Chapter 92: 10th Cycles First Day

Chapter 92: 10th Cycles First Day/translatingnovice

Blink!

I open my eyes and look around.

The familiar scent of the forest surrounds me.

'...I died.'

I didnt expect to survive, but its frustrating not to have inflicted any significant damage.

'I guess my final act of cursing the Longevity Fruits was my last struggle...'

I click my tongue.

'Is that the power of a Nascent Soul cultivator?'

I recall how Yuan Li's spell engulfed the entire desert like a sandstorm when he used the blood mist.

'A Core Formation cultivator being akin to natural disaster? Ridiculous.'

'That' is what a real disaster should be.

Core Formation is merely a stage of mimicking a disaster.

I sense my companions gradually awakening around me.

I stimulate my consciousness and use a sleeping spell to put them all back to sleep.

Then, I realize something odd.

'Why... doesn't my upper dantian hurt?'

I havent separated my consciousness with the Formless Sword and have yet to adjust its size.

Yet, my upper dantian is unharmed.

Theres no sign of it swelling.

'What...ugh!'

"Kuhuk...!"

A piercing sudden headache grips me, and I clutch my head, writhing on the ground.

"Cough, kuhuk..!"

It feels like my soul is being torn apart!

It hurts!

So much pain!

And then, I understand why.

'How... how could...'

In the core of my consciousness.

Where my soul resides.

There, five blood-red flags are embedded.

"Aaargh..!"

The Five Elements Blood Curse Banner left by Yuan Li.

It has followed me through my return, remaining in my soul.

"Uhk, uhk...!"

Thankfully, after a while of rampaging and tearing through my soul, the Five Elements Blood Curse Banner gradually quiet down and begin to settle.

After a while.

"Hoo, hoo..."

The outburst of the Five Elements Blood Curse Banner finally ceases, and I can finally get up.

"...This is insane.."

I suddenly feel a chill crawl up my spine.

Return isn't invincible.

I should have realized that my consciousness and soul are maintained through each return.

The restraints connected to my consciousness and soul return with me!

'Have I been too complacent until now...'

If a high-level cultivator intentionally brainwashes me or imposes a restraint on my consciousness, that restraint will continue after my return.

In other words, if I ever fall into the hands of a high-level cultivator, I could become their slave for eternity.

'What to do about this Five Elements Blood Curse Banner..?'

If the Five Elements Blood Curse Banner that returned with me is connected to Yuan Li, he might have noticed by now in the Heaven-Treading Desert.

'I should be safe for a few days at least.'

But considering Yuan Li is a Nascent Soul cultivator who only emerged after waiting for the Heavenly Being cultivators to ascend, he wouldn't dare show his face at this point when the world is still filled with Heavenly Being cultivators.

'Maybe I should ask the arriving Heavenly Being cultivators to take a look?'

If I ask Sir Chang-ho, given his character, he might at least check it out once.

Holding onto that hope, I first find some yellow bamboo roots and undergo complete transformation.

Creak, crack...

Harmony settles in my upper, middle, and lower dantian, and my physical body evolves to effortlessly contain the greater consciousness.

'Now even the slight headache has disappeared.'

I observe my consciousness and upper dantian once again.

'However, this Five Elements Blood Curse Banner. If not for Yuan Li's mental restraint, it would be quite useful in the early stages of return.'

The Five Elements Blood Curse Banner suppresses my consciousness, preventing my upper dantian from swelling.

Thanks to this, I don't have to separate my consciousness to avoid headaches at the beginning of my return.

With just the Formless Sword and the Five Elements Blood Curse Banner, the overload of my upper dantian caused by consciousness is completely resolved.

"Then, let's..."

First, I carry my companions and take them to a cave.

After that, I cast a stronger sleeping spell and observe my consciousness.

Deep within my consciousness.

Inside my soul.

There, five blood-red flags are implanted.

I scrutinize with the demon senses.

The flow of Yin and Yang energy from the five flags is suppressing my consciousness through mutual reinforcement.

However, the Yin and Yang spiritual energy is not connected to a distant place.

