Chapter 117
Chapter 117
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 117
Chapter Title: The Last One
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Dozens of iron shards detached one by one from the iron sphere centered around the Dark Lord, swirling in neat vortices as they soared into the sky. The sight was nothing short of spectacular.
It drew exclamations of awe from all who beheld it.
Each shard was an elongated isosceles triangle, and the spacing between them was perfectly uniform, as if measured with a ruler.
The formation they created in the heavens stood tall like a spire, shielding the Dark Lord from the moonlight like an umbrella.
To fill the vast sky with a procession of iron shards like this.
The mechanical yet beautiful sight, evoking the very word "geometric," left me and the specters utterly overwhelmed.
"The saintly presence... seems to have manifested."
"In a way, it's like gazing at a holy painting depicting the birth of a saint against the night sky—"
"Yet in another light, its utterly unnatural form could inspire sheer terror."
"This is the Dark Lord...!"
"We've only heard tales until now, but to witness the Full Heaven Art's ceremonial form with our own eyes."
Even as the specters marveled, the procession of shards continued until it traced vortices spanning dozens of feet in all directions.
The sight resembled a great peng spreading its wings wide to take flight.
—Great Peng Soars Ten Thousand Li, Full Heaven Merit.
When the great peng spreads its wings, it fills the heavens for ten thousand li!
This was the legendary ceremonial form of the Full Heaven Art.
It was the Hidden Weapon Art, one of the Three Great Poison Merits said to have been created by the Dark Lord alongside the Triad Yang Return to Origin Merit...!
The Dark Lord, cloaked in an aura of overwhelming dignity that pressed down upon the world, spoke in a solemn voice.
"Before I reveal the Full Heaven Art in its entirety, allow me to tell you one thing first."
Before this colossal divine beast known as the great peng, a mere human was but a speck of dust.
I could only nod silently in response.
"In truth, I never intended to place you in the new Gale Force Squad."
"!"
An utterly unexpected revelation.
My eyes widened involuntarily.
"You're probably puzzled. Why I would reject someone of your caliber. Why give you an opportunity only to fail you in the trial—it must make no sense."
"...Yes. To be honest, that's exactly it. Was there something about me that displeased you?"
The Dark Lord shook his head.
"No. Quite the opposite. It was because I was so impressed that I planned to eliminate you."
What on earth did that mean?
"You are exceptional. But precisely because you are so exceptional, you cannot blend with others. You are a leader, not one to mix among the ranks."
"!"
"But in the Gale Force Squad, that won't do. Failing to integrate could harm your comrades."
Here, even I couldn't respond rashly.
I could claim I was capable, that I could blend in, but somehow, I doubted lies would work on the Dark Lord.
"Indeed, the Young Leader's vessel is one that holds others, not one to be held itself."
"After all, he is the one destined to lead the Divine Cult—"
I was the sole disciple and successor of my master, the Divine Cult's leader.
It was my duty to bring glory to the followers in his stead.
One aspiring to be a leader must possess a different mindset from the start.
Without the readiness to embrace duty and responsibility, the organization crumbles.
For someone like me, born half-breed and needing tenfold the effort just to keep pace, such a mindset was inevitable.
I strove to broaden my vessel and absorbed every teaching from my master without fail.
Sitting in the Young Leader's seat was the result of all that.
The position had forged the Little Heavenly Demon, but the Little Heavenly Demon had also shaped the position.
Yet the Dark Lord seemed to see right through that mindset of mine.
Such habits can't be hidden, no matter how one tries.
"But conversely, doesn't that mean there's no issue at all if he becomes a 'leader'...?"
"If he were to become the new Gale Force Leader, it would be entirely feasible—"
A sudden thought flashed through my mind.
"...You had no intention of giving me a leadership role because there was already an internal candidate."
The Dark Lord let out a hollow chuckle.
"You deduced that much from our brief exchange? Haha. As expected, your insight—seeing the big picture—is remarkably sharp for your age."
"Then the leader position was meant for the Qingcheng Divine Sword."
"You're correct."
I nodded.
Indeed, the Yi Cheolsan I had seen was more than qualified for such a seat.
'No wonder he kept nagging at me oddly. So this was how our fates were meant to intertwine.'
My intense intuition that our destinies were strongly linked had been spot on.
"I planned to place the Qingcheng Divine Sword as leader and Yuan'a as deputy leader. As for the others I've forged ties with, they were slated for various major roles, great and small."
"Indeed, there's no place for me in that lineup."
"Exactly. You're not one to serve under another."
I smiled wordlessly—an affirmation.
Instead, I posed another question.
"But you're imparting the Full Heaven Art's teachings to me now because you've changed your mind?"
"Indeed."
The Dark Lord smirked.
"Your duel with the Lion Blade King... it struck me deeply. It's been ages since your bout with the North Sea Sect Leader, yet you've advanced further. Not only did you absorb what I gave you perfectly, but you interpreted it in your own way."
"......"
"That's when my thinking shifted. It wasn't your excellence that surprised me, but your flexibility—the ability to change yourself through teachings—that earned my admiration."
The corners of the Dark Lord's eyes curved upward, mirroring his lips.
"Even if you're rigid now, with sufficient guidance, I thought you could become the perfect fit for the Gale Force Squad."
I swiftly formed a fist salute.
"I thank you for the opportunity."
"Don't you resent me? I dropped you on a whim, without regard for your wishes, only to pull you back up."
"I do resent you. But I am even more grateful."
"Grateful?"
"Because it showed me how much deliberation you put into that decision. And moreover."
