Chapter 338: Demon Sword (2)

The blade of the Namcheon Iron Sword had pierced straight through the center of my chest.

It hurts so much.

I need to pull it out quickly, but the water soaking my entire body only intensifies the pain, making it impossible to move.

— "Unhui! If it's hard to pull out, use the Jade Seal!"

Sodam Sword was right.

I had to use the Jade Seal so that the sword would pull itself out.

Among the dots of the Seven Star Seal on the back of my hand, the Jade Seal shimmered with a blue glow.

— "Unhui! Hold on a little longer."

The Namcheon Iron Sword trembled slightly as it carefully slid out of my body.

It had withdrawn, but my soaked body couldn't regenerate as quickly as before.

It seems water really was a weakness.

Staggering, I barely managed to get up when Sodam Sword's voice echoed.

— "Unhui! Look over there."

I lifted my head at the call.

Through the misty vision clouded by steam from water and lightning, I could make out a silhouette—presumably his.

But as the steam gradually cleared, I couldn't help but be shocked at what was revealed.

— Hissss—!

Like a snake shedding its skin, he was emerging from his charred blackened body.

But even more shocking was what came after—he was no longer the skeletal figure I had seen before.

His sticky, smooth skin became visible, muscles swelling and transforming his body into a fully trained physique.

He had only halfway emerged, but it wasn't a situation where I could just keep watching.

Cough, cough!

Clenching my teeth, I endured the pain and gathered my strength.

Then, red lightning started to course through the Namcheon Iron Sword floating in midair.

— Crackkkle!!

'Thunderstrike Heavenly Evasion, 5th Form: Heavenly Sword Lightningfall.'

I hastily pointed my sword seal toward him.

At that moment, the Namcheon Iron Sword—shrouded in crimson lightning—plunged toward him like a falling bolt.

A Heavenly Sword Lightningfall with a force that seemed like it would destroy everything.

But the lightning didn't reach him. It stopped just above his head.

— Wooooooom...!

As if it were bound by a distorted space, the Namcheon Iron Sword refused to move any further.

There seemed to be some invisible circular barrier around him.

It couldn't break through.

Then, the creature—having fully shed its scales—waved its hand lightly.

— Huh?!

Immediately, the Namcheon Iron Sword was flung away, crashing through the cave wall.

'Namcheon!'

It seemed to have taken severe damage.

We shared a visual link in my mind, but I could no longer hear its voice—only darkness remained.

— "Unhui!"

With Sodam Sword's cry, a silhouette appeared right in front of me.

It was the same creature that had stood in front of the tombstone earlier.

Now fully transformed and with an unblemished appearance, he was far taller than I imagined—practically a giant.

'That skin…'

It glistened like a snake's, and patches of scale-like textures covered parts of it.

His eyes were those of a pure white serpent—just meeting his gaze sent shivers down my spine, his aura was ominous and dreadful.

Then he tilted his head slightly and opened his mouth.

> "How interesting."

> "What?"

> "Though it has thinned greatly... to think that someone who inherited my blood was taught by that fool Sunyangja."

'Inherited your blood?'

What kind of nonsense is this?

As I stared in disbelief, he spoke again, his expression blank.

> "You seem to doubt me."

> "...What are you talking about?"

At my question, he snorted and clasped his hands behind his back.

He stared intently at me, then continued.

> "What a shame. Through dozens of generations, none have inherited my traits in human form as well as you."

I had no idea what he was talking about.

Then again, maybe I should take advantage of this moment.

I carefully channeled all my energy into my sword seal.

A surprise strike—to his throat...

— Slash!

'!?'

In that instant, my right arm was severed.

He clicked his tongue and said:

> "Don't do anything foolish, child."

Then, looking at my left side, he swung again—this time cutting off my left arm at the shoulder.

— Slash!

> "Aaaaaaaaah!"

The agony of both arms being severed made me scream in pain.

— "Unhui! Run!"

Sodam Sword's voice echoed in my head.

Even with my right hand gone, the Seven Star Seal still activated, which meant the markings weren't limited to just the back of my hand.

Then the creature spoke again.

> "I won't ask twice."

> "Grrr..."

> "Follow me. Become the vanguard of the army I lead and drown the world in blood."

> "...What?"

