Chapter 344: Sword Dance
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Gold Direction Master’s blank eyes regained their focus.
Tension was pervasive in his chest.
And that soon turned into fear and swirled rapidly.
Conversely, he felt the dizzying vertigo of being trapped in a formation himself.
‘I’ve heard external information about that guy, but…’
The current White Peak Sword Sect Master, Cheol Ryu-heun.
An existence who had overcome a vegetative state and appeared like a comet, rapidly rising as a newly emerged warrior of the Jianghu.
The protagonist who had annihilated the century-old demon Sun Moon Demon Cult Leader Sun Moon Demon Saint Ahryo-nan and led the combined Orthodox and Unorthodox forces to bring down the Sun Moon Demon Cult.
He already knew well that his strength was extraordinary.
His individual martial force had been sufficiently proven just by facing the demonic path transcendent master Ahryo-nan.
He had also heard rumors that he obtained mysterious providence and learned the authentic transmissions of past Hegemons.
However… he newly realized how great the difference was between merely hearing and actually seeing.
It was void grasping that inspired awe.
How enormous must Cheol Ryu-heun’s demonstrated internal power have been, for the physically enhanced Forbidden Soul Ghost Thing Body to be crumpled to death?
Of course, it was an imperfect test subject because it was the first one created.
However, that power was strong enough to rival famous warriors from various regions.
Moreover, when murderous instinct was maximized, stamina, strength, internal power, and such were tremendously enhanced to transcend limits.
He had thought the operation was perfect.
It had been the moment right before capturing Ji Jang-jong, who was bound by the formation, as prey.
But Cheol Ryu-heun had killed the Forbidden Soul Ghost Thing Body with pure internal power alone.
It was not something that could be expressed with the single word “strong.”
It was truly transcendent divine prowess.
The fact that the illusion had cleanly vanished must also be his doing.
What was strangest was the opponent’s nihilistic aura.
Look.
Didn’t it feel like an ordinary person who didn’t know martial arts at all?
That made it scarier.
His hidden power, which was difficult to estimate…
However, this was no time to be surprised like this.
BEONJJEOK!
When Gold Direction Master explosively emitted turbid energy light from his entire body.
PAPAPAPA, PAPAPAPA-
Over twenty Forbidden Soul Ghost Thing Bodies howled and flew in fiercely from all directions of the forest.
“Ooeok!”
“Ooeoeok!”
Simultaneously, Ji Jang-jong’s expression completely changed.
‘No, that many…!’
He hadn’t been able to quickly detect the ambush’s presence due to the influence of his previously disrupted energy sense by the formation.
Gold Direction Master, having retracted the energy light, shouted.
“Strike him first!”
His finger pointed at Cheol Ryu-heun.
Right at that moment, a single Sound Transmission touched Ji Jang-jong’s ears.
It was Cheol Ryu-heun’s Sound Transmission To Ear.
Don’t worry.
From now on, I’ll handle everything.
It’ll be over soon anyway.
That was the meaning.
Ji Jang-jong clicked his tongue as he nodded.
‘There’s no wavering!’
That wasn’t arrogance.
It was the attitude of a supreme being based on absolute martial force.
A truly admirable posture of composure.
That indifferent, emotionless, unfeeling expression was bestowing a strange sense of trust.
Suddenly.
CHING-
The Gan Jiang Sword, which Cheol Ryu-heun had drawn, began dancing.
As if tracing out a giant circular formation.
* * *
SEUSEUSEUSEU, SEUSEUSEUSEU…
Before Gun Mu-ak’s Demon God Sword, Phantom Demon Emperor Hap-hwa scattered like hazy fog in all directions.
At that moment.
PALLAKAPALLAK.
One talisman with crimson symbols drawn on a black background fluttered and fell to the ground.
Following that.
-Foolish. Did you think you could so easily cut me?
Hap-hwa’s mystical Sound Transmission-like sound, now more faint than before, was heard.
But Gun Mu-ak didn’t have a surprised expression.
