Chapter 381: Crimson Light
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He had said to find the name.
That’s what was said.
The Heavenly Demon.
What did he mean?
The five strands of light that flowed into his body, what were those?
However, such doubts of Cheol Ryu-heun vanished in an instant.
Because of his wavering consciousness.
‘No!’
His mind growing hazy, he desperately grasped the thread of consciousness in that moment.
‘Of course, like this… won’t do!’
Simultaneously with the inner cry, his fading consciousness rapidly revived.
Yes, losing consciousness would be troublesome.
If he let go and entered an unconscious state as is, he might ruin the achievement process of the Shattering-the-Void Realm currently in progress.
Moreover, there existed the danger of mental and physical collapse, let alone failure…
That’s right.
Was this not the ultimate study of mental depth where one is not constrained by the world’s forms?
Therefore, he must maintain his spirit intact.
If he lost the thread of consciousness, he would be literally shattered and scattered into the void to die.
The greater the enlightenment, the greater the danger during the achievement process accordingly.
In the past at Mount Heng Sect’s forbidden area, he broke through his limit and rose to a new realm thanks to maintaining high concentration.
He must act the same now.
For the completion of the second Shattering-the-Void Realm, he must maximally exert the essence of stillness in motion’s mental discipline.
‘Thoughts about what he said… after achieving this first…!’
Thus Cheol Ryu-heun focused only on the mysterious evolution of his body and advanced toward the entrance of a new realm.
* * *
The breathing sounds of the guest retainers who had been sitting in lotus position.
“Hss, huu…”
“Huuup…”
Each person’s eyelids slightly trembled before soon rising with a smooth motion.
Immediately after.
“Ugh!”
Seol Pan-gyo, who let out a short sound, had a heavily sunken gaze.
An assault of extreme fatigue.
The expressions of the others were no different.
The reason was simple.
It was the effect of having consumed a massive amount of mental power within the mental realm.
It was truly an enormous fatigue.
A feeling as if having exhausted most of one’s Internal energy through fierce actual combat, perhaps.
It was only natural.
Exhaustion of mental power typically bestows greater fatigue than exhaustion of physical power.
That’s why it was so.
Soon, someone’s voice was heard from not far away.
“Is everyone alright?”
Led by that voice, the gazes of the guest retainers turned to one side.
About a dozen paces away, the figure of Dark Hall Master Dark Sword Fragrance Mun-bin could be seen.
He wasn’t standing alone.
Various Unorthodox Jianghu talents, including Celestial Flower Tower Master White Dream Beauty Gongseul Dan-yeong, were also present.
Also, right beside them, Namgung Heon-rin, Jeon Kwae, Murong Seol, Murong Song, Mount Heng Sect’s Baek Lim, Shaolin Temple’s Central Peak Morning Star Hyo-gak, and others were gathered together as well.
The guest retainers, having unfolded their legs, rose their bodies in unison.
Hae Su-yeon, having smiled brightly, smoothed her hair.
“Yes, we’re fine. Though the mental and physical fatigue is great given the nature of the task.”
Cui Lan beside her also spoke with a smile.
“Huhut. We all had a mysterious experience thanks to Sect Master Cheol. However, I don’t want to go through it again.”
She then briefly explained what happened within the mental realm.
Hearing that story, everyone clicked their tongues and murmured.
“Wow…”
“Such a thing…”
“T-truly amazing.”
In the midst of that, Namgung Sang-rin quietly gazed at the void.
A person floating gently like a cloud, wrapped in light.
It was Cheol Ryu-heun in the midst of achieving the Shattering-the-Void Realm.
The gazes of the Orthodox and Unorthodox faction talents who had approached nearby also followed his.
“Is it… now the final stage?”
When Namgung Sang-rin nodded his head at Mun-bin’s cautious question, he answered.
“Yes. Earlier, Sect Master Cheol said it was the start of the final achievement.”
“Oh, finally…”
Mun-bin’s eyes were excited as if it were his own matter.
The party around him was the same.
Everyone was newly curious.
What kind of martial prowess Cheol Ryu-heun would display once this phenomenon ended…
At that time, Hae Su-yeon asked in a quiet voice.
“Ah, right. What has happened with matters outside?”
“Actually, about half an hour ago, the rescue activity group brought about fifty martial artists from minor sects and factions. They’re staying in that house over there.”
