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705——————==

Dark Heaven Village

The moment Seo Mun-hye stepped into the ruins, she realized she had entered a dark corridor filled with mysterious ancient patterns. The long passage, with a closed ceiling, extended endlessly, and she figured this out not long after she began walking. However, the continuously changing path led her to realize that she had stepped into a maze. A faint light emanated from the stone walls, providing at least some visibility.

Being the successor of the Shadowless Gate, she was well-versed in various formation techniques and their countermeasures. So, when she examined whether this maze was constructed according to the principles of the Eight Trigrams, it didn’t seem like it. She could feel that this corridor was devoid of dark thoughts, and with each step, she sensed a cool, refreshing energy emerging.

‘It doesn’t seem like a formation technique.’

Seo Mun-hye noticed that although this maze looked complicated, there were actually only one or two genuine pathways, and they all led in the same direction. Moreover, she realized that if she encountered a blockage, it was easy to backtrack to a different fork in the path. This indicated that this maze wasn’t designed to torment those who entered it. And she could grasp the true purpose of this maze.

The patterns engraved on the walls and floor seemed to want to convey ‘something.’

So, it was almost as if they were calling out to anyone who ventured into this maze.

… For what purpose?

However, since there was no Mangnyang present, she couldn’t properly investigate the ancient language inscribed within these ruins. It was the first time she had ever encountered this particular language, so she had no choice but to continue to the end of the maze without a thorough inspection.

Tap, tap…

As she emerged from the maze, there stood a massive wall. Seo Mun-hye muttered upon seeing it.

“Is that a mural?”

Indeed. The wall was etched with images. However, since this chamber was very spacious, the illustrations spanned dozens of them, almost like a vast epic. Since they were pictures rather than text, Seo Mun-hye could recognize them to some extent, so she concentrated to examine the embossed images closely.

Overall, the content of the paintings depicted gigantic waves and the humans struggling against them, along with faceless beings descending from the heavens riding chariots of light.

‘Something about this painting doesn’t match…’

Strangely, the narratives in dozens of illustrations didn’t seem to connect at all. Additionally, there was a small empty space at the very end. It seemed to indicate some sort of myth, but Seo Mun-hye couldn’t discern the detailed inner workings, so she relied on her memory to capture the mural.

She noticed a glowing blue pearl in the middle of the mural and approached it.

“……”

Just as she was about to place her hand on the pearl, she hesitated and decided to look around a bit more. Yet, this space seemed to be the end, with only the mural present in the enclosed area. With no more exit in sight, she had no choice but to place her hand on the pearl.

Bam!!

A moment later, Seo Mun-hye found herself appearing in an unnamed mountain region.

‘So the pearl acts as an exit after all.’

After stepping outside of the ruins, she confirmed where she was standing and realized that she was on the opposite side of the mountain. So, she activated a divine technique to return to the spot where her companions were waiting.

The Sword Demon listened to Seo Mun-hye’s account and spoke.

“Indeed. You entered the ruins and found corridors and towering murals, did you?”

“Yes, Father.”

“Strangely, though. Though they provided an exit with a blue pearl, why is there no entrance in sight?”

They hadn’t entered through normal means; it was with the aid of Berus’s mysterious sorcery. In other words, they still hadn’t properly found the real entrance. However, since an exit was well established, they couldn’t help but suspect the intentions of whoever created the ruins.

In response to the Sword Demon’s inquiry, Berus answered.

“I heard that ancient Giant Races could manipulate space freely. Being a divine race, they could do such things, and that’s why I think the creator of the ruins chose not to make a separate entrance.”

The Sword Demon frowned.

“Wouldn’t that mean they assumed the Giant Race or its descendants have the power to manipulate space?”

“Most likely.”

“But why create a blue pearl as the exit?”

“Since the moment they entered the ruins, their lineage was confirmed, so they wouldn’t need another authentication upon exiting. I think it was probably made for convenience.”

It wasn’t without gains. This ‘Grave of the God’ would be a significant clue, and it was noted that Seo Mun-hye could access it. However, the fact that only a high-level grand sorcerer like Berus could open the entrance was not particularly promising.

Berus said, “Fortunately, I had placed a visibility-sharing technique on her in advance, so I could roughly scan what the murals depict.”

“Do you know the true meaning of the mural and the patterns?”

“To be honest, not exactly… But I believe it’s a form of ultra-ancient script. It likely dates back thousands of years and is treated as a mystery in Demon Paths. However, I’m not familiar with Eastern interpretations.”

“Eastern interpretations?”

“The Giant Race had split into the East and the West a long time ago and began to live separately. I’m not clear on the exact reasons, but the Eastern and Western Giant Races are like distantly related cousins.”

