Chapter 189
Chapter 189
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 189
Chapter Title: The Heavenly Dragon Arrives
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I placed my hand on the sword hilt. I gave it a light test swing.
All the techniques I had mastered were honed to perfection. Could I go further?
If I pushed my body to the absolute limit...
Could I break through that ceiling?
I couldn't get a read on it. It felt like something beyond even death was waiting for me right before my eyes.
I could see it, but it was out of reach.
It was out of reach, yet visible.
Probably... any death beyond this would be meaningless. Pushing further wouldn't help.
I needed to realize for myself what I was lacking. Hadn't Wolhyang of the Blood Demon Squad said as much?
To ascend to the Enlightenment Realm, some special something was required.
I couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was. But even if I couldn't explain it, I knew it was close enough to grasp.
My current state was, if anything, similar to the Blood Demon Descent I had witnessed at Lake Min.
Halfway there. If I rushed from here, I might taste the Enlightenment Realm...
But at the cost of impatience, I'd fall into qi deviation, just like he had.
And more than anything, my companions had stepped in to stop me from advancing alone any further.
"Master was amazing that day... but no more."
"We'll fight together too!"
"This time, we'll definitely be of help!"
It wasn't just the disciples blocking my path. The rest of the group felt the same.
"You said it was close last time? This time, they're coming at us with everything they've got. No way."
"You can't do everything alone. No more stubbornness."
"You've done enough. That's plenty."
"Enough with the stubborn act, big brother. Seriously..."
"Hah, I'll fight with you...!"
"Same here."
But the all-out assault I expected never came. In the time we'd dragged out, a portion of the Heavenly Dragon Society's main force had finally arrived.
And among them...
Was the Heavenly Dragon Society Leader himself, Im Wolryong, who had been held back by the regional lords under the excuse of safety.
"...How?"
The army looked ragged, as if they'd rushed here in a hurry. Exhaustion was plain to see.
They must have thought the mountain fortress had fallen. They'd come racing to rescue even the stragglers...
But seeing the situation completely different from what they'd imagined, they couldn't hide their shock.
"Earth Dragon Hall Leader. What is this situation?"
"Society Leader. Well..."
The sudden influx of troops. We were no longer outnumbered in sheer numbers.
As the battlements filled with soldiers and Im Wolryong appeared atop the walls, the Demon Slaughter Alliance panicked.
"Th-the Heavenly Dragon!"
"Why is the Heavenly Dragon here...?!"
"Shit...! Two Enlightenment experts...?!"
"N-no! I'm out!"
His reputation alone quelled the enemy's morale. But he, as if it were only natural, asked in return.
"Enlightenment experts...? What are you talking about?"
"...Well..."
The explanation followed.
The Heavenly Dragon Society Leader looked at me.
"...You handled that alone?"
"I got lucky."
"Doesn't seem like something luck alone could end... We have much to discuss anyway. The enemy advance seems to have stalled a bit, so let's share what we each don't know."
...
The Heavenly Dragon Society's temporary command tent.
As an outsider, I tried to excuse myself, but the Earth Dragon Hall Leader wouldn't allow it.
"Who else will attend if Hero Jeok leaves? Come in. Alright?"
"...I'm not sure if I belong here..."
"If anyone complains, I'll take responsibility! Just sit beside me, Hero Jeok!"
With no choice, I joined the meeting. Before the assembled high-ranking officers of the Heavenly Dragon Society, the Earth Dragon Hall Leader passionately explained my feats.
"Thanks to Hero Jeok, who single-handedly guarded the gates against those vile fiends...!"
For some reason, it felt like the story had been embellished. Midway, I raised my hand to correct something off, but it only drew more eyes, so I lowered it again.
The speech dragged on for quite a while. Im Wolryong let out an admiring sigh.
His title for me had changed too. The way he looked at me was completely different now.
"...I heard about what you did in our territory... but to rack up such merits here too. Impressive. Hero Jeok."
"You're too kind..."
Just listening had me drained. The subsequent strategy briefing was straightforward.
A defense plan to perfectly hold the mountain fortress against the enemy's total assault. But Im Wolryong added one more layer.
"I'm here to end this war once and for all."
"You mean...?"
"We're advancing straight to the heart of the fiends. They're going all-out, so we're doing the same. Either the Demon Slaughter Alliance Leader or I will put an end to this long fight..."
Im Wolryong sighed.
"I came here against the regional lords' opposition, determined to force an end to this drawn-out war. The Demon Slaughter Alliance Leader's movements subtly hinted at wanting a truce... but that must have been my delusion. With their attitude that one of us must die to end it, I had no choice but to accept."
The detailed plans were hashed out over a long time. In the formation that followed, my position was on the left flank.
"Will you take that? I'm sorry for burdening you so much until now. What you've done is more than enough; you can step back from the front lines. This is our fight. You've fulfilled your role."
At the Heavenly Dragon Society Leader's consideration, I pondered briefly.
Merits. I'd planned to lure out the Demon Slaughter Alliance Leader with them...
But if they were going all-out too, things changed. Fighting together would inevitably draw the Demon Slaughter Alliance Leader to where the Heavenly Dragon Society Leader was...
Conserving strength wasn't a bad idea. I nodded, accepting the plan.
At dawn, the enemy advance resumed. But this time, a true 'Enlightenment' expert appeared on the front lines.
With his inner energy surging, the earth trembled, the heavens split, and he displayed a godlike presence.
Lightning flickered in the hands of the one called the Heavenly Dragon. With it, the weather shifted, fierce winds howling to life.
Mind Sword.
The power to fully manifest one's inner imagery and reshape the world at will.
Storm clouds gathered, lightning storms sweeping the surroundings. A dragon of thunder slithered down from the sky, striking the heart of the Demon Slaughter Alliance.
