novelbin Chapter 269 : The Absolute One of the Central Heavens Martial World (2)
Chapter 269 : The Absolute One of the Central Heavens Martial World (2)
Chapter 269: The Absolute One of the Central Heavens Martial World (2)
-“Be careful once you cross over. He’s no ordinary bastard. Well, considering they created a gate like this, there’s no way the Central Heavens Realm would just sit still.”
-“Forget the size of the power. The feeling coming from him is different. This isn’t ordinary strength. The distance is too great to grasp perfectly, but this is absolutely not at the level of the Nascent Soul Stage.”
Just as Ian had said, upon returning they found someone who existed on an entirely different level.
Jang Woo-hyun tried to gauge Chu Ok-young’s strength.
‘This isn’t her true body.’
The power he sensed was not especially great.
If it was only this much, the current him could handle it without issue.
But appearances were not everything.
There was something beyond mere strength. Something impossible to comprehend.
Jang Woo-hyun looked into her eyes.
The moment he stared directly into those eyes filled with brilliant spirit—
Chu Ok-young revealed a fraction of her power as though testing him.
Whoosh—
His vision expanded rapidly.
Beyond the skies of the Central Heavens Realm and into an unimaginably distant place.
Past blue skies and countless floating continents, he arrived at a mountain range dyed entirely black.
At the highest peak stood a small old woman.
As Jang Woo-hyun’s gaze reached her, the old woman turned her head.
The moment their eyes met—
Eyes as pure as a child’s.
Boom!
With a tremendous impact, his vision instantly returned.
After blinking once, Jang Woo-hyun realized his fists had unconsciously clenched tightly.
‘So this is the power possessed by Dream Heavenly Lord.’
The difference in level was overwhelming.
He had witnessed Ian command countless troops in the Corpse-Blood Realm, yet even that was incomparable.
She had merely revealed a tiny fraction of her power, yet his consciousness had been led to an unimaginably distant place.
He could not tell whether it was due to a spell art or some kind of supernatural ability.
Perhaps she had opened a Microcosm.
The only thing Jang Woo-hyun truly learned was that although he had grown stronger, the distance separating him from the absolute beings known as the Six Great Heavens was still immense.
“How astonishing.”
A look of admiration appeared in Chu Ok-young’s eyes after she lightly revealed her power to test Jang Woo-hyun.
She had guessed he was an exceptional martial artist, but she had not expected this much.
Jang Woo-hyun had traced the power she revealed all the way back to her true body.
Even after seeing the true body of the absolute existence known as Dream Heavenly Lord, he did not fear her.
Nor did he retreat.
His body had tensed, but that was not fear.
It was preparation for battle.
‘A new one among the Seventeen Lords? If he’s this strong, he’d belong among the upper ranks.’
Chu Ok-young had little interest in the Central Heavens Martial World, so today was her first time hearing the name Jang Woo-hyun.
In her opinion, only the experts known as the Seventeen Lords possessed this level of ability.
There was much she wanted to ask Jang Woo-hyun, but Chu Ok-young set aside her personal curiosity and instead asked the most important question first.
“Would you tell me what happened in the Corpse-Blood Realm?”
At that request, Jang Woo-hyun began his explanation.
---
“So it wasn’t just a passage?”
The Blood-Realm Connecting Gate was not merely a common gate used to invade the Central Heavens Realm from the Corpse-Blood Realm.
What Hyeonwol had attempted was not simple corruption.
He had intended to fuse parts of the Central Heavens Realm and the Corpse-Blood Realm together.
“That is impossible.”
After hearing the explanation, Chu Ok-young quickly reached her conclusion.
She knew of Hyeonwol, and with his level of ability, combining the Corpse-Blood Realm and the Central Heavens Realm should have been impossible.
“He didn’t act alone. One of the Eight Kings of the Corpse-Blood Realm, Baek Jeong-ak, was helping him. And I don’t know if you are aware, but what they used here was the guardian deity of the Five Elements Cult.”
“By Baek Jeong-ak, do you mean the Shadow King?”
