NOVEL NEXT Chapter 707
00707——————==
Dark Heaven Village
It was quite a task for the Sword Demon to understand Berus’s words. This was not a matter of martial arts or the martial world, but of mythical and sorcerous tales. Yet, thanks to his sharp intellect, he managed to grasp the minimum facts and said to Berus,
“So this guy sealed in the [Grave of the God] is a being capable of erasing everything on the surface in one go…?”
“Indeed. And even if it is a god, such beings are limited. They are not commonplace even in myths. Therefore, I think…”
Berus hesitated, wanting to say something but then shutting his mouth.
“…Is there not enough evidence to say something?”
After a moment of contemplation, Berus spoke again.
“Sword Demon. However, using the seal below to negotiate with Musashi is impossible.”
“Hmm.”
“I encountered Musashi directly; he is a fighting demon governed solely by the extreme emotions of ‘fighting.’ Whether he perishes or not is irrelevant to him.”
“That much is clear.”
The Sword Demon already knew that without Berus stating it. The Sword Demon, who had clashed swords with Musashi, understood better than anyone else what emotional state the warrior was in. Threatening such an opponent with mutual destruction would hold no weight whatsoever.
But—then what should he do?
Knowing that breaking the seal below would lead to the world’s destruction was useless information at the moment. If he were the reborn Baek Woong, he might be able to leverage this information for significant progress later, but at present, it meant nothing. The Sword Demon pondered for a while before saying to Berus,
“Berus. How can you pass on the memories of time reversal to me?”
“I can inherit the memories of just one person other than myself and rewind the cycle of time.”
“I see that now. That’s why Hyea was unaware.”
Nodding, the Sword Demon continued,
“If I fail this time, can you pass on Hyea’s memories instead of mine?”
Caught off guard by the unexpected suggestion, Berus tilted his head.
“That’s an odd choice. That woman possesses excellent martial skills, but she doesn’t compare to you.”
“There’s a reason. Please.”
“If that’s the case, I’ll make an attempt.”
“We will descend once more, so please delay for us.”
“Understood.”
An absurdly slim chance of victory in a fight.
But within that battle, the Sword Demon was able to find a thread of hope.
Normally, even the experienced Asura master like the Sword Demon would not be able to keep his mental strength intact and think clearly in such a desperate fight. However, he felt strangely calm in his mind and mused,
“Is this the influence of inheriting Baek Woong’s memories?”
The Sword Demon had pride in having gone through his share of chaos, but he knew he couldn’t compare to the reborn Baek Woong. Baek Woong had actually died 23 times and faced threats far exceeding that count. Knowing how much someone changes even after just a couple of near-death experiences, the Sword Demon could fully realize that Baek Woong’s remarkable mental strength surpassed human limits. Compared to all the hardships that Baek Woong had endured, this situation felt rather ordinary and thus allowed him to remain calm.
“Then I shall stop Musashi again.”
“Please do. Just hold him off for a meal.”
“I’ll do it.”
*Thud!*
The Sword Demon and Seo Mun-hye used Berus’s space transmission to return to the lowest level of the [Grave of the God]. This time, however, they arrived at the bottom level in one go, aware that they had gained time thanks to their previous visit.
Seo Mun-hye asked,
“Father, what strategy do we have?”
“Hyea.”
“Yes?”
“You possess the bloodline and power of mythology. You must already know this.”
“Yes…”
“Indeed, Zhuge Sa once hinted to me. He stated that the reason why only you have manifested the powers of myth is due to the ‘ancestral return’ phenomenon.”
“Ancestral return?”
As Seo Mun-hye seemed puzzled, the Sword Demon continued,
“It’s a phenomenon where, after dozens or hundreds of generations, the lineage and temperament of the ancestors manifest. Perhaps your mother’s clan, the Seo clan, inherited the blood of the giant race long ago, and by an extreme coincidence, this trait has manifested in you. Your white hair might be due to that.”
“…”
“You don’t see receiving that power as a curse, yet I do. Even while saying this now… I can’t help but resent Heaven for making my daughter, of all people, be linked to the bitter truth of that cursed mythology.”
