Chapter 125: What You Trampled On / The Path You Have Tread (13)

Chapter 125: What You Trampled On / The Path You Have Tread (13)/translatingnovice

Numerous colors converge and stab into Yuan Li.

Chyararak!

Yuan Li's arms momentarily transform into blood-colored ghost hands.

The blood-colored ghost hands grab and try to block my Colorless Glass Sword.

Kwaduduk!

"It's over."

Kugugugugu!

Unable to withstand my power, Yuan Li falls and crashes onto the ground of Serving Command Palace.

Spiderweb-like cracks spread out below him.

"Die!"

I plunge down on him, mobilizing all the power of the Colorless Glass Sword and the Formless Sword.

Kwaaaaang!

Just then, when his death seems imminent.

Kukguk, Kuguguk!

'This is'

Cultivation begins to return

The spiritual power at the Qi Building stage in my entire body returns to the Core Formation level.

The numerous Core Formation cultivators trapped around also begin to regain their cultivation.

And that means.

'The restraint of Serving Command Palace...!'

Kuguguguk!

Yuan Li, once again exuding the power of a Nascent Soul Old monster, pushes away my sword with the hand that grabbed the Colorless Glass Sword.

'Why...!? It's not time yet...!?'

I grit my teeth and firmly press down on the sword with all my might.

It doesnt make sense.

Why?

Kwaang!

And then.

Eventually, the Colorless Glass Sword is flung away.

Yuan Li stands up.

Kugugugu!

[Haah.]

He gasps for breath.

[I acknowledge it. After hundreds of years, I have experienced a true life-and-death battle. That was really a close call.]

He turns his head to one side.

There, Byeok Cheon-gi, the head of the Byeok Clan, is gasping for breath, apparently having completed some action.

"Using a secret technique found in the ruins of the Jo Clan, I barely managed to release the restraint earlier"

[Yes. Your contribution is significant. However... the sin committed by your clan's child is also great.]

"Please, have mercy."

Ddaakk!

With a flick of Yuan Li's finger,

Byeok Cheon-gi and the other traitors all collapse on their spots, screaming.

"Kuaaaaghk!"

"Aaaaarghh!"

"Euaaaghk!"

[Except for the one fool from the Byeok Clan, to think that all I have are those who just stare blankly, even when their master is in danger. All of them are useless. Even the fool from the Byeok Clan only cleaned up his own mess, so it's all the same.]

Giiiiing!

I frown at the familiar energy I feel from the traitors' upper dantians.

Its the energy of the Five Elements Blood Curse Banner.

'He implanted it 200 years ago, so they couldn't resist.'

Ddaakk!

Yuan Li flicks his finger again, and the screams subside.

[Enough. Anyway, as I said before, we'll deal with the reward distribution later. Now there's something more important.]

He looks at me.

[The ones who pushed me to this point Let's start by dealing with these guys.]

I look back at him and smirk.

"Funny. How about you check your own condition first?"

While Yuan Li has indeed recovered his Nascent Soul cultivation, his momentum is not the same as before.

He exhausted quite a bit of energy fighting me.

The situation is quite different from earlier when he fully demonstrated the power of a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.

His defensive dharma treasure was destroyed in the Heavenly Tribulation.

His summons, the bizarre ghost beast and the blood cloud ghost kings, fell in Serving Command Palace.

What remains are his natal dharma treasures: the seventeen bone daggers, the blood-colored leaf fan, the blood-colored spear, and the crystal skull staff.

His strength is steadily decreasing.

Kuguguguk!

Additionally, the cultivators who were restricted to Qi Building are now struggling to free themselves from the black iron chains of the Jinlu Clan's dharma treasure.

Although the traitors make up a significant force, in terms of numbers alone, we are far superior.

Moreover, its evident that Yuan Li hasn't yet overcome the aftereffects of the curse and the heavenly lightning.

"Do you really think you can defeat us?"

To my menacing question, Yuan Li pauses, then begins to laugh.

[Huhu, a splendid warrior. Unyielding no matter how many times beaten... Moreover, someone who faced Heavenly Tribulations upon reaching Core Formation and could exhibit Core Formation stage power within Serving Command Palaces restraint]

He reaches out his hand towards me.

[You, will you not become my blood slave? Though I say blood slave, I'll treat you like a disciple.]