“As expected, it was Soul-Returning Perfect Form Technique.”
Soul-Returning Perfect Form Technique.
A mystical method where the main body is elsewhere and only a phantom is separately revealed.
Furthermore, that was one of the supreme sorceries that once represented the Heretic Cult.
Namgung Sang-rin, Hae Su-yeon and others behind quickly realized.
‘So that’s how it was!’
Hap-hwa was also on the same side.
With that Heretic Cult and Darkness-Craving Blood Clan group.
He might even be a member of the mysterious organization that was their true mastermind.
Though they didn’t know through what course and circumstances he had joined.
Anyway, the enemy’s recruitment power was remarkable.
To have even the former era’s old demon Phantom Demon Emperor Hap-hwa join…
But this side also had him.
A person boasting tremendous recruitment power named Cheol Ryu-heun.
That’s right.
Extreme Heaven Demon Emperor Gun Mu-ak was the very proof of that recruitment power.
Who in the current era would take Heavenly Demon Cult’s Grand Prelate around as an ally like this?
-Hooh, impressive. Did you know in advance it was Soul-Returning Perfect Form Technique? Anyway, we’ve exchanged our first greetings, so that’s enough. Next time, I’ll welcome you to true hell. Heoheo…
The sound became even more faint.
It seemed about to disappear soon.
At that moment, Gun Mu-ak’s Demon God Sword vibrated and sang.
WOONG-
As if resonating with its owner’s will.
Soon, black currents rapidly gushed out from the terrifying demon god pattern engraved along the blade.
CHEUSEUSEUSEUSEU-
Immediately after.
KWAK!
The sharp sword point was thrust into the talisman that had fallen to the ground.
Gun Mu-ak, eyes flashing, spoke in a low voice.
“Though you’re not here, I can still cut you. If you’re someone with such dark soul energy.”
-What?
The moment the black current the blade emitted covered the talisman on the ground.
SYUSYUSYUSYU, SYUSYUSYUSYU-
The fog that had been scattering in all directions gathered again and turned into Hap-hwa’s form.
Was it the application of forcible summoning?
-No…!
“The black dragon covets demon souls. You are no exception.”
Having said that, Gun Mu-ak sharply thrust out his left hand.
SYUAAAT-!
A knife-like knifehand strike.
PEOHEOEOENG!
Hap-hwa, his chest pierced through, made a short sound.
-Keuk!
HWAREUREK, HWAREUREK-
The burning talisman was reduced to ash in an instant.
Thus, Hap-hwa disappeared from the party’s sight as if vanishing.
A brief silence ensued.
Then Gwi Je-shin broke the silence first.
“What happened?”
“I struck the demon soul connected to the talisman.”
At that sound, Gwi Je-shin’s eyes went wide.
“That means…”
“It means I struck the main body hiding somewhere. He probably didn’t die, but at least he bled.”
Low exclamations leaked out here and there.
“Wow…”
It was truly point-by-point astonishing.
To think such things could be done…
The more they knew about Gun Mu-ak’s strange and immeasurable power, the more mystical and wondrous it was.
At that moment, a casually thrown voice.
“I’m curious about the debt.”
The owner of the voice was Hae Su-yeon.
She had expressed curiosity about the hidden history between Phantom Demon Emperor Hap-hwa and the Heavenly Demon Cult.
Ya Baek-ji answered in place of Gun Mu-ak.
“Hap-hwa was the assassin who once ambushed the previous Grand Prelate. Due to the aftereffects of that wound, he was always plagued by illness. We don’t know why he committed such an act. His past movements are also unclear. We only vaguely guessed that he was instigated by someone at the time. Since it’s not a secret that must be hidden, I’m telling you.”
An unexpected secret history was revealed.
Someone then asked with surprised eyes.
“Wh-when…?”
“About twenty years ago. We sent an elite pursuit team at the time. And he received a fatal wound and fell off a cliff. But I didn’t expect to see him again here.”
The moment Ya Baek-ji finished speaking, Eun Yi-bi opened her mouth.
