Chapter 231: Immortal Divine Sword (2)

The young man, Baek Sung-cheon, put three stems of Purple Spirit Phantom Herb into his pocket.

Currently, he was gaining fame in the Central Plains and was known by the nickname Divine Dragon of Xi’an.

At the age of twenty, he created the Heaven’s Shadow Sword Technique and became the strongest master of the Baek Noble Clan as the Young Clan Head.

The reason he was in this remote area of Liaodong was solely to find the spiritual herb called the Purple Spirit Phantom Herb.

Without an herbalist accompanying him, he roamed around Mount Meiling.

It was an extremely arrogant action characteristic of Baek Sung-cheon.

He genuinely believed that the stars of destiny were guiding him.

Like the ancient heroes in the classic “Water Margin,” he believed that the stars in the sky led him.

This time, the heavens did not abandon Baek Sung-cheon. He eventually found the Purple Spirit Phantom Herb on his own.

It was a great achievement obtained after wandering Mount Meiling for 15 days.

However, wandering around the mountain was quite a hardship.

Nevertheless, Baek Sung-cheon’s clothes remained neat due to his efforts.

It was thanks to his innate dignity, excellent movement technique, and endless patience.

After severing the wrist of Meiling Fort Leader, Baek Sung-cheon took a step back to avoid the spray of blood.

No matter how skilled he was, it was impossible to avoid all blood splatter during a fierce battle.

Sensing that he had to cut down more people, he tied his hair tightly once again.

His luxurious and sleek black hair symbolized him as the Divine Dragon of Xi’an.

“Aaak, aaahhh!”

The Meiling Fort Leader screamed, clutching his severed wrist.

Until that moment, his subordinates were frozen in place.

It was an incredibly surreal situation.

Thus, they failed to recognize Baek Sung-cheon even after hearing his name.

“K-kill him!”

Only after the Meiling Fort Leader shouted did the bandits charge.

If they had known Baek Sung-cheon’s true identity, they wouldn’t have acted that way.

If they had known he was the Young Clan Head of the Baek Noble Clan.

That at twenty, he became the strongest in Xi’an, creating the profound Heaven’s Shadow Sword Technique, had the qualities of a Great Ancestor, they wouldn’t have dared.

“If you run away, I won’t cut you down.”

It meant that if they didn’t run, he would cut them down. Baek Sung-cheon warned them.

And he did so.

It was still a time shortly after he created the Heaven’s Shadow Sword Technique.

The incomplete sword technique was somewhat crude, and much blood splattered.

However, the sword forged from meteorite steel contained a brilliant Aura Qi. As the sword passed, the bandits’ coarse swords were cut like bamboo.

The sound of metal clashing and screams intersected countless times.

In that strange symphony, the Immortal Divine Sword moved like a beast.

It was like a great tiger rampaging among a pack of wild dogs; this place was the boundary between nirvana and the mundane world.

Before long, all the Green Forest bandits were either dead or had fled.

The young Baek Sung-cheon was aware of two shortcomings.

One was that his hands were merciless and cruel.

Pyuuk—

Amid the sound of metal and screams, the firing of a blowgun was particularly distinct.

Baek Sung-cheon suddenly stopped.

In his left hand, he held the recently fired poison needle.

Cling-

In the silence that had settled, the sound of the poison needle dropping was clearly heard.

In front of Baek Sung-cheon stood Mu Kyung-chun, trembling while holding a blowgun.

His cold gaze swept over Mu Kyung-chun.

A grotesque face distorted by fear and trembling legs.

The pant legs soaked yellow with urine.

“You’re a dirty and disgusting worm.”

Slash.

Mu Kyung-chun’s twisted life ended with his head being severed.

Baek Sung-cheon was aware of his second shortcoming, which was his foul mouth.

“Damn it, blood got everywhere. Like a damn dog.”

He tried to wipe his face, but the blood only smeared more.

Yeon-mi was silently observing Baek Sung-cheon’s actions.

He was a mysterious and strong human.

