The Shadow of the Ghost Ship
A guttural, endless roar split the night!
Darkness itself reached out for us with groping fingers.
Thousands of black hands surged from the void, clawing toward us in a nightmarish tide.
I twisted through the air like a living shadow, dodging every single one with effortless grace.
My movements—Sangun Wolakbi—were flawless. I slipped past the ghost hands without a single scratch.
But Seo Ran’s escape was harder. The golden droplets of his power, born from the union of demonic and dharma energy, helped him burn away the handful of hands clinging to him. He shot upward.
The moment we broke free, the puppets we had shattered earlier rose into the sky with a thunderous roar. They came at us again, blades gleaming.
“Hyung, don’t stop. Keep your eyes on the front only!”
I spat sword energy from both palms, swinging wildly in all directions.
Kwa kwa kwa!
The Sword Gang energy twisted through the air, shattering the puppet limbs mid-flight and hurling them into the void.
A colossal wave of the very debris we had destroyed came crashing toward us from the front.
A fierce ghost aura surged from within it, ready to devour us.
“Prepare your most powerful strike!”
“Understood!”
I unleashed three Ganghwans from my palm. Sword energy exploded into a storm of light that halted the wave dead in its tracks.
A torrent of azure light erupted from Seo Ran’s mouth, piercing the wave straight through.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa!
His breath tore a massive hole through the wave. We rushed forward without hesitation and slipped through the opening.
We raced upward to the next floor, hearts pounding.
Pitch-black, slick darkness surged toward us like a tidal wave.
We kept spitting inner breath and unleashing Ganghwans from our palms, barely escaping the pursuit of Core Formation-level ghost spirits.
And then—
Far ahead, the entrance we had come through finally appeared.
Hwa aaak!
We had escaped the Seopmyeong Ship.
Kwa aa aa aa!
Countless black hands poured out of the ship itself.
I dodged every one, but Seo Ran, still carrying his massive body, could not.
The sudden eruption had been too violent.
Whoosh—whoosh—
The ship itself began to hum. A voice thundered from the ghost spirit.
I found the path! I will reach the Akashic Records! No one will ever touch the sacred relic of Black Ghost Valley again!
‘Black Ghost Valley…?’
Before I could even form a single word, another colossal ghost hand charged straight at me.
I exploded it with another Ganghwan and rushed to Seo Ran.
“Hyung, I’ll help you free yo—”
“Stop. I’ve gathered strength. I can do it!”
Kugu gugu!
A sudden surge of Yin energy erupted from Seo Ran’s body. Golden light burst between his scales like armor.
He was covered in golden protective energy, as if he had wrapped the very power of the Law Protector around himself again.
‘Did he activate that Law Protector power again?’
Boom! Bang! Pow!
The hands clutching him exploded outward, freeing him instantly. He gritted his teeth and shot into the sky. Thousands of ghost hands poured after him once more.
The ghost spirit’s voice thundered from all directions.
“You bastard! That is not the Law Protector of Black Ghost Valley! Release it at once!”
“Nonsense! This is MY Law Protector!”
Seo Ran roared at the voice, then shot me a glance.
Kwa aa aa!
I summoned the Hofung Eungryongbyeon, calling forth a hurricane that sliced the ghost hands to pieces. I clung to Seo Ran’s back, helping him soar.
“Hold on tight! I’ll break through the barrier in one go!”
“Yes!”
I hurled two Ganghwans at the two ghost hands charging from either side, shattering them both, then seized Seo Ran’s scales.
Whoosh!
Azure light erupted between his scales. In an instant, his body erupted with explosive force and tore free of the ship, emerging near the water barrier.
I glanced back. Hundreds—thousands—of black hands swarmed the Seopmyeong Ship behind us.
And the next moment—
Whoosh!
My entire body was drenched as we entered the muddy sea zone. The sea itself turned pitch black and began chasing us.
Seo Ran outran every single pursuer and dove toward the distant edge of the fog.
Whoosh!
Leaving the barrier was easy. But the moment we broke free, the light between his scales vanished. He plummeted helplessly into the sea.
‘He must have reached his limit…’
His condition was pitiful. Eyes rolled back, gasping, twitching, barely floating on the surface.
‘If this continues, other sea demons could attack at any moment… I have to move him.’
