Returning Immortal

Chapter 4 : Nether Demon Sealing Formation

Creeeak.

It was half a shichen later that Academician Yu came to Gwi Seongjin's room.

This time, he was alone, without Adjutant Cheok.

Upon entering the room, Academician Yu asked Gwi Seongjin point-blank.

"When did you start studying formations?"

"I started when I was three."

"Three? A bit early."

Academician Yu was a genius no less than Gwi Seongjin.

But at the age of three, he had barely learned to read.

"Have you studied the Cloud and Mist Ghost Confusion Formation before?"

"I have."

Gwi Seongjin answered honestly.

It wasn't something he needed to hide.

"Did you solve it the same way back then?"

"That's right. A few formation pivots were changed, but as long as you understand that the five elements separate, combine, generate, and overcome, there's not much of a problem in breaking it."

"Correct. But that alone is not enough."

"It is not insufficient. Don't the changes of wind, cloud, thunder, and fire ultimately converge into the five elements?"

"...The five elements and the eight trigrams have vastly different methods of reading and interpreting phenomena. How can you say they are the same?"

"Even so, they all came from the Wuji. Since their origin is the same, how can there be no connection?"

At Gwi Seongjin's words, Academician Yu shook his head.

"Are you saying you can calculate all those endless changes?"

"How could that be possible? However, a formation of the level of the Cloud and Mist Ghost Confusion Formation can be solved without a problem using the Nine Palaces Harmony Calculation."

"Alright! In that case, how about this one?"

Whoosh.

Catching the booklet that Academician Yu threw, Gwi Seongjin first looked at the title.

'Nether Demon Sealing Formation.'

"Hmm!"

Gwi Seongjin let out a low exclamation as he opened the booklet.

This was the first time Gwi Seongjin had encountered this formation manual.

The reason he let out an exclamation was because of the traces of the reverse five elements underlying the formation manual.

On top of that, even barriers were mixed in, so it was truly a complex formation manual.

Gwi Seongjin's eyes, which were flipping through the booklet, paused for a moment.

A strange diagram drawn on the back of the booklet.

Although the shape and appearance were different, seeing the metaphysical patterns and magical characters drawn within, it was clearly a barrier stone.

"You've trapped a demon inside a barrier? But it's peculiar. There's even a barrier that isn't fixed in one place but roams around inside the formation..."

At Gwi Seongjin's words, Academician Yu's expression changed.

"You are a prodigy, just as I heard. You can tell that just by looking at it once?"

At Academician Yu's voice, a strange light flashed in Gwi Seongjin's eyes.

'Just as I heard...?'

'Then does that mean they knew about my talent beforehand?'

'It wasn't just to test my ability because I'm the son of the Ghost Valley Sect Master...?'

The strange light disappeared in an instant.

"I just inferred it because I've seen a similar barrier in the past. But this formation is very abstruse. Much more so than the one I saw before..."

Indeed, the Nether Demon Sealing Formation was difficult.

It was incomparable to the Cloud and Mist Ghost Confusion Formation.

And it was peculiar.

If the Cloud and Mist Ghost Confusion Formation was widely known in the world, the Nether Demon Sealing Formation was specialized for the demonic path.

So it was tyrannical and cruel.

Moreover, with the five elements, eight trigrams, barriers, and even the reverse five elements all mixed together, the calculations were indescribably complex.

Only by combining numerous formulas with the Nine Palaces Harmony Calculation could one barely unravel the formation.

That wasn't all.

The power of the reverse five elements even affected the ground, making it impossible to even use the Earth Escape Art.

In some places, it would be difficult to even exert martial arts due to the influence of the demons...

In the end, there was no choice but to list and develop the changes throughout the Nether Demon Sealing Formation as multi-dimensional complex formulas, and then proceed step by step while solving them.

When Gwi Seongjin spoke in a voice lacking confidence, the corners of Academician Yu's mouth rose slightly.

'Of course. No matter how much of a prodigy he is, how could a brat who's only nineteen years old break the Nether Demon Sealing Formation... And when it comes to barriers, our Luminous Cult's skill is vastly superior to a sect of your level.'

