Chapter 176
Chapter 176
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 176
Chapter Title: So, You Coveted Blood
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To put it simply, this Dark Heaven Sword was authentic.
Meaning, it was undoubtedly the sword used to train in the Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts.
The problem was *which* Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts had been trained.
Byeok Taesan had harbored some doubts about the spiritual energy held by the blood-reeking individuals he had encountered.
There are various ways for a person to accumulate spiritual energy.
The most common method is to enter a famous mountain and cultivate the Way.
Through daily meditation, training in pure cultivation methods, and refining one's mind, spiritual energy gradually accumulates over long years.
The spiritual energy accumulated in this manner is the purest and most powerful.
The only drawback is that it takes an exceedingly long time.
That is why, among the martial artists of Taoist sects, practitioners of spiritual energy occasionally emerge.
Without exception, they become some of the most renowned masters in the world.
Extracting spiritual energy from blood is another method.
However, ordinary blood will not suffice. The freshest blood, containing the life force of the recently deceased, is best.
Alternatively, if a person is driven into a state of extreme terror through pain or various threats, the blood drawn from them will also be imbued with spiritual energy.
Spiritual energy is then obtained through that blood.
Until now, whenever he encountered users of spiritual energy from Nameless, he assumed they had obtained it through blood.
However, the amount of spiritual energy they possessed was far too great for that to be the sole explanation.
The amount of spiritual energy extracted from blood is indeed greater than that gained through cultivating the Way.
But even taking that into account, the quantity was excessive. There were even some who possessed an inordinate amount of spiritual energy despite not being at a level that would warrant it.
Each time, he felt a strange sense of unease.
But now, after examining this Dark Heaven Sword, he understood the source of that unease.
These bastards had learned the Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts.
No, to be precise, the spiritual energy they possessed originated from the Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts.
They hadn't cultivated spiritual energy by learning the arts themselves; they had received it from someone who had.
Of course, it wasn't the proper Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts. It was significantly twisted, differing greatly from the original.
While he couldn't discern every detail of the Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts they practiced from this single sword, he could grasp its essence.
"So, they twisted the Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts to covet blood instead of souls."
Byeok Taesan shook his head.
"What kind of insane Heavenly Demon would do such a thing?"
To modify the Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts in such a way and pass it on to those who weren't even members of the Cult—it was an act that could only be committed by someone who had lost their mind.
'Or perhaps, it was never the Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts to begin with.'
There was also the possibility that they had learned a pseudo-Soul-Devouring Demonic Art, one so similar that experiencing it indirectly would inevitably lead one to mistake it for the real thing.
Byeok Taesan thought no further and shook off the idea.
There was nothing more to be learned or deduced by dwelling on it. He would simply set it aside for now and, when the opportunity arose, capture someone who practiced this art and ask them directly.
Byeok Taesan now intended to do what he had originally planned.
He subtly infused his power into the Dark Heaven Sword.
A strand of highly pure spiritual energy penetrated the sword, slowly stirring its interior as it delved deeper.
The Dark Heaven Sword shuddered once.
It was resisting, as if refusing to accept the foreign energy entering it.
But that single act of defiance was all there was.
After that one tremor, the Dark Heaven Sword could no longer resist and helplessly laid bare its all before Byeok Taesan.
It wasn't that spiritual energy resided within the sword itself. However, there were traces accumulated over time from training in the Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts.
This power was enough for the Dark Heaven Sword to form a faint ego of its own.
And that faint ego was exceedingly greedy.
A power that coveted the souls of all who had wielded it seethed within the Dark Heaven Sword.
Moreover, that faint ego had digested the souls the sword had devoured, accumulating its own power.
It was this power and the faint ego of the Dark Heaven Sword that intrigued Byeok Taesan.
A faint smile appeared on Byeok Taesan's face as he thoroughly scanned its interior.
Just as he had surmised.
"I can consume this."
Byeok Taesan grinned and poured an immense amount of spiritual energy into the Dark Heaven Sword.
He didn't just pour it in; he amplified it through the Golden Bracer before forcing it inside.
Wooooong!
The Dark Heaven Sword vibrated madly, as if writhing in agony.
Kkkiiiiigigigik!
The blade began to twist, letting out a grating sound, almost like a scream.
Byeok Taesan paid it no mind and shoved in even more spiritual energy.
Crack!
Finally, cracks began to appear on the Dark Heaven Sword.
