Call Of The Spear [EN]: Chapter 181

Mountain Lord was trying his best to hide his excitement.

As expected, it was the April Chrysanthemum, a treasure considered a divine artifact even within the Sanhaebalsan [a powerful and influential sect or organization].

It was no exaggeration to be excited about a treasure imbued with creation, one of the most powerful laws, even in the Immortal Realm.

He could already picture how Yoo-jeong would have used the April Chrysanthemum after ascending to the Immortal Realm.

‘He must have cultivated the law of creation with this and become a top immortal in the Immortal Realm.’

It was a shame he couldn’t know more about his life in the Immortal Realm.

But even as he thought that, a chill ran down his spine.

Having lived for hundreds of years and occasionally reflecting on his experiences, Mountain Lord no longer thought of this place as a mere novel.

From the beginning, this place was divided into the Lower Realm and the Immortal Realm.

Even the Lower Realm itself was vastly different from the world he originally knew, so what more could be said about the Immortal Realm?

And then there was the Immortal Realm on top of that.

This place was not a novel.

Then where was this? What was this reality?

Yoo-jeong, who was he, really?

‘That book was also an item of an immortal….’

It was entirely possible.

Even among the treasures of the Lower Realm, there were many powerful items that could turn the world upside down. How much more would there be in the Immortal Realm?

There would be countless treasures he couldn’t even imagine, like stars in the sky.

But nothing was certain, and there was no point in worrying about it now.

Woo-oong….

‘It’s starting.’

Mountain Lord subtly turned his head, looked up at the ominous sky, and thought that time was running out.

Soon, Mountain Lord’s lips moved.

-Oath of the Spirit Flame? Now that I think about it, there was such a thing in the Lower Realm.

I don’t know why you’re asking, but there is such a thing in the Immortal Realm too. But why are you asking about that?

“To be honest, I can’t trust you, Senior. I’ve never even seen your face, so how can I believe you’re an immortal, and how can I trust the Divine Beast’s magic?

To be honest, I’m very suspicious, so it will be difficult for me to accept your legacy.”

Gi let out a dumbfounded laugh at those words.

-Ha! Indeed, as you say, there are also oaths among immortals. It’s not like immortals don’t have levels of attainment, so what they fear most is the Simma [inner demons or mental obstacles], creating their own Simma.

So we swear on the Simma. The biggest obstacle in cultivation is the Simma, you see.

Gi sneered at Mountain Lord as he said that.

-But like you said, how can you trust me? I’m going to become Yeongsan [a sacred mountain or burial ground, implying death] soon anyway.

In other words, he was about to die soon, so swearing on the Simma was the same as making an empty promise.

So it was useless.

But Mountain Lord curled up the corners of his lips as if that wasn’t the case.

“That’s enough for me. You don’t want to disappear without leaving anything behind either, do you, Senior?”

That’s why he left his own original immortal technique to Mountain Lord.

-…You’re a strange one.

“Make it light. That way, I can carry on your legacy with peace of mind! While you’re at it, swear on your Simma that you won’t covet my acquaintances, my life, or my treasures!”

Gi was silent for a moment.

It was as if he was speechless because he was dumbfounded or for some other reason.

But that was only for a moment.

-Okay, do as you please.

I don’t know if it’s okay to entrust it to a guy like this….

* * *

Koo-ooo-oong.

A strange vibration shook the earth.

Ho-ri saw strange letters being engraved beneath her feet.

Following that, a subtle blood-red color rose, indicating it wasn’t an ordinary formation. The moment she looked around, the whole world was red as if stained with blood.

It was an ominous and eerie light.

“Their teleportation formation is activating… Il-gwi. Is it okay to stay like this?”

“That’s right, I wonder if there’s some kind of mistake….”

Unable to bear it, I-gwi frowned, and Chil-gwi and the other Ghost Kings also became increasingly anxious, wondering if some unforeseen event had occurred.

But even in this situation, Il-gwi’s expression remained unreadable.

“Ahem….”

That unwavering appearance made the Ghost Kings shut their mouths.

It was as if things were going according to his plan, so what more could they say?

It had been like this before.

It wouldn’t be any different now.

‘This is annoying.’

Among the current Ghost Kings of Siphaemancheok [a powerful group or organization of ghosts].

The one who had held his position for the longest time was Il-gwi.

The history of Siphaemancheok was Il-gwi, and the tradition was Il-gwi, so even if they complained about his choices and instructions, no one could break his will.

And after a while.

Ho-ri’s fox ears twitched.

