Chapter 123: One Against a Hundred

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Translated by Frog in the Well

Read it only at Nineheavens.org
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***

Ryeo Jeong, who was in the middle of concentrating on cultivation, smiled without realizing it. It was because of a sudden surge of happiness.

Thinking back on the past year she had spent in the Seven-Colored Treasure Pagoda, she was filled with emotion.

Although she suffered a bit in the beginning, from a certain point on, there were no problems at all.

Precisely after meeting Jin So-myeong. From then on, everything went smoothly.

Especially the past half year, during which she could concentrate solely on cultivation without any worries, was a very, very fulfilling time for her.

‘I thought I would be fortunate just to obtain the Myriad Souls Wood fruit…’

Thanks to the smooth cultivation, she had already reached the 5th layer of Golden Core before she knew it. How could she not be happy!

‘It is all thanks to Fellow Daoist Jin.’

Suggesting to him to harvest the Golden Moonbright Grass together was the most correct choice of her life.

If she had not gone to find Jin So-myeong back then, what would have happened…

She might have died while harvesting the Golden Moonbright Grass. Just imagining it sent a chill down her spine.

While feeling proud of the decision she made in the past, she froze.

“Ryeo Jeong. Can you come out for a moment?”

“…Just a moment. I will be right out.”

Answering the sudden call, she felt a sudden worry.

Because bothering her while knowing she was in the middle of cultivation meant it was a very urgent matter.

“Did some problem occur?”

As she hurriedly went out and asked, Jin So-myeong, who was standing near the outer edge of the restriction, gestured with a faint smile.

“Come here and take a look at that.”

“…?”

Although she had doubts, she followed obediently. Because sufficient trust had accumulated from traveling together with Jin So-myeong for almost a year.

‘But thank goodness. It doesn’t seem to be a serious matter.’

She worried that a major problem might have occurred, but Jin So-myeong’s expression was bright. Seeing him gesture as if telling her to come quickly with a slight smile relieved her mind.

As she approached with quick steps, the outside of the restriction began to be visible.

And…

“?”

Her large eyes closed very slowly and then opened again.

Something,

there were far, far too many things that should not be outside the restriction.

Unidentified existences that tightly filled the sky. A ‘swarm’ of Golden Core cultivators who had unfolded a siege so tight that not even a drop of water could leak was visible.

“…Eh?”

Had she suddenly become a fool? Her brain did not work.

Because she could not understand the situation at all, she amplified her vision using spiritual power and then regretted it.

Her breath was choked by the late Golden Core cultivators’ gazes filled with killing intent that surrounded them from all directions.

One, two, ten, thirty, fifty, a hundred…

So many Golden Core cultivators that it was hard to count them individually were glaring in this direction.

‘Oh my, what is that.’

Denying reality, she tightly shut her eyes and opened them again. However, the visible scenery was still the same.

It was the same even after she rubbed her eyes as if wiping a foggy window and checked.

In an instant.

The blood completely drained from her face, and it became as white as a sheet of paper.

Her mind grew faint. After swaying from a wave of dizziness, she narrowly held onto the thread of her reason.

“…So.”

She could not bring herself to speak. Ryeo Jeong, who munched her lips for a long time, spoke as if spitting out a blocked breath.

“Tha-that, what did those gentlemen come here to do? It’s not like the exit of the Seven-Colored Treasure Pagoda will appear here.”

She barely spoke in the hope that it was a dream, but Jin So-myeong, who chuckled, replied in a light tone as if playing a joke.

“Why else would those fools come here? They probably came to kill me and snatch my storage pouch.”

“…”

“Ah! Ryeo Jeong, you will also be one of their targets. In any case, you broke the restrictions together with me.”

At the clean answer that was almost resolute, she, who realized the cold reality, nodded her head blankly.

“I-I see. They came to kill me and Fellow Daoist Jin. Oh my goodness.”

Her words cut off continuously. Having lost her soul, she creaked like a broken doll.

Ah, eh, heugh, and so on. Making bizarre noises, she broke down.

“Do not worry too much. Since I already knew.”

“Yes?”

She, who had been hanging her head low in despair, froze.

He already knew!

Seeing Jin So-myeong’s peaceful appearance, hope and respect welled up in her.

Thanks to the relaxed and calm atmosphere, she felt as if her ran-away mind was returning.

