[The fifth Blue Spirit..... extremely dangerous. Requires at least ten or more Occultists to exorcise. A vengeful spirit that has existed for over a hundred years. It can exert a great influence over a fixed radius, and can even inflict pain through auditory and visual hallucinations.]
So it is written in the Yin-Yang Fundamental Scripture. And it was described in the latter half of this section. A vengeful spirit that has existed for over a hundred years sheds its human elements from that point on and enters the realm of a true anomaly.
A true anomaly is the very essence of all manner of bewitching ghouls and goblins.
‘Ha...’
Seal.
It literally serves the role of trapping something. The old prayer beads. The moment they were crushed and shattered, a feast of bizarre sights unfolded.
Gush!
From the ceiling, blood fell like a waterfall down all the cavern walls, filling the entire space with it. The cascading blood quickly filled the floor, making it slosh. At this, the corners of Mok Gyeong-un's mouth curled up to his ears.
His anticipation soared.
‘An anomaly...’
This was undoubtedly an anomaly. And it was a being that could not even be compared to the Demonic Monk. He had hoped for something on the level of a Green Spirit, but a being far greater than that had unexpectedly appeared.
It was a moment when any other Occultist would have been bewildered.
Thump! Thump!
‘A heartbeat.’
From within the cavern, which was gradually filling with blood, the sound of a beating heart could be heard. Then, a strange event began to unfold. From the center of the cavern where blood cascaded from all sides, the sound of a heartbeat emerged, and soon, a heart formed around it.
Shuuuuu!
Blood gathered around the heart. The streams of blood formed a single organ, then two, then three. Instantly, bones covered the organs, and then muscles began to attach themselves to the bones.
Tatatak!
Finally, pale white skin sprouted on the surface of the muscles. The entire process was as wondrous as witnessing the birth of ‘something’.
Chwaaaaaaaah!
The blood surged upward, becoming a reverse waterfall that enveloped the being whose skin was forming. And the moment the waterfall of blood was sucked into the ceiling, Crack. The being revealed itself.
It was a beautiful being with a pale white face, its long, unkempt hair falling messily despite the ceremonial crown it wore. The being, dressed in a red undergarment and a black outer robe, held a long pipe in its mouth. Its appearance was even more natural than the Demonic Monk's. Hooo.
The being took a deep drag from the long pipe with its red lips and blew out a puff of smoke. Based on appearance alone, it looked to be in its late teens at most, but because of its attire, it was impossible to tell if it was male or female.
Of course, Mok Gyeong-un paid no mind to such things.
“You’ve made quite a grand entrance. May I ask who you...”
Before he could finish his words. Mok Gyeong-un was forcefully pulled in front of the being by a strong attraction before he could finish his sentence.
Chwaaaaah!
The surging blood had already risen to his thighs. The being, holding the long pipe and puffing smoke, pushed its face toward Mok Gyeong-un. Then it looked Mok Gyeong-un up and down.
“What are you doing?” ...
The being, who had been staring for a while, gave a slight smile. Then, it erased its smile and hardened its expression, waving its hand with a flick. At that moment, Whoosh!
Thud!
Mok Gyeong-un’s body rose into the air and slammed hard against the cavern ceiling. Then he fell into the cavern, which was filling with blood.
Splash!
Mok Gyeong-un, drenched in blood, staggered to his feet.
“Puha.”
Mok Gyeong-un swept his blood-soaked hair back. The being watching this opened its mouth.
Foolish mortal.
Empty your soul and offer your spirit to this master. The voice was distinctly audible. Unlike the Demonic Monk, whose voice had been a mere mumble, this sound was clear.
No, it felt as if it was echoing from everywhere. Mok Gyeong-un scratched his head and said, “The Demonic Monk was the same. Why do all vengeful spirits covet other people’s bodies?
Can’t you do anything without someone else’s body?”
Tsk, tsk.
The being clicked its tongue and scoffed. When the being lightly tapped its long pipe on the blood, Chwaaaaaaaah! The blood shot up in several streams, which then elongated like whips, binding and restraining Mok Gyeong-un’s arms and legs.
Squeeeeze!
