Chapter 289: The Northern Sect Blade King (北派刀王) (2)

Cheong-ryeong, who had manifested her spiritual body, looked up at the blood-stained sky.

When Cheong-ryeong, known as the 100-year vengeful spirit, was at the Blue Spirit level, it was nearly impossible to deploy the Ghostly Domain during the day when  yang  energy was abundant.

This was because the dead belonged to the world of yin.

However, as Cheong-ryeong’s spiritual power approached the Indigo Spirit level, known as the apex of vengeful spirits, she could deploy the Blood Domain of the Ghostly Domain to a certain extent even during the day.

‘…But it’s difficult to maintain it for long.’

Due to the abundant yang energy and the wide range of the domain deployment, the spiritual power consumption was rapid.

If it were nighttime, the situation would be somewhat different, but not now.

She had to hurry.

-Ssk!

As Cheong-ryeong waved her pipe, blood hands rose from the ground, further confusing the Embroidered Uniform Guards and the eunuchs of the Eastern and Western Depots who were in disarray due to the sudden situation.

“W-what the .... is this?”

“How can something like this happen in the Imperial Palace in broad daylight?”

“Don’t be confused! It’s all an illusion!”

“Get a hold of yourselves!”

The commanders tried their best to boost their morale.

However, this was not a mere illusion.

The Ghostly Domain created by a vengeful spirit whose level had reached near the peak was literally a space of horror and fear.

-Paaak!

-Cha cha cha cha cha!

“Aaargh!”

“Let go! Let go of me!”

Chaos ensued due to the blood thorns and blood hands surging from all directions.

However, this would not be visible to the eyes of the four at the center of the Blood Domain.

The domain had been thoroughly isolated.

Cheong-ryeong looked at Mok Gyeong-un.

‘For now, I did as you wished, Mortal. But will escaping really be possible?’

She was worried.

The opponent was a monster who had crossed the wall of walls and truly reached the Profound Realm.

No matter how much Mok Gyeong-un’s demonic energy had increased to a level close to the Profound Realm, there was bound to be a difference compared to someone who had truly reached that realm.

She recalled just a moment ago.

[Cheong-ryeong, is the Ghostly Domain possible?]

[Ghostly Domain?]

[Yes. Can you temporarily restrain the Embroidered Uniform Guards rushing in with the Blood Domain and also isolate the space with that fellow?]

[…It’s possible. But I can’t maintain it for long due to the abundant yang energy at this time.]

[I see. We’ll have to try to resolve it within that time.]

[Wait, resolve it? Weren’t you asking me to isolate that monster separately in the Blood Domain for a while?]

[Yes. That’s right, but including the three of us as well.]

[You?]

Cheong-ryeong stared intently at Mok Gyeong-un.

She had done as he stubbornly insisted as if he had some kind of plan.

However, the opponent was one of the Six Heavens, known as the pinnacle of the current martial arts world.

Even if they launched a joint attack against such an individual, what were the chances of winning?

-Pachichichichi!

Dam Baek-ha the Sixth Blood Saint of the Nine Blood Cult, who had gained immortality and lightning power by consuming the blood of the spiritual creature known as the Dragon Demon, raised her fighting spirit to the maximum.

Even for her, who had lived for a long time, a world completely dyed in blood was bound to appear terrifying and bizarre.

However, there was something that caught her eye even more than that.

‘Ah, to see that appearance again.’

What caught Dam Baek-ha’s eye was So Yerin, the masked Six Offices Commander, whose hair had turned red and who was holding a blade dyed in blood.

The phenomenon of her hair turning red was none other than something that could only be achieved by the Blood Heavens Great Luo Cultivation  [10]   that only the Blood Patriarch of the Blood Cult could master when reaching a certain realm.

As a devoted follower of the Blood Cult, she couldn’t help but be moved by that sight.

However, that moment was short-lived.

-Ssrk!

The Southern Pacification Commissioner Gu Seong-baek made the first move.

His target was not the two people in front of him,

-Chak!

‘I’m first?’

It was none other than herself.

The blade that flew at a tremendous speed, unfit for a large broadsword, was set to behead Dam Baek-ha in an instant.

-Pak!

She narrowly avoided it by launching her body back with lightness skills.

However, as the blade brushed past her, it didn’t completely slash through but stopped midway.

-Paaak!

‘What a monster.’

At this, Dam Baek-ha couldn’t hide her inner astonishment.

Retracting the force midway while swinging was not easy even for masters.

Moreover,

-Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwang!

The moment Gu Seong-baek’s Golden Dawn Moon stopped midway, the ground split and wind pressure erupted due to the vast true energy infused in it.

To retract such force midway, he was indeed a monster.

-Pang! Whirrr!

Gu Seong-baek, who had stopped the blade edge like that, rotated it and swung the blade in reverse, trying to target Dam Baek-ha’s head once again.

Then, Dam Baek-ha lowered her body to avoid the trajectory of the blade, and,

-Pachichichichi!

