Chapter 044. The Condition of Loyalty (4)
Northern Heaven Sword Venerable, Un Wol-hyang.
She looked at the stone chamber with profound eyes.
Dam Jeok-san is a Peak master.
His Qi cannot rampage like that just from training.
Perhaps some realization has come to her Martial Nephew.
What is realization?
It could be a single topic encompassing life, or conversely, it could be a fleeting inspiration.
The important thing is not what one has realized.
But what one will do with that realization.
That is the true core.
If the 'what' is not certain, it is common to fail to manage the realization and fall into qi deviation.
The Extreme Heaven Strange Sovereign Technique they cultivated carried a particularly high risk of qi deviation.
It also meant it was a supreme martial art capable of granting such grand realizations.
However, it was also undeniable that it was an unstable martial art, almost close to demonic arts.
'Will Martial Nephew be…… alright?'
A faint worry appeared on Un Wol-hyang's face.
Dam Jeok-san had already collapsed once due to qi deviation.
If one has collapsed once, one can collapse twice.
Of course, Un Wol-hyang believes in her Martial Nephew. That Dam Jeok-san would do well. However, she couldn't help feeling worried.
She stuck close to the front of the stone chamber and heightened her senses.
When building the training room, the walls were made thick and treated with sorcery to make it difficult to detect the situation inside from the outside, but…….
Even so, to Un Wol-hyang, a master who had reached the Entering Transformation Realm, it was no different from a sheet of paper.
Her sharp senses vividly heard not only the internal noise and flow of Qi but also Dam Jeok-san's breathing.
Anxious and unstable.
He looked precarious, like a thunderbolt bomb that might explode at any moment.
To the point where she wondered how such a flow of Qi could occur during training, not a duel.
However.
'Somehow, I feel like it will pass safely without my intervention.'
A certain intuition brushed through her mind.
Ultra-experts whose upper dantian is wide open sense the world much more sensitively than ordinary people, so their intuition sometimes reaches the realm of foresight.
This was such a moment.
The tension disappeared a little from Un Wol-hyang's face.
But her ear was still stuck to the wall of the stone chamber.
Just because she wasn't worried didn't mean she wasn't curious.
He is a Martial Nephew she met after more than 10 years.
Since he even went through a huge ordeal during that gap.
As a Martial Aunt, she couldn't help but be curious and concerned about his every move.
'The danger hasn't completely disappeared yet!'
Un Wol-hyang tried hard to rationalize. Her earlobes turned slightly red.
How long had it been since she awkwardly pressed her ear against the wall?
Hoo…….
She felt Dam Jeok-san exhale a long breath and rise from his seat as if he had finished circulating his energy.
At that moment, a gleam flashed in Un Wol-hyang's eyes.
'He has changed.'
An aura distinctly different from when he entered the stone chamber.
A sharp and heavy presence was felt, enough to make even Un Wol-hyang tense for a moment.
It is not simply a matter of high or low stage.
Although it was only faintly realized, the size of the mental image was huge and its status was high.
It might be a story of the distant future.
But the day that is clearly completed…….
The situation under heaven will be overturned.
Suddenly, a scene flashed through her upper dantian.
The Central Plains Murim turned into a sea of fire, and the figure of Dam Jeok-san walking alone within it.
'Is this…… Heaven's Mandate?'
Under heaven, there is something called 'providence.'
That someone gains unreasonable power means that there will also be events where they wield such power.
Perhaps…….
'No, no.'
There is no need to think too far ahead. What's important right now is Dam Jeok-san's condition.
Fortunately, it seems he succeeded in managing the realization, but it cannot be concluded that there will be no problems.
He must have passed the moment where he was extremely vulnerable to external stimuli.
'……Should I go in?'
Un Wol-hyang gently tapped the stone chamber with her finger.
It was a light movement as if stroking.
Thud. Thud.
Since deep internal energy was imbued, a clear vibration was transmitted beyond the stone chamber.
"May I come in for a moment?"
"Yes……? Uh, yes! Of course."
At her question, Dam Jeok-san's slightly flustered voice was heard from inside the stone chamber.
* * *
'She's coming in suddenly?'
A flustered look was evident on Dam Jeok-san's face.
It wasn't because he did something wrong.
