Chapter 425: Gathering into One Place
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Cheol Ryu-heun soon placed his body onto the path paved by light.
Then.
SWAAAAAAAA… SWAAAAAAAA…
A pure-white, smoke-like current approached like a rapid stream and wrapped around his form.
Swift as a ray of light, yet soft as a feather.
Having taken a few more steps forward, Cheol Ryu-heun turned to look behind and sent a light wave of his hand.
“As you see, you simply put your feet forward onto the path of light. Then this energy will naturally seep into your bodies.”
Those words were directed at the warriors alliance of Orthodox, Unorthodox, and beyond.
He meant they should feel at ease, since it was a mysterious current that worked regardless of each person’s internal martial energy attribute, whether Orthodox, Unorthodox, or Demonic.
At that time, a certain giant let out a rich laugh.
“KOHUHUT! Somehow I think this will be fun!”
It was Hegemon of Poison Paramount Meng Wang.
He strode forward and stepped onto the path of light.
At the same time, smoke-like current wrapped around his large body.
SWAAAAAAAAAAAT…
Meng Wang marveled at the ticklishly pleasant sensation touching his bare skin.
“HOEO! It feels like being covered with a silk blanket. Min-a! You come and feel it too. This is truly wondrous.”
Then his youngest daughter Meng Min followed after him.
The moment she stepped on and was enveloped in smoke, she was startled.
“WOW! It feels like entrusting my body to a gentle water current. No, no, even more than that……”
Unwilling to be outdone, Chrysanthemum Fragrance Sword Matriarch Byeok Song-ha, Northern Heavens Saber Venerable Peng Cheon-jin, Sword Wheel Crown Prince Gwi Je-shin, Solar Sun Great Lord Beop-yeol, and others moved forward as if competing.
Sure enough.
SWAAAAA… SWAAAAA… SWAAAAA…
Currents wrapped around everyone like soft silk or waves.
Mist Valley Sword Master Xiahou Jeol of the Hahu Clan, who felt the ticklish sensation on his skin, clicked his tongue.
“I’m clearly standing on two feet, yet it feels as if I’m floating in the air.”
Brilliant Seas Sword Lion Dan Li-yeol of the Blue Sea Martial Sect, positioned beside him, nodded his head.
“Correct, it is exactly so.”
South Lake Sword Sect Master Great Lake Sword Elder Byeok Woo-ham, Five Yang Sword Hall Master Single Flash Sword Hegemon Do Woo-poong, and others also wore expressions of clear agreement.
The guest retainers of White Peak Sword Sect who walked out in tandem, along with the various martial talents, had similar reactions.
Cui Lan, standing as if entrusting her body to the smoke, tilted her head and murmured.
“Eonni, doesn’t this seem like attribute-less energy?”
Hae Su-yeon, savoring the soft sensation, smiled and replied.
“Hut, probably it’s the pure power of non-action nature itself.”
Cheol Ryu-heun, at the very front, spoke indifferently.
“Correct. Well, simply put, I borrowed power by gaining the consent of great nature. Through the mysterious divine power of the Ten Directions Ghost Road Lost Soul Formation that accepted me.”
Then the entire party marveled again.
“Ah!”
“Indeed……!”
“Amazing.”
A certain man, stepping onto the path of light, tossed out a quiet voice.
“I see. So that is why this path was created. Like an arrangement to stop those who would disturb the order in the enemy camp……”
The owner of the emotionless voice was Extreme Heaven Demon Emperor Gun Mu-ak.
Cheol Ryu-heun, who met his gaze, answered with a nod.
“Yesterday, with great nature’s permission, I connected each formation located on the shortest distance route to the enemy base using the Evil Emperor’ secret technique. So that when I operate ManCheon Great Evil Skill to its pinnacle today, the mysterious divine power of great nature will be harmonized and activated.”
At those words, Gun Mu-ak looked up.
The four great lights floating in the night sky.
ManCheon Great Evil Skill split in four directions was illuminating the dark land.
“Is that also moving following us?”
“Of course.”
“Hmm, I see. To think that was the key connection to great nature……”
Having said that, Gun Mu-ak soon withdrew his gaze.
Anew, a feeling of slight awe crept into his chest.
