Chapter 299: There Is No Impossibility
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Ximen Yue, having newly steeled his resolve, straightened his collar and said.
“I believe in Sect Master Cheol. Also… I believe in my own qualities and talent. So please just teach me the method well when we get there.”
From that expression, a strong will to meet expectations could be glimpsed.
“Right, you’re not stupid so you’ll understand right away.”
Cheol Ryu-heun’s gaze then shifted to Bo Hwoe and Song San.
“Shall we go?”
“Yes, let’s go. I’ll lead the way.”
It was Bo Hwoe.
Meanwhile, Song San decided to stay to check on the condition of the two injured disciples, and looked at Jeung Ji-rim and Wang Su-ah while saying.
“You two should go along too. It’s an opportunity to broaden your horizons.”
Jeung Ji-rim and Wang Su-ah, their faces lighting up, answered in unison.
“Yes, understood.”
Thus the group with Bo Hwoe at the head disappeared outside the hall.
* * *
A secluded forest.
Since ancient times, it was a place untouched by human footsteps, so there wasn’t even a narrow path.
Cheol Ryu-heun, following Bo Hwoe, suddenly became lost in recollection.
‘That fellow discovered this place around age thirty.’
He meant none other than Heavenly Demon.
This place was originally one of the secret sites of great nature where a natural barrier formation had formed.
At that time, Heavenly Demon was absorbed in creating ultimate moves.
Then he coincidentally discovered the valley that was the entrance to the secret site, and pierced through the natural barrier formation by harmonizing the Divine Martial Sword’s divine power with his own demonic energy.
He sought to make the mysterious power of great nature saturating this place his own.
More precisely, he had been captivated by the wondrous function of the barrier formation.
So he strove unceasingly to comprehend its essence.
He firmly believed that if he understood everything, an ultimate move would be born that would be executed like a large-scale formation.
And a few months later, Heavenly Demon finally saw results.
He had realized part of the subtle laws – the order existing within the disorder of great nature.
What was born then was Heavenly Demon World-Destroying Step, called the pinnacle of footwork attacks.
A fearsome supreme technique that spat demonic flames like a barrier formation of darkness expanding in all directions to annihilate this world.
At that time, Heavenly Demon’s martial prowess had reached Ultra-High Vacuum Configuration, the ultimate stage of Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
Befitting that, the power of Heavenly Demon World-Destroying Step displayed with extreme-level energy was so fierce it even threatened the extensive natural barrier formation.
But Heavenly Demon was not satisfied.
He was swept up in the desire to destroy the secret site of great nature with the Heavenly Demon World-Destroying Step he had painstakingly created.
Like a kind of secret achievement.
However, the mysterious power of great nature did not permit destruction.
The moment Heavenly Demon at that time poured all his bodily strength into executing Heavenly Demon World-Destroying Step, it blocked it with power.
The mysterious power of Natural Action that activated to protect the secret site.
As if teaching that even the mightiest warrior was merely human before the fundamental power of great nature…
That was power consistent with Heaven and Earth Tranquility Harmony.
That was when the demon essence was created.
The internal power he had poured out without reserve – the energy of Heavenly Demon World-Destroying Step – had been condensed by the mysterious power of Natural Action and imprisoned in one place.
In the form of a jade essence.
It was a forced sealing of the demonic power that had threatened great nature.
Trying to retrieve it was futile.
Because the mysterious power conflicting with demonic energy was extremely formidable.
Thus Heavenly Demon once again keenly felt the might and greatness of Natural Action and left the secret site.
However, before leaving this place, he separately left his trace behind.
A stone monument carved with writing was precisely that.
The content engraved there was this:
Meaning it was not shameful to have lost to the power of great nature.
Because of that, Bo Hwoe, a figure from the incomparably later era, came to learn that the source of the demonic energy was demonic power.
Having recalled the events of the old days, Cheol Ryu-heun spoke inwardly.
‘There’s something no one knows. The fact that within the demon essence, along with the essence of demonic energy, even Heavenly Demon’s spiritual energy has been sealed.’
Spiritual energy – meaning spiritual energy based on high-level mental power.
At that time, Heavenly Demon’s desire to destroy the secret site of great nature had been strong, and that spiritual energy of the mind had united with demonic energy and was executed as Heavenly Demon World-Destroying Step.
