Chapter 59
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 59
The drops of blood slowly began to take shape.
At first, they were mere scattered droplets. Then, they pulled toward one another in midair, coalescing into a single mass that began to sharpen into a point.
The density of demonic energy grew thicker by the second—honed, tightened, and condensed.
‘I have to stop it.’
Just as Ise shifted the Meridian-Severing Blade to the hand holding the Golden Supreme Parasol and reached for the Twin Sickle Spirit Domain Uprising, the man’s figure vanished from the corner of his eye.
Swish. The air split diagonally as a sharp-tipped brush grazed past Ise’s arm.
Had he thrust his hand into his storage pouch a moment sooner, his arm would have been severed.
Ise parried the assault, snapping his head back and twisting his waist to dodge a second strike. The relentless barrage continued, driven by a single-minded determination to prevent him from drawing the Twin Sickle Spirit Domain Uprising at all costs.
Even when Ise’s intermittent counterattacks carved away chunks of his flesh, the man’s attacks doggedly aimed for the storage pouch.
All the while, the bloody mass behind him silently grew more potent.
‘What kind of Dharma spell takes this long to prepare?’
Why would he risk coming within lethal range just to protect a spell with such a long casting time? His instincts screamed that the moment the spell was complete, this tedious battle would be over.
He made his decision instantly.
Ise hurled his small knife toward the man’s neck. The blade flew straight and true. The flashy Dogwi Ghost Step, imbued with Vajra Lock, was enough to make the demonic cultivator flinch.
Seizing that opening, Ise swept his empty hand past his storage pouch, grabbed the hilt of the Twin Sickle Spirit Domain Uprising, and moved to drive it down—
—but the demonic cultivator had been waiting for that exact moment, when Ise channeled internal Qi into his Ghost Step. He was waiting for that split second when Ise, focused on deploying the barrier, couldn't coat his own body in defensive Qi.
Crimson-dyed demonic energy converted into Dharma power, shooting forth from the tip of the man's brush. A swirling crimson blade enveloped Ise’s wrist and sliced clean through it.
All sensation and control over his right hand—which held the Qi spear—vanished. A beat later, a searing, fiery pain erupted.
Even so, Ise did not stop. As if he had anticipated even this, his left arm was already moving toward his falling right arm before it was even severed.
Ise caught his own severed arm—still clutching the Twin Sickle Spirit Domain Uprising—and slammed it into the ground.
The barrier unfolded, expanding instantly to swallow the entire area.
Feeling his demonic energy being sealed away, the man’s face contorted as he tried to leap backward. However, the moment the demonic energy drained from his body, his half-severed ankle gave out, trapping him in place.
Using Dokkaebi Footwork, Ise closed the distance in an instant. A layer of Vajra Lock's golden light coated the edge of the Golden Supreme Parasol strapped to his left wrist.
The edge of the shield drove deep into the center of the man's chest.
Fresh blood splattered as ribs cracked and broke.
“Die, you relentless bastard!” the man shrieked, his voice laced with desperate rage.
Simultaneously, a massive jet of blood surged from behind him, hurtling directly toward Ise’s heart. Once a Dharma spell had been activated, sealing the user's demonic energy could not negate the spell itself.
This was a lesson Ise had learned during his battle with a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Just before the vivid demonic energy could pierce his heart, Ise twisted his body half a hand’s breadth. Barely missing its target, the spell pierced through his back and erupted from his solar plexus, catching his eye.
A scorching heat flared beneath his ribs. The breath caught in his throat.
Yet Ise gritted his teeth and forced his left arm to move. Golden spiritual energy poured like sunlight from the arm holding the Golden Supreme Parasol.
The terror of death spread across the man’s face. In the next moment, his body split diagonally. Deprived of support, his upper torso hit the ground first; half a beat later, his lower body collapsed limply.
Gush. Ise vomited a mouthful of blood.
‘Drowsiness... is crashing over me...’
Fighting the overwhelming urge to collapse, Ise drove his left hand down toward the fallen demonic cultivator's neck.
Seventh Rule of Ghost Exorcism: Always finish off a fallen enemy with certainty.
Eighth Rule of Ghost Exorcism: Even if you think you’ve finished them off, check once more.
Crack! The neck bones broke cleanly, severing the demonic cultivator into three pieces.
Ise’s body tottered. With trembling hands, he pulled a Healing Pellet from his storage pouch, bit into it, and swallowed. The few breaths it took for the medicinal effect to spread through his veins felt as long as a season.
It would be so easy to surrender to unconsciousness now. Fatigue clawed at the edges of his mind, tempting him to sink into sleep right then and there.
Ise rejected the temptation.
This was enemy territory. There was no telling what would happen if he lost consciousness.
He stumbled to his feet. Retrieving the Meridian-Severing Blade and using the Twin Sickle Spirit Domain Uprising to prop himself up, he recited the Exorcism Mantra in a raspy voice.
Naturally, the devouring phase followed.
As fresh spiritual and demonic energy flooded his depleted body, breathing became noticeably easier. He moved through the mountain stronghold, exorcising the corpses of demonic beasts scattered across the area one by one. He combed through the interior, thrusting everything he could find into his storage pouch—fragments of formation boards, True Qi flags, scraps of dharma artifacts shed from the man’s Daoist robe, and anything else in sight.
