Chapter 376: Becoming One Long Sword Soul
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When Namgung Sang-rin appeared at a nearby location, the gazes of the Dongbang Yas that had been rushing toward the Divine Martial Sword were momentarily scattered and their movements stopped.
In that gap.
CHWACHWACHWACHWACHWACHOT-!
When the Divine Martial Sword horizontally swept his right hand’s sword, a vast golden wave progressed through the gap.
A swift sword technique containing sacred Buddhist force.
PEOPEOPEOPEOPEOPEONG!
As the group reflexively scattered, four or five that couldn’t evade in time received the shock and were fiercely flung far to the rear.
But none of them reached annihilation.
The reason was simple.
Since the weak ones had already mostly been eliminated.
In other words, the current Dongbang Yas were strong incarnations of agony that had been filtered and filtered through the series of battles.
Accordingly, the Divine Martial Sword’s mental power, his soul power consumption, had also increased considerably.
It was at a point where he had used up so much power that Namgung Sang-rin appeared by crossing the layered walls of the mental realm.
Reading the signal of light the Divine Martial Sword had arranged in advance.
‘How admirable.’
Having spoken briefly inwardly, the Divine Martial Sword re-gripped his sword.
That movement meant he was steeling his mental state.
From the beginning, he had believed in the qualities and talents of the guest retainers.
And.
Namgung Sang-rin had lived up to that.
Also, his situational judgment was also outstanding as expected.
He immediately realized that the bunch, each with identical appearances, was the soul energy fragment of Dongbang Ya.
‘That’s right! Enemies threatening Sect Master Cheol’s mental image!’
SSWAESSWAESSWAESSWAESSWAENG-!
Namgung Sang-rin swung his sword while running toward the Divine Martial Sword.
Fierce movement reminiscent of a body charge assault.
KKWAOONG, KKWAOONG!
Along with heavy sounds, Dongbang Yas flung back hard.
Immediately after.
PAPAPAPA, PAPAPAPA-
The incarnations of agony retreated about one zhang as if to reorganize their ranks to respond to the variable.
“Sect Master Cheol! Are you alright?”
Namgung Sang-rin, having approached his side, shouted the question.
“Of course.”
Simultaneously with the expressionless Divine Martial Sword’s soft answer.
FLASH!
Lightning struck above.
No, a light giving such a feeling flashed.
Namgung Sang-rin, having looked up at the void, spoke.
“It seems everyone has entered successfully.”
Sure enough, a dazzling hole opened wide.
KKUKKUNG…!
Hae Su-yeon, wrapped in light beams, dropped down swiftly.
Her entrance had somewhat of a splendid feeling.
She gave off an atmosphere resembling a celestial fairy.
The effect of her inherently beautiful bearing added in.
Upon spotting the Divine Martial Sword and Namgung Sang-rin, she moved quickly.
“Sect Master Cheol! Do we now have to fight with that group?”
Immediately after, the Divine Martial Sword who had nodded his head received her words.
“Yes. Agonies that had been lurking within the soul energy… Remnants of the mental image that Martial Immortal separated in the past during the process of realizing the essence of Feathered Transformation Feathered Ascension to Immortality.”
“Ah! Then those appearances are identical to his from the old days…”
“Right. It’s Dongbang Ya’s form.”
“How wondrous. Is our role that of a support force?”
“To be more precise, from now on, you all are like elixirs that will replenish my depleted Internal energy.”
Hae Su-yeon, having quickly understood what that meant.
“I see. I understand!”
This place was a space created by mental images.
Therefore, mental power was the same as Internal energy, wasn’t it?
That’s right.
It meant that depleted mental power would be replenished with others’ mental power.
The target of that was the guest retainers.
However, the method was hard to grasp.
One thing could be guessed.
Currently, Cheol Ryu-heun as the Divine Martial Sword was radiating two opposing energies in one body.
Sacred Buddhist force, dark demonic power.
Perhaps he was trying to use a strange and unpredictable method connected in principle with that.
Following that, Cui Lan also entered the mental realm through the void.
HWAK, HWAHWAK… KKUNG, KKUKKUNG…
With some interval of time, Seol Pan-gyo and Mae Yak-bang also descended riding waterfall-like light beams one after another, appearing.
At that, the incarnations of agony gathered on the other side emitted an even more murderous momentum as if heightening their guard.
