Instant-Death Cultivation: Surviving in an Immortal World with Instant Kill - Chapter 185

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 185: Scale (1)

“Grrrrr…!”

“Woof! Woof!”

Various types of dogs rushed toward Cheon Woo-jin and Mujung Soma.

Sensing Mujung Soma moving behind him while creating pure white sword qi, Cheon Woo-jin fluttered both sleeves.

Swoosh!

The Celestial Blades that shot out from his sleeves flew at terrifying speed.

The four Celestial Blades flew autonomously in all directions, slashing the bodies of the dogs that had been rushing toward Cheon Woo-jin.

“Kyaing…!”

A Yellow Dog that lost one leg tumbled over, losing its balance.

The dog whose neck was severed couldn’t even let out a scream and died instantly on the spot.

There was one that luckily slipped between the Celestial Blades and approached Cheon Woo-jin, but he had already drawn another tool.

“Kyaing…!”

Just before biting Cheon Woo-jin’s leg, the dog collapsed to the floor.

To be precise, it was bound by a dragon’s head that emerged from the sea.

This was because he had taken out the supreme-grade magical artifact Nine Dragon Mountain Crushing Fan that he received as a gift from Oh Hwi-seong of Heavenly Dragon Tower and stuck it into the ground.

Unlike massive creatures like Hwang Ryeong Daewang Ogong, these dogs could be bound without difficulty.

“Kyaing…!”

The other dogs were also bound by the Nine Dragon Mountain Crushing Fan and became unable to move.

Hunting dogs that couldn’t move from their spot could only become prey for the Celestial Blades.

The Celestial Blades moving in all directions instantly chopped them into pieces, and gruesome corpses piled up one after another in the underground maze.

Though he had annihilated over ten dogs like this… this wasn’t the end.

‘The real fight starts from here.’

Black things rose from the corpses of the hounds.

At first glance, it looked similar to a Nascent Soul escaping, but those dogs were definitely not at the Nascent Soul stage.

‘Those are the vengeful spirits of the dogs.’

Tam Ran Gu-ma commands dogs.

But living dogs aren’t that important.

No matter how much you maximize a dog’s combat power, a dog is still a dog.

Tam Ran Gu-ma’s hounds truly display their power after their breath is cut off.

‘That’s when Hound Ghosts are born.’

Hound Ghosts are the spirits of dogs that died harboring resentment.

Tam Ran Gu-ma casts special magic arts on his hounds and drives them to their deaths.

When the hounds die there, their vengeful spirits escape and become powerful Hound Ghosts.

Since they are incorporeal spirits, physical attacks don’t work on them, and they attack people with powerful cursing power.

[Wooooooooo!]

Emitting thoughts like howling wolves, the Hound Ghosts all rushed forward at once.

The Celestial Blades danced freely through the air, but unlike when they had chopped up the living dogs earlier, they couldn’t inflict any damage on the Hound Ghosts.

The Nine Dragon Mountain Crushing Fan also had no effect whatsoever on the Hound Ghosts.

[Wooooooooo!]

The Hound Ghosts were emitting an aura like black mist.

It was a powerful curse-type force. Even being slightly affected would greatly restrict spiritual energy circulation.

Neutralizing opponents with curses and then rushing in to steal their life force was the typical combat method of Hound Ghosts.

‘So I need to sweep them all away at once.’

Cheon Woo-jin was already deploying a spell formation.

Since Tam Ran Gu-ma had sent a large number of hounds, it was easy to predict how the fight would proceed.

[Extreme Lightning Karma Flame Net]

As he swung his arm widely, lightning energy deployed along the trajectory of his swing.

That lightning energy spread over a wide range like fire attribute magic arts, trapping the Hound Ghosts that had been rushing toward Cheon Woo-jin in a net of lightning energy.

[Aaaaaaaah!]

The Hound Ghosts emitted thoughts full of resentment.

The more they did so, the more fiercely the black cursing aura poured out, but the lightning net burned away even those curses.

Eventually, even the Hound Ghosts were trapped in the lightning net and completely annihilated.

“If you’re reborn, may you meet a good master next time.”

Cheon Woo-jin muttered this with compassion.

Then a voice came from behind him.

“Fellow Daoist Cheon truly has a gentle heart.”

Mujung Soma had also already finished off half of the hounds he was responsible for.

The Hound Ghosts had also been completely annihilated, and there were no signs of curse effects.

“To even pray for the afterlife of beasts.”

“I might not feel this way about other things, but somehow I feel sorry for dogs.”

Those hounds must have truly offered their loyalty to Tam Ran Gu-ma.

That was a purely innocent act, different from how people in the Cultivation World follow others due to their own calculations and interests.

Tam Ran Gu-ma knew this yet drove the dogs into death traps.

He thought that such loyalty would be effective in creating powerful vengeful spirits.

It was a glimpse into Tam Ran Gu-ma’s evil nature.

“However, Cheon Daoist, this is merely a taste.”

Mujung Soma spoke in a cold voice.