About the greatness of Evil Emperor Yul-Cheon, who had been the owner of the Divine Martial Sword and the martial hegemon six hundred years ago, and about the mysterious and unfathomable martial prowess of Cheol Ryu-heun who served as his proxy……
‘Cheol Ryu-heun, the limits of his ability are truly difficult to guess. At this level, it shouldn’t be called wondrous martial prowess but rather divine prowess.’
In the meantime, his two attendants and protectors, Eun Yi-bi and Ya Baek-ji, had also stepped onto the path of light.
Immediately after.
CHWAAAAAAAAT… CHWAAAAAAAAT… CHWAAAAAAAAT…
The path of light rapidly contracted toward the front as if compressing.
Carrying everyone wrapped in smoke.
-There’s no need to use lightness technique. That light will guide us there in one stroke.
Just as Cheol Ryu-heun had said earlier, it was movement that didn’t require wasting precious energy on lightness technique.
The wondrous feeling surfaced again.
However.
There was something even more wondrous.
CHEUSEUCHEUSEUCHEU, CHEUSEUCHEUSEUCHEU……
Along with a peculiar sound, minor wounds were being healed.
“Eoeok!”
“Ah, it closed up!”
“Good heavens……!”
Short exclamations burst from the martial talents who had been carrying light external injuries.
Jeon Kwae marveled at the scratch on his muscular forearm disappearing.
“Heon-rin! Did you see this? WOW……!”
Namgung Heon-rin, having nodded his head, laughed inwardly.
‘Hut. Truly astonishing things keep occurring. It’s nothing short of heaven’s fortune and divine assistance. That such a person stands on our side……’
To him, Cheol Ryu-heun was an existence of meaning beyond a benefactor.
If he hadn’t met him, he would have long since lost his life to the Darkness-Craving Blood Clan.
Then suddenly, one man’s face flashed through his mind.
Ju Yu-gang.
He thought of the time in the past when he received teachings under that person and built up his strength.
-The swords currently in your hands are weapons that represent and protect the people’s hearts. Leaving the powerless common folk to be covered in this world’s filth is not the way of a true military officer. You may be covered in it instead, but never lose the spirit of devotion and sacrifice for the people of all under heaven. To protect the nation means to protect the people. And those people cannot be called noble because of good birth or lowly because of bad birth. Each and every citizen is all under heaven. Engrave this lesson. Any fellow who forgets my teaching had better give up any thought of finding a foothold henceforth.
The great battle soon to come was the same as those words.
To use all strength to strike down and eliminate the evil group was the same as protecting the people and, beyond that, protecting the nation.
It was a lofty and absolute mission that he, as a public official and military officer, absolutely had to carry out.
Namgung Heon-rin renewed his determination as if engraving those words in his heart and made his two eyes flash.
‘Yes, it is because of that teaching that we are what we are today. When we complete the task and safely return, I will come visit you first.’
At that time, Cheol Ryu-heun’s disinterested voice reached everyone.
“I’ve mixed my power into this light and fixed up your bodies completely, so now only fighting to your heart’s content remains. I’ll say it again: the promise of everyone’s safe return will definitely be kept. As long as I am here, there is no such thing as defeat. There is only one thing: overwhelming victory.”
Then everyone, including Namgung Heon-rin, answered vigorously.
“Yes! Sect Master Cheol!”
In that midst, a strange vision appeared to Gun Mu-ak.
‘Again……’
The same mirage as before.
It was identical to what he had seen when he first set foot inside the Ten Directions Ghost Road Lost Soul Formation.
It was a vision in the shape of a single sword.
That’s right.
The Divine Martial Sword.
It matched perfectly with the illustrated catalog he had seen in the Heavenly Demon Cult’s archives.
At that time, Cheol Ryu-heun had said.
-That is actually a fragment of the Martial Immortal’s soul energy. In other words, spiritual energy arranged so that none but the true successor can attain it is affecting others. That’s why it appears differently to each person. If you’re captivated by what you see and touch it thinking it’s energy related to your own martial arts, you will suffer great harm. Depending on the degree, you might even die instantly.
‘But why do I……?’
The question surfaced in his mind again.
At that time, everyone had experienced optical illusions related to their own martial arts characteristics.
But he alone had been different.
It was incomprehensible that the Divine Martial Sword was visible.
He, the current era’s Great Prelate of Heavenly Demon Cult, had no connection to the Divine Martial Sword.
If anything, it would make more sense to see the living appearance of the first Cult Master Heavenly Demon from ancient times.
