Chapter 52

Chapter 52

Cultivation Through Copulation.

Episode 52: The Treasure Map (3)

Meanwhile…

In front of the half-exposed ruins, Yuk-gyeong looked at the disciple of the Perfected Dao Sect standing opposite him and pondered how things had come to this.

‘How did it end up like this?’

Yuk-gyeong’s memory went back in time.

“Elder Bu, give me the Foundation Establishment Pill, the Foundation Establishment Pill!”

That was too far back.

“Disciple Lee Yuk-gyeong, this is a mission assigned by the Sect. Go to the border of the Dark Moon Sect and hear about the detailed mission.”

Yes, this was about right.

Following the guidance of the outer sect disciple in charge of missions and contribution points, Yuk-gyeong went to the border of Dark Moon Sect.

It was only upon arrival that Yuk-gyeong learned his mission was to excavate ancient ruins.

“This excavation of the ruins is overseen by Grass Dragon Peak.”

An inner sect disciple of Grass Dragon Peak shouted, and the excavation began.

“Follow the orders of Elder Han, the Peak Master of Grass Dragon Peak!”

Ancient ruins excavation?

Was there such a fortuitous encounter in the novel?

The timeline was completely different, so what was already excavated then might be being excavated now.

Thinking this, Yuk-gyeong decided to willingly participate in the excavation.

‘How can I resist ancient ruins and fortuitous encounters?’

This was how Yuk-gyeong, who couldn’t participate in the Foundation Establishment Festival, ended up joining the excavation.

However, he wasn’t given any menial tasks. So Yuk-gyeong leisurely wandered around the excavation site, observing.

Occasionally, outer sect disciples who saw Yuk-gyeong not working grumbled with jealousy, but the inner sect disciples supervising them subdued them with a glance.

‘Oh, such tempers. Do they intend to make a delicate disciple like me dig?’

Yuk-gyeong gracefully fluttered his sleeves and glanced at them.

Still, Yuk-gyeong wasn’t completely shameless, so he occasionally helped dig up the dirt with his spells. With Earth nurturing Metal, Yuk-gyeong felt his Metal-attribute Qi becoming more active in the Earth-attribute Qi.

Yuk-gyeong continued the excavation while also practicing his spells.

‘I had hoped such peaceful days had continued, but everything changed once the uninvited guests appeared.’

After people from the Perfected Dao Sect arrived, the atmosphere changed completely.

Previously, the excavation was conducted leisurely, but now it was proceeding as if a war was about to break out.

A tense atmosphere like the calm before a storm prevailed.

The disciples of Dark Moon Sect were extremely wary of the Perfected Dao Sect disciples who occasionally showed up.

According to the orders from the inner disciples, they were to prevent the Perfected Dao Sect disciples from approaching the ruins.

However, there was an additional order to avoid conflict as much as possible.

“You’re all working hard again today. Have you eaten? It seems like you’re lacking strength and could use the help of our Perfected Dao Sect disciples?”

A Foundation Establishment disciple under the Perfected Dao Sect’s Elder So approached with a hearty laugh.

It had been several days already.

They subtly kept suggesting that the Perfected Dao Sect’s support was needed and kept interfering with the Dark Moon Sect’s activities. Offering help once or twice is one thing. But how could Dark Moon Sect agree to such transparent offers of support?

If Perfected Dao Sect helped even a little with the excavation, they would surely demand rights in return.

The direct disciple of Elder Han who was overseeing the excavation site had tolerated enough.

This morning, everything had been reported to Elder Han.

The disciples under Elder So constantly came to pick fights and disrupt the excavation. Like jackals waiting for something to fall.

As it so happens, he had just received permission from Elder Han to take a strong stance. Elder Han indicated that she would turn a blind eye to any acts of violence.

“If the Perfected Dao Sect looks down on Dark Moon Sect once more, feel free to teach them a lesson. Make sure they never speak like that again. This elder will take responsibility.”

The direct disciple recalled those words and shouted at the opponent.

“Hmph, the Dark Moon Sect will handle it. It will end before you die, so don’t worry. Thank you for dragging your old body here to commend the efforts of our disciples. You may leave now.”

Elder So Han-pyeong was also quite old, but his direct disciple was famous for being even older.

That’s why even the Foundation Establishment disciples of Dark Moon Sect showed respect when meeting Elder So’s direct disciple, as a courtesy to his age.

The lifespan for someone at the Foundation Establishment stage is about 200 years, and Elder So’s advanced disciple was already close to 170.

So he needed to quickly advance to the Core Formation stage. Otherwise, he would face death due to the lifespan limit.

Perhaps because of this, Elder So’s direct disciple was sensitive about age.

