"Hah...hahk...!"
I can't breathe.
My breathing is labored.
'This is...'
Star Shattering stage (碎星期).
Born as a mortal, these demigods begin to shed the trappings of mortality.
In the life where I lived as General Seo, I didn't understand because I inhabited the body of a 'puppet' rather than a 'living being.'Even when I met Jang Ik, I couldn't grasp his true power. The first time was in General Seo's body, and the second time, Jang Ik's clone was imprinted in Yu Hwa's heart, containing an aura not even at the Qi Refining level.
But now, I think I understand.
'How can such an existence...!?'
Even though we haven't entered the Swiftwind Domain yet and are still in the Dead Earth Domain, I feel a pressure so intense it squeezes my heart.
And it seems that the Mad Lord, riding in the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, feels the same way as he clutches his chest with a pale expression.
[She] is trying to block the aura in front of the Mad Lord, but since she isn't her thousand-year future self who had nearly reached the Quasi-Star Shattering stage, she fails to properly do so.
Crunch...
I grit my teeth and give a bitter smile.
'Kang Min-hee...'
In the end, fate is fate.
Attraction is attraction.
Even though Seo Li tried to exchange emotions with her as much as possible and left behind the Mysterious Bizarre Gu, she was still led by fate to become the Ghost Mother.
Sururuk—
Seo Li, who had already slipped out of my body, turns into his human form and clenches his fist.
"Seo Eun-hyun..."
He grits his teeth and looks at me.
"Kang Min-hee..."
"I know. So, what will you do?"
"..."
I look at Seo Li with cold eyes.
"As you should know already, this aura is at the Star Shattering level. Even if we join forces with the Mad Lord, we can't handle a Star Shattering stage existence. We should focus on escaping instead."
"I know that. But..."
Seo Li's eyes are completely filled with confusion.
"Kang Min-hee is there! We have to. We have to save Kang Min-hee..."
I look at the panicking Seo Li.
Seo Li, with Yuan Yu's face, is clutching his head and tearing at his hair.
Watching this, I closed and opened my eyes.
"Seo Li."
"Seo, Seo Eun-hyun. Isn't there some way? How can we...she is our companion...!"
"Seo Li."
"I know you don't have any special feelings for her. But still..."
Bang!
Without calling Seo Li a third time, I calmly punch him in the face.
That head, reminiscent of Yuan Li, explodes cleanly.
Calming my emotions, I unsheathe my sword with a cold gaze.
"Why, why the Formless Sword...?"
"Formless Sword, huh...Come to think of it, you still consider this as the Formless Sword."
But over the past 500 years, my Formless Sword has evolved into something slightly different.
Lifting the sword imbued with starlight, I look at Seo Li.
"From now on, I'll show you what I've realized over the past 500 years."
"Ah, no, Seo Eun-hyun. Now is not the time for..."
Bo-oong!
Without mercy, I swing my sword at Seo Li.
'This insane little—!'
I hastily cast Ghost King Transformation, retrieve the Clear Scale Armor, and use the ground-shrinking technique to quickly distance myself from Seo Eun-hyun.
'Why in the world is he acting like this? Has he truly gone mad after being infected by Seo Hweol?'
Why suddenly swing a sword without any explanation?
Even though I feel a strange sense of déjà vu from Seo Eun-hyun's behavior, I run away to avoid losing my life.
However, I can still feel his 'gaze' from afar.
Dangerous.
Bo-oong!
In the blink of an eye, Seo Eun-hyun traverses hundreds of li without using the ground-shrinking technique and thrusts the Formless Sword at my throat.
'Must...dodge!'
Overwhelmed with terror, I attempt to dodge, but it feels impossible.
'I, I can't...dodge!'
No matter 'where' I try to dodge, I feel I will get hit.
In reality, it seems like the Formless Sword is calmly held in Seo Eun-hyun's hand in the shape of a sword, but the true essence of the Formless Sword is absolute freedom.
Whether I dodge or not, its trajectory will change freely and hit me.
