Call Of The Spear [EN]: Chapter 372

Nangseon Gihwandam – Part 2, Chapter 81

As Beom walked through the spawning grounds and down a narrow, dark path, he noticed something sticking to his body.

“Is it around here?”

He brushed off a faint spiderweb from his shoulder and incinerated it with Geumcheon Jihwa [Golden Sky Divine Fire, a powerful flame technique].

“As I thought.”

The spiderweb remained intact, unaffected by Cheonbeom’s Geumcheon Jihwa.

It barely even warmed up.

‘It’s strange that something that isn’t even a proper thread can’t be burned.’

He felt a slight blow to his pride, but that meant the spiderweb was extraordinary.

“They must be dozens of times older than me…”

Thinking that way was somewhat comforting.

But comfort alone wasn’t enough.

‘It’s not very viscous, but the adhesion is incredible.’

He tested the viscosity of the very thin spiderweb with his hand, and it immediately stuck.

As he continued down the narrow path, the spiderwebs became more and more numerous.

The spiderwebs stuck to his shoulders and arms, clinging to the walls or sticking his clothes together.

He had heard that spiders generally use spinnerets, silk glands, where the substance is a liquid mucus inside the body, but solidifies into a thread the moment it’s ejected to the outside.

That was the general principle, but it seemed that in the case of the Geumbak Jiju’s Chungmo [Golden Thread Spider Lord’s Chungmo, referring to the spider’s unique silk], it wasn’t quite like that.

“I’m completely covered in spiderwebs.”

Was it because they were dead?

Did their silk glands burst? The narrow path was blocked in all directions by spiderwebs.

Applying heat with Geumcheon Jihwa could weaken the adhesion a bit, but it still couldn’t burn them away, which was quite frustrating.

“Tamhwa.”

When Beom called, Tamhwa, in the form of a bracelet, unfurled and stood next to Beom as a child.

“Yes, Father!”

She seemed to like being called Father. She called him that whenever she had the chance.

Naturally, Beom couldn’t help but smile.

“Yes, daughter. What do you think of these spiderwebs from Chungmo’s silk glands?”

Tamhwa looked troubled.

Beom quickly realized his question was wrong.

He corrected himself and asked.

“Do you want to eat them?”

That was the right question.

Tamhwa grinned.

“I want to eat them!”

Beom stroked Tamhwa’s head and said,

“You can eat them all.”

“Yay!”

Tamhwa immediately transformed into a giant Oryong [Five-Headed Dragon], plunged her head into the narrow path, and began devouring the spiderwebs.

However, she was soon immobilized by the spiderwebs, and each time that happened, Beom heated the spiderwebs with Geumcheon Bohwa [Golden Sky Treasure Fire] and Gyuncheon Bohwa [Jade Sky Treasure Fire], and after striking them down several times, she could eat again.

‘It’s not even proper thread, but it’s this strong. If I could gather these spiderwebs and make them into thread or rope, it would be an incredible treasure.’

Tamhwa had already absorbed Geumjangsa [Golden Armor Sand] and various divine powers, allowing her to emit powerful threads. Now, it was a thread that was practically poison itself, and she could create and wield powerful chains by combining the thread with the high-hardness metals she had devoured. But what if spiderwebs with this level of hardness and adhesion were added to those chains?

Without a doubt, there would be few who could stand against Tamhwa.

‘Even Hyangseon [Fragrant Immortal] would have a hard time.’

This was Chungmo’s spiderweb, after all.

It would take considerable effort and time to refine it, but if he could make it his own, it would become a powerful treasure no different from a Yeonjabo [Karma Treasure].

Not to mention Sangseon [Superior Immortal], even Hyangseon would have difficulty cutting or burning this spiderweb, so Beom liked it even more than the Time Law Yeonjabo that had left his hands.

That was because Tamhwa possessed the innate divine power of greed, which allowed her to instantly make this spiderweb her own.

‘Coming to the Chunggye [Spider Realm] was a divine move.’

It was a coincidence that he came to the Chunggye, but he had already gained considerable benefits.

Beom, as well as Tamhwa, would grow even stronger with this opportunity.

The path to Hyangseon was still long and arduous, but that was a problem that time would solve.

He hadn’t even faced his first heavenly tribulation since ascending to the Upper Realm, so it was premature to worry.

‘Was it about nine hundred years left?’

The timing was a bit unfortunate.

That was even more so because the Seonsal War [Immortal Extermination War] would open in nine hundred years.

“There’s no point in thinking about it now.”

For now, it was more important to overcome the immediate problems.

As Tamhwa ate the spiderwebs and cleared the path, the width of the path gradually widened, and he gathered the spiderwebs that she hadn’t eaten one by one, creating a ball of thread.

‘It might be useful if I leave it.’

