Chapter 129 : Chapter 129
Chapter 129. Sword Heaven Descends (2)
Dam Jeok-san drew a shallow breath as he looked at the Sword Emperor.
At a glance, the man appeared less like an absolute master and more like an eccentric.
His hair was completely white, yet his face was that of a handsome man without a single wrinkle.
Moreover, his attire—a plain white robe—was far too modest to suit the leader of the Orthodox Heavenly Alliance.
But what surprised Dam Jeok-san most was—
‘There is no sword…?’
There was no sword at his waist, in his hands, nor on his back.
Nowhere could Dam Jeok-san see one.
He clearly remembered that in the past, the Sword Emperor had worn the Shining Dragon Divine Sword, the symbol of the Orthodox Heavenly Alliance.
If Dam Jeok-san had been the superior, perhaps he could have discerned the reason.
But he was far inferior to the Sword Emperor.
There was no way for him to understand why the man had put his sword aside.
‘Has he reached the realm of the swordless state that only exists in legends?’
It was nothing more than speculation.
Dam Jeok-san forced himself to steady his expression and greeted him politely.
“It has been a long time, Great Hero.”
“Yes. It seems your tongue has grown quite sharp since last we met.”
The Sword Emperor spoke while absently stroking his clean-shaven chin.
It was a habit he had retained from before achieving rejuvenation.
“……”
At those words, Dam Jeok-san could find no suitable reply and merely rolled his eyes.
He had spoken boldly only after guessing that his opponent was the Sword Emperor.
That was because he knew the man would not take such provocation too seriously.
“Well, Sword Dragon, you did have the qualifications. It was not mere reckless bravado.”
The Sword Emperor said this as his clear, immaculate eyes shimmered.
For an instant, Dam Jeok-san felt as though he were being drawn into those deep, lucid eyes.
The Sword Emperor, who ordinarily looked like a common man with no trace of martial refinement, now appeared unmistakably as the pinnacle of orthodox Murim.
“Qualifications, you say?”
“Why pretend ignorance? Among the younger generation of today, there is not a single one who could even chase the dust at your heels.”
The term “younger generation” generally referred to rising martial artists under the age of thirty.
Before Dam Jeok-san lost his Dantian, there had been roughly four who contended for the top spot among them.
Bukgung Wan, the Lesser Heavenly Demon and Young Cult Leader of the Ming Cult.
Jeok Yeon-jun, the First Young Master of the Martial Sovereign Castle, known as the Heavenly Dragon.
Cheong-un, the chief disciple of the Wudang Sect, called Immortal Friend.
Geuk Un-yeop, the Vice Commander of the Broken Sword Corps of the Four Evil Orders, known as the Flame Dragon.
All of them were men in their late twenties, three or four years older than Dam Jeok-san.
“Even so, those children would need at least ten more years of cultivation to reach the realm you now tread.”
No matter how much the Sword Emperor had restrained himself, to withstand Sword Heaven Descends required reaching the very edge of Ultra-Peak at the very least.
‘Even that is only a qualification.’
The bare minimum required to survive within the sword prison born of Sword Heaven Descends.
To truly achieve what Dam Jeok-san had done, one would normally need to cross the wall of the Entering Transformation Realm.
“Do take care not to die meaninglessly somewhere. You are the future of Murim.”
The Sword Emperor said this with a slight curl of his flawless lips.
“Perhaps.”
But Dam Jeok-san slowly, firmly shook his head.
“I do not wish to become Murim’s future.”
“Then what?”
The Sword Emperor tilted his head at the audacious reply.
“What I intend to change is not the distant future, but the present.”
Dam Jeok-san took a step closer as he spoke.
Since regaining his Dantian, he had experienced countless events.
Some were firsthand.
Others came indirectly, through the Devouring ability or conversations with veteran martial artists.
And all of those experiences were converging toward a single conclusion.
‘A calamity is coming soon.’
The advent of the Demon Emperor, a demonic being of world-shaking power.
But that would not be all.
The various Demonic Realms scattered across the Central Plains would likely erupt, pouring out demonic creatures, while the Outer Path’s Four Fiends—who had remained hidden—would seize the opportunity to unleash their full strength.
Unprecedented chaos would descend.
And amid such chaos, one could not ask for mercy simply because one was young.
“Whether junior or veteran, a blade cuts into the throat without discrimination.”
Dam Jeok-san distilled his thoughts into a single sentence and conveyed it to the Sword Emperor.
He had no intention of dying early.
But neither did he wish to flee the present while trusting in his youth.
“You are better than this old man, it seems. Very well… then you, too, are qualified to hear this.”
The Alliance Leader laughed heartily.
“Qualified to hear what, exactly?”
“Why this old man dragged his aged body all the way to the North. If you truly intend not to withdraw from the affairs of this world, you are qualified to know.”
The Sword Emperor calmly swept his gaze over Dam Jeok-san from head to toe.
A realm at the very edge of Ultra-Peak.
And a mental strength capable of drawing forth power beyond his realm.
Even without considering his age, he was qualified to stand at the center of Murim.
“You should know the most about matters concerning the Black Dragon, should you not?”
The Sword Emperor paused briefly before beginning his explanation.
“Yes. I handled it personally, assisting the branch head.”
Dam Jeok-san replied, swallowing a sigh.
It had been a massive conspiracy—one that might have turned more than half of the lands north of the Yangtze into a Demonic Realm.
“If I told you that was merely the prelude to the calamities to come… could you believe it?”
“I had already suspected as much. My Master gave me several hints.”
Dam Jeok-san nodded without hesitation.
He had already reached the same conclusion himself.
