novelraw Chapter 109 : The Tragedy of Soul Salvation (4)
Chapter 109 : The Tragedy of Soul Salvation (4)
Chapter 109: The Tragedy of Soul Salvation (4)
The dawn mist crept up the mountainside.
Grey waves seeped between the rocks, covering the world. The cold air brushed against his skin.
Jang Unhyeok sat on a rock and took a deep breath.
The cold air filled his lungs deeply. The exhaled breath turned into white steam and scattered into the air.
His hand trembled. The chill of his son’s skin still lingered at his fingertips. That sensation resurfaced like a nightmare.
“Haah!”
He closed his eyes and drew upon his qi.
A hot surge rose from his dantian. Power spread along the meridians throughout his body.
“Heavenly Sound Cult… from today, don’t even think about sleeping peacefully. Until the day I draw my last breath.”
His murmuring voice melted into the mist. The surrounding air responded to his inner qi and turned cold.
“Shall we begin?”
Ssssh!
He summoned the Fire Spirit Warrior.
From deep within his dantian, blazing heat surged. Crimson flames rose before him. The fire swirled, heating the air, and the heat flushed his face with sweat.
A figure gradually formed within the flames.
A massive warrior clad in armor appeared. A red glow flickered from within his helmet.
Jang Unhyeok’s eyes responded to that light and gleamed.
“Come forth, Wind Sword Wolf.”
Power surged in his voice.
A blue wind stormed in from all sides. Leaves danced and were sucked into the vortex.
The wind began to condense.
An unseen force gradually took shape. A nimble martial artist with a sword stepped out from the wind. A blue robe fluttered in the breeze. A cold gleam flashed along the sword's edge.
Lastly, he summoned the Iron-Flame Captain.
From deep within his chest, a heavy force surged. A metallic hammer tore through the air.
Boom!
A dull echo reverberated across the mountain. The rock trembled.
A giant blacksmith emerged from the flames.
The three martial spirits surrounded him. Flame, wind, and iron energies intertwined and swirled together.
Jang Unhyeok rose slowly.
He gripped the sword’s hilt tightly. His fingers turned pale from the pressure.
“Annihilate!”
In an instant, the Fire Spirit Warrior’s flame infused his sword. The blade glowed red. Scorching heat reached up to his wrist.
With his sword in hand, he turned his body. Riding the wind, he charged forward… Wind Sword Wolf’s energy made his body as light as a feather. The sword’s gale formed a whirlwind that split the obstructing rock.
At the moment of impact, the Iron-Flame Captain’s power transferred into the blade. It felt as if its weight had increased tenfold.
Paaang!
Fragments of stone flew in every direction.
The rock collapsed with a thunderous crash.
“Still not enough.”
He gritted his teeth and muttered.
The five Spirit Union Martial Artists of the Jesagun came to his mind. He felt he still wasn’t their match.
He recalled the rankings of the Twelve True Armies. The higher the rank, the more Spirit Union Martial Artists they had. That was the clear measure of power. There wasn’t a single one who ranked low despite having many Spirit Union Martial Artists.
This was something Jang Unhyeok had experienced firsthand.
He was far stronger with Wind Sword Wolf alongside the Fire Spirit Warrior.
First, the qi flowing through his body had more than doubled. The energy surging through his veins burned like fire. When he swung his sword, red flames and blue winds merged into a vortex.
With the Iron-Flame Captain summoned on top of that, the world looked completely different.
The weight of the hammer flowed through his arm. The sword itself felt incomparably heavier. That weight translated directly into destructive force. When the blade slashed through the air, rocks split like tofu. Smoothly severed stones thudded to the ground.
A technique unimaginable before.
He was startled by the sheer force traveling from his wrist to his shoulder.
If he was like this, then what about Jesagun’s Kang Sangho? He had five Spirit Union Martial Artists… His Soul-Summoning Arts, his martial prowess, would be far beyond imagination.
He felt bitter toward Gugwi. With a Spirit Flow Core, he might have been able to bind two more.
But he didn’t voice that disappointment.
Gugwi must have his own reasons. It wasn’t something to pressure him about carelessly.
He buried the bitterness deep in his chest. Instead, he grit his teeth and lifted his sword once more.
Training was the only answer.
Even with the power he had now, he needed to push it to the absolute limit.
