122 - What To Do if You’re the Villain and the Heroine Likes You

The Paths You've Walked (10) "Unfold the Byukakjin (壁岳陣)!" At the roar of the Cheongmun Central Formation Master, the resolute cultivators who had received the formation flags in advance held them in their hands and formed ranks. As the formation flags arranged in a specific order, they emitted a blue light alongside a radiance of five colors. Kugugugugu! The five-colored light served as mountains and a great barrier, protecting the cultivators and blocking the blood winds. With a precision incomparable to the hastily-prepared foundation defenses used 200 years ago to fend off the attacks, there was distinct meticulousness. [Quite sturdy.] Yeonrip's blood wind couldn't penetrate the mountainous barrier and faded away. The voice of Cheongmun Central spread in all directions. "Everyone! Take out the weapons you've prepared!" And then, the weapons brought by the many clans began to shine with light. The Qi-storing cultivators aboard the giant warships formed seals at once. Dozens of cannons mounted on the warships aimed at Yeonrip and emitted light. The Charging-type treasures and Cannnon-type treasures also emitted light in unison. And so did the resolute cultivators in front, each taking out their treasures. 200 years had passed, and approximately 200 new resolute cultivators from various clans had been diligently nurtured for the decisive battle against Yeonrip. A total of about 400 resolute cultivators with their treasures and techniques focused their onslaught on one. And then. Paaaat! Amidst the numerous explosions and clouds of dust, a blood light emerged. Kieeek! Inside the blood light. Next to Yeonrip, who was shielded by a blood-tinged radiance, thousands of black and crimson undead began to stir. "The undead legion of the Elder Fiend!" Kieeek! Several potent undead gathered facing the treasure of a single resolute cultivator. Kweeek! As the undead screeched, their shockwaves pushed back the cultivators' techniques. "If, if four of them group up, they match the strength of a resolute cultivator!" A cultivator screamed in a pale fright. Then, at that moment. From behind the army, the masters of the Eastern realms, all sixteen of them, stepped forward. Below them were fiends wrapped in dark bandages, exhaling toxic Qi. From the great northern plains, three tribal chiefs stepped forward. They opened their Dusk-law devices, and hordes of grotesque monsters with layers of flesh poured out. From the three kingdoms of the west, the masters of Makrise Sect, Orise Sect, and the Jun family sect advanced. Makrise Sect unleashed an undead legion like Yeonrip's from their Dusk-law devices. Orise Sect released a swarm of the skeleton soldiers, and the Jun family released refined spectral souls. Magic against magic! Makrise's emerald-colored undead clung to Yeonrip's black and crimson undead. While individually inferior to Yeonrip's undead, Makrise Sect swarmed an overwhelming number of undead harvested from massacres across their clan's history. Chaaah! Then, an elder of the Makrise Sect opened a Dusk podium, and water smelling of rot poured out like a river. The undead of Makrise Sect, upon touching the greenish water, grew more energetic and regenerative, pouncing on Yeonrip's undead horde. In an instant, the momentum of Yeonrip's undead legion waned. "Hwahonyeomeol (火魂染悦)." Hwaruruk! Three elders of the Jin family sect advanced, forming seals. A flaming spirit materialized in the air. Every time the Jin family elders formed a seal, the flaming spirit shivered in pleasure. And each time the spirit indulged in pleasure, the light of its soulfire gradually changed color. From red to orange, from orange to gold, and from gold to blue-white. Eventually, the spirit's light became a pure blue fire, Cheonghwa (靑火). "Go!" Kugugugugu! At the seal of the Jin family elders, the soulfire trembled violently and descended upon Yeonrip's summoned undead. As a clan that had vied with a magic lineage like Makrise for hundreds of years, the Jin family was particularly adept at contending with magic forces. The blue flames they cast spread instantly among the undead, torching Yeonrip's undead legion. The flames, unusually effective against the dead, spread in every direction, chasing even those undead that tried to flee and clinging to them. The undead that tried to shake off the Jin family's flames were met with Makrise's undead, who clung and grappled relentlessly. Hwarurururu! In moments, the desert became an inferno. With the combined assault of the