Returning Immortal

Chapter 31 : Five Directions Steps

"What's the principle?"

"I thought it was difficult because it was an ancient formation, but that was the trap."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Those stone platforms have rules similar to a game I played with my friends when I was young, called Five Directions Steps. Do you happen to know it?"

"Five Directions Steps? Then are you saying we have to change the position of our feet according to the color of the diagonal lines drawn on the bottom of the stone platforms?"

As Gwi Seongjin had expected, Ne Jinja had grasped the core of the mechanism in an instant.

It was a passage where one could see that his knowledge of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements was outstanding.

"That's right. You have to step on the very center of the yellow stone platform, and for the rest of the stone platforms, you have to look at the color, figure out the direction, and then step."

"Then the reason the three stone platforms in front didn't move is because there were no diagonal lines on the bottom...?"

"That's right. Since they are not attributed to the five elements, they don't move."

"Hoho! Amazing. Did you become certain after seeing the movements of the Flying Blood Snakes?"

"I was lucky."

"Luck? Hoho!"

As if he had nothing more to say, Ne Jinja just laughed.

Although Gwi Seongjin had said it easily, Ne Jinja knew how difficult this was.

Anyone could think of the directions of the five elements by looking at the colors.

But it was by no means an easy task to link the movements of the Flying Blood Snakes with the positions of the ground they had stepped on and the movements of the stone platforms.

It was almost impossible with eyesight alone, and there was only a slight possibility if one had a brilliant mind that could remember all the afterimages that had passed by.

If he hadn't been able to specify the direction, he would never have been able to figure it out. It was a result that could only be explained by 'luck'.

What if it wasn't luck?

A ferocious killing intent flashed deep in Ne Jinja's gaze as he looked at Gwi Seongjin with admiration.

But it soon changed to a kind gaze.

Unaware of such a fact, the Ghost Medicine Hall Master asked Gwi Seongjin with a smile all over his face.

"If due east is that way, then we can use that as the axis, draw a cross on the stone platform to determine the directions, and then change the position of our feet according to the color. But what should we do when we come back?"

"Haha! The direction never changes, regardless of coming or going. At that time too, we can just look at the color of the stone platform and decide where to step."

"Gekekeke. That's simple. To think we wandered for so long without knowing something so easy..."

The Ghost Medicine Hall Master's face was filled with an expression of unfairness for not having figured out such a simple principle sooner.

It was a reaction opposite to Ne Jinja, who had been greatly shocked by Gwi Seongjin's reasoning and had even harbored a killing intent.

"Vice Director! If what Seongjin said is true, how about we start right now? Shouldn't we get out of this damn poison pool before it gets darker?"

"We have plenty of time, so let's wait a little longer and then start."

Ne Jinja, who seemed to have finally recovered from the shock, stepped forward in front of the group and said.

When he glanced at the Grand Prince, the Grand Prince was also nodding his head.

Although they had found a way to cross the lake safely with Gwi Seongjin's wisdom, that didn't mean all the dangers had disappeared.

Although it wasn't the side of the stone platforms where the water was calm, in other places, waves were still crashing and whirlpools were prowling around like beasts.

And occasionally, even crocodile demonic beasts appeared, and there was no guarantee that that damn demonic beast would not appear here.

So he had dragged out the time as much as possible and examined the vicinity of the stone platforms, but fortunately, no traces of crocodiles or other demonic beasts could be found.

In that case, there was no reason to hesitate to start any longer.

Before crossing the lake, Ne Jinja fully explained the operating principle of the stone platforms and the precautions to take when crossing to the group.

After that, he decided the starting order of the group.

As confirmed by watching the movements of the Flying Blood Snakes, the most dangerous position when crossing was by far the front.

So the Raging Fire Divine Lord, who had the highest martial arts among the group, was assigned to the front.

Next was Ne Jinja, who had an excellent ability to cope with a crisis.

Then it was the Grand Prince, Gwi Seongjin, and the Ghost Medicine Hall Master in that order.