The Fire Spirit Warrior breathed even hotter flames. Wind Sword Wolf’s wind grew sharper. The Iron-Flame Captain’s hammer echoed heavier. His sword split the rock again. This time deeper, more precisely.
He transformed his inadequacy into rage. He poured that rage into the tip of his sword. Until the day he avenged his son.
Gugwi watched the scene from afar.
Jang Unhyeok’s training grew more and more intense. Beads of sweat dropped thickly from his forehead.
The sound of shattering stone echoed constantly.
“You asked for more Spirit Union Martial Artists.”
The words escaped between his lips.
But was that truly the right choice? A chain of doubts linked one after another.
Among the Twelve True Armies, eight had four Spirit Union Martial Artists. Why didn’t they add more? There had to be a reason. Something that couldn’t be done so recklessly.
Gugwi’s brows furrowed.
Certainly, with the Spirit Flow Core, one could easily gain Spirit Union Martial Artists. But was that a blessing… or a curse?
Gugwi called out to Yeon Sohye.
“Captain.”
His voice cut through the morning air.
“Why? Because of what the Head said yesterday? Forget it. Right now, he’s thinking only of revenge.”
“No. I wanted to check on your body.”
“My body…? What are you talking about?”
“Check your body, and your Spirit Union Martial Artist. Just wondering if I could.”
Yeon Sohye stared at Gugwi intently.
“You know that sounds like you’re asking me to strip?”
“Can’t I?”
“Of course not. How could you say that?”
Examining her spirit meant examining the color of her spirit energy as well.
It revealed what she usually thought about, what she was interested in, what desires or greed she held. Because all of that changed the color of her spirit.
“Sorry. I spoke without thinking…”
“Hohoho! That’s really something you shouldn’t say… but since it’s you, I’ll allow it. But if you strip me, you’d better be ready to take responsibility.”
“……”
“Hohoho! Don’t look so serious. If you’re worrying because of what the Head said, I want to tell you not to. Here, watch.”
Yeon Sohye closed her eyes and sat down.
Paaang!
Gugwi relied on the Spirit Flow Core to examine her spirit. Blue light flowed from her chest down to her fingertips.
Light wrapped around Yeon Sohye.
Her mind became vividly clear in Gugwi’s vision.
A deep crimson hue… blood-stained scars scattered throughout. Slaughter, curses… seething rage. Outwardly, she was a delicate beauty, pure like grass, yet her soul was riddled with wounds.
This is why Soul-Summoners never show their spirit energy.
Gugwi pushed through the scars and examined the Spirit Union Martial Artists buried deeper within.
So Ryeonghwa, Gale Spirit Guest, and Baek Seonnyeo’s energies were entangled in a complex web.
However… they were not in harmony. The three energies didn’t repel one another, but neither did they blend. So Ryeonghwa and Gale Spirit Guest were slightly closer, while Baek Seonnyeo remained at a distance.
‘This is…!’
A sudden realization struck him.
Spirit energy and Spirit Union must be in balance.
Yeon Sohye hadn’t had Gale Spirit Guest for long. And then Baek Seonnyeo was added. They hadn’t had enough time to become close to So Ryeonghwa. That’s why they were still wary of each other.
This phenomenon grows more severe the more Spirit Union Martial Artists one has.
Add too many branches to a weak-rooted tree, and it collapses. Spirit Union Martial Artists were no different.
‘This… isn’t my problem. It’s hers.’
Gugwi called for Jang Unhyeok.
The three of them gathered around the rocks.
Before them were three small bowls filled with water. Gugwi gathered the three bowls into one.
“How would you combine these into one?”
“Wouldn’t it work if you poured them into a bigger bowl?”
Yeon Sohye replied nonchalantly.
“That’s right.”
Gugwi took a slightly larger bowl and poured in the water from the smaller ones. The contents of two small bowls now sat in one. Then he tried to add the third.
“To merge these, then?”
“What are you trying to say? I get it — the water represents Spirit Union Martial Artists… and the bowl is my vessel?”
Gugwi explained in a calm voice.
“Spirit energy. It has to grow in order to accept more. If you recklessly add Spirit Union Martial Artists, they’ll float around like this unmerged bowl. Right now, even Gale Spirit Guest is floating around. And now Baek Seonnyeo. If you don’t contain all three in a single bowl, it might crack.”
