Chapter 128: What You Trampled On / The Path You Have Tread (16)

The source of his cultivated power.

Golden Core.

Even if his physical body can be reborn through his unique devilish arts,

The split Golden Core, the root of cultivation, can only be regenerated by feeding it a massive blood cloud containing life force..

And so, my Formless Sword permeates through Yuan Li's shield,

Passing through his body, it directly cuts his Golden Core.

"Ah..."

At first.

He has a look of incomprehension.

The very next moment.

He realizes what just happened.

And then the moment after.

His face contorts grotesquely like a fierce evil ghost.

Once more, I swing my Formless Sword.

Swoosh!

This time, my Formless Sword even permeates the Golden Core and slices through Yuan Li's Nascent Soul.

And then.

"AH..AHHHHHHHHHHGH!"

He starts screaming a wail unheard of in this world.

Pasik Pasisisik…

No matter what kind of dharma treasure or technique raises one's realm by a whole level.

A cultivator with a damaged Nascent Soul and a split Golden Core,

Even if they raise their cultivation from Qi Building Great Perfection, it’s at most the early stage of Core Formation.

Slash!

When I again cut his meridians, his spiritual power starts to leak.

With the Golden Core broken, even his devilish arts are reaching their limits.

His regenerative power weakens.

His realm falls once more.

Shiiiiiii…

No longer at the early stage of Core Formation, but at the level of Qi Building.

"AH, AHH, AHHHHHGH!"

He screams madly.

"Huff..."

I take a breath.

Regulating my breathing.

My body should have long died due to the effects of Foolish Old Man Moves Mountains.

But having reached the realm of Treading Heaven Beyond the Path,

The Formless Sword, which has become one with my body, is forcibly clinging to a life that should have died.

All my meridians are severed, and my Golden Core is trembling as if it will shatter.

The moment I recollect the Formless Sword flowing through my meridians and return it to consciousness,

My body will collapse.

I look at Yuan Li.

Finally, I caught him.

Now, he’s like a dog on the ground, clutching the Serving Command Seal and sobbing.

"Why, why... I am favored by the heavens, why...!"

I approach him with an expressionless face.

"It can't be, there must be something wrong with the Serving Command Seal...!"

He starts to crawl away from me in terror.

But he suddenly realizes that there is nowhere to run.

His cultivation has already fallen to Qi Building.

Even that due to the functionality of his black castle dharma treasure.

If he flees from here, his cultivation will fall even more miserably.

Yuan Li looks at me.

"I'll tell you the secret of the castle. Just stop for a moment...!"

I approach him.

"Wait, don't come closer! If you don't want to know the secret of the castle, how about the Blood Demon Suppressing Sea Light? I'll even tell you the refinement methods for Blood Chain Restricting Forest and Bloodwood Ghost Corpses!"

Step, step....

"That's right! There are still spirit stones and elixirs left in the underground of the castle! I'll give them all to you!"

Step....

"Anything you want, just tell me. I'll give you everything. Join hands with me, and let's enjoy a world where Heavenly Beings have ascended!"

With every step I take, he takes a step back.

"I'll reveal the hidden story of the Serving Command Seal! Calm down, just tell me what you want. What you want..."

And then, I finally reach him.

I kick his leg out from under him.

Thud!

"...! Kuaaaaaaagh!"

With my kick imbued with the Formless Sword, both of his legs are cleanly severed.

He falls to the ground, screaming.

"Ah, Agh! Are, are you planning on torturing me?"

He forces a smile and looks up at me.

Chuaruk Chuaruruk…

That cockroach-like regeneration.

It hasn't completely disappeared yet, and is slowly regenerating his legs.

"Keh, keh huh. It’s, it's useless. You see, I won't die just from my body exploding...! Didn't I tell you? I survived even after taking Seo Hweol's three moves! This level of pain is nothing if I just use the sensation-blocking technique recorded in Blood Demon Suppressing Sea Light...."

Woooong!

I clench the void.

In my hand, a translucent red banner appears.

Five Elements Blood Curse Banner.

A banner of pain, used for placing restrictions or torturing an opponent.

Seeing the Five Elements Blood Curse Banner, Yuan Li sneers.

"I don't know how you learned the Five Elements Blood Curse Banner, but you do know, right? I, I’ve also mastered the Five Elements Blood Curse Banner. If you’re planning to torture me or place restrictions on me with the it, it’s not a good idea. I am not affected by the Blood Curse Banners. How about we stop this meaningless conversation and talk about something else…”

Zwooong!

The Five Elements Blood Curse Banner in my hand begins to be imbued with the Yin Soul Ghost Incantation.

