Chapter 140. Trying to Row a Boat On Land (11)

One of the masked men—the Saber King, one of the three Heavenly Martial Kings alongside the Forgetful King—casually glanced at the Night Spear Devil before leaping toward Si-Hyeon.

“NO! Si-Hyeon!” the Palm Martial Emperor shouted desperately. However, he was too far away to do anything.

However, the Night Spear Devil was close enough.

A bitter smile spread across his face as he circulated his qi, putting as much power into his legs as he could possibly muster.

Realizing the meaning behind the Night Spear Devil’s smile, the Palm Martial Emperor’s heart skipped a beat, as if a lightning bolt had struck him.

“N-NO!!!”

The Night Spear Devil exploded forward at a speed that was hard even for his peer to follow. Naturally, the movement technique of an Absolute Master that was going as far as to burn his own cultivation for more power was not something to be underestimated.

Even the Saber King, who had crossed beyond the Absolute Master level, could not help but be taken aback.

Squelch!

The Saber King’s saber plunged into the Night Spear Devil’s chest.

As the Night Spear Devil used his body to blow the attack meant for Si-Hyeon, the Saber King used his free hand to throw a blast of palm force past the Night Spear Devil.

At the same time, the Night Spear Devil was barely able to move his lips as he moved toward the saber stuck in his chest.

“Got you.”

With a low grunt, the Night Spear Devil gripped the saber in his chest with one hand and mustered up all the strength in his being to thrust forward the spear in his other hand.

Squelch!

Blood spurted from the Saber King’s chest.

As he felt the excruciating pain of being skewered by a spear, the Saber King saw Si-Hyeon tumble forward, hit on the back by his palm force.

The other masked man, the Sword King, ran forward to the Saber King’s aid. However, just as his sword was about to separate the Night Spear Devil’s head from his body, he suddenly turned around and thrust his sword in the opposite direction instead.

Squelch!!!

His sword plunged through Sang-Woon’s heart!

The next moment, the Palm Martial Emperor spat the blood welling in his throat at the Sword King’s face, like a fountain spewing water, before swinging his left palm viciously at the Sword King’s heart.

Flustered by the sudden redness that blocked his vision, the Sword King closed his eyes and raised a qi barrier to block the Palm Martial Emperor’s left palm.

However, at that very moment, the Palm Martial Emperor’s other palm struck the Sword King’s abdomen.

Thud!

This was what they called sounding the horn in the east only to attack in the west!

The Sword King had wholly fallen for Sang-Woon’s tactics.

The Palm Martial Emperor had anticipated that the Sword King’s instinctive reaction after being blinded would be to raise a shield to protect himself from the following attack; thus, he had forcefully attacked with his left hand, qi blazing outward from his palm. With his left hand taking in all of the attention, he then insidiously hid qi in his right palm and attacked at the same time.

His palm, not covered by any qi, landed gently on the Sword King’s abdomen, injecting a stream of qi into it that exploded instantly!

Blood flowed from the Sword King's mouth.

His eyes narrowed and he gave the Palm Martial Emperor a cold gaze before leaving the hall with the Saber King, who was just as injured as he was.

‘Damn it. I thought we would be able to win easily if we showed our true power. This stupid pride almost killed us.’

[1]

In any case, there was no chance of the Night Spear Devil and the Palm Martial Emperor surviving. Consoling himself with that fact, the Sword King immediately left in order to heal himself. He was famous for putting safety first.

Meanwhile, Si-Hyeon struggled to her feet and staggered toward the final stone chamber where the final seal was located—this time, it was an onyx.

She was able to endure her wounds due to the incredible recovery and tenacity granted by the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, an art so famed for its recovery abilities that it was also called the Heavenly Demon Immortal Divine Art.[2]

Once the Heavenly Demon Divine Art was cultivated to the highest level, the user would never truly face death unless they took a fatal blow directly to the heart or they were beheaded.

“Stop her, no matter what!”

With the Sword King’s command, the remaining Martial Ministers ran after Si-Hyeon. Behind them, the Heavenly Demon Dark Soul Squadron and Bright Sword chased after them relentlessly.

As the three parties ran forward at a desperate speed they themselves hadn’t thought possible, Woo-Moon’s guttural cry of sorrow echoed throughout the chamber.

“GRANDFATHER!!!”

***

As he ran through the chambers after defeating Sang Moon-Jong, Woo-Moon suddenly stumbled upon a man in golden robes.

It seemed as though the man had been in a battle just now; like Woo-Moon’s, his robes were soaked in blood.

Suddenly, Woo-Moon could feel the hair on his back rise.

‘Strong!’

His instincts, the qi of the Forbidden Divine Art, every fiber of his being shouted that word.

Biting his lip, Woo-Moon spoke to Ma-Ra and Eun-Ah.

“No matter what happens, don’t get involved.”

“No.”

