Chapter 338: Triumphant Victory

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The transcendent achievement of the mental realm gained when the Heavenly Demon Incarnation Body and the Enchanting Flower Sword reached unified harmony.

The so-called realization called Enchanting Body Union Dream.

A depth that could only be obtained after breaking down even the wall of selflessness.

Since mastering that, Hae Su-yeon had made continued progress.

Even after the battle with the Sun Moon Demon Cult, she hadn’t stopped growing and had advanced by leaps and bounds.

And now, she was displaying the aspect of a female master worthy of the brilliant title of Sword Empress.

There was no mercy in the swiftly wielded Enchanting Flower Sword.

CHYUHAAAAK!

The neck of an underling who had been bewitched by her alluring energy flew through the air.

It was a concise movement.

However, from the opponent’s standpoint, guessing the starting point and end point of her attack was difficult.

Just as you couldn’t know where a leaf blown by wind would fly up to or where it would fall.

A clever variation hidden within the concise trajectory.

She had improved even more than during the fight with the Sun Moon Demon Cult.

At last, she had reached the peak level – a complete mastery.

The essence and application of the Dream Orchid Sword Art – the unique sword studies of martial history’s first Sword Empress, Mong Ye.

On top of that was added the unique divine power of the Enchanting Flower Sword.

Also, the power of the internal energy mental method of a legendary former female martial artist formed the foundation.

The power of Flower Spirit Empress Heon Sae-ah, a supreme pinnacle transcendent master who ranked in the top three of both Orthodox and Unorthodox during the Blood God Hegemon Era…

Such sword work harmonized multiple supreme techniques.

Even facing it in one’s right mind would make it hard to counter, yet if one’s mind became bewitched like those underlings, how could they possibly block it?

No sooner had one died than another’s breath was cut off.

Before the sword energy that the Enchanting Flower Sword scattered.

THUD!

A headless body collapsed to the ground and gurgled out pungent blood.

Right at that moment, a cry was heard.

“Unni, behind you!”

It was Cui Lan from over there.

Simultaneously, Hae Su-yeon rapidly turned around.

SHWISHWIK- JJEOJEONG!

Long blade and pointed nails clashed against each other, sending sparks flying.

It was a surprise attack by two Darkness-Craving Blood Clan underlings targeting her back.

At that moment.

SEUK.

When Hae Su-yeon lightly moved both shoulders and smiled with her eyes, the two underlings’ gazes suddenly turned hazy.

Dazed looks.

Both of them were clearly captivated by her powerful alluring energy.

She had seen that brief movement.

Cheol Ryu-heun had once said:

-You now possess the power to entrance hearts with your gaze, smile, movements, and scent alone. Any martial artist lacking in personal cultivation will have difficulty handling it.

That’s right.

Hae Su-yeon was currently armed with mystical alluring energy throughout her entire body.

It was the energy she had released with the decision to show no mercy.

Naturally, for underlings below her skill level, overcoming it was difficult.

Her red, plump lips curved upward softly.

A smile.

It was beautiful.

To a degree that couldn’t be expressed in words.

“The one who wins gets to have me.”

Upon hearing those words, the two underlings immediately bared their fangs at each other.

“Kreung!”

“Keurereung!”

CHYUHAK, CHYUHAHAK, CHYUHAK!

Arms swinging fiercely as if to kill.

Cut wounds were carved into each other’s bodies as fresh blood flew.

Combat with ally and enemy forgotten.

And its conclusion was invariably death.

Though by Cui Lan’s sword rather than Hae Su-yeon’s.

“Those guys know how pretty you are, unni!”

Cui Lan, having shouted sharply, proved herself as a disciple of Head-Severing Yama Seop-pyo by slicing off heads with her blade.

Stealthy approach followed by cold-blooded death sword.

Hae Su-yeon quietly praised her.

“You’ve done well.”

To be precise, it was praise for that composure.

Cui Lan, who among the guests had the least combat experience, had already grown enough to survey the surrounding battlefield while fighting.

This was freshly felt.

The fact that Cui Lan too was a genius rarely seen in the world.

“Hehe. Thanks, unni. I felt the enemy approaching, but just in case I shouted… ah, Young Master Seol! The side! Be careful!”

Having shouted that, Cui Lan vanished like wind in an instant.

PAT!

Following that, Hae Su-yeon also began swinging her sword toward other enemies.

This time, five of them approached.

Enemy nails flailing wildly in all directions.

KAKANG, KANG, KAKANG-!

Beastlike hand movements without form or pattern, but loaded with power that would be burdensome for ordinary martial artists.

It was savage and swift.

A fierce combination attack as if by prior arrangement.

Circling around with their prey in the center, movements watching for chances to sink their pointed fangs.

However.

KING, KEKING, KING…

Suddenly, the five underlings flared their nostrils.

