Chương 370: Holding Hands (7)

I swallow as I watch Jang Ik draw his podao.

"... O Great Heaven-Collapsing Esteemed One, I have heard of your illustrious name."

"Well, do you have something to say?"

"To start, I am not just an ordinary member of the Heart Tribe, but originally from the Heaven Tribe. And the method through which I have descended into the Astral Realm is by temporarily possessing this boy from a Decaying Corpse Realm. In other words, if we fight, this boy is sure to die. Even if you do not spare me, please show mercy to this child."

At my words, Heaven-Collapsing Esteemed One looks at me with a curious gaze.

"You claim to be from the Heaven Tribe...? Fascinating. The Heaven Tribe I know of think of the lives of their possessed bodies as mere fertilizer..."

"..."

"Well, fine. Then come out of that boy's body for now. Even a Heaven Tribe member should be able to 'greet' me adequately with just an avatar, given that you've reached the First Step Before the Throne."

"... Thank you for your consideration, but if I come out, this child will burn to death in the heat of this planet."

"Do you think I would ask you to come out without considering that?"

Jang Ik swings his podao towards the surrounding hot zone.

Kuguguguk!

Then, something astonishing happens.

It feels as if attraction force twists for a moment.

No, it's as if the very laws themselves are twisting.

Under a scorching star, a part of the planet's surface that once revealed a hellish appearance changes according to Jang Ik's will.

Just as cultivators use spells to bend laws, Jang Ik's single move feels as if nature itself is obeying his will.

In an instant, the hellish landscape becomes a pristine, clear valley where humans can survive.

Although without grass and trees, clear water bursts forth immediately, cooling and soaking the ground.

A crystal-clear lake, as if greenery would soon sprout from somewhere, unfolds before my eyes.

"Throw him adequately in there and come out."

"..."

I am at a loss for words and my mouth gapes open.

'With the power of the Heart Tribe... is such a thing possible?'

Until now, I thought martial arts focused solely on confronting and defeating opponents compared to spell techniques.

Of course, there are martial arts that can ignite flames or guide water, but transforming nature itself like Jang Ik is considered more the domain of spell techniques used by cultivators.

After placing Ham Jin's body in the lake Jang Ik created, I use the single strike of Seated Detachment, Standing Oblivion to exit from his upper dantian.

Splash, plop.

The first strike of Seated Detachment, Standing Oblivion is an avatar, and the avatar doesn't differ significantly from the main body in terms of pure skills of the Heart Tribe.

Of course, it lacks endurance compared to the main body, but that is the only difference.

Jang Ik looks somewhat displeased as he sees me crawl out of Ham Jin's upper dantian.

"... Well... everything is fine, but why did you come out in such a sinister manner, like a parasitic monster crawling out to find a new host? You could have just come out normally."

"... I guess it became a habit since I cultivated the Ghost Path Method a little. I ask for your understanding."

After glancing at the unconscious Ham Jin, whose spiritual power and energy have been completely exhausted, I look around at the completely transformed surroundings and speak.

"Just what did you do?"

"Why learn to fly when you can't even walk? Anyway, if you're a Heaven Tribe at the level of descending into the Lower Realms, you should be able to do something similar with spell techniques."

He leaves me with nothing to say to his truthful words. After exiting the area Jang Ik has created, I take my stance.

"I was merely inquiring while thinking about the next step."

"Well, that's not a bad attitude. But what I did is less about the enlightenment of Second Step Before the Throne and more about a technique I developed to stabilize regions in the Chaos Realm to establish a Heart Tribe territory after reaching Second Step Before the Throne."

"I see... then I shall save questions about the next realm for later... after I greet you properly."

Before finishing my sentence, I focus my mind and shoot towards Jang Ik like lightning.

Gathering Heaven and Earth spiritual energy to form a Qi Sword, I aim straight for Jang Ik's face.

However, he deflects my sword effortlessly with just one podao, not even drawing the others.

"Come closer."