“If Tam Ran Gu-ma seriously attacks, it won’t be just this level.”

“That’s right.”

Though their specialties differed, Tam Ran Gu-ma was clearly a demon lord of the same rank as Mujung Soma.

Achieving victory against Tam Ran Gu-ma would not be an easy task.

“Senior Soma.”

Cheon Woo-jin posed a question to Mujung Soma.

“Do you think I could win if I fought Tam Ran Gu-ma one-on-one?”

“Well…”

Mujung Soma made a troubled expression at Cheon Woo-jin’s question.

“If it’s a battle of strength against strength, I think Cheon Daoist would win. However…”

Mujung Soma spoke while directing his gaze into the darkness.

“Tam Ran Gu-ma has probably already noticed that fact. So there’s a high probability he’ll make moves to ensure it becomes a different kind of fight.”

* * *

“I have no idea where this is.”

Yowon Gyeon grumbled as he walked through the narrow passage.

He had been caught in North Palace Annihilation’s trap and transported somewhere, but he couldn’t tell where this place was at all.

“Even when I try to break through the wall and get outside…”

Thud!

He struck the wall with his fist imbued with spiritual power, but not even a scratch appeared.

If it were an ordinary wall, it would have crumbled down.

“Since it’s a facility made by the Yin Soul Ghost Bone Palace, it won’t budge at all. How frustrating.”

Looking at the wall’s material, it seemed to be inside the ruins, but he couldn’t tell approximately where.

It didn’t seem to be a completely blocked area, but it would still take time to reunite with the other party members.

“It seems they scattered all of us for individual defeat… Something should appear soon.”

As Yowon Gyeon was walking alone and lonely while muttering this.

The sound of plodding footsteps came from ahead.

It was the sound of a four-legged beast approaching.

“Is it Tam Ran Gu-ma?”

A white-furred Baek-gu was walking toward him.

It seemed to be one of Tam Ran Gu-ma’s hounds.

“Just a puppy that wouldn’t even be a single bite.”

Of course, Yowon Gyeon also knew that Tam Ran Gu-ma used Hound Ghosts.

But just one alone couldn’t pose a threat to Yowon Gyeon.

When Yowon Gyeon was looking around, expecting other dogs to appear from the surroundings.

[Don’t be so wary, Elder Ancestor Yo.]

A voice was heard in his head.

Tam Ran Gu-ma had cast telepathy through Baek-gu.

[I didn’t create this situation to fight with you.]

“Hmm?”

Yowon Gyeon tilted his head to the side.

“Didn’t you scatter us all over to defeat us individually?”

[That intention exists too, but it’s not only that.]

Baek-gu stuck out his red tongue.

[There’s only this one hound here. It’s not even suitable for combat, and I haven’t applied the magic arts to make Hound Ghosts. Check if you’re suspicious.]

Yowon Gyeon didn’t decline and extended his spiritual energy.

After examining Baek-gu’s entire body by feeling with spiritual energy, this hound indeed didn’t seem to be for combat, as Tam Ran Gu-ma said.

There was no feeling of the sinister power that creates Hound Ghosts being imbued either.

[Now trust me. I merely want to have a conversation with you.]

“Conversation? That’s an interesting thing to say. Are you thinking of attempting some negotiation?”

[You could say that.]

Tam Ran Gu-ma’s subtle thoughts were conveyed.

[Yowon Gyeon, how about joining hands with us?]

“Why should I do such a thing?”

[Aren’t you also coveting Cheon Woo-jin anyway?]

“Cheon Woo-jin?”

Why was Cheon Woo-jin’s story suddenly coming up?

[What Bukgung Jeongmyeol wants is just Seo Seol-ryeong alone. She’s not particularly interested in Cheon Woo-jin.]

“I know that too, but…”

[So help us secure Seo Seol-ryeong. Then we’ll hand Cheon Woo-jin over to you.]

Tam Ran Gu-ma continued sending his thoughts.

[That’s not all. Bukgung Jeongmyeol will help you with body possession.]

“What? Body possession?”

[Taking over the body of Cheon Woo-jin, who’s from a different race, and possessing it isn’t an easy task. But with Bukgung Jeongmyeol’s help, your success rate will be much higher than doing it alone. Let Bukgung Jeongmyeol help you succeed in body possession.]

Hearing those words, Yowon Gyeon understood why Tam Ran Gu-ma’s side was saying such things.

“Listen, Tam Ran Gu-ma. You seem to have some major misunderstanding.”

[Misunderstanding?]

“It’s true that I covet Cheon Woo-jin. But what I want isn’t Cheon Woo-jin’s body, but Cheon Woo-jin as a person himself.”

From Yowon Gyeon’s perspective, this was truly absurd.

He was merely hoping that Cheon Woo-jin would open up a future for the Shadow Scale Sunken Sect, yet suddenly talk of body possession came up.

“Do you think I’m the same as you lot? I never had any interest in body possession from the start. Stop talking nonsense and get lost.”

