Chapter 862: Do You Know the One Called the Sword God?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 862: Do You Know the One Called the Sword God?
"Pass on your Nature Sword to that boy."
The Yin-Yang Demon spoke while looking at Un-seol.
"…The Nature Sword?"
Un-seol asked back, her expression filled with bewilderment. To suddenly be told to pass on the Nature Sword to his disciple—what on earth was he talking about?
"Yes."
The Yin-Yang Demon nodded with a calm expression.
"That is impossible."
Un-seol shook her head from side to side.
"And why is that?"
"Because the Nature Sword itself is something that cannot be simply 'passed on.'"
The Nature Sword was a divine blade that sat strictly above the Heart Sword, belonging to the realm of immortals. Even Un-seol, who was hailed as one of the greatest prodigies in the history of Kunlun, had only managed to barely mimic it after nearly a hundred years of cultivation.
There was no way such a technique could be handed over with a few words. It was simply impossible to teach the Nature Sword to his disciple.
"Just pass on a few of its core principles. He’ll figure out the rest on his own."
The Yin-Yang Demon continued, acting as if it were no big deal. What Sun-woo needed right now was an expansion of his concepts. For a brat who thought the Heart Sword was the pinnacle, it was necessary to firmly engrave the existence of the Nature Sword into his mind.
A few core principles would be enough. After that, that monster of a disciple would realize the rest himself.
"…Even if I pass on the principles… he won't be able to grasp them easily."
Un-seol spoke in a low, calm tone.
"That is for him to handle. You just need to deliver the enlightenment you’ve achieved. Don't overstep your bounds and try to act like his master."
The Yin-Yang Demon spoke flatly. She was a messenger. In place of himself, who had already achieved Ascension, she was nothing more than a messenger meant to show his dull disciple a new world.
A messenger only delivers; they do not need to be a teacher.
"That boy is my disciple, after all."
The Yin-Yang Demon added with a malicious smirk.
"…I have no intention of claiming to be his master."
"Then the matter is settled. If you aren't his master, then his level of achievement shouldn't matter to you."
A thick smile spread across the Yin-Yang Demon's lips.
"…No, it is not settled."
Un-seol shook her head, negating his words.
"What is the problem this time?"
The Yin-Yang Demon spat out the words with a frown. He couldn't understand why she had so many complaints.
"…I do not wish to pass on my enlightenment to someone unverified."
"He is my disciple. Surely you aren't claiming you don't know who I am?"
"I know very well. Are you not the Senior Yin-Yang Demon, once feared as the World's Greatest Demon?"
Un-seol replied calmly. She knew. There was no way she wouldn't. During the height of her activity, the Yin-Yang Demon was a Great Arch-Demon who reigned supreme.
"Then is he not already verified? Do you think I would take some worthless piece of chaff as my disciple?"
The Yin-Yang Demon looked genuinely confused. Her logic escaped him. The mere fact that the boy was his disciple meant he was a gem that had already been tested and guaranteed. So why was she being so stubborn about him being 'unverified'?
"Of course not. I have not a single doubt regarding his martial power or talent. How could the offspring of a dragon be a mere earthworm?"
Though she didn't know him, the disciple of the Yin-Yang Demon was bound to be strong. How could a disciple taken in his later years by a man who had never accepted one his entire life be weak?
"Then what exactly is the problem?"
The Yin-Yang Demon asked, still looking perplexed.
"It is because I do not know his character."
"His character?"
"I do not know what kind of person your disciple is. Whether he is evil… or good… a heinous demon… or a righteous chivalrous hero. How can I recklessly hand over the principles of the Nature Sword to such a person?"
Her profound eyes sparkled as she continued. She knew nothing of the Yin-Yang Demon's disciple—his character, his conduct, his personality. She knew nothing at all.
That was why she couldn't hand it over. If he were a righteous hero, it wouldn't matter, but if he were a demon consumed by demonic nature, the principles of the Nature Sword would undoubtedly become a calamity.
"Oho… You dare to doubt the character of my disciple?"
"To be honest, Senior, it’s not as if you lived a particularly virtuous life yourself, did you?"
The Yin-Yang Demon had built a reputation so terrifying he was called the World's Greatest Demon. It was only natural to doubt the character of his disciple.
