NOVEL NEXT Chapter 585
Chapter 1 – Encounter in Dark Heaven Village
I hesitated, facing Yeodong-bin’s sword.
‘Facing him is a death wish…’
If it came to it, I could crush him, but sending Yeodong-bin’s spirit back to the Celestial Realm wouldn’t solve anything. I needed to understand why he was angry, so I gritted my teeth and said,
“Sure.”
It was a gamble, an adventure. I felt it was right to confront him, even if it meant being shattered by Yeodong-bin. Stepping forward with my sword raised, Yeodong-bin lifted his celestial sword with his technique and said,
[To respond despite knowing the difference in skill, aren’t you concerned for your life?]
“If I valued my life, I wouldn’t have come this far.”
Yeodong-bin closed his eyes, exhaling deeply.
[Ha!]
With tremendous force, Yeodong-bin’s sword came at me, but I managed to deflect it by reading his first move. A surge of joy filled me for having blocked his attack, but the next moment pain shot through my solar plexus and ribs.
Thud.
“Gah…!!”
What was that?!
I was caught off guard by an unexpected strike, but soon I felt strikes land in ten different places. Upon checking, I realized Yeodong-bin had unleashed a faster strike with his intent simultaneously alongside his sword. I hadn’t noticed those attacks; it left me dumbfounded.
‘His sword was so fast that I barely managed to defend…’
Had Yeodong-bin not held back, I would have been dead right there. Fortuitously, he only targeted my acupoints without infusing killing intent, so I felt pain, but it didn’t mean my situation improved. Yeodong-bin didn’t stop there; he began to showcase the Peerless Sword Technique.
Six Intent Saintly Heaven Diagram.
Cloud Resolve!
Countless phantoms of sword energy appeared and shot towards me. This was my first time facing the Six Intent Saintly Heaven Diagram as an enemy, and at the moment I saw Cloud Resolve, despair filled my heart.
‘So… many… fast… powerful!!’
In a rush, I activated the Three Treasure Technique and all the martial arts I knew to deflect Cloud Resolve, but I only managed to block a fraction, and I was swept away by the subsequent three waves. The pain felt as if my entire body was shattering, and I couldn’t even scream momentarily.
Thud.
“Ugh.”
I slammed into the ground, almost fainting, but barely regained consciousness as I rolled backward. I no longer had the will to fight. The moment I witnessed Cloud Resolve, I felt the difference in skill between me and Yeodong-bin was like heaven and earth. It was like an adult beating a child’s wrist.
‘Why is this? Surely I’ve gotten dozens of times stronger since meeting Yeodong-bin.’
No, that’s not right.
As I grew stronger, the skills of Sword Master Yeodong-bin became even more apparent.
Whether viewed from the ground or standing atop Mount Tai, the sky is still the sky!
‘I can’t give up yet!’
I clenched my teeth and raised my sword once more. Even so, collapsing in defeat was not something a swordsman should do. Yeodong-bin immediately thrust his heavenly sword downward, and even that simple strike radiated enough pressure to make it hard to breathe.
Boom!
I applied the ultimate technique of the Thunder God Sword Dance to block his cut, but at that moment, my iron sword shattered and flew away. The peak of Yeodong-bin’s sword came crashing down on me without restraint. An overwhelming difference in both intent application and strength had emerged.
If this continued, my skull would crack open, so I desperately thought of a way to survive. In that moment, the quality of the experience and martial arts I had accumulated sublimated into one ultimate technique using mind intent.
Blade-less Technique!
Clang–
[… Haha.]
It was laughter not of mockery but of incredulity. His anger seemed to have eased significantly as he withdrew his sword and said,
[So, you dared to use an unkillable technique against me at that level?]
I gripped my bleeding palm and retorted,
“I couldn’t think of anything else.”
[Haha… So that’s how it is, a true sword grab… Haha…]
After staring incredulously for a moment, Yeodong-bin finally waved his hand. Suddenly, my hand injury healed, and the pain throughout my body vanished. I was astonished by Yeodong-bin’s unexpected act of healing me; he then said,
[If I hadn’t held back, you would have been split in half just now.]
