Chapter 244: Surely It Can’t Be
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Translated by Frog in the Well
Read it only at Nineheavens.org
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The Void Refinement spiritual object bloomed on top of the black, turbid lake.
Jin So-myeong, who was charging toward the Crimson Heart Lotus, suddenly stopped abruptly.
Exactly one hundred li.
At the same time as he approached a distance that could be reached in a split second.
Bip………!
A tinnitus that seemed to pierce his brain rang out, and the blood vessels of his entire body stood on end.
His blood churned as if it had become lava, and an incomprehensible hatred boiled up.
Was it resentment?
As if something were tightly blocked, his chest became stuffy as if it would burst, so he could not tolerate it at all.
Somehow, by any means, he had to resolve this terrible thirst rising from the depths of his soul.
Grit!
Jin So-myeong, who gritted his teeth, whipped his head around.
As if looking for prey, his eyes, which had been white, were dyed blood-red as he glared at the surroundings.
Boom!
Far away, he charged toward an Asura who was belatedly rushing toward the Crimson Heart Lotus.
Right before colliding with the opponent, who opened his eyes wide in confusion.
‘Ah.’
Jin So-myeong, who suddenly snapped out of it, twisted his ankle that was kicking off the ground.
Leaving behind the Asura he was about to collide with, he leapt high into the sky and came to a stop.
‘Whew. Is this the power of a Void Refinement spiritual object? Even though I knew about it, I was bewitched.’
Standing while stepping on empty air and looking back at the lake where the Crimson Heart Lotus was, he saw a dazing sight.
“The sacred object is mine!”
The Asuras who arrived late became engulfed in anger just like Jin So-myeong had been a moment ago, and began to fight like crazy.
In a short time of less than a few seconds, two people died.
This was because everyone who charged toward the Crimson Heart Lotus threw away defense and focused only on killing their opponents.
Were they bewitched by a poison that made them lose their reason?
No, it was something of a much higher level.
Once one entered the domain ruled by the Crimson Heart Lotus, even a high monk who had cultivated for a thousand years would lose his reason and enthusiastically focus only on fighting.
In order to offer food to the Crimson Heart Lotus that grew by feeding on the spirit of struggle.
Because Jin So-myeong knew that, he had charged forward first.
He had tested the influence of the Crimson Heart Lotus when no one was around, but it was far more powerful than expected, so he was bewitched without even being able to resist.
‘Even though it is just a plant, to exert such a powerful influence…’
That extremely bizarre power was the watershed separating the Void Refinement stage and the Soul Formation stage, a power that Upper Realm cultivators called the Law Domain .
They said that when one reached the Void Refinement stage, one became able to imprint the mind one had cultivated and refined onto reality, and within that domain, one could wield authority close to a god.
‘Resisting it will not be easy.’
The Law Domain unfolded by a real Void Refinement stage Heavenly Lord, rather than a 6th-rank spiritual object, would be far more powerful than this. In order to fight and defeat them, he had to overcome that power.
Observing the Crimson Heart Lotus with his Lightning Insight Spell-Breaking Eye, he searched his memories.
Pondering the influence the Crimson Heart Lotus had exerted a moment ago, he devised a way to resist.
‘Entering the Law Domain, it felt as if the very concept of reason vanished.’
Approximately two hundred li. The moment he pointed with his finger toward the Crimson Heart Lotus about 80 kilometers away.
Fwoosh!
The fire Qi in the air gathered and became a fireball.
At that moment when he stared at the fireball flying while drawing a red straight line.
The fireball heading toward the Crimson Heart Lotus suddenly turned its direction on its own and swept over an unnamed Asura.
“Aaargh! You bastard…!”
The Asura, who suffered an unexpected disaster out of nowhere, glared this way but did not charge. He charged toward an Asura closer than Jin So-myeong and poured out his anger.
‘Is the range of the sacred object’s influence approximately one hundred li? It is a fascinating feeling.’
The Crimson Heart Lotus did not distinguish between living and non-living things. It felt as if the spiritual Qi itself held a will and attacked the surroundings.
How could one maintain a sober mind in such a Law Domain?
In fact, if obtaining the Crimson Heart Lotus was his sole purpose, he only had to wait far away and enter when all the competitors were dead.
However, if he did that, he could not experience resisting the Law Domain.
If he could just maintain a sober mind under the influence of the Crimson Heart Lotus, it would be of great help when rising to the Void Refinement stage.
The surrounding Asuras were not charging like crazy for no reason.
Since this very moment was a kind of fortuitous opportunity, he could not miss it.
‘Should I also just charge in?’
At that moment when he was contemplating while looking at the Crimson Heart Lotus blooming in the middle of the black lake.
The Lightning Insight Spell-Breaking Eye, a divine ability that pierced through the possibilities of all things, informed him of two solutions.
The first method was to unfold A Single Flash Lightens the Heavens.
