Chapter 152
No Thought, No Imagination.
Complete Unity with the Self.
These were the sensations I experienced as I unleashed the Cheonpung Divine Technique in the state of Wolhwa Hwan Geommu’s Biwol and ran forward.
All worries about my father, all impatience over possibly being late—I erased them completely. I focused solely on one thought: to run like the wind. Before I knew it, I had truly become the wind itself, flowing onward.
I no longer felt the weight of my body, the presence of my flesh, or even the passage of time. I was simply drifting like a fluid, endlessly free.
Then, at some point, I caught sight of the signboard of the Sunwoo family estate, and only then did I realize something.
The realm of the Cheonpung Divine Technique, where one becomes a mere wisp of wind, untouchable by anyone, had just ascended to a new level.
Until now, in terms of divine techniques, I had always lagged behind Bisa-yeong. But now, I was finally on par with him—or perhaps even ahead.
“If Bisa-yeong finds out, he’ll be sulking for a while.”
Just the thought brought a quiet satisfaction.
But now was the time to focus on what was unfolding before me.
The first thing I checked after scaling the wall was my father’s safety.
I had worried something might have happened to him, but thankfully, he was unharmed.
What was more surprising was that the Sunwoo family’s warriors seemed to be holding their own against the Blood Sect’s demonic beasts.
“Good.”
Only then did I feel a bit relieved and shifted my gaze toward the two supreme masters locked in a fierce battle unlike anything around them—a beautiful woman and a burly monk.
Neither was someone I had seen before, but just by looking at the woman’s weapon, I could tell who she was and what was going on.
“That must be So Nan-so, the Mad Witch of Hwaomun from Guiyang Fortress. She came to help the Sunwoo family? On purpose?”
I already had some information about her. No Sam-ryong, the branch chief of Hwaomun in Sichuan, had sent me detailed reports on her movements.
When I first heard from the Hwaomun branch in Sichuan, No Sam-ryong had said she wasn’t very cooperative with the Hwaomun leader.
But judging from the information he sent me, it didn’t feel that way at all.
“It almost seemed like he was trying to give me a good impression of her. So maybe….”
Perhaps her presence here was influenced by No Sam-ryong. After all, he would have had an accurate grasp of the situation between us and the Blood Sect.
Having assessed all this in an instant, I didn’t hesitate and charged at the burly monk.
One Slash, One Moment.
One Slash, Four Moments.
Shuaaaak!
In the state of Wolhwa Hwan Geommu’s Biwol, I launched a lightning-fast thrust at top speed.
I was certain—
“This is the fastest sword strike I’ve ever executed!”
With this, I thought, even a supreme master could be finished with a single blow.
I felt as if I had become a beam of light itself.
Even when the opponent glanced back at the last moment and our eyes met, I was sure of it.
But then…
Thwong!
“!”
I was thrown backward, forced to realize once again—
The realm of a supreme master is truly different.
Despite his imperfect stance and hurried swing, the monk’s counterstrike perfectly caught the tip of my sword.
His counterstrike was enveloped in a thick, crimson aura like a gauntlet. When it collided with my blade, the strong rebound force forced my sword to bounce off.
“Tch!”
We both quickly retreated to opposite sides, blood dripping from my mouth. Between us lay the fallen Mad Witch, So Nan-so.
The burly monk snatched a massive crimson ring swirling through the air and asked me,
Thud!
“To think you’re so young. Who are you?”
I smiled slyly and replied,
“You’re not worthy of knowing my name, Chuk Ho-tak.”
It wasn’t hard to identify him.
A brutal monk wielding a massive blood ring—he had to be Yeomra Blood Monk Chuk Ho-tak.
He was a supreme master on par with Ji Gwang-ok of the Bloodthirsty Demon Army, the one who had once clashed with Seol Pung, the leader of Dokrim.
His face twisted with rage.
“How dare you! A mere child…!”
At that moment, I lunged at him first.
Pak!
It was a cannonball-like charge, powered by the explosive force of Pokjinbo.
He couldn’t afford to underestimate me and flinched, taking a defensive stance.
But I wasn’t aiming for him.
Halfway through my charge, I snatched up the fallen Mad Witch, So Nan-so.
Then I immediately changed direction and dashed toward where my father was.