The reason the Ghost Medicine Hall Master was placed at the very back was that the excited demonic beasts could rush in a group, so he was to attempt a wide-area attack with poison to ensure the safety of the group.

"Wait a minute. Divine Lord, please take this."

Gwi Seongjin handed something to the Raging Fire Divine Lord, who was standing up.

It was a small stone.

"What is this?"

There was no way the Raging Fire Divine Lord didn't know that what Gwi Seongjin had given him was a stone.

But the reason he asked was because he didn't know the intention of handing him the stone.

"Although we have figured out the principle by which the stone platforms move, an unintended event may occur due to a single mistake in a thousand considerations. So it would be best to cross slowly after confirming the safety with the stone."

"Are you saying I should cross while checking each and every stone platform?"

"Isn't there no need to rush?"

The Raging Fire Divine Lord, who had thought for a moment, silently took the stone.

His face, which had been somewhat dark with the anxiety of being in the lead, brightened a little.

"That's a good idea. Then I will attempt to cross after you, Divine Lord, have crossed. The rest of you can cross slowly after I have crossed the lake."

With Ne Jinja's praise, the group moved their bodies towards the lake.

As the group approached the front of the lake, the demonic beasts scattered and made way.

They had obediently moved aside because they had sensed that the humans were strong.

Even if that wasn't the case, there was a hidden intention to test the humans' wisdom.

Swish!

The Raging Fire Divine Lord, who had flown over the lake, appeared on the third stone platform in an instant.

Stopping his body there for a moment, the Raging Fire Divine Lord threw three stones in succession.

At that, two of the stones flew to the fourth and fifth stone platforms.

The Raging Fire Divine Lord had flown to the place where he had calculated the direction by looking at the diagonal lines on the stone platform.

And the last stone that flew flew onto the sixth stone platform.

The color of the diagonal line drawn on the sixth stone platform was red.

The stone that flew onto the stone platform accurately landed on the southern direction, which was linked to the color red among the five elements.

"..."

As he had expected, not a single stone platform moved.

Gaining confidence from this, the Raging Fire Divine Lord flew to the sixth stone platform, stepped on the spot where the stone had fallen, and stood tall.

The Raging Fire Divine Lord, who had thrown a stone again from there, this time flew three zhang and arrived on the ninth stone platform.

Even though he, with his heavy body, had landed, the stone platform did not move at all.

After throwing a stone a few more times like that, the Raging Fire Divine Lord was able to arrive safely at the other side of the lake.

Although countless demonic beasts had lost their lives to cross the lake, he had succeeded in crossing so easily with just one piece of advice from Gwi Seongjin.

When the Raging Fire Divine Lord had crossed the lake, this time Ne Jinja attempted to cross.

He didn't even use a stone.

Stepping on the stone platforms that were revealed on the lake every two zhang, he flew over the lake without any hesitation.

Thud.

When Ne Jinja had succeeded in crossing after the Raging Fire Divine Lord, the demonic beasts that had been watching the humans all flocked to the lakeside.

Whoosh!

Screech! Squeak!

Among them, there were even demonic beasts that were crying out with strange sounds.

"Go ahead first."

As the demonic beasts approached closely, the Ghost Medicine Hall Master stood in front of the Grand Prince and said.

In response, the Grand Prince flew to the stone platform and ran slowly over the lake as if taking a walk.

In the meantime, more demonic beasts flocked to the side of the Ghost Medicine Hall Master and Gwi Seongjin.

The Ghost Medicine Hall Master, who felt threatened, took out a red powder that gave off a foul smell from the sack he was carrying and scattered it forward.

Screech! Squeak!

The demonic beasts, covered in the red powder, rolled their eyes back, then fell to the ground, foamed at the mouth, and rolled on the ground.

"We don't have time, so you should also start right away!"

"I understand."

As the situation became urgent, Gwi Seongjin flew up without delay.

Swish!

But there was a shadow that moved faster than Gwi Seongjin.

It was the monkey demonic beast that had brought a log and dropped it into the water a little while ago.

