Returning Immortal

Chapter 28 : Demonic Spirit Divine Pill

At that moment, the queen Blood Fly, which had entered the Three-Eyed Toad's brain, swallowed the soul that was staying in the toad's spirit platform with its mouth.

Tremble.

The Three-Eyed Toad, whose soul had disappeared, suddenly stopped moving.

Soon after, the blood from the Three-Eyed Toad's heart flowed out through its wounded neck and snout like a waterfall and entered Gwi Seongjin's mouth.

And...

Wobble.

Thud.

A small, golden-glowing bead, which was about to come out of the Three-Eyed Toad's forehead by the queen Blood Fly, also rolled into Gwi Seongjin's mouth.

The queen Blood Fly, which had discovered the golden bead entering Gwi Seongjin's mouth, circled above his head several times with a very regretful expression.

But perhaps thinking it was not meant to be, it soon flapped its three pairs of wings and disappeared into the swarm.

Although the queen Blood Fly had a regretful expression, the others didn't even know that the Three-Eyed Toad's golden eye had entered Gwi Seongjin's mouth.

It was because it had happened so instantaneously, and everyone was positioned behind the Three-Eyed Toad.

The huge body of the Three-Eyed Toad, whose life had been cut off as its soul was extinguished, slowly sank down like a sinking ship.

A situation where one's life would be in danger if crushed by the huge body.

Fortunately, Ne Jinja flew up and rescued Gwi Seongjin in the nick of time.

"Seongjin! Get a hold of yourself!"

Ne Jinja, who had discovered that Gwi Seongjin had fainted, slapped Gwi Seongjin's cheek several times.

When he still didn't wake up, this time he pressed his chest with his palm.

Cough! Cough!

After pressing his chest a few times like that, Gwi Seongjin vomited blood and came to his senses.

"Are you hurt anywhere?"

At Ne Jinja's question, Gwi Seongjin made a dazed expression.

Then, discovering that he had fainted, he opened his mouth with an embarrassed expression.

"I-I'm fine, so please don't worry too much."

Although he felt pain in his shoulder, which had been pressed by the Three-Eyed Toad, Gwi Seongjin did not reveal it.

It was because there was almost no one in the group who was unharmed.

"That's a relief. But..."

Ne Jinja's eyes, which were supporting Gwi Seongjin, widened, and he stretched out his hand and touched Gwi Seongjin's forehead.

Gwi Seongjin's forehead was as cold as ice.

His lips had also turned blue...

Tremble, tremble.

Suddenly, Gwi Seongjin began to tremble.

"H-Hall Master! It seems Seongjin has been poisoned."

"Gekekeke. What nonsense is that? He's holding a poison-repelling pearl, so how can he be poisoned... That's impossible."

While answering with a confident voice, the Ghost Medicine Hall Master approached Gwi Seongjin at a fast speed.

And after taking Gwi Seongjin's pulse, he turned his gaze and looked at the dead Three-Eyed Toad.

"D-damn it..."

"What's wrong?"

"It seems Seongjin drank the Three-Eyed Toad's blood. The Three-Eyed Toad is an extremely yin demonic beast, so it must be neutralized with yang qi..."

"Are you saying the treatment is difficult? It can't be. This child is absolutely necessary to enter the ancient formation. It's not easy to get out of here without Seongjin either."

"I'm saying this because I know. Damn it! Just my luck, I've worked hard for nothing."

The grumbling Ghost Medicine Hall Master took out a Child Ginseng that looked like a cute baby from his medicine pouch.

As if anticipating its own fate, the Child Ginseng struggled with its two arms and legs and cried loudly.

Even so, the Ghost Medicine Hall Master mercilessly tore off the Child Ginseng's head.

Immediately after, the Child Ginseng's body went limp.

"The head part is highly effective, so I was trying to save it as much as possible... but it's so noisy I can't think straight."

When a whitish liquid flowed from the severed neck of the Child Ginseng, the Ghost Medicine Hall Master licked it with his tongue.

And he finely chopped the severed head and put it into Gwi Seongjin's mouth along with the leaves of the Three-Branched Nine-Leaf Herb.

The reason he put the Three-Branched Nine-Leaf Herb in together was to neutralize the efficacy of the spiritual medicines with extreme properties.

Come to think of it, all the spiritual medicines the Ghost Medicine Hall Master had painstakingly collected after entering the absolute forbidden zone were going into Gwi Seongjin's mouth.

When Ne Jinja was about to sit Gwi Seongjin up and blow true qi into his back, the Ghost Medicine Hall Master stopped him.

"Gekeke. It seems it's better to just leave him be."

"I understand."