It was because Hae Su-yeon’s hair had swayed as she rapidly countered their offensive, scattering fragrance.

That scent wafting along with her nimble movements made people’s hearts flutter as if all kinds of flowers had been mixed together.

They were no exception.

Gazes that had somehow grown hazy from being caught by alluring energy.

At that moment, Hae Su-yeon’s Enchanting Flower Sword trembled strongly.

CHIHIING!

A sphere of compressed energy rapidly formed at the sword point.

Right after that, when she thrust the Enchanting Flower Sword.

CHYACHYACHYACHYACHYA, CHYACHYACHYACHYACHYA-!

The gleaming sword point sphere exploded and engulfed the five in all directions.

Was it a gale within a full bloom of flowers?

Countless sword energies like flower petals poured out extensively.

The five underlings whose gazes had gone hazy smiled.

Struck by the sword energies manifesting the essence of entrancement.

It was a gentle smile that didn’t match their ferocious faces.

Everyone was bewitched and thought.

What is that?

It’s so beautiful.

How can sword energy be so lovely?

Their murderous instincts subsided as if by magic and instantly disappeared.

They couldn’t feel anything.

Only one emotion swirled in their hearts.

Ecstasy.

They wanted to be buried among those red petals and fall asleep.

They wanted to fall into a sweet dream, forgetting everything.

The five headed toward extinction without knowing that it was a wave of petals calling death.

Countless sword flowers wrapped around the enemy’s entire body.

Bright red blood splattered.

Yet the five actually felt embraced by coziness.

Thus, sword flowers that had become a storm and tsunami constricted the enemy’s bodies.

And then.

The scene of carnage began.

PUHAAK, PUHAK, PUHAAAAAK…!

The five Darkness-Craving Blood Clan underlings with holes covering their entire bodies ultimately met blood-red death with smiles.

‘Are you watching, Master?!’

Hae Su-yeon, having called out inwardly, smiled even deeper.

Her teacher Kang Hee-san’s face crossed her mind.

In the past, Hae Su-yeon had firmly sworn.

To become a new Sword Empress.

Also.

To create a martial sect to inherit martial arts based on the Enchanting Flower Sword, in honor of her teacher – the ill-fated head disciple of Potalsa Temple, Kang Hee-san.

‘Keep watching over me going forward! I’ll keep becoming a disciple my teacher can be proud of! Yes, absolutely…!’

Meanwhile, Namgung Sang-rin watched that sight and inwardly admired.

‘Miss Hae’s energy is growing stronger by the day too.’

Despite being quite far apart, it felt as if thick alluring energy was wrapping around his own body.

Every time Hae Su-yeon worked her Enchanting Flower Sword, it felt as if ten thousand flowers were blooming fully and flying indiscriminately into this space.

With that level of power, couldn’t she even bewitch the eminent monks of deep Buddhist devotion from Shaolin Temple or Potalsa Temple?

‘Hoot, I can’t lose either.’

Having smiled imperceptibly, Namgung Sang-rin infused massive true energy into the Heaven Reliance Sword, and the sleek blade trembled and sang as it resonated.

WOOWOONG-

Following that, in the blink of an eye, blue heat haze resembling the sky rose along the blade and danced, surging and swelling.

Had the soul of a god ruling the azure heavens become sword energy?

It was truly heavy and magnificent sword force.

Even without actually clashing, one could tell – tremendous power was rapidly swirling out.

Everything fell silent.

The forest, the darkness, furthermore the sky and earth too.

A sudden stillness descended upon the battlefield.

DEUDEUDEUEU- KUKUKUKUKU-

The instant the atmosphere and ground vibrated, the Heaven Reliance Sword charged forward powerfully.

Expansive sword energy burst from the thrust sword point.

KWAKWAKWAKWAKWAKWAKWA-!

Blue light extended out and created a small sky within the darkness-shrouded forest.

A sword technique he had created himself by harmonizing various supreme arts of the Namgung Family with Sword Emperor Buk Ga-shin’s Heaven Emperor Sword Path essence.

Azure Sky Dragon Emperor Sword Path.

That’s what he had named it.

A ten-Zhang area ahead was reduced to ruins, and the five underlings in that direction also perished.

Without leaving blood, flesh, or even a single bone fragment.

As if the small sky had swallowed the forest’s darkness and erased even their forms clean.

At Namgung Sang-rin’s fearsome sword force, the fighting spirit and morale of all the Orthodox and Unorthodox martial talents soared sky-high.

The remaining underlings revealed savage madness.

But that fierce resistance didn’t last long.

The overwhelming fighting will of the young martial artists pushed back the enemy.

“Let me borrow your neck!”

Violent Wolf Blade leaped above Divine Kun Saber Talent On-ga’s head with a brief cry.

TEOTHEOK!

He had mounted his shoulders.

On-ga understood that intention.

“Right on!”

Spinning his form like a top, he fiercely swung his giant saber.

