Chapter 386: Was a Person

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Suddenly, a voice circled in Cheol Ryu-heun’s head.

– Find your name. Before the Constellation of Destruction opens the path first…

It was what the first owner of the Divine Martial Sword, the Heavenly Demon, had said in a space presumed to be an unknown territory seen earlier.

He had recovered his old name as the Heavenly Demon said.

A two-character name that was neither Divine Martial Sword nor Cheol Ryu-heun.

It meant the memory of a previous life.

The life before becoming the Divine Martial Sword, as a human with self-awareness rather than a divine weapon spirit vessel…

However.

The memories of his previous life were not yet complete.

Gaps remained between the fragments of memory.

Only by obtaining those would the memories of his previous life become complete.

At any rate, the result itself was satisfying.

Because the original ultimate goal had been successfully achieved.

Improvement of martial prowess level, and recovery of unfathomable divine power.

He had caught two rabbits.

Yes, that was enough.

For now.

The remaining task related to the memories of his previous life could be solved after annihilating the enemies within the Shiwan Mountains.

Indeed, there was no need to be hasty.

First, the pressing matter.

Seuup, huu.

Thus Cheol Ryu-heun caught his breath once more.

In his pitch-black pupils, the figures of the White Peak Sword Sect guest retainers who had been waiting nearby came into view.

With the completion of the achievement, the phenomenon also vanished cleanly.

Thus, only stillness pervaded the vast space of the Immortal Beyond Separate Realm harmonized with the Ten Directions Ghost Road Lost Soul Formation.

Meanwhile.

Namgung Sang-rin, Hae Su-yeon and others headed toward Cheol Ryu-heun when he finally opened his eyes.

“Sect Master Cheol!”

“You’ve finally finished!”

When Cheol Ryu-heun nodded at their joyful exclamations.

“Yes, my martial prowess has risen.”

His expression was still emotionless and his attitude indifferent.

As if finding his old name changed nothing.

His only curiosity was about the remaining fragments of memory.

He had been a peerless military general worshipped as a god of war in ancient times.

And.

He had loved a woman of exceptional beauty, and together with a close friend, he built a nation after ending the wars.

However, the end of his life was not good.

The final journey of his life was punctuated by betrayal.

His close friend… the one who ascended to become emperor had stabbed him in the back.

It was a frame-up born of jealousy and envy.

Had it been that thin?

The walls built with friendship.

It was a cherished memory too precious to end with betrayal.

There was no more hope.

He wanted to end it with his own hands, but approaching his friend who had become emperor was too difficult.

So he became a sword, a divine weapon vessel containing mysterious energy.

By sacrificing his life, soul, and everything else…

He once exchanged words with that friend about a peaceful prosperous era.

A memory from before the betrayal.

It was after they had fought an important battle to establish a new nation.

After delivering news of victory, they chatted amiably, sharing their feelings…

-Congratulations. You completely annihilated the enemy camp. Here, accept my cup. Let’s get thoroughly drunk today.

-I’ll decline. I must go see her. Anyway… the day our dream will come true isn’t far off.

-Right. Before we knew it, five nations have surrendered, and now only one remains. This was possible because of you. It’s only fitting to call you a god of war sent by heaven.

-Hut, what are you saying…

-I said it once, didn’t I? Is there a special seed for becoming a king or general? When someone with great ambition appears, a new nation is established. The protagonists of this era… are us.

-When this war ends, I… want to go with her to a quiet place and spend my remaining years there. Some might call it a small dream, but for me, it’s the biggest dream.

-Of course! Just work a little harder for me. For the arrival of true peaceful prosperity.

-I am your sword. Wield me as you please until the chaos of war in these Six Nations is completely ended.

-Thank you. Just hearing that gives me strength. I will definitely become a wise ruler, no… an existence recorded in history as the greatest holy emperor!

A sword wielded for him, that’s what he had aspired to be.

He believed that was the right path.

More precisely, it was trust in his sworn friend.

Since childhood, they had built a friendship of shared hardships.

A relationship where they stuck together daily, sharing joys, sorrows, anger, and pleasure.

