Chapter 131: Mad Lord's Grasp (1)

Whooosh!

Suddenly, as I regain consciousness, I find myself alongside the Mad Lord, having reached the front of Yuan Li's castle.

'...It feels too anticlimactic.'

Thinking back to Song Jin's strength.

The Mad Lord, who beheaded Song Jin, could shatter Yuan Li along with his castle with just a swing of his hand.

[Is he inside there?]

"Yes, that's right."

[Good, there's a massive amount of resentful souls under the castle. Your words weren't baseless.]

Mad Lord murmurs, chewing on his finger, then starts rummaging through his storage artifact.

And then.

Flash!

Mad Lord pulls something out of his storage artifact.

It's a small stone doll.

A small statue, resembling a stone guardian.

And when the Mad Lord throws that statue towards the black castle...

Wo-woong

The statue grows larger and larger.

Expanding and increasing in size, the statue becomes as large as a mountain range and falls onto the small black castle.

Kuaaang!

It sounds as if heaven and earth are colliding.

The defensive barrier of the black castle seems to activate but instantly shatters, and the statue continues to fall, crushing the black castle.

Rumble!

Starting from the top, the castle begins to crumble under the statue.

Then, familiar clouds of blood emerge, trying to block the statue.

[Senior! Whoever you may be, how can you torment a junior who can't even participate in the ascension!]

With gleaming eyes, Mad Lord speaks.

[Don't worry. I'll accept you into my world and rebirth you into a fine new being. You'll make a fine piece.]

At those words, Yuan Li screams in terror.

[This Mad Lord, this lunatic...!]

[I'm not a lunatic. I'm an artist. [She] told me so. I am an artist.]

Mad Lord speaks while chewing on his finger, and Yuan Li, realizing the futility of communication, desperately summons blood clouds to block the statue.

Just then.

[Hmm?]

Kugugugugugu!

From a distance, a blue radiance is hurtling towards us like a crazy river winding through the sky, revealing a majestic being.

It's Seo Hweol, the Sea Dragon King.

"Old Man Mad Lord, why are you oppressing a young junior during such an auspicious time?"

Swoosh!

Seo Hweol, transforming into human form in front of me and the Mad Lord, smiles and raises his hand.

Woosh!

Blue light swirls around his hand, and the statue the Mad Lord had thrown begins to slowly rise into the air.

Yuan Li is seen relaxing below.

"Old Man Mad Lord. If something displeased you, please don't do this during such a sacred time and..."

Ignoring Seo Hweol's words, Mad Lord looks at me with gleaming eyes.

[I'll turn that worm-like beast into snake soup, so in the meantime, you take revenge for your [Her].

"...Yes, thank you."

Seo Hweol's gaze meets mine.

"Oh my, this fellow Daoist... You seem to have learned a unique method. It's better to resolve things through dialogue, not fighting..."

Then, the Mad Lord with still gleaming eyes, takes out a box as big as himself from his storage device and flings open the lid.

[Shut up, you blue worm. I'll brew snake liquor with you today and drink it with Her.]

"Oh my...!"

Seo Hweol cringes and dodges, and something leaps out of the Mad Lord's box.

After thanking the Mad Lord, I rush down below.

Boom

'It seems I'm back right away after making a mess last time.'

It's a strange feeling.

I enter the interior of the black castle.

There, I see a familiar face.

Yuan Li.

[Who are you? A friend of the Mad Lord? If so, could you please spare…]

"Hmm..."

I look around inside the black castle.

The smell of blood is still strong.

Kugugugugu!

Above, cultivators at the Heavenly Being stage are fighting, causing tremendous shockwaves.

"Actually, you're not my enemy."

[What...?]

Strictly speaking, this guy has not yet committed the massacre.

So, he is not my enemy yet.

But...

Looking around and glaring at Yuan Li.

The scent of blood wafting from everywhere.

The wails of numerous resentful souls beneath the black castle.

The Long Source True Power he has been gathering for hundreds of years.

Considering everything...

"Still, even if you're not my enemy, you seem like someone who deserves to die."

[What...?]

I draw my Colorless Glass Sword.

"Die."

Crash!

Before he can react, I charge at him.

[Agh!]

It's a simple body slam, but it's enough to punch a hole in his stomach.

[This, this bastard..!]

Yuan Li pulls out his pagodas and starts taking out other dharma treasures.