Although he thought this, the words that came out of Academician Yu's mouth were different.

"The Nether Demon Sealing Formation is a high-level formation that even a master of formations cannot easily solve. But if you have encountered a similar formation before, it shouldn't be entirely impossible to break... I will give you enough time, so try to solve it."

"I understand. But how many days will you give me?"

"How many days do you think would be appropriate? For your reference, the person who ordered this is a very impatient person."

In the end, it meant that breaking it as quickly as possible would be beneficial for his longevity.

"I understand what you mean. But for this one too, do I just need to find and connect the path of life? That alone seems difficult..."

This formation was not an illusion formation like the Cloud and Mist Ghost Confusion Formation.

If one was not careful, the demons or devils hidden within the barrier could rush out and directly harm the intruder.

Of course, it wasn't that he couldn't avoid them if he was determined to, but that would cause too much of a delay.

"Figure out the breaking method on your own... Is there anything else you want to say?"

"If we assume that one more peak master is among the people entering the sealing formation, we can shorten the time a lot. Is that possible?"

"One more master?"

After pondering for a moment, Academician Yu slowly nodded his head.

It meant it was possible.

Gwi Seongjin, who was staring intently at Academician Yu, also nodded inwardly.

A nod with a completely different meaning from Academician Yu's.

In fact, the question just now was Gwi Seongjin testing Academician Yu.

To find out the extent of his authority...

Unexpectedly, the authority Academician Yu held was not low.

If he could decide on a matter of this level on his own, the position of Academician was not a low rank either.

"Then I will research a way to enter the sealing formation with a master of the peak realm and then get out. In return, I hope you will give me enough time."

"But I can't wait indefinitely. Keep in mind that there are impatient people among the higher-ups..."

With those words, Academician Yu left Gwi Seongjin's room.

Watching his back, Gwi Seongjin shook his head.

He was truly a formidable man.

Although he had a considerable conversation with him, Gwi Seongjin hadn't obtained much information.

'Just that someone told him Gwi Seongjin is a prodigy...'

Other than that, there were no slips of the tongue.

He was a man who knew the power and fear of words.

Creeeak.

Closing the door, Gwi Seongjin sat down at the table with the formation manual.

The Nether Demon Sealing Formation was one of the highest and most difficult formation manuals in the Luminous Cult.

But Gwi Seongjin's expression as he looked at the formation manual was not dark.

Although the changes were complex and even setting up the formulas was difficult, he was confident he could solve it.

What he was really worried about was the barrier.

To be precise, the demon hidden inside the barrier.

Although they were mostly evil demons and masses of resentful thoughts, their scariness was beyond imagination.

Directly attacking or bewitching people was almost cute in comparison.

There were even devils that made one's body so heavy it was hard to even walk, or prevented one from circulating internal energy.

Among the demons, the thought-forms were particularly terrifying.

They could control the minds of intruders, making them attack each other, commit suicide, or go mad and die.

Because it was such a dangerous barrier, Academician Yu had told Gwi Seongjin he would give him enough time.

However, this was an underestimation of Gwi Seongjin's ability.

Gwi Seongjin had experience breaking even more difficult formations than this in the Ghost Valley Sect.

The same went for barriers.

By looking at the shape and pattern of the barrier stone, he could even discern the abilities of the demon sealed within.

Gwi Seongjin first examined the barriers inside the sealing formation.

The purpose was to examine the structure of the barriers and infer the number and abilities of the demons inside.

Fortunately, five of the seven barriers were familiar to Gwi Seongjin.

One was a beast-sealing formation that had a monster trapped in it, which a peak master could handle without difficulty.

The same went for the barrier that roamed around inside the formation like a patrolman.

And the barrier that was judged to contain evil energy and the two barriers where thought-forms were sealed were also of a rather familiar form, and Gwi Seongjin was confident he could handle these without much difficulty either.

The problem was the remaining two barriers.

After looking at them for a long time, he seemed to know the identity of one of them.

Looking at the type and shape of the structures built outside the barrier, it was certain that a devil that attacked people with sound waves was sealed inside.

It would probably be a sound similar to a ghostly wail.

In that case, there was no problem passing through this either.