The monkey demonic beast, which had climbed up to the third stone platform in one breath, threw the stone in its hand at the fourth stone platform.

It was imitating the humans.

Whether it was a fluke, the fourth stone platform did not move.

Squeak! Squeak!

The excited monkey flew up and got on the fourth stone platform.

But the stone platform sank, and the monkey also fell into the water.

Splash! Screech!

The startled monkey screamed and flailed its hands, but it was no use.

Before it could even take a few long breaths, the monkey demonic beast fell into the water and died.

Swish!

While the stone platform that had sunk into the water was coming up, Gwi Seongjin had already arrived on the third stone platform.

Gwi Seongjin, who had confirmed the color of the bottom of the fourth stone platform, flew up without delay.

Gwi Seongjin's lightness skill, who had just reached the mid-stage of the first-rate, was capable of skipping up to two stone platforms.

But Gwi Seongjin tried hard not to overdo it.

Taking into account the suction force acting in the water, Gwi Seongjin calmly conquered the stone platforms one by one.

The moment Gwi Seongjin stepped on the ninth stone platform, the Grand Prince had already reached the end of the lake.

At the same time.

The Ghost Medicine Hall Master, who was spraying the poison water contained in a black bottle at the demonic beasts like a mist, finally flew towards the lake.

But his retreat was not smooth.

A black boar, unaware that its body was burning from being hit by the bubble-shaped poison, rushed at the Ghost Medicine Hall Master head-on.

In response, the Ghost Medicine Hall Master swung his dragon-headed staff and blew off half of the boar's head.

Oink! Oink!

Even though its head had burst and its brain was flowing out, the boar did not stop its movements.

Crying out foolishly, it charged at the Ghost Medicine Hall Master with its long fangs.

'Damn pig bastard...'

The Ghost Medicine Hall Master, who had dodged to the side, rushed out like a bull and struck the boar's intact head part with his dragon-headed staff.

Screech!

At that, the boar made a sound like a pig being slaughtered and fell to the side.

Sting.

The Ghost Medicine Hall Master, who was about to fly onto the first stone platform after catching the boar, lowered his head at an unfamiliar pain and then swore without realizing it.

Damn it!

A green snake with a white lotus-shaped frill on its neck.

A White Lotus Green Head Snake, which was said to be so poisonous that it couldn't be cured even with a poison-repelling pearl if bitten once, had shot out from the ground and was biting his ankle.

The startled Ghost Medicine Hall Master swung his dragon-headed staff, and the poisonous snake flew up and escaped the danger zone.

But it didn't go very far.

Escaping the killing range of the dragon-headed staff, it was still staring at the Ghost Medicine Hall Master with its head held high.

Thwack! Thwack!

Although he followed and swung his dragon-headed staff, the White Lotus Green Head Snake was as agile as could be.

Escaping the encirclement of the shadow-like dragon-headed staff, it appeared again outside the killing range.

Ugh!

Although the Ghost Medicine Hall Master was highly resistant to poison, the poison of the White Lotus Green Head Snake was a terrifying deadly poison that could even kill an elephant.

If he didn't treat it quickly, even he could melt into a pool of poison water.

The Ghost Medicine Hall Master, who had rummaged through the sack on his back and taken out about ten kinds of poison, scattered them around madly.

At that, the vicinity of the Ghost Medicine Hall Master was instantly transformed into a poison pool.

The demonic beasts that had approached nearby also retreated...

The Ghost Medicine Hall Master, who had bought some time like that, took out a jade bottle from his bosom and poured all the medicine inside into his mouth.

It was an antidote that had been secretly passed down in his family.

As if he couldn't be at ease with just that...

The Ghost Medicine Hall Master took out a black ointment and applied it thickly on the wound.

It was the Dragon-Returning Life-Continuing Ointment, which was highly effective for detoxification.

The Ghost Medicine Hall Master, who had finished the emergency treatment with difficulty, moved his body towards the lake, limping.

(End of Chapter)