NOVEL NEXT Chapter 604
604——————==
Dark Heaven Village
The Heavenly Mysterious Woman of Nine Heavens looked at it and said,
“There are a total of 33 treasure pagodas, each one a precious artifact. It would be difficult to breach them with ordinary methods.”
“Do you have a way?”
“……”
The Heavenly Mysterious Woman gazed forward with a strangely sad expression.
“To see the Great Immortals of the Celestial Realm turn against each other, how could this happen…”
Ssss
Silk swirled around her figure like waves. A shimmering silver light spilled forth, and she began crafting hundreds of incomprehensible sorcery symbols in the air, invoking a powerful spell.
Corpse Dissolution Technique
[May that power return to nothingness.]
Crack!
As soon as the Heavenly Mysterious Woman chanted the spell, the thirty-three treasure pagodas began to shatter, some even burning away. In a panic, their owner hastily gathered the treasure pagodas, and beyond the barrier, someone was waiting.
“Cough! Cough…”
Inside the barrier stood the Lantern Daoist. It seemed that he had sustained significant internal injuries, as blood was dripping from his mouth, and in one hand, he held a golden treasure pagoda that softly jingled. He also had his exclusive precious artifact, the Geon-Gon-Chuk and the Jang-Geum-Bal-Woo, in his other hand, but he appeared weak.
“Heh heh… Indeed, the Heavenly Mysterious Woman’s Corpse Dissolution Technique is formidable. To think that you could break my pagoda barrier with one spell… You must have already lost most of your battle power.”
“Lantern Daoist, step aside. The Queen Mother of the West is the one who killed SamCheong; she must be punished.”
“… That’s impossible.”
The Lantern Daoist sighed and replied.
“I sensed something was amiss not long ago, but what can we do now? If the Queen Mother of the West reveals her true strength, innocent and powerless lesser deities will be massacred, and the Celestial Realm itself will perish.”
“Then we must remedy it from now on. I won’t ask for help, just step aside.”
“Very well. After all, facing off against your Corpse Dissolution Technique would only lead to a miserable end for me…”
The Lantern Daoist slumped down, closing his eyes as he spoke.
“Heavenly Mysterious Woman! Flee before the Queen Mother of the West cries out three times to the West…”
What is he saying?
“I know.”
However, the Heavenly Mysterious Woman replied dismissively as she passed by. I mumbled in annoyance as I brushed past the Lantern Daoist.
“Why not just help? What’s with all this pride…”
Just then, the Fire Dragon Incarnate running beside me spoke.
“It’s not pride, Baek Woong.”
“Huh?”
“The Lantern Daoist thinks, whether he helps or not, that we will lose to the Queen Mother of the West. And when we lose, he hopes to escape with the lesser deities. The Lantern Daoist is a good Great Immortal.”
“What nonsense… it’s way better if he just helps us!”
“He thinks that even joining us would be futile against the strength of the Queen Mother of the West.”
“……”
The Lantern Daoist is a powerful Great Immortal on par with the twelve great immortals of Kunlun. If a being like him has given up on opposing her, how strong can the Queen Mother of the West truly be? Just as I was feeling a chill, I spotted a giant sphere of flame floating ahead.
Flare!
The Fire Dragon Incarnate glared at the sphere.
“It’s the Sky-Wielding Divine Flame of the Floating Hands.”
I learned that the Floating Hands master was renowned for his unparalleled expertise in barrier techniques. The Sky-Wielding Divine Flame endlessly released the breath of the Fire Dragon, continuously scorching intruders, making it a formidable barrier that humans could not breach.
The Fire Dragon Incarnate raised the Flame Elemental Sword and declared,
“I’ll breach this place; you all conserve your strength.”
Crack crack crack…
She lifted her sword, taking a stance. After a brief moment, she synchronized with the Flame Elemental Sword, raising its power significantly and shouted with a fierce battle cry.
[Flame Elemental Sword! I, the Incarnation of the Azure Dragon, command you to unleash your true power!]
Pach!
