Chapter 424: Following the Light

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WAJIJIK… UJIJIK… KKWADEUDUK… !

The sound of Xianyu Ershan smashing through old trees in a row in the darkness rapidly receded.

Immediately after, a fierce wind sound burst out.

PAPAPAPAPA…

It was the sound of Xianyu Ershan, who had been sent flying into the darkness beyond, already approaching again.

With swift lightness technique like a gale.

KKUNG!

Undaunted, Divine Wind stamped its front hoof and fiercely charged toward the enemy closing in from the front.

In a posture as if raising its head and pushing straight forward.

The person and horse collided in the center of the gap in an instant.

KKAHAAANG… PEOHEOEONG… !

Shockingly, Divine Wind had parried the blade with its head.

‘Ut!’

As heat shimmer spread, Xianyu Ershan’s arm was flung back.

Unlike before, he endured with strength.

It seemed he had drawn out a higher tier of power.

At that time.

PAT!

Divine Wind, having turned its body in the blink of an eye, vigorously extended its two rippling rear legs.

In the moment startled Xianyu Ershan raised his sword.

JJEOGEOEONG… !

With a great sound, his body was once again SYUK! sent flying backward.

WAJIJIK, WAJIJIK…… WAJIJIK……

Thus, the dark space swallowed Xianyu Ershan whole.

This time, the sound suggested he was flying even further.

Immediately after.

PUSHWIIIK… !

Divine Wind expelled great plumes of breath from its nose and mouth like clouds.

Then it clattered over to Shin So-sul while shaking its ears.

He stroked its mane with a beaming smile.

“Thank you. I didn’t know you would come like this; did you finish escorting the poison creatures and come out to greet me?”

As if understanding his words, Divine Wind let out a low, gentle neigh.

It was a friendly sound that showed affection.

Shin So-sul examined its head area and was inwardly impressed.

He couldn’t help it.

Not even a small scratch was visible despite having parried a sword laden with internal power.

Just now, that was probably Iron Head Mastery (???).

The art where the head becomes as sturdy as an iron weapon.

Iron Head Mastery, also known as Iron-Type Head Strengthening Art.

It was one of the practices belonging to the supreme essence of external martial arts.

Of course, its foundation was terrifying power.

In other words, though classified as external martial arts due to its applications, the basis lay in a tremendous internal power level.

Shin So-sul soon felt the enormous strength stirring within the horse’s body and was inwardly impressed again.

‘Huh! Truly amazing. To evolve this much overnight…… It was an extraordinary horse from the moment I first saw it, but.’

It was truly a strange matter.

Perhaps Divine Wind was fated to become a spirit creature.

In fact, Cheol Ryu-heun had strengthened Divine Wind’s power last night.

Using precisely the mysterious divine power of the Ten Directions Ghost Road Lost Soul Formation and Martial Immortal Dongbang Ya’s mysterious and unfathomable immortal arts.

Now Divine Wind was no different from an existence comparable to a legendary divine beast.

Realizing that situation, Shin So-sul’s astonishment shifted to Cheol Ryu-heun.

‘Sect Master Cheol……’

Truly, the mysterious and unfathomable abilities of the peerless superhuman called Cheol Ryu-heun were marvelous.

He was someone whose fundamentals were difficult to grasp even by mobilizing all common knowledge of martial arts.

He didn’t know.

Whether he was truly a human being made of blood and flesh.

‘At any rate, fortunately. If this had happened while traveling with the poison creatures, a rather chaotic situation could have arisen……’

In fact, Shin So-sul had parted ways with Divine Wind’s group on the way here.

That’s right.

It was intentional.

It was a prudent and wise judgment made in preparation for just such a case.

As a result, it was the right decision.

Though the target of caution was different from initially expected.

Who had that person been earlier?

He was a person whose affiliation was unclear.

He was presumed to be a figure carrying out a separate mission from the Detached Three Army Corps, Eastern Heaven Division, Darkness-Craving Blood Clan, and Heretic Cult.

‘Did some new enemy belatedly get involved in this matter?’

His intuition soon turned to certainty.

It seemed something else had gotten entangled.