“Father…”
The Sword Demon’s eyes were soaked in sorrow. At this moment, he was drowning in an immense feeling of powerlessness and despair as a father. Although he knew it would help Baek Woong, he couldn’t help but feel frustrated knowing what his blood relation would have to endure moving forward.
“But since it has come to this, I have decided to believe that Baek Woong will resolve everything and take advantage of that fact.”
“What are you planning?”
“Hyea. You said that when you pull out that spear, a divine being scolded you. Then let’s do this.”
As the Sword Demon quietly revealed his plan, Seo Mun-hye was taken aback. It was a recklessly bold scheme, akin to something Baek Woong or Zhuge Sa might devise. Seo Mun-hye exclaimed,
“Father! If we fail, it will be dire. We might even end up dead alongside Berus…”
“From my perspective, Berus is not an easy opponent. He appears weak because he’s trying to protect us, but if he gives it his all, he could shake the balance of the powers of Heaven and Earth. It would be impossible to kill him with human strength.”
“…”
“He isn’t someone Musashi could deal with, nor are we in a position to worry about him. We must focus on our own concerns first.”
Seo Mun-hye replied,
“What concerns me is that if we fail, I alone will carry the last chance for reversal. I cannot think of a strategy to face Musashi.”
“Don’t worry about that either. You won’t be going alone.”
“Pardon?”
“I didn’t tell Zhuge Sa, who isn’t a martial artist, but I have a hypothesis. Now is the opportunity to prove it.”
Saying this, the Sword Demon assumed a meditative posture. Quietly, he opened his eyes halfway and began to enter a state of utmost concentration, while Seo Mun-hye, observing her father, clenched her fist tightly.
“I must do this.”
She understood that her father had confidently stated a plan full of holes to reassure her. The odds of failure were several times higher than those of success, and the burden weighing on the Sword Demon’s heart must be several dozen times greater than what was visible. Nonetheless, the Sword Demon had resolved to shoulder that burden and walk the path that leads to his death.
For some reason.
This was the heart of a father.
In this moment, Seo Mun-hye’s resolve to stake her life was not just words. She decided to persist and seek a path where both she and her father could survive.
*Thud!*
As the Sword Demon’s concentration intensified, Seo Mun-hye dashed toward the spear rack and began pulling out the spears one by one. She felt they were coming out much more easily than before, and she sensed the cold aura from the spear rack had noticeably lessened.
Just as she pulled out the third spear, a voice echoed just like before.
[How dare!! Giant race, did you interfere with my seal to save your kind? Stay still; I shall come to capture you soon. However, if you withdraw from pulling that spear, I will consider granting you one chance!]
Seo Mun-hye gritted her teeth at the painfully loud voice. After waiting for the headache to subside, she gathered her focus and replied to the voice.
[O Great One! I will cease pulling the spear. I apologize for my rudeness, and instead, I have but one request!]
Perhaps taken aback by her response, the distant being fell silent for a moment. Shortly after, it spoke to her in a somewhat chilling tone.
[Upon closer inspection, the human possesses traits of a giant. What kind of request does a hybrid like you wish to make?]
The entity seemed willing to engage in conversation. After all, since she wasn’t purely human but a ‘hybrid,’ it deemed her worth conversing with rather than treating her like a mere insect. Seo Mun-hye addressed the being, who referred to itself as ‘the main body.’
[There is a being possessed by an [Old Ruler] who seeks to kill me. Please eliminate that being.]
[Oh…]
After a brief silence, the entity spoke in a mocking tone.
[A newcomer from afar dares to create chaos here. Such a being must be exterminated.]
Had it accepted her request?
Seo Mun-hye breathed a sigh of relief internally, but her heart sank when the next words followed.
[However, that body will henceforth belong to me, and your soul will become part of the Ten Thousand Ghosts Palace. You shall serve me eternally in the Ten Thousand Ghosts Palace. Will you accept this contract?]
To be bound to the Ten Thousand Ghosts Palace for eternity meant there would be no hope for salvation in the afterlife, and one would live as a spirit feasting on human flesh. It was uncertain how much suffering she would endure through that process, and perhaps there would be despair beyond what a human could imagine.
Seo Mun-hye had anticipated that such a proposal would be made. Thus, she replied as the Sword Demon had advised her.
