Chapter 419 First Realm (1)

“Cough, cough… So they’ve finally laid hands on that child Wi So-yeon?”

The Heaven and Earth Society Leader tried to launch his body to follow Mok Gyeong-un, who was flying using the Treading Void technique, but staggered and clutched the wall.

Although Mok Gyeong-un had blocked it with a mysterious spell technique during the prohibition, his internal injuries were severe.

-Jureureuk!

Dead blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

Wiping it away, the Heaven and Earth Society Leader slumped against the wall and sat down heavily.

“Despite all my preparations.”

In the end, was he in a position where he had to rely on someone other than himself?

The Heaven and Earth Society Leader watched Mok Gyeong-un growing more distant.

He had thought him just a ghost of the Moon Vein, but that wasn’t all.

What exactly was his identity?

Even with Ryu So-wol of the Moon Vein attached to him, could someone who wasn’t even the person herself do this much?

[I greet you as a disciple, Master. I am Wi So-yeon of the Heroic Spear Wi family.]

The Heaven and Earth Society Leader recalled when he first saw her.

A child who looked just like that portrait in the shrine, though still young.

As she grew, she became more and more like the portrait.

[If you continue to have her take this along with the spirit medicines, within ten years, there will no longer be any more outbursts of the extreme cold energy of the Heavenly Yin Severed Meridians.]

[You’re saying the Heavenly Yin Severed Meridians won’t flare up anymore?]

[Yes.]

[…Then you knew it was the Heavenly Yin Severed Meridians from the beginning?]

[That doesn’t seem to be something for the Society Leader to be involved in.]

[…What exactly does that person really want?]

[That person doesn’t want much. They just gave one instruction.]

[What did they convey?]

[Just teach those children you’ve accepted as disciples well so they can build bonds with each other.]

[Teach them well to build bonds?]

-Eu-deuk!

The Heaven and Earth Society Leader gritted his teeth.

Knowing what that person was trying to do, he immediately understood what it meant.

That’s why he thought he should stop it even now.

If he openly revealed his will right away, that guy would surely try to exclude him, even ignoring that person’s wishes.

‘Little by little… Just need to make it go awry little by little.’

He would never let things go as they wanted.

Even if that person truly wished it of their own will, that was already a distant past long gone.

The past should be left buried as it was.

It wasn’t something that needed to be achieved by going against all providence.

And she didn’t want it.

[I’m sorry.]

The Heaven and Earth Society Leader secretly replaced and burned all the medicine Wi So-yeon was supposed to take.

If things went according to that person’s will, her life wouldn’t be much of a life anyway.

Rather than that, it was right to follow the predetermined fate.

However, as long as she was alive, he would support her to do everything she wanted.

Even if it turned out to be futile struggling.

But even this plan of his had been twisted by that guy.

[It seems Lady Wi So-yeon’s Heavenly Yin Severed Meridians has not only improved but been completely cured.]

[What?]

[Her complexion has returned, and her energy has stabilized.]

When he received this news, the Heaven and Earth Society Leader was lost in many thoughts.

No matter how much he tried to change things, would it ultimately turn out as that guy wanted?

Is this what they call fate?

The Heaven and Earth Society Leader watched Mok Gyeong-un’s back, stretching out his fingertips and muttering.

“…If you are truly the one Ryu So-wol chose, don’t ever let that child be taken away.”

***

In the northeast direction, quite far from Wi So-yeon’s residence estate.

The buildings there were almost all destroyed, to the point where it was hard to find any intact ones, and the surroundings were devastated.

Numerous corpses were strewn about in this devastated area.

These were the society members who followed Wi So-yeon.

Although they were said to have the smallest force among the factions, that was only relative; those who followed her numbered up to 2,000.

Of course, due to the Society Leader’s emergency summons, those here were only half of that half.

Still, they numbered nearly five hundred, but…

“Haa… Haa…”

The Bright Blade King Son Yun exhaled rough breaths as he surveyed his surroundings.

Those still standing were just one great hall master and three warriors who looked like clan leaders.

On the other hand, there were still more than twenty masked enemies.

‘They definitely weren’t outsiders.’

These must have been spies who had been infiltrating the Heaven and Earth Society for a long time.

They were familiar with their tactics and formations, and knew the society’s warriors well enough to exploit their weaknesses.

Moreover,

‘To end up like this with five times the force…’

Each one of them was an incredible force.

Their numbers had only been about a hundred.

But each one was at least a supreme expert, and they didn’t even fear death, which ultimately led to this result.

-Cha-cha-cha-cha-chang!

At that moment, the sound of fierce metal clashing rang out, and wind pressure swept in all directions.

It was the sound of the Sword Demon Ji-oe clashing with that large man, even bigger than himself, who was considered one of the largest in the society.