Then, I swing the Formless Sword at him.

Swoosh!

Ignoring all his dharma treasures and defensive spells, the Formless Sword cuts right through him.

"Uh...?"

He looks at me bewildered, as if he can't comprehend what just happened.

But without bothering to explain, I swing dozens of strikes at his body.

Dice and slice!

In an instant, he is shredded into a mist of blood.

"Die."

Puguaguaguagua!

The fox that continuously tore off my arm had planted a deep-seated anger in me.

In my past life, facing the fox, I was furious and angry.

However, my feelings towards Yuan Li who killed her, are of hatred. An even more concentrated and sticky malice than anger.

Because it's more condensed, my malice doesn't erupt as easily as with the fox.

Swinging the Formless Sword, I continuously break through Yuan Li's defenses and dodge his attacks.

Actually, there's no need to dodge.

Slash!

I just target the most crucial cores that serve as the link of the spells, letting all other parts pass through. Then, when I cut it down, the spell dismantles.

[What nonsense is this! What are you!]

Yuan Li, in panic, presses me even more.

But I easily dodge his techniques.

The speed at which I can accelerate has changed compared to before.

Zip!

After evading his attacks, I approach him and slash down with the Formless Sword.

The Formless Sword, passing through the unnecessary, directly slices through Yuan Li's Golden Core.

[...!]

He shudders in pain.

Wo-woong!

He then forms hand seals and blood clouds flow and are absorbed into his body, beginning to regenerate his Golden Core.

But...

"Keep regenerating."

Dice and slice!

As soon as the Golden Core regenerates, I swing the Formless Sword again, cutting it off.

"I'll cut you down again and again."

Churak Churararak!

"You won't even have time to search for your Blood Spirits scattered near the Heaven-Treading Desert."

At my words, he shudders and glares at me.

[You... How do you know about my Blood Spirits?]

"There's no need to know."

I simply reply and charge at him again.

[You... Fine. I'll treat you as a fellow Nascent Soul cultivator for now...!]

Wo-woong!

He summons his bizarre ghost beast and ghost kings.

Suddenly, it becomes a 4 against 1 situation.

But...

'Strange...'

Why doesn't it feel burdensome at all?

It isn't a matter of pure power or weight class.

The enemy's intent is more vividly visible.

Even if the area is covered with his consciousness, it's like I can clearly read Yuan Li's intent from within.

Boom Boom Boom Boom!

The blood cloud ghost kings swing their scythe at me.

From all 6 directions, the ghost kings' strikes surge at me.

But I entrust myself to the flow of emptiness and dash towards one point.

Boom!

With the Formless Sword imbued throughout my body, I shatter the weakest part of the attacks and break through.

The bizarre ghost beast rushes at me.

It sweeps at me with its tail-like part.

A hit that would surely reduce me to shreds.

However...

'I don't feel like it will hit.'

I dodge the ghost beast's attack and then dodge the attacks of the ghost kings from both sides.

After that...

Wo-woong!

I throw the Formless Sword at Yuan Li, who is casting spells from afar.

Yuan Li is shocked and tries to dodge, but...

Slice!

The Formless Sword changes its trajectory and pierces through Yuan Li's body.

[...!]

He screams silently again, injecting the life force he has gathered into the freshly divided Golden Core, trying to heal it.

[So that's it. Your attacks traverse 'planes'. Not just cutting what you want, but adjusting the level of the plane... To Nascent Soul cultivators, there can be no attack more vicious than that that.]

Yuan Li spits out some words.

But I silently dodge the attacks of the ghost beast and ghost kings, approaching him.

Truly.

Before he commits the massacre and collects the Blood Spirits, he is truly weak.

Compared to him 200 years later, it's almost embarrassing to consider them the same person.

I feel his utmost effort to stop me, but that's it.

Wo-woong, Wo-woong!

He sends hidden spells at me.

Not quite at the level of Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts, but still difficult to perceive.

However, using the strange sensation felt after reaching the Treading-Heaven realm, I cut through his techniques and take another step towards him.

Yuan Li flinches.

[You... Do you know nothing about planes? Are you not cutting knowingly, but just instinctively?]

He trembles.

[You bastard, what are you? I'm asking what you are! Damn it, get away!]

Kuang Kuang Kuang!

I take steps towards him, one at a time.

In terms of pure power, I am still weaker than him.

