Call Of The Spear [EN]: Chapter 291

Beneath the Heavens.

Gold painted everything, blinding the eyes of children as if swallowing the blue of the sky.

“Look closely, Cheonwoo, Cheonyu.”

Beneath the dazzling light, the only thing that existed was the golden, radiant figure of the Tiger.

“This may be the last image of your father. You must see everything, missing not a single detail.”

He carved open the sky, opened the Heavenly Road [the path to immortality], and revealed his Ascendance to Immortality.

“Do you know why your father is showing his Ascendance to us?”

Cheonwoo and Cheonyu, mouths agape, shook their heads.

“How could we fathom his profound meaning?”

The Fox looked at her children, then gazed at the sky with sorrowful eyes.

“Your father told me that the Dao Territory [the realm of cultivation] beneath this sky should be filled with the Great Dao [the ultimate truth or path], but instead, betrayal and schemes are rampant, rotting and decaying like stagnant water. He lamented that everyone eventually forgets their Great Dao.”

Therefore, he risked showing his Ascendance to as many people as possible.

“What your Great Dao should reach for is not the greed before your eyes, but the sky above your heads. Only by crossing this sky will you reach another.”

That was what he was saying.

That would be the true Great Dao and the true Way.

“He is telling you not to lose your way.”

“Ah….”

Cheonwoo and Cheonyu deeply reflected and realized the meaning of their mother’s words.

“So, do not take your eyes off him for even an inch. Do not forget that his blood and divine power flow in your bodies as well. Engrave your father’s last teachings in your hearts and bones, and always remember them.”

Cheonyu and Cheonwoo widened their eyes.

The surging emotions and tears made their chins tremble and their noses tingle.

But even as they shed tears, they held onto his teachings, refusing to let them go.

He was stronger than anyone.

He was the last image of their father, who was warmer than anyone.

It was an image to be engraved on their skin and bones and remembered for a lifetime, so they couldn’t let anything go.

KWA-AAAAANG!!

“It’s starting.”

The true Ascendance had begun.

The Ascendance of humans and the Ascendance of divine beasts were distinctly different.

That was the Heavenly Lightning [divine punishment and trial during ascension].

ZZZZZZZZZZT!!

KWARLEUNG KWA-AAAAANG!!

The pure white Heavenly Lightning, appearing as if piercing a hole in the sky, revealed itself with a thunderous roar.

The Heavenly Lightning, emerging from the swirling dark clouds of the Heavenly Road, took the form of a pure white dragon.

The Heavenly Tiger opened its eyes at the sight of the Heavenly Dragon sticking its head out from the dark clouds.

CHWAA-AK!

The Heavenly Tiger, transformed into a massive form with unfolded wings, flew towards the Heavenly Lightning.

At the same time, the Heavenly Lightning in the form of a dragon opened its jaws and gathered pure white lightning.

The sight of the Tiger soaring into the sky, scattering golden light, and the Dragon revealing its body from the dark clouds, opening its jaws as if to devour him, was like a scene from mythology, lacking any sense of reality.

The Heavenly Tiger’s true form grew larger and larger, enveloped in gold, swelling to an enormous size.

And at that moment.

The Heavenly Dragon shot out pure white Heavenly Lightning.

KWA-AAAAAAAANG!!

KOO-OO-OO-OO-OONG!!

With a roar that seemed to distort the heavens and the earth, the sky turned pure white.

A tremendous gale swept through, terrifying not only the Daoists on Ojo Island but also the disciples of the White Mountain Sect with its powerful pressure.

“Kuh-uh-uh…!!”

“Just with the wind pressure…!”

However, the Prepared Immortals [cultivators preparing for ascension], who had been waiting in advance, appeared and formed a formation, barely managing to block the wind pressure.

A dozen or so Prepared Immortals barely managed to block a single gust of wind and were exhausted.

‘Are they saying that divine beasts must endure such powerful Heavenly Lightning to Ascend?!’

It was unbelievable that they had to endure something like this with their bodies when it felt like they would suffer internal injuries just from the aftermath of the Heavenly Lightning.

‘If it were me, even my bones….’

It was obvious that nothing would be left.

Therefore, it was only natural to worry about what had happened to the Heavenly Tiger, who had been directly hit by the Heavenly Lightning.