Tiny curse spells contaminate the Five Elements Blood Curse Banner.

After a while, the Five Elements Blood Curse Banner morphs into a flag of utter darkness instead of one dyed in shades of blood.

I created an entirely new technique by merging the curse spells from the Yin Soul Ghost Incantation, which govern pain, with aspects of the spell that control agony within the Five Elements Blood Curse Banner.

This is possible because of my extreme proficiency in understanding pain through the Yin Soul Ghost Incantation.

"Black Ghost Curse Banner."

I name the newly created flag.

Looking down at the flustered Yuan Li, whose legs have just regenerated,

I stab the Black Ghost Curse Banner directly into one of his legs.

"...!!!"

Yuan Li can’t even scream properly.

His face instantly turns as pale as a white snow.

His claims about being able to block pain means nothing. The pain inflicted by my curse spells surpasses his understanding.

I summon another Black Ghost Curse Banner.

"The Five Elements Blood Curse Banner doesn't work, but... how about this one?"

"...! ...! ...!"

"You look like you're satisfied."

Thud!

I plant the Black Ghost Curse Banner into his other leg.

Both legs are pinned down by the Black Ghost Curse Banners, immobilizing him.

Yuan Li falls to the ground, foaming at his mouth, writhing in pain.

"Don't worry. I'll just plant a few more and then finish you off."

Wriggle!

Yuan Li, with his eyes rolled back and foam bubbling, looks at me.

Then.

Puff!

He forms a seal with his hands and explodes his own legs, using the force of the explosion to get away.

But he doesn’t get far.

Just a few steps?

It’s a ridiculous situation, but I don’t feel like laughing.

"I told you not to worry too much. I'll just plant a few more Black Ghost Curse Banners and won't torture you severely."

With an expressionless face, I walk towards him, holding a black flag in one hand.

Yuan Li, with both legs severed, tries desperately to crawl away from me.

It seems his Pure Spiritual Force is almost depleted as his regeneration is slower than before.

"I’ll just crush your remaining Golden Core, pull out your limbs and throw them to the east, west, north, and south, and tear apart the rest of your body."

Wiggle, wiggle.

He struggles to crawl away from me.

"I'll just scatter the remaining pieces of your Nascent Soul and leave behind your head. Don't worry. I won't torture you more than I said I will."

Wiggle, wiggle.

With both hands, I hold up the Black Ghost Curse Banner and approach him.

Pukwak!

"...!"

I plant the Black Ghost Curse Banner into his thigh.

Next, I embed black flags all over his lower body,

To prevent him from escaping any further.

"His split Golden Core, where could it be...?"

I begin searching for the location of his Golden Core with the intention to plant the Black Ghost Curse Banner.

He begs.

"Sp-spare me, please spare me! I'll tell you everything about the Bloodwood method. You can even enslave me. Blood Demon Suppressing Sea Light, Blood Chain Binding Forest, everything related to the castle, the Serving Command Seal. I'll tell you everything. Even if you torture, please spare me...!"

"..."

"Ju-just don't kill me, I'll do anything. H-how about this?"

He fumbles with his black mask half remaining on his face.

His body shape starts to change slightly.

And when he takes his hand away from his face.

He’s transformed into a beautiful woman.

Yuan Li's voice becomes frail.

"This Blood Body can switch between male and female. I can serve you in either form. Please, just let me serve you. Do as you wish. Please, just spare me."

"..."

"Any kind of beauty is possible. Do you prefer mature ones? Or a bit younger? Please, just let me serve you...! I, I want to live."

With an expressionless face, I approach him, grab his hair, and mutter.

"I'm not interested in beauty birthed from shredded human lives."

"Pl-please... How, how about this."

Wriggle.

He starts to change into a familiar face.

"If you can't forget the woman who was with you then... I can serve you in that face too...."

I let go of his hair and stood up.

And before he completely transforms into her face.

I kicked his upper body as is.

Pukwak!

His upper body bursts open.

Squelch, squelch....

He squeezes out his last regenerative power, slowly regenerating his upper body.

Looking down at him regenerating his face, I speak disdainfully.

"Shut your mouth. If you open that disgusting mouth one more time, I'll tear out your jaw."

"Uh, umm..."

Wriggle, wriggle....

Realizing I meant it, he changes his face.

A face without eyes, nose, mouth, or ears.

A complete no-face.

That is Yuan Li's true face.

Neither male, female, nor even human.

Just a filthy devil, the essence of Yuan Li.

"Don't worry. As I said, I won't torture you. I am..."

