Instant-Death Cultivation: Surviving in an Immortal World with Instant Kill - Chapter 39
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 39: Subjugation War (2)
“It’s those Demonic Path bastards…!”
An excited voice came from the front.
It seemed the Inner Sect Disciples who had rushed in discovered the Demonic Cultivators of the Radiant Sound Spirit Sect.
“Attack!”
“Wipe them all out!”
They immediately launched their attack without even waiting for Taesa Ryang’s orders.
The sound of offensive Magic Arts being activated echoed through the air, followed by the screams of Demonic Cultivators.
“Nothing special!”
“What’s so great about these guys!”
The excited Inner Sect Disciples charged recklessly.
Watching their backs as they penetrated deep into the valley, Cheon Woo-jin frowned.
He suddenly remembered when they had attacked the Poison Sword Sect.
Back then, Scattered Cultivators gathered from various places had attacked the Poison Sword Sect together, but it was much more orderly than now.
Perhaps Jang Ryang and Won Pil-so, who had been in command, were more capable than he thought.
“Do you think they’re a ragtag bunch?”
Then a voice came from behind Cheon Woo-jin.
It was Taesa Ryang’s voice, who had sent the Inner Sect Disciples in first and was leisurely following behind.
“They’re all working hard and doing their best. Just leave them be.”
“…”
Cheon Woo-jin glared at Taesa Ryang.
“Are they being used as bait?”
“That’s a strange way to put it.”
Taesa Ryang spoke in an arrogant voice.
“They’re merely performing the role of vanguard.”
“What if they fall into a trap and get wiped out?”
“That would also be the vanguard’s role.”
“…”
“Well… there don’t seem to be any particular traps. I don’t see any special preparations other than the Golden Lock Formation they set up outside earlier.”
Taesa Ryang expressed his opinion while surveying the front.
“The small fry can probably be swept away just by sending in the Inner Sect Disciples like now. The problem is the leader and other executives.”
“…”
“When those guys show themselves, it’ll be our turn in earnest. Save your strength until then.”
Taesa Ryang maintained a relaxed attitude.
But it was difficult to find any openings.
In fact, this mission was important for Taesa Ryang as well.
The Sacred Horn Unity Gate leadership had entrusted the subjugation of the Radiant Sound Spirit Sect to Taesa Ryang alone.
Though Taesa Ryang was a promising True Transmission Disciple, if he failed this mission, his standing within the Sacred Horn Unity Gate would plummet.
The reason the arrogant Taesa Ryang had requested Cheon Woo-jin’s cooperation was because he absolutely had to succeed in this subjugation.
However, that didn’t mean he needed to command the Inner Sect Disciples well.
Rather, he probably thought it would be more effective to use the Inner Sect Disciples as bait or meat shields.
It was certainly a cold way of thinking, but in fact, it was commonly found in the Cultivation World.
“It seems like it’s about time…”
Right after Taesa Ryang muttered that.
An explosive sound came from the front.
The Radiant Sound Spirit Sect had launched a massive counterattack.
“Ugh, this firepower…!”
“These cruel Demonic Path bastards…!”
The Sacred Horn Unity Gate’s Inner Sect Disciples, who had been recklessly ravaging the Demonic Cultivators just moments before, screamed in agony.
It seemed that experts from the Radiant Sound Spirit Sect were also stepping forward.
“It’s about time for us to move.”
Taesa Ryang called to Cheon Woo-jin.
But Cheon Woo-jin was already moving before Taesa Ryang even called him.
He leaped into the air and surveyed the battlefield at a glance.
Several Demonic Cultivators on the ground attacked toward Cheon Woo-jin, but he deployed his Heavenly Armor Flying Spirit and blocked them all.
“That bastard…!”
“He’s different from those pale-faced scholars of the Sacred Horn Unity Gate!”
Drawing all the Demonic Cultivators’ attention to himself.
Cheon Woo-jin held the Five Thunder Heaven Piercing Sword in his hand and drew up his Spiritual Power to the fullest.
