Chapter 332: Opening the Path

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TTOGAK-TTOGAK.

Divine Wind cautiously approached the edge of the cliff.

Cheol Ryu-heun, seated atop it, pointed below with a gesture of his chin.

“The place we must go is down there.”

At that, the party behind them briefly dismounted from the Heaven-Piercing Divine Birds.

Though the sun was up and bright, nothing could be seen below the cliff.

All that entered the party’s pupils was the faintly spread mist.

“Wow…”

“I can’t see the end.”

“Indeed… it makes me dizzy.”

“Whew, the Sword Emperor feels all the more amazing.”

A life-snatching misty precipice – it was a space that instilled fear, befitting the name Life-Stealing Mist Cliff.

They couldn’t possibly know where the bottom was.

At that moment, Cheol Ryu-heun addressed those behind.

“It’s a dangerous place, so don’t stray from my vicinity.”

Hearing those words, all four Heaven-Piercing Divine Birds cried out.

“Ppireuk, ppireuk!”

“Ppirureuk!”

As befitting divine birds, they seemed to understand his words.

Cheol Ryu-heun soon adjusted his grip on the reins and commanded briefly.

“Prepare for descent.”

“Yes!”

The party nodded and swiftly mounted the Heaven-Piercing Divine Birds.

Immediately after.

PAK!

Divine Wind kicked off the ground and dropped below Life-Stealing Mist Cliff.

Not to be outdone.

HOOWOONG, HOOWOONG-!

The Heaven-Piercing Divine Birds also moved in pursuit with wingbeats.

The party rapidly descending with Divine Wind, transformed into white lightning, at the lead.

How far down had they fallen?

Suddenly, spray rose high and scattered.

CHYAHAK, CHYAHAAK…!

At last, Divine Wind had stepped down upon the surface of a huge pond in the swampland at the very bottom of the cliff.

Horse hooves bobbed on the swaying water’s surface.

It was the pinnacle lightness technique called Traceless Water-Treading.

The Heaven-Piercing Divine Birds that appeared along with it also splashed down onto the water’s surface.

The party each surveyed their surroundings as if marveling.

The scenery of the swampland and pond harmonized with the thick mist was quite mystical.

Right at that moment, an amazing strange phenomenon entered their eyes.

SEUREUREUREUK, SEUREUREUREUK, SEUREUREUREUK, SEUREUREUREUK…

The wide, large pond rapidly shrank and disappeared, then soon transformed into muddy ground with standing water.

The rising talents were flustered by that phenomenon.

“Oh!”

“What’s this?”

“Wow…”

Expressions of disbelief even after seeing it with their own eyes.

Gwi Je-shin and Beop-yeol also wore expressions of wonder, as if it was their first time seeing such a thing.

On the other hand, the expressions of the White Peak Sword Sect guests including Namgung Sang-rin and Hae Su-yeon, as well as the Heavenly Demon Cult party, were unfazed.

Mun Bin was inwardly surprised too, but his expression didn’t change.

‘That suddenly reminds me of that place.’

He had already had a similar experience before.

At the secret location within the Three Immortals Mountain, Wickedness-Extreme Black Ground, which he had visited to perfectly awaken his True Ink Heaven Meridians.

Having experienced terrifying and shocking strange phenomena there, he reacted relatively calmly now.

Gwi Je-shin, who had been rolling his eyes, muttered inwardly.

‘Hmm, it doesn’t seem that dangerous…’

Cheol Ryu-heun, as if reading that thought, spoke.

“Originally, this swamp is extremely hot, and just slightly touching its heat haze causes the entire body to melt and die. However, the Sword Emperor of the past used the Divine Martial Sword’s divine power to change the formation’s properties. So that for those with at least minimal connection to his inner energy cultivation, minimal safety would be guaranteed.”

At those words, everyone let out soft sounds as if impressed.

In the meantime, Namgung Sang-rin smiled faintly.

‘Ah… so that’s what you did. You prepared in advance.’

Back when Namgung Heon-rin and Jeon Kwae consumed the Hundred-Year Snow Ginseng, hadn’t Cheol Ryu-heun performed an unfathomable acupoint-striking technique?

He must have worked on those two’s bodies at that time.

So that even if they fell here, they wouldn’t come to harm.

Meanwhile, Gun Mu-ak heightened his energy sense to detect presences in the distant surroundings.

But nothing was detected.

Not even the presence of commonly encountered beasts or insects.

Only a deep sense of stillness pressed in on him.

