Chapter 79 Guanyin Hall-2

Chapter 79: Guanyin Hall-2

We, who had been rushing together toward the Guanyin Hall, witnessed the battle unfolding right before the hall between the disciples of the Amita Sect and the Blood Cultists.

And upon seeing the young lady confronting the leader-like figure among them, Jeong-an cried out in a scream-like voice.

“Junghye’s residence?!”

If it was Jeonghye, she must be the young lady who shared the same teacher that Young Lady Jeong-an had boasted about during their journey here.

She had boasted endlessly about how incredibly wise she was.

Then, Hwa Yeong-bin, the Red-Haired Sword who had been running alongside them, also saw the middle-aged woman fighting desperately against three peak masters alone and said.

“That one is in critical condition. We must hurry!”

As he spoke and picked up speed, Bi Sayeong, who had glanced at Lady Jeong-an, suddenly burst forward explosively.

Bang!

His new form shot forward like a fired arrow.

He must have used the Explosive Charge Technique.

The Explosive Charge Step, learned through the Demon King’s Secret Manual, was indeed a marvelous technique. Though not a martial art of the Blood Sect, it was astonishing enough to make one understand why he possessed it.

It was merely a footwork technique for a brief burst of acceleration, but that single utility was utterly immense.

The speed Bi Sa-yeong achieved using it was nothing short of a whirlwind itself.

Young Lady Jeong-an, running beside me, exclaimed in admiration with a bright smile.

“Wow! Just as I thought!”

But seeing the direction he accelerated toward, using even his burst boost, I couldn’t help but chuckle. He was heading straight for Lady Jeonghye’s residence—Lady Jeongan’s private quarters.

I’d been sensing it all along, but it seemed he was genuinely serious after all.

I grinned to myself.

‘I can’t just ignore my friend’s situation!’

Then, of course, I used the Burst Boost to accelerate.

POW!

The surrounding scenery began to flash by at a terrifying speed.

The extreme sensation of speed, a level higher than usual, delivered a thrilling thrill.

My target was the one facing off against Lady Jeonghye.

He was clearly the leader of the Blood Sect.

His cultivation seemed to be around eighty years.

Then, Biseoyoung, who had flown like a whirlwind and successfully rescued Lady Jeonghye, shouted.

“I’ve got your back!”

I too charged at the demon horse while shouting.

“Of course!”

I could have approached silently for a surprise attack, but I chose not to.

Because this was precisely the opponent I had been seeking.

An opponent who can test my current abilities.

Though many enemies remained, I felt confident leaving them to the master swordsman Hwayeongbin, the enemy who was now approaching from behind.

Of course, the enemy numbers are somewhat large, but if they join forces with the Kyeoljin forces currently engaged in battle, wouldn’t that be sufficient?

So this very moment was precisely the situation where I could fight exactly as I wished, without thinking of anything else.

How splendid a moment is this?

A smile spread across my lips.

Then I noticed him step back and assume a defensive stance.

He must have felt threatened by my speed.

‘Hmm, so what?’

Normally, since he was two ranks above me, if he had solidified his defense, it would have been wise to use my sword and footwork to circle around and buy time.

But…

‘I don’t feel like doing that at all right now!’

I simply charged straight in and unleashed my sword technique.

Sunwoo Thirteen Swords, First Strike.

Divine Response Soaring.

My sword aura spread its wings, radiant and brilliant.

Shuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

Madhu saw this and scoffed, swinging his sword.

“Trickery!”

He seemed to recognize it as a sword illusion and aimed to shatter it with a powerful strike.

But at that moment, a smile returned to my lips.

How long had I waited for this moment since that day?

Whoosh!

The instant the enemy swung his sword with overwhelming force, the Hwan Sword’s wings flexed with fluid grace, deflecting his powerful strike.

It was a movement like a real bird’s wing beating through the air—exactly the technique Mokrang had shown me with his body.

The thrill of executing that technique—one I’d only ever practiced in my mind—so naturally at the perfect moment sent a rush through me.

The startled man’s eyes widened.