The same is true for the intent.

'The intent of another flows, but it is gradually scattering and not particularly connected externally.

'For now, it seems Yuan Li is not connected to it.'

Even the remnants of his intent are slowly dispersing and my intent is taking over where his is scattering.

"I wonder, will Yuan Li's intent completely disappear when it scatters?"

Judging by the speed, it seems it will all dissipate soon.

But I have an ominous feeling about the intent flowing through the restraint.

'It's my intent, but it doesn't listen to me.'

The intent flowing over the restraint moves according to its own logic, not mine, contributing to the suppression of my own consciousness.

Woong!

As I try to move with my consciousness and Dual Energy Sword Control, the Five Elements Blood Curse Banner vibrates, pressuring my consciousness.

"Ugh..."

Moving my consciousness any further seems like it will bring the pain of my soul being torn again.

'Moving consciousness greatly is restricted by the Blood Curse Banner.'

Fortunately, during the last moments of my past life.

When I was in front of Yuan Li, even moving my body was restricted, but now, perhaps because Yuan Li's intent is dispersing, there is no pain unless I move my consciousness significantly.

'I need to at least alleviate the restraint.'

Observing the flow of the restraint, I wait for Yuan Li's intent to completely disperse.

After all traces of him are gone, I carefully examine the restraint.

'This is...'

I observe the Blood Curse Banner and soon understand the fundamental principle it is based on.

'A restraint interpreting human consciousness as the Five Elements.'

If it isn't for my complete mastery of the Five Surpassing Paths to Cultivation and understanding of Five Elements spiritual energy, I wouldn't have been able to discern the fundamental principle of the restraint so easily.

"Huh, interesting."

Of course, spiritual energy, consciousness, and soul aren't exactly the same, so even though I have mastered the Five Elements and understand a bit of the logic of Five Elements spiritual energy, I can't instantly dismantle the restraint.

'But if I understand this method of corresponding the Five Elements to human consciousness...'

As Im interpreting the symbols of the Five Elements Blood Curse Banner.

'Wait, this is.'

I suddenly realize these symbols are very familiar to me.

I re-realize the basis of the Five Elements Blood Curse Banner.

"Curse spell..."

A spell that maximizes others' pain and suppresses the opponent.

These symbols are quite similar to the curse symbols of the Yin Soul Ghost Incantation.

'That's right.'

A spell interpreting the human mind as the Five Elements and finding the pain each element can inflict on the human mind.

That is the true nature of the Five Elements Blood Curse Banner.

Chalalalak!

Understanding the basis of the Five Elements Blood Curse Banner, I realize I can interfere with the Five Elements Blood Curse Banner implanted in my soul with my consciousness.

'Human mind is the Five Elements. The realization I had when I understood the Gang Sphere, that I am not just myself, and similar to how the Five Elements are interdependent, the mind is also made up of different parts...'

Woong!

My intent slowly moves, manipulating the Five Elements Blood Curse Banner.

The Five Elements Blood Curse Banner, deeply embedded in my soul, begins to move and gradually surface above my soul.

'Push it out...!'

Paaaat!

My consciousness is returning.

The size of my previous consciousness is gradually coming back, allowing me to move it as I will.

"Aah..."

I raise my consciousness, which had been uncomfortably suppressed by the Five Elements Blood Curse Banner, like a body stretching after being stuck somewhere.

It feels like I can live a little again.

However.

Click!

My consciousness entangles again in the Five Elements Blood Curse Banner while trying to rise, regaining only about 70% of its mobility. At this point, I open my eyes.

"Is there something more I need to do to completely release the metal restriction?"

With over 70% of consciousness regained, there's almost no discomfort. I can even move the remaining 30% if I endure the pain, so Im not worried.

However, no matter how much I try to push out the Five Elements Blood Curse Banner further, it does not disappear. Something is missing.

Damn, that Bloodwood. He left me a troublesome legacy.

At this point, I stop researching the mental restraint and decide to leave the rest to Sir Chang ho and others.