Was it because he was nearing death? He didn’t like hearing sarcastic remarks about death and age.

Yet now, he had heard such sarcasm from the direct disciple of the much younger Elder Han.

It felt like an unexpected ambush, and Elder So’s direct disciple felt his blood boiling.

“How dare you speak like that in front of me? You, who are so much younger!”

“You must love being so much older. Struggling at the Foundation Establishment stage at your age, Elder So must be truly delighted with you.”

“Alright. Let’s settle this here today. I’m going to teach you guys a lesson by defeating one of the inner disciples of the Dark Moon Sect. I’ll report to the Elder later.”

“Do you even have the skill to dare teach Dark Moon Sect?”

The gazes of the two Foundation Establishment disciples clashed intensely, and the waves of their Spiritual Qi swept through the surroundings.

The two Foundation Establishment disciples began to gather their internal energy and wield the Spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth. The momentum of the two dominated the surroundings, and if anyone made a move, a confrontation would begin.

Around them, the silence was so profound that even a falling needle could be heard.

The disciples watching them couldn’t even swallow their saliva, and some even forgot to breathe.

A situation on the verge of explosion.

At that moment!

Buzzzzzz-!

The sound of a swarm of bees moving came from somewhere. The sound echoed from all directions, making it difficult to pinpoint its origin.

Then someone shouted.

“It’s the elders! The elders have intervened!”

No sooner had those words been spoken than a loud boom erupted from a place far from the ruins.

At the source of the boom, several towering trees fell with a crack! and human figures soared into the sky as if shot from a cannon.

The figures were the two elders, Elder Han and Elder So.

Elder Han’s body naturally floated into the air.

The surrounding atmosphere gently embraced Elder Han as if obeying her command, and the laws of the world assisted her in defying gravity.

Elder So, standing opposite of her, also lifted his body and flew into the air. Around him, clouds glowing in five colors began to billow and rise.

In the air, flashes of light erupted from the momentum of the two individuals. The clash of their aura created unusual phenomena.

‘Elder Han has intervened! It seems she can no longer just watch the actions of Perfected Dao Sect…!’

In front of the decisive elders’ showdown, the scuffle between the two Foundation Establishment disciples was nothing more than child’s play.

The two Foundation Establishment disciples stopped fighting and returned to their respective camps.

At the same time, Elder Han and Elder So escalated their aura in the air!

The two elders crossed paths toward each other, and their fierce aura spread like waves around them. They orbited as if there was an invisible star between them.

Splat! Tsubat!

Whiooooo-!

The storm of Spiritual Qi was on a completely different level from the Qi battle fought by the Foundation Establishment disciples. It was not just a swirling of energy; it resembled a massive natural phenomenon.

Those sensitive to Spiritual Qi, like Yuk-gyeong, could see the Spiritual Qi swirling and being drawn into the center around the two Core Formation elders.

Just witnessing it greatly enhanced Yuk-gyeong’s understanding of the Spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth.

The distance between the two Core Formation elders, who seemed to orbit an invisible star, gradually decreased.

Their momentum intensified, Elder Han’s sleeves fluttered, and Elder So drew his sword.

Thus, the two Core Formation elders clashed in the sky!

Boom!

A deafening explosion echoed in the sky, scattering light and obscuring the scene of the battle.

Boom! Boom-!

It was truly an earth-shattering, sky-splitting confrontation.

All cultivators below the Foundation Establishment stage fell from the sky to the ground. Those who relied on flying swords or flying magical tools to soar through the skies were no exception.

They descended to the ground, staggering as they resisted the overwhelming pressure coming from above.

“Ugh! Just fighting in the air brings such pressure…”

“Control your energy with your inner strength! Otherwise, you won’t withstand it!”

“Protect the Qi Condensation stage disciples nearby! Shield the Qi Condensation disciples from the Core Formation Qi’s pressure!”

The pressure of those who have reached ‘Core Formation’!

Those who have reached the Core Formation stage and absorbed the Spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth to form a core have begun to achieve a qualitative transformation as humans. It was beyond merely gathering a lot of Spiritual Qi.

When a core is formed, the heavens are astonished, and when a nascent soul is formed, the heavens are angered.

Those who have formed a core are capable of astonishing the heavens.

Thus, it was impossible for those below them to withstand the pressure they emitted.

This included even those at the Foundation Establishment stage.

Even the Foundation Establishment stage disciples with weak wills staggered, clutching their heads in pain. Those who weren’t as affected still staggered greatly, trying to regain their composure.

But still, those in the Foundation Establishment stage were not in the Foundation Establishment stage for nothing.

They quickly regained their senses and protected the sect’s disciples in various ways.

