Call Of The Spear [EN]: Chapter 48

Tales of Wandering Swordsman – 47

Red Lightning Wolf.

Their stories are renowned, even appearing in the *Mountain and Sea Compilation* [a classic Chinese text about mythology and geography].

The Red Lightning, a divine power they possess from birth, is one of the most potent even in the human realm.

It was inevitable that a clan with such a powerful divine ability would become famous as they searched for their master.

The Red Lightning Wolves choose their own master.

They never serve those who are unworthy, and once they choose a master, they serve them until death.

There was a time when the esteemed Gye Huksa, upon hearing their tale, tried to capture a Red Lightning Wolf and force it to serve him.

However, the Red Lightning Wolf resisted all forms of coercion and torture, eventually dying – a story that has become a famous anecdote.

The tale of a Red Lightning Wolf choosing an ordinary mortal as its master and ultimately elevating him to the status of a divine immortal is so well-known that it needs no further elaboration.

They usually begin their search for a master upon reaching the realm of spiritual enlightenment. However, many spend their entire lives without finding a master who pleases them.

Recalling these stories, Mountain Monarch was racking his brain.

He could see sections where the illusionary formation was subtly distorted, and he quickly understood why.

‘The Geum-Eun sisters must have done it.’

That must be why that bastard brought the Geum-Eun sisters along. If that’s the case, it’s only a matter of time before Geumgin escapes this place.

‘If that happens, I’ll be dragged into the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons.’

That was the one thing he absolutely wanted to avoid.

There was nothing good about getting entangled with ghost leaders.

He might participate someday, but not now.

‘What to do….’

Even if Mountain Monarch had a treasure, he couldn’t withstand the monster’s divine ability to instantly deploy an illusionary realm. The same went for the Golden Thread Armor of Tamhwa Ohgong.

Mountain Monarch pondered, holding Gongjeonggang in his hand.

The opponent was at the realm of spiritual enlightenment.

He was at the realm of divine movie [a lower cultivation stage].

A difference of two whole levels.

The divine abilities of spiritual enlightenment and divine movie were as different as heaven and earth. With a single gesture, the monster could easily sever Mountain Monarch’s neck.

That was the insurmountable gap between Mountain Monarch and Geumgin’s realms.

‘But if I don’t seize this opportunity, there’s no way to escape from him.’

Mountain Monarch quickly moved his lips and sent a telepathic message to the group.

The women flinched and gave him looks that suggested he was crazy. Mountain Monarch smiled bitterly and explained the situation.

As time passed, they initially showed reluctance but eventually bit their lips and lowered their heads.

He pondered the reason why the monster wanted to take him to the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons.

Eventually, he came to a conclusion.

‘It must be because of Ryugokja.’

He had been holding the Ryugokja of the Three Ghosts from their first encounter. It was a mistake he unknowingly made when meeting a spiritual enlightenment being.

Mountain Monarch closed his eyes for a moment to organize his thoughts, then opened them.

“Hahaha! I see an exit!”

Things would become complicated once he left Cheonyodong.

There were other Taoists’ eyes, and it was a bustling time, so other celestial immortals who sensed Hongyeon’s energy might gather.

He had to act now.

Mountain Monarch put them into Gongjeonggang and immediately jumped out of Geumgin’s wrapping cloth.

“This bastard?”

Geumgin frowned and reached out to Mountain Monarch.

Five strands of red thread extended from the monster’s sleeve, heading towards Mountain Monarch.

The moment the red threads appeared, a strong scent of blood filled the air. Mountain Monarch grimaced.

Then, something golden flashed from his chest, and Nega sprang out, emitting golden light.

“Ha!”

A sigh as if he was dumbfounded.

Golden Thread Armor immediately transformed into a cocoon, blocking Mountain Monarch’s path.

Thud! Thud!

“Ugh!”

It blocked four of the monster’s red threads, but Golden Thread Armor was eventually pierced. No matter how great Golden Thread Armor was, it had been created too hastily.

The red thread pierced through Mountain Monarch’s shoulder.

He swallowed a groan, took out Guhwan Sword, cut off the red thread, and infused it with spiritual power.

Kieeeeeee!

A ghostly wail echoed, and ghost dance exploded outward.

However, the monster’s hand did not stop.

From Mountain Monarch’s chest emerged a wheel-shaped ancient wheel and Ryugokja, and he immediately formed a hand seal and chanted an incantation.

Buzz!

The ancient wheel spun incessantly, scattering blue spiritual energy everywhere.

Then, it mixed with Cheonyodong’s illusionary formation and ghost dance, creating a mysterious illusionary formation.

