Chapter 127 : Chapter 127
Chapter 127. Back to the North (2)
The road leading north was, almost unbelievably, peaceful.
So peaceful that it made one wonder how long it had been since he last experienced such a quiet journey.
‘…This is what it is supposed to be like.’
Heaven-Dominating Saber Kwon Gi-il was an expert who had reached the Entering Transformation Realm. And Dam Jeok-san himself was already standing at the very edge of Ultra-Peak.
To pose a real threat to the two of them, at least one of the Outlandish Four Fiends would have to appear in person.
“In truth, Third Young Master has walked an unusually perilous path. It is exceedingly rare for the Outlandish Four Fiends to come out in full force.”
Kwon Gi-il said this while surveying the quiet mountain path.
And so the two continued northward. They used Lightness Arts, but without exerting themselves fully.
Even so, they were far faster than riding on horseback. Both of them were already martial artists who had begun to transcend human limits.
In this manner, they passed the northern gateway and entered the vast grasslands.
A sky where the boundary between night and day was indistinct. Land seething with demonic qi. The endless steppe was a dangerous region where even walking through it would drain the vitality of an untrained person.
“Hoo… it almost feels like coming home.”
Kwon Gi-il chuckled as he drew the air of the northern lands—adjacent to the Demonic Realm—deep into his lungs.
In his days of active duty, he too had wandered the Demonic Realm, struggling fiercely to survive.
“Though, in truth, it is a truly dreadful place.”
“Perhaps it is because we are people who can only feel at ease within dread itself.”
Dam Jeok-san replied in a bitter tone. As the Demonic Realm drew nearer, his senses sharpened, and he felt vitality coursing through his entire body.
‘Here… I might be able to contend even with an Entering Transformation expert.’
He could not guarantee victory. But neither would he be defeated outright. At the very least, he could preserve his life and escape.
Through successive devourings, his extraordinary ability had grown considerably. If he wished, he could likely raise its grade.
‘But it is not time yet.’
The moment he reached the Entering Transformation Realm and established his own universe—that was when the Devouring ability would grow alongside him.
No matter how mysterious that ability was, it remained power subordinate to Dam Jeok-san himself.
‘If I want to reap the full benefits of growth, I have to become stronger as a person.’
The minimum threshold for that was the Entering Transformation Realm. That was the conclusion he reached after thoroughly blending his own intuition with Seo Woo-ju’s experiences.
“That is right. Such is the life of a swordsman.”
Kwon Gi-il nodded slowly.
Playing at immortals within the Council of Elders had never suited his temperament.
That was likely why this steppe felt like home to him.
Carrying those tangled emotions, the two continued onward.
***
About one hour later.
They had reached the very heart of the steppe.
Land that could truly be called the ‘North.’
“Senior… does something not feel strange to you?”
Dam Jeok-san spoke, his eyes suddenly sharpening.
“Strange?”
“Yes. It is too quiet.”
This was different from the quietness they had experienced until now.
Looking back on the journey here, mountain beasts, demonic creatures, and even petty bandits alike had all been crushed by the pressure emanating from Kwon Gi-il and Dam Jeok-san, unable to approach at all.
But at some point, Dam Jeok-san’s senses had ceased to detect any presence whatsoever within their reach.
‘And that is not all.’
This was the North.
A dangerous land where dozens—hundreds—of frenzied demonic creatures would attack indiscriminately, even Entering Transformation experts.
That they had not been ambushed even once in such a place was plainly abnormal.
Dam Jeok-san summarized those thoughts succinctly, and Kwon Gi-il nodded in agreement.
“You are right, Young Master. To think I failed to notice something so obvious… it seems this old man’s blade has truly grown dull.”
“That is not necessarily so. Please do not blame yourself. My intuition is simply unusually sensitive.”
Dam Jeok-san smiled lightly, cutting off Kwon Gi-il’s self-reproach.
