Chapter 218: The Clown and the Performance (7)

Chapter 218: The Clown and the Performance (7)

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Coming coming coming!

He is coming!

Kikikikik!

As the gap in space opens, something with a massive presence can be felt leaping towards this place from afar.

Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress!

The Mad Lord's Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress is trying to leap inside the Serving Command Ark.

Seo Hweol, too, seems to feel the familiar presence of the Mad Lord's Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, turning his head towards where he feels its presence.

"How, about, that...?"

At this moment, when Seo Hweol is out of his senses!

If the Mad Lord arrives, Seo Hweol will no longer be able to do anything.

Unable to employ any trickery.

Literally like raw meat laid out before the Mad Lord, unable to concoct any sinister plan.

After all, in a few days, my entire body will turn into lightning and I will die.

If Seo Hweol gets stuffed by the Mad Lord and holds a wedding ceremony with the Mad Lord's puppet, it will be a rather satisfying ending for Gyu-ryeon and all those sacrificed by Seo Hweol.

Creak!

The spatial rift opens, and from afar, through the void, the silhouette of a fortress with clanking mechanical gears flying towards this place can be seen.

Yet, Seo Hweol does not change his expression.

Rather, accustomed to the pain, he opens his mouth like me.

"The Serving Command Ark may be... a discarded immortal treasure... but still, an immortal treasure, is an immortal treasure..."

After briefly looking at the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, Seo Hweol manages to bear the pain and smiles faintly.

Then, his gaze falls away from the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.

"Without a special seal, that allows direct entry... no matter even the Mad Lord... it's not so easy to enter this place."

"...Seems like it's coming in though?"

Kikikikik

As if to mock Seo Hweol's words.

The massive Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress is gradually getting closer from beyond the space.

Due to the influence of the Serving Command Ark, it appears like something is blocking the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress at intervals.

However, the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress penetrates all resistance and enters this place.

Kikikikik

At the sight of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress overcoming the resistance of the Serving Command Ark and gradually approaching, Seo Hweol is momentarily speechless.

No matter how cunning Seo Hweol's schemes are, no matter how outstanding his strategies,

To the Mad Lord, no common sense, logic, or scheme can prevail.

Finally.

Kikikikik!

Creak.

From the void, stopping just about 30 meters away inside the Serving Command Ark, the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress comes to a halt.

The gate of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress opens.

Creak!

My whole body tingles.

From inside, the overwhelming aura of 28 beings.

I realized that each of these auras do not fall short of the presence of Gyu-ryeon, who had once attempted the Integration stage.

Creak, creak!

Of course, even if the Serving Command Ark is completely destroyed, Seo Hweol's words about it still being an immortal treasure aren't entirely false, as the 28 puppets couldn't enter this side.

However, as the 28 puppets simultaneously stretch their hands towards this area, a gap seems to appear in some invisible resistance surrounding the Serving Command Ark.

Creak, creak!

And finally.

A gap large enough for a child to enter is created.

Boooom!

Just that is enough.

From the other side, the Mad Lord commanding his puppets is felt.

Within the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, countless bee puppets fly in through the small gap and surround us from all sides.

Boooom!

The bee puppets cross over to where we are standing, surrounding Seo Hweol and me, spinning wildly.

The whirlwind created by the bee puppets prevents Seo Hweol from using the blood sacrifice from the Four-Axis cultivators to enhance his strength.

"Now, what will you do?"

I look at Seo Hweol, who is reaching towards the gathering of the blood sacrifice's energy, and smile bitterly.

I can feel it.

The enormous energy of the blood sacrifice, which was immense just moments ago, is gradually diminishing.

Like many types of devilish arts, such large-scale sacrificial techniques have a short duration.

If the objective is not achieved within that short time, it becomes utterly useless.

Judging by how quickly the energy is diminishing,

Its clear that the energy created by Seo Hweol's blood sacrifice is dispersing.

Moreover, these bee puppets are clearly designed for spatial leaping.

These puppets will surely prepare to fully summon the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress inside the Serving Command Ark.

Once that happens, the Mad Lord will fully enter, and it will be the end for Seo Hweol.

'Let's not let our guard down until the very end.'

Yet, despite having driven Seo Hweol into a corner, I find myself tensing up even more.

If I know Seo Hweol, he surely has more tricks up his sleeve.

It wouldn't be strange if another Seo Hweol suddenly emerges from underground, claiming that what we've been dealing with until now was just a clone.

It wouldn't be strange if he had suddenly tampered with the poison mixed by Hong Fan.