“Mentioning the debt was an outrageous reversal of blame.”
Ya Baek-ji, who had nodded, didn’t hide her murderous intent.
“When we see him again, we must kill him with our own hands. Along with that hateful renegade Heuk Ma-yung.”
Suddenly.
CHEOLKEOK-
Gun Mu-ak, having sheathed the Demon God Sword, looked toward the distance.
“It seems that side has also begun in earnest.”
From far away, the echo of faint explosions could be heard.
-Kkwawoong… Kkwauwoong… Kkwawoong…
That’s right.
It had begun.
The merciless hunt of the apex predator Cheol Ryu-heun…
* * *
KKWAWOONG, KKWAUWOONG-!
Was it dozens of cannonballs detonating?
The fearsome sword force that the Gan Jiang Sword released reduced the surroundings to ruins.
Trees and boulders shattering into pieces everywhere, dirt ground being finely broken and torn away, wind wildly raging while raising dust…
Two-thirds of the fiercely charging Forbidden Soul Ghost Thing Bodies were annihilated.
In merely the time it takes to blink a few times.
Ji Jang-jong who saw that had an expression of lost spirit.
Was that truly the power of a human?
Some emotion beyond awe filled his chest.
It was difficult to express in words.
It was his first time seeing it.
Such formidable power…
Every time the blue blade danced, everything visible scattered like powder in the darkness mingled with moonlight.
DUGEUNDUGEUN.
His heart beat fiercely.
It was a heartbeat created by surging tremors.
The remaining Forbidden Soul Ghost Thing Bodies numbered six.
But none of them were attacking, just hesitating.
The reason was simple.
It was because their savagery had softened before Cheol Ryu-heun’s power.
Fear had swallowed their murderous instincts whole.
Not only that, but they soon started backing away.
At that moment, when Cheol Ryu-heun waved his left hand.
KWAKWAKWAKWA, KWAKWAKWAKWAKWA-!
Vast intangible force poured down from above like a waterfall.
It was void grasping executed using massive internal power.
PEOPEOPEOPEOPEOPEONG-!
The ground and air convulsed.
The six Forbidden Soul Ghost Thing Bodies each became flat pieces of flesh and breathed their last.
But that wasn’t the end.
Another group charged in from all directions.
Totaling over ten.
Not to be outdone, Cheol Ryu-heun moved.
With extreme-speed, he dashed towards them.
Movement without even afterimages.
PUHAK, PUHAAK, PUHAK…!
That group scattered blood in a circle before they could even approach.
Before Cheol Ryu-heun’s bladework, which circled once using lightness technique, all of their bodies were cleanly severed.
It was White Peak Sword Techniques harmonized with supreme lightness technique.
The majesty of the great white mountain overwhelmed the enemy.
Gold Direction Master, who saw that, bit down hard on his molars.
‘Damn it! Do I have to mobilize the reserve forces here!’
The Forbidden Soul Ghost Thing Bodies that had just been annihilated were the first-generation forces completed in the early stages of research.
Since then, methods had continued to develop, and currently, the fourth generation constituted the main forces.
That was a group born with the help of the Darkness-Craving Blood Clan.
On the other hand, the first, second, and third generation forces were imperfect test subjects born only through the Heretic Cult’s sorcery.
‘That bastard! Let’s see this through to the end!’
Unless internal power was at an infinite level, numerical superiority would be difficult to overcome.
BEONJJEOK!
When Gold Direction Master explosively emitted energy light from his entire body.
UREUREUREURU, UREUREUREURU, UREUREUREURU…
Along with a sound seemingly shaking the earth’s axis, over sixty Forbidden Soul Ghost Thing Bodies mixing second and third generation forces charged through, piercing between the trees.
‘Th-that…!’
Ji Jang-jong was dumbfounded.
At a glance, an immensely stronger and more violent presence than the group he had fought before was thickly reaching his body.
Goosebumps rose.
In the midst of that, Cheol Ryu-heun muttered expressionlessly.
“They’ve sure been diligently preparing all this time.”