Chapter 255: Fortuitous Opportunity, or Accident
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Translated by Frog in the Well
Read it only at Nineheavens.org
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As he looked at the Asuras who amplified their spiritual power by bursting their hearts,
‘To think they would go that far just to kill me.’
He was on the verge of letting out a hollow laugh at their clear will to kill him at whatever cost.
At that moment when he shook his head,
he suddenly thought that the current situation was extremely coincidental.
Shuaaaaa…!
To think that in the midst of crossing the border line urgently while being pursued by the persistent ones, a rain that fell once in several hundred years fell at this exact time.
‘Since when was it?’
After ascending,
he felt like he was exceptionally caught up in many incidents and accidents.
If he had not been swept by the Nine Heavens Wild Wind when he first came to the Upper Realm, he would have fallen in the human territory under the guidance of the 6th-rank Realm-Crossing Talisman.
By now, he would have been cultivating peacefully while accepting the Upper Realm culture in the human territory.
‘Hmm. Actually, it might not have been peaceful either.’
In any case, if he had at least not encountered Ra-heuk’s son, he would have crossed to the human territory leisurely.
The ill fate that started from a single moment of misfortune continued truly long.
Although he achieved rapid growth thanks to the series of events, he underwent countless dangers.
‘Was I cursed with bad luck?’
It was a problem worth contemplating at least once, but now was not the time.
Because the speed of the Asuras rapidly increased, the distance between both sides narrowed moment by moment.
Peeeeeeek…!
The phoenix carrying Jin So-myeong fluttered its wings urgently, but the fellow was already doing his best.
The moment he judged that at this rate, they would catch up before even crossing the neutral territory,
he triggered the spiritual power in his heart and spread his Blood Wings.
-I will fly, so just prepare to fight.
Peek?
Putting the Black-Flame Boundary-Stone, who was fluttering its wings with all its might, into his spatial pocket, he kicked the empty air.
At the same time,
he summoned his clones and made them charge toward the pursuing Asuras.
Kwakwakwakhang!
A loud roaring sound and explosions filled the empty air. Utilizing the gap where their vision was blocked as the clones ran wild, he deployed the Infinite Void Formless Robe.
He had tried to see if he could hide, but unfortunately, it did not work.
The pupils of one of the Asuras emitted a brilliant blue light, then looked precisely this way.
‘As expected, it does not work.’
No matter how great the Infinite Void Formless Robe was, hiding openly right before the opponent’s eyes was impossible.
As soon as he confirmed it did not work, he gave it up immediately.
He concentrated only on flying toward the human territory with all his might.
Like that,
he traversed thousands of kilometers in an instant that felt like eternity.
“Stop! What is the meaning of this! Could it be you mean to violate the treaty!”
Simultaneously with the shout echoing from the front,
an old man in his seventies appeared on top of a structure shaped like a fortress wall.
‘A human Void Refinement stage cultivator!’
The joy of finally arriving at the human territory was also brief,
as he realized that the sound of tearing air heard from right behind was continuing.
‘Are they truly crazy?’
The Asuras did not seem to have any intention of stopping. Even though they arrived at the human territory, they continued to pursue.
Could they do that?
Naturally, they could not. There was no way it was allowed.
Guessing why they behaved like that…
The Asura race had merely judged that killing Jin So-myeong right now was more important than a diplomatic conflict arising.
Realizing that the crisis was not over, he regulated his breath.
At that moment when he did not let go of the thread of tension until the end and was about to break through the fortress wall built by the humans,
“T-these fellows.”
the human Void Refinement stage cultivator who was bewildered by the sudden situation urgently grasped the formation token,
and the barrier emitting from the fortress wall distinctly thickened.
Since as many as nine Void Refinement stage Asuras suddenly rushed in, he had activated the formation at maximum output.
‘Oh dear.’
It was a response that was too natural, but thanks to it, he was put in a difficult spot.
If he only had the Infinite Void Formless Robe made by investing a hundred billion points of the Supreme Great Ability, he could pass through an ordinary 6th-rank formation like a ghost.
However, to do so, he needed a bit of time to concentrate.
Because he had to capture the blank space existing between spaces and expand it infinitely.
If there was no time to concentrate his mind, there was another method.
He only had to apply a strong impact to the formation to cause a microscopic crack. The method he used when passing through the formation installed at the Severed Realm Pass was exactly this.
Of course, this method was also not easy.
Because the Asuras, who had pursued him to right behind his back before he knew it, poured out offensives with the momentum to kill him immediately.
Swooosh…!
The moment he perceived something flying in while making a tearing sound,
stepping on the empty air, he rotated his body like a spinning top. Wholly loading the inertia from the sudden stop into the sword tip, he drew a horizontal slash.
Jjeeeng!
Simultaneously with parrying the stone spear that was right before piercing the back of his head,
the offensives poured out like a bombardment filled his vision.
