Chapter 71: Eve (4)
Time passed.
Before I knew it, the appointed day I had agreed upon with Seo Ran approached, and I half-opened my eyes.
"Hoo..."
As I exhale, the spiritual cloud of the Earth Surpassing Path rises from my dantian.
A yellow-brown cloud covers the surroundings.
At the same time.
Ssshhh...
A jet-black cloud mixes with the yellow-brown, creating a dual-colored cloud swirling around me.
Black and yellow clouds.
The black cloud is the manifestation of the water and yin energy of the Water Surpassing Path to Cultivation.
Huff...
Inhaling again, both clouds are drawn back into my nose and mouth.
"Water Surpassing Path to Cultivation, Qi Refining 14th Star Infinite Spiritual Cloud achieved."
Since I had already opened all spiritual meridians with the Earth Surpassing Path, there was no need to open additional meridians; I just needed to accumulate spiritual energy.
Additionally, having insight into each stage through Understanding before Breakthrough, I only needed to consider the differences of the Five Elements and slowly open them.
'Of course, that too took a very long time...'
It seemed to be unavoidable due to my constitution.
'At this rate, I won't be able to master all Five Elemental methods in this lifetime.'
It seems it might even take the next life.
Whooom...
I open my eyes and summon a Gang Sphere from my Inner Core.
The Gang Sphere splits into five and circles around me.
'Finally, five Gang Spheres...'
Although I had long ago learned to handle five Gang Spheres, stabilizing all five is a recent achievement.
'I wonder if I can handle nine Gang Spheres like Kim Hyung in this lifetime.'
Grasping the clue to the next Gang Sphere and delving into it.
Barely forming a new Gang Sphere.
Stabilizing the newly formed Gang Sphere.
By repeating this process over and over, I finally reached five Gang Spheres.
But for Kim Young-hoon, it took at most a year, sometimes just months, to form one or two Gang Spheres.
He went through all the processes I did and stabilized the Gang Spheres in that time.
'I'm still at this slow pace.'
I'm far from catching up to Kim Young-hoon.
He struggled a lot and said Ultimate Pinnacle is the end of martial arts, the limit of humanity.
'But if it's him, he will surely pioneer a new realm.'
What comes after Ultimate Pinnacle?
I am very curious about it too.
But I have no idea how long it will take me to reach that realm.
Even reaching the limit of Ultimate Pinnacle with nine Gang Spheres felt like a distant wall.
"Kim Hyung. I believe you will go further."
I can't catch up to Kim Young-hoon.
So, I just wish him well for the future.
I write a letter to Kim Young-hoon using a spell and then start heading to the Black Wind Sea to meet Seo Ran.
Whoosh-
The waters of the Black Wind Sea are calmer and clearer than ever.
Especially as I approach Seo Ran's abode, the sea becomes even more tranquil and serene, giving a clear feeling.
At the same time, I am astounded by the dense spiritual energy emanating from Seo Ran's abode.
'Such power!'
It feels like enough power to shatter an entire island.
'If this is the power accumulated over 10 years in the late Qi Building stage...'
Splash!
I dive into the water and swim towards Seo Ran's abode.
Thanks to mastering the Water Surpassing Path, moving through water felt much easier.
I soon see a golden aura blooming below.
Golden energy envelops Seo Ran's entire cave!
'Beautiful..'
It looks almost divine, leaving me speechless for a moment.
Without the Water Surpassing Path, I would have likely drowned.
I enter Seo Ran's abode.
Splash!
Entering his chamber, I am greeted by a world of golden light.
At the center of that radiance, there is Seo Ran's bell, with Seo Ran infusing energy into it.
Flash!
Noticing my entrance, Seo Ran stopped infusing energy and swallows the bell.
The golden light immediately disappears.
"Have you arrived?"
"Yes, Seo Hyung. That power is truly... immense."
"Immense indeed..."
Seo Ran says with a self-mocking smile.
"We might be able to drive away trivial spirits, but we'll have to fight inside the Nether Crossing Ship, the stronghold of that being. Against a Core Formation-level ghost, no matter how much power we accumulate in the dharma treasure, there's nothing we can do but temporarily immobilize it,"
Seo Ran speaks with determination etched on his face.
"...But I must obtain what lies within. Don't worry, though; I have a technique that allows at least one of us to escape."
"Seo Hyung, what are you talking about? If we decide to do this together, we should leave together as well."
Seo Ran looks at me with a complex expression.
His intent is too convoluted to read.
'It seems he's feeling complicated... But why is he showing such subtle emotions to me?'