Only after sealing the corpse into the Demon Ghost Sealing Scroll did Ise finally allow himself to collapse.
‘No, not here.’
Steeling himself once more, he forced his exhausted body to move. Repeatedly dropping to one knee only to push himself back up, he put as much distance between himself and the stronghold as possible before collapsing into the concealment of a thicket.
He pulled out a Messenger Talisman, wrote the four characters for 'Requesting Backup' alongside his name, and sent it floating into the air.
Ise's eyelids slowly drifted shut.
* * *
When he opened his eyes, sunlight was slanting through the window of the Medical Apprentice Pavilion.
“You’re awake?” a calm voice asked.
Ise let out a sigh of relief, realizing he had survived.
“It’s a miracle you’re even alive. When they brought you in, I thought you were a corpse. Tsk. If you run into a higher-realm demonic cultivator, you should’ve just run without looking back.”
The medical apprentice official, who was crafting something nearby, launched into a barrage of scolding concern. Though she was a stranger, she spoke with a strangely familiar demeanor.
“While you were passed out, all sorts of folks came by and raised a fuss, including a very important person. Make sure to apologize to the people you worried.”
“Yes. Thank you for treating me.” Looking at his now-intact right hand, Ise asked anxiously, “By any chance... how much is the medical bill?”
“You crazy bastard. Is that the first thing you ask after waking up? Don’t worry. Hall Master Woo Yu-hee reattached your arm and closed the hole in your chest before she left. She covered the rest of the treatment costs.”
Realizing the 'important person' who had stirred up the Medical Apprentice Pavilion was the Hall Master, Ise felt a mixture of gratitude and bewilderment. He hadn't expected her to care for him to this extent.
“How long was I asleep?”
“About four days.”
He had been out for quite a while. The thought of missing four whole days of cultivation made his healed solar plexus and reattached wrist throb with phantom aches.
“You’re the first one to return victorious after winning a fight against someone an entire minor realm above you. The Great Martial Dao has been in an uproar over it. The Head Steward was so eager for your mission report that he kept sending messenger talismans. Thanks to you, I got quite the earful.”
“I am sorry for causing you concern. May I ask for your name, Senior? I will be sure to repay your kindness.”
“My name? It’s Seong Bo-yeong. I was just doing my job, so forget about repaying anything. Just stop coming back all beaten up.” Seong Bo-yeong waved her hand dismissively, as if annoyed, and made to leave the room.
When Ise sat up and picked up his neatly folded Daoist robe, Seong Bo-yeong whipped her head back around.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“Ah. You mentioned the Head Steward was waiting. I was going to write my report.”
“Get your ass back in bed right now!”
“Yes, ma'am.”
Ise immediately laid his head back down. Then, he began to review his recent fight.
It was a battle against a demonic cultivator who was a bundle of unpredictable variables. He felt a sense of helplessness that made him painfully aware of his lack of experience. He’d had a brush with death, but he recalled the memory of overcoming the pain and his limitations.
One thing was clear: it was a mission from which he had gained much. Invaluable experience that spirit stones couldn't buy, a vast amount of internal Qi, thirteen demonic beast corpses, and all the spirit stones and dharma artifacts looted from the stronghold.
‘Ah, I need to check the spoils...’
He had been in such a rush that he had just shoved everything in indiscriminately. If he remembered correctly, he had even grabbed leftover scraps of Fasting Pills left behind by the demonic cultivators. He would need to organize it all when he had time.
Unable to resist the overwhelming drowsiness, Ise eventually drifted off to sleep once more.
When he woke up again, the extra reward he received from the Mission Pavilion was quite substantial. He handed over the demonic cultivator's corpse for redemption and kept everything else. An additional amount, exactly double the original reward, was paid out.
Even after subtracting the spiritual objects consumed during the mission, selling off the spirit stones and unused dharma artifacts looted from the demonic cultivators brought his total to nearly eight hundred spirit stones. The pouch was so heavy he had to split the stones into multiple bags before putting them in his storage pouch.
‘With a thousand, I could buy a Qi Refining-grade Ghost Step artifact or technique.’
With just a little more, he would be able to add a decent piece of equipment to his arsenal.
After stowing his resources, Ise headed straight to his private secret cave.
Once the door closed, Ise consumed the Spirit Food he had prepared with a reverent mindset, set up the formation board containing the Spirit Gathering Formation he’d bought from the dharma artifact shop, and sat cross-legged.
The spiritual energy of heaven and earth inside the secret cave quietly enveloped him.
As he sat and examined his inner body, the subtle imbalance he had previously felt became distinctly clear. The exorcism cultivation art purified and absorbed only a portion of demonic energy, whereas devouring swallowed it whole.
A demonic cultivator at the Great Completion of the Qi Refining Stage, a 6-Star Demonic Beast Tamer, and demonic beasts ranging from 3-Star to 5-Star... judging by the sheer volume he had swallowed, it was more than enough to breach the wall of the 8-Star realm.
‘Taking on too many missions disrupts the harmony of Yin and Yang.’
Ise exhaled a long breath.
He needed to reinforce his spiritual energy. For the time being, it was time to balance the two energies through Spirit Food, medicinal pills, and orthodox cultivation methods.
One hundred and eighty days and nights passed before the secret cave opened once more.
Stinging sunlight streamed into the dark stone chamber.
It was the tail end of summer.