Call Of The Spear [EN]: Chapter 54

“You mean the Hae Bong Stone [a stone that nullifies enchantments]?”

Yang Pae-yoon stroked his chin, looking troubled. The Hae Bong Stone had the unique property of nullifying enchantments.

Thus, when a Hae Bong Stone appeared, large sects would often unite to purchase it. As the saying goes, you never know what might happen in life, so it was best to prepare in advance.

In any case, given the nature of the Hae Bong Stone, the Ilwol Clan, one of the major sects in Bangok, was highly likely to possess one.

“Unfortunately, our clan does not possess a Hae Bong Stone. A few years ago, one of our elders was struck by a vicious dark art and barely managed to save his life using the Hae Bong Stone he had on hand.”

San-gun nodded with feigned understanding, though he was disappointed. He had considered asking for a Hae Bong Stone in return for saving the Ilwol Clan’s disciples, but since they claimed to have none, there was nothing he could do.

Frankly, he hadn’t expected much.

The Hae Bong Stone itself was not easy to come by, and even if they had one, it was unlikely they would hand it over to a wandering swordsman like him.

“If it’s absolutely necessary, should I speak to the elders about it?”

“No, I wouldn’t want to trouble your esteemed clan. I’ll try to find one myself first.”

“Haha, you saved our clan’s disciples, Master Swordsman, how could it be a trouble! I cannot promise to bring you a Hae Bong Stone, but I can certainly offer assistance!”

Three days later.

Yang Pae-yoon and San-gun transformed into a hawk and an eagle, respectively, and flew towards Wolcheon Fortress.

Seen from the sky, Wolcheon Fortress resembled a giant turtle lying down.

One of the cities within Wolcheon Fortress, Buk-an (北眼) [meaning “North Eye” in Chinese], was named so because of the massive lake that resembled the eye of a turtle.

Having landed in Buk-an, San-gun and Yang Pae-yoon stood before a twelve-story pavilion.

As the eagle and hawk transformed into humans, ordinary people, as well as the sword and dao cultivators nearby, were startled and quickly lowered their heads as they passed by.

“I never imagined such a place would exist here.”

“Haha, it’s natural that you wouldn’t know. That’s why it’s called an ‘Amjang’ (暗場) [Dark Market], a hidden marketplace.”

The pavilion, known as Yuryonggwan (踰龍關), was managed by the Cheonjamun (天字文) clan of Bangok.

The massive twelve-story pavilion was frequented by many cultivators, and it was said that a Dark Market was occasionally held in the basement, where rare items of unknown origin were auctioned off.

There was a chance that a Hae Bong Stone might appear, and San-gun, having never experienced such a place, eagerly participated.

‘I wonder if I’ll even be able to afford a Hae Bong Stone if it does appear.’

The items auctioned at Yuryonggwan’s Dark Market were all rare and precious.

Most transactions were conducted using spirit stones, but barter was also possible if one had a rare item of equivalent value, making it worth a try.

“Outsiders are not allowed to pass.”

An affable-looking man stood blocking the entrance to the basement of Yuryonggwan.

Yang Pae-yoon, as if accustomed to this, took out a spirit tablet. The spirit tablet was embroidered with the characters for “Heaven” and a dragon, symbolizing the Cheonjamun clan.

After confirming the tablet, the man stepped aside apologetically, and a stout man appeared, bowing courteously.

“Is this your first time here?”

“Ah, since the Daoist is new to this place, please allow me to explain briefly.”

San-gun nodded silently, and the stout man explained the points to note and various regulations, handing over a spirit badge.

“The spirit badge is for heading to Biryonggwan (備龍關), so please use the teleportation array on the right. The spirit badge itself has a divine ability to conceal your appearance, so feel free to use it.”

A teleportation array leading to Biryonggwan was drawn on the ground to the left.

“If you have any items to entrust or sell, please let us know now.”

“It’s alright.”

-So, Biryonggwan is where the Transcendents trade.

-Have you been to a Dark Market before?

-Of course. I often came to find elixirs or helpful materials needed for cultivation.

Since Biryonggwan was frequented by Transcendents, even if he couldn’t find a Hae Bong Stone, he might find something useful.

