Chapter 298 : Immortal Realm (2)
Chapter 298: Immortal Realm (2)
A gigantic cliff appeared where Yong Cheon-myeong had been.
It happened far too suddenly.
No light exploded outward.
No waves of energy erupted.
It was as though the massive cliff had always existed there from the beginning.
At the suddenly appearing cliff, Jang Woo-hyun expanded the range of his perception.
It was enormous.
He wondered if overturning an entire continent upright would create something of this scale.
Only after widening his awareness without limits did Jang Woo-hyun realize what the wall before him truly was.
“…….”
A gigantic dragon.
Even Yong Moon-geuk’s colossal body, nearly ten li in length, looked like a mere earthworm before it.
Each individual scale was the size of a large island, while the thickness of its body exceeded the area of the largest continent Jang Woo-hyun knew.
Its maw was large enough to swallow the moon.
If that enormous dragon appeared in the Middle Heaven Realm, its mere existence alone would be a catastrophe.
Even if it did absolutely nothing.
Boundless Myriad Principle Dragon.
A being created by combining all dragons and serpents within Myriad Dragon Heavenly Nest Cave.
Inside the Minor Universe, Yong Cheon-myeong had become a god in the form of a dragon possessing endless size and mastery over ten thousand principles.
Ku-guung! Kung!
Merely moving slowly caused the world to be crushed.
Countless blades turned to dust, and the world created through the Minor Universe itself began collapsing.
Powerful energies poured forth from the multicolored scales.
Gigantic meteors fell.
Tidal waves surged.
Storms of lightning erupted suddenly.
A god of destruction that had appeared to proclaim the end of the world.
That description suited it perfectly.
Using the power of the second Minor Universe, Circulating Taiji, Jang Woo-hyun struck the Boundless Dragon’s body.
He froze and burned it with the power of the four seasons, summoned tidal waves, and unleashed earthquakes capable of splitting the earth.
Thunderous explosions erupted continuously, yet not a single wound appeared upon the Boundless Dragon’s massive body.
At Jang Woo-hyun’s attack, the Boundless Dragon slowly turned its head.
Merely directing its gaze toward him crushed the Yin and Yang rotating at the outermost edge of Circulating Taiji.
At that moment, Jang Woo-hyun realized.
‘Martial God.’
Or perhaps the beings of the Upper Realm called True Immortals.
At this moment, Yong Cheon-myeong had stepped beyond the Immortal Realm and reached toward the next stage.
【Die, insect.】
At Yong Cheon-myeong’s will, Jang Woo-hyun’s death began.
The world itself was being erased.
He tried defending with Circulating Taiji, but Yin and Yang were annihilated while heaven, earth, and sea collapsed.
The four seasons could no longer continue, and the energies of the Five Elements trembled violently.
Just once.
Yong Cheon-myeong had merely revealed his will once, and even that alone nearly erased the entire Minor Universe.
As if Jang Woo-hyun were insignificant, the Boundless Dragon moved its body.
The world screamed, and when the gigantic scales emitted light, every direction became dyed in countless colors.
It was dazzling and beautiful.
But the power contained within was not.
Flames, ice, earth, poisonous clouds, water, wood, lava, wind, lightning—
Countless energies surged chaotically.
Against that turbulent backdrop, the Boundless Dragon opened its mouth.
────────!!
An indescribable sound rang out, and Jang Woo-hyun was pushed back endlessly.
He blocked Yong Cheon-myeong’s attack with everything he had.
The swords forming his walls shattered instantly.
The mountain ranges of blades collapsed.
The domain of Circulating Taiji he had summoned again was destroyed in one blow.
“…….”
The Minor Universe itself was completely annihilated.
Yin and Yang, heaven, earth, sea, the four seasons, and even the Five Elements vanished instantly.
Had Jang Woo-hyun only possessed a single Minor Universe, he would have died immediately.
Yet the previous attack had not even directly targeted him.
To Yong Cheon-myeong, transformed into the Boundless Dragon, Jang Woo-hyun was merely an annoying insect.
He no longer even appeared interested in facing him directly.
Just as before his ascension, Jang Woo-hyun himself had once regarded ordinary martial artists he met as ants.
Far away, Yong Cheon-myeong slowly moved once more.
As the massive body shifted, the endlessly vast Minor Universe trembled as though it would collapse entirely.
Jang Woo-hyun’s Blade Mountain Sword Forest was also gradually breaking apart.
Against Yong Cheon-myeong in his current state, this was not even a fight.
‘This won’t work.’
He needed another method.
While staring at the slowly moving Boundless Dragon, Jang Woo-hyun attempted to understand its power.
