Chapter 319: Farewell (1)
I look at Seo Hweol.
Seo Hweol is still smiling faintly.
Zzziiiiing―
Inside my head, the discussion among the Seo Hweols is coming to an end.
―One of ‘me’ needs to take responsibility.
―The Grade-2 dangerous entity has ultimately taken control of me.
―Then let's have the 'Me's that face the Grade-2 dangerous entity be the ones to make the sacrifice.
―Agreed. The decision is made.―Retrieve the Axis.
Bo-oong!
At the same time, the axes of Health, Wealth, Longevity, and Love of Virtue are drawn out of my body, crossing the plane and disappearing somewhere.
I could have grasped them, but a sense of alertness made me feel that grabbing the axes would be more dangerous, so I let them go and look at the 'Seo Hweol's before me.
Puff, puff, puff...!
In an instant, three Seo Hweols turn completely into salt and dissolve away.
"So that's how you avoided the influence of the True Immortals."
It wasn't that Seo Hweol hadn't dissolved after hearing the word 'Governing Immortal'.
He had merely pretended to be unaffected in front of me, transferring the influence to avoid harm, just like how I almost vomited in front of Tae Yeol-jeon and passed it on to Seo Li.
After fully digesting Seo Hweol and making him mine, the voices of the Seo Hweols' discussion cease.
But I can understand more than enough.
By turning those three Seo Hweols into salt, the remaining Seo Hweols will not turn into salt anymore.
However, there are still about ten Seo Hweols left before me.
Of course, they are all at the Heavenly Being stage.
The Seo Hweol possessing the body of a Mystical Scaled Fish Commanding Sect member is slightly better, but is still at the Four-Axis stage.
Sururuk―
I move my regained body.
Wududuk―
As I brush my face, it returns to its original form, and my hair turns black.
Wo-woong!
Using a clothing spell, my blue robe turns into a white martial arts uniform.
"Finally, I feel a bit..."
A body that feels stable.
The flesh at the Four-Axis stage that Seo Hweol has made.
And the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections that has settled within.
This is my body.
Kuguguguk―
I try moving the Four-Axis stage body Seo Hweol has left me.
Every movement is imbued with attraction force.
Wo-woong―
'It seems Seo Hweol left something behind.'
Inside my upper dantian.
I realize that before Seo Hweol had been completely digested by me, he left something in my consciousness.
However, I don't feel any malice from it. Instead, it feels like something he had to leave behind unwillingly.
I slowly interpret what is in my upper dantian while drawing the Colorless Glass Sword.
'This familiar and heavy sensation...'
It's definitely the Colorless Glass Sword.
"Good."
I brush the Colorless Glass Sword with one hand.
The Colorless Glass Sword hums as if alive.
Tststststst―
A sword containing all of Heaven's colors envelops the Colorless Glass Sword.
Woo-woong!
The familiar Three Great Ultimates return behind my head.
However, the Taiji representing the Heart Tribe and the Taiji representing the Earth Tribe form a normal Taiji, while the Taiji representing the Heaven Tribe spins separately, smaller and at the outer edge of the other two Taiji.
It seems to be a phenomenon caused by the disparity in realms.
Of course, it doesn't matter much.
"There's no problem in killing you, Seo Hweol."
The remaining ten Seo Hweols only smile faintly.
"Hoho, I hope you haven't forgotten that it was thanks to my method that Daoist Seo achieved the Four-Axis stage."
Wuduk, dududuk!
My body starts to go out of control again.
But I activate the circuit laid in my body.
Ziiiing―
The circuit begins to glow brightly and hum.
Wuduk, wududududuk!
I begin to move my body, ignoring Seo Hweol's control.
"You don't seem to understand the extent of my power..."
Seo Li stands beside me.
He nods, then transforms his body into a Ghost King with eighteen heads.
He is back in his ghostly form.
In the case of a ghostly form from the Black Ghost Valley, it isn't a physical body like a jiangshi or a corpse, but a body situated in the plane of Qi.
In other words, Seo Li as a Ghost King can possess others.
Sururuk―
Seo Li possesses my body.
At the same time, his power harmonizes with Heaven, Earth, and Heart.
Kuguguguk―
The Three Great Ultimates, which had been out of sync, fully align, and a volcanic power begins to surge throughout my body.
The power at the early Integration stage rises to the mid then late Integration stage.
Kududuguk!
However, it seems that even within the Integration stage, there are significant differences in stages, and it doesn't reach Grand Perfection.
But...
"Even if it's only up to here, it should be enough to match Hon Won."
Kuguguguk―
I take one step forward.
Then, I swing the Colorless Glass Sword imbued with the Formless Sword towards Seo Hweol.
Kwaaaang―
"Hooh..."
Surprisingly, Seo Hweol has not turned into a minced meat.
"Hoho, Daoist Seo. How about taking a moment to talk?"
"No."
