Chapter 83
Chapter 83
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 83
Chapter Title: Breaking the Soul Enchantress's Illusion
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The Soul Enchantress gazed down at the man submerged in the bathtub.
He cut an imposing figure. From his physique to the scars etched across his face, they hinted at the harsh life he'd endured.
He must have lived a difficult one. Just that sword strike that pierced through the Demon Illusion Formation told her as much.
There wasn't a single superfluous motion in his clean, precise movements.
Like a honed blade, it cleaved straight to the core in one stroke, disrupting the entire formation.
A rare master. His level was probably beyond the peak, reaching the superhuman realm.
"......"
A realm unattainable without decades of age and experience. Yet he'd reached it, which spoke volumes about his genius.
...No. On second thought, something was off. If it was pure genius...
His sword path had been too crude. Barely any finesse.
A straightforward trajectory that seemed like it might suck you in.
There was little variation in his movements, and no trace of genius shone through.
Just the sword of someone who'd swung and refined it day after day.
".......?"
The inconsistency made the Soul Enchantress tilt her head.
Could mere effort alone reach such heights?
If so, the world would overflow with hardworking geniuses. The Soul Enchantress, Black Peony, knew full well how absurd that was.
That's why her gaze lingered all the more. On this utterly bizarre man.
...But that was as far as it went.
---Bubble bubble.
Bubbles rose up. She stepped back. The man before her, seemingly dead to the world, was trapped in the realm she'd created.
And the water filling this bathtub wasn't ordinary water, but Mistwater Whitesoft.
It was water, yet not water at the same time.
The entire bath was a conglomeration of the countless strands of inner energy drawn forth by the Demon Illusion Formation.
Its depth, far greater than it appeared, proved it. This was truly a sea of qi.
A substance that could plunge foes into heart demons on its own.
"......"
For anyone unable to control it, there was only one outcome.
They'd become a fragment scattered in the ocean depths, just like all the other martial artists before him.
The Soul Enchantress wiped away the dripping Mistwater Whitesoft. After exiting the bathtub, she changed into fresh clothes.
She knew it herself. This wasn't a test-it was a death sentence.
But... couldn't it be okay? They were men drawn by mere appearances.
Fools who shook their hips at the mere rumor of her beauty, without even knowing what "Black Peony" truly meant.
It was just punishing moths drawn to the flame.
She didn't kill them, only absorbed their energy-no harm to their lives.
So it wasn't that bad...
"......"
...She knew. That it was foolish and utterly meaningless.
Yet she couldn't stop. If she did, where else could she vent this aimless rage?
...A demon. The word for those devoured by their own deeds.
"...If the name 'Soul Enchantress' doesn't belong to a demon, then who could we call one?"
The Soul Enchantress fastened her collar.
"A demon drags everyone they meet into the same mire. Blame your luck, warrior..."
---Crunch.
The Soul Enchantress halted her step toward the door.
A strange sound reached her ears. Thinking she'd misheard, she tilted her head, but it came again.
---Crack crunch.
The Mistwater Whitesoft began to boil. Despite being a liquid that shouldn't boil, it clearly was.
"Wha...?!"
The crystal-clear water that had effortlessly devoured the innate energies of countless warriors surged violently.
It surged violently, as if overturning. The overflowing liquid spilled out of the tub.
From within, the man whose innate essence should have been drained dry rose up.
The pinnacle of the Demon Illusion Formation. A martial artist had broken free on his own.
He opened his eyes.
"...Incredibly." He said.
"An incredibly unpleasant prank, Soul Enchantress."
The Soul Enchantress staggered back.
...
It felt refreshingly clear. His entire body felt light, as if he'd awakened from a deep sleep.
He moved his hand. Gripping the edge of the tub, he then fully rose to his feet.
His dantian brimmed full with inner energy. Of course, most of it wasn't his.
The excess his body couldn't assimilate would naturally dissipate over time.
It was like overfilling a cup. Not his own, so it would leak away.
That was only natural. But... Heavenly Tribulation rejected that.
While he was away, it had devoured endlessly.
It forcibly expanded the vessel itself to accommodate the overflow.
Normally, forcing the vessel to expand would crack and ruin it.
But the culprit was Heavenly Tribulation, the energy bestowed directly by the Heavenly Demon.
His dantian had expanded to match the ingested energy.
The black roots had anchored and reinforced the spots that should have shattered.
To put it simply, it had strengthened him for the sake of devouring more.
If he'd learned the Energy Absorption Great Law, it would probably feel like this.
He clenched and unclenched his fist.
He didn't know exactly what liquid he'd been immersed in, but...
It had the same efficacy as swallowing several spirit herbs at once right there.
His martial prowess itself felt a step stronger.
Of course, the wall of the Flower Realm was still impossibly high with mere inner energy alone.
But the key was that the increased quantity alone enabled certain things.
Like this. ---Crack.
Heavenly Tribulation seeping through the cracks in the vessel.
Within those black roots, it wasn't just inner energy that had grown stronger.
External power. That had strengthened too.
