Chapter 303: Bait and Trap

===================
Translated by Frog in the Well

Read it only at Nineheavens.org
===================

An Asura woman in her early twenties, possessing bluish skin and a neurotic impression, furrowed her brow.

“Where did you say Jin So-myeong appeared?”

“It is Hoyeon City in the southern part of the Stone Heart Realm. He reportedly killed Cultivator Un-gyeom, who had risen to the mid Void Refinement stage, with a single sword strike.”

The moment the news that Jin So-myeong had escaped from the Limitless Pure Land became known.

The Unity stage Asura, the Avici Dao Sovereign, formed a pursuit squad to pinpoint Jin So-myeong’s location, and the leader of that organization was none other than Baek Yo.

“For him to not even endure a single sword strike… Explain in detail what happened.”

“Just before Hoyeon City fell, Jin So-myeong appeared. Cultivator Un-gyeom even unleashed the Heart-Shattering Blood Glyph to fight back, but his soul was pierced in a single slash and he died instantly.”

It was not even a surprise attack, and he had even unleashed the Heart-Shattering Blood Glyph, yet he could not even offer decent resistance.

It was so one-sided that it was embarrassing to even describe it as a battle.

“Sigh… He indeed possesses the strength to defeat Lord Gwang-rim.”

Letting out a sigh, Baek Yo fell into silent contemplation.

If one had to express Jin So-myeong’s strength in a single word, it could be said to be off-the-charts.

Should one say he had halfway surpassed the level of the Void Refinement stage?

For Jin So-myeong to be killed, an Unity stage Dao Sovereign had to take action personally, but because Jin So-myeong did not have any particular affiliation, it was tricky to locate him.

Since he was a rogue cultivator with no clear base and did not follow anyone’s orders, his whereabouts could not be grasped even by utilizing information sources planted on the human side.

‘But why did he appear in Hoyeon City of all places?’

Although Hoyeon City was a place where Clear Flow Grass, a Rank 6 cultivation resource, was produced, strictly speaking, its importance was low.

At the very least, it was not a city that a powerhouse of Jin So-myeong’s caliber would care about.

“Was this the third time Jin So-myeong has raided our Asura race?”

“Yes. He appeared at Cheonglim City, Unyang City, and Hoyeon City.”

“They are all low-importance cities. Why did he bother to defend such cities?”

To speak coldly, they were merely to the extent where early Void Refinement stage cultivators were dispatched.

Unless Jin So-myeong was a fool, he would already be aware of the fact that he was being targeted by Unity stage Dao Sovereigns.

No matter how much fear he had lost, he would not move without any purpose in such a situation.

“…Investigate what commonalities exist among those cities. We must find out what Jin So-myeong’s purpose is.”

“Ah, yes!”

How much time had passed?

The subordinate who completed the investigation returned with a much brighter expression.

“I have found it. The Void Refinement stage cultivators who were attacking the three cities were all those who had pursued Jin So-myeong when the Sacred War was held a hundred years ago.”

“The Sacred War?”

“Yes. Roughly a hundred years ago, Jin So-myeong, disguised as an Asura, participated in the Sacred War and fled after seizing the Crimson Heart Lotus, a Void Refinement-grade spiritual object.”

“Ah! I believe I have also heard of that matter.”

At that time, a truly massive uproar arose during the Sacred War, which was being broadcast to the entirety of the Red Lotus Realm.

On top of Jin So-myeong, who had been admired as the future of the Asura race, actually being a human, even the renowned Ra Heok had died at the hands of Jin So-myeong, who was merely in the Soul Formation stage at the time.

It was a shocking incident that left everyone watching completely spellbound.

“The Void Refinement stage cultivators who pursued Jin So-myeong when he fled to the Bright Blood Great Valley back then were ten in total. No, excluding Cultivator Ra Heok, there were nine, and it seems he is seeking them out to take revenge.”

“Ha.”

It was truly dumbfounding. From one to ten, nothing made sense.

It was absurd that Jin So-myeong, who had killed the avatar of the Avici Dao Sovereign, was merely in the Soul Formation stage just a hundred years ago,

And it was unbelievable that a mere Soul Formation stage cultivator had survived the pursuit of ten Void Refinement stage Heavenly Lords.