The Light-Moon Silent-Life Sword, which could be called the essence of human cultivation civilization, was a secret technique developed to kill beings of a higher realm than oneself.
The dagger created by the human race, who was in danger of extermination, to protect itself…the result of mad obsession was indeed the Light-Moon Silent-Life Sword.
To kill one with a higher realm than oneself.
Was it because of this extreme purpose that seemed absurd at first glance?
A Single Flash Lightens the Heavens, derived from the Light-Moon Silent-Life Sword, possessed so many abilities that it was difficult to grasp them properly, and one of them was resisting the Law Domain.
If he unfolded A Single Flash Lightens the Heavens, he could fully preserve himself under external influence.
Resisting the poison that infected one into the Insect-Armor Race in the Defeated Sage Dojo in the past was indeed this effect.
‘I think it would work on the Crimson Heart Lotus too, but…’
Unfolding A Single Flash Lightens the Heavens now was equivalent to shouting to the four directions that he was a human.
He could not use it now when he was disguised as an Asura.
The second method to resist the Law Domain was to raise the proficiency of the Infinite Void Formless Robe, an invisibility art.
Infinite Void meant pure emptiness with neither form nor substance.
The blank space existing between spaces.
To walk within emptiness by infinitely expanding that which was originally smaller than a speck of dust was indeed the essence of the Infinite Void Formless Robe.
If the proficiency of the Infinite Void Formless Robe became high, he could find a safe path even in the Law Domain seized by the Void Refinement spiritual object and walk as freely as if taking a stroll.
【Spells】
Infinite Void Formless Robe (Mastery 65.2 million / 1 trillion)
However, suddenly raising the proficiency of a high-stage spell was too difficult a task, so he needed to take a slight detour.
‘I will have to use some of my Supreme Great Ability.’
Temporarily amplifying the power of a spell was far easier compared to permanently raising one’s realm. It was possible just by consuming the Supreme Great Ability.
After entering the Primordial One Qi Art, he consumed 100 million of the 700 million points of the Supreme Great Ability recovered over several days.
Amplifying the effect of the Infinite Void Formless Robe wrapped around his entire body, he moved his steps.
This level of caution was enough.
To obtain something truly precious, one ultimately had to face danger.
The moment he entered the Law Domain ruled by the Crimson Heart Lotus.
“…!”
The moment he closed and opened his eyes once, realizing that he was swinging the Fire Cleaving Great Saber at an unnamed Asura, he hurriedly twisted his wrist.
At that moment when he bent the trajectory of the Fire Cleaving Great Saber, which was right before slicing the neck, and slashed the empty air.
A fist flew in from the space where the horse-slaying saber had passed.
Fwit…!
Anger welled up at the fist that passed right next to his temple, brushing his hair.
Since the Asura whom he had barely saved tried to blow his head off instead, murderous intent boiled, but he gritted his teeth and endured.
‘I am going crazy.’
Indeed, he endured with sheer stubbornness.
It was not that he was reluctant to kill at this point.
In the first place, as long as he participated in the Sacred War, everyone was an enemy. If there was one thing he did not hesitate in, it was killing enemies.
If so, why?
It was because he could not distinguish whether the anger surging in his heart right now originated from himself or from the Crimson Heart Lotus.
At the very least, he did not want to be swayed by something else that was not even his own will.
Stubbornness, obsession, or obstinacy.
Whichever it was, it was fine. He even dragged out all of his innate rebellious nature to endure.
Was it thanks to the Infinite Void Formless Robe that allowed him to take a step back from the world and walk in emptiness? Or was it thanks to his Divine Sense that was close to the Void Refinement stage level?
At that moment when he barely endured while holding onto a single thread of reason.
“Die!”
The Asura whose neck had almost been taken by the Fire Cleaving Great Saber continued to throw fists.
‘You damn bastard.’
Since the bastard attacked while he was struggling to resist the Law Domain with all his might, he wanted to split him in a single slash.
Barely stopping the Fire Cleaving Great Saber right before striking down the crown of the head, he pulled out his fist instead.
Parrying the fist that tried to crush his nose with his left palm, he dug into the opponent’s embrace.
“Cough!”
Striking the solar plexus with his elbow, he chased the staggering Asura and struck the chin with his palm.
After thoroughly beating up the Asura who was bewitched by the Crimson Heart Lotus, he grabbed the wrist and threw him completely hundreds of li away.
“Whew.”
Suppressing his surging anger, he closed his eyes as if meditating.
It was not that there were no Asuras who attacked one after another, but while roughly beating them up and throwing them away, he sank into his inner self.
After separating the emotions boiling like a furnace one by one, he observed them.
Those that suddenly appeared without a cause.
He focused on examining those whose flow of cause and effect was not clear.
In order to escape from the Law Domain of the Crimson Heart Lotus, he first had to be able to distinguish what was normal and what was abnormal.