magic cultivator clans from the west, north, east, and the Jin family sect, Yeonrip's undead were annihilated. Or so it seemed. Kwaang! A dull blood light was shot towards the mountainous barrier. Yeonrip pierced through the multicolored mountains and swung his whisk beyond it. Chwaaah! The blood wind swept through, and among the surrounding seven resolute cultivators and the 400 Qi-storing cultivators, all were torn apart and killed. [Blood Cloud (血雲), Red Sea (赤海).] Yeonrip formed another seal. Simultaneously, from the corpses of the resolute and Qi-storing cultivators, life force and blood coalesced into a Blood Cloud, rising into the sky. A tremendous blood cloud moved, converging towards his charred undead horde. Soon after, the blood cloud was absorbed by the remnants of Yeonrip's undead. Wriggle, wriggle... The charred remains, absorbing the blood cloud, started to twitch. Soon after, the once charred remains regenerated from the blood cloud's nourishment. Kugugugugu! The once-annihilated undead legion rose again, fully restored. [Is this the end?] Yeonrip sneered as he began to form another seal. "Deploy the formation again!" Kugugugugu! As Yeonrip intruded, the protective barrier crumbled and reformed to encircle him once more. And outside it, the cultivators resumed their barrage of attacks against Yeonrip. The elders of the Jin and Makrise families let out smirks of derision. "Foolish old monster. 'Is this the end?' If resurrected once, we'll just have to kill them twice." Once again, Makrise's undead rushed towards Yeonrip's, and the Jin family elders created the pure blue fire, hurling it at Yeonrip's undead horde. And then. Hwarururuk! The black and crimson undead were no longer consumed by fire. "What, what...!?" The elders of the Jin family sect widened their eyes in shock. The black and crimson undead, not burning in the fire, were instead absorbing the flames and began to vigorously destroy the undead of the Makrise Sect. What was astounding was that as the black and crimson undead engaged with those of the Makrise Sect, they started to absorb them as soon as they were touched, drawing them in completely. Seeing this, even the elders of the Makrise Sect trembled with a start. Kieeeek! Even as the eastern magicians and northern magic cultivators scattered their magic life forms upon the black and crimson undead horde, the undead absorbed their techniques, growing more and more vigorous. [Isn't it magnificent? The Bloodwood Ghost Corpses (血木鬼屍) gain strong resistance to magic techniques they experience once, and they can absorb those they're resistant to, recharging their own energy...] Kugugugugugu! As Yeonrip opened his mouth, a blood cloud burst forth and enveloped him. At the same time, the blood cloud spread out in all directions, shattering the resolute cultivators' protective barrier. "The fiend uses his power!" "Scatter!" [Do you really think you can defeat me, even if you all gang up?] Kuoooh! The blood cloud whirled. Chalarak! Simultaneously, from Yeonrip's dusk podium sprang forth ghostly waters, transforming into the shape of reaper kings. The reaper kings, merged with Yeonrip's blood cloud, formed giant figures made from the blood cloud itself. Kiaaaaa! The two reaper kings formed from the blood cloud swung their scythes to both sides. Kwaang! A double strike of the soul-emanating force! Under that attack, the protective barrier formed anew by the resolute cultivators crumbled again. [Wretched fools. All of you...] But then, that was when it happened. Paaat! A blue flash, darkening the heavens, shot once more towards Yeonrip. [...!] Startled, Yeonrip formed seals, and the two reaper kings formed by the blood cloud crossed their scythes to shield him. Kugwagwagwang! The blue flash exploded. After the light died down. Each of the reaper kings formed from the blood cloud was torn in half, and Yeonrip in the center clutched a pagoda treasure to protect himself. The light of the pagoda treasure had dimmed significantly, indicating that the previous attack had been quite a shock. Yeonrip frowned from behind his black translucent mask. [It didn’t seem this powerful before...] Yeonrip’s gaze turned toward a figure wrapped in white bandages from the east, the Lord of Manriminrab, who was aiming a cannon at him from afar. Wiiing! Manriminrab held the cannon with one arm and formed seals with the other. The tip of the cannon shone as a blue flash began to form anew, stronger than before. [Hoh... I see. It uses the spectral souls (鬼魂) of the recently dead resolute and Qi-storing