It was trust forged through that.

But… the end of that path turned into a futile dream.

His sworn friend, who always proclaimed wise ruler and holy emperor, gradually became a tyrant…

It was empty.

They had painstakingly overthrown six nations and established this new one.

Eventually, there was only one choice of fate.

He had to be killed.

Even if it meant sacrificing his own body.

After all, where there is darkness, there is also light.

Fortunately, an allied force existed that resisted the tyrant friend.

Hence, he received help.

With the secret collaborator’s hand, he threw away his life and was reborn as a sword.

A righteous cause?

No, honestly, personal desire for revenge came first.

That was why he sacrificed himself to become a sword.

To cruelly pierce the heart of the one who betrayed friendship, who broke trust.

The body was gone, but the soul of obsession remained.

At that time, he saw and heard everything.

The tragic moment when the woman he loved like his own life embraced him who had transformed into a sword and grieved.

-So you’ve become a sword after all. Even though you wished for it so desperately…

‘Cho-hui.’

Having murmured the woman’s name inwardly, Cheol Ryu-heun swept away his thoughts.

This was the end.

Of reminiscing about the past.

What would change by chewing over it?

That’s right.

Because it was a bygone matter anyway.

If swayed by agonies induced by memories, how could one call oneself a Martial God?

‘Let’s focus on the matter at hand. Obtaining the remaining pieces of past history can be attempted later.’

In the midst of that, Namgung Sang-rin’s voice continued.

“Earlier, I saw the strange energy lights symbolizing the five said to be the strongest in martial history. Was it an enlightenment connected to them?”

At that, Cheol Ryu-heun replied expressionlessly.

“Hmm, was that so? Yes. It’s a power related to those five.”

Immediately after, Hae Su-yeon’s quiet voice followed.

“And we also heard a Secret Sound Transmission like a soliloquy. Of unknown meaning…”

“What was it?”

“Ah, yes. It was…”

Hae Su-yeon told him about the Secret Sound Transmission heard earlier.

-Was a person.

-Wanted to become a sword.

-In the end, as wished… became a sword.

-Having lost all memories of having been a person…

Then she casually added words.

“Was it a phenomenon of achievement?”

“Well, something like that.”

Cheol Ryu-heun answered with an indifferent expression and shrugged his shoulders.

“Anyway, I was also a person. Now I seem to feel some sense of kinship.”

At that, everyone showed bewildered expressions.

What did that mean?

No, well, when was he not a person?

Suddenly Cheol Ryu-heun looked toward the forest beyond.

“Have they gone to perform rescue missions?”

Mun-bin, having likewise shifted his gaze, answered with a nod.

“Yes. They’ve already brought the personnel rescued from one previous mission.”

“Good. Now, shall I heal those who were subjected to blood sucking?”

“Ah, he said he’d prepared a remedy…”

He meant Grand Prelate of the Heavenly Demon Cult, Gun Mu-ak.

Cheol Ryu-heun, having withdrawn his gaze, inwardly smirked.

‘Hu, he does what needs to be done.’

Yesterday, Byeok Woo-ham asked.

Whether he knew of the ancient secret art for severing the subservient connection with the Darkness-Craving Blood Clan.

At that time, he had explained thus.

As was known, that essence had been lost for a long time.

However, he had a method to reverse it.

Then he spoke while looking at one person.

-Also, he also has some kind of solution. Of course, it would be a quite different method from mine.

The target was Gun Mu-ak.

He had replied indifferently, like Cheol Ryu-heun himself.

-I never said such a thing.

-Don’t you know my intuition?

-…

-The Heavenly Demon Cult’s capabilities surpass the Darkness-Craving Blood Clan. That’s how a terrifyingly extraordinary demon like you was born in this generation. Naturally, there’s no way there’s no solution for that.

-You’re right.

-As expected of talent fit for the Heavenly Demon’s reincarnation, good that you’re sincere. Obviously it’s a method using that sword’s power.

Cheol Ryu-heun turned his body with that thought.

“As expected, the Demon God Sword is useful.”

