Chapter 364: Successful
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The wanderer’s voice, emitted low and heavy, came to Cheol Ryu-heun like a magnificent drum sound.
-Boom…!
It was a phenomenon like auditory hallucination.
Just from hearing it, the blood throughout his entire body froze cold.
A vision accompanied it as well.
An illusion as if heaven and earth were wildly shaking.
A terrifying pressure that seemed to overturn even the order of great nature writhed.
To the extent that an ordinary person could hardly even breathe…
KKWAK-
When he gripped the sword hilt even more tightly, bluish veins wriggled and squirmed.
Great rage flowing through his bloodstream.
Was that the only thing?
On top of that, countless emotions including hostility, competitive spirit, Fighting spirit, vengeance, wariness, and impatience were complexly tangled together.
That was not something that could be expressed in any words.
Cheol Ryu-heun finally realized.
Was that so?
Was this the feeling?
The feeling others had when they first encountered Gun Mu-ak…
Cheol Ryu-heun himself had found that Aura/Aura/bearing impressive as well.
But there was no feeling beyond that.
Yet now, facing the wanderer, he understood.
What kind of feeling it was that the crowd had felt.
But it was an empathy he wasn’t willing to readily acknowledge.
All the more because even his outward appearance was exactly the same as back then.
Nothing had changed at all.
The wanderer standing before his eyes was exactly as he had looked when he ruthlessly destroyed the Divine Martial Sword and killed White Gate Sword Gentleman Sagong Woon.
“Reborn?”
It was only an instant before Cheol Ryu-heun responded with those words.
In that short gap, complex emotions had surged up like lightning.
It was only natural.
Because the wanderer was a lifelong archrival and formidable enemy.
Only he could stir the emotions of Cheol Ryu-heun, who had been the Divine Martial Sword.
No one else could do it.
Not even Gun Mu-ak, whose epithet was Extreme Heavenly Demon Emperor.
SREUREUNG-
Along with the sword’s ring, the Gan Jiang revealed its blue naked form.
The blade drawn out by Cheol Ryu-heun’s hand radiated eerie light.
As if representing its owner’s heart.
The wanderer was still in an unmoving posture.
He merely watched Cheol Ryu-heun with his two eyes hidden by the bamboo hat.
SEUK.
A cold voice flowed from between the lips of Cheol Ryu-heun, who had taken another step forward.
“You should speak correctly. I wasn’t reborn… I borrowed a human body.”
The wanderer’s following words.
“What is different?”
“It is different.”
Having replied thus, Cheol Ryu-heun tilted the Gan Jiang to the side and spoke again.
“I didn’t die.”
“…”
“What you bastard eliminated back then was merely a body.”
“In other words, it wasn’t a perfect death?”
“You’re not stupid. Only when you destroy even the soul is it complete destruction.”
“Then let’s try it today.”
The wanderer’s hand gripped the iron sword as he answered.
It was merely a simple movement.
Yet that brief motion created a feeling as if the entire space was shaking back and forth.
That wanderer spoke again.
“Perfect death.”
Simultaneously, Cheol Ryu-heun’s frame charged.
In the blink of an eye, having compressed the gap, he thrust out his sword.
SYUKAAAK!
The Gan Jiang tracing a flash.
Before anyone knew it, the opponent’s iron sword had blocked its path.
JJEOEOEOEOEONG- PEOEOEOEOEONG!
No sooner had the roar sounded, a transparent heat haze spread in all directions.
Cheol Ryu-heun quickly retreated.
He had been pushed back in power.
WUNG WUNG… WUNG WUNG…
From the aftermath of the fierce forces colliding, the Gan Jiang created trembling.
Cheol Ryu-heun sensed pain as if all his energy channels and acupoints were raging.
Despite being a body whose dantian had vanished…
Any ordinary martial artist would have been destroyed by that single exchange just now.
Leaving behind neither flesh, nor bone, nor even a single drop of blood.
In the midst of that, the wanderer spoke with a lofty attitude.
“Having already experienced my attack before, are you just probing?”
A provocation that stimulated Cheol Ryu-heun’s heart.
The meaning was, if he didn’t want to die futilely, he should put all his strength into it.
Right at that moment, the door of the house behind him was broken and flew out.
WAJIKEUN!
And from beyond that, one figure dashed close and stood beside him like a ray of light.
Gun Mu-ak.
The strongest of the demonic path who could be called a rival matching Cheol Ryu-heun.
