Chapter 91: Living Flower (4)

Kwaang!

The outer walls of Serving Command Palace burst open.

As soon as I step outside Serving Command Palace, the dry air of the desert and sandstorms greet me.

However, compared to the stench of blood inside Serving Command Palace, this feels almost fragrant.

Chaang!

Through the golden hole in the wall of Serving Command Palace that I have penetrated, a crimson mist of blood seeps out.

At the center of the blood mist..

There, Yuan Li walks out.

"How daring. Do you really think you can escape from me!"

Paaat!

Blood covers Yuan Li. He begins using his Flying Escape Technique.

But I grip my Formless Sword and accelerate my thoughts.

Having reached the Qi Building mid-stage, my base consciousness has grown significantly, making the acceleration much faster than before.

Pabaat!

I dash through the air like crazy.

Faster than an average Core Formation cultivator!

Yet Yuan Li, covered in blood, slowly closes in on me.

'A monster-like Nascent Soul cultivator!'

I grit my teeth, squeezing out all the energy in my body to escape faster through the air.

Yuan Li frowns.

'How can I, a Nascent Soul mid-stage cultivator, not catch up to a mere junior cultivator immediately with my Flying Escape Technique?

I sense that the kid's cultivation is at most Qi Building mid-stage, 2nd Constellation.

Of course, his actual skills are far different, reaching Core Formation, and quite a rare talent at that.

But even then, it should only be Core Formation.

How can a Core Formation kid cause me to chase like this?'

He isn’t using any special Flying Escape Technique, but is running through the air at an invisible speed.

'He can't use Flying Escape Technique but he’s abnormal even when not in Core Formation... If he reaches Core Formation...'

Yuan Li furrows his brow behind his mask.

'Annoying brat. Even after embedding two Blood Curse Banners in him, he’s still so lively. When I refine that soul, I'm excited to see what I can make. I'll definitely take him as my disciple..!'

Yuan Li licks his lips and forms a spell.

Kugugugu!

A chilling surge of spiritual energy echoes from behind.

The blood mist envelops the desert behind.

It’s like a blood-red sandstorm covering the desert.

'I must escape, no, hide!'

But where?

Even the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts don’t work.

'Why didn’t the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts work?'

I think about the fundamental problem.

The Record is a martial art that cuts through consciousness and hides in the gaps.

But I was still discovered.

'Wait, that Nascent Soul cultivator targeted me with a spell unaffected by the domain of consciousness.'

I could barely perceive that spell with the demon senses and vision of intent.

'Upon reaching the Nascent Soul, do you obtain something that transcends the domain of consciousness? But even though he transcended the domain of consciousness, he can’t escape the demon senses and color of intent.'

I ponder.

With a blood-drying feeling, I reach a conclusion.

'Then, this time, let's cut through 'other things' with the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts.'

I grip the Formless Sword and focus my consciousness.

I see it.

Yuan Li’s domain of consciousness.

The flow of Yin and Yang among Heaven and Earth spiritual energy.

The colors of intent.

Huuu-

The sword that splits the realm of consciousness.

I expand its range, cutting through the heaven and earth spiritual energy and even the colors of intent.

And then.

I hide in that gap!

Paaat!

I transcend the limits of the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts!

Unleashing it with all my might, a martial art that surpasses the Record.

When I hide in that gap.

Stop!

Yuan Li, standing there, looks around.

'It worked!'

He doesn’t discover me immediately like before.

'It works!'

If I cut through everything including the heaven and earth spiritual energy and colors of intent, it seems I can even deceive the eyes of a Nascent Soul cultivator.

"Oh ho, what's this? You have many tricks up your sleeve."

However, I discover a looming danger in my fate.

'Damn..!'

Kugugugugu!

The blood mist behind Yuan Li spreads out in all directions.

The Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts is a martial art that cuts the opponent's perception and hides within them, not a spatial movement technique.