“You’re saying you don’t know?”

“Correct.”

“Then such trivial details wouldn’t help me at all.”

The Sword Demon sighed and continued speaking.

“Right now, what’s important is a clue about the [Grave of the God]. We need a solution to the current situation, where clues are entangled like threads.”

“… I believe the key lies with the murals.”

“The murals?”

Berus nodded.

“What she saw in the murals didn’t connect and appeared scrambled. Also, those murals consist of hundreds of stone plates. This means…”

Hearing this from the side, Tang San caught on and said, “You mean it’s a puzzle?”

“Is that what it’s called in Ming Dynasty? Anyway… that’s correct.”

A puzzle.

In other words, it was like matching pictures.

The Sword Demon quickly grasped the situation and turned to Seo Mun-hye.

“Hyaea.”

“Yes, Father.”

“Once more, enter the ruins and carefully observe the seams of the murals. If it is indeed a puzzle, restore the jumbled pictures to their original form.”

“Understood.”

Just then, Berus, who had been listening, abruptly exclaimed, “Wait a minute!”

“What’s wrong?”

“I suspect that even one of the plates making up the mural would weigh astonishing amounts. Each stone plate is one palm thick and as tall as an average person’s waist.”

“So?”

“It would take several strong men just to move one plate, so the thought of assembling hundreds of plates would be impossible for an ordinary human’s strength.”

Just shifting one plate would likely leave adult men drenched in sweat after a full day. At those words, the Sword Demon chuckled.

“Don’t worry about that. Hyaea can handle it.”

“Hmm… Well, in that case.”

Bam!

Berus once again sent Seo Mun-hye back into the inner ruins, wrapped in concern. Ordinarily, it would be impossible to accomplish such a task, but could this delicate-looking, silver-haired woman really pull it off alone? Eventually, while sharing his vision, he was taken aback.

Thud, thud, thud!

“Huh.”

As soon as Seo Mun-hye confirmed that the mural was indeed a puzzle through its seams, she moved a few stone plates into the gaps without any signs of struggle. Rather than breaking a sweat, merely shifting her delicate fingers caused the massive plates to move. As Berus showed a face of surprise, the Sword Demon considered this perfectly natural.

Seo Mun-hye was also a peak expert capable of freely using her internal power after taking spiritual pills. When one enhances their body through Qi, they can exhibit abilities beyond human limits, so this level of complexity was nothing.

Boom, boom, boom!

Seo Mun-hye, after a considerable effort in aligning the images of the mural, seemed to identify the correct picture and began assembling it without hesitation. It took her about half a moment to complete the mural, at which point rays of light burst forth.

Bam!

Zing—

The light emitted from the mural aimed straight toward the ceiling of the ruins. As Seo Mun-hye exited through the pearl again, she could see that the blue light had created a path of illumination in the void outside anew. Seeing the light cutting through the mountain and reaching toward the sky, Seo Mun-hye hurried back to her companions.

Berus said, “That light probably indicates the real location of the [Grave of the God].”

“So we just need to follow the light?”

“Let’s go. We’re almost there.”

“Wait a minute.”

Though Berus urged haste, the Sword Demon suddenly glanced at Tang San beside him and spoke.

“Tang San.”

“What is it?”

“We’ll part ways here for now.”

“……?”

As Tang San wore a doubtful expression, the Sword Demon explained.

“Upon reaching the Grave of the God, there might be stronger guardians or even otherworldly monsters. But no matter how genius you are, you’re still relatively weak at this moment. You need more time to grow. Step away from us and seek a place to seclude yourself while refining your martial arts.”

“… I appreciate your words.”

“Then let’s meet again if we survive.”

“May you fulfill your wishes.”

With those words, Tang San and the Sword Demon’s party quickly parted ways. The Sword Demon thought internally,

‘This will surely solidify things.’

Then they moved toward the blue light inscribed in the sky. The place where the light halted and fell to the ground was a vast plain dotted with nomadic villages.

The Sword Demon murmured, “The border of the Central Plains and the northern tribes.”

In the northwest of Liaoning Province. Home to nomadic peoples, yet still sparsely populated. The Sword Demon thought he would never end up in such a desolate place, even after traveling his entire life if he had lived normally. While it was certainly a fitting place for ancient ruins, it felt odd.

Despite being a barren land, the northern peoples wandered around. So, wouldn’t it be strange if a relic thousands of years old had never been discovered? But just as this doubt arose, it was promptly resolved upon seeing the blue light that descended from the sky.

Boom, boom, boom…

Hee hee hee!

“#%#&%!!”

It was pandemonium. The nearby northern tribesmen and shepherds, panicking, struggled to maintain control of their frightened horses. A fifty-foot radius around the landing blue light had turned into a chaotic region of unrecognizable, dark turmoil.