Expressionlessly looking at his faceless face, I continue.

"I am trying to give you a blessing right now."

Pukwak Pukwak!

I pin down both of his arms with the Black Ghost Curse Banner and slowly speak.

"Being able to conclude life is a great blessing... Right now, I'm about to give you such an overly generous blessing."

"Aw, aww..."

He looks to have something to say, but due to my threat of tearing out his jaw., he just writhes his face without opening his mouth.

"You too must have had a hard time getting here. I'll let you forget everything. Let you lay down everything, and rest..."

Thud!

It’s when I fully embed the last Black Ghost Curse Banner into the location of his crumbling dantian.

Crrrack!

Only a mouth appears on his no-face.

Yuan Li screams as if in agony.

"That! How is that a blessing! Stop talking nonsense! I want to live! I don't want to die! I don't want to die!"

Silently, I begin to tear off his limbs one by one.

Yet, even as his limbs are being torn off, he screams in a voice filled with terror.

"Please, just torture me instead! No, please torture me! Spare me! Even if you torture me and violate me, just spare me, just spare me! Why, why must I die! I—"

"Of course, I want to torture you too. But..."

I look up at the sky expressionlessly and continue.

"Right now, at this very moment. Even if it’s just a second earlier, how many resentful souls yearning for your death…might there be… The countless ones who died in bitterness because of you, they must be eagerly waiting for you in the Netherworld.”

So, I can't delay any longer.

I tear off his arms and throw them to the south and north.

"I don't want to die! Huaahhhh! There's nothing after death I tell you! It's just the end! Death is a blessing? Then what about everything I've done until now? Weren't those giving blessings to the many? Speak up, you lunatic! If death is a blessing, what kind of curse is life? What kind of dog-shit is that! What’s the criteria for the blessings and curses you speak of!”

I tear off his legs and throw them to the east and west.

"What's the difference between a blessing and a curse! According to you, I've only given blessings! Why am I being punished as if I've been spreading curses everywhere! Don't make me laugh! You just want revenge against me!"

Chuarak Chuarak Chuarak!

I begin to tear his body apart bit by bit.

"Don't talk lunacy about killing me as an act of mercy! Please, please spare me! No, I'm sorry."

As his body gradually vanishes, his fear intensifies.

Yuan Li screams even louder.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! It's all my fault, please spare me. Don't, please don't do this. Stop, please stop!"

And finally.

Churak!

His body is completely torn apart.

[I'll live! I'll-]

His nearly disintegrated, scattered Nascent Soul emerges, frantically trying to escape.

I reach out my hand.

Slash!

The Formless Sword slices Yuan Li's Nascent Soul directly.

Fizz...

His Nascent Soul scatters completely.

I pick up Yuan Li's head.

Faceless, with only a screaming mouth.

I wrap his grotesque and bizarre head in the red cloak he had been wearing.

Step, step....

Slowly, I walk out, pushing aside the debris.

"Cultivator…Seo…

Beyond the debris, I see Core Formation cultivators tending to their wounds.

I show them the cloak containing Yuan Li's head.

Relief appears in their eyes.

"Finally... that old monster..."

Cheongmun Jung-jin's face shows a mix of emotions.

Relief, accomplishment, vengeance, regret...

Feelings I can’t describe.

None of the Core Formation cultivators are unscathed.

All of them are either maimed or severely injured.

"For now... Cultivator Seo. It seems we can't immediately return to our clans, and we will probably need a few weeks to recover our strength here."

Cheongmun Jung-jin speaks to me.

For those from the traitor factions.

Including Makli Hwang-cheon, the surviving Northern and Eastern cultivators, and Byeok Cheon-gi.

Currently, they are subdued and bound by the ghosts summoned by Seo Ran.

Physically, his condition is the best among them.

But emotionally...

Tears fall.

Seo Ran is amidst the wreckage of the Nether Crossing Ship.

Holding tightly to the helm that Song Jin had clutched until the end, he silently cries with a soulless expression.

I do not offer empty consolations to someone who has lost a loved one.

I just stand beside him.

Silently mourning Song Jin with him for a long time.

Drip... Drip...

How many tears has he shed?

Seo Ran staggers to his feet.

"...Even when he was alive... It sounds funny to say when he was alive, but... When he was still with us, my master always said that we must part one day..."

"..."

"I never thought that day would be today. It's so sudden."

"..."

"...But if my master saw me like this... he would scold me and tell me to get up right away."

Wiping his tears, Seo Ran slowly gets up.

"...It will be hard, but I will continue to practice the methods my master taught me. And someday, when I surpass him, I will ask the Sea Dragon King about everything...!"