“?!”

Like a bird flapping its wings, the light wings dodged his strike, then instantly spread wide, enveloping him.

It was a single move that flowed seamlessly from a split-second reaction to a ten-second-long, thousand-mile-wide strike.

“Huh!”

His eyes filled with panic.

And then, gritting his teeth, he swung his sword.

“Ugh!”

Puhwaak!

Just as the creature was about to be completely enveloped by the wings of light, it convulsively unleashed a torrent of sword energy in all directions, kicking away the sword shadow’s wings that had been closing in around it.

It was indeed a powerful and flawless sword strike, worthy of a master with over eighty years of cultivation.

But it was precisely the counter I had anticipated.

Seeing that, my eyes flashed.

It was my chance.

“Haah!”

Four-Sword Technique, Third Strike.

Three strikes, three cuts.

Having shifted to the side in an instant, I unleashed three streaks of light as swift as the fleeting breath of a single moment.

Shhhhh!

“Guh!”

Pfft!

Blood spurted from the bastard’s left shoulder and chest.

It was the price I paid for not fully avoiding my three-fold, three-fold misfortune.

He clicked his tongue sharply.

“Damn!”

I’d intended to end it here if possible, but it seemed he wasn’t going to die that easily after all.

The creature, desperately retreating, gritted its teeth and finally launched a counterattack.

Its face contorted as if straining every ounce of strength caught my eye.

“Die! Dragon’s Roar!”

Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa!

A furious crimson dragon’s roar charged toward me like a mad dragon, following an erratic path.

The Fierce Dragon Sword Technique.

It was the Blood Sect’s renowned sword technique.

Suddenly, his heart began to race.

‘Can I pull that off?’

Among the things Mookrang showed me, excluding the Emptiness is Form technique I still cannot use, the one I most wanted to try was the single move that severed the colossal demon’s all-out attack at the very last moment.

That single move that blocked the raging attack surging like a tidal wave by precisely seizing the wrist.

It felt like the feat of stopping a charging cart with a single pine needle.

A feat only possible with the insight to observe the opponent’s offensive from a higher dimension and the ability to precisely sever its momentum.

I kept wondering about it.

Can I really do that?

That one move, perhaps even more profound than emptiness is form?

The thought didn’t linger long.

Gazing at the crimson dragon charging toward me at terrifying speed, I prepared.

Calmness.

I exhaled, calming my mind.

Insight.

I strained every sense to observe the entire red dragon charging wildly at me.

Then I extended my arm—the sword that had become one with my arm.

Four-Sword Technique, First Strike.

One strike, one slash.

Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

The sword, transformed into a beam of light, shot toward the tail section of the crimson dragon.

Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

But it failed to sever the bastard’s wrist, merely grazing it sharply.

It was a failure.

‘Damn it!’

At that moment, the greedy jaws of the crimson dragon, now mere inches away, came into view.

And a massive collision occurred.

CRASH!

It was a collision so powerful it left a massive dragon’s roar mark on the earth.

Standing on the scorched earth, the creature clutched its own wrist—severed by about a quarter and spurting blood—and turned to glare at me with fury in its eyes.

And I, standing about three paces away, clutched my pounding chest and muttered.

“Whoa, I almost died.”

I barely managed to dodge at the last moment.

If it hadn’t been for the explosive charge, and if my sword hadn’t sliced his wrist just enough to slightly alter his trajectory, I would have been dead for sure.

My mouth felt bitter.

‘So this level was still beyond me after all?’

The experience of stepping one foot into the afterlife cooled my overheated mind, and fresh regret washed over me.

‘Risking my life on unfounded confidence? You’re insane, Seon Woo-jin.’

But earlier, I did feel an overwhelming confidence that somehow I could do it.

In fact, hadn’t I almost succeeded just now?

Then suddenly, my head started to feel hot again.

‘Why not try just one more time?’

Where had the regret from just now gone? It was the spirit of challenge rearing its head again.

I stared at the creature like a wildcat eyeing its prey, licking my lips with my tongue.

