novelraw Chapter 179 : Chapter 179
Chapter 179 : Chapter 179
Chapter 179. My wretched fate.
Jin Cheon’s heart as he sprinted toward the Eternal Island was urgent beyond measure.
Fwoosh, fwooosh!
The flames continued to grow fiercer.
The Fire Qi seated in his qi center was so powerful that it couldn't be expressed in words.
If he had to express it, it was as if an active volcano was seated in his qi center.
Perhaps because of that, the Scorching Fire Demonic God state did not deactivate even when he wasn't circulating the Heavenly Demon Divine Qi.
In other words, it was not an exaggeration to say the current Jin Cheon was living fire.
Right now, flames were soaring in every spot Jin Cheon passed, and vegetation was turning into charcoal...
If this state continued, he would become a Fire Demon, and it was clear he would eventually spontaneously combust and burn himself to death.
Because of that, Jin Cheon’s speed running toward the Eternal Island was simply immense.
He had no choice but to run while maintaining the Heavenly Demon Fighting Soul Martial Art Ghost Soul Dance at the maximum possible speed.
‘It’s there.’
In the distance, a lake like a sea was visible.
That lake, called the Sky Mountain Sea, was a precious water resource responsible for the drinking water of all cultists residing in the Divine Land.
Despite being a mere lake, the Sky Mountain Sea boasted a vast area enough to be nicknamed a sea.
Since there were even waves, the martial artists of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult even practiced Water Arts and naval warfare here in the Sky Mountain Sea.
Jin Cheon also remembered polishing Water Arts here in the Sky Mountain Sea during the Blood Wolf Corps course, and passing a hellish selection process while getting hit by waves.
The Eternal Island, one of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult’s Five Great Forbidden Lands and said to contain the essence of Water, was a small island located in the exact center of such Sky Mountain Sea.
“F-Fire Demon!”
“Aaaah!”
The fishermen at the ferry discovered Jin Cheon and shouted in great fright.
Since a person wrapped in deep red flames suddenly came running crazily, it was natural for them to be surprised.
Moreover, weren't they just people engaged in fishing, not martial artists who learned martial arts?
“Boatman!”
Jin Cheon shouted toward an old boatman.
“I-Isn't it the Seventh Young Master? Ugh!”
The boatman suffered, unable to withstand the heat as Jin Cheon approached.
Even Danmok Cheong and the Seventh Divine Demon Squad, whose martial arts were high, dared not approach Jin Cheon, so how much more for an elderly boatman who didn't know martial arts?
“I will borrow the boat for a moment!”
“H-How could I refuse?”
“And this is the boat fare!”
Jin Cheon took out a gold ingot from the sleeve of the Nine-headed Dragon Robe and threw it to the boatman.
“I am overwhelmed with gratitude!”
The boatman bowed flat toward Jin Cheon.
One gold ingot was more than enough to pay for renting a worn-out rowboat.
It was money enough to buy a hundred half-rotten rowboats and have some left over, so for the boatman, it was practically a windfall.
“Then, I’m off!”
As soon as he paid the fare, Jin Cheon got on the ferry and rowed with all his might toward the center of the Sky Mountain Sea, that is, the Eternal Island.
However...
Crackle!
Fwoosh!
“...Son of a bitch.”
Jin Cheon turned his head at a sudden sound and spat out a curse seeing the boat burning furiously.
Because the heat of the Scorching Fire Demonic God was hot and the spewing flames were so fierce, the rowboat couldn't withstand it.
“Sigh.”
Jin Cheon sighed deeply.
His heart was urgent because the Fire Qi was rampaging, but to think the boat would burn up...
‘Let’s go as far as I can for now.’
Jin Cheon continued to row and row again, regardless of whether the boat burned or not.
Of course, since Jin Cheon was knowledgeable in Water Arts as well, it wouldn't be a problem even if he swam.
In fact, that might be faster.
