Chapter 48: Chapter 48
Slice!
“Cough, gurgle…”
Ha Woo-jin, who had cut down the rushing martial artist, tightened his grip on his sword and furrowed his brows.
‘Are there still this many?’
It felt like he had cut down a good few dozens.
However, since there were no signs of the number of martial artists in front of him decreasing at all, his chest felt stifled.
At that moment.
“Goodness me.”
A refreshing voice was heard from above.
“Since it was quite an uproar, I thought the Murim Alliance had attacked or something, but to think you are being overrun by a mere three people.”
In front of the door, a middle-aged man with a dignified impression stood with his back against the moon.
“N-North Lord!”
Ha Woo-jin’s eyes stiffened faintly.
‘North Lord? Then this person is the Broken Sword Demon!’
At the word ‘North Lord’ shouted by someone, Ha Woo-jin grasped the middle-aged man’s identity.
“Pathetic fools.”
The Broken Sword Demon spoke towards the martial artists.
“They are not opponents for the likes of you.”
The moment the Broken Sword Demon lightly kicked off the ground.
“……!”
Ha Woo-jin’s pupils shook greatly.
As if his shadow had elongated, his figure suddenly lengthened, and in an instant, he closed the distance of five zhang in a single breath.
‘It is a bizarre and astonishing movement art. Is it the Non-Dual Sword Sect’s Bizarre Form Step?’
Ha Woo-jin’s face stiffened faintly.
The Broken Sword Demon stood at a distance exactly one step away from the interval where their swords could touch.
It was something that happened in a single breath.
“To think that four battalions of the White Ghost Castle were smashed against a mere three guys…. Even if I resolve this situation, this disgrace will be talked about for a long time.”
The Broken Sword Demon’s eyes narrowed.
“Since it has already come to this, I will have to find a little comfort by tearing your limbs to shreds and killing you right this instant.”
As soon as those words ended.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Ten people appeared around Ha Woo-jin and swung the swords in their hands horizontally.
Swaeek!
Ha Woo-jin urgently spun his body to dodge the sharp fast swords brandished from all directions, and simultaneously attempted a counterattack.
Clang!
Sparks flew around Ha Woo-jin.
A moment later, the eight swordsmen who had been launching a surprise attack lightly leaped backwards and retreated.
Surprise colored the Broken Sword Demon’s face.
“Surprising. There are not even ten people who have blocked the combined attack of the Ghost Slash Squad.”
Ha Woo-jin bit his lip.
Trickle…
Due to the fast sword he could not fully dodge, a single streak of blood flowed down his cheek.
Drip, drip.
As if they weren’t called the Ghost Slash Squad, one of the White Ghost Three Squads for nothing, the sword-wielding skills of all eight were extraordinary.
‘It’s too much to face both the Ghost Slash Squad and the Broken Sword Demon alone at the same time…’
“You must be the Broken Sword Demon.”
A familiar voice was heard from the side.
“Senior?”
Ha Woo-jin stared at the side profile of Hyeon-do, who had somehow stood beside him like a ghost.
It was an expression he was seeing for the first time in his life.
This must be what someone engulfed in rage looks like.
“…What astonishing spirit.”
The Broken Sword Demon’s face stiffened for the first time.
The spirit Hyeon-do was currently directing at him was comparable to the spirit he had felt when he had an exclusive audience with the White Ghost Castle Lord.
“Ghost Slash Squad.”
At the call, the Ghost Slash Squad prepared to launch an attack at any moment.
“Strike.”
In an instant, they spread out.
Whoosh… Whoosh…
Ha Woo-jin hurriedly rolled his eyes.
Their lightfoot techniques were so light and swift that the sound of their sleeves fluttering in the wind was heard much later.
Hyeon-do also glared at them.
Everything was clearly visible in his eyes.
Not only how the Ghost Slash Squad was moving, but also how they would swing their swords.
Hyeon-do explosively emitted his internal energy.
Vwoom!
While the Ghost Slash Squad flinched at the storm of qi sweeping over them, Hyeon-do suddenly disappeared.
“……!”
