CHAPTER 135: EIGHT COLD HELLS (2)

0% The Hundred-Eight Ice Demon Pillar Formation was a modified version of Shaolin’s 108 Arhat Formation, replacing the arhats with 108 ice pillars.

The foundation for the ice pillars was the Ice White Divine Power and the water element of the Five Elements.

Originally, he’d planned to deploy it without demonic energy and name it the Hundred-Eight Ice Pillar Formation, but demonic energy had unintentionally mixed in.

This was due to the Blood Crow Sect Leader’s Million Souls Blood Dye poison.

Though protective reinforced qi was nearly perfect as a defensive measure, Seojun had been infected by the Million Souls Blood Dye mixed in the air.

The red smoke first exhaled by the Blood Crow Sect Leader was misdirection. He seemed to have secretly administered the Million Souls Blood Dye afterward, and Seojun’s protective reinforced qi had failed to filter out the poison integrated with the air.

The protective reinforced qi couldn’t distinguish poison that had completely merged with air.

Seojun didn’t know how such a thing was possible.

He could only guess that this was why poison arts had survived in the martial world.

Regardless, that wasn’t immediately important. What mattered now was the fact of being poisoned.

Seojun thought simply.

Poison was just a foreign substance that had entered his body.

In the case of the Million Souls Blood Dye, a strange dissonance could be felt in his blood, so he momentarily transformed all his blood into demonic energy, burning away all foreign substances.

Any remaining residue was gathered in his mouth and spat out with saliva.

Though this left his blood vessels darkened and bulging, he paid it no mind since his body was otherwise unaffected.

He merely pulled fragments of the realm he had grasped and etched them into the world.

CRAAACK──────────

The inner core extracted from within him resonated with the 108 ice pillars, filling the entire Blood Crow Sect with cold energy.

“Whew...”

Seojun exhaled a white cloud of breath and felt everything within the Blood Crow Sect.

The presence of 2,372 living people, the formations installed inside, the structure of the buildings, underground secret passages, the gazes upon him, their emotions, and particularly their immense fear.

This was possible because he had brought out his inner core—essentially a part of himself—and spread his consciousness throughout the range of the Hundred-Eight Ice Demon Pillar Formation.

The method was inspired by sorcery.

While martial arts couldn’t freely manipulate external qi before reaching the Unrestrained Realm, sorcery could do so to a limited extent through resonance.

The inner core was a crystallization of qi that supplemented Seojun’s essence and spirit.

In a way, it was something that could be called Seojun himself, and by bringing it outside, he created another self externally.

He then used it as an axis to resonate with the 108 ice pillars, dividing his existence, and ultimately projecting himself into every space within the formation through resonance between the pillars.

He named it Eight Cold Hells.

A pseudo-realm mimicking an Unrestrained Realm master’s domain.

With all cold energy in the Blood Crow Sect under his control, Seojun looked down upon all breathing beings.

“W-what is this...”

The Blood Crow Sect Leader’s eyes trembled.

Though he didn’t know what was happening, he could tell it was far from ordinary.

The piercing cold gradually froze even his thoughts.

By the time he realized it, the man before him was growing increasingly distant.

No, he himself was stepping backward.

“How can this...”

Gritting his teeth, he desperately summoned all his power.

Instinctively, he knew escape was impossible.

But he hadn’t lived such a precarious life to break down in the face of crisis.

Kill that man and survive.

The Blood Crow Sect Leader clenched his teeth.

Blood Phosphorus Reinforced Qi—the Blood Crow Sect’s exclusive martial art.

Bright red reinforced qi wrapped around both his hands.

HISS-!

Blood evaporated from the reinforced qi around his left hand, which had only a thumb remaining, sending up wisps of smoke.

He swung his hand, releasing the energy.

BABABABAK-!

The released reinforced qi split into fragments, resembling thousands of ghost fires.

Seeing the approaching fragments of reinforced qi, Seojun’s eyes darkened.

“So this is how it works.”

Haah... As Seojun exhaled, the approaching fragments of reinforced qi all froze and fell.

The Blood Crow Sect Leader bit his lip but, instead of despairing, shouted loudly.

“Attack!”

At their leader’s command, about half the sect disciples charged forward, disregarding death.

