Call Of The Spear [EN]: Chapter 398

Tales of the Divine Swordsman – Part 2, Episode 107

The Celestial Maiden of the Heavenly Palace.

A Favor.

Naturally, it all boils down to her life.

What Gyeolcheon wants is the Celestial Maiden’s head.

‘In a way, it’s only to be expected.’

They are two warring factions, and Gyeolcheon has been defeated in several battles before.

Besides, this is Juhye Island; no matter what anyone says.

The foundation of the Juhye Clan.

Since the Celestial Maiden has set foot there, it’s only natural they would aim for her head.

‘This is troublesome.’

He doesn’t want to get caught up in the fight between the two factions, and he owes the Celestial Maiden a small debt regarding the Origin Spirit.

Even speechless beasts know to repay kindness, so how could he do something so shameless and depraved?

The Lunar Eclipse Blood is not so essential to him that he would abandon his principles for it.

Even if not this way, there will be other opportunities later.

-I cannot do such a thing to a guest of Gye Wolseon, no matter what.

-…I would be satisfied if you only promised not to interfere.

Cheonbeom pondered Gyeolcheon’s words for a moment, but that was all.

He doesn’t want to see someone lose their life before his eyes, especially not in Gye Wolseon.

He shook his head, and Gyeolcheon’s brow furrowed.

“The Juhye Clan will remember this day for a long time.”

Gyeolcheon stood up roughly from his chair, gestured to his subordinates, and disappeared in a streak of light.

‘I don’t have a good feeling about this.’

As he quietly watched the direction Gyeolcheon disappeared, the Celestial Maiden suddenly apologized.

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“Even if we are divided into two factions, it must not be a sight worthy of showing to a cultivator from another world.”

She seems to have a rough idea of what Gyeolcheon said.

Cheonbeom waved his hand.

“Even so, it’s not something the Celestial Maiden should apologize for. Conflicts between forces exist everywhere, and their right or wrong is not something to be judged by individual standards.”

Each has their own justice and circumstances. Conflicts are a tangle of various things, and disputes and wars are born from them.

So, it’s not something she should apologize for.

‘It’s the same everywhere.’

Not only the Immortal Realm but also other outer worlds are the same when it comes to such conflicts and disputes.

The Water Realm is no different.

Cheonbeom put aside his thoughts and looked at the Celestial Maiden, asking.

“Aren’t you curious?”

About what Gyeolcheon said.

What he offered, what he wanted.

“Would anything change if I knew? What will happen will happen, and it is my responsibility to overcome it, so I don’t mind not knowing.”

Quite an unexpected answer.

The calm tone shows that her life has not been easy.

“Ah, now that I think about it, the one you gave me in the vial didn’t seem like ordinary blood. Did you say it was the blood of a Peng [a mythical bird]?”

“Yes. I heard that Bloods are made with the blood of a Huna. What I gave to the Celestial Maiden is indeed the blood of a Peng, but it contains some secret techniques, so I gave it to you just in case.”

“Some verification will be needed, but in my opinion, I am confident that it will help in creating Bloods.”

“Is that so?”

“I wish I could meet a medicinal immortal well-versed in Bloods and show it to them. So, I have something I would like to ask….”

She must be wondering if there is more Blood Peng’s blood.

“You don’t have to worry about the quantity. If needed, I can give you more.”

“I see. Even in the Heavenly Palace, they are troubled because the demand for blood needed to manufacture Bloods cannot keep up with the supply. If my guess is correct, the Peng blood from the Head of the Civil and Military Affairs Department would fetch a high price even in the Heavenly Palace.”

That’s good news to hear.

However, Cheonbeom read one of her hidden intentions.

‘She intends to take me to the Heavenly Palace.’

The Immortal Realm is divided into Human Immortals and Chaos Immortals. Juhye Island is currently in the territory of the Chaos Immortals, so stepping into the territory of the Human Immortals wouldn’t be bad.

‘There doesn’t seem to be anything more to do on Juhye Island anyway.’

Besides, Cheonbeom also wanted to take a look around the Immortal Realm.

It might be an opportunity to meet old acquaintances again.

‘If it’s now….’

Choa probably hasn’t ascended yet.

However, if it’s someone who ascended before Cheonbeom, there might be a chance to meet them.

His disciple.

‘Yeon-a must be there.’

And another person.

‘Hwanmang.’

Both of them possess pure human blood, so they must be in the territory of the Human Immortals.

So, he is willing to play along, even knowing the Celestial Maiden’s intentions.

‘Blood Peng’s blood is an endlessly springing blood, so it’s not bad to observe the situation in the Immortal Realm and earn wealth.’

His main body is asleep.

Although the Vice-Head and the Civil and Military Affairs Department are there, one never knows what situation might arise in the Upper Realm, so it’s good to be prepared.

“How long does it take to get to the Heavenly Palace from here?”

“If we use the teleportation array, it won’t take a year. It wouldn’t take that long to head to Gye Wolseon either. It would take about ten years to arrive.”

The distance she is talking about is the distance to the Heavenly Palace, so reaching the territory of the Human Immortals probably wouldn’t take long.

Using the teleportation array would be faster, but there are many people, and there’s no particular reason to rush.

It wouldn’t matter to float slowly on Gye Wolseon.

“Umyeong.”

“Yes, sir.”

“How long will it take for the Civil and Military Affairs Department members who went out to Juhye Island to return?”

“If they fly with the Thousand-Mile Note [a magical communication device], they will all be back in three days.”

Quite a few people have not yet returned, saying they will find elixirs to treat Cheonbeom’s internal injuries.

It will take at least three days for all of them to return, so the departure will be around then.