When the flustered Ghost Slash Squad was raising their qi senses after Hyeon-do disappeared without a trace.
“Heup!”
The Ghost Slash Squad member on the far left quickly leaned his waist back at the sound of the wind splitting that struck his ears.
Rustle.
Cut hair fell to the ground.
Looking at the hair falling in heaps, the Ghost Slash Squad member’s liver chilled.
‘W-what a tremendous fast sword!’
The sharp sword he had caught a glimpse of for a split second was so fast that it was blurry.
However, that was not the end.
Startled by the ‘swaeek’ sound heard from behind his back right after, he looked back.
At that moment, a pure white sword blade swallowed his vision, and soon his consciousness grew distant.
Slice!
Looking at the Ghost Slash Squad member whose head was split open, Hyeon-do scanned the remaining Ghost Slash Squad one by one with a gaze colder than the freezing northern wind and snow.
“Today must be the day I can avenge my youngest Junior Brother’s grudge.”
His tone of spitting out the words as if chewing them contained an indescribable thick killing intent.
The Ghost Slash Squad members who met his eyes trembled at the intense spirit that was hard to believe belonged to a Taoist.
Tap.
This time, Hyeon-do moved first.
When he, who appeared behind a Ghost Slash Squad member, swung his sword and tried to cut down his neck.
Clang!
There was someone who blocked the sword.
The Broken Sword Demon glared at Hyeon-do with sharp eyes, and immediately drew his sword.
“…I will deal with you.”
The sword drawn with a clear ringing sound emitted a dangerous light in the Broken Sword Demon’s hand.
“I heard that Mount Hua’s Plum Blossom Swordmanship exudes the scent of plum blossoms and blooms flowers?”
The Broken Sword Demon moved his right hand.
“I wanted to see it at least once, so this turned out well.”
In an instant, the sword qi that bloomed from the sword drew a half-moon shape and shot towards Hyeon-do.
Vwooosh!
It was the Broken Sword Record, a taboo swordmanship that the Non-Dual Sword Sect deemed dangerous, which successive Sect Leaders had personally sealed away.
Booooom!
Shockwaves erupted in all directions.
A storm of dust greatly swept through the White Ghost Castle and swallowed even Ha Woo-jin, who had kept his distance.
“Keuk!”
Ha Woo-jin, who had taken the intense storm harboring a tingling astral qi head-on, stepped backwards and narrowed his eyes.
‘That is not a place for me to intervene.’
Watching Hyeon-do’s venting of anger pouring onto the Broken Sword Demon, Ha Woo-jin turned his body.
‘What I have to do is…’
After infusing his sword with the internal energy of the Profound Heaven Firm Astral Qi, Ha Woo-jin pointed at the Ghost Slash Squad.
‘To defeat those guys!’
His eyes hardened.
Subsequently, his sword slowly moved and the Thirty-Six Swords of the Heavenly River revealed its form.
Third Move, Heavenly River Star Scatter.
A beautiful sword that was reminiscent of a meteor shower fell upon the Ghost Slash Squad members.
Tap!
However, as if they weren’t the Ghost Slash Squad for nothing, they treaded their footwork and spread out in all directions, escaping the influence of the Thirty-Six Swords of the Heavenly River.
At that moment, Ha Woo-jin’s sword changed.
Whish!
Having calculated even their evasion, he twisted the downward-slashing sword in a reverse grip.
Fourth Move, Heavenly River Upside Down Pour!
One of the Ghost Slash Squad members who had been trying to flee was instantly hit by the Heavenly River Upside Down Pour striking upwards from below, and his chest split wide open.
“Number Seven!”
The Ghost Slash Squad members shouted in bewilderment.
However, the bones inside the already dead Ghost Slash Squad member’s chest were exposed, and his internal organs spilled out.
“How dare you to Number Seven…!”
As their comrade fell, the eyes of the surviving Ghost Slash Squad became murderous.
Sword qi containing killing intent bloomed from their swords, and they unfolded fierce swordmanships.
Whoosh… Whoosh…
Befitting a small number of elites, all of their swordmanships were at a high and strong realm.