I firmly refuse and raise my sword again.
At that moment.
Flinch!
I feel an inexplicable sense of foreboding from Seo Hweol's gaze and step back.
"Hmm..."
Seo Hweol smiles faintly and reaches out to the other 'Seo Hweol's around.
"If your strength is that considerable, I must take special measures as well."
He reveals eyes like a reptile and extends his arm through the body of a disciple from the Mystical Scaled Fish Commanding Sect.
"Originally, I didn't want to use this because I feared it would provoke the Karmic Fire (業火), but given the circumstances, I have no choice."
Woo-woong!
A red aura emanates from his hands.
Scarlet blood-colored devilish energy begins to boil from his hands.
"Blood Sacrifice Ritual (血祭費式), Blood Yin Returning Home (血陰歸鄕)."
At the same time, the ten 'Seo Hweol's around him are pulled towards the Seo Hweol who possesses the body of the Mystical Scaled Fish Commanding Sect's Grand Perfection Heavenly Being disciple, turning into chunks of flesh that are absorbed into his hands.
Kuduk, kudududuk!
Kududuk!
His body begins to mutate.
A blood mist envelops him.
'Yuan Li?'
Within that blood mist, within that blood sacrifice ritual, I feel something similar to Yuan Li.
After a moment, the blood mist clears, revealing Seo Hweol transformed into a figure wearing a dark red robe.
Although the face is the same as Seo Hweol's, the hair has turned black, and in the hands which had absorbed the other 'Seo Hweol's, ten or so 'eyeballs' have sprouted.
A rather grotesque appearance.
However, I simultaneously sense a formidable threat.
Kugugugugu!
I feel the aura of the Integration stage emanating from him.
"For the next two hours, I am no different from an Integration stage cultivator."
"Did you burn the life and soul of the other Heavenly Being stage cultivators?"
"That's correct."
"It wasn't yours to begin with, and yet you act so viciously."
"Hoho, in battle..."
"Enough, be quiet."
Bo-oong―
I approach Seo Hweol without listening further and raise the Colorless Glass Sword again.
'The foreboding I felt earlier is gone.'
The reason I initially couldn't turn Seo Hweol into minced meat was simply because he had manipulated the Earth Tribe method that made me reach the Four-Axis stage.
But now, even that manipulation has been shattered by my power and is meaningless.
I can now exert my full strength.
Kwaaaang!
The entire storage scroll domain of Lofty Dragon True Person trembles with a single strike.
Kugugugugu―
Seo Hweol breaks through the floor of the Care Layer, falling and crashing into the floor of the first Water Flow Layer.
"Huu..."
I look at the hole-pierced floors of the Care Layer and the Dao Departure Layer, then jump down to completely crush Seo Hweol.
"Die."
Seo Hweol can't even react as his upper body explodes under my foot.
Kwaaaang!
An earthquake shakes the entire Water Flow Layer.
The blazing Water Flow Layer turns into a vacuum state for an instant due to the air pressure caused by my attack on Seo Hweol, extinguishing all the flames at once.
I press Seo Hweol further in the vacuum state.
―――――!
No sound echoes.
Only the space itself trembles, causing the entire storage scroll of the Lofty Dragon True Person to reverberate.
After a while, when the air returns, I grab Seo Hweol's head and start running while slamming him into the ground.
Dududududu―
The Earth tribe body that Seo Hweol enhanced to the Four-Axis stage rapidly traverses dozens of li in the Water Flow Layer.
I run around wildly with the intention of grinding Seo Hweol's body to dust.
"Integration stage, how impressive. So what? What are you going to do?"
Even if Hon Won himself came, I wouldn't be afraid.
There is no longer any reason to fear Seo Hweol.
Though it would be difficult to kill the hundred of millions of 'Seo Hweol's, I can at least stop this one's schemes.
His upper body is shredded in pieces, and soon he will be reduced to a charred state, scattered everywhere.
At that moment.
Flash!
Seo Hweol, whose upper body is being torn apart, extends an arm with an eye towards me.
The eye on the arm.
The pupil contracts sharply, meeting my gaze.
'This is...!'
This is it.
'This' is what I sensed as ominous earlier!
Ziiiiiing―
"Kugh...!"
Simultaneously, I stop in place and focus all my mental strength.
It's immense.
Seo Hweol's very personality is pouring into 'me', attempting to brainwash me.
This is on a different level from when Seo Hweol tried to brainwash me slowly.
"Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh...!"
I grit my teeth, stand in place, and grab my head.
Focus on the heart essence!
'The heart essence!'
"Hoho, you are indeed terrifying, Daoist Seo."
Wriggle, wriggle...
He begins regenerating his upper body as he stands up.
At the same time, he seems ready to attack me with the Blood Yin Realm's unique spell.
But Seo Li, who is possessing me, moves my body instead and shouts.
"Clear Scale Armor!"
Chuarururuk!