I silently take my stance in response.

[Tsk, foolish.]

He spreads his arms.

I grip my sword and gather energy.

Flash!

No need for words.

I charge and thrust the Formless Sword straight at him.

Suddenly, in his hand is the blood-colored leaf fan.

[Cry, Summoning Wind Blood Fan.]

Kwaaaaa!

A bloody wind blows, pushing me back.

As soon as I touch the blood wind, I feel the blood in my entire body boiling.

Kwaaaang!

Eventually, unable to withstand it, Im pushed back and blown away.

Whether he does this or that.

He has regained the power of a Nascent Soul.

But Im not particularly discouraged.

'I can win!'

His power is evidently weaker than when I first faced him.

If it's only this much, I can surely take him down!

"Everyone! This old monster is definitely weaker than before! If we join forces, we can surely win!!"

Kwachang, Kwachangchang!

Cheongmun Jung-jin and numerous Core Formation cultivators, whose powers have returned, begin to rise from their spots.

"O-Orabeoni!"

"Jinlu Yeon-cheon!!!!! How dare you!!!"

"Ah, no!"

The tide begins to turn.

Byeok Cheon-gi released Serving Command Palaces restraint to save Yuan Li, but it inadvertently allowed our allied forces to regain their strength.

[Yes. You must have felt good from hiding behind a woman and receiving protection huh. You only spout nonsense. In this world, there's no such thing as being on the same side.]

Kiiiiing!

Familiar formation flags emerge from his storage artifact.

Red formation flags fly across Serving Command Palace, setting up formations.

Flash!

And then.

The first floor of Serving Command Palace collapses, merging with the second floor.

He continues.

[Isn't it true that only those who become cruel and merciless can survive in the world of cultivators? When the Sea Dragon King, after I slayed his own kin, stood before me and even offered to spare my life in exchange for receiving three of his blows, I inwardly mocked him. Such foolishness to show mercy even to an enemy. What a weak mentality!]

Kugugugugu!

His formation continues to expand into the void, collapsing the layers of Serving Command Palace.

I grit my teeth and try to approach him, but the powerful blood wind he created is too difficult to penetrate.

An even stronger blood wind surges around Yuan Li.

[I endured his three blows and inflicted a slight wound on the Sea Dragon King, stealing a drop of his blood essence. Not only that, I succeeded in stealing the Sea Dragon Tribe's method, Summoning Wind, True Blood Transformation! I have risen to this point by exploiting the Sea Dragon King's mercy, the sympathy of the powerful, the awe and fear of the weak, and the blood and lives of the foolish!]

Kuguguguk!

Yuan Li's consciousness domain compresses, resembling the form of a Sea Dragon.

Simultaneously, an aura akin to that of a Sea Dragon emanates from him.

Kwagwang!

Before long, almost all the floors of Serving Command Palace have collapsed, leaving only the 7th floor.

[I have refined this Blood Body and ascended to this position by exploiting, stealing, and seizing! Isn't seizing and dominating the truth of the world? In this world, there are only those who seize and conquer and those who are conquered because they seize less!]

He laughs maniacally, raising the blood-colored leaf fan again.

Chajajak!

His formation flags pierce the ceiling of the last floor, the 7th floor of Serving Command Palace.

If it collapses, the Serving Command Seal will appear.

[Die, you fools!]

And then.

Kiiiiing!

Outside Serving Command Palace.

In the empty void, a ghostly mist begins to form.

Through the communication device, a familiar voice is heard.

[I apologize, it took some time to prepare the teleportation array of the Nether Crossing Ship. After discussing with Ran, we decided to send him instead of me.]

Kugugugugu!

From inside the ghostly mist, a pale hand reaches out.

A somber, ghostly aura flows from the void.

[He saw the situation and thought he could handle it. Take good care of Ran.]

With that, Song Jin turns off the communication device.

Phwak!

Immediately afterwards.

A familiar figure emerges from the ghostly mist.

Half-human, half-dragon.

No longer wearing the blue robe of the Sea Dragon Tribe, but the black robe characteristic of Black Ghost Valley.

Seo Ran, who has ascended to mid-stage Core Formation in the past 200 years, bow to us.

"Greetings, seniors. It's been a while, Senior Seo. And your reputation precedes you, Senior Yuan Li."