The original reason he had split paths was to be wary of the activities of the Darkness-Craving Blood Clan reconnaissance party.

But it wasn’t enough to cause a setback to the work.

Still, it was something he had anticipated to some extent beforehand.

‘That person earlier must have suffered some internal injuries. Now let’s hurry and go!’

With his two eyes flashing, Shin So-sul was about to mount Divine Wind’s back when.

-IMPUDENT! A mere beast……!

A resounding Sound Transmission to Six Directions came through the dark space.

But something else arrived even before that.

Xianyu Ershan.

He, having compressed the distance in just a brief moment.

His body and sword dropping down toward the heads of Divine Wind and Shin So-sul.

A piercing sound burst out.

SYUKAAAAAK… !

Brilliant sword energy spewed from the blade and descended fiercely.

Divine Wind leaped like a streak of light.

It shot upward like lightning, raising its body without even a preparatory stance.

Riding On Energy Ascending To The Sky.

A supreme-level lightness technique that moves vertically by using tremendous internal power.

JJEOJJEONG… KWAKWANG!

An energy wave spread from the air where the two collided.

Along with it, a tremendous shockwave also rapidly spread in all directions.

SWASWASWASWA…… SWASWASWASWA……

It was to the point that the forest on the ground shook greatly.

In the meantime, Xianyu Ershan had vanished.

It seemed he had been sent flying somewhere again.

The more he watched, the more impressive the overwhelming might of Divine Wind was, making Shin So-sul even let out a hollow laugh.

‘Huu…… As the saying goes, like master, like horse indeed.’

Yet the power of the opponent who had been facing it was also astonishing.

An ordinary martial artist would have coughed up blood from internal injuries by now.

No, he might have died with his body exploding apart.

Right at that moment.

SEUK.

Divine Wind, having landed with graceful movement without a sound, nodded its head.

A gesture signaling to quickly get on its back.

“Yes, let’s go.”

Shin So-sul quickly kicked off the ground and plopped himself onto the saddle with a CHEOK!

Simultaneously.

SYUSYUSYUSYUSYUSYU…

White currents extended out like wings on both sides of Divine Wind’s body.

Shin So-sul reflexively let out an exclamation of surprise at the sight.

“Wow……!”

It had sprouted wings.

The horse had.

Though not real, nine times out of ten they would be used like wings.

As if to prove it, the two white wings moved.

Great movements stirred up wind.

HUHOOK… HUHOOK… HUHOOK…

Divine Wind, carrying Shin So-sul, rapidly took flight.

And soon it became a white dot in the pitch-black night sky and vanished from sight.

Meanwhile.

Xianyu Ershan, who had been flying somewhere due to the repelling force generated by the explosion of energy, landed on the ground using the Thousand-Pound Weight technique.

TEOTEONG… KKUKKUNG!

Having quietly steadied his breath, he soon murmured with an incredulous look.

“Crazy…… How can a horse emit such power?”

If he hadn’t deployed ascending power, he would have suffered external injuries, not to mention internal injuries.

No, his body might have shattered and exploded, killing him.

Anew, he felt regret.

If he had known it would be like this, he should not have spared his pinnacle power from the start.

‘KEUM, he told me to find out about him……’

-Find out about him.

-Pardon?

-Shin So-sul.

-Ah.

-Go and sound out his intentions. It won’t hurt to know in advance what he’s scheming.

-After I find out…… what should I do?

-Handle it as you see fit. I entrust that much to you. If you can’t find him, don’t push too hard and come back. One more thing: if you come face to face with him, you must not let down your guard. I trust your ability, but he too is a formidable master.

-Considering the work, I will absolutely not overreach. Please trust and leave it to me. Even if things don’t go well, I’ll at least ascertain which side he’s on before returning.

At first, he intended to subdue Shin So-sul by force and then kill him.

But that crazy horse suddenly butted in and caused trouble, ruining everything.

As a result, he barely got to see Shin So-sul’s sorcery at all.

‘Still, I suppose this counts as half a success.’

At any rate, Shin So-sul’s purpose had been roughly grasped.

Thanks to the horse’s intrusion.

