Chapter 427
Chapter 427
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 111
>Chapter Title: Soul (4)
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‘Is this it?’
Looking at Kang Yeom, the First Realm expert of the Secret Meeting who had shriveled up like a mummy over his entire body, Mok Kyung-un scoffed.
He had absorbed every last bit of energy within the man’s body.
The demonic energy had been directly converted from yin energy, making it immediately usable, but the fire energy—close to natural earthly qi—that coexisted in Kang Yeom’s body had been separately isolated.
‘How can someone possess such opposing energies at the same time?’
Mok Kyung-un found this puzzling.
Even for him, it would be difficult, and for a half-demon like this, natural earthly qi should be the ultimate counterforce—yet it existed harmoniously within him.
Still, since he had it, and it was energy of high purity, there would be some way to utilize it.
-Tak!
Mok Kyung-un released his hand from Kang Yeom’s body, which had breathed its last after having all its energy drained.
He recalled their final conversation.
[That human woman can revive the sealed primal soul, he said.]
[Revive the primal soul? What does that mean?]
[I don’t know the details. But from what I overheard, that woman and the primal soul were originally one.]
[One?]
[······I’ll tell you everything I know, so spare my life.]
[I’ll consider it if I deem you useful. So, what can you tell me? Finish your story. What does it mean that they were originally one?]
[That’s all I know. He said that if that body and the primal soul become one, his wish would be fulfilled.]
His wish would be fulfilled?
What did that mean?
Was he planning to revive Cheongnyeong by possessing her body, which so closely resembled her?
But wasn’t that just simple possession?
‘Ah!’
In that moment, Mok Kyung-un remembered how Cheongnyeong had attempted possession and failed.
It had been a bizarre phenomenon.
Just what was Wi So-yeon to Cheongnyeong for something like that to happen?
Pondering deeply on his doubts, Mok Kyung-un asked.
[Does saying “if they can become one” imply there are other necessary conditions, or that it’s not easy for them to become one?]
[······I know it requires some kind of ritual condition. But since it wasn’t my mission, I don’t know the exact details.]
‘Not my mission, huh······.’
That meant the necessary conditions hadn’t been met yet.
If they had been, he wouldn’t be talking like this.
The Three Eyes needed three things.
Cheongnyeong, Wi So-yeon, and the ritual to make them one. That seemed to be it.
With his unique insight, Mok Kyung-un had pieced together the situation from scant information.
[Good. Then tell me where you’re taking Wi So-yeon.]
[To Mokgan.]
[Then it’s simple. Where is Mokgan?]
[That place is hidden by sorcery, so unless he sends a subordinate, no one can even know its location.]
Mok Kyung-un scoffed at that.
[So you don’t really know anything?]
[W-wait. Among the First Realm, Pa-Je and Ghost Sword are the oldest, so they should know his exact location.]
[Pa-Je, Ghost Sword?]
[Yes. Pa-Je is on a mission, so his location is unknown, but Ghost Sword follows the Heavenly Alliance Leader, so it should be possible to find out.]
[Hmm.]
[I’ve told you everything I know. So please, have mercy······.]
-Tak!
-Shooooooo!
[W-wait, this isn’t what we agreed······Kuhk.]
[Most of your information is vague, and it requires another intermediary.]
[E······even so······.]
[There’s no value in sparing you for such unreliable intel. And······.]
-Shooooooo!
[Kuaaaaa.]
[I wouldn’t do something foolish like sparing someone who’s better off dead.]
And so, Mok Kyung-un absorbed every remaining bit of energy in Kang Yeom’s body using the Grasping Form.
“Milord.”
At that moment, Sword Demon Ji Oe approached him.
Deep down, Ji Oe was sticking out his tongue at Mok Kyung-un’s ruthlessness.
For someone like him, who had lived a life close to the middle path without deviating into evil, each of Mok Kyung-un’s actions was a shock in itself.
‘He begged so desperately to live, but not only did he kill him—he turned him into this.’
It was truly cruel.
Was this the nature of the demon he needed to learn?
It would take quite some time to get used to.
In any case,
“I apologize. You ordered me to capture that Wi So-yeon girl, but I was too late······.”
-Hiccup!
It was then.
Mok Kyung-un glanced at Ji Oe before turning his head somewhere else.
“Milord?”
-Chill!
In that instant, Ji Oe unwittingly stepped back in confusion.
And with good reason—an immense killing intent had erupted from Mok Kyung-un in a flash, so overwhelming that it was suffocating.
‘Why suddenly?’
-Pat!
Then, Mok Kyung-un shot off toward somewhere.
“Milord!”
What was going on?
Leaving the puzzled Ji Oe behind, Mok Kyung-un flew off.
The direction he was hastily heading was toward the Heavenly Alliance headquarters plaza.
The reason for such urgency was that the connection with Cheongnyeong had suddenly been severed.
‘Cheongnyeong!’
The bond with his spirit servant, which had been fine moments ago, breaking could mean only one thing.
She had been annihilated.
