Chapter 368: Guerrilla Warfare

***

The peaceful sky and worldly energy fluctuated.

It was like the feeling of bashing the base of a high-rise building with a battering ram.

In the disturbance where the massive structure seemed to stagger, he realized.

That the secret realm’s restriction had been opened.

‘At this level of disturbance, it doesn’t seem like they simply widened a gap.’

It was clear they had forcibly flung open the entrance.

Just as he was grasping the situation,

the Dao Sovereigns of the Law-Decreeing Palace, who were digging up the rocky mountain, stopped their work, and took out their transmission talismans simultaneously.

Their collective frowning was like that of people who had heard bad news.

Could they have connected with the outside?

‘Did they receive instructions to kill me?’

The way they looked at each other in silence, without saying a word, was unusual.

Having verified the situation this far, he immediately made a judgment.

He spoke to Gon-ak, who was doing something while placing his palm on the ground.

“Senior. I will go to the entrance and check who and how many people have entered.”

“Be careful. Judging by the energy transmitted through the earth, it doesn’t seem like just one or two people have entered.”

“Yes. Senior, I would like you to inspect the spiritual item buried down there again. So that we can take it out whenever necessary.”

“Understood.”

Gon-ak, who nodded, permeated underground,

and he quietly traversed the void and headed toward the entrance of the secret realm.

And he saw.

A formidable army mighty enough to draw a hollow laugh.

One hundred… two hundred… three hundred…

From the circular entrance, Unity stage Dao Sovereigns entered endlessly.

Forces that far transcended expectations entered in succession and established a base at the entrance.

It was a movement that seemed to firmly control the entrance, but he pondered whether to interfere or not and decided against it.

‘I don’t know how on earth they pierced such a large entrance.’

The restriction of this secret realm was absurdly hard.

Even in his case, he had barely managed to make a hairline crack after unfolding the simplified Moon-Deducing Dao Scripture.

Piercing a ten-meter radius hole was a truly difficult task.

Yet, not only did they pierce a large hole, but they also kept it open.

This meant they possessed an incredibly powerful means of breaching restrictions.

‘They have really made up their minds. Do they want to kill me that badly?’

The number of Unity stage Dao Sovereigns entering endlessly had exceeded four hundred before he knew it, drawing only a hollow laugh from him.

A Unity stage-level force of four hundred and thirty.

It was an overwhelming scale that made his mind turn blank.

One might think it was a similar situation to when he invaded the base of the Sacred Scale Alliance, but if he weighed it carefully, the situation was entirely different from back then.

The Sacred Scale Alliance was ultimately nothing but an alliance gathered according to interests.

Pouring all of a group’s capabilities into a single task was practically impossible.

Indeed, did the Sacred Scale Alliance not withdraw on their own as soon as their Supreme Elder was defeated?

However, the Dao Sovereigns in front of him now were different.

All of them were entities gathered truly and purely to kill him.

‘Still, what a relief.’

Although flustered by the situation far more serious than expected, he soon regained his composure.

Although it seemed like a hopeless situation, there was still a positive aspect.

For starters, a significant number of the enemies were puppets.

Although he would have to check to be sure, judging by the radiating energy, they were presumed to be at a similar level to the Sacred Scale Alliance Dao Sovereigns.

‘It seems I can easily neutralize them if I just smash their power cores.’

Excluding the four hundred puppets, the number of real Unity stage Dao Sovereigns was only thirty.

Even including the Law-Decreeing Palace originally inside the secret realm, it was forty.

Honestly, forty was an incredibly large number on its own, but since there were so many puppets, it looked relatively small.

He unfolded the Lightning Insight Spell-Breaking Eye as strongly as possible without exposing his presence.

He estimated the level of the Dao Sovereigns constructing the base at the entrance.

Among the forty including the Law-Decreeing Palace.

Fifteen were slightly weaker than Yu Cheon, and five were similar.

The remaining twenty… were definitely stronger than Yu Cheon.

‘Especially that old man.’

The Dao Sovereign he had run into a few times while being pursued by the Heavenly Law Palace.

The old man with a gourd hanging at his waist was the most overwhelmingly strong among those currently in the secret realm.

If asked to provide a concrete reason for that judgment, he had nothing much to say, but he just felt that way.

‘Late Unity stage… presumably his body-tempering is at a similar level. Is his main cultivation method the same as Yu Cheon’s?’

