Chapter 374 - At the Sea (4)

Kim Yeon asks after shattering Buk Hyang-hwa's shackles.

"Ah, by the way...us doing this. We won't get caught in someone's consciousness domain, right?"

Buk Hyang-hwa clicks her tongue and says,

"Did you really free me without thinking about that?"

"Uh... I just had a gut feeling it would be okay."

"Well, you're not entirely wrong. After all, the Salt Bones Ship is similar to the Nether Crossing Ship in that it's like a massive country inside. Moreover, the waves emitted by the Salt Bones Ship restrict one's consciousness quite a bit, so they won't notice us doing this."

"Huhu, I knew it all along."

"Stop saying foolish things and help me out, Unnie."

Buk Hyang-hwa stretches her fingers and places her hand against the ship's wall.

Golden patterns, along with a mix of purple and pale pink patterns, appear all over her body.

"What the. You've got tattoos too?"

"They're not tattoos but a physical characteristic."

"Ah, sorry..."

Kim Yeon scratches her head and slightly lowers her head. Buk Hyang-hwa watches her for a moment before getting back to work.

Using the broken pieces of the shackles as materials, she creates a small tool. Starting from there, numerous devices begin to appear around Buk Hyang-hwa.

Initially yawning while watching Buk Hyang-hwa, Kim Yeon's eyes grew wide as time passes.

'Wh-What in the world...?'

________________________________________

Kugugugugu!

In a small sea domain of the Ancient Force realm.

There appears a Ghost King with 19 heads and his subordinates.

"Is this the place?"

"Yeah."

The Ghost King with 19 heads, Wuji Ghost King Seo Eun-hyun, gazes at the sea below with brightened eyes as he is connected to a pure white consciousness thread.

"Down below, I sense the Mysterious Bizarre Ghost King Kim Yeon. Surely, the Conqueror King Buk Hyang-hwa and the Guardian Ghost King Baek Rin are with her."

"So, do we just need to go down and come back?"

The Six-Armed Thunder God, Six Extremes Ghost King Jeon Myeong-hoon, asks.

But Seo Eun-hyun shakes his head.

"According to the natives, recklessly diving into the Deep Sea of the Ancient Force Realm is a dangerous act. Moreover, Kim Yeon's presence is not in the shallow coastal waters but in the very depths of the Deep Sea."

"Then what do you plan to do?"

Jeon Myeong-hoon looks puzzled, and Seo Eun-hyun chuckles as he spreads his arms.

Kugugugu!

The surrounding Heaven and Earth spiritual energy starts converging on Seo Eun-hyun, drawn by his Great Desert to Dead Sea.

"What do you think I'm going to do?"

Woo-wooong!

He draws the Colorless Glass Sword and smiles.

[To not be touched by the Deep Sea, we'll just have to split it apart.]

As his mental speech echos, all the leaders of the Wuji Religious Order who have come with Seo Eun-hyun begin to exert their power.

Jeon Myeong-hoon grins widely and spreads his six arms.

Kugugugu!

Jeon Myeong-hoon's domain unfolds.

Integrated Dao Domain (合道領域).

Charged Lightning Veil of the Great Heavenly Rain (荷電蔽雷大雨天).

Kwa-jijijik!

In an instant, the surrounding space transforms into an alternate dimension where Red Lightning (赤雷) rains down like a torrential downpour.

Red Lightning covers the sky!

However, by Jeon Myeong-hoon's will, the Red Lightning passes through his group without causing any harm and falls straight to the bottom.

Kwarurururung!

The domain of crashing Red Lightning begins to push away the lower sea of dimensions.

Then, the other leaders of the Wuji Religious Order begin to exert their power in that direction.

Kwakwakwakwang!

Countless attraction forces, ghostly power, and devilish power pour forth.

Meanwhile, Seo Eun-hyun's hands begin to imbue with the powers of curses and blessings.

The energy of Yin-Yang and Five Elements begin to permeate the dimensional sea below, where the lightning falls.

[Great Mountain!]

Paaatt!

[Splitting Emperor!]

A pure white light begins to swirl.

________________________________________

Jin Ma-yeol's eyes twitch.

Kugugugugu!

His Salt Bones Ship is shaking violently.

Paaatt!

Someone uses the ground-shrinking technique to rush into the captain's cabin where Jin Ma-yeol resides.

It's the vice-captain of the Salt Bones Ship and a Grand Perfection Four-Axis cultivator, Jin Ryu.

"What is it, Vice-captain!? An enemy attack?"

"No, Captain! The Salt Bones Ship has gone mad!"

"What?"

"The Salt Bones Ship's keel is shaking wildly and making strange noises!"

"What kind of dragon-chewing-on-grass nonsense is that!?"

However, shortly after moving to the keel of the ship with Jin Ryu does Jin Ma-yeol understand the situation.

Zzirurururururururu!

The keel of the Salt Bones Ship, made of Salt Crystals, is emitting a sound similar to that made by the Fighting Ghost Race during mating.

