Chapter 214: Let's Find Out

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Blue flames suddenly swallowed up Gal Jung-heon’s form whole.

A massive wave of green flame.

‘KEUK!’

‘AAAT!’

At the moment when Namgung Sang-rin and Hae Su-yeon were aghast.

KKWAKWAKWANG- KKWAKWAKWANG-!

The remaining two cloaked figures also swelled like pouches fully inflated with wind and burst out.

HWAAAAAAAAAK- HWAREUREUREUREU-K-!

Terrifying heat force and wind pressure instantly covered the space.

As blue flames thus raged fiercely.

HUHUHUHUHUHUNG-!

A rapid wind sound rang out, and the blue flames and cloudy dust were swept up in a great whirlwind and shot up into the void.

It was Cheol Ryu-heun who had emitted formidable formless air current.

Following that, his indifferent voice leaked out from between his lips.

“An interesting method of suicide.”

Namgung Sang-rin and Hae Su-yeon, demonstrating their outstanding skills, had already retreated to the rear.

Gal Jung-heon, who had received the explosive force directly, had also fortunately preserved his body intact.

Thanks to the Demon-Devouring Sword’s strange and mysterious Hungry Ghost Energy.

The power that automatically protected a highly qualified owner.

The large hungry ghost-shaped energy had swallowed up its master Gal Jung-heon’s form.

In truth, it had been a dangerous moment.

Because it was an unexpected, sudden explosion.

Soon, Gal Jung-heon dissipated the Hungry Ghost Energy and sheathed the Demon-Devouring Sword.

‘HM, the explosion of innate true energy staking one’s life isn’t it…’

Typically, when a martial artist begins triggering innate true energy, silver-white radiance blooms from their entire body.

However, the cloaked figure was different.

Forget silver-white radiance, there had been absolutely no sign of any kind.

His body had just quickly swelled up and burst in the span of a single breath.

The vast green flame was also questionable, and the instantaneous power exceeded the level of innate true energy explosion.

Had they been harboring another kind of power inside their bodies?

The chain explosions were also quite puzzling.

It felt like something was connected as one.

As if the first explosion transmitted some strange signal and triggered them successively.

Right at that moment, Cheol Ryu-heun’s gaze settled on the ground.

SQUIRM SQUIRM.

Because he saw a blue bug shaped like a leech lying at the spot where the cloaked figure’s body had burst.

Gal Jung-heon was the same.

He discovered an identical bug squirming nearby.

The bug was quite sizeable.

Even by rough estimation, it was nearly the size of an adult’s palm.

“Gu poison…!”

Simultaneously with Gal Jung-heon’s murmur, Cheol Ryu-heun nodded.

“Yes. A wicked sorcery.”

Gu poison generally referred to a type of witchcraft that puts parasites classified as toxic creatures inside a person’s body to dominate their mind and body.

Namgung Sang-rin and Hae Su-yeon, having approached, spoke while furrowing their brows.

“Gu poison is a taboo of the martial world, so who on earth…”

“Then you mean that triggered the explosion?”

“Probably.”

Cheol Ryu-heun replied briefly and crouched down in front of the bug.

Noticeably slowed squirming.

It was clearly dying after causing the explosion.

Sure enough.

CHICHIK, CHICHIK… BUGLEUBUKGEUL, BUGLEUBUKGEUL…

The squirming bug generated countless bubbles and rapidly melted into mush.

The bugs that had been inside those Gal Jung-heon had been watching and those Hae Su-yeon had subdued also dissolved rapidly in the same manner.

A smell disgusting enough to make one’s eyes involuntarily squint spread along the cool wind.

Cheol Ryu-heun, having quietly risen, looked at the green traces on the ground and said.

“I don’t know what group they are, but they’re meticulous. Using gu poison so that even if someone is captured alive, secrets won’t leak.”

Gal Jung-heon, having approached, tilted his head.

“Gu poison that induces explosions is the first I’ve heard of. Moreover, to even spew vast flames…”

“It’s innate true energy. That flame.”

“Pardon?”

“They parasitize the dantian, absorbing innate true energy, then explode on their own in specific situations. For example, when the host’s body begins to lose vitality, they burst all at once. The blue flame I saw earlier is probably the power combining the host’s life force – innate true energy – with the parasite’s inherent toxic energy.”

