Call Of The Spear [EN]: Chapter 277

Nangseon Gi Hwan Dam – 276

A small, desolate island sat between the Northern Sea and the Demonic Path.

Maman Island (抹慢島).

It was a place so prone to extreme weather that not even a single blade of grass could grow, barely qualifying it as an island.

Tales spoke of a time when it was lush with vegetation, but now it was just a desolate patch of land: Maman Island.

There, a man drew back an arrow.

Creak.

The bowstring groaned softly under the strain.

Thwack!

With a sharp sound that cut through the air, the arrow flew with incredible speed.

The target was a neatly dressed Taoist, sitting in the lotus position with his eyes closed.

The infamous demon, Yoo Jung, who had sown chaos throughout the Taoist world.

‘No personal grudge, but…’

*This* will bring peace to the Taoist world and pave the way for my future!

The man was certain of Yoo Jung’s death.

His arrow would strike the target in the blink of an eye, using the Root Severing Technique [a technique designed to cut off a cultivator’s connection to their spiritual roots], and the arrow shaft would activate an invisible silver spell, leaving no trace.

He shot the arrow from over a thousand yards away, beyond the reach of divine sense [a cultivator’s ability to perceive their surroundings using spiritual energy]. Even if it *did* reach, the guy would be dead with a hole through his head before he even knew it!

‘Die!’

That’s when it happened.

Suddenly, Yoo Jung opened his eyes and grabbed the air with his bandaged hand.

Thud!

“How can this be?!”

He caught his arrow.

Not dodging or deflecting, but catching it with one hand!

It was unbelievable, but it had happened.

“Attack!! If we catch him, we’ll gain the favor of the Thousandfold Sail Sect and walk a smooth path for thousands of years!!”

As he shouted, the air rippled, and hundreds of hidden Taoists appeared.

Tsk.

Yoo Jung clicked his tongue, gripped the arrow in his hand, and snapped it.

“Damn White Mountain Sect bastards.”

But the frown was fleeting.

Soon, he grinned widely.

“No matter what you do, you can’t stop my ascension.”

Zhiiiiing.

A strange wave spread out.

The air shimmered, and demonic energy began to rise from the ground.

“And I will kill you with my own hands later. Just like everyone else who has tried to kill me! Thousandfold Sail! You’re next!!”

Kyahahaha!! Kahaha!!

In his mad laughter, thick demonic energy swirled.

The screams of hundreds of Taoists echoed, and an eerie roar spread for miles, then suddenly fell silent.

Maman Island, with its barren land, once again hid in silence.

* * *

“Maman Island?”

“Yes, Maman Island looks like a barren environment where not even a blade of grass can grow, but that’s just the surface.”

“The inside is different?”

Somaang swallowed a piece of honey candy and nodded.

“It’s known as a place where all sorts of rare minerals and spiritual herbs lie dormant deep inside. Well, I don’t know if that’s true or not.”

She said, sipping her tea. There were many incomprehensible parts to her words, but I decided to ask calmly.

“But how did Miss Somaang find out that Yoo Jung is there?”

“A few years ago, I was wandering around looking for spiritual herbs needed for my cultivation when I heard a strange rumor.”

“A strange rumor?”

“Yes, someone took ownership of Maman Island and forbade anyone from approaching within a hundred miles. So I wondered why….”

The owner had set up some bizarre formations and illusions.

Anyone who got close would have their energy drained, and Taoists who were flying would be forced to land on the island, where they would instantly lose all their spiritual and true energy and lose consciousness.

“Is that all? I don’t think you can assume that the person on Maman Island is Yoo Jung based on that alone.”

“You should listen to what people have to say until the end. Besides, I used to be in Ilwol [a shadowy organization] for quite a long time, and I’ve worked with Yoo Jung a lot, right?”

Come to think of it, that was true.

Before meeting Beom, she was practically a slave of Ilwol, and later she worked with Yoo Jung.

“As soon as I saw it, something felt familiar. The formations and illusions set up there were very similar to the ones Yoo Jung used. He knows a lot of strange spells, but they’re all based on Ilwol’s formation techniques.”

If she said this much, there was a high probability that Yoo Jung was there.

‘I should check to be sure, though.’

Somaang wasn’t a woman who spouted nonsense, and she was surprisingly sharp in many ways, so I could trust her to some extent.

“Thank you. You’ve come a long way to tell me that, so I’ll reward you handsomely.”

“I knew you’d say that, Sixth Ghost! Even though my fate is harsh, I’m good at recognizing genuine people!”

“Spare me the flattery. But if what Miss Somaang says is true, I’ll be quite busy from now on.”

Sending telegrams to other sects to set up a dragnet and block his escape routes was the priority.

‘It’s a bit difficult to get there because it’s relatively close to the Demonic Path area.’

Keep the number of people to a minimum.

But if I take the elite, it won’t be too difficult.

But….

‘It takes about half a year to get from White Mountain to Maman Island.’

That was only if Cheonbeom flew at full speed.

Besides, I can’t leave right now, so it’ll probably take about a year.

‘He’s a cautious guy, so if he starts to sense something, he’ll run away immediately.’

The operation must be very secretive and swift.

Honestly, I wanted to fly there alone, kill him in one fell swoop, and settle the score.

But since I’ve made him an enemy of the Taoist world, I shouldn’t do that.

“Why does it have to be the Demonic Path area?”

Somaang tilted her head as if she found it a bit annoying.