If his emotions are clear, I might understand his intentions.
'Well, whether it's goodwill or something else.'
Thinking of repaying the Dragon King's favor, I decide to stay with him to the end.
"Right. You're correct. If we're together, we should leave together."
Seo Ran agrees with a small nod and heads for the entrance of his cave.
"Let's go then."
Like before, Seo Ran and I headed towards the Black Ghost Valley, where the barrier is located.
Unlike before, I didn't ride on his neck but cast a water element spell to float and move quickly over the water.
"You've even mastered a water element method in the meantime. You're incredibly talented."
"Haha, no, I've just devoted a lot of time to it."
Whoosh!
Soon, we enter the stormy sea area, and from afar, we can discern the location of the barrier through the distortion of spiritual energy.
"Now, ride on my neck again."
"Yes."
Whoosh!
As I cling to his neck, Seo Ran soars again, passing through the barrier.
Once more, a misty sea fog surrounds us.
The familiar sounds of the scattered ghosts reach our ears.
This time, Seo Ran exerts his power from the start.
Flash!
Golden light begins to shine from within him.
The dharma treasure he stored inside him emits a weak but penetrating force.
Flash!
[Ahhhh!]
[No! No!]
[I know that light! I know that light!]
The ghosts scream and flee in all directions, and a massive path opens in the direction we are heading.
Whoosh!
We completely break through the second barrier.
Once again, we enter the area where the Nether Crossing Ship is located.
'It's the same as before.'
The Nether Crossing Ship looks exactly the same as when we left last time.
Still, a sinister, black-colored broken-down ship.
Seo Ran and I cautiously approach the ship.
There is no reaction.
There is still no response from the Nether Crossing Ship as we climb onboard.
"It's quiet."
Seo Ran speaks without relaxing his guard.
"Ghosts often fall into a deep sleep to conserve their energy, clinging to their grudges, ghostly energy, or certain objects instead of going to the underworld. Perhaps, the soul fragment of that Heavenly Being ghost has fallen asleep."
We hesitate for a moment, then enter the interior of the Nether Crossing Ship.
The interior is still dark and massive.
"There's still no response."
"We'll have to hope there's no response even as we go down to that level again..."
Seo Ran brings a slight current with him that lifts his body, allowing him to swim as if gliding inside the Nether Crossing Ship.
Thanks to this, his footsteps make no sound at all.
Using a walking technique, I completely silence my footsteps and follow him.
Since we had already investigated the upper levels of the ship last time, today we only needed to go down to the lower levels.
We quietly head to the lower levels of the Nether Crossing Ship.
The level we had entered last time.
The ghostly energy is still surging as it had been before.
After exchanging glances, we enter the lower level of the Nether Crossing Ship.
We communicate silently with gestures and started moving.
That's when it happened.
Whooosh-
A gust of ghostly wind blows, completely sealing the exit of the level we had descended to with ghostly energy.
"...!"
"...!!"
[I've been awake since you set foot on the Nether Crossing Ship. I'm currently enduring the pull of the underworld by relying on the ship's ghostly and yin energy... If anything happens to the ship, I can tell immediately.]
The voice laced with ghostly energy echoes from all directions.
[I knew you would come back, you fools... And you, the bastard child, I pondered why you came to the Nether Crossing Ship, and eventually, I found the reason."]
Tinkle-
Far away, the sound of a bell rang.
Tinkle, tinkle...
In the darkness.
A single bell, rusted red, floated and rang in the air.
Whoosh-
At the same time, next to the bell, a volume of jade slips appears.
Jade slips are special jade books that can only be read by the consciousness of cultivators. The deeper and stronger the consciousness, the faster one can read and access the information in the jade slips.
Seo Ran's eyes waver at the sight of the jade slips and the bell.
The jade slips have the energy that Seo Ran had once told me to remember.
[I personally found what you were looking for and prepared it for you, aren't you grateful? When I read the jade slips, they contained a story so sad it couldn't be read without tears. Hahaha...]
Crack!
Then, a ghost hand extends from where the voice is coming and shatters the jade slips.
The fragments of the jade slips roll on the ground.
[Now, what will you do? Your reason for coming here is gone. Hahaha... Show me your despair. What do you think? Huh?]
Seo Ran's aura changes color.
His aura flares up with intense anger.
"Seo Hyung, stay calm. This being is trying to provoke you after sensing the energy of the dharma treasure you brought."
Even though it's a ghost, it too has consciousness with color.
I read its color and understood its intents.
It seems to mock and toy with Seo Ran while radiating immense wariness towards him.
