𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟖𝟖
“Please.”
“Yes.”
As the battle intensified, Shin Pyo-eul summoned clouds once more and took Pyeong-eun-ha to a safe location.
The rest of us kept our nerves on high alert, our gazes fixed on the ominous presence that was Taotie.
“. . . . . . .”
【Taotie】
▶Level 80
The monster’s stats, which I’d checked firsthand, were unbelievable.
All of its ability scores were near S-rank, and its traits were filled with powerful abilities.
But seeing that it wasn’t much different from Xue Laifu, who had rampaged with full force, I knew it wasn’t an opponent we couldn’t defeat in principle.
Sway.
Swish.
As Taotie made its move, Seo Ji-an, who had quietly gathered her strength, created a water spear and coated it with a blade of wind.
Unlike before, the two natural energies blended perfectly, creating an awesome synergy. I could tell that she had definitely mastered her power after coming into contact with Seo Tae-hu’s clan.
“Water and Wind Spear.”
Screech!
Boom!
Crash!
Taotie wielded its energy to deflect it, just like before, but the force behind the attack was so great that it staggered back, shaking its hands several times.
“What’s the catch? Why are you just standing there and defending?”
Seo Ji-an muttered, her face creased in frustration. After a brief moment of silence, Taotie answered her in a strange voice.
『I was thinking for a moment.』
“What?”
『You people are an extraordinary group of Taoists who shouldn’t exist in this era, so I needed to think.』
Although its anger hadn’t subsided, there was an inexplicable dignity in Taotie’s current demeanor.
And then, Taotie let out a loud laugh and continued.
『And I’ve come to a conclusion. I will take your flesh and spirits here today, retrieve the Pyeong Clan woman, and open the way outside!』
Boom!
Whirl!
Taotie leaped into the air, spinning several times before changing its appearance once more.
This time, it took the form of a quadrupedal beast with a large cauldron lid on its head and a demon mask covering its face.
To our surprise, the nature of Taotie’s aura changed accordingly.
『Ogres of Misfortune, feast!』
Poof!
Thud!
The fur on Taotie’s mask fluttered, and strange-looking horned ogres began to emerge from the ground all around us.
In some ways, it felt similar to my shikigami technique, but the level of each one was so high that we couldn’t help but divide our attention.
“Azure Dragon!”
『Don’t worry! Thunder of Destruction!』
Rumble!
As Cheong Juhwa summoned the Azure Dragon, bolts of lightning descended from the sky to strike the ogres. Their power was truly fearsome, effectively suppressing Taotie’s technique.
But Taotie’s aim didn’t end there.
『Primordial Curse of Resentment!』
Slash!
Fwoosh!
The ogres called Ogres of Misfortune collapsed, releasing a sinister energy as they died. It seemed to be a curse technique that combined the causality of grudges with negative energy. Its structure was quite similar to the Primordial Curse of Envy and Spite that I had used against Sophia in the qualification exam.
「𝙊𝙧 𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧, 𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧?」
In some ways, it was closer to the original form of the Primordial Curse of Envy and Spite.
Recognizing the danger posed by the attack, I quickly signaled to Cheong Juhwa to deploy the second incantation of the Blue-White Sword.
“I need time! Ho-chung-nim!”
“Understood. Donor. Heup!”
As Ho-chung swung his staff once more and chanted an incantation, a golden light filled the surroundings, slowing down the curse’s effect to some extent.
Seizing the opportunity, Cheong Juhwa, who had finished chanting, finally activated another grand spell.
“Ride of the Blue Soul!”
Whoosh!
Crackle!
A surge of spiritual power from the Blue-White Sword consumed the curse and simultaneously filled us with abundant energy.
This was the second grand spell of the Blue-White Sword that Cheong So-ha had used in her decisive battle with Jin-myeong. It was certainly proving to be extremely useful in this group battle.
Taotie, who had probably not expected our perfect countermeasure, kicked off the ground and put some distance between us, its expression somewhat uncomfortable.
As we took a moment to catch our breath, Guimei approached us.
“It seems that Taotie has been developing its use of power all this time, Oppa. I’ve never seen this form before. It’s probably a specialized form for spellcasting.”
“. . . . . . .”
That meant that Taotie likely had other abilities as well.
Above all, I couldn’t shake my nervousness about the hidden form that Guimei had mentioned before.
“Echinacea Lianqi.”
“. . .I can do it anytime.”
While we were exchanging blows with Taotie, she had spread numerous thorny vines created from energy across the ground at my request.
I had also placed specially crafted pills around the area according to the principles of the Eight Trigrams, so that I could deploy a new spell that enhanced the art of Red Flowers with the Eight Trigrams and Celestial Heavens Art.
I glanced at Yoo Ha-on, and she seemed to understand my intention to draw attention. She activated the power of Anti-Demon, provoking Taotie as much as possible.
“You are a heartless yokai. I will definitely exorcise you here.”