“Why? Isn’t it no big deal for the Sixth Ghost who has ascended to Transcendence [a high level of cultivation]?”

“Miss Somaang. Haven’t you been with the Ghost Hands [a group of assassins] for too long? Why are you so violent in your thinking?”

“Me, violent! It’s the truth!”

That was true, too.

Honestly, the Demonic Path forces weren’t much of a threat to Cheonbeom.

If things went wrong, he could just kill them all.

“It’s best not to kill unnecessarily, Miss Somaang. I’m not the only Great Immortal who has ascended to Transcendence in the Human Realm, so it’s even more so.”

Hwanmong had just ascended.

It wouldn’t be good to cause unnecessary trouble, and indiscriminate slaughter wasn’t what he wanted either.

‘The killing intent is getting thicker.’

The killing intent was getting so thick that I was a little worried these days.

It was said that if the killing intent was too thick, the power of the Heavenly Tribulation [a trial faced by cultivators] would be stronger when he received it later, and he would receive the Killing Tribulation, one of the Dao Tribulations [a more advanced and dangerous form of Heavenly Tribulation].

‘Bongdo told me to be careful….’

I wanted to avoid the Killing Tribulation at all costs.

“Still, Sixth Ghost is one of the strongest in the Human Realm, and even Great Immortals of the same level can be dealt with by Sixth Ghost, right?”

It was a strange smile.

Her eyes and face seemed to know everything he had done.

“Maybe.”

“Don’t play dumb. I’ve already heard? That two of the Earth Immortals who accompanied Sixth Ghost disappeared without a trace….”

Beom’s brow furrowed.

“Where did you hear that?”

“I have a wide network and a good ear, so I know all sorts of rumors.”

Somaang asked in a subtle tone whether what she said was right, but Cheonbeom neither affirmed nor denied it. He shrugged with an ambiguous attitude, and she pouted and muttered.

“Don’t pretend you don’t know. I know Sixth Ghost’s personality. It’s not like we’re strangers, so why don’t you just tell me?”

“I don’t know what *we* are.”

“You’re so mean! I thought we were developing some kind of affection for each other!”

“Affection for what.”

Probably for the spiritual herbs.

“Anyway, I understand. I’ll tell you where to stay, so take a good rest there for now.”

“Are you trying to kick me out already?”

“What else?”

“You should at least make up for lost time!”

She said, taking out a bottle of alcohol from her bosom and shaking it.

“I’m a little tired of alcohol… how about taking Cheonyu and looking around White Mountain instead? I heard you’re very close to Cheonyu.”

“Who is Cheonyu?”

“My daughter, I mean.”

“Ah… so that’s the name she got.”

Somaang looked a little uncomfortable for some reason, and her discomfort was evident.

“Aren’t you close?”

“No, well… it’s not that.”

That’s when it happened.

“Father, it’s me, Cheonyu.”

It was a voice from outside the door.

Cheonyu must have heard that Somaang had come.

“That’s good timing. Come in.”

“Auntie!! It’s really Auntie Somaang!”

Cheonyu ran and hugged Somaang as if she was flying.

“Oh, oh. Long time no see?”

“I missed you so much! Where have you been!”

Cheonyu seemed genuinely happy and didn’t let go of her.

‘She seems to like her more than me.’

It was the first time I’d seen her so happy.

But Somaang didn’t seem to feel the same way, so I was curious about their relationship.

“Yoo-ya. Take Miss So and show her around the White Mountain Sect. I’ll leave a suitable place to stay to you.”

“Yes! Let’s go, Auntie!”

“Ah, no, I….”

Somaang looked back and forth between Beom and Yoo with a bewildered expression, then sighed and was dragged away.

I was quite curious about their relationship, and a drinking session with Somaang wouldn’t have been bad, but now that I knew where Yoo Jung was hiding, it wasn’t the time to dawdle.

“That guy is Yoo Jung….”

I can never let my guard down.

No matter how high his realm is, I had to be fully prepared.

Who knows?

He might ascend to Earth Immortal soon and face me.

So….

“First, I need to wake up Gwiyul.”

With much of his power sealed, Gwiyul was now his power itself, wielding powerful divine abilities.

I even used the divine jade of an immortal to prevent the collapse of his soul, so there had to be a noticeable effect to make it worthwhile.

“I don’t have a suitable method right now, and I don’t have time to find one….”

I had no choice but to summon her.

It was very unpleasant.

“I have no choice.”

Cheonbeom took out a gray crystal from Gongjeonggang [a mystical location], made a hand seal, and moved his lips.

At the same time, silver energy flew from Cheonbeom’s body and pierced in all directions.

It was his twelve Hengbo Four-Image Swords.

They were stuck in one side of the stone chamber, building a formation and emitting an anti-demonic aura.

Then, a strange energy flowed from the gray crystal, filling the surroundings with gray mist, so much that it filled Cheonbeom’s entire stone chamber.

The more it flowed out, the more turbid the energy became, and the demonic energy gradually flowed out and spread.

Pshhh….

With a sound like air escaping, the crystal completely disappeared from his hand, and a black shadow slowly revealed itself in the gray mist.

A woman as tall as a man, with skin so white it was pale, and cow horns on her head.

A demon immortal who had succeeded in merging with the Demon God and ascended to the Grand Celestial [a very high level of demonic cultivation], spreading thick demonic energy.

The woman who kidnapped Choa seven hundred years ago and tried to kill Beom and turn him into a zombie.

“Oh my… what a pleasant surprise.”

The appearance of Guieumna Chal, Yehu.