He sealed it and put it in Gongjeonggang [a spatial storage artifact, likely a bracelet or pouch], and before he knew it, Tamhwa was far ahead.

But she wasn’t eating Chungmo’s spiderwebs anymore. He wondered what was going on.

“A cocoon.”

A cocoon made of spiderwebs was located in the center of the spacious room.

Its size was slightly smaller than Tamhwa’s head when she transformed into Oryong.

“Why are you just standing there?”

It didn’t seem ordinary.

That’s why he thought she would try to eat it even more, but Tamhwa stood there blankly, as if wary of something.

Then, she took on the form of Talhyeong [a smaller, child-like form] and grabbed Beom’s hand.

“This is strange.”

“What’s so strange about it?”

She seemed frightened.

When he asked calmly, Tamhwa clung to Beom’s pant leg and buried her face in it.

She wasn’t a child who was easily frightened, so this raised a strange sense of tension.

‘…Let’s retreat.’

Tamhwa had excellent senses.

If Tamhwa was afraid of something, it must be something bad.

It might be the greatest treasure in the world, but what kind of father would leave his daughter alone when she was terrified?

Beom picked up Tamhwa and decided to retreat.

He had hesitated for a moment, but Tamhwa’s reaction filled him with unease.

‘I’ve gained enough here.’

He was satisfied with feeding Chungmo’s spiderwebs to Tamhwa.

In the first place, this was inside Chungmo’s body.

He had to be as careful as possible because he didn’t know what might be inside.

Beom hugged the trembling Tamhwa tightly and slowly retreated.

He didn’t know what was inside that cocoon, but Naesan was born in Subong Yeosan [a legendary mountain], and he had fed Chungmo’s spiderwebs to Tamhwa, so he had gained enough.

‘It’s better to join the Chungseon [Spider Lineage].’

If this was where the silk glands were, it must be the end of Chungmo’s stomach.

There were still countless spaces he hadn’t explored besides this one.

As he thought that and retreated, Beom’s earring suddenly moved on its own.

“Yeowi?”

Yeowi, who was in the form of his earring, shook as if trying to tell him something.

After hesitating for a moment, Beom released Yeowi’s restraints, and Yeowi transformed from an earring into a lizard resembling an alligator, swimming through the air.

Soon, Yeowi stopped near the cocoon and made a clicking sound as if looking at something.

He didn’t know why he was doing that, so he watched quietly, and then a ripple appeared in the air, and a rabbit appeared.

‘The incarnation of Yeonjabo!’

It was the incarnation of Yeonjabo, who possessed the Time Law. Beom was so surprised that he opened his mouth, but he didn’t make a sound.

Yeowi looked at the rabbit incarnation and kept making a clicking sound as if trying to say something, and the incarnation, which had slipped out, took on an appearance of half curiosity and half wariness.

He wondered what was going on, but he couldn’t help but feel a sense of anticipation.

It was none other than Yeonjabo, who possessed the Time Law.

Everyone was searching for it with their eyes wide open, weren’t they?

But it was right in front of him, so even Cheonbeom, who had a strong sense of self-control, couldn’t help but be tempted.

‘I don’t know why Yeowi is doing that, but…’

This was definitely an opportunity.

Yeonjabo, which contained the Time Law, was a treasure that even Wonseon [Supreme Immortals] wanted to get their hands on, let alone Hyangseon.

If he could get his hands on such a thing, he would be as happy as if he had the world.

And that wasn’t all.

By using the Time Law Yeonjabo, he might be able to understand and master the laws that seemed like fleeting clouds.

There were countless techniques and books in the Tongcheon Library of the Water Realm, but there were hardly any known techniques that contained laws.

Even many Hyangseon were ignorant of the laws.

But what would happen if Cheonbeom, who was only a Sangseon, obtained the Time Law Yeonjabo?

He was already strong enough to fight Hyangseon with various divine powers and magical artifacts, but if he could also control the laws, it would be like giving wings to Beom!

As long as he belonged to the Dogye [Dao Sect], it was natural that he had to become stronger to survive, and he had to survive to spread the Great Dao!

Those without greed cannot progress.

But those who are consumed by greed will fall, so always maintain moderation.

Beom’s mind became quite confused.

As if knowing his feelings, Tamhwa’s grip on his sleeve awakened Beom.

‘It’s difficult. It’s difficult.’

It was difficult and painful to suppress greed and endure it.

Beom stroked Tamhwa’s head as if to tell her not to worry and looked at Yeowi.

Yeowi was still clicking as if trying to communicate with the rabbit incarnation.

Beom quietly put his hands behind his back and began to form hand seals.

Soon, he took out the ball of Chungmo’s spiderwebs that Tamhwa had dropped from his chest and heated it with Geumcheon Jihwa, slowly unraveling it.