-Kwang!

Ji-oe, who had been unleashing sword techniques with all his might, was flung back, crashing through a wall and rolling on the ground.

“Kuuuu.”

Ji-oe’s face was covered in bruises as he rolled on the ground.

It must have hurt too much, as he arched his back and stood up while still rolling.

“Tut. Huu… Huu… What kind of guy shows no sign of fatigue?”

Ji-oe spat blood and stuck out his tongue.

Seeing him like this, the Bright Blade King Son Yun once again gripped his sect’s unique weapon, the great sword Mak-hyeon.

If the Mad Swordsman of Spiritual Sword Sanctuary, Ji-oe, hadn’t appeared, he and everyone else would have already lost their lives.

He had heard that his swordsmanship skills were strong enough to be counted among the top ten throughout the righteous path, but he didn’t know it would be to this extent.

Thanks to his joining, they had barely managed to engage in combined attacks and hold the guy off.

But now it seemed they were almost at their limit.

That large man with short orange hair showed no signs of fatigue, but they were almost out of stamina, to the point where their breathing was rough.

“Huu… Huu… How long do you plan to rest?”

Ji-oe called out, and Son Yun replied.

“I’ve rested enough and was about to join you.”

At this, Son Yun took the seventh stance of the Bright Sun Sword Technique, the Ki-su stance, with his great sword Mak-hyeon.

Likewise, the Sword Demon Ji-oe also raised his sword energy and prepared to launch his body towards the guy.

On the other hand, the large man with orange hair, or rather, the monster-like being who had identified himself as Kang Yeom, didn’t take any stance or posture.

He merely raised the scorched, crude sword he was holding.

‘This is strange.’

Looking at him like this, Son Yun had been feeling this way for a while, but his doubts were growing stronger.

It was strange that someone this strong wasn’t known by name, but it felt like he wasn’t using his full strength even while facing their combined attack.

To be honest, it seemed like he was only exerting his skills just enough to be one step ahead.

What exactly is his intention?

Son Yun’s gaze fell on Wi So-yeon, who was lying unconscious some distance away, and the two masked individuals surrounding and guarding her.

‘Even though we’re blocking their retreat and doing our utmost to stop them, we’ve been almost annihilated on this side, so why aren’t they fleeing? If Wi So-yeon is their ultimate goal, they could easily escape.’

Because of this, he had the strange feeling that they were stalling for time.

It didn’t feel like they were waiting for their leader, this Kang Yeom, to escape the Heaven and Earth Society.

Although he couldn’t understand their intentions, for now, they had to play along as well.

‘If reinforcements arrive, we might be able to turn the situation around.’

Until then, they had to somehow keep these people tied down.

The Bright Blade King Son Yun gathered all his true qi and unleashed the seventh stance of the Bright Sun Sword Technique, the Final Breaking Destruction Link.

-Chwa-chwa-chwa-chwa-chwa-chwak!

As he swung his sword, blue sword energy rose like rough waves and rushed towards Kang Yeom.

It looked like a simple sword technique, but it had an overwhelming aura.

Similarly, Ji-oe also launched his body into the air and, to prevent that Kang Yeom from dodging,

‘Eight Swords!’

He tried to bind his movements by creating a sword net made of sword energy like a mesh.

As supreme sword and blade techniques swept in from front and back simultaneously, Kang Yeom didn’t move a bit.

Instead, he raised his crude sword upwards and,

-Chwa-a-a-a-ak!

He swung it to catch the sword net of sword energy flying towards his back, then used a technique to redirect it towards Son Yun’s Final Breaking Destruction Link.

‘What?’

‘He’s redirecting a sword technique made of strong energy?’

Ji-oe was dumbfounded and tried to stop and retrieve his technique.

However, part of the already launched sword net,

-Cha-cha-cha-cha-cha-cha-chang!

Collided with the blade energy of the Final Breaking Destruction Link and canceled each other out.

In terms of power, the Final Breaking Destruction Link seemed stronger due to its overwhelming nature, but because Ji-oe’s sword was ahead in realm and internal energy, it was difficult to withstand the aftermath.

-Pa-cha-cha-cha-chang!

“Kuk.”

Although he blocked the aftermath by swinging his sword, Son Yun’s body was pushed far back.

As soon as he stopped after being pushed back like that, Son Yun coughed up a handful of blood.

“Uuk.”

Son Yun’s complexion turned pale after coughing up blood.

‘…As expected.’

Son Yun glared at Kang Yeom.

Even though there was an opening for him, Kang Yeom just stood there staring.

When more people were attacking together, it might have been to watch out for blind spots from attacks flying in from all directions, but not now.

As expected, he was conserving his strength and stalling for time.