“…….”
[Such a non-lethal counter technique is hard to use even after decades of focused training.]
Was it really reckless to use a technique I hadn’t fully learned? Feeling slightly embarrassed, I gripped my sword again and stated,
“Yeodong-bin. Is there really no need for us to fight any longer?”
[Yeodong-bin, what are your intentions moving forward?]
“I aim to restore peace to a world in turmoil and save humanity.”
[……]
After a moment of silence, Yeodong-bin continued,
[The reason I was angry with you was that the Three Clears identified you as an accomplice of the Evil Spirit in the Celestial Realm…]
“Eh?!”
What kind of absurd nonsense is this?
I stared at Yeodong-bin in shock as he elaborated,
[Consequently, the Evil Spirit has obtained the Law of Cause and Effect, and while searching for accountability, it concluded that you are deeply involved. As such, I too will face great scrutiny for choosing you as my partner, and should the Celestial Realm begin to interfere with the earth, I will be marked as a criminal because of the misdeeds you’ve accumulated.]
“……!!”
Am I the root cause of this turmoil?!
… No, I can’t say that isn’t true. I could have preemptively prevented the creation of the Divine Portrait or chosen to combat it outright rather than negotiate. However, as Yeodong-bin mentioned, that’s merely hindsight, and the true instigators are the Imperial Palace Forces and the Vermilion Bird’s Dharma Protector, aren’t they?
I collected my thoughts amidst the confusion and looked Yeodong-bin straight in the eyes, stating,
“It may sound like an excuse, but it’s not entirely my fault. I only aimed to stop the evil forces.”
[I understand. Yet, I had to test once more whether you are evil or not.]
With a serious gaze, he continued,
[And you gathered the courage to face me with your own will. Through our clashes, I sensed your righteous intent; thus, I will trust you.]
“……”
Just now, Yeodong-bin wasn’t truly angry while probing if I was the source of deceit. If I had called upon evil forces or discarded dialogue and simply returned, he would have completely lost faith in me. Internally, I realized I had chosen the right path and let out a relieved sigh. Then, I suddenly comprehended something.
“Wait a minute. Does this mean the Celestial Realm has now become my enemy?”
[There’s still insufficient evidence, and there are larger problems arising than you, but soon the Heavenly Altar will descend, and those tasked with hunting you will arrive.]
“Cough. I managed to slip by Celestial Sage…”
[He’s indifferent to anything outside his own affairs.]
Yeodong-bin’s decisive words continued.
[However, if you are confident in your own sense of justice, you might not need to confront the Celestial Realm.]
“What do you mean?”
Swoosh.
Yeodong-bin suddenly activated his mind intent, drawing the Fire Dragon Sword that hung at my waist towards himself. He examined the sword blade and said,
[If before the Heavenly Altar descends, I can awaken my master, Fire Dragon Incarnate, then there might be a solution.]
“Fire Dragon Incarnate…?”
[Would shine the strongest fiery essence in the world, restoring my master’s power swiftly.]
Of course, I knew that method. Feeding him the thousands of years of condensed fiery essence that rests within the Flame Elemental Sword would lead to the swift resurrection of Fire Dragon Incarnate. However, I was still puzzled by Yeodong-bin’s wording, so I asked,
“In a situation where the entire Celestial Realm brands me as humanity’s traitor, how can one Fire Dragon Incarnate help?”
I know Fire Dragon Incarnate is exceptionally powerful, even within the Celestial Realm, and not merely a Great Immortal. Still, that authority couldn’t possibly surpass the Three Clears. My suspicion was entirely justified; however, Yeodong-bin smiled wryly and said,
[First, if we awaken my master and explain the circumstances, he will tell us what to do next.]
“Then what about you, Yeodong-bin?”