What the hell is he saying?

As I stood in confusion, I suddenly sensed strange energies around me.

From within the rising waters of the cave, massive figures began to emerge.

Glowing eyes of all colors—especially ominous purple—shone through the mist.

'Demons?'

These were beings not of this world—what people often called yomul (monsters or spirits).

All of them had serpent-like bodies, but monstrous faces.

Among them were human-faced, purple-eyed serpents (Inmyeon Jaansa), terrifying in size and aura, though not quite as strong as the one from Bongnim Valley.

— Uwooooooooh!

As if revering a king, the monsters bowed their heads in worship toward him.

I was at a loss for words at the scene.

The army he spoke of—was this.

So many yomul I had only encountered twice in my life—now gathered here.

I broke into a cold sweat.

If this creature and these monsters escape into the world, there will be an unstoppable catastrophe.

I clenched my teeth.

Then I stomped hard into the shallow water.

— Crackkkle!

At that moment, crimson lightning surged through my body and flowed into the water.

The lightning began to spread in all directions...

— BOOM!

He stomped the ground.

Water around the radius shot up into the air, severing the lightning flow.

He looked at me coldly.

— Step, step...

He approached, and when he reached out, an invisible force lifted me into the air.

It felt as if he grabbed me by the collar and pulled me before him.

Then he said:

> "The Thunder Evading Sword Technique is useless against me now."

> "...Who... the hell are you?"

At my question, he answered expressionlessly.

> "I have been called by many names. Once, I was a gyoryong (flood dragon) who longed to be human. At another time, I was known as the origin of all sword sects in Zhongyuan."

'The origin of all sword sects in Zhongyuan?'

Suddenly, a name flashed through my mind—Baek Muja.

If my master was called the greatest swordsman in the world, then Baek Muja was known as the originator of all sword sects.

He was also the one who created the concept of the mental sword (심검).

Could it really be...

He continued.

> "I was once known as the True Dragon of Fire (Hwaryong Jinin), one of the Ten Immortals (Sipseon). And later, I was called the Fallen Demon Sword (Maseon)."

'The Ten Immortals?'

I recalled what Elder Biseon once said.

["Thus, one of the Ten Immortals remained and, per the imperial family's request, made an oath to protect them from Taoists and martial artists for generations to come."]

There were eight Taoists who led Dohwaseon, including my master.

I'd heard that they were once called the Eight Immortals in the secular world, so I always found it odd they were referred to as the Ten Immortals.

Does that mean this person was one of Dohwaseon?

The man, who had his hands behind his back, brought one forward and grabbed my chin.

"But I no longer wish to be bound by the existence of humans. Greedy, foolish creatures who harm one another—do not associate me with them."

—Zzzzt!

His voice exploded with fury and murderous energy that radiated throughout his entire body.

It was the most terrifying bloodlust I had ever encountered—far beyond anything I'd faced before.

It was so intense that an ordinary person wouldn't even be able to withstand it.

"The Sunyangja, whom you call your master, and those so-called immortals are nothing but hypocrites. They too are just greedy humans."

"...Don't insult my masters."

At my words, his eyes narrowed in disappointment.

He shook his head and said coldly,

"So that's your choice."

—Craaaack!

He tightened his grip.

Though I was still maintaining control over my internal energy and blood circulation, my jaw felt like it was going to shatter.

"Then die as a mere human."

At that very moment—

—BOOOOOM!

Something burst through the ground beneath us.

And then, it swallowed the man whole—the one who had been about to crush my jaw.

It was none other than—

"Jaso!"

Jaso, the beast with a human face and snake eyes that had once saved me in Bongnim Valley.

I'd worried it had died after being exposed to sunlight back then, but it had grown even larger than before.

After devouring the man, Jaso growled toward me as if to say it remembered me.

—Grrrrrrrr!

How did it know where I was?

Surely it hadn't been following me all this time?

As I puzzled over this, Jaso suddenly let out a painful roar and writhed in agony.

—KRAAAAAAAHH!

"Jaso?"

Then, the man tore his way out of Jaso's body and walked forward.

He looked down at the writhing beast and then turned his gaze to me.

"As expected, it inherited my essence well."

"You bastard!"

