And so, the Immortal Divine Sword’s enlightenment rite resumed.
This time, the method changed significantly according to Dam Hyun’s suggestions.
The Yang Spirit Lesser Heaven Formation was altered, and the Rock-Carving Water brought from Spirit Spring Valley was used to enhance the water Qi in the formation.
During these preparations, Dam Hyun’s role was prominent. He diligently repaired the formation and handled the Treasures.
For Golden Needle Phantom, who had thought Dam Hyun would be fussy and rebellious, this was a surprising development.
He cautiously whispered to Yu Jeong-shin, “Junior Brother, he’s more compliant than I thought. He’s not usually like this, right?”
“Maybe Dam Hyun has come to his senses. Having a direct junior brother might have changed his heart.”
“You’re really a kind person.”
Golden Needle Phantom looked at Yu Jeong-shin with a peculiar gaze. After all, he was speaking well of the disciple who had attacked him.
Yu Jeong-shin was neither a fool nor a spineless people pleaser. Although he had a gentle nature, he simply never gave up on his disciple.“If we can only clear his mind of the dark energy, he’ll return to being a good kid.”
“From what I see, he was never good.”
Golden Needle Phantom grumbled but nodded his head.
He too had a lot to prepare.
Yi-gang was already lying on the stone slab. During the previous ritual, he had placed needles in all the meridian points on Yi-gang’s body.
This time, the method was to be altered slightly, planning to insert needles in reverse order along the Hand Yangming Large Intestine Meridian.
Before starting the preparations, he approached Dam Hyun.
Dam Hyun was beside the Soul-Slaying Banner. He seemed to be organizing the Treasures.
“Um…”
Golden Needle Phantom, who was about to ask Dam Hyun something, stopped abruptly. His eyes widened.
Dam Hyun wasn’t organizing the Soul-Slaying Banner.
He was squatting, caressing an old wooden doll. His eyes, wide open, stared unblinkingly at the floor.
And he kept mumbling to himself.
“…It’s okay, it’ll be fine.”
Caressing a limp wooden doll wasn’t a normal sight.
Golden Needle Phantom’s sharp gaze turned to Dam Hyun’s wrist. There were scars on his wrist as if inflicted by something sharp.
‘Self-harm…?’
Such scars typically result from self-inflicted wounds. And self-harm was a habit often associated with mental issues.
Golden Needle Phantom cleared his throat to make his presence known.
“Ahem, Dam Hyun.”
Dam Hyun’s back twitched. He slowly turned his head.
“Yes, Martial Uncle Do Hyu, what brings you here?”
Dam Hyun’s face was a calm, slightly smiling one. However, it was a rare, modest demeanor that Dam Hyun seldom showed.
“…Stop squatting there, let’s get started.”
“Understood.”
Dam Hyun got up and headed to his assigned place. Golden Needle Phantom watched his retreating figure intently.
‘Forest Lord…’
He knew a lot about Dam Hyun.
Because it was he who had treated both Dam Hyun, who had fallen bleeding from the nose after mishandling the Treasures, and Yu Jeong-shin, whom Dam Hyun had stabbed.
‘…Will he really be alright?’
Moreover, he was aware of Dam Hyun and the fox yokai within the doll in his possession.
It was Forest Lord who had gifted the doll inhabited by the yokai to Dam Hyun, who had become almost like a recluse. Only Golden Needle Phantom and Yu Jeong-shin knew about this.
Naturally, Golden Needle Phantom had strongly opposed it. It was already a precarious situation, and now a suspicious doll was added to the mix.
But Forest Lord only responded with a smile serene as an immortal’s.
“Dam Hyun is an anxious and lonely child. It will surely be beneficial. I guarantee it.”
With Forest Lord saying so, further opposition was impossible.
In fact, Forest Lord’s words proved true.
Dam Hyun, who could hardly speak, gradually regained his speech while being with the fox.
It was a misinformed rumor that Dam Hyun was enchanted by the fox yokai and then stabbed his master. The truth was, Dam Hyun stabbed his master and was enchanted by the fox yokai afterward.
Even when entering the Repentance Cave, Dam Hyun did not let go of the fox doll. That was the problem. Dam Hyun’s attachment to the doll did not seem normal at all.
“Senior Brother, are you ready?”
“Ah, yes, I’m ready.”
However, Golden Needle Phantom tried to shake off such distracting thoughts.
After all, Dam Hyun was a necessary presence in this ritual. He thought he should re-examine Dam Hyun’s condition after successfully completing the Immortal Divine Sword’s enlightenment.
Golden Needle Phantom took his acupuncture needles and approached Yi-gang.
Golden Needle Phantom wiped Yi-gang’s upper body with a wet cloth.
The cool and damp sensation was chilling, but Yi-gang did not show any reaction.