I look with a rotten expression as Yuan Li forms a spell at the center of the blood mist.

"Hide your body all you want. Now, try to escape this explosion."

Paaat!

The blood mist glows red and swells.

Bloodwood Practitioner Yuan Li, as the power of his spell subsides, looks around.

A 3-li radius is completely obliterated, and a huge crater formed in the middle of the desert.

Yet Seo Eun-hyun is nowhere to be seen.

Yuan Li laughs behind his translucent mask.

"I want you even more now. You escaped this..?"

Where his gaze lands, there is a translucent spatial rift.

"Aaah...!"

What did I do?

My upper dantian burns.

Apart from the Gang Qi flowing through my body, forcibly constricting and burning the upper dantian to trigger talent is insane.

Why wouldn’t the Jin Clan use such a great secret technique for improving talent on themselves but on mortals only?

Because meddling with the upper dantian always involves extreme danger.

I feel my upper dantian burning as I float somewhere.

Ssssaak!

Paat!

Something pierces my body.

My whole body feels even more wrecked, but it doesn’t matter.

It would’ve been almost death if caught.

'What did I do?'

Whether I die this way or that.

With the mentality of being ready to die, I did 'something'.

I can barely remember..

'Ah, right.'

Young-hoon Hyung-nim helped me.

The moment the blood mist exploded.

Young-hoon Hyung-nim appeared and danced with his saber next to me, and I saw his footsteps.

I followed those footsteps, wielding my sword after Young-hoon Hyung-nim, entering a strange space for a moment before coming back out.

'Eh, what?'

As soon as I realize this, I frantically try to remember 'how' I did it.

'If I can just grasp this clue...'

Yes, if I can hold onto this clue, maybe.

As I tried to recall 'it' while burning my upper dantian with Gang Qi,

"...Huh?"

In front.

Serving Command Palace starts to appear.

'I definitely kept running in the opposite direction of Serving Command Palace.'

Before I can settle my doubts.

A bloody aura flashes behind me.

"What..."

Kwaang!

Yuan Li strikes me down.

I defend with my Formless Sword, but still get hit by Yuan Li and am thrown back into Serving Command Palace.

Right through the hole I had originally escaped from.

"Cough! Gasp!"

As I spit out blood and try to grasp the situation, Yuan Li, who suddenly appears before me, raises a translucent blood-red banner.

Kwaak!

"Aaagh!"

The Blood Curse Banner digs into my upper dantian, forcibly suppressing the processes occurring there.

The action of my upper dantian, which had been burning with Gang Qi, normalizes.

"Cough, gasp!"

I writh in even greater pain, clutching my head.

"Amazing. What technique did you use just now? How could a mere Core Formation level cultivator imitate a Nascent Soul cultivator's teleportation ability?"

‘Something, something felt within reach...!’

I clench my teeth and grip the Formless Sword even tighter.

The color of the Formless Sword transforms into a golden hue, beginning to resemble the Surpassing Radiant Saber.

'The path pursued by Young-hoon Hyung-nim, which he used...'

And then.

Pukak!

"Aaagh!"

Another banner pierces my upper dantian.

The pain scatters my enlightenment.

The Formless Sword dissipates.

Yuan Li looks somewhat nauseated.

"The Five Elements Blood Curse Banner is originally designed to restrain the consciousness of Heavenly Being cultivators and prevent their escape. Even a Heavenly Being cultivator would lose their mind to pain if it were directly implanted. To think that a mere Qi Building cultivator surpasses the willpower of a Heavenly Being cultivator..?"

I gasp for air through clenched teeth.

I vividly feel the pressure from the four curses embedded in my soul.

But what torments me more than his Blood Curse Banner is something else.

'I lost the enlightenment!'

Again!

Despite being forced by external pressure, I feel indignant and regretful that I couldn't grasp it.

"Why... did I return to Serving Command Palace again?"

"Hmm, didn't you just teleport randomly?"

"...?"

