NOVEL NEXT Chapter 258
258th Chapter: The Beginning of the Final Battle
Death settled over Baekdusan. The sky, choked with blood-red clouds, split apart to reveal a crimson hue.
However, the sky was stained with red. Like blood tears that seemed ready to drip down, dark red stars ominously twinkled above.
“Star of the Reversed Sky…!”
Sinseung said in a low voice, his words trembling.
The Star of the Reversed Sky.
A grotesque star symbolizing the Demon of Blood rose in the sky, radiating a foreboding red light.
Simultaneously, a dreadful presence was felt beyond Birong Pokpo and in the Heavenly Pool.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
The water that once boasted first-class purity, good enough to drink, had turned dark and putrid, stinking foully. Rotting liquid, resembling decayed bodily fluids, flowed from the waterfall, filling the air with a stench akin to a garbage dump.
Dying vegetation, crumbling rocks, and animals turned to bones could be seen.
I swallowed hard.
We all understood without saying a word.
The Demon of Blood.
He was at the peak of Baekdusan, in the Heavenly Pool beyond Birong Pokpo.
“Let’s go.”
I spoke, parting my dry lips.
Yeah.
We had to go.
No matter the outcome, we had to reach the Heavenly Pool. We couldn’t let fear consume us.
Hyeongyeong wasn’t a mere plaything.
“I shall accompany you. Goeryong.”
Cheonma said, his gaze directed at the Heavenly Pool. He was the Cheonma who had once been an unrivaled power. A cruel man who lost his humanity and even killed his daughter, who had revolted against him.
That’s how I had thought of him. The intelligence I had received about Cheonma was limited to that.
But upon meeting him directly in this life, I realized.
In his previous life, Cheonma must have only recognized his humanity after he killed his daughter’s forsaken soul. He would have descended into despair and helplessness. I was sure of it. Cheonma led a tragic life in his past.
That must have been the case.
But not in this life. Acknowledging his humanity, Cheonma had discarded his solitary existence. He was traveling with others. Was that a positive change?
And Goeryong, not some grotesque creature. I didn’t understand why they continued to call him that until the very end.
“I want to go too.”
Sahyeong stood beside me.
Geomseong Yujinhwi.
The world’s best from a previous life. The head of the resurrected Gongdong Sect.
I was surprised when I learned that she was female, not male. But regardless of her gender, she remained my beloved Sahyeong. She was the one who had spent the longest time with me in this life.
“Amitabha. I’ll go with you.”
Sinseung, the Male Won-geuk Dae-sa.
The foremost figure of the orthodox faction in his past life. He had transferred the position of the orthodox leader to Yujinhwi and chosen to enter the temple after passing on all his knowledge to his disciple.
As the master of the Heavenly Alliance, he had faced the Blood Sect in secrecy for long years.
Unlike his previous life, he now stood proudly beside me as a member of the Demon of Blood’s assault group.
I did not know what was on Sinseung’s mind after he chose to enter the temple in his former life. Was the future I altered the right one?
“I will follow the path.”
Thud.
Geumhu drew her blade with her silver hair flying. Geumhu Eun Seol-ran. In her previous life, she had been unable to escape the edge ofHwakyung.
But in this life, she reached Hyeongyeong. Unlike in her past, she accepted my challenge, seeing me as her superior now.
Will she be happier in this life compared to being single in the past?
I couldn’t say for sure.
But I would make sure she was happy. Across both lives.
Once this battle ended, I would repay her for her feelings.
Truth be told, I hadn’t thought about how adorable Geumhu could be. Her diary contents were, considering her age, rather girlish.
More girlish than the post-stimulation indicators. That was Geumhu.
“Before me stands the traitor to the Empire! I shall stand with you!”
Bang!
The colossal figure of Cheonranggaek slammed his halberd into the ground. He landed beside me.
Cheonranggaek Jo Nam-pyeong.
Now the most skilled in the Imperial Palace, he had been the previous top master of the Imperial Palace in his past life.
I still remembered the words he left after losing to me in a duel when I reached Hyeongyeong.
He had said that the protection of the Emperor, the imperial family, and the empire was now on my shoulders. He’d smiled brightly while patting my shoulder, leaving me with the responsibility of becoming the next top master of the Imperial Palace.
In this life, he continued holding firm in the position of the Imperial Palace’s top master, perhaps simply because I was absent.
If there were no special circumstances, unlike in the past, he probably wouldn’t retire and continue maintaining the title in this life.
“If my dad goes, then Jiyagi will go too.”
The Small Demon, in the body of a little girl, quickly unfolded her light-footedness. Every step she took left a trail of frost.
Sosumahu.
She was likely the person whose life had changed the most in the future I altered. In her past life, she had been used as a ghoul and died during the Demon Sect’s internal strife, but in this life, she was neither a ghoul nor bound by the Gold Restriction.
I wasn’t sure if she was truly liberated.
“I will follow Gaga as well.”