Shin So-sul was clearly in league with Cheol Ryu-heun currently.

The light of certainty showing in that expression.

Indeed, how could he not know.

In the current Jianghu, there was only one horse possessing such remarkable power… the White Peak Sword Sect Master’s Divine Wind.

‘It was power beyond the rumors. Horse or not, how could it…… Perhaps Cheol Ryu-heun is an ability wielder who makes not only himself but those around him stronger. Whether human or beast, without discrimination. Just looking at the sect guest retainers who performed brilliantly in the previous war against the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult……’

Soon Xianyu Ershan, having set aside his thoughts, quietly turned his body and kicked off the ground to advance swiftly.

‘First, let me go and make a report. The fact that Cheol Ryu-heun has even recruited Shin So-sul while targeting the Darkness-Craving Blood Clan and Heretic Cult. They don’t know the main base’s location anyway, so there’ll be enough time to finish our work.’

* * *

A certain deep valley where springs of murky color flowed here and there.

In the darkness, several people sitting silently on rugged rocks with torches lit could be seen.

They were the elite masters of Zhejiang Son Family, led by Young Sword King Son Ja-ryong, the strongest among the Four Great Seats of Zhejiang.

The remaining personnel had gone to hide in a secret location arranged by Cheol Ryu-heun.

To safely take refuge until the decisive battle concluded.

Soon.

“Ah!”

Son Ja-ryong discovered a light approaching, crossing the night sky.

As soon as the white light, having approached at rapid speed, descended to the ground.

CHEOK.

Son Ja-ryong took a boxing salute and greeted them.

“Welcome. We have been waiting only for your arrival. This is our first meeting today. I am Son Ja-ryong, the family head of Zhejiang Son Family.”

“Pleased to meet you. I am Shin So-sul. As you all already know, I am……”

“Yes, I know. I have already heard enough through Sect Master Cheol. That you are a good person of fundamentally different quality from those bad ones……”

“My, did he say that? I’m embarrassed.”

Shin So-sul briefly explained what had happened earlier along with those words.

Then Son Ja-ryong’s expression slightly hardened.

“Hmm, something like that happened…… Who in the world could he have been?”

“I’m not sure…… We’ll probably find out in due time. There’s nothing to worry about. Because we have the reliable Sect Master Cheol backing us.”

“That’s correct. We also came together because we firmly believe in him. Now, it would be best to skip the remaining conversation. Since we must hurry the work.”

“Hmm, by now everyone should have finished their seated cultivation.”

Having nodded thus, Shin So-sul took out over a dozen talismans of various colors and spread them on the ground.

Following that, he muttered unintelligibly to himself.

Before long, those talismans created a great vortex of light.

SYUSYUSYUSYUSYUSYU… SYUSYUSYUSYUSYUSYU, SYUSYUSYUSYUSYUSYU…

Following that.

FLASH!

The ten-odd vortices merged into one large mass and began to extend in one direction.

CHWAAAAAAAAAAAAA… !

Thus, the light was paving the first road.

Transforming and connecting the mysterious divine power of the various formations within the Shiwan Mountains into something like a great highway……

* * *

Cheol Ryu-heun’s party had finished their seated cultivation and were gathered in one place, waiting.

What were they waiting for?

Suddenly, exclamations of surprise escaped from several people.

“Wow!”

“That is……”

“Heo……!”

“Truly wondrous.”

It was because they all saw a great light rapidly covering the ground and approaching.

Cheol Ryu-heun, who had at some point moved to the very front, spoke.

“It connected successfully. Now then, shall we go strike the enemy base?”

At that time, Hae Su-yeon in the rear sparkled her dark-brown pupils and asked.

“Is it a shortcut? Then we just need to run along that?”

Cheol Ryu-heun tossed out a disinterested voice without even turning around.

“What, there’s no need to use lightness technique. That light will guide us there in one stroke.”

“Those words mean…… we just need to entrust ourselves?”

“Yes. We’ll probably arrive within half a gak.”

In the meantime, the path of light had stopped just in front of the party.

Cheol Ryu-heun, hands clasped behind his back, strode forward.

“Let’s go.”