The Primordial Spirit's Fury
The Honwon Stone pillar remained completely unscathed even after the battle's aftermath. At first the winged horn serpent had guarded it with fanatical care, and from the midpoint onward it was thanks to Han Yujin stepping in, subtly watching over it without ever drawing attention.
Roughly three stories tall and studded with crystalline fragments that radiated an enigmatic white glow, the pillar had a way of bringing a contented smile to one's face the moment it entered your sight.
Rumble...
Earth and debris shifted with a heavy grinding sound as he carefully pried the pillar free from the ground using earth-manipulation arts.
While he focused on the task, Mu-yong—shrunken to her smallest size—found her gaze stolen by the Cloud Dragon circling Han Yujin. Sensing her stare, the Cloud Dragon mischievously darted closer, then slipped away again in a playful loop.
Jjik—!
Every time Mu-yong thrust out a paw to catch it, the Cloud Dragon nimbly vanished. She gradually poured on more speed until she was finally deploying movements that approached the level of absolute determination.
Unfortunately the Cloud Dragon, a summon born already containing space-time power, was simply too fast. The instant she believed she had seized it, the creature would strangely flicker out of existence and escape.
“What are you, a cat?”
Jjik! Jjijik—!
At Han Yujin’s sudden remark, Mu-yong abruptly stopped their game of tag as if trying to salvage some dignity. Her eyes, however, continued tracking the Cloud Dragon as it orbited them.
A short while later.
Having harvested not only the pillar but every last speck of Honwon Stone from the surrounding soil, Han Yujin immediately stored them inside the Mountain Sea Pearl.
Space warped. The pillar shrank steadily until it was swallowed by a golden mirage and vanished without a trace.
Now the Mountain Sea Pearl should grow as well.
There were many ways to nurture the Mountain Sea Pearl, but one of the most effective was to enrich the spiritual energy density using Honwon Stones. Doing so would stimulate the grotto-heaven’s structural laws, deepening its link to the Honwon realm and allowing the internal space to expand according to its hidden blueprint.
It was possible to accelerate the process by consuming the stones outright, but there was naturally no reason to waste such precious resources in a rush.
If he wanted faster growth, he could simply find more Honwon Stones here.
With that thought, his body transformed into a streak of light and shot skyward.
Having reached the Nascent Soul stage, his divine sense had grown far stronger and the spells he deployed were markedly more potent. He could now survey vast areas with far greater speed than during his Core Formation days.
He continued the exploration smoothly while remaining vigilant not to miss even the smallest detail.
It did not take long before he discovered another region where the spiritual energy density thickened noticeably. Moving to its center and identifying the cause was equally swift.
“...Hmm.”
Strangely, another pillar of similar height and shape stood before him. Naturally the guardian creature and surrounding environment were different.
A massive spider that could easily be mistaken for a boulder if it remained still clung to the pillar. The area was a rocky hill bristling with crystal outgrowths, and more than a hundred smaller subordinate spiders scurried across it.
Jjik—! Jjik!
“It isn’t mere luck. Someone must have deliberately shaped this environment, right?”
...Jjik? Jjijik—!
“At the very least it should be a Soul Formation level existence. Possibly even Void Refinement.”
The speaker paused briefly.
“No… if that pillar formed naturally from untouched ground, it could be Body Integration stage—or even Tribulation level.”
Without further evidence it remained only speculation.
He signaled Mu-yong to stay quiet, then activated the Dream Illusion Escape Art. Layering the Dream Illusion Only Mind divine ability on top, he completely erased his presence and approached the Nascent Soul spider.
Even after closing to within twenty steps, the creature noticed nothing. It seemed half-asleep, intoxicated by the spiritual energy pouring from the pillar.
It had probably faced no worthy challengers for a long time and possessed no experience against enemies who hid in this manner. Its complacency had left it utterly defenseless.
The winged horn serpent might actually have been more perceptive.
Since that creature had actively manipulated space-time power, its senses must have been exceptionally sharp—unlike this spider, which appeared specialized in earth-attribute abilities.
After running several quick simulations in his mind, he reached a decision and moved decisively.
In a single instant.
Dharma power erupted like an explosion. Unbreakable Ice enveloped the spider, binding three pairs of its legs. At the same time the face of the floating Monghyeon-gyeong mirror reflected the spider, then flipped to its reverse side, creating the illusion of all six legs being severed by freezing energy. The brilliant afterglow of the Six Paths of Reincarnation then evoked abyssal despair and hopelessness, shattering the creature’s will.
