Chapter 35: Day 35

Rumble…

As the explosion that filled the Hidden Dimension subsided, the shattered remains of the puppet were revealed.

Melted and fused together by the toxic Demonic Qi, the puppet’s fragments lay scattered amidst the debris.

Among the wreckage, a single book remained untouched.

“Oh!”

Cheon Seo Ah’s face lit up. She had a feeling this book, miraculously unscathed, contained the puppet’s creation method. But…

“No.”

She brushed aside the debris and examined the book, a flicker of disappointment crossing her face.

It wasn’t the puppet’s creation method.

It was a Demonic Art.

The technique the puppet had used in its final attack, the chilling white bone hand.

Nine Yin White Bone Claw.

Skimming through the contents, Cheon Seo Ah deemed it a useful technique.

A Demonic Art that involved plunging one’s hand into a human skull and absorbing the marrow.

As cultivation progressed, the skin, flesh, muscles, and nerves of the hand would melt away, absorbed into the bones.

At its peak, only the stark white bones would remain, as hard as diamonds, imbued with chilling Demonic Qi that could freeze anything it touched.

She pocketed the book and turned towards the true object of her quest.

The sword, still bound by thick chains, and the other book that lay before it.

Was the puppet meant to protect these items? Or was it a trial for a would-be inheritor? She didn’t know.

And she didn’t care. She had defeated the puppet. The sword and the book were hers now.

Standing before the sword, she flicked her fingers.

Six Flicking Fingers Sword Art, Modified.

Twelve Poisonous Demonic Sword Lights.

Twelve sword lights, formed from condensed, dark green Demonic Qi, shot towards the chains.

Clang!

The sword lights struck the chains, but instead of cutting through, they bounced harmlessly off, the sound like metal striking metal. Not a single scratch marred the chains. Cheon Seo Ah frowned.

“So, it won’t be that easy.”

But she wouldn’t give up.

There was no need to. If the Twelve Poisonous Demonic Sword Lights didn’t work, she would simply use a more… direct approach.

Taking a deep breath, she unleashed her Demonic Qi.

Whoosh…

Her Golden Core pulsed, and a torrent of Demonic Qi erupted from her body, spreading outwards like a dark green fog.

From this Demonic Qi, she extracted the pure toxicity, condensing it in her hand.

Drip! Drip!

Sizzle!

Drops of highly corrosive acid dripped from her hand, melting the ground where they fell, releasing a plume of toxic smoke.

Without hesitation, she flung the acid at the chains.

Sizzle!

The chains began to melt, slowly but surely. The Hidden Dimension filled with toxic smoke, but it didn’t affect her.

It was, after all, a product of her own Demonic Qi.

Patiently, she continued, creating more acid, dissolving the chains bit by bit.

Days passed.

Thirty-one days and twenty-two hours later, the last of the chains dissolved.

Thud-

The sword, freed from its bonds, fell to the ground.

A surge of Demonic Qi erupted from the sword, far more potent than when it was sealed.

Even Cheon Seo Ah stumbled, momentarily caught in the blast.

But a chilling grin spread across her face.

“Beautiful.”

She muttered, gazing at the sword, its surface radiating Demonic Qi.

The sword itself was unremarkable, a common design easily found in any market.

Its only distinguishing feature was an engraving on the blade, a creature that resembled a snake or a dragon.

But to Cheon Seo Ah, it was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen.

She could sense the immense power contained within.

As she gazed at the sword, her eyes gleaming with a strange madness, the Demonic Qi emanating from it danced and swirled, beckoning her.

She didn’t resist. She absorbed the Demonic Qi, and without hesitation, grasped the sword’s hilt.

Flash!

The eyes of the engraved creature on the blade glowed with a dark blue light.

Cheon Seo Ah’s eyes glazed over.

“Where…?”

She muttered, looking around.

She was in a space of utter darkness, an oppressive pressure bearing down on her from all sides.

Even the slightest movement was met with resistance.

At least she could breathe.

She tried to recall how she’d gotten here. The last thing she remembered was grasping the sword’s hilt.

And then…

“A dark blue light.”

The engraved creature’s eyes had glowed, and she’d lost consciousness.

Was this some kind of mindscape? Not her own, but the sword’s, a treasure worthy of being called a demonic sword? Did the sword have a consciousness?

“A sentient sword.”

They called them ego swords in fantasy novels.

Judging by the Demonic Qi it possessed, this sword was no ordinary treasure.

A high-grade treasure, at the very least.

How long did she spend in this strange space?

“I’m getting used to this.”

She had grown accustomed to the oppressive pressure, the resistance against her movements.

Just as she reached a point of comfort, something shifted.

Rumble…

The space trembled, a violent tremor emanating from the depths of the darkness below.

Ripples spread through the space, and from within…

Growl…

…a massive creature emerged.

Identical to the creature engraved on the sword, a monstrous being with chilling, dark blue eyes that seemed to assess her worthiness.

“How unpleasant.”

Cheon Seo Ah frowned, disgusted by its gaze.

How dare this… this tool, created and used for a specific purpose, judge her?

“Are you trying to evaluate me?”

As she spoke, her Demonic Qi erupted.

Rumble…

The space trembled again, and her dark green Demonic Qi began to consume the darkness.

The creature, clearly startled, seemed surprised by her counterattack.

Their silent battle raged for days, Cheon Seo Ah’s Demonic Qi slowly encroaching upon the darkness, until only a small sphere around the creature remained untouched.

She approached it, her eyes gleaming with madness.

“Submit, or be annihilated.”

The creature stared at her for a moment, then…

Gurgle…

…transformed into a stream of seawater that flowed into her left eye.

Cheon Seo Ah, unfazed, simply grinned, feeling the creature’s essence merging with her own.

With the absorption complete, she found herself back in the Hidden Dimension.

No, not ‘back.’ She hadn’t moved.

It had all taken place within the sword’s mindscape, within its spirit.

She looked down at the sword, still clutched in her hand.

Knowledge flooded her mind, the sword’s history, its purpose, its power.

Its name…

“The Sea Devouring Dragon Sword.”

Long ago, a dragon had existed, a creature that devoured the seas.

This sword was forged from its bones and blood.

And she now knew that it was created for a single Demonic Art.

The technique described in the book that lay beside it.

“The Sea Devouring Dragon Sword Art.”