Using his own Spiritual Power as a catalyst, he drew in the energy of heaven and earth’s yin and yang, generating powerful Lightning Energy that fell from above to below like natural lightning.
[Black Lightning Descent Strike]
Crash!
With a thunderous roar that shook the entire Black Secluded Valley, pitch-black lightning struck down.
It was lightning imbued with the black principle that annihilates all things. The previously confident Demonic Cultivators were seized with horror.
Several cultivators were caught up in that lightning and vanished on the spot, and even Foundation Establishment Cultivators lost limbs and screamed in agony.
“I told you to save your strength.”
Then a voice was heard from beside him.
Taesa Ryang, who had flown over at some point, was floating next to Cheon Woo-jin.
“Still, you managed to injure several Foundation Establishment demon beasts, so I’d say you did well.”
Right after that.
Countless throwing spears were generated with Taesa Ryang at the center.
A rain of death poured down from the sky filled with ominous energy.
It was indiscriminate bombardment that didn’t care about involving allies.
“Didn’t I tell you to conserve your strength?”
“It was necessary.”
Taesa Ryang answered in a leisurely voice to Cheon Woo-jin’s criticism.
“I needed to confirm the location.”
“….”
The bombardment Taesa Ryang had just executed was powerful enough to change even the terrain of Black Secluded Valley.
But there was one spot that wasn’t affected at all.
There was… a man with an eerie impression like a demon from hell.
“There he is.”
Whoosh!
Taesa Ryang immediately descended in that direction.
And confronted the man with the terrifying appearance.
“Are you the leader of the Demonic Path?”
Taesa Ryang maintained his extremely arrogant attitude as always.
But that didn’t mean he was being careless.
Without showing the slightest opening, he revealed his aura and pressured the Demon Cultivator before him.
“I am Taesa Ryang, Core Disciple of Sacred Horn Unity Gate. I’ve come under orders from the Main Hall to subjugate you.”
“….”
But his opponent didn’t spare Taesa Ryang a glance.
Where he was directing his gaze was over Taesa Ryang’s shoulder.
He was looking at Cheon Woo-jin, who had followed Taesa Ryang down to the ground.
“Is it you?”
It was a voice like a beast growling.
Cheon Woo-jin didn’t respond, but the man nodded to himself.
“So it is you.”
“….”
As if they had finally met, the man bared his fangs and smiled wickedly.
[Jeok Ya-wol]
* Race: Human Race
* Age: 337 years
* Realm: Core Formation Late Stage
* Constitution: Water Spirit Root, Black Soul Body
* Faction: Demonic Path
* Affiliation: Mad World Yin Spirit Sect
* Destiny: Extreme Evil
Jeok Ya-wol, leader of Mad World Yin Spirit Sect.
In the game, he was a skilled cultivator who appeared as a Nascent Soul elder of Blood World Demon Sect at a much later point than now.
Blood World Demon Sect was the most vicious force among the Three Great Sects, and Jeok Ya-wol was an extremely evil person who had gained notoriety even within that Blood World Demon Sect.
That’s why Cheon Woo-jin had expected that a day would come when he would clash directly with Jeok Ya-wol like this.
“Why did you reject our proposal and side with those Orthodox Sect bastards?”
“They gave me a lot of advance payment.”
“How amusing.”
Jeok Ya-wol shrugged his shoulders and laughed.
It seemed he took it as a joke.
“Well… fine.”
Maintaining his evil smile, Jeok Ya-wol extended his right hand toward Cheon Woo-jin.
“It’s not too late even now. Come to our side.”
“….”
“You’ll only get stabbed in the back later if you stick with those hypocrites anyway. Rather, let’s walk the path of the Demonic Path together.”
It was still a rough voice, but somehow it had a charm that drew people in.
But before Cheon Woo-jin could answer anything, a cold voice was heard.
“How ridiculous.”
It was Taesa Ryang, who had been ignored by Jeok Ya-wol.
He glared at Jeok Ya-wol with an expression of displeasure.