But the Heavenly Tiger was nowhere to be found beneath the sky.

At that moment, when only a strange tension lingered.

“Look there!”

Beneath the sky where the Heavenly Dragon was located, there was a small cloud of golden mist.

Suddenly, a huge Five-Clawed Dragon and a Phoenix scattering blue flames appeared from there.

The Five-Clawed Dragon and the Phoenix slowly circled around the golden mist.

“A Five-Clawed Dragon and a Phoenix….”

At that moment of surmise.

Something sparkled within the mist.

There were eighteen faintly shining lights in the golden mist, and as they moved around the mist, Choa recognized them at once as her husband’s Hwaryeong [spiritual essence fragments].

The Heavenly Tiger’s Hwaryeong emitted an increasingly strong golden light, once again dyeing the sky with golden radiance.

The eighteen Hwaryeong slowly swam and circled in the sky before gathering together again and merging.

KWA-AAAAANG!!

With a dazzling light, the Hwaryeong merged into one, and soon transformed into a single round jade, floating in the air.

“The Source Jade!!”

That was it.

The Cheongeun [essence of being] that the Immortals complete by gathering their spirit, energy, and body into one.

It was undoubtedly the Source Jade.

The Heavenly Tiger’s Source Jade was wrapped in golden mist to protect itself, and soon a huge tiger’s roar echoed from within the mist.

Hwa-aaaaaak!!

The golden mist was cleared away by the wind pressure.

And what was visible was the figure of the Tiger transformed into gold.

His horns and wings remained the same, but his crimson fur was covered in golden fur, transforming into a Golden Tiger.

He had undoubtedly transcended the realm of eternity and ascended to become a god, moving upwards and downwards at the same time as being directly struck by that powerful Heavenly Lightning.

Kwarleureureung!!

The Heavenly Dragon, as if angered by his changed appearance and energy, once again opened its jaws and shot Heavenly Lightning as if to punish him.

It was an extremely powerful energy, a powerful thunder from the sky that instinctively caused fear and made one step back.

The pure white Heavenly Lightning, like a spear extended by the sky, once again rushed towards the Heavenly Tiger.

Kwarleureung Kwajijijik!!

A sharp roar and a fluttering of wings as the pure white lightning flew.

But even against such Heavenly Lightning, the Tiger did not avoid it but rather threw itself into it.

The Heavenly Tiger flapped its four wings.

A wind like a typhoon instantly blew and his figure disappeared.

At that moment.

KWA-AAAAANG!!

The world turned white, but they did not miss the small shadow at its center.

Keahhhhhhhhhhh!!

The Heavenly Tiger’s roar was heard in succession along with the thunder.

KWANG! KWAANG! KWA-AAAAANG!!

The Heavenly Tiger, colliding with the Heavenly Lightning several times, met its end with a crackling sound.

“Heok!!”

“He, the Heavenly Lightning…!!”

What was visible was the Heavenly Tiger biting and tearing apart the Heavenly Lightning.

At the same time, a golden sun appeared from the Tiger’s mouth, blocking the Heavenly Lightning of lightning bolts rushing like snakes.

And the Heavenly Tiger had already swung its sharp and massive claws at the head of the Heavenly Dragon, which had stuck its head out from the dark clouds.

The Heavenly Tiger’s claws were no different from a treasured sword.

Chwaaaak!!

A huge sword energy was created, instantly tearing apart the Heavenly Dragon, and along with it, the dark clouds also disappeared like a mirage in an instant.

At the same time, a mysterious radiance of brilliant iridescent colors leaked out from the Heavenly Road.

A pillar of light, like the dawn, warmly illuminated the Heavenly Tiger as if to comfort him.

The Heavenly Tiger, stepping on the void and leaping up, scattered golden light and cried out in joy.

Many people were moved by his majestic appearance and prayed, and those who were close to him shed tears and sincerely congratulated his Ascendance.

Soon, a brilliant divine light appeared, creating a pillar of light and welcoming the Heavenly Tiger.

It was truly Heavenly Light.

The Heavenly Tiger obtained unparalleled peace.

With the golden sun on its back and flapping its wings, it leisurely circled the sky before rising towards the Heavenly Road.