“Are there no other risk factors?”

When Gun Mu-ak withdrew his energy sense and posed the question, Cheol Ryu-heun immediately gripped the reins and replied.

“There are some.”

No sooner had those words ended.

SYUSYUSYU… SYUSYUSYU… SYUSYUSYU… SYUSYUSYU…

Steam arose from beyond the thick mist in all directions.

Simultaneously, intense heat pressed upon the party’s bodies.

A sound like the mud boiling and bubbling was heard.

This entire vast place was rapidly heating up.

It was truly fearsome heat.

As if the blazing earth energy of Beop-yeol – who had mastered the extreme yang, extreme heat-attributed Solar Divine Art – had exploded on a massive scale…

However, the heat didn’t invade within a ten-Zhang radius centered on the party.

Most likely, it was the influence of Cheol Ryu-heun, who possessed the Sword Emperor’s authentic transmission.

Even so, the hot wind blowing in couldn’t be stopped.

Some of the personnel were clearly tense upon encountering the hot wind.

Soon, Cheol Ryu-heun pulled the reins and looked back as he spoke.

“Relax. As I said earlier, as long as you don’t stray from my side, there’s no way your bodies will melt.”

Only then did the rising talents’ tense expressions ease as they answered in unison.

“Yes!”

At that moment, Namgung Sang-rin looked around in all directions.

“However… which way should we go to find them?”

“The path will open on its own.”

“Pardon?”

“Even if you move forward without direction, the formation will guide the path by itself. That too is a technique the Sword Emperor employed while alive.”

“Ah…! That’s amazing.”

“Come, let’s go.”

Having gestured, Cheol Ryu-heun took the lead while riding Divine Wind.

Following behind, the four birds also moved forward across the mud while bobbing their heads back and forth.

Suddenly, Cheol Ryu-heun recalled old memories.

It was from when he had visited the Life-Stealing Mist Cliff with Sword Emperor Buk Ga-shin in the past.

-Divine Martial Sword… have you been to this place before?

-This is my first time too.

-What fearsome heat. If I hadn’t protected my body with sword barrier, I would have died. According to ancient legend, Nuwa Yin Serpent exists within the Shiwan Mountains. If so, I believe it would be hiding here.

-Nuwa Yin Serpent is an immortal existence. Knowing that, you still want to fight it?

-Yes. It’s the optimal opponent for refining my current swordsmanship. After that, I plan to purify this place… what do you think?

-Purify? Impossible.

-…

-Just find Nuwa Yin Serpent and train.

-Even using your divine power, purification is impossible?

-The power of formations created by the natural order is an absolute realm. Don’t you know that both you and I are existences belonging to the laws of Mother Nature? That power can be borrowed and used, but cannot be defied.

-I suppose so.

-However…

-…

-If it’s change rather than purification, it might be possible.

-Such as…?

-Well, merging your power into this place to create a path that can be moved through safely. An arrangement of fortune for future generations, perhaps.

-Haha! Yes, that sounds somewhat interesting. Shall I try it? I’ll hide all the luggage I brought as well. Like the secret cave at Toad Boulder Hill on Zhongnan Mountain. Since I don’t even have a single disciple, I should at least do something good for the future.

-Do as you please. Though I don’t know if there’ll be anyone who would come looking all the way here.

-Someday, an appropriate successor will appear.

Having recalled that event, Cheol Ryu-heun spoke inwardly while smiling.

‘Hoo, I never knew the fortune you arranged back then would be used like this. Anyway, in the end it’s fortunate.’

* * *

Inside the noisy cave.

KKWANG, KWAKKWANG, KKWANG-!

It was the sound of the revived Nuwa Yin Serpent launching a fierce attack.

JJEOJEONG!

A sharp metallic sound burst out.

“Keuk!”

Jeon Kwae, having let out a single groan, flew backward.

KUNG- JJEOJJEOK!

His back slammed into the wall, and he soon doubled over while coughing up blood.

He had blocked Nuwa Yin Serpent’s tail with his sword, but the impact had violently shaken his insides.

It was terrible pain as if his five viscera and six organs were rupturing.

-Kkalkkalkkalkkal!

A sinister-sounding small laughter.

Nuwa Yin Serpent charged rapidly with a smiling face.

SEUREUREUREUK, SEUREUREUREUREUK-

Nuwa Yin Serpent, sliding across the ground like a snake, targeted Jeon Kwae who was coughing blood and fiercely swung her right arm.

SYUOOOUK-!