Since mental strength was not infinite.
Only by clearly distinguishing between himself and others and projecting strength in the precise place could he resist the Law Domain.
***
As Jin So-myeong resisted the Law Domain, which could be called the authority of the 6th-rank, the Void Refinement stage Heavenly Lords burst into exclamations.
“Heh. What a truly admirable will.”
“Just being skilled in combat is surprising enough. His talent for cultivation is also outstanding. To think that someone who was only at the 3rd layer of the Soul Formation stage when the Sacred War began has already reached the 5th layer.”
“More than that, his strong Divine Sense is even more surprising. This will not do. I must ask if he has any intention of becoming my disciple.”
As the old man with sparkling eyes muttered, dumbfounded glares poured down.
“Look here. Seeing that talent, does the thought of taking him as a disciple still occur to you? Even if he cultivates for only a thousand… no, five hundred years, he will become a Void Refinement stage cultivator, so what disciple? Do not make a fool of yourself and behave.”
“…Tsk.”
“Even a Unity stage Dao Lord might show interest in someone of that level. Becoming your disciple is a waste in many ways.”
Although the old man’s expression crumpled, he could not bring himself to deny it. He merely grumbled as if he did not like it.
“Let us contemplate Jin So-myeong’s treatment later. Since the sacred object has bloomed, it is now time to perform the Blood Sacrifice.”
An Asura woman with violet skin moved her steps.
The square where over a thousand Soul Formation stage Asuras had been waiting. Heading toward the entrance of Horyong Province, she tapped her storage pouch, and more than three thousand poles poured out in a heap.
The poles, with bells made of carved rock attached, drew trajectories so complex that it was difficult to chase them with one’s eyes, and then stood plunged into the ground one after another, drawing a large circle.
At the moment when the spiritual Qi remaining in the air turned into blue threads along the trajectories drawn by the poles.
They connected into one and became a giant formation.
“Haha. Fellow Daoist Red’s formation skills are admirable whenever I see them.”
“Thank you for the kind words, but please take your positions quickly. Now that the sacred object has bloomed is the best time to perform the Blood Sacrifice.”
The Void Refinement stage Heavenly Lords, who nodded their heads, raised their light rays and took their positions within the formation.
“Ra-heuk. What about you?”
“Since I must immediately pursue the human Soul Formation stage swordsman once his location is revealed, I will opt out of the Blood Sacrifice.”
“…Understood.”
If they tracked the location through the Blood Sacrifice, the targeted human would also notice.
In order to leave no room for response, they had to kill him as soon as his location was revealed. It was correct for at least one person to wait without participating in the Blood Sacrifice.
One might say they could perform the divination to find the human at the end of the Blood Sacrifice, but the first divination was when the power of the Blood Sacrifice was most fully exerted.
Since finding a Soul Formation stage cultivator without proper clues was not an easy task, they had to track him with the first divination to handle it surely.
“Then, I will begin.”
At the moment when the eyes of the woman with violet skin turned completely black.
Wooooong…!
The formation installed deep underground in Horyong Province vibrated.
Hundreds of Soul Formation stage cultivators who died while fighting in the Sacred War were offered as sacrifices, and a power strong enough to feel distant was sublimated and dwelled in the divination.
The location of the human Soul Formation stage swordsman who was within a million li, who killed Ra-heuk’s child and fell into the Red Lotus Realm after being swept by the Nine Heavens Wild Wind.
The divination, amplified by the Blood Sacrifice, transcended cause and effect and found the answer that originally could not be known.
Boom!
The pillar of light that erupted from the formation installed in the square rose endlessly.
“If you follow that light, you will be able to find the human Soul Formation stage swordsman.”
At that moment when Ra-heuk, who nodded his head, narrowed his eyes.
The pillar of light that had soared vertically flipped in the exact opposite direction and returned in its entirety.
“…”
Doubt welled up in the eyes of everyone who was concentrating to perform the Blood Sacrifice.
Why was the pillar of light, which should fly toward the human Soul Formation stage swordsman, coming back down?
Did some problem occur with the divination?
However, the angle of the pillar of light, which was thought to fall toward this place, was strange. Instead of falling vertically, it was subtly bent.
“That place is…”
Following the direction in which the pillar of light fell, Horyong Province, where the Sacred War was ongoing, came into view.
No way.
Surely it could not be.
Around the time an ominous imagination brushed through everyone’s minds.
Twang!
The pillar of light that passed through the 6th-rank formation sealing Horyong Province pointed out a certain someone.
As if to say it was this guy.
Emitting a brilliant glow, it pointed to one of the Asuras who was struggling to obtain the sacred object.
“Uh…”
The expressions of the Void Refinement stage Heavenly Lords, who watched that scene while frozen like stone statues, went blank.
So…
Jin So-myeong, whom they had liked while considering him the future of the Asura race all this time.
Was a human?
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