Call Of The Spear [EN]: Chapter 102

Divine Swordsman – Episode 101

The black threads spewing from the armor were indeed Gold Thread Insects, but having absorbed bile, they’d turned black.

Furthermore, Hahou Minong’s bile coated the threads, granting them the ability to dissolve almost anything.

That’s how they sliced through the zombie made from Great Master Chukman’s flesh, a man said to possess a Vajra Indestructible body [a body as strong as diamond].

The Mountain Monarch grinned from ear to ear, stomping on the bisected zombie.

“What are you doing to my body?!”

Great Master Chukman’s stern command echoed, but the Mountain Monarch paid no heed.

He’d narrowly escaped death, and the Spirit Devouring Five Treasures had successfully formed the Majesty Revealing Brilliant Armor. Why should he care about some disembodied voice?

“Congratulations.”

“C-Congratulations!”

Calm congratulations followed, and the Mountain Monarch replied with satisfaction.

“Hey! Get your foot off me!”

Great Master Chukman shouted, but the Mountain Monarch ignored him. Whether he was a great master of Mount Chuksan in life was irrelevant. Besides, he was annoyed that Chukman hadn’t been helpful during the battle, so he considered this payback.

“What should we do with this zombie?”

“I’d like to reanimate it, but my knowledge is too limited.”

It wasn’t that he didn’t covet a Grand Celestial-level zombie, but at his current level, restoring it, let alone controlling it, would be difficult.

However, discarding it would be wasteful, so storing it in the Spatial Bracelet [a magical storage item] for future study seemed prudent.

As the Mountain Monarch reached for the Spatial Bracelet, the armor abruptly transformed into a centipede’s head and devoured the zombie in one gulp.

“Ah.”

“M-My body! No!!”

It was an unexpected turn of events.

The Mountain Monarch smacked his lips and shrugged, figuring it was for the best.

After all, the more he nurtured the Spirit Devouring Five Treasures, the more powerful the armor became. It was a win-win.

“What do you think you’re doing, you bastard! My body was incredibly strong, and you’re just eating it…!!”

The Mountain Monarch snorted.

“What good is a body that’s already a zombie? If you want to prolong your life as a zombie, a dubious existence at best, you’d have to embrace the Demonic or Ghostly Path.”

“That’s true, but…”

He understood Chukman’s devastation at losing a body cultivated over centuries.

But it wasn’t the Mountain Monarch’s concern. He turned his attention to the Nine Ringed Broadsword and the Jade Ghost Vine, examining them.

Fortunately, both were unharmed. The Mountain Monarch considered feeding the Jade Ghost Vine to the Spirit Devouring Five Treasures but decided against it.

The Majesty Revealing Brilliant Armor, formed by the Spirit Devouring Five Treasures, already surpassed the Jade Ghost Vine in strength.

Feeding it would be of little benefit.

However, studying it might reveal some use. It wasn’t a treasure, just a simple ghostly object, so there had to be a suitable application.

Finally, the Mountain Monarch summoned Guilyul to check his condition and said,

“Let’s go. I want to leave this tiresome place and see some sunlight.”

Everyone seemed to share his sentiment, readily agreeing and transforming into beams of light, departing Hahou Minong.

* * *

Three days later.

Near the tail of Hahou Minong, at the entrance, a group of men had gathered.

Their appearance was peculiar. They resembled humans, but their ears were fin-like, and they wore dark blue armor with sharp protrusions.

Most of the armor was covered in barnacles, giving it a bizarre look.

“Is this the place?”

“Yes! The princess’s mark points to this area!”

The leader scanned the ground suspiciously and gestured.

“This area is suspicious. Investigate thoroughly for any Geumje [a magical barrier or trap]! If anything happens to the princess, we’re all dead. No mistakes!”

“Understood!!”

Suddenly, the air grew humid, and their lips and skin began to dry out.

The men staggered, sensing the change.

“Hmm! Get out of the way!”

Kugugung!

The ground erupted, and blue flames spewed out like a dragon.

“Ugh!”

“Ugh, it’s hot!”

The startled men scattered in confusion.

Three figures appeared: a man in jet-black armor, a man holding a staff, and a man with iron wings.

“I told you it was too hot for us!”

The man with the staff snapped at the man in black armor.

But the armored man snorted.

“What do you want me to do? Hahou Minong’s backdoor was blocked. I had to open it.”

“We could have done it more safely! Your Azure Flame is too dangerous!”

“Hmph, you were hesitating, afraid to risk your treasures on the backdoor, so I took the initiative. Better to drill a hole than argue, right?”

They were the Mountain Monarch and his party, having escaped Hahou Minong’s body. They’d reached the exit, but the door wouldn’t open. Forcing it open was necessary, but since it was Hahou Minong’s backdoor, they were reluctant to use their treasures and bickered.

Impatient, the Mountain Monarch unleashed Azure Flame to break through.

“If you’d told us, we would have prepared.”

“I didn’t see the need to inform men trembling with fear of getting poop on them.”

He shrugged, and Jangcheon and Chuk Munkyung suppressed their anger.

Enraged, they looked around to see men in bizarre armor surrounding them with murderous intent.

