novelraw Chapter 144 : Spiritual Realm (2)
Chapter 144 : Spiritual Realm (2)
Chapter 144: Spiritual Realm (2)
After spending a few months in the realm of the Cultivators.
Jang Woo-hyun had obtained two things.
The first was a new alias.
Slayer Sword Demon.
As he split open the heads of every Cultivator he encountered, such a name was inevitable. In the Central Heavens Martial Realm, he had been called Sword Hero, but here, he was the Sword Demon.
The second was adaptation to his body.
Although it couldn’t be called a major battle, as he continued to clash with Cultivators, he had eventually become accustomed to his new body.
Thanks to the Five Elements True Body, Jang Woo-hyun had shed half of his form as a human made of flesh, allowing him to resonate with the energy of nature.
Now, by blending his own energy with the world, he could conceal his presence without even using Secret Flowing Body Technique. Furthermore, by mimicking the energy of Cultivators using the surrounding natural qi, Cultivators no longer saw Jang Woo-hyun as a martial artist.
Disguised as an ordinary mountain dweller, Jang Woo-hyun moved freely through the realm of the Cultivators.
Once he could conceal that he was a martial artist.
Jang Woo-hyun began gathering information to return to the Central Heavens Martial Realm.
He visited small towns and villages, and sometimes kidnapped a few Cultivators to question them. And he came to a perfect conclusion.
‘These bastards are definitely insane.’
The Cultivators settled in the Central Heavens were attacking in every direction.
They captured other races or monsters of the Central Heavens, enslaved them, ground them into alchemical pills, or used them as materials to craft artifacts.
They were lunatics who considered anyone not on the path of cultivation as mere livestock or resources. Cultivators were extremely selfish beings who thought only of themselves.
Suppressing his urge to destroy them all immediately, Jang Woo-hyun continued to travel through the realm of the Cultivators.
As the time spent wandering increased, so too did his accumulation of information about Cultivators.
‘They outnumber the martial artists, and their territory is larger.’
Even at a rough estimate, the territory of the Cultivators was broader than that of the Central Heavens Martial Realm. And there were more individuals who could be called strong.
‘Incarnation, Transcendence, Unity, Great Ascension.’
These were the realms of the Spiritual Realm, equivalent to the four stages of the Central Heavens Martial Realm.
As he had felt before, if comparing purely the magnitude of power, the Spiritual Realm was superior.
However, in terms of combat power or offensive capabilities, the Martial Realm had the upper hand. Martial arts were attack-oriented, while the Cultivators’ cultivation techniques were closer to being all-purpose.
When he had ascended to the Central Heavens through the Flight to the Heavens Gate. The old man in blue, who had felt distinctly different from other Cultivators, was a Transcendence-stage Cultivator.
Including him, Jang Woo-hyun had fought several Transcendence-stage Cultivators over a few months and reached a conclusion. His judgment that martial artists were stronger was not mistaken.
‘I don’t know anything about the Ascension Cult.’
Every time he tortured Cultivators, he asked about the Ascension Cult, but perhaps because it was a secret organization, he could obtain no information about them. The Ascension Cult appeared to be either obscure or completely hidden.
After grasping a rough understanding of the Spiritual Realm and the Ascension Cult, Jang Woo-hyun began searching for a way back to the Central Heavens Martial Realm.
Thus, another two months passed.
Inside an inn.
Today as well, Jang Woo-hyun, disguised as a mountain dweller, focused on the sounds around him. Then he overheard an unexpected conversation.
“The True Immortals have disappeared? Who said that?”
Two people sitting some distance away from Jang Woo-hyun.
Both were humanoid, but one had gray skin and a few small stones embedded in his face, clearly not an ordinary human.
“My friend, this is already widely known. The True Immortals of various sects, or even well-known mountain hermit True Immortals, haven’t been seen at all recently.”
The companion's eyes widened at the gray-skinned man's words.
“No, but why?”
“How would I know? I’m not a True Immortal.”
True Immortals was the term used in the Spiritual Realm for Unity-stage Cultivators.
“With the True Immortals gone, that outrageous bastard is running rampant. Normally, that wouldn’t even be possible.”
“Outrageous bastard? Who’s that?”
“Hah, come now. How can you know so little? There’s only one guy rampaging these days.”
Even at those words, the listener didn’t immediately catch on.
“Slayer Sword Demon. That guy. Isn’t that Martial Realm scum causing havoc in our territory?”
“Oh, that guy.”