When Jang Woo-hyun confirmed it, Chu Ok-young sank into thought.
The power of the Five-Wheel Guardian God, which rivaled the Ten Seats, combined with one of the Eight Kings of the Corpse-Blood Realm.
Even Chu Ok-young could not take that lightly.
The scale of power involved was greater than she had expected.
To begin with, the reason Hyeonwol had been able to imprison the Five-Wheel Guardian God like a seal and extract its power was because he had received outside assistance.
“Hyeonwol is also connected to the True Immortals.”
Speaking about the Ascension Cult, Jang Woo-hyun continued recounting everything he had experienced.
Ian, who had helped them after they fell into the Corpse-Blood Realm.
Joining hands with Ian to fight Hyeonwol and Baek Jeong-ak.
What Baek Jeong-ak and Hyeonwol had attempted to do.
And finally how they had ended everything and returned.
He explained it all quickly.
“We were able to return sooner than expected thanks to Dream Heavenly Lord’s assistance.”
“Hah…….”
After the brief explanation ended, Chu Ok-young let out a small sigh.
Jang Woo-hyun had spoken calmly, but the contents of his story were far from light.
From what he described, Jang Woo-hyun and his companions had resolved a massive crisis that had threatened the Central Heavens Martial World.
They had prevented a portion of the Central Heavens Realm from turning into the Corpse-Blood Realm.
The story was so unexpected that Chu Ok-young remained silent for a moment.
At that moment, Great Sage Tongpung slowly approached from the side.
He had no interest in the crisis facing the Central Heavens Martial World or the problems of the Central Heavens Realm.
There was something else he was curious about.
“So you’ve got acquaintances even in the Corpse-Blood Realm?”
Although he directed the question toward Jang Woo-hyun, the one who answered was Seo Ryeom.
“Hah, there he goes saying something frustrating again.”
Seo Ryeom let out a deep sigh before continuing.
“You’re asking the obvious.”
“What?”
“You’re already on such terms with Great Sage yourself. Did you really think our Captain wouldn’t have at least one acquaintance in the Corpse-Blood Realm?”
Seo Ryeom scolded Great Sage Tongpung as though wondering why he would even ask such a thing.
Great Sage Tongpung slightly furrowed his brow, but the martial artists of the Demon-Slaying Corps gathered nearby nodded in agreement with Seo Ryeom’s words.
Jang Woo-hyun was someone who got along like friends with the great Monster Great Sage Tongpung.
Having acquaintances in the Corpse-Blood Realm did not seem strange at all.
Everyone simply accepted it with the attitude of, “Well, if it’s Jang Woo-hyun, then sure.”
While organizing her thoughts, Chu Ok-young observed them and realized something.
‘So it was this young man.’
The reason the mad Monster known as Great Sage Tongpung got along with humans, and the reason the martial artists of the Demon-Slaying Corps did not treat her with fear, were all connected.
After quietly observing them, she realized that the one controlling Great Sage Tongpung was Jang Woo-hyun.
And the reason the martial artists of the Demon-Slaying Corps casually accepted all sorts of absurd situations was also because of Jang Woo-hyun.
Everything Chu Ok-young had found strange was connected to him.
‘The center of these people.’
That was Jang Woo-hyun.
His strength was astonishing, but now it seemed even more remarkable that he served as the central pillar of the Demon-Slaying Corps.
How could he possibly manage people who seemed impossible to control?
‘Perhaps I can ask him more later.’
The more she learned, the more questions she wanted to ask, but once again Chu Ok-young pushed aside her personal curiosity.
The urgent matter had to be dealt with first.
“The problem now is removing that sphere. With the power I currently possess, it will be difficult. I may even need to borrow the power of the spellcasters of the Radiant Light Sect.”
No one knew what kind of problems the Blood-Realm Connecting Gate might still cause, so it had to be removed as quickly as possible.
And besides, this was not the work of martial artists but of spellcasters.
Rather than someone else stepping in, it was only right for Chu Ok-young to resolve it personally.