cultivators, strengthening its force with their soul power (魂力)...? A cannon that grows more powerful with more casualties...] Yeonrip's eyes emitted a fierce blood light. [I see. I've heard of it. The main cannon of the Black Bone Arc Submersion Ship. One of the main cannons from the Submersion Ship that was destroyed in a battle with that monster, I heard rumors it had washed up on the shores of the east.] Wiiing! Without a word, Manriminrab pumped spiritual power into the cannon's core. Kiyaaaa.... Kiyaa... Soft melodies of ghostly songs seemed to emanate from within the cannon. And then. Kwaaaang! Once again, a blue ray shot towards Yeonrip. More ferocious in power than before! Kugwagwagwang! The ray exploded. The exploding blue flash triggered a storm, forcing the positioned Qi-storing cultivators at the back to exert all their strength to not get swept away. The explosion died down. But then, the next moment. Chwaaachak! A dull blood light pierced through the blue explosion, charging towards Manriminrab. Yeonrip was flying towards him, wielding a crystal skull staff. [If it's the remnants of the Submersion Ship, I'm quite interested. Give it over...!] Manriminrab furrowed his brows, trying to reactivate the cannon, but Yeonrip was faster. Chwaachak! In an instant, Yeonrip reached in front of Manriminrab and raised his hand. Chwaaah! A colossal blood radiance pooled above his hand. [Farewell.] "..." The next moment. Chalaralak...! Black light tentacles wrapped around Yeonrip. [...!] The tentacles were not of a living creature but made of a pitch-black mist. Chwaaah. Wherever the mist touched, it began to rot away, causing immense pain. [A curse...?] Yeonrip looked at the surrounding black fog. The fog was composed of thousands of tiny curses. Chwaraak, chalaralak! The tide of curse spells enwrapped Yeonrip. And during that brief moment when Yeonrip was bound by curse spells. Manriminrab hastily retreated from the spot, and an old man from the Banrip clad in a brown robe, Wolyang, descended to Manriminrab's position and drew a brown wheel treasure. "Die, monster!" Chururururu! The brown wheel began to spin. As Wolyang formed seals, the wheel rushed madly toward Yeonrip. [Annoying things...] But as Yeonrip reached out to summon the blood cloud, the wheel treasure was blocked by the blood cloud. Yeonrip spoke with an annoyed voice, emitting a blood light. [Quite the skilled curse sorcerer, I see, but still lacking. But quite troublesome nevertheless...] Chwaaah! The blood radiance pushed away the curses. [To give credit where it's due...] And then. Kwaaaang! As Yeonrip rambled on his own, Manriminrab’s main cannon fired a blue flash again at him. Encased in the blue light, Yeonrip was targeted as the cultivating resolute cultivators and Qi-storing cultivators who had gathered their energy unleashed their siege weapons upon him. ―――――! The earth trembled, and craters like glass formed in the desert. A sudden flash colored the desert, and darkness consumed the desert's light as if devouring it. At the center of the explosion, Yeonrip formed seals and curled the blood light around him, defending against the attacks from all sides. [I've grown so much over 200 years. Had it been early in my soul-emanating phase, I would have been in danger...] Despite the precarious tremble of his barrier, there was no sign that it would break. [Just have to hold out...] And that’s when it happened. [Hmm...?] Yeonrip caught sight of a treasure, a wheel-shaped one that Wolyang had thrown. The wheel that spun wildly in front of him was gradually gaining momentum. At first, it didn't seem noteworthy, but slowly, its rotational force and power increased to an alarming degree. And Yeonrip's eyes went wide. [What is this...! That man is...] Kugugugugu! The brown wheel was increasingly dyed with a blood red hue, emitting red steam as it pressed powerfully against his protective barrier. [Is that scoundrel pouring his original vital energy into it...!] Indeed, Wolyang was weeping blood, spewing blood from his mouth yet still infusing his life force into his treasure. "Die, you old fiend...! Even if I wring out all my life force and burn it all, I will leave a mark on you!” Kiiiiing! The wheel spun faster and faster. Uguk, ugrukguk...! Yeonrip could see that the trembling protective barrier was being increasingly breached by the wheel. [Do you think I'll be breached by the likes of you! Ridiculous!] Blood light blazed from Yeonrip’s eyes as he drew upon his energy. And at that moment, small characters behind Yeonrip rose