Chapter 185: Overwhelming Might

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Translated by Frog in the Well

Read more at Nineheavens.org
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***

“Aaaghh!”

The eyes of Mok Ra-yu, the current family head of the Mok Clan, shook violently.

Until Jin So-myeong on the ground broke through the enemy lines and grabbed the nape of the Insect-Armor Race member’s neck,

she was unable to make any response. It felt as if her senses were broken.

Crackle!

The dazzling lightning burned the Insect-Armor Race member, and along with terrible heat, a scream mixed with pain echoed.

Every time she closed and opened her eyes, Jin So-myeong, who had disappeared like smoke, appeared from somewhere, and someone’s neck dropped with a thud.

It was as if he were walking in another time alone.

Just being fast.

With speed alone, Jin So-myeong overwhelmed everyone in this place.

“Kieeeek!”

The Insect-Armor Race members, unfolding wings unique to insects, let out strange cries and rushed in, but it was to no avail.

Slash!

Slashes that were not even properly visible brushed past them, and not only their limbs but even their torsos were cut to pieces.

The constantly spurting red blood was like petals fluttering.

The Insect-Armor Race members whose limbs were cut recovered to normal in an instant, but that was all.

“…”

Like moths flying towards a bonfire. They were sliced ruthlessly.

It was overwhelming.

With just a single collision, it was clearly revealed who the strong one was.

Had it not been for the divine ability that regenerated them by sacrificing surrounding bugs, the gap was so severe that the Insect-Armor Race would have been wiped out in an instant.

Just as she stared at the sight, where common sense seemed to collapse, as if possessed,

-He is truly a monster. I judged incorrectly.

she was startled by the transmission of the former family head, Mok Sa-heon.

-Yes? What do you mean by that.

-Jin So-myeong has already become several times stronger than my expectations. If we try to use him hastily, our clan will be devoured instead.

Was it not easy even for Mok Sa-heon, who was at the Great Circle of the Nascent Soul stage?

-Then what should we do? We must seize the Soul Formation spiritual object Jin So-myeong has.

-It has become troublesome…

Just as her complexion darkened at the words that it was difficult,

Mok Sa-heon, who was looking down at the carapaces covering his upper body, brought up a slightly different topic.

-The race called the Insect-Armor Race has parts similar to puppets.

-Puppets?

-Look at this.

Mok Sa-heon pointed at the flying bugs that constantly rushed in and burst to death.

-No matter how trivial a creature is, it is the law of nature to cherish one’s own life. Yet these bugs are trying to die of their own accord.

-Ah…

It was certainly strange.

The bugs in the desert acted as if they did not care about living or dying.

-Obedience to superiors. If a higher class commands, they follow while even casting away their lives. It is a race where the relationship of superior and subordinate is injected deep to the bones from birth.

Crash!

Flinching at the sound of lightning that was suddenly heard, she turned her gaze.

She closely observed Jin So-myeong, who was continuously roasting the Insect-Armor Race member, already black as charcoal, with lightning Qi.

-Certainly… to say it is simply deep ferocity, the degree is severe.

The Insect-Armor Race members constantly rushed in.

While the four or five that charged ahead threw their bodies, the others tried to stab the vital points.

In the tactic that was no different from a physical assault, bugs were sacrificed countlessly every time they regenerated their severed bodies.

-Obedience to superiors is a very powerful characteristic, but at the same time a weakness. If one can interfere with the command system, one will be able to control the entire race at will.

It was a story like a dream.

If they could employ a mighty race like the Insect-Armor Race, even the Sacred City would not treat the Mok Clan carelessly.

However, it was not an easy task.

She, who was frowning, stroked the back of her hand.

She tried to interfere with the command system through the fingernail-sized carapace on her skin, but the signal was so weak that she could not even get a sense of it.

Then suddenly.

The carapace covering Mok Sa-heon’s entire upper body came to mind, and her eyes grew wide.

-Did you let the race twist itself on purpose to find out their command system?

-To obtain something, one must take risks.

It was a common saying he had heard countlessly in life, but hearing it at this moment, she did not know what to reply.

After all was said and done, Mok Sa-heon was her family.

Dazed for an instant, she regained her composure while deflecting a rock fragment that flew in from somewhere.

-Was there any result?