“HM… That’s a bit frightening. Most martial artists would be caught off guard.”

“We’ll have to find out.”

Cheol Ryu-heun, having said that, looked at Namgung Sang-rin’s face.

“The identity of the villains who brought destruction to the Namgung family in the past. They’re the enemies of our Guest Retainer, so how can we just stand by? We will definitely find them. No matter how long it takes.”

The moved Namgung Sang-rin slightly bowed his waist in response.

“I’m grateful just to hear those words. Sect Leader Cheol.”

“Your younger brother is already connected. So we might be able to obtain clues through him.”

“HM? What do you mean by that…”

“The sword of the mute who ambushed your brother back then was the same as what I saw today.”

“…!”

At the moment Namgung Sang-rin’s eyes widened, Cheol Ryu-heun’s hand extended.

HWIIIK-! TAK!

One of the enemy’s iron swords that had been flung far away by the explosive force was drawn by void grasping and grabbed.

“At first glance it looks ordinary, but it’s a high-quality sword.”

Just as Cheol Ryu-heun said.

The iron sword that had been caught in the powerful explosion only had its blade slightly bent; its condition was good.

“Is it a sword made of meteoric iron?”

“The color is similar, but it’s an iron beyond that. We’ll have to entrust it to a craftsman and investigate for more details.”

“Sect Leader Cheol, but to consider it the same group just from swords…”

“These guys, did they feel pain?”

“No. Their expression was completely free of pain.”

“The mute back then was similar. Even with his side pierced through, there was almost no change in expression.”

“…!”

While Namgung Sang-rin was repeatedly surprised, Gal Jung-heon added words.

“Sect Leader Cheol. The swordsman I faced was the same. If I hadn’t maximized his fear and collapsed his mind with the Hungry Ghost Energy, my secret technique, and the incomplete Soul Devouring Eye, he would have maintained an insensitive expression to the very end.”

Namgung Sang-rin, having stiffened his expression, spoke quietly.

“Heon-rin’s mission… Then do you see these people as connected to forces within the Shiwan Mountains?”

At that, Cheol Ryu-heun slightly shrugged his shoulders.

“Don’t know. Anyway, we’ll have to listen to that Heon-rin kid’s story later too. He said he would visit our sect once his mission successfully concludes.”

Then Hae Su-yeon pointed out one question.

“But what is the enemies’ true purpose?”

Namgung Sang-rin and Gal Jung-heon also found that most puzzling.

However, Cheol Ryu-heun had roughly guessed.

“A secret location where a fortuitous encounter was arranged. They were looking for that. And then they saw the path I had opened. I don’t know since when they’ve been wandering this place, but. Either way, there’s no other explanation, is there?”

At that, Hae Su-yeon and Namgung Sang-rin also nodded in agreement.

“Yes. That makes sense.”

“Well…”

Suddenly, Gal Jung-heon looked around.

“AH! What about Divine wind…?”

“Quick to look for him. No need to worry.”

Simultaneously with Cheol Ryu-heun’s indifferent voice, the figure of Divine wind by the pond’s edge entered everyone’s view.

Fortunately, his body was intact.

But had he been thirsty?

Divine wind was drinking water with his head deeply lowered, flicking his tongue.

LAP LAP…

It seems to taste good.

Seeing that, Cheol Ryu-heun murmured as if to himself.

“Wait, perhaps he’ll receive great stimulus and burst forth.”

While Gal Jung-heon and others were puzzled, not understanding what he meant.

PUREUREUK-

Divine wind, having suddenly raised his head and exhaled greatly, began FLASH FLASH emitting white light.

URUREUNG, URUREUNG…

Faintly vibrating atmosphere.

The effect of Divine wind emitting solemn formless energy.

Like that of a martial world supreme master.

‘UT!’

Right after Gal Jung-heon, Namgung Sang-rin, and Hae Su-yeon each flinched, the light Divine wind was emitting HWAK! burst.

In a flash.

“Good.”

Cheol Ryu-heun said that, seemingly pleased about something.

At that moment.

Tremendous energy was sensed within Divine wind’s body.

The party instantly intuited.

‘Yang Essence Energy!’

The so-called gift bestowed by immortals – the remaining efficacy of the thousand-year immortal ginseng had been completely manifested.

