Chapter 426 Soul and Spirit (4)

‘Is this all there is to him.’

Mok Gyeong-un sneered as he looked at Kang Yeom, the First Realm of the Secret Society, whose entire body had shriveled up and turned into a mummy-like state.

He had absorbed all the energy within Kang Yeom’s body.

He could immediately utilize the demonic energy that he had converted from the monster energy, but he isolated the fire energy, which was close to natural earth energy, that had coexisted in Kang Yeom’s body.

‘How could he simultaneously possess such opposing energies?’

Mok Gyeong-un found this puzzling.

If it was difficult even for him, this natural earth energy should have been the absolute antithesis for a demon like Kang Yeom, yet it coexisted within his body.

Still, since he possessed it, it was a high-purity energy that could be utilized in some way.

-Tak!

Mok Gyeong-un removed his hand from Kang Yeom’s body, which had breathed its last after having all its internal energy sucked out.

Then he recalled their final conversation.

[T-that human wench, if she’s present, they said the sealed vengeful spirit could be revived.]

[Revive a vengeful spirit? What do you mean?]

[I don’t know the details. But from what I’ve heard, both that wench and the vengeful spirit were originally supposed to be one.]

[One?]

[…I’ll tell you what I know, so please spare my life.]

[If I deem it useful, I’ll consider it. So, what can you tell me? Finish what you were saying. What does it mean that they were originally one?]

[That’s all I know. That person said if that body and the vengeful spirit could become one, your wish would be fulfilled.]

Your wish would be fulfilled?

what the .... does that mean?

Is he trying to resurrect her by possessing Wi So-yeon, who looks exactly like Cheong-ryeong, with Cheong-ryeong’s spirit?

But isn’t that just simple possession?

‘Ah!’

Suddenly, Mok Gyeong-un remembered how Cheong-ryeong had attempted possession but failed.

It was a strange phenomenon.

What kind of existence is Wi So-yeon to Cheong-ryeong for that to happen?

Puzzled, Mok Gyeong-un thought for a moment and asked.

[Does the premise ‘if they could become one’ imply that there are other necessary conditions or that they can’t easily become one?]

[…I know that some kind of sorcery condition is needed. It wasn’t my assigned task, so I don’t know the details.]

‘It wasn’t my assigned task…’

This means that the necessary conditions haven’t been met yet.

If the conditions had been met from the beginning, he couldn’t have talked like this.

What Three- needs are three things.

It seems it can be seen as Cheong-ryeong, Wi So-yeon, and the sorcery to make them one.

Mok Gyeong-un, with his unique insight, had organized the situation with limited information.

[Alright. Then tell me where they’re taking Wi So-yeon.]

[They’ll take her to Mok-gan.]

[Then it’s simple. Where is Mok-gan?]

[That place is a space hidden by sorcery, so unless that person sends a subordinate, even its location can’t be known.]

At those words, Mok Gyeong-un sneered.

[Then you don’t really know anything?]

[W-wait. Among the First Realm, Destruction Emperor and Ghost Blade have been around the longest, so I believe they know that person’s exact location.]

[Destruction Emperor, Ghost Blade?]

[Yes. Destruction Emperor is on a mission so his location is unknown, but Ghost Blade is said to follow the Heaven and Earth Society Society Leader, so you should be able to find out.]

[Hmm.]

[I’ve told you everything I know. So please, have mercy…]

-Tak!

-Swoosh!

[W-wait, this is different from what you sai… Kuhek.]

[Most of the information you know is abstract and requires an extra step.]

[E-even so…]

[I don’t feel it’s worth sparing you for information that’s not even proper. And…]

-Swoosh!

[Kueeeeee.]

[I’m not foolish enough to keep alive something that’s better off dead.]

With that, Mok Gyeong-un absorbed all the remaining energy in Kang Yeom’s body using the Ritual of Binding.

“My Lord.”

At that moment, Sword Demon Ji-oe approached him.

Ji-oe was inwardly marveling at Mok Gyeong-un’s actions.

To him, who had lived close to the middle path without leaning towards good or evil his entire life, every one of Mok Gyeong-un’s actions was shocking.

‘Even though he begged so much to be spared, not only did he kill him, but to do this to him…’

It was truly a cruel act.

Is this the demonic nature he should learn?

It seems it will take quite some time to adapt.

Anyway,

“I apologize. You told me to save that young lady Wi So-yeon, but because I was late…”

-Flinch!

At that moment,

Mok Gyeong-un looked at Ji-oe and then turned his head somewhere else.

“My Lord?”

-Shudder!

Ji-oe was so taken aback that he unconsciously took a step back.

This was because an immense killing intent suddenly arose from Mok Gyeong-un, and it was so intense that it was overwhelming.

‘Why suddenly like this?’

-Pat!

Just then, Mok Gyeong-un suddenly flew off somewhere.

“My Lord!”

Why is he doing this?

Leaving behind the puzzled Ji-oe, Mok Gyeong-un flew towards somewhere.

The place he was urgently heading to was the main plaza of the Heaven and Earth Society.

The reason for his hurry was that the connection (緣) linking him to Cheong-ryeong had suddenly broken.

‘Cheong-ryeong!’

There was only one meaning to a perfectly fine spirit medium’s connection breaking.

It meant that she had ceased to exist.