"Since it's regrettable, I'll ask once more. Will you follow me and cleanse the world in blood?"

I responded firmly to his absurd proposition:

"You're insane."

The man scoffed and reached his hand toward me.

As if to say words were now meaningless, intense heat began to radiate from his hand.

Just then, I heard a voice in my head.

—Unhui.

It was none other than the voice of Namcheoncheolgeom (the Southern Heaven Iron Sword).

It had flown too far into the darkness before, but now I could see through its vision.

It rushed toward me at an incredible speed and said:

—I thought I would fade away as a sword, abandoned for so long after my former master died.

'...What are you talking about?'

—But because of you, I was able to fulfill my role again as a sword.

'Namcheon?'

—I was able to avenge my former master, and the time I spent with you made me truly happy.

—Fwoosh!

It shot out of the water.

Then it charged at the man who was reaching for me.

The man waved his hand dismissively, but to his surprise, Namcheoncheolgeom withstood the blow and didn't budge.

He scowled.

The sword's blade was gradually enveloped in a blue light.

—Crackle!

Then, in a flash, it tore through space and appeared right in front of the man's face.

The man grabbed the blade with a burning red hand.

—Sssssss!

The blue light of the blade turned red upon contact with his hand.

Inside my mind, I could hear the sword's scream.

I rushed forward and shouted,

"Stop!"

But Namcheoncheolgeom was filled with a fierce will to pierce him, no matter what.

I was in no condition to properly use the power of Chilseonghyeonmun, and I couldn't understand what was happening.

Still, this was the enemy I hadn't been able to even scratch, no matter how much strength I used.

—Crack!

I heard something breaking from the sword.

A crack had formed on its glowing red blade.

—This is farewell... U... Unhui... you must... survive...

—Clang!

Before it could finish its words, the sword shattered into pieces.

"Namcheoooooooon!"

I couldn't breathe properly as I watched.

It felt like my heart was being torn apart.

Then, Jaso, writhing in pain, suddenly lunged forward and swallowed me whole.

"You think you'll escape?"

As the man reached out, the shattered pieces of Namcheoncheolgeom pierced through Jaso and stabbed deep into my body.

—Thudthudthudthudthud!

The pain was indescribable. But only one thought filled my mind.

'Namcheon...'

I'd been told that when a sword's spirit is destroyed, it dies as well.

Just like that, Namcheoncheolgeom was no more.

At that moment, Jaso's body twitched.

—Splash!

I felt moisture—Jaso had likely jumped into the water.

But it wasn't over.

Blades of killing intent sliced through the water, relentlessly piercing both Jaso and me inside its mouth.

—Thudthudthudthud!

"Ghhhhh!"

Already drenched, and now with vital points pierced, my consciousness began to fade.

Water seeped into Jaso's torn mouth.

My arms were severed, my chest and meridians impaled—there was no surviving this.

—Bubbling...

Jaso, too, seemed mortally wounded and was sinking deeper underwater.

We were both descending to the depths of Lake Taeho.

—Unhui! Stay with me! Unhui!

The voice of the sword Sodam echoed in my head.

But I could no longer stay conscious.

Is this how I die?

I had died once before my regression, but death still frightened me.

There were still so many reasons I had to live...

—Unhui, don't die! You can't die! If you die, what about me?

Sodam's voice grew fainter with each word.

Was the bottom of Lake Taeho truly the end of my journey after regression?

I'm scared, Sodam...

Just then, I heard her faint voice in my mind.

—Wake up! Don't die... you can't die... How do you expect me to watch you die like this, unable to do anything?

As the darkness took over and my consciousness began to fade—

—Noooooooo!

—Woooooom!

At that very moment, a radiant blue light burst from Sodam's blade.

Then, that light reached out toward me.

---

Just moments ago, the world had been shrouded in darkness—but now it shimmered with brilliant light.

'What... is this?'

Could I be... dead?

As I struggled to understand, someone appeared before me, sitting and holding Sodam.

A man with the aura of a true immortal—

"My master!"

It was the Sword Immortal—my master.

But he looked different from when I'd seen him at Dohwaseon.

Instead, he resembled how he had appeared in the second Sword Immortal Record of the past.

He gave me a bittersweet smile and said:

—I had hoped you would never come across the third record... but here we are.