"Hahahaha! I suppose that’s true."
The Yin-Yang Demon burst into a jovial laugh. He found her bold attitude quite charming.
"You needn't worry about his character. Unlike me, that brat is far too kind for his own good."
Wiping the laughter from his face, the Yin-Yang Demon looked at Un-seol.
"I apologize, Senior, but I only believe what I see with my own eyes."
"What kind of Taoist is so full of suspicion?"
"Are you not the World's Greatest Demon? Who knows if that disciple also possesses the qualities of the World's Greatest Demon?"
"Tsk, tsk. You aren't wrong."
The Yin-Yang Demon conceded. He understood why she was hesitant.
"Then let us do this. You judge him for yourself. Decide whether or not to pass on the principles of the Nature Sword after you've seen him."
"I… judge him myself?"
"Yes. If you find his character lacking by your standards, then feel free to drop the whole thing without hesitation."
"Are you… sure about that?"
"It’s not like you’d listen if I forced you anyway, would you? You’re the type who wouldn't do something you hate even if a blade were at your throat."
The Yin-Yang Demon grinned. From what he had gathered, Un-seol was a woman of integrity. She wasn't the type to break her own convictions just because of outside pressure. That was why he made the proposal—to let her judge the merit of the transmission herself. Under those conditions, she would be able to accept it to some extent.
"…My standards are strict. He might not receive the transmission at all."
"That will be his own lack of luck. I am merely providing the opportunity. Grabbing it is his responsibility."
The Yin-Yang Demon spoke as if it were trivial. A master's role was only to lead. Reaping the fruit was entirely up to the disciple.
"…………"
Hearing his words, Un-seol fell into deep thought. She was weighing whether or not to accept his proposal.
"Why the silence? Are you perhaps feeling stingy about giving away a lifetime of enlightenment to an outsider?"
"…It would be a lie to say I don't feel that way."
"Even so, yield this once. I have not only saved your life and Taecheong's, but I also prevented the destruction of Kunlun. Surely you aren't the type to ignore such a debt?"
The Yin-Yang Demon wore a villainous smirk.
"…If he fails to meet my standards, the transmission of the Nature Sword will not happen."
After a long silence, Un-seol finally spoke. She had accepted his proposal.
"Hehehe… Don't worry. You’ll find yourself quite liking my disciple."
The Yin-Yang Demon began to chuckle, clearly amused.
"You seem very confident. Do you have some secret reason for that?"
"A secret reason… I suppose I do."
The Yin-Yang Demon wore a mischievous smile.
"If it isn't too rude, may I ask what it is?"
Un-seol asked, her curiosity piqued. She was puzzled by his overwhelming confidence.
"It is because you are a woman."
"…I don't follow."
"That boy has a peculiar way of easily winning the hearts of women. Especially older women."
The Yin-Yang Demon continued with an entertained expression.
"Dark arts like the Soul-Entrancing Technique or Seduction Magic do not work on me."
"Kekeke… He hasn't learned anything like that. He simply has a constitution that naturally attracts women."
"Are you saying I will fall for him?"
"I don't know about falling for him, but you will certainly come to harbor some goodwill toward him."
"…Senior, I am over a hundred years old."
"Which is why you are an 'older woman,' is it not? My disciple hasn't even reached the age of thirty yet."
"…You underestimate me too much."
Un-seol spoke with a look of genuine displeasure. Having reached the realm of a Half-Immortal, she had become somewhat free from the Five Desires and Seven Emotions. The idea of her falling for a mere man was preposterous.
"I have already transcended the Five Desires and Seven Emotions. Even if Song Ok or Pan An were to return to life, I would never be enchanted by a man."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. If you had transcended the Five Desires and Seven Emotions, you would have ascended and become an immortal. You remain human precisely because you haven't transcended them, have you not?"
The Yin-Yang Demon snorted. Why else was a Half-Immortal called a Half-Immortal? It was because they couldn't fully discard their humanity. For someone who hadn't even achieved Ascension to claim they had transcended the Five Desires and Seven Emotions was an arrogance that made him want to laugh.
"…I will prove it. Whether my words are true or not."