His gaze was fixed on the floating Immortal Divine Sword. The Immortal Divine Sword appeared to be staring blankly at the ceiling, as if devoid of consciousness.
It was a pitiable sight, but according to Dam Hyun, he was in a state where he could see and hear. It was possibly similar to a vegetative state.
Then Dam Hyun’s face suddenly appeared in Yi-gang’s field of vision.
“Junior Brother.”
“Yes.”
“When the ritual starts, you might feel as if your mind is being pulled out,” he whispered with a pale face.
“You’ll be entering a deep meditative state. Spiritual energy is entirely different from internal energy. That’s necessary for assimilation.”
“Yes.”
Yi-gang had heard this before. As he nodded, Dam Hyun flashed a grin and then disappeared.
Then, Golden Needle Phantom’s face appeared.
“I’ll explain again. This time the method has changed. First, we’ll reverse the flow of the Hand Yangming Large Intestine Meridian. And we’ll use the Dream Soul Herb.”
“Yes.”
“You’ll lose consciousness around the time I needle the Tianjing point.”
“Understood.”
“But try to stay alert as much as you can.”
Golden Needle Phantom held a sharp golden needle.
Thwook—
His acupuncture was decisive. The cold sensation of the golden needle piercing the body was always dreadful.
The pungent smoke of the burning Dream Soul Herb entered his nostrils.
Mysteriously, it didn’t cause coughing but instead made his body feel relaxed. It was like being enveloped in warm mud.
Gradually, his vision blurred, and he saw Golden Needle Phantom holding the needle.
“Go well on your journey.”
At the junction of the neck and collarbone, a palm-length golden needle pierced in.
At that moment, Yi-gang’s consciousness sank as if submerged in water.
With a ticklish sensation in his tailbone, he felt as if his body was falling downwards. Like experiencing a dream of falling off a cliff, Yi-gang suddenly stood up.
“Huuh!”
His voice reverberated.
Yi-gang examined his hands and feet. The golden needles that had been densely inserted all over his body were gone.
And that wasn’t all. This place was not the underground of Grand Library, where he had been lying just a moment ago.
“Where is this…”
It was a space entirely white in every direction. He remembered. When he found the Pixiu necklace, Yi-gang had lost consciousness and fallen into a space like this.
At least he was certain that this place wasn’t reality.
Slosh—
Something warm touched Yi-gang’s feet.
Looking down, he saw golden waves rippling. A golden liquid had pooled on the floor.
Instinctively, Yi-gang realized what it was.
“Spiritual energy…”
It was the spiritual energy that the Immortal Divine Sword had been emitting.
Then, a voice came from behind, “Have you arrived?”
“Ah…”
Looking up, Yi-gang indeed saw the Immortal Divine Sword.
“Ancestor!” Yi-gang exclaimed with joy.
He stood in the middle of a lake of golden spiritual energy that pooled up to his feet.
As Yi-gang approached the Immortal Divine Sword, he suddenly stopped.
“Have you become younger?”
“Is that so? Hmm.”
The Immortal Divine Sword touched his face and beard. He indeed looked younger than the usual appearance he showed to Yi-gang.
The once white beard had darkened, and the wrinkles on his face had diminished. His body was visibly muscular.
“It seems this was when I was in my prime. Now that it’s time to leave, I’ve become like this.”
“…So you’re really leaving now.”
“Yes, you looked very serious just now. Before the needle was inserted into your neck.”
At that, Yi-gang scratched his chin.
“Were you watching everything?”
“I saw it all. Those fools messing up the ritual. You almost died, didn’t you?”
The Immortal Divine Sword slowly walked towards Yi-gang.
They soon found themselves standing face to face, just a breath away from each other.
The Immortal Divine Sword was not floating but standing firmly on his feet.
This must have been what he looked like in life. A straight back, broad shoulders, and sparkling eyes.
“Looking at you like this, you seem quite short.”
“I’m still growing. It’s the age to grow taller.”
The Immortal Divine Sword chuckled, and Yi-gang laughed as well.
The golden spiritual energy pooled on the floor seemed to be flowing from the Immortal Divine Sword.
After a moment of silence, the Immortal Divine Sword spoke softly.
“Even if I don’t tell you, continue practicing the Heaven’s Shadow Sword Technique to the end. As long as you don’t forget the Great Yin Flow and Heaven’s Shadow Sword Technique, you’ll certainly become a martial master.”
“I will.”
“The Azure Forest standard isn’t bad, so make sure to learn their cultivation methods and light footwork techniques. That physician there is quite skilled; he will take good care of your body,” the Immortal Divine Sword advised earnestly.
Normally, Yi-gang would have joked, ‘Why worry so much?’ but this time he nodded obediently.
“Oh, and about that guy!”
“Which guy?”
