Call Of The Spear [EN]: Chapter 159

“Oh, what are we going to do! This isn’t ordinary fire! No ordinary divine power can extinguish it, and it’s filled with poison, making it difficult to approach carelessly!”

Moreover, the Taoists who weren’t immune to the poison were already vomiting blood.

Only Preceptor Noe and one other Taoist were holding out, but they wouldn’t last long! The firebird flying through the sea of fire, whatever its divine power, seemed enraged.

“We should retreat for now…”

“What about our disciples…?”

“There’s no choice! We can always take in more disciples. Remember that if we die, the entire sect, with its long history, could disappear… Cough!”

Preceptor Noe coughed up blood.

The Grand Master, despite being at the late Taecheon stage [a high level of Taoist cultivation], had clearly suffered internal injuries from the unexpected exposure to the Myriad Poison Flame.

“L-Let’s retreat for now!”

“Alright.”

The Taecheon masters disappeared one by one, and screams from the disciples echoed across Mount Tae.

Even as they tried to extinguish the flames, they gradually succumbed to the poison and collapsed.

“Tsk, tsk, they acted like they were all that, but in the end, their own lives are more important, and they don’t care if their disciples die.”

“That’s right.”

San-gun and Hwaran criticized their behavior from atop the burning Mount Tae.

“San-gun.”

“I know. I was going to let them handle it themselves, but…”

To think they would abandon everything and run away.

Now, his plans had to change as well.

The poison and heat of the Myriad Poison Flame were difficult even for San-gun to handle.

So, he had expected some difficulties.

‘I didn’t expect them to abandon everything and leave, though.’

It was better this way.

Yukdong was not an easy opponent.

Since he had decided to become enemies with them, it was obvious that he should use every card he could.

San-gun immediately opened his hand.

As the Azure Flame blazed, a golden lotus appeared within it and bloomed.

It was the Dual Lotus Demonic Flame containing Cheongbong.

As Cheongbong appeared above the Dual Lotus Demonic Flame, flapping its wings, it immediately soared into the sky.

Having gained sentience, it instantly realized what it had to do.

“Hwaran and Tamhwa, save those people.”

“Understood.”

“Got it!”

San-gun watched Hwaran and Tamhwa rescue the disciples of Mount Tae and began to prepare for the fight by forming a hand seal.

Cheongbong plunged into the Myriad Poison Flame, scattering Azure Flames.

As it dove in with a sharp cry, the Myriad Poison Flame flapped its wings and rushed fiercely at Cheongbong.

Koo-oong!

When Cheongbong’s Azure Flame and the Myriad Poison Flame’s Crimson Flame collided, a massive explosion occurred.

“I can leave him to Cheongbong, so I should go find the Golden Pig Statue.”

He already knew its location.

He had planted a tracking spell on it before handing it over.

He spread his divine sense to pinpoint the location and moved his lips to chant a spell.

Then, golden energy gathered in his hand, and the Golden Pig Statue appeared.

“Alright. Now, I just need to seal it again…”

It was then.

Crackle, crackle, crackle!!

Thunder and lightning suddenly echoed, piercing his ears, and explosions erupted.

Kwang! Kwang!!

“…What is it?”

He narrowed his brows and soared into the sky, scattering a dull light, and the situation immediately became clear.

Purple lightning that had appeared was sharply striking down, completely destroying the area around Mount Tae.

“There’s no one there.”

From the start, the purple lightning wasn’t targeting anyone but was erupting over a wide area.

San-gun immediately scanned the surroundings with his Danryeong Golden Pot [a magical artifact used for observation] and widened his eyes.

“How can this be!”

In the center of Mount Tae, Cheongbong and the Myriad Poison Flame were fiercely biting and clawing at each other, and their flames were mixing together and transforming into purple lightning.

“The Bongak Azure Flame is a flame that cannot be mixed with anything else…”

He couldn’t believe it, but it was enough to pique San-gun’s interest.

“San-gun! What’s going on!”

Hwaran and Tamhwa, who had evacuated the disciples of Mount Tae, appeared and asked.

San-gun explained everything from beginning to end.

“Ah…. Is this another one of San-gun’s schemes?”

“Another one? What’s with that tone?”

“No way. You must be mistaken. Anyway, can we just leave it alone?”

“I was just about to do something about it.”

San-gun watched their battle for a moment and let out a small exclamation.

“Ah…. I see. I wondered what kind of harmony it was, but there was the Golden Flame of the Dual Lotus Demonic Flame.”

The Golden Flame that Cheongbong was subtly emitting.

It seemed that the Golden Flame of the Dual Lotus Demonic Flame, which had not yet been fully integrated, was causing the Crimson Flame and Azure Flame to mix.

“Fire and fire meeting to become lightning…. This is truly amazing.”