The divine flame transformed into pearls swirling around the Fire Dragon Incarnate’s body. Then, with a great swing of the Flame Elemental Sword, she charged forward, shouting.
[Celestial Flame!]
As the Celestial Flame spread, the body of the Fire Dragon Incarnate also transformed into a trail of fire, racing ahead. At the moment the Celestial Flame clashed with the Sky-Wielding Divine Flame, a violent sound erupted as the spirit power rippled throughout the surroundings, causing the heavens and earth to tremble momentarily.
Kaboom!
However, regardless of how powerful the Sky-Wielding Divine Flame might be, it couldn’t withstand the inferno birthed by the Incarnation of the Azure Dragon. Eventually, the flames of the Sky-Wielding Divine Flame began to be consumed entirely by the Celestial Flame, and the scorching barrier began to dissipate.
Swoosh!
After finishing the unfolding of the Celestial Flame, the Fire Dragon Incarnate returned to her original form and looked down coldly at the Floating Hands master.
“Weak, far weaker than the Lantern Daoist. Though he is among the weaker of the twelve great immortals…”
“Are you going to kill him?”
“There’s no point; let’s move on. He’s of no help anyway.”
The Fire Dragon Incarnate tried to ignore the Floating Hands master and pass, but just then, Yeodong-bin shouted,
“Wait!”
The group turned their gazes toward Yeodong-bin, who looked tense.
“We’ve fallen into a trap. I’ll be right behind you, don’t worry, Master.”
“What do you mean?”
“That person targeted me as an opponent…”
Swoosh!
“……!!”
In the next moment, Yeodong-bin began to be consumed by darkness, as though being swallowed by something. I was shocked to see him transforming into the Divine Sword on my right arm. Then, it felt like the mysterious darkness was starting to engulf me as well.
Swoosh!
I tried to tear away the darkness and evade it, but no matter what, it sought to swallow me. Just as I was panicking, Yeodong-bin spoke to me.
[Yeon-ja, please listen. If I fight straightforwardly, I might not win, so use the Divine Sword wisely.]
[What is happening?]
[This is not a martial technique; it’s a space transfer spell. The one who assassinated the Heavenly Mysterious Woman’s disciples wants to duel me.]
Boom!
In the next moment, I realized I had appeared in an unknown space. The area was scattered with thousands of amulets, and it was just void with no ground beneath me. Nevertheless, I could stand still due to my mastery of Heavenly Sovereign and Void Walking techniques.
After a brief moment, something began to slowly reveal itself in the amulet-filled void formed by the Eight Trigrams.
Sssssss
The being had an incredibly bizarre appearance. Symbols that seemed to represent Yin and Yang and the Eight Trigrams clung to its entire body, and though it had two arms and two legs like a human, they appeared to be limbs taken from entirely different creatures. Sprouting from its back were what looked like pure white wings, floating in the air. Its “face” was obscured behind a dark mask.
The most peculiar thing was the blue-red jade floating around its body, spiraling in size.
No matter how I looked at it, it was not human.
‘Did this thing bring Yeodong-bin and me to this space?’
As I glared at the creature, it spoke in a mysterious voice.
[The Divine Sword Master, Yeodong-bin. The renowned number one among the Eight Immortals… Heh heh… I wanted to duel with you one-on-one fifty years ago, but you unexpectedly vanished, disappointing me.]
“Who are you?”
[Heh heh heh. You must have already guessed my true identity. Did you fear me and hastily transform yourself into the Divine Sword?]
“I asked who you are.”
Sssssss
“……”
[Yeon-ja of the Divine Sword, I will take this as your acceptance to represent me in battle.]
An overwhelming killing intent enveloped me. If it hadn’t been for my state surpassing Peak Expert, I might have immediately stiffened at that killing intent. Realizing that the opponent was a tremendous master, I further sharpened my senses until the opponent spoke again.
[I am Yocheon-gun of the Ten Heavenly Generals of Golden Crow! I will kill you and trample the pride of the Kunlun Celestial Realm.]