It wasn’t because she heard something.

It was because it was too quiet.

The Ironworks Labyrinth was a place where thousands of ghosts came together to undergo Ghost Tribulation [a trial or ordeal for ghosts].

But the labyrinth was filled with silence.

Only the blood-red light illuminated the darkness in that desolate place, so they couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

“Hong-yeon. I have a bad feeling. I should go find Dae-ho.”

“Now? As I said before, he’s not someone our master would worry about. I was originally going to look for him, but it seems like the situation won’t allow it, so please bear with it.”

But Ho-ri shook her head.

She handed the scepter she had received from Il-gwi to Hong-yeon.

“He’s not far away. Dae-ho has a ring that I gave him, so it won’t be difficult to find him. I’ll be back soon, so stay here in my place for a while.”

When she said that much, Hong-yeon couldn’t help but worry.

The Ironworks Labyrinth was a dangerous place that moved on its own, and human Taoists [practitioners of Taoism, often with mystical abilities] were plotting schemes.

She couldn’t let her master wander around alone in a place like this.

“I have a bad feeling.”

Hong-yeon’s heart weakened at Ho-ri’s unusually serious face.

She bit her lower lip slightly and then nodded heavily.

“I’ll be right back!”

Just as she was about to smile brightly and fly up.

Koo-ooo-oong!!

The earth shook violently.

As they flinched, pillars of blood-red light soared up from all directions.

Goo-ooo-ooo!!

Signs of a huge spatial rift began to appear, and a unique pressure was generated.

“Il-gwi!”

I-gwi, unable to bear it any longer, expressed his intense emotions.

But Il-gwi only wore a strange smile.

A strange anxiety soared at the unknown smile.

Chwa-ja-jak!

In an instant, the Ghost Kings’ faces changed.

“Il-gwi!!”

“What is this!”

The golden scepter he had given them had turned into a snake and bound their bodies!

“What are you doing, Il-gwi!! Don’t tell me you sold Siphaemancheok to those guys!”

I-gwi roared in anger.

The other Ghost Kings were the same.

Everyone frowned at the absurd situation and opened their bloodshot eyes.

“There’s no way. You guys are my allies, so why would I sell you out?”

“Allies?”

They were the same Ghost Kings, but he called them allies! As they wondered about the inconsistent words, a strange wind blew.

Whoosh.

Then Il-gwi’s appearance changed.

He transformed into a young man with a cold glint in his eyes.

The Ghost Kings seemed to recognize him, as they were greatly shocked by the unfamiliar appearance of the young man.

“No, you are!!”

“How can you be the Great Elder of Ilwolmun [a powerful sect or organization]!!”

How could they not know that face?

He was the Great Elder of Ilwolmun.

Yoo-jeong.

“I can see the confusion in your eyes. Now that I’ve appeared, you’re naturally curious about Il-gwi’s whereabouts, right?”

Of course.

If he was Yoo-jeong, then where was Il-gwi, the leader of Siphaemancheok!

“Where is Il-gwi!!”

The Ghost Kings raised their voices, glaring at him with their eyes wide open at the contemptuous words.

“Don’t tell me…!”

Yoo-jeong wore a strange smile.

They could tell from that reaction.

“Il-gwi is….”

“No way!”

Already dead.

Otherwise, how could he have disguised himself as Il-gwi and deceived the Ghost Kings?

As the truth was revealed, the Ghost Kings were dumbfounded as if their souls had left their bodies.

They couldn’t easily believe that Il-gwi had been defeated!

Il-gwi had held his position for thousands of years.

That such an Il-gwi had been killed by a guy who hadn’t even ascended to the level of Tae-seon [a high level of cultivation]!

It was an indescribable shock.

I-gwi, who had been his longtime friend and rival, looked as if the sky had fallen.

“He died a death befitting the leader of Siphaemancheok.”

He pissed his pants and begged for his life.

The Ghost Kings’ eyes turned bloodshot at those words.

But that was only for a moment!

The Ghost Kings had lived for thousands of years. The panic was only temporary, and soon they began to emit powerful energy.

They were the Ghost Kings of Siphaemancheok.

Could they be defeated so easily?

The guy’s purpose was to hold them back until the teleportation formation was activated!

A teleportation formation that transcends space will fail even with small flaws.

Koo-oong!!

The Ghost Kings’ bodies swelled up, and one by one, they began to reveal their true forms.

Kuaaaaaa!!

The forms of the Transcended erupted, and huge true forms appeared.