up in the air. Seo Eunhyun’s curse spell. Yeonrip believed he had shaken off the curse entirely with his blood light, but his sticky, malicious presence hadn't fully dissipated. Wriggle, wriggle... Seo Eunhyun's curse spell climbed along Yeonrip’s body, settling near his heart. * * * Outside of Yeonrip’s bombardment. Standing beneath Mount Bongmyeong, Seo Eunhyun spoke to a Qi-storing cultivator of Cheongmun Sect who had joined to aid him. [Make it for me.] "Understood." The Cheongmun Sect’s Qi-storing cultivator scattered seeds onto the sand and formed a seal. Kugugugugu! As the Qi-storing cultivator's wooden attribute spiritual power flowed in, the seeds rapidly grew into a tree. As he formed another seal, the tree grew into a strange shape. It was almost like a human figure. Arms outstretched, a shadow submerged in black curse spells. Seo Eunhyun reached his hand toward the wooden man (木人), and a strand of curse spell flowed into the wooden heart. [Into this vessel, may agony take hold.] Kiiing! A curse spell that flowed into the heart of the wooden man emitted light. * * * [Hm?] Yeonrip twitched at the feeling of dark malice starting from his heart. But before he could react, the malice exploded. The Qi-storing cultivator of Cheongmun Sect next to Seo Eunhyun struck the wooden man's heart with his fist, creating a hole. The curse doll activated. [Aaaargh!] Ukssin! Yeonrip clenched his teeth, suddenly clutching his chest in the fierce pain that erupted from his heart. And in that fleeting moment. Kwagwagwagwa! Wolyang’s treasure erupting with red steam tore through Yeonrip's barrier and lunged at him. Chalaralak! Half of Yeonrip's upper body was torn away. Wolyang's wheel did not return to him but instead flew past Yeonrip. Numerous treasures and techniques flew towards the torn half of Yeonrip. Yeonrip squeezed out his pure essence instinctively to form a temporary arm and formed a seal. [Solve (解).] And an explosion enveloped Yeonrip. Kugugugugu... Numerous resolute cultivators held their breath, observing the aftermath of the blast. Kerhack, kehuhack! Wolyang, his usual bamboo staff dropped, spat out blood while glaring inwardly. An attack mobilizing every technique available to countless resolute and Qi-storing cultivators! All eyes were filled with anticipation as they observed the outcome at the heart of the dust cloud. And from within the dust cloud, something strange, something blood-red emerged. "What is that…" Cheongmun Central frowned. Around Yeonrip were now seven floating scrolls. The scrolls were blank, betraying nothing drawn on them, only the unsettling energies of the seven specters emanating from the strange blood-red beast. The specter’s energies enveloped and protected Yeonrip. [Haha, this is thrilling.] The faces of the allied force gathered there darkened. [But is this really the end?] Half of Yeonrip's upper body had been blown away, but he was regenerating himself. In one hand he held the crystal skull staff; in the other, the grass whisk. [Try harder. I'm not even amused yet…!] Kugugugugu! The summoned Bloodwood Ghost Corpses Yeonrip had introduced began to extract the energy they had absorbed – the techniques, other undead, and magical life forms. The energy they produced amalgamated into something blood-red and flew towards Yeonrip. Chalaralarak! As Yeonrip raised the crystal skull staff, the skull opened its mouth wide, devouring the blood-red energy. At the same time, the energy Yeonrip had exhausted filled up again. Chiieeee― Before long, Yeonrip had completely recovered to the state he was in when he first emerged from his seal. [Tsk, tsk, this is so dull my excitement is waning. Is there really nothing else you can show me?] Chalaralak! A clump of dark curse spells surged up from beneath and enveloped Yeonrip. [Tsk....] Kwang! However, this time the curse spells didn’t even touch Yeonrip; they were simply repelled by his protective barrier. Yeonrip's gaze landed on the shadow afar manipulating the curse spells. [I've been wondering who's been sneakily sending these petty curses, so it was you. Haha, and you’re not even a resolute cultivator but a Qi-storing one, I see.] He lifted the blood-colored grass whisk. [For a mere Qi-storing cultivator to send such a troublesome curse worthy of resolute cultivators, you’re commendable. Impressively done. And...] Yeonrip then turned back to look at Wolyang, who was gasping for breath. [It was impressive that you put your life on the line to land a hit on me. Though... it seems you've run out of energy to even retrieve your