There were many faces of people reflected in his eyes, but there was no regret, only warmth.

Soon, as he ascended to the Heavenly Road and completely disappeared, the sky rippled as if nothing had happened and concealed the Heavenly Road.

Only the golden waves he had scattered in the sky quietly told that the Heavenly Tiger had been here.

* * *

The fact that the one who had reigned at the pinnacle of the Dao Territory had disappeared was known throughout the world.

Many people expressed respect for his achievements, and many Daoists who witnessed the Ascendance to Immortality remembered that day and widely spread the word.

Even those who had a negative view of him could not help but respect the Heavenly Tiger who had Ascended to Immortality.

How could they not respect him when he had realized and shown the ideal they ultimately desired?

Of course, many Daoists who witnessed his Ascendance later created disciples, and the story of this day was endlessly recounted through generations.

Sometimes in paintings.

Sometimes in writing.

Sometimes in words, the Ascendance that had dyed the whole world in gold led many people to enter the Dao Territory and escape from the secular world.

The change brought about by the Heavenly Tiger showing his Ascendance was not so great, but it swelled in size like a snowball over time.

Since there were so many who witnessed the time of Ascendance, which had only been vaguely known as a legend, how could they be lazy in their training?

How could they be swayed by personal greed and turn away from the Great Dao?

At first, it was as thin as a straw, but later, like a strong support, the wind of the Dao Territory that he desired might blow.

“He’s really something. Is there another cultivator as famous as Geumyang Daesa [Heavenly Tiger’s title] in the Dao Territory? No, is he a god now?”

A woman holding a slender liquor bottle by the neck and sitting on the window sill said.

It was Hogo-bo, one of the elders of the White Mountain Sect.

In front of her was a white-haired woman quietly basking in the moonlight, Choa, whose noble and somewhat melancholic deep eyes were impressive.

“He’s a very bad person. To leave like that before I could even resolve my resentment.”

Hogo-bo seemed to be furious, snapping the liquor bottle and gulping down the liquor.

“Gobo-ya. You’re very drunk.”

Choa, who knew her heart, simply sipped her wine.

As Hogo-bo said, three hundred years had passed since he Ascended.

Even if nothing else, there was almost no one who did not know Geumyang Daesa.

It was a natural result that many people praised Geumyang Daesa and headed to the White Mountain Sect to follow in his footsteps.

Because of that, the White Mountain Sect was still going strong even though he had disappeared.

Over the past years, the White Mountain Sect had trained many disciples, and many powerful Daoists had also joined, increasing its power.

Choa, who became the master of the Ice Palace, and Yoho, who dominated Siphaemancheok [a vast territory], cherished the White Mountain Sect that he had left behind.

Moreover, it was only natural that Unmoo, the head of the White Mountain Sect, and his wife, Cheonyu, were always fighting but dedicating themselves to making the White Mountain Sect an even stronger sect.

It was safe to say that the White Mountain Sect would firmly establish itself as a sect reaching the pinnacle of the Dao Territory even after a thousand years.

“I wonder if he’ll ever come down….”

Knowing that it would never happen, she couldn’t help but think about it once in a while.

Many people remembered him.

They missed him, but what could they do with someone who had already grown wings and flown high into the sky?

Sometimes they cursed him.

Sometimes they cherished and missed him while taking care of what he had left behind.

* * *

In the thick mist.

It was a place where it was difficult to see even an inch ahead, reaching the clouds above.

What was billowing up seemed to be made of clouds, but when you looked at it swaying, it was like a vast sea.

It was a truly mysterious and wondrous place.

In the sky, several lands were hovering in the air, and there were several moons and suns.

In such a place where mystery lingered.

In the sky, celestial maidens wearing winged clothes appeared one after another, riding on clouds.

The hundreds of celestial maidens who appeared with antique lanterns stopped in front of a man standing blankly on the Geonwon Sea [Sea of Beginnings], which was a sea made of clouds, and bowed.

“The So-seon [lesser immortal] of the Beast Realm greets the Sangheo Shinseon [newly ascended immortal] who has Ascended, and reports that we will serve you with utmost devotion.”

The man with golden eyes gleaming at the words of the celestial maiden smirked.

Nangseon Kihwandam (Tales of a Carefree Immortal)

Part 1

The End