She dug into Gu Seong-baek and tried to dig out his heart with her Blood Jade Hands infused with lightning, using all her strength.

However, at that moment, Gu Seong-baek lightly tilted his body to the side,

-Pak!

He grasped Dam Baek-ha’s wrist and kneed upward.

-Pok! Ukk!

“Aargh!”

With a single strike, her arm bent in the opposite direction, and the broken bone pierced through her elbow and protruded out.

Enduring the pain, Dam Baek-ha tried to tear apart Gu Seong-baek’s left hand grasping her wrist with her Blood Jade Hands.

However,

-Paaak!

In that state, Gu Seong-baek pulled her wrist, and her balance was shattered.

Not missing this opportunity, Gu Seong-baek released the Golden Dawn Moon he was holding and tried to pierce Dam Baek-ha’s face with a Blade Qi created with his bare hands.

‘Oh no!’

But at that instant, a blood-dyed sword tried to slash Gu Seong-baek’s right arm.

It was So Yerin.

Unable to avoid it, Gu Seong-baek released Dam Baek-ha’s wrist he was holding and retreated nearly six steps in an instant with graceful lightness skills.

-Pa pa pa pa pa pak!

As he tried to create distance, So Yerin chased after him, not wanting to miss the chance, and unleashed an ultimate move.

‘3rd Move – Hidden Fish Form Sword  [11]  !’

The sword initiated a transformation, and its trajectory wavered like a soft willow branch, simultaneously targeting seven vital points on Gu Seong-baek’s upper body.

-Swa swa swa swa swa swa!

However, Gu Seong-baek surprisingly avoided her sword by moving only his upper body.

Even in the midst of that, he made a gesture as if pulling his hand,

-Pak!

He grabbed the Golden Dawn Moon with Empty Hand Interception, and in an instant, he tried to split So Yerin in half.

Faced with his tremendously tyrannical blade strike, So Yerin hurriedly raised her inner energy to the 10th level and lifted her sword to block it.

-Chaaaaaeng!

“Kuk!”

However, So Yerin, who was inferior in inner energy, was pushed back while coughing up blood.

-Chrrrrr!

‘I shall slash you like this.’

Gu Seong-baek, who was aware that he was far superior in inner energy, pushed So Yerin back even more strongly, intending to overwhelm her with this.

-Chrrrrrrr!

‘2nd Move – Diving Clam Sword  [12]  .’

At that moment, So Yerin, who was being pushed back, suddenly bent her knees and kicked the ground, explosively pushing back Gu Seong-baek’s Golden Dawn Moon and launching a counterattack sword strike.

-Chaeng!

‘Using my own force?’

Interest glinted in Gu Seong-baek’s eyes.

It was the first time he had seen a sword strike that utilized his own tyrannical momentum with the Blossom Connecting Branches of Justice.

-Cha cha cha cha cha cha cha!

As the invigorated sword energy rushed in like crazy, Gu Seong-baek also countered it.

The clash of their sword and blade sent blue sparks and air-splitting sounds spreading in all directions.

-Cha cha cha cha cha cha chaeng!

In an instant, they clashed about eight moves.

-Gasp!

Gu Seong-baek hurriedly lowered his head.

As soon as he lowered his head, the Evil Commandment Sword covered in black energy brushed past his hair on the back of his head.

Along with that, So Yerin also had to retreat back while deploying footwork.

Otherwise, the sword Gu Seong-baek had avoided might have pierced her instead.

Moreover,

-Pak!

Mok Gyeong-un’s sword wasn’t the end of it.

‘!?’

Gu Seong-baek, who had lowered his head in an instant to avoid the sword, had his pupils tremble for a moment at another sword flying from the left.

This wasn’t simply swinging a sword with the opposite hand.

Different sword strikes were being unleashed simultaneously.

The Moonless Void Sword strike was unleashed with the right hand, while the Demonic Sword strike was unleashed with the left hand.

‘Unleashing completely different sword strikes with both hands?’

Putting aside the fact that both sword strikes were supreme, how did he master such a unique technique?

Even he, who had crossed the wall of walls, couldn’t do this.

Gu Seong-baek couldn’t help but inwardly admire it.

-Pak!

This time, judging that he couldn’t avoid it or do anything else, Gu Seong-baek stabbed the Golden Dawn Moon into the ground, using it as a support to twist his body.

-Chak!

The blade of the demon sword Plundering-killing Sword slightly brushed Gu Seong-baek’s left shoulder.

Along with the burning sensation, he felt the demonic energy penetrating the brushed area.

‘Demonic energy?’

He felt as if the demonic energy was further aggravating the wound.

Sensing this strange discomfort, Gu Seong-baek hurriedly slashed off the skin of the brushed area himself.

-Chak!

At the same time, he launched his body back to avoid the sword strikes unleashed by Mok Gyeong-un.

-Pa pa pa pak!

