Chapter 147
Chapter 147
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 147
>Chapter Title: Formation (2)
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In response to Il-mok's question, An Jeok-un replied in a flat tone.
"Since there are no more questions, let's begin the lesson. For today, I'll teach you about one of the most basic formations: the Phantom Dream Formation."
With that, An Jeok-un scanned the training ground, picked up a few stones, and started walking.
"I'll first create a Phantom Dream Formation that will last only for the duration of this one-hour lesson, so watch closely. In particular, it will be very helpful to sense how the flow of qi changes by sharpening your qi sense."
Without even looking at the supervisors, An Jeok-un finished speaking and placed the stones he had gathered at specific spots while circling the training ground.
"Hmm."
He scanned the surroundings as if checking the flow of qi, nodded once, and approached the first stone he had placed.
He then pulled an empty talisman and brush from his sleeve, dipping the brush tip into the gourd at his side.
'It doesn't look like ink—what is it?'
The brush tip emerged from the gourd dyed a dark crimson, and An Jeok-un swiftly wrote something on the talisman with it.
Following An Jeok-un's advice, Il-mok sharpened his qi sense to observe the flow of qi, and his eyes gleamed.
'Hmm?'
A portion of the qi flowing from An Jeok-un's fingertips was being absorbed into the talisman in sync with the strokes of his writing.
An Jeok-un attached the qi-infused talisman to the stone, then began circling the training ground again, creating and attaching talismans to the remaining stones one by one.
Some of the Demonic Path Academy supervisors watching this scene had their eyes light up.
Each time An Jeok-un attached a talisman to a stone, they could feel the ambient flow of qi in the area subtly distort.
As the number of talismans increased, the flow of qi began to grow unstable and erratic, reaching its peak when the final one was placed.
An Jeok-un stepped out of the bizarre polygonal area formed by the stones and, as if performing a golden razor technique, rapidly formed hand seals in the air.
In response to the seals, the qi gathering around An Jeok-un transformed into a bolt of lightning the moment he thrust out his hand, colliding with the first talisman-adorned stone.
Flash!
Right after, the rampaging flow of qi stabilized.
Having finished his preparations in mere moments, An Jeok-un finally turned around to face the supervisors again.
"Hmm. It seems you're the only supervisor here whose name I know: Supervisor Il-mok. If you've sensed anything, please share."
It was an absurd question.
The previously rampaging qi had stabilized, and visually, the training ground just had a few stones with talismans scattered about—nothing more.
'He can't mean the talisman stones that are right there in plain sight.'
Answering something so obvious would just get him treated like an idiot.
And Il-mok easily found the answer.
"The flow of qi inside the area where Branch Leader Array Master set up the formation seems completely independent from the flow outside it."
An Jeok-un nodded and replied.
"Exactly right. I made it this way precisely so you could sense that. With conscious effort, the other supervisors should notice it without much difficulty as well."
As he said, some nodded as if they had already noticed, while others let out an "Ah" of realization.
"Of course, a proper formation is meant to draw the enemy in, so it wouldn't be made this obviously detectable. It could be scaled to a massive size to blur the boundary between the formation's area and the outside flow, or made far more complex to blend seamlessly with the external flow—keep that in mind."
"Then why start with such an obvious formation that's useless in real combat?"
Duggo Pae asked with a puzzled expression, and An Jeok-un replied in a nonchalant tone.
"You have to start with ones that are obvious and detectable, so you can learn to cope with subtle ones later."
An Jeok-un gave a polite answer, but inwardly, he was thinking something else.
'What an idiot.'
He had clearly advised them to sense the flow of qi at the start, so anyone with a brain should have inferred the intent.
As someone from the An family clan, which specialized in sorcery and formations and thus boasted sharp minds, An Jeok-un simply couldn't comprehend how the firstborn of the Duggo clan survived with such a brain.
But since he had come knowing the Duggo firstborn was a supervisor, An Jeok-un decided to let it slide. Worrying about it would just waste his own mental energy.
"The Phantom Dream Formation, as the name suggests, is a formation that creates illusions. Now, I'll explain how to cope if you're trapped inside it, so memorize the methods well. Then enter the formation one by one and find your way out."
With that, An Jeok-un calmly explained how to detect the artificial flow of qi within the formation and how to locate the life gate based on that flow.
"Even if the flow of qi feels stable, it's still fundamentally artificial. In more complex formations, that artificial flow would be disguised to seem entirely natural, but detecting it becomes easy once you're accustomed to formations."
After explaining how to find the life gate, An Jeok-un finally added some precautions.
"The Phantom Dream Formation I set up is the most basic version, where everyone sees the exact same illusion. Also, any injuries from the illusions won't actually harm you, so don't worry. Panicking in surprise could lead to bigger accidents."
A proper Phantom Dream Formation could access the opponent's upper dantian to revive their most horrific memories or make wounds from illusions manifest in reality—various effects were possible.
Of course, he couldn't use such a vicious one for the supervisors' first practice, so he had deployed this simple version.
Or rather.
The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult followers weren't particularly sensitive to safety anyway.
'Natural materials would be one thing, but with just talismans, time is too short.'
Creating a proper one would be tight even within the lesson time.
"Also, don't trust your sense of direction inside. Even in this basic Phantom Dream Formation, it gets distorted, so thinking 'I'll just backtrack the way I came' will leave you trapped forever."
With that, An Jeok-un scanned the supervisors and pointed at Gwaak Sul.
"You first—go on in."
He had been observing their faces while explaining, so he knew.
That supervisor was one of the few who had fully grasped his instructions.
At An Jeok-un's command, Gwaak Sul cautiously approached the formation area.