‘This place already seems detached from reality…’

That ‘chaos’, which looked like a gigantic pond or swamp, appeared to have depths that seemed unfathomably deep. For now, it was certain that it was a structure, as steps led into its depths.

Needless to say, ordinary humans from the northern tribes wouldn’t dare enter such a place unless they had lost their sanity. They seemed to have come to patrol the area and were greatly startled. Moreover, some of them appeared to be consumed by madness even now.

Berus seemed to be using a translation sorcery on one of the shepherds, talking to him. Then he turned to the Sword Demon and said, “The point at which the blue light landed aligns precisely with when we properly solved the mural puzzle.”

“So this place is…”

“Yes. The [Grave of the God].”

“……”

The act of correctly aligning the mural itself had served as a touchpoint to immediately open a route to the [Grave of the God]. This method meant that even if it lay hidden underground for thousands of years, no one would ever know.

‘Perhaps that Giant Race mural holds significant meaning that I can’t even begin to imagine…’

However, that was something he would never know in this lifetime. The Sword Demon resolutely said, trusting that Baek Woong would later investigate it.

“Let’s go.”

They entered the [Grave of the God] via the stairs. As they descended along the stairs, they suddenly hit a blockade halfway down. The location was a hellish scene filled with sticky darkness and writhing tentacles, as if alive.

Berus said, “Hmm. It seems we have a dimension of the abyss blocking our way… Shall we try to clear it?”

Boom!

Once more, Berus summoned fish, and the sticky, clay-like chaos that obstructed the stairs vanished. Berus wore an unusually excited expression and said, “For some reason, I’m curious about what’s at the end of this… let’s go…”

Whoosh!

A nasty sound echoed.

The darkness’s blade severed Berus’s neck, causing it to float up.

An event unraveled that defied any rational understanding, but the Sword Demon, being experienced, didn’t panic.

The Sword Demon immediately got into a defensive stance, preparing to unleash all his mind control techniques. At the same time, he shouted at the top of his lungs.

“Run, Hyaea!”

Boom!

The mysterious foe that killed Berus with a single strike landed a slash on the Sword Demon.

‘Counterattack? Defense?’

No, it wouldn’t do.

I couldn’t handle it with my potential.

I must dodge!

Bang!

The Sword Demon gathered all his strength to evade the attack. It looked messy as he disregarded traditional martial postures, but thanks to that, his body was spared from being shredded into a hundred pieces. Furthermore, dodging was no easy feat, and he felt a sense of despair.

Boom!

The chaotic space collided as the late attack passed by, ripping apart everything in its path. It felt as if he was being torn apart by the sword aura, leaving him powerless to counter.

‘To think…’

An onslaught of this speed and destructive capability felt like something he’d never faced in his life. He wondered if he could even parry with his absolute realm martial arts.

It was undoubtedly a power that transcended humanity.

If he were to face the Master of the White Lotus Sect, who surpassed even the Great Immortal by opening chaos, it might feel something like this.

The Sword Demon was at a loss, unable to even imagine defeating his opponent, and his heart raced wildly at the sudden appearance of such a non-human powerhouse.

He could feel the opponent’s foot right before him as he knelt.

And he realized that the opponent could easily end him in a single strike but was choosing to wait.

‘Could it be…’

With a glimmer of hope, the Sword Demon slowly lifted his head.

And upon confirming the ‘enemy,’ his eyes widened in surprise.

“Miyamoto Musashi…?”

The enemy standing before him was none other than Miyamoto Musashi. But the Sword Demon’s confusion stemmed not from why he was resurrected, but from a more immediate concern that struck him upon witnessing Musashi’s grotesque appearance.

Boom, boom, boom…

Miyamoto Musashi was enveloped in dark energy that draped his body, and tendrils of darkness oozed forth from him. Additionally, his eyes were shrouded in bloody light, and one arm appeared to be bound tightly in tendrils, having lost the shape of a human altogether. The only indication that he was indeed Miyamoto Musashi was the preserved clothing and physique he bore from his lifetime.

Rumble!

Strange eyes embedded throughout his body screamed in agony. As madness twisted and spread from him, merely looking at him threatened to eclipse the Sword Demon’s sanity. The mental corruption happening was beyond his control.

Is that a human?

With its grotesque sounds, was ‘that’ truly human?

One shivering thought flickered anew; it was too horrific to consider.

And [Musashi] spoke in a bizarre tone.

[Pick up your sword.]

“……”

[Fight me.]

In that moment, the Sword Demon felt he could only abandon his will to live.

To protect his daughter, he needed to struggle a little longer.

This place was undoubtedly his final battlefield.

“I accept.”

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