The pure tears of Xiezhi fall and cover my body.
Chiiii―
As the Xiezhi's tears fall onto the Water Flow Layer, the flames are extinguished in an instant, and water erupts from everywhere with rivers gushing forth.
Kwaaaaang!
Seo Hweol's spell strikes the Clear Scale Armor, but the armor nullifies all its power, protecting me.
"You..."
I barely manage to keep my mind from becoming dazed as I glare at Seo Hweol.
"That..."
One of the eyes on Seo Hweol's outstretched arm closes.
Seo Hweol doesn't explain, but I instinctively know.
It's the devilish art of the Blood Yin Realm, which involves sacrificing others.
Through his devilish art, Seo Hweol had sacrificed one of the 'Seo Hweol' personalities he absorbed to attempt the recent brainwashing.
'Sacrificing his own personality allows him to brainwash with much greater power?'
But I don't understand.
"Why?"
"What do you mean, Daoist Seo?"
"When I was within you...I sensed hundreds of millions of 'you'."
"..."
"If you sacrificed only about a hundred of those hundreds of millions to overwhelm me...I wouldn't have been able to resist no matter what I do and would have been completely brainwashed by you. In fact, if it's you, you could probably brainwash any Integration stage cultivator in the Bright Cold Realm immediately. Wouldn't it be possible if you sacrifice tens of thousands of personalities? But why don't you do it?"
In response to my question, Seo Hweol gives a gentle smile.
For some reason, I feel as if Seo Hweol is showing his true feelings.
"...Those 'resources'...are not meant to be used on the likes of you. The one I truly want to assimilate is someone else."
"...I see. So that's your goal?"
"Hoho, what do you think?"
If the Mad Lord's true goal is to recall his most beautiful moments and die, then Seo Hweol's true goal is to brainwash 'someone'.
"That wasn't a lie just now, was it?"
"I always speak the truth."
"You're confusing."
I laugh, barely shaking off Seo Hweol's influence.
Seo Hweol also laughs and says,
"Well, if I were to give the answer that Daoist Seo wishes to hear, then what I just said is not a lie."
"Hoh..."
"Think of it as sacrificing the flesh to take the bones."
At the same time, Seo Hweol extends both his arms toward me.
"...!"
"Now, then. Shall we see if by burning everything for the last time I can brainwash Daoist Seo?"
"This, this is...!"
My body doesn't move at all.
'I see, so you've sacrificed your personality as well?'
It's brainwashing through burning his own personality and embedding it in me.
I had certainly broken free of the brainwashing.
But I became defenseless when trying to escape from the mental waves he scattered, and in that gap, Seo Li covered my body with the Clear Scale Armor to protect me.
Seo Hweol pretended to throw information at me, and just like what he had done earlier, he sacrificed another personality to brainwash [Clear Scale Armor].
The Clear Scale Armor wraps around my body.
[Hoho...indeed, the tears...of an...Immortal Beast...]
Because it's the tears of Xiezhi, Seo Hweol's personality is dissolving inside the Clear Scale Armor, but it's enough to bind me for a moment.
My body will not move.
At this rate, I will have no choice but to endure his brainwashing waves again.
In this moment of life and death.
Seo Li laughs.
[Don't worry, Seo Eun-hyun.]
'What?'
[A dagger (匕首) is meant to be hidden until the very end.]
Wuduk—
Seo Hweol's body suddenly freezes just like mine.
Then, an old man in black appears behind Seo Hweol, smoking a long pipe.
"As commanded, I secretly followed and hid at the entrance, Master."
Seo Li shouts with delight from within me.
[Well done, Hong Fan. Use the poison you brought!]
"Yes, Master."
Hong Fan scatters the poison powder from his sleeve.
The poison powder seeps into Seo Hweol and me, starting to disperse our spiritual power.
'Ah, I see.'
Hong Fan had created this cultivation-scattering poison when he went to the Earth Tribe territory last time.
"The effect doesn't last long. At most...about 2 hours."
I smile brightly.
"Then that's enough."
Kuadududuk!
I realize that Seo Hweol's will embedded in the Clear Scale Armor has completely dissolved.
After moving the Clear Scale Armor aside, I approach behind Seo Hweol, who is immobilized due to Hong Fan's poison.
Clench!
I grab Seo Hweol's shoulder with a rough hand and bring my mouth close to his ear.
"How does it feel to have your shoulder grabbed from behind, Seo Hweol?"
"..."
He just keeps smiling.
"Now it's my turn. Shall we have a good time for about 2 hours."
Bududuk!
My hand completely crushes his shoulder.
"Hong Fan, cover your ears."
"Yes."
Now begins the fun interrogation time.
"Seo Hweol. Do you know about the being called the Seat Holder of Health, Deputy Judge, and Ancient Force True Lord, Hae Nyeong?"
Splurt!
Blood spouts out like a fountain from Seo Hweol's seven orifices.
***
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