Although she wasn’t yet familiar with humans, she could sense that Baek Sung-cheon was no ordinary person.

In the meantime, she had expelled much of the poison from her body.

However, she could barely maintain her human form.

Baek Sung-cheon walked towards Yeon-mi with a steady gait.

Yeon-mi felt as if the hairs on the back of her neck were standing on end.

Baek Sung-cheon held a sword in his hand.

Would he harm her like he did the others just now?

Countless thoughts flashed through her mind in a very short time.

Should she resist? Should she run away?

Should she reveal her true form? Her mother had instructed her never to reveal her true form in front of humans.

However, considering the current emergency, it might be better to reveal her true form…

“Stay still. I won’t cut you.”

Baek Sung-cheon, who had stopped in front of Yeon-mi, said that and swung his sword.

Pahk!

Would she have been able to avoid it if she had tried?

The meteorite sword, Shooting Star Fang, struck down beside Yeon-mi’s head.

Yeon-mi turned her head, feeling a sudden presence.

A bright red snake was writhing with its head severed. It was clearly a spiritual creature with horns, unlike an ordinary snake.

The pungent smell of venom indicated that it was far more dangerous than the poison of the Seven-step Snake that had poisoned Yeon-mi.

“They say spiritual creatures are drawn to spiritual herbs,” Baek Sung-cheon muttered as he swung his sword again.

This time, it was aimed directly at Yeon-mi.

Rasp—

However, what was cut was not Yeon-mi but the net that had been restraining her.

With remarkable swordsmanship, he had precisely cut only the net.

Seeing that Yeon-mi remained still, Baek Sung-cheon tilted his head and extended his hand.

Yeon-mi, still in a daze, just stared at Baek Sung-cheon’s hand.

“…Are you curious about this ring?”

Perhaps misunderstanding Yeon-mi’s gaze, Baek Sung-cheon said something strange.

On his ring finger was a ring made of topaz. It was so excessively ornate that it was almost gaudy.

“Isn’t it splendid? I really like this ring.”

“…”

“It’s a gift, haha. I received it as a present.”

It seemed that from the beginning, he wanted to show off the ring to someone.

Yeon-mi had no interest in it.

“…Can you yield the Purple Spirit Phantom Herb to me?”

Baek Sung-cheon tilted his head.

It was an abrupt request, but he neither got angry nor seemed puzzled.

“Sorry, but that’s impossible. I plan to give it to the person who gifted me the ring.”

Then he smiled and said, “Do you intend to take it by killing me?”

Yeon-mi was certain that if she nodded, he would undoubtedly swing his sword.

After briefly considering if she could win, Yeon-mi shook her head.

“Alright. Instead, take this.”

Baek Sung-cheon split open the head of the snake he had killed with his sword.

From within, a bright red crystal-like object emerged.

“If it’s an internal elixir, it shouldn’t be bad. It’s something I can’t use.”

“…”

Yeon-mi didn’t realize she should express gratitude.

But Baek Sung-cheon wasn’t someone who needed thank-yous.

“Just so you know, don’t fall for me.”

“…?”

“I already have a significant other.”

His tone was serious, with no hint of joking.

A typical woman’s reaction would be either disgust or embarrassment.

However, since Yeon-mi wasn’t an ordinary woman, she nodded and replied, “I’ll repay you later.”

“As you wish.”

Baek Sung-cheon nodded without hesitation.

Having recovered enough to move, Yeon-mi stood up.

She took the internal elixir and left without looking back.

Baek Sung-cheon didn’t care about it even then.

He stood in front of the cliff he had climbed.

By now, the sunset was casting its glow over Mount Meiling. The mountains bathed in an orange hue were visible at a glance.

He took a deep breath.

It made his chest swell.

His heart felt light. He had found the Purple Spirit Phantom Herb he wanted.

Killing the bandits and saving the unusual woman were already out of his mind.

“If I go back with this…”

He had a significant other.

The only reason the promising Baek Sung-cheon was still unmarried was because of her.

The woman he loved was suffering from tuberculosis.