It's a different kind of strike from Kim Young-hoon's speed or Tae Yeol-jeon's certain hit!
That is the meaning of the Formless Sword!
'If I can't dodge...'
The only answer is to block.
I move the retrieved Clear Scale Armor to quickly cover my entire body.
The power of the Clear Scale Armor that nullifies all physical force!
However, Seo Eun-hyun's Formless Sword seems to mock me as it so effortlessly 'permeates' the Clear Scale Armor and cuts my body.
"Kugh!"
Coughing up blood, I try using attraction force or some spells to escape from his grasp.
But it's all useless.
The puppet circuit is useless against Seo Eun-hyun, who knows the circuit just as well.
The Ghost Path Method shrinks before Seo Eun-hyun, who has a stronger death aura than I do.
The Yin Soul Ghost Incantation is equally useless..
Using the tactic of overwhelming strength that cultivators use against the Heart Tribe is also ineffective because Seo Eun-hyun has obtained the Four-Axis stage of the Earth Tribe thanks to Seo Hweol.
In other words, Seo Eun-hyun is the worst possible match against me.
Kugugugu!
The Dead Earth Domain shakes violently.
Dust rises up.
In the dust, I am beaten, slashed, and forced to taste Seo Eun-hyun's martial arts without being able to fight back.
How long do I have to endure this relentless assault?
Suddenly, I feel Seo Eun-hyun's heart message reaching me.
[Why aren't you using martial arts?]
Kwaduduk!
With 16 of my 18 heads turned to powder by the Formless Sword, I spit out ghostly energy and glare at him.
[Are you kidding me? How can I beat you with martial arts?!]
On the contrary, I would be further restricted against Seo Eun-hyun.
At my words, Seo Eun-hyun looks at me with an even colder gaze.
Why is it?
I can't bear to meet Seo Eun-hyun's eyes.
And in the next moment.
'Huh?'
I see that the sword containing all of Heaven's natural colors in Seo Eun-hyun's hand has 'disappeared.'
'What? The sword...'
No.
It isn't that the sword disappeared...
Bo-oong!
I feel the hair on my nonexistent body stand on end.
That is it.
That is why Seo Hweol reacted as if he couldn't see it.
At the last moment, I use the ground-shrinking technique to move backward and evade Seo Eun-hyun's attack.
That was really dangerous.
[That attack just now...]
I look at Seo Eun-hyun with fearful eyes and ask.
[It was completely in the plane of Soul. To completely step foot into the plane of Soul, is that the true First Step Before the Throne…?!]
Seo Eun-hyun looks at me with an expressionless face for a moment, then stops his attack and smiles faintly.
"[How] did you notice the attack?"
"What?"
"Just as you said, this attack completely encompasses the plane of Soul. No matter how skilled cultivators are, unless they've mastered consciousness methods, it's not easy to approach the plane of Soul. Even if one has practiced the Ghost Path Method, they can only barely approach it; ultimately, the core of Immortal Cultivation lies within the plane of Qi."
He continues while stroking the prismatic sword of light.
"Especially since my enlightenment focuses on formlessness and freedom, it's even harder for opponents to perceive it. It has been like this since the days of the Formless Sword, but after reaching this state, I've become unparalleled in terms of [trajectory]."
"That's true. Since the days of the Formless Sword..."
"So then, 'how' did you avoid that strike just now?"
"What do you mean, how...?"
"It was an invisible and imperceptible strike. How were you able to avoid it?"
I ask back in bewilderment at his question.
"What do you mean? Even though I'm not using martial arts, I know every martial art 'I' can use."
What Seo Eun-hyun had just executed is one of the moves of Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, specifically 'Deep Mountain.'
It's a move that involves closing in on the opponent's chest and then slicing upward. If one carefully observes the peculiar, hard-to-follow footwork, it could be avoided.
At that, Seo Eun-hyun smiles faintly.
'...Ah.'
Suddenly, I understand the sense of déjà vu I had felt when Seo Eun-hyun suddenly started attacking me.
"Do you know how I reached this state?"
"..."