‘It would be even better if a Hae Bong Stone appeared.’

He didn’t have a large number of spirit stones, but after killing the old demonic monster and checking Gong Jeong-gang, he found about three thousand spirit stones, which should be sufficient.

As he stepped onto the teleportation array, the stout guide gave one last reminder.

“Absolutely do not cause any disturbances. If you do, the Daoists of Cheonjamun will suppress you regardless of the reason.”

He acknowledged the warning, and as he activated the teleportation array, they were instantly transported together.

The place was surprisingly quiet, with cultivators sitting in chairs in a vast cavern, quietly waiting for the auction to begin.

People’s appearances were blurred, making it difficult to recognize them. San-gun also infused spirit energy into his spirit badge to conceal his appearance and sat down in a suitable spot with Yang Pae-yoon.

For a moment, the cultivators’ gazes were drawn to them before quickly dissipating, but he paid no mind.

-Since it’s best not to reveal your identity, please ask me any questions via telepathy.

-Yes, I will.

As they waited, meditating for a while, the auction began.

[I would like to express my gratitude to the Daoists who have come to Biryonggwan. The auction will begin shortly, so please wait a little longer.]

The man who spoke did not conceal his appearance with a spirit badge, likely a Daoist affiliated with Cheonjamun. His voice, though not loud, spread widely, likely due to a vocal projection technique.

Soon after, a man wearing a yellow robe came onto the platform and took out a bead from his pocket.

[This is a refined inner core of the Three-Tongue Thunder Earth Dragon (雷地龍)! As you may know, cultivating thunder-attribute techniques with this will make your thunder-attribute spirit energy purer and stronger! There is only one thunder core, so you’d better hurry!]

-The Three-Tongue Thunder Earth Dragon is a demonic beast that is notoriously difficult to deal with. A rare item has appeared right from the start.

-Is that so?

However, San-gun’s expression remained indifferent.

-Thunder Earth Dragons themselves are rare demonic beasts, and dragon demonic beasts, unlike others, wield powerful divine abilities. Moreover, thunder-attribute inner cores are not easy to come by.

Since he was fire-attribute, he had little interest in other attributes. Besides, the Thunder Earth Dragon’s inner core was not up to his standards.

‘Even if I had a dozen of those, they wouldn’t be worth a single divine artifact.’

However, others seemed to think differently, engaging in a heated bidding war.

[One thousand!]

[Fifteen hundred!]

[Two thousand!!]

The Thunder Earth Dragon’s inner core eventually sold for two thousand five hundred. San-gun was slightly puzzled by this.

‘Expensive.’

The next man came onto the platform.

He held a set of seven needle-shaped treasures, which appeared to be treasure-grade artifacts. San-gun didn’t pay much attention since he already possessed divine artifacts of a higher grade than treasures.

However, when it sold for three thousand spirit stones, San-gun’s face showed a somewhat awkward expression. Both the Thunder Earth Dragon’s inner core and the treasure were selling for quite a high price.

-Why is that so expensive?

-It’s because it’s hard to find a set of seven like that. The divine abilities are one thing, but treasures of that form are so rare that seems to be the reason.

After that, various treasures of different forms were presented in a row, and San-gun yawned out of boredom. Most of them were only treasure-grade artifacts. A divine artifact did appear, but the price rose to twenty or thirty thousand, which was beyond San-gun’s reach.

[This is a Shrinking Earth Talisman (縮地簿) said to have been used by the Immortals of the Myriad Epochs!]

“A Shrinking Earth Talisman! Isn’t that an ancient, lost talisman technique!”

When the Shrinking Earth Talisman appeared, the cultivators couldn’t hide their excitement and were astonished.

However, that excitement soon subsided because of the talisman fragment in the man’s hand.

“What can we do with that small fragment!”

[If you’re lucky, you might find another fragment and create one. Besides, who knows, studying this might lead to clues about the Shrinking Earth Talisman!]

That was true.

In the first place, shrinking earth itself is a divine ability used by Immortals of the Grand Celestial stage or higher.

So, if you study it, restoring it might not be a dream. But how could Transcendents, let alone non-Immortals, do that?

-Tsk tsk, who would buy that….