Just…….
'I was looking at the swords a bit.'
He felt like he had become a snob for no reason.
Even though he had received permission to take whatever he needed.
No, rather, because he received permission, he felt more self-conscious.
If the opponent were his Master, the Lord of the Martial Sovereign Castle, who always treated him coldly, he would have rather shamelessly asked for a sword.
'But since she told me to take one, just grabbing one feels a bit…….'
It is certain that Un Wol-hyang cherishes him more than he thought. However, from Dam Jeok-san's perspective, he has to look back almost half his life to recall the time he spent with her.
It was certainly an unforgettable memory, but the fact that Un Wol-hyang still regarded him specially felt quite unfamiliar.
What can he do. He has to adapt. Thinking so, Dam Jeok-san walked towards the front of the training room.
When he opened the door of the training room, he saw Un Wol-hyang wearing plain white martial arts attire beyond it.
Lips red like blood and deep black hair as if cut from the night sky. With an expressionless face, she exuded an atmosphere difficult to approach, cold like a sheet of ice and sharp like a treasured sword under heaven.
"First, I must congratulate you on your great success."
The moment Un Wol-hyang opened her mouth, her face softened.
Dam Jeok-san felt the illusion that bright sunshine was shining into the gloomy stone chamber.
"……You flatter me."
"Martial Nephew, it is true that I cherish you, but I do not flatter."
Un Wol-hyang said, curling her lips slightly askew.
"Th-that is……."
"Surely you don't intend to say my eyes are wrong?"
"Phew……. No, thanks to your consideration, there was an achievement."
"Right, you should have said this from the beginning."
She grinned and said.
"So, have you chosen a sword you want?"
"……!"
Surprise appeared in Dam Jeok-san's eyes at the sudden turn of conversation.
"Even if I look like this, I possess the title of Northern Heaven Sword Venerable. Movement inside the stone chamber is within the palm of my hand."
She continued in a playful tone.
"If there is anything you want, choose whatever. They are collectibles anyway. I was giving them out to subordinates who established merits."
"But I……."
"Martial Nephew, if what you established isn't merit, what is?"
At those words, Dam Jeok-san muttered "Ah," and clapped his hands.
Saving the life of the successor of the Namgung Clan, Namgung Yeon.
And killing the sword of the Yin God Cult targeting her, Murong Gang.
Killing a Half-Demon who had reached the mature Ultra-Peak Realm is a greater achievement than subjugating a considerably powerful monster.
Cunning Half-Demons do not reveal themselves easily, and even if they do, they often escape using their tenacious regenerative power as a shield.
Furthermore…….
Rescuing the successor of one of the Five Great Families is something that can make the families heavily indebted to the Martial Sovereign Castle.
It is an achievement that needs no words.
'That's true.'
Dam Jeok-san turned his gaze to the wall, thinking he could be a little shameless.
Honestly, he doesn't covet other swords much.
His gaze only lingered on a sword with dark gray storm clouds embossed on a scabbard red like blood.
Red Cloud Sword.
Also known as Red Demon Sword or Blood Cloud Sword.
"Do you need that?"
Un Wol-hyang asked, tilting her head slightly. A slightly sharp look hovered in her gentle eyes.
"That is a dangerous sword."
"I know. Because a sword that sucks blood is quite famous."
The Red Cloud Sword is an object Un Wol-hyang recovered after cutting down the Sword Ghost, who was a public enemy of Murim.
A rare demonic sword with the ability to suck blood and recover its owner's wounds with it.
"The Sword Ghost had almost lost his reason when fighting me. That is not a sword anyone can handle."
"I am fine."
Dam Jeok-san spoke in a calm tone.
There is no way he, who possesses the ability of Predation, would be bewitched by an external object and lose his reason.
This is an absolute hierarchical relationship.
The power generated by the ability of Predation is far superior to the bewitching ability of the demonic sword.
If Dam Jeok-san goes mad, it would be because he predated an unmanageable existence, not because he abused the ability of that sword.
"Can you prove it?"
Un Wol-hyang asked, raising her aura sharply.
The gentle smile was gone, replaced by a solemn expression.
As the head of the Northern Branch of the Martial Sovereign Castle, and as a swordsman who gained the name of Sword Venerable by cutting down the Sword Ghost.