The Divine Martial Sword, having stepped forward a few paces to stand, spoke again while keeping the guest retainers behind him.
“The power of the talismans and mental technique that led you here has as its foundation the pure and deep immortal energy of the Swordsman Immortal Guest. That exerts mystical applications of guidance to the mental realm and mental protection. I will now add my power to that.”
“What is that?”
Simultaneously with Namgung Sang-rin’s question.
“The mystical application of harmonious unification.”
The Divine Martial Sword, speaking thus, operated a certain mental technique.
Then Buddhist force and demonic power mixed, and a strange current of light completely covered his entire body.
CHEUCHEUCHE, CHEUCHEUCHE…
Suddenly, that current of light divided into five strands and connected with the guest retainers in the rear.
At that moment.
Namgung Sang-rin, Hae Su-yeon, and the others were seized by a wondrous feeling.
‘Wow…!’
‘My, this is…!’
They realized what the previously mentioned mystical application of harmonious unification was.
It was precisely mental power bound into one.
Thereby, their individual mental images were being transferred.
A sharing of senses linked with mental images.
Each person’s mental power had combined in the mental realm within the mental realm.
Naturally, as if it had been one from the start.
Thus, the Divine Martial Sword’s depleted mental power was replenished and the mental realm also changed to become more solid in turn.
So that not a single agony could freely escape from this place.
A mystical application of reinforcing a kind of seal within the mental realm, one might say.
But what was more surprising was.
CHEUCHEU, CHEUCHEU, CHEUCHEU-
The guest retainers began radiating energy of a different color from the existing mental techniques.
Five kinds of new powers…
With the Divine Martial Sword’s mental images bound into one, that phenomenon was induced.
First, Namgung Sang-rin emitted energy symbolizing Heavenly Demon, and Hae Su-yeon emitted energy symbolizing Blood God.
And Cui Lan radiated the light unique to Evil Emperor, Seol Pan-gyo to Sword Emperor, and Mae Yak-bang to Martial Immortal.
This was actually something impossible in the mortal world.
However, this place was a world born of the inner self, a mental realm composed only of mental elements.
As long as the achievement of meditation study allowed, this was a virtual space where such things were fully possible.
What’s more, the one leading this phenomenon was the Divine Martial Sword, who had thoroughly mastered all kinds of lofty mental techniques.
Given certain conditions, he was an existence capable of demonstrating even more amazing things.
Soon.
HWAAAK-!
The Divine Martial Sword spread radiant golden Aura/Aura/bearing from head to toe.
It was a change representing the extreme Buddhist mental technique essence for confronting the currently remaining bunch, the strong-level incarnations of agony.
It was a light so bright that merely looking at it seemed to purify the mind.
It was to the degree where calling him the reincarnation of Shaolin Temple’s Sixth Family Head Hui-neng would not be inappropriate.
Moreover, it was a sight where even the old traces of the Dharma Ancestor could be felt.
“What I feel and what you feel are bound into one. This way, even without deliberately watching other directions, you can know the immediate flow as if seeing it directly with your eyes. There is nothing better than this when fighting many. Is everyone ready?”
“Yes, Sect Master!”
When the guest retainers answered in unison, the Divine Martial Sword advanced at high speed while letting out an expressionless voice.
“We annihilate them.”
“Yes!”
The guest retainers who had called out softly also followed behind him.
PAPAPAPAPAT-!
Not to be outdone, the approximately two hundred Dongbang Yas on the other side charged toward them and split into six branches.
The melee began.
Thus, each side became chaotically entangled in the center of the gap.
PEOPEONG, PEONG, PEOPEONG…!
In the chaotic battlefield of the mental realm, explosions burst out continuously.
Namgung Sang-rin was greatly impressed after switching to a defensive sword path following several sword strike offenses.
‘How wondrous! To have such sensations conveyed…!’
He could see the battles of others who were separately positioned.
No, he was feeling them.
As if there were eyes on the front, back, left, and right of his own head.
It was truly an astounding experience.
Hae Su-yeon was the same.
While busily switching between offense and defense, she vividly received the sensations of her companions.
And it wasn’t something that hindered her either.
‘Heavens! It feels like I’m standing up in that high sky looking down clearly at everything below while moving!’
Simply calling it wondrous was insufficient.
It was definitely more than that.
It was exquisite.
Also.
It was outstanding.
