novelraw Chapter 26 : Chapter 26
Chapter 26 : Chapter 26
Chapter 26 - Diancang Treasure Red Seal
“Eheheh.”
A man wearing a suspicious mask rubbed his palms together and looked at the safe.
Anyone would see it as a thief delighting in his stolen goods.
Who, upon seeing this thief, would think he was the ‘World’s Fastest Sword’ of the past?
“What do you mean, a thief! What’s wrong with the Diancang Sect’s Number One Sword taking what belongs to the Diancang Sect!”
Biyoung, who had shouted at the sky, looked down at the safe again.
“I have to finish this before Grandfather wakes up.”
It was still a long way until dawn, but the situation was better than under the new moon.
Biyoung, lest someone snatch it away, placed the safe right next to him and circulated the Profound Heaven's True Energy Unification Art.
Seuseuseuseu…….
He hadn't particularly wasted his internal energy in the process of taking the safe.
This wasn't about replenishing his lacking internal energy, but a process of drawing up the true energy within his body.
To cut through Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron, a simple Sword Aura was not enough.
Biyoung, who had finished circulating his energy, licked his lips and scratched the back of his head.
“Tsk. Just like when I opened the stone gate. I’ve been overexerting myself a lot lately.”
If possible, he wanted to use his strength only within the permitted range.
His internal energy was improving by leaps and bounds without him needing to overdo it.
The spotlessly pure Dantian, Hyeokri Chong's spiritual medicine, and the Diancang Sect's secret art, the Profound Heaven's True Energy Unification Art, were all intertwined, causing his internal energy to grow day by day.
But, today, that wasn't enough.
“My Dantian won’t last at this rate because of this damn sect! Aaargh!”
Biyoung once again vented his frustration at the sky.
No matter if all the masters had disappeared.
How could a perfectly fine prestigious sect of the Nine Sects One Union be ruined overnight?
If at least a few guys had remained, he wouldn't have had to resort to thievery or overexert his internal energy!
Sect Leader.
That’s why I told you we should leave one or two people at the main mountain.
They weren't much help in battle anyway!
Biyoung, who had been fuming for a moment, soon closed his eyes and focused his mind.
“Heup.”
Wooooong!
With Biyoung’s short cry, the Diancang Sect’s sword responded.
The gradually brightening dawn.
A halo of light resembling it bloomed on the sword.
If a passing martial artist had seen it, they would surely have been astonished.
A boy who still looked young was activating Sword Aura.
But.
Biyoung’s final goal was not Sword Aura.
“Haap!”
Internal energy burst out from his Dantian like a waterfall.
So much so that he worried his Dantian would soon be completely empty.
It was the largest amount in Biyoung’s entire life.
Jureuk.
A trickle of blood seeped out from the corner of his mouth.
He was starting to have problems as he was drawing and using internal energy beyond his limit.
Biyoung clenched his teeth and focused his mind.
He had never used this with his current body, but the sensations of the past remained fully intact.
Woooong…….
Instead of expanding the white, shining Sword Aura, he pushed it back into the sword.
The internal energy created in Biyoung's Dantian became Sword Aura, and was then sucked back into the blade.
The unique secret art of the Diancang Sect that distinguished it from other sects.
Now, after 15 years.
It was about to bloom in this world again.
Woooong…….
The sword began to make a strange crying sound.
The blade, which had been shining white, turned as black as jet.
It was as if all the darkness that had taken root the previous night had been concentrated and contained in the sword.
Vacuum Sword.
The martial art of the Diancang Sect, infamous for its notoriety, had finally returned to the world of Jianghu.
Bureureu.
The sword held by Biyoung continued to vibrate finely, as if it had come to life.
A very small tremor that would be hard to feel unless you were the user, Biyoung.
But it was a Sword Vibration that was said to make even the masters of Jianghu turn pale once it was revealed.
Jureuk.
This time, a nosebleed trickled down Biyoung’s philtrum.
Biyoung held onto his fading consciousness and focused his mind.
No matter how much he had cleared the Conception and Governor Vessels, activating the Vacuum Sword at this stage was a very dangerous thing to do.
