Chapter 92: Dizzy

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Ximen Yue, putting force into the hand gripping the sword hilt, drew an even more distinct arc with his lips.

Bloodlust crossed with curiosity and competitive spirit.

He was an opponent he wanted to immediately bring out his hidden power and kill.

In truth, because his opponent was someone he had never even considered as his equal, such feelings were amplified even more.

However.

Now was not the time.

He had to control his spirit and respond coolly.

It seemed he would have no choice but to use that hidden power to crush Cheol Ryu-heun… But since the woman who had transmitted the voice message was currently hiding somewhere in this area and watching the arena, his options were extremely limited.

The ascending sword arts of the Ximen Family, which could be a perfect alternative, would directly lead to exposure of his identity, so he absolutely could not reveal them.

It was right to withdraw at this point for today.

After all, instructions to cancel the existing mission had come, and because of that, he no longer needed to obtain the Ghost Shadow Sword Technique key phrases.

The only regret was that various questions related to Cheol Ryu-heun remained unresolved.

Having forcibly erased his bloodlust, Ximen Yue operated internal cultivation as he spoke.

“The Ghost Shadow Sword Technique is… now merely meaningless to me.”

“So?”

Cheol Ryu-heun’s indifferent question, and Ximen Yue’s cold reply.

“I don’t know if we’ll ever cross paths again. It was interesting, if only briefly.”

“Not for me.”

No sooner had Cheol Ryu-heun finished speaking than Ximen Yue spun his body in a twirl and explosively radiated massive energy through his Yongquan Points.

KRA-CRASH-!

A heavy impact reminiscent of a tremoring stomp vibrated the ground.

Meanwhile, Ximen Yue had crossed over the manor wall on the other side.

“Ah!”

“Stop!”

The moment Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk let out sharp cries and tried to give chase.

KA-KA-BOOM!

Several smoke sphere bombs exploded from beyond the wall, and smoke like pitch-black mist rose thickly.

It must have been thrown by the woman who had been hiding outside, timed to when Ximen Yue withdrew.

While Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk reflexively hesitated, Cheol Ryu-heun didn’t even attempt to give chase and said blandly.

“Leave it.”

During that time, Ximen Yue’s presence completely vanished far beyond the wall.

The two had no choice but to give up the pursuit and approached where Cheol Ryu-heun was.

Soon, Mun Bin also moved with his internally injured body and quietly positioned himself beside the group.

Hyeop Mu-geuk frowned as he stored his sword.

“Sect Master, who was that?”

“Well, someone who was secretly targeting the Ghost Shadow Sword Technique and came up empty. Judging from what he prattled earlier, it seems his plans changed midway.”

“Hmm… His personal martial prowess was quite strong. Could he be a figure who might threaten our sect…?”

“We’ll meet again later. We can find out then.”

“Pardon?”

Not just Hyeop Mu-geuk but Yeop Hwon and Mun Bin also made their eyes round, internally raising questions.

Huh? He said we’ll meet that person again?

These were words whose meaning couldn’t be readily understood.

“There’s a thing like that.”

Cheol Ryu-heun coolly brushed it off and abruptly turned his head to the left.

“He’s here.”

Along with him, Yeop Hwon, Hyeop Mu-geuk, and Mun Bin also shifted their gazes.

In the direction where their eyes gathered, a figure could be seen nimbly leaping over the wall and appearing.

A masked person.

Just by watching that movement, as fast and smooth as wind, one could easily tell the lightness technique was at a high level.

Mun Bin, who had flinched with the hand gripping his sword, immediately raised his guard.

‘No, who again…! Why are there so many unexpected uninvited guests today?’

But.

It was strange.

Because even though a new masked person had suddenly appeared in the arena, the White Peak Sword Sect party showed no particular reaction.

Rather, Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk were offering greetings with clasped fists.

‘Oh, are they acquainted?’

While Mun Bin wore a puzzled expression, the masked person walked over with trudging steps to a nearby spot.

Immediately after.

FLIP.