At the mention of the name referring to himself, Jang Woo-hyun flinched slightly.
“He’s truly insane. I heard he’s killed over a hundred already. How could such a slaughter ghost run around unchecked?”
“They say he even destroyed a Flight to the Heavens Gate. Because of that, Changyeongmun, who managed that place, suffered a huge ordeal. They even lost one of their Elders and had to take responsibility. What a headache that must be.”
“They also say he shook off a tracker from Changyeongmun. Could that be true?”
At his companion’s question, the gray-skinned man lowered his head and whispered softly.
“I know someone who knows someone… That’s what I heard. The Sword Demon’s skill isn’t ordinary. Still, Changyeongmun is a fairly reputable group. If he took down one of their Elders, he’s no ordinary man.”
“Tch, that bug-like martial artist. I heard even near the edge of the Ghost Hand Palace’s territory, Martial Realm types are causing trouble. Now some lunatic is rampaging not at the border but deep inside.”
The man cursed and twisted his expression. The gray-skinned man, glancing around, pulled his chair closer.
“This is something I heard recently…”
“What is it? Don’t beat around the bush—just say it straight.”
“…They say the Soul Reaper Demon is chasing him.”
The man listening with his ear close immediately straightened up.
“What?!”
“Quiet, quiet.”
Though the man’s startled voice briefly drew attention from those in the inn, the interest soon faded. Only Jang Woo-hyun remained focused on their conversation.
“Is that really true?”
“It is.”
“Hah, no matter how strong the Sword Demon is, that’s too bad for him.”
“Tch, you say that, but think of all the innocent people who died at his hands.”
Jang Woo-hyun’s eyebrows furrowed as he eavesdropped.
‘Soul Reaper Demon?’
The word “Soul Reaper” wasn’t commonly used, but Jang Woo-hyun understood its meaning.
‘A ghost that collects things…’
As “soul reaper” had the nuance of gathering widely, it could also be interpreted as “collector ghost.”
‘…What is it collecting?’
Just from eavesdropping, he couldn’t make sense of it. To gain more information, Jang Woo-hyun refocused on their conversation.
“They say some people have seen the Soul Reaper Demon near here.”
“They saw it directly?”
“No, you know that manor of his…”
“Oh, that strange thing?”
“They say they saw that moving manor nearby.”
‘A moving manor?’
At the peculiar tale, Jang Woo-hyun unconsciously leaned in slightly.
“They say the whole manor is made of artifact and has legs. Could that really be true?”
“That much I’m not sure about. Anyway, someone’s seen it.”
“Isn’t it just a rumor?”
“Come now, who would make up a rumor like that?”
The gray-skinned man, who was speaking, looked around again before continuing.
“The Sword Demon may be a bastard who needs killing, but the Soul Reaper Demon isn’t just some ordinary lunatic either. Who would dare joke using that name?”
The man listening seemed to agree as he nodded.
“But if Changyeongmun couldn’t catch him, could the Soul Reaper Demon?”
“Among the things that one’s collected, there’s probably something excellent at tracking or restraining people. That’s why they’re called the Soul Reaper Demon.”
“Well, makes sense then, why they stepped in.”
The two continued talking a while longer, but no particularly useful information came up.
Shortly after.
Once the conversation ended and the pair left the inn, Jang Woo-hyun stood up too. He intended to capture them and ask more about the Soul Reaper Demon.
As he quickly crossed the inn, he happened to run into a group entering.
‘Martial artists?’
They wore clothing with elaborate patterns and carried swords at their waists.
At first, he thought they were sword-wielding martial artists. But on closer inspection, the aura they gave off differed from martial artists.
Just as there were spellcasters among martial artists in the Central Heavens Martial Realm, some Cultivators specialized in cultivation methods similar to outer techniques called Flexible Technique Methods.
They resembled martial artists—and the ones he encountered now were such cases.
Jang Woo-hyun tried to pass them without concern. However, it seemed the other side thought differently.
“Hey, you there.”
One of the entering group called out to Jang Woo-hyun.
“Mind if we have a word?”
“What is it about?”
“That thing on your waist, is it a sword?”
At the moment, Jang Woo-hyun was keeping Mukya inside the Inner Robe and only wore Yongwangrin at his waist. Since Yongwangrin was a unique type of artifact, he could argue it was not a sword.
“Is that really important right now?”
“Of course it is. If you’re a martial artist, the situation could get complicated.”
“Me, a martial artist? Can’t you tell by looking? I’m a mountain dweller.”