However, Gwi Seongjin could not figure out the identity of the last barrier.

Even after examining the shape and structure in detail, there was nothing he could infer.

He couldn't even fathom the demon's method of existence.

'There's no need to foolishly take risks. Even if it takes some time, let's avoid the last barrier.'

Fortunately, Gwi Seongjin was able to find a detour with his brilliant wisdom.

The Nether Demon Sealing Formation didn't just have demons sealed in it.

Danger lurked everywhere.

Moreover, it was a structure where the form of the formation changed over time.

A place that was a Life Gate could instantly turn into a Death Gate as time passed.

So the breaking method was also complex.

When drawing the path of life, the time of passage had to be marked as well, and the method of dealing with the demons or resolving the barriers also had to be recorded.

It was evening when Gwi Seongjin, who had been drawing the breaking method in his head, closed the booklet.

It meant he had spent more than three shichen with the booklet.

He hadn't even realized time was passing.

Creeeak.

Suddenly feeling hungry, Gwi Seongjin opened the door and came out.

As expected, a food tray was placed in front of the door.

Taking the tray and entering the room, Gwi Seongjin first filled his hungry stomach.

To use his head well, he had to eat well.

Phew!

Gwi Seongjin, who had cleared the food tray, looked at the formation manual placed to one side and let out a short sigh.

It was truly a sigh of relief, having shed the burden of breaking the formation.

Although it seemed solvable, the Nether Demon Sealing Formation was by no means an easy formation.

Without Gwi Seongjin, it was a peerless death formation that even a master of the Fire Realm could not guarantee breaking...

That was the Nether Demon Sealing Formation.

Fortunately, he had prepared a breaking method, but Gwi Seongjin was not satisfied.

It was because he had only skimmed it at a rudimentary level.

Now it was time to look at it in more detail.

Removing the barriers from the formation, Gwi Seongjin divided the remaining parts into sections.

Then, after studying each section, he combined them again two or three at a time to analyze their utility and role.

After finally examining the entire area, Gwi Seongjin divided the area in a completely different way this time.

He turned the formation manual upside down and divided it vertically instead of horizontally.

This time too, he meticulously reviewed and combined the divided sections, and unexpectedly, unknown traps were hidden in various places.

The same went for the barriers.

Each barrier had no major issues, but when mixed with the formation, unexpected problems arose.

There was a concern that the abilities of some demons might show a synergistic effect depending on the formation.

It was a matter that would have led to a major disaster if he had overlooked it.

Gwi Seongjin thoroughly analyzed and prepared for these discovered risk factors.

In some cases, he even fundamentally removed the factors that could cause danger by destroying parts of the formation.

Although the breaking method was completed with difficulty, Gwi Seongjin did not let go of the booklet.

It was to memorize the formation manual.

It wasn't just simple memorization.

It included all the principles and effects for applying and further advancing it.

This time too, Gwi Seongjin did not hand over the booklet right away.

Instead, he requested a formation manual of the Luminous Cult that included barriers from Adjutant Cheok.

In a way, it was an unreasonable request.

But the ones in a hurry were the Luminous Cult.

Although Adjutant Cheok frowned at Gwi Seongjin's request, that night he brought five formation manuals.

All of them were related to barriers, and among them was one formation manual where the reverse five elements were deployed.

Nine Heavens Wandering Formation.

Looking at it, Gwi Seongjin slapped his own knee.

The last barrier in the Nether Demon Sealing Formation that Gwi Seongjin couldn't interpret.

It was a formation deployed inside a barrier.

* * *

On the third day after receiving the Nether Demon Sealing Formation.

Gwi Seongjin handed Adjutant Cheok the booklet with the diagram for breaking the Nether Demon Sealing Formation.

Two shichen after that...

Academician Yu arrived in front of Gwi Seongjin's door.

With a smile on his lips.

"You solved it faster than I thought. The Vice Director was also very satisfied."

'Vice Director?'

Hearing the word Vice Director from Academician Yu's mouth, Gwi Seongjin's mind began to spin furiously.