As Yang Pae-yoon said, no bidders appeared. Seeing this, San-gun glanced around and stood up.

Yang Pae-yoon looked at San-gun with a puzzled expression.

What would he use something like that for….

Regardless, San-gun sent him a telepathic message.

-I’ll buy it for five hundred spirit stones.

-Five hundred is a bit….

-Then who would buy that scrap of paper? I’m just curious to see it, so if it’s not five hundred, I’m not interested.

The man hesitated for a moment, then nodded. San-gun received the talisman fragment from him and handed over the spirit stones.

For a moment, attention was focused on him, but everyone shook their heads, clicking their tongues. They cursed the man who was trying to sell such a thing, and the Daoist who bought it was stupid.

However, San-gun returned to his seat with a sly smile. Yang Pae-yoon looked at him with an awkward smile.

It would be annoying if he asked the reason, so San-gun spoke to him first.

-It seems like the Hae Bong Stone won’t appear.

-…Even if it does appear, the price will go up as it’s auctioned off, so it’ll be difficult. Did you bring enough spirit stones?

-I brought about three thousand, but it seems insufficient.

Looking at how things are going, it seems difficult with only three thousand.

-I also have about three thousand, so try bidding if it appears.

-Haha, yes. If it appears, that is.

After that, a treasure that caught San-gun’s eye appeared, which he also knew well.

[I don’t need to explain what an Anti-Supplement Pouch (抗補囊) is. It is one of the seven great divine trees, and just possessing it strengthens the divine sense and protects the mind from evil energy!]

-My, my, many treasures are popping up today. An Anti-Supplement Pouch! I never thought that precious thing would appear in Biryonggwan!

San-gun’s eyes briefly turned red before returning to normal. He had briefly examined what was inside the Anti-Supplement Pouch.

‘There’s only one Anti-Supplement leaf inside.’

He couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of them showing off with just one leaf.

Of course, it was something that could be called a precious item to Transcendents. It was rare to find an item that strengthened the divine sense just by possessing it.

However, San-gun soon turned his gaze away from the Anti-Supplement Pouch. He already had the Anti-Supplement Four Yin Sword (抗補四寅劍), which he had refined and stored in his body.

It was a treasure among treasures with anti-demonic spirit energy that couldn’t be compared to an Anti-Supplement Pouch. It was just named that way, but it was actually made by cutting a branch with pure spirit energy from the Anti-Supplement Divine Tree and turning it into a sword. But the anti-demonic power it possessed could not be ignored.

[Ten thousand!!]

As he was organizing his thoughts, the Anti-Supplement Pouch was sold for ten thousand spirit stones. San-gun, thinking that he should make and sell a few Anti-Supplement Pouches next time, felt the surroundings becoming chaotic.

Looking around, he saw a woman standing on the platform, not concealing her appearance with a spirit badge like the others.

Her neat, crimson hair looked exceptionally smooth, and her pale white skin was glossy, truly a beauty capable of captivating a nation.

As she smiled, her red lips parted alluringly. The cultivators’ Adam’s apples bobbed.

[Hello, everyone. I am the daughter of the Ghost Cavity Sect (鬼腔敎), and I greet you.]

Then, the cultivators who had been captivated by her beauty regained their senses and were bewildered.

To come to an auction house, reveal her appearance, and throw out such a greeting was more than a little strange.

San-gun was also dumbfounded.

Although female Daoists occasionally came to auction houses to sell themselves, something seemed a little different from that.

Moreover, the Ghost Cavity Sect was a place he had connections with.

He couldn’t help but know that the old monster he had killed while saving the Ilwol Clan’s Daoists was a Ghost Cavity Sect’s demonic master.

“Heuk! Isn’t the Ghost Cavity Sect a demonic sect!!”

One Daoist shouted like that.

Then, the nearly hundred Daoists gathered here became a commotion.

They began to get angry, saying that Cheonjamun was now selling off even the daughters of demonic sects.

“How can they sell such a witch!”

However, the Cheonjamun Daoist seemed to have no idea. He was flustered, shaking his head, and his lips were moving as if he was communicating with someone via telepathy.