I grabbed his neck with inner energy and activated the Hofung Eungryongbyeon once more. We spiraled upward into the sky together.
“Ugh… If I had only mastered the water attribute manual, I could have simply placed him on the surface and let him swim. But now I understand.”
The thought of fully mastering the Water Realm Entering Heaven Sword struck me with new urgency.
How far had I flown with that heavy body?
Hwa aaak!
We finally broke free of the storm-tossed sea area.
“Hah… ha…!”
The moment sunlight touched us, Seo Ran’s eyes cleared.
“Hyung, may I set you down?”
“Ugh… of course. My neck hurts too.”
Splash!
Whoosh!
I dropped him into the sea. He surfaced again, coughing.
My inner energy had drained rapidly while carrying him with the Hofung Eungryongbyeon.
‘If I kept flying with him like this, I would have collapsed too.’
“Still… thank you for helping me so many times and escorting me out of that sea area. There were many demon beasts that cultivate yin techniques there. If I had drifted unconscious… I would have been their meal.”
“Helping friends is the natural thing to do. Save the thanks.”
“Haha, helping friends is natural…”
A fleeting shadow of sorrow crossed Seo Ran’s face and consciousness.
“…I understand. The challenge this time failed.”
“Then what do you plan to do, Hyung?”
“I… cannot give up on what is inside. It is something I absolutely need.”
He clenched his teeth.
“But that place… is guarded by a Core Formation Heavenly Person ghost. I cannot investigate further.”
After a long silence, Seo Ran opened his mouth and pulled out the golden droplet again.
“I never expected another being like that to remain. For three years I gathered power into the Law Protector to destroy the basic ghost spirits. But if such a being still exists…”
He stared at the golden droplet as he continued.
“I will invest even more time—more than three years—into this Law Protector, gathering power so that even that evil ghost cannot approach. Then I will definitely obtain what I need!”
Seo Ran looked at me.
“Eun-hyun. Ten years. Can you help me again in ten years? I must obtain it. Without it, I cannot move forward. It is as if my entire life is being negated.”
In his eyes burned a madness that bordered on insanity.
I had once only been asked to find a treasure for his cultivation.
I already understood.
‘This is not simple cultivation. It means something far more important.’
After a moment of thought, I nodded.
“I will help. Hyung and His Majesty the Haeryong are the ones who showed me kindness.”
It was not merely because I felt grateful to Seo Ran.
I owed a great debt to Seo Hyul as well, and I wanted to repay it.
Seo Ran fell silent for a moment, then nodded.
“…Thank you…”
He bowed his head, spoke of the exact time and place we would meet again, and departed.
“Huu…”
I hovered in the air with the Hofung Eungryongbyeon, organizing my thoughts.
‘A truly enormous ghost spirit, then…’
Countless ghosts inside the sea.
And a Core Formation Heavenly Person ghost had called me an “enormous ghost.”
‘Do the dead see things that way?’
White Bone Gwima of Black Ghost Valley, who seemed far stronger than even a Core Formation ghost, had not spoken to me at all so far.
‘The influence of “the dead” must be very strong.’
‘And Blue Ghost Valley… I have never seen that name in the imperial archives of the Seongje Kingdom. Blue Ghost Valley?’
Perhaps it was related to the secret history of Black Ghost Valley.
I shook my head after pondering it all.
For now, there was nothing I could do about it.
I would have to learn more later.
‘Later… first, I must raise my own realm.’
The level of Ganghwan had to reach its limit, and I needed a way to advance from the fourteenth layer of Qi Condensation to Foundation Establishment.
Whether I succeeded or not, I would try everything possible.
I returned to the land of Yeon Kingdom, contacted Kim Young-hoon via Hahosanju, and told him where I would settle.
Then I headed to the mountains near Yeonsanseong in Yeon Kingdom, slaughtered every bandit from the opposing sects, and claimed the territory.
“First, I must master at least the fourth layer of Water Realm Entering Heaven Sword.”
We were heading back into the deep waters of Black Wind Sea in ten years to investigate the Seopmyeong Ship of Black Ghost Valley again.
Until then, I could not afford to be a nuisance to other sea demons by being unable to use even basic water-attribute techniques.