-Hmm. The Insect-Armor Race members over there are all at the Nascent Soul stage. The reason they, with the same realm, move like a single body is because a higher class exists.

-If it’s a higher class… could you be talking about the Soul Formation stage?

-Probably. Of course, it is not in a normal state. If it were intact, we would have been suppressed long ago and become bug food.

-That is…

After all, is it not merely a speculation? Just as she was about to rebut, she let out a sigh.

Because the saying that one must take risks to obtain something came to mind once again.

-I can faintly feel it. Not far away, there is an entity commanding the Insect-Armor Race. It feels close to a plant, like an egg not yet hatched or the nest destroyed earlier.

-Will it be fine? If it is truly at the Soul Formation grade, it is too dangerous. No matter how passive an entity it is…

-My lifespan is not long left anyway. There is a limit to extending it with secret arts.

-Ah!

-If things go well, even if I die, a Soul Formation-grade puppet will be created for our Mok Clan.

Just as she could not hide her anxiety, a benevolent voice was heard for the first time.

-Our Mok Clan has already reached its limit. We have become too large to remain as a mere family. Is it not so?

-…That’s right.

-There is no choice. The Sacred City pretends to be lofty, but they are a race more cold-blooded and ruthless than anyone. If we go on like this, we will be exterminated by the Sacred City.

She, who had been silent, sent a transmission to the Mok Clan cultivators, and they, who flinched and trembled their shoulders, nodded their heads one by one.

***

“Stop! You damn thing! It’s useless, so let go!”

“Useless?”

Crackle!

“Keureureuk…!”

“It seems there is some use?”

Jin So-myeong, who was carrying around one Insect-Armor Race member who had acted arrogantly like a favorite doll and infusing lightning Qi whenever he was bored, scanned the battlefield situation.

The Nascent Soul stage cultivators, who had fallen into confusion due to the sudden surprise attacks of their comrades, equipped a solid formation as time flowed.

They suppressed the cultivators who went wild after being trapped in nests like Seo Hyeon-geuk, and sealed or completely cut off the limbs covered in carapaces that moved at will.

Thanks to Jin So-myeong, who charged in reverse the moment they were ambushed, they were able to settle the confusion without major damage.

‘It’s fine.’

The situation was not bad.

He nodded his head at the sight of them fighting on equal terms against the super-large centipede spewing toxic mist, the giant swinging a mountain-like arm like a mace, and the Insect-Armor Race members pouring out spells while dominating the sky.

Just when he thought they would be able to easily seize the transmission array if things went on like this,

“Ohh!”

A cheer was heard from somewhere.

Someone who saw the three thousand puppet army brought out by the Mok Clan let out a cry of admiration.

It was certainly a grand sight.

Three thousand puppets moved in an orderly fashion to unfold a formation.

“Puppet Soldiers!”

Although the number was small compared to the swarm of bugs that was at an uncountable level, even the weakest puppet was at the Foundation Establishment stage, so it was very powerful when evaluated as strength.

Just as the cultivators fighting the Insect-Armor Race cheered, saying that they were indeed the Mok Clan,

The Mok Clan, positioned in the center of the puppet army, broke through the swarm of bugs and then departed, traversing the sky.

Without saying a single word.

“…?”

“Where are you going suddenly!”

It was not only the human side that was flustered. The Insect-Armor Race members also stopped their offensive for a moment, then looked at each other and spoke something quickly.

And then, as many as half of the Insect-Armor Race members chased after the Mok Clan.

“What is this.”

“Do you know where the Mok Clan is going?”

“I do not know.”

Everyone was flustered, but Jin So-myeong was calm.

Ending with a glance at the direction the Mok Clan departed, he did not care anymore.

It was not because he had expected such a situation, but because he had absolutely no heart to rely on the Mok Clan in the first place.

To put it extremely, Jin So-myeong was confident he would survive and return even if he were left alone in this place right now.

That was why he could maintain his composure from beginning to end.

Shshk!

The Myriad Thunders Chaos Sky Scroll unfolded by Jin So-myeong melted into the air, and dark clouds appearing like an illusion covered the sky.

Rumble!

Starting with a single streak of lightning at first, thousands of thunderbolts followed. The lightning that struck down like a flash tore apart the giant formed by the clumping of bugs.

Perhaps thanks to Jin So-myeong, who rampaged without hesitation, the morale of the cultivators returned.

