Chapter 71 : Chapter 71
Chapter 071. Sword That Kills The Sky (2)
“Ha…….”
Did they say things that reach the extreme must turn back? The moment the barrier collapsed by Dam Jeok-san's sword, Wi Cheon-rak felt that his absurdity reached the limit and rather his mind sank as cold as a sheet of ice.
WHOOSH!
At the same time, formidable spirit soared up from his entire body. Spirit intense enough to evaporate even the stream of blood flowing from the corner of his mouth in an instant.
Simultaneously, a gloomy and grotesque spirit flowed out as if a huge venomous snake thousands of years old was flicking its tongue.
This is a dilemma. The barrier is broken, and the ritual to awaken the Black Dragon in the sand is still far from complete.
There were largely two paths Wi Cheon-rak could choose.
The first is to put forward the Sword Ghost, whom he completely subjugated with the Soul Consuming Restriction, as a meat shield and flee right away.
If he places emphasis only on survival, choosing this is correct.
Not to mention the Northern Heaven Sword Venerable who suppressed the Sword Ghost, the Sword King also belongs to the mighty side even among masters who rose to the Entering Transformation Realm. The probability of Wi Cheon-rak winning against those specialized only in combat does not exceed 40 percent even considering the existence of the Sword Ghost.
However, if he pours his full power into fleeing, the survival probability goes over 70 percent. Because a sorcerer's bizarre and marvelous movement techniques cannot be chased by a martial artist's body movement art.
‘But I cannot do that.’
Fleeing does not exist at all in Wi Cheon-rak's plan. It might be different if he was someone whose own life came before everything like the Sword Ghost, but to him, what is more important than life is exactly this Grand Plan.
To liberate the Black Dragon buried in the sand, expand the Demonic Realm of the North, and throw the Central Plains into misery—
This plan was not devised solely to achieve the great cause of the Yin God Cult.
Because in the core part of the plan, Wi Cheon-rak's personal desire was also heavily contained.
If a martial artist's desire is generally to become strong, a sorcerer's desire is to get closer to the Origin.
If the Origin of those who honed righteous arts is to unite with the natural order of the world, undergo Metamorphosis, and then ascend as Immortals—
The Origin of sorcerers who contain the power of monsters, beings ostracized in this world, in their bodies is the opposite.
What they pursue is Defying Heaven or Falling Heaven.
To go beyond defying the sky and drag the sky down.
And awakening the Black Dragon to throw the world into chaos is approaching the Origin of Defying Heaven and Falling Heaven. Just as a martial artist who approached the Limitless becomes strong, a sorcerer who approached the Origin also obtains an infinitely high status.
In other words, if the Grand Plan is accomplished, not only can the revival of the Yin God Cult be achieved, but Wi Cheon-rak's personal power will also become incomparably stronger than before.
Considering the size of karma, he will be able to easily deal with even the Eight Sovereigns of Murim called the absolute masters of the Central Plains.
Then Wi Cheon-rak will rise to a position below one person and above ten thousand people, right below the Cult Leader within the Yin God Cult.
The desire for the Origin pursued as a sorcerer. The craving for success pursued as a human. All were pointing in one direction.
Exactly—
To kill them.
The most efficient way to awaken the Black Dragon is to offer a sacrifice. However, things that are already corrupted harboring demonic energy have little value as sacrifices. A phenomenon occurring because the Black Dragon was originally not a monster but a powerful Spiritual Creature.
When he kills a sacrifice harboring mighty power and corrupts that corpse with demonic energy. Then the ritual shows dramatically fast progress.
Un Wol-hyang and the Sword King. If he can kill just one of the two monsters, it won't be impossible to corrupt and awaken the Black Dragon right away.
When his thoughts reached there, Wi Cheon-rak cleanly erased the word ‘retreat’ from his head.
It is time to think of victory, not survival. I will bite and kill those bastards somehow. The reason he, who was born with a weak body and had no choice but to become a sorcerer not a martial artist, could survive in the demon realm called the Yin God Cult was thanks to being born with this venom.