At this, Mok Gyeong-un, whose mind became confused beyond anger in an instant, was heading to the last place he had sensed her.

It was a building located right next to the main hall.

As Mok Gyeong-un, who thought something had happened to Cheong-ryeong, approached the place, he couldn’t help but frown.

This was because a terrifyingly ominous spirit energy was flowing out from the building.

‘This is?’

It was an extremely dense, dark ghost energy.

Yet strangely, this energy felt familiar.

As he broke through towards the source,

-Bang!

The place was covered in blood everywhere, and he saw Cheong-ryeong grabbing someone’s neck.

That someone was none other than the Society Leader.

what the .... is going on here?

He had rushed here in one breath thinking something had gone wrong because the connection was cut, but not only was Cheong-ryeong fine, she was emitting an even more ominous and stronger spirit energy than before.

At this level, it far surpassed when she had become a purple spirit.

“Cheong-ryeong?”

Though he didn’t know why her connection had been cut and her spirit energy had increased so explosively, Mok Gyeong-un felt he should stop Cheong-ryeong for now.

Judging by her current momentum, it seemed she might snap the Society Leader’s neck.

“Cheong-ryeong… I don’t know what happened, but let’s calm down for a moment. With me…”

-Pak!

At that moment, as Cheong-ryeong waved her hand,

-Paaaaang!

Blood gushed from the floor, surging like a wave to engulf Mok Gyeong-un.

At this, Mok Gyeong-un drew his demonic sword Evil Commandment Sword to cut through the blood wave.

However,

-Paang!

Mok Gyeong-un’s sword, which was meant to cut through the blood wave, was instead repelled.

As a result, his body was swept away by the wave.

‘The blood?’

He knew her spirit energy had increased explosively, but he didn’t expect it to repel even his intentional strike.

Inwardly amazed, Mok Gyeong-un seemed to think this wouldn’t do, so,

-Chwak!

He concentrated his power on the tip of his sword and pierced through the blood wave in one go.

-Paang!

No matter how powerful the blood wave was, when he unified his power into a single point, a large hole was inevitably created.

As he passed through this hole, Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes widened.

The reason was,

-Crunch!

She had snapped the neck of the Heaven and Earth Society Society Leader, who had been muttering something with bloodshot eyes.

The Society Leader, with his neck broken, lowered his head with a bitter look in his eyes, as if he had already accepted death.

Seeing this, Mok Gyeong-un’s mind became complex in an instant.

Even if he had decided to kill all of the Heaven Vein clan, it was premature to kill him when he hadn’t properly found out anything from the Society Leader yet.

Especially since he was somewhat related to his grandfather’s death, and they needed to find out where Three- was hiding…

-Splash!

The dead Society Leader’s body fell into a pool of blood.

Cheong-ryeong’s eyes, as she turned her head, were seen to be dyed dark red without any white.

How much anger does it take to become like that?

“…Cheong-ryeong.”

-Mortal.

“Why are you doing this? What has made Cheong-ryeong so…”

-This is where our connection ends, mortal.

With those cold and resolute words, Cheong-ryeong made a gesture of clenching her hand.

Then, the blood pooled on the floor rose up in the shape of a hand and grabbed something.

‘!?’

It was none other than Grand Divination Master Myeong-ryul.

Myeong-ryul was in a miserable state, unable to do anything with his jaw torn off and both arms severed.

Seeing this, Mok Gyeong-un felt he should stop her.

Though it was difficult to guess the exact reason right away, there must be something behind her immediate attempt to kill these two people.

-Pat!

Mok Gyeong-un hurriedly raised his Invisible Sword.

-Chwak!

The incredibly sharp Invisible Sword cut off the wrist made of blood.

-Pu pu pu pu puk!

But at that moment, countless blood thorns flew from all directions, piercing Grand Divination Master Myeong-ryul’s entire body.

With his entire body pierced, Myeong-ryul’s life ended right there.

Seeing this, Mok Gyeong-un’s gaze grew cold.

Cheong-ryeong spoke to Mok Gyeong-un.

-Now that the connection is severed, you can no longer constrain me. I will resolve my grudge myself. So, mortal, you should go live your own life now.

It was a cold tone that seemed to imply she would cut not only the connection as a spirit medium but truly all connections.

It wasn’t just because there was nothing binding her anymore.

Having learned the whole truth, Cheong-ryeong no longer wanted to drag Mok Gyeong-un into Bi Yong-heon’s obsession and madness.

In truth, she was more anxious than angry.

She was afraid that if she went deeper, something might go wrong and even Mok Gyeong-un might walk into danger.

So she felt she had to settle this herself.

After all, she was the origin of all this.

‘I’m sorry, mortal.’

-Swish swish swish swish swish!

Then, all the blood in this space swirled around Cheong-ryeong, threatening to engulf her.

She intended to disappear while protecting herself with blood like this.

As her resentment deepened and surpassed its limits, she thought that now even Mok Gyeong-un wouldn’t be able to stop her easily.

It was at that very moment.

-Chwak!

The blood whirlwind surrounding her body was split by the Invisible Sword.

Then, Mok Gyeong-un appeared before her.

Thinking he was trying to stop her, she extended her hand infused with spirit energy to push him away, but,

-Pak!

Mok Gyeong-un grabbed her wrist as if snatching it, pulled her close, and said firmly.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t let you go. You’re already my life, Cheong-ryeong.”