"If Sir Chang-ho can't do it, after listening to the will of Song Jin remaining in the Nether Crossing Ship, I'll have to ask him for help."

After all, being the remnant soul of a Heavenly Being cultivator, he must know a lot and surely have a solution.

Wo-woong!

I calm my consciousness and open my eyes again.

The sun is setting.

After looking at my sleeping colleagues, I fall into thought.

"What is fate..."

Fate, as mentioned by the remnant shadow of Yang Su-jin from Shattered Heaven Peak.

Fate, as realized by Kim Young-hoon.

Fate, as explained by Yuan Li after obtaining the Serving Command Seal.

Mad Lord mentioned that fate indeed exists.

It also seems possible to interfere with fate to some extent upon reaching the top of cultivation.

'And, the Ender...'

The last life, when I saw the remnant shadow of Yang Su-jin.

'Despite becoming a being who can interfere with fate, even Yang Su-jin ended up like that. Is something overseeing the entire Three Thousand Worlds, looking for the Enders?'

What is the Ender, and what is this world?

I look up at the sky where the sunset is giving way to the stars.

Then...

I suddenly get the feeling that these stars are watching over the land like eyes and shudder.

Damn, Im overthinking.

The idea of each star being an eye is as creepy as it gets.

I shake my head.

'I've been through too much in my past life...'

Ascending to Qi Building, realizing Beyond the Path to Heaven, capturing Song Jin with Seo Ran, watching over his death, learning the Nether Crossing Ship's steering method, learning about Serving Command Palace.

Kim Young-hoon dying after seeing the path above Beyond the Path to Heaven.

Spending several hundred years inside Serving Command Palace, then being killed by the Nascent Soul cultivator Yuan Li.

It seems my mind is unstable due to experiencing too much for too long.

I calm my throbbing head and sigh.

I look back at the sleeping Kim Young-hoon.

I remember the him from my last life.

'He told me to live a bit more like a human.'

Yes, maybe taking it easy in this life isn't such a bad idea.

Living life like a human...

'Forget Serving Command Palace, fate, Ender, and take some rest.'

Especially after the last life, tortured in soul by Yuan Li, the desire for rest seems more urgent.

'This life, I should hear from the Heavenly Being cultivators about the Five Elements Blood Curse Banner and take it easy to recover my mental health.'

With that thought, I slowly circulate my internal energy with the night air.

Wo-woong!

Gradually, an Inner Core forms in my dantian.

My whole body tingles pleasantly as if letting out a satisfying burp.

Powered by the twenty-first move, Heavenly Lake, the energy gathered from the previous twenty moves pour towards the fox's spell, causing an explosion of white and colorless light.

When the light subsides...

Shhhh...

Across the distance, the fox and I lock eyes.

I regain my momentum and take the stance of Transcending Peaks.

Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, Twenty-Third Move

Endless Mountains Beyond Mountains!

As my depleted energy returns, I am ready to unleash the ultimate strike again.

The fox seems to recognize my momentum as its eyes are filled with panic.

"Kr, kruk...!"

The fox howls again.

White flashes shoot towards me from all around, but their number and power are significantly less than before.

Severing Mountain Swordsmanship

Transcending Peaks, Entering Mountain, Ascending Vein, Flowing Ridge...

Mountain Echoes Valley Responds, Eight Mountains Nine Seas, Heavenly Lake...

Severing Mountain!

Once again, the ultimate move of Severing Mountain Swordsmanship is executed through the Formless Sword, and the fox, terrified, barely evades the concentrated power of Severing Mountain.

"You, you bastard! How can you continuously perform such techniques..."

I silently maintain Endless Mountains Beyond Mountains, gathering strength again.

Thirty-eight times.

That is the number of times I can unleash the ultimate move of Severing Mountain Swordsmanship through Endless Mountains Beyond Mountains.

Exceeding that will strain my body beyond endurance, leading to death.

Of course, lying in bed for a day or two after using Endless Mountains Beyond Mountains is inevitable.

But considering that, I can now use an attack that rivales the fatal blow that the Core Formation demon fox had unleashed with all its might, 38 times in a row.

