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Chapter 467 – Nice to Meet You.

I stumbled forward with weary legs.

My body felt like it would collapse at any moment.

Every step I took released a shallow breath.

The empty Lower Dantian and my exhausted physical form felt unbearably heavy.

Yet, I pressed on.

Crisp.

Stepping on the dried, shriveled leaves, the Demon Sword Queen continued to walk.

“Haah… Haah.”

Breath swelled in my throat. I felt as if I would immediately collapse if I relaxed for even a moment.

But I endured and kept walking.

Not much further now.

Even if I fell, I would fall here. With that determination, the Demon Sword Queen kept moving.

Finally, I reached my destination.

“…!”

As soon as I arrived, the Demon Sword Queen unknowingly paused in her tracks.

In what seemed like an ordinary plain, a thick energy enveloped the area, causing my breath to catch.

What is this?

What event could have transpired to spread such energy around?

The Demon Sword Queen rubbed her Lower Dantian with her hand.

Was it the energy lingering there? I could feel a slight tremor in my Dantian.

I looked around.

To check if the Heavenly Lord was present.

‘… Where…?’

I had certainly felt the energy of the Heavenly Lord just moments ago, yet no matter how much I searched, I couldn’t see anyone resembling him.

I considered widening my Qi perception to check, but without a bet, I couldn’t attempt it.

Then suddenly.

“… Ah.”

From a distance, I spotted something and sighed.

A figure perched atop a rock.

It looked like a shadow, darkened as if wrapped in darkness, an appearance quite dissimilar to a human.

But the Demon Sword Queen recognized it.

She knew the identity of that shadowy figure.

She ran.

Though my legs had barely been able to walk, the sight made me leap effortlessly.

As I got closer, the figure’s head turned towards the Demon Sword Queen.

“Mm.”

Upon confirming that, the Demon Sword Queen halted right in front of it.

Something was different.

It didn’t matter how the outward appearance changed.

No matter how it looked, that didn’t concern me.

One thing.

“… You… who are you…?”

The Demon Sword Queen realized.

That figure was not the one she had been searching for.

In response to her attitude, the figure tilted its head slightly.

“Oh.”

With a brief exclamation, it continued speaking.

“I wondered who it could be, and it’s just a little brat.”

“…?”

Unexpected words caused the Demon Sword Queen’s eyes to twitch.

Brat…?

“Mm.”

Seemingly disinterested in her reaction, the figure shook its head up and down, examining the Demon Sword Queen’s physical form.

“… Oh ho.”

Then it exclaimed in amazement.

“You are much better.”

“…”

I couldn’t understand the response.

What exactly is better?

Click.

The Demon Sword Queen drew her sword.

“… Where has he gone…?”

The sword was none other than Thunder Fang.

I couldn’t unleash the sword blade without a bet.

However, the Demon Sword Queen was willing to exhaust everything if needed.

“…”

After seeing the Thunder Fang, the shadowy figure… Shin Cheol paused for a moment before speaking.

“Let me ask just one thing.”

He posed a question to the Demon Sword Queen.

“Is there a life within you?”

“…!”

The moment the Demon Sword Queen heard the question, her eyes widened.

She was shocked by the name that tumbled from the figure’s lips.

“How…?”

Unintentionally, she blurted out the wrong answer.

She hadn’t expected to hear that name from another.

“… Is that so? It seems that indeed he is there.”

The voice that came in response to the Demon Sword Queen’s reaction was laced with not only sadness but also a profound longing.

“Ah, I wonder if he has said anything to me.”

“…”

At Shin Cheol’s question, the Demon Sword Queen tightened her grip on the Thunder Fang.

[…]

Normally, there should have been a response of some kind, yet for some reason, the Thunder Fang remained silent.

That silence felt unusually uncomfortable.

“… Who… are you?”

The hostility faded.

For some reason, this person didn’t feel like an enemy.

And generally speaking, the Demon Sword Queen’s instincts had never been wrong.

“If you ask who I am….”

Shin Cheol rested his chin in thought for a moment and then casually responded.