“Then this will be easier to explain. To be honest, even I cannot predict what kind of calamity will erupt in the Demonic Realm.”
The Sword Emperor had come north to weaken the Demonic Realm as much as possible before disaster struck.
He had ventured deep into its heart, purging accumulated corruption and slaying especially powerful demonic creatures and half-demons.
“…Is that not far too dangerous?”
Dam Jeok-san asked in shock.
No matter that the Sword Emperor was one of the Eight Sovereigns— the Demonic Realm was an unfathomable land where even such masters could perish.
“Can one simply sit idle because something is dangerous?”
The Sword Emperor replied as though it were obvious.
“And I did not go alone. Several friends from the Nine Sects lent their aid.”
“I see…”
The Orthodox Heavenly Alliance truly lived up to its name.
Dam Jeok-san swallowed those words silently.
It had been the Northern Branch of the Martial Sovereign Castle that stopped the Black Dragon Ascension.
And it had been the Martial Sovereign and the Heavenly Demon who quelled another calamity in the West.
The Orthodox Heavenly Alliance had not simply stood by and watched.
Its leader himself had entered the Demonic Realm alongside the top experts of the Nine Sects.
“Even with our efforts, it was no more than trying to defy a storm with a few swords. The Demonic Realm will only grow more perilous.”
“I believe so as well.”
Dam Jeok-san nodded.
“As the Northern Wind Sword Corps Commander of the Martial Sovereign Castle, I will face that storm. Even if I break in the process.”
“Oh? You have become the new Northern Wind Sword Corps Commander?”
A glint of surprise flickered in the Sword Emperor’s eyes.
That position carried immense responsibility.
In terms of authority and importance, it ranked among the top ten in the entire North.
“It is more than I deserve.”
Dam Jeok-san nodded as he answered.
“It does not seem excessive to me.”
The Sword Emperor shook his head.
“You are qualified. Still, yes… it will not be easy.”
He murmured this while gazing at the ash-colored sky.
It was not because Dam Jeok-san was weak.
The times themselves were simply too ominous.
Even if the Sword Emperor himself took the position, he would have to stake his life upon it.
“In any case, this old man must be on his way. To subdue the Monster Dragon Bird of Yunnan, I will need the cooperation of the Lord of the Four Evil Orders.”
The Sword Emperor spoke as though exaggerating his own burdens.
“…Please take care.”
By the time Dam Jeok-san finished offering his respectful farewell, the Sword Emperor’s figure had already vanished like smoke.
“Hah…!”
Heaven-Dominating Saber Kwon Gi-il finally approached Dam Jeok-san, gasping for breath.
“Are you all right?”
He asked, stepping closer without even wiping away the cold sweat soaking his body.
“Yes, I am fine, but…”
You do not look fine at all.
Dam Jeok-san swallowed the rest of the sentence.
But after glancing at his own state, Kwon Gi-il understood what Dam Jeok-san had been about to say.
“I could not move a single finger.”
Despite not even brushing sleeves with the Sword Emperor, that had been the case.
Invisible swords—hundreds, perhaps thousands of them—had bound his entire body.
Move, and you would be cut.
That near-certainty had suppressed him completely.
“Remarkable.”
Dam Jeok-san spoke in pure admiration.
To subdue an Entering Transformation expert without lifting a hand, all while focusing his mental strength elsewhere.
‘That is the realm of the Eight Sovereigns.’
A true heaven beyond heaven—
‘The place I must reach.’
“I never thought I would experience something like this again.”
Heaven-Dominating Saber muttered in a hollow voice.
“I must first apologize. I followed you saying I would help, yet I could not move at all before such a dangerous elder.”
A sigh escaped his lips.
The Entering Transformation Realm was an exalted, lofty domain.
Across the vast Central Plains, those who reached it rarely exceeded one hundred in number.
For someone at that level to be suppressed without resistance—it would not have been strange for inner demons to arise.
Yet—
“It is fortunate that I remain unharmed. I will escort you back to the Castle, then return to train. If possible, I will even seek guidance from the Castle Lord.”
Instead of despairing, Elder Kwon Gi-il chose to stand back up.
Had he chosen to give up before overwhelming despair, the present him would not exist.
Had he lost the resolve with which he first set out as his strength grew, he would never have reached the Entering Transformation Realm in the first place.
Dam Jeok-san smiled lightly, as though he had expected nothing less.
Then he began carefully retracing everything he had learned from watching the Sword Emperor.
‘What did he gain by discarding the sword?’
Sword Heaven Descends?
Or the invisible swords that had subdued even an Entering Transformation expert in an instant?
Knowledge not yet permitted to Dam Jeok-san.
The realm of transcendent masters who could summon will to reshape reality.
Still, he clung stubbornly to what he had witnessed.
Finding the correct answer was not what mattered.
Even if he formulated a guess, he could not immediately verify whether it was right or wrong.
What mattered was the process.
The process of unceasing contemplation in pursuit of an answer.
The process of comprehending the sword of a swordsman who had reached the ultimate.
Repeat that process often enough, and one day, insight would come unbidden.
‘Even if not today.’
Dam Jeok-san did not greedily seek everything at once.
He had already crossed far too many walls.
He simply could not stop.
And because he could not stop, he moved forward.
As they crossed the steppe and neared the region where the Martial Sovereign Castle’s branch was located—
“Huh…?”
Dam Jeok-san sensed a presence that was extremely familiar.
More precisely, a presence that was very familiar, yet subtly different.
‘They have grown stronger.’
Surprise flickered across his face as he sensed Gyeong-un and Black Panther Spear.
And without hesitation, he strode toward Heaven-Dominating Saber and began boasting about his subordinates.