Fire and fire becoming lightning.

It was a bizarre combination that made his head tilt even as he watched it.

However, the destructive power of the purple lightning was enough to make one wary.

Even in the midst of all this, Cheongbong and the Myriad Poison Flame were fiercely battling.

The Azure Flame and Crimson Flame blazed wildly, turning the surroundings into a sea of fire, making it a spectacular sight.

In the meantime, purple lightning crackled around, wreaking havoc.

San-gun called Cheongbong back, but for some reason, it didn’t listen.

“I can’t control it…”

As if it had met its arch-enemy, Cheongbong was fighting without reason.

The fact that it was ignoring San-gun’s orders was proof of that.

Cheongbong’s energy had become extremely weak.

However, the same was true for the Poison Flame.

As their energy weakened, the purple lightning began to grow stronger.

An ordinary Taoist would have run away, but not San-gun.

He carefully watched Cheongbong and the Myriad Poison Flame with his Danryeong Golden Pot.

Zzzzzzzzz!

Cheongbong and the Myriad Poison Flame, who had been tearing at each other for a long time, flickered precariously.

Only half of their bodies remained.

Then, suddenly, flames of different colors erupted from each other’s bodies.

Soon, the Crimson Flame, Azure Flame, and the Golden Flame of the Dual Lotus Demonic Flame mixed together, and thick purple lightning stretched out in all directions.

Kwarurung, kwarurung!!

The surroundings exploded as lightning spread out like branches from the purple sphere.

San-gun was startled by the energy, poison, and heat contained in the lightning.

The purple lightning that passed by him scorched San-gun’s forearm, dyeing it purple and causing it to swell.

It seemed to be due to the effects of the powerful poison.

“Should I call it Poison Lightning Flame…?”

San-gun stroked his forearm, and the swelling and burns disappeared as if melting snow.

After pondering for a moment, he called Hwaran, as if he had an idea.

The Mandala [a spiritual symbol] unfolded behind him, and he operated the Gyuncheon Bohwa [a powerful defensive technique] to its extreme.

As iridescent light radiated brilliantly from his body, San-gun immediately grabbed a strand of purple lightning with his hand.

Pajijijijik!!

Kwazazazak, kwang!

“Ha!”

A hollow laugh escaped him.

San-gun’s hand was scorched purple, and his palm looked burned red.

“To think it would inflict this much pain even when operating the Gyuncheon Bohwa to its extreme. Moreover, it completely retains the toxicity of the Myriad Poison Flame! It’s no ordinary thing.”

However, a look of joy appeared on San-gun’s face. Although he was a Hwasin Tong Yuksa [master of fire manipulation], lightning was originally derived from fire.

There was no reason why San-gun couldn’t control it.

“Hoo-”

San-gun exhaled and released his transformation, turning into his Talhyeong form [a transformed state].

A form with two horns and wings.

Soon, a blue circular ring floated from his horns, and the rings spread throughout his body.

It was the Gakche Yongson of the Hoecheongakgo [a technique that enhances physical abilities].

Instantly, strange bone sounds erupted from San-gun’s body, and his body swelled.

The boy’s body soon changed into that of a man, reaching a height of eight feet.

He had been reluctant to use it before because his transformation had been unstable, but now that he had achieved Talhyeong, he could use it without hesitation.

In addition to that, he operated the Gyuncheon Bohwa to its extreme and summoned Tamhwa to create and wear the Wiju Hoyeon Armor [a powerful magical armor].

Not satisfied with that, San-gun emitted Azure Flames from his entire body and wrapped himself in them. Only then did he feel relieved and approach the lightning.

In the center of the purple lightning, where Cheongbong and the Myriad Poison Flame were mixed, was a purple orb.

The floating orb was incredibly radiant but also looked ominous.

Kururung, kururung!!

At once, several bolts of purple lightning surged toward San-gun.

San-gun raised his hand and spread it out at the lightning that was being fired as if they were alive.

Then, a Mandala bloomed in the air with iridescent light and collided with the lightning.

Kwazazazazak!!

The power of the purple lightning was beyond imagination. He frowned at the tremendous divine power, but he could still withstand it.

“Heup!!”

As he swung his arm in a circle, the Mandalas gathered together and suddenly turned into thousands and millions of swords, which were fired in all directions.

The swords of the Gyuncheon Bohwa collided with the purple lightning according to San-gun’s will and began to fight them.

In the meantime, San-gun headed for the lightning orb.

Pajik, pajijik!

It was a purple orb emitting a radiant light in the midst of the leaping lightning streaks. San-gun immediately grabbed the orb with his hand.

It was then.

Kwareureureung!!

The orb suddenly caused a massive lightning storm as if resisting.

Hundreds of lightning streaks soared in all directions from San-gun’s grasp.