The reason he could even imitate the Vacuum Sword like this was thanks to the experience he had accumulated through countless real battles in his past life.
He couldn't instantly execute the Vacuum Sword due to a lack of internal energy, but if he flowed his internal energy in like this, one stitch at a time, he could eventually create a similar form.
‘It only needs to be once anyway.’
Biyoung gritted his teeth and knelt on one knee in front of the safe.
All his energy was gathered in the blade, to the point where his body staggered with that small movement.
Bureureu.
A name given because it was said to cut through space.
Biyoung tightly gripped his trembling hand and swung one arm with all his might.
Finally, the Vacuum Sword cut through the middle of the Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron.
Sarak!
Hard iron.
Not just hard iron, but the incredible Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron.
Since a sword and iron had collided, a sharp sound that would make one's ears ache should have been heard.
But a soft friction sound that was unthinkable for cutting iron tickled his ears.
At the same time, as if on cue, the doors of the safe opened wide.
If Jang Pae had seen this sight, he might have foamed at the mouth and wailed, “Tha-tha-tha-that!”
The safe, which hadn't even been scratched after being struck hundreds of times with that huge sword, had opened so easily.
“………….”
Biyoung, who had confirmed that the door was open, slowly closed his eyes.
He was extremely curious about the contents inside, but for now, healing his internal injuries was the priority.
“Ulk!”
Not long after executing the Profound Heaven's True Energy Unification Art, dark red blood flowed out in streams.
It was a very precarious sight, but Biyoung's face looked rather relieved.
“Good thing I wore the thief outfit. If I had worn the new clothes Grandfather got me, I would have had to throw them away immediately.”
Fortunately, it wasn't to the extent of damaging his Dantian or his innate true energy.
Biyoung let out a sigh of relief, thinking he had gotten off cheap.
Something he couldn't have even dreamed of without his past life's experience and his innate talent.
It was a good thing he used it to open the safe; if it had been a real battle, he would have been pierced by a sword before he could even bring out the Vacuum Sword.
Biyoung vowed not to use the Vacuum Sword for a while and picked up the safe.
What on earth was inside this?
What was in it that it was wrapped in Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron, more expensive than a thousand gold pieces, and buried deep in the ground?
“Hm?”
The inside of the safe was simpler than he thought.
A few books and a folded piece of paper.
And a small wooden box was all.
Because the contents were so modest, the inside felt empty despite the safe not being very large.
Biyoung, who had checked the inside, frowned.
“Gold trinkets! Where are the gold trinkets!?”
The safe felt light, so he had a bad feeling, but the things Biyoung wanted were nowhere to be seen.
Where did all the shiny things go, and what was with these scraps of books?
“No! If you were going to go through all the trouble of making it, you should have stuffed it with some expensive things!”
Biyoung spouted words that would have made the Sect Leader faint if he heard them, and took out the things inside the safe.
And soon, Biyoung, who had confirmed the titles of the books, lit a torch in his eyes.
“!”
Those weren't just scraps of books.
They were manuals containing not only basic martial arts, but also the secret arts of the Diancang Sect, neatly arranged.
Why would they put the Diancang Sect's martial arts in a safe?
Let's think.
When this safe was made, the Diancang Sect had not yet been annihilated.
Manuals would have been plentifully shelved in the library of the Martial Arts Hall.
There was no reason to store them wrapped up so tightly like this.
But inside the safe were the martial arts that could be called the core of the Diancang Sect.
As if,
“As if they had predicted that the Diancang Sect would be attacked in the future…….”
Biyoung's expression hardened rapidly.
He quickly unfolded the folded paper.
The moment he confirmed the contents, the hand holding the paper trembled faintly.
The future of the sect is like a candle in the wind.
We are endangered by enemies on all sides, yet no one extends a hand to help.
A storm may soon blow here on Diancang Mountain.
If you are one who will carry on the will of this sect, you will carry on the meaning contained herein,
If you are unrelated to the sect, I hope you will bury this back in the ground.
Please.
I earnestly hope that this reaches the one who will inherit the eagle's sword. -Eung Jinsan
Eung Jinsan.