At that moment, Geumgin’s face turned red and blue as he glared with his eight eyes.

“Do you think you can stop me with such a pathetic illusionary formation!”

At Geumgin’s roar, Mountain Monarch took a deep breath and took out a red rosary and a purple gourd from his chest.

‘I just need to buy time.’

If so, it was his victory.

Mountain Monarch formed hand seals with both hands, floating the rosary and gourd into the air.

The two treasures floating in the air trembled and accepted Mountain Monarch’s spiritual power.

Boom!

“You’re quite perceptive! But no matter what you do, you can’t escape the eyes of a celestial immortal! Change your mind!”

Mountain Monarch was suddenly afraid that he might be dealing with one of the true celestial immortals of Sumi Mountain Range, not Hongyeon. But he shook his head and focused.

Kieeeeeee!

Hundreds of ghosts fearlessly flew through the illusionary formation, heading towards Geumgin.

However, Geumgin snorted and waved his hand. Red ropes appeared from his sleeve, splitting into dozens of strands.

Each strand of the divided ropes began to kill the ghosts.

“Huh!”

At that moment, Geumgin was surprised because he recognized one of the ghosts.

It was because of a ghost with an appearance similar to the Three Ghosts, with two horns on its forehead.

“So it was you!”

Geumgin was furious and began to chant an incantation, manipulating the red threads he held in his chest.

The threads writhed and swayed, looking like snakes dancing.

“Combine!”

As he clapped his hands together, the threads merged, transforming into the form of a dragon.

It was so grand in size that it was hard to believe it was made of threads.

If someone who didn’t know better saw it, they would have screamed that a red dragon had appeared and run away.

“Damn it.”

The red dragon tore apart the surrounding ghosts and began to charge.

However, even after seeing the red dragon defeating the ghosts, Geumgin’s face was not at ease.

He sweated and looked towards the exit.

‘It’s getting closer and closer.’

It wasn’t difficult to deal with the one who called himself Yoojeong. But if he didn’t get out quickly, he would die.

‘Catching the monster is out of the question. Even Ryugokja of the Three Ghosts….’

Kieeeeeee!

The ghosts boldly rushed towards the red dragon. But no matter how many he killed, they kept appearing endlessly.

Growing impatient at the sight, Geumgin suddenly bit his tongue, drew blood, and threw it at the red dragon.

Then, the red dragon’s eyes flashed and emitted an intense energy. A red aura raged around the red dragon.

It seemed like a single red dragon could chew and swallow anything.

However, Geumgin frowned as if he was dissatisfied. He stamped his feet, nodded his head, and formed a hand seal.

As light flashed, Geumgin’s body began to change.

The head was that of a spider, and the body was that of a snake. But strangely, it had dozens of spider legs, making it a grotesque sight.

It was a monster, bigger than Mountain Monarch’s true form by two or three times, that was hard to tell whether it was a spider or a snake.

[Kaaaaa!]!

As the monster cried out, the surrounding space rippled. Eight eyeballs moved independently, firing beams of light.

Then, Mountain Monarch’s illusionary formation collapsed, and the space transformed.

The hazy mist gradually disappeared, and trees and vines appeared, creating pitch-black swamps in various places.

Within them, spiders ranging from the size of millet grains to the size of oxen appeared.

But then.

Whoosh!

Two beads stirred up eddies within the ghost dance and relentlessly surged forward.

It was Ryugokja, which he had taken from the Three Ghosts.

[Hmph]

Geumgin sneered at Ryugokja and opened his hideous mouth, spitting out green liquid.

The green liquid instantly transformed into dozens of spiders.

They had a similar appearance to him, like clones.

Although small in size, they gathered together and blocked Ryugokja.

Kwagagag!

Geumgin watched the scene and immediately lunged forward. The monster, with the long body of a snake and the legs of a spider, was fast despite its large size.

Thump, thump, thump!

Dozens of pairs of legs moved organically, smashing the ground. Looking at it, it was like a centipede.

-Mountain Monarch!

Mountain Monarch’s red eyes flashed as he continued to float the rosary and gourd within the ghost dance.

“Go!”

The red rosary emitted light, and each bead bounced up. The rosary beads were fired in different directions.

They transformed into red beams of light and shot in all directions, then surged towards Geumgin all at once.

It was a speed that could not be followed with the eyes.

The rosary beads each bounced up, then suddenly transformed into red snakes, opening their mouths towards the monster.

[Kaaak! Did you think you could stop me with such things!]

However, Geumgin snorted and knocked them away with dozens of pairs of legs.

Mountain Monarch’s Adam’s apple moved up and down.

Droplets of sweat trickled down his back.