“Hypocrites? Stabbed in the back? You say such things after murdering the Doyomun Sect Master who sided with you first?”
“Hmm….”
When pointed out about killing the Doyomun Sect Master and taking control of Demon Slaying Gate, Jeok Ya-wol finally looked at Taesa Ryang.
“What’s wrong with that? I merely purged an incompetent old fool for the efficient operation of the sect.”
Saying that, Jeok Ya-wol sneered at Taesa Ryang.
“Weren’t you just using low-ranking disciples as bait until a moment ago? The very hypocrisy of the Orthodox Sect.”
“What ridiculous nonsense…”
Cheon Woo-jin looked at the two Core Formation Cultivators arguing with cold eyes.
To be honest.
In Cheon Woo-jin’s view, both sides were equally bad.
“Senior Brother Taesa!”
“Sect Master…!”
Before they knew it, Foundation Establishment Cultivators from both camps had gathered around.
On Taesa Ryang’s side, skilled Inner Sect Disciples like Jin Su-hak had assembled, while Jeok Ya-wol’s side also had their executives gathered.
The fight between small fry had concluded, and now the battle between the truly skilled was about to begin.
“Mercenary, I’ll handle that Demonic Path leader. You deal with the Demonic Path executives along with the others as we discussed earlier.”
Taesa Ryang gave instructions to Cheon Woo-jin and was about to step forward.
But then Jeok Ya-wol shrugged his shoulders mockingly.
“Foolish fellow.”
“…?”
The moment Taesa Ryang frowned at Jeok Ya-wol’s meaningful remark.
Suddenly the ground shook violently.
“What is this?!”
The entire Black Secluded Valley was trembling as if an earthquake had occurred.
But there was an even greater anomaly.
The dense miasma energy that had filled Black Secluded Valley began disappearing at a rapid pace.
“What’s happening?”
“Did their ritual succeed?”
As the air suddenly cleared, the Sacred Horn Unity Gate cultivators were bewildered.
Even Taesa Ryang was frowning as he surveyed the surrounding situation.
Only one person maintained a calm expression.
It was only Cheon Woo-jin, who was observing his surroundings alone amidst the standoff between both camps.
“So that’s how it was.”
Cheon Woo-jin glared at Jeok Ya-wol and spoke.
“The ritual wasn’t conducted to secure spiritual energy, was it?”
“Excellent. You’ve already understood?”
Jeok Ya-wol smiled with satisfaction.
His expression showed pleasure at seeing the mercenary he had been watching display such cleverness.
“What exactly is going on…?”
Meanwhile, Taesa Ryang still hadn’t grasped the situation.
Seeing this, Jeok Ya-wol shrugged his shoulders.
“There’s no way we’d conduct such a large-scale ritual just to supply spiritual energy to low-ranking cultivators.”
“What did you say?”
Realizing the information had been wrong, Taesa Ryang’s eyes widened.
Even when they had interrogated the prisoner Cheon Woo-jin had captured a few days ago, they hadn’t heard that the ritual conducted here had other hidden intentions.
“That bastard was hiding his true purpose even from his own subordinates.”
Cheon Woo-jin glared at Jeok Ya-wol as he spoke.
“His real purpose is to establish the Mad World Yin Spirit Sect’s main headquarters here. By reviving the legacy left behind by the Yin Soul Ghost Bone Palace from long ago.”
“…!”
Major sects typically secure locations with dense spiritual energy to establish their strongholds.
Sacred Horn Unity Gate also had its Main Hall in the upper levels of Ghost Head City.
But if Mad World Yin Spirit Sect established their main headquarters on the 3rd Layer… they would wield overwhelming influence in the lower levels of Ghost Head City.
“Truly excellent. I want to keep you under me even more now.”
Jeok Ya-wol smiled with satisfaction.
He genuinely coveted Cheon Woo-jin, who had seen through his intentions.
“The Demonic Path’s main headquarters?”
“What do you mean by the legacy left by the Yin Soul Ghost Bone Palace?”