Kwang, kwang!!

The lightning that fell directly struck Mount Tae, causing peaks to collapse and cliffs to scatter and bounce. As soon as the sea of fire disappeared, lightning struck, and it seemed that Mount Tae would not be able to withstand it.

“Enough, you bastard!”

As he formed a hand seal with one hand and moved his lips, the sound of chanting Buddhist scriptures echoed from all directions.

Soon, iridescent light pressed down on the orb, and Tamhwa’s golden threads from the Wiju Hoyeon Armor burst out and tightly wrapped the orb like a cocoon.

Not satisfied with that, he attached a talisman, but as soon as the lightning surged, the golden threads and talisman evaporated in an instant.

Startled, San-gun took out the Golden Pig Statue and infused it with spiritual power.

His hand was as hot as if it were burning in a fire.

It was the pain caused by the lightning that was erupting in real time.

He, who prided himself on having mastered Hwasin Tong, felt like his hand was burning, so an ordinary Taoist would have turned to ashes in an instant.

The mouth of the Golden Pig Statue opened, and a yellow grid pattern popped out from within and tied up the lightning orb.

Kwarurung, kwajijijijik!!

The lightning orb resisted by firing purple lightning, but as a mysterious golden energy flowed out, the energy of the lightning began to weaken.

It was a mysterious thing.

What kind of divine power did it possess that made the thunderbolt, which had been so fierce, so quiet?

San-gun immediately sealed the lightning orb in the Golden Pig Statue and let out a sigh of relief.

“Hoo-”

He had been worried about how to tame the Myriad Poison Flame, but now he was deeply concerned about what to do with the lightning orb.

The divine power it had shown earlier was truly amazing and seemed to be on par with the Gyuncheon Bohwa. It was an unexpected event that had suddenly occurred, but when he thought about it carefully, there was nothing bad about it.

The power of the purple lightning was an evolved lightning that retained the advantages of Cheongbong’s Azure Flame and the Myriad Poison Flame.

If he could handle this lightning, he wouldn’t lose even if he fought a late-stage Taecheon master.

“I’ll have to try using Hwasin.”

A look of joy appeared on his face at the thought of conducting various studies.

However, Hwaran’s face, who had approached him, was, on the contrary, deeply troubled.

“Are you alright?”

His right hand had long been in tatters.

It was scorched purple and swollen as if it were poisoned.

“Ah…. There’s nothing to worry about. I’m fine.”

“You don’t seem fine.”

“I said I’m fine?”

He shook his hand as if to say he was fine, but Hwaran’s expression did not improve.

“Do you know how many years I’ve been watching San-gun? San-gun never says he’s in pain when he’s really in pain.”

San-gun opened his mouth like a goldfish and smiled. As she said, his condition was not good.

“But it’s not a serious injury. It’s just something that will heal with a few days of rest, so there’s nothing to worry about. In the first place, it’s a body that has achieved Gyuncheon Bohwa, so it’s no different from a treasure sword.”

“It’s no different from a treasure sword, but it’s not a treasure sword.”

“…I can’t argue with that.”

San-gun shrugged his shoulders and held out his hand to Hwaran.

She frowned as if she were the one who had been hurt and treated the wound.

She took out medicinal ingredients from San-gun’s Gongjeonggang [a magical storage item] as if they were her own, combined them, applied them to his hand, and wrapped it in a bandage.

Not satisfied with that, she even attached the Bokjobu (Good Fortune Talisman) that she had obtained in the past.

“The Bokjobu is a bit of a waste.”

“Be quiet. Don’t you have a few more? If you don’t use them when you need them, what good will it do to save them?”

The Bokjobu was one of the precious talismans he had obtained when he was in Dongguk [an ancient kingdom].

It was a mysterious talisman that increased regeneration several times for external injuries.

“It’s done.”

“Um…. Thank you.”

San-gun, feeling a little embarrassed, scratched the bridge of his nose and looked around, saying.

“It’s a mess.”

Mount Tae had been burned and exploded here and there by the Myriad Poison Flame and purple lightning, as if a natural disaster had occurred.

“It’ll be fun to see how the old man of Mount Tae’s face will change when he sees it, right?”

“But you were a little too harsh. Now, the Taecheon masters of Yukdong will be hunting San-gun like a rat as soon as they heal their internal injuries.”

It was no different from something he had expected and done in the first place.

“It was something that would eventually happen unless someone bowed their head. I just brought that day a little closer.”

Even if he had bowed his head to them, it was something that would eventually happen someday.

San-gun had only brought it forward.

Moreover, he had the justification and the ability to back it up.

“What are you going to do now?”

“I don’t know. First…”

San-gun looked around at the disciples of Mount Tae, who were looking at him with sparkling eyes from afar, and said.

“Should I try to win those kids over?”