However, the reason Jin Cheon bothered to rent a rowboat and row was that the Sky Mountain Sea was such a wide lake.
Would it be nicknamed a sea for nothing?
Since the Sky Mountain Sea was a lake with an area comparable to a city beyond a mere county, he dared not even guess how severe the stamina consumption would be to swim there.
So Jin Cheon rowed as hard as possible.
Since the boat was scheduled to burn and sink anyway, the intention was to advance further forward until then at least.
However...
Snap!
The oar, which had turned to charcoal before he knew it, broke in Jin Cheon’s grasp.
“...My wretched fate.”
Jin Cheon blanked out for a moment at the absurdity, then jumped into the Sky Mountain Sea as if there was no other way.
Sizzle!
White steam rose and the area near where Jin Cheon submerged boiled.
‘It’s actually better.’
Jin Cheon’s expression became somewhat comfortable.
The cold water temperature of the Sky Mountain Sea seemed to cool down his hot body to some extent.
Although it was no more than peeing on frozen feet since it was just cold water, he felt much better, so he thought that was enough.
‘No other choice. Have to swim.’
Was there ever a time when it was comfortable?
Instead of laying out useless complaints, Jin Cheon gritted his teeth and swam in the direction of the Eternal Island.
It was an eccentric act unprecedented in the history of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, swimming across that vast Sky Mountain Sea.
* * *
While the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was achieving successive splendid feats thanks to Jin Cheon’s activity, reorganization of the power structure was in full swing in the Central Plains.
First, in Sichuan, the alliance of the Sichuan Tang Clan and Emei Sect was confronting the Qingcheng Sect and growling at each other.
Since Sichuan was geographically isolated even within the Central Plains, the tension was denser than anywhere else.
A volatile situation continued where it wouldn't be strange at all if total war broke out at any moment.
In the midst of that, the Heavenly Dao Alliance, the successor to the Righteous Heavenly Alliance, was in the middle of carrying out reorganization while realigning its forces anew.
Since Shaolin, Emei, Wudang, and the Sichuan Tang Clan withdrew from the Alliance and declared hostility at the same time, it was a very natural sequence.
And in the midst of that, an event that shook the situation of the Central Plains occurred...
“How could such a thing...!”
The Alliance Leader, Sword Saint, was truly greatly surprised receiving the urgently uploaded report.
Though one might ask if there could be another surprising thing when the Demonic Prison incident had exploded, reality was not so easy.
“Usurpation of the throne...”
According to the report, an event occurred where the Prince of Ming Ju Hyu, one of the many crown princes and a feudal king, assassinated the Emperor and called himself the Son of Heaven.
In that process, most of the Imperial relatives as well as the Crown Prince and other feudal kings were assassinated, so it was a situation where it was not an exaggeration to say the Prince of Ming Ju Hyu had practically become the new Son of Heaven.
The problem was that this series of events happened in just three days, so even the Heavenly Dao Alliance, boasting powerful information power, was completely unaware.
In the first place, the imperial power was strong and the succession structure was extremely stable, so it was certain that absolutely no one had expected this calamity.
If asked how many people expected that the Prince of Ming Ju Hyu, who was said to be weak and foolish, would usurp the throne, one could declare there wouldn't be a single one under the heavens.
In other words, this incident was truly an unprecedented upheaval no one expected.
And since such a thing had occurred, the Heavenly Dao Alliance couldn't just stay still either.
Government and Murim are non-aggressive?
That was nothing but plausible bullshit.
The reason such words came out was that they usually treated each other like cows looking at chickens because it would only be tiring for both if the government intervened in disputes between martial artists, but the government and Murim were never non-aggressive.
Since ancient times, the government and Murim were more closely related than what appeared on the surface, cooperating and sometimes opposing each other.
In the first place, by what means could martial artists, numbering only tens of thousands across the entire Central Plains, raise a banner of revolt against the Imperial Family?
Saying that some huge forces reigned as the hegemon of specific regions was also possible only because there was the tacit permission of the Imperial Family eventually, wasn't it?