『This power. . . . . .It’s truly amazing. There are such beings in the outside world?』
Although she said that she wasn’t fully accustomed to it yet, Yoo Ha-on had become much more proficient in using the power of Anti-Demon after training in Jinyeon Mountain.
And by concentrating it to the maximum, Yoo Ha-on managed to completely divert Taotie’s attention, showcasing her divine skill by deploying an advanced spell in addition to the grand spell Faithful Broken Shadow.
Whoosh!
“Pressure!”
『Impossible!』
Taotie prepared various techniques to counter it, and the attack spells fired by our companions to assist Yoo Ha-on were met with strange statues that took the hits instead.
It was truly a remarkable feat, but even for Taotie, he was starting to run out of options.
Therefore, this was the perfect moment.
“. . .Let’s go.”
“Eight Trigrams and Celestial Heavens Art, Art of Red Flowers!”
Echinacea Lianqi manipulated all the thorny vines she had planted, causing the ground to shake, and I joined her in deploying the spell.
Thud!
Thud!
Boom!
A truly enormous number of thorny vines and strands of spiritual power shot towards Taotie.
Taotie, which had been concentrating on blocking the attacks, was unable to respond in time and was momentarily immobilized.
『What!』
Unable to move a muscle, Taotie was now at the mercy of Yoo Ha-on’s Anti-Demon attack, which was already within striking distance.
Whoosh!
Screech!
『───!』
In the end, Taotie was unable to block it and let out a spine-chilling roar as it took a significant hit.
The power of Anti-Demon possessed by Yoo Ha-on, who had surpassed level 70, was a deadly poison that could deliver a fatal blow in a single hit if it landed properly. There was no way it could be unharmed after taking a direct hit.
As expected, Taotie, which had revealed its true form, collapsed in agony, unable to break free from my and Echinacea Lianqi’s binding technique.
『Kuh, kuh-huh. . . . . . .』
The demon mask that had been covering its face was shattered and deformed, and it seemed unlikely that it could continue fighting.
However, for some reason, I didn’t think this was the end.
『You are truly strong. I wonder if there are any yokai in this world who can stand against you alone.』
Pure admiration, but it didn’t sound positive.
Rather, it was somewhat puzzling, as it was the complete opposite of the confidence Taotie had shown earlier.
『But let me make this clear. I have come to the conclusion that I am enough.』
Taotie’s eyes lit up for a moment, and it used its remaining strength to break the binding and leap into the sky.
『I was planning to save it for when I went outside, but I guess I’ll have to use it now.』
Taotie’s response was as if it had predicted everything, but it didn’t seem like a bluff.
In fact, the energy emanating from Taotie right now was enough to put pressure on us.
『Let’s see how this ends!』
Rumble!
As intense thunder roared, Taotie’s battered body began to split and tear.
However, it was merely the process of it transforming into a new form. On the contrary, it felt as if it was shedding its old flesh and ascending to a higher existence.
This must be what Guimei meant when she talked about Taotie’s hidden form.
『Of the nine children of the Heavenly Dragon, I am the only one who has truly inherited its power!』
It was a giant dragon.
However, it was completely different from either the Azure Dragon, the guardian of the Cheong family, or the Imoogi Gang Cheol-i that I had seen before.
I couldn’t tell for sure, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was specialized for combat more than anything else.
Taotie spat out an orb that seemed to be his Yeouiju from its massive body and immediately embedded it in its heart, signaling the beginning of the final battle.
『Is this how it’s done? Bring it on! Thunder of Destruction!』
Rumble!
Rumble!
Crimson lightning bolts imbued with an energy completely different from that of the Azure Dragon shot towards us. The Azure Dragon, which tried to block it, was unable to withstand its overwhelming power and crashed to the ground.
Caw!
『Keuh-heok. . . . . . !』
The level of power was different.
If the Azure Dragon’s lightning was comparable to a grand spell, Taotie’s thunder was two levels above that.
「𝙎𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩.」
Ting!
【Taotie】
▶Level 84
As expected, the current Taotie had indeed gained much more power than before.
Seo Cheon-ye must have been evaluating Taotie as a special threat and ranking it higher than other great yokai, as she had sensed this power in advance.
“Azure Dragon!”
『Keugh, what an incredible power. . . . . . . It’s no longer an ordinary yokai.』
Cheong Juhwa tried to reassure the Azure Dragon, but it struggled to get up.
『Be careful. You should avoid taking its attacks head-on as much as possible.』
As the Azure Dragon said, we were all aware of Taotie’s danger.
The current Taotie was practically a being that possessed the power of a spirit as well.
It was a disaster that even Xue Laifu, who had fought with all his might, had to yield to.
Ho-chung, his expression grim, approached me, who was once again lost in thought.
“Donor, there is no need to be confused.”
“Is there a way?”
“Taotie’s power is indeed formidable, but you too have already reached a level that is difficult to gauge.”
Ho-chung chuckled slightly and gave us a little boost of confidence.
“Half-hearted measures are meaningless. But if you believe in yourselves and pour out all your strength, you will be able to win.”
A head-on confrontation.
That was the answer Ho-chung had come up with.
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