"The stupid act of opening a space rift and leaping in without thought, not knowing where you'll fall... A Heavenly Being cultivator, even roughly, would set coordinates. Without them, you'd be torn apart by spatial currents. It's an act of pure insanity. That’s what you did.

An act that can only return you to this world by an improbable chance. But, you gambled in front of me, who possesses Serving Command Palace."

"...?"

Yuan Li smirks, pulling out a miniature jade model of Serving Command Palace from his robe.

"Do you know that fate has its own attraction? Fate attracts existence.

Serving Command Seal has two functions. The first is to grant heaven's fate to the holder. The holder of Serving Command Seal gains powerful fate, and what the holder desires is drawn to them by the attraction of fate.

That's why you couldn't escape from me."

"Heh, heh heh."

What kind of crazy treasure is that?

"...Is that even allowed to exist in this world..?"

"It 'must' exist. Actually, the first function of Serving Command Seal was an added feature while its maker was creating the second function."

Yuan Li looks greedily at Serving Command Seal, continuing.

"Serving Command Seal was originally created to bestow blessings. How do you think cultivators ascended before Yang Su-jin created the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect?”

Whoo!

As he caresses the Serving Command Seal, it emits multicolored radiance.

"Before the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect, cultivators memorized coordinates of the upper realms and threw themselves into spatial rifts like suicide.

Serving Command Seal blessed them, giving them a fate connected to the upper realms, 'narrowing the distance to the upper realms.'"

"....!?"

"A blessing that bestows the attraction of fate of the upper realms, while also strengthening the holder's fate to grant heavenly fate. That, is the Serving Command Seal"

I gape at this unbelievable explanation.

'A mere artifact can grant fate?'

Suddenly, I remember the lingering presence of Yang Su-jin.

He said he had bestowed the attraction of fate to Shattered Heaven Peak to attract Enders.

Even just as a lingering remnant!

If true, perhaps cultivators of a certain realm evolve into divine beings controlling the attraction of fate.

Chilling!

'What becomes of someone who reaches the end of cultivation and becomes a True Immortal?'

Before I can dwell on these thoughts.

The multicolored radiance from th Serving Command Seal flows into me and Yuan Li.

"Hehe, overflowing with blessings. Did these Heavenly Being cultivators not receive the Serving Command Seal’s blessings this time..!?"

He looks satisfied at the Serving Command Seal.

"...?"

They didn't receive the blessing that narrows the distance to the upper realms?

Just as I’m puzzled.

He grabs the back of my neck and drags me into the arboretum.

“Now then. Shall we extend our lifespans?”

I’m dragged away by Yuan Li, forming a bitter smile.

I thought life was like a flower.

But a living flower is a flower plucked while still alive.

Perhaps its only existence is to be plucked by someone else.

'...But still.'

I clench my teeth.

'Even if I'm only to be plucked...'

Creak, crack...

'As long as I can...'

I move my body.

'I will stand rooted and look up to the sky...!'

Like every tree and flower that roots in the earth and reaches for the sky.

As long as the history I’ve rooted exists,

I will not easily break this heart..!

Crack!

"What..."

Kwagwang!

I swing my Formless Sword with all my might.

At the same time, I cast a spell.

"Yin Soul Ghost Incantation!"

Several curses stretch out towards Yuan Li.

"Tch, annoying brat!"

Whoom!

Yuan Li snorts, causing them to dissipate, but I smile and grip the Formless Sword again, charging at him.

Yuan Li frowns, watching Seo Eun-hyun glow before him.

He has already implanted four of the Five Elements Blood Curse Banners.

If he embeds the fifth one, completing the great spell of the Five Elements Blood Curse Banner, the pain inflicted on this peculiar fellow will be multiplied by tens.

However, the curse of the Five Elements Blood Curse Banner has a flaw: if the victim can liquefy the curse after all five are embedded in their soul, the curse's power will transfer to them.