“Send a message to the Imperial Family.”
The Sword Saint ordered Ho Jong-ak.
“I will personally have an audience with the new Emperor and solidify the relationship between this Alliance and the Imperial Family.”
The Sword Saint intended to make a connection with the new Emperor through quick decision-making.
Wasn't it because the assassinated former Emperor encouraged Taoism centered on the Zhongnan Sect that the Righteous Heavenly Alliance could rule the Central Plains until now?
As such, visiting the newly ascended Emperor, bowing his head, and revealing his intention to support him was a very wise choice.
Since the Heavenly Dao Alliance had lost trust and its reputation had fallen to the abyss after the Demonic Prison incident anyway, it was also a situation where the Imperial Family’s support was desperate.
“Prepare to go to the Palace. Because cooperation with the new Emperor will be essential for the time being, even if we have to become the dogs of the Imperial Family.”
“Yes, Alliance Leader.”
The Sword Saint set out to leave immediately after saying that.
Because he knew too well that bowing his head to the Emperor faster than anyone else was more urgent than anything.
* * *
Splash, splash!
Jin Cheon emerged from the water surface.
Sizzle!
White steam spewed out from Jin Cheon’s body.
“...I'm going crazy.”
Jin Cheon lay spread-eagled on the cold ice floor in an exhausted state.
He couldn't even guess how long he had swum.
It seemed he had swum for nearly ten shijin (20 hours)...
‘This is big trouble. I’m getting more and more tired.’
His stamina was at rock bottom, but the active volcano seated in his qi center was still explosive.
Fwoosh, fwooosh!
Since Fire Qi spewed out naturally and flames rose as soon as he got out of the water, it was a self-evident fact that it was dangerous if this continued.
“First... have to go...”
Jin Cheon raised his body with difficulty.
He hadn't reached the Eternal Island yet.
There were still a few more li left to the Eternal Island.
However, the reason he could stand on the ground with his two legs was that the Cold Qi flowing out from the Eternal Island was so strong that it froze the water of the Sky Mountain Sea.
Because of that, the surroundings of the Eternal Island were made of thick and hard ice sheets several inches thick even in midsummer, so it was possible to reach the Eternal Island without bothering to swim.
Of course, that was assuming one could withstand the Cold Qi of the Eternal Island.
In that sense, it was not a bad situation for Jin Cheon.
The surroundings of the Eternal Island boasted severe cold as if in midwinter, but Jin Cheon needed no cold protection measures.
Thanks to the Fire Qi soaring from his qi center, he felt hot rather than cold; he couldn't feel the cold.
Was that why?
‘It’s getting better!’
Jin Cheon felt the Fire Qi, which seemed like it would burst at any moment, subside a little.
Since the Cold Qi of the Eternal Island was so powerful, it seemed able to suppress even the Fire Qi Jin Cheon possessed.
Come to think of it, didn't the Scorching Hell alone have terrifying heat enough to turn ordinary people into black lumps of charcoal as soon as they entered?
This Eternal Island was also the same.
“Crazy.”
Jin Cheon realized the fact that a Forbidden Land wasn't called a Forbidden Land for nothing as soon as he reached the Eternal Island.
Corpses of those who froze to death were scattered here and there in the place that would have been a beach originally.
Seeing that most wore martial arts robes, it was clear they were martial artists who came hoping to obtain a miraculous encounter in the Eternal Island.
Without looking, they must be masters who learned Yin Arts or Ice Arts...
‘I should come back someday and recover the bodies.’
Jin Cheon had no intention of just leaving their corpses alone.
Of course, since they were figures from at least decades to at most hundreds of years ago, they would be different from the current cultists of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, but regardless, the corpses of the dead couldn't be neglected like this.
Anyway, there would be no room for doubt that they were also members of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
‘Let’s go quickly.’
Jin Cheon left the corpses of the frozen dead behind and moved his steps toward the center of the Eternal Island.