"I observed myself. And I was able to realize. What I needed was already within me."
'I see.'
He brings his finger to my chest.
"You are Seo Li, but at the same time, you are another possibility of mine. Martial arts are already within you. You just have to wield them."
'You've become like Kim Young-hoon.'
—Wield it, it's already within you.
Kim Young-hoon's voice seems to faintly echo in my ears.
"Your will is also within you. You just have to wield it. Don't rely on me, Seo Li. From the moment we separated, your life became your own."
His eyes seem to burn with starlight.
'I see.'
It isn't that the Formless Sword has become invisible.
In fact, it has merged even closer with Seo Eun-hyun.
'To fully rise to the plane of Soul, perhaps...'
The plane of Soul isn't spread as wide as the plane of Qi. Rather, it might exist within the inner depths of one's heart.
"There was a time when I forced my disciples to live a certain way. While I did it with a master's heart, now that I think about it, perhaps it would have been better to respect their will, even if it led to their deaths.
"..."
"So, I will respect your will as well, Seo Li. Don't seek answers from me. Follow where your heart leads you. Do you want to save Kang Min-hee or not?"
I stand there.
The suffocating pressure from the direction of the Swiftwind Domain still bears down on me.
"...I..."
Looking into Seo Eun-hyun's eyes, I clench my teeth.
"I want to save Kang Min-hee."
"If you go to her now, you might die."
Death.
Hearing that word, I strangely feel my legs tremble.
It's odd.
Death should be familiar to me, yet...
However, despite the fear,
"...I still want to go."
"Why? You might die."
Why indeed.
Why do I want to go to her?
Why...?
I try to craft an answer with countless logical explanations, but the words that come out are unexpected.
"The scenery of that day that Kang Min-hee and I saw together...I couldn't remember it."
"Hmm?"
"Kang Min-hee's domain. You saw it within my heart essence, didn't you? I couldn't recall that memory."
"..."
"I can easily retrieve the memory from you through the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections...but I want to hear that answer from Kang Min-hee."
"..."
"...Ah..."
Thinking about it, I realize how nonsensical this is.
It seems completely illogical and foolish, especially given that my life is on the line.
"No, I mean...if you...hear the answer...wouldn't it be beneficial for the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections as well...?"
Since Seo Eun-hyun and I are the same person, accessing the memory through the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections is possible.
I babble nonsensically.
And then.
"Is that so?"
Seo Eun-hyun laughs.
It's a clear laugh.
"Then let's do that."
Without a moment's hesitation, he turns around and starts walking towards the Swiftwind Domain.
"Contact the Mad Lord. Since he has come to his senses, we might be able to get his help. If there are any survivors, let's rescue them and escape with his help."
"...Seo Eun-hyun."
With a trembling voice, I question Seo Eun-hyun.
"Just a moment ago...weren't you against saving Kang Min-hee?"
Surely, he wasn't in favor of rescuing Kang Min-hee.
It felt like he was coldly assessing Kang Min-hee's power at the Star Shattering stage and devising an escape strategy.
But why did he suddenly change his mind?
And why because of such a flimsy and foolish logic?
Although Seo Eun-hyun is an emotional person, he has at least the minimum amount of rationality.
He isn't the type to be swayed by such foolish logic, which is why I thought there was almost no chance.
So why did he agree so easily?
At my words, Seo Eun-hyun turns back to me with a gentle smile.
Unlike Seo Hweol's, it's a smile that truly seems to put one's heart at ease.
"I'll explain, so follow me."
"..."
Tadatt!
After contacting the Mad Lord, I follow Seo Eun-hyun.
Neither of us use the Flying Escape Technique, we only use lightness skills to tread the air.
Of course, I still use the ground-shrinking technique to close the distance, but strangely, it's still hard to keep up with him.
He isn't using the Earth Tribe's Gliding Technique or the Flying Escape Technique, neither is he using the Formeless Sword's Sword Flight. He is just running purely with lightness skills, but I can only see Seo Eun-huyn's back.