As if passing through an invisible transparent wall, the moment Gwaak Sul entered the formation.
"Eek!?"
He reacted with a startled scream, as if seeing something.
From the perspective of the supervisors watching from outside, it just looked like he had spooked himself seeing nothing.
But the surprise was brief.
Recalling An Jeok-un's advice, Gwaak Sul quickly composed himself, turned his head seriously this and that way, and began moving step by step.
It was a bizarre sight.
In the middle of an empty training ground, Gwaak Sul crept along as if crossing a cliff or bridge, spinning in circles and shifting directions.
After struggling for about the time it takes to burn one incense stick, Gwaak Sul escaped the Phantom Dream Formation.
An Jeok-un spoke to Gwaak Sul, who exhaled heavily with sweat beading on his forehead.
"Not bad speed for a first try."
His emotionless tone made it hard to tell if it was praise or mockery.
An Jeok-un turned his head and looked at Il-mok this time.
"Now, Supervisor Il-mok, you go."
"Yes, Branch Leader Array Master."
Il-mok gave a perfunctory fist salute and approached the formation.
'Tch. Annoying, but no choice.'
He wanted to half-ass the lesson and rest, but formations were a necessary education.
'Something like that time at Peach Blossom Ridge could happen again.'
Recalling how he had been swept into it sharpened his vigilance.
The moment he took his final step into the formation's area.
Screeech!
Il-mok understood why Gwaak Sul had screamed.
His vision suddenly flipped, revealing a mountainside scene, with a martial artist leaping from the underbrush to ambush him with a saber swing.
Whoosh!
But unlike Gwaak Sul, Il-mok didn't scream. He merely twisted his upper body habitually and lightly dodged the strike.
'Ambush? I'm used to it.'
After dodging the martial artist's attacks leisurely several times.
A thought suddenly occurred to him.
'Hmm? Do I really need to find the life gate? That guy's level doesn't seem that high anyway.'
Curiosity stirred. What would happen if he dealt with that martial artist? Or could he shatter this basic Phantom Dream Formation with swordsmanship?
As Il-mok's thoughts reached that point, a sneer curled on his lips.
'You side effect bastard, trying to trick me into drawing my sword?'
Curiosity leading him to draw and fight? That was utterly unlike him.
The moment Il-mok noticed it.
- Tsk.
A sound like tongue-clicking echoed in his head.
Having evaded the Soul-Stealing Heartless Sword's trap, Il-mok moved his steps according to An Jeok-un's advice, sharpening his qi sense.
Meanwhile.
An Jeok-un, watching Il-mok from outside the formation, had his eyes gleam.
He had witnessed Il-mok noticing the Soul-Stealing Heartless Sword's trap and openly sneering.
'Ho. A sneer, huh? This level of formation is nothing to him?'
It could have been an infuriating misunderstanding, but instead, An Jeok-un grew even more intrigued.
It was just a half-hearted educational formation anyway—one he himself considered sloppy.
'Well, having experienced the Bewildering Dream Phantom Return Formation at Peach Blossom Ridge, this must seem laughable.'
An Jeok-un's curiosity deepened about just how talented the famous Eighth Young Master truly was.
As if responding to that interest, Il-mok escaped the Phantom Dream Formation faster than Gwaak Sul.
"Excellent."
After giving greater praise than to Gwaak Sul, An Jeok-un acted as if Il-mok held no interest and sent the other supervisors in one by one.
Thanks to Gwaak Sul and Il-mok's demonstrations, the others struggled a bit at first but escaped without much trouble.
After a few rounds, it was inevitably Duggo Pae's turn.
As if formations held no fear for him, Duggo Pae strode boldly into it.
"Huh!"
He immediately drew his massive sword and swung at the air.
Because of the martial artist's ambush that appeared the moment he entered the Phantom Dream Formation.
Most supervisors had startled at the assault but quickly regained composure and escaped.
But not Duggo Pae.
"Hah!"
"Uahaha! Try blocking this!"
He shouted boisterously as if conversing with the illusion, swinging his massive sword.
"Uahaha! Excellent!"
"Eek!"
He even unleashed footwork and lightness skills at full power, leaping about.
Yelling at the air, flailing wildly, and swinging his sword—it looked utterly mad to any onlooker.
After watching briefly, An Jeok-un finally couldn't hold back and let out a deep sigh.
'Haa. Damn Duggo clan.'
He had expected it, but not to this extent.
He definitely hadn't listened to the prior explanation.
After enduring Duggo Pae's antics for about one incense stick's time, An Jeok-un had no choice but to intervene.
Just like when he first created the Phantom Dream Formation, he waved his hands to form hand seals.
Flash!
With a sharp thrust, flames shot from his hand, incinerating one talisman.
At the same time, the artificial qi flow constituting the formation dispersed, and Duggo Pae burst out from the illusion, shouting.
"Why interfere with my life-or-death duel!!"
"......"
Uncharacteristically, An Jeok-un was momentarily speechless.
Barely suppressing curses, An Jeok-un forced an indifferent expression and asked.
"Life-or-death duel? You mean you dueled the illusion to the death?"
"Yes. Private duels between supervisors are forbidden at the Demonic Path Academy, so I was feeling pent-up. But illusions can be slashed or killed without issue—what a perfect sparring partner!"
Frowning at Duggo Pae's deranged words, An Jeok-un asked with a 'no way' expression.
"Then, you knew it was an illusion and kept fighting?"
"Of course?"
"I clearly explained the goal of this lesson was to safely exit the formation?"
"Hahaha! Shattering the illusion head-on is also a method, isn't it!"
"......"