Chapter 251
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 251
Chapter Title: Ghost Demon (3)
"Wh-what is this...?"
The leisurely smile that had always graced Hong Sundeok's face—Hong Ryeon's face—vanished for the first time.
This place was undoubtedly the soul realm she had painstakingly built over many long years.
Yet now, it was as if the owner had changed.
Can you feel it! Feel it!
The landscape, once drenched entirely in blood, had transformed into a tiny island amid a vast, serene sea where gentle waves lapped peacefully.
And an intense immortal energy that enveloped the entire space in a hazy veil.
"Husband...?"
Beyond the horizon, even up to the lofty heights of the sky.
Gazing at Geum Sihyeon's face etched everywhere, Hong Sundeok called out to him in a trembling voice.
Then.
Something like a vision that wasn't quite a vision of Geum Sihyeon vanished in an instant, and before Hong Sundeok, who had been slammed into the ground as if struck by the Buddha's palm like the Tathagata's divine palm,
"Who're you calling husband? I've never had a wife like you, nor do I ever want one."
A fully formed Geum Sihyeon appeared, squatting down to look her in the eye.
In that moment, Hong Sundeok's eyes flashed red as her Soul Subjugation Demonic Art unfolded.
"Too bad. Your sorcery and mine are in a completely superior-subordinate relationship."
The soul subjugation technique Hong Sundeok wielded was itself derived from the Heart Moon Valley Art. There was no way it would work on Geum Sihyeon.
"Husband, what in the world is going on? Your concubine just can't understand it."
Hong Sundeok forced a smile as she posed the question.
"This lord's mind-image simply devoured your mind-image. That's all there is to it."
Geum Sihyeon put on a deliberately stern expression and struck a pompous pose.
Of course, it wasn't nearly that simple.
Why else would he have bothered talking to Hong Sundeok to buy time?
It was time to understand how her unique mind-image had interfered with and intervened in the world, how it had twisted the given laws of nature to seize them in her grasp.
He reflected on the will he had awakened upon first comprehending harmony.
As long as he lived and breathed.
No one would be allowed to destroy him, those around him, or his world.
And he had vowed to the laws of nature that ultimate peace would be his very existence itself.
Of course, it was such an outrageously grand aspiration that he had nearly succumbed to Qi Deviation.
Even his prospective father-in-law had...
- That demonic energy drove him mad to the core, turning him into a great demon head. I even wondered if it was okay to just kill the bastard right there.
He had left behind sentiments like that.
Truly, a man with deep affections hidden beneath a cold, detached exterior.
That was the unique mind-image he had thus obtained.
Myriad Phenomena.
At first, he thought it was something like the Sharingan, a way to copy others' mind-images like scarecrows and wield them.
But upon reflection, the essence of Myriad Phenomena had already existed within him even before reaching the Harmony Realm.
Within the Martial Arts Return to Basics displayed by Father-in-Law.
How else could he have freely controlled the flow of his inner energy?
He realized it late, but...
The Poison Demon's unique mind-image forcibly imbued his words with persuasive power.
The Illusion Demon's went even further, temporarily manipulating others like puppets.
But neither worked on him.
Not that they didn't work—more precisely, acts that twisted the world's laws could not affect him, one who existed beyond those laws.
Hong Sundeok's unique mind-image was the same.
At first, he had been overwhelmed by that ominous atmosphere.
But it probably hadn't reached the point she desired—
Where his soul and mind-image merged completely with hers.
"How... how is that possible?"
To Hong Sundeok's question.
"I don't know either."
He answered honestly.
To fully comprehend that principle, he would need to ascend to even higher realms and grasp the laws of the world in their entirety.
Even that old fogey from the Azure Heaven Society.
And Hong Sundeok herself didn't know the exact answer.
So the Profound Realm probably wasn't enough.
Damn, seriously.
Building a peaceful harem in the martial world is no joke.
Even now, he was riding on heavenly fortune.
If she hadn't tried to devour him with her mind-image and had clashed purely with martial arts,
He might be hopping around as a jiangshi by now.
"Sundeok-ah, just to be sure, let me ask again. This is your true form, right?"
"Yes, it is. But, husband, it's a bit heavy—"
"No chance."
He steeled his will even further, pouring more power into the seal crushing Hong Sundeok.
Then, he placed his hand on her head, which was suffering under pressure so intense she couldn't even open her mouth.
No need for poison this time.
He sucked her in with full power.