“A remnant of the past. Nothing more than that.”

“…”

“Don’t worry, this one is safe.”

As he waved his hand lightly, the tension in the Demon Sword Queen’s body eased slightly.

Ironically, she found herself relieved by those words.

Shin Cheol, watching the Demon Sword Queen, couldn’t help but smirk internally.

‘Women are truly enchanting.’

He knew this world was not originally Gu Yangcheong’s place.

Moreover, he understood it wasn’t even the time period he had witnessed.

So much was different.

Yet that young girl saw this one the same way.

Even if the world and time were different.

How could that be?

‘What a pain.’

Regardless, there was something wondrous: that child recognized this one without any trouble.

Shin Cheol quietly brushed his chest.

Thud… Thud….

He could still feel vibrations within his body.

‘…’

Though he had no idea what was happening inside, he sensed that something extraordinary was unfolding.

‘Get through it.’

Those were the only words Shin Cheol could muster in such a situation.

He, too, did not know what changes would come after this vibration ended.

All he could do was hope that Gu Yangcheong would endure.

Moreover.

‘You can do it.’

He possessed faith that Gu Yangcheong would overcome.

He might be a prickly and deranged individual.

But at the very least, he believed this one wouldn’t die in such a place.

“Ah, I see.”

Shin Cheol called out to the Demon Sword Queen.

As she turned her head upon hearing his call.

Stumble-!

Shin Cheol staggered and began to collapse.

Upon witnessing this, the Demon Sword Queen startled and wrapped her arms around him.

It wasn’t for any other reason.

She didn’t care about the being whose identity was a mystery.

What mattered was whose body it was, so she embraced him without hesitation.

Fortunately, he didn’t smell bad.

In fact, a faint floral scent lingered. A floral scent, how intriguing.

Shin Cheol, cradled in the Demon Sword Queen’s arms, closed his eyes wearily and spoke.

“Just a moment, please.”

It was now at its limit.

He could no longer maintain his body, so he entrusted the remaining situation to the woman.

Originally, he had intended to hold on until Gu Yangcheong awoke.

‘This is my limit.’

Now, he had to close his eyes.

Just before Shin Cheol nestled into the Demon Sword Queen’s embrace and closed his eyes.

“… Myung Ah.”

With a low voice, he called out the name of his close friend.

[…]

At that moment, the Thunder Fang in the Demon Sword Queen’s hand trembled gently.

“Are you there, Myung Ah?”

[…]

The vibrations continued.

Feeling this, the Demon Sword Queen sensed a mysterious aura.

In this situation, one who could usually speak had mysteriously fallen silent.

“Listen carefully if you are there.”

Whether or not someone was present seemed unimportant.

Shin Cheol spoke with a smirk.

“Seeing your descendant wield a sword is quite the sight indeed.”

[…!]

At Shin Cheol’s words, the Thunder Fang began to howl violently.

Did it feel the vibrations, perhaps?

Shin Cheol chuckled.

“If it were me, I would be embarrassed enough to bury my face in a toilet.”

[That bastard….]

“You look excellent. Hehe. Just so charming, you little brat.”

In high spirits, he added a few more remarks and then closed his eyes.

Afterward, an incredible roar echoed in the Demon Sword Queen’s ears.

As she was about to toss the Thunder Fang away due to the noise.

[… Pull it out.]

A voice filled with rage spoke to the Demon Sword Queen.

[… Pull it out right now and cut this one down…!]

“…”

It was the angriest voice she had ever heard.

However, the Demon Sword Queen deliberately tried to ignore it.

She was too busy stroking the back of the fallen figure.

“…”

The darkened appearance concealed its original face.

How had it come to look this way?

What had happened to cause this?

While the Demon Sword Queen looked on with a somewhat pitiful expression.

Crisp.

“…!”

In an instant, something dropped from her body.

A black shell-like substance fell off her physical form.

The shell fluttered to the ground, disappearing without a trace. Seeing such an anomaly, the Demon Sword Queen hastily scrutinized the body.

“…”

It was not just one.