The spiderwebs that had been unraveled into several strands soon twisted together and began to clump together into a single thread.

That series of movements was as smooth and natural as the water flowing through a valley.

It would take a long time to refine it and make it his own since it had been absorbed for hundreds of thousands of years, but this much was not difficult.

‘Please… don’t notice.’

Yeowi was drawing attention like that.

It was possible.

The silver thread of Chungmo silently approached the incarnation and Yeowi near the cocoon like a snake.

The incarnation was wary, moving its nose incessantly like a real rabbit, but curiosity seemed to be stronger, and it was slowly approaching Yeowi.

‘Just a little… just a little more.’

Cheonbeom even stopped breathing and concentrated as much as he could, moving the thread.

And when the thread finally reached the incarnation’s vicinity.

‘Got it…!’

The moment he tried to tie the thread around the incarnation’s leg.

Snap!

The incarnation bit Yeowi’s head.

“Damn it!”

Whirr!

Whack!

Cheonbeom’s thread tied the incarnation’s leg, but Yeowi, whose head had been bitten, couldn’t escape.

The joy of catching Yeonjabo was fleeting.

He was worried about Yeowi’s condition.

But Yeonjabo was not easy to deal with.

It spat Yeowi out and, seeing the thread tied to its foot, went berserk and began to run around.

“Ugh!”

It was an enormous force that made Beom, who was barely holding onto the thread, feel like he was going to be dragged away.

Moreover, the speed was so fast that the sound of thumping echoed everywhere, and dust began to fill the air.

“Do you think I’ll let go just because of that!”

He didn’t need anything else.

Even if it was Yeonjabo who controlled the Time Law, it was still at the level of a newborn chick!

As evidence, it couldn’t even think of untangling Chungmo’s spiderweb.

And Cheonbeom would never miss that loophole.

Beom began to wield the thread made of spiderwebs.

It was a highly adhesive thread.

It was moving so fast that it couldn’t even be seen, but it couldn’t escape Chungmo’s thread.

“Rather, that will be poison!”

Cheonbeom’s hand, which was holding the thread, was being wielded as fast as the incarnation.

Soon, the rabbit was tangled up like a cat playing with a ball of yarn, and it was completely tied up in Chungmo’s thread and couldn’t move.

Even so, Beom didn’t let his guard down and took out all kinds of spells and talismans to bind his body with restraints and cast a Geumje [Golden Seal, a powerful sealing technique].

Soon, a look of elation appeared on Beom’s face as he finished the Geumje while chanting the Seonmun [Immortal Mantra].

He was afraid that someone would see him, so he quickly put it in a wooden box, stuck a talisman on it, and, just in case, took out Subong Yeosan and put it inside.

‘No matter how profound his divine powers are, he won’t be able to see through this far.’

Beom was filled with pride and kept smiling, then picked up Yeowi, who was lying on the ground, and examined him.

“Thank goodness. He just fainted.”

He must have been surprised when his head was suddenly bitten. Fortunately, he wasn’t seriously injured.

The incarnation of Yeonjabo seemed to have bitten him out of curiosity.

In any case, it was all thanks to Yeowi’s actions that he was able to get his hands on the Time Law Yeonjabo.

He had heard that Yeonjabo, who even formed an incarnation, was no different from a Seongjok [Sacred Ancestor], so perhaps that was why Yeowi was interested.

Beom turned Yeowi back into an earring and put it on his ear, then stood up.

“It’s a mess.”

The space of the silk glands had become chaotic thanks to the commotion.

Even so, he had eaten all the spiderwebs that were here, and all that was left was one cocoon, but….

“Huh, was it originally like that?”

The shape of the cocoon had changed slightly.

Perhaps Yeonjabo had touched it a little.

The shape of the cocoon, which had been dense, had a slight gap.

Beom stared at the gap and unknowingly took a step forward.

‘Uh… what is it?’

Suddenly, his body wouldn’t move.

One step.

One step.

It moved regardless of his will.

‘This shouldn’t be happening….’

He thought, but his body wouldn’t obey his will.

Soon, cold sweat began to pour from his entire body.

Something was wrong.

Something was seriously wrong.

It was then.

A gap in the cocoon.

A pure white hand emerged from the gap.

A pure white hand covered in moist liquid, without a trace of blood.

The palm opened, and a finger approached Beom’s eyes.

‘So this was it.’

The reason why Tamhwa was terrified.

‘This was it.’

What Chungmo had arranged.

In front of Beom’s eyes, a woman with thirty-six eyelids but no pupils was reaching out her hand.

It was toward Beom’s golden eyes.

It was reaching out without hesitation.

As if.

As if trying to reclaim what was hers.

“Father!!”

Thud.