Dozens, hundreds of venomous creatures are placed in a single jar, and the lid is not opened until only one survives. The single, most vile survivor is called a Gu poison. Mok Gyeong-un gazed down the bottomless pit-like cliff and asked in a puzzled voice.
"Gu poison... you say?" -Yes.
Can you not hear them?
These screams.
I can hear them. As clear as day. -Kyaaaaaaah! -Gyaaaaaaak! -Save meeeee! -Please!
Please!
The screams of tormented vengeful spirits were surging upwards. It was the first time I had seen so many vengeful spirits wailing like this. Individually, they were no more than Red Spirits, nothing much to speak of, but with hundreds, no, thousands of vengeful spirits gathered in one place, it was a true picture of hell. -Look closer.
With your eyes, you should be able to see. At Blue Spirit's words, Mok Gyeong-un stared intently below. The wailing vengeful spirits there were reaching upwards as if yearning for freedom, but iron chains were bound to their ankles and wrists. -Clank, clank!
"That is..." -You've learned occult arts, so you should know well.
You've tried it once yourself, mortal. At her words, the thought of Go Chan flashed through Mok Gyeong-un's mind. Mok Gyeong-un had used occult arts to turn a soul, which would have naturally passed into the afterlife, into a vengeful spirit.
The method was not particularly difficult. One just had to trap a departing soul in the mortal realm by some means and stain it with the aura of death.
"Ha!"
The corner of Mok Gyeong-un's mouth twitched. What a spectacle. That immense number of dead souls had been trapped at the bottom of this narrow cliff and transformed into vengeful spirits.
This was by no means an accident. It was done by force. It was a truly horrific affair.
Yet, seeing this, Mok Gyeong-un was more intrigued than surprised. 'How very peculiar.' Seeing this, Blue Spirit clicked her tongue.
No matter how you looked at it, this boy's way of thinking was far from that of ordinary humans. But it didn't matter. Right now, her only thought was that as long as her deep resentment was resolved, she didn't care if he was a demon or something else.
Blue Spirit said. -You know that even vengeful spirits have ranks, don't you?
"...... Of course." -How strong was the grudge they held before death?
How long did they harbor that resentment? They are influenced by such things.
"........." -But that's not the only way ranks are determined.
"Can it happen in other ways?" -Yes.
Are you not seeing it now? Blue Spirit pointed her long pipe to a certain spot. It was the darkest-looking spot at the bottom of the bottomless pit-like cliff.
That one spot was uniquely invisible. But if one looked closely, an astonishing sight could be seen.
"....... They're being dragged away, aren't they?" -Yes.
The screaming vengeful spirits. Those vengeful spirits were being forcibly dragged toward that one spot, as if being absorbed. The vengeful spirits resisted desperately, but because of the chains binding them, they were sucked in one by one.
Each time, the black space grew larger and larger.
"I see what you mean."
Mok Gyeong-un finally understood the meaning of her words. The meaning of the term Gu poison. -If vengeful spirits are just in one place together, they might not clash. But if they're bound and forced into one spot so they can't escape...
"They're harming each other. No, should I say they're devouring each other?" -Yes.
Things that were no more than earthbound spirits were devouring each other and transforming into the most vile form. And that transforming evil was likely that black spot. A darkness that was horrifying just to look at.
"Gu poison..."
It was a fitting term. How vile a form would a vengeful spirit that became the sole survivor transform into? It was certain to be at least a Yellow Spirit, no, a Green Spirit or higher.
Mok Gyeong-un glanced at Blue Spirit.
'Perhaps.'
It might be the process of forming a vengeful spirit that could rival her. At that thought, his mouth suddenly began to water. Just then, Blue Spirit spoke. -Now is the chance.
"A chance?" -A complete Gu poison has not yet been born.
I don't know how vile a thing they are trying to create, but if you can absorb even a little of that energy, you'll gain an effect greater than killing one by one. This was the reason Blue Spirit had brought Mok Gyeong-un here.
Killing boys to absorb the aura of death was certainly a way to grow stronger, but the bottom of that cliff was a concentration of vengeful spirits for creating a Gu poison.
The energies formed in that process were on a different level of concentration than the usual aura of death. -It's already overflowing, so if you perform the Binding technique here, you should be able to absorb plenty of energy.