Initially, the curse is transmitted by the giver weakening the banners to one-hundredth of their strength and implanting them in the recipient.

If the recipient accepts all five weakened banners and successfully liquefies them, making them their own, the transmission of the Five Elements Blood Curse Banner is complete.

'What if he withstands all five banners and breaks my control...?'

Suddenly, Yuan Li realizes he is entertaining an absurd fantasy.

'No, it's a needless worry. Four banners might be bearable, but five are beyond any living human's endurance.'

It’s just an overestimation caused by this unique fellow's unexpected mental resilience.

Yuan Li thinks so as he approaches Seo Eun-hyun with the fifth banner.

'I'll implant the fifth one, then I need to dissect his brain to understand what kind of powers he wields and how his mind works.'

Pukak!

Yuan Li scatters aside Seo Eun-hyun's Formless Sword and approaches him, embedding the fifth Five Elements Blood Curse Banner.

Paaaat!

Inside Seo Eun-hyeon's soul, the five blood-red banners work in unison according to the logic of the Five Elements, amplifying the mental restriction and pain by tens of times.

"AAAAGH..!"

Eventually, Seo Eun-hyun, clutching his head, foams at the mouth and collapses.

"Hmm... as expected, no human, no living being, can endure this pain."

Yuan Li smiles, realizing that the peculiar Core Formation kid's soul has come under his control.

"Now, let's take this one back to the castle later and examine him, and as for the Longevity Fruit..."

It’s when Yuan Li turns around.

Shiver!

'What...'

He hastily looks back, shock apparent behind his translucent black mask.

Stagger, stagger...

Seo Eun-hyun, drooling, with half-closed eyes, stands up resisting his control.

And he begins to form another spell.

"This is insane..."

Yuan Li loses his composure.

'To withstand even this? Even a Heavenly Being cultivator would be affected if directly hit! I even tested it on the Sea Dragon King and got his approval..!'

"This, this kid..!"

Yuan Li gives up on the idea of controlling and taking the kid with him.

The Five Elements Blood Curse Banner is the highest level of mental restriction he knows.

If that doesn't work, nothing will!

"It's no use. Regretfully, I'll have to give up studying his abilities. Better to just synthesize his corpse into my Blood Body and observe the reaction..!"

It’s dangerous.

Since he left the Five Elements Blood Curse Banner in his soul, if he let him live, Seo Eun-hyun might liquefy the curse, turn it into his own technique, and attack him someday.

"Die!"

Just then, the spell Seo Eun-hyun is casting is completed.

"Yin (陰), Soul (魂), Ghost (鬼), Incantation (呪)."

Chaaaak!

Seo Eun-hyun explodes.

Yuan Li's original true spell, Bloodwood, strikes Seo Eun-hyun directly, and as Seo Eun-hyun explodes, his blood turns into a Bloodwood tree rooting itself in the ground.

At the spot where he stood, a crimson tree rises.

On the tree blooms a living flower, imbued with Seo Eun-hyun's spiritual power and life force.

"...Such a monster."

Yuan Li brushes down his mask, marveling at Seo Eun-hyun's formidable mental strength.

"Good thing I eradicated him before he could grow stronger and survive longer. No need to worry about him anymore. Now, to the Longevity Fruit..."

And just as Yuan Li turns towards the Longevity Tree.

"...What..."

He grits his teeth in frustration.

The fruits of the Longevity Tree.

Numerous fruits, nurtured by the life force of many, are now covered in black curses and completely rotten.

'That final spell... this brat!'

He turns around, his face red with anger.

'I intended to send his soul peacefully to the Netherworld, and he dares to do this..!!'

Suddenly, Yuan Li's expression changes.

"Oh...?"

He takes a step back in shock.

"What, what's this... I obviously. N-no. Who are you..?"

Pop!

The next moment.

Yuan Li explodes, and in his place blooms a living flower.

This is Seo Eun-hyun's tenth return.