Call Of The Spear [EN]: Chapter 390

Tales of Nangsane – Part 2, Episode 99

Pang Jong-yeon was dumbfounded.

‘I shouldn’t have held back my power…’

Yet, he’s perfectly fine.

Only black armor covering his entire body and a mountain-shaped Dharma artifact [a sacred object or tool in Buddhism and Hinduism] emitting the energy of the Five Elements were in place.

The sight of him standing unharmed left the family heads and cultivators around him blinking in disbelief.

There was no way he could be so unscathed.

Pang Family Head’s Lightning God was powerful even to their eyes.

If the Great Heavenly Barrier and the Great Heavenly Martial Barrier, along with the family heads, hadn’t erected a barrier, many people and objects here would have been damaged.

The Head of the Ministry of War and Culture wasn’t inside that barrier, so how could he appear so unaffected?

It was only natural that the cultivators, and even the Ascendants present, were bewildered.

“Ha, haha… It seems Family Head Pang held back too much. Well, even so, it would be difficult to reveal one’s true intentions to the Head of the Ministry of War and Culture, who remains an Ascendant.”

As silence hung heavy, Family Head Ji forced a laugh to smooth things over.

It was a logical explanation.

It didn’t seem that way, but they had no choice but to think so.

“Isn’t that right?”

Pang Jong-yeon had to respond to Family Head Ji’s question seeking confirmation.

“O-Of course! If I didn’t hold back, we’d have to clean up a corpse at the Water Palace today, and no matter the situation, I couldn’t do that to an Ascendant!”

At Pang Jong-yeon’s words, the soldiers of the Water Palace, as well as most of those present, nodded awkwardly.

Reality originally refers to things within one’s cognitive framework.

If it deviates from that, it’s hard to believe, even if it’s the truth.

So, they agreed with Pang Jong-yeon’s words.

It was natural since Pang Jong-yeon, the very person who delivered the blow with the Lightning God, was saying it.

“Family Head Pang, but looking at the current state, there doesn’t seem to be a need to hold back so much. As expected of the Head of the Ministry of War and Culture, he seems to be blocking it quite well. It seems like this last move can be a bit more sincere!”

Pang Jong-yeon nodded at Family Head Ji’s words.

“Then I’ll raise the intensity a bit! If he blocks even this, I won’t interfere in the affairs of the Head of the Ministry of War and Culture any further!”

Pang Jong-yeon made a hand seal and drew his hand in the air.

A strange wind stirred.

As he moved his lips, thunder roared in the sky. At the same time, a Lightning God in the form of a crimson dragon appeared, scattering crimson lightning and constructing a formation made of lightning.

“Lightning God Formation!”

Family Head Mi was startled.

“Isn’t using the power of law a bit excessive, even so?”

“He said with his own mouth that he could contend with Ascendants, so we must do this much. The appearance of Family Head Pang’s Lightning God Formation means the law of Heavenly Lightning and its unification… It’s been a while since we’ve seen Crimson Lightning Harmonization.”

Kugurrr!!

Crimson lightning fluttered, and a dozen crimson dragons sprang from the Lightning God Formation.

The energy emitted by the dozen crimson dragons, eager to burst out, was ominous.

Some of the Ascendants were already frowning, while others had their knees buckling.

But that wasn’t the end of it.

The dozen crimson dragons that appeared struck down like lightning in an instant.

However, their target wasn’t Cheonbeom.

They all struck Pang Jong-yeon, and crimson lightning spread across his body.

His entire body was clad in crimson armor, and a fierce great spear was held in his grasp.

The killing intent he emitted was extraordinary.

Pang Jong-yeon’s energy also became sharper with the armor and spear transformed by the Lightning God.

His whole body was filled with crimson lightning.

He looked and felt as if he had become crimson lightning itself.

“Our Pang Family’s Crimson Lightning Harmonization… It’s a divine power that unifies the Primordial Spirit with the Lightning God and then achieves law unification again. If you give up now, you might save your life, Head of the Ministry of War and Culture.”

Unlike his words telling him to give up, his eyes didn’t reflect that at all.

Beom smirked and took a stance.

It was similar.

Was it called the Return to One?

They said that when one reaches the extreme, they all share common ground; that appearance resembled Gyuncheon Bohwa [likely a martial arts technique or philosophical concept].

A strange sense of déjà vu arose.

‘…Did I do something unnecessary?’

The reason Cheonbeom created this situation was a kind of showmanship.

It was to awaken their sense of caution by showing his power and to elevate his prestige so that they wouldn’t act carelessly.

