Call Of The Spear [EN]: Chapter 539

Tales of Nanshan – Part 2, Chapter 248

Misty Geonwon Sea.

In the middle of that sea, a small boat drifted leisurely.

A man, bamboo hat pulled low, leaned against the mast, still as if dead.

The boat, without a boatman, drifted, crossing the Geonwon Sea. Old and shabby, it exuded an atmosphere that strangely discouraged approach.

Perhaps the aura emanated not from the boat, but from the person on it.

“Brother, what should we do?”

The men watching the boat revealed sinister glints in their eyes.

Crossing the Geonwon Sea was dangerous enough, yet this man napped alone on a boat. Only someone with a death wish would do such a thing.

“Don’t touch him. Even high-ranking Immortals don’t cross the Geonwon Sea by boat. If we disturb an unknown Immortal Master, we’ll face misfortune.”

“But, brother, if he were truly a great Immortal, would he act like that? Their every step should shake the Upper Realm.”

“We could test the waters and run if it seems wrong.”

“Who knows? He might be an enemy pretending.”

“Or perhaps he’s a fallen and wealthy Immortal like us, brother?”

A short distance from the front lines, near the Chunggye.

The three brothers who had settled here were originally Demonic Immortals from the Bunggye, seriously injured and in hiding.

While healing and catching Immortal Insects to replenish their strength, a strange boat caught their eye, tempting them to make trouble.

“Let’s poke him a little and retreat immediately if it seems dangerous.”

“Do as you please.”

With the eldest brother’s permission, the two younger brothers gleefully headed toward the boat.

A little later.

The eldest brother, sitting on the cliff’s edge, saw his younger brothers returning in a fluster.

“Why…”

As he began to ask, he glimpsed a huge shadow rising behind his brothers from the sea.

Something big and long was swimming beneath the surface.

Not a snake.

He wondered if it was a Sea Dragon, but a chill ran down his spine as he watched.

The dragon’s head, emerging from the water, was covered in black scales, its appearance resembling a centipede.

A form combining a dragon and a centipede.

What could that mean?

“Oryong!”

A well-known story circulated in the Upper Realm.

The Oryong, a centipede that devoured countless dragons and achieved apotheosis [ascension to godhood].

Only one man in the Upper Realm could control it.

“G, Golden Celestial Grand Master!”

The Primal Celestial Grand Master, seated in the Sangcheon Sea and Moon, dyeing the sky with gold.

Golden Celestial.

The rumor that he had annihilated three Primal Celestial Grand Masters upon his arrival had spread throughout the Upper Realm.

A being who instantly killed three fellow Primal Celestial Grand Masters upon ascending to the end of the sky.

Golden Celestial.

He was astonished that the Oryong he controlled guarded the boat.

“Brother!”

The three brothers scattered and fled, putting all their strength into escaping, but eventually ended up in Tamhwa’s belly.

A little later.

As Tamhwa stealthily returned to the boat, the man lifted his bamboo hat with his index finger.

Inside the slowly opened eyelids, golden light flickered.

“Hwadam.”

At the sound of Hwadam’s name, a pure white deer appeared on the surface of the misty Geonwon Sea.

[Yes, Master.]

“How long have I been asleep?”

[About five hundred years.]

“Is that so.”

He had spent time with his wives in Sangseo and leisurely set off for Chunggye.

He only fell asleep for a moment, but five hundred years had passed, eliciting a hollow laugh.

‘I’ve been tormented for a long time.’

He hadn’t just spent time with his wives in Sangseo.

He also oversaw the cultivation of several cultivators and poured a little vitality into Bihae, whom he had granted the name of his great-grandson’s family and benefactor.

It was a pleasant time, but he couldn’t be alone, so taking a little leisure caused him to fall into a rather long sleep.

[Tamhwa, you woke Master up.]

[I didn’t do it. Father woke up because it was time.]

[We haven’t even reached Chunggye yet?]

Tamhwa peeked his face above the water and growled.

Hwadam seemed used to the conversation with Tamhwa now, even more relaxed.

Hwadam, once at Tamhwa’s beck and call, was now a distant memory.

[I’ve heard that eminent Immortals continue their cultivation even while sleeping as they please. Is that the case with you, Master?]

“The life we live and dreams are the same in that they both vanish meaninglessly when we open and close our eyes. Life is originally just a dream.”

Hwadam tilted his head at Cheonbeom’s abstruse Seon [Zen Buddhism] dialogue.

He asked if he had been cultivating in his dreams, but such a story emerged, making it difficult to answer.

Beom, glancing at Hwadam with hazy eyes, simply laughed.

“We’ve arrived, so shall we pick up the pace a bit?”

Spreading his palm, the Seondeung Eumseok [Mystical Sounding Jade Stone] appeared as a folding fan.

Cheonbeom, slowly rising, unfolded the fan at the bow and swung it once.

Kugugugugugu!

The waves of the Geonwon Sea surged.

[Ah!]

Hwadam startled and jumped.

He transformed into a boy and landed on the boat, followed by Tamhwa, who also took the form of a girl.

The waves carried the boat, turning into a tsunami that rose to the sky.

Two days passed.

Kwagagagaga!!

Chwaaaaaaaa!!

The tsunami covered the land of Chunggye.

As soon as they arrived, covering the jungle, a suffocating silence filled the air.

But soon, the sound of insects’ wings filled the sky, swarms like dark clouds covering all directions.

“Hmm… It seems Nokmyeonwewang [Green-Faced Wewang – likely a local power] has no intention of greeting me. All the better. He’s not who I’m interested in anyway.”

