Almighty God of War - Chapter 199

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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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199

As he stepped up the jade stairs, the vast first floor hall of Cheongi Gak filled his entire field of vision.

The circular hall, easily a hundred pyeong in size, was finished entirely in white jade, with gentle radiance emanating from the walls and floor adding to its mystique.

The deep fragrance of agarwood incense and white sandalwood flowing from somewhere penetrated deep into his lungs, clearing Guyang Cheongang’s turbulent mind and washing away his distracting thoughts.

In the center of the hall stood a white jade display stand intricately carved with dragon patterns, bearing the weight of years.

Upon it lay artifacts presumed to have been left by Cheongi Jinjun, waiting for Guyang Cheongang.

Three ancient books with golden letters clearly inscribed, an ordinary-looking black silk pouch, and one wide-open jade box.

Particularly within the jade box was an object resembling a black roof tile about one ja in length and width, emitting strange radiance along with wave-like rippling patterns across its surface.

Guyang Cheongang slowly moved his feet toward the display stand.

Step… step…

His regular footsteps echoed through the hall wrapped in quiet stillness.

Ten zhang, five zhang, then three zhang.

Just as he stopped at a distance where he could reach the treasures with an outstretched hand, the voice of an aged old man filled the entire space.

[Truly… it has been long since I’ve seen a human.]

That voice, coming from an unknown location, was deeply steeped with the regret and longing characteristic of one who had endured hundreds of years of solitude.

[Who might you be?]

Receiving the question, Guyang Cheongang bowed his waist and respectfully offered a cupped fist salute.

“I am Guyang Cheongang of the Guyang Family Estate.”

[Guyang Family Estate? …That’s not a name in my memory. Was there such a family?]

To the old man’s puzzled question as if searching through threads of memory, Guyang Cheongang carefully asked back.

“If I may ask… are you Elder Cheongi Jinjun?”

After a moment of heavy silence, the answer that returned was brief but clear.

[Correct. This old man is Cheongi Jinjun.]

One of the legendary Ten Greatest Masters who had dominated Gangho three hundred years ago.

At the fact that he still existed and was conversing with him, Guyang Cheongang’s heart pounded violently.

“It’s natural that you wouldn’t know, as our Main Family Estate didn’t exist during the era when Jinjun was active. Three hundred years have already passed, after all.”

[Three hundred years…]

The old man’s voice sank low as he repeated his words.

Within those brief syllables were mixed the unbearable weight of years and emptiness, along with bone-deep regret for unaccomplished tasks.

However, what lay even more thickly beneath those emotions was a deep-seated hatred that even three hundred years could not weather away.

That razor-sharp hostility toward someone unknown flowed out through the cold air, heavily oppressing the interior of the pavilion.

As the dark emotions that seemed to devour his soul were conveyed through his voice, Guyang Cheongang felt goosebumps rising.

He could sense it.

The reason this legendary master had secluded himself in the Abyss’s East for three hundred long years was by no means ordinary.

Within the old man’s brief silence were layers upon layers of indescribable tragedy and desperate circumstances that had forced him to imprison himself in this splendid cage.

The atmosphere of the hall sank heavily as if crushed by the weight of the past, and the air became gloomy.

Breaking the silence, Cheongi Jinjun’s voice was heard again.

[You are qualified to take the items on the display stand. Take them.]

The voice that came again had regained a surprising degree of calm.

It was a tone that had gathered up turbulent emotions and recovered its inherent composure.

This was permission for the rightful reward given to one who had crossed Shinsu Hyeonmu’s line of death.

But at that moment, a subtle sense of unease crept into a corner of Guyang Cheongang’s heart.

Cheongi Jinjun had offered not a single word of explanation about why he had secluded himself here, or what he had constructed this massive Gimun Daejin and placed Shinsu Hyeonmu as guardian for.

The process was too smooth to say he had simply waited three hundred years to pass on treasures, and the truth hidden behind it was far too opaque.

Guyang Cheongang forcibly suppressed his doubts while maintaining outward courtesy.

“Thank you, Elder.”

He respectfully bowed his head, then slowly reached toward the display stand.

As his fingertips moved toward the ancient books, his consciousness was conversing with Akasha within.

‘Akasha, monitor the surroundings thoroughly. Alert me immediately if even the slightest movement is detected.’

[Understood, Doctor. No direct threats are currently detected, but I’ll maintain maximum vigilance.]

Guyang Cheongang’s fingers touched the first ancient book.

The specially treated paper conveyed a sensation more like a cold jade wall than paper.

As he slowly lifted the book, the five characters inscribed on the cover were clearly revealed, emitting golden radiance.

Mixed Origin Celestial Arts Scripture (Honyeon Cheongigyeong).

It was a complete collection that gathered all the essence of mystical formation studies, and a precious tome condensing Cheongi Jinjun’s lifetime of wisdom.

Even with the treasure in his hands, Guyang Cheongang did not relax his tension.

Cheongi Jinjun’s voice was no longer heard, and a strange silence pervaded the interior of Cheongi Gak.

In that eerie stillness like the calm before a storm, Guyang Cheongang carefully set down the Mixed Origin Celestial Arts Scripture.

Though it was a precious tome condensing the principles of mystical formation studies, he had no leisure to immerse himself in research right now.

His gaze naturally moved to the jade box placed right beside it.

Inside the jade box lay an object of mysterious form like a still life.

About one ja in length and width, curved in gentle semicircular lines, it unmistakably resembled roof tiles placed on buildings.

Its color was black as pitch, as if it would swallow even light itself, and the presence it emanated was by no means ordinary.

The tile’s surface was wreathed in radiance tinged with subtle indigo light, and the fine lines embroidering it undulated like living waves, creating strange patterns.