Like that, in a situation where the Sword Ghost would have chosen to flee,
Wi Cheon-rak willingly chose to fight.
“Open.”
When Wi Cheon-rak muttered lowly, the sand of the desert split open with a crack, and demonic energy as black as the abyss and sticky as glue surged up like demonic fire and wrapped around his body.
This was the essence of demonic energy gnawing at the Black Dragon's mind and eroding its body. Energy that gnaws even at transcendental beings.
Even Wi Cheon-rak has to be prepared for Qi Deviation to handle this power.
However, the reward was as certain as the danger. What is corrupting the Black Dragon is the demonic energy originating from the Demonic Realm. If he connects it to a human body, he can draw and use that huge power.
Unless the Black Dragon, who lost consciousness and fell asleep, wakes up to retrieve and gather its own power, it will not be depleted.
‘The odds of winning are sufficient.’
One in a thousand, no, one in ten thousand. If this is insufficient…….
At that time, Wi Cheon-rak will also have to make a choice.
Whether to achieve the goal even by dying, or to survive even by abandoning everything.
However, because he had never chosen the latter even once, he was still alive.
* * *
“That is dangerous.”
Namgung Gwan, who watched Wi Cheon-rak's change that occurred in an instant, warned in a low voice.
The guy became incomparably stronger than before. To a level where the worldly prejudice that sorcerers are weak in combat, especially close combat, is completely meaningless.
Un Wol-hyang nodded her head lightly expressing agreement with that thought.
“Can you take charge of that person, Family Head Namgung?”
Soon after, she pointed her chin at Wi Cheon-rak and opened her mouth.
Namgung Gwan's Emperor Sword Form is a martial art of domination, control, and suppression. Furthermore, Namgung Gwan's swordsmanship itself has reached a transcendental realm that blurs the distinction between sorcery and martial arts.
Few people are as suitable as him to deal with sorcerers who stick to a combat style of occupying space.
“I understand.”
Only then did Namgung Gwan draw his sword and nod his head.
A very faint look of tension dwelt on the middle-aged swordsman's face. After becoming the Family Head of Namgung, he refrained from fighting masters of the same rank as much as possible.
Because the Family Head's defeat is soon Namgung's defeat, and if the family's prestige falls, all family members will suffer from endless challenges.
It was an unavoidable choice. Regretting it now is meaningless. I just have to fight. As I have done all my life. Namgung Gwan tried hard to compose himself.
“And Monster Repelling Squad Leader.”
Un Wol-hyang turned her head immediately upon confirming Namgung Gwan's resolution.
“You deal with the Sword Ghost together with the Monster Repelling Squad. There is no need to kill him, so endure while reducing casualties.”
“……Understood!”
Although Dam Jeok-san also revealed a slightly flustered look at her command, he nodded his head without much questioning.
If he were dealing with him alone, it might be different. But just enduring is more than enough if he receives the support of the Monster Repelling Squad. Because Dark Heaven, hiding her identity, is currently in the Monster Repelling Squad.
Un Wol-hyang handed over the two big shots to Namgung Gwan and Dam Jeok-san. Her gaze was fixed on the darkest and most distant abyss in this land.
That abyss is a grave where the Black Dragon sealed itself to avoid being corrupted into a monster. Wi Cheon-rak is currently trying to complete the Black Dragon's corruption by pushing formidable demonic energy into that grave.
Un Wol-hyang intended to directly cut off the supply of that demonic energy.
Cutting constantly flowing demonic energy is like cutting a waterfall with a knife.
It is extremely difficult, and even if successful, the effect only lasts for a moment because the water falls again, but…….
‘Still, I must buy time.’
Because everything ends if the Black Dragon truly becomes corrupted. Although Dark Heaven accompanied them to prepare for such an event, Un Wol-hyang also had no desire to end her life.
WHOOSH!
