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Chapter : 30
Fighting three Blood Cult monks at once wasn’t difficult.
Those guys gathering Blood Essence were barely third-rate. Slow, weak, and their best “technique” was…
—Sshhk!
Squirting thin streams of blood from their palms.
Touch it, and I’d probably take heavy damage from having my life force sucked away—but as long as it didn’t touch me, it was nothing.
I used Arhat Steps and dodged them lightly.
Hundred-Step Divine Fist: Tianshan Crushing Top.
Closing the distance in an instant—
I hammered the first monk’s crown with Tianshan Crushing Top.
—Crunch!
“Gah!”
His head burst open in a single blow, brain matter spraying like fireworks.
I felt murderous intent from my side.
Of course—another blood jet.
—Sshhk!
Just as expected, dark crimson blood shot toward my waist.
I vaulted over it like a thief jumping a wall, flipping along the stream itself, and got right in the second monk’s face.
Hundred-Step Divine Fist: Divine Thunder Step Kick.
A lightning-like kick—
the third technique of the Hundred-Step Divine Fist—shot toward his temple.
—Crack!
His skull shattered and an eye burst free.
With the frontal lobe wrecked, his body went limp and collapsed forward.
“A-aaah! Spare me!”
The last monk began running away as his two comrades died in a blink.
Hey, now—that won’t do.
I’m still one short.
I twisted my waist, drew power up through my spine, and coiled my body like a bow before focusing all my strength into my fist.
Hundred-Step Divine Fist: White Dragon Emerges From Water—Exploding Strike.
One punch toward the fleeing man.
Perfect aim.
—Thwump!
Like an assassin’s thrown blade, the punch tore through his back.
A huge hole opened through his torso; he staggered a few steps, then collapsed face-first.
[You have completed the mission.]
Ohhh!
Finally—mission success.
Please, let the next mission not involve these stinking monks.
Pretty please?
Let’s see…
[Name: Dancheon]
[Title: Wandering Warrior]
[Combat Power: 2,852]
[Rank: Second-Rate]
[Martial Arts Owned: Prajna Divine Art, Arhat Steps, Hundred-Step Divine Fist + 3 others]
[Active Mission: Deliver Master Wonjong’s relics to Myeongwon]
[>View Details]
Wonjong’s relics?
Ah—
That necklace around Jurtagen’s neck!
I noticed it earlier—
A crude necklace clashing horribly against his fancy silk clothes.
So that’s the relic made from Wonjong’s remains…
Which means, to get it—
I need to catch Jurtagen?
Damn.
So that means Big Brother has to win, no matter what.
This is bad…
[You may now claim your reward.]
No matter how things go from here, I can claim the reward.
Even though Jurtagen and Hye-gong were still fighting far away, neither had the leisure to pay attention to me—so collection was possible.
Let’s grab it quickly.
—Fwshhhh.
The familiar rainbow glow swirled—and a pellet appeared, as big as five mid-grade cores lumped together.
Beast-Heart Purity Elixir (Baeksu Cheongsim-no).
“That smell…”
The elixir materialized, and I felt like I was in the center of a forest.
Fresh? Crisp?
Too refreshing to put into words.
Just inhaling the scent made me feel like the world’s filth was being cleansed away.
Even someone clueless about medicine would know at a glance—
this is priceless.
‘But don’t take it now.’
I recalled my failure with the mid-grade core—
Most of its medicinal power had leaked back into nature because I lacked the cultivation to absorb it.
If I swallow this elixir now, it’ll go the same way.
Better to wait.
Think about the right time.
Decision made, I tucked the elixir safely away.
—KWA-A-A-A-NG!!
A thunderous boom jolted me, and I looked up.
“……!!”
A massive golden wall.
Must be Hye-gong’s doing.
What should I call that?
A wall of qi? Qi Barrier? Qi Screen?
Whatever it was—
it was pushing back the blood-red fog.
‘That fog… is that Jurtagen’s transformed body?’
Blood monks turning into fluid forms wasn’t new.
Some became thick fluid, others thin liquid.
But turning into gas?
That I’d never seen.
Jurtagen must be top-class if he can turn into vapor.
—Whooom!!
The golden barrier expanded, forcing the fog back.
The blood mist tried to scatter, but the barrier expanded faster, sweeping it up.
—Sssszzt!
Where qi and fog touched, blue flames sparked.
Blue flames?
Was I seeing things?
No—it was definitely fire.
—Slllrrrp…
“……!!”
The burning fog suddenly dropped downward—
condensing into Jurtagen’s humanoid form.
His flesh swelled grotesquely, and yellow pus oozed everywhere.
—Splat!
He crashed to the ground.
Still twitching—alive.
Heh! Brother won!
To defeat a monk hundreds of years old—
as expected of Hye-gong, the strongest righteous pugilist—hm?
—Splat!
Jurtagen wasn’t the only one who fell.
Hye-gong crashed down too, in a miserable heap.
His body was swollen, dark veins bulging to bursting, gasping for breath.
“Brother!”
I ran.