That’s why he did it, even though it might be a bit much…

Besides, since Bulcheonbulbyeok [likely a powerful artifact or technique] was swallowing the Twin Destructions, it wouldn’t be good for that to be known, so he couldn’t help it.

A thousand years from now.

The number of powerful cultivators will be more important than anything else in the Seonsal War.

No matter how much of an Ascendant one is, if there is someone with power comparable to an Ascendant, they cannot disregard Cheonbeom.

He is an Ascendant now, but if he becomes an Ascendant? The power he possesses will naturally be several times stronger.

If they truly care about the Water Realm even a little, they will feel even a slight reluctance to harm Cheonbeom.

Beom wanted that.

That small gap creates a crack, and the crack becomes a sign of collapse.

‘Still, it’s a bit overwhelming.’

The Wiju Hoyeon Armor transformed from Tamhwa and the barrier made with the mysteries of the Five Elements Sixty-Four Trigrams created from the Five Elements Extreme Mountain. It was the Five Elements Trigram Net (五行掛網).

It boasts a dense and solid defense by creating energy like a net with the mysteries of the Five Elements Extreme Mountain and the trigrams, but…

Still, the realm of the late-stage Ascendant was not going anywhere, so it was bound to be overwhelming.

He completely blocked the Lightning God, but there was damage.

Tamhwa, who had transformed into armor, was fine, but the energy of the Five Elements Extreme Mountain orbiting Cheonbeom had weakened slightly.

Needless to say, the barrier was in tatters.

It looked fine on the outside, but the inside had already rotted away, maintaining only its shape.

Fortunately, Subong Yeosan was fine, so the other extreme mountains would soon recover because they were connected.

But that was only if he survived.

It was something that could only be achieved if he blocked the approaching spear of the Lightning God.

The deliberation was short.

The chains of Tamhwa from the Wiju Hoyeon Armor.

The golden chains shot out and were deeply embedded in the ground, fixing Cheonbeom in place.

At the same time, he moved his lips, and the Five Elements Trigram Net permeated Cheonbeom’s body.

The Five Elements Sixty-Four Trigram Gods had been activated.

The sixty-four trigrams flashed gold on Cheonbeom’s Wiju Hoyeon Armor.

Pang Jong-yeon leaped at that sight.

Kug! Kug!

Time began to flow slowly.

The ground caved in under Pang Jong-yeon’s stepping foot, and fragments scattered.

At the same time, red lightning fluttered in all directions, and conversely, the crimson lightning of the great spear in his hand gathered to a single point.

Pang Jong-yeon’s Lightning God’s spear emitted a chill and aimed for Cheonbeom’s neck.

At that moment.

Flower petals fluttered in all directions, and a sword was grasped in Cheonbeom’s hand.

The sword soon permeated his body, and Cheonbeom’s golden eyes flashed, and flames of golden heaven and earth soared from his entire body.

Intense golden flames that would instantly parch the surroundings.

His brilliantly shining flames burned fiercely.

Soon, Cheonbeom’s fist and Pang Jong-yeon’s crimson spear collided.

Kwaaaaaang!!

Red and gold mixed, and a thunderous roar that seemed to herald the creation of the world erupted. It spread widely throughout the Water Palace and even the bottom of the lower palace, to the extent that ignorant cultivators wondered if the Seonsal War had broken out.

The cultivators and family heads present had to pour a lot of energy into maintaining the barrier due to the massive explosion.

“Keuk.”

The Great Heavenly Barrier maintained the barrier and poured a considerable amount of power into it.

Pang Family Head’s Lightning God Unification was amazing.

The spear strike did not end with one blow.

It gathered the condensed power of lightning striking down tens of thousands of times and unleashed the same power as tens of thousands of lightning strikes in a single spear strike.

He showed only one thrust, but after that, tens of millions of crimson lightning bolts struck in all directions within a limited space.

It was amazing for an Ascendant.

He was worthy of being called the Head of the Ministry of War and Culture.

But that was all.

When someone who had reached the late stage of Ascendant unleashed their true power, they became as insignificant as a fly.

That was the difference in realms.

There was no way he could have survived.

It was crimson lightning containing the law of Heavenly Lightning, a law unification that unified it.

Tens of thousands of thrusts would have surged, mimicking tens of thousands of strikes.

All of them would have been done and faded in an instant.

Like lightning striking from the sky.

‘The outstanding talent was a poison.’

The awl that sticks out is bound to be noticed.

The Head of the Ministry of War and Culture was special.

And he was outstanding.

But that took his life.

‘It’s a pity.’