Immediately afterward the Yin-Yang Five Elements Extinction Great Hand—unleashed at full power and carrying the profound principles of internal striking—slammed down on the spider’s head like a thunderbolt.
Yin-Yang Five Elements Extinction Great Hand
Crrrrraaaaaack—!!!
An overwhelming roar exploded outward. The invisible force churned the rocky earth and radiated in spherical shockwaves.
Boom—!!
Kaboom—!!
The Extinction Great Hand rained down repeatedly on the spider, which had already suffered fatal wounds from the first strike. Its head was completely crushed, and the destructive power that invaded its body shredded its vital organs before evaporating them entirely.
No matter how strong a Nascent Soul beast it was, this was not damage it could endure. The moment it allowed Han Yujin to approach at point-blank range while off guard, its life had already ended.
And so it died.
Having effortlessly dismantled a formidable foe, he immediately rose into the air and attacked the surrounding spiders.
From the Blood Spirit Red Flower Wine Bottle that appeared in a flash of golden light, hundreds of black threads shot forth, piercing each spider and draining their vital blood.
From his opposite hand the Cloud Dragon—previously coiled around his wrist like a bracelet—leapt free, expanding as it unleashed pure-white cloud storms in every direction.
The spiders struck by the black threads could not even struggle before crumbling into dust. Those caught in the cloud storms were torn into more than a dozen pieces and perished.
Rumble…!!
When the aftermath of the ambush finally settled and the white cloud storm dissipated.
Every single enemy had been annihilated. Not one remained alive.
Jjik—! Jjijik—!
“Easy. Too easy.”
Having claimed such a effortless victory, he felt boundless satisfaction in his own strength. With this level of power, it seemed he could defeat even a late-stage Nascent Soul opponent.
…No. A late-stage Nascent Soul being would rarely be this complacent.
Besides, the current opponent—though Nascent Soul level—was merely a beast, not a cultivator. It possessed no powerful natal magic treasures, nor arrays or talismans to guard its perimeter.
Lest arrogance take root, he steadied his thoughts and began the cleanup.
He collected various materials from the Nascent Soul spider’s corpse, then used the Blood Spirit Red Flower Wine Bottle to drain the remaining energy from the Cloud Dragon’s shredded subordinate spiders, refining it all into wine.
Next he naturally harvested the Honwon Stone-laden pillar. Having done it once before, the process was noticeably faster.
Thus two pillars now stood inside the Mountain Sea Pearl, positioned with a mountain between them. The spiritual energy density had risen so sharply that a faint trembling could be felt throughout the space.
The karma expenditure will be considerable.
Even though these were legitimate spoils from defeating Nascent Soul enemies, the harvest was simply too large. And when it came to the Mountain Sea Pearl’s growth, excess could easily become poison.
I’ll stop harvesting pillars here and focus on further exploration.
Familiarizing himself with the terrain now would prevent wasted time later.
With that decision made, he activated the Five Elements Heavenly Escape Art and soared into the sky.
Just as he rose high and prepared to resume surveying the area—
Gwoooooooooong…!!
An incredibly heavy resonance that made one’s breath catch in their throat upon hearing it shook the entire region.
Before he could even locate its source, the sound swelled dramatically. In a single instant something massive flew in, swallowing his entire field of vision.
It looked like a giant hand, or perhaps a tentacle. He instinctively twisted his body at the last possible moment, yet the descending mass reversed direction as if by magic and came crashing down again.
A spell?!
It was not a simple swing of raw power but carried profound, mysterious principles.
Even while startled, he evaded using the Five Elements Heavenly Escape Art, covering an enormous distance in the blink of an eye. Yet the hand—or tentacle—refused to be shaken off. Instead it closed the distance even more fiercely, as though adapting to his movements.
If evasion was difficult, he would crush it with force.
A sword of dazzling light shot from the Monghyeon-gyeong above his head. The Extinction Great Hand swept out with lingering afterimages to form a wall across its path. At the same time the high-grade earth-attribute spell Profound Mountain Garment wrapped around his body like an illusion.
Infused with the hard metal and thick earth principles of the Taeeul Five Elements, the mountain illusion carried a deep ink-black hue accented by a subtle golden radiance, brimming with mystery.
The incoming attack collided with Han Yujin’s spells.
Whoosh—!!
The Five Elements Wilderness Slash split the attack into three pieces, and the following force of the Extinction Great Hand smashed the fragments apart. Yet the moment he believed it destroyed, the attack tangled back together and continued pressing forward.