If this continued, it might shatter into pieces, leaving nothing behind.
But Byeok Taesan didn't even blink and continued what he was doing.
That was a threat from the sword's ego.
The Dark Heaven Sword, which had cracked as if about to shatter, soon returned to its original state.
And it no longer vibrated. It merely emitted a sinister light.
The light faintly enveloped the Dark Heaven Sword.
It felt as if it were condensing its power.
And in an instant, the Dark Heaven Sword shot forward, aiming for Byeok Taesan's neck.
A powerful energy surged from the tip of the sword, as if unleashing all its might.
As the Dark Heaven Sword lunged, a sharp energy grazed past Byeok Taesan's neck.
Or rather, it tried to.
Crunch!
Byeok Taesan caught the energy flying toward his neck and crushed it in his hand.
In that same moment, he violently shook and rotated the power he had pushed into the sword.
Krrrrrumble!
A bolt of lightning, seemingly capable of incinerating all evil, erupted from the Dark Heaven Sword.
It was a phenomenon caused by the Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts that Byeok Taesan had unleashed.
The Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts incinerated everything within the Dark Heaven Sword.
And Byeok Taesan absorbed every last bit of what was burned.
Byeok Taesan placed the Dark Heaven Sword on his lap and gently closed his eyes.
Having taken everything that had accumulated in the sword, it was now time to digest it.
The corners of Byeok Taesan's mouth lifted slightly.
This was beyond his expectations.
He couldn't imagine how many souls it had devoured; even though only the essence of the souls remained, the quantity was immense.
In addition, the traces left from long years of spiritual energy training had all permeated it, significantly improving the quality of the power.
That power entered Byeok Taesan through the Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts, becoming spiritual energy. An immense, high-quality spiritual energy, incomparable to that of a Half-Jiangshi, flowed like a river.
After gathering all the spiritual energy, Byeok Taesan slowly opened his eyes.
The Dark Heaven Sword on his lap was now covered in rust.
And before he could even touch it, it crumbled into dust.
The Dark Heaven Sword thus vanished, turning into a pile of rusted iron dust.
Byeok Taesan stood up and dusted himself off.
Then, his eyes gleaming, he muttered.
"I wonder... if there are any more of these?"
***
After returning from Mount Yuelu with Byeok Taesan, the Sword Demon's desire for power had grown.
He had wanted to discuss it with Byeok Taesan, but Byeok Taesan had gone straight to his room upon their return.
Waiting indefinitely for him to emerge was out of the question. The Sword Demon suddenly recalled what Byeok Taesan had done when they first met.
The Sword Demon's steps naturally led him toward the rear courtyard.
It was still filled with people engrossed in their training.
The Sword Demon observed them again, one by one.
What Byeok Taesan wanted was for him to help these people with their training.
If he did so, Byeok Taesan would show him his path.
No, Byeok Taesan would probably show him the path even if he didn't. The reason he was here now was because this was what Byeok Taesan wanted.
That was all.
The Sword Demon once again began planning how to help them.
Then, his gaze suddenly fell upon two people.
It was Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon.
"Hmm."
The Sword Demon focused more intently on the two.
Both were formidable masters. Of course, they were no match for the Sword Demon, but among the people here, they were among the best.
No, it was more than that; it would not be easy to find anyone stronger than them within Changsha.
But the reason the Sword Demon was interested in them was that they were somewhat different from the others here.
They were different somehow, but he couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was, which made him observe them even more closely.
After focusing for some time, the Sword Demon nodded to himself.
'They're dark.'
He had figured out why those two were different. They alone were strangely dark.
It wasn't that their atmosphere was dark. On the contrary, it was bright. The two were clearly lovers. Although they sparred as if trying to kill each other, the affection deep in their eyes would occasionally flash out.
How could the atmosphere be dark when a couple like that was training together?
In terms of atmosphere, they were brighter than anyone else. It was almost enough to create the illusion of a vibrant flower garden blooming between them.
The darkness those two possessed was something more fundamental.
"Ah, that wasn't it."
The Sword Demon suddenly shifted his gaze to the others and let out a soft exclamation.
That wasn't it. It wasn't that those two were dark; they were perfectly normal.
It was the others who were unnaturally bright.
"What wasn't it?"
Startled by the voice from behind, the Sword Demon checked behind him.
Byeok Taesan was standing there, having arrived at some point.
The Sword Demon answered calmly.
"I was observing the two people over there."