From fist-shaped Astral Qi, arrows shot from a longbow, a fire dragon plunging from the sky, to a green dagger approaching secretly while hiding in the shadow.
Every single thing, down to the trivial details, contained Void Refinement stage-level power in every blow.
If he was caught in that bombardment, he was certain to evaporate without leaving behind even a single drop of blood.
‘Whew.’
Although it was a desperate situation, he regained his composure with a single breath and sought a way to live.
Could he avoid it?
No, it was difficult.
Although the spells pouring out like a bombardment looked random at a glance, they exquisitely formed a fire net.
Because they covered all directions like a net, wherever he avoided, he had no choice but to be hit by three or four.
Saying it conversely…
it meant that if he could handle only three or four blows at a time, he could endure.
Chaeng!
Thrusting the sword forward, he microscopically flicked his wrist.
The moment the vibrating sword tip drew a small circle,
Yin-Yang Reversal .
a thin barrier resembling white drawing paper spread with a rustle, and swallowed the pouring offensives.
‘If I only shed this toward the fortress wall…’
He could cause a crack in the formation, and if he squeezed into that gap with the Infinite Void Formless Robe, he could enter the human territory.
He could completely break free from the Asuras pursuing him to the point of being tiresome.
However, because of that, the Asuras were also desperate.
As if they did not want to lose the last opportunity to kill him, they poured out consecutive strikes incessantly without giving even a very brief gap to shed the attacks.
‘Ugh.’
In the end, he had no choice but to be beaten continuously without even being able to avoid it.
The Yin-Yang Reversal that swallowed the pouring bombardment, strictly speaking, A Single Flash Lightens the Heavens, rapidly became unstable.
Although the Yin-Yang Reversal could be deployed in an instant, if one examined the process closely, it was considerably complex.
He had to trap the enemy’s attack inside the domain ruled by A Single Flash Lightens the Heavens, and flip all elements composing the spell from the root to seize control.
It could not help but be vulnerable to such consecutive pouring offensives.
‘It is truly not easy…’
Merely ten kilometers. There was the fortress wall built by the humans at a distance reachable just by kicking the ground once, but crossing it was too difficult.
Yet what was also funny was that as his senses were elevated in the urgent situation, he felt a sensation as if he knew something but not quite.
He felt that if he only surpassed this exact moment, the Yin-Yang Reversal would develop one step further.
At that moment when he was somehow enduring while groping the faint sensation,
the spells that formed a fire net to prevent him from avoiding suddenly stopped in the empty air, then began to connect with each other.
‘A formation!’
Realizing that the situation was gradually getting worse, he urgently rolled his brain.
It was not that there was no method to resolve this situation.
‘Shall I deploy the Moon-Burning Realm-Crossing to endure the attack, and pierce the fortress wall with the one remaining 6th-rank Realm-Crossing Talisman?’
No matter how great the Asuras were, they would probably not cross the fortress wall built by the humans. As long as he passed the fortress wall somehow, it was over.
However, since it was a method carrying a considerable aftermath, he could not help but conflict.
If he deployed the Moon-Burning Realm-Crossing, his lifespan would fly away by a thousand years. Since his lifespan did not have much left, he was reluctant.
At that moment when he was contemplating if there was another method,
BOOM!
the ground to his rear left surged, then a giant serpent raised its body.
Sss sss sss.
Flicking the long tongue unique to snakes, it rolled its eyes.
The fact that tree roots and hardened mud were full here and there on its body made it seem as if it woke up after hearing the clamor while sleeping deep underground for a long time.
‘It is at the Void Refinement stage level.’
The appearance of an Ancient Ominous Beast was a variable, so depending on how he utilized it, it could be a good thing, but the location where it appeared was the problem.
‘To think it appeared behind me of all places…’
Because of the silver rain that fell since earlier, his Divine Sense was weakened, so he did not notice it in advance.
At that moment when he could not even avoid the location due to the incessant offensives and merely furrowed his brow,
the eyes of the serpent examining the surroundings turned ominous.
Spat!
It spat out a purple liquid carrying a fishy smell, which flew toward this direction of all places.
‘Damn it.’
At that moment when he realized there was no leisure to contemplate and was about to deploy the Moon-Burning Realm-Crossing,
Come here…
an abnormally clear voice echoed in the extremely chaotic battlefield, and
heaven and earth flipped.
The moment the weirdly distorted scenery became normal,
“What…”
“The fellow vanished!”
Just what on earth happened?
Everyone who was fighting fiercely was bewildered.
Because the moment the bizarre voice echoed, Jin So-myeong vanished in the blink of an eye.
“A spatial divine ability?”
“No. It was somewhat different.”
At that moment when the Void Refinement stage Asuras each unfolded a secret technique to thoroughly search the surroundings,
Kwajik!
as if torn by a formidable power, the entire sky split, then an Asura man possessing the appearance of mid-thirties appeared.
As the man who appeared suddenly looked down on the battlefield with his hands behind his back, everyone’s complexions turned pale.