The 38th Sect Leader of the Great Diancang Sect, and the last Sect Leader.
It was a very difficult position, and his personality was the complete opposite of Biyoung's, so they hadn't had many private meetings.
But in the way he looked at Biyoung from time to time, there was an indescribable trust and faith.
‘I am merely doing the work of following in the footsteps. The fact that the Diancang Sect's fame has grown in my generation is thanks to the ‘World's Fastest Sword’ and his junior brothers.’
When Eung Jinsan talked with his junior brothers of the same generation, he would repeat the same words like a habit.
Of course, it was never conveyed to the World's Fastest Sword, lest his ego soar to the heavens.
Even without much conversation between them, the ‘World's Fastest Sword’ would unconditionally trust and follow the Sect Leader's words, and Eung Jinsan also felt full even without eating whenever he saw Biyoung.
The content of the letter was simple and concise, just like him, who was usually taciturn and single-minded.
But Biyoung felt the anguish that he must have felt as the Sect Leader keenly.
‘As expected, the Sect Leader knew.’
As written in the letter, it seemed the Diancang Sect had been threatened by enemies on all sides.
There was no sect in the world of Jianghu that didn't have a main enemy.
Even Shaolin, considered to be infinitely benevolent, had its rivals.
With all the first-rate swordsmen of the Diancang Sect, which was already composed of a small elite, gone, there could have been no better opportunity for the groups that had been targeting the Diancang Sect.
‘No sect helped? Does that make sense?’
Strength entered Biyoung’s faintly trembling hands.
Why was the Nine Sects One Union called the Nine Sects One Union?
Wasn't it for the prestigious orthodox sects to join forces and walk the path of righteousness?
Of course, they too must have suffered losses in their fight against the Heavenly Demon.
But, the damage couldn't have been as great as the Diancang Sect's.
This side had scraped together every last person, even up to the elders, and sent them into the war.
“It wasn't just one or two sects, but the entire union that wanted the Diancang Sect's destruction?”
It was not something he could rashly jump to conclusions about.
But it was a clear fact that no one had actively helped when the Diancang Sect was in crisis.
“I will dig up every single thing, and make them pay the price.”
With blazing eyes, Biyoung carefully folded the Sect Leader's letter.
“The last one is this…… what is this.”
It was a shabby wooden box with no particular decoration.
A simple and small wooden box, the kind that might hold a little girl's accessories.
But Biyoung had a feeling that what was contained inside was no ordinary object.
The manuals containing the Diancang Sect's martial arts and the Sect Leader's own handwritten letter.
Since items of extreme importance had come out before, the object inside the wooden box must also be of great significance.
Click.
Biyoung opened the wooden box and checked the contents inside.
Indeed.
The item did not betray Biyoung's expectations (?).
“!!!”
Neither the Sect Leader's letter nor the Diancang Sect's manuals had surprised him this much.
Biyoung trembled all over as if he had been electrocuted.
Biyoung's eyelids twitched as he looked at the item in his hand.
“Di-Di-Diancang Treasure Red Seal?????”
Diancang Treasure Red Seal.
A seal the size of a child's fist, carved from a rare red jade.
It was the greatest treasure of the Diancang Sect, a symbol of power, used to stamp when the Sect Leader of the Diancang Sect delegated authority.
If Hyeokri Chong's spiritual medicine was an item for preparing to become the Sect Leader, it would not be strange to call the Diancang Treasure Red Seal the Sect Leader's alter ego.
The one who possessed the Diancang Treasure Red Seal would be the representative of the Diancang Sect to all the martial artists throughout the Jianghu.
“First the Heaven-Shaking Divine Pill, and now the Diancang Treasure Red Seal in my hands……”
Could this really be called a coincidence?
Biyoung slowly clenched the Diancang Treasure Red Seal in his hand and looked up at the sky.
Using the achingly blue sky as a canvas, Biyoung drew the face of the Sect Leader from his memory.
What must it have been like to have to create the safe in solitude, having lost all the elite masters of the sect, with no one to help?
‘I’m counting on you…….’
It was only natural that he couldn't hear it, but the Sect Leader's voice brushed past Biyoung's ears, carried by the wind.