Yuan Li halts his attack with the blood-colored leaf fan and, seeing Seo Ran, emits a bloody glow from his eyes.

[Ho you are!]

"A half-blood of the Sea Dragon Tribe and a disciple of Black Ghost Valley. I am Seo Ran."

[Ha, hahaha! Hahahaha!]

Yuan Li bursts into laughter.

[So, the lineage of the Sea Dragon Kings blood that I refined with Summoning Wind, True Blood Transformation speaks. Are you not a descendant of the king?]

"I am embarrassed but yes, I am a descendant of the king."

[Good, good. How about you? Would you like to become my disciple?]

Yuan Li looks at Seo Ran, licking his lips.

Seo Ran looks back at him for a moment and then speaks.

"Before anything, there are three major misconceptions you have, Senior Yuan, that Id like to address."

[Oh, do tell.]

"First, I already have a master, so I cannot become your disciple."

Seo Ran raises one finger.

"Second, I have come to dislike someone who sacrifices others without a second thought, like you. Today, I am here to help Senior Seo kill you."

Yuan Li raises the blood-colored leaf fan, looking amused.

"Third."

Seo Ran smirks, raising a third finger.

"The real name of the method you think you stole from the King is not Summoning Wind, True Blood Transformation."

Fwish

Seo Ran flicks his fingers, bending all three at once.

Kugugugugu!

And Yuan Li, about to attack with the leaf fan, suddenly kneels before Seran.

[.? What?]

"Its Summoning Wind, Blood Core Coagulation. You thought you stole it from the King and exploited his mercy, but

Seo Ran raises his ghostly energy.

Yuan Li, not understanding, looks down at his own knees.

Well It seems more credible that the King deliberately passed it to you under the guise of being stolen. To think that you, Yuan Li, was unwittingly a puppet of the King this whole time. How pitiful, Senior Yuan.

[What is this?]

Indeed, Yuan Li had been under the illusion that he was exploiting Seo Hweol's goodwill, but in reality, he was unwittingly being played by Seo Hweol all along.

"This Sea Dragon! What are you doing to Lord Bloodwood!"

Makli Clan head, Makli Hwang-cheon, and other clan members rush towards Yuan Li.

Unlike Jinlu Yeon-cheon, they escaped Yuan Lis sudden execution.

But.

Seo Ran looks at them with cold eyes.

"Shut up, you livestock. Do you think youre worthy to speak to me? You would have been eating corpses underground, avoiding the gaze of the Sea Dragon Tribe if they had not ascended... Shut up and follow the commands of your true master, you slaves."

"Uh, ugh!"

At Seo Ran's command, Makli Hwang-cheon and the Makli Clan cultivators, now unable to speak, block the path of the other traitors.

Seo Ran's gaze reaches a fleeing Eastern Lord and their subordinates.

"I thought the Makli Clan was the gathering place for all the runaway livestock. There were others too. Where are you going? Come here and heed the words of the King's descendant, Seo Ran!"

"Kuuuuuh!"

The lord in black bandages, who had stolen the main cannon of the Nether Crossing Ship from Manli Min-lap and brought it to Yuan Li, now crawls on the ground at Seo Ran's command.

[Oh.Oooohhhhhhh!]

Wuduk, wududuk!

And then.

Yuan Li, suppressed by Seo Ran's command, begins to rise, emitting the power of Nascent Soul.

[Do not... belittle... a Nascent Soul... cultivator...!!!]

He staggers to his feet, resisting Seo Ran's command.

Although still powerful, he seems to be using more than half of his energy to resist Seo Ran.

"Had he not switched to this body, infused with the blood of the Sea Dragon Tribe and mastered True Blood, Core Coagulating Transformation, there would have been no way for me. But now, it's rather convenient."

Seo Ran looks at me and smiles.

"While I can't completely control him due to the fundamental difference in cultivation, I can significantly hinder him. Senior, its your turn to capture him."

I nod at Seo Ran's smile, now understanding why Seo Hweol was so desperately trying to kill him.

Yuan Li would eventually learn Summoning Wind, True Blood Transformation using Seo Hweol's blood.

In that case, the remaining King's descendant, Seo Ran, would inherently become Yuan Lis weakness.

Translator Notes: Donated chapter by zzpiy. Thanks for the support!

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