'I've felt disharmony ever since meeting Oh Hye-seo.

It's likely one of Seo Hweol's schemes.

Though sealed by the Five Elements Blood Curse Banner, I am currently caught in Seo Hweol's trap and must remain cautious until the very end.

'There are still several ways to push Seo Hweol further.'

However, I decide to wait until Yu Hwa arrives with reinforcements.

It's best to be cautious until a more certain force is available.

'Let's endure. Until we can deal a more decisive blow to him!'

Creak, creak, creak!

Beyond the bee puppets.

In the direction of the spatial rift.

There, as if the bee puppets accomplished something, the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress manages to widen the spatial rift a bit more.

Good, if it continues like this

But then, it happens.

Thunk!

Suddenly, the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress jolts and begins to be pushed back slightly.

What!

Seo Hweol opens his mouth without losing his smile.

"It seems... the Demon Kings of the Earth Tribe... are not just sitting idly by."

Wo-woong!

I realize that a strange attraction is coming from the direction of the spatial rift.

Beyond the spatial rift.

Behind the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.

There, the Integration stage Grand Cultivators of the Earth Tribe are pulling the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress with an attractive force to drag the Mad Lord back outside the Serving Command Ark.

"Are you, relying, on that?"

However, I just smirk.

I know the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress best.

The Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress hasn't even begun to use its real power yet.

Kugugugu!

Several cylindrical thrusters appear behind the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.

Simultaneously, an immense spiritual power erupts from the thrusters, resisting the attractive force and sticking to the inside of the spatial rift as if its going to pierce through back to its original position.

'If it was easy to block or restrain the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, could the Mad Lord have freely spread his wings for a thousand years?'

Despite its fortress-like appearance seeming quite slow, the true nature of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress is an incredibly fast mobile fortress.

The Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, when the Mad Lord is serious, cannot be stopped by anything.

"Indeed, it will be a bit difficult."

However, Seo Hweol's complexion doesn't change, and his heart essence remains undisturbed.

'What?'

What is he relying on?

"...Yes."

Her heart essence has been shaking from the moment she saw Seo Hweol.

However, within that wavering heart essence, one resolve remains unshaken.

Her heart Path Method, bound by many limitations.

Yet, against a specific target, it displays unparalleled powerGyu-baek's Entering Heavens.

"To avenge Gyu-ryeon's grudge."

Beyond the Path to Heavens.

Auspicious Exchange of Emotional Expression ()

A symbol of the promise shared between Seo Hweol and her, designed solely to end Seo Hweol.

Based on the content of the Vast Cold Beautiful Agreement created for the mutual death of the parties involved, Gyu-baeks Beyond the Path to Heavens now activates.

Clink, clink, clink!

Chains of the same brown color as Gyu-baek's robe flows from her hand.

Simultaneously, the brown chains naturally permeate Seo Hweol's chest, entwining around his heart, major organs, and various parts of his Demon Core.

'I see...'

I realize where the chains emitted from Gyu-baek's hand are connected.

Chains connected to Gyu-baek's heart.

These chains are likewise connected to Seo Hweol's heart, major organs, and Demon Core.

Literally, her Beyond the Path to Heavens is for dying together with Seo Hweol.

Implementing the content of the Vast Cold oath created for their mutual demise is precisely Gyu-baeks Beyond the Path to Heavens, the symbol of their shared promise.

Clink, clink, clink!

I summon countless Generals Seo from the storage bag, making them open their mouths behind me.

At any moment, I am ready to sacrifice my body, exploding curses and the Formless Sword in a suicidal attack.

Even if Gyu-baek fails to kill Seo Hweol, my explosion woill end him.

Even if we can't finish Seo Hweol, we can at least injure him enough to incapacitate him for a while, giving the Mad Lord enough time to return.

Its been a life full of ups and downs.

I went under Seo Hweol to uncover his true nature.

Though I gained much from observing him from beneath, I couldnt learn everything, and instead, I encountered many explosive situations like bombs.

Really, do I have any regrets?

I contemplate whether I have any regrets in this life as I am about to deliver the final blow.

I will know when I see the panorama of my life flash before me at that moment.

Never let your guard down until the very end.

Seo Hweol is Seo Hweol.

Seeing his heart essence, its clear he is indeed Seo Hweol himself, unpredictable in when and where he might plot something.

Focus all your attention on observing Seo Hweol!

Right up to the very end!

Never let your guard down...

Pwook!

"...Huh?"

Bo-oong!

Before Gyu-baek can activate the Auspicious Exchange of Emotional Expression.