“Jina!”
My father, who had just teamed up with Elder Heo Jin-guk to kill another demonic beast, called out my name warmly.
I smiled brightly and said,
“Please take care of the Hwaomun leader, Father.”
Then, I whispered to her through the transmission technique.
Surprise flickered in her eyes.
And from that look, I was certain of one thing.
For some reason, she was not consumed by the Blood Sect’s madness.
Even when I first heard from No Sam-ryong, I had my doubts, but seeing her eyes in person, they were clearer than many righteous sect members I’d met.
“Even though she’s mastered the Blood Sect’s martial arts to a supreme level, she’s free from their madness?”
If that was true, there was no reason not to trust her.
Having once received help from Elder Seok Gyeong-dal, I might be one of the few righteous sect members without prejudice against the Blood Sect.
If things went well, I might even gain a valuable ally.
But that was a matter for later. For now, I had to deal with the man before me—Yeomra Blood Monk Chuk Ho-tak, who looked furious at being tricked by me.
“You arrogant brat!”
Bwoooom!
He hurled a massive blood ring with fierce force.
It surged forward with the ferocity of a compressed dragon’s fist wind.
“Damn!”
This was an attack I had to dodge.
It was too powerful for me to block with my own energy.
But the problem was, if I dodged, my father and the Sunwoo family warriors behind me would be hit.
I had no choice.
Gritting my teeth, I hastily activated Wolhwa Hwan Geommu again.
One Slash, One Moment.
Biwol.
Fwoosh!
The world blurred into a hazy palette once more.
Even as I accelerated my senses to slow down time, the blood ring still looked fast.
A true supreme master’s attack.
I gripped my mokrang tightly with both hands.
The moment the blood ring entered my domain, I focused all my energy and swung at its side.
“Uhaaah!”
Thwong!
I felt tremendous force from the mokrang as it absorbed the blood ring.
Ignoring my attack, it pushed forward with a wild momentum that seemed ready to shatter the mokrang and tear me apart.
Gakakakakak!
The blood ring spun fiercely, grinding against the mokrang as it pressed forward.
Gritting my teeth, I knew if I faltered here, it would be the end for all of us.
With a shout, I pushed back with all my might.
“Uaaah!”
Gradually, the blood ring’s trajectory began to shift.
“Just a little more!”
Creak!
“Gyaah!”
I clenched my teeth and summoned every last ounce of strength, finally succeeding in altering the blood ring’s path.
It veered away from me and flew off into the void.
Wheeeeee!
But Chuk Ho-tak’s assault was only beginning.
Right behind the blood ring, he charged at me.
He had closed the distance to point-blank range, his red eyes blazing with murderous intent as he shouted,
“Die!”
His counterstrike, infused with crimson energy, shot at me like a meteor.
Its speed rivaled my One Slash, One Moment, and its destructive power seemed capable of tearing through even iron plates.
I had no confidence in blocking it, so I used the Cheonpung Divine Technique to flow sideways and evade.
Swoosh!
But then his counterstrike changed.
It wavered slightly in midair, then bent sinuously like a snake, pursuing my new form.
What’s more, his single counterstrike split into three.
Fwoosh!
“!”
The three strikes targeted my neck, my sword-wielding right arm, and my abdomen.
Amazingly, all were real attacks.
“Damn!”
Judging I couldn’t block them all, I immediately activated Pokjinbo and stomped the ground.
I had to escape his domain.
Pak!
As I quickly put distance between us, he couldn’t follow my divine technique and sneered,
“You’re quite something for a kid. Your divine technique is impressive.”
But despite his words, his face was brimming with confidence.
He was certain that while my divine technique was good, it posed no real threat to him.
And that was an accurate assessment.
Even in the state of Wolhwa Hwan Geommu’s Biwol, the gap in skill was too great for me to do anything.
“So this is the difference between supreme masters.”
The bitter taste of reality hit me anew.
Seol Pung, even when he was at a similar level as me, had at least been able to hold his own against Ji Gwang-ok of the Bloodthirsty Demon Army.
The monk caught the incoming blood ring with his hand and glanced over the Sunwoo family warriors.
Then he sneered,
“From now on, I will kill every one of them over there. Try to stop me if you can, or run if you can’t.”