However, their opponent was the Flying Swallow Sword Lord Ha Woo-jin, who was undoubtedly believed to become the next Number One Sword of the Zhongnan Sect in the Zhongnan Sect.
‘I must decide the outcome in a single exchange.’
After gripping his sword tightly, Ha Woo-jin poured out three sword forms in a short moment.
Heavenly River Surging Waves and Heavenly River Flying Pour, and finally, the Heavenly River Stars that unfolded at the end.
The three fierce and lightning-fast absolute techniques were deployed in a linked chain, and cut them down.
Around the time Ha Woo-jin was performing a sword dance.
Spurttt!
“Keuk!”
Through the blood scattering into the sky, the Broken Sword Demon staggered and retreated backwards.
His retreating appearance was not good.
His clothes were torn to shreds, and deep sword wounds were clearly revealed between them.
“Is that the martial art of the Non-Dual Sword Sect that you tried to obtain even at the risk of receiving heavenly punishment?”
The Broken Sword Demon’s brows furrowed.
‘That guy is on par with me?’
Sweat trickled down the Broken Sword Demon’s forehead as he recalled the words the strategist had said to him.
The palm gripping the sword was damp with sweat.
With the relaxed expression he had when he appeared already gone without a trace, he bit his lip lightly.
‘He was spouting bullshit!’
The opponent was clearly superior to him.
And not just by one or two moves, but by several moves.
Ta-at!
At that moment, Hyeon-do rushed in again.
“Receive the price for your heavenly punishment.”
“Grind!”
The Broken Sword Demon, who clenched his teeth tightly, infused his internal energy and swung his sword, shooting a blue sword qi shaped like a half-moon, the Moonlight Wave.
‘That bizarre sword art again…’
The rushing Hyeon-do flinched.
That sword art had been annoying him since earlier.
The unique sword wave that unfolded every time he approached was blocking his access.
Clang!
When Hyeon-do deflected the Moonlight Wave to the side, it left a long mark on the ground along with an explosion.
“…Damn it!”
The Broken Sword Demon’s expression became miserable.
He couldn’t even count how many times he had faced death after the clash.
Fortunately, thanks to the supreme absolute art known as the Broken Sword Record, he was barely able to preserve his life.
However, even that had reached its limit.
‘Half of my internal energy has been depleted.’
It was the major problem of the Moonlight Wave.
It was an astonishing absolute sword art that allowed one to fly sword qi with a low level of martial prowess, but its consumption of internal energy was incomparable to other sword arts.
‘It can’t be helped. It was something I had been hiding in order to face the White Snake God, but…’
In the end, the Broken Sword Demon prepared the ultimate absolute technique he had kept hidden until the end.
Internal energy surged and wrapped around him.
Following that, a haze bloomed from his sword, and intense colors melted down.
In the hazy scenery, the sword moved.
Pababak!
Moonlight Waves poured down in bundles and looked as if they would tear Hyeon-do to shreds.
“I will acknowledge your skills.”
Just as the Broken Sword Demon foresaw his victory and formed a smile of satisfaction at Hyeon-do, who seemed stiffened upon seeing the dozens of Moonlight Waves.
‘This scent is… plum blossoms?’
The Broken Sword Demon’s eyebrows twitched.
An intense and thick scent of plum blossoms tickled the tip of the Broken Sword Demon’s nose, and then swallowed his senses.
“Your cheap tricks end here.”
A dry voice tapped his ears, and the Moonlight Waves were miserably shattered.
“The Moonlight Heaven-Breaking Wave is…”
The Broken Sword Demon’s eyebrows trembled faintly.
Along with that, dozens of plum blossoms bloomed, and completely covered him.
“T-this makes no sense…”
As he made an expression of utter disbelief, dozens of red bloodstains spread across his clothes.
Thud…
The Broken Sword Demon flopped down to his knees.
Looking down at the collapsing Broken Sword Demon, Hyeon-do wriggled his hand gripping the sword.
“Was the sword art of the Non-Dual Sword Sect only at this level?”
Hyeon-do shook his head.
“No. It is that I, and Mount Hua, are strong.”
His eyes grew intense.