The distance between the monster and Mountain Monarch was getting closer.

Perhaps because he was covered by the ghost dance, he did not fall into the illusionary realm that the monster was unfolding.

Mountain Monarch immediately rose from his seat.

In his hand, the purple gourd was emitting a faint light.

“Hoo-”

As he opened the lid, the fragrant scent of flowers stimulated Mountain Monarch’s nose.

He turned his hand over and pointed the gourd downwards, and immediately green sand fell from the gourd to the floor.

The green sand instantly enveloped Mountain Monarch and slowly changed shape, looking like a flower bud before it blooms.

[Thisss!]!

That wasn’t all.

From inside the bud, Tamhwa Ohgong in Mountain Monarch’s chest rose up and spewed out a tremendous amount of golden thread.

Only after densely covering the inside did it become weak and return to his chest.

Mountain Monarch took out Geummae and Eunmae from Gongjeonggang and nodded his head.

The women nodded with solemn faces and took out dozens of talismans from their chests.

Floating them in the air, they sat cross-legged and began to chant incantations without rest.

‘I can only hope that the illusionary formation of Manbyeongakgwi will block Geumgin’s illusionary realm even a little.’

Looking at them, Mountain Monarch also sat cross-legged and clasped his hands together.

“Combine!”

Then, blue flames sprouted like lotus flowers on the outer surface of the bud and enveloped it.

It was Mountain Monarch’s Bongak Cheonghwa.

Kwaaaang!

Immediately after, the bud where Mountain Monarch was shook violently with an earth-shattering explosion. The blue flames flickered violently and burned even brighter.

[Such petty tricks!]

Enraged, Geumgin opened his mouth and screamed. Green spiders spewed out of the monster’s snout, and five strands of red thread flew in at once.

However, they burned or distorted as they passed through the blue flames, and they bounced off helplessly when they touched the bud!

Surprise flashed across Geumgin’s face, but he narrowed his eyes.

‘Innate divine power?’

He also had something in mind about the blue flames.

‘That’s not what’s important!’

The spider’s snout twitched incessantly. Black light flashed on the monster’s front legs.

“Is it not done yet?”

“It’s done!!”

“I-It’s done!”

Whooong…!

With the sound, the lotus flower where Mountain Monarch was flickered strangely.

The illusionary formation of Manbyeongakgwi had been activated.

It was then.

Pooook!

The monster’s front leg pierced through the blue flames and the bud. The bud made of green sand was pierced by the monster’s leg.

Joy flashed across Geumgin’s face, but it was momentary.

[What!]

The lotus flower where Mountain Monarch was had already been divided into dozens in front of him.

The lotus flower he had pierced crumbled and disappeared like a mirage.

Geumgin roared in anger and violently stabbed the lotus flowers.

[How can even my Gwaebiyeogak…!]

It was an illusionary formation that he could not grasp even with his proud eyes.

At that moment, blood dripped from Mountain Monarch’s nose. The consumption of spiritual power was enormous.

‘Just a little more….’

[Let’s see how long you can last!]

Geumgin gritted his teeth and stabbed the bud.

Boom! Kwaang! Kwaaaang!

The lotus flowers pierced by Geumgin’s legs and made of illusions disappeared in an instant.

Before he knew it, there was only one lotus flower left.

Mountain Monarch and the Geum-Eun sisters’ lips were parched.

“O-One more time!”

At that moment, Geummae and Eunmae took out dozens of spirit star talismans and attached them to their bodies. Then, the spirit star talismans burned, creating lotus flowers created by Mountain Monarch all over the place.

They were blue lotus flowers that bloomed in the cave, but Geumgin snorted.

[Do you think I’ll be fooled twice by the same trick!]

Pooook!

“Heup!”

The monster’s leg pierced through the blue flames, green sand, and Golden Thread Armor.

Geumgin’s leg gleamed with a black light, and it seemed to be a leg reinforced with some kind of secret technique, as there was no change even when Bongak Cheonghwa stuck to it.

Even if Bongak Cheonghwa was the flame handled by the phoenix, it was only a remnant, and the one who handled it was also Mountain Monarch, who was at the realm of divine movie.

The limit was clear.

Mountain Monarch was now vomiting blood from his mouth. His face turned pale, almost blue.

Bloody tears flowed from his red eyes.

Pooook!

At that moment, one more of the monster’s devilish legs pierced through and pierced the bud.

Thud.

Green sand fell.

The blue flames subsided, and the bud and Golden Thread Armor collapsed helplessly.

The bud was opened by two legs.

Through the gap, the monster’s laughter was heard eerily.

Crunch.

Mountain Monarch gritted his teeth.