A crimson hand pierces through Gyu-baek's back and out her heart.

Krrrik!

The chains that emerged from Gyu-baek, spinning wildly with yin and yang, disperse on their own.

And then, the crimson hand shoots towards me.

Jjeong!

I am struck down by the formidable force carried by the crimson hand, collapsing to the ground.

Walak!

My body, already more than 80% transformed into lightning, feels like it will disperse at any moment.

From the remaining 20% of my flesh, red liquid trickles out, spreading around.

"You..."

With a bewildered look, I gaze at the face of the one who had ambushed Gyu-baek and me.

"Yuan Yu...?"

The immense power Seo Hweol had gained from performing a blood sacrifice with all the Four-Axis stage cultivators.

I thought it had all dissipated.

It hadn't.

It was all absorbed by Yuan Yu.

And then, as Yuan Yu speaks, I feel a sense of despair.

"It's strange. You were hit by the Lustrous Glaze Peacock's light, how can you recognize me?"

From Yuan Yu's mouth comes a very familiar voice.

Its none other than Oh Hye-seos voice.

"Really, you're too strange, Seo Eun-hyun. A misty haze protects you. Because of that haze, I can only read superficial things about you."

Tsstsstss!

I finally realize the identity of the strange disharmony I feel in my mind.

My memories were distorted by the light of the Lustrous Glaze Peacock, but the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections that I was using unconsciously showed me the truth.

I wasn't hit by the Lustrous Glaze Peacock's light 'on my way back' after meeting Oh Hye-seo.

I was ambushed by the Lustrous Glaze Peacock's light 'on my way to meet' Oh Hye-seo.

The conversations I had with her, my reading of her heart essence, the sequence of events when I was hit by the light...

Everything had been mixed up and distorted by the first light of the Lustrous Glaze Peacock she had cast on me.

Stagger, stagger...

Yu Hwa, too, staggers under the power of Oh Hye-seo's white light emanating from Yuan Yu's body, and her playing comes to a stop.

Simultaneously, Seo Hweol, having reassembled his disassembled consciousness, stands up from his place.

Oh Hye-seo, in Yuan Yu's body, walks slowly towards Seo Hweol, who greets her with a warm smile.

Very familiarly, just as he often did to me, Seo Hweol pats Yuan Yu's shoulder.

Pat, pat

"Yuan Li thought he had learned the method of creating a Blood Body from ancient ruins and considered it his unique technique. But, it was actually me, Daoist Seo, who initially guided Yuan Li to the ancient ruins to learn the method of creating the Blood Body.

Pat, pat

"If you had obediently mastered the Summoning Wind, Sacred Blood Transformation, which contains the techniques of the Blood Yin Realm, as I advised, you would have realized what I did to the Blood Body... It's a pity, really."

Pat, pat

Oh Hye-seo, avoiding Seo Hweol's patting hand, says,

Someone who knows the exact method to activate the Blood Body can access the memories stored in the Blood Body by touching it. The activation method involves... elevating the Blood Bodys vitality in extreme environments, right?

"Oh dear, Miss Hye-seo. It's troublesome if you reveal such a huge secret carelessly."

"Well, doesn't it matter? After all, Seo Eun-hyun is going to die. From my perspective, it's more important whether shaking Seo Eun-hyun's emotions can stir those misty things."

"Hmm..."

Certainly, that was it.

For some reason, Seo Hweol frequently patted my shoulder in this life.

And the vast majority of those times were when I was wearing the Blood Body Skin Armor.

Activating the Blood Body in extreme environments is part of the technique?'

He had been patting my shoulder in a friendly manner since our first meeting.

I thought it was just to simulate camaraderie.

That wasn't it.

Seo Hweol was trying to find out why a stranger like me who ascended was wearing Yuan Li's Blood Body from the beginning.

From the beginning, Seo Hweol wanted to know why someone he met for the first time and ascended was wearing Yuan Lis Blood Body.

Realizing how often Seo Hweol casually tapped my shoulder, I feel a sense of emptiness.

"...I was merely a clown dancing before you."

I thought I had been monitoring Seo Hweol through the Mad Lord's circuits.

But it turns out I was the one being constantly monitored through the Blood Body.

Literally, it was just a play put on by a clown.

Yes, a clowns performance.

And thus, the ludicrous performance of the clown comes to an end.

"...Yes, I lost."

With a hollow laugh, I look at Seo Hweol and Yuan Yu, who are looking back at me.

"Since its come to this..."

I clasp my hands together, interlocking my fingers, and close my eyes.

And then, I chant.

"...Return to thee."

***

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