He strained, but the restraining force was much stronger. Mok Gyeong-un smacked his lips as if he were in a bind. He could certainly see why the Yin-Yang Fundamental Scripture stated it was extremely dangerous and required ten or more Occultists.
‘What should I do.’
He had read the Yin-Yang Fundamental Scripture, but he still didn't know much about the occult arts. Just then, the being made a motion of drawing a straight line toward Mok Gyeong-un with its long pipe.
Then, Shlick!
With a searing pain in his chest, his clothes were stained red in a straight line. It felt like a cut, and the pain was considerable. Despite this, there was no significant change in Mok Gyeong-un’s expression.
Perhaps hoping for a scream of pain, one of the being’s eyebrows shot up. You are a child with great patience.
“I’m used to it.”
Used to it? Then can you endure this as well? With those words, the being raised its long pipe.
No sooner had it done so, Chwaaaaaaaaaaaah! The blood that had filled the cavern floor up to his lower body reversed its flow and surged upward. Then, in an instant, it filled the entire cavern.
Mok Gyeong-un’s body floated inside the blood-filled cavern.
‘Hup.’
Mok Gyeong-un held his breath. It was no different than being submerged in water. The being watched Mok Gyeong-un with an air of amusement, as if it was nothing.
Its eerie gaze was a reminder that this being was a specter.
Sssss!
The being approached Mok Gyeong-un. Then it grabbed the chin of the immobilized Mok Gyeong-un and spoke. The emotion you are feeling now is fear...
The being could not finish its sentence. What it had wanted to see was a face terrified by suffocating in the blood. Anyone would be afraid in a situation where they were trapped in an enclosed space, unable to move, and unable to breathe.
But Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes were staring at the being without the slightest tremor. You... are peculiar. For a living human to have such eyes.
The being showed curiosity. Just then, Mok Gyeong-un, who had been holding his breath, flicked his tongue.
‘This taste…’
The taste on the tip of his tongue was definitely blood. The blood filling this cavern was far redder than crushed, ripe dogwood berries. The viscous feeling was also the stickiness of blood itself.
All five senses told him that this was all real blood. However, ‘It’s different. This is nothing but death.’
Mok Gyeong-un snorted. As the Scythe Slaughtering Demon, how much blood had he seen? When he had touched that blood, he had felt something alive, but now, all he felt was death.
‘It’s not real.’
Therefore, even if his five senses perceived it, everything was false. At that, Sssss! All the blood reflected in Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes vanished as if it had never been there in the first place.
In the occult arts, this is called unraveling the senses. By denying the perception itself, one frees oneself from all hallucinations that deceive the five senses. The theory and the words are simple.
But this was something that even highly trained Occultists struggled to escape. This was because there is nothing easier to deceive than the five senses of a human. !? A strange light flashed in the being's eyes.
It had expected that as time passed, Mok Gyeong-un would be unable to hold his breath, suffer, and show the same weakness as other mortals. But he had come to his senses on his own and broken free from the hallucination. You are a more interesting fellow than you look.
The corners of the being’s red lips lifted. Then it approached Mok Gyeong-un and tapped his shoulder with the long pipe. At that moment, Thump!
Mok Gyeong-un was forced to his knees, one knee slamming into the ground. It had felt like a simple tap, but seeing how his right knee had dug into the floor, he could guess how much force had been applied. The being took a drag from its long pipe, blew smoke towards Mok Gyeong-un, and said, Mortal.
If you offer your spirit of your own will, I shall grant your wish.
“A wish?”
Yes.
For a boy who has not yet reached manhood to have such eyes, you could not have lived an ordinary life. Surrender your spirit to this master. If you do, I shall dismember your enemies and make sure not even a trace of their spirits remains.
“... You’re overflowing with confidence.”
At Mok Gyeong-un's words, the being burst into a mad laugh.
Ahahahahahahahahah! Rumble!
The being merely laughed, yet the entire cavern trembled. It was a being on a completely different level from the Demonic Monk. A being that had transcended ordinary vengeful spirits and crossed into the realm of ghouls and goblins was precisely what a Blue Spirit was.
After laughing for a long while, the being smiled sardonically and said, The only reason you can utter such insolent words to this master and remain unharmed is because I intend to take that spirit of yours. So be grateful while I show you mercy.