“The one with the dark circles under his eyes. The impudent one who waved a candle in front of me.”
“You mean Senior Brother Dam Hyun.”
The Immortal Divine Sword chuckled with a snort.
“As long as you’re with the Azure Forest, forming a brotherhood is inevitable. But that guy, his face is really off.”
“You can read faces now?”
“Of course, I can. Your senior brother, his face is just like that of a weasel.”
Yi-gang wasn’t a firm believer in physiognomy, but he somewhat agreed with this.
“What can I do? He has helped me, after all.”
“Yes, his skills are impressive. Keep him close in the future.”
“Just a moment ago, you compared him to a weasel.”
“One cannot always accept the sweet and reject the bitter. The path you must walk is treacherous; you can’t navigate it alone. Associate with those who are capable.”
The Immortal Divine Sword had reasons for giving such advice and admonitions.
Yi-gang might need to make various efforts to fully cure his Great Yin Meridian Blockage. Moreover, there seemed to be signs that the Evil Cult was reaching out to the Baek Noble Clan.
The Immortal Divine Sword wanted to give Yi-gang as much advice as possible before leaving.
“There is a sure way to handle such a person.”
“And what is that?”
“If he shows his fangs, punish him decisively so he never dares to challenge you again. That’s how you handle a wild beast.”
Seeing Yi-gang tilting his head, the Immortal Divine Sword raised his fist.
“If he acts foolish, beat him until he’s close to death.”
“Even though he’s my senior brother?”
“What does it matter if he’s your senior brother? Beat him in a place where no one can see, until he wets himself. That’s the only way to tame a beast-like person.”
Yi-gang couldn’t help but laugh at the Immortal Divine Sword’s casual tone.
The Immortal Divine Sword smiled and then looked up at the sky.
“As the time to depart approaches, it all feels so fleeting.”
Yi-gang’s smile faded.
It was because the Immortal Divine Sword appeared translucent, almost as if he could be blown away by the wind at any moment.
Considering how much spiritual energy the Immortal Divine Sword had released, the golden liquid on the floor had spread out, forming a horizon in all directions.
To heal Yi-gang’s body, the Immortal Divine Sword had expended all his spiritual energy.
“Yi-gang.”
“Yes.”
“Live a long life, that’s what a Baek should do.”
“I will.”
“Your future master worked very hard to save you. Learn a lot from him.”
Yi-gang was silent for a moment before speaking, “…Weren’t you my master, Ancestor?”
The Immortal Divine Sword’s eyes widened in surprise.
“How am I your master?”
“You’ve taught me a lot. Swordsmanship and other things.”
“I am not a master but your family. Wait a minute…”
Saying this, the Immortal Divine Sword slightly bent down to see Yi-gang’s face.
Yi-gang had been bowing his head.
“What’s the matter?”
“Just thinking.”
Yi-gang lifted his head. Naturally, he was not crying.
“Would that be like me?”
“You, always so stoic.”
The Immortal Divine Sword had become so translucent that the background was visible through him.
“Farewell. I will visit you, but only much, much later.”
“Hehehe. Do that, but don’t follow me for at least 100 years.”
The Immortal Divine Sword wore a playful expression.
“Anyway, let me ask for one last favor.”
“What is it?”
He gazed intently at Yi-gang before speaking.
Yi-gang was surprised by the unexpected request.
“Call me Grandfather.”
“…”
Though unexpected, it was a reasonable request.
Until now, Yi-gang had always referred to the Immortal Divine Sword as Ancestor or Divine Sword.
“What is with those ‘Ancestor,’ ‘Ancestor’? I am alive and well… well, sort of. It’s a bit odd.”
It seemed like the Immortal Divine Sword had always been bothered by that. Yi-gang nodded immediately.
“Of course, I can do that.”
“Oh, good. Go ahead, call me.”
“Ahem, then…”
It wasn’t a difficult thing to do.
Grandfather. Farewell. Thank you for everything.
“Ha…”
For saving me from the assassins, for teaching me martial arts, for always believing in me.
For always finding your stubborn and unadorable descendant endearing.
For leaving everything to me until the end.
For that, I am grateful.
“Grandfa…”
As he tried to say it, something caught in his throat.
It was so hard; his throat burned, and his limbs stiffened.
The Immortal Divine Sword did not tease him but only smiled.
It felt like tears might actually start to trickle out.
With great effort, Yi-gang managed to speak.
“Grand… father.”
The voice that finally came out was cracked and sounded absurd.
He wanted to turn his head, clear his throat, and take a deep breath, but he couldn’t. If he looked away now, the Immortal Divine Sword would disappear forever.
“Thank you, so much.”
“Hahaha—”
The Immortal Divine Sword burst into laughter.
His figure blurred.
“Farewell.”
Yi-gang was deeply grateful to be able to say his last goodbye this way.
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