The light flowing from this object of unknown material—neither gem nor metal—blinked regularly, mesmerizing the viewer’s gaze.

Guyang Cheongang’s eyes gleamed sharply.

What he felt from the black tile was a sense of overwhelming presence on a different dimension from the ancient books or the pouch presumed to contain artifacts.

Instinctive warning lights flashed in his mind.

An ominous yet irresistibly fascinating aura.

It seemed that carelessly touching it would lead to irreversible consequences.

‘Akasha, analyze that black tile for me.’

[Beginning scan.]

During the flowing silence, Akasha deployed minute nanobots to remotely sweep over the object’s surface.

The collected data began transmitting to Guyang Cheongang’s consciousness in real time.

[Doctor, extremely subtle energy fluctuations have been detected. This is an unknown energy form that doesn’t correspond to electromagnetic force, thermal energy, or any existing magnetic field patterns.]

There was unusual bewilderment mixed in Akasha’s voice.

[The energy wavelength is extremely irregular and displays complex patterns. Rather than matter, this shows characteristics similar to the brain waves of higher life forms.]

‘Brain waves?’

[I cannot be certain, but it’s presumed to be a medium closely connected to some form of consciousness or thoughts. Please be careful as it could be dangerous.]

There was no retreating.

He had crossed the line of death to reach this point, and these were treasures already permitted by Cheongi Jinjun, the master of the East.

Guyang Cheongang steeled his resolve and spoke to Akasha.

‘Keep the defense systems constantly active. If a dangerous situation occurs, respond immediately.’

[Understood, Doctor.]

Guyang Cheongang carefully reached out his hand.

His fingers crossed the boundary of the jade box and touched the surface of the black tile.

The sensation transmitted through his fingertips was cold and chilly like ice.

It wasn’t simply low temperature, but rather a strange vibration as if touching the skin of some living creature.

The moment he slowly lifted the object, a heavier weight than expected pressed against his wrist.

Along with the weight of high-density material, minute vibrations were transmitted from within his palm.

And it was precisely at that moment.

Whoooooong-!

The black tile trembled and emitted a bizarre resonant sound.

In an instant, the gentle indigo radiance explosively surged upward as if to devour the entire pavilion.

And the surface patterns began violently undulating like raging waves, starting to spew forth tremendous energy.

“Huk?!”

Feeling instinctive crisis, Guyang Cheongang tried to quickly release the tile, but it was already too late.

The object that touched his palm stuck to his skin like a magnet and wouldn’t come off.

The tile, fixed as if drawn by powerful magnetic force, immediately began greedily absorbing Guyang Cheongang’s internal energy.

The pure true energy of the Transcendent Impermanence Divine Art broke free of control and poured into the tile through his palm like a waterfall.

[Doctor’s internal energy is being forcibly absorbed by the object. Activating emergency energy cutoff protocol immediately!]

Along with Akasha’s urgent cry, tens of thousands of nanobots released minute electrical currents that struck hard at the contact surface between the tile and his palm.

Guyang Cheongang, his complexion changed, also reflexively responded using the Absorption Formula of the Transcendent Impermanence Divine Art.

However, the speed of change was beyond what he and Akasha could imagine.

Before their countermeasures could take effect, this time an unidentified thought energy flowed back from the tile and burrowed into his meridians.

It spread throughout his entire body by traveling up Guyang Cheongang’s arm and reversing through his meridians, then charged toward his brain through the central nervous system with fierce momentum.

It was not mere energy.

It was someone’s will.

Powerful, persistent, and filled with bone-chilling malice, another’s consciousness ravaged Guyang Cheongang’s mental world with terrifying force.

Then a mind-rending, maniacal laughter echoed through his consciousness.

[Kahahahahaha!]

It was Cheongi Jinjun’s voice, but there was no trace of that initial transcendent and authoritative atmosphere.

Twisted obsession and violent desire suppressed for three hundred years were exploding without filter.

[Finally! Finally I obtain a new body!]

The voice drunk with ecstasy was filled with the triumphant feeling of a conspiracy prepared over long years reaching completion.

[I waited three hundred years! Though I was trapped in this hellish abyss because of that cursed woman, now it ends!]

Guyang Cheongang’s face contorted horribly.

Cheongi Jinjun’s massive thought energy poured into his brain attempting to seize control of his mind, trying to roughly drive his soul from its original place.

[Your body is now mine! Don’t resist and step aside!]

It was overwhelming power.

The will of a supreme master who had lived three hundred years, that strong mental force rolled in like waves crushing Guyang Cheongang’s ego.

Guyang Cheongang lost control over his body and was swept up in the sensation of being pushed into an endless pit of darkness.

Though his mental strength and will had also reached their peak, such a bizarre attack that directly invaded the soul using the body as medium was outside his calculations.

His initial defenses crumbled helplessly before the unexpected surprise attack, and sovereignty over his consciousness began to shake violently.

‘No…!’

He gritted his teeth and struggled to gather his scattering self together.

However, the method Cheongi Jinjun employed was on a completely different trajectory from the demonic path’s Soul Transfer Great Method.

It was not simply the demonic path’s evil sorcery of transplanting souls.

It was the ultimate possession technique that erased the opponent’s memories and emotions – the very consciousness that formed the foundation of existence – and forcibly painted over that empty space with one’s own thoughts to completely replace their being.

A desperate bloody battle between the one being erased and the one trying to overwrite raged as an invisible storm within Guyang Cheongang’s consciousness.

At that critical moment when his pupils were losing focus and growing turbidly dim, Akasha’s cold voice rang out.

[Activating mental defense system, virtual reality protocol!]

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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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