A rather abrupt statement.

But I understand what he means.

Between Jang Ik and me, countless 'domains' and 'scenes' are overflowing.

Mostly, these are 'scenes' of me being beaten up by Jang Ik, my body being split apart, or my head exploding.

And the domains are places that Jang Ik could obliterate along with the entire space with a single move.

Such places and scenes, numbering in the thousands or tens of thousands, are violently pressing down on my mind.

And despite the physical proximity between Jang Ik and I, the myriad domains and scenes between us make him feel incredibly distant.

Jang Ik is telling me.

To come a little closer.

'I will strip away his domain.'

Kuuuung!

Stepping forward with the right foot and leaning my left side back, I slash from the upper left to lower right towards Jang Ik.

Before the stone fragments I have kicked off the ground fall back down.

Jang Ik moves his podao, spinning three times on the spot, and sends three slashes towards my right side.

It feels as if a gigantic claw is coming down to rip me apart.

I immediately change my stance, slightly deflecting my sword to ward off the claw.

I have to deflect it.

If I can't...

The next moment.

'Huh?'

I find myself flung into outer space.

When I regain my senses, I see the aftermath of my exchange with Jang Ik wreaking havoc on the planet where I had been standing.

'From that single strike, I ended up here...'

Before I can finish my thought, I sense Jang Ik above me, holding a podao in both hands and ready to slice apart.

'I have to dodge!'

In a panic, I transform my body into the All-Heavens Sword to evade his strike.

Though there is no wind in space due to the lack of air, the sight of everything in the area where Jang Ik's dual podaos traverse being obliterated sends chills down my spine.

Then, in the vacuum of space, Jang Ik's intent resonates like words enlightening the heart (혜광심어/慧光心語).

—Do not dodge.

Chills!

Rip!

I definitely dodged, but my waist is severed and my upper body and lower body are split apart.

—You will die.

'Why, why!?'

The avatar of Seated Detachment, Standing Oblivion being cut in half is not the issue.

Jang Ik's single strike was clearly executed in a dimension that I cannot comprehend.

"Master!!!"

Suddenly, an emergency alarm blares throughout the entire Wuji Religious Order.

It's an alarm that sounds when the cult leader, Wuji Ghost King Seo Eun-hyun, suffers a critical injury.

Hong Fan is shocked seeing the body of Seo Eun-hyun, who is sitting on the cult seat, being severed at the waist and stomach split open. He quickly begins to stitch the severed parts back together.

"Wh-what in the world... why all of a sudden...?"

A mysterious incident that makes no sense.

However, despite such a bizarre occurrence, Seo Eun-hyun does not rise.

Instead, he sits on the cult seat with an even more focused expression, his eyes closed and concentrating intensely on something.

'I don't know what he did, but he even cut the main body!'

A spine-chilling skill!

It means that to Jang Ik, shallow tricks like using an avatar or the main body makes no difference.

Gritting my teeth, I manifest about 3, 000 Qi Swords around me.

I have materialized the Colorless Glass Swords.

Chuaaak!

3, 000 Qi Swords dance and attack Jang Ik.

The dance of formlessness boasting an infinite trajectory that becomes a colossal slash that could cleave mountains— Bo-ong!

—Has the sword formation shattered and my right arm cut off at the swing of Jang Ik's podao.

Gugugugugugu!

There is no sound in space, but there is vibration.

Looking back, towards where Jang Ik has struck.

Not the place where Ham Jin is, but another planet in this star system is split in half and is crumbling apart.

—Do it properly.

Sururung— Just his gaze alone seems to crush my soul.

All of a sudden, Jang Ik is already before me, holding his podaos in both hands.

―Even though you are of the Heart Tribe, as long as you are also from the Heaven Tribe, I have no qualms about killing you.

Wiiiing!

My Qi Sword rises to the Plane of Soul and descends below.

The single strike of Deep Mountain, Emerging Dao explodes towards Jang Ik, but he shatters it head-on with his podao.