[That is unacceptable.]
[Then I cannot lend you my strength.]
[In that case, I will pull out all the spears. Either way, it will end the same.]
[What did you say!?]
[What will you do then?]
At her words, the entity seemed to bubble over with anger, growling like an angry beast before apparently reconsidering.
[Quite audacious! But you appear capable, so I shall lend you my strength just this once.]
[Thank you.]
The entity sneered.
[Can you even afford to be grateful…]
*Whoosh!*
In the next instant, Seo Mun-hye sensed her consciousness fading, and she could feel a colossal ‘something’ descending from a distant dimension. As her awareness suddenly flew away, she screamed as if she were being pushed away from the Manjangan Cliff. Her body was no longer her own, and dozens of spirits rushed out to pull her soul toward the Ten Thousand Ghosts Palace. Seo Mun-hye realized that with the descent of the great being, her soul had been cast into the Ten Thousand Ghosts Palace.
I don’t want to go.
However, amidst the lack of assistance, she began to understand what path she had chosen.
The path of Asura.
Baek Woong’s final choice was, for an ordinary being, a road leading to living hell. If it had been Baek Woong, he would not have dealt with her so roughly, but evidently, Seo Mun-hye’s actions seemed to have offended the other party.
“I must endure…”
Seo Mun-hye strained with all her might to keep her soul anchored in this world. Even though she had the blood of the divine race, recklessly borrowing the power of divinity resulted in tragic consequences.
*Thud!*
[Hmm.]
Simultaneously, the being that had taken over Seo Mun-hye’s body glanced at the meditating Sword Demon before ignoring him and moving downward into the earth. For that entity, a mere human was equivalent to a bug, so there was no reason to pay attention.
Upon reaching the ground, ‘the being’ could see the battle unfolding between the two entities. The Sorcerer of the Western Jesuit Order, Berus, and the monstrous Miyamoto Musashi fought with a nearly one-sided dynamic. Miyamoto Musashi persistently attempted to smite Berus with overwhelming force, but all Berus could do was endure behind his dark protective barrier. Yet, even Berus’s barrier began to show signs of cracking as if it had its limits.
The being stretched out both arms and cast its power toward its target.
*Boom!*
Time was manipulated, causing the monstrous Musashi to stagger back. In an instant, time froze, and dozens of shadow blades materialized to strike, which even Musashi’s fortitude could not withstand. The monstrous Musashi’s gaze landed on the newly revealed Seo Mun-hye, and he growled,
[You… what do you think you’re doing…]
With that, the entity possessing Seo Mun-hye replied with disdain.
[I have no intention of talking to the likes of you. Whoever trespassed into my territory, step forward.]
*Crack! Crack!*
The moment those words finished, Musashi’s human face became buried within the body of the monstrous beast-like entity, and a dragon-like reptilian head emerged in its place. Shortly thereafter, Musashi’s entire form transformed, no longer bearing any trace of humanity.
The true essence that turned the deceased Musashi into a monster emerged as Musashi’s persona was forced outward. The dragon-shaped being laughed hoarsely.
[Hehehe. Are you here to play with me this time? To protect your trifling territory? I know that lands like this mean nothing to either of us.]
The entity that had descended upon Seo Mun-hye retorted coldly.
[Silence. I am not one to be mocked by your kind; it would be best for you to shut your mouth. It is fine to play with toys, but do not forget the nature of our relationship.]
[Hmm. I suppose. I apologize for my rudeness.]
Surprisingly, the dragon being obediently apologized. This was because the entity before him was not something that could be mocked. To hastily provoke it could lead to harm reaching its true body. The dragon being squinted its eyes and said,
[I am the Lord of Destruction, the one who ignited a hundred stars! It is not my intention to genuinely battle you, the five emperors, Jeon Wook.]
[I’m glad you’ve grasped your place.]
And indeed.
The being that had descended upon Seo Mun-hye was none other than the sovereign Jeon Wook of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors!
Once a ruler of the North, Jeon Wook claimed this desolate plain as his territory, and through certain circumstances, he created the seal known as the [Grave of the God]. Now, at the behest of Seo Mun-hye, he was summoned by her as a servant to this very place.