“I am not asking you, I am

telling

you. No matter what happens, you will not get involved,” Woo-Moon said in a stern tone.

It was only after hearing the force and determination in his voice that Ma-Ra eventually nodded her head and acquiesced, while Eun-Ah cried softly and retreated behind her.

The Forgetful King looked at Woo-Moon with a bored gaze.

“I wondered how you would be, considering I kept hearing your name, but, as expected, you were just a piece of trash. To think you haven’t even become an Absolute Master yet.”

Although the words were insulting, Woo-Moon didn’t have the luxury to become angry.

He simply took a long, deep breath, calmed his mind, and raised his sword with a firm grip.

“Ha!”

He who moves first always wins!

That was the only thing Woo-Moon could think of right now.

From his hands, the most perfect and outstanding Northern Blizzard he had ever unleashed emerged.

Clink!

That was all.

Woo-Moon’s strongest technique yet only resulted in a tiny bell-like tinkle as his sword made contact with the small throwing knife in the Forgetful King’s grasp.

He blocked Woo-Moon’s technique with the same amount of strength it would take one to touch a flower.

Squelch!

Before Woo-Moon realized it, blood began to gush out from his left shoulder, where a throwing knife was now embedded.

Bang!

The Forgetful King kicked Woo-Moon and sent him flying, all the while looking down at him with contempt in his eyes.

“Trash of the

murim.

You’re not worth my time. Heavenly Dippers, clean up this trash and follow me.”

As the Forgetful King left the room with a disdainful sneer, twelve of the Seventy-Two Heavenly Dippers who hadn’t yet appeared rushed toward Woo-Moon.

Overcome with humiliation and resentment, Woo-Moon stared at the Forgetful King’s back with bloodshot eyes.

He could never have imagined that Northern Blizzard, the perfect form of a technique of the Gentle Celestial Sword, could be blocked so easily.

‘Trash of the

murim

...’

Woo-Moon didn’t even feel the knife in his shoulder—he’d been hurt much worse than this in the past. Yet he could not overcome the mental shock he felt: the absolute best attack he had ever produced in his life, which even an Absolute Master could not have taken unscathed, had just been blocked by a tiny knife, and his opponent found him nothing more than a waste of time.

Ma-Ra stepped forward to protect him, hurling her Silver Moon Discs and throwing knives while shooting her wrist crossbows. However, none of her efforts were worthwhile; not a single one of her attacks was able to strike any of the twelve Heavenly Dippers.

Moreover, Woo-Moon was unable to raise his qi in any way at the moment due to the internal injuries he had suffered at the hands of the Forgetful King.

However, in this desperate situation where he couldn’t even open his mouth for fear of worsening his internal injuries, an unexpected rescuer appeared.

“You damn Martial Heaven bastards!”

With an enraged roar, the blood-soaked Blood Heaven Asura Squadron appeared and began to battle the twelve Heavenly Dippers.

The fortunate thing was that out of the twelve Heavenly Dippers present, only two of them ranked highly. Thus, thanks to the exemplary performance of the Blood Heaven Asura Captain Hwi Ji-Gang, a tense balance was maintained.

Taking advantage of that opportunity, a Silver Moon Disc flashed!

“Agk!!”

One of the Heavenly Dippers was beheaded, while another only just barely dodged it and ended up with a severed arm.

“What the hell are you doing just sitting there? Weren’t you the one who blasphemed the Heavenly Maiden by calling her junior sister? Weren’t you the one bragging about saving her? Then what the fuck are you doing here now?! Go! We’ll hold them back for you,” Hwi Ji-Gang shouted.

Of course, he wanted to go and save the Heavenly Maiden himself. However, even though he hated to admit it, Woo-Moon was stronger. The logical step was allowing him to head there first.

By now, Woo-Moon had finally managed to stabilize his qi, and he let out a deep breath.

“Understood. Thank you. I won’t forget this!” he shouted while leaping further into the mound.

Hwi Ji-Gang’s voice drifted in from behind them. “It’s fine if you forget it! You came to help us fight against Martial Heaven, so all we’re doing is repaying the favor!”

“No, to me, she’s more precious than life itself. I’m forever indebted to you.”

Hwi Ji-Gang could hear the sincerity in Woo-Moon’s voice. It seemed that Woo-Moon truly considered their Heavenly Maiden his junior sister, and she was more precious to him than anyone else.

Although she was one person, she meant different things to different people.

That was what it meant to have a natural relationship between the world and humanity.

Even in the midst of the fierce battle, Hwi Ji-Gang was able to gain some insights from Woo-Moon’s words. The next moment, his sword swept through the Heavenly Dippers with renewed fierceness and power.

After leaving the chamber, Woo-Moon ran through the maze for a minute before finding traces of Si-Hyeon.