[Haha, witch is too much. I may be called the Ghostly Yin Rakshasa (鬼陰羅刹) [a female demon in Buddhist beliefs], but even so, wouldn’t I be hurt if I was called a witch?]

“Ghostly Yin Rakshasa!!”

‘What?’

As soon as the name Ghostly Yin Rakshasa came out, the Daoists rose from their seats.

They transformed into new forms and rushed to the teleportation array.

‘It’s the crazy bitch from the Ghost Cavity Sect!’

San-gun felt goosebumps all over his body.

She was a notorious madwoman in the novel, famous for confronting Yoo-jung and wielding powerful divine abilities.

She seemed to be at the Transcendent realm now, but she was second to none in terms of cruelty.

Everyone seemed to know her, and they were all struggling to get out, frightened.

However, several black-clad figures, who had covered their entire bodies in black robes, appeared at the teleportation array, blocking the way. They were all Transcendent Daoists.

“Get out of the way, you demonic bastards!”

The Daoist who arrived at the teleportation array first opened his mouth and scattered dozens of flying daggers. The flying daggers, emitting a blue aura, flew towards the black-clad figures.

However, the three black-clad figures took out what appeared to be animal hands from their pockets and shouted.

“““Luo Sealing Extinction Formation (貸拏封滅鎭)!!”””

As they shouted, the black animal hands suddenly swelled up, knocking away all the flying daggers, and then moved on their own, grabbing the black-clad figures and tearing them to shreds.

Their blood and flesh pulsed and began to form a single formation.

The animal hands were in their respective positions, motionless as if dead, and all the Daoists who had rushed in stood frozen in place.

“The Luo Sealing Extinction Formation…!”

‘A forbidden technique that activates with the death of the caster.’

No one learned it because of its cruelty, but its power was unmatched.

Fortunately, it seemed to be deployed only around the teleportation array. Compared to the true Luo Sealing Extinction Formation, which was deployed with hundreds of Daoists as sacrifices, it was insignificant, but it was enough to confuse the Transcendents.

Now the Daoists’ faces turned pale as they looked at the Ghostly Yin Rakshasa, who was cackling with glee.

“What’s so good about a demonic bitch that you’re laughing like that!!”

A chubby, middle-aged Transcendent, unable to bear it any longer, threw a treasure at the Ghostly Yin Rakshasa from his pocket. It was a seven-needle treasure, the treasure artifact that had been auctioned off earlier.

“How can I not be happy! All the Transcendents here will die today! Now! Let’s play with this Ghostly Yin Rakshasa, fellow Daoists!”

She cackled like a madwoman and took out an animal skull from her pocket, floating it in the air.

The skull was from a horned ox, with huge horns on its head, and it spun around, growing to the size of a staff, and swallowed the flying needle treasure.

“What!”

“Kyahahahahaha!”

The Ghostly Yin Rakshasa, who was spinning around happily, suddenly gestured. Then, the skull opened its mouth wide and lunged at the Daoist as if to devour him.

The Daoist hurriedly took out defensive and offensive treasures from his pocket, but.

Crack! Crunch!

His protective barrier was easily devoured, and the Daoist’s upper body, unable to react, was eaten by the monster.

In an instant, a Transcendent Daoist died, and the others were speechless.

“Hap!”

At that moment, when everyone was unable to move rashly.

Four black-clad figures hidden in the corners of the cavern revealed themselves. They slammed their staffs on the ground as if they had prepared in advance and shouted.

““Ghost Cavity Sealing Immortal Extinction (鬼腔鎭仙滅)!!””

Peeing!

With the sound, a huge magic circle appeared on the ground, and black mist surged up.

In an instant, they were trapped in the Ghost Cavity Sect Daoist’s illusionary formation!

“Thank you, everyone! Thanks to you fellow Daoists, my cultivation will increase soon! Hahahaha!”

The cavern was filled with black mist, and the body felt heavy for no reason, and the flow of spirit energy began to feel a little slower.

It was a unique illusionary formation of the demonic path.

San-gun sighed as he saw that none of the Daoists around him were visible, only black smoke rising.

“I can’t even see a Hae Bong Stone……”

A sigh escaped him as a demonic woman appeared.