"I suppose so." -Hurry up and do it.
At her words, Mok Gyeong-un shook his head. -What? Don't tell me you're scared?
"No." -Then why won't you do it?
"I'm not saying I won't. Rather than doing it here, I covet that more." '!?'
The place Mok Gyeong-un pointed to was none other than the black spot. At this, Blue Spirit furrowed her brow. Then she spoke as if it was ridiculous. -Are you crazy, wanting to die?
"What?" -That place is a raging torrent where vengeful spirits are devouring each other and transforming.
A living being like you wants to go there?
"Is it not possible?" -Hey, mortal.
"Yes." -There are hundreds of vengeful spirits that haven't been eaten yet.
And if you go into that vortex, you might be the one who gets eaten instead. Discard your useless bravado. It was a sincere warning.
Even if they were bound, they were still vengeful spirits. If they all rushed forward like a wave, there was no telling what might happen. -Don't act foolishly, trusting in the paltry occult arts you've barely learned, or you'll die. Be content with the overflowing energy here, as this master says.
At Blue Spirit's words, Mok Gyeong-un smiled faintly. Then, he approached the edge of the cliff. -Hey! Blue Spirit snapped at the approaching Mok Gyeong-un.
To her, Mok Gyeong-un said while looking at the black spot.
"Even if I have to take a risk, if I can absorb that concentrated energy, won't I become much stronger than I am now?" -......
You crazy mortal. You could die before you get stronger. Do you think this master would stop you if it were that easy?
They are vengeful spirits made sensitive by not only being trapped, but by eating and being eaten by each other. That alone is dangerous, and he's willing to risk it? This boy has truly lost his fear, and then some.
It had been like this since their first meeting, but he gambled his life too easily if he thought it was necessary. -You and this master are practically one. I do not wish for a reckless double suicide.
"Surely you don't think I'd wish for Blue Spirit to die." -Then step back.
"Didn't you say it, Blue Spirit?" -What?
"That with my current power, I can't do anything within the Heaven and Earth Society." -.........
"Even if the risk is great, if there's an opportunity, isn't it better to seize it somehow? Just waiting patiently, enduring hardship or whatever, doesn't suit my personality." -Fwoosh!
Before his words even finished, Mok Gyeong-un leaped down toward the part of the cliff where the slope was relatively gentle. -You! Blue Spirit waved her hand, trying to pull Mok Gyeong-un back up. But she was blocked by the energy of the vengeful spirits rising from the cliff.
Instead, an uninvolved vengeful spirit was pulled up, -Aaaaaaaaargh! -Fssshhh! and was disintegrated by the barrier blocking the top of the cliff. At this, Blue Spirit erupted in fury. -That damn mortal! He actually went down there.
I warned him not to, and he ignored it. If they weren't bound by the link of a Spirit Guardian, she felt like she would have just let him die. But she couldn't just leave him. -You're bothering this master. -Whoosh!
Blue Spirit threw herself down, following Mok Gyeong-un. The curse power of the talismans enveloped the area, making even most anomalies reluctant to pass, but she forced it open. -Pzzt-ch-ch-ch!
-A physical body! -A spirit! -It's alive! It was chaos as I descended along the gentle slope. The sounds of vengeful spirits echoed in my ears.
'It's really no comparison.' At the top of the cliff, countless talismans were attached, suppressing the energies. But once I actually came down, it was incredible.
It felt like entering a raging torrent. The vengeful spirits noticed his presence and approached quickly, every single one of them coveting Mok Gyeong-un's physical body. Sliding down the cliff, Mok Gyeong-un brought his hands together and formed a hand seal. -Pak!
Pak! Pak! Pak!
Im! Byeong! Tu!
Ja! Gae! Jin!
Yeol! Jae! Jeon!
It was the hand seal of the Nine Syllable Vitality Art. After performing all nine seals in succession, the magic art changes depending on the final seal. From here, if one were to form the joined palms seal, -Paaaaang!
Countless threads connected around Mok Gyeong-un, forming a sphere. This was a barrier that repelled anomalies. To properly perform the nine seals of the Nine Syllable Vitality Art, a medium to assist the talisman or incantation was needed, and Mok Gyeong-un had a ring on his left index finger.
