Call Of The Spear [EN]: Chapter 229

A day later.

Several carts appeared at the place where Mountain Lord had disappeared.

“That crazy bastard…”

The man who spat out curses was a divine immortal wielding a five-colored greatsword.

It was Dang Chun.

“To go into the Realm of Existence and Non-Existence, of all places?”

It was exactly as he said. It was something one couldn’t do without being at least a little crazy.

“Even a divine immortal can’t guarantee survival in the Realm of Existence and Non-Existence… Is he trusting in the Phoenix?”

Tsk.

Dang Chun clicked his tongue and slumped down on his greatsword, resting his chin on his hand.

“But this has become troublesome.”

In any case, he had received orders to bring that guy back, so he had to carry them out.

“But to go into the Realm of Existence and Non-Existence…”

He was very reluctant. It couldn’t be helped, given what the Realm of Existence and Non-Existence was like.

“Someone like me, an Upper Divine Immortal, wouldn’t stand a chance. At least a Fragrant Dispersal Divine Immortal or a Prototype Divine Immortal would be needed to return alive…”

Holding his chin in a cross-legged position, Dang Chun took out a hand mirror from his pocket.

As he rubbed the hand mirror with a silver handkerchief, milky white smoke billowed from the mirror.

“Hap!”

Dang Chun immediately formed a hand seal and flicked his finger, shooting out a *Seonchuk* [a type of magical script] writing that seemed to be a mixture of various characters.

And a moment later.

The milky white smoke soon formed the shape of a person.

[What is it?]

It was a sharp and aloof voice.

Dang Chun swallowed hard, knelt on one knee, and clasped his hands in salute.

“The thirty-second sword greets Sword Old, the owner of the sword.”

[Spare the formalities.]

“A problem has arisen.”

Dang Chun immediately explained the situation to Sword Old, who listened calmly before letting out a burst of laughter.

[As expected of my last sword. He’s no ordinary fellow. But that’s why I like him even more. Haha! To jump into the Realm of Existence and Non-Existence as just a cultivator! But he wouldn’t have gone in without a plan!]

Sword Old laughed heartily as if he was enjoying himself, but within that laughter was a sharpness like a well-honed blade.

[At this rate, you might die.]

Flinch.

“What do you mean…”

[Don’t you understand? That guy is luring you into the Realm of Existence and Non-Existence. He knows that even if he goes to the Lower Realm, you’ll catch him.]

Dang Chun’s eyebrows twitched.

His pride was hurt at the thought that he might be defeated by a mere cultivator from the Lower Realm, no matter how you slice it.

Who was he, after all?

Although he was just an Upper Divine Immortal, he was still one of the most powerful among the Upper Divine Immortals.

He couldn’t help but feel his pride wounded.

[You have a dissatisfied look on your face. Are you saying my words are wrong?]

Kuuung.

A stern voice struck Dang Chun’s ears. It was a calm voice, but the energy within it was enough to overwhelm Dang Chun.

“Kuh… N, no, it’s not.”

[Then that’s good. Take this.]

He raised his head and saw a strand of silver thread fluttering down from Sword Old’s form.

As he received it, the thread emitted a small light and transformed into a small bead.

[It will block the energies of the Realm of Existence and Non-Existence for a while. With that, even you, an Upper Divine Immortal, will be able to return alive.]

Clang-

When he shook the bead, a sound rang out.

It was a mysterious bead that resonated in his mind rather than being heard by his ears.

“I will definitely fulfill my mission.”

Soon, Sword Old’s form scattered, leaving behind cryptic words.

[I’m really looking forward to whether you die or that guy dies. Don’t disappoint me.]

Whiririk.

Dang Chun’s brow furrowed at the strange words, but he soon shook it off and stood up.

“That eccentric old man. He’s always spouting nonsense; when is he going to die…”

It was an ominous tone, as if he was testing something. Dang Chun pondered Sword Old’s words before shaking his head.