After snapping like that, Yowon Gyeon waited for Tam Ran Gu-ma’s reaction.

[You never intended to betray Cheon Woo-jin from the beginning?]

Tam Ran Gu-ma’s hound tilted its head.

[You weren’t planning to pretend to help Cheon Woo-jin and then stab him in the back at the crucial moment?]

“Tam Ran Gu-ma, don’t make me repeat what I already said. It just makes my mouth hurt.”

When Yowon Gyeon snapped back with displeasure.

The corners of Baek-gu’s mouth, who had been tilting his head, rose up.

[You’re lying.]

“What did you say?”

[I said you’re lying, Yowon Gyeon.]

Tam Ran Gu-ma’s thoughts reached Yowon Gyeon, who had been caught off guard.

[Did you really never think about it? Haven’t you ever thought that you might be able to overcome your limitations if you took over Cheon Woo-jin’s body?]

“How persistent, I am…”

[You can’t say you’ve never thought about it even once. When you heard that the Daoists of the Ghost Bone League were moving to make Cheon Woo-jin a target for body possession, you surely thought ‘That sounds good’ in your head.]

Tam Ran Gu-ma’s thoughts continued.

[Yowon Gyeon, you’re not a stubborn Orthodox Sect Daoist like So Hyo-bu of Bai Hua Sect. You must have dirtied your hands countless times to reach your current position. Are you telling me that someone like you never once thought about taking over Cheon Woo-jin’s body? Even dogs would laugh at that story.]

Yowon Gyeon was left speechless.

He had certainly thought about it once.

But he hadn’t seriously considered it. He had just briefly thought about it and that was the end, after which he continued helping Cheon Woo-jin.

But…

[Of course, you must have hidden that thought deep in your heart. But there was a good reason for that too. A very calculating reason.]

“What are you talking about…”

[You’re from the Tribe. A snake demon. Attempting body possession against Cheon Woo-jin, who’s from the Human Race, is an extremely difficult task. So you gave up, didn’t you?]

Suddenly, he felt as if his mouth was becoming parched.

[But as I said earlier, you don’t need to worry about that part. Bukgung Jeongmyeol can help you take over Cheon Woo-jin’s body. She’ll solve it well using the Legacy of the Yin Soul Ghost Bone Palace.]

“Tam Ran Gu-ma, I am…”

[No matter how useful Cheon Woo-jin is, that guy will eventually go his own way anyway. He might even stab you in the back for his own benefit. So wouldn’t it be more beneficial for you to just take over Cheon Woo-jin’s body at this point?]

This is dangerous.

Yowon Gyeon felt that he shouldn’t continue listening to this conversation.

The words that Tam Ran Gu-ma was spouting now were nothing but sophistry that didn’t make sense.

At first, Tam Ran Gu-ma thought that Yowon Gyeon really had a plan to betray Cheon Woo-jin and suggested joining hands.

But realizing that Yowon Gyeon had no such intention, he immediately changed his tune.

He was bewitching Yowon Gyeon by claiming that he was actually targeting Cheon Woo-jin’s body, just unconsciously.

He was just spouting sophistry endlessly, talking about whatever came to mind.

Even knowing this fact.

Yowon Gyeon felt himself becoming increasingly tempted.

[There was a moment earlier when your eyes sparkled. It was when I mentioned that the success rate of body possession would increase with Bukgung Jeongmyeol’s help. That’s proof that you were yearning for body possession in your heart.]

This was also likely a lie made up by Tam Ran Gu-ma.

But he thought that it might actually have been true.

“No, that can’t be…”

Yowon Gyeon tried somehow to shake off Tam Ran Gu-ma’s temptation.

If he betrayed Cheon Woo-jin here, all the help he had given so far would become meaningless.

“I have great expectations for Cheon Woo-jin. I believe that Cheon Woo-jin can present a new future for the Shadow Scale Sunken Sect…”

[Yowon Gyeon, why have you fallen into such foolish thinking.]

Tam Ran Gu-ma spoke as if admonishing a friend.

[You can save the sect yourself. Not by entrusting it to some guy of unknown origin, but by doing it yourself!]

At that moment, Yowon Gyeon felt his heart trembling.

An irresistible impulse raced through his entire body.

Yowon Gyeon had been thinking all along.

That he needed to overcome the characteristic limitations of the Tribe, who end up walking the wrong path swept away by instinctive impulses.

But…

[Achieve everything yourself and get everything in your hands! Be faithful to your instincts!]

At some point, Baek-gu’s eyes had begun glowing red.

Come to think of it, this spirit hound wasn’t meant for combat.

It didn’t seem to be for reconnaissance or any other purpose either.

Perhaps it was a dog specialized in paralyzing opponents’ reason and causing their desires to run wild.

Perhaps it was a guide dog that corrupted opponents and led them down the wrong path.

[Climbing to the highest place by ourselves! Isn’t that the reason we were born!]

Faced with Tan Lan Gu Ma’s plea, Yowon Gyeon clenched both hands tightly.

At some point, blood had begun dripping from his grip.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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