A third hesitated, while the rest screamed and fled.

Seojun gestured.

WHOOSH-!

A wind rose from his casually waved hand—a wind formed of cold energy.

CRACK-! A freezing gale swept through the entire Blood Crow Sect, freezing everything.

“Ah, aah...”

“S-save...”

1,987 ice statues were created.

Of the 2,372 presences, only 385 remained.

Since 317 presences were presumed to be sacrifices captured by the Blood Crow Sect, the remaining members numbered 68.

SNAP-!

As Seojun flicked his fingers, a massive ice pillar created in mid-air fell to the ground.

KUUUUUNG──────────!!!

Now 18 remained.

CRACK-! The massive ice pillar connecting heaven and earth developed cracks, then—

SHATTER-!

It exploded into tens of millions of ice fragments.

Then, as Seojun’s finger twitched again, the wind blew once more.

Tens of millions of ice fragments rode the wind, sweeping through the Blood Crow Sect.

“AAAAGH...!”

Those who had barely survived were caught in the blade-like wind and reduced to bloody mist.

Now only one remained.

The pale-faced Blood Crow Sect Leader looked up at Seojun.

“Impossible... The poison...”

“Failed.”

Seojun extended his hand.

Something in the air froze, and red particles gathered above his palm.

It was the Million Souls Blood Dye that the Blood Crow Sect Leader had mixed into his Blood Phosphorus Reinforced Qi. He had burned the poison from his blood and scattered it with reinforced qi.

Though just a guess, that process had likely generated the ability to neutralize protective reinforced qi.

Certainly an annoying poison, but not enough to fall for it twice.

As Seojun stared at the Blood Crow Sect Leader, the man let out a hollow laugh.

“This is absurd...”

His will was broken.

But a martial artist’s pride wouldn’t allow him to die so submissively.

The Blood Crow Sect Leader, reinforced qi burning bright red on both hands, stomped the ground.

He drew forth his true qi to unleash his ultimate technique.

True Blood Claw.

Ten strands of reinforced qi followed the trajectory drawn by his nails, weaving through space.

Seojun gathered all the cold energy within the pseudo-realm to a single point.

Ice Crystal.

Seeing the snowflake-shaped crystal that suddenly appeared before him, the Blood Crow Sect Leader squeezed his eyes shut.

WHOOOOSH────────!!!

The area turned pure white, and when the cold cleared, not even a trace of the Blood Crow Sect Leader remained.

Only fragments of his frozen, shattered remains drifted in the wind.

Seojun stood on the ground, momentarily gazing at the frozen Blood Crow Sect.

“...Still a long way to go.”

The pseudo-realm Eight Cold Hells.

Though he had clearly taken a step toward the Unrestrained Realm, it was still woefully inadequate.

For one, he could only manipulate cold energy, not all qi within the realm.

Moreover, having placed nearly half of himself in the inner core and exposed it externally, his main body’s power was diminished, and the mental imagery spread throughout the Hundred-Eight Ice Demon Pillar Formation was too thin.

It was a technique of little significance against opponents of his own caliber.

Additionally, with the inner core exposed, its weakness was obvious.

If the inner core fixed in the sky were destroyed, Seojun would suffer a major blow.

Though hastily created from inspiration after experiencing the 108 Arhat Formation, it seemed useful only for massacring weaker enemies unless targeting an opponent with a specific weakness.

Its significance lay only in having briefly experienced an Unrestrained Realm master’s divinity.

“Haah...”

Sighing, Seojun gestured.

KUUUUNG-!

The moisture in the ground froze, lifting the earth itself.

A space deeply hidden underground was revealed.

317 people trapped in a narrow space.

They were mere puppets with only breath remaining, their minds already lost.

Even Seojun couldn’t heal their condition.

Clicking his tongue, he froze their hearts and brains, guiding them painlessly to death.

He didn’t want to create tombs for them, as Black Serpent forces would later thoroughly search the Blood Crow Sect and desecrate the corpses.

Instead, he used cold energy to decompose the 317 corpses, creating tiny ice particles that scattered in the wind, diffracting moonlight to create a mystical halo.

Seojun watched this sight for a while.

The gradually fading light eventually dispersed among the night sky.

