Call Of The Spear [EN]: Chapter 265

Nangseon Gi Hwan Dam – 264

“Guiyul?”

The first thing he saw upon exiting the Wangu [a magical artifact or prison] was the figure of the Incomplete Great Celestial Demon in its three-headed, six-armed form.

‘What’s going on here?’

As if knowing his thoughts, Guiyul glanced at him with a languid expression before slowly closing her eyes, as if relieved.

“Guiyul!”

Hugging the collapsing Guiyul, San-gun’s brow furrowed. Strangely, her body, which should have been that of a Jiangshi [a type of Chinese hopping vampire or zombie], was burning hot.

“How did she get out!? How could she escape from inside the Wangu!!”

Wankyung screamed with tears of blood in his eyes, but San-gun paid no attention to his words.

Guiyul’s condition was more urgent.

“What have you done?”

Even as she collapsed, Guiyul did not release the sword in her hand, a sword San-gun had never seen before.

It was as red as blood, but the blade was grotesque, with something bulging out in a mottled pattern.

“…She has absorbed all the souls by plunging the Great Dao with nine rings [likely a powerful artifact or technique] into her body.

It seems she is trying to stop her actions and calm the jumbled souls because of your appearance, but I don’t know if she will succeed.”

Absorbing the souls of the Nine Ringed Dao?

He couldn’t help but be astonished by Yewoon’s absurd words.

“I envy you.”

“Are you being sarcastic?”

“I’m serious. A Jiangshi who cares so much for her master… It’s a Jiangshi I’ve never had in my life. I’m genuinely envious.”

San-gun hugged Guiyul and subtly rose from his spot.

Wankyung was clutching the shattered Wangu, wailing in sorrow, while Yewoon looked at Guiyul and San-gun with envious eyes.

San-gun looked down at Guiyul and examined her energy with the Danyeong Geumjeong [a technique or ability to perceive energy].

As Yewoon said, her insides were a chaotic mess, with tens of thousands of souls moving independently, unable to unite, causing her body to overheat and turn into a fireball.

If left like this, 50% of her would not withstand the flood of souls, and her body would eventually collapse, while 30% of the souls would repel each other and be extinguished.

‘The remaining 20%…’

Would be consumed by the Ghastly Force.

Even now, the illusion of the Incomplete Great Celestial Demon, transformed into a three-headed, six-armed form, had not disappeared.

San-gun immediately formed a hand seal to separate her soul from the ghosts contained in the Nine Ringed Dao, but it was already too late.

They were already mixing together.

Trying to forcibly separate them would cause them to shatter like glass from the slightest impact.

“As someone who commands Jiangshi, I am deeply sorry. I guess this is what they mean when they say you have to leave it to fate.”

With those words, Yewoon sent a talisman flying towards San-gun.

“What are you thinking?”

“I just feel sorry. The Manchu Hogi Geobu [likely a specific type of talisman] I gave you is a talisman technique I found in an old tomb.”

“Why are you giving me this?”

“There’s no reason not to. Why would I extend my evil hand to a dying Jiangshi?”

That was also true.

Even San-gun could see that Guiyul was dying, so there was no reason for Yewoon to interfere.

“You are a great Seonsa [a Taoist immortal or cultivator] with the ability to escape from Wankyung’s Wangu. Since you feel the futility of further fighting, there’s no reason to draw your sword.”

He was truly a strange fellow.

How could he be so brazen?

Wasn’t he the one who rushed in to kill them, and now that he saw no chance of winning, he didn’t want to fight anymore?

San-gun scoffed in disbelief before emitting killing intent.

“Do you think I’ll just let you go?”

“Do as you please. If it can quell the anger of the Baek San Sect’s head disciple, I wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice this one life.”

Looking at the man speaking stiffly, the incident at the Geumhwan Seonhyang [likely a location or event] flashed through his mind.

“…That body is also a puppet, isn’t it?”

Then, a smile bloomed on Yewoon’s lips, but his eyes were wide with surprise, making for a bizarre expression.

“The Beom Seonsa’s divine power is sharper than I thought, piercing the heavens.”

“You obnoxious bastard.”

Ping! San-gun flicked his finger, sending the Black Funeral flying.

Yewoon was startled and reached out to block it, but there was no way to stop the Black Funeral, which pierced through his palm and emerged from his shoulder.

“Ugh!”

Yewoon was left dangling in the air, unable to do anything about the Black Funeral, yet there was no sense of crisis on his face.

It wasn’t his real body.

It wasn’t a doppelganger either, but something closer to a puppet. Strangely, the body was like a real person, a unique technique combining puppetry and Jiangshi arts.

“It’s a body I worked hard to create, but if the Beom Seonsa wishes, I will sacrifice this one body to quell your anger!!”