A piercing sound loaded with superhuman strength.

Jeon Kwae moved his body sideways with all his might.

PAT!

Nuwa Yin Serpent’s right hand struck the ground by a hair’s breadth.

KKWANG- KKWADEUDEUK…!

At that moment, one figure flew in from behind.

It was Namgung Heon-rin.

Just now, Jeon Kwae had deliberately exposed an opening.

To create the time and opportunity for the now stronger Namgung Heon-rin to counterattack with all his might.

A startled Nuwa Yin Serpent whipped around and lashed out with her left hand.

Like a crossing slash.

HOOWOOOK!

Namgung Heon-rin barely dodged that offensive and thrust his sword point forward.

It was an attack targeting her exposed upper body in that instant.

More precisely, the chest area where the scar was.

KKAAAAAAAANG!

As metallic sound burst out and sparks flew, heat haze suddenly spread.

-Kkihaaaak!

Nuwa Yin Serpent let out a shriek like a Six-Directional Sound Transmission.

It was almost a convulsive symptom.

Why?

Because of the mental trauma she had suffered at Buk Ga-shin’s hands in the distant past.

Nuwa Yin Serpent’s only weakness.

Namgung Heon-rin tenaciously targeted that area.

CHAECHAENG, KAKANG, PEOPEONG, KKWAKKWANG-!

A continuous assault of sword energy unleashing superior energy.

-Kkihak, kkihaak!

Nuwa Yin Serpent, letting out shrieks, rapidly retreated.

At that moment, Jeon Kwae, having launched himself, aimed for her rear.

He obstructed and blocked her retreat’s path.

Nuwa Yin Serpent’s tail swung toward him as he approached.

SHWISHWIT- JJEOGEOONG!

Jeon Kwae’s massive frame that had blocked with his blade shook like a fallen leaf.

It was superhuman strength difficult to withstand.

Following that, pink-colored smoke assaulted Jeon Kwae’s field of vision.

SYUAAAAAAAAT-!

It was the poison fog Nuwa Yin Serpent had spewed by opening her mouth wide.

Though the toxicity penetrated inside his body, Jeon Kwae still didn’t yield and stubbornly endured while circulating his internal power.

With the determination to buy time for Namgung Heon-rin.

Before long.

GOOOOOOO-

The air in this place sank heavily.

While Jeon Kwae was enduring by operating peak internal power, Namgung Heon-rin had prepared and brought out his conclusive secret technique.

CHEUCHEUCHUT, CHEUCHEUCHUT-!

A brilliant sphere formed at Namgung Heon-rin’s sword point.

Its size appeared smaller than a droplet, yet it seemed like hundreds of strands of peak-level sword energy had been condensed together.

Sword Force Compressed Light Sphere.

A sword technique of the sword path supreme art of the Supreme Sword Spirit Fetal Peak realm that Buk Ga-shin had arranged – a form where maximum sword force was continuously released and compressed into a sphere.

For ordinary martial artists, even if they mastered the essence, execution would be impossible.

The reason was simple.

Because the body couldn’t withstand that tremendous power.

However.

Namgung Heon-rin had started with Cheol Ryu-heun’s arrangement in the past, consumed various rare elixirs, and his body had been strengthened.

And he had even obtained the power imbued in the sword by Buk Ga-shin.

‘Now sleep peacefully! You wicked monster!’

Having shouted inwardly, Namgung Heon-rin fired the Sword Force Compressed Light Sphere.

SYUAAAAAAAAAAT-!

* * *

“We’ve arrived.”

Cheol Ryu-heun pulled the reins and stopped Divine Wind.

At that, the Heaven-Piercing Divine Birds walking behind also stood firmly in place.

What appeared before them was a large spring.

Its color was extremely clear and pure.

It seemed impossible for there to be cleaner spring water than this.

“It’s hidden there. The entrance.”

What Cheol Ryu-heun indicated with a gesture was the cliff situated behind the spring.

At that moment.

URURURURUREUNG-!

The cliff trembled greatly.

Simultaneously.

BEONJJEOK-BEONJJEOK, BEONJJEOK-BEONJJEOK…

The clear spring water emitted a mystical light.

While the party was surprised.

HWAAAAAK-!

The moment the spring water’s light headed toward the cliff, a stone door became visible.

GEURUREUK, GEURUREUREUK-

Door panels opening wide while making a dull sound.

And from beyond that darkness, two people walked out with heavy steps.

It was Namgung Heon-rin and Jeon Kwae.