Jin Ma-yeol looks at the Salt Crystals emitting white light and making strange noises with a startled expression.

"Wh-Why is this happening!?"

Jin Ma-yeol is bewildered.

Despite having lived for about ten thousand years, he has never heard of Salt Crystals making such bizarre noises.

After a moment of confusion, he appears to think of something and flinches.

"I see. Is it a deep-sea monster?"

"Is there a deep-sea monster that can make Salt Crystals go into heat?"

"Well, the Deep Sea of the Ancient Force Realm holds records of countless worlds, so such things might exist...a deep-sea monster might be nearby, so I will activate the Great Concealment Technique. Tell everyone to prepare."

"Yes, Captain!"

Jin Ma-yeol clicks his tongue and returns to the captain's cabin.

He then sits at the center of a huge formation in the middle of the cabin and begins to form hand seals.

Wooooong!

His domain begins to expand around him.

As his formation activates, it amplifies Jin Ma-yeol's domain, gradually enveloping the entire Salt Bones Ship.

Integrated Dao Domain (合道領域).

Great Concealment Dragon Spirit Sea (大隱龍靈海).

In an instant, the sound of a dragon's roar seems to echo, and Jin Ma-yeol's domain swiftly envelops the hull, blending the Salt Bones Ship with the surrounding Deep Sea scenery, making it almost invisible to any watchful eyes.

Jin Ma-yeol sits down and focuses on his domain, sending a voice transmission throughout the ship.

"This is the captain's order. It is currently suspected that a deep-sea monster is lurking around the Salt Bones Ship. Because of this, the keel of the ship is making disturbing noises. Until the deep-sea monster has completely passed or the keel's reactions have ceased, we will remain in the concealed domain. Therefore, all crew members must remain..."

Jin Ma-yeol suddenly falls silent and stops speaking.

As he sits and concentrates, his eyes snap open.

"Damn it, the prisoners are up to something suspicious! Everyone, head to the cells and subdue them!"

The domains of Integration stage Grand Cultivators are intertwined with their consciousness, so Grand Cultivators can perceive all actions within their domains.

Jin Ma-yeol, who enveloped the Salt Bones Ship, grits his teeth as he observes Kim Yeon and Buk Hyang-hwa doing something suspicious in the cells.

"Damn it, Conqueror King...!"

Although he wants to immediately get up and subdue them, he can't move recklessly as a suspicious deep-sea monster is stimulating the Salt Bones Ship's keel, leaving him no choice but to bite his lips in frustration.

________________________________________

The vice-captain, Jin Ryu, leads her subordinates to the lower deck where the cells are located, wearing a nonchalant expression.

"Each and every one of them are nothing but boring things. There's no point in fighting."

The Conqueror King and the Mysterious Bizarre Ghost King are experts in puppet control.

Thus, the Fighting Ghost Race pirates would have to fight against puppets. For the Fighting Ghost Race who can only satisfy their lust by engaging in combat and mingling flesh with their opponent, puppet cultivators are not attractive partners.

The only one who caught Jin Ryu's interest during the battle to capture them was the Ghost King Baek Rin. But since Baek Rin is a ghostly creature, it is impossible to copulate with non-ghostly entities.

In short, the members of the Wuji Religious Order are unappealing and pointless opponents for the Fighting Ghost Race.

"Puppeteers, what's the point of them!? In my time, puppeteers used puppets as support while they fought as true warriors themselves. Nowadays, each and every puppeteer is bizarre and weird."

Jin Ryu spits out her disdain for Kim Yeon and Buk Hyang-hwa who use puppets, as she enters the cell area.

And what Jin Ryu sees in the cell area are thousands of complex mechanisms.

"Wh-What in the world...?"

Clang, clang, clang...

All of a sudden, the cell area has somehow been transformed into a bizarre labyrinth.

The labyrinth extends in a straight line, but the entire path is filled with what looks like powerful mechanical devices and weapons, with countless grotesque puppets lined up between them.

At the end of the labyrinth, Kim Yeon stands with a sinister smile, her arms hanging down.

Consciousness threads extend from her fingertips, connecting to countless puppets, while Buk Hyang-hwa, equipped with spider-like puppet limbs, is continuing to modify the area behind.

Jin Ryu laughs dryly.

"Conqueror King and Mysterious Bizarre Ghost King. I've heard of both your reputations, but I didn't expect this. However, it's pointless. If you surrender now, I'll merely put you back in your cells quietly. If you resist, I'll tear off your limbs and bind you."

However, Kim Yeon merely flicks a single finger.

Wo-woong!

Flash!

Three mass-produced General Seo puppets, modified by Kim Yeon under Seo Eun-hyun's tutelage, fire beams from their mouths.

Kuaaang!

After taking the beams from the mass-produced General Seo puppets at the Grand Perfection Nascent Soul level, Jin Ryu's eyes twitch and she takes a step forward.