The youngest Grand Prelate dreaming of the Cult Leader Heavenly Demon’s second coming had joined.
He had at some point drawn his sword and asked with a sidelong glance.
“Is the one you mentioned before… him?”
Then he soon slightly shook his head.
“No, I don’t need to hear it, I can tell.”
He too had felt the unprecedented terrifying Aura.
At that moment, the old house was completely smashed and flew into the air.
Debris scattering into the air.
It was because the party inside had discharged a massive amount of intangible qi.
Everyone had raised their Internal energy to the extreme the moment they grasped the outside situation.
Soon, to Cheol Ryu-heun’s right side, the White Peak Sword Sect guests including Azure Heaven Sword Dragon Namgung Sang-rin, Heaven-Summoning Sword Phoenix Hae Su-yeon, Cui Lan, Azure Mark Sword Seol Pan-gyo, and Jade Robe Swallow Lady Mae Yak-bang lined up.
Beside them, Namgung Heon-rin and Jeon Kwae, and the sisters Stone-Piercing Sword Lady Murong Seol and Embroidery-Piercing Sword Lady Murong Song also stood in a row.
Also, Dark Hall’s Dark Sword Fragrance Mun Bin, Heavenly Flower Tower White Dream Beauty Gongseul Dan-yeong, Broken Mountain Sword Manor’s Crushing Mountain Single Sword Beon-sa, Heaven Shaking Sword Palace’s Black Cloud Young Master Hwa-seong, Giant Roc Saber Gate’s Divine Kun Saber Talent On-ga, and Jackal Wolf Blade Gate’s Violent Wolf Blade likewise.
Visible to Cheol Ryu-heun’s left were the young dragons of the Orthodox factions.
With Mount Heng Sect’s Baek Lim at the head, Shaolin Temple’s Central Peak Morning Star Hyo-gak, Wudang Sect’s Three Absolutes Azure Crane Chang-woon, Potalsa Temple’s Buddha Crown Martial Flower Myo Jeong-mun, Mount Hua Sect’s Prosperous Flower Sword Son Im Kang-yu Son Im Gang-yu, Mount Huang Sect’s Shadowless Swift Guest Pa-pyeong, Mount Kongtong Sect’s Seven Yin Sword Jing-hyeon, Mount Emei Sect’s Shu Gold Great Pillar Han-sol, and Mount Tai Sect’s Small Pure Spirit Hero Geon-lam assumed battle stances.
Added to that were the siblings Righteous Sea Martial Gate’s chief disciple Sea Path Sword Master Dan-li Yeok and second disciple Breaking Waves Sword Lady Dan-li So.
Behind Cheol Ryu-heun and Gun Mu-ak, the high masters of the Orthodox, Unorthodox, and Demonic factions appeared.
Chrysanthemum Martial Hall Master Chrysanthemum Fragrance Sword Mother, Dokgo Family Lord New Province Sword Saint Dokgo In-wang, Nine Tiger Blade Gang Gang leader Chopping Wave Saber Tiger Ji Jang-jong, Crow Pattern Sword Hall Master Flash Blade Tyrant Do Woo-pung, South Lake Sword Sect’s Great Lake Sword Elder Byeok Woo-ham…
And Heavenly Demon Cult’s Little-Face Bell Demoness Eun Yi-bi and Delusional Seductive Demoness Ya Baek-ji, Iron Blood Martial Alliance Leader representing the Northern Unorthodox Jianghu Sword Wheel Crown Prince Gwi Je-shin, and Solar Sword Saint Castle Lord Sun Pattern Great Lord Beop-yeol also drew their Ten Great Heavenly Weapons, the Iron Spirit Bizarre Sword and Blazing Fire Sword, while emitting killing intent and Fighting spirit.
Not content with that, even former Heretic Cult’s Defying Heaven Evil Wind Shin So-sul, and Southern Embrace Poison Palace Master Hegemon of Poison Paramount Meng Wang and Meng Min gathered in one place.
It was truly a splendid lineup of members.
However, the wanderer’s reaction was only dry.
“Do you think this numerical disadvantage matters against my martial prowess?”
That meant one thing.
That no matter how many there were, they were not a great threat to him…
The atmosphere and ground vibrated, producing roaring sounds.
DEUDEUK, DEUDEUDEUK- KUREUREUNG, KUREUNG-
On top of the crowd’s weighty intangible qi, Cheol Ryu-heun and Gun Mu-ak’s energy was added.