She constantly rejected Baek Sung-cheon’s marriage proposals, claiming her illness was incurable.

Baek Sung-cheon didn’t give up or get angry.

Instead, he resolved to cure her tuberculosis. That determination had brought him here.

If he could replenish her yang energy with the Purple Spirit Phantom Herb, her condition would greatly improve.

Then, they could finally get married this time.

“Ajaaaa!” shouted the young Baek Sung-cheon.

After he shouted with joy on Mount Meiling, time flowed like a majestic river.

A considerable amount of time had passed.

Baek Sung-cheon became the greatest swordsman in the world with the prestigious nickname Immortal Divine Sword.

The Evil Cult caused disturbances, and Jianghu fell into chaos.

Nevertheless, he still hadn’t married.

One could call him a young man, but it would be a bit sad to call him middle-aged, though he would nod in agreement.

However, no one saw Baek Sung-cheon as his age.

Because Baek Sung-cheon, who mastered the Immortal Divine Art, did not age at all.

Compared to his energetic days, he had become a bit calmer and his gaze had settled, but his peers were now showing deep wrinkles.

On the other hand, Baek Sung-cheon’s lustrous black hair, tied tightly, and his well-built muscles remained unchanged.

The only difference was that he had entered the Absolute realm and became the best in the world.

And, because his beloved had commented on his speech, he began to gradually change his way of speaking to be more moderate.

Although it made him sound older than his age, he didn’t mind.

His beloved, who was still suffering from tuberculosis, was overjoyed…

Rumble–

Thunder rumbled in the dark clouds.

The sound of raindrops falling heavily was loud.

It wasn’t bad weather for attacking the main base of the Evil Cult.

Thanks to that, they didn’t actually face the Evil Cult Leader.

Throughout the process, a lot of blood was shed, but it was all to send the Immortal Divine Sword and the suicide squad to the Evil Cult Leader.

At this moment, Baek Sung-cheon remembered.

It was the last conversation he had with his beloved.

‘If I return alive, will you marry me?’

The moment he said those words, the retainers were astonished and their mouths dropped open.

When Baek Sung-cheon, flustered, checked the mood, his beloved sighed.

‘I don’t like it.’

‘…’

‘If I say yes here, it feels like you won’t come back.’

One of the retainers whispered to the dumbfounded Baek Sung-cheon.

Baek Sung-cheon nodded hastily and spoke again, ‘Then, if I return alive, I will surely propose to you again… Um, umph.’

His beloved, angry, covered Baek Sung-cheon’s mouth.

With her lips.

‘Stop talking and just go.’

It was the first time he hadn’t been rejected.

Out of over a hundred proposals, it was the first time…!

So he had resolved to return at all costs.

Until that moment, he didn’t know he would be thrown into the air like this.

Thud—!

Defying gravity, Baek Sung-cheon was lifted dozens of feet high before gravity pulled him back down.

As a result, he crashed miserably far from the Cult Leader’s Hall.

Puh-uk, puk.

He bounced a few feet high from the impact and rolled on the ground.

Several ribs were broken, and his left arm was shattered.

Both legs were bent in bizarre directions from being broken.

Surviving such a fall was indeed a stroke of luck.

His vision was red, possibly from burst blood vessels in his eyes.

Blood spilled freely from his mouth. The blood mixed with the falling rainwater, turning the ground pink.

‘It’s warm.’

Despite clearly dying, it didn’t feel that cold.

It wasn’t just his body’s illusion. The ground was indeed warm.

Because the floor was made of red jade that emitted heat naturally.

Even when passing through here, he had thought about taking the red jade back to his clan after killing the Evil Cult Leader.

He thought it would be helpful for his beloved, who suffered from cold hands and feet.

“Heh, heh…”

But was he going to die like this?

As his consciousness grew faint, he lost track of time.

His awareness dimmed. Despite the warmth of the ground, his body grew colder.

When he blinked his eyes open—

There was someone’s foot in front of him.

This was the battlefield between the Evil Cult and the orthodox Murim Alliance.

But the person who appeared didn’t fit in here at all.

