Chapter 348: The Realm of External Arts
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-Woowoowoowoo… Woowoowoowoo…
Chilling ghost wails echoing intermittently.
The oppressiveness delivered by the giant ghost face created from transparent waterfall water was tremendous.
At that, the party all had tense eyes.
Everyone without exception was gulping down dry saliva.
Except for a few like Sword Wheel Crown Prince Gwi Je-shin.
In particular, the White Peak Sword Sect guests all had an appearance of strong curiosity being stirred.
That included Dark Sword Fragrance Mun Bin as well.
‘Hoo, similar to back then.’
He had once experienced the terror of Wickedness-Extreme Black Ground.
A cave where ominous energy increased with each step forward.
There, he had seen phantasmal ghosts harboring ominous energy.
The phantasms of all kinds of evil spirits attacked indiscriminately.
Biting, tearing, poking, clawing at his body…
Though they were merely phantasms, it felt like the real thing.
It was so terrifying and painful.
In that way, Wickedness-Extreme Black Ground was a place that forced mental pain rather than physical pain.
Yet he splendidly overcame the difficulty with focused concentration and even fully awakened the latent potential of the True Ink Heaven Meridians.
Generally, the fruits of difficult success additionally bring confidence and will to challenge.
Therefore, Mun Bin was full only of curiosity about the Ten Directions Ghost Road Lost Soul Formation.
He glanced over at the Heavenly Demon Cult party.
‘As expected of the Extreme Heaven Demon Emperor…’
Sure enough, Gun Mu-ak maintained a blank expression throughout.
As if he had experienced such things countless times before grasping the position of Grand Prelate.
The reactions of Eun Yi-bi and Ya Baek-ji beside him were not much different either.
Having withdrawn his gaze, Mun Bin laughed inwardly.
‘Heh. Yes, only Sect Master Cheol can do it. Drawing any kind of disturbed reactions from them…’
In the midst of that, Jackal Wolf Blade Gate’s Violent Wolf Blade shuddered.
“Ugh… now that I’m actually about to go inside, it’s scary…”
Divine Kun Saber Talent On-ga of the Giant Roc Saber Gate beside him spoke as if he’d been waiting.
“According to old sayings, ghosts like bald heads.”
Jong-pyeong, who had glared, scrunched up his face.
Shut up, you bastard! Who says such nonsense! Wanna fight me? Huh!
“Aigo, you must feel wronged inside. Your hair vanished as the price of martial achievement…”
“…”
“Now, now, use that feeling of being wronged as motivation to overcome your fear. Don’t accidentally wet yourself after going inside. Geogeolgeol.”
Before anyone knew it, Jong-pyeong’s hand, which had gripped his sword hilt, was trembling.
At that moment, a gentle voice touched his ears.
“That won’t do. Teasing people like that so mischievously.”
It was Buddha Crown Martial Flower Myo Jeong-mun from Potalsa Temple.
Jong-pyeong, whose anger immediately softened, had a brightened expression.
‘Oh…! Buddha Crown Martial Flower took my side…’
Could it perhaps be a subtle expression of interest?
Myo Jeong-mun again spoke as if encouraging.
“It doesn’t look strange.”
“Haha! Is that so? My face isn’t ugly, so whatever hair I have suits me well.”
“Ah, yes, well… that’s not exactly what I meant… truthfully, I’m used to it. That kind of appearance.”
At that, Jong-pyeong flinched.
‘Oops.’
He’d momentarily forgotten.
Potalsa Temple was also a Buddhist temple that served Buddha.
Damn… subtle interest my ass.
On-ga, who had smiled gently, put his palms together.
“Amitabha Buddha.”
“Keuk… shut that mouth! Today you die, I die!”
The moment Jong-pyeong flared up.
“Be quiet.”
The owner of the indifferent voice was Cheol Ryu-heun at the front.
“Stop messing around and move. Whoever falls behind gets left.”
No sooner had his words ended than Divine Wind approached the water’s edge ahead.
CHALPANG-
Divine Wind’s hooves submerging into the lake combined with the waterfall.
Immediately after.
DUNGSIL-DUNGSIL.
Divine Wind’s hooves lightly floated above the swaying waves.
The pinnacle Lightness technique, Traceless Water-Treading.
Chopping Wave Saber Tiger Ji Jang-jong, newly added to the party, was shocked.
‘Th-that’s…! Good heavens, a horse is treading water with Traceless Water-Treading!’