All blind spots were filled and weak points disappeared.
Everyone had become one.
Quite literally, perfectly.
Thereby, it was an environment where one could concentrate only on their own fight.
Cui Lan, Seol Pan-gyo, and Mae Yak-bang also worked their techniques toward the fiercely rushing group with the same feelings.
And the Divine Martial Sword, having replenished his mental power by unifying each person’s spirit, leaped into the middle of the group while raising his momentum.
‘I will definitely end this battle within half an hour!’
* * *
Before they knew it, when noon was imminent.
The meeting at the worn-down dumpling shop that Gal Jung-heon had operated ended.
At that moment, secretive footsteps were heard from outside.
There were at least four or five people.
But the renowned masters of the Orthodox Jianghu seated inside were not particularly on guard.
Soon, Taoist Cheon Mu of Mount Heng Sect muttered while gazing at the door.
“It seems they have arrived just in time.”
Shortly after, the door panels of the dumpling shop ruin made a ‘KKIIIK’ pushing sound as they opened.
CHEOK, CHEOK, CHEOK…
A group clad in rags entered inside.
Seven in total.
The identity of the appearing personnel was precisely the direct disciples of the Beggar’s Sect.
The in-sect status of those seven was Eight Determiners, practically no different from being alter egos of the sect master, Withered Bamboo Beggar King Ham Geo-ja.
Taoist Cheon Mu gave a gesture with a gentle smile.
“Yes, come on in everyone.”
The Beggar’s Sect’s direct disciples simultaneously made the fist-palm salute.
Among them, the man in his early forties at the front opened his mouth.
“We greet all the sect masters.”
With a sturdy build and carrying an iron rod, he was Supreme Staff Beggar Chok So-geol, a master whose fame resounded throughout the Northern Jianghu and the first direct disciple of the Beggar’s Sect Master.
When everyone responded to the greeting with nods, Immortal Muhyeon of Wudang Sect softly asked.
“So, has the matter Sect Master Cheol mentioned previously been completed?”
“Yes, it is finished. Now the entire city of Baizhou has entered a state of readiness for the enemy’s diversionary tactics. The Red Cat Merchant Guild side is also taking every precaution.”
At Chok So-geol’s report, Immortal Mu-hyeon wore a satisfied expression.
“Well done. Huhut.”
“Ah, also… according to information our sect urgently acquired, not only the Anhui region but also the foremost giant of the Southern Unorthodox faction has already headed for the Shiwan Mountains, they say. We also heard yesterday.”
Everyone knew well whom that indicated.
It meant Outstripping Tiger Returning Eon Po-Wook, the Castle Lord of Thousand White Sword Castle, evaluated as the strongest among Anhui’s Three High Experts.
There are normally four Unorthodox giants that the Orthodox faction guards against.
Among them, two were Iron Blood Martial Alliance Leader Sword Wheel Crown Prince Gwi Je-shin and Solar Sword Saint Castle Lord Solar Sword Saint Castle Lord Beop-yeol.
Eon Po-Wook was also included among them.
If Gwi Je-shin and Beop-yeol were representative figures of the Northern Unorthodox faction, he was a representative of the Southern Unorthodox faction.
This time, Taoist Cheon Mu asked Chok So-geol.
“Has the scale of the mobilized forces been roughly determined?”
“Since he seems to have been determined from the start, they say it’s as many as about two hundred.”
“Hmm, that’s many.”
“The Zhejiang Son Family Lord, a rising Orthodox giant, has also departed for the Shiwan Mountains. Though not yet precisely determined, it’s estimated at about three hundred. Furthermore, they say a descendant of the long-perished Zhuge Family is accompanying him.”
“A descendant of the Zhuge Family?”
“Yes. According to our sect’s secret investigation team’s direct inquiry, a person named Zhuge Bi, a secret childhood friend of the Son Family Lord… is suspected of possessing the legendary Heart-Stealing Spirit-Commanding Body.”
Those assembled were surprised at the unexpected information.
“What did you say?”
“Heart-Stealing Spirit-Commanding Body…!”
“The first Zhuge Family Lord’s…”
In the midst of that, Chok So-geol’s heavy voice continued.
“If he is truly a Heart-Stealing Spirit-Commanding Body, and if he becomes a prisoner and is handed over to the enemy camp… it will cause a truly tremendous crisis.”