Kwaaaang!

My Seated Detachment, Standing Oblivion avatar fails to withstand Jang Ik's blade attack and is flung towards a star from the expanse of space.

Jang Ik is chasing after me again.

No, saying he is chasing is incorrect.

The moment I blink, he is in front of me again.

He is different from Kim Young-hoon and other Integration stage cultivators.

If Kim Young-hoon is too fast to perceive, and Integration stage cultivators leap through space, he uses another method entirely.

Hoo-woong!

To avoid being burned by the heat of the star's surface, I tightly wrap the All-Heavens Sword around my body and focus all my mental strength to deflect Jang Ik's next strike.

Jang Ik raises his foot then lowers it down.

Though it's the foot of a small green dwarf, I see a terrifying vision of a slash that seems capable of shattering a continent from his kick.

Kwa-jijijijilk!

The Seated Detachment, Standing Oblivion avatar is driven straight into the surface of the star.

I watch as crimson flames and heat storms erupt from the star's surface.

A storm large enough to engulf an entire small planet!

'Th-this is the Star Shattering stage...'

I am utterly stunned by this cosmic power, but I clench my teeth and focus my mind on the All-Heavens Sword.

There is no time to think about anything else!

'I've figured out how Jang Ik is moving!'

Surprisingly, Jang Ik is moving through planes!

Of course, he isn't really moving entirely through planes; it's a method of briefly shifting to the Plane of Soul before descending to a lower plane.

After figuring out Jang Ik's method, I sense the Plane of Soul and extend the All-Heavens Sword.

Severing Mountain!

Pasaak!

The ultimate technique of Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, unleashed with full power, barely grazes Jang Ik's cheek as he suddenly appears before my eyes in a blink of an eye.

His skin splits and a tiny drop of blood drips out.

Despite being on the surface of a star, the fact that the blood droplet is oozing out ordinarily like any other Decaying Corpse Realm or planet suggests that the area around Jang Ik is practically an alternate world.

Wiping the blood droplet with a surprised expression, Jang Ik exclaims through heart language.

'Smart fellow. You figured out I was moving between planes and immediately counterattacked.'

Kwaaang!

Jang Ik slashes down with his podaos again as he speaks, and I draw out all the remaining power in my Seated Detachment, Standing Oblivion avatar to deflect that force.

However, the residual impact alone leaves the entire body of my avatar tattered, and to make matters worse, my main body seated in the Wuji Religious Hall is vomiting blood and dying.

'E-Even so, I can't die fighting Jang Ik in this life!'

Using the All-Heavens Sword, I begin drawing power from my main body through the Plane of Soul.

Kugugugugu!

The dragon veins of Twilight Domain converge around my main body, expending their power to open a path between us.

Although the main body can't truly cross over, it's a technique that allows me to temporarily use my main body's other powers for a short battle.

After converting the cultivation of the Heaven and Earth Tribes from the main body, I raise them to the Plane of Soul through the All-Heavens Sword and bring them over before lowering them to a lower plane and integrating Heaven, Earth, and Heart.

Of course, this method isn't without cost as I feel the dragon veins of Twilight Domain temporarily drying up as a consequence.

Wiiiiing!

The Three Great Ultimates rise behind me.

Jang Ik exclaims in amazement once more.

—Hah, I was planning to burst your head with that single strike… That sword, is it moving through planes? You're using your Manifestation very well.

He chuckles and praises me.

Then another green slash comes flying.

Deflecting Jang Ik's force, I am flung away again.

Kwagwagwagwang!

I am swept beyond the star's horizon and thrown back out into space.

Attraction force and spells, circuits, curses, blessings, immortal beast power—there is no time to pick and choose.

If I don't want to die, I have to use everything I have!

Kwaduk!

Jang Ik's hand grasps my head.

―Excellent. I don't know how you did it, but having all Heaven, Earth, and Heart at a similar level is impressive. Combining all your power to reach the Grand Perfection Integration level... other Esteemed Ones would want to take you in as their disciple if they saw this.