“What are these guys?”

He spoke casually, but the murderous intent intensified, as if they felt insulted.

“I think they’re Sea Folk…”

Chuk Munkyung said, examining them.

“Why are the Sea Folk on land…?”

“I don’t care about the others! That guy! Capture the one in black armor! Killing him is fine!”

“Understood!!”

He was dumbfounded, watching with his arms crossed.

“I’ve heard the Sea Folk rarely venture onto land, but I didn’t expect them to be so aggressive.”

Chuk Munkyung looked displeased and unfolded his Myriad Feather Fan.

Jangcheon twirled his staff, taking a stance.

“I don’t know what’s going on, but we’re not in a good mood.”

Suddenly, a dozen Sea Folk struck their solar plexuses and spat out small beads.

The beads soared, infused with blue spiritual power, transforming into small, hornless dragons.

“Danryeong [a core of spiritual energy]?”

He was surprised they’d spat out their Danryeong.

Danryeong wasn’t something to be used carelessly. It was like removing one’s inner core. Who would do that unless they possessed immense skill or a secret technique to strengthen it?

The Sea Folk’s Danryeong took a deep breath and spat out bubbles.

The bubbles spread, and Chuk Munkyung snorted, throwing the Myriad Feather Fan.

The fan’s wings were covered in calligraphy, and daggers shot out in all directions.

The Myriad Feather Fan, a source of pride for Mount Chuksan, was his Bonseon Beopbae [a treasure cultivated with one’s own life force].

The bubbles should have burst upon contact.

But they didn’t. Instead, they trapped the Myriad Feather Fan, gradually increasing in number.

“What!”

Chuk Munkyung was flustered and made a hand seal.

He tried to summon the trapped fan, but it was useless. It was as if it had been thrown against a stone mountain.

Only then did Chuk Munkyung realize the gravity of the situation, and his face paled.

A Bonseon Beopbae was like his own clone. Losing or damaging it could severely impact his vitality and cause internal injuries.

Moreover, he had painstakingly cultivated this treasure. Losing it would render his efforts futile.

“These bastards…!”

Chuk Munkyung roared and raised his spiritual power, but it wasn’t enough. The Myriad Feather Fan remained trapped.

“H-Help me!”

The Mountain Monarch sighed, giving him a cold look. He’d been so confident, wagging his tail like a stray dog before a tiger.

“Rushing in without looking back is no different from a neighborhood mutt. I roughly know why… but the method is wrong.”

The Mountain Monarch vanished, using Chukjibeop [a movement technique] with the Thousand Mile Horse Gait.

“Chukji!?”

The Sea Folk were shocked. The Mountain Monarch grabbed the leader by the back of the neck.

“Keuk!”

His neck seized, the leader swelled, transforming into his true form.

His neck lengthened, and sharp scales covered his body.

He had become a hornless dragon.

[Kuaaaaa!!]

A giant hornless dragon, a hundred feet long, unleashed a ferocious roar!

But the Mountain Monarch remained expressionless.

“Shut up.”

Pow!

He punched him in the head.

The Sea Folk spat out blood and fell backwards.

[Keok!]

The hornless dragon widened its eyes and opened its mouth, revealing white tentacles.

The Mountain Monarch, his arms and legs ensnared, narrowed his brows.

“What is it?”

The surface was soft, moist, and felt alive.

[Hehe! Manrito Gyu [a type of sea anemone] captured from the deep sea! You won’t cut it off easily!]

‘Togyu?’

The Mountain Monarch looked at it with interest, but that was all.

He shook off his arms and legs.

There was no need to use Bongeok Cheonghwa [a powerful fire technique].

The Mountain Monarch wore the Majesty Revealing Brilliant Armor.

The Spirit Devouring Five Treasures had absorbed most of Hahou Minong’s bile and made it their own.

How could that work?

Bile flowed from the Majesty Revealing Brilliant Armor, dissolving the Manrito Gyu’s tentacles.

[No way!!]

“Bbaek, bbaek, you’re so noisy!”

Bbaak!

He punched the guy’s jaw again, shattering several teeth.

“Sea Chief!”

Seeing their leader beaten, the other Sea Folk charged at the Mountain Monarch.

Bubbles rushed in.

The Mountain Monarch stood still, summoning Bongeok Cheonghwa with one hand.

As he breathed into the blue flames, small firebirds emerged.

The firebirds collided with the bubbles, creating steam that filled the area.

In the steam, the Mountain Monarch opened his third eye, activating the illusion of Gwaebiyeogak [a powerful illusion technique].

Kuoong.

The scenery shifted.

The surroundings were engulfed in blue flames.

[This!]

“Aaaagh!”

“H-Hot!”

“P-Put Danryeong in! It’s drying up!”

The Sea Folk were horrified and sucked in their Danryeong, creating water attribute protective barriers.

A smile crept onto the Mountain Monarch’s lips.

“Even if they are Sea Folk, they are only that much on land, not the sea.”

They were like fish out of water.

Cooking them would be simple.

The Mountain Monarch prepared to unleash Bongeok Cheonghwa with his full power.

[Please stop, Yooksa [a title of respect]!]

A clear voice echoed.