As he walked step by step, the White Peak Sword Sect guest retainers and other Orthodox and Unorthodox party members followed behind.

* * *

Eastern Heaven Division under the Heaven Emperor Society.

One General-level cadre and ten subordinate soldiers.

Facing them, Eon Po-Wook was displaying tremendous martial prowess.

Already, half of the Eastern Heaven Division personnel had departed this world before his hand techniques.

The approximately two hundred Thousand White Sword Castle forces, including the Fight-Loving Four Ghosts leadership, were watching from the rear.

The reason everyone was standing by as spectators was simple.

It was precisely because of Eon Po-Wook’s bold declaration.

-No one step forward.

He had said that earlier.

That was proof of trusting their leader’s martial prowess that much.

It was natural.

Eon Po-Wook was nominally a transcendent level warrior representing the Unorthodox camp of the Jiangnan Jianghu.

Indeed, the sobriquet Lake-Emerging Martial Family Head was the top of Anhui’s Three High Excellence.

Who would one trust if not him?

CHACHANG… PEOPEONG!

A subordinate blood-robed figure flew backward and collided with a dead tree.

WAJIKKEUN… !

The large tree broke into pieces and scattered.

PAK… HUUK!

Before they knew it, Eon Po-Wook, having compressed the distance, swiftly thrust his beloved weapon Fighting Soul Sword.

PEOGEOEOUK… !

A creepy sound like a gourd being crushed rang out.

TEOLSEOK.

Thus, the subordinate soldier whose head was smashed collapsed on the ground.

At that moment, the corpse rapidly swelled.

A sign of explosion.

Eon Po-Wook immediately retreated with swift Lightness technique.

KKWAKWANG… HWARUREUK… !

The subordinate soldier’s corpse exploded and spewed green flame fire.

Instantly heating air.

Originally, the subordinate soldier group hadn’t consumed gu poison.

However.

Preparing for the great blood battle in the Shiwan Mountains, all had consumed gu poison.

However, that power didn’t match that of cadre levels like Young Generals and Middle Generals

Of course, Eon Po-Wook didn’t even know about that gu poison itself.

“Such trifles…!”

As Eon Po-Wook, having re-gripped the Fighting Soul Sword, sneered.

PAPAPAPA, PAPAPAPA… !

The enemies, led by the Young General, all began charging at once.

It was a combined attack resolved to group suicide.

Eon Po-Wook, not to be outdone, flashed his eyes and fiercely advanced.

‘Where do you think you’re going!’

He was determined to strike them all down by unleashing maximum power.

SYUKAAAAK!

The Fighting Soul Sword crossing the air.

Following the trajectory of the blade, an immense light was released.

A large-scale sword energy in a curved line covering all directions, representing the dignity of the grand sobriquet Lake-Emerging Martial Family Head

KWAKWAKWAKWAKWAKWAKWANG… !

Amidst clamorous roaring echoes, chain explosions produced flames.

HWARURURURUREUK… HWAAAAAAK!

A storm of blue flame fire charged in.

Simultaneously, Eon Po-Wook’s complexion hardened.

‘Oops!’

The explosive power was stronger than expected.

He had underestimated too much, thinking they were beneath him.

The power of the group suicide.

The party in the rear who sensed that also flinched in surprise.

At that moment.

Two figures appeared, crossing the void.

Following that, their hand techniques were swiftly wielded like lightning.

As if covering Eon Po-Wook, movement of incomparable speed.

The two each released massive cultivation with iron whip and sword.

Thereby, the surging green flame storm was blocked by a solid intangible energy wall.

SEUSEUSEUSSEUT, SEUSEUSEUSSEUSSEUT…

The blue flame haze quietly disappeared.

The two figures positioned beside Eon Po-Wook quietly turned their heads.

“Hut, it seems you share the same purpose as us…”

“How about it? Won’t you join hands with us? Then we can overcome any crisis.”

Thus, two people who spoke one after another.

They were Sichuan Tang Family Lord Butterfly Dance Great Lord Tang Chun-chu and Purple Forest Enchanted Gate Master Cold Cruel Peony Sol Byeok-ra.