'If there is a Vice Director, there must also be a Director. In the Luminous Cult, there are only two organizations with the position of Director. The Elder Council and the Dark Spirit Council. But the Elder Council doesn't have the positions of Vice Director and Academician, so the organization these people belong to must be the Dark Spirit Council.'

With a single word, Gwi Seongjin had deduced the name of the organization Academician Yu belonged to.

It didn't end there.

Even the name of the Director flashed through Gwi Seongjin's mind.

'Twin Brains, Po Seokcheon.'

The Director of the Dark Spirit Council was a famous person in the martial world.

"His outstanding strategy reaches the heavens, and his ghostly schemes divide the world."

It was a passage that the Cult Leader, Jang Mujong, was said to have praised him with after he led the fight against the Blood Cult to victory in the past.

After that, he achieved numerous accomplishments, and now his notoriety resounded throughout the Central Plains.

Even Gwi Seongjin, who had lived confined in the Ghost Valley Sect, remembered his name.

"I'm glad the higher-up was satisfied. There were many unfamiliar formation methods, so it was quite difficult to break."

"Still, it was a perfect solution. The method of utilizing the peak master was particularly impressive... Did you really have to kill him at the end?"

It seemed he was talking about the method Gwi Seongjin used to pass the last barrier.

The demon residing within was the Eight-Armed Ghost.

A ghostly pig that lived in swamps, it was a terrifying demon that controlled both Earth and Water of the five elements at the same time.

Of course, they could have placed a different demon other than the Eight-Armed Ghost, but it would still be a similar type of demon.

This was because of the structure and form of the barrier.

"The one there was a superior demon that had reached the realm of Earth Overcoming Water, so the entire formation belonging to the barrier was like a Death Gate. A powerful suction force acted from below the swamp, making it a naturally perilous area where it was even difficult to move. Moreover, the only exit was firmly blocked by the Delusion Gate."

"So you used the Heaven and Earth Overturning technique?"

"That was the best method. You should know that if you manipulate the formation and reverse Qian and Kun, the demon's form is revealed, albeit briefly. At that time, if you send in a peak master and have him swing a wooden sword, you can suppress the demon with the principle of Wood Overcoming Earth. However, because it was a demon that had reached the realm of Earth Overcoming Water, the master who went with it also perished together. When the demon dies, you can break the barrier and escape through the newly created Open Gate."

"Was there no way to get out without killing the master?"

"No. But that was the most effective method."

"Effective? A good word. In fact, the part the Vice Director was impressed with was that very point. He said that he himself would not have been able to find such a good method."

"Did he say anything else?"

At Gwi Seongjin's question, Academician Yu was silent for a moment.

It was to calm the atmosphere.

When a slight tension had built up in the room, Academician Yu finally opened his mouth.

"The Vice Director asked me to ask if there is anything you want."

"Are you saying you will grant me whatever I want?"

"You're a smart guy, so you should know well what that means."

Gwi Seongjin slowly nodded his head.

'The mind of this Vice Director is no ordinary thing. But I am a descendant of the Ghost Valley Master. I will never move according to you bastards' intentions.'

Steeling his heart, Gwi Seongjin slowly moved his lips.

"I would like to be able to walk in the moonlight at night."

"The moonlight?"

Academician Yu asked back as if it was unexpected.

The answer Academician Yu had expected was a request to release his lover, Baek Gayeong.

Then he was thinking of pretending to give in and grant it.

Of course, not completely.

Just to the extent of stopping the torture and letting her rest within the Luminous Cult.

He couldn't hastily release her, the only tool to bind Gwi Seongjin.

But Gwi Seongjin had made a completely unexpected request.

"What is the reason?"

"I just miss the moonlight."

"If your purpose is to absorb the pure yin energy and cultivate your martial arts..."

"That's not it."

"Then why the moonlight of all things? Isn't the sunlight better?"

"...I feel it would be somewhat shameful to face the sunlight."

"..."

For some reason, Academician Yu did not answer right away.

After staring at Gwi Seongjin's eyes for a long time, he opened his mouth in a low voice.

"I'll have to discuss that with the higher-ups. Are there any other requests?"

"None."

"I understand. Then rest well until good news comes."

With those words, Academician Yu turned around.

(End of Chapter)