I lifted my deeply bowed head slightly and grinned mischievously.
"In the end, didn't I end up receiving your teachings? If it all works out, that's what matters, right?"
"What? Pah哈哈哈! Who did you inherit that sly streak from? Certainly not Hosan."
"Comparing me to that wooden block would wound me deeply."
"True enough!"
The Dark Lord slapped his knee and nodded.
"Yes. Seeing this flexible side of yours is precisely why I reconsidered."
"Then, with the existing Gale Force Squad structure changing, may I ask how you plan to restructure it?"
I didn't assume I could just oust Yi Cheolsan and claim his spot.
The glint in the Dark Lord's eyes whenever he mentioned Yi Cheolsan was pure trust.
No matter Yi Cheolsan's thoughts, the Dark Lord had already half-designated him as a successor.
Wedge myself into that trust? It wouldn't be easy.
"No need to worry."
The Dark Lord curled one corner of his mouth as he spoke.
"There's no rule saying the Gale Force Squad must be just one unit, is there?"
"!!"
"Ha!"
"Indeed, if that's the case—"
This was a shift in thinking I hadn't anticipated at all.
"One leader ensures efficient command chains, enabling swift action in crises. But it also risks the entire unit due to a single flawed judgment."
"......"
"Two leaders may be less efficient, but the rivalry fosters growth across the organization. Both have pros and cons."
I nodded gravely.
"Of course, this is just an impromptu conclusion of mine—nothing set in stone."
"So it could revert to the original plan anytime."
"Precisely. Thus, from now on, I'll give you a preliminary test ahead of the others."
My eyes gleamed.
"Tell me what it is. I'll prove myself."
"After witnessing the Full Heaven Art, compile your own insights. Show them to me—your transformation."
The Dark Lord pointed to one of the great peng's fully spread wings.
"Do that, and this wing will be yours to claim."
"Since we're at it, I'll take both wings. Show me."
"Your heroic spirit is impressive. Very well. Let it begin."
The Dark Lord spread his palm wide.
In that instant, the great peng flapped its massive wings vigorously.
A gale swept in.
The shards scattered in all directions.
It resembled a typhoon scattering flower petals.
The world brimmed with iron shards.
At that moment.
'Violet Flame Eyes!'
My eyes blazed with purple irises.
To absorb the essence of the Dark Lord's art in full.
Flash! Flaaash!
Swoooosh—
Fwaaaaa...!
The shards began crisscrossing the sky.
Simultaneously, a torrent of raw data flooded my mind.
Untouched primal information, every bit of it.
But with Mind Division Technique, I fragmented my consciousness and analyzed it swiftly.
For incomprehensible data, I flung open the Heavenly Demon Archive to search references.
For lingering puzzles, I traced the overall context first.
Such parts often clicked into place later.
What I sought was the Full Heaven Art's framework itself.
Only by roughly outlining its form could I melt it seamlessly into my own martial system.
—Countless transformations filled its depths.
The interplay of attraction and repulsion between shards shifted so fluidly, I wondered if my qi could execute it properly.
—Countless illusions dwelled within.
The shards' changes could become anything.
Guardian great peng preserving the Dark Lord's dignity, whirlwind shredding the void, floral rain adorning the heavens.
Its unpredictable shifts instilled fear in the Full Heaven Art.
For who knew when it might turn into a devouring monster.
The Dark Lord toyed with and tuned the world's laws at will—a true sovereign.
Ever-changing, boundless, vast beyond measure.
Those words seemed coined for this alone.
Thus, Full Heaven.
The name "filling the sky" was fitting, for it was the heavens themselves.
—This is the Saintly Realm.
I strongly sensed I'd glimpsed one facet of the legendary transcendent realm beyond even my past life's reach.
"Ahh."
As all transformations concluded, the shards rained down, embedding into the ground.
The scene evoked a desolate battlefield strewn with hundreds of haphazardly discarded swords, arrows, spears.
The Dark Lord stood at its very center.
As if the only existence in this world.
Heaven and earth, I alone am supreme.
The Saintly Realm—that was the seat.
"How was it? Did you gain anything?"
"......"
The Dark Lord asked, his face drenched in sweat.
Even for him, summoning the great peng seemed taxing, a faint fatigue showing, though his breathing soon steadied.
I hesitated to answer, closing my eyes instead.
The afterglow of the Full Heaven Art demanded savoring.
Tch.
The Dark Lord chuckled, as if immensely amused.
"You can take pride. Including you, fewer than five have witnessed the Full Heaven Art from great peng to floral rain. Don't try to solidify the inspiration you gained—just absorb it your way. Enlightenment arises from there."
"......"
"What one gleans here varies. The two from my household earlier saw the pinnacle of hidden weapon arts, while one from the outer sect grasped swordplay fundamentals."
The three mentioned felt like Dang Hoseon, Tang Ye-won, and Yi Cheolsan. I was the fourth.
Who was the fifth?
"The last one, regrettably, parted ways midway, so I lack details, but it seems he bloomed spectacularly from afar."
From afar?
Oddly, he spoke in past tense.
Thump thump!
An inexplicable unease gripped my body.
My heart raced wildly.
Unable to fully bask in the afterglow, I opened my eyes.
Whether reading my gaze or not, the Dark Lord, hands clasped behind his back, murmured while gazing at the night sky.
"May I ask... who that person is?"
"Someone you know."
"?"
"Or rather, someone the whole world knows."
Who... could it be?
In that moment, a shadow flickered across the Dark Lord's face.
"The devils of the Heavenly Mountains call that child the Divine Sword Heavenly Demon."
"!!!"