Chapter 48
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 48
The scent was fading fast into the distance.
Ise shot out of the alley, moving as swiftly as if he were flying. Leaping lightly across the rooftops of the buildings towering over Cheongsangyeong, he gradually picked up speed.
A cool autumn wind whipped against him.
The scent had already slipped past the borders of Cheongsangyeong. Seeing how the target was fleeing at full power, the bastard must have realized he was being hunted.
A tedious chase ensued. The distance closed, only to widen again, over and over. Even while using Dokkaebi Footwork, Ise couldn't easily catch up, which suggested the rogue cultivator possessed a Dharma artifact that boosted his speed.
However, the gap was undeniably closing, bit by bit. At this rate, he would definitely catch his prey within a day—long before the effects of the Scent-Tracking Water wore off.
The chase continued. It was a desperate sprint where neither pursued nor pursuer would yield. After running for half a day, the rogue cultivator's fleeing figure finally flickered in and out of sight.
The vegetation grew dense. Through the thick canopy of trees, the moving figure finally came into full view. Perhaps the rogue's Dharma artifact had run out of power, because the distance between them was now closing rapidly.
They had already traveled far from the Great Martial Dao, but that no longer mattered. From here on out, it was no longer a hunt. It was a battle.
Without breaking stride, Ise thrust out his hand. An Earth Attribute Dharma spell, Earth Spear, shot forward in a straight line.
The rogue cultivator leaped up reflexively to dodge, spinning around in midair. Realizing he had ultimately failed to shake off his pursuer, a flash of anxiety flickered across his face.
"Tenacious bastard... How many Dharma artifacts did you burn just to keep up?"
While Ise paused briefly to catch his breath, the rogue cultivator quickly scanned their surroundings. A moment of silence passed.
The rogue cultivator's expression shifted from dismay, to doubt, and finally to utter bewilderment. He had just confirmed that there was no one else here besides Ise. His face hardened furiously as he demanded, "You... don't tell me you came after me alone?"
"Did you kill the initiate disciples of the Great Martial Dao?" Ise asked.
"I even burned a Flying Body Talisman, and it was just a kid chasing me alone?!"
"It really was you."
"Arrogant brat! A senior is questioning you, and you just blabber whatever you want?"
Ise continued his approach, his footsteps steady. The rogue cultivator's eyes narrowed.
"This reckless little fool...!" He slowly straightened his posture. "Playing tricks wasn't enough, so you dare face me alone? Even if you're the top initiate disciple, did you think that means anything in the face of a gap in Cultivation Realms?!"
As expected, the rogue cultivator already knew Ise's identity. No more proof was needed. All Ise had to do was capture him and retrieve the victims' keepsakes—or extract a confession if there were none. After that, the senior cultivators of the Great Martial Dao would handle the rest.
Ise raised his hand, and a Fire Attribute Dharma spell, Fireball, shot out fiercely.
The rogue cultivator reached behind his back. Out of nowhere, a yellow shield appeared and blocked the Fireball head-on. A loud boom echoed through the forest. When the smoke cleared, the shield didn't have a single scratch.
Etched prominently on the Dharma artifact was its name: Golden Supreme Parasol.
Ise had thought the rogue was just boasting before, but he actually possessed the artifact. However, the real reason Ise was surprised lay elsewhere.
The Golden Supreme Parasol was far too large to be hidden inside one's robes. Which meant there was only one possibility.
A Storage Pouch.
He has a Storage Pouch...!
Ise's eyes glinted. This was a completely unexpected windfall. A Storage Pouch was a dream Dharma artifact for Qi Refining cultivators. It was the top-priority item he would have poured all his resources into acquiring if not for its absurd price, and now, it was right before his eyes.
Ise reined in his surging greed. Defeating the enemy before him took priority.
Earth Spears and Fireballs flew in rapid alternation. Though they were Dharma spells fired with considerable speed and power, the Golden Supreme Parasol blocked them all.
Indeed, it was a defensive Dharma artifact worthy of being wielded in his left hand. Just as the rumors described, it might even be able to block a spell or two from a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
"I thought you were 4-Star, but you're actually 5-Star. For someone who just reached 5-Star, your spell mastery is quite something, but that's all it is." The rogue cultivator had regained his composure, a confident smirk returning to his face. It certainly seemed difficult to inflict any real damage merely by casting spells from a distance. "The Great Martial Dao will lose a promising disciple today. I shall toast with your blood tonight."
"You really talk too much." Ise dismissed him curtly, gripped his Small Axe, and leaped forward.
The rogue cultivator formed hand seals and fired three arrows of flame.
Whir! Whir! Whir!
Dodging sideways to evade the fire arrows tearing through the air, Ise cast a Water Attribute Dharma spell, Water Wall, to block the additional projectiles flying his way.
The rogue cultivator relentlessly pressed the attack, weaving together hand-seal spells and artifact-based spells in a frantic barrage. Before long, Ise was pushed onto the defensive. That staggering array of Dharma artifacts was indeed tricky to handle.
Pushing aside the distracting thought of what a waste it was to see all those expensive artifacts consumed, Ise deployed the Dogwi Shadow-Gathering Demonic Art: Shadow Net Formation. Shadows pulled away from the surrounding trees, weaving together into a dark net that descended upon the rogue cultivator.