However, the true power of the Formless Sword, gained through the abilities of the Treading-Heaven realm, makes it easy to slice through his techniques.

It's a simple strategy: let the tough parts pass through and cut only the vital, weaker parts.

No defense can stop it.

No matter how much he tries to block, it's futile.

Boom!

Bang!

My Formless Sword cuts through his vital parts again and he spits blood while thrown backward.

[You...! If you can't even grasp the concept of planes, you're not a Nascent Soul cultivator! But what is this ability to freely transcend planes!]

"Let me ask you something."

I approach him and ask,

"Is life a blessing or a curse?"

[What...?]

He asks back, not understanding.

Swoosh.

I point my Formless Sword at him.

"Fighting with you, I'm gradually getting a feel for it. I've only been attacking your vital parts, but if I concentrate..."

I can cut through all physical defenses and directly target the most crucial essence.

The soul.

"No matter how many times you regenerate, I can kill you."

[...!]

Yuan Li 200 years later, no, Yuan Li after the massacre, is so much stronger in comparison.

Even if the black castle provides him with the power of an early Nascent Soul due to his Core Formation Grand Perfection cultivation,

'It seems it only amplifies the power of his abilities, not actually creating a Nascent Soul.'

The difference between the present him and the him when he possesses a Nascent Soul is immense.

Of course, it's not an exaggeration to say he was originally a Nascent Soul cultivator.

He grits his teeth seeing my focus on the Formless Sword.

[You've raised your plane to the extreme. Haha. You can even cut through souls.]

"First, answer my question."

I look at Yuan Li expressionlessly.

"Is life a blessing, or is it a curse?"

[Heh, are you asking such an obvious thing?]

He chuckles.

[Obviously, it's a tremendous blessing! How big a blessing it is to have this body and breathe in this world, do you know? Life is a blessing, and death is the curse given to humans!]

"...Is that so?"

I wanted to ask the same to Yuan Li in my past life, but I was too blinded by rage to ask properly.

[Why are you asking such a thing? Do you think the opposite?]

"...I used to."

[What?]

He looks at me as if I'm crazy.

But I just smile.

"But now, I'm sure. It's neither."

[...?]

Yuan Li looks at me, not understanding at all.

"Neither life nor death are the criteria to determine a blessing or a curse. And... seeing you today, I'm sure. You're certainly not living a blessed life."

[What dog-shit are you spouting?]

"Dog-shit you say."

I smirk.

"Even if I speak nonsense, isn't it your wish to live even a moment longer by letting me ramble on?""

[....]

His face behind the mask twists hideously.

"Now then, farewell. I don't wish to see you again."

[Wait! L-look here, calm down. First, can you at least explain why you're killing me? Someone I've never seen before suddenly comes to kill…I can't quite understand.]

"Understand..."

I point to the source of the bloody stench emanating from the black castle.

"Did you seek understanding from those you've killed? When you trample others so miserably, shouldn't you know you can end up the same?"

[Wait, wait! Listen. Right, we have no relations, right?]

"You had no relations with them either."

[N-no don't do that! Ah, no! I don't want to die! Please, I beg you! Do you know how precious it is to be alive? Please, please don't kill me!]

"Someone who understands that shouldn't have stolen others' lives."

I swing down my Formless Sword.

[No! Noo! Nooooo!]

Swoosh!

My Formless Sword, cutting through his head, splits his soul.

He dies, unable to even collect his Blood Spirits.

Hisss...

As Yuan Li dies, the black mask covering his face also crumbles.

Yuan Li's face is a blank nothing.

He claimed proudly that being alive is a blessing.

But this monster, who devoured people and lost even his own face through synthetic bodies, who could he have truly connected with?

What is life to someone who lived without a heart, so desperately clinging to it?

'I don't particularly want to know.'

I cut off Yuan Li's head and exit the black castle.

Outside the castle are Mad Lord and Seo Hweol.

Near Seo Hweol are the faces I had seen in my previous life, all surrounding the Mad Lord.

"Old Man Mad Lord, please calm down and listen to what I'm saying."

[Shut up, you venomous snake. Don't block my way.]

"Old Man..."

Then, Seo Hweol's gaze suddenly turns towards me.

I meet Seo Hweol's eyes, smiling faintly, and lift Yuan Li's head.

"... "

Shiiiiiiiii

Suddenly, it's cold.