Meanwhile, the Inner Sect Disciples of Sacred Horn Unity Gate still didn’t understand what was being said.
Seeing this, Jeok Ya-wol spread both arms wide.
“Well then… let me show you as well.”
Right after that.
Suddenly the surrounding scenery changed.
Their vision shook dizzily enough to cause vertigo, then everything transformed.
Just moments ago they had been in a valley surrounded by rugged mountains… but now they were inside a vast underground cave with a complex structure.
“Could it be, a Secret Realm?!”
“Were we somehow sucked into a Secret Realm?”
Then Jeok Ya-wol’s laughter could be heard.
He had been right in front of them just moments ago, but now he stood with his hands clasped behind his back at a considerable distance.
The cultivators who had been gathered in one place were now scattered across different locations.
“To think this looks like a secret realm to you—your studies are lacking. This is a Law Domain.”
“…!”
A secret realm is a separate space accessed through rifts in time and space.
But a Law Domain is where new ‘laws’ are overlaid onto ordinary space.
Originally, the Way of Immortals emphasized finding Cave Heavens or Cave Heaven Blessed Lands, which were the immortals’ ideal paradises.
Even now in the Cultivation World, many pursue Cave Heavens, and Law Domains are a byproduct of research attempting to artificially create Cave Heavens.
The original purpose was to create an ideal new world like Cave Heavens, but it eventually became corrupted into a technique for changing spatial laws to exercise power.
Long ago, the Yin Soul Ghost Bone Palace created a Law Domain here by sacrificing countless people.
Jeok Ya-wol had reactivated that Law Domain to gain control over it.
“And when I draw that power into my body… something like this becomes possible.”
Kwaaaaaa!
Without any warning, tremendous energy erupted.
Overwhelmingly powerful black flames burst forth, instantly sweeping through the underground space.
The Sacred Horn Unity Gate faction was completely devastated by magic arts that far exceeded the late Foundation Establishment level.
Only Cheon Woo-jin, who had prepared his Silver Spirit Steel Defense and concentrated all his spiritual power, and Taesa Ryang at late Foundation Establishment managed to defend properly.
Most of Sacred Horn Unity Gate’s Inner Disciples were dead, and the few survivors were in critical condition.
“Pl-please spare me… urgh…”
“Se-Sect Master…”
But Sacred Horn Unity Gate’s faction wasn’t the only one that suffered damage.
Most of Mad World Yin Spirit Sect’s Demonic Cultivators were also caught in the black flames and lost their lives.
However, Jeok Ya-wol seemed completely unconcerned.
“Now, what will you do? If you surrender and swear obedience, I’ll spare your lives.”
“Hmm…”
Hearing Jeok Ya-wol’s voice, Taesa Ryang bit his lip.
This was something even Taesa Ryang hadn’t anticipated.
If they fought one-on-one under equal conditions, Taesa Ryang would have had a chance of victory.
But with the Law Domain’s support, displaying power that transcended Foundation Establishment limits… it would be difficult for Taesa Ryang to match.
“Mercenary.”
Taesa Ryang called out to Cheon Woo-jin in a stiff voice.
“Don’t you have any good ideas?”
It was probably a question thrown out without much expectation, with the mindset of grasping at straws.
But to that question, Cheon Woo-jin answered in a calm voice.
“There is one way.”
“…?”
Taesa Ryang looked at Cheon Woo-jin.
“You’re saying there’s a method?”
“That’s right.”
For Cheon Woo-jin too, this was the worst possible situation.
In the Spiritual Path Cultivation Chronicles game, Black Secluded Valley was just one of many dangerous zones.
Since such an event had never occurred before, he had no preparation for it.
But Cheon Woo-jin wasn’t falling into despair.
Instead, he was focusing on the intense inspiration rising from within himself.
The transcendent power Jeok Ya-wol had displayed was stimulating the vast spiritual domain existing within Cheon Woo-jin, awakening something.
“Buy me some time, Senior Taesa.”
“…!”
Cheon Woo-jin tightened his grip on the Five Thunder Heaven Piercing Sword.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————