It was a gift from Occultist Jo Ui-gong. It contained an incantation that allowed him to use all the forms of the Nine Syllable Vitality Art. 'So this is a barrier?
It's useful.'
A barrier is something that binds a certain space according to a purpose. -Pababababak! -Can't get close. -What is this? -It's blocked. The earthbound spirit-level vengeful spirits that came close were repelled. The hand seal of the Nine Syllable Vitality Art could easily handle and repel something on the level of a Red Spirit.
Mok Gyeong-un, who had been sliding straight down while maintaining the joined palms seal, felt the gentle slope become steep at a certain point. 'I think I need to grab on.' It seemed he would have to hold onto the cliff to descend.
But when he looked down, he saw a pool of stagnant water. It wasn't visible from above, but at that depth, it seemed safe enough to jump. -Pak! Mok Gyeong-un pushed off with both feet.
And leaped toward the water. -Splash! 'Just as I expected.' The water was not very deep.
About twice my height, I'd say. As I tried to swim up, -Auuugh! -Uwaaaaaah! The screams of vengeful spirits echoed in my ears.
They came from the bottom of the water, and soon, something white appeared nearby.
'Hands?'
They were hands. Pale white hands, like they were swollen from the water, with no trace of blood. The mere sight of them was utterly horrifying.
Such hands soon squirmed upwards, trying to grab Mok Gyeong-un's ankles. -Pabababak! But since he hadn't released the joined palms seal, they were blocked by the barrier of the Nine Syllable Vitality Art. 'Good thing I didn't release it.'
I thought, but something was different. The Red Spirits at the level of earthbound spirits had been easily repelled by the barrier. But these palms, though repelled by the barrier, did not give up and kept trying to grab on.
Then, soon enough, -Tatatatak! The palms attached themselves to the barrier like an octopus's suckers. '!?' They were withstanding the barrier.
I suddenly remembered something I had seen in the Yin-Yang Fundamental Scripture.
[An anomaly in water is more dangerous than a typical anomaly.]
'Is this why it said that?' At this level, they weren't Red Spirits, but Vermilion Spirits. Judging this to be dangerous, Mok Gyeong-un kicked out while maintaining the joined palms seal.
He had to get to the surface somehow. -Pababababababa! As he did so, countless hands surged up from the bottom. Then they grabbed the spherical barrier surrounding Mok Gyeong-un and tried to pull it down. -Paaaaak!
'This... is troublesome.' At this rate, he wouldn't be able to get above water. Although he could hold his breath better than most people, it would be dangerous if it went on for too long. -Jjuh-juh-juhk!
Just then, a crack formed in the barrier where the countless palms were attached. It seemed as if it would shatter at any moment. Mok Gyeong-un frowned.
'In that case.' -Pak! Mok Gyeong-un changed the hand seal from the joined palms seal to the Vajra Finger, with only the middle finger raised. At that moment, -Paaaaang!
The spherical barrier exploded, and a powerful force pushed all the palms away at once. Not missing this chance, Mok Gyeong-un kicked with his strong legs and emerged from the water. As he swam toward the shore, he felt the hands that had been repelled from below all rising to grab him. -Swaaaaaaaah!
It was at that very moment. -Woong! Something lifted Mok Gyeong-un's body, making it float. Then he was sent flying to the shore. -Papak!
Thrown roughly, Mok Gyeong-un rolled twice on the ground before getting up. Beside Mok Gyeong-un, someone gently descended. It was Blue Spirit. -Damn mortal.
You just won't listen to this master's words. To the irritated woman, Mok Gyeong-un smiled faintly and said.
"Hoo. You came just in time." -What?
Came just in time?
"I figured that if it was Blue Spirit, you would naturally help me." -Eee!
At Mok Gyeong-un's words, Blue Spirit nearly brought her long pipe crashing down on his head, but she held back. The impudent mortal was eager to work her to the bone. In any case, getting involved with this boy seemed to be her karma.
It was then. -Smeul smeul! The white hands rose from the water and approached Mok Gyeong-un's direction. At this, Blue Spirit turned her head and glared at the hands with blood-red eyes.
And said in a low voice. -He belongs to this master. Get lost, you young things. Before her words had even finished.
The countless hands that had been targeting Mok Gyeong-un trembled as if having a seizure, then promptly retreated back into the water.