This was his chance while Yong Cheon-myeong paid him no attention.
Using every sense available, he split his consciousness apart and accelerated his thoughts.
After staring at the Boundless Dragon for a long while, Jang Woo-hyun made his decision.
Could he do it?
Was it possible?
He never even considered such thoughts.
He naturally believed it was possible.
He believed he could do anything.
Free Will.
To have everything proceed according to one’s will.
Immortality.
The first thing separating humans from gods was likely mortality and immortality.
He had already surpassed the Free Will Realm and reached the Immortal Realm.
Though he had not yet become a god of the Upper Realm, the Immortal Realm was said to be the stage where one stepped into divinity.
Inside the Minor Universe, one could wield godlike power.
And if Yong Cheon-myeong could do it, then so could he.
‘Everything is possible.’
Baek Mu disappeared from Jang Woo-hyun’s hand.
White mist enveloped his surroundings, and after glancing around, Jang Woo-hyun slowly clenched his right hand.
Kkudeudeuk—
The remaining weapons in every direction moved toward a single point.
The grass and flowers made of arrowheads.
The swords flying everywhere.
The spears growing like trees and the blade-like leaves covering them.
Even the gigantic mountains composed entirely of swords and sabers.
Every blade converged toward Jang Woo-hyun.
Jang Woo-hyun grew stronger during battle and unleashed power vastly beyond others of the same realm.
And merely by witnessing another person’s martial arts, he could replicate them.
His power could not reach Yong Cheon-myeong transformed into a gigantic dragon?
Then he would imitate the very method Yong Cheon-myeong used.
Yong Cheon-myeong possessed a mysterious sword of unknown origin.
But Jang Woo-hyun had Baek Mu.
A sword capable of becoming anything.
A Minor Universe capable of wielding any martial art.
He combined everything into one.
Power beyond imagination surged into Jang Woo-hyun.
Soon his body blazed like the sun while radiating brilliant light.
In that instant, Jang Woo-hyun realized—
At this moment, he could destroy anything.
The enormous power tried escaping his control.
Even after reaching the Immortal Realm, it was not power Jang Woo-hyun could wield easily.
The Boundless Dragon far away sensed the power within Jang Woo-hyun’s body and turned its head.
Only then did Yong Cheon-myeong’s gaze return.
The god who had risen above the heavens became once more the absolute ruler of Murim.
【You…….】
Jang Woo-hyun was accomplishing the impossible.
It was not something one could imitate so easily.
Yet he had done it.
Unable to leave him alone any longer, Yong Cheon-myeong opened his mouth and inhaled deeply.
An immense force condensed—so overwhelming it seemed capable of swallowing the entire world.
Watching him, Jang Woo-hyun raised his hand.
Hwaaaaaak!
Together with a burst of white light, a sword rose from the palm where all power had gathered.
Blade Mountain Sword Forest, Unity.
Grasping the sword’s hilt, he lowered the blade he had raised toward the heavens.
One Sword.
From Yong Cheon-myeong’s mouth poured forth a terrifying force that filled the world.
Opposing it was a single white line.
Swiik.
A tiny sound of something being cut echoed out.
Then the world stopped.
First, a single line stretched endlessly.
The space where both Myriad Dragon Heavenly Nest Cave and Blade Mountain Sword Forest had vanished was entirely black.
Within that darkness, a white line appeared.
Clearly extending from the highest heavens to an unseen floor below.
Jjeojeok! Jjeok—
Cracks began spreading along the white line.
The fractures spread like a spiderweb, shattering the space itself.
As the black space disappeared, blue skies and distant floating islands became visible once more.
The world created through the Minor Universe shattered, returning them to the Middle Heaven Realm.
Hwaaaak—
At the same time, the energy pouring toward Jang Woo-hyun vanished, and the dragon of immeasurable size was severed in half.
Its body, which had seemed indestructible, crumbled into dust and scattered away.
Within that rapidly dispersing form was Yong Cheon-myeong himself, his body split apart.
A line beginning at his left collarbone extended all the way to his groin.
Jjeeeok!
With that sound, Yong Cheon-myeong’s body divided in two.
“……I refuse to accept this! I refuse to accept it!”
Having stepped into the domain of gods, Yong Cheon-myeong’s vitality sustained his life regardless of his body being split apart.
“Do not think this ends here!”
Yong Cheon-myeong attempted to move once more.
Chakak, charreuk. Chaltak.
But from the wound came the sound of metal colliding.
“……!”
Tiny blades emerged from the severed wounds.
The blades tore through his body and split apart his very origin.
Within Yong Cheon-myeong’s body, the power of Blade Mountain Sword Forest manifested.