Finally, Jeoksawol appeared. Her beautiful face and ruby-like red eyes shone. A decadent beauty, the most beautiful in the world. In her past life, she had lived alone, unable to trust anyone.
She was abandoned by her mother and master. She had every reason not to trust anyone. I could understand her distrust, having been part of the Inner Palace.
Her situation was far worse than mine.
While I at least had the trustworthy Hwang Sang, Jeoksawol had no one she could rely on.
Perhaps her numerous alternate personalities and concepts were manifestations of her trauma.
However, in this life, I had become the object of her trust. Whether her trauma was entirely healed or her distrust diminished, I was unsure.
I am a grown man. I had to be a support for my woman.
Everyone had gathered.
‘So these are the masters of Hyeongyeong.’
The absolute masters of the Martial World, culminating in Jeongsama, had assembled, yet the reality was…
Outwardly impressive, but were they just a bunch of misfits?
Truly a dazzling lineup.
Not like a group project or anything. Thankfully, their skills were certainly something to rely on.
‘They say only mutants can reach Hyeongyeong and it seems they are right. I’m the only normal one here.’
I’m more than normal. The color spectrum is just the expression of innate human desires. Yup. That’s right.
I turned my back after taking a look around.
No more words were necessary.
I kicked off the ground and leaped into action, unfolding the Defensive Technique of Flowing Cloud and Water.
Seven masters of Hyeongyeong followed suit, unleashing their light-footedness behind me.
The cliffs of Birong Pokpo were quite tall, but to us, the absolute masters of Hyeongyeong, it was nothing more than a low wall.
Whooosh!
With the sound of the wind, we quickly leaped over the cliff and finally reached the Heavenly Pool.
At the summit of Baekdusan, surrounded by peaks like a castle wall, lay a caldera lake.
Heavenly Pool.
This sacred place of Baekdusan was now stained in blood. Bubbling… bubbling… bubbling…
Bubbles rose from the waters of the Heavenly Pool. The overwhelming Qi surged from the surface, causing my skin to tingle. An immense pressure engulfed my entire body.
In the center of the bubbling Heavenly Pool, a blood-red light pulsed ominously. It emanated the overwhelming source of Qi that pressured my entire being.
Whooshhhh!
The wind began to howl.
[Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!]
Amidst the wind, a maniacal laugh echoed. Roarrr!
Red lightning struck the surface from the crimson clouds.
“Ugh!”
“Cough!”
Flap.
A tempest of mixed energies swept through. We tried to resist by gathering our powers, but it was too overwhelming. The storm raged with a force so fierce we couldn’t keep our eyes open or steady ourselves. The Demon of Blood hadn’t even revealed his true self.
Yet, with just his presence, he was causing disaster. Compared to the previous formations, he wielded a level of might that was beyond comprehension.
I activated the Joining and Parting Divine Skill. From my fingertips, the power that defied the laws of physics rose, dispersing the Qi storm. As the storm reversed, the swirling wind pierced through the blood-red clouds.
“Everyone, position yourselves…!!”
In the fleeting gap created by the Joining and Parting Divine Skill.
I poured all my power into my voice, screaming until my throat felt torn. Together, everyone rushed to take their places.
The Heavenly Martial Formation was the formation deployed by the eight masters of Hyeongyeong. Each of us occupied a different direction as the start of the Heavenly Martial Formation.
What Blood Demon was scheming under the Heavenly Pool, I couldn’t know, but there was no obligation to wait until his transformation was complete.
Hearing my command, Cheonma, Sinseung, Cheonranggaek, Sosumahu, Geumhu, Jeoksawol, and Sahyeong rushed to take positions around the Heavenly Pool.
I planted my hands on the ground and stood up. And then I closed my eyes.
In the emptiness of my mind’s world, a single sword was embedded.
Like Excalibur lodged in a rock, that sword represented the pinnacle of my cultivated color spectrum. It symbolized the giant essence that penetrated everything.
The Ten Years Polished One Sword.
I drew the Ten Years Polished One Sword. I opened my eyes.
Swishhhh!
Qi erupted from my whole body. The powers of Primordial Unity Energy Technique radiated forth. I unsheathed the sword at my waist.
Kwaaaaaaaang!
With a tremendous roar, a light sword, mingling black and white, was drawn. It was accompanied by a giant pine tree, symbolizing a grand individual, rising from my back.
[Ten Years Polished One Sword]
As the sword of a grand individual was drawn, the incantation of my mind’s martial arts engraved itself into the world. I released the sword from my hand. The Ten Years Polished One Sword soared into the sky next to me, spinning around. It was not just me.
[Void of Extremes]
Eight incantations of the mind’s martial arts echoed simultaneously.
With vacant eyes, Sahyeong had the desolate gray landscape unfurling behind her. The strength of the Void erupted from Sahyeong’s sword. The essence of the Void she had learned in the Demon Sect expanded to the northwest.
[Diamond Grace]
Swishhhh!