“The holy water of Demon Buddha Secret Pool probably harmonized with the efficacy of Sky Clear Stone Milk and fully awakened the yang essence energy of the thousand-year immortal ginseng.”

No sooner had Cheol Ryu-heun’s words ended.

SHUSHUSHUSU, SHUSHUSHUSHU…!

The light that had burst with energy sounds gathered together and was absorbed.

KKUKUKUNG…

A transparent undulation like a wave spread in all directions and caused vibration.

Thus, stillness arrived.

Divine wind walked toward where the party stood as if nothing had happened.

One external change was noticeable.

Pupils dyed blue, unlike before.

As if clear, blue water was contained and swirling within.

Cheol Ryu-heun stroked his mane and examined his eyes.

“From now on, it seems you’ll be able to cross the entire continent in just a day or two. Among spiritual beasts, the realm of reaching the peak. I wonder.”

Gal Jung-heon and others were astonished.

Reaching the peak.

Literally meaning one has reached the high mountain peak with nowhere higher to climb.

In other words, Divine wind’s realm having achieved new power was virtually the best among currently existing spiritual beasts.

Hae Su-yeon murmured with a dazed expression.

“GOOD HEAVENS… He’ll even fly through the sky.”

Namgung Sang-rin, equally dazed, bobbed his head up and down.

“Yes… At this rate… he might evolve into an existence on par with legendary dragons, phoenixes, and qilins.”

Gal Jung-heon, having reset his expression, pointed to Demon Buddha Secret Pool and asked.

“Sect Leader Cheol. Is that water itself a mysterious elixir?”

“It’s not exactly that. However, if you drink it steadily, you do see efficacy. Like Bodhidharma in the past.”

“AH…”

“But it’s not easy for ordinary people. No matter how outstanding a master, it takes decades upon decades. Only those with special physiques can shorten it. Bodhidharma was such a case. Divine wind is an exception. He’s a beast too, and through the lost bloodline opening method of the ancient martial world, the efficacies of various elixirs unified and took effect. Well, he was just lucky.”

Come to think of it, Cheol Ryu-heun’s simple mistake had ultimately become an exceptional fortuitous encounter for Divine wind.

At the time, what he had made him eat thinking it was a hundred-year snow ginseng was the thousand-year immortal ginseng called the Ginseng Triple King…

Cheol Ryu-heun soon sent a chin gesture and commanded.

“First, clean up the surroundings and prepare to depart. Collect their swords too.”

Meanwhile, he was briefly lost in thought.

‘An interesting enemy has appeared.’

The mysterious enemies who had appeared today had a clear difference compared to the mute swordsman who had previously threatened Namgung Heon-rin and Jeon Kwae.

It was the clothes.

The attire visible through the black cloaks was neat.

Almost like ceremonial or formal dress.

Yet.

The mute swordsman’s clothing he had seen back then was no different from rags.

‘This side is the upper-rank group and… that guy was one of the lower ranks.’

Yes, the difference in clothes might signify the gap in status.

But… it’s not clean just to think of them as simply lower-rank.

Seeing that the group presumed to be upper-rank wore such dignified and disciplined attire, the organization they belonged to was clearly one that ran on iron-like regulations and order.

Yet they dress their lower ranks in shabby clothing?

It’s not some wandering beggar’s gathering – that makes no sense.

No matter how low the rank, it’s strange.

‘Let’s dig into them one by one. Perhaps it might be connected to the nameless wanderer’s hidden traces…’

Before long, when the party finished cleaning up.

HWIK-

Cheol Ryu-heun, having mounted Divine Wind’s back, gripped the reins.

Following that, the three people also sat in a row on the saddle.

The moment Cheol Ryu-heun turned the horse’s head toward the gap-path in the cliff, Gal Jung-heon asked in a quiet voice.

“What do you plan to do about this place?”

“We’ll close it. So that no one can ever find it again.”

Having said that, Cheol Ryu-heun kicked Divine wind’s belly with one foot TUK!

“Now, go ahead and show off your newly gained power to your heart’s content.”

Simultaneously.

FLASH!

The white heat haze Divine wind emitted enveloped the party.

And then.

KWANG!

Having kicked the ground just once, they traversed the void of the fifty-odd-zhang-long narrow path and reached its end.

The birth of a truly crazy horse.