A long time after Ne Jinja had moved to the side, the Ghost Medicine Hall Master took Gwi Seongjin's pulse again.

Then his face turned red and blue, and he even tore off the two arms and legs of the Child Ginseng and fed them to Gwi Seongjin.

It was an expression that said he was dying of regret.

After a long time, only after confirming that the bluish lips had regained their color did the Ghost Medicine Hall Master leave Gwi Seongjin's side.

While Gwi Seongjin was receiving treatment, the Grand Prince dug a deep hole in the ground with his palm force and buried Ilgeom in it.

Next to Ilgeom, his broken beloved sword was neatly placed.

The Grand Prince, who had buried his cherished subordinate in the ground, seemed to have many thoughts.

He looked at the sky without a word, a look of having hardened his resolve.

* * *

While Gwi Seongjin was circulating his qi and regulating his breathing, the Ghost Medicine Hall Master retrieved the Ghost-Patterned Red-Tailed Scorpions from the Three-Eyed Toad's corpse.

Then he immediately split the Three-Eyed Toad's head and took out a large demon stone.

Although he had seen not a few demon stones while passing through the Phantom Beast Forest, this one was quite peculiar.

Whereas the others were in the shape of bumpy stones, this demon stone was in the shape of a pearl, almost a perfect sphere.

Moreover, it was so bright it was dazzling.

The Ghost Medicine Hall Master, who had carefully wrapped the bluish demon stone and put it in his medicine pouch, this time rummaged through the Three-Eyed Toad's middle eye.

But no matter how much he searched, he could not find the eyeball that had emitted a golden radiance.

The Ghost Medicine Hall Master's gaze, with a displeased look, turned to the queen Blood Fly, and this time it turned to the Grand Prince, who was taking the inner core from the toad's belly.

The Grand Prince, who had taken out the inner core from the Three-Eyed Toad's belly, was putting it into a small pouch made of leather.

But the Grand Prince, who had put the inner core into the pouch, did a strange thing.

After looking at Ilgeom's grave for a long time, he slowly put the pouch containing the inner core into his bosom.

Next, he looked at the Ghost Medicine Hall Master.

In the air where the two's gazes met, a tension like lightning flickered.

The Grand Prince said to the Ghost Medicine Hall Master.

"I know that the reason the Cult Leader included you, Hall Master, in this outing was not only for the purpose of protecting and treating the group from poison, but also with the instruction to collect spiritual herbs and demon stones. Am I wrong?"

"That's right."

"Then what about the inner core? Did the Cult Leader's words specifically mention the inner core?"

"As you, Grand Prince, also know, the inner core is a treasure of the human world that is not easy to even see. No one would have imagined that there would be a demonic beast with an inner core in this absolute forbidden zone, so what do you mean by an instruction... I have not received any separate instructions regarding the inner core. However..."

"Since there were no instructions, it seems there's no need to hear the rest of the story. Vice Director!"

"Speak."

"What do you, Vice Director, think about me taking the Three-Eyed Toad's inner core?"

"If you, Grand Prince, had not subdued the inner core in time, a great disaster would have occurred, let alone obtaining the treasure. Even if we had obtained it, all the demonic power would have drained out, leaving only an empty shell."

"It could have been left as an empty shell? What do you mean by that?"

The Raging Fire Divine Lord, who was standing with a pale face, leaning on his Sky-Piercing Halberd, asked Ne Jinja.

"As you, Divine Lord, also know, the demonic power contained in the inner core is truly immeasurable. However, it is the law of nature that its size decreases as it is used. If it is used beyond its limit, only a shell will eventually remain, and such an inner core has no value."

"Then the credit for preventing a disaster by subduing the inner core in time and for obtaining such a substantial inner core all belongs to the Grand Prince, right?"

"You can think of it that way."

When Ne Jinja's words ended, the Raging Fire Divine Lord also cupped his fists to the Grand Prince and expressed his opinion.

"Since the Vice Director's thoughts are like this, I have no objection either."

Since even the Raging Fire Divine Lord had acknowledged it, the Ghost Medicine Hall Master had no choice but to nod his head.

Well, there was no great meaning in fighting over who would keep it here.

The ownership of the inner core could be changed at any time according to the Cult Leader's will.

"Then, Grand Prince, you can keep the inner core for a while."

The Ghost Medicine Hall Master, who had cupped his fists to the Grand Prince and stepped back, went to the place where the Raging Fire Divine Lord had been circulating his qi and regulating his breathing and called the Ghost-Patterned Red-Tailed Scorpion from the ground.

But the Ghost Medicine Hall Master's mind was now on something else, not the Ghost-Patterned Red-Tailed Scorpion.

Others might not know, but the Ghost Medicine Hall Master had seen an inner core in the past.