I-gwi transformed into a firebird with his whole body burning.

Sam-gwi transformed into a ferocious monkey with two heads and white fur. Sa-gwi looked like a mix of an elephant and a sheep, and O-gwi was a giant golden pig.

Chil-gwi was a seven-colored peacock befitting his name, and he was very beautiful.

They were truly majestic figures, ferocious beasts emitting powerful energy.

But.

Most of the Ghost Kings revealed their true forms, but they couldn’t break the golden scepter that had turned into a snake that bound their bodies.

[Uaaaaaack!!]

[Ugh!!]

Rather, they groaned in pain as the pressure on their bodies seemed to increase.

“You won’t be able to easily break it with the ancient treasure called Geumchuna (禁推裸) [likely a magical artifact or binding tool]. At best, it will take all your strength in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, but that’s enough for me!”

Giiiiiiing!!

Soon, the world was dyed blood-red, and the teleportation formation began to activate.

It was a large-scale wide-area teleportation formation, so it took a long time and had many restrictions.

But the effect was certain.

“No matter how strong I am, it’s hard to capture and kill all the Ghost Kings, but if I take you guys to Banggok [a dangerous or strategic location], will you be able to survive?

No way.

You won’t be able to avoid death unless you wag your tails like dogs.

Now that things have come to this, it wouldn’t be bad to tame a Ghost King for revenge!!”

Several Taoists fell down next to Yoo-jeong, who was laughing wildly.

Among them was a Taoist who looked exactly like Yoo-jeong.

“You’ve worked hard.”

As he said that, the Taoist who looked like Yoo-jeong soon crumbled and turned into a little finger, flying to Yoo-jeong’s hand and attaching to it.

[Avatar of the Gods!]

The Ghost Kings all roared and exploded with ferocious cries and energy.

But their appearance was no different from that of beasts trapped in a cage.

“I made thorough preparations just in case, but it was ridiculous to see you guys not saying anything at the mention of Il-gwi. The Ghost Kings, whose individual divine powers and the strength of their true forms surpass those of Taoists of the same level, have empty heads, so the blood of beasts can’t be hidden!”

Yoo-jeong, who had been laughing wildly to himself, then looked at Ho-ri with cold eyes.

“Was it Gu-gwi….”

After pondering for a moment, he shook off his thoughts as if it didn’t matter.

He couldn’t include the Yeonggeop Yuksa [a specific type of warrior or cultivator] she was with in the count.

That’s why only Gu-gwi wasn’t bound by the scepter.

But it didn’t matter.

“It’s not difficult to deal with a Yeonggeop early stage [referring to a stage of cultivation].”

Even Il-gwi in the late stage of Yeonggeop had met his death at Yoo-jeong’s hands.

But would a mere early stage be a match for him?

That was nonsense.

“What can a fox do alone?”

“Master, destroy the teleportation formation!”

Hong-yeon shouted.

Ho-ri seemed to understand the meaning and raised her hand.

But at that moment.

Pook pook pook!!

“Master!!”

Hong-yeon cried out in despair.

“Ah….”

Ho-ri lowered her head.

Three arrows were already embedded in her.

They weren’t ordinary arrows.

In an instant, her whole body stiffened, and Ho-ri’s skin turned as white as paper.

Cough! She coughed up blood.

The blood was thick and coagulated, so it was definitely a powerful poison.

“It’s Bungyangchosu (崩揚醋嗽) [a specific type of deadly poison], one of the ten most deadly poisons. Your whole body will harden like stone, and then all the energy in your body will drain away.”

It was as he said.

A faint smoke began to emanate from Ho-ri’s body. The more it did, the more her skin turned blue.

“Master, Master! Master!!”

Hong-yeon’s eyes rolled back, and she began to struggle to break free from the scepter.

Ho-ri looked blankly down at her hands, spitting out blood.

“There is no antidote for Bungyangchosu, which is said to be the most deadly of the ten most deadly poisons.

The smoke coming out of your body is the life force contained in your Hwaryeong [a vital energy source or spiritual essence], so you will soon disappear without a trace.”

That’s how terrifying Bungyangchosu was.

Once the poison enters the body, the whole body stiffens. All the energy channels are blocked, and the blood in the body stops circulating. Of course, the Hwaryeong slowly dies, and in the end, it turns into a puff of smoke and disappears.

Since there is no antidote, nothing can save you if you are poisoned by Bungyangchosu.

“It’s over.”

At the same time, the teleportation formation emitted a blood-red light that was blinding.