Therefore, to successfully obtain the demon essence, divine power from his Divine Martial Sword days was needed.
How long had they walked?
Suddenly, Ximen Yue’s complexion changed.
A face hardened like stone.
Why?
The reason was simple.
Because an enormously dark and heavy power that couldn’t be seen with the eyes was touching his body.
At that, Wang Su-ah beside him spoke in a low voice.
“This is the influence zone of the demon essence. You feel like you’re trapped in darkness, right? We’re used to it now, but…”
“Yes, it’s just as you say.”
Ximen Yue nodded slightly and thought.
‘It’s a similar feeling to when I first saw him.’
A person who came to mind.
It was Grand Prelate Gun Mu-ak of the current Heavenly Demon Cult.
Someone who had been shocking in a somewhat different sense than Cheol Ryu-heun, who possessed divine abilities.
He was reminded anew.
How vast the world was.
There were countless geniuses.
Besides Cheol Ryu-heun and Gun Mu-ak, there was Namgung Sang-rin, a guest of White Peak Sword Sect, Hae Su-yeon, Cui Lan, Dark Sword Fragrance Mun Bin, and so on…
‘From now on, people who can take my place will appear without end. So I must not become complacent. I must work hard again and again. Using today’s affair as a stepping stone to leap even higher!’
Eventually, a location appeared before the party’s eyes.
Strange-shaped stone pillars stood on a small flat area situated in the forest.
East, west, south, north – four in total.
They were natural, not artificial stone pillars.
Each one was extremely large and tall.
To the point where shadows stretched long along the ground.
But something more impressive than the stone pillars could be seen.
It was none other than a bead floating gently in the center.
Moreover, its size was about that of an average person’s head.
The color was very black.
How to describe it – a feeling that evoked a sphere of compressed dark space.
That’s right.
It was the demon essence.
Ximen Yue felt his body becoming even heavier.
The party stopped at an appropriate distance.
Immediately after, Bo Hwoe turned his head to the side and let out a soft voice.
“I came about this far and used the Nine-Turn Great Sealing Jade to take away a fixed amount of power. It was difficult to go closer. I feared I might suffer qi deviation if I did…”
At that, Cheol Ryu-heun replied expressionlessly.
“Yes, that’s not unreasonable.”
No sooner had those words ended.
CHEOK, CHEOK, CHEOK…
Cheol Ryu-heun advanced without any hesitation.
Bo Hwoe, startled, hurriedly waved his hand.
“Wait! S-Sect Master Cheol, if you go too close…”
“It’s fine. Please wait a moment.”
As Cheol Ryu-heun thus approached the demon essence.
UNG, UNG- UUUNG-!
The four stone pillars vibrated while emitting strange sounds.
Suddenly.
DEOLKEOK!
Some intangible barrier blocked Cheol Ryu-heun’s path.
As if no longer permitting approach to the demon essence.
At that moment, Cheol Ryu-heun operated divine power and advanced.
SEUSEUSEUSU…
A red light gathered in his eyes.
KKUDEUK, KKUDEUDEUK-!
The ground was dug deep by his advancing steps.
Then.
DEOLKEOK!
His foot stopped, caught on something.
Simultaneously, haze spread like ripples in front of Cheol Ryu-heun’s body.
Transparent friction.
Collision of power and power.
It was the contest between Cheol Ryu-heun advancing and great nature pushing back.
KUKUKU, KUKUKUKUKU, KUKUKU…
The four stone pillars released mighty wind.
Fierce wind force to the point where the party behind him staggered.
But Cheol Ryu-heun was firm.
He wasn’t pushed.
He endured.
When the ripples of haze grew even more massive.
PIT, PIPIT… PIT, PIT, PIPIT, PIPIT, PIT…
Along with sharp sounds, crimson blood splattered.
The party to the rear was astonished.
“Ah!”
“Oh no…!”
Because the blood drops were from Cheol Ryu-heun.
Not only were his clothes torn here and there, but his skin was splitting open in thin lines.
As if cut by countless flying blades.
But something even more astonishing happened.
‘Heavens…!’
Everyone with dumbfounded faces.
It was a natural reaction.