treasure.] Yeonrip scorned and mocked Wolyang derisively. Wolyang was gasping for air. Then he smiled. "The treasure... isn't that I lack the energy... to retrieve it, you monster." [Hm?] "I've passed it on..." [What are you babbling about now... Well then. Since everyone has worked hard, farewell to all of you.] Yeonrip swung the blood-colored fan toward all the cultivators who expended their strength in the all-out assault. Kwaah! A blood wind enveloped the allied forces. "Hold on...!" "Now is the time!" "Almost there..." Cheongmun Central and numerous resolute cultivators coughed up blood as they spread out a new protective formation. However, unlike the original formation, this newly deployed formation was greatly weakened from energy depletion, and blood wind broke through, seeping through the cracks. "Aaaargh!" "Save us, Master!" While the resolute cultivators endured, a significant number of Qi-storing cultivators were swept away by the penetrating blood wind, turning into mere puddles of blood. The faces of the many resolute cultivators contorted. But soon after, the relentless blood wind subsided. From behind the protective formation, Manriminrab lifted the main cannon of the Submersion Ship once again. Kiiiiing! Absorbing the spirits of the dead Qi-storing cultivators, the cannon of the Submersion Ship flashed even more powerfully with blue light. Yet, Yeonrip laughed at the sight of Manriminrab. [Ridiculous. I've already figured out how long it takes for the main cannon of the Submersion Ship to charge. Even after gulping down spirits, it still takes time to fire, doesn't it?] He slowly advanced towards Manriminrab. [Come now, obediently hand over the remains of the Submersion Ship.] Chwajwajwajjang! Once more, worm-like curse spells flew towards Yeonrip, binding his feet. Yeonrip snorted, looking at the shadow that was casting the curses at him. [Aren't you ashamed of yourself? Such useless curses...] [The time has come.] Then, the shadow interrupted Yeonrip’s taunting and turned towards Cheongmun Central, saying. [The time is now.] "Everyone! Get ready!" Cheongmun Central shouted, and the allied forces began to move in unison. [Hmm?] And then, several Qi-storing cultivators started rushing toward the shadow wrapped in curse spells. They took their positions around the shadow and, upon forming seals, altars rose from the ground. Each altar was offering a sacrifice to the heavens. Yeonrip watched them, not understanding. [Altars for the Pill Concoction (結丹) advancement...? Have you all gone mad?] But soon Yeonrip turned his attention away from that to something else. Kiiiiik.... The gate of Mount Bongmyeong began to open. [Enough, I have no reason to bother with you wretches anymore. I have my own matters to attend to, so just die.] Blood light started to gush from Yeonrip's body. Then, a formless sword flew towards Yeonrip. Kugwagwagwang! [...!] Yeonrip flinched and directed the blood light he was about to explode with towards the formless object. Kugugugugu! The surroundings shook violently. [What is this now...?] Yeonrip looked towards the gate of Mount Bongmyeong. From the wide-open gate, a clump of dark curse spells flowed like a river. And at the heart of the black river stood a man dressed in white, shedding jet-black tears. [Two curse sorcerers...?] Yeonrip glanced at the other shadow that was present. Then, Yeonrip shuddered. Shuuuuuck! The curse spells that had enshrouded the shadow were sucked back into the shadow’s body. The true form of the shadow was revealed. It was a glasswork figure, identical in size to a person. A glass puppet (人形) that moved exactly like a person, infused with thousands of curse spells! The exquisitely crafted glass figure was identical in shape to Yeonrip. The curse spell-infused glass figure raised its hand, and the brown wheel flew into it. —The treasure... isn't that I lack the energy... to retrieve it, you monster. —I've passed it on... The glass figure, identical to Yeonrip, absorbed the blood and flesh that had burst out from Yeonrip's upper half, which had been adhering to the brown wheel. [Curse Doll (詛呪人形)!] Yeonrip didn’t hesitate to lift the grass whisk. 'Dangerous. If a curse doll of Qi-storing cadet level engulfs my blood, and a top-tier curse sorcerer enacts a curse...’ Kwaang! Yet, inexorably, a formless trajectory flew towards him, disrupting his motion. And from Mount Bongmyeong, the curse sorcerer shedding black tears, Seo Eunhyun raised one hand above the river of curse spells. “Yin Spirit Curse (陰魂鬼呪).” Dark curse spells danced around him. “Thousand Lapis Tree Sea (千璘樹海).” From the river of curse scripts, a forest made of dark green curse spells rose. “Silica Wall (珪土長城).” The spiritual veins (靈脈) flowing through Mount Bongmyeong, driven by Seo Eunhyun's will, converged around him. Kugugugugu! The energies gathered around Seo Eunhyun rushed into his dantian. Pure essence boiled throughout Seo Eunhyun's body. The Twenty-Eight Mansions, Qi-storing (築氣期) phase culmination! Click, click, click, click! Then, four more figures appeared around Seo Eunhyun. They, too, were shadows covered in dark curse spells, Seo Eunhyun's curse dolls. And each curse doll possessed the practice levels of Qi-storing cadets. "The pain from 200 years ago pushed me to the brink of resolute cultivation. However, for today, I held back the breakthrough and continued to divide the growing magical power from agony among the five curse dolls. They all... reached the level of Qi-storing cadets..." Drip, drip... Seo Eunhyun, shedding black tears, fell from Mount Bongmyeong. Chiii... Where his tear tainted with curse spells fell, the land beneath began to rot. “I've come to return this agony to you, Yeonrip.” Chwaah! The four Qi-storing curse dolls that had lined up next to Seo Eunhyun rushed to the four ready altars, mounting each corner and ascending upon them. [Kekkek, as much as you all have tried to impress... Are you seriously holding a Pill Concoction advancement ceremony in front of me to assert your dignity?] Kiiiiing! Yeonrip's hand holding the grass whisk began to shine. [What is wrong with all of you... Have you all lost your minds together...] "Go, Seo Eunhyun!" Kwaah! And towards Yeonrip, who was about to release his fan, Wolyang charged, weeping blood. "I'll hold him down! Kill him!" [Tch, this pesky bug...] Yeonrip hissed, trying to shake him off. But Wolyang's body blazed red. Chwaah! His blood boiled off, and Wolyang's entire body went up in flames. The spirit fire (鬼火) burning with a brown hue soon shone brightly like the golden sands of the desert. [Even if I have to! Burn up my entire life, I will kill you!] Kwaah! Wolyang, burning his Golden Elixir (金丹), broke through Yeonrip's barrier and pierced into his embrace. Kwadrdduk! [You... worthless trash!] [Go, Seo Eunhyun! I'll earn us this time! Curse him!] Taht! Seo Eunhyun, leading the curse spells, nodded as he entered the interior of the arrayed altars. [What...!] The glass curse doll resembling Yeonrip lay calmly before Seo Eunhyun. [You, you thing...!] Seo Eunhyun looked at Wolyang's brown wheel treasure with eyes filled with black tears. He lifted the wheel treasure. The glass puppet handed over its dusk stand to Seo Eunhyun, and after receiving it, Seo Eunhyun exchanged looks with Wolyang. The two avengers nodded simultaneously. [You thing...!] Kwaah! The wheel raised by Seo Eunhyun slammed down on the curse doll filled with Yeonrip's blood, at the level of a Qi-storing cadet. Kwachangchang! The glass-made curse doll shattered into pieces, flying in all directions, and the curse, having fully consumed one Qi-storing cadet level curse doll, struck Yeonrip squarely. [Kweeeek!] Blood poured forth from Yeonrip's seven orifices. For the first time, a genuine scream of agony came from his mouth, which had been so full of mockery and scorn. [You... damned scum...!] Yeonrip roared furiously. But Seo Eunhyun turned his gaze away from Yeonrip. "Begin the ascension to resolute cultivation." Click, click, click, click! Around him stood the altars. Upon these altars, four Qi-storing cadet level curse dolls stood. The dolls each formed a seal. To receive blessings from the Seven Stars in the Big Dipper and open one’s eyes to fate. And with the blessings received at each stage of Qi-storing advancement, one could ascend the cultivation levels more swiftly. However, to reach resolute cultivation, a cultivator at the peak of Qi-storing must offer sacrifices again to each of the twenty-eight constellations within them that correspond with the internal stars. It was a process of imbuing celestial energy into each constellation. This sacrificial ritual was something most cultivators would encounter. But the details of the ritual varied slightly depending on the cultivation techniques they practiced. The technique Seo Eunhyun had mastered, the Yin Spirit Curse, involved placing curse dolls at each of the altars and cursing oneself through them to imbue celestial energy into the stars. Woong! Seo Eunhyun’s ritual began. [각항저방심미기 (角亢氐房心尾箕), I, Seo Eunhyun on the human path, offer this sacrifice to