“But why does he think that guy might die too? That’s strange…”

After pondering for a while, Dang Chun shook his head again and entered the Realm of Existence and Non-Existence.

* * *

Meanwhile.

The dark clouds swirled around them in a bizarre manner, as if they were alive, ready to swallow them at any moment.

“Are you really alright?”

“I’m fine. Many people are mistaken, but the Realm of Existence and Non-Existence doesn’t just indiscriminately target the lives of those who enter it.”

“Then what is it?”

“The dark clouds in the Realm of Existence and Non-Existence, the energies of the realm, only stimulate primal instincts and incite inner demons. The reason cultivators get hurt while using their spiritual power is because the natural energies resonate with it.”

“Even so, isn’t that a big deal? Inner demons are what cultivators should be most wary of.”

“What is an inner demon?”

An inner demon is when a demon infests the mind.

One’s most vulnerable place.

One’s most painful place. One’s most complacent place.

And the most….

“Cherished thing.”

As he turned his head slightly, Cho-ah stood there, tilting her head.

“Well, you could say that. Inner demons are everywhere and always reside in the heart. The Realm of Existence and Non-Existence just makes it a little more intense.”

He spoke so easily, but the reality was far from easy.

It might not matter to Bong, but the Realm of Existence and Non-Existence was a space that could be fatal to Mountain Lord, a cultivator from the Lower Realm.

Saying that, Bong stopped walking and made eye contact with Mountain Lord.

“In a way, this is a good thing. It could be an opportunity to sort out some of the chaos within you.”

“…”

“You must know it too.”

He knew.

It was the backlash from not properly containing the spirits of his brothers who had become one with the *Gyuncheon Bohwa* [a powerful sword].

As a result, he had the side effect of not being able to control his emotions often.

“You should take this opportunity to do something about it. I’ll take care of the threats of the Realm of Existence and Non-Existence in my own way…”

Bong then lightly touched the *Tamhwa* [a mythical dragon] that wrapped around Mountain Lord’s wrist.

Chwajajak!

As he touched the Tamhwa, which was in the form of a bracelet, it instantly returned to its true form.

The Five Dragons, over four hundred yards in size, roared, sending shivers down their spines.

“If you want to protect your master, this place is a great opportunity for you.”

The Tamhwa, which had been roaring, tilted its head and looked around before instantly swimming into the mist.

It seemed to be swimming with excitement, like a fish in water.

“He hasn’t fully digested the Primordial River yet. If he wanders around here and devours everything he comes across, he’ll learn to control it on his own.”

“Won’t he get lost?”

“Even if he gets lost, he won’t lose track of his master, so don’t worry. He must have liked you a lot; he even left a mark on you. It’s quite amazing.”

“Is that so?”

“Those who inherit the blood of Tam are inherently violent and not easy to tame.”

Even if they are tamed, it is usually done by binding them with prohibitions rather than truly taming them.

“But it’s amazing that he follows you so well. Anyway, the Realm of Existence and Non-Existence is also the homeland of Tamhwa’s ancestor, Tam, so it won’t be bad for him to be there.”

He seemed to have heard such stories before.

It was said to be a place where all sorts of ferocious beasts resided, so it was a plausible story.

“But you’re raising another spirit worm in your body.”

“Yes, I’m raising a *Jangchung Jitae* [a type of parasitic spirit].”

“Jangchung Jitae, huh…”

“Why, what’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing. You need to be more certain about what you have. Originally, it is easier for excess to become poison than deficiency.”

“What do you mean…”

“It’s too early for that now. Let’s go for now. The Realm of Existence and Non-Existence is said to be a space that is both there and not there, but that’s just what the divine immortals say.

There are safe places within the Realm of Existence and Non-Existence, and each has its own territory, so it’s best to avoid those places.”

“You mean we’re going to a safe place?”

“That’s right.”