Beom muttered, stroking Tamhwa’s head, and walked forward without hesitation.

The approaching swarms of Immortal Insects were eaten or dealt with by Tamhwa and Hwadam.

Cheonbeom ignored everything, looking only ahead, walking and walking.

Then, after a while.

A man appeared.

“It’s been a while.”

As if waiting, he stood with his hands gathered in a place slightly away from the forest.

“It’s been a while. Yeja. Or should I call you the Arrow of the Fiend?”

He was one of the arrows of Ilsin Hongseong [likely a powerful entity or organization] who had bet on choosing one of the Chungsu [a type of mystical creature] with the Law of Time long ago.

It was Yeja.

“It was a fun match. Your Chungsu met its end, but I’m sure Donrang is still being raised well.”

He still remembered the bull-shaped Chungsu he had chosen.

The start of the bet wasn’t so good, but the result was quite satisfying.

“Those are nostalgic stories. I still regret the memories of that time. I should have asked you to save my Chungsu like Donrang.”

“It was a close call. Hwadam was quite desperate too.”

Cheonbeom stroked Hwadam’s head beside him and smiled pleasantly.

Then Hwadam returned to his original form, and Yeja realized he was the deer he had seen before and smiled happily.

It was a pleasant memory to reminisce about.

But that was it.

The smile disappeared from Cheonbeom’s lips.

“A lot of time has passed.”

“…Yes. That’s right. Heavenly Cultivator is now called Golden Celestial, after all.”

After a moment of silence.

Beom asked with a blank face.

“Are you going to stop me?”

The reason he came to Chunggye was because of Okbyeolcheonwang [Jade Star Heavenly King – likely a title].

It was because of Yu Jeong’s message.

He came because of his message and request, who had not hesitated to sacrifice himself for him.

Of course.

There were other feelings left as well.

Ilsin Hongseong.

He was the only one who had given him death, who had lived for a long time.

He had never left the relationship of gratitude and resentment for so long while cultivating.

He repays grace with grace.

He repays grudges with grudges.

There are no exceptions.

“My master told me to greet you politely.”

“Then let’s go.”

Although there was some mutual pleasure, Cheonbeom said nothing more.

Like a well-honed sword, sharp.

It is to strengthen the mind like a scabbard that supports it.

Unlike his confident steps, his head is endlessly cold.

Unlike his leaping heart, his eyes only stare at one place.

Soon, the summit of an unknown mountain.

A man standing there with his hands behind his back caught Cheonbeom’s gaze.

Tuk.

Cheonbeom’s steps stopped, and Ilsin Hongseong turned his head.

“Have you come?”

As he spoke, a golden wave spread from the tip of Cheonbeom’s toes.

Huuuung!!

But at the same time, Ilsin Hongseong’s blue energy also spread out and collided in the middle, causing a thunderous sound.

Kwagak Kwakwak!!

The energies collided, creating a loud noise, startling the Immortal Insects of Chunggye and causing them to fly away, and a strong storm raged.

The scenery changed where the gold was located, and Golden Celestial Flowers bloomed, and thousands of arrows were stuck in the place where Ilsin Hongseong stood.

“Is Cheongmyeong around?”

“I sent him far away in advance.”

“Foresightful.”

Hwiririk! Chak!

“Grow bigger.”

Kwaaaaaaaa!!

The Seondeung Eumseok, flying away with a whir, took the form of a Golden Cudgel and plunged into the ground like a pillar supporting the sky.

Kwaaaaang!!

A sandstorm and earth-shaking tremors raged with an earth-shattering roar.

Ilsin Hongseong waved his arm, and the sand dust was blown away by the wind, revealing a huge pillar obliquely destroyed in half.

And on that pillar.

Cheonbeom was in sight, holding a sinister sword.

A greatsword where demonic and evil energy coexisted.

The black sword, scattering crimson and ominous energy, rippled in shape and turned into a thin phantom sword.

It was Guhwan Do, Naracha [likely the name of the sword].

“The greeting is noisy.”

“I’ve been asleep for quite a while. Isn’t some warm-up okay?”

Cheok! Cheonbeom’s body, with the sword tilted diagonally, leaned downward.

He ran on the pillar as if falling from the sky, and soon disappeared like smoke.

At the same time, Ilsin Hongseong’s figure also disappeared, and the air flashed.

Kwang! Taeng!! Kwaaaaang!!

Kureureureung Kwang!!

Golden Celestial Flowers bloomed on the ground, dark clouds gathered in the sky, and purple lightning struck down.

Chaeaeeng!! Kkigigigigik!!

Ilsin Hongseong was out of his mind as he stabbed his sword from the front.

He shot an arrow into the sky, the dark clouds burst open, and a rain of arrows fell.

Each of the tens of thousands of arrows pierced the ground and collapsed the mountains.

“Naracha.”

Cheonbeom threw the Naracha he was holding into the sky at the rain of arrows.

From the thrown ominous sword, a jet-black ghost dance exploded, spreading out evil spirits to block the rain of arrows.

At the same time, Cheonbeom clasped his hands together and moved his lips, soon raising a strange three-colored flame in his palms.

Samcheon Chohwa [Three Thousand World Flame].

As he dropped it to the ground.

Pong. It bloomed like a lotus flower blooming on the waterfront and darkened the surrounding scenery in an instant.

“I’m out of my mind.”

Kugugugugung!!

Hundreds of bizarre stone pagodas began to spring up from the ground.

Not a fantasy world.

True creation.

“You can look forward to it. I’ve been sleeping all along for this.”