It was a woman with blue glowing eyes…

“…Are you human or a ghost?”

It was Yeon-mi, whom he had saved on Mount Meiling long ago, but Baek Sung-cheon did not recognize her.

“Neither, Baek Sung-cheon.”

Though he didn’t know how the woman knew his name, Baek Sung-cheon couldn’t regain his senses.

Yeon-mi spoke softly to the dying Baek Sung-cheon.

“It is originally forbidden to interfere with the Guardian Sect and those who worship evil gods.”

“What nonsense are you talking about…”

The Guardian Sect. He seemed to have heard the Azure Forest referring to themselves that way before.

Did ‘those who worship evil gods’ refer to the Evil Cult?

“However, a price must be paid. Thanks to you, my mother has awakened.”

“I don’t understand the nonsense you’re spouting…”

Yeon-mi looked down at Baek Sung-cheon with her blue eyes.

“Rise again.”

“…I don’t have the strength to stand.”

“You will be able to stand.”

“Even if I stand…”

The Evil Cult Leader and the Guardian Commanders were strong.

Most of the suicide squad had died, and even the Immortal Divine Sword, who prided himself as the greatest in the world, was defeated.

“Even if I stand, I can’t win.”

“…The heavens,” Yeon-mi whispered softly, “The heavens will help you.”

Did she mean that the heavens, filled with dark clouds, would help?

Baek Sung-cheon wanted to sneer.

If the heavens were watching, they should have helped a long time ago.

If the heavens knew justice, there shouldn’t be people like the Evil Cult, and good people like his beloved shouldn’t be suffering from tuberculosis.

However, Baek Sung-cheon couldn’t mock Yeon-mi.

Because he finally lost consciousness.

The last sensation he felt was something warm enveloping his entire body.

“…”

He thought he was dead.

He thought he had finally found peace.

Realizing that it wasn’t so, and that he was still bound to the earth, came with excruciating pain.

Baek Sung-cheon was standing on his two feet.

Considering that his legs were broken, it was impossible.

Moreover, both hands were gripping a sword, and he had returned to the Cult Leader’s Hall, where he had just been fighting the Evil Cult Leader.

The Evil Cult Leader and the Guardian Commanders were all staring at him.

Their eyes were filled with shock.

The Evil Cult Leader, dressed in black robes, screamed, “Where are Heuk-am and Mang-hon!”

Baek Sung-cheon couldn’t hear properly due to the ringing in his ears.

He was too busy trying to grasp the situation.

“How did you come back! You stubborn bastard!”

For some reason, it seemed he had been given another chance.

Even a bit of his depleted true energy had returned.

“Guardian Commanders!”

The Guardian Commanders surrounded Baek Sung-cheon.

The situation was as hopeless as before.

Even when his body was perfectly fine and the suicide squad members were alive, they couldn’t handle these enemies.

“Kill that persistent bastard! This time, cut off his limbs and behead him!”

But did that mean he would give up?

Of course not.

Baek Sung-cheon quietly raised his sword.

Using his supreme ultimate technique, he would take at least one, hopefully two more lives of the Guardian Commanders.

The indifferent heavens wouldn’t help him this time either, but it didn’t matter.

The Guardian Commanders leapt into the air simultaneously.

It seemed as though black shadows were engulfing Baek Sung-cheon.

“Huuu…”

He exhaled what might be his last breath in this life.

Baek Sung-cheon smiled faintly.

And finally, the heavens responded to him.

The energy of the Heavenly Thunder White-Tailed Fox that had been dwelling within him resonated with the stormy sky.

Flash—

A bright light enveloped the backs of the Guardian Commanders soaring in all directions.

A bolt of lightning descended from the dark clouds covering the sky.

As it descended, it branched out like roots, splitting into hundreds of lightning bolts.

The lightning instantly incinerated the bodies of the Guardian Commanders and converged on the meteorite sword, Shooting Star Fang, which Baek Sung-cheon had raised.

Crack-crack-crack-rumble—

The thunder that could tear the world apart followed immediately after.

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