Almighty God of War - Chapter 170

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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170

 

Guyang Cheongang examined the bracelet again.

 

Seven holes.

 

Only one of them had a bead embedded in it.

 

‘Seven holes… Could it be that these Seven Great Gates are…?’

 

[The possibility is high. Hongnyeomro was the first gate, and now Absolute Ice Valley is the second. If this reasoning is correct, passing through Absolute Ice Valley will produce a second bead.]

 

‘And if I pass through all seven gates…’

 

[All seven beads will be filled. At that time, the bracelet may become fully activated, or it may manifest new abilities.]

 

Guyang Cheongang’s heart began to race.

 

The bracelet was deeply connected to the Seven Great Gates, and was probably related to the core secrets of Pungnimgok.

 

His thoughts became complicated.

 

He realized once again that there was a significant connection between the Seven Great Gates and the bracelet, but he couldn’t know exactly what kind of relationship it was.

 

‘Elder Brother Cheon sent a servant to recommend that I enter this place. Did he know about the secrets of the bracelet and Pungnimgok…?’

 

Questions followed one after another, but there were no answers.

 

[Doctor, it’s time to focus on Absolute Ice Valley.]

 

At Akasha’s words, Guyang Cheongang raised his head.

 

Fifteen people had already arrived in front of the Stone Gate and were waiting for him.

 

Guyang Cheongang put aside his thoughts.

 

Now was not the time for speculation.

 

After passing through Absolute Ice Valley, he would be able to learn more anyway.

 

‘Let’s go in for now. The answer lies ahead.’

 

[I agree. Once we obtain the second bead, we’ll be able to learn more information.]

 

Guyang Cheongang hid the bracelet in his sleeve and walked quickly.

 

Mok Jin looked at him and asked.

 

“Was there some kind of problem?”

 

“No. I just had something to think about for a moment.”

 

“Is that so? Then let’s go in now.”

 

Sixteen people stood in front of the Stone Gate of Absolute Ice Valley.

 

The gate was enormous.

 

It appeared to be about three zhang high, and its width exceeded two zhang.

 

The surface shone white like white jade, and cold energy flowed from the gate, freezing the surrounding air.

 

Cold energy also emanated from the characters ‘ (Absolute Ice Valley)’ written above the gate, making them feel alive.

 

Jegal Ryong looked at the gate and said.

 

“Since this is the second gate, this place will be more dangerous than Hongnyeomro.”

 

Ju Jaryeom nodded.

 

“I’m prepared for it.”

 

O Gwangnyeo grinned wickedly.

 

“The more dangerous it is, the more interesting it becomes, doesn’t it?”

 

Yu Garyang stared at the gate without saying anything.

 

Mok Jin took out a jade box containing Spirit Pills and said.

 

“It would be good to take the Spirit Pills before entering.”

 

The other nine people also took out their respective jade boxes.

 

Guyang Cheongang looked at them.

 

He didn’t have Spirit Pills, but he had the bracelet.

 

And the red bead inside the bracelet.

 

That might become the key to passing through Absolute Ice Valley.

 

After the ten people put the Spirit Pills in their mouths, they immediately sat in lotus position and began energy circulation and breath control.

 

Instantly, changes occurred in their bodies.

 

Their skin turned red and heated up, and heat emanated from their entire bodies.

 

After a moment, the heat subsided, and the people whose complexions had returned to normal opened their eyes and stood up.

 

Mok Jin said.

 

“Good. Now our bodies are warm. We’re ready to endure the cold energy.”

 

Jegal Ryong pushed the Stone Gate.

 

Creeeeak-

 

With a heavy, long sound, the gate slowly opened.

 

Beyond the gate, a white world unfolded.

 

A world covered in ice and snow.

 

Cold wind poured out from beyond the gate.

 

Guyang Cheongang took a deep breath.

 

‘Let’s go.’

 

The sixteen people entered through the gate one by one.

 

Guyang Cheongang also followed behind them.

 

As he crossed the Stone Gate, the entire world turned white.

 

Creeeeak-

 

The exit of Absolute Ice Valley opened.

 

White light poured out as seven shadows staggered out.