Just as he was estimating the opponent’s strength,

the old man, who suddenly narrowed his brows, turned his head, and their gazes almost met for a split second.

If his location was specified, all the enemies would rush at once, so he hurriedly shifted his position.

Widening the distance further, he unfolded the Lightning Insight Spell-Breaking Eye again.

Observing the enemies constructing the structures that looked like stone towers, he fell into thought.

Since the scale of the enemies was considerable, would it not be right to escape outside even now?

‘No.’

It had already been five years since the Heavenly Law Palace arrived at the entrance of the secret realm.

Since a substantial amount of time had passed, it was highly likely that a massive blockade had been established outside the secret realm.

Venturing outside blindly was nine times out of ten the path to death.

‘Although there are more enemies than expected, conducting guerrilla warfare as originally planned will still have a higher chance of winning.’

The best way to deal with a majority alone was to defeat the scattered enemies one by one.

That would be good, but…

the opponent did not seem to have any intention of scattering.

He narrowed his eyes as he watched the Dao Sovereigns constructing the mysterious stone towers as soon as they entered the secret realm.

Although he did not know what that tower was, it did not seem like it would be good if it was completed.

‘For starters, I must check how close I need to approach for them to notice.’

Quietly drawing his sword,

he consumed 1 trillion of his Supreme Great Ability to amplify the effect of the Infinite Void Formless Robe.

***

The Unity stage Dao Sovereign governing and managing Jinpung Xuan.

Wi Cheong-il clicked his tongue inwardly.

This was because the instruction of Gok Man, who could be called the person in charge of this mission, was not to his liking at all.

‘To completely cover the secret realm with Profound Light Stone Pillars…’

The Profound Light Stone Pillar was a stone tower designed to support a solar-like massive luminous body.

It was a structure that spread waves breaking stealth techniques across a radius of ten thousand li, which was useful when facing an enemy possessing outstanding stealth techniques like Jin So-myeong.

Covering the secret realm with Profound Light Stone Pillars to eliminate any place for Jin So-myeong to hide.

It was not a particularly bad method, but…

the problem was that it took too long.

To cover a vast area like Ghost Mist Valley with Profound Light Stone Pillars, even if they worked as fast as possible, it would take twenty years.

Wi Cheong-il, who was pondering, eventually requested a conversation with Gok Man.

“Daoist Gok. A safe method is good, but how about increasing the speed slightly? As you know, our manpower is lacking lately because of the disturbance created by the Time Gate.”

Seeing Gok Man, who had been staring beyond the horizon, freeze, he immediately continued.

“It will take twenty years to dominate the Ghost Mist Valley with Profound Light Stone Pillars. If we stay here for so long, the work of others will become excessive.”

“Hmm…”

“We also have our own assigned sectors, and we cannot spend too much time just because of a single Jin So-myeong.”

Gok Man, who had been silent, nodded.

“Actually, I also intended to finish as quickly as possible. I did not want to give Jin So-myeong time. However, since the tracking techniques do not work, I had no choice but to opt for this method.”

Presumably, Jin So-myeong’s stealth technique had developed by one stage in the past few years.

They had devised various means in their own way, but the tracking techniques barely worked.

Even considering that this was a secret realm where divine sense was restricted, tracking him was too tricky.

“Is there perhaps any good method?”

“How about we form a blockade and search the secret realm ourselves?”

Just like driving and hunting a rabbit on a mountain, they just needed to corner Jin So-myeong while maintaining the blockade.

“To form a blockade in such a wide place, we will inevitably have to scatter, right? We might get defeated one by one.”

“We just need to maintain an appropriate distance. Enough to be able to help each other when raided.”

It was not that they looked down on Jin So-myeong and let their guard down.

Simply from the fact that he killed Yu Cheon, who was famous as a genius, they could tell Jin So-myeong’s strength was out of the ordinary.

Since they might suffer a struggle if they looked down on him for nothing and let their guard down, it was only natural to be alert to some extent.

However, he judged that moderately widening the distance and forming a blockade was fine.

It did not matter even if they were raided in a scattered state.

Since they only needed to hold out until a nearby colleague came to help.

There were no weaklings here.

Since everyone was a strong Dao Sovereign enough to manage a Xuan-unit region, no matter how strong Jin So-myeong was, they could confront him at least for a brief moment.

When he mentioned such an opinion, Gok Man, who listened in silence, shook his head.