If she had not known the context before and after, she would have thought someone was playing a bad joke.

She, who was lost for words and merely parted her lips, exhaled a long breath and then closed and opened her eyes slowly.

Having regained her composure before she knew it, she opened her mouth.

“How many among those nine are still alive?”

“There are five. Three have died to Jin So-myeong in the past month, and as for the remaining one, he…”

As her eyes narrowed at the sight of him trailing off, the startled subordinate immediately continued speaking.

“He entered the Limitless Pure Land with Lord Gwang-rim and failed to return.”

“…I see. At any rate, that means five are remaining.”

“Yes.”

Pondering for a moment, she nodded.

“This is something we can exploit. If we use them as bait, we can grasp Jin So-myeong’s movements.”

“By bait, you mean…?”

“Do not hastily touch them, and simply let them live as they usually do.”

If we do not warn them that Jin So-myeong will seek them out, they will die futilely…

Was it acceptable to give up a precious military force like a Void Refinement stage Heavenly Lord so easily?

As the subordinate hesitated to answer, the calm voice continued.

“If we react, will Jin So-myeong’s behavior not change? Do not give them any information and simply let them die.”

“…Yes.”

Looking at the subordinate who sighed silently, she left her seat. This was to report the fact she had just discovered to the Avici Dao Sovereign.

***

A certain underground cave.

That place, which no one had visited for a long time, was suddenly filled with brilliant radiance.

Only for a brief moment, as the flash died down and the cave was dyed in darkness once more, an unfamiliar figure appeared.

A young man with a single sword hung at his waist, Jin So-myeong, looked around the empty cave and nodded.

‘As expected, it is convenient since I can use the teleportation arrays as I please.’

This underground cave was a secret teleportation base installed by the Infinite Void Temple, and it was so confidential that only those at the elder grade or higher within the Infinite Void Temple knew its location.

Normally, it would have been natural not to even know of its existence, but since all such confidential bases were marked on the map that the Taixu Sacred Venerable had provided, he could use it comfortably.

Looking around the cave, which did not even have a single hole for air to pass through, let alone an exit, Jin So-myeong kicked the ground.

Just before colliding with the tightly sealed ceiling, he unleashed the invisibility spell, the Infinite Void Formless Robe.

The Infinite Void Formless Robe was a spell that allowed one to dig into the blank space, the void existing between spaces, and stroll freely.

A cave ceiling blocked by dirt and rock could be lightly passed through.

As he pierced through the thick ground spanning over a hundred kilometers and went outside, a night sky filled with starlight unfolded.

Suddenly, the chirping sound of grass insects was heard.

Slowly looking around the grassland spread beneath the starlight, he quietly flew up.

From here on, he had to be careful.

This place was much further south than the front line where the Asuras and the humans confronted each other, and it was a location that had already been occupied by the Asuras several years ago.

The reason for coming to such a dangerous location?

Naturally, it was revenge.

If he flew for about thirty minutes from this grassland, an immortal stone mine where one of the Asuras who had pursued him in the Bright Blood Great Valley in the past resided would appear.

It was information obtained with difficulty, but whether it was real or fake could only be known by going there.

Thirty minutes later, the grassland covered in grass ended, and a rocky mountain with a reddish loess color appeared.

‘This is the place.’

He stopped in front of a giant rocky mountain with a height exceeding fifty kilometers.

Since it might be a trap, he did not approach rashly.

Recalling what he had done so far, it would not be strange for an Unity stage Dao Sovereign to seek him out at any moment, so he had to remain alert at all times.

He examined the rocky mountain utilizing his Lightning Insight Spell-Breaking Eye unleashed to its limit and his Divine Sense.

Tunnel networks stretching in all directions like an anthill, arrays installed along the walls of the mine, immortal stones embedded here and there in the ceiling and ground…

It could be called an ordinary mine commonly seen anywhere, but the single most important thing was missing.

People. No, should he say Asuras?

There was not a single Asura who should have been working busily.

Upon spotting an Asura sitting cross-legged alone in the open space that could be called the center of the mine, he could realize what was going on.

His hesitation was brief.

He walked openly along the mine entrance, and soon came face-to-face with the Asura man who had woken up from meditation.

“…You really came.”

“Gyu-am. Where did all those who worked here go?”