“Is this something to be grateful for?”
You are truly fearless.
Thwack!
The being lifted Mok Gyeong-un’s chin with its long pipe. Then it spoke as if appraising him. At least I find that face of yours pleasing.
There is no harm in a spirit being beautiful.
“You seem to covet my body a great deal.”
Since this master has decided, your spirit is mine.
“What if I refuse?”
At those words, the being sneered. Your spirit may be slightly damaged, but I will take it by force.
“There was another anomaly right above here who tried to do the same and failed, you know?”
At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, the being chuckled. You dare compare this master to a mere stray ghost like that? If I so choose, it would not be difficult to annihilate your soul and seize your spirit.
“If you’re so confident, then try and take it.”
How insolent.
If that is what you wish, then I shall take it by force. No sooner had it finished speaking, the being removed the long pipe from Mok Gyeong-un’s chin and tried to raise it above his head. Just then, Mok Gyeong-un, with his head lowered, shook his shoulders.
Seeing this, the being raised the corners of its mouth and said, Have you become frightened all of a sudden?
“No. I just thought of something interesting.”
Something interesting?
In response to the being’s puzzled question, Mok Gyeong-un grabbed something and lifted it with both hands. The moment it saw it, the being's gaze wavered. The moment Mok Gyeong-un grabbed it, it had recognized it without needing to see.
It was that book made of human skin. The book, soaked in the dead Jo Il-sang’s blood, now seemed to have a sheen to it that wasn’t there before.
You...
“The Yin-Yang Fundamental Scripture says that the older an anomaly is, the more likely it is to have a medium it is connected to and resides in. This book must be it, right?” ...
You are doing something foolish.
“Seeing how cautious your actions have become, I don’t think it’s foolish at all.”
You insist on angering this master. No sooner had the being’s words ended, Mok Gyeong-un’s body floated into the air and slammed into the ceiling.
Thud! Thud!
It didn't end there. Mok Gyeong-un’s body fell violently to the floor. As the being flicked its fingers, he rose once more, this time smashing his head against the ceiling.
Thud!
Blood streamed down from his battered head. The being had no intention of stopping there, and it repeatedly slammed Mok Gyeong-un against the cavern walls.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Thud! "Keoheok!”
Fresh blood burst from Mok Gyeong-un’s mouth as he was thrown against the walls. After being slammed a few more times, Mok Gyeong-un’s limp body floated in mid-air. The being extended its hand toward Mok Gyeong-un and said, Put that down immediately.
“... Cough, cough... you can just take it. Why go through all the trouble?”
Foolish mortal.
I am giving you a chance.
“A chance?”
Yes.
“... It’s not that you can’t touch it yourself, is it?” ...
The being gave no reply to Mok Gyeong-un’s meaningful question. From its reaction, Mok Gyeong-un was certain. This ancient vengeful spirit seemed unable to directly touch the book made of human skin.
If it could, it would have snatched the book from the start, but instead, it was inflicting pain on him to make him let go. You truly court death. In any case, you can do nothing even if you hold it.
What can someone who is neither a Daoist master nor an Occultist possibly do?
Fine.
I will give up on your spirit. I will just kill you as you are... Just as the being reached out its hand to do something, Something completely unexpected happened.
Chomp!
In that instant, Mok Gyeong-un bit down on the book's cover. !!!!!!! Seeing this, the Blue Spirit could not hide its bewilderment. It had met countless Occultists, Daoists, and monks, but while some had tried to seal or burn the book, no one had ever done such a thing.
You! You!
This was because the book's demonic energy was so strong that it couldn't be damaged by ordinary means. This was also true for Mok Gyeong-un. While being thrown around the cavern, he had tried to tear the book with all his strength, but to no avail.
Then, by chance, he discovered that only the cover of the book was made of human skin. 'In that case...' Mok Gyeong-un’s choice was very simple.
Munch, munch!
Mok Gyeong-un tore off only the outer part of the human-skin book and began to chew it, grinding it in his mouth.
Haak!
At that moment, the Blue Spirit’s pale, fine brow furrowed as it clutched its own chest.