Surpassing mere anger in an instant, Mok Kyung-un’s mind fell into chaos as he raced to the last place he had sensed her.
That place was a building right next to the headquarters.
Thinking something had happened to Cheongnyeong, Mok Kyung-un furrowed his brow as he approached.
And with good reason—an ominous, terrifying spiritual power was emanating from the building.
‘This?’
It was an excessively thick, dark ghostly energy.
Yet, strangely, this energy felt familiar.
Pushing toward its source,
-Kwang!
The area was covered in blood everywhere, and there was Cheongnyeong clutching someone’s throat.
That someone was none other than the Leader.
What in the world was happening?
He had rushed over fearing disaster because their bond had broken, but not only was Cheongnyeong unharmed—she was emanating an even more ominous and powerful spiritual energy than before.
This level surpassed even when she had become a Purple Spirit.
“Cheongnyeong?”
He didn’t know what had happened to sever their bond or cause her spiritual power to explode like this, but for now, Mok Kyung-un thought he needed to calm her.
From her current aura, it seemed she would snap the Leader’s neck at any moment.
“Cheongnyeong······. I don’t know what happened, but please calm down for a moment. With me······.”
-Paak!
In that instant, Cheongnyeong swung her hand,
-Paaaaang!
Blood surged from the floor like a wave, crashing over Mok Kyung-un.
Mok Kyung-un drew his demon sword Akjeok to cleave the blood wave.
But,
-Paang!
Instead of slicing through, his sword bounced off the blood wave.
His form was swept up in the wave and pushed back.
‘Blood?’
He knew her spiritual power had surged, but he hadn’t expected even a deliberate full-force swing to be repelled.
Startled inwardly, Mok Kyung-un realized he had no choice,
-Chok!
Focusing his power at the sword tip, he pierced the blood wave in one go.
-Paang!
No matter how powerful the blood wave, concentrating force to a single point created a massive hole.
The moment he burst through, Mok Kyung-un’s eyes widened.
The reason was,
-Uduk!
Cheongnyeong had snapped the Heavenly Alliance Leader’s neck as he mumbled something with bloodshot eyes.
The Leader, with his neck broken, lowered his head with a bitter look as if accepting death.
Seeing this, Mok Kyung-un’s mind grew complicated in a flash.
Even if he had resolved to kill the entire Heavenly Vein clan, he hadn’t extracted proper information from the Leader yet—killing him now was premature.
Especially since he was connected to Grandfather’s death to some degree, and they needed to find the Three Eyes’ hideout······.
-Splash!
The dead Leader’s body fell into the pool of blood.
Turning her head, Cheongnyeong’s eyes were pitch black without a trace of white.
Just how furious was she to become like that?
“······Cheongnyeong.”
-Mortals.
“Why are you doing this? What has······.”
-Our bond ends here.
With those cold, resolute words, Cheongnyeong clenched her fist in the air.
The blood pooled on the floor rose in the shape of a hand and grasped something.
‘!?’
It was none other than Great Sorcerer Myeong-ryul.
Myeong-ryul’s jaw had been torn off, both arms severed, leaving him in a wretched state where he couldn’t do anything.
Seeing this, Mok Kyung-un knew he had to stop it.
He couldn’t guess the exact reason yet, but there must be something for her to try killing these two right away.
-Pat!
Mok Kyung-un hurriedly unleashed Formless Sword.
-Chok!
The razor-sharp formless sword severed the wrist made of blood.
-Pupupupupu!
But in that moment, countless blood thorns flew from all directions, piercing Great Sorcerer Myeong-ryul’s entire body.
Pierced through everywhere, Myeong-ryul’s breath cut off immediately.
Mok Kyung-un’s eyes grew icy cold at the sight.
To him, Cheongnyeong said.
-With our bond severed, you can no longer bind me. I will resolve my own grudge. So you, mortal, go live your life.
It was a cold tone suggesting not just the spirit servant bond, but all ties were truly being cut.
It wasn’t merely because there were no more bindings.
Having learned all the truths, Cheongnyeong no longer wanted to drag Mok Kyung-un into Pyo Beon-hyeon’s obsession and madness.
In truth, she felt more anxiety than anger.
She feared that if he delved deeper, something might go wrong and lead even Mok Kyung-un to ruin.
Thus, she believed she had to settle it herself.
After all, she was the root cause of all this.
‘Sorry, mortal.’
-Chwarararararara!
Soon, all the blood in the space swirled around Cheongnyeong, attempting to engulf her.
She planned to protect herself with the blood and vanish.
Her resentment had deepened further, surpassing her limits, so she believed even Mok Kyung-un couldn’t easily stop her now.
It was right then.
-Chok!
The blood vortex enveloping her body was split by the formless sword.
And soon, Mok Kyung-un appeared before her.
Thinking he meant to block her, she infused her hand with spiritual power to push him away,
-Pak!
Mok Kyung-un seized her wrist like catching prey and pulled her in strongly.
“ Sorry, but I can’t let you go. You’re already my life, Cheongnyeong.”
End of Chapter 111: Soul (4)