“Let’s leave the Mok Clan alone and secure the transmission array first!”

“Damn it. This is why you should not associate with those family bastards. Selfish things!”

The Nascent Soul stage cultivators who spat out curses focused on the battle, and the tide of battle turned in an instant.

“Still, it is fortunate that ten of them chased the Mok Clan.”

In the first place, the number of Insect-Armor Race members handling Jin So-myeong was ten.

In such a situation, since half of them disappeared to chase the Mok Clan, what would happen? The number handling Jin So-myeong also decreased by half.

Merely five.

Blocking Jin So-myeong with that number was impossible, and the human side became increasingly relaxed.

Boom!

Every time the sound of intense lightning struck their eardrums and the whitish slashes cleaved flesh and bone, a corner of the sky became clean.

Because countless bugs were sacrificed for the fatally wounded Insect-Armor Race members to regenerate.

“…This won’t do.”

Perhaps feeling that the situation was unfavorable, the eyes of the Insect-Armor Race members changed abruptly.

“We shall see how many years you bastards can endure in the area we have seized.”

The Insect-Armor Race members, who spat out voices filled with killing intent, kicked off the air.

As if practically casting away their lives, they forced their way into the human side’s formation and induced a melee.

Simultaneously, a few poured out spells towards the transmission array.

“They are trying to destroy the transmission array!”

“Where do you think you’re going!”

Under the bombardment pouring down like a shower, the barrier surrounding the transmission array vibrated violently.

An onslaught so intense that the air was distorted poured in.

They strived to crush the transmission array even at the cost of a massive price, but that was a false move.

Because as much as the onslaught was concentrated on the transmission array, Jin So-myeong became free.

Boom!

A streak of lightning resembling a meteor dyed the sky.

Blade flying at a speed that was not even visible sliced past the Insect-Armor Race members who were bombarding the transmission array.

At the hundreds of slashes swung during a single breath, the swarm of bugs that was numerous enough to dye the sky black fell in droves.

Crunch!

Although the bugs hatched from eggs were replenished as much as the bugs died off, they could not keep up with Jin So-myeong’s speed.

Literally, they were sacrificed and died as soon as they hatched.

So many eggs disappeared all at once that the floor changed to look like a hollowed-out basin.

“Ugh, you monster-like fellow…”

At the combat power that transcended the realm, the Insect-Armor Race member he carried around like a favorite doll writhed as if in pain.

Crackle!

Infusing lightning Qi one last time to burn it to charcoal, he threw it away like discarding trash.

Including the super-large centipede, he swept the surroundings, slicing apart every single one that caught his eye.

Amidst the one-sided slaughter,

in the end, the cultivator opening the way at the front safely arrived at the transmission array.

“Ah! I was worried because a barrier was set up, but fortunately, one can just enter.”

Perhaps because they were human, they could easily enter inside the barrier.

Letting out a sigh of relief, he turned around and formed hand seals.

Boom!

As if covering, they utilized the barrier like a fortress and poured long-range spells on the Insect-Armor Race.

They helped the people who had not yet entered.

Before long, everyone, including Jin So-myeong, was able to enter inside the barrier, and everyone’s faces brightened.

Since they secured the transmission array, they could now depart at any time.

“Eek!”

Just as the Insect-Armor Race members, absurdly broken through by Jin So-myeong’s overwhelming combat power, vented their anger,

One of the Nascent Soul stage cultivators spoke while looking at the direction the Mok Clan had departed.

“Could there be some treasure over there, by any chance?”

“…That might be so.”

“Even if it isn’t specifically that, this is the base of the Insect-Armor Race, so there must be treasures.”

Was it because they had secured the transmission array more easily than expected?

“Isn’t it a pity to leave just like this?”

“Hmm.”

Along with leisure, greed reared its head.

“Then let’s do this. Install additional formations here to reinforce the barrier, and use it virtually like a fortress.”

“Oh, that’s a decent idea.”

“Honestly, it’s a pity to leave just like this. As long as we secure the exit properly, there won’t be anything dangerous.”

“Indeed, if it seems it will be problematic, we can just leave.”

At that moment.

Jin So-myeong, who sensed something through his vast Divine Sense, turned his head sharply.

“Mok Sa-heon?”

A familiar face was visible beyond the horizon. But… his state was a little too strange.

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