“……!!”
Ten Heavenly Generals of Golden Crow?!
That term refers to the highest-ranking beings on Golden Crow Island, a heaven that opposes the Celestial Realm filled with monster immortals. I had encountered the Ten Heavenly Generals twice—a time when Dalgi summoned them and another when I fought against Son Cheon-gun’s blood transformation when I visited Golden Crow Island.
From my previous experiences, the members of the Ten Heavenly Generals are on par with the Eight Immortals, powerful figures I could never defeat head-on with my past capabilities.
‘Yeodong-bin! Why did you pass this duel onto me…’
Moreover, I had heard that Yocheon-gun is the one close to being the leader among the Ten Heavenly Generals, a master of Yin-Yang techniques. If I fought against such a fierce monster sage, the outcome would undoubtedly be defeat.
Feeling grim, I decided to question Yocheon-gun.
“Yocheon-gun! Why did you assassinate the Heavenly Mysterious Woman’s disciples at the behest of the Queen Mother of the West? You and the Golden Crow are not in an adversarial relationship with the Celestial Realm!”
[Heh heh heh… Why should I tell you that?]
Frustrated, I shouted.
“If you don’t tell me, I’ll kill you!”
[…What?]
Yocheon-gun appeared shocked, but I was not joking. With just a single Command of the Evil Spirit, he could wipe me out. It was a waste for him not to use that. Thinking of my words as mere bravado, Yocheon-gun chuckled.
[Ha ha ha… You’ve got spirit. If you can defeat me in this duel, I shall tell you.]
“Keep that promise.”
At this point, I had no choice but to rely on Yeodong-bin’s Divine Sword abilities, fighting and defeating this man to escape this strange space.
Boom!
I rushed toward Yocheon-gun as soon as the battle commenced, stabbing forward. Of course, with the Divine Sword in hand, I had access to Yeodong-bin’s combat experience and martial abilities, so I didn’t think my chances were too low. With a ferocious thrust infused with my intimidating presence, Yocheon-gun immediately summoned an Eight Trigrams barrier to block my strike.
Clang!
[Ha ha ha… Do you think you can pierce through a barrier like this with just a single sword strike?]
Seeing that I couldn’t breach the defense, Yocheon-gun laughed boastfully, but I frowned.
‘If it had been Yeodong-bin instead of me earlier, he would have pierced through.’
No matter how much I leveraged Yeodong-bin’s combat experience and skills with the Divine Sword, there was a limit. I couldn’t match the real capabilities of Yeodong-bin directly. Most importantly, it was fatal that I hadn’t reached the Absolute Realm, which prevented me from fully utilizing the martial arts associated with it.
Thud thud!
Soon after, thousands of talismans rained down like light from all directions, but I used the Moon-Style Defense Technique to evade and deflect them. This seemed to irritate Yocheon-gun.
[You dodge well!]
‘Is there a gap there?’
While avoiding, I sensed an opening and aimed for Yocheon-gun’s neck. Just when I thought I had struck, I realized it was merely an illusion, and I felt a flood of talismans rushing toward me again.
Boom!
At that moment, I suddenly believed I had recognized Yocheon-gun’s actual location, and I stabbed at an empty space in the air. I could not explain why, but it felt like the conclusion drawn from the countless battles Yeodong-bin fought had led to this judgment.
Thump!
[Ugh! This brat…]
Yocheon-gun, visibly surprised, retreated while spilling blue blood from his neck. He then summoned a malevolent aura, shouting,
[Given this, I have no choice… You shall now face my curse!!]
“What?!”
[Even if it costs me millennia of cultivation, I will not permit defeat.]
A curse?!
Before I could even process what was happening, a surge of crimson energy spat out from Yocheon-gun’s mouth and shot towards me. As it was a curse, I found it impossible to dodge or defend against, even with Yeodong-bin’s techniques, and soon, my body was ensnared by the ominous red curse energy.
Crackle!
“Ugh!”