He'd thought the pure muscle power he could build had reached its limit, but now it felt like it'd leaped another step.
The tub shattered under his proper exertion. The Soul Enchantress let out a sharp gasp.
"H-How?!"
In truth, it was possible only through a loophole.
Without Ghost Sword White Night, he might have withered away in the hallucination of swarming women.
Without Heavenly Tribulation, he wouldn't have resisted properly and would have fallen into a deep coma.
But he had Heavenly Tribulation and White Night. Symbols of their bonds, perhaps.
He reached for his outer robe, donned it, and re-sheathed his unsheathed sword.
Ghost Sword White Night threw a tantrum. But now it only felt endearing.
The candid exchange. The hidden intent beneath its curt, fierce demeanor.
The conversation had ended with it still threatening his neck, but he understood White Night's feelings.
Loneliness. An intensely profound loneliness.
As if it were the natural emotion for a spirit sword, White Night fretted more over abandonment.
Childish petulance, plain and simple.
To prove it wrong, he'd promised to use only her for a while.
It had been tumultuous, but... In the end, a journey where everything circled back as gain.
To cap it off, he stared steadily at the Soul Enchantress.
Her fresh clothes. Water dripped from the hem of the silk veil draped over them.
He walked slowly. Stood before her. Half-fallen on her rear, she trembled.
His hand rested on his sword. The Soul Enchantress gasped.
So... He asked.
"Where is the way out?"
"...Huh?"
"I asked for the way to Akmin."
"I-I... you won't... touch me..."
"Didn't I say so from the start? That's not what I want."
"Whether you're the world's top prodigy or the greatest beauty, I have no interest."
"From beginning to end, I've had only one focus."
Her outrageous stunt was infuriating, but she'd lost everything in the process.
It made him feel a twinge of pity. Not only had he ruined her bizarre qi conglomeration entirely.
Ghost Sword White Night had shattered part of the strange formation at the end.
By her actions, it was as if she'd uprooted her entire household's foundation.
So he decided to leave this place. "The way to Akmin is that way, young master."
"...You're not even going to lift this veil? You've passed all the trials."
"All that's left is to claim me, Soul Enchantress Black Peony."
"Didn't I say I have no need?"
"You could use me as a plaything. Use me as you wish and toss me aside. No complaints."
"Is that what you want?"
"...It'd be a lie to say yes. But a promise is a promise."
Soul Enchantress Black Peony rose to her feet.
"Aren't you curious about the face behind this veil? It's all yours."
"Take it, discard it as you please. I spread those rumors myself."
"It's only natural for the trampler to be trampled in turn."
The Soul Enchantress spread her arms. "Do as you will. With this Soul Enchantress."
"...Very well, Soul Enchantress. Then I'll ask."
"...Yes."
"Where is the way to Akmin?"
"......? I'm giving you this Soul Enchantress?"
"That's why I'm asking you. The way to Akmin."
"It's that way, but..."
"That'll do. You're free."
"I-I'm the world's greatest beauty! Soul Enchantress Black Peony!"
"For whom every man salivated and charged! If you just lift the veil once..."
"Scram. Before I split that face in half."
He left the house and walked until the fog cleared completely.
He set up a camp for the night and lit a fire.
He sat by the flames and slowly stroked the sheath of White Night.
The silence of the night was eventually broken by rustling in the bushes.
A man crawled out and slyly snatched a piece of jerky from the fire.
A woman wearing a veil appeared soon after and sat by the fire.
"...Young Master Heuk. Lady Heuk."
He sighed toward the oddly matching pair surnamed Heuk.
"This isn't a pleasure trip."
"I know. But hear me out. This Heuk Pung could be useful."
"I'm pretty fast on my feet, so I'll provide plenty of help now that I'm joining."
"Don't I owe you a debt, young master Mu? If you hadn't broken the formation, my essence would've been sucked dry."
"Repaying a lifesaver, you see."
"Same for me. I'll be more useful than that thunderbolt-headed fool."
"I know many sorceries and can improvise fixes on the spot."
"I'll show you how I earned the title Soul Enchantress. I got my life back, so I'll work it off."
"Besides... young master Mu seems a bit naive. Akmin's basically a lawless zone right now."
"You'd get backstabbed hard with that face."
"The world has plenty that raw martial arts can't solve."
"Fine for wandering, but with a clear goal, you need a jaded rivers-and-lakes veteran."
Their unified opinions assaulted him. Beaten down verbally, he rubbed his face.
"Whatever the case, I refuse."
"Hm. If you're that firm..."
Heuk Pung slyly snatched another strip of jerky.
"How about just until Akmin? We're headed the same way anyway."
"Not entirely wrong, rogue."
"Speak kindly, would ya?"
Unable to shake them off, he had no choice but to turn away.
...Fine. They'd part ways upon arrival. No point blocking fellow travelers.
"...Together until Akmin. Then we go our separate ways."
"Hahaha! Good!"
"We'll think about after when we get there."
His party unexpectedly grew.
With a man from who-knows-where.
And a woman who'd sucked dry others' innate essences.