Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Spirit Pill Eruption
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A surge of energy like an active volcano erupting within his body.
Surprisingly, the nature of the energy crashing like waves was something familiar to Baek Yang-hui.
'Spirit energy. This is spirit energy.'
All spirit herbs and elixirs carry their own unique properties.
The Great Return Pill of Shaolin and the Supreme Pure Pill of Wudang each embody the distinctive qualities of Buddhism and Taoism, infused with the pure essence of demon-subduing and evil-exorcising energy.
Ten-thousand-year-old snow ginseng or millennium flame lily grant extreme yin or yang energy, as their names suggest.
The property of the elixir Baek Yang-hui had swallowed whole was none other than spirit energy.
The spirit energy emanating from the Spirit Pill blended seamlessly with the elixir's own, merging into the Harmonious Heaven qi and unifying their natures.
'So that's why it felt like the Spirit Pill craved the elixir... Whoa!'
⚙ Clang! ⚙ The sword of the first charging assassin met resistance. Just as expected from these assassin bastards—their blades were more like iron skewers than proper swords.
He clashed sword tips and used the Principle Harmony Six Unions Art's subtlety to flick it away with applied force.
💥 Puuk! 💥 Assassin's throat severed over halfway.
With swift, efficient swordplay, he sliced more than halfway through the assassin's throat.
Dodging the body collapsing toward him amid gurgling blood, he yanked the iron skewer sword from the man's hand and hurled it with all his might.
"Krahk!"
💥 Pierced! 💥 Skewer sword through second assassin's heart.
The skewer sword pierced the heart of the second assassin charging in.
Thanks to that, he bought himself a brief moment to gather his thoughts.
'First things first—take out all these bastards.'
It had been impossible just moments ago, outnumbered and outmatched.
'But with energy overflowing like this, mowing down these punks is a piece of cake.'
—Brother Gu, handle the Valley Lord bastard!
With the mental transmission, he spread the swirling Harmonious Heaven qi throughout his body.
He was young. His muscle power was lacking, his entire physique underdeveloped, and his internal energy barely a trickle.
That was why, even with memories and insights from his past life, his martial prowess remained at third-rate level.
But.
'With enough internal energy, I can nullify most of those weaknesses!'
He stepped into the Heaven-Covering Steps. He couldn't yet infuse a single step with a thousand yet, but at least ten—no, more than that.
The assassin at the front thrust his skewer sword at the rapidly closing Baek Yang-hui, but.
💥 Puuk! 💥 Throat pierced by a hair's breadth.
By the slimmest margin—extreme efficiency in motion—Baek Yang-hui dodged and thrust into the man's windpipe.
"Even with the elixir, he's just a kid! Gang up and kill him in one go!"
Didn't these bastards know the saying about watching out for women, elders, and children in the martial world?
Assassins charged from all sides—front, back, left, right, excluding up and down—their skewer swords targeting him relentlessly.
"Underestimate the kid and you all end up dead, you fools!"
⚔ Heaven-Covering 108 Swords, 5th Form ⚔ Eagle Feather Scatter A single sword stroke deflected the skewer swords from left, right, and front.
Using the recoil, he spun and grabbed the rear attacker's blade by hand.
Even a skewer-like sword had an edge.
Normally, grabbing it barehanded would sever fingers, but his Harmonious Heaven qi-infused palm withstood it easily.
"Die, bastard."
Yanking the seized sword pulled the assassin forward, and Baek Yang-hui drove the tip into his forehead.
'One down.'
Assassins prepared a second wave from three sides, excluding the rear.
He killed the frontal one by hurling the stolen sword, then dodged the left first.
"Eek!"
Failed attack meant death. The left assassin's head rolled.
The right one exploited the opening, heedless of his comrade's fall.
Unavoidable speed and distance.
But Harmonious Heaven qi dozens of times greater turned the impossible possible.
💥 Puuk! 💥 Both legs severed mid-dodge.
Bursting with qi, he bent at a right angle at the waist.
Dodging what seemed undodgeable, he leaned forward and severed the right assassin's legs while bent.
"Krahk, gahk!"
"Hurts, does it?"
"Y-Yeah... It hurts. Scary... Spare m—gahk!"
Turning the screaming assassin into a corpse, Baek Yang-hui felt a sudden curiosity.
"Scary?"
All assassins of the Nameless Assassin Valley trained in the Emotionless Art.
They were emotionless killing machines.
Yet this one had felt fear.
'Could it be the elixir's influence?'
The assassins seemed equally baffled, as a question flew at him.
"Kid. How did you break the Emotionless Art?"
He didn't know the exact reason, but Baek Yang-hui feigned nonchalance.
"Curious? Come closer and stick your neck out. I'll tell you."
"......"
"Truly bizarre. Not only moving fine after the elixir, but..."
The assassin's doubt was valid.
Normally, upon consuming a spirit elixir, one must immediately circulate qi.
Otherwise, the explosively surging energy could collapse the body.
'If the elixir's energy hadn't fused automatically with the Harmonious Heaven qi, I'd be dead.'
On top of that, internalizing the insights from the Heart-Seed Abscess via Pure Sound Five Senses had been a godsend.
Without it, he couldn't have achieved this level of prowess.
"Talent turns the impossible possible, you talentless hack."
"The elixir's power? Kill him quick, gut him, drain the blood."
"Not elixir power—talent power. Shut up and charge. I'll kill you all."
"......Eight-Interval Assault."
At the rear assassin's command, eight charged Baek Yang-hui simultaneously.