At that moment when a silence where they could not even breathe comfortably continued,
“We greet the Dao Venerable!”
the Void Refinement stage Asuras who were breaking out in cold sweat bowed their waists with difficulty.
“Is the person who vanished just now indeed Jin So-myeong?”
“Yes. That is correct.”
The eyes of the man called the Dao Venerable narrowed. Closely examining the spot where Jin So-myeong was until just now, he clicked his tongue.
“He was swallowed by a sinister earthbound spirit…”
At that moment when they merely watched his mood because they could not understand what it meant,
the man who was lost in thought without a word glanced and shifted his gaze.
The moment he stared at the serpent that had shot the poison,
the serpent, which was stiff like a mouse facing a predator, was startled out of its wits and tried to burrow into the ground.
Although it was a movement fast enough for even a Void Refinement stage cultivator skilled in battle to find hard to react to, it was meaningless.
Puuk!
the body of the serpent that was trying to flee swelled, then exploded in vain. Without even being able to make a weak resistance, it was shattered and became pieces of flesh…
To think he killed a Void Refinement stage-level Ominous Beast, which could evaporate a sea and split a continent, like a mere mountain animal.
At the hair-raising sight, everyone lost their words.
“…We greet the Dao Venerable.”
A human Void Refinement stage cultivator whose expression was stiffly hardened came down from the fortress wall and paid his respects.
Because since a Unity stage Dao Venerable appeared, something like a fortress wall where a 6th-rank formation was installed carried no meaning whatsoever.
“Hmm. Come to think of it, this was your territory.”
The man who mercilessly slaughtered the Void Refinement stage-level Ancient Ominous Beast smiled benevolently and continued speaking.
“I am truly sorry. As I was in a hurry, I committed a discourtesy. I will personally compensate for this matter.”
“…No. Did you not also not cross the fortress wall? It is merely a minor disturbance.”
“Haha. Thank you for saying so. However, you do not have to stand on ceremony too much. Because I am not the Dao Venerable, but merely his avatar.”
At those words, the human old man, who contemplated for a moment, cautiously asked.
“The youth who vanished just now seemed to be a human. Just who is he for you to pursue him like that?”
“That is the statement I want to ask. That fellow caused a considerably large disturbance in our Red Lotus Realm just now. By any chance, may I ask where he is from?”
“I am sorry, but it was someone I saw for the first time.”
“Is that so? To think even you, a human, do not know him, it is a strange thing. In any case, I am sorry for today’s matter. Just know that it was not intentional.”
The man who smiled benevolently until the end quietly departed, and the Void Refinement stage Asuras who caused the disturbance followed behind.
In the battlefield that had restored tranquility before long,
the old man who was left alone looked at the spot where Jin So-myeong had been, and furrowed his brow.
***
Meanwhile,
Jin So-myeong, who opened his eyes on a soft lawn, was startled and grasped his sword.
‘What is this place?’
Was he suddenly teleported?
The surrounding scenery changed in an instant.
The spells pouring out like a bombardment and the Asuras who emitted murderous intent vanished without a trace, and pure white clouds floated in the sky.
Was that all? The ground was full of grass so it was soft, and the cool wind blowing from somewhere felt like it was soothing his exhausted mind and body.
‘I certainly heard some voice…’
It seemed to have told me to come here.
At that moment when he narrowed his eyes at the suspiciously peaceful scenery,
“Young Daoist. Do not be too wary. Because I merely helped you since you seemed to be in trouble.”
An elegant woman with her long hair rolled up with a hairpin stepped on the grass and approached.
‘Her realm… I do not know.’
She seemed like an immense powerhouse and at the same time like a powerless woman.
As he did not answer readily, she, who carried an elegant smile, pointed at the sword.
“So could you put away that fierce thing? I am worried that the garden I carefully cultivated might be damaged.”
Jin So-myeong, who was silent, glanced and shifted his gaze.
He examined the sword held in his hand, and A Single Flash Lightens the Heavens wound around the blade was fluctuating as if it would explode at any moment.
It was because he had deployed the Yin-Yang Reversal to swallow more than dozens of Void Refinement stage-level strikes, and if he lost concentration now, the energy captured by A Single Flash Lightens the Heavens would explode and devastate thousands of li in all directions.
However, what did that matter?
In a suspicious situation like now, the sharper the sword, the better.
Far from removing the immense power captured by the Yin-Yang Reversal, he rather amplified it further.
‘If I divide the complexly entangled energy into the Five Elements and circulate it…’
He immediately attempted the idea that occurred to him amidst his elevated senses from fighting a fierce battle.
Dividing the energy running wild inside A Single Flash Lightens the Heavens into the Five Elements, he made them mutually generate each other.
Wood nurtured fire, and fire became ashes to form earth.
Feeling the continuously strengthening energy gradually moving toward an incomprehensible domain, he opened his mouth.
“Thank you for helping me. However, I do not know what kind of situation this is. Could I ask for an explanation?”
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