The Sword Demon organized his thoughts and explained.
After hearing the full explanation, Byeok Taesan nodded.
"Not bad."
Seeing that he could discern that much, Byeok Taesan thought the Sword Demon might soon awaken to spiritual energy.
Of course, not using spiritual energy didn't mean the Sword Demon was weak.
Even if he did awaken to it, accumulating spiritual energy was incredibly difficult, so using it freely would not be easy.
"Come to think of it... I left those two as they were."
Byeok Taesan stared quietly at Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon.
At that, the two suddenly flinched and slowly turned their heads to look at Byeok Taesan.
The two of them scurried over and quickly stood before Byeok Taesan. They had felt as if he were calling them.
"Did you call for us?"
Cheon Gyeongwan looked at Byeok Taesan with nervous eyes. Yu Seoyeon did the same.
"Both of you, come to my room tonight."
With those words, Byeok Taesan turned and vanished.
Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon stood blankly, gazing endlessly at Byeok Taesan's retreating back.
"Are you all right?"
the Sword Demon asked in a worried tone.
Finally snapping out of it, the two gave a wry smile and bowed slightly to the Sword Demon.
"We're fine."
"May I ask what's going on?"
At the Sword Demon's question, Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon hesitated for a moment.
"Um... honestly, we don't know what it is. The Young Master has never called just the two of us like this before..."
"Is that so?"
As the Sword Demon tilted his head, Cheon Gyeongwan continued.
"It's just that we feel uneasy. Nothing has ever been peaceful when we're involved with our Young Master..."
The Sword Demon finally nodded.
"I understand."
At his words of understanding, Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon's eyes widened slightly.
How much experience could he have with Byeok Taesan to be able to understand that?
The Sword Demon gave a slightly awkward smile and continued.
"I also had a similar experience in the past..."
The Sword Demon trailed off, his expression turning strange. He slowly turned to look in the direction Byeok Taesan had just disappeared.
"Sir?"
Cheon Gyeongwan called out, and the Sword Demon snapped back to his senses.
"Ah, my apologies. A ridiculous thought just occurred to me... I should be going now. Keep up your training. I'll also do my best to find a way to help."
"Thank you."
The Sword Demon barely acknowledged their thanks and quickly left.
Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon tilted their heads, watching the Sword Demon's retreating figure.
Soon, the two let out a deep sigh and returned to their spots to resume training.
***
The Sword Demon quickly followed after Byeok Taesan.
Honestly, he still felt as if he might be going mad.
But he couldn't bear not to confirm it.
It was a truly insane thought, but every story he had heard from Byeok Taesan, everything he had experienced with him since they met—it all fell into place with this one idea.
The Sword Demon's pace quickened.
Soon, he could see Byeok Taesan's figure in the distance.
The gap between them narrowed until he was close enough to reach out and touch him.
Just as he was about to speak, he realized this was too public a place.
They were somewhere in the annex of the Gakwol Inn.
Naturally, there were numerous people managing the annex all around.
From simple workers to maids attending guests, and even warriors guarding the annex.
This wasn't something to be said in such a place, so he quietly followed behind Byeok Taesan.
Before long, they arrived at Byeok Taesan's room.
Byeok Taesan entered the room and sat in his usual spot.
The door was left open, so the Sword Demon hesitated for a moment before following him inside and closing it.
Although there was no one around the room, he was still cautious and released his energy to firmly seal the interior.
He had taken measures to prevent any sound from escaping the room.
Only after doing so did he cautiously begin to speak.
"Um... Young Master."
Byeok Taesan looked at the Sword Demon as if urging him to speak quickly. A slight smile hung on Byeok Taesan's lips.
Seeing that smile, the Sword Demon felt as if Byeok Taesan was looking at him with some kind of expectation.
"Saying this makes me feel like I'm going mad, but..."
As he spoke, the Sword Demon watched Byeok Taesan's reaction. Byeok Taesan's eyes were twinkling.
Seeing that, he mustered his courage and spoke.
"Young Master, haven't you known me from the very beginning?"
"Perhaps."
Despite Byeok Taesan's noncommittal response, the Sword Demon continued, unperturbed.
"There was someone I served as my lord. As far as I know, he most certainly passed away..."
The corners of Byeok Taesan's mouth lifted slightly.
Seeing this, the Sword Demon spoke with greater conviction.
"Every time I see you, Young Master, I am reminded of him. Could it be... are you him?"
Byeok Taesan's smile deepened.