“Kkeuk…….”
With a small scream, Yong Cheon-myeong—split in two—fell toward the ground.
One of the Six Great Heavens.
Dragon Emperor Heavenly Lord, Divine Dragon Emperor Yong Cheon-myeong.
Today, within the territory of the Divine Dragon Family, that absolute ruler was defeated.
---
Kuuuuung!
A gigantic wave approached from far away.
It felt as though a brilliantly shining sun had fallen from the heavens to the earth.
Then another sun rose.
As though a new sun was supporting the collapsing sky.
Every person fighting upon the battlefield realized what had happened.
All combat stopped.
Weapons lowered.
Instinctively, everyone understood that a new era had begun.
“Uhheh, uhheuheu, uahahahahaha!”
Seo Ryeom, who had stopped attacking, cracked his neck and laughed first.
Something utterly impossible had occurred.
Seo Ryeom trusted Jang Woo-hyun.
But if he claimed he had possessed not even the slightest anxiety, that would be a lie.
Alongside his faith existed tiny doubt.
And fear as well.
Yet Jang Woo-hyun had proven them wrong and defeated Yong Cheon-myeong.
Even while feeling it with his own skin, it was impossible to believe.
A miracle had occurred.
‘But the Captain will probably act like it was nothing.’
As though it were only natural.
Smiling lightly, as always.
Laughter burst from him uncontrollably.
And Seo Ryeom’s laughter spread through the Demon-Immortal Slaughter Division.
Starting with Mak Ya-wol, then Jin Ha-un, Seon Tae-gyeong, and the remaining martial artists.
Some smiled softly.
Others laughed as loudly as Seo Ryeom.
But all of them shared one heart.
“The Demon-Immortal Slaughter Division Leader has defeated the Dragon Emperor Heavenly Lord!”
As Seo Ryeom shouted, the remaining division members roared like madmen.
The spirit of merely twenty people overwhelmed the countless martial artists on the battlefield.
“The invincible Divine Sword will rise as the new sky! You damned snake bastards! Surrender! Otherwise we’ll wipe you out here today!”
When Mak Ya-wol shouted, the division members all yelled over one another.
“Surrender, you bastards!”
“The Captain killed the Dragon Emperor Heavenly Lord!”
“Come at us, bastards!”
“Jang Woo-hyun! Jang Woo-hyun!”
“Invincible Divine Sword! Heavenly Scale Sword Hero!”
“One Sword Instant Kill! Invincible Divine Sword!”
The Demon-Immortal Slaughter Division’s cries shook the battlefield.
At first, Gongsun Jung-rak simply stared blankly.
Then he too was swept away by the atmosphere.
“Uahahahahaha! The Demon-Immortal Slaughter Division Leader has opened a new era! And I am Gongsun Jung-rak, Vanguard of the Demon-Immortal Slaughter Division!”
Laughing like a madman, Gongsun Jung-rak charged toward the Divine Dragon Family Head.
The momentum of the allied forces spread like wildfire and eventually overwhelmed the Divine Dragon Family’s army.
---
Yong Cheon-myeong.
The genius of the Divine Dragon Family.
The being who inherited the densest concentration of dragon blood.
Those words had always described him.
Living up to the title of genius, Yong Cheon-myeong soared triumphantly from the moment he appeared in the Middle Heavens Murim.
Eventually, as though it were only natural, he ascended to the highest position in Murim—the Six Great Heavens.
Had nothing unusual occurred, Yong Cheon-myeong would have ascended to the Upper Realm, and the Divine Dragon Family would have produced a Martial God.
But by chance, Yong Cheon-myeong once discovered a record left behind by an ascended martial artist.
-The ascension of martial artists differs from the transcendence of cultivators.
-Ascension may not mean the heavens acknowledge us, but rather that they use us.
It was a short statement without evidence.
Yet the moment he saw it, Yong Cheon-myeong’s blood boiled.
An ominous, indescribable force tried interfering with his thoughts.
Using the dragon blood flowing through him and his own power, Yong Cheon-myeong managed to repel the ominous force.
‘Had I not been special, I may never have noticed it.’
It was the first strange phenomenon he had ever experienced.
From that point onward, Yong Cheon-myeong began investigating ascension.
“Ascension differing from transcendence? I fail to understand why you are interested in such things.”
The more he investigated, the stranger things became.
Even subordinates who would gladly die for his command frowned or expressed utter incomprehension whenever he asked about ascension.
Not a single person thought it strange.
‘Something is wrong.’
He began suspecting that some enormous force manipulated people’s thoughts.
Having always considered himself special since childhood, Yong Cheon-myeong believed he alone had become aware of something nobody else knew.