It was an awkward echo and a solemn expression, as if he were acting.

He could tear that madman into pieces right now, but that would only be venting his anger.

‘His real body must be not far from here. If I spare him, I might find a clue to his real body.’

He was a quick-witted guy, so he might have already finished planning his escape and be hoping that he would destroy his puppet.

He couldn’t shake the feeling of being played by the man, so he should spare him for now and plan for the future.

“But just in case.”

Shashashak!

He moved the Black Funeral to cut off Yewoon’s arms and legs, leaving only his head.

As soon as he retrieved the Black Funeral, Yewoon, who had been preparing to die, tilted his head.

“Aren’t you going to kill me?”

“You’re not even worth killing.”

San-gun showed a disgusted reaction and turned his gaze to Guiyul.

“…That talisman is excellent at uniting the souls of Jiangshi. Since you spared me, I’ll give it to you as a gift. I don’t know what will change if you use it, but you never know what will happen in this world. Only heaven knows if it will help Guiyul.”

However, San-gun snorted mockingly and took out a red gem from his chest.

“I’m tired of relying on heaven.”

The time to rely on such things had passed.

San-gun took out a vial and poured it onto the gem, and strange-smelling drops of blood dripped from the vial.

Then, the gem vibrated faintly and trembled, and San-gun’s lips curled up in satisfaction.

“What is that? I sense a familiar energy…”

He tilted his head, looking like he was about to remember, but San-gun lightly ignored him and chanted a spell.

In fact, this gem was the Wonok of Chungseon, who had tormented him in the Geumhwan Seonhyang.

With Bong’s help in the Yumu-gan [likely a location or organization], he had long since removed the remnants of the man.

Originally, he had been thinking of adding it to the Blood Shadow Sword, one of the Gyuncheon Bohwa [likely a set of powerful artifacts], after a suitable period of time, but it seemed he would have to use it on Guiyul.

The blood drops that San-gun was dropping were the Blood Collapse Water he had obtained from Goseon, which would further enhance the energy of the Wonok and was one of the things he had been steadily feeding Guiyul, so it would be quite effective.

One of the mysterious divine powers of the Blood Collapse Water was the ability to connect other things tightly, just like creating a soul collapse. San-gun didn’t know the exact ability, but there would be no harm in feeding it to her now.

‘It might be a treasure from the Upper Realm.’

The endless blood itself, when you think about it, is something that cannot be created in the Lower Realm.

Unless it contains some kind of law, how could it come out endlessly like this? Perhaps it is a treasure close to a divine object left by Sa-wolrang’s ancestor.

‘Even if it’s not Gucheon Wolbo [likely a powerful artifact or technique], it must be a treasure from the Upper Realm.’

Compared to the Sa-wol Jehang [likely a powerful artifact or technique], its power is weak, but if he finds out the proper use, he felt that it was a treasure that could be used in many ways.

“Done.”

Finally, the gem emitted a clear red light, and San-gun opened Guiyul’s mouth and fed it to her.

At the same time, he examined the talisman he had received from Yewoon, and only after he was sure it was safe did he stick it on Guiyul’s forehead.

After that, San-gun sealed Guiyul in the scroll and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

‘Time will solve the rest.’

He was very anxious, but he had done everything he could, so it was time to take care of the rest.

“You’ve ruined my Jiangshi.”

Seonsa Wankyung was still hugging the dead Wangu, weeping bitterly.

“You’re the one who… you’re the one who tore my Wangu to pieces!!”

His face was distorted like a fierce god, and he was furious. It was absurd.

He was the one who tried to kill him first, yet he was so angry and enraged that a few mere spirit insects had died.

“Wasn’t it Seonsa Wankyung who tried to kill me first? I don’t know how to react to you being so sad that a few mere young insects have died.”

Wankyung’s body trembled with anger at his mocking words.

“Don’t be too sad. You’ll be like that soon anyway, so what’s the matter?”

“You bastard!!”

Kukung!!

Wankyung’s foot landed on the ground, raising a cloud of dust.

At the same time, San-gun’s fingers twirled, and the corners of his lips were about to rise when.

Clang! Clang! Charrrrr! Chuk!

Mechanical sounds spread from somewhere, and a faint vibration echoed from the ground.

“…What is it?”

Unlike San-gun’s expression, which had cooled as if his excitement had been broken, the noise of iron and stone scraping continued.

Drrrrrrr.

As he was watching the situation, not knowing what was going on, a sobbing laughter leaked out from somewhere.

“Hehahahahahahahat!!”

Suddenly, everyone’s eyes turned to the center of the Cheonmanggengno [likely a specific location], where Elder Gol was bursting into laughter, his voice hoarse.