Un Wol-hyang was demanding an answer from Dam Jeok-san.
Do you have the qualification to possess that sword?
"Of course."
Dam Jeok-san answered casually despite feeling suffocating pressure.
As expected, the suppressing side is easier to deal with than the kind side.
Because he just has to endure firmly.
Dam Jeok-san picked up the Red Cloud Sword without hesitation.
Flinch.
Un Wol-hyang's body trembled slightly at that unhesitating attitude.
She doesn't like the Red Cloud Sword that much.
The dead Sword Ghost was a master who had reached the extreme of the Ultra-Peak.
Actively utilizing the regenerative ability of the Red Cloud Sword, he showed martial prowess worthy of the Entering Transformation Realm.
At the time, she had not yet reached the Entering Transformation Realm, and because of that, she could barely cut down the Sword Ghost after wandering on the verge of death several times.
'I really almost died.'
That is a rare demonic sword.
But instead of discarding the Red Cloud Sword, she kept it in her training room.
Perhaps, because she thought a swordsman who could overwhelm that demonic sword might appear.
Originally, a sword has no sin.
Moreover, to survive in this harsh North, there are times when one must not choose means and methods.
But even she, currently, is not confident in fully handling the Red Cloud Sword.
Unless she infused it with internal energy and snapped it in half.
'But you say you are confident?'
A truly audacious Martial Nephew.
But she decided to give Dam Jeok-san a chance.
A chance to take responsibility for his words.
"Dam Jeok-san, draw the sword."
Un Wol-hyang spoke to her Martial Nephew grasping the Red Cloud Sword.
"Draw the sword and prove your words."
Even if he fails to prove it, Un Wol-hyang will not withdraw her affection for Dam Jeok-san.
However, the position of the owner of the Northern Branch, the Northern Heaven Sword Venerable, is different. If the Third Young Master of the Martial Sovereign Castle cannot keep the words he spat out with his own mouth, she cannot support Dam Jeok-san.
The Lord of the Martial Sovereign Castle is a heavy position responsible for the safety of all people under heaven beyond the Central Plains.
The weight of choice was too heavy to ruin with personal feelings.
"Alright."
Dam Jeok-san replied with a smirk.
He could read it.
The questioning gaze the Northern Heaven Sword Venerable was sending.
And her eyes settled coldly like frost.
And the expectation very faintly lingering in those eyes.
'Martial Aunt, you also wish for me to succeed.'
He drew the Red Cloud Sword without a shred of hesitation.
SCREEEEEECH―――!!!
The moment the blade shimmering with a faint blood color was revealed to the world.
A terrible noise like the wailing of ghosts flowed from it.
That wasn't all. Bizarre shadows took form and surged from the blade.
The vengeful spirits dwelling in the sword transformed into the shape of evil spirits.
"……!"
Surprise settled on Un Wol-hyang's face.
Quite a long time has passed since she sealed the Red Cloud Sword in its scabbard after cutting down the Sword Ghost.
To think it is still that robust.
But Dam Jeok-san looked at the sword with a leisurely demeanor.
"A mere petty ghost."
He muttered in an indifferent voice.
The ghost he exorcised just moments ago was a monster who once talked about being the only one honored in heaven and earth.
Compared to that, the evil spirit dwelling in the Red Cloud Sword was truly just petty.
Whoosh―
Dam Jeok-san exhaled briefly and raised his mental image.
The image of a swordsman walking with his back to the world flickers in his mind for an instant.
However.
KIEEEEE!!
The evil spirit only howled as if in pain.
It was not overwhelmed.
'As expected, is it impossible like this?'
Dam Jeok-san opened the abyss hidden within his mental image without hesitation.
Only towards the Red Cloud Sword.
Seo Woo-joo's ego.
The moment the mental image containing that fragment and the Red Cloud Sword touched.
SWOOOSH!
The evil spirit, which was fierce enough to seemingly engulf the entire stone chamber, disappeared in an instant.
And the Red Cloud Sword was held in Dam Jeok-san's hand in an extremely docile state.
"How is it, is this enough?"
"……Huh?"
At Dam Jeok-san's question, Un Wol-hyang's eyes blinked blankly.