Mountain Lord nodded and followed him with Cho-ah, organizing his thoughts.

‘I bought some time.’

But he couldn’t rest easy.

There was a slight possibility that Dang Chun might come looking for him here.

If not, the divine immortal Sword Old, the owner of the Gyuncheon Bohwa, might come looking for him. Dang Chun was already so strong, it was hard to imagine how strong Sword Old would be.

“Don’t worry. The guy who made you into a sword, Sword Old, can’t come.”

“How do you know that?”

“If it’s Sword Old, I’ve heard of him too. I remember hearing that he was a divine immortal who had taken a step towards becoming a True Immortal. But a divine immortal of that level would be in a position where he couldn’t move freely from his residence.”

“Why is that?”

“Because he is being forced to undergo the Heavenly Tribulation.”

“Forced to undergo the Heavenly Tribulation…?”

“The heavens are forcing him to take a test. They are asking a question: whether that divine immortal is worth existing. But most divine immortals are reluctant to undergo the Heavenly Tribulation.

It is too powerful a test, and they are not yet ready.”

Mountain Lord had a slightly dismayed look on his face.

“Even if you become a divine immortal, you still have to undergo the Heavenly Tribulation?”

“Of course. Unless you ascend to the Great Lofty Heaven, the heaven above the heavens, even divine immortals are just beings being tested.

You don’t need to know that now. The important thing is that the Sword Old can’t come to take you away in person.”

“That’s… that’s a relief.”

Cho-ah replied quietly.

Mountain Lord wrapped his arm around Cho-ah’s shoulders and walked and walked along the dark path.

The energies of the realm, the dark clouds that seemed to be alive, constantly grabbed at Mountain Lord’s feet and pulled at Cho-ah’s wrist.

Each time, Bong’s flames roamed around and burned the energies of the realm, but there was a limit since the entire Realm of Existence and Non-Existence was made up of those energies.

There were many times when they almost lost their minds, but they relied on each other and walked on, and in the end, they arrived at the place Bong had guided them to.

“Is this the place?”

“If it’s here, it’s not in another territory, so it should be fine.”

“But…”

“There’s nothing here.”

There was nothing.

There were only small floating rocks.

There was really nothing.

“This is a space outside the territory of the other ferocious beasts living in the Realm of Existence and Non-Existence. This is all I can do.”

He meant that he couldn’t do anything about the natural energies and the energies of the realm that existed in the Realm of Existence and Non-Existence.

Bong asked, as if he was rather curious.

“You wouldn’t have come into the Realm of Existence and Non-Existence relying solely on me. I’ve been watching you for a short time.”

He seemed to expect that there would be some other clever trick.

Certainly, they had come to the Realm of Existence and Non-Existence, but Cho-ah and Mountain Lord were not in good condition.

There were beads of sweat on their foreheads, and they couldn’t keep their hands still for a moment. They twitched their fingers, flicked their fingernails, and made clicking sounds.

They were anxious.

The very fact that they were in the Realm of Existence and Non-Existence and the existence of the energies of the realm was shaking their minds as it clung to them so obsessively.

They were pretending to be fine, but they were shaking violently.

If they recklessly used their spiritual power here, they would be swallowed by the energies of the realm in an instant, or they would lose their minds and be unable to control their bodies.

That’s why Bong was curious.

The Realm of Existence and Non-Existence was an extremely dangerous place for them, though it didn’t matter to him.

What was Mountain Lord thinking when he decided to come to this dangerous space?

And then.

Mountain Lord took something out of his pocket and handed it to Bong.

“This is…”

A small stone with a shimmering amber light.

It was a *Gongjeong Stone* [a type of storage artifact] that any cultivator or divine immortal would carry.

Bong, who had been puzzled, looked closely at the Gongjeong Stone and narrowed his eyes.

“Could it be… ?”

Mountain Lord raised the corners of his lips and said.

“My wife and I are planning to go inside that Gongjeong Stone.”