He is stronger than me.

His eyes are filled with determination.

But I can see the sorrow behind his resolve.

"My condition is the best, so I'll take you where you need to be. For Senior right now..."

"Daoist Seo."

I place my hand on Seo Ran's shoulder.

"You don't have to overdo it. You can mourn for Song Jin..."

"..."

Silent for a moment, Seo Ran turns his head and covers his eyes with one hand.

"...I'm sorry. As you said, I think I need to stay here for a few more days."

"Alright."

I pat Seo Ran's shoulder.

Then, I look up at the Serving Command Palace still floating in the sky.

Swoosh!

I muster all my remaining strength and leap towards Serving Command Palace.

It’s still floating in the sky, powered by some unknown force.

More so, it is slowly…

It is slowly restoring itself.

I look at this strange palace for a moment and then search through its ruins.

After a while, I find the body of Byeok Mun-seong.

I collect his remains and bring them down to the ground.

I hand Byeok Mun-seong's remains to Cheongmun Jung-jin.

"Please take good care of him."

"...Alright."

Cheongmun Jung-jin and the remaining Core Formation cultivators are also collecting the remains of the fallen.

I place a shard of glass in Byeok Mun-seong's pocket.

Just then.

"Cultivator…Seo?"

One of the six clans of Shengzi.

The head of the Jun Clan approaches me cautiously.

"Cultivator Seo, you killed the old monster, right?"

"That's right."

"From what we've confirmed while exploring, there are enormous amounts of spiritual medicine, spirit stones, dharma treasures, and wealth accumulated in the underground of the old monster's castle... It seems only right that Cultivator Seo, who played the biggest role in hunting the old monster, should have the first choice..."

I reply expressionlessly.

"I don't need it."

"Ah...!"

The faces of the Core Formation cultivators who have gathered around me brighten.

"Ah, then maybe..."

The head of the Jun Clan asks me tentatively.

He points at the torn pieces of Yuan Li's body.

"Are you not interested in the remains of this Nascent Soul cultivator? Consuming those remains as an elixir would have tremendous effects... and just researching the body of a Nascent Soul cultivator could greatly aid in reaching the Nascent Soul stage... Perhaps you're not interested in that either...?"

I nod expressionlessly.

"I only need Yuan Li's head. I don't need anything else."

"Ah, I see. The head is indeed your contribution, Cultivator Seo. You may take it as you wish. Haha, then... may we take the old monster's body?"

They ask, looking at me for confirmation, and I nod.

Upon my approval, they rush towards Yuan Li's body like a pack of wild hyenas.

After throwing Yuan Li's body to them like a bone,

I start walking through the desert towards Cheon-saek City.

Hot.

It’s burning.

My remaining spiritual power is almost depleted.

My Golden Core and meridians…

If I release the Formless Sword, I will collapse immediately.

Step, step...

I limp through the desert.

Taaat!

Sometimes, when I feel a burst of strength, I fly hundreds of jang (1 jang = 3.03 meters) with the power of the Formless Sword.

When my strength depletes, I fall back to the ground and continue walking through the desert.

I could have asked Seo Ran for help to reach Cheon-saek City quickly, but I can't take away his time of mourning.

Carrying the Colorless Glass Sword at my waist and Yuan Li's head in one hand, I head towards Cheon-saek City.

It is far.

And vast.

"Ugh..."

I stagger under the hot desert sun.

Thud!

To prevent myself from falling, I summon a Black Ghost Curse Banner and plant it in the ground.

Ironically, the power of the Yin Soul Ghost Incantation is surging greatly.

However, due to the nature of Yin Soul Ghost Incantation, it’s of no help in healing. Even if converted into energy, its unique humid toxic energy remains, rendering it unhelpful for my current condition.

'Furthermore, I have no thoughts on living longer.'

Creating more cursed dolls to transfer injuries isn't an option.

In essence, I am already on the brink of death, merely clinging on forcefully through the realm of Treading Heaven Beyond the Path.

Even the Core Formation’s Flying Escape Technique is not an option.

The technique relies on the power of the Golden Core, and any further shock to my Golden Core, whether I hold on with the Formless Sword or not, seems likely to shatter it completely.

'Well, it serves as a walking stick.'

Thud!

I summon the Black Ghost Curse Banner and plant it in the ground, laboriously taking each step and pondering.

Looking back, several black flags flutter in the desert, marking the path I have tread..

Originally, both the curses and the Blood Banner are spells that would disappear on their own if left alone.