It was the size of a chestnut, and dozens of pills were made from it.

"Demonic Spirit Divine Pill"

It was a legendary pill that had produced numerous masters in the demonic gates.

But the inner core that came out of the Three-Eyed Toad's body was of a size that could not be compared to that.

With a little exaggeration, it was the size of a baby's fist.

How long had the demonic creature cultivated...

Well, the demon stone that came out of the demonic creature's head was also of a size that could not be compared to the demon stones he had seen so far.

Kieeeek!

The Ghost Medicine Hall Master, who had glanced at the Ghost-Patterned Red-Tailed Scorpion that had shot out from the ground, let out a low sigh.

The Ghost-Patterned Red-Tailed Scorpion and the Ghost Medicine Hall Master had a spiritual connection.

So when one had died underground, the Ghost Medicine Hall Master had known that fact right away.

But the other one that had crawled out of the ground was also in a pretty serious condition.

All its legs were cut off, and only one pincer remained.

Moreover, its tail was also dangling.

It had lost all its functions as a poisonous creature.

Kieeeek.

The Ghost-Patterned Red-Tailed Scorpion, which had laboriously climbed up, digging the ground with its only remaining pincer, showed a look of relief when it discovered the Ghost Medicine Hall Master.

Then it collapsed on the ground as if exhausted.

In response, the Ghost Medicine Hall Master, who had approached, put the collapsed Ghost-Patterned Red-Tailed Scorpion in a box and then put it into the sack on his back.

Although he couldn't save it, it was useful for refining his poison art.

Into his ears came the words Ne Jinja was saying to the Raging Fire Divine Lord.

"Divine Lord! Are you sure the one who attacked from underground was human?"

"I'm sure. The one who approached with the Earth Escape Technique and attempted a surprise attack was definitely a human, not a demonic beast. But it was seriously injured by my and the Grand Prince's attacks and retreated."

"To think that an assassin who has learned the spells of the five elements blocked the attacks of you, Divine Lord, and the Grand Prince, and even killed Ilgeom, their skills must be no ordinary thing. Do you think they will attack again?"

"I'm not sure about that. Although they were seriously injured, since they have learned the Earth Escape Technique and their skills are great, they will not retreat easily."

"Then we must not let down our guard for a moment."

At the words that a highly skilled enemy was hiding in the absolute forbidden zone, a deep worry was cast over Ne Jinja's face.

They hadn't even reached the entrance of the ancient formation yet, but the damage the group had suffered was by no means small.

Ilgeom had died, the Raging Fire Divine Lord and Gwi Seongjin were seriously injured, and the Ghost Medicine Hall Master's internal injury from fighting the green monster was not light either.

Among the group, the only ones who were unharmed were the Grand Prince and himself.

But the skills of the demonic beasts they were encountering were several times more ferocious than before.

Moreover, an assassin skilled in the Earth Escape Technique...

Phew!

Without realizing it, Ne Jinja let out a sigh.

Ne Jinja, who was organizing his thoughts for a moment, raised his gaze at a loud noise.

Buzzzzz!

The Blood Flies were making a fuss in the air, asking him to dismantle the formation.

Their numbers had also decreased a lot compared to the beginning.

Even including the queen Blood Fly and the evolved species, there were not more than ten thousand.

Even so, they were still full of momentum.

Thud, thud.

Ne Jinja, who had walked to the place where the Three-Eyed Toad had first been crouching, soon discovered a few of the formation's eyes that were hidden.

Some were bound by the five elements, some were already released, and some were hidden by illusion, but they could not escape his eyes.

Crack.

Boom!

The key objects of the formation were destroyed one by one in Ne Jinja's hand.

Finally, as the seal in the very center where the Three-Eyed Toad had been sitting was released, all the eyes of the formation were dismantled.

At that, an exit appeared before the group as if the dark clouds were lifting.

Buzzzzz!

When the formation was released, the queen Blood Fly flew to them.

Then, after rubbing its antennae and circling above the group's heads a few times, it led its swarm and went out the exit.

Even after the Blood Flies had disappeared, the group stayed inside the formation for a while.

It was because Gwi Seongjin had not stopped his qi circulation.

As time passed and the sun that had been in the middle of the sky tilted...

Only then did Gwi Seongjin stand up.

Right after Gwi Seongjin's group had gone out of the formation.

Thud. Thud.

The ground near where Gwi Seongjin had been circulating his qi and regulating his breathing shook, and a head shot out.

It was the very same woman who had attacked the group by performing the Earth Escape Technique.

In her eyes, which were looking at the exit Gwi Seongjin's group had gone out of, a ferocious killing intent was layered.

(End of Chapter)