“No!!”

Wankyung was startled and tried to approach Elder Gol, but a hazy barrier rose up, completely blocking him.

Bang!! He struck the barrier with all his might, but it was useless. Rather, Wankyung coughed up blood and staggered back, as if he had suffered internal injuries.

“A barrier.”

It didn’t seem like an ordinary barrier.

The fact that a Jiseon [a high-level cultivator] of Wankyung’s level coughed up blood after hitting the barrier meant that it was not an ordinary barrier.

“Damn you bastards, in the end, I, I, Pangjo, am the victor, hehahaha!!”

“Pangjo?!”

Looking closely, there was a golden spider on Elder Gol’s head, Pangjo’s Golden Web Spider.

“I wondered where he had run off to…”

He had taken over Elder Gol’s body and was moving the Cheonnodeung [likely a powerful artifact or location].

Drrrrrrr.

Soon, the stone slabs engraved with mandalas that had been floating in the air began to gather in the center, and as they began to emit a faint light, the dark joint area began to brighten.

“Ah…”

The meaningless stone slabs that had been scattered here and there began to take the shape of a lotus flower, and they gathered one by one in the center to create a huge illusion of a lotus flower.

He wondered how that was the Cheonnodeung, but now he was beginning to understand a little.

The stone slabs gathered around the oval rock in the center of the Cheonmanggengno, creating petals, and as the lotus flower made of rock bloomed, a mystical pillar of light soared high into the sky.

Kugugugung!!

At once, dark clouds gathered in the sky, and thunder and lightning struck.

Soon, it began to swirl as if a hole had been drilled in the sky.

“Hahahaha!!”

In the center of it, Elder Gol. No, Pangjo, laughed madly as he spread his arms wide and reveled in it.

“So futile…! Damn it!!”

Wankyung knelt down and spat out blood, expressing his frustration and resentment.

But San-gun just watched silently, and in his eyes, he saw two figures approaching the Cheonnodeung.

“Goseongbyeong…”

The Goseongbyeong [likely stone guardians or statues] began to move on their own towards the Cheonnodeung, and they passed through the barrier as if it were nothing and approached it.

“Wh, what is it!”

Pangjo’s expression was full of bewilderment.

The Goseongbyeong received the light of the Cheonnodeung and gradually became smaller, and soon they transformed into ordinary human figures.

Not statues, but figures that no one could mistake for humans.

They approached Pangjo, who was standing in the center of the lotus flower, and asked.

[I ask you.]

“Wh, what are you talking about!”

[What is ascension to you?]

“Ascension…?”

The atmosphere became strange in an instant.

They were not one or two-year-old children.

The fact that the Goseongbyeong had suddenly transformed into human form and were asking such a question meant that it was a kind of test belonging to the Cheonnodeung, and he could tell that at once.

Pangjo was no different, and he raised the corners of his lips and stroked his chin.

Depending on the answer to this question, the situation could change drastically.

San-gun began to watch with interest, and Wankyung swallowed nervously.

And just then.

Pangjo’s mouth opened.

“Ascension to me is just a means! It’s just a means to pass by on the path of cultivation I have to take in the future! I will ascend and rise to a higher level, so what else would ascension be if not a means? I will become a Seon himself, becoming one with the sky through endless cultivation!

You guys, open the Cheonro quickly!”

It was a statement worthy of Pangjo.

Ascension is just a means.

To him, it was just a gateway to a higher place.

To those who cultivate, what could be a more accurate answer?

They deny the time allowed by heaven and live in defiance of heaven, living in time that is not allowed. To them, ascension is just a means to become equal to heaven and to achieve eternal life.

[I have heard you well.]

“Please ascend me quickly!”

It was then.

Chwaak!!

The Goseongbyeong struck down with a spear in one swift motion, and Pangjo’s body was split in half.

“Heot!”

Wankyung, who had been staring blankly at the sight, also gasped and was surprised, and San-gun also narrowed his brows.

“Wh, why! Why!!”

Pangjo, split in half along with the Golden Web Spider, shouted, leaving only his Hwaryeong [likely a spirit or essence].

But the Goseongbyeong grabbed the Hwaryeong in one swift motion and crushed it.

[No!! Please! Sa, save me! Wankyung!! Save me, save…!!]

Paang!!

The Hwaryeong burst out in an instant, and only a heavy silence settled in.

Before he could even check what was going on, the Goseongbyeong moved again.

[I ask you.]

The Goseongbyeong asked again.

[What is ascension to you?]

Pangjo was dead, so who were they asking such a question to?

When he confirmed it, San-gun couldn’t help but be startled.

Yeon-ah, looking like she was dying, was standing in front of the Goseongbyeong.

“Yeon-ah!!”