“They would only be a hindrance, so I cleared them out in advance.”

As he turned his gaze while looking at Gyu-am, who answered calmly, tens of thousands of talismans and arrays filling the walls and ceiling densely were visible.

“You laid out a trap openly. Did you know I would come?”

“Naturally. Among those who pursued you in the Bright Blood Great Valley that day, four have already died, so how could I not know?”

“Indeed. Even if others do not know, you who pursued me personally must all know.”

“We should have killed you back then, even if it meant using the Heart-Shattering Blood Glyph as a group… It is so regrettable that we failed to do so.”

Jin So-myeong, who had been staring at the arrays and talismans, tapped his scabbard.

“But why did you not dig a grander trap? If you had even summoned an Unity stage Dao Sovereign, you might have been able to kill me.”

“Sigh… You say such difficult things so casually. How could I request a Dao Sovereign when I do not know when you will arrive? Regrettably, I do not possess such ability.”

“Hmm.”

“However, it does not matter.”

The expression of Gyu-am, who had let out a dumbfounded chuckle, suddenly froze hard.

“For even this flimsy trap is sufficient to kill you.”

The moment a resolute killing intent gathered in his eyes, Whoosh! Tens of thousands of talismans laid on the ground ignited simultaneously, and intense light poured from the walls and ceiling where the arrays were installed.

An unusual wave swept through, and the surrounding air hardened like stone.

The instant the Heaven and Earth Origin Qi boiled as if it would burst, Boom, boom, boom, boom!!

Beginning with the initial explosion, a roar of over tens of thousands of times followed.

Just as the violent explosion shaking the entire mine continued endlessly, …………………!

An immense explosion, beyond any comparison with anything prior, occurred to the extent that a radius of hundreds of thousands of li was overturned entirely.

This was because the chain explosion had ultimately reached a Rank 6 fire vein hidden deep underground.

A bright red light like lava and a roar.

How much time had passed in the violent chaos?

The grand explosion that seemed like it would last forever also eventually died down, and at the immortal stone mine that had been enveloped in flames…no, the place that had now turned into flat land…two people still remained.

However, the appearances of the two were entirely different.

The eyes of Gyu-am, who had all his limbs vanished and only a portion of his upper body and head remaining, trembled violently.

“How…”

Gyu-am, who had indeed become a wretched sight, opened his mouth with difficulty.

“In a mere hundred years, how did you become so strong?”

Amid the explosion that turned a radius of hundreds of thousands of li into flat land, Jin So-myeong had not suffered a single wound.

No, to speak more accurately, not even a single fold of his clothing was damaged.

The flames pouring toward Jin So-myeong had slowed down drastically at some point, and even now, after a considerable amount of time had passed, they failed to reach his skin.

This was because his Law Domain, which had grown beyond any comparison to the past, held the explosion in check.

Glancing at the flames that moved slowly, unable to cross a distance thinner than a single sheet of paper, he stretched out his hand.

Whoosh…

He guided the flames with a light breeze generated by his hand gesture and condensed them into a single point.

Absorbing the object, which had turned into a red bead, with his palm, he swallowed it with the Chaos Origin Wheel.

Since he had acquired this energy, he planned to use it for cultivating the Primordial One Qi Art.

Yet was this sight a shock to him?

“Haha… You have indeed become a monster completely. A trap like this had absolutely no meaning.”

Gyu-am, wearing a hollow expression, closed his eyes and breathed his last just like that.

Without even the need to lay a hand on him, he had died merely from being swept in the explosion.

Jin So-myeong, looking down at Gyu-am who had turned like half-burnt ash, tidied up the scene and quietly departed.

Since a significant commotion had arisen, Asuras would soon flock from all directions. Before being surrounded, he headed toward a nearby teleportation array.

‘The reaction should be coming gradually now.’

Since he had run amok to this extent, the Asuras would have also grasped his purpose.

It was safe to say he had become the target of Unity stage Dao Sovereigns, meaning it had become a situation where it would not be strange to die at any moment.

However, since a crisis was soon an opportunity, the moment the enemy sought to pierce him…if he targeted that moment well… the war could also be ended in a short period.

Enjoyed the chapter?

If you like our work, consider supporting us on Ko-fi. This site solely runs on donations. Every donation helps us keep translating!

Support on Ko-fi