Having removed his mask, he bent at the waist toward Cheol Ryu-heun in front and placed both hands together, expressing a courteous greeting.

Mun Bin, upon confirming his appearance, had his questions grow larger.

‘What elderly person is this…?’

An appearance that looked to be about sixty or seventy years old.

Though there weren’t many wrinkles on his face, for some reason the feeling was that he was older than White Mountain Sword Peak Yeop Hwon.

What was this?

This was the first he’d heard that there was another elder within White Peak Sword Sect… Perhaps he was a martial artist from another martial sect?

No, but then why was he greeting Sect Master Cheol upon seeing him as if treating a superior?

Wasn’t bowing his body going too far?

While Mun Bin wondered about that, Cheol Ryu-heun’s blunt voice reached his ears.

“You really don’t listen to adults. I told you to go home.”

The identity of this person was Severing Heads Yama Seop Pyo.

Mun Bin wondered what in the world this situation was.

‘A-adults? Who to whom…’

Suddenly, a conversation he had exchanged with him flashed through his mind.

-Do you really intend to help me?

-Mind your speech.

-Ah… A-are you really planning to help me?

-Yeah.

Wait, could it be… He considers everyone in this world as his inferiors?

Come to think of it, at their first meeting, he had even rebuked him out of nowhere, saying the young fellow’s manner of speaking was impertinent.

Mun Bin chewed on his doubts along with that thought.

‘I heard he had an upright character like the late White Gate Sword Gentleman… Was it all empty rumors?’

Meanwhile, Seop Pyo scratched his head as if embarrassed and answered.

“The thing is, actually… I just exchanged blows with the young masked person who appeared here.”

As he said that, he indicated the wall direction with a glance.

“Seeing the jet-black smoke rising over there, it’s definitely him. I was a step late.”

At the unexpected words, Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk were greatly startled.

It was a shocking fact.

That masked person had fought with none other than Severing Heads Yama and withdrawn without major injury to come all the way here?

Just what level was that masked person’s martial prowess…?

Mun Bin, on the other hand, was startled for the opposite reason.

‘Impressive! To have exchanged blows with that masked person who boasted power rivaling Sect Master Cheol! And without even a single small wound on his body!’

Though his identity and status were still unknown, it was certain he was an accomplished elderly master with outstanding personal martial prowess.

Seop Pyo quietly continued speaking.

“The one who set off the smoke sphere bombs is surely the work of a woman carrying a sickle-chain. She’s with that young fellow, and above all, her lightness technique level was outstanding. She was likewise wearing a mask, so I couldn’t confirm her appearance, but…”

Since he had started speaking, he summarized the series of events and explained.

When the explanation finally ended, Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk, who had been quietly listening, once again wore shocked gazes.

The point that he had exchanged that many moves with the legendary assassin of the previous generation Seop Pyo and still faced Cheol Ryu-heun again with cultivation to spare repeatedly delivered great shock.

Even the fact that he was hiding some kind of power too…

-Shall I see that hidden power of yours too.

It was exactly consistent with what Cheol Ryu-heun had uttered to the masked person earlier.

Of course, Seop Pyo’s explanation was more detailed than that.

When the masked person operated some kind of internal energy technique, along with tremendous pressure, a feeling as if darkness had descended all around invaded, he said.

It felt like falling into a space that had become darkness, he said.

Especially impressive was the mention that he also received an unpleasant sensation as if invisible jet-black hands were digging through his chest, and that attribute seemed quite different from the Ghost Skull Divine Armor’s ghost energy.

Since he didn’t separately possess a divine weapon, there must certainly be a secret related to the internal cultivation dwelling in that body.

Hyeop Mu-geuk looked at Cheol Ryu-heun with curious eyes and asked.

“Sect Master, do you know what that power is?”

“No.”

He had already discerned when they exchanged sword strikes that demonic cultivation energy was covertly lurking.

However, he played dumb.

Because he had already devised a plan in his head that no one would know.

That was also the reason he had said they would meet again in the future.

When the time came, he would summon him.

No… He would make him come of his own accord.

Right, surely.