 

They were Mok Jin, Ju Jaryeom, Jegal Ryong, Namgung Gyeol, O Gwangnyeo, Yu Garyang, and Guyang Cheongang.

 

Sixteen had entered, but only seven came out.

 

Their faces were pale, and their entire bodies were trembling.

 

Their expressions were a mixture of fatigue, anger, and fear.

 

Mok Jin fell to his knees, breathing roughly.

 

“Huff… huff…”

 

Jegal Ryong also collapsed to the ground. The hand holding Hak Ikson was trembling violently.

 

Namgung Gyeol was standing, but his complexion was as white as a dead person’s, and Ju Jaryeom was kneeling on one knee with his head bowed.

 

O Gwangnyeo’s eyes, clenching his fists with gritted teeth, burned with savage anger.

 

Only Yu Garyang showed no change in expression, but his hands were also trembling slightly.

 

Guyang Cheongang slowly walked out, leaned his back against the cliff, and sat down as if sliding.

 

‘I survived.’

 

[It’s a miracle, Doctor. Really… a miracle.]

 

There was trembling in Akasha’s voice as well.

 

Guyang Cheongang closed his eyes.

 

Memories from inside Absolute Ice Valley flashed by like a panorama.

 

Endlessly stretching ice walls.

 

Blizzards raging from all directions.

 

Cold energy penetrating to the bone.

 

And… the people who died.

 

The five Myeongsuk who entered without Spirit Pills all died at the entrance.

 

Their bodies instantly became ice sculptures and shattered into pieces.

 

But even those who took Spirit Pills weren’t safe.

 

The ten Spirit Pills obtained after passing through Hongnyeomro ultimately weren’t of much help.

 

Certainly they were Spirit Pills with the effect of overcoming cold energy, but the cold energy of Absolute Ice Valley wasn’t something that could be handled with just that.

 

Like in Hongnyeomro, giving up resistance meant immediate death.

 

The moment they stopped their internal energy, cold energy devoured their entire bodies and their hearts froze.

 

But having taken heat yang pills and having high pure yang cultivation didn’t guarantee survival either.

 

Rather, those who resisted too strongly died first when their internal energy was depleted.

 

The extreme cold energy drove people to the brink of death, and those whose minds were consumed by that fear fell one by one and became blocks of ice.

 

The seven survivors were people who didn’t give up resistance while fighting despair to the end.

 

They fought against the cold energy, but the greater battle was the fight against themselves.

 

Only those who fought against the desire to give up, fear, and despair while moving forward step by step survived.

 

Absolute Ice Valley was a different form from Hongnyeom-ro, but ultimately it was a place that tested the same thing.

 

Patience and will.

 

It was a battle with oneself.

 

Guyang Cheongang slowly examined the bracelet.

 

A blue bead was embedded in the second hole.

 

‘Two have been filled.’

 

[Yes. It seems you absorbed cold energy while passing through Absolute Ice Valley. But five holes still remain.]

 

‘That means five more gates remain.’

 

[That’s correct. But Doctor, can you continue?]

 

‘I have to.’

 

Guyang Cheongang checked his physical condition.

 

The meridians throughout his body had been damaged from repeatedly freezing and thawing, and fatigue had seeped into his very bones. But his internal energy hadn’t run dry.

 

Rather, it had become more refined.

 

It was as he had expected.

 

[Doctor, the quality of your internal energy has changed once again. If it was refined once in Hongnyeom-ro, then a second refinement took place in Absolute Ice Valley.]

 

Guyang Cheongang focused his consciousness on his dantian.

 

Though much internal energy had been consumed, the remaining internal power was transparent and pure, as if it had sublimated from clear spring water into ice crystals.

 

‘If Hongnyeom-ro burned away impurities, then Absolute Ice Valley…’

 

[Like tempering steel, it froze and melted your internal energy repeatedly, compressing it to make it even stronger. The quantity decreased, but the quality improved dramatically.]

 

‘What exactly does whoever designed this place want from those who enter?’

 

The Seven Great Gates was a place that gave trials of life and death, but made those who overcame those trials stronger.

 

All who survived would become stronger than before.

 

Mok Jin slowly stood up and looked around.