He had heard the rumors once, but seeing it directly was impactful.
Soon, the four Heaven-Piercing Divine Birds walked forward with a CHAPAKCHAPAK and floated on the water surface too.
The party also quickly moved and mounted the backs of the Heaven-Piercing Divine Birds.
Cheol Ryu-heun at the lead spoke with a curt voice.
“From now on, everyone operate Internal energy and heighten energy sense to the maximum. Only then can you safely pass through that path. Whoever can’t pass is just eliminated.”
At that, Namgung Sang-rin, Hae Su-yeon and others shouted in unison.
“Yes! Sect Master Cheol!”
“Let’s go.”
Led by Divine Wind, the party moved along the water surface and then vanished into the ghost’s mouth.
At that moment, the ghost wails ceased.
SYUSYUSYUSYU, SYUSYUSYUSYU…
The waterfall transformed back to its original appearance.
Along with it, the trace of the Gan Zhang Sword carved into the boulder also vanished completely.
* * *
JJEOEOEOEOENG-!
A sharp metallic sound echoing through the stone chamber.
It was already the umpteenth time it had been heard.
Sang-jan, having retracted his strokes, moved backward.
PEOLLEOK-
A low laugh briefly leaked from his lips as he did so.
“Hooho.”
He appeared surprised.
By Heuk Ma-yung’s strange physique…
It couldn’t be helped.
He had thrust in his sword repeatedly, but Heuk Ma-yung’s body was like iron.
He had loaded considerable sword force, yet was pushed back by the rebound.
Like the sensation of a sword tip being blocked before an enormously large boulder and about to break.
How could a human body made of blood and flesh be like that?
But it wasn’t something new.
He already knew.
Heuk Ma-yung’s power that exhibited iron-solid application.
Precisely, it was the ability of the Conjoined Blood Iron Plate Body, said to be completed only when the Darkness-Craving Blood Clan’s unique ability reached peak intensity and transcended limits.
In other words, it was an ultra-pinnacle external martial art of a different category from the Jianghu.
TUK, TUK…
Heuk Ma-yung lightly patted his clothes, which had holes, and quietly looked at Sang-jan’s face before speaking.
“Hooho. You’ve developed. Forget what I said earlier. It was rather stinging.”
Sang-jan shook his head and put his sword away with a CHEOLKEOK!
“What are you saying… you make me ashamed of my epithet of Nine Springs Demon Dragon.”
“Is that so?”
“Why, isn’t it?”
Heuk Ma-yung emitted a meaningful eye light at Sang-jan’s counter-question.
“You didn’t use peak Internal energy anyway.”
“But that’s the same for you, isn’t it?”
“Also.”
“…”
“You didn’t use the new power dwelling in that body either.”
At those words, Sang-jan smiled slyly.
“Hoo, you noticed that?”
“It’s nine times out of ten a secret arrangement of the Heaven Emperor Society Leader. If it weren’t for that, they wouldn’t have placed you as marshal of the Detached Three Army Corps.”
“You too are hiding new power, I know well.”
“Yes, I won’t deny it.”
Saying so, Heuk Ma-yung pointed at the Snake-Robed Hwa-rang and Snake-Robed Hwa-nong siblings behind.
“I received help from those two people. To counter the demonic power of that young monster, Gun Mu-ak…”
“You’re wary of him even after achieving Conjoined Blood Iron Plate Body? When in Darkness-Craving Blood Clan history, only two have achieved that external art.”
“It’s only natural to be wary. Gun Mu-ak’s outstanding talent is the second coming of the first cult leader, the Heavenly Demon.”
“…”
“Haven’t you heard that the messenger you sent was struck? That power shouldn’t be taken lightly.”
Messenger meant Phantom Demon Emperor Hap-hwa.
He was actually one of the Detached Three Army Corps’ elite masters.
“Hmm, indeed…”
“However, I’m not too worried. Because we have our blood clan and the Heretic Cult, and the full forces of the Detached Three Army Corps and Eastern Heaven Division.”
“That’s good to hear. Then shall we move somewhere else to talk?”
“Let’s do that.”
The moment Heuk Ma-yung nodded.
-Earth Direction Master!
Snake-Robed Hwa-rang summoned his subordinate through Secret Sound Transmission.
After a while.
SEUSYUT-
A pitch-black shadow crawled along the ground and then transformed into human form.