It was truly a breathtaking scene.
In an instant.
KUNG, KUKUNG, KUNG… UREUNG, UREUREUNG, UREUNG…
The spatial vibration became extreme.
It was because the wanderer had finally operated his immense Internal energy to nakedly display his terrifying Aura/Aura/bearing.
It appeared to be extreme cultivation.
Simultaneously, tremendous pressure constricted the party.
Then, Cheol Ryu-heun spoke.
“He’s a tough opponent.”
He had not yet fully awakened the divine power of his Divine Martial Sword days.
That’s why he said it.
For those who firmly believed in Cheol Ryu-heun, it could have been a shocking statement.
Still, his gaze showed he would not avoid this fight.
“We must see it through to the end!”
Namgung Sang-rin, who had let out a resounding voice, bravely charged along with his younger brother Namgung Heon-rin.
Not to be outdone, Dark Sword Fragrance Mun Bin also moved his frame.
Thus Namgung Sang-rin’s Heaven Reliance Sword aimed high, and Namgung Heon-rin’s Azure Steel Sword aimed low.
Mun Bin, armed with the Ten Great Heavenly Weapon Ink God Robe, circled around to the wanderer’s rear in an instant.
But then.
KANG, KANG- JJEOJEOJEOK, JJEOJEOJEOK!
The wanderer’s iron sword moved at a speed that defied eyesight, successively destroying the treasured swords Heaven Reliance Sword and Azure Steel Sword.
From that tremendous power, the arm of Namgung Sang-rin with his Nine Grade Martial Bones was broken.
Namgung Heon-rin, who had achieved Formless Sword Spirit Heavenly Peak, went rolling on the ground with even his wrist severed.
The moment both screamed, a terrifying wail sounded.
It was Mun Bin’s sharp sword attack aiming for the rear.
But instead, an intangible barrier struck him.
KKWAAAAAAANG!
He protected his body with the Ink God Robe’s Phosphorus fire Energy, a blue-green flame, but that merciless impact force gave him internal injuries.
“Kuk!”
Mun Bin, having spat dark red blood, flew backward.
The wanderer’s one foot kicked Namgung Sang-rin’s chest.
PEOGEOEOK!
Spewing blood again, he bounced far away.
Sword Wheel Crown Prince Gwi Je-shin and Sun Pattern Great Lord Beop-yeol fiercely rushed in.
Behind them, Chrysanthemum Fragrance Sword Mother, New Province Sword Saint Dokgo In-wang, Waist Breaking Sword Tiger Ji Jang-jong, One Flash Sword Hegemon Do Woo-pung and others moved.
Thus Beop-yeol’s Blazing Fire Sword created a hot storm of flames, and Gwi Je-shin’s Iron Spirit Bizarre Sword shot sword qi accompanied by metallic sounds.
PEOPEOPEOPEOPEONG- KKWAKWAKWAKWAKWANG!
A series of noisy explosions followed by screams.
Beop-yeol was turned into a bloody mess and collided with a rock in the distance, and Gwi Je-shin also flew rapidly to the side and struck a tree.
Byeok Song-ha and others who had followed were also wretchedly felled.
At that moment, Shin So-sul cast a high-tier sorcery and chanted an incantation of binding.
Countless currents resembling tree trunks surged up from the ground.
The intent was to bind the wanderer.
However, that was pulverized like powder by a single stomp.
Moreover, a powerful qi wave was generated that left Shin So-sul a battered wreck.
In the midst of that, Meng Wang charged in.
Yet the wanderer’s martial prowess was of a different caliber.
With a quick sword strike, he brazenly severed the body of Meng Wang who had achieved Elephant Skin Great Iron Bone.
He even destroyed the Green Fang Poison Horn, called the foremost strange weapon of the southern forest.
Just like the past Divine Martial Sword.
Before the wanderer’s transcendent divine might, the dread in their hearts was compounded.
Everyone without exception…
Before anyone knew it, Cui Lan, who had approached using the Body Swap Soul Projection Art, and Hae Su-yeon wielding the Enchanting Flower Sword launched a fierce joint attack.
But the result was the same.
Cui Lan had a hole punched through her abdomen, and Hae Su-yeon had her left hand severed.
Eun Yi-bi and Ya Baek-ji also sustained irreversible fatal wounds.
The wanderer’s martial prowess was truly phenomenal.
The power dwelling in his body couldn’t even be fathomed.
Those who had been injured barely pulled their bodies together then desperately launched attacks again.