As I pinpoint its emotions, two blazing red eyes and flaming ghostly fire appear in the darkness.
[Have you, like that demon, learned a special technique to analyze consciousness?]
I don't respond, just gather my spiritual power and internal energy.
"Alright, I understand."
Seo Ran grits his teeth, suppressing his anger.
"Thank you, actually. For finding what I am looking for in advance."
As he opens his mouth, a golden bell, identical in shape to the rusted one, springs from within him.
"If I just get rid of you, I can immediately obtain what I desire!!"
Flash!
Golden light spreads in all directions.
Simultaneously, the lower level of the Nether Crossing Ship, hidden by ghostly energy and darkness, becomes brightly illuminated, revealing the interior of the ship.
The vast space inside the ship, compressed by spatial magic, becomes visible.
Around the ship, shattered ghostly statues and spatial rifts were seen, and remnants of what might have been mechanical puppets lay scattered here and there.
In the center of the space.
On a throne made of jet-black stone, sat a white skull, cloaked in a dark robe.
Red ghostly fire flows from the eye sockets of the skull, and the rest of the body seems to be made entirely of ghostly energy, flickering in and out.
[How dare a mere half-breed... unleash the Ghost Controlling Bell within the sacred artifact of the Azure Ghost Valley? Even inner disciples would face severe punishment, sentenced to labor in the execution grounds of the Ghost Valley Mountain for a month, for such an act...
And a half-breed dares to do this!]
The Core Formation-level ghost from the Black Ghost Valley starts to stir up ghostly energy, displeased by the golden bell.
"Already smashed to pieces by that madman, and you call this derelict ship a sacred artifact? It's laughable."
Seo Ran's words seem to trigger the ghost, as ghostly energy begins to whirl violently around it.
[Do not dare speak of that madman's deed in my presence!!!]
Whoosh!
The interior of the ship, which had been brightened by the golden light, darkens again as the ghostly energy swirls.
[I will kill you!!!]
The ghostly energy surge, attempting to suppress the light of the golden bell.
Seo Ran focuses on the bell without showing any tension.
"Don't worry. I've accumulated power for ten years. A mere remnant soul like this, barely clinging to life by borrowing the power of the broken Nether Crossing Ship to avoid being dragged into the underworld, is nothing to fear!"
Whoosh!
The golden bell emits an even more intense golden light, directing it towards the ghost spirit.
[You think you, mere Qi Building bugs, can handle the dharma treasure of Core Formation!]
The ghostly energy seems to push away the golden wave momentarily, but Seo Ran chucghostlkles.
"Don't bluff! You old ghost. The Ghost Controlling Bell was made by your own Black Ghost Valley, specifically to suppress spirits. A dharma treasure made by you would be the most effective against ghosts!"
[Arrgh!]
Blinded by the explosive light from the bell, the ghost spirit couldn't open its eyes.
"Now's the time, it's weakened by the dharma treasure. Let's attack!"
Seo Ran and I split in opposite directions and begin our respective attacks.
Whoosh!
As Seo Ran opens his mouth, a blue breath bursts forth.
Boom!
The blue light flashes, and the ghost spirit groans loudly.
Crackle, crackle...
The golden bell floating in the air gradually moves above the ghost spirit.
It looks like a golden sun moving towards its zenith at noon.
Flash!
The golden bell hovers above the ghost, shining even brighter and starting to tremble.
Tinkle-
The sound of the bell seems to further weaken the ghost spirit.
It's as if a golden barrier is restraining and sapping its strength.
"We can win this if we keep pushing!"
Seo Ran was about to gather energy in his mouth again when...
[You... vermin...]
Whoosh!
As the light from the bell hits the ghost directly, the ghost spirit starts to rise.
[Do you find it amusing... that with this body, I cannot touch the Ghost Controlling Bell?]
Zap, zap...
[You dare to challenge me, with Core Formation power, with your petty tricks?]
While using its strength to withstand being dragged into the underworld and countering the opposing energy of the dharma treasure...
The ghost conjures up black ghostly clouds, spreading and dyeing the surroundings dark.
[Give up on your futile dreams...!]
Boom!
Black ghost claws burst from the clouds, sweeping towards Seo Ran and me.
We narrowly dodge the claws.
'So fast!'
Due to their lack of physical form, the claws move with frightening speed.
Bang, boom!
Black ghostly energy swirls around.
Wriggle, wriggle...
Black tentacles flow out of the dark clouds.
'Gang Qi...!'
Or rather, it must be something like Pure Spiritual Force.
Thousands of them extend, forming ghost hands, and begin to attack us.