“Oh my, that’s good. Did everyone go outside again?”
“Yes, this time the renowned masters also actively accompanied them.”
In other words, he meant Iron Blood Martial Alliance Leader Sword Wheel Crown Prince Gwi Je-shin, Solar Sword Saint Castle Lord Solar Great Lord Beop-yeol, Dokgo Sword Family Lord New Province Sword Sage Dokgo In-wang, Nine Tiger Gang Chopping Wave Saber Tiger Ji Jang-jong, and others.
But just then.
FLASH!
Cheol Ryu-heun in the void explosively radiated energy light.
At the moment the party flinched in surprise.
TUK, TUK… TUTUK… TUK, TUK…
Energy sounds began to be heard from Cheol Ryu-heun’s body.
After a while.
The light covering his body divided into five strands and in the blink of an eye transformed into the shapes of large people.
Each had a different color.
Then they circled around Cheol Ryu-heun.
As if frolicking in the sky.
Watching that, Namgung Sang-rin suddenly realized.
‘So that’s it!’
He understood what it was.
Heavenly Demon, Sword Emperor, Evil Emperor, Martial Immortal, Blood God.
It was surely the strange lights symbolizing those five.
Were the five divine beings bestowing blessings for martial prowess advancement?
That’s the feeling he got while watching quietly.
Soon.
DEUDEUDEUK… DEUDEUDEUK… DEUDEUK…
All the dead trees arranged in a circle created great trembling.
It didn’t end there.
Each stretched their branches upward as if alive and moving.
Like human hands.
Thus the elongated branches wrapped around Cheol Ryu-heun’s body.
SEUREUREUK, SEUREUREUK, SEUREUREUK…
A change induced by the five lights circling around Cheol Ryu-heun at the center.
While the party watched with entranced faces.
FLASH, FLASH, FLASH, FLASH, FLASH…
The five lights that had taken human shapes changed again.
Scattering like smoke before gathering together at once.
They were the forms of five swords.
Those five had transformed into clear sword shapes.
In an instant.
Squirm, squirm.
Deep crimson energy flowed out from Cheol Ryu-heun’s body.
It was so red.
A deeper scarlet than flame.
Also.
It was mysterious.
It was a light where feelings of bright and dark seemed to coexist.
No one knew.
That this was a sign of perfectly awakening the Divine Martial Sword’s innate divine power.
The light that had transformed into five swords moved quietly.
Thus they were absorbed into Cheol Ryu-heun’s body and disappeared.
UWOONG… UWOONG… UWOONG…
Sound that shook heaven and earth echoed back.
That’s right.
He had finally received it.
The mysterious divine power of great nature constituting this Ten Directions Ghost Road Lost Soul Formation had acknowledged Cheol Ryu-heun’s existence.
The Trinity of Heaven, Earth, and man.
Was this heralding the descent and emergence of a divine being to govern the Jianghu?
The light danced, burning ever larger and redder as time passed.
It was not hot.
Rather, it was gentle.
Yet within it, mysterious and overwhelming power could be felt.
At that time.
CHWAT, CHWACHWAR, CHWAT…
The sound of Cheol Ryu-heun’s skin splitting reached their ears.
Fine wound traces in a grid pattern.
It was as if a dense net was covering him.
“Huk!”
When someone let out a sharp exclamation, Namgung Sang-rin brought his index finger to his lips.
“Shh. It will be dangerous if disturbed from the outside. It seems to be a very critical juncture.”
No sooner had those words ended than everyone quietly retreated backward.
Because it would be a big problem if they happened to interfere, as Namgung Sang-rin said.
Thus, everyone watched while holding their breath, having retreated far away.
In an instant, surprising changes continued.
The grid-pattern wounds were closing and reopening repeatedly.
As if controlling and suppressing some tremendous power’s explosiveness within the body with unfathomable healing power…
A Secret Sound Transmission suddenly rang out.
-Was a person.
‘Hm?’
The party, including Namgung Sang-rin, wore bewildered expressions.
It was unclear whether it was Cheol Ryu-heun’s voice or something else.
Following that, again.
-Wanted to become a sword.
At that sound, the party still had bewildered gazes.
-In the end, as wished… became a sword.
Hae Su-yeon immediately used Secret Sound Transmission Into Ear toward Namgung Sang-rin.