But what awaited them was death.
Everyone including Namgung Sang-rin and Namgung Heon-rin fell before the wanderer’s sword.
Death continued on.
Seol Pan-gyo’s head flew off in an instant, Meng Min was ruthlessly bisected at the waist, Gongseul Dan-yeong was split in half, and Beon-sa’s limbs were torn off.
Death, death, death…
In the end, the only ones remaining were Gun Mu-ak and Cheol Ryu-heun.
“I’ll kill you. Absolutely.”
Gun Mu-ak charged forward like a ray of light with those words.
The wanderer also moved quickly as if going out to meet him.
No, that’s how it seemed.
The movement couldn’t be seen with the eyes.
The Demon God Sword loaded with extreme cultivation and the iron sword clashed hard.
Once, twice, three times, four times…
Gun Mu-ak indeed displayed mighty majesty befitting the youngest Grand Prelate in Heavenly Demon Cult history.
However, that was not a proper fight.
Gun Mu-ak, who had charged forth valiantly first, was driven on the defensive.
They were exchanging blows, but in reality, he was merely enduring.
At that, Cheol Ryu-heun joined in and swung the Gan Jiang.
Thus he attacked both the opponent and Gun Mu-ak’s flanks.
But the wanderer’s divine might was truly overwhelming.
Every time he swung his sword, it felt as if the ground vanished and the sky collapsed.
Gun Mu-ak, who had been barely enduring, fell first.
And… the Demon God Sword shattered.
Into pieces.
Gun Mu-ak flew backward from the wanderer’s powerful kick.
His chest bones were crushed.
His breath was hanging by a thread, but though alive, he was no different from dead.
“Let’s finish this!”
Cheol Ryu-heun, having shouted thus, thrust out the Gan Jiang.
It was a desperate single slash loaded with Maximum Cultivation.
CHAKCHANG!
The wanderer’s quickly swung iron sword deflected Cheol Ryu-heun’s Gan Jiang Sword.
HUUUUK-
A sword attack transformed with incomprehensible swiftness closed in on Cheol Ryu-heun’s chest.
That brief sound and movement alone seemed enough to burst his heart.
KKWAHANG- PACHAHANG!
He pulled the Gan Jiang Sword back with all his might to defend, but tremendous shockwaves penetrated through his body.
It shattered.
The Gan Jiang Sword too.
Less than half the blue blade remained.
Still, Cheol Ryu-heun exchanged blows with that.
It was like a struggle for survival.
Then, a sneer appeared at the corners of the wanderer’s mouth.
“Let’s finish this. As you said.”
Sword power unlike anything he had ever experienced surged in.
It felt as if waves of death were rushing in.
If swept away by that, he felt soul as well as body would be annihilated.
‘I’ll give it up!’
Cheol Ryu-heun extended his hand in a posture of opening his chest.
An unguarded counterattack.
It was a move of mutual destruction.
KWAHAAAANG!
Terrifying sword power covered Cheol Ryu-heun’s entire body.
Simultaneously, the broken Gan Jiang embedded somewhere.
PUHUUK!
It was precisely the wanderer’s right shoulder.
He had failed.
It had been a final sword strike aiming for the heart.
A low, heavy voice reached Cheol Ryu-heun’s ears.
“Not bad.”
It was the wanderer’s voice.
Cheol Ryu-heun, his entire body torn apart, grinned.
“Successful.”
“Keeping up the bravado to the end, are you.”
“Enough… Kill me.”
“I shall.”
No sooner had the wanderer’s words ended than the iron sword fell on his head.
* * *
FLASH.
Cheol Ryu-heun, having opened his eyes, raised his upper body.
‘Huuu…’
He had finally awakened from sleep.
No, precisely, the virtual sparring that had occurred in his dream had ended.
That was so.
He had attempted a kind of meditative training while sleeping.
By applying the essence of Dream Heaven Bestowing Great technique, the absolute technique of Shaolin Temple’s Eight Ancestral Masters’ Annihilation Dharma Master Gwang-jong.
It was a mysterious great method he had recently completed based on a thousand years’ worth of accumulated experience and knowledge.
Successful.
Just as he had said in the last moment of the dream.
Why?
Because an unknown lump had formed inside his body.
That was an important clue.
One by which he could now improve the martial prowess level of a body for which consuming various elixirs had become meaningless.
‘Hoo, so this works. If I continue along this path… I will be able to obtain even a solution to surpass him.’