"Well, fine. If you insist on drinking punishment wine, I'll oblige."

Kuung!

The Fighting Ghost Race appears almost identical to humans in appearance.

The primary difference is that the Fighting Ghost Race is born with well-developed muscles throughout their bodies, which swell further as they grow, with horns developing from their foreheads.

The more horns one has, the more talent they are considered to possess. Those with fewer horns are treated with disdain even within the Fighting Ghost Race.

The royal family of the Fighting Ghost Race has seven horns, and the highest nobility has five to six.

The middle nobility has four.

The lower nobility has three, commoners have one or two, and slaves have their horns removed, marking them worthless.

Captain Jin Ma-yeol of the Fighting Demon Pirate Gang is a high noble with five horns, while the vice-captain, Jin Ryu, is a middle noble with four horns.

Wo-woong!

Jin Ryu's horns tremble as strength surges through her muscles.

Kuang, Kuang!

With an indifferent expression, Jin Ryu crushes the puppets charging at her and begins walking through the labyrinth.

The distance between Jin Ryu and Kim Yeon and Buk Hyang-hwa gradually shortens.

Kim Yeon glances at Baek Rin, lying beside her.

Baek Rin has just been released from his restraints and needs time to recover his strength.

"How much longer, Buk?"

"Almost done, Unnie. And please call me by my proper name!"

"Got it, Wah-wah"

"Ugh...!"

Kim Yeon chuckles and focuses her mind on the consciousness threads extending from her fingertips.

―Listen well, my disciple.

It's as if the Mad Lord, who had taught her the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon and puppet control while driven mad by insanity, is speaking beside her.

—What do you think is the reason the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress keeps winning against any force it fights?

A strange madness begins to glimmer in her eyes.

―Is it because we simply overwhelm them with superior technology and numbers? That is certainly true. But the most important thing is this! Madness! Any force that fights against the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, regardless of who they are and whether they know or not, gradually becomes infected by the 'heart' of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress during battle. In other words, those who fight us gradually open up to the possibility of 'evolution'!!

Kuang, Kuang Kuang!

As Jin Ryu continues to crush the General Seo puppets with an expressionless face, her face begins to twitch.

―Yes, my Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress is...'love'! A 'love' that guides everyone to a new world! It's the ultimate embodiment of [Benevolence]! Ahhh. How magnificent a creation have I made!?

Those who face the puppets of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, breaking them, fighting them, and confronting the Fortress itself...

They inadvertently stare directly at the circuits of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.

Gradually, the circuits of the Fortress are engraved into their subconscious, and they begin to be tainted by their madness.

The more they fight the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, the more they lose their sanity and go mad.

And when both sides are driven mad, the ultimate victory has no choice but to belong to the Mad Lord's forces, who have long accustomed to the madness.

Chewchewchewchewchewchew...

Kim Yeon starts biting her lips furiously.

Blood begins to flow from her lips, and excitement and madness gradually spreads across Jin Ryu's face as she continues to destroy the General Seo puppets.

"Heh, haha! Huhaha!"

Jin Ryu laughs.

It had been the same when they captured the Mysterious Bizarre Ghost King before.

Fighting puppets isn't enjoyable.

But fighting Kim Yeon's puppets somehow always leads to a moment of excitement.

"Huhahahaha!!!"

Wo-woong!

Zzirurururururururu!

Jin Ryu's horn trembles and begins to emit a strange sound.

Jin Ryu's face turns bright red.

The muscles all over Jin Ryu's body begin to swell even more.

Before long, the faces of General Seo puppets overlap with Jin Ma-yeol's face in her eyes.

"Captain! Captain! Caaaptain! Aaaaah! Jin Ma-yeol Orabeoni!!!"

Jin Ryu begins to savagely pummel the General Seos with a flushed face.

"Heh, hehakh! Hehahahakh!"

Even while descending into madness, she manages to keep some semblance of sanity and approaches Kim Yeon.

'Ah... I'm on the verge of going on a rampage.'

Jin Ryu sighs inwardly.

This is why the Fighting Ghost Race dislikes facing puppeteers.

Even if they think they enjoyed themselves, upon regaining their senses, they find only hard puppet fragments instead of the opponent's flesh.

The realization that they did a round with puppets brings a rush of shame and discomfort rather than satisfaction and joy.

However, seeing the puppets charging at her, Jin Ryu eventually sighs and swings her fist.

'Ugh, I don't know. Whether it's a tool or whatever, let's just enjoy and think later.

Ziiiiiiik!

Her entire body flushes red as her muscles swell even more.

The four horns on Jin Ryu's forehead vibrate madly.

Zzirururururururu!!!

"Huuuaaaaaah!!! Kyaaaaaaa!!! Kuaaaaaaaagh!!! Keeeeeeeeeek!!!"

As she lets out an alluring cry as if to seduce her opponents, she smashes through the surrounding puppets with her eyes rolled back, advancing forward.