Boom—!!
He was slammed downward at the same speed the Five Elements Heavenly Escape Art granted him. A massive crater formed as though a meteor had struck, soil and rock erupting outward in a spectacular display.
“Ugh…!”
Groaning, he sprang to his feet in an instant, fully recovering all external and internal injuries. Simultaneously the Profound Mountain Garment frantically absorbed power from the surrounding earth, automatically restoring its original defensive strength.
Gwoooooooooong…!!
Once again that unidentified resonance—or perhaps a cry—rang out. As he tensed his body and gathered his strength, the opponent finally revealed itself.
It was a being centered on a large sphere from which countless legs—or tentacles—extended. They resembled those of insects or beasts too much to be mere tentacles, yet they would occasionally melt and distort in shape too freely to be called legs.
In short, it was not a creature with a distinct physical body but a spiritual entity.
…An elemental spirit?
Having already suspected this world belonged to the Primordial Sanctuary, the elemental spirits—dominant race of that realm—immediately came to mind.
As he pondered, the creature opened its “eyes” as though examining him.
Since it lacked a physical body, they were not ordinary eyes. They swirled while devouring light, appearing like patterns of black spirals. Moreover they manifested densely across its entire form, creating a skin-crawling sight.
Most of all, he could not gauge the opponent’s exact strength. Only that it was clearly stronger than himself.
The one who broke the brief standoff was the elemental.
It swelled its body while emitting another strange resonance. The power that exploded forth split into three or four branches and lashed forward like whips.
The attack burst the air and rippled through space-time itself. In response the Five Elements Wilderness Slash flew out, the Extinction Great Hand unfolded, the Cloud Dragon sprang forth wielding clouds, and the afterglow of the Six Paths of Reincarnation attempted to instill terror.
Five Elements, Six Paths, and Extinction Great Hand—all deployed simultaneously against the unknown elemental.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-boom—!!!
Flashes and explosions erupted. The ground churned and surged like a tidal wave. The elemental spirit’s successive attacks were filled with a power similar to the Five Elements yet more indistinct and chaotic.
Every time he blocked or dodged, those chaotic forces exploded in unpredictable shapes, hammering the Profound Mountain Garment like a relentless downpour. The Cloud Dragon was swept aside helplessly, scattered before it could replenish itself, and ultimately dissipated.
Crack…!!
The protective spell absorbed earth power so frantically that the entire surrounding land dried up, splitting apart. Soon the battle’s aftermath reduced it to powder that collapsed entirely.
This… is insane…!
It seemed to be firing power haphazardly, yet avoiding the attacks was extremely difficult. There was a limit to what the Five Elements Wilderness Slash and Extinction Great Hand could destroy, and even the excellent Profound Mountain Garment could not block everything perfectly.
Kwaaaaaang—!!
Accompanied by a roar like hundreds of thousands of lightning bolts striking at once, and erupting with blinding flashes, the two figures dashed across several kilometers in an instant.
Because the Profound Mountain Garment made ground combat more advantageous, the trajectories of their exchange sent shockwaves of every shape radiating outward and triggering all kinds of disasters.
Enormous ancient trees shattered like matchsticks. The ground flipped over as gusts clawed at and pulverized rock walls. An intervening hill was transformed into a basin.
Gwoooooooooooooong…!!
Then.
As if truly enraged that Han Yujin refused to die, the creature emitted an even heavier resonance and blazed up brilliantly in a rainbow of colors.
That splendid, flame-like energy infused every attack, doubling their power.
Booom—!!
“Keuk…!”
One line of attack he failed to destroy in time crushed the Profound Mountain Garment’s barrier and smashed the area around his shoulder, pulverizing flesh and bone.
Soul Formation level…!
Even while thinking the opponent was overwhelmingly strong, he did his best to recover the injury and look for a counterattack—when every one of the creature’s “eyes” suddenly fired beams of light, burning even more radiantly.
He poured everything into the space-time piercing Five Elements Heavenly Escape Art, yet the beams turned as if they had anticipated the move, split apart, and covered every possible escape route in an instant.
“You son of a—!”
Jjik…!
Along with the curses bursting from both him and Mu-yong, the pair were torn to shreds like rags beneath the countless beams and met their deaths. There was not even a moment for Dream Illusion Only Mind to trigger resurrection.
Soon.
All sensation vanished. Within the darkness that swallowed everything, the familiar silver characters rose.
The void claims all.
Resurrection via Dream Illusion Only Mind is impossible in this moment.