“The Corpse-Blood Realm will help.”
Once again, it was Jang Woo-hyun who resolved Chu Ok-young’s concerns.
“They will help?”
“Yes. We already discussed it before crossing over.”
Chu Ok-young let out a quiet chuckle.
Jang Woo-hyun had practically resolved nearly everything himself.
Despite being one of the Six Great Heavens, Chu Ok-young had done almost nothing.
She had merely offered a bit of assistance from the side.
“The Central Heavens Martial World owes you a debt today. I as well. If the opportunity arises, I shall repay you.”
At Chu Ok-young’s words, everyone nearby widened their eyes.
The Six Great Heavens were beings who rarely involved themselves in the affairs of the martial world and were difficult even to meet.
Yet now, one of those absolute beings who seldom showed favor was speaking of repaying Jang Woo-hyun.
Even Seo Gyeong-mu, the Cult Leader of the Five Elements Cult, and Lim Gwan-hwa had never heard such words from one of the Six Great Heavens.
Perhaps today, Jang Woo-hyun had gained an incredibly powerful ally.
While everyone else was shocked by the unprecedented situation, Jang Woo-hyun and Jin Ha-un remained calm.
The two of them had already spent time with Jang Sam-bong, who had ascended as the Sword Heavenly Lord.
Thus, the favor of one of the Six Great Heavens did not affect them as deeply.
“Then I shall begin immediately, so spend some time speaking with your companions.”
Chu Ok-young approached the red sphere and placed both hands upon it.
She intended to inject her power into it and dismantle the spell art known as the Blood-Realm Connecting Gate.
---
“What in the world have you been doing over there?”
Once the explanation ended, Makya Wol dragged Seo Ryeom off to one side.
“Didn’t you hear the explanation earlier? We fought in the Corpse-Blood Realm alongside the Captain and resolved the crisis threatening the Central Heavens Martial World.”
“So you fought against someone called one of the Eight Kings in the Corpse-Blood Realm?”
“The Eight King wasn’t someone we fought directly. Someone called Skeleton King Ian handled him, while the Captain and I fought our own battles.”
“What do you mean your own battles?”
“The Captain fought Hyeonwol, and I fought a cultivator famous throughout the Corpse-Blood Realm.”
“And who was that?”
“Would you even know if I told you? No, do you even know anything about the Corpse-Blood Realm? Just breathing there is difficult. Even continuing your thoughts becomes difficult. The pain is so severe that it’s hard to maintain your sanity, let alone use martial arts. It’s because it’s the land of the dead, a world that rejects the living……. Ah, this is really something you have to experience yourself.”
Seo Ryeom lifted his chin and pretended to look down on Makya Wol.
“I’m not even sure words could make you understand. It wasn’t easy at all. Brother Cho even ended up trapped inside some weird cocoon. And Ha-un? Ha-un was incredible. When we were in danger, he appeared with a snap!”
Seo Ryeom drew both of his swords and swung them through the air.
“He raised walls of fire and froze the charging enemies before shattering them to pieces. Kyahh, the Blue-Red Sword Ghost of the Central Heavens Martial World! I don’t know who gave him that title, but there’s nothing more fitting. Even now, just thinking about him wielding twin swords controlling fire and ice in the land of the dead feels incredible, hehe.”
“You said it was hard just to breathe there, but Ha-un was walking around just fine? Isn’t this all a lie?”
At the question, Seo Ryeom looked at Makya Wol with pity.
“Ahh, calling it a lie. You really need to understand things first before I can explain. What did I just say a moment ago?”
“A moment ago? What?”
“Didn’t I say the Corpse-Blood Realm is the land of the dead? That’s why it’s difficult for the living to move there, but Ha-un still has a huge hole in his chest, so—”
Thunk.
A giant hand suddenly landed on Seo Ryeom’s head as he was speaking.
“Hm?”
Turning around, he saw Great Sage Tongpung smiling with only one corner of his mouth raised.
“You little bastard.”
“Y-Yes? What? Why are you doing this?”