---Kwarrrrrrrrrrrrum!!!!
Where the thunder dragon passed, no human forms remained. Only the charred remnants of lives collapsing into ash, mingled with the smell of burning flesh.
"Kneel!"
Over a hundred foes vaporized in one blow. That terrifying power was worthy of being called the edge of invincibility.
The enemy commander's face went pale white. After assessing it, he saw no path to victory and turned his army in retreat.
A feat that rendered their carefully laid plans obsolete.
And the Heavenly Dragon wasn't satisfied with that.
"Advance on the Demon Slaughter Alliance!"
The Heavenly Dragon Society's main force began to move.
"We'll end this long war! Demon Slaughter Alliance and Heavenly Dragon Society-one of them will vanish from history completely!"
...
Reports kept coming in. Yeongwol, wearing the Demon Slaughter Alliance Leader's mask, twitched her brow.
The Heavenly Dragon Society Leader had moved faster than expected. She'd thought he'd be tied down by the regional lords' opposition and stay off the front lines...
He was more resolute than anticipated, and his decisiveness quicker.
"Alliance Leader. What should we..."
"Assemble the army."
Since it had come to this, clashing head-on properly wasn't a bad idea. But an unexpected snag grabbed her ankle, and Yeongwol tapped her lips.
One Heavenly Dragon Society Leader could be worn down with numbers. But to capture that man called Jeokun from the previous report... how?
If there really were two Enlightenment experts... this was tricky...
I still needed him. Had he received my letter? Where was he now...
"......!"
Yeongwol belatedly sensed a presence. She dismissed her subordinate and walked to the window.
A tall tree. A man sat on one of its branches, casually chewing dried persimmons and waving leisurely.
"Long time no see. Biik. Oh, no. Should I call you Yeongwol? Which one's the real name... Whatever, doesn't matter."
"...Long time no see. Jin Baekcheon."
Her superior...
Six inverted stars.
Reverse Star Jin Baekcheon.
Yeongwol stared at him steadily. He wasn't wearing his face mask at all. His bare face, which she'd rarely seen, felt somewhat unfamiliar.
He was handsome, yes. But beyond that lurked something chilling. A killing intent even she couldn't meet head-on, forcing her to glance sideways.
"...I was shocked to hear from you after so long. Still haven't settled down?"
"The master recently assigned me a place... but I came running at your call. You know me-I don't stay in one spot. It's not my style."
He stretched atop the branch tip. Then hung upside down from it, gazing at the world.
"With such a vast world out there, holing up in some cramped spot makes me itch. I was about to die of boredom when you called-perfect timing."
"And yet you hid in that tiny cult for years?"
"Ooh, sharp. But circumstances were different then, right? Excluding the master, it was the first time I'd seen someone with such a vast inner world. Even after swallowing your years of cultivated deadly poison, she subdued me effortlessly... Unbelievable. She was a tiny world that could devour endlessly. That's how I endured."
"...Comparable to the Reverse Heaven's master?"
"Hm? Well, you never crossed swords with her directly... so you wouldn't know? Makes it an even more precious memory, then. I'm probably the only one alive who truly knows her worth and survived..."
Reverse Star Jin Baekcheon smirked.
"Now I don't wanna tell you."
"......."
"Don't look at me like that. We have a connection, you know? Let's get to business. What do you need me for?"
"Put on the Greatest Evil Sword's face mask and head to the battlefield with me. Your job is simple: take on Jeokun and the Heavenly Dragon Society Leader by yourself."
"Oho. Fake Demon Slaughter Alliance Leader and fake Greatest Evil Sword... Another mission in disguise. My life's a sewer full of lies. If not for my lovely subordinate's request, I wouldn't want it..."
"You're not here for my request, are you? You're just after the chance to cross swords with Enlightenment experts."
"Still so sharp. Biik. Oh, right-Yeongwol? The name doesn't stick. Sheesh."
He stood up. Leaped down from the branch into the room.
"You're right. A chance to kill an Enlightenment expert... Opportunities like this don't come often. No way I'd pass up a chance to swing my sword freely after so long."
"......."
"As thanks for inviting me to this epic stage, here's some advice from your boss. If you don't want to get caught, hide it properly. Locking it up in some sloppy spot? Come on."
"What?"
"Who do you take us for, blind? That Demon Slaughter Alliance Leader you reported as reduced to a puddle of blood poison to the higher-ups. If you're deceiving the top, do it right. Reporting a perfectly alive one as dead? Useless. Sure, it's a rag now... but it's still breathing, so better to say it's alive, no?"
Yeongwol's face hardened. The Greatest Evil Sword might be different, but the real Demon Slaughter Alliance Leader was hidden where no one could find...
So it had been discovered.
"Relax, Yeongwol. Someone might think I'm threatening you. I told you-I'm not interested in your little games. I checked on the Demon Slaughter Alliance Leader for a spar, but... in that state, no fun, so I gave up."
"......."
"Anyway, hide it properly. Got it? If even the youngest like me finds out, anyone paying attention will too. If you're gonna do it, don't half-ass it. Be thorough. Thorough."
"...Yes."
"Give me the face mask."
Jin Baekcheon grinned.
"The Greatest Evil Sword's mask... This'll be fun. From the Heavenly Dragon Society Leader's view, it'll feel like a bolt from the blue. The Greatest Evil Sword, whom he thought several levels below, suddenly smashing his head... Haha! Like lightning striking the lofty dragon's crown! But that's life, isn't it?"
"......"
Yeongwol pulled out the prepared face mask.
Jin Baekcheon donned the fake face of the Greatest Evil Sword.
To tie up all loose ends.
"For everyone, the end comes quietly."