"Kuh."
Compared to the disgust he had felt back in Yunnan when slurping up the fake Sundeok jiangshi, this was several times more horrific, surging through his channels.
Hatred, resentment, jealousy, revulsion, boredom, sorrow, despair, lamentation, regret, loneliness, injustice, self-loathing, shame—
A whirlwind of negative emotions battered him, and along with them came the memories of Hong Sundeok that he had previously skipped.
But this time, without skipping the whole thing, he selectively plucked out and checked the parts he was curious about.
Most recent first.
From calling that geezer from the Azure Heaven Society "Third Senior Brother."
To throwing a fit at the lecherous bastard.
And, bro, what the hell is this zero-to-hero bullshit? Seriously, acting like this in old age—what a disgrace. And from someone who's barely Third-Rate.
Going further back.
Near the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains.
Massacring unorthodox and orthodox alike in Guangxi and Guangdong Provinces without discrimination, turning them into jiangshi, smiling innocently, gathering energy—it all flashed by.
He wanted to delve deeper into Hong Sundeok's time, to uncover the full extent of her preparatory deceptions.
But as her energy waned, the scale of her mind-image shrank precipitously.
And his dominance over her devoured mind-image weakened accordingly.
"Huuuh, huuuh, stooop—!"
With the old hag's ragged outburst.
"Kuhk."
He was flung back, crashing into the wall.
Before he knew it, the surroundings had reverted—not to the vast sea, nor a sea of blood.
Back to the sacred ground of the Wudang Sect, decorated in its ominous style.
He had expected as much.
Bam—!
He spun around and instantly exploded the head of the Illusion Demon = Sundeok, who stood blankly maintaining the formation, unaffected by the mind-image.
He immediately fired a bundle of qi at the core of the formation on the Primordial Heavenly Venerable statue's head to shatter it.
But.
"Hup, hup—!"
Hong Sundeok, who had sucked up as much as possible but still retained considerable reserves, soared up to block the attack.
At least that was fortunate.
"Now it's a fair fight...!"
The previous Hong Sundeok had exuded such a calamitous aura that despair hit first—how were you supposed to fight that?
But now, she was weakened enough that if he resolved to lose an arm or so, he could claim victory.
Soon.
Boom, rumble—!
Bang—!
Demonic qi and blood qi clashed repeatedly in midair, ripping through the air with harsh sounds.
In the gaps, he swung the Six Meridians Divine Sword, repeatedly targeting Hong Sundeok's death acupoints.
"Still tricky."
"Hup, uh."
Whether she had completely lost it or not, Hong Sundeok, leaking moans nonstop, perfectly blocked his attacks with her signature blood qi AT Field.
The space was too confined to shove in something like the Invincible Meteor Strike without burying himself too.
All he had left were the basics.
"Hoo, even Dugu Nine Swords is useless here."
What kind of sword forms could you use against someone whose eyes were utterly deranged?
She just sprayed blood wildly, blocking incoming attacks by spraying more blood.
For someone old enough to have gone through menopause three times over, she rampaged like she was immune to arteriosclerosis.
- I, I'll come help...!
"No, stay back. This is an order from the Heavenly Demon."
Luri pleaded desperately in his mind, but he couldn't drag her into this.
It was hard enough protecting his own life.
How could he let his beloved Luri descend into this foul place?
Of course, he could pull back if needed, but...
"Granny. Time to measure you for a coffin today?"
"Haah, uh, uuh."
Her eyes rolled every which way, like late-onset dementia had robbed her of language too. He wanted to finish her off now.
Third Senior Brother or whatever.
If the old xianxia delusion Avengers gathered and plotted together, ugh.
And if there was a Fourth Senior Sister along with Third Senior Brother.
That meant First and Second were out there too.
He wanted to reduce their numbers by at least one here.
But.
If the world went as planned, how nice that would be.
"Ha, shit."
Beyond there.
From the passage.
A familiar, powerful energy began approaching at high speed.
If only it were an ally's energy...
Whoosh!
Thud!
Like an arrow loosed, as if fully grasping what was happening inside.
The man's silhouette.
Dropped right between him and Hong Sundeok.
"That's far enough."
He reeked of coming to end the fight.
But distinguishing friend from foe, strictly speaking, that bastard was an enemy.
"So you've decided to live as Hong Sundeok's errand boy after all?"
"......"
Impossible to read his thoughts.
Cheon Siwoo stared at him with a hardened expression.