It wasn’t a good situation to have to clean up a living corpse.

But he was the Great Heavenly Barrier.

He had to wrap up the situation.

He stretched out his hand and waved it, and sand dust scattered into the sky.

He wondered if he had been torn into six pieces and scattered, but that wasn’t the case.

Completely unexpected things happened.

“What….”

The family heads were also startled, and so were the cultivators around them.

“He’s… fine.”

The Head of the Ministry of War and Culture, who everyone thought was dead, was surprisingly fine.

His energy seemed to have weakened significantly, but other than that, he seemed no different.

That came as a great shock to the family heads and the Great Heavenly Barrier.

He had truly blocked the second move of the late-stage Ascendant as he had confidently said!

“No way!”

Family Head Ji shouted as if it couldn’t be true, and most agreed with that statement.

But the sight was clear.

Family Head Pang glared at the Head of the Ministry of War and Culture, trembling all over as if filled with resentment.

Soon, a chilling killing intent rose.

Someone approached and blocked him.

“The Head of the Ministry of War and Culture has blocked Family Head Pang’s second move. The match is over. Isn’t it?”

It was the Great Heavenly Martial Barrier.

He blocked his path as if he had been waiting.

Then, as if there was no other choice, Family Head Pang’s killing intent subsided.

“I’ll be going now.”

Family Head Pang left only those words and disappeared in a flash of red lightning.

Then the cultivators all looked at the Head of the Ministry of War and Culture.

They had learned who had won this absurd bet.

“Great Heavenly Barrier. Do you remember the promise?”

“…Since he has blocked the second move of one of the late-stage Ascendants representing the Water Realm, there will be no one who raises objections to the power of the Head of the Ministry of War and Culture.”

There were thousands of eyes watching.

He had done the impossible as if to show off, so he couldn’t force it.

“The winner is Cheonbeom, the Head of the Ministry of War and Culture!”

As the Great Heavenly Barrier shouted, the Ministry of War and Culture disciples of Gyewolseon cheered loudly.

Soon, they came down from Gyewolseon and stood by Cheonbeom’s side, rejoicing.

But there was no change in Cheonbeom’s expression.

The Great Heavenly Martial Barrier looked at Beom with strange eyes and realized.

‘His eyes…’

Were clouded.

The pupils, which had been clear golden eyes, were gray.

In an instant, his appearance also changed slightly. Horns and wings had sprouted.

He had taken on the form of Detachment.

‘Was his hair always that long?’

He was puzzled, but this was not the time to worry about that.

“Vice Minister of War and Culture, Woo-myeong.”

“Yes.”

“The Vice Minister will immediately escort the Head of the Ministry of War and Culture to Gyewolseon.”

“Understood.”

Woo-myeong approached Cheonbeom, was startled, and then led him to Gyewolseon.

Soon, the cultivators of the Ministry of War and Culture and Cheonbeom all boarded Gyewolseon.

The family heads, who had been standing blankly, could only stare at Gyewolseon without knowing what to do, clicked their tongues, and hurriedly disappeared.

* * *

Pang Jong-yeon, who had transformed into red lightning and landed in a corner of the Water Palace, covered his face with his palm and groaned.

“Damn it….”

He frowned as if a headache was throbbing, and now he pressed down on his trembling right hand with his left hand.

Pang Jong-yeon replayed the moment that had happened in an instant.

The moment he unleashed the Crimson Lightning Harmonization strike, the guy’s eyes became strange.

Then, the memories he had accumulated instantly overwhelmed him as if they were exploding.

He tried to regain his scattered mind in an instant, but a strange energy penetrated his hand through the spear and scattered his meridians.

‘It was definitely not at the level of an Ascendant.’

It was difficult even for an Ascendant.

Even a cultivator in the early stages of Ascendant doesn’t have this level of skill.

Thanks to that, he couldn’t load a complete strike and didn’t inflict much damage.

At the same time, Pang Jong-yeon realized.

He had to kill him now.

If he couldn’t kill him now, he would not only block his path but eventually become an enemy and his life would be targeted!

“Damn….”

Pang Jong-yeon pressed down on his still trembling hand and turned his back.

He was about to take a step, but he stopped for a moment and looked at the pier where Gyewolseon was.

Among those boarding Gyewolseon, red hair was clearly visible.

“I have no choice but to trust Ga-yeon.”

If it’s that smart child, she will be able to kill him.

No matter how long it takes, if she does that, he will be able to put down the burden in his heart!

Pang Jong-yeon twisted the corners of his lips and disappeared again in a flash of red lightning.