Now strong suspicion arose.
About the secret connection between the Divine Martial Sword and Cheol Ryu-heun.
‘This is different from me using the life force I’ve plundered from others to heal injuries. Though the main application is similar, it’s not universal. It’s merely that I can only heal my own body. But he……’
Without even having the Divine Martial Sword, he had used the same power as those five.
That is, Heavenly Demon, Sword Emperor, Evil Emperor, Martial Immortal, and Blood God.
They, through ultimate achievement by possessing the Divine Martial Sword in the past, had boasted the mysterious and unfathomable divine ability to heal not only themselves but even others’ injuries.
But what in the world was Cheol Ryu-heun’s ability.
To be able to even perform that wondrous healing without the Divine Martial Sword……
‘Could it be that the unprecedented physique he possesses was born through the divine energy of the Divine Martial Sword?’
Such a thought arose.
That perhaps he was the one who possessed the Divine Martial Sword in this era……
At this point, it was difficult to ignore even the slightest possibility.
If the Divine Martial Sword had also been there at the place of good fortune of Ascending Heaven Sword Dragon, contrary to what was widely known.
‘Hmm…… Will I learn something if I keep watching?’
Gun Mu-ak, speaking internally, saw the vision disappear at some point.
‘Truly one whose depths cannot be fathomed no matter how much one digs. After this battle is concluded, I should arrange to meet privately.’
So, how far had they traveled, led by the path of light?
Suddenly, Cheol Ryu-heun spoke expressionlessly.
“We’ve come about halfway now.”
As he said, the distance to the enemy camp had been reduced by about half.
The multitude exchanged only glances in silence.
An appropriate degree of tension.
And.
Fighting spirit heating up like a furnace.
Each one’s burning gaze seemed to say this.
That darkness would eventually clear and light would come.
* * *
One peak of a gorge shrouded in darkness.
It was a spot that overlooked the scene where the ritual for summoning the otherworldly Demon God was being conducted far in the distance.
Black Tortoise Divine General Wang-ryu was concealing his presence and observing that scene.
He suddenly turned his head to the side.
“You came at the right time.”
No sooner had his words ended than one figure appeared soundlessly.
“Divine General.”
The one who appeared nearby was Vice General Xianyu Ershan.
“How did the matter go?”
At Wang-ryu’s question, Xianyu Ershan recounted the earlier situation.
“In league with Cheol Ryu-heun……”
Wang-ryu, having heard the report, filled his eyes with an interested gleam.
Xianyu Ershan soon pointed with his finger to the land visible beyond the peak.
“They still don’t know the position of the new base that the Darkness-Craving Blood Clan and Heretic Cult have prepared over there. Probably the work will be finished before they find it, won’t it?”
“They don’t know the base…… No, he has probably already figured it out.”
“Eh?”
“Now I understand. The intent behind it all…… Hut.”
“What do you mean……”
“Can you not tell? He laid a trap.”
“……!”
“The Detached Three Army Corps and Eastern Heaven Division gathered together without even knowing it was a trap he had laid and engaged in an all-out battle. In other words, Cheol Ryu-heun induced the all-out battle. Being certain of victory. Why do you think Shin So-sul and that horse are moving separately?”
“Su-surely……! From the beginning, without even thinking of losing, he was already planning the next step……”
“That’s right. Isn’t it proof that he was certain of victory in that engagement? Of course, the core thing that backed that certainty would be martial prowess. His own martial cultivation…… The Detached Three Army Corps and Eastern Heaven Division over there have most likely been completely annihilated. Behold. The dimensional gate in the night sky has grown rapidly.”
At Wang-ryu’s words, Xianyu Ershan’s gaze was thrown toward the night sky.
“Yes…… It is as you say. A crack large enough for the Demon God’s entire arm to protrude through.”
“It’s the effect of mass-absorbing the soul energy of the fallen. In just a little while, it will open even wider.”
“Then do you believe he will come straight here?”
Xianyu Ershan’s question referred to Cheol Ryu-heun’s party.
“He will appear using a method we didn’t anticipate. It’s intuition, but I have that certainty.”
“In that case……”
Wang-ryu twisted the corner of his mouth visible below the mask and let out a heavy voice.
“Huu, it’s fine. Whoever blocks my path, I just need to kill and eliminate them. Let’s observe each other’s fights like this and intervene at the decisive moment.”