'Accelerate, 6 times.'
Everything around me slows as my movements speed up.
I kick through the air, dodging all the ghost hands.
'Is it time to attack?'
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Boom!
I spin three times in the air, unleashing a Sword Gang that collides with one of the ghost hands.
'It's tingling.'
My Sword Gang significantly weakened the ghost hand, but didn't penetrate it.
"Seo Hyung! Prepare for a powerful strike!"
I form a hand seal and begin to cast spells.
Dual-colored spiritual clouds burst forth, and several spells form within them.
I detach a Gang Sphere from within me, then cover it with Gang Qi, connecting it with the sphere.
'I can't divide the Gang Sphere further.'
The ghost hands, and especially the claws, are just too fast.
Seo Ran, with his tough scales, survived several hits, but I would undoubtedly be split in two if hit once.
Using Severing Mountain Swordsmanship,Twenty-Third Move, Endless Mountains Beyond Mountains!
I adopt the Transcending Peaks stance, and with the Gang Qi further connected to the Gang Sphere, swing.
Kuaaang!
The ghost hands that collide with the Gang Sphere shatter.
Twenty-First Move, Severing Mountain!
Whoosh!
The Gang Sphere grazes the ground, slicing through the ghost hands and the dark clouds inside.
I lock eyes with the ghost spirit forming spells in the center of the dark cloud.
Crack!
As the ghost opens its skull's mouth, a large red skull-shaped spell flies towards me.
I return to the Transcending Peaks stance, gather the emitted energy, and switch to an extreme low position using Entering Mountain.
Whoosh!
My Gang Qi extends below the skull, targeting the ghost.
[Hmph!]
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
The ghostly energy condenses in the air, forming dark tombstones that fall and block my Gang Qi.
[You dare challenge me with such child's play!]
Whoosh!
The ghost completes its spell, and thousands of ashen skulls rise around it.
'Each skull has the power of a Gang Sphere!'
Screech!
Ghostly wails echo as the ashen skulls fly towards me.
A direct hit would be fatal.
'Stay calm, I can keep using Endless Mountains Beyond Mountains as long as my body endures.'
With the Gang Sphere and Gang Qi connected, the connected Gang Sphere can withstand multiple collisions without energy loss.
"'I must not face more than two skulls at the same time.'
I have to smash them one by one.
Thousands of skulls.
Each one as strong as a Gang Sphere.
Moreover, the ghost spirit is forming another set of hand seals in the back.
It looks like he's preparing to cast another powerful spell.
'I'll have to smash all the skulls one by one before he completes his spell.'
It's just that simple!
Three skulls in front, sixteen above, and twenty-two below opens their mouths.
While maintaining Endless Mountains Beyond Mountains, I use Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts to momentarily cut off perception and disappear in front of the skulls.
In the momentary gap when the skulls hesitate, I destroy three skulls in front and one each above and below using the techniques of Ascending Vein, Entering Mountain, Cliff Edge, Dragon Vein, and Flowing Ridge.
'My Inner Core is helping the flow.'
With the aid of my Inner Core, the strain of maintaining Endless Mountains Beyond Mountains is not as burdensome as before.
I think I can last much longer.
The sword moves of Transcending Peaks, Joy of Mountains and Peaks, and Mountain and Valley Transformation naturally flow together, striking each skull one by one.
Although it looks like dozens of Sword Gang are swirling, in reality, I am shattering each skull in the world of an instant.
Transcending Peaks, Mountain and Valley Transformation, Mountain Echoes Valley Responds, Flowing Ridge, Entering Mountain, Cliff Edge, Ascending Vein, Dragon Vein, Seventy-two Lights Emerging Peak...
Dozens of moves naturally connect, forming a single flow.
This flow contains tremendous power.
Twenty-First Move, Heavenly Lake!
Like a lake containing the heaves in its waters, my Gang Sphere encompasses this massive flow.
Power many times greater than that of a single Gang Sphere converges.
Originally, the ultimate move of Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, Severing Mountain, creates massive energy to store in the sword and concentrates the power to a single point to use a powerful technique beyond its usual strength.
However, having reached Ultimate Pinnacle, I learned to reverse the flow of Severing Mountain.
Instead of concentrating on one point, I scatter the accumulated power in all directions.
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, ultimate move, Severing Mountain!
The massive power stored in the Gang Sphere shoots out in all directions, striking the skulls directly.
Hundreds of skulls shatter all at once.
Ignoring their ghostly wails, I return to the stance of Transcending Peaks, forcibly maintaining Endless Mountains Beyond Mountains, resisting the escaping energy.