Even from afar it took time to reach him.
“Ugh… D-Dancheon…”
“Brother!”
Up close—his condition was far worse.
His body burning hot, skin darkening—
something was wrong with his blood.
“Hurry… run… at least you… must live…”
“Huh? Didn’t you win? Jurtagen hit the ground first—”
I looked over at Jurtagen.
—brrrk, glrk, grrkl—
He no longer even resembled a human.
A pulsing heap of raw meat—
like slaughtered carcasses piled in a butcher’s shop.
Quivering, wriggling—disgustingly.
‘What the hell?’
Revulsion crawled up my spine.
This was something humans weren’t meant to see.
These damned cultists…
“He cast… a curse… Blood Essence hex… My own blood… attacks me… I can force it out with inner power… but his spiritual power is stronger…! Cough!”
Hye-gong vomited a handful of dark blood.
“……!!”
The blood squirmed like living worms—
crawling back toward his chest and sliding into his body.
‘Son of a—!’
Hundred-Step Divine Fist—White Dragon Exploding Strike!
I blasted the blood clump—not to pierce it, but to demolish it.
—Pop!
It tore apart into dozens of droplets—
only to dart right back into Hye-gong.
‘No!’
I couldn’t stop it.
The droplets sank into his flesh again.
‘We’re screwed.’
Hye-gong’s color worsened.
Dark blood leaked from ears, nose—
even his backside.
Meanwhile—
Jurtagen pulsed with vitality, like a cocoon ready to hatch.
‘If Hye-gong dies here—I die too.’
Jurtagen won’t let me live.
Maybe I’ll end up like Guiyi—locked away and drained for eternity.
In that case—
Time to burn every resource I have.
Use it or die.
—Fwoosh.
I drew out the Beast-Heart Purity Elixir.
Its clean fragrance cut right through the stench of blood.
“Brother, open up.”
“Nn…?”
His consciousness was fading.
Corrupted blood invaded even his brain.
No time.
I pried his mouth open and shoved the pellet in—
hand deep down his throat so he couldn’t spit it back out.
“It’s Beast-Heart Purity Elixir, brother. Circulate your qi!”
“Nggh…”
He understood.
He forced himself into a meditation posture.
Brother—
do your best.
If we die—fine.
But we’ll fight to the last breath.
—glrk, glrglglrk—
The meat mass that was Jurtagen began reforming—
limbs creeping into shape from the far edges first.
Hye-gong was right.
Their difference in ability was overwhelming.
Though both took damage—
Jurtagen’s recovery speed was monstrous.
“I’ll have to play moth-to-flame and buy time… and…”
I needed to stall him. And grab the relic.
If Hye-gong could melt the pill, he might be able to push back the curse just a little.
Until then—I had to hold out.
“Haaa!”
I charged with Arhat Steps.
Hundred-Step Divine Fist—White Dragon Exploding Strike!
Everything I had—
I twisted my inner strength into a spiral and slammed my fist into that revolting flesh.
—Thoom!
“……!!”
There was some impact—
but he didn’t budge.
—glrk, glrk—
The mass pulsed, ignoring me, sprouting arms and legs with new pink flesh between chunks.
It was clear—
My trivial attacks did nothing.
If I stalled too long, I’d die the moment he regained full form.
‘This is bad!’
I need to run.
No time left.
‘Get the necklace first!’
—snap!
The moment I resolved myself, I ripped the necklace hanging from the half-formed torso.
Thankfully, he didn’t even react—too busy regenerating.
I didn’t look back.
I sprinted for Hye-gong’s limp body.
“Brother! Let’s go—on my back!”
“Ugh…”
His complexion was better, at least.
He was damned heavy—
all that meat diet!
Still—I’m far stronger than I used to be.
Even carrying him wouldn’t slow me down much.
I ran.
“Haah… haah… haaah—”
Dashing at full speed across the endless plains.
No cover anywhere.
The only option—run until my lungs burst.
Distance finally opened enough that the manor was invisible, and I relaxed slightly—
But pursuers came.
“There! After them!”
“Stop!”
A dozen Blood Cult monks in black and red robes burst out to chase us.
‘Knew it…’
The main base wasn’t empty—
their elites had simply been out on campaign.
And now they were returning.
Their momentum was incredible.
And faster than me.
Plus I’m carrying dead weight…
Ah—this is hell!
—Sshhhhk!
As we got within range, they lashed out with blood-whips.
Much faster than the ones earlier.
Impossible to dodge upright.
“Whoa!”
I threw myself into a full dive and rolled—barely evading.
Hye-gong fell from my back.
“Brother!”
I scrambled to him first.
Thankfully—he lay calmly on the ground, eyes shut.
Did he use breakfall technique instinctively?
Either way—he seemed unharmed.
His color was much better.
“Stop right there!”
Time for the last stand.
I faced the oncoming swarm and raised my guard.
I may have spent most of my life as a good-for-nothing—
but at least I’ll die as a warrior.
Not a bad ending—
a proper warrior’s death.
Heh.