“So in simple terms.”
“You don’t have to simplify it.”
Sensing that Great Sage Tongpung was in a bad mood, the arrogant sycophant Seo Ryeom immediately tucked in his tail.
“You’re saying you went somewhere fun and had an enjoyable fight all by yourself.”
“That’s not exactly it. Things just kind of happened. We ended up fighting.”
“You said people who’ve never been to the Corpse-Blood Realm wouldn’t understand, right? And fighting cultivators wasn’t fun? Did you cry from sadness or something?”
“Well, not exactly…….”
Crunch.
Great Sage Tongpung tightened his grip on Seo Ryeom’s head.
“So you’re saying you had the time of your life in the Corpse-Blood Realm?”
“No, no. Wait a second. Why are you twisting my words like that? My head, my head! Don’t squeeze so hard. I didn’t go alone, did I? The Captain was there, and Ha-un and Brother Cho too. Wait, wait! Don’t use strength! I’m holding swords here. I’ll swing them. I really will!”
Seo Ryeom, who had been proudly boasting moments ago, was now being scolded with his head caught in Great Sage Tongpung’s grasp.
---
The quarrels between Great Sage Tongpung and Seo Ryeom had already become an everyday occurrence.
Everyone watched them while laughing.
Jang Woo-hyun also smiled as he thought about what would come next.
Then suddenly—
Something changed.
Jang Woo-hyun was the first to sense the strange feeling.
He raised his head and looked at the sky.
Then Great Sage Tongpung, who had been beating up Seo Ryeom, lifted his head as well.
Next came Chu Ok-young, who had been attempting to close the Blood-Realm Connecting Gate, followed by Lim Gwan-hwa, Makya Wol, and Seo Ryeom.
The moment they looked up—
Everyone’s bodies trembled involuntarily.
Someone was standing there.
A young man dressed in blood-red robes.
Softly glowing horns protruded from his head, and his eyes had vertical pupils like those of a beast.
An unusual appearance that seemed to combine both human and dragon.
It was a being Jang Woo-hyun had met before.
“Dragon Emperor Heavenly Lord…….”
Though he wore human form, that being was a living calamity.
An unstoppable disaster.
The moment Dragon Emperor Heavenly Lord appeared, the surrounding space itself transformed.
His overwhelming presence instantly left everyone stunned.
While everyone remained frozen—
The first to move was Chu Ok-young.
‘I have to stop him.’
She pulled her hands away from the red sphere and immediately gathered her power to cast a spell art.
A translucent barrier spread across the sky.
It was a defensive spell art deployed to protect everyone.
At her action, Dragon Emperor Heavenly Lord Yong Cheon-myeong’s gaze shifted toward the translucent barrier.
Kuuuuung!
Merely directing his gaze toward it caused Chu Ok-young’s defensive spell art to ripple violently.
“Ugh.”
A groan escaped from her due to the recoil.
If Chu Ok-young had not deployed the defensive spell art, then simply from the direction of his gaze, a significant number of people gathered here might have had their heads explode.
That was how terrifying the Dragon Emperor Heavenly Lord’s power was.
“Everyone, run! Get as far away from here as possible!”
Chu Ok-young drew out all the power within her Projection and activated another spell art.
Even though it was merely a Projection, the spell arts of Chu Ok-young, who stood at the pinnacle of spellcasters, transcended imagination.
She teleported away the martial artists of the Demon-Slaying Corps, the martial artists of the Five Elements Cult, and even the surviving spellcasters of the Radiant Light Sect all at once.
Everyone disappeared except for a single person.
Grrrrrr.
At the same time, the roar of a beast that shook heaven and earth echoed from below.
A dragon so massive it resembled an entire mountain range appeared and swallowed both Chu Ok-young and the red sphere whole.
Inside the closing maw, Chu Ok-young’s gaze turned toward the one man she had failed to teleport away.
‘Jang Woo-hyun.’
After breaking free from her spell art, he was now crossing space itself and approaching the Dragon Emperor Heavenly Lord.