Translucent energy waves swirl wildly on the sword of Un Wol-hyang who finished her resolve. Although it looks just like a breeze, in reality, it is a fragment of transcendental sword qi that can slice even space.
CLANG!
Intense force spews out from Un Wol-hyang's sword and strikes the grave. The storm of demonic energy that was waving blackly seemed to lull for a moment but soon fluctuated even more intensely. As if nothing had happened.
Even though a single sword capable of collapsing even a castle wall was consumed in vain, absolutely no look of agitation was seen on her face.
“……Indeed, the saying that the true worth of the Sword Venerable of the North is revealed in field command was not wrong.”
It was none other than Wi Cheon-rak who burst out a low exclamation watching it. Wrapped in black waving demonic energy all over his body, he was parrying Namgung Gwan's sword with one hand.
“But you see, you seem not to properly understand what it means to crawl into a sorcerer's domain on your own feet.”
He babbled without hiding his amusement as if he was extremely delighted. At the same time—
[Falling Heaven Arrival, Ghost Hell Gate Open!!]
Wi Cheon-rak's incantation shook the entire space. The pitch-black demonic energy lingering all over his body transforms into the shape of an evil spirit and soars into the sky.
Soon after, the soaring evil spirit tore apart the space showing an amorphous dance of unknown nature. A gate emitting ghost qi opens from the torn scar.
[Law of Impermanence Transformation!]
Impermanence Transformation refers to the vainly changing ten thousand matters spoken of in Buddhism.
However, the Impermanence Transformation unfolded at Wi Cheon-rak's fingertips was a heinous sorcery adjusting variable causality as he desired.
The sky opens and pitch-black demonic energy pours down like rain. And the poured demonic energy forms a certain shape and covers the whole world.
“……What is this!”
Namgung Gwan, who was pressing Wi Cheon-rak, shouted in alarm.
[It is a sorcery intervening in space, keep your wits about you.]
Dark Heaven transmits telepathy to Dam Jeok-san.
Soon after, simultaneously with the storm raging—
The locations of the characters in the scene all changed.
The Northern Heaven Sword Venerable to in front of Wi Cheon-rak.
The Sword King to in front of the Sword Ghost.
And Dam Jeok-san and the Monster Repelling Squad, to the abyss where Un Wol-hyang launched her sword strike.
“……!”
Astonishment dwelt on the Sword King's face confirming it. It was not because he ended up dealing with the Sword Ghost.
Because the Monster Repelling Squad was dragged into the abyss where demonic energy was swirling.
In an area where demonic energy beyond common sense is condensed, the laws of the present world do not apply at all. Unless one is an absolute master who fully possesses their own world, it would not be easy even to breathe there.
‘If they are unlucky, annihilation. No, even if they are lucky, more than half will die.’
Namgung Gwan ground his molars. Heat flared up at the fact that he might lose his daughter and successor right before his eyes. The reason he didn't rashly jump into the abyss was only…….
[Wait a moment, there is no need to be too surprised.]
Because Un Wol-hyang's telepathy, strangely containing laughter, held him back.
[This was within my expectations.]
Immediately upon receiving the report from Dam Jeok-san, she perused all of Wi Cheon-rak's past records. And she intuited that the most dangerous among the abilities he possessed was exactly this space control.
Especially considering the danger of that abyss like a hell pit, it is an ability that can annihilate the Monster Repelling Squad in a single breath.
He definitely must have thought so. Perhaps if Dark Heaven was not there, it would have been accomplished as he desired. However, in the Monster Repelling Squad, the other half of the Black Dragon and a sorcerer capable of discussing the absolute stage was hiding her body.
There is no way Un Wol-hyang doesn't know what a sorcerer can do in their own domain. Given the years she lived together with Dark Heaven in the North.
[You may look forward to it.]
Un Wol-hyang continued speaking while looking at the abyss lingering ominously.
At the same time.
BOOM!
Her sword strike exploded towards Wi Cheon-rak.
Urgently as if she had to save Dam Jeok-san right away.