While the Blood Banner can become permanent if planted in the upper dantian, if left outside, it will naturally disappear.

But my profound pain, this overwhelming agony, has kept the Black Ghost Curse Banners present even after a long time.

'How long will they last?'

Perhaps they won’t disappear until after my death.

I look back at the black flags for a moment, then summon another Black Ghost Curse Banner, struggling to step forward.

As a bit of energy returns, I repeat the process of flying with the power of the Formless Sword, then walking with the Black Ghost Curse Banner when my strength wanes.

How long has it been?

A month now?

I feel half-insane.

Somehow, this journey feels harder than my fight with Yuan Li.

The scorching sun.

The parched mouth.

My body screaming in pain.

The faint hope of a comfortable death if I just release the Formless Sword.

And above all, the most painful thing is...

'Loneliness.'

Alone in the desert, slowly making my way to Cheon-saek City, I am engulfed in an almost madness-inducing pain.

Thud!

I plant another Black Ghost Curse Banner in the ground.

Lately, the curse banner has begun to change.

What was once a flag now hangs like a large lump or bulge.

It looks more grotesque than before, and its appearance alone exudes some kind of malice.

Thud!

With this grotesque, increasingly bizarre lump-laden stick, I continue forward, each step filled with pain.

'Miss…Hyang-hwa.'

Yes.

Definitely, this life wasn't meaningless.

But while there is meaning, there is also pain.

In this world full of pain, is living truly only good?

'Painful...'

This scorching desert feels like hell.

I am walking towards death, marking the hellish journey with landmarks of pain.

'When will I... arrive?'

Another month has passed.

Step...

Thud...

The stick I summon, once the Black Ghost Curse Banner, now bears a lump larger than a head.

This lump is filled with malice, ready to spread a dark curse to anyone who dares touch it.

Now, even if I die, it’s doubtful whether this dense lump of malice will disappear.

'I don't know anymore...'

In a world already filled with agony, what difference will a few more bizarre lumps of malice make?

Thud!

I plant the lump-laden stick into the ground, supporting my body to keep from falling, and inhale deeply.

Wo-woong!

A bit of energy returns.

I fly again with the Formless Sword.

When I fly for a while,

Far away, I see something familiar.

And then...

Thump!

Eventually, unable to keep up my strength, I collapse right from the air.

'Is there any meaning... in reaching that place?'

I just want to rest peacefully...

Thud!

I summon another stick and plant it in the ground.

‘Still, let's go a little further….’

I definitely, in front of them…

I swore to offer this guy's head....

Thump, thump, thump….

How many times have I marked this milestone of pain, limping along?

Before I know it, Cheon-saek City is getting closer.

Blink.

‘...?’

Just now, something seemed to have stood in front of me.

Was it just my imagination?

Wo-woong....

A sandstorm blows.

Through the sandstorm, I see someone's footprints in front of me disappearing.

‘Footprints...?’

Someone had to be standing in front of me.

Just then.

Wo-woong!

A cold wind blows.

There, far away.

I see a dark cloud cover the sky in the direction of Cheon-saek City.

The dark clouds spread around, and soon it rains everywhere.

Swoosh—

Rain is falling in the desert.

I stand there dazed, open my mouth, and drink the rainwater.

"Why is it raining...?"

It’s not the right season for rain.

It’s a sudden, unexpected rain shower.

As I limp along.

‘Hmm...?’

Surely.

On the grounds of Cheon-saek City, which should be in ruins.

Some white can be seen.

"Uh, uhhh?"

I, with a foolish expression, ignore the body-tearing pain, and start to run to make sure.

"Uh, uhh…"

I am at a loss for words.

"Uhh…"

Thump, thump, thump thump thump!

I ran through the desert.

And finally, having reached Cheon-saek City, I look around with vacant eyes.

Pale figures are waiting for me.

All those who were massacred by Yuan Li, who died in Cheon-saek City.

Buk Joong-ho and Cheongmun Ryeong, smile kindly at me through the rain.

"...."

I silently gaze at them.

And then, slowly.

I lay down Yuan Li's head.

Tremble, tremble, tremble

With trembling hands, squeezing out my last strength, I attach a curse spell with Yin Fire to Yuan Li’s head.

The black Yin Fire burns Yuan Li's head fiercely, even amidst the rain.

Finally, I have done it.

‘Now, can I... rest peacefully?’

Then, Cheongmun Ryeong points somewhere.

I hold on to my collapsing body.

Cheongmun Ryeong smiles faintly.

As if mesmerized, I walk towards the place Cheongmun Ryeong pointed.

Towards Buk Hyang-hwa's workshop.