As Woo-Moon and Ma-Ra were together and able to combine their tracking skills, they were able to navigate the maze faster than the Forgetful King and catch up with Si-Hyeon, the Palm Martial Emperor, and the others without once taking the wrong path.

And they were there just in time to witness...

***

One sight.

One scene, one figure falling.

Saying that Woo-Moon “saw” the scene is not exactly appropriate... rather, it bypassed the eyes to be seared directly into his brain.

He would never forget this for the rest of his life. And the next life too.

And how could he?

The person he respected the most, his role model, and his goal was dying.

Moreover, the person who had just stabbed his grandfather through the heart had disappeared down another passway without even noticing him, while the others had also left in pursuit of Si-Hyeon.

He couldn’t just stand still like this.

No.

He couldn’t just stare blankly.

He had to keep running forward.

He had to save his grandfather.

All of these thoughts raced through his mind as he tried to move his body.

But, strangely enough, everything felt like it was crawling at a snail’s pace.

He pumped every bit of qi into his legs, struggling to use his movement art to get there even just half a second sooner. Yet his body wouldn’t move.

It was frustrating.

It was just... So. Damn. Frustrating.

Tears slowly flowed down his cheeks as he tried to force his stiff legs to do something.

It was only natural that Woo-Moon thought everything moved at a snail’s pace. At this very moment, his brain was racing at a speed tens of thousands of times its normal pace due to the shock of the scene before him.

In his eyes was reflected the scene of the Palm Martial Emperor falling down very slowly, staring at the person who had stabbed him with a sword as the latter turned and left.

‘Faster, faster! I have to save him!’

The desire that screamed from every fiber of his being became an unsurpassable will that couldn't be matched, destroying, distorting, and eventually surpassing reality itself.

His body and qi were finally moved by his will.

Then, finally, he was able to see the world at a normal speed. Not because the world had changed, but because he had.

The Absolute Realm.

He had not only climbed that wall but taken a leap beyond it, reaching even higher.

However, Woo-Moon didn’t have the leisure to worry about things like these.

Before the Palm Martial Emperor reached the ground, Woo-Moon reached him and caught him in his embrace.

“Grandfather!”

Even though Woo-Moon hadn’t realized it, his grandfather noticed it immediately. His grandson had reached him and surpassed him in a single leap. He was so proud of Woo-Moon that he couldn’t even be bothered to care about the hole in his heart, and he let out a hearty laugh.

However, Woo-Moon couldn’t laugh with him.

Tears dripped onto the Palm Martial Emperor’s clothes, which were soaked in blood.

Woo-Moon hurriedly pressed his grandfather’s acupoints and tried to stem the bleeding before raking out medicine after medicine from his pockets.

“It’s fine,” the Palm Martial Emperor said, stopping him.

Woo-Moon shook his head in response, tears streaming down his face.

Even without saying anything, Woo-Moon could tell why his grandfather was stopping him.

“No. I’ll definitely save you, don’t give up!”

The Palm Martial Emperor grabbed Woo-Moon’s hand as he was about to take out a medicinal pill.

“Didn’t you say you wanted to become a Sword Immortal?”

“You’ll be in more danger if your qi is disturbed. Stop talking and save your breath, Grandfather!”

Sang-Woon gathered all of his remaining strength and cupped Woo-Moon’s cheeks with both bloody palms. His usual playful smile returned to his lips, but the gaze in his eyes could not be any more intense.

“My incredible grandson, become a Sword Immortal. Become strong. Become an undefeatable Sword Immortal who will never lose to anyone.”

Those were the final words of the Palm Martial Emperor Baek Sang-Woon.

Born as the second young master of the Iron Sword Baek Family, he had learned the sword on his own before choosing to take the path of a wanderer, learning the art of the palm all by himself, eventually becoming so strong that he earned the title of Palm Martial Emperor through his own merits.

And he was Song Woo-Moon’s grandfather.

The light disappeared from Sang-Woon’s eyes.

“No, no!!! Wake up, Grandfather, please, wake up!”

Although Woo-Moon knew he had to go and save Si-Hyeon, he couldn’t bring himself to do so, as he couldn’t bear to leave his grandfather behind.

It was only after sobbing for a while that Woo-Moon realized that his grandfather would never have wanted him to wallow in despair like this.

He gritted his teeth as he looked at his grandfather’s face—a face that had the same carefree smirk in death that it had always displayed in life.

“I swear before you, Grandfather. I, Song Woo-Moon, will never lose to anyone from now on. I swear that Martial Heaven will meet its end by my hand. Please forgive me for not being able to take care of your remains, but I think you’d want me to take care of Si-Hyeon first. I will come back for you, together with her.”

As Woo-Moon was about to leave the chamber, he heard a low voice.

“I have a favor to ask, little brother,” the Night Spear Devil said.

1. One of my favorite idioms: Pride fuels a flame into an inferno. ☜

2. Different from the Heavenly Demon Immortal Art from Chapter 85. ☜