The manual I used was the Five Elements Entering Heaven Scripture—considered the most basic of all cultivation manuals in the cultivation world. It contained the core principles of the Earth, Water, Fire, Wood, and Metal Realm Entering Heaven Swords.
Until now I had only trained Water Realm Entering Heaven Sword, but I could learn the others whenever I wanted.
I had focused only on Water Realm Entering Heaven Sword because it was already difficult to master.
Since I needed at least basic water attributes to help Seo Ran in the sea, I would train it to the minimum required level.
I supplemented my water-attribute spiritual energy from a nearby valley and began training Water Realm Entering Heaven Sword.
What I discovered while mastering it was surprising.
It was actually “easy.”
‘Because the spiritual meridians were already opened and pathways cleared by Water Realm Entering Heaven Sword.’
All I had to do was pour water-attribute force into the pathways.
Moreover, the guidance I received from my master—Hyeonmu’s foresight—was not limited to earth-attribute manuals.
Although the five elements created some obstacles, I quickly assimilated the comprehension and mastered Water Realm Entering Heaven Sword effortlessly.
Whoosh!
When I formed the water seal, the water in the valley rose into the air and took the shape I envisioned.
Forming the seal again, the water condensed in the empty air into a single palm-sized drop that fell.
“Even in the desert, thirst won’t be a problem.”
I smiled. The spiritual energy of Water Realm Entering Heaven Sword was now stable inside me.
After one and a half years of relentless practice, Water Realm Entering Heaven Sword had reached the second layer of Qi Condensation.
I had also fully mastered the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends Array that countered the water attribute and could now use it freely.
Because my understanding of the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends Array had always been superior to other cultivators, I had mastered the other five elements in a single step.
“Then… shall I challenge Foundation Establishment once more?”
I had not stopped practicing martial arts while mastering the water manual, so the number of Ganghwans had grown again to four.
Now I could accelerate my thoughts by more than five times.
Whoosh—
I settled into a cross-legged position and began stepping toward the next level of the Wugeuk Heavenly Circulation.
Kugu gugu!
Clouds of spiritual energy swirled in my dantian, forming stars.
But the stars cracked again due to the same shaking and change as before.
And—
Kwa kwa kwa!
“…!”
I gritted my teeth and endured the pain.
The spiritual energy star exploded once more, and my cultivation dropped back to the twelfth layer.
“Huu…”
Back to the starting point again.
I sighed softly and slowly restored my spiritual energy.
And then—
“…?”
Something felt off.
I concentrated and activated Water Realm Entering Heaven Sword.
And I finally understood the nature of that strange sensation.
‘The recovery speed… has become terrifyingly fast…?’
The rate at which I restored spiritual energy had increased compared to before.
An incredible phenomenon!
After a moment of contemplation, I realized the truth.
‘Water Realm Entering Heaven Sword!’
That was it.
The water qi of Water Realm Entering Heaven Sword, which I had raised to its first layer of Qi Condensation, was synergizing with the earth qi of Water Realm Entering Heaven Sword, accelerating the recovery of spiritual energy by a small margin.
‘Ah, that’s exactly what the old man selling the cultivation manuals explained.’
‘Good. Then the next challenge will come sooner.’
Faster recovery meant I could attempt Foundation Establishment more often.
I recovered my realm with a lighter heart.
Four years passed.
I had successfully mastered Water Realm Entering Heaven Sword to the fourth layer.
And the four Ganghwans could now be controlled with considerable stability.
And around that time—
Kim Young-hoon arrived.
“Hey, Brother Kim. You sent a letter a few years ago. Why are you only coming now?”
I laughed heartily and greeted him.
But Kim Young-hoon’s expression was not bright.
“…Sorry. I was completely absorbed in one matter and neglected everything else. Since a few years ago, the Makri Clan has been attacking the clans of the Seongje Kingdom for violating the alliance. Lately the Makri Clan is doing well, so I stopped caring about them and focused only on martial arts. And…”
Whoosh—
Kim Young-hoon raised his Ganghwan.
The Ganghwan spun, split into three, then those three split again into nine Ganghwans that revolved around him.
“I have reached the extreme of the Deungbongjogeuk realm… but this is the end.”
His face had turned completely black, like charcoal.