HOHOHOHOHOHOONG-!

Heavy energy-laden saber aura released in all directions.

Along with him, Jong-pyeong riding on his shoulders also spun around swinging his blade.

Saber auras harmonized in rotational style.

An exquisite combined attack by two martial talents representing Jackal Wolf Blade Sect and Giant Roc Saber Gate.

It was as if a giant whale, carrying a savage wolf, was generating fearsome gales and waves.

PUHAAK, PUHAK, PUHAAK-!

By the circular formation of saber aura those two created, the torsos of three Darkness-Craving Blood Clan underlings were severed.

On another side, Dark Sword Fragrance Mun Bin had paired with White Dream Beauty.

The two being lovers, their combined attack was indeed first-rate.

The sword techniques, accompanied by the Ink God Robe’s divine power and ghostly wails, with Gongse Dan-yeong’s whip work of ever-changing application screening them like a folding screen.

Not to be outdone, Black Cloud Young Master Hwa-seong of JinCheon Sword Palace origin – an Unorthodox ultra-first-rate sword talent – moved as one with Mountain Shattering Sword of Broken Mountain Sword Manor.

Their offensives showed differences.

Hwa-seong was ahead in sword technique operation, while Beon-sa was ahead in internal power operation.

Either way, both displayed outstanding skill.

Elsewhere, the military-affiliated Namgung Heon-rin and Jeon Kwae were naturally unfolding combined attacks.

Their movements were without excess.

Because those two had matched their coordination for a long time.

The same was true for the Murong Seol and Murong Song sisters of the Murong Family.

On the other hand.

Seol Pan-gyo and Mae Yak-bang had never practiced together, yet their coordination in offense and defense was tremendous.

The two’s roles were thoroughly divided.

Mae Yak-bang’s sword handling defense was like clouds, and Seol Pan-gyo’s sword handling offense was like wind.

Thus, the mystery of wind and cloud was imbued in the chain of offensive and defensive movements.

Seol Pan-gyo’s sword stance scattered like wind and struck the enemy’s body, while Mae Yak-bang’s sword stance gathered like clouds and guarded against the enemy’s counterattack.

All of this was due to enlightenment.

It was the effect of their understanding and application of the sword path itself having improved through achievement.

Of course, each person’s talent also played a part.

On yet another side, Shadowless Swift Guest Pa-pyeong deployed transcendent movement techniques befitting a disciple of the Mount Huang Sect’s Sect Leader Heaven-Deceiving Flying Feet Taoist Man-hae, ranging across the battlefield like a bird.

And Prosperous Flower Sword Son Im Kang-yu, Seven Yin Sword Jing-hyeon, Shu Gold Great Pillar Han-sol, and Small Pure Spirit Hero Geon-ram also deployed powerful sword techniques, raising the renown of Mount Hua Sect, Kongtong Sect, Emei Sect, and Taishan Sect respectively.

Mount Heng Sect’s Baek Lim executed the supreme technique of Mount Heng Six Harmony Sword and perfectly annihilated two underlings.

Meanwhile, the exploits of three from Shaolin Temple, Wudang Sect, and Potalsa Temple were especially prominent.

Hyo-gak displayed exceptional internal and external arts befitting his grand epithet of Central Peak Morning Star.

The harmony of techniques belonging to internal energy cultivation and those belonging to external martial arts was at an virtually perfect level.

Three Absolutes Azure Crane Chang-woon beside him splendidly released taiji symbol-shaped sword energy – symbolizing the origin and identity of Wudang Sect – and toppled enemies.

The martial prowess of Buddha Crown Martial Flower Myo Jeong-mun, the female martial talent produced by Potalsa Temple, was also overwhelming.

Her truly sacred Buddhist power-based sword energy did not permit the enemy to approach, nor did it tolerate defense or evasion.

Before long, the short battle ended.

The enemy was ultimately annihilated.

Conversely, not a single person among the group including the White Peak Sword Sect guests had been injured.

It was a triumphant overwhelming victory.

Namgung Sang-rin, Hae Su-yeon and all others put away their weapons and exchanged conversations celebrating their victory.

But then.

SEUSEUSEUSEUSEU, SEUSEUSEUSEUSEU…

Thick fog rolled in and suddenly blocked the view between the party.

It happened in the blink of an eye.

‘No!’

Namgung Sang-rin moved toward the front, beyond the pure white fog.

But there was no one.

The Murong sisters had definitely been standing here.

‘What is this…!’

An unexpected strange phenomenon.

Had some kind of formation been activated by someone?

It was strange.

According to Cheol Ryu-heun, various formations would only appear when they went deeper in.

Suddenly.

-Freeze.

An indifferent-sounding Six-Direction Sound Transmission rang by his ear.

Following that, Cheol Ryu-heun suddenly appeared right beside him and muttered.

“I thought it ended too easily, but something interesting has happened.”