“I am sorry, but that method seems like the damage will be too great.”

“…Is Jin So-myeong that strong?”

“Did you not just say it? That our manpower is currently lacking.”

“Hmm.”

“Rather than having casualties for nothing, is it not better to be careful even if it is a bit slow? Even if just one of us dies, the loss is immense.”

While he could not reply, Gok Man’s words continued.

“However, since your words also make sense, I will increase the speed. We will divide into three groups, letting one group stand guard while the remaining two groups build the Profound Light Stone Pillars. How about it?”

“Understood.”

If they built two Profound Light Stone Pillars each, the situation would end in ten years at the latest.

Since it was a somewhat satisfying result, he set about the task of erecting the Profound Light Stone Pillars again.

Passing by the Dao Sovereigns building the giant stone towers by stacking brick-like formation tools, he headed toward the outskirts.

The role assigned to him was to stand guard on the outskirts while the Profound Light Stone Pillars were being built.

When he sat cross-legged in the empty air and gestured, the twenty puppets allocated to him scattered in all directions.

Four puppets stuck right next to him to prepare for any eventuality, while the rest took positions in pairs in the eight directions and emitted a blue radiance.

Sss…

Due to the chill blooming from the blue halo, the temperature dropped rapidly, and the moisture in the atmosphere froze, blooming frost flowers.

Leaving behind the world covered in frost, he closed his eyes.

Swish!

The worldly energy condensed in the void turned into eyeballs the size of a fist.

Hundreds of eyeballs appearing like illusions covered the sky.

The sight of only eyeballs floating around was grotesque, but it was also a spectacular view.

Every eye watched in a different direction to monitor all sides, and since the number of eyeballs was so large, there was not a single blind spot.

Wi Cheong-il, who became able to monitor a radius of one thousand li at a glance, knitted his brows.

‘To think the Heavenly Eye Sky-Inspecting Mirror, which can look out up to five hundred thousand li, can only inspect a mere one thousand li…’

Because divine sense was restricted due to the secret realm, insight-type dharma spells could not exert their proper strength.

Although frustrated as his senses became dull, he ended his complaining by clicking his tongue.

Honing his senses sharply, he concentrated on standing guard.

Honestly, performing this hard labor just because of a single rogue cultivator was not very pleasant, but he had no intention of doing the work carelessly.

In the first place, the fact that he shook off all the tracking means they possessed proved Jin So-myeong’s exceptionalness.

He had absolutely no intention of letting his guard down and getting ambushed.

‘By the way, I don’t know what kind of stealth technique he practiced at all.’

The cultivation methods and dharma spells they possessed far surpassed ordinary cultivators, but Jin So-myeong was even more than that.

What kind of fortuitous opportunity did he obtain to possess such an outstanding secret transmission…?

Pondering, suddenly, at a thought that suddenly occurred to him, he knitted his brows unconsciously.

‘Could he perhaps have connected with one of the Seniors?’

Although it was a story close to a delusion, it was not entirely impossible.

If Jin So-myeong was an entity connected with a Senior…

it was not good.

Perhaps, they were already swept into a massive whirlpool.

“…”

It was difficult to shake off the anxiety that gradually crept up.

An ominous thought arose.

That perhaps all of them might end up dying here.

He pondered whether or not to share the ominous thought that had suddenly arisen with his colleagues.

Of course, even if he talked about this, it was completely meaningless. Since it was nothing but speculation without any evidence.

Gritting his jaw slightly. Just as he was pushing away the discomfort that suddenly welled up and concentrating on standing guard,

Crackle!

the unique cracking sound of lightning was heard, and,

the four puppets occupying the front left were split simultaneously.

‘…What?’

It felt as if time had been severed.

The blade enveloped in black lightning drew a line, and the puppets caught in the trajectory were split with embarrassing ease.

Simultaneously with perceiving the situation,

the sharp sword light drew another half-moon, and the puppet blocking the front was split in half.

Through the body of the puppet separating into both sides, his eyes met with Jin So-myeong.

To think he broke through the surveillance and appeared like a ghost.

He could not help but be astonished, but he did not lose his focus.

Even before making a judgment with his reason, his body was already forming hand seals.

Reflectively, he unfolded a dharma spell, and the hundreds of eyes floating in the air rotated simultaneously.

The split second every pupil stared at Jin So-myeong.

……………!

A brilliant flash.

A heat ray, as if capturing the sun, melted the earth.