 

“Seven people… Only seven out of sixteen survived.”

 

Ju Jaryeom also raised his head.

 

“Less than half.”

 

Jegal Ryong smiled bitterly as he continued.

 

“The heart of the ancient master who created this place seems to have been colder and more ruthless than ice.”

 

O Gwangnyeo laughed bleakly as he spoke.

 

“Shouldn’t we be grateful that the weak ones died? Thanks to that, we have fewer competitors.”

 

People closed their mouths and turned their gaze to the center.

 

This place was also a valley terrain like where Hongnyeom-ro had ended, and there was an altar in the center as well.

 

But the objects placed there were different.

 

No spirit pills were visible, and two massive stone steles stood tall.

 

Both were monuments made of white stone, one jang wide and long with a thickness of one ja, and their surfaces were polished smooth to shine like mirrors.

 

On the right stone stele was written the title “Heavenly Martial True Formula” along with one thousand characters of incantations.

 

This was a continuation of the incantations recorded on the stone stele in Hongnyeom-ro’s valley.

 

The second stone stele had no title, only about five hundred silver-white characters densely carved into it.

 

Beyond the stone steles, two stone gates stood side by side on the cliff, just like before.

 

Above the left gate were carved the characters ‘Return Path’, and above the right gate were carved the characters ‘Pungdo Gate’.

 

Below the Return Path plaque was written the twenty-four hour return time limit as a warning, just as before.

 

Pungdo Gate, meaning the blade of wind.

 

From the name alone, one could guess what kind of place the next gate would be.

 

Mok Jin slowly approached and began reading the second stone stele.

 

“Where one thought arises, ten thousand li become one body, formless and shadowless, a billion voids burst forth together, within absolute stillness, subtle movement never extinguishes, heaven and earth do not exist…”

 

Where one thought arises, even ten thousand li away becomes one body, and formless, shadowless ethereal energy pours forth all at once, even within absolute silence, only subtle movement never dies out, and even heaven and earth do not exist…

 

Mok Jin’s voice gradually grew quieter and stopped.

 

Bewilderment also appeared on the face of Jegal Ryong, who had read the stone stele beside him.

 

Even he, called the greatest genius of the Jegal Family Estate in a hundred years, couldn’t immediately grasp the meaning of the incantations.

 

Namgung Gyeol, Ju Jaryeom, O Gwangnyeo, and Yu Garyang also stood before the stone stele in turn.

 

Everyone stared at the incantations and fell into deep thought.

 

Having experienced Hongnyeom-ro, no one failed to realize that these incantations would help with passing the next gate.

 

The Heavenly Martial True Formula was a reward unrelated to the gates.

 

But just as the spirit pills had been prepared for Absolute Ice Valley, these incantations were certainly for passing the third gate.

 

However, like the Heavenly Martial True Formula, the incantations were abstract and difficult like grasping at clouds, so no one immediately realized what kind of martial art it was.

 

“Where one thought arises, ten thousand li become one body, formless and shadowless…”

 

Jegal Ryong, who had been trying to memorize the incantations with his eyes closed, sighed and opened his eyes.

 

Like the Heavenly Martial True Formula, this too could not be memorized.

 

The faces of Mok Jin, Namgung Gyeol, Ju Jaryeom, O Gwangnyeo, and Yu Garyang grew darker as time passed.

 

They couldn’t understand the meaning of the incantations and could only read and reread the characters.

 

But Jegal Ryong was different.

 

His eyes grew brighter, and a look of having realized something appeared in his gaze toward the stone stele.

 

‘This… seems to be a movement technique.’

 

He had only grasped a small clue, but Guyang Cheongang was different.

 

[Doctor, this is a treatise on movement techniques.]

 

‘Movement technique?’

 

[Yes. Among them, it’s the highest level of study.]

 

‘Show me.’

 

[I’ll demonstrate in the virtual world.]

 

Guyang Cheongang’s consciousness connected to the virtual world.

 

A vast plain spread before his eyes, and a martial artist stood there.

 

It was a virtual figure created by Akasha.

 

He moved.

 

Guyang Cheongang’s eyebrows twitched as he was shocked by what he saw.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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