Gugwi forcefully struck the small and large bowls together.
Clang! Clatter!
Both bowls shattered.
“You need to merge the Spirit Union Martial Artists you already have. Only then can you accept new ones. That’s what I’m saying. So… is there no way to get rid of this bowl faster? To turn it into a bigger one sooner?”
Jang Unhyeok’s eyes flashed. Desperation filled his face.
“Training. Harmonization through repeated cultivation.”
Gugwi’s reply seeped into the cold air.
“So, until I grow my spirit energy myself, there’s nothing anyone else can do for me. Fine! I’ll do it. I know the method now. Come on! Check my spirit energy too. It’s been a while since I received Wind Sword Wolf. I want to know if it’s blended well with Fire Spirit Warrior. Iron-Flame Captain probably still floats outside.”
“May I examine your spirit energy?”
“From the moment you saved my son… you became my liege, like Jin Geonmu. There are no secrets from a liege. I’ve never lived my life with shame. I have no secrets I can't show.”
Jang Unhyeok closed his eyes.
—
From that day on… Jang Unhyeok did not rest from training.
He drew his sword among the mist-laden reeds. His shadow stretched long across the rock.
A solitary figure.
The flame of the Fire Spirit Warrior rose, heating the cold air. Steam rose in wisps.
He swung his sword. Flames flowed along the blade.
“Lend me your strength.”
He pleaded in a quiet voice.
The form of the Fire Spirit Warrior flickered briefly. Then Wind Sword Wolf joined in. Fierce winds whipped his robe. The sword’s gale swept across the mountainside.
“I want to know your hearts.”
Jang Unhyeok spoke with yearning.
It had been twenty years since he accepted the Fire Spirit Warrior, and about ten years later, he received Wind Sword Wolf.
Another ten years passed… and now, the Fire Spirit Warrior and Wind Sword Wolf moved as one. Or so he had believed. But… was there still a gap between them? Was it, as Gugwi said, still two bowls, not one?
Now, with Iron-Flame Captain, there were three.
And yet he hadn’t even merged them fully — while already wanting two more.
Sssh!
Wind Sword Wolf’s blade halted briefly.
The Iron-Flame Captain’s hammer resounded. A dull thud echoed deep in his chest. The sword gained immense power… the rock shattered with a crash. Stone dust scattered in all directions.
Judging from that, it seemed they were fully fused.
“Stronger.”
He murmured, desire mingled in his voice.
Sweat poured like rain. But he didn’t stop.
A day passed. Dawn came again. The same training repeated.
His body wore down. The tips of his fingers cracked and bled. But he didn’t let go of the sword.
Gradually, his rhythm with the Spirit Union Martial Artists aligned.
The Fire Spirit Warrior’s flames grew hotter. Wind Sword Wolf’s wind sharper. But he knew this wasn’t something to be resolved in a day or two. He might have to fight the Lord of the True Army in this state.
On the night of the full moon, Jang Unhyeok stood before his son’s grave.
The small mound of stones lay lonely under moonlight. A cold wind blew, fluttering his robe.
His chest ached.
His son’s final image came to mind. That small hand, that final smile.
“Come forth, all of you!”
He summoned the three Spirit Union Martial Artists.
Fire Spirit Warrior, Wind Sword Wolf, Iron-Flame Captain… the three stood around him. The cold night wind brushed his cheeks.
“I will never forget your pain. For life.”
His voice trembled.
Rage mixed with his inner qi and exploded within his body.
The energies of the Spirit Union Martial Artists grew more intense. They too resonated with his anger.
The Fire Spirit Warrior’s flames rose higher. Ferocious enough to burn the sky. Wind Sword Wolf’s winds blew more fiercely. Trees around them swayed. Iron-Flame Captain’s hammer echoed heavier. The ground shook.
“Jesagun Kang Sangho.”
The moment he spoke the name, killing intent enveloped his entire body. The surrounding air chilled to the point of freezing.
Srring!
He drew his sword.
Moonlight reflected coldly off the blade. Flames of vengeance blazed in his eyes.
He knelt before the grave.
“Son, your father will avenge you. Without fail.”
A small promise rode the night wind.
The flowing river seemed to bear witness to his resolve. The flame of vengeance would never go out. Not until it burned Jesagun to ashes.