Looking away from the sky, Seojun called back the inner core from the void and swallowed it again.

WHOOSH-!

As the pseudo-realm dissolved, a warm breeze blew.

“WUHEK...!”

Spitting blood, Seojun wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

Though merely a pseudo-realm, even that was still too early for someone of Seojun’s level to deploy.

“This should be... just enough to recover by the main tournament.”

Gauging his rapidly recovering condition, Seojun slowly began walking.

After a brief recovery period, he planned to return to Henan.

*Chunbong was in a very bad mood.

That bastard Lee Seojun had said he’d be back soon, but he still hadn’t returned.

Time passed, and the Dragon Phoenix Tournament’s main event arrived.

Waiting with Namgung Myeong and Namgung Suah, Chunbong shook her legs nervously.

“That idiot better not have gotten into trouble...”

“He’ll be fine, Sister Geum.”

“Hmm...”

Jutting out her lips, Chunbong finally sighed deeply.

“I guess he wouldn’t be getting beaten up somewhere.”

The important thing now was herself.

The Dragon Phoenix Tournament was just beginning in earnest.

Her identity as the heir to the Geum Clan of the Divine Sword.

She had pondered extensively about when to reveal it.

Should she reveal it at the start of the main tournament and ride that buzz all the way to victory, or make one big reveal after winning?

She had already made her decision.

All that remained was to wait.

Soon, after a brief opening ceremony, the referee announced the participants for the first match as the duels began.

“Ju Yangil of the Imperial Family!”

Woaaah-! With a roar from the crowd, a man stepped onto the arena.

He surveyed the audience with an expressionless face.

His eyes were sunken, showing little interest in the Dragon Phoenix Tournament. When his dignified gaze fell upon them, the spectators instinctively closed their mouths.

Chunbong clicked her tongue watching him.

“That arrogant bastard. Look at those eyes.”

A descendant of Sword God Ju Wooncheon, who once pacified the Central Plains.

Though the imperial family had briefly faltered when the Sword God ascended, they still proudly maintained their position as one of the Six Noble Clans.

Unlike the collapsed Geum Clan of the Divine Sword...

“Ah...!”

Just then, the monk serving as referee looked back at the elders seated behind him with apparent confusion.

The elders, already briefed, nodded.

The referee briefly composed his oddly overwhelming expression, then shouted loudly.

“Geum Hui of the Geum Clan of the Divine Sword!”

The Geum Clan of the Divine Sword.

The clan where the great Sword God had dwelled, which had vanished in a single night.

At that name, silence descended upon the audience.

Even Ju Yangil, who had been standing with an indifferent expression, widened his eyes in search of the Geum Clan heir.

And the heir of the Geum Clan of the Divine Sword, Geum Hui.

Geum Hui?

Momentarily confused, Chunbong soon realized.

Right. My name was Geum Hui.

Collecting herself, Chunbong stepped onto the arena with dignified strides.

All eyes turned to her.

After a moment of silence, Chunbong threw off her outer robe.

FLUTTER-!

As the robe flew away in the wind, the attire of the Geum Clan of the Divine Sword was revealed.

WOAAAAAAAH────────!!

The audience, who had been watching with bated breath, finally erupted in cheers.

The heir of the Geum Clan of the Divine Sword, which everyone thought had completely disappeared.

Smirking at the thunderous cheers, Chunbong straightened her back.

The magnificent attire symbolizing the young master of the Geum Clan of the Divine Sword fluttered in the wind.

A black dragon embroidered on a golden background.

Seeing the dragon robe, Ju Yangil’s eyebrow twitched.

His clothing was similar to Chunbong’s.

Just as if the colors were reversed—a golden dragon embroidered on a black background.

“A dragon robe... Still as presumptuous as ever.”

Ju Yangil’s eyes gleamed coldly as he glared at Chunbong.

“How dare you, a mere martial artist.”

Chunbong sneered and raised her middle finger.

“Says someone whose family name can’t even include the character for ‘god’.”

“Does a clan abandoned by gods claim the name of divinity?”

“...You’re really asking to die, bastard.”

These arrogant imperial bastards.

As Chunbong bared her teeth, the referee declared:

“Let the main tournament of the Dragon Phoenix Tournament begin!”