Right beside Sahyeong, Sosumahu raised her sword, claiming the northern position. Her mind’s martial arts was embedded in the world. Adorned in transparent frozen armor sparkling like jewels, Sosumahu touched the ground, turning the area into a frozen wasteland. Her white hair danced in the blizzard.
[Infinite Independent Existence]
In the northeastern position stood Cheonma, his arms crossed, chanting with arrogance. His black hair soared toward the sky, dancing freely. The universe dwelled in Cheonma’s hair. His head turned dark blue, sparkles of starlight flickering within.
His mind’s martial arts declared himself as the world, a distinctive manifestation of Cheonma that focused all his power, unprojected onto the greater universe. Cheonma opened his eyes. His Heavenly Horse Divine Eye shone with the cosmos.
Cheonma laughed as he gazed at the hidden Demon of Blood.
[Beginningless and Endless]
In the western position, Sinseung opened his eyes, rolling his beads. The golden Anti-Demon Magic Power sparkled in his eyes. Sinseung’s prowess shone bright. He floated above the heavens, a golden lotus seat appearing beneath him.
A giant golden Dharma wheel emerged behind him, gleaming as it spun like the sun.
Beginningless and Endless. The truth of infinity manifested in the teachings of the Buddha. The Dharma wheel symbolizing those teachings spun, radiating the infinite light of Anti-Demon Magic Power.
[Transcendental Purity in Mired Place]
To the southwest stood Geumhu. As she raised her sword to unfold her mind’s martial arts, brilliant lotus flowers bloomed atop the dead Baekdusan peak.
On the largest lotus amidst a swamp covered with countless lotuses, Geumhu stood, radiant with Udumbara flowers fluttering behind her. As she raised her sword, the fragrance of the lotus permeated far and wide.
[Heavenly Pillar Unmoving]
Then, a thunderous incantation of mind’s martial arts rang out. Boom! To the southeast, Cheonranggaek slammed his halberd into the ground. A golden beam of light descended from above, wrapping around his body.
Cheonranggaek laughed heartily. Light armor enveloped him. The tip of his halberd transformed into a golden hue. The light column descending from above adorned him like a halo. The Heavenly Pillar, quite literally, was a pillar of the heavens.
Boom!
As Cheonranggaek, bearing the Heavenly Pillar aloft, struck the ground again, the earth trembled. Clad in shining armor, he transformed into a divine general. The manifestation of his absolute defense, seen in his past life, resurfaced in this one.
[Eight Great Hells]
A chant reverberated from the south.
With it, hell manifested. The King of the Eight Great Hells stood amid the eight extreme hells.
Yeomwang Jeoksawol.
The queen of the demon faction took her throne in hell. Her iron weapon radiated a blood-red energy.
And to the east, there I was, wielding the soul of the Ten Years Polished One Sword. At that moment, the eight worlds unfolded simultaneously.
Rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble!
A tremendous sound echoed. The sky trembled and the earth shook. The crimson clouds lifted in a heartbeat, transforming our view. Above Baekdusan, the universe unfurled. An endless expanse of deep blue space twinkled with countless stars shining down on Baekdusan. The previously bubbling surface of the Heavenly Pool calmed to a tranquil stillness.
Heavenly Martial Formation.
Based on the eight mind’s martial arts occupying all directions, the supreme formation connecting each of our small universes was initiated.
As our mind’s martial arts intertwined, our consciousness linked with one another. The eight small universes meshed together and began to rotate like interlocking gears. Within that, the large universe bloomed. The formation completely isolated Baekdusan from reality.
Starlight poured down from the universe, showering us even as the profound presence lent us strength.
[Is that all you have?]
An ominous voice rose from the Heavenly Pool.
[Is that your total power?]
At that moment, the once-calm Heavenly Pool began to churn.
Whooooshhhhhh!
A column of water pierced the sky from the center of the Heavenly Pool. It was a dragon ascending. A blood-red dragon shot through the cosmic heavens above Baekdusan.
From the shattered universe, a sinister starlight emerged, unlike the warm light we had seen until now. It was a malevolent star. No longer just a distant star.
It was the sun.
The sun of the Reversed Sky rose. Its light rained down on the swirling dragon. Then, through it, a figure emerged.
It was a man.
With black hair cascading down to his waist and pale skin, he calmly licked his scarlet lips with a mischievous allure. His effeminate beauty had cracks across his white skin, resembling shattered pottery.
From those cracks, overwhelming vigor surged.
A power that eclipsed all, aiming to crush the Heavenly Martial Formation constructed by the eight masters of Hyeongyeong with sheer strength stood there.
The Demon of Blood.
Flash.
He opened his eyes. His blood-red gaze flickered ominously.
The Demon of Blood looked at us and proclaimed, “Then, let me witness that power head-on.”
His voice rolled through the air. With it, the Heavenly Pool began to whirl. He laughed. The cracks engraved on his body glowed red and throbbed.
“I shall enjoy your performance, a grand honor.”
In the midst of the black universe, under the ominously burning sun of the Reversed Sky, I threw the Ten Years Polished One Sword straight at the smiling Demon of Blood.
The final battle had begun.