the honorable Seven Stars, kindly accept it!] The curse doll at the eastern altar weaves a curse into a noose. With it, the doll strangled itself. Udukduk! With a snap, the eastern curse doll’s neck broke, and it collapsed atop the altar. [두우여허위실벽 (斗牛女虛危室壁), I, Seo Eunhyun on the human path, offer this sacrifice to the respectable Seven Stars, kindly accept it!] The northern altar's curse doll created a black sword from the curse spells and decapitated itself. The head of the northern curse doll rolled across the altar, and the doll slumped down. [규루위묘필자참 (奎婁胃昴畢觜參), I, Seo Eunhyun on the human path, offer this sacrifice to the noble Seven Stars, kindly accept it!] The curse doll at the western altar formed a black dagger from curse spells and slit its own belly. Black curse spells poured out from the belly of the western curse doll, which then collapsed upon the altar. [정귀유성장익진 (井鬼柳星張翼軫), I, Seo Eunhyun on the human path, offer this sacrifice to the venerable Seven Stars, kindly accept it!] At the southern altar, the curse doll enveloped itself in curse spells, which turned into Yin flames (陰火). The southern curse doll burned in the Yin fire and then fell upon the altar. At the center of the four altars, Seo Eunhyun gathered the storms of curse spells that were converging from all directions. No celestial timing was required for the ascension ceremony of resolute cultivation. One only needed to draw celestial energy with their mastered technique and imbue it into the corresponding stars of their internal twenty-eight constellations. Paaat! Black curse spells from all sides penetrated his entire body. Seo Eunhyun, shedding black tears, closed his eyes. Celestial energy began to imbue and connect the twenty-eight constellations in his dantian. Simultaneously, the constellations started to rotate. 각항저방심미기 represents the East (東), 두우여허위실벽 represents the North (北), 규루위묘필자참 represents the West (西), 정귀유성장익진 represents the South (南). The stars of spiritual energy representing the four directions began to rotate in Seo Eunhyun's dantian, creating an [Area] within it. This was inscribed in his dantian as the celestial domain, or the celestial globe. And the areas within the celestial globe etched within his dantian began to condense. Uduk, udududuk... The domain in the dantian gathered the pure elemental power flowing within the body, confining it within the domain. The pure elemental power condensed more and more, taking on a solid form. Koowooowoo! Seo Eunhyun's body became a conduit, recklessly absorbing the heavenly spirit energy from all directions. [Kukluk, kukluk...] Yeonrip ejected blood from his seven orifices. Kwaang! Burning his primordial energy, he thrust Wolyang away—who was engulfed in flames holding him—and looked towards Seo Eunhyun. The curse inflicted upon him with the sacrifice of a Qi-storing cadet level curse doll was not yet fully healed. Nonetheless, his face bore an unyielding smile. [Madness... You all are utterly ridiculous. There’s no need to reveal what I’ve hidden away. What change do you expect a mere new resolute cultivator to bring to the overall situation?] He burst into laughter. [Kahaha, very well. You think you can ascend to resolute cultivation and curse me to death? Try it! Aren't you underestimating a soul-emanating cultivator too much? Even if you curse me at that level, I just need to devour a few folks to recover quickly!] Yeonrip pointed at the sky. [If you have eyes to see, read the celestial energy! Do you really think you have any chance to win? Isn’t catastrophic misfortune already looming over you? Even the heavens know this!] Yeonrip's words vibrated throughout the desert. [Today's victory belongs to me. The heavens will bear witness...] And then. Kureung, kureureung... Dark storm clouds began to form in the clear desert sky. Kwaah! Seo Eunhyun, ascending to resolute cultivation, flew towards Yeonrip, breaking through his barrier with a formless sword and rushing into his embrace. "Enjoy that wonderful sky to your heart's content." Kureung, kureureung... The dark clouds that suddenly appeared cut off the connection between heaven and earth. The Celestial Rejection (天拒) phenomenon. The heavens began to gather power to prevent the fate of the dead from being rewritten. Seo Eunhyun plunged into Yeonrip's embrace and crushed him in a tight clasp. Flash, flash...! Within the dark clouds. Luminous blue streaks writhed. Seo Eunhyun smiled radiantly. "It’s going to be a bit thrilling." The heavens cast down Blue Lightning (靑雷) towards the Celestial Rejecter (天拒者).