Kwa kwa kwa kwang!

Severing Mountain!

Mountains split.

The fox is thrown down.

The Severing Mountain Swordsmanship executed through the Formless Sword has reached its true potential, living up to its name a technique that cuts and splits mountains.

"You, you bastard. Get away!"

After enduring three Severing Mountains, the fox can no longer bear it and starts to retreat from me.

Fwoosh!

Numerous fire foxes rise in the air again, and I slash through them all with the Formless Sword, rushing towards the fox.

Amidst the explosion of white and colorless trajectories, I surpass numerous flows and blasts, striking the fox once more with Severing Mountain.

Kwaang!

A flash of light spreads out, and a hill behind the fox is split in two.

The fox, barely evading Severing Mountain, gasps for breath and begins to flee rapidly.

Woong!

Applying a martial arts technique I learned from Kim Young-hoon in my past life, I fuse the Formless Sword directly into my arm.

In that state, I chase after the fox and grab its tail.

Then, with the arm fused with the Formless Sword, I swing it forcefully.

Kooowooow!

The body of the house-sized fox is lifted into the air.

Kwaang!!!

I fling the fox far into a distant mountain.

It pierces through three mountain peaks, and the fox screams.

"Keeeek!"

Kwaang!

Thump!

Once again, I fuse momentarily with the Formless Sword and fly, kicking the fox's jaw.

The shockwave alone makes the fox roll its eyes, and a web-like crack forms on the mountain peak behind it.

"Shhh..."

I bring my finger to my lips.

"Be quiet."

"Ke, kek..."

"In front of the master of the forest, what disgrace are you showing?"

I speak, gripping the fox's head.

The fox looks at me trembling in fear, and I slam its head into the ground with the power of the Formless Sword.

"Now I am the master of this forest. Shut your mouth and show respect."

Koo kwang, koo kwang!

Several times, I grab the fox's head and slam it into the ground.

Each time, the earth trembles, and dust clouds rise.

Despite all this, this Core Formation demon fox is still not dead.

It indeed has incredible vitality.

"Let's make you vomit out everything inside your belly."

I grab the back of the fox's neck, lift it once more, and throw it into a valley created by the split mountain.

Kwa kwang!

I follow up and keep hammering the beast into the valley floor with the Formless Sword.

"Keeeek!"

"I said be quiet."

Kwaak!

Again, I grab its scruff.

"Now, then..."

"Ke, kek...save, save me..."

"Let's see if fox orbs really exist."

Woong!

Holding the Formless Sword, I raise it high.

The fox, terrified, howls.

"I, eek... Are you going to kill me!"

Fwoosh!

The fox's tail begins to blaze with bright light, seemingly using a spell that draws upon its origin, as its aura surges once again. However, I calmly swing down the Formless Sword I have raised.

Koo kwa kwang!!

The valley shakes once more as the fox is hammered into the ground. Yet, I furrow my brow noticing that only a single strand of white fox fur remains where the fox had been, indicating it used an ability to swap its body at the last moment.

Its an unusual technique indeed.

But it hasn't escaped far. A white light is seen flying off in the distance.

I hold the Formless Sword and chase after the fox that burned its tail as it fled.

'Faster, even faster!'

I accelerate, relentlessly pursuing the fox.

Gradually, I close the distance between us.

The fox, turning back with eyes filled with terror, shout,

"Hi, hiieek, don't chase me! Go away, you monster!"

"Who are you calling a monster?"

Kuaang!

I swing the Formless Sword, and the fox, pale with fear, narrowly dodges it again.

"You human-eating fox monster"

"Go away! Just go!"

Koo koo koo!

A small valley forms where the fox had dodged.

The fox clenches its teeth and speeds away even faster, and I follow.

Its the reverse of our past life.

Previously, the fox had chased me, but now I am the one hunting the fox.

Koo kung, koo kung, koo koo kung!

As I unleash the Formless Sword, several hills fly away, and the fox frantically dodges the attacks.

We pass numerous mountains and rivers, covering a quarter of the Ascension Path in our chase.