The black Qi that had enveloped his form was gradually peeling away.

Cracks began to spread slowly across his body.

The appearance seemed precarious, as if he could break at any moment, and the Demon Sword Queen quickly embraced him.

As she wrapped her arms around his back.

Tremble, tremble, tremble.

His body suddenly began to shake violently.

Not only that.

Flame Burst-!!

From the gaps created by the shell cracking, flames surged forth like a wave.

One would think to distance themselves, but the Demon Sword Queen, without a second thought, just held him tighter.

The flames were magnificent and massive, yet they weren’t hot.

Please let nothing happen.

Praying earnestly, the Demon Sword Queen tightened her grip further.

Limping.

On the path to exit Sichuan.

The elder passed through the withered and rotten trees.

His pace was truly slow.

Even the expression on the limping elder’s face showed no sign of vitality.

He was tall, with a well-trained physique that shone.

Yet no one could dare to see him as one of the Three Eminent Beings, a Heavenly Lord.

He was so diminished in appearance.

Where was he headed?

The Heavenly Lord walked, not even knowing where he was going.

Right now, the only thought left to him was that he had to return.

Where should he return?

‘… Where was it?’

He didn’t know. His feet kept moving.

He had lost sight of where he was heading.

In his mind, remnants still lingered.

Three Heart Swords spread in the void.

The vast belief that was felt among them.

It shattered all that the Heavenly Lord was.

What had he lived for until now?

To avenge his fallen clan, and to protect the order that the Heavenly Demon sought to destroy.

He must have felt that way.

But where did it all go wrong?

Now the Heavenly Lord had become completely oblivious.

It was merely white.

The Heavenly Lord’s world was crumbling entirely.

Stumble.

His steps faltered momentarily.

The Heavenly Lord caught himself, desperately trying to prevent himself from falling.

His dwindling pride wouldn’t allow him to fall.

Sensing that, the Heavenly Lord let out a bitter laugh.

How ridiculous it was that, despite his current state, he still cared about his pride.

“… It was all in vain.”

The life he built.

The end he sought.

It was all meaningless.

That thought crossed his mind.

“Everything was in vain….”

“Was it?”

Suddenly.

The voice that came unknowingly made the Heavenly Lord’s shoulders tense.

Just as he was about to turn around.

Creak.

“Gah…!”

A cold hand gripped the Heavenly Lord’s throat.

With a squeeze—

Just like that, the Heavenly Lord’s two legs lifted off the ground.

Standing nearly seven feet tall, the Heavenly Lord was lifted so effortlessly.

Moreover, the hand that raised him was so thin and delicate.

“Gah… Gah…!”

What was astonishing was that the Heavenly Lord couldn’t even resist this action.

His breath hindered, he merely sputtered.

“I will ask, Nangong Clan’s remnants.”

The owner of the hand directed a question at the Heavenly Lord.

Swish.

Long black hair fluttered in the wind.

With white, fair skin and purple light glimmering in her eyes, she appeared to have gemstones embedded within.

While the woman had an excessively striking beauty, the Heavenly Lord felt fear rather than charm.

Why?

Why on earth was this monster here?

No one could provide answers to that question.

Not even the Heavenly Lord could ask it.

The moment the woman appeared, everything nearby fell beneath her feet.

A sensation of domain being usurped washed over the atmosphere.

Qi perception wavered, and the air shifted violently.

Everything flowed around the woman as the centerpiece.

“I clearly warned you not to enter Sichuan. Why are you here?”

The woman spoke, her eyes crescents of amusement.

Truly enchanting, yet conversely, the energy radiating from her was exceedingly devastating.

The Heavenly Lord struggled to even breathe.

“Did my words amuse you? That’s quite troublesome.”

The woman laughed as she observed the Heavenly Lord inching closer to unconsciousness.

“I do not enjoy having bugs crawling around.”

As she spoke, she infused strength into her gaze set upon the Heavenly Lord.

At that moment.

Crack—

The light surrounding disappeared entirely.

And radiant darkness descended.

 

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