Even in the Dark Moon Sect, a few Foundation Establishment disciples waved their sleeves to create a curtain of internal strength, protecting Yuk-gyeong and his fellow Qi Condensation stage disciples.

‘It really feels like the sky is pressing down on me.’

Yuk-gyeong looked down at his trembling hands, realizing with his body just how great the Core Formation stage was.

Fear!

An existence that overwhelms people with their mere presence. An existence beyond humans!

Yuk-gyeong thought that those Core Formation beings might truly be immortals. What could they possibly be if not immortals?

At that moment, a Qi Condensation stage disciple beside him couldn’t withstand his trembling knees and collapsed. Even with the Foundation Establishment disciples’ protection, the weak-willed couldn’t endure the pressure.

Drip!

Blood dripped from his nose as his eyes rolled back, and he fainted on the spot. Yuk-gyeong was startled and quickly supported him to prevent him from hitting his head as he fell.

“Qi Condensation stage disciples, don’t rely solely on the Foundation Establishment disciples’ protection! Draw in the Spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth to protect your bodies!”

The leader among the Foundation Establishment disciples shouted loudly.

The Qi Condensation stage disciples hastily began to draw in the Spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth from around them, however weakly, to protect their bodies.

Yuk-gyeong also surrounded his body with the Spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth to shield himself from the Core Formation pressure.

Boom!

Roar!

A sword strike flying through the air split the ground, resulting in a cold aura that caused frost to form around.

Everyone was all busy dodging as the aftermath of the occasional flying attacks left no one daring to confront them.

Still, perhaps because the two elders were considering the disciples, no disciple had died from the battle’s aftermath yet.

“If the two of them fight, who will win?”

“It’s between Perfected Dao Sect and Dark Moon Sect, would they really go at it to the death?”

“Judging by the fact that no disciple has died from the fight’s aftermath so far, it’s clear they are holding back.”

Despite the disciples’ optimistic outlook, the fight didn’t easily come to an end.

Instead, it gradually lengthened and became more terrifying.

Bang! Crash!

Boom!

Shards of ice scattering into the air, sharp sword winds, and even the sound of air bursting from the two’s offensive.

The flash and vibration, along with the thunderous noise, had surpassed the level that could be concealed by the formation.

The fierce battle between the two was gradually reaching its climax.

Although their figures weren’t visible, the sounds of their fighting were becoming increasingly fierce, and the aftermath of their attacks was becoming difficult to evade.

If the fight continued any further, it seemed inevitable that someone would end up severely injured.

At that moment,

a strange sound was heard from afar. It gradually grew closer. To Yuk-gyeong, it sounded like the noise of a fighter jet approaching.

Hahaha-!!!

“Hahaha! What’s this! You’ve already started the festival! Enjoying it without me first! Are you trying to leave this Sang-gwan behind?”

The laughter approaching was thunderous.

The laughter, so loud it seemed like it could shatter one’s eardrums, sounded like a large bell ringing, resonating throughout the heavens and earth.

The laughter was so overwhelming that even after it faded, a ringing lingered in the ears.

Bzzz-!

All the disciples below the Qi Condensation stage knelt and covered their ears, and even the Foundation Establishment disciples staggered. Only the Core Formation stage cultivators frowned but said nothing.

Yuk-gyeong was the only Qi Condensation stage disciple still standing. Because he had been on guard since hearing the laughter, he managed not to kneel. However, he did stagger like the Foundation Establishment disciples.

‘Is it another Core Formation stage? The shrimp’s back breaks in a whale fight.’

The appearance of the laughter, reminiscent of a bell’s chime, caused the movements of the Core Formation stage elders fighting in midair to halt.

Elder Han of the Dark Moon Sect had her left hand forming a seal and her other hand raised to the sky, while the Elder So of the Perfected Dao Sect was forming a sword seal with one hand and controlling a flying sword with the other.

The two who were fiercely fighting stopped and shouted as the owner of the laughter appeared.

“Old Monster Sang-gwan!”

“Blood Asura Sang-gwan Geuk!”

Blood Asura Sang-gwan Geuk!

He was infamous as the Core Formation Old Monster of the Deathblood Sect, known for his vicious nature and explosive temperament. He could truly be called the demon among demons.

Twenty years ago, after annihilating an entire city, a warrant was issued for him in the Yue Kingdom, but as an elder of the Deathblood Sect, he could not be captured, which was the source of his infamous reputation.

Sang-gwan Geuk, known to enjoy blood and violence and rumored to bathe in the blood of children daily, appeared boasting his unnaturally taut face.

He came leading a blood cloud, followed by disciples of the Deathblood Sect.