“Well, then, let us at least see the weapon.”
‘What is this?’
There was no reason for suspicion. He was disguised as a mountain dweller—calling him a martial artist was baseless. If his identity had truly been exposed, he wouldn’t still be sitting peacefully in an inn.
Trying to understand their motive, Jang Woo-hyun considered the situation. But nothing came to mind.
As Jang Woo-hyun remained still, not showing Yongwangrin, the man reached for his sword hilt.
“What are you doing all of a sudden?”
If not for his comrade appearing beside him, the man might have drawn his sword.
“My apologies. We’re on the trail of someone, so our nerves are a bit frayed. Please understand. You, too—stop it. Why are you acting like this all of a sudden?”
“Wait. Isn’t it suspicious? He’s wearing a sword despite not being a Cultivator who uses Flexible Technique Methods.”
Rather than being calmed, the man tried to persuade his comrade.
“This is a sword-shaped artifact.”
“Well then, show it so we can confirm.”
In truth, Jang Woo-hyun wanted to split the head of the man in front of him. But doing so here would complicate things, so he suppressed his irritation and looked into the man's eyes.
And he realized.
‘He’s not suspicious at all.’
Eyes glinting with greed.
Though he acted as if suspicious, he wasn’t truly watching Jang Woo-hyun.
What the man’s eyes were fixed on was Yongwangrin. Even his slightly raised lips were brimming with desire.
Only then did Jang Woo-hyun roughly understand the situation.
‘Trying to act tough in their own territory?’
Anyone who used a sword would covet one. It seemed the man had a sharp eye, recognizing the value of Yongwangrin just from its scabbard.
Because Jang Woo-hyun was hiding his power, he must’ve appeared weak. He also didn’t seem affiliated, and being on their turf with companions nearby, the man had decided to steal Yongwangrin.
“And why should I do that?”
“To clear suspicion. Otherwise, you can come with us.”
“To where?”
“You’ll find out when we get there.”
Because of the man’s forceful stance, the rest of his group—who had started entering the inn—turned back and approached Jang Woo-hyun.
Perhaps disputes in inns were common here, as the other patrons began quietly distancing themselves and preparing to watch.
“My companion was being unreasonable. We’ve been chasing a martial artist lately and are on edge. Please understand. Would you mind just showing the sword? Or even something to prove your origin. Even a mountain dweller should have a teacher or place of study, right?”
The long-faced man who had been trying to calm his companion offered a compromise.
“Have you heard of Mount Geumpyung? There’s a small cultivation sect there—I’m from that place.”
As Jang Woo-hyun had gathered information while smashing through Cultivators, he had prepared such stories in case of emergency.
“Mount Geumpyung? You mean Geumpyung of Gokjeong Province?”
One of the group, a plump man, stepped closer.
“Yes. Geumpyung of Gokjeong. Seems someone’s heard of it. Then I’ll be on my way…”
The plump man stepped right up and reached for his sword.
“If it’s Mount Geumpyung, then it must be Red Ghost Sect—and that place teaches Ghost Path Cultivation… but you don’t look the part at all? And that sect’s been gone for quite a while.”
At his words, those around them subtly surrounded Jang Woo-hyun.
‘Was I too sloppy?’
He had underestimated them. He hadn’t encountered any trackers recently, and had been moving comfortably through the Cultivator realm, making him lower his guard.
Annoyance surged in Jang Woo-hyun at his own carelessness and the current situation.
“Sigh.”
Letting out a deep breath, Jang Woo-hyun reached for his sword.
He hadn’t intended to deal with them, but things had gotten twisted.
‘Let’s just go.’
Since it had come to this, he decided to wreck everything.
If his identity was exposed, it would cause a stir in the city—but he was irritated enough not to care anymore.
“Fine, I’ll show you. Take a good look.”
Just as he was about to draw his sword—
“Brother! There you are! I was wondering why you weren’t coming!”
A large-framed man entered the inn and called to Jang Woo-hyun.
‘Brother?’
Jang Woo-hyun turned his head toward the voice. A young man with a broad smile and a large mouth walked in confidently.
Before Jang Woo-hyun could say anything, the big man winked slightly—an angle only visible to him.
“Come on, hurry up. What are you still doing here?”
At the man’s nonchalant words, Jang Woo-hyun slightly furrowed his brow.
‘Who the hell are you?’
The sudden approach of this unknown man pretending to be familiar sparked strong discomfort in Jang Woo-hyun.