She spoke with a determined expression.
"Hahahaha! Go ahead and try to prove it. I’ll be watching from the Immortal Realm… along with your ancestor, Taecheong!"
The Yin-Yang Demon burst into a boisterous laugh. He found Un-seol's childish defiance quite enjoyable.
Just you wait, Senior.
Watching him, Un-seol strengthened her resolve. No matter what happened, she would not be enchanted by that damn disciple of his.
"Who is he?"
Un-seol asked the still-laughing Yin-Yang Demon.
"This lecherous disciple you keep bragging about."
She wanted to know the identity of the disciple he praised so incessantly.
"His name is Jang Sun-woo."
The Yin-Yang Demon stopped laughing and spoke calmly.
"The world calls him the Sword God."
A deep smile formed on the Yin-Yang Demon's lips—a smile filled with immense pride for his disciple.
*
Swoooosh!
The figure of Mu-yang, the Sect Leader of Kunlun, shot through the air like a dragon piercing the clouds. After flying for some time, a massive basin finally came into view.
There it is!
Mu-yang’s eyes sparkled. He had finally reached his destination.
"Ancestor!"
Mu-yang began to shout toward the basin.
"Where are you! Ancestor!"
His voice was thick with desperation. However, no one answered his call.
"Ancestor Un-seol!"
Mu-yang continued to shout toward the basin, searching frantically for her. But the sight of the usually pouting Ancestor Un-seol was nowhere to be found.
Could she… have been defeated?
Mu-yang’s expression turned grim. The thought that she might have fallen crossed his mind. He quickly scanned the surroundings. The mountain terrain, once so rugged that even birds struggled to climb it, had been leveled into a basin so flat one could farm on it.
It was, quite literally, a battle that had moved heaven and earth. In a fight of this scale, he feared that even his Ancestor might not have emerged unscathed.
Thud.
"Dammit!"
Mu-yang slumped to the ground.
Bam! Bam!
He began to strike the earth repeatedly with his fists. Deep rage welled up within him at the thought that his Ancestor might be dead.
Those despicable bastards from the Sun Divine Palace!
Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!
His fists hammered the ground relentlessly, as if vomiting out all the fury held deep in his heart. After a while of this…
"Stop hitting it. Why are you breaking the innocent ground?"
A very familiar voice drifted into his ears. Mu-yang quickly turned his gaze toward the source of the voice. There, he saw a young woman walking toward him.
It was the Kunlun Sword Saint, Un-seol.
"Ancestor!"
Mu-yang looked at her with a face full of joy.
"You’re alive!"
"Did you think I had departed for the afterlife?"
"No! I knew you were alive!"
"You’ve become quite the skilled liar, Sect Leader. Then why were you pounding the innocent ground?"
"…I thought I’d make it a bit flatter…"
Mu-yang replied, looking sheepish.
"If you’re going to lie to me, at least make it plausible. That just makes me want to scoff."
She spoke with an exasperated expression.
"Regardless, I am so glad! To see you looking so well!"
"Do I look 'well' to your eyes, Sect Leader?"
She gestured to herself. Her clothes were reduced to rags, barely covering the essential parts, and she was covered in cuts and burn marks. How could he possibly say she looked well?
"…………"
Mu-yang scratched his head awkwardly. Now that she mentioned it, he realized he was wrong.
"Looking at your state, it seems something big happened at Kunlun as well."
Un-seol spoke while watching the head-scratching Mu-yang.
"It was a major event indeed. You will surely be shocked when you hear it."
Mu-yang nodded emphatically.
"Could any event be bigger than what happened to me?"
Un-seol spoke with a dismissive look. She was certain that no matter what had happened, it couldn't compare to her ordeal.
"I am truly curious to know what happened here."
Mu-yang asked, his curiosity piqued by her words.
"I will explain what happened later. Before that, there is something I must ask."
"Something you must ask?"
Mu-yang looked at her with a questioning gaze. What could be so important that it took precedence over explaining how the geography of the Kunlun Mountains had been altered?
"Do you know of the one called the Sword God?"
Un-seol looked at Mu-yang with eyes full of curiosity.
"I heard his name is Jang Sun-woo."
Her eyes began to sparkle like starlight.