***

The Red-Haired Sword, Hwa Yeong-bin, watched the retreating backs of the two Dragon Squad members who had darted away at a speed even he couldn’t match.

Both were astonishing, but especially the divine technique of my friend Biseyeong was marvelous.

Even he, now gazing upon the pinnacle of mastery, couldn’t hope to match such a top-tier warrior—it was laughable.

‘Even seeing it with my own eyes, I can’t believe this is possible. Judging by that divine technique alone, calling him a prodigy for the ages wouldn’t be an exaggeration.’

Moreover, the other man, Seon Woo-jin, was astonishing in a different way.

His internal energy seemed to be only about seventy years deep, yet he was driving back a Blood Sect disciple who appeared to have surpassed the eighty-year barrier.

‘Is he a genius? A genius with a slightly different feel than the priest.’

When Master Cheonggwangjin first brought his disciple Lee Geon and began teaching him with such devotion, Hwayeongbin couldn’t even feel jealousy.

His overwhelming talent was so immense that the thought never even crossed his mind.

The pride he’d held in his own modest talents now seemed pathetic.

And yet, in a way, he felt relieved.

Having made revenge against the Blood Sect his lifelong goal, he knew he could no longer fulfill his master’s dream of reaching the Divine Realm.

He believed it.

His disciple Lee Geon would surely fulfill the master’s will.

He would be able to receive the title of ‘God’ that had been severed for a hundred years.

Compared to him, that friend Seon Woo-jin was a bit peculiar.

‘He doesn’t feel like he possesses overwhelming talent like a priest. But…’

Compared to the talent Hwayeongbin had gauged, his current display, and indeed everything he had accomplished so far, was nothing short of astonishing.

Hwayeongbin had also once been part of the Boryongdae.

Immediately after the Great Blood War ended, he could never forgive the Blood Cult’s demonic leaders who had taken away his lifelong beloved.

From that moment on, his sole purpose in life became the destruction of the Blood Sect.

‘But… the Dragon’s Nest was not the place that could fulfill that purpose.’

He had to face profound despair not long after joining the Dragon’s Nest.

He realized the Dragon’s Nest was not a place to overthrow the Blood Sect, but merely a sentry post guarding its territory.

So he concluded he could accomplish nothing at Biryongdae, completed only his five-year term of service, and left without a second thought.

‘But then….’

Thanks to the happy coincidence of meeting his juniors from the Boryongdae, Hwayeongbin was able to have many conversations with the two during his journey here.

And he was deeply shocked.

‘The blood feud between the Blood Demon and the Pointed Spear Sect, the existence of the Shadow Legion, and even the Blood Sect’s forward base infiltrating the martial world?’

These were the details they claimed to have uncovered.

Moreover, it was all information that Hwa Yeong-bin, despite belonging to the Dragon Squad for five years, had never known.

He felt so ashamed of himself that he wondered what on earth he’d been doing all those five years.

And listening to the story, it seemed like that junior, Seon Woo-jin, was at the center of it all, didn’t it?

He was truly an astonishing and admirable junior.

‘And that sword….’

Hwa Yeong-bin stared intently at the sword ‘Mukrang’ Seon Woo-jin held.

It bore a striking resemblance to the sword wielded by ‘that person’ he had met only once.

‘Could it be?’

Just as that thought crossed his mind, Hwa Yeong-bin’s figure also plunged into the midst of the Blood Sect disciples.

“Haah!”

Chuuuuhhh!

“Gahhh?!”

“Kraaah!”

As he swung his sword, a majestic sunset spread across the battlefield.

It was a cruel sunset, thick with the scent of blood.

The Blood Cultists who saw it began screaming in terror.

“That… that’s the Crimson Heaven Sword!”

“How is the Crimson Heaven Sword here?!”

For Hwayeongbin, who gazed upon the pinnacle, it was no difficult task to slay the three demon lords at the threshold of the peak who had been pressuring the critical situation, and then to finish off the remaining rabble.

Therefore, while slaughtering the Blood Cultists, Hwa Yeong-bin focused on Seon Woo-jin’s battle.