It was not a lie.
In truth, his perception and intuition vastly surpassed those of experts on the same level.
And it was not solely because of the Devouring ability.
‘It was the same even before I lost my Dantian.’
It was closer to an innate talent he had been born with.
“Hahahaha… I cannot tell whether that was comfort or mockery.”
Kwon Gi-il burst into loud laughter.
But the problem remained unresolved.
Neither of them could determine the source of this silence.
“…In truth, the possibilities are extremely limited.”
Dam Jeok-san calmly shifted the mood.
“Because we failed to notice it?”
“Yes. Exactly. A being capable of evading the attention of both you and me.”
“Hah… the words I bragged about earlier are already coming back to shame me.”
Had he not said that Third Young Master had simply walked a dangerous path, and that encounters with the Outlandish Four Fiends or absolute experts were rare?
“An absolute expert, then?”
“Yes. Not someone of the Outer Path.”
Dam Jeok-san said this with certainty.
Not only the Outer Path, but also any beings wielding demonic power.
‘If it were, I would have already detected it precisely.’
Of course, if an absolute being surpassing the Eight Sovereigns—such as the Blood Palace Lord or the Yin God Cult Lord—had manifested, that would be another matter entirely…
‘But that is not the case either.’
This was not certainty. It was instinct.
“Ugh… in any case, it seems I was right to follow you. Young Master truly brings storms even to level ground.”
“That seems to be the case. Whichever venerable senior it may be… the fact that they have yet to reveal even a trace means they are not to be taken lightly.”
In truth, Dam Jeok-san had already roughly concluded the opponent’s standing.
The Eight Sovereigns of Murim.
Saying ‘comparable to’ or ‘on par with’ was meaningless.
It had to be one of the eight whose names were carved into that exalted tier.
There was no clear evidence.
And that was precisely the greatest evidence.
It meant the opponent was beyond even Dam Jeok-san’s conjecture.
“You have already reached a conclusion, Young Master.”
“Yes. One of the Eight Sovereigns.”
Kwon Gi-il inferred it from Dam Jeok-san’s expression alone.
And Dam Jeok-san answered without hesitation.
At that point, Kwon Gi-il no longer asked how he could be so certain.
“Should we draw our swords?”
“There will be no need.”
Dam Jeok-san shook his head.
The moment he sensed something amiss, he had spread his perception as widely as possible.
If an expert of the Eight Sovereigns’ caliber were determined to conceal their presence, even Dam Jeok-san could not locate them through perception alone.
‘But they did not conceal it completely.’
They had merely avoided the space occupied by Dam Jeok-san and Kwon Gi-il.
At the same time, they had forced all other life in the area—mountains, rivers, vegetation, the tiny creatures clinging to them, wild beasts, and demonic entities alike—to kneel.
‘Their control over presence rivals even Master’s.’
That was the highest praise Dam Jeok-san could give a martial artist.
Praise not even permitted to the Yin God Cult Lord, apex of the Yin God Cult.
‘…With such delicacy, I think I know who it is.’
Having roughly guessed the opponent’s identity, Dam Jeok-san moved to the next step.
To draw them out.
“We should simply continue along our path.”
Dam Jeok-san said, his expression returning to calm.
This was not an enemy to confront.
And since they had not revealed themselves willingly, there was no need to show courtesy.
So what remained?
‘Just keep doing what we were doing.’
With just a little—very little—provocation added.
“Bwahahaha! Excellent.”
Kwon Gi-il laughed heartily, apparently pleased with that conclusion.
“Ah, speaking of which, there is something I am curious about.”
“What is it?”
“What do you think of the ranking among the Eight Sovereigns of Murim?”
What came out of Dam Jeok-san’s mouth was far beyond mere provocation.
It was closer to throwing a thunderbolt.
“W-what…?”
Kwon Gi-il’s body trembled.
It was common for gossips to rank martial artists and compile hierarchy lists.