He wouldn’t be able to resist appearing.

Cheol Ryu-heun thought so, inwardly smiled briefly, and changed the topic.

“Don’t bother about some escaped fellow; what matters is only the results of this battle.”

At that, Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk straightened their expressions and opened their mouths in unison.

“Yes, Sect Master. Like folding and unfolding a fan, the wind goes upward… I barely grasped that true meaning and awakened.”

“The same goes for me. The senses of a superhuman you spoke of, the initial gateway toward that realm – I keenly felt through today’s real combat what it was.”

“Then that’s fine.”

When Cheol Ryu-heun said briefly and nodded, those two added with resolute expressions.

“Having firmly inscribed the senses you instructed upon my body, I will strive to develop further going forward.”

“Yes, my mindset is the same as Elder Yeop’s. I will definitely live up to Sect Master’s expectations.”

Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk had currently only stuck a foot in the vicinity of the initial gateway to super-sensation, so their endurance wasn’t that long yet.

However, if from now on they diligently honed and polished to achieve rising and expansion of energy sense and made it continuously display during real combat, there was a possibility they could take a step forward to become ultra-first-rate, ultra-peak powerhouses like the Five Supreme Martial Experts of Hunan in the future.

It wasn’t an empty dream.

Because beside them existed Cheol Ryu-heun, the miraculous prodigy guiding the sect toward the path of revival.

Unwavering conviction and loyalty were being solidified even more firmly due to today’s great achievement.

Soon, Seop Pyo cast his gaze to the side and spoke quietly.

“He finally died in a dreadful state.”

Where his eyes rested, Jeo Gyeom’s corpse with its head severed lay soaked in blood.

“It’s the price of trusting a defective product.”

At Cheol Ryu-heun’s indifferent reply, Seop Pyo nodded lightly and muttered internally.

‘A fiendish thing that corrupts the owner’s nature, they say, and in the end… Tsk, what a waste of an alias.’

Though he hadn’t seen all of the match between Cheol Ryu-heun and Jeo Gyeom, he could roughly guess how the competition had unfolded toward the end.

The true teachings of Evil Emperor Yul Cheon.

Cheol Ryu-heun had probably magnificently decorated the final moment of the battle using that sword art.

At that moment, Hyeop Mu-geuk asked as if to confirm.

“Sect Master, could the powerful technique you displayed at the end against Netherworld Sword Fork perhaps be…?”

“It’s one of the new ultimate techniques you once read about.”

“Ah! So that’s what it was. I roughly expected, but the method of release was different, so I found it puzzling.”

He meant it was incomprehensible why sword energy of vertical profound use had been released when clearly the sword held and swung in hand had shown horizontal movement.

“That’s because I mixed in the essence of the Evil Emperor’s sword arts.”

Cheol Ryu-heun’s simple and clear answer.

Simultaneously, Mun Bin’s face drained completely pale.

‘Wh-what did you say?’

He was so shocked that his internal injury was about to worsen again.

It was an unbelievable statement.

The lost sword art essence of Evil Emperor Yul Cheon, who had raised his fame as the supreme overlord of the martial world six hundred years ago…

In contrast, Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk wore briefly surprised gazes but soon had expressions of understanding.

Expressions that said, “So it’s the all-purpose cave again?”

Mun Bin, who knew nothing, saw those two’s reactions and his head grew dizzy.

Huh, is that all your reaction?

It’s the true teachings of the absolute being once called the Emperor of the Unorthodox Faction!

Moreover, that elderly master who appeared latest doesn’t even have any change of expression?

As if he already knew everything beforehand…

Just then, Cheol Ryu-heun’s voice was heard again.

“It’s still insufficient to perfectly recreate the Evil Emperor’s true teachings. I’ll have to schedule another time for a second Bone Replacement and Marrow Cleansing.”

Mun Bin lost his words and even lost his soul.

Not the first but he was talking about a second Bone Replacement and Marrow Cleansing.

Ah… This is really… I didn’t expect my life’s savior to possibly be the craziest person in martial world history.