Although Seo Hweol looks at me with a faint smile,

It feels as if I'm thrown naked into the depths of the sea, engulfed by the cold currents.

'How is it, Seo Hweol.'

Despite his unchanging expression,

I read his intent and heart essence, feeling an unprecedented pleasure.

Mad Lord begins to laugh crazily, seemingly reading Seo Hweol's ever-changing intent.

[Haha, hahahaha! Uwahahahahahaha! What he did must've really bothered you that much, huh? Right? What wicked plot were you cooking up this time, huh?]

Seo Hweol, who had been silently looking at me, speaks to the Mad Lord.

"...It's nothing serious. Just, seeing a promising junior among the humans, I, as a senior in the cultivation world, feel content regardless of race."

"...?"

I read Seo Hweol's intent, surprised to see he seemed to be genuinely resolving his feelings.

'Why?'

Wasn't Yuan Li important to him?

While I'm pondering,

Wo-woong!

Seo Hweol suddenly appears right in front of me.

'He just leaped through space...!'

It wasn't about speed.

I literally felt space opening up for a moment.

Seo Hweol looks at me and smiles gently.

"Yuan Li, once a devil who killed one of the latter generations of the Sea Dragon Tribe, was someone whom I personally admonished. However, it appears he could not rid himself of his vile nature and committed numerous massacres. It seems you have properly educated him."

"..."

What can possibly be this man's intentions to speak to me as such? 

Seo Hweol grins at me.

"I shall take my leave. It seems Old Man Mad Lord has taken an interest in you, so be careful. Old Man Mad Lord turns those he finds interesting into living puppets in his own world..."

After patting my shoulder, Seo Hweol soars into the sky, disappearing into the blue twilight.

The other Heavenly Being cultivators who had surrounded the Mad Lord also leave in the direction Seo Hweol has gone.

Last time, because he used his powers in Ascension Path, many Heavenly Being cultivators detained him.

But this time, there was no one to reprimand him, possibly because he used his powers in the Heaven-Treading Desert.

[Haha, as for this castle…]

Mad Lord comes down to the black castle and starts inspecting it.

[A kind of Immortal Treasure. It contains the attraction of fate. Let's see…]

He tears apart a section of the castle.

[I've found it. Is this the source of the attraction?]

I glance at the spot the Mad Lord demolished.

There's something like a shining rock embedded there.

While the Mad Lord is intrigued by it,

I decided to leave the area.

'Seo Hweol may be hateful, but he's right.'

Mad Lord is truly mad, and staying near him can result in me being dissected or turned into a puppet without anyone knowing.

I silently leave the Mad Lord's side and fly far away into the Heaven-Treading Desert using the Formless Sword.

Thus, on the first day of my return,

I eliminated Yuan Li, the source of the Heaven-Treading Desert massacre, and escaped from the Mad Lord.

I thought all the problems of this life have been solved.

[Where are you going so quickly?]

Chill!

Whirrrrrrrr!

A puppet with wings resembling a wasp's, similar to a grotesque insect, is suddenly flapping next to me.

The puppet, eerily resembling the Mad Lord, echoes his voice.

[Now that I think about it, I forgot to tell you. After hearing your story, I was so moved that I consulted with Her. We agreed to help you with your revenge and welcome you into our world.]

Whirrr!

[Don't worry, I intend to evolve you into a superior being. For now, just stay still for a moment.]

'This is insane!'

I evade the Mad Lord's puppet that suddenly swings its saw blade at me.

[Hmm? Why are you running? Why are you running? Why are you running?]

The Mad Lord's voice, full of incomprehension, echoes from the puppet.

[Whyrunningwhyrunningwhyrunningwhyrunningwhyrunning? I'mofferingtoevolveyouintosomethinggreater?youyouyouyou....]

The eyes of the puppet start glowing hot red.

And then.

[If you resist, I have no choice. I'll capture you by force and make sure to definitely evolve you.]

Kugugugugu

The puppet exudes an aura equivalent to the early stage of Nascent Soul.

But that isn't the real problem.

Far off in the distance, on the horizon where I had escaped from.

Right there, several puppets, similar or even stronger than the one beside me, are chasing after me.

'If I get caught, I'll be turned into a puppet!'

Feeling chills all over my body, I start frantically crossing the Heaven-Treading Desert to escape the Mad Lord's grasp.