I feel like I could get ahead if I use the Flying Escape Technique, but strangely, I don't feel like doing so.
The ground-shrinking technique is within an acceptable range, but I don't want to use anything beyond that. I want to chase Seo Eun-hyun using only lightness skills.
However, I kept running seeing only Seo Eun-hyun's back until the end.
Kugugugugu―
After a while.
We arrive at the center of the Swiftwind Domain.
Oooooooooh―
Kyiaaaaaaah―
Millions of ghosts are howling.
At the center of the ghost horde is a black orb, and the location of that orb is the base temporarily set up at the Swiftwind Domain by the Black Ghost Valley's branch in the Bright Cold Realm to create a side path.
In other words, it's the place where a Nether Crossing Ship is docked.
Kiiiyaaaah―
Hi-hiyahhh!
The horde of ghosts scream and shudder as we approach, but strangely, they do not flee.
It's as if they can't leave the vicinity of that pitch-black sphere.
"Can you sense the Nether Crossing Ship inside?"
"Yeah, I can."
With my senses honed by the Ghost Path Method, I can vividly feel the presence of the Nether Crossing Ship.
And naturally, I sense that there are still 'living' survivors inside it.
'The ghosts inside...have all lost their will and been subdued. We need to at least save the survivors.'
Regrettably, the Ghost Kings are beyond saving.
I can tell instinctively.
As someone who has practiced the Ghost Path Method, I can clearly feel the power of the sphere before me and its influence.
I sort out who can be saved and who can't and inform Seo Eun-hyun.
Seo Eun-hyun nods.
"Alright. Then first, we need to breach the orb and pull the Nether Crossing Ship out, then extract the survivors inside."
"Judging by the power of the sphere, it will regenerate almost instantly even if we damage it."
"It's fine. We can divide the roles."
Kugugugugu―
Before he can finish his words, the Mad Lord's Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress arrives.
From inside, the Mad Lord's voice echoes.
[Kuhu, did you call me to deal with that thing?]
Seo Eun-hyun looks up at the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress and laughs.
"Of course not. We will make the scratches; we just need the elder to pull out the Nether Crossing Ship inside."
[Hmm, you're trying to rescue the survivors inside? I know from fighting with those Black Ghost Valley guys...but ghosts tend to cluster together. Even if you pull out that Nether Crossing Ship, which is practically a ghostly entity in itself, it'll just get dragged back.]
That is certainly true.
Even if we pull out the Nether Crossing Ship temporarily, it's highly likely it will be dragged back inside.
In the brief moment we pull it out, we have to extract all the survivors within the Nether Crossing Ship, but the time is too tight.
"Hadn't the elder once entered the Nether Crossing Ship and removed the power source himself?"
[Yes, I have.]
"How did the elder enter back then? Did you politely walk through the entrance and take it?"
[Of course not. I pierced through the hull, went straight to the power source, and removed it.]
"Please do the same this time. As soon as we pull out the Nether Crossing Ship, drill a hole and go straight in to remove the power source. Once the power source is out, the ghostly energy of the Nether Crossing Ship will weaken significantly, buying us more time before it gets dragged back. During that time, please extract the survivors with your bee puppets. Regarding the power source, well, you can do whatever you want with it."
I look at Seo Eun-hyun with a bewildered face.
"Hey, the power source of the Nether Crossing Ship belongs to the Black Ghost Valley. Why are you giving it to the Mad Lord?"
"It's called strategic relocation."
"..."
"Anyway, can it be done?"
[Hohu. Well, there isn't much time left while I'm still sane, so if I can save people in that brief period of time, I should do so.]
The Mad Lord readily accepts and shouts.
[Good, it's been nearly a thousand years since I last clashed with Black Ghost Valley! Let's do this!]
"Prepare yourself, Seo Li."
Seo Eun-hyun, gripping the Colorless Glass Sword, speaks with a serious expression.
"Let's go rescue Kang Min-hee."
And so, the Battle of the Ghost Mother (鬼母戰) with the Mad Lord, Seo Eun-hyun, and I begins.
***
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