“Let them know that I am well and order them to return to Gye Wolseon. There’s no point in staying on Juhye Island any longer.”

“Understood.”

Umyeong immediately began preparing to send the Thousand-Mile Note, and Gayeon headed to the control room where Jugyeolgyeong, who is in charge of Gye Wolseon, is located.

As the decision was made, a smile spread across the Celestial Maiden’s face, and Cheonbeom asked her about the structure of the Human Immortals and the Heavenly Palace.

There was nothing special about the Immortal Realm. The Heavenly Palace is a monarchy created by the immortals of the sects in the Human Immortal realm.

The bloodline of the sect that first became the owner of the Heavenly Palace is treated as royalty, but since its foundation is cultivation, its power waxes and wanes depending on the realm of the royal family.

‘It’s all similar everywhere.’

Cheonbeom wanted to ask her about Yeon-a and Hwanmang, but he stopped himself.

Her character, as far as he has seen, is impeccable, befitting the name Celestial Maiden itself.

However, it is still too early to build trust based on that alone.

Yeon-a is Cheonbeom’s disciple.

Hwanmang is someone he owes a debt of gratitude to, so they could potentially become his weaknesses.

The Celestial Maiden is a clever woman, so if she uses that to find them first, an undesirable situation could arise.

‘There is plenty of time.’

He will be able to find them if he slowly explores the Immortal Realm.

Even if not Yeon-a….

‘If it’s Hwanmang, he must have become an outstanding cultivator, so I might find him soon.’

Even in the Lower Realm, before Cheonbeom appeared, his reputation was widespread.

Even if he ascended to the Immortal Realm, his outstanding qualities would not have faded.

He was secretly looking forward to the day they would meet again.

* * *

Three days later.

Dawn, with a thick, dim air.

Cheonbeom was alone on the deck of Gye Wolseon, personally facing the cold wind.

He blankly looked down at Juhye Island, then looked up at the sky once, and slowly spread his palm.

Then, golden light rose and gathered in spots, and the blazing Golden Celestial Fire bloomed.

Since it’s a materialized body made with Fire Essence, this much is not difficult.

Cheonbeom turned the Golden Celestial Fire into a golden lotus, and the swirling golden lotus bloomed, illuminating him brightly.

“Great Radiance Myriad Lanterns.”

Soon, golden lotuses appeared all around Gye Wolseon.

The Great Radiance Myriad Lanterns, Cheonbeom’s unique secret technique, bloomed.

Golden lotuses bloomed all around, and Fire Essences floated from within the fully bloomed lotuses.

“…Ha.”

However, the Fire Essences soon scattered, and the golden lotuses also crumbled into pieces.

He breathed heavily as if struggling, and his face naturally frowned.

“Can’t I even do this much with the body of a materialized body?”

The Grand Celestial Outer Yang Divine Art itself is, of course, a high-level technique, and the Great Radiance Myriad Lanterns, created within it, is one of Cheonbeom’s signature moves, used with the Hwaran, the essence of the Gyuncheon Treasure.

However, he can’t use the Gyuncheon Treasure, nor can he use his original body, so naturally, his divine power is also lacking.

Even if he gathers divine energy, it is an infinitely small amount with the body of a materialized body.

Cheonbeom’s original jade has now become an Origin Spirit, so it cannot be transferred to the materialized body.

He can’t use most of what he has at once, so the sense of powerlessness is immense.

‘Right now, I’m closer to….’

He might be closer to a Lesser Immortal than a High Immortal.

If his main body was fine, he would have drawn divine power from nearby.

However, even that is not possible, so he couldn’t easily fall asleep every night.

“If Ran was here, she would have said something.”

Today, her absence feels especially large.

“Were you here?”

Turning his head slightly, Gayeon was already there.

“The wind is cold. Please go inside.”

Cheonbeom wanted to be perverse at her appearance.

“I’ve heard I’ve become weaker, but I’m not weak enough to catch a cold from this much wind.”

Was it because his body changed, or because his appearance changed, he just wanted to do that.

Maybe it was because he wished it was Ran instead of Gayeon, or maybe it was because the dawn wind was especially cold.

Or maybe it was because he was getting old, as there’s no match for time.

Anyway, today was just one of those days.

However, the answer that came back to such stubbornness was unexpected.

“Master is not weak. Although it is the body of a materialized body, most of the Civil and Military Affairs Department members would not be able to defeat Master.”

That might be true.

Battle is not just about strength and skill.

If you know the opponent’s weapons and strategies, you can win regardless of the strength of your power.

“You speak so confidently without even seeing it.”

“My master, the Head of the Civil and Military Affairs Department, is a person who combines both civil and military skills. But if you asked if that alone makes him strong, I would shake my head.”

“Then what do you define as strong? A slender heart?”

“No.”

“Then what is it?”

“Divine Fortune (仙福) [Good Karma/Luck].”

“Divine Fortune?”

It must mean the fortune of a god.

“Master has a knack for attracting people around him without realizing it. Although it may have started with great power and talent, maintaining it is another matter.”

“So, it’s Divine Fortune?”

That’s an interesting thing to say.

If ordinary people say they have good people skills, then immortals must also have Divine Fortune.

“…Is that so.”

Cheonbeom suddenly thought of Mount Baek in the Lower Realm.

Who was it that turned Mount Baek, which had nothing, into the greatest sect in the world?

The tiger who was almost killed by an arrow.

It was Cheonbeom, the Mountain Lord who commanded Mount Baek.

‘Compared to those days, this is nothing to worry about.’

A chuckle escaped his lips.

“Divine Fortune….”

It’s a word that makes you think a lot.