Though his hand is small, I feel as if every single cell in my body is clenched by his hand.

'I have to counterattack.'

Jang Ik raises his podao once more.

Though he releases my head, I can't move.

But...

If I take another hit, I'll die!

Wududuk!

I force my body to move through the terror he has implanted in me.

Then, I combine all the techniques of Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.

Simultaneously, I pour all the power of the Three Great Ultimates into this one sword strike.

I bet everything on this one move!

―Haha, a rather cute struggle. But...

I can feel it.

No, I can see it.

In the next moment, my whole body will be crushed, turning into a bright-red Seo Eun-hyun kimchi pancake.

Therefore, I will change that future!

―Become delicious, little Heaven Tribe brat!

[Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts!] Paaaatt!

In an instant.

My body disappears amidst all flows and perceptions.

I can not be found in the future, the past, or the present.

By transforming into the very Emptiness (空) Tae Yeol-jeon tried to teach me, I evade Jang Ik's perception for a single moment.

Kwadududududak!

I can see Jang Ik's eyes narrowing sharply.

His podao can not find me.

However, in that brief instant, Jang Ik converts his podao single strike into a wide-range attack.

His podao dyes the area around the star in green.

Chwararararak!

Fine needle-like strikes spread around the star's vicinity.

And, in that brief moment of time, having just barely evaded his gaze, I, completely exhausted, with holes all over my body, am pulled into the star by its gravitational force.

'Damn it...'

I can't move my body.

The tiny needles Jang Ik scattered have penetrated my entire body, holding me in place.

I lost.

And Jang Ik appears before me.

[Excellent.] All of a sudden, he is holding Ham Jin in one hand.

[... Why... have you brought... that child...?] Jang Ik is distorting the laws around him, allowing Ham Jin to breathe normally even in the Astral Realm.

But I don't understand.

Does he intend to kill Ham Jin because he is also of the Heaven Tribe?

However, Jang Ik suddenly grabs the back of my neck, laughs heartily, and starts flying somewhere.

[I went a bit overboard looking for you, brat, and might have disturbed a superior. Let's run away.] [What...?] And then, it happens.

Kuguguguguk!

The 'middle zone' where Ham Jin and I came from.

From that 'middle zone', from that scorched planet with a hellish temperature, shoots out a black 'hand.'

'What the...!?'

Ziiiiiiiiiiiiiing!

My whole body trembles.

It's hard to maintain my sanity.

That is, that is...

[A Quasi-Immortal in slumber is tossing around because of us. Let's get out of here quickly.] Kugugugugugu!

Jang Ik brings us along and starts leaping through boundless spacetime.

And, chasing the spacetime-leaping us is the 'giant hand' shot from the star, resembling a withered old tree branch.

[Wh-what is this... why, why, why, why, why, whyisanEnteringNirvanathere...!?] [Hoh, to see a Quasi-Immortal for that long and still remain sane, you're quite something. Those below the Integration stage might not know, but most True Persons are in slumber, embodying stars in the Astral Realm. In fact, all worlds where Ancient Force transmission arrays are installed are essentially on the bodies of True Persons and... while there are some awake among the whole, they're focused on other worlds, making them difficult to meet.] He laughs heartily as he speaks.

[Well, to sum up what I'm saying, that person is just stirring in their sleep so we won't be caught. Anyway, with this level of mental strength and mastery of the basics... how about it? Becoming my disciple?] I can't respond to Jang Ik's words, merely watching the giant hand chasing us and screaming in the cosmic void.

Thus, Jang Ik and I cross the vast expanse of spacetime, flying off to somewhere.

Tranlsator Notes: Second Term Changes.

Comprehension (in the context of mantra) -> repentant enlightenment Gyu-Ryeon/Gyu-Baek/Gyu-hwa -> Gyu Ryeon, Gyu Baek, Gyu Hwa Dailim Tree -> Great Forest Wood