At this, Son Yun planted his sword in the ground to barely support his body and shouted.

“What kind of trick are you playing?”

Kang Yeom answered with an expressionless face, holding his crude sword behind his back:

“Trick?”

“If this isn’t a trick, then what is it? This is the great Heaven and Earth Society. No matter how strong you are, the longer you drag this out, the more disadvantageous it will be for you. What exactly is your…”

“Hut.”

Before he could finish speaking, Kang Yeom sneered.

What does that laugh mean?

As he was wondering, Kang Yeom slowly walked towards him and said:

“It seems I’ve shown too much.”

“What?”

“I guess it’s okay to kill one more now.”

“You…”

-Kwang!

As Kang Yeom stomped on the ground, debris shot up and his figure suddenly reached five steps in front of the Bright Blade King Son Yun.

Son Yun, who had been supporting his body with his sword planted in the ground, hastily pulled out his sword to try and block it, but,

-Chang-kang!

Kang Yeom’s crude sword cut Son Yun’s treasured sword Mak-hyeon in half and tried to cut even that.

However, at that moment, Ji-oe, who had flown in behind him, tried to stab Kang Yeom’s back and neck with his sword.

At this, Kang Yeom instantly rotated his body and,

-Puk!

Kicked Ji-oe’s right ribs with a leg technique.

-Wu-deuk!

“Kek!”

The Sword Demon Ji-oe’s body was flung away after being kicked in the ribs.

However, thanks to Ji-oe, not only did he save his life, but as an opening was created, Son Yun, who couldn’t miss this opportunity, stabbed Kang Yeom’s back with his broken sword.

-Cha-ang!

‘What?’

Son Yun’s eyes widened.

This was because even though it was a broken blade, not only did it fail to pierce his back, but the tip of the broken sword completely shattered as if it had hit something solid.

-Seuk!

Kang Yeom slowly turned his head and muttered:

“You’re quite good, but we are different from you.”

“What?”

At that moment, Kang Yeom’s crude sword pierced straight through the Bright Blade King Son Yun’s abdomen.

-Puk!

“Kek!”

“That’s enough. Now rest. Human.”

-Pak!

At that moment, Son Yun staggered and firmly grasped the sword blade and wrist that had pierced his body.

Seeing him like this, Kang Yeom snorted and said:

“This won’t change anything. If I just twist the blade upwards…”

“Do as you please. Cough cough… It doesn’t matter how I die.”

“What?”

-Ssiik!

The Bright Blade King Son Yun revealed his blood-stained teeth in a bright smile and said:

“It’s just futile struggling.”

At that moment,

Ji-oe, who had been sent flying by Kang Yeom’s kick, was suddenly launching his body towards him again.

At this, the corners of Kang Yeom’s mouth slightly rose.

“Impressive. However…”

-Kwa-deuk!

“Keuup!”

Kang Yeom ignored Son Yun’s desperate grip on his sword blade and wrist and twisted his wrist in the direction of the sword blade.

He was trying to raise the sword blade upwards to cut Son Yun’s upper body and head in half.

Sensing his impending death, Son Yun smiled bitterly.

‘What a shame.’

He had wanted to take down at least one arm even if he was a monster, but it seems this is the end.

But then,

-Flinch!

Kang Yeom, who was about to raise his sword upwards, lifted his head and,

-Pat!

He even let go of the sword blade he was holding and threw his body backwards with all his might.

-Puk!

At that moment, a sword pierced through the ground where he had just moved away from.

The moment he saw the sword hilt, the Bright Blade King Son Yun’s pupils shook.

That sword was none other than the demonic sword Evil Commandment Sword.

“Evil… Commandement? Cough cough…”

The owner of Evil Commandment Sword was undoubtedly…

-Tak!

At that moment, someone landed lightly in front of him with a nimble movement.

Carrying a woman at his waist.

-Kung!

“Ugh!”

As he let go of his hand, the woman fell on her bottom.

The woman was Gi Ok-ryeon, the daughter of Sun Rock Valley Master Gi Hae, whom he had sent earlier to ask for help.

Come to think of it, the Mad Swordsman Ji-oe had mentioned someone with an odd name, and at the time, he thought he had misheard because they were in the middle of fighting.

But was it really this guy?

“You…”

“What a mess.”

“How did you…”

-Tak!

At that moment, Ji-oe, who had been flying towards them, stopped in front of Mok Gyeong-un and staggered, then knelt on one knee and paid his respects, saying:

“Haa… Haa… I apologize, my lord. This subordinate’s skills were not enough against that person.”

‘My lord?’

Did the Mad Swordsman Ji-oe, a peerless expert who had reached the Transformation Realm, just call this guy ‘my lord’?