At that time, another sound similar to Secret Sound Transmission rang out.
-Having lost all memories of having been a person…
Simultaneously with that, Cheol Ryu-heun’s cultivation rapidly increased, and the entire space of the Ten Directions Ghost Road Lost Soul Formation caused tremors.
KURUREUREUNG, KURUREUREUREUNG…
* * *
“Wait.”
At the grave voice, the procession stopped.
Following that.
SUK.
The one who just spoke stepped a few paces forward and again let out a low voice.
“This forest… we passed through in the morning. No matter how I look at it.”
A man of extremely cold appearance.
Eyes, nose, mouth, and even beard gave a sharp feeling like blades.
Amid that, his gaze was heavy like rock.
It was the eye-light of a warrior with hegemonic dignity.
The gray robe embroidered with a giant sword indicated his status.
He was the Castle Lord of Thousand White Sword Castle, a great power of the Anhui region’s Unorthodox faction.
Indeed.
It was Lake-Emerging Martial Family Head Eon Po-Wook, one of the four giants of the Unorthodox Jianghu.
At that time, a man in his mid-thirties spoke after examining the surroundings.
“It seems we’ve set foot in a formation.”
The Swordsman flowing with combative spirit throughout his body was Scorching Battle Sword Ghost Cha-hoeng.
He was part of the leadership of Thousand White Sword Castle and a top-tier warrior of the Anhui region, rivaling the Anhui’s Three High Excellences in status.
Eon Po-Wook, having slightly narrowed his brow, opened his mouth.
“A natural formation, or the work of the Heretic Cult… it has to be one of the two.”
“What shall we do? Shall we continue advancing?”
“Of course… I can break through a mere formation with my power.”
“Yes.”
“By the way, where is that fellow? It would be nice to cleanly repay the debt first and then search for the Divine Martial Sword.”
That was referring to Ji Jang-jong, one of Jiangxi’s Five Elegants.
Cha-hoeng, having flashed his eyes, wore a meaningful smile.
“Will he last even fifty exchanges?”
“Huhut, what are you saying… forty exchanges will be enough.”
Eon Po-Wook was truly arrogant.
However, it wasn’t simply an attitude of conceit.
Because.
Although Ji Jang-jong was said to be a warrior contending for the top spot of Jiangxi’s Five Elegants along with Murong Family Head Thrusting Sword Elegant Scholar Murong Kang, Eon Po-Wook’s martial reputation as the top of Anhui’s Three High Experts was higher.
There was a reference point distinguishing that tier.
Mount Huang Sect Master Taoist Heaven-Deceiving Flying Feet Man-hae, who ranked among Anhui’s Three High Experts.
He who possessed the epithet Heaven-Deceiving Flying Feet, meaning his flying movements with both legs could even deceive the heavens, had been defeated five years ago after exchanging over sixty moves with Eon Po-Wook.
Moreover, he had suffered quite heavy internal injuries in the process.
Yet.
Eon Po-Wook, not content with winning, had even avoided internal injuries.
Moreover, the wounds on his body were nothing but minor blood lines.
That was tantamount to proving the gap in cultivation as well as martial prowess a level above.
It was practically a victory where Eon Po-Wook held complete superiority.
Conversely, Ji Jang-jong happened to engage in a bout with Taoist Heaven-Deceiving Flying Feet Man-hae about a year later, and at that time, he was defeated after exceeding ninety exchanges.
Thereby, Eon Po-Wook’s martial reputation naturally rose above Jiangxi’s Five Stars.
Furthermore, about three years ago, he faced Jincheon Sword Palace Lord Black Silken Sword Sovereign Wei Ta-gong, one of the four giants of the Unorthodox faction that the Orthodox faction guards against, in an evenly-matched martial comparison that ended in a tie.
It was a confrontation between two evenly-matched masters exceeding one hundred exchanges.
From that event, Eon Po-Wook rose to the highest tier representing the entire Unorthodox faction of the Jiangnan Jianghu along with Wei Ta-gong, in both name and reality.
Therefore, regarding Ji Jang-jong as a level below at this point was entirely natural.
But just then.
– Castle Lord of Thousand White Sword Castle, do you covet the Divine Martial Sword?
From somewhere, an unidentified Secret Sound Transmission rang out.