“Ah-ah! You had a plan!”

“Well, it is a somewhat simple plan, but there is one.”

“Oh my! Did you map out an escape route or something?”

“It’s not that…”

Swallowing her saliva, she waited for the words to follow.

What kind of grand plan could it be! Her eyes twinkled with expectation.

Gathering both hands near her chest, she looked up at Jin So-myeong, but for some reason, he looked a bit embarrassed and then said.

“Can’t we just kill them all?”

“…What?”

At the shock that felt like being hit on the back of the head with a hammer, she did not even realize that she had spoken informally for the first time.

***

After telling Ryeo Jeong, who looked like she would burst into tears for some reason, to guard the restriction, Jin So-myeong, who came out alone, whistled.

‘What a grand sight.’

When the winged beasts they drove were added to the army of over a hundred Golden Core cultivators, the sky was packed. The ground cracked just from the pressure that naturally leaked out.

Even if they just made a single gesture each, a nation would turn to ashes. Looking at the absurd combat power, only admiration came out.

‘I must have gone crazy.’

To be happy while looking at such a sight? Thinking of fighting over a hundred Golden Core cultivators, far from being terrified, only anticipation welled up.

He turned his gaze.

Scanning the guests who had come, he warned them for the first and last time.

“It is not too late yet. Those who value their lives should pull out even now.”

He waited for a moment, but no one left. On the contrary, sneering voices were heard from here and there.

“Puhaha. Truly an incredibly arrogant fellow. Do you still think you are the stronger one?”

“You are the one who should hand over the storage pouch while we are speaking nicely. Surely you didn’t believe you could monopolize that many Rank 4 spiritual herbs.”

There was also a person who lectured him.

“A wise man should be wary of the greed rising in his heart.”

“Arrogant sword cultivator. Today will be your death anniversary. It is all due to your own greed, so you won’t be able to resent anyone.”

The appearance of stroking his beard with his hands behind his back was as if a family elder was teaching an immature child.

Actually, this side was relatively polite. There was also a person screaming with a face red from excitement.

“Kekeke. Foolish fellow. It must have been fun and good when you broke the restrictions. You rascal. Did you know it would end up like this even back then?”

“Hahaha! If he knew, would he be here? He would have fled and hidden long ago.”

“My goodness. Fleeing. Does that make sense?”

“Hm?”

“Even if that fellow was incredibly skilled, would he have been able to shake off our surveillance? This was a decided conclusion from the moment that guy was blinded by greed.”

“Oh, indeed!”

With many people, there were also many words.

Was it because they had endured for half a year in a secret realm that incited desire just to obtain Jin So-myeong’s treasures?

It seemed their suppressed desires had exploded. They all mocked and ridiculed him in high excitement.

“Hmm.”

Jin So-myeong, who was listening quietly without a single reply, chuckled.

With a slow motion, he turned his gaze. He made eye contact one by one with the bastards talking in expressions full of delight…

That was enough.

The mouths that were talking noisily while hiding in the crowd shut one by one.

“…”

There was not a single person brave enough to mock Jin So-myeong while looking him in the eye.

The only remaining noise was the sound of dry coughing, unable to overcome the embarrassment.

Was the coldly settled atmosphere bothersome?

Or was the dignified Jin So-myeong, despite being alone, annoying?

Someone clicked his tongue.

“One Hand Severs Life. There is a rumor that you obtained a Nascent Soul spiritual object. Is it true?”

Just one word. The moment the term Nascent Soul spiritual object was mentioned.

The settled atmosphere suddenly transformed. Intense thirst began to be contained in the Golden Core cultivators’ eyes.

Wondering just who was so good at instigating, he turned his gaze and saw the snake-faced man.

‘It was that guy.’

The unpleasant fellow who peeked when he broke restrictions in the past. Meeting him again in this kind of situation was highly welcoming.

Jin So-myeong, who examined the fellow closely, smirked.

“A Nascent Soul spiritual object? Ah, looking at it now, all of you…”

As if realizing a new fact, he nodded his head in an exaggerated manner and held high the storage pouch at his waist.

“Came here because you all coveted this?”

As he shook the storage pouch playfully, hundreds of eyes moved along with it. The sticky desire was full in the gazes that clung tenaciously.