The sword art of the Non-Dual Sword Sect was outstanding.
However, he, the opponent, was far stronger, and the Plum Blossom Swordmanship also did not lose to the Non-Dual Sword Sect’s sword art.
The valuable victory obtained against the Broken Sword Demon instilled confidence in him.
“White Snake God…”
His gaze headed towards the White Ghost Castle.
Following that, the Dark Fragrance Footwork unfolded in an instant. After a moment of the scenery distorting due to the fast speed, he arrived at the entrance before he knew it.
“Senior Taoist Hyeon-do?”
At the entrance, Ha Woo-jin had already arrived first.
As if he had fought a bloody battle, his clothes were torn in places, and the blood that had flowed from his cheek was overlaid with other blood.
“Will you be alright with that body? If your wounds are severe, there is no need for you to force yourself to follow.”
At Hyeon-do’s words, Ha Woo-jin shook his head and spoke decisively.
“I am fine. I, too, did not follow with a light heart.”
At those words, Hyeon-do said no more.
It was because he knew better than anyone else that turning back the heart of someone who had already firmed their resolve was a difficult task.
Instead, he stood side by side with Ha Woo-jin and took a step together towards the White Ghost Castle.
* * *
While Cheon-hwi, who was the first to enter the White Ghost Castle, was passing through a lightless passage.
“Are you going to keep hiding?”
He spat out words out of the blue.
Afterwards, he tilted his chin up, looked at the roof, and quietly threw a warning.
“This should be your last chance?”
In an instant, the people who had held their breath to launch a surprise attack from above the roof poured down.
Pababak!
They, who poured down like rain, tried to thrust their swords towards Cheon-hwi, but Cheon-hwi’s hand moved before them.
As his hand traced the empty air, five blade astral qis appeared and cut them down in a single breath.
Slice… !
Along with a gruesome sound, dozens of limbs and blood were scattered in all directions.
“They always make things bothersome.”
A path appeared in front of Cheon-hwi.
A path with blood and corpses placed on both sides.
The five fingers he had swung had cut them in half and made a path.
It was the result of a claw art close to a divine skill.
“Let’s see. Is it over there?”
He took a step again with the foot that had momentarily stopped.
Step… Step…
Around the time it had been about a quarter of an hour since he walked along the path, he stopped his steps.
Tap.
At the end of the passage, in a dead end, a splendid door was placed right there.
And on both sides of the door, two old men who looked like twins were standing blankly, as if guarding the door.
“Oho.”
Cheon-hwi’s eye corners curved.
Following that, as he approached closer to the door.
Whoosh…
The gazes of the two, who had only been staring straight ahead, dropped downwards.
Without the slightest change in expression, the two, who had only bent their heads to put Cheon-hwi in their pupils, slowly opened their mouths.
“You cannot pass this place.”
“You cannot pass this place.”
Their two voices resonated and rang out.
At the two voices tickling and teasing his ears, Cheon-hwi twisted his mouth corners.
“Is that so? That’s great.”
In an instant, Cheon-hwi’s atmosphere changed.
The surrounding air became heavy, and the presence felt from him became different.
“……!”
“……!”
At that change, the two, who had been standing still like Buddha statues, flinched and hurriedly grasped the respective blade and sword they wore at their waists.
“Because I was planning to kill you anyway.”
At Cheon-hwi’s continued words, their two eyes flashed fiercely. At the same time, the two swung their sword and blade largely horizontally.
Vwooosh!
Extreme internal energy was loaded in the two’s crossing and swinging sword and blade.
Before long, they fell towards the crown of Cheon-hwi’s head.
Booooom!
The pavilion shook greatly.
The two’s sword and blade remained embedded in the ground, creating a huge crack. Seeing the deeply caved-in crack, the two opened their eyes sharply.
Cheon-hwi, whom they thought would have been crushed by the swung sword and blade, was standing as relaxedly as exactly before.
“Who are you?”
“Who are you?”
Voices tinged with anger overlapped.
“Me?”
Having dodged the two’s attack just by twisting his body to the side, Cheon-hwi chuckled.
“The person who will kill you.”
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