The fox is caught several times but manages to escape using its bizarre tail-burning technique.

After a while, the white light burning from the fox's tail begins to fade.

Above a small lake, the fox finally stops, gasping for breath as it looks at me.

With an expressionless face, I hold the Formless Sword and approach the fox.

"St-stop! Please stop! I beg for mercy!"

The fox pleads, gasping for breath.

Throughout several lifetimes, this creature had torn off my arm.

My arm throbs with pain, partly due to the effects of Endless Mountains Beyond Mountains, but also due to the unpleasant memories associated with the fox.

"...Spare me. If you spare me I will recognize and obey you as the master of this forest. Please, spare my life."

The fox grovels before me, begging for its life, and I approach and kick its belly.

"Keeek!"

Once again, it screams and spits out blood as it falls.

Now, the fox is covered in blood.

In contrast, I am unscathed, not even a single tear on my clothing.

I have reached such a level where I can hunt the fox.

"Spare me..."

I look down at the pitifully begging fox indifferently.

The fox has always told me that if I wanted to stay in the forest, I would have to offer a limb.

"...Do you wish to live in my forest?"

"..."

"Vomit out the Demon Core. Do that, and I'll spare you."

"Guh..."

The fox grimaces in pain.

But I just look down at it impassively.

Though I have always suffered because of this creature, I have never been directly killed by it.

This is mercy.

After writhing in agony for a while, the fox clenches its eyes shut and opens its mouth.

Cough, cough!

Pffft!

The fox retches a few times, and soon, a fist-sized, brightly shining core emerges from its mouth.

The fox's spiritual essence and power are concentrated in this Demon Core, the source that has kept it as a demon fox.

I catch the Demon Core floating in the air.

The fox's eyes, once sharp with intelligence, dull as the Demon Core containing its essence is removed.

Simultaneously, the fox's body shrinks.

The consciousness of the Core Formation demon fox diminishes and retreats into its skull.

The fox, having vomited the Demon Core, turns back into a normal animal, though its body still bears three tails due to the physical transformation it had undergone.

For a moment, the fox looks at me dumbly, then it glances at the Demon Core in my hand with a covetous gaze.

However, as I frown, it whimpers like a neighborhood puppy and scampers off into the distance.

The monstrous fox that had torn off my arm in ten lifetimes is no more.

Only a small, peculiar fox with three tails remains, lost and fleeing.

I watch the small fox running away for a moment, then I hold the Demon Core and return to where my companions are.

Thus, another fate is overcome.

I smile lightly and head towards my companions, floating through the air.

"Ha, haha...hahahaha...!"

After ten lifetimes, I have finally gained the strength early in life to defeat the fox that had threatened me!

I laugh until tears form, looking at my companions, still deeply asleep under my sleep spell.

'Maybe now, I can take my companions outside Ascension Path.'

If we can leave without being detected by the Heavenly Being cultivators, perhaps...

'Maybe we can all live this life together.'

I smile, massaging my body.

Using Endless Mountains Beyond Mountains in my current state, where I can only use 70% of my consciousness, is enough to defeat the fox.

Once I resolve the Five Elements Blood Curse Banner and can use all my consciousness, I might be able to defeat the fox without resorting to Endless Mountains Beyond Mountains.

'If only I can quickly recover my cultivation, I can increase the output of Gang QI and easily defeat the fox...'

I have spent over two hundred years with Gang Qi coursing through my veins.

Now, this body, with only blood flowing through its veins, feels awkward.

'First, I need to recover my body, slowly regain my cultivation, and find out how to absorb the power contained in the Demon Core...'

I decide to first use spiritual herbs to soothe my body, aching from using Endless Mountains Beyond Mountains, and turn my attention away from my companions.

Just as I turn to look for herbs...

Fwoosh!

A rough, wrinkled hand grabs my head.

[No matter how I look at it, this is so fascinating I could die. What in the world is this?]

A hunchback old man with eyes full of madness, grabs my head while lifting the corners of his mouth in a smile.

Translator Notes: This is going to be the longest and most tumutluous cycle yet. Prepare yourself.

***

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