supreme.
But as I willed to lower my mental immunity,
A door large enough for a person to pass through appeared starkly.
Dal-kuk.
Moments after I flung the door open.
Kkieeek!
Kkieeeek!!!
The sources of the ghostly wails, in the form of demons, began pouring into the inner realm through the door.
Seeing the demons swarm like a pack of wild dogs beyond the door, my past life flashed in my mind.
"Huh. Feels like old times."
With a wry smile, I drew Regret and charged at the onrushing demons.
Chwaak!
Chwaaaak!!!
There were so many it could be called a sea of demons, but
Slicing them down wasn't too hard.
Chwaaaak!!
But that didn't make them easy.
'One wrong move, and my mind collapses.'
The vanquished demons dispersed and were absorbed into the inner realm.
Each time, horrific screams and fragments of their lives flooded my mind.
- Uwaaaak!
Some were irredeemable villains with unforgivable sins.
- P-Please spare me! I have family, my family...
Most were utterly ordinary commoners.
'......'
In other words, these demon-shaped entities were the grudges of those sacrificed to the Ten Thousand Souls Blood.
Chwaak!
Chwaaaak!!
I swung Regret like mad.
To soothe their hatred.
And to keep hold of my sanity.
"As long as I draw breath!"
I muttered the same words endlessly.
"I won't forget your grudges! Your sacrifices!"
After swinging Regret for what felt like ages, bearing the weight of countless lives,
"...Is it over?"
No more grudges to cut down.
Then, a demon in a familiar form shot out late from the door crack.
"Blood-red eyes. Bluish skin bulging with veins. Jagged shark teeth on a woman..."
Chae Hyang.
Chae Hyang's grudge, pure malice condensed, swung its arms to tear me apart.
Ssaek! Ssaek!
Ssaeeeek!!!
But she was no longer the Chae Hyang who wielded the Ten Thousand Souls Blood's power freely.
Just a lingering ghost with only the will to kill me.
It was no match for me after enduring the screams of countless spirits.
I severed both her threatening arms.
Chok!
Chwaak!
And as I delivered the final blow to annihilate the spirit,
A thought crossed my mind.
'Absorbing even this one might be too much?'
Mixing an impure soul into my inner realm could have unknown side effects.
And it clashed with inheriting the sacrificed ones' grudges.
Mulling it over, I judged accepting her just for power wasn't wise.
'...Taking her in directly could be poison.'
So, moments after deciding to expel her from the inner realm,
Another idea struck.
"Assassin? Can you hear me?"