So close their hands nearly touched the front man's shoulders.
A linear formation for rapid assault.
Baek Yang-hui read their intent from the formation alone.
Eight-Interval Assault.
Literally, half of half of half an interval.
The name alone screamed what it was: eight assassins striking in one-eighth interval chain attacks.
A mutual destruction tactic by multiple weaklings against a single expert.
'Assassin bastards, always clueless about the value of life. Think I don't know your tricks, punks!'
⚔ Sword Resonance ⚔ Bee-wing hum of vibration. His sword trembled, emitting a bee-wing buzz.
He deflected the first's attack and slit its throat.
Before the body fell, the second aimed for his forehead.
Dodging with a head tilt, he embedded his sword in its brow.
The third strike targeted his heart before he could even withdraw.
Continuous linked assaults before one could attack or reset.
That was the terror of Eight-Interval Assault mutual destruction tactics.
'But if you know the counter, it's just dog death for you lot!'
He leaped back, dodging the heart strike.
A sure-kill by weaklings on an expert?
Yes, effective if the target stays put, blocking and striking in place.
But was the victim an idiot, rooted to the spot?
💥 Puuk! Puuk! Puuk! 💥 Gaps widen with distance.
Retreating with footwork created distance, introducing gaps in the chain.
Forcing wider intervals through spacing.
That was how to dismantle assassin mutual destruction tactics like Eight-Interval Assault.
💥 Puuk! Puuk! Puuk! 💥 All eight slain.
After slaying all eight, Baek Yang-hui flicked his sword to shake off the blood.
"What now? Half your numbers gone without a scratch on the kid?"
"......"
Thanks to the Emotionless Art, no fear showed in their eyes.
Even if spirit energy countered it, experience suggested it required at least a wound to break.
They rationally halted, recognizing further assault as futile dog death.
Of course, Baek Yang-hui had no intention of waiting.
"My turn now, bastards!"
⚔ Heaven-Covering 108 Swords, 1st Form ⚔ Shooting Feather Piercing Rock Feather shot pierces stone.
His thrust, with that momentum, snapped the blocking skewer sword and buried into the foe's solar plexus.
"Kuhk?! Hurts! Hurts hurts!"
Ignoring the wailing like a child, he eyed the next.
Infusing a step with the momentum of leaping several zhang, he advanced.
Thus, he shoulder-checked the collapsing body.
💥 Puuk! Puuk! Puuk! 💥 Using corpse as shield.
Undeterred even using comrades as shields, the assassins thrust.
The sound of sharp tips piercing flesh rang out.
Before they could retrieve, he pressed the corpse down to expose a gap and swung.
"No camaraderie among you bastards?!"
⚔ Heaven-Covering 108 Swords, 5th Form ⚔ Eagle Feather Scatter Variations: 4th, 2nd, 5th, 6th
Executing Heaven-Covering Steps, he advanced in a zigzag path.
Each step paired with flashy sword swings.
Such talon-sharp strokes.
The linked sword dance swept all directions.
"Whew. Just two left?"
Of the horde, only three remained including the Valley Lord.
Good thing they had the Emotionless Art.
Otherwise, fear would have sent them fleeing.
"Come on. Who dies first?"
"......"
"......"
The two exchanged glances and fled in opposite directions.
Ah, no emotions, but self-preservation's universal.
'Rational judgment doesn't vanish, after all.'
Too late for that, bastards.
Still churning like a volcano, he infused his sword with qi.
Raised one leg high, stomped down to generate force, and hurled the sword.
⚔ Sword Throw ⚔ Hum of power! "Krahk!"
The unblockable speed and force pierced one's back.
As it fell, he launched toward the other.
'One left? Easy without a sword.'
The distance had grown, but.
Volcanic elixir energy made pursuit trivial.
"Running's a pain, huh?"
Kicking off strongly, he thrust his knee.
The last assassin's spine snapped on impact, ending him.
"Phew. Came close to dying there."
Not close at all, having slain over a dozen.
Still, genuine relief washed over him.
It had been a massive gamble eating the elixir on instinct.
Lucky it worked; otherwise, death.
'Just the Valley Lord bastard left.'
Baek Yang-hui flew toward the fray.
Blood Lord Gu-ak and the Nameless Assassin Valley Lord still clashed fiercely.
⚔ Clang! Clash! ⚔ Unlike before, urgency in Valley Lord's strokes. Gu-ak pursues if he flees. "Brother Gu! I'll help!"
"Hahaha! Come on!"
At that moment, the Valley Lord shouted.
"Claiming righteousness yet ganging up cowardly!"
"Yep!"
"......"
"A fiend assassin calling us cowards?"
He swiftly subdued and forced the Valley Lord to his knees.
"Whew. Thought I was done for, but this turn. Little brother, what happened to your power?"
Ignoring the question, Baek Yang-hui said instead.
"Brother Gu, seal his pressure points and stand guard."
The reason one must meditate immediately after a spirit elixir.
To fully store its energy in the dantian.
'Missed the chance in hindsight. Without these bastards, I'd have meditated right away.'
Baek Yang-hui sat cross-legged at once.
First time consuming a spirit elixir—couldn't waste it.
Had to pack every bit into his dantian.
'Not a grain left— all into my internal energy!'
Thus began his most desperate meditation ever, across two lives.
And then he realized.
'Huh? What is this...?'
Clearly, he'd fought without meditating post-elixir.
For survival, but essentially wasting it on the ground.
Yet now.
The elixir's spirit energy permeating his body flowed wholly into his dantian.