He consecutively somersaulted four times in the air to create distance.

Not wanting to miss this opportunity, the three of them launched their bodies towards Gu Seong-baek.

Then, Gu Seong-baek, while somersaulting, rotated his body and scattered Projectile Blade Qi created with both hands to prevent the three from approaching.

-Cha cha cha cha cha cha cha cha cha!

Mok Gyeong-un, So Yerin, and Dam Baek-ha likewise blocked the flying Blade Qi with Sword Qi and Claw Qi.

However, even if it was the same Qi, there was a difference in the true energy infused, so they were inevitably pushed back.

-Cha cha cha cha cha chaeng!

-Chrrrrrrr!

This was the case for So Yerin, whose energy had greatly increased due to the Blood Heavens Great Luo Cultivation, and it was the same for Dam Baek-ha, who utilized the energy of the spiritual creature’s power, lightning.

The true energy of Gu Seong-baek, who had crossed the wall of walls, was different in its strength.

However, there was one person who broke through his attack and entered.

It was none other than Mok Gyeong-un.

-Cha cha cha cha cha chang!

With the demon sword Plundering-killing Sword held in his left hand, Mok Gyeong-un deflected the flying Blade Qi in reverse using the profound principle of the Scripture of Transferring True Qi and advanced towards Gu Seong-baek with unstoppable momentum.

‘This fellow, his inner energy is higher than the other two.’

Gu Seong-baek also sensed this, and he finally stopped rotating and made a gesture of waving his hand.

-Ssk!

-Be careful!

At So Yerin’s voice transmission ringing in his ears, Mok Gyeong-un, who was pushing forward, kicked the ground twice.

This was the Wind supreme-ruler Steps  [13]   he had secretly learned from Ma Ra-hyeon.

-Ssrrk!

Mok Gyeong-un’s figure split into two left and right.

-Ssk!

And between them, the Golden Dawn Moon flew and passed through.

He thought Gu Seong-baek had pulled the blade with Empty Hand Interception, but soon, the Golden Dawn Moon flew like lightning towards one of the split Mok Gyeong-un figures.

-Chak!

‘Blade Control Technique?’

It was none other than the Blade Control Technique  [14]  .

It was a technique that could only be unleashed by those who had crossed the wall of walls, also known as the Qi Blade Control Technique.

At this, Mok Gyeong-un reached out his hand towards the blade.

-Ssk!

If he could interfere with the connected true energy, he could disrupt the Blade Control Technique.

He had already tried it once against the Qi Sword Control Technique of the Heaven and Earth Society Leader.

So, he tried to disperse the connection of true energy using the Ritual of Binding of the Eight Thought-Shattering Techniques.

However,

-Woooong!

As the Qi Blade Control gathered energy, blue Qi was infused into it.

‘!?’

The energy that was trying to disperse further condensed, and the interference failed.

Not stopping there, the blade stained with Qi flew as if it were alive and unleashed a tyrannical blade strike towards Mok Gyeong-un, slashing his figure.

-Chak!

As one of the split images disappeared, Gu Seong-baek moved his hand.

‘You’re next.’

Then, the Golden Dawn Moon flew towards the remaining Mok Gyeong-un.

-Ssk!

It was so fast that it seemed like a streak of lightning rushing in.

However, at that moment,

-Pachichichichichik!

Lightning surged upward, and the Golden Dawn Moon flying due to the Qi Blade Control was deflected upward.

Beneath it, Dam Baek-ha the Sixth Blood Saint was stretching her hands upward.

‘Her arm?’

Interest glinted in Gu Seong-baek’s eyes.

Dam Baek-ha’s elbow, which had been broken with the bone piercing through the flesh and protruding out, had somehow healed.

‘Annoying. Is it the power of immortality?’

Gu Seong-baek clicked his tongue at her tremendous regenerative ability.

Soon, the Southern Pacification Commissioner Gu Seong-baek, who had created distance from the three, gathered his Golden Dawn Moon that had soared due to the lightning with his true energy.

-Ssk! Pak!

Holding the Golden Dawn Moon, Gu Seong-baek looked at the three in turn and spoke.

“Although it’s the Emperor’s order, I set out with a light heart, but it seems that’s not possible.”

“Then it would be appreciated if you just stepped back.”

At Mok Gyeong-un’s sarcastic remark, Gu Seong-baek chuckled.

Then, he thrust the Golden Dawn Moon into the ground and spoke.

-Puk!

“I have my position, so that’s impossible. Besides, it’s not often I get the chance to face three martial artists close to the Profound Realm simultaneously.”

-Gooooo!

It was the moment those words ended.

Gu Seong-baek’s energy, raised to the 10th level of inner energy, soared to an incomparable level compared to before.

At his tremendous momentum, the vigilance in the eyes of the three further heightened.

The Northern Blade King Gu Seong-baek, one of the Six Heavens who had been holding back some of his power until now, was about to use his full strength.