He was Earth Direction Master, one of the Five Elements Direction Masters who made up the Heretic Cult’s leadership, having executed a truly bizarre movement sorcery.
“Yes, did you call?”
At that, Snake-Robed Hwa-rang handed over a large talisman.
“Take care of Gold Direction Master and report when he regains consciousness. We must obtain information about Cheol Ryu-heun’s martial force through him.”
“Understood.”
“On the pretext of nursing his body, don’t use the recovery sorcery of Wood Generating Metal. It will only cause side effects. He has already… become different by consuming the Bat Demon Great King’s fresh blood.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Earth Direction Master nodded and then supported Gold Direction Master and disappeared.
Snake-Robed Hwa-nong, having taken the lead, gestured.
“Let me guide you to the conference room.”
Thus she, Snake-Robed Hwa-rang, Heuk Ma-yung, and Sang-jan went out of the stone chamber.
Blood-Robbing Deep Ghost Gin-gyun, who remained here, smiled.
“As expected, the Great King is formidable.”
At that, Lust-Blood Seductive Ghost Hu-ra also wore a smile with a seductive atmosphere.
“With just that Conjoined Blood Iron Plate Body’s ability, he’s close to invincible. Since thanks to the Heretic Cult’s sorcery, several of its applications have been strengthened too. Though Gun Mu-ak is an exception…”
“Cheol Ryu-heun must also be included. And also the Heaven Emperor Society Leader…”
“Oh my, the Heaven Emperor Society Leader is a being of a completely different dimension. Among the groups that have set foot here, there shouldn’t be anyone possessing the power of an external martial art surpassing Conjoined Blood Iron Plate Body. It’s nearly impossible to break through the Great King’s body with pure Internal energy alone.”
“Yes, he possesses a body that’s on the same page as the legendary Vajra Indestructible Body.”
Vajra Indestructible Body.
That was the ultimate end of the legendary external martial art realm.
The transformation of one’s entire body like a diamond…
Throughout the long Jianghu history, the only person who possessed Vajra Indestructible Body was the ancestral Family Head of Shaolin Temple, Bodhidharma alone.
Moreover, since legend says he barely completed it just before achieving Buddhahood, it was a realm where achievement was practically impossible.
“Hoot, I consider Vajra Indestructible Body a fanciful legend. Whether Bodhidharma really achieved that is also unclear… so effectively, the Great King’s Conjoined Blood Iron Plate Body is the pinnacle of current external art realms, isn’t it?”
“This old man also thinks so, but… there is one external martial art that rivals it.”
“Ah, you mean Southern Embrace Poison Palace…?”
Southern Embrace Poison Palace.
A mighty force that had ruled the southern forest, a vast jungle region including the Yunnan area beyond the borders, for hundreds of years.
Gin-gyun slightly nodded and continued.
“Correct. Elephant Skin Great Iron Bone, said to be the secret transmission of Southern Embrace Poison Palace’s first palace master… that’s comparable to Conjoined Blood Iron Plate Body.”
“Have you seen it?”
“Just once… I have. Through the current Southern Embrace Poison Palace Master. It was decades ago, though.”
“Ho-oh, I’m quite curious.”
“Hmm, there will be no occasion for us to meet him. Southern Embrace Poison Palace is land that only becomes poisonous even if you obtain it.”
“Uhuho. Indeed, it’s a place where you lose more than you gain.”
“Now, let us go out. We have our work to do too.”
“Yes.”
* * *
UDEUK- UDEUDUK-!
Fierce beasts consecutively having their necks twisted by a giant’s rough hands.
They were a group of Ghost-Slaying Leopards, a famous venomous creature of this Shiwan Mountains.
UDEUK, UDEUK, UDEUK-!
Ghost-Slaying Leopards that had their necks twisted again were thrown to the ground.
“Keukeuk, mere pathetic leopards…”
The giant was surrounded by Ghost-Slaying Leopard carcasses.
Their number alone counted fifty.
At that moment.
PAK!
One Ghost-Slaying Leopard lunged in a surprise attack.
Targeting his nape.
But the moment its sharp teeth touched his skin.
KKAKKANG-!
Some metallic sound burst out, and the Ghost-Slaying Leopard’s teeth shattered into pieces.
UDEUDUK-!
The giant twisted that Ghost-Slaying Leopard’s neck and killed it, then let out a small laugh.
“Keuheuheut. Stupid beasts. Not even knowing what Elephant Skin Great Iron Bone is.”