I began to stagger as my entire body felt as if it was boiling alive. Yet, Yocheon-gun also seemed impaired after unleashing the curse, his body shaking and shrinking as he stood. Just as I was immersed in excruciating pain, I unexpectedly heard Yeodong-bin’s voice.
[Well done, Yeon-ja! Now focus your mind and concentrate on the Heavenly Escape Sword Technique.]
[Yeodong-bin… What happened?]
Calmly, Yeodong-bin responded.
[For fifty years, I suspected that the one who harmed the Heavenly Mysterious Woman’s disciples would be a member of the Ten Heavenly Generals. For reasons I cannot explain, I anticipated he would confront me one day, filled with pride. But fighting him barehanded would lead to mutual destruction, so I had to rely on your assistance.]
[What are you saying?]
[While I can take down each of the Ten Heavenly Generals individually, they are monster sages who have cultivated for millennia, capable of imbuing their life force into wicked curses. No matter how powerful a Great Immortal you are, you cannot escape annihilation from such a curse.]
[……!!]
[Moreover, I’m not adept in sorcery, so I cannot dispel it. That’s why I needed to apply the sword technique.]
So Yocheon-gun had that ability?
Yeodong-bin shouted strongly.
[Absorb that curse while invoking the Heavenly Escape Sword Technique! We will survive by uniting our spirit power!]
[Yes!]
I envisioned the Heavenly Escape Sword Technique in my mind, channeling the strength of the Divine Sword fiercely. The Essence of the Heart invoked the mysterious energy, starting to purify the curse’s power within me. I untangled it with Release and elevated the energy of the Eight Extraordinary Vessels.
‘Incredible…’
I felt the Heavenly Escape Sword Technique absorb the curse rapidly, awakening the internal power within me that had yet to be fully utilized. Just with this, my abilities surged dramatically, reaching a level several times greater than that of the Master of Zen or Elder Deung Gwak. For a short period, my strength could rival that of the Dharma Guardian of the Wind Spirit Lineage.
At the same time, I could sense how the essence of the Divine Sword deepened my understanding of Thunder God lineage sword techniques, perhaps due to my resonance with Yeodong-bin, gaining his battle experience as a form of cultivation achievement.
‘Ugh… but something still feels… lacking…’
While I made progress, I still felt unable to step into the Absolute Realm.
Indeed.
There was something fundamentally missing, keeping me from entering despite fulfilling all other requirements —
Swoosh!
When I regained my composure, I saw Yeodong-bin infusing great strength into the Divine Sword. It was a signal like a single blow to end it all. The Yocheon-gun, across from me, appeared greatly alarmed.
[No… This cannot be! How are you alive after enduring my curse?]
“Yocheon-gun. If you keep your promise, you can survive this.”
[Ugh…]
Yocheon-gun appeared diminished from the aftermath of unleashing his powerful curse, looking weak and unfit to fight any longer. He seemed resigned as he said,
[The reason our Ten Heavenly Generals allied with the Queen Mother of the West… it was for Dalgi.]
“What? What are you…?”
[The Queen Mother of the West promised she would release the barrier binding Dalgi, nothing more.]
My eyes widened as I recalled seeing that immense chain and barrier binding Dalgi. The Queen Mother of the West had employed the Ten Heavenly Generals of Golden Crow in secret to assassinate the Heavenly Mysterious Woman’s disciples, using it as leverage to break that binding.
[Heh heh… Then I shall take my leave… consider today my defeat…]
Just then,
Unbelievable!
[AHHHHHHH!]
Suddenly, the Divine Sword flew into the air on its own and pierced through Yocheon-gun’s forehead. The rapid surprise attack was so unforeseen that Yocheon-gun had no time to block or evade. With a final scream, he disintegrated, and the Divine Sword returned to my hand, where Yeodong-bin stated,
[No one just walks away like that. The Ten Heavenly Generals must all be slain, Yeon-ja.]
I realized then that I was the only one who had made a promise to Yocheon-gun.
I couldn’t help but wonder if Yeodong-bin was truly this merciless.