Sun Woo-jin, facing demon lords superior to himself, never once relented in his offensive.

Moreover, he hadn’t relinquished the upper hand from the very beginning until now.

Madhu had been wielding his sword with his left hand after injuring his right wrist, though he wasn’t as proficient with it as his right. Seeing that, he even began to wonder if he could truly defeat a master two ranks above him.

“Haah!”

Sunwoojin’s sword flashed like dazzling wings, sweeping toward Madu. Madu gritted his teeth and swung his sword.

“That move again?!”

The long-reaching sword stroke slashed deep, determined not to miss this time.

But before the river could be crossed, the wings of light shattered in midair like glass.

CRASH!

“?!

Madou spotted Seonwoojin’s sword thrusting toward him at lethal speed amidst the scattering light and, horrified, hurriedly stepped back.

Whoosh!

It was a hair’s breadth away.

The lightning-fast sword barely grazed his collar.

Then, as if he had finally seized his chance, he swung his blade down at Seonwoojin again with a savage expression.

“You bastard!”

It was a frenzied slash, charging like a mad dragon writhing in an erratic path.

Kwaaaaah!

The strike hit Seon Woo-jin.

No, that’s how it appeared.

But Seon Woo-jin’s new form, struck by that ferocious momentum, didn’t get sliced apart—it shattered into pieces.

It resembled petals scattering in the wind.

Afterimage?

At that point?

Hwa Yeong-bin marveled at that astonishing technique.

Scattered like petals fluttering in the wind, Seon Woo-jin had already reappeared behind Madu, unleashing a dozen more whirling blades.

“No way!”

Madou gritted his teeth and swung his sword again, attempting to sweep them away.

Then, one of the phantom swords suddenly accelerated sharply, slicing through Madu’s thigh.

Whoosh!

“Gah!”

Hwayeongbin marveled once more.

The combination of the illusory sword and the real sword was simply too exquisite.

That clever combination, blended with peerless divine techniques, rendered even masters two ranks above him utterly unable to respond.

But perhaps he still lacked a bit of experience?

As Madu, his leg severed, seemed to lose his balance, Sunwoo Jin immediately thrust his sword straight at him.

To Hwa Yeong-bin, it seemed an overly hasty move.

She cried out in regret.

“Oh no!”

Sure enough, Madu’s eyes flashed as he unleashed his sword technique. It was the same Dragon-Shattering Palm he’d shown earlier.

“Ugh!”

Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!

The crimson dragon charged toward Seonwoojin’s sword.

In a head-on clash, Madu, with his superior inner strength and martial prowess, held an undeniable advantage.

Madou burst into a maniacal laugh.

“Hahahahaha! Die!”

Madou’s sword strike, as fierce as the crimson dragon itself, swept through Seonwoojin’s sword energy, which was nothing more than a thin beam of light.

Seon Woo-jin’s sword energy was being swept away like sand and disappearing.

“?!

But only then did Madu and Hwayeongbin realize.

That even that was an illusion.

Seonwoo Jin laughed savagely and thrust his real sword in this time.

Its speed was incomparable to the illusory sword just moments before—it was the One-Second Sword Technique’s One-Second Strike.

Pluff!

“Whoa?!”

Seon Woo-jin’s sword pierced Madu’s wrist cleanly.

The red dragon, which had been charging wildly, vanished into nothingness.

In the next instant, Seon Woo-jin could easily sever Madu’s wrist with just a slight flick of his own.

Pwahk!

“Aaaaaaargh!”

As blood spurted from the severed wrist and Madu screamed, Seonwoo Jin smirked and muttered.

“See? It worked the second time, didn’t it?”

Then, like a flash of light, he slashed his sword again, severing both of Madu’s shoulders, now completely defenseless.

Madou could no longer put up any resistance.

Watching Seonwoo Jin, who had ultimately captured an opponent of higher cultivation than himself, Hwayeongbin let out an exasperated laugh.

It seemed Master Lee Geon had gained a worthy rival after all.