'The Gang Sphere is slightly damaged.'
Despite maintaining Endless Mountains Beyond Mountains, I had just shattered nearly a thousand attacks of the same level.
It's impossible for there to be no damage.
I grip my Gang Qi and stir up my spiritual power.
Clouds of yellow and black gather around me.
The dual-colored clouds begin to spin around me.
Simultaneously, spells of earth and water shoot out from within the clouds at an astonishing speed.
Each is significantly weaker than a skull, but by shooting dozens of spells per skull, they dampen their momentum, and I shatter the weakened skulls with my Gang Sphere.
I repeat this process on several more skulls.
The ghost spirit watches Seo Eun-hyun, who is raging like a thundering beast, forming hand seals.
[It's foolish. I don't know how a Qi Refining cultivator can use an attack of the Qi Building level, but even Qi Building cultivators cannot stand against me. Yet he dares to buy time in front of me.]
The ghost spirit already completed the next series of spells.
Seo Eun-hyun is still dealing with the skulls he had released before.
His gaze shifts to Seo Ran, who is gathering energy at the corner of his mouth.
[Although the breath of the Sea Dragon Tribe is fearsome, to hurt a Core Formation ghost like me, you'll need to gather much more energy!]
The ghost spirit completes a new set of hand seals.
Dark ghostly energy converges, spewing out a swarm of ghostly insects.
The insects, screaming ghostly, fly towards Seo Ran.
They resemble a black cloud charging towards him!
That's when it happened.
'Wait a moment.'
The ghost spirit's gaze turns to Seo Eun-hyun.
'Was he always that fast?'
Seo Eun-hyun, who had been shattering the skulls at a speed comparable to the Flying Escape Technique of a Core Formation cultivator, began to move even faster.
'What...!'
And then.
Kwaang!
There is a flash of light, and the skulls around Seo Eun-hyun all shatter.
The ghost spirit failed to properly perceive and missed the scene.
'I'm resisting the pull of the netherworld and resisting the Ghost Controlling Bell, but to miss that with my consciousness!?'
In an instant.
Seo Eun-hyun's figure disappears and appears again in front of Seo Ran, who is facing the swarm of ghostly insects.
Each individual insect is much weaker than the skulls he had just resisted, but there are a hundred times more of them.
Each insect could match a spell unleashed with Pure Spiritual Force!
Surely, he would be torn apart and killed by the swarm of insects!
However.
Kuang Kuang Kuan Kuang!
Seo Eun-hyun emits Sword Gang from one hand and begins to dance with it.
His Sword Gang collides with the insects and annihilates them.
[Hahaha, no matter how fast you are, you can't possibly...]
Then, dual-colored clouds begin to spin around Seo Eun-hyun.
Clouds of black and yellow.
From within the clouds, thousands of basic spells shoot out in all directions.
The basic spells are slightly weaker than the insects but manage to weaken them significantly, and Seo Eun-hyun's Sword Gang sweeps past the weakened insects.
He continuously shatters one insect after another.
At some point, Seo Eun-hyun's movements become even faster, transforming into a storm of light.
[This...is madness.]
The ghost spirit drops its jaw in disbelief as it watches Seo Eun-hyun.
He has completely wiped out the swarm of thousands of ghostly insects.
[You... monster-like creature...! Now I see that you are stronger than the half-dragon! How could you, a mere Qi Refining bug, do such a thing... What kind of monster are you! What kind of monster, I ask!]
The ghost spirit roars, and Seo Eun-hyun returning to his original stance, looks at it calmly with a faint smile on his lips.
Woong!
Around him, orbs of light, Gang Spheres, begin to emerge.
There are six spheres.
"...Indeed, a warrior grows by transcending the boundary of life and death."
Poof!
At the same time, Endless Mountains Beyond Mountains that Seo Eun-hyun is maintaining is released, and due to the rebound, blood gushes from his eyes, nose, and mouth.
Thud!
I exhausted all the spiritual power in my dantian and the internal energy in my Inner Core.
I feel like I could die at any moment.
Gasping for breath, I move the six Gang Spheres I have successfully split.
Flash!
Six attacks fly,, but the ghost spirit waves his hand, and my Gang Spheres collapse.
At best, they are strikes at the level of a Qi Building cultivator.
They wouldn't significantly harm him.
But...
"Seo Hyung. I've bought you some time."
If it's not a human attack, but a dragon's attack, it might be different.
Seo Ran's eyes sparkle as he gathers blue energy at the corner of his mouth.
Seo Ran opens his jaws.
A flash of blue shoots out.