"Attributeless spells? You bastard, you hid your realm—"
The net spread in all directions in an instant. Unable to react in time, the rogue cultivator was tightly bound by the Shadow Net Formation. His physical capabilities were distinctly inferior compared to the disciples of the Great Martial Dao.
However, he must have been hiding a trump card of his own. An item in his breast pocket suddenly radiated a blinding light, instantly dispelling the Shadow Net Formation. A defensive talisman had likely activated automatically.
Having lost his composure at last, the rogue cultivator silently drew a pitch-black pill from his robes.
A Poison Pill.
Gulping down an antidote, he slammed the Poison Pill onto the ground. Thick purple smoke billowed outward like heavy mountain fog.
Ise quickly leaped into the trees, vanishing from sight.
"This squirrel-like bastard...!"
The rogue cultivator fired fire arrows frantically into the canopy. The trees caught flame, sending up thick clouds of black smoke.
"Die! Just die!"
Bang! Bang, bang!
Even with his vision completely obscured by the toxic mist and smoke, the rogue cultivator did not cease his attack, as if praying that a stray arrow would hit its mark.
Yet before he knew it, Ise burst from the smoke on his left.
The rogue cultivator hurled several bomb-type Dharma artifacts in rapid succession. However, Ise moved like a phantom afterimage, letting them all fly harmlessly past him.
His Small Axe flashed as he closed in on the rogue cultivator.
The rogue's face contorted as he activated another artifact, but Ise had already leaped back. The next instant, a giant Stone Hand materialized out of midair and smashed fruitlessly into the bare ground where Ise had just been.
It was enough to make a ghost weep in frustration. No matter how many consumable artifacts he threw—quite expensive ones at that—none of them landed a hit.
What kind of movement is this...?
It was like watching a dokkaebi, appearing in the east one second and the west the next.
Though they were in the same realm and he possessed vastly more Dharma artifacts, his conviction that he could win was rapidly fading. This boy was a cultivator unbelievably accustomed to combat. It was a level of lethal threat the rogue had never felt while hunting other cultivators.
In the first place, the rogue was someone who enjoyed setting traps, launching ambushes, and committing one-sided slaughters. Clashing head-on in a brutal battle of attrition like this was not his style.
Since it's come to this, I'll pour out everything I have.
Sorting out his thoughts, the rogue cultivator pushed the Golden Supreme Parasol forward and shifted his strategy. He would block long-range spells with the Golden Supreme Parasol. When the boy approached, he would inflict maximum damage while dragging out a war of attrition. Whoever tired first would lose.
And if the brat's hidden spiritual energy happened to be stronger than expected... he could just use that.
Just as he finished formulating his plan, an arc of water whipped toward him. As expected, it struck the Golden Supreme Parasol and harmlessly dissipated.
At the exact same time, the young cultivator charged in.
The rogue cultivator tried to leap backward to widen the distance. Just then, something grabbed his ankle from beneath his feet.
"Ghh...!"
His own shadow had ensnared his ankle.
He barely avoided falling flat on his face, but as he stumbled, Ise rushed right at him. With an expressionless face and a flashing axe blade, the boy resembled an evil deity descended from hell.
Choosing him as prey had been a mistake. The rogue cultivator readily admitted it.
However, the brat's mistake was also picking the wrong opponent. At this distance, even a Foundation Establishment cultivator wouldn't survive what came next. The rogue cultivator threw his head back and laughed.
"Bwahahaha! Die, brat!"
It was the fated trump card that had saved his life through countless crises and even allowed him to hunt senior rogue cultivators—the Needle Eruption Armor. The moment the Dharma treasure activated, a storm of needles would turn the surrounding area into a wasteland.
Light began to leak from the Needle Eruption Armor.
Yet the light did not last long before it was abruptly snuffed out. It happened right after the boy drew the Qi Spear strapped to his back and drove it fiercely into the ground.
"Why is this..." The rogue cultivator stared at his inactive Dharma treasure, his hands trembling in sheer panic.
The enemy's axe was already flying toward him like a hungry demon. He tried to cast a defensive spell, but his spiritual energy wouldn't obey him. He had no idea what was happening.
Emanating a pitch-black darkness, Ise's Small Axe severed the arm holding the shield in a single, brutal stroke.
"What on earth...!"
Before a scream could even erupt from his throat, his other arm vanished. The rogue cultivator wailed in agony, fountains of blood spurting from his stumps.
Ise walked over calmly and picked up the Golden Supreme Parasol lying on the ground. Having lost his spiritual energy, the rogue couldn't even resist, doing nothing but squawking in panic.
"Don't touch... my things...!"
"Why would this be yours?" Ise slung the Golden Supreme Parasol over his wrist. It had a satisfying weight to it.
He then deployed the Shadow Net Formation to bind the crippled rogue cultivator. Kicking him over onto the ground, Ise searched his robes, causing a shower of Dharma artifacts to spill out onto the dirt.
Amidst the talismans and explosive pellets, a waist guard that looked unmistakably luxurious caught the light and shimmered. And attached to one side of it was a small, leather-like pouch.
It was a Storage Pouch.
"If you resist, I'll cut off your legs too."
Though the rogue cultivator continued to scream that this was impossible, Ise paid him no mind. He picked up the Storage Pouch and examined it.
A Storage Pouch.
It really was a Storage Pouch.
Ise smiled silently.