Because Cheol Ryu-heun’s skin was repeatedly splitting open and healing.
Bo Hwoe had an expression as if his soul had left.
‘My… incredible!’
A wondrous ability to heal wounds.
As the advancing power and blocking power grew fiercer, the wave-like haze grew larger along with it.
How long did that continue?
Cheol Ryu-heun’s face was completely covered with beads of sweat, and blood had pooled on the ground.
In the meantime, divine power was healing the rapidly occurring wounds.
When a long time had passed again.
TTUK-
Suddenly, silence arrived.
The wind the four stone pillars had been emitting vanished.
Amid that, Cheol Ryu-heun spoke clearly while healing his wounds.
“Great nature has finally acknowledged me. As an existence of the same principle.”
Sure enough, even the haze ahead of him disappeared cleanly.
In other words, the mysterious power of great nature that had been guarding this place had opened the way after acknowledging Cheol Ryu-heun’s divine power.
Following that.
CHEOK, CHEOK, CHEOK, CHEOK-
Cheol Ryu-heun, having stepped forward, approached before the demon essence.
Having regulated his breathing, Cheol Ryu-heun once again released unfathomable divine power to the maximum.
‘Now, I’ll draw you out now.’
Two hands tightly grasping the demon essence floating ahead.
At first, it didn’t budge at all.
At that moment.
FLASH, FLASH, FLASH…
The four stone pillars emitted strange light.
Could it be a strange phenomenon responding to the divine power Cheol Ryu-heun had released?
The four streaks of light soon wove into one and wrapped around the demon essence and Cheol Ryu-heun’s body, circling quietly and softly.
Suddenly, Cheol Ryu-heun wore a faint smile.
‘Good, I can see the end. There is no impossibility for me.’
The realm of the divine.
People say that when something is accomplished that no one else could achieve.
Then what is divine power?
A challenge against impossibility.
That’s right.
Strong will to achieve the unachievable manifesting as mysterious power.
So-called divine power.
Transcendent ability.
Divine ability.
Cheol Ryu-heun used that divine power to make the impossible possible.
Look.
The demon essence that hadn’t budged at all was finally being drawn by Cheol Ryu-heun’s touch.
The flashing light vanished in the blink of an eye.
SEUSUT, SEUSUT…
The demon essence, giving off black smoke, began to shrink.
It had become small like an ordinary pill easy to swallow.
SEUK-
Cheol Ryu-heun, having turned his body backward, held the demon essence and started walking.
Bo Hwoe, seeing that appearance, trembled as he was swept up in thrill.
‘How can this be… I couldn’t even approach it…!’
It was truly a wondrous sight.
To bring out the demon essence positioned in the center of the stone pillars like that…
‘He’s truly a heaven-sent person! Hehe. Yes, now the completion of the Transcendent Revival Pills will no longer be just a dream!’
From Bo Hwoe’s perspective, the existence called Cheol Ryu-heun was itself a fortune.
Such feelings were no different for Jeung Ji-rim and Wang Su-ah.
Cheol Ryu-heun, having come to their side before they knew it, shrugged his shoulders indifferently and said.
“I used quite a lot of strength. But well, I got it so that’s what matters.”
At that moment, Ximen Yue carefully asked.
“You intend to start right away?”
“Correct.”
Cheol Ryu-heun soon handed over the demon essence that had shrunk like a pill.
“Are you mentally prepared?”
“Yes. What should I do now? Should I swallow this?”
“Yes. It’s obviously shrunk to be easy to eat.”
“Ah…”
“When you eat that, your consciousness will become hazy. Now, look into my eyes.”
When Ximen Yue followed those words and met his gaze, red light beams assaulted him.
It was light brilliance that Cheol Ryu-heun’s eyes had rapidly emitted.
In that instant, Ximen Yue thought.
‘This is…’
It was a mysterious eye light he had experienced before.
As if reading his thoughts, Cheol Ryu-heun spoke apathetically.
“It’s a bit different from before.”
“Ah, yes. The feeling seems to be so.”
“Now swallow.”
Ximen Yue, meeting his gaze, put the demon essence in his mouth.
KKULKKEOK-
The moment it went down his throat, a massive shock struck inside his head.
KKWANG-!
The world before his eyes disappeared into darkness.
PIT.