But mentioning such rankings in front of the parties themselves was a different matter entirely—especially when one of the Eight Sovereigns might be listening in.
Even if none of them belonged to the Outer Path…
‘They are all monsters who have lost their sanity.’
“…You truly exceed this old man’s expectations at every turn, Young Master.”
To rank the Eight Sovereigns before one of them—unless one was courting death.
“They are people who roam the lofty heavens. I am simply curious whether they truly care about such rankings.”
“My Master says that since he is first, the rest hold no meaning at all.”
“For the Castle Lord… he has the right to say such things.”
Utterly arrogant. Yet the Martial Sovereign was entitled to that arrogance. He was the undefeated Martial God and the guardian of the Central Plains.
But this was unmistakable provocation.
Directed at whichever of the Eight Sovereigns was listening.
Even now, will you not come out?
That was what Dam Jeok-san was saying.
And it was exceedingly dangerous.
What if the enraged Sovereign decided to cut them down on the spot?
‘Well… if it is the person I think it is, that will not happen.’
[Aha, child. You bring up a most amusing topic.]
Dam Jeok-san’s childish provocation worked perfectly.
The unknown absolute expert who had been concealing their presence immediately sent a Sixfold Transmission.
The content itself was trivial.
But the intent contained within it was not.
“Ghk.”
Dam Jeok-san forcibly swallowed the groan threatening to escape his lips.
There was not a trace of hostility within the will contained in that transmission.
It was not sharpened like a blade, but rather a naturally permeating presence.
However, its scale was extraordinary.
No matter how tall Mount Tai might be, it is still a mountain beneath the sky.
No matter how high the mountain Dam Jeok-san had built, there was no way it could withstand the heavens collapsing.
‘Only Master has ever made me feel this way…!’
If one insisted on comparison, the Yin God Cult Lord came close—but that had merely been a projection of consciousness using Wi Cheon-rak’s body.
This was of a different order entirely from the Heaven-Transcending Blood Venerable, who dared claim parity with the Eight Sovereigns.
Still, it was not quite at the level of the Martial Sovereign.
It was slightly rougher. Less mature.
And—
‘Sharp.’
Like a perfectly honed treasured sword.
At that moment, Dam Jeok-san knew his guess was correct.
The Leader of the Orthodox Heavenly Alliance, the Number One Sword of the Central Plains, the foremost figure of the Righteous Path.
He was known by countless titles.
But the most famous of them all was—
“Third Rank among the Eight Sovereigns of Murim. Sword Emperor.”
Dam Jeok-san rattled it off without the slightest hesitation.
The Sword Emperor he knew was a madman who delighted in insolent juniors.
“It is an honor to meet you, esteemed senior. This late learner, Dam Jeok-san, greets Great Hero Hwang, leader of the Orthodox Heavenly Alliance. I trust you have been well.”
Feigning politeness would only make things worse.
[So you wish to die!]
‘Did I overdo it?’
Sensing a flicker of killing intent within the Sword Emperor’s will, Dam Jeok-san scratched his head awkwardly.
But that killing intent was only the beginning.
The Sword Emperor’s will was descending with tangible form.
[Sword Heaven Descends.]
The will of one who had reached the absolute realm reshaped the form of the world.
Will-Summoning.
A mythical art permitted only to those who dared to trespass into the divine domain with a human body.
‘Even Master has never used this before me.’
To display such a secret art meant—
‘Either he intends to silence us… or to teach us.’
Dam Jeok-san stepped forward, hoping it was the latter.
At the same time, he drew his two swords.
Under the ashen sky, ten thousand swords summoned by the Sword Emperor bloomed in profusion.
‘So that is why it is called Sword Heaven Descends?’
[Go well.]
The Sword Emperor’s laughter-filled transmission echoed in all directions.
And then the ten thousand swords scattered across the sky poured down upon Dam Jeok-san all at once.