“I have failed countless times. I have no idea what I am supposed to do. Even researching demon beast manuals and trying to figure out the next realm was insufficient. There are still countless paths in front of me, but in those paths there is nothing! I can’t even decide what to do here! My random practices have increased, but that doesn’t raise my realm. How do I go beyond this? How…?”
After venting his emotions, Kim Young-hoon took a deep breath and fell silent.
“Huu… sorry. I got too frustrated and had to vent. What am I supposed to do, exactly…? If I reached Deungbongjogeuk by following someone else’s path, then from now on I have to create the path where there is no realm at all.”
“I studied medicine and asked the Jin Clan to help me master the third layer of Qi Condensation with their cultivation manuals. I also researched demon beast manuals over and over. But I don’t know how to create the next realm…”
He sighed, looking frustrated.
‘Deungbongjogeuk is also a fictional realm.’
The Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown realm was already rare.
Five Qi Consorting with the Origin was a legendary realm.
And Deungbongjogeuk was merely a realm that murim heroes imagined.
What realm was stronger than Five Qi Consorting with the Origin?
If such a realm existed, what would it be called?
A name invented by the random settings of murim heroes.
Deungbongjogeuk.
And what Kim Young-hoon was now stepping toward was a realm that even imagination could not reach.
Even murim heroes only knew Deungbongjogeuk as a ridiculous realm setting.
No one imagined the realm beyond it.
Since Deungbongjogeuk was a realm of imagination, it had a name, but the realm beyond it had no name even among the heroes.
Kim Young-hoon was desperately trying to enter a nameless place.
“I’m sorry.”
But I could not join his struggle.
I was too slow.
Even after growing steadily, I had only four Ganghwans—mid-level strength at the Deungbongjogeuk realm.
I was not even sure I could handle nine Ganghwans in this lifetime.
How could I talk about the realm beyond Deungbongjogeuk?
“I am not yet qualified to discuss that realm.”
“…Yeah. That’s right.”
Kim Young-hoon was not a bad person. That was why he usually lightened the mood by saying something like “You’re strong enough for your age” when he heard such words.
But Kim Young-hoon simply accepted my words with a dark expression.
He was proving his point with every step toward the next realm.
“From here on is virgin land—untouched even by previous people. The ‘basic’ required to enter it is the extreme of Deungbongjogeuk. My talent itself will be broken and refined for this realm…”
Suddenly Kim Young-hoon stopped speaking and his body began to shake.
“Kuk, kuh… hu ha ha ha ha ha! It is so resentful. If I had instead rushed to stomp on the existing realm because my talent was mediocre, I might have reached it long ago. But since the realm already exists, I can practice it as hard as I want. The problem is I don’t know what to do. Even that is agonizing because I am the only one who can be the pioneer. I even feel the pressure that I cannot give up…”
I faced him with a bitter expression.
Thinking about it, that was true.
How many lifetimes had Kim Young-hoon spent climbing Deungbongjogeuk?
In his past life.
In the life before that.
And the one before that.
He had climbed Deungbongjogeuk countless times, swung nine Ganghwans, and reached the extreme of Deungbongjogeuk again and again.
But he had never once mentioned the realm beyond it.
Nor had he shown any joy at discovering that realm.
Was the realm beyond Deungbongjogeuk even real?
I could not comfort his despair.
His despair was completely different from mine.
I could only listen to his despair in silence.
After venting for a while, Kim Young-hoon spoke in a calmer voice.
“Sorry… actually I didn’t come to vent. I came today for a warning.”
“What warning?”
“While researching the Hofung Eungryongbyeon you gave me, I realized one thing. When a human activates the core principle, it forcibly changes the human consciousness into a dragon-like form. I realized during my research that humans should not learn this core principle.”
I listened carefully.
Indeed, the Hofung Eungryongbyeon was powerful, but each time I used it, the feeling of forcing my consciousness into a dragon’s body had been far too overwhelming.
“It burdens the human soul too heavily. Learning the core principle without having a mind as vast as someone who has already mastered cultivation manuals is like jumping into the sea wearing a diving suit and immediately putting on a dragon’s skin. Your soul will receive an unbearable burden. There must be a reason humans do not master demon beast manuals.”
“….”
I let out a small groan.
“Perhaps there is a consciousness form suited only to humans. But at least it is not the form of a haeryong… I have felt that clearly.”
The consciousness form suited perfectly for humans.
I repeated those words in my heart.