Should he say it felt like performing a puppet show? It was honestly fun since the crowd reacted to every single gesture.

Amidst the focused gazes, he took something out from the storage pouch.

“A Nascent Soul spiritual object!”

The jade box senior Perfected Wuyang entrusted to him. He clearly engraved the box containing the Beautiful Sky Grass-Leaf Herb in the minds of the people.

As it was a jade box directly sealed by an expert who reached the Nascent Soul stage, it was not an ordinary object to anyone’s eyes.

Gulp…

It became quiet enough to hear the sound of a needle falling. Just as everyone’s eyes were bloodshot.

Pretending to put it in the storage pouch, he naturally retrieved the jade box into his sub-space and said.

“However, I don’t understand. Even if you kill me, this storage pouch won’t end up in your hands.”

“……”

“Is it not so? To obtain this, you would have to fight and fight again to survive until the end. Do you have the confidence to do so?”

As the uncomfortable silence continued, the snake-faced man stepped forward with a sigh.

“We just need to discard our greed and divide it moderately. That is something we will handle, so there is no need for you to worry.”

“Divide it? Is that possible?”

As Jin So-myeong tilted his head, the snake-faced man, who snorted, curled up the corners of his mouth.

“Whether it is possible or not, what does it matter to you? By the way, I am truly disappointed.”

“Hm?”

“The rumor said you cut down whoever attacked with a single blade? Why are you trying to resolve it with dialogue now? Could it be that because we are too many, you got scared…”

The mouth of the snake-faced man, which was moving ceaselessly, froze stiff.

Because Jin So-myeong, who suddenly burst into laughter, threw the storage pouch away as if playing a joke!

The storage pouch on which everyone’s gazes were focused drew a parabola.

Traversing the void at a fairly fast speed, it landed in the snake-faced man’s hand with a thud!

“Huh?”

At the same time.

Over a hundred gazes, sharp as awls, focused on the snake-faced man.

“…Why this to me?”

“Didn’t you say you would divide it? Go ahead and try if you can.”

At the voice full of laughter, the snake-faced man’s eyelids trembled violently.

He had accepted the storage pouch in a daze, but this was rat poison.

He knew it. But even so, he could not let go. That was what desire originally was.

“Wa-wait! Everyone, calm down. There is no guarantee that the jade box from earlier is a real Nascent Soul spiritual object!”

The snake-faced man shouted urgently, but the focused gazes did not fall. Because while saying so, the man also gripped the storage pouch tightly.

The jade box from earlier felt of a dignity that had reached Rank 4 to anyone’s eyes. No one could give it up easily.

In fact, the jade box had long been retrieved into the sub-space, but that was not information they could know.

Touch and go.

Within the suffocatingly heavy atmosphere that seemed like it would explode at any moment.

At that time when everyone’s interest was focused on the storage pouch, Jin So-myeong moved first.

Rumble…

A faint thunder, barely audible, rang out. Pure white and red lightning was embroidered in the void.

For an instant. The sky darkened.

Ruuuumble!

A super-large palm that fell while tearing the clouds apart directly struck dozens of Golden Core cultivators who were distracted by the storage pouch.

…………!

A roar as if heaven and earth were collapsing shattered the silence.

Fourteen Golden Core cultivators departed to the afterlife without even being able to react. Hit directly by the Yin-Yang Great Hand Seal launched with full force, they turned into a bloody mess without even leaving a corpse behind.

“Cough!”

A few whose reactions were fast survived by unfolding defensive spells, but they were not fine.

“Aaaaagh!”

Enwrapped in dazzling lightning, they spat out screams mixed with pain.

And.

Jin So-myeong, who disposed of over a dozen people with a single strike, did not stop.

As he cast the Lightning Escape Art, the entire world slowed down. In a state of becoming one with lightning, he gripped the hilt of his sword.

Clang!

Simultaneously with drawing his sword, he sprayed a half-moon shaped Sword Qi.

The slash that flew while leaving a white afterimage cleanly separated the upper and lower bodies of five or six people who were still alive even after being hit by the Yin-Yang Great Hand Seal.

“What are you doing! Kill him!”

The moment someone roared.

The battlefield was split precisely into two.

Those who tried to kill Jin So-myeong anyway, and those who tried to snatch the storage pouch held by the snake-faced man… precisely into those two.

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