[I believe you are walking the right path, so…]
Flame–
Suddenly, blue flames engulfed Yeodong-bin’s entire form. Then those blue flames flew into my heart, embedding themselves within. I was startled but strangely found no external or internal wounds, only an overwhelming sensation boiling within my heart.
[I will dedicate all my strength to become your sword!]
Crackle, crackle.
As the flames transformed Yeodong-bin and entered my body, powerful energy surged throughout me, spiraling around the Peerless Sword Technique in my mind.
‘This… is Yeodong-bin’s knowledge? Experience?’
There was no sign that Yeodong-bin’s spirit was trying to consume me. However, it felt as if all the martial experiences I had accumulated were being overwritten by his intense memories, distorting my consciousness. As I stood there trying to regain my focus, Mangnyang approached closer from afar and spoke,
“Impressive. Is this what they call the ultimate divine sword technique?”
“Mangnyang, do you know what’s happening?”
Nodding his head, Mangnyang replied,
“Yeodong-bin utilizes the ultimate sword techniques of the Celestial Realm. The techniques he uses, like the Six Intent Saintly Heaven Diagram and Heavenly Escape Sword Technique, are all part of the divine sword techniques, and he is a master renowned for creating intangible divine swords capable of anything.”
“Divine sword technique…”
I recalled the memories in my mind.
[Why is the Heavenly Escape Sword Technique divided into five stages?]
[It’s to seek the world.]
[The purpose of passing on the Heavenly Escape Sword Technique to you is to reach the realm of divine swords when the world is suffering from turmoil. It asks whether one needs power even at the cost of sacrificing oneself.]
[You have already started with faith and continued to evolve toward understanding, realizing emptiness, and attaining the five stages of the Heavenly Escape Sword Technique. Therefore, it is right that you should reach the zenith of divine swords!]
[Yet, for some reason, the core of the Heavenly Escape Sword Technique has only used your inner contradictions to heal you, failing to elevate you to the proper realm of divine swords. In this situation, I can no longer teach you the Heavenly Escape Sword Technique.]
That’s right. Yeodong-bin, upon connecting with me, imparted the Heavenly Escape Sword Technique, but despite having learned all five stages, I had yet to reach the level of divine swords. As a result, Yeodong-bin felt deeply disappointed, and even Jang Sam-bong found it strange why I possessed divine swords yet seemed to need his martial arts.
In retrospect, obtaining the divine sword was indeed the key to reaching Yeodong-bin’s level!
While I struggled to recall these memories, Mangnyang spoke again,
“He must have converted his divine body into a sword, synchronizing it with your soul. In doing so, he artificially enabled you to achieve the realm of divine swords.”
“Is such a thing possible?”
“Divine sword techniques appear to be a form of technique but are not just techniques. It could be said that only Yeodong-bin can wield such techniques in the entire Celestial Realm. Regardless…,”
Mangnyang cleared his throat and continued,
“It seems Yeodong-bin has truly resolved to become a sword for you, Baek Woong. It’s an act akin to turning his back on the Celestial Realm without a guarantee of ever returning to his original form….”
“……!!”
“This can be seen as choosing suicide for a Great Immortal.”
Upon hearing those words, I was struck with shock.
I thought he would be willing to endure any filthy matter for the Celestial Realm, and that he would never defy the Celestial Realm’s order, yet he chose to undergo Sword Transformation for me? I had never witnessed a sight like this across many lifetimes, and it made me fathom the weight of his resolve.
‘Because he believes in me.’
Yeodong-bin took this risk because he believed I could awaken Fire Dragon Incarnate! The source of that belief stemmed from him seeing me as a being who would enact justice as his partner. I could feel Yeodong-bin’s fiery heart for justice, and tears streamed down my cheeks.
“… I understand.”
Swiftly, I wiped my tears with my forearm and exclaimed,
“Let’s move at once!”
There’s no time to be crying.
We need to go find the Master of the White Lotus Sect right now to prevent the awakening of the Young Master and, furthermore, borrow the power of the Flame Elemental Sword to resurrect Fire Dragon Incarnate!