I’d heard that the Yeomra Blood Monks were cunning, and this one’s mind was no exception.
From just a single clash, it was clear that I had immediately sensed how the warriors of the Sunwoo family behind me had unleashed their blood rings to protect their people.
That was why they had taken those others hostage, forcing me not to run away.
“Damn it!”
I glanced back discreetly. The Sunwoo warriors had already dealt with the other Blood Sect fighters and were now watching us with tense eyes.
For them to have defeated four Blood Sect warriors using only their own strength was undeniably impressive.
It was an unexpectedly remarkable feat.
But I also knew well that this was only possible because those Blood Sect warriors were still at the early stages of their peak.
If the Sunwoo warriors were to face off against the dreaded Blood Demon Chuk Hotak, the outcome was painfully obvious.
Just by throwing those blood rings, everyone would be wiped out in an instant.
So the situation was clear now.
No matter what, I had to personally take down Chuk Hotak.
I let out a hollow laugh and muttered to myself.
“As expected, thinking I could solve this without pushing myself was arrogant. Then again, even the leader pushed beyond his limits despite the time constraints. Considering that, maybe I shouldn’t feel so wronged.”
Chuk Hotak frowned and asked sharply,
”…What nonsense are you muttering? Have you lost your mind already?”
I chuckled softly in response.
“Not yet. But I’m about to.”
I took a deep breath.
And then I unleashed it.
The secret form of the Moonlight Phantom Sword Dance that my master hadn’t yet permitted me to use.
‘He said it was too much for me to handle now, but it’s better than dying, right? Here goes!’
Moonlight Phantom Sword Dance — Phantom Moon.
Whoooosh!
A dizzying yet ecstatic sensation began to flood my entire body.
It was a godlike awareness, as if I could perceive everything in the world.
Every grain of soil beneath my feet came into sharp focus.
Every vein on the blades of grass, every tiny droplet hanging on a spider’s web—all were vividly clear within my senses.
Not only that.
The breeze brushing against my skin, the gentle sway of the fine hairs on my arms—each movement was distinctly felt.
It was as if the entire world had entered my consciousness.
Overwhelmed by this ecstatic elevation, I couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
“Wahahahahaha!”
Chuk Hotak muttered some unintelligible words to himself, then frowned at the sight of the young man suddenly breaking into wild laughter.
“Is he crazy?”
His eyes glazed over slightly, as if drunk, making that possibility seem all too real.
Or maybe he was just pretending to be mad.
Either way, this was the first time he’d seen a young man who looked as formidable as Gu Yusang, the next Blood Demon he intended to serve.
Though not yet his equal, he couldn’t afford to underestimate him.
Chuk Hotak decided to ignore whatever the young man was doing.
‘Crazy or sane, it won’t matter once he’s dead.’
With that resolve, Chuk Hotak steeled his fighting spirit.
He swung his arm back, gripping the blood ring tightly, and then whipped it forward with fierce force.
“Uaaah!”
Whoooosh!
The spinning blood ring shot toward Sunwoo Jin with terrifying momentum.
Regardless of whether it hit, Chuk Hotak charged forward as well.
His signature move: a relentless chain attack using the blood ring.
The young man’s response was no different from before.
He swung his sword with all his might, trying to redirect the blood ring’s trajectory.
Clearly, he was still concerned about the safety of the Sunwoo warriors behind him.
Thwack!
The blood ring grazed off course and flew into the air.
Though thrown with even greater force than before, it somehow seemed to travel more simply, more easily.
But it didn’t matter.
After all, he wasn’t the real opponent.
“Die!”
Chuk Hotak’s ‘Eagle Claw’ attack dove down like a predator aiming for its prey.
More fierce and sharper than before.
Chuuhaaak!
But just as the Eagle Claw was about to tear Sunwoo Jin’s throat apart—
Sunwoo Jin’s shadow suddenly scattered like petals torn apart by the wind.
Chuk Hotak couldn’t understand it, but it was the secret technique of the Heavenly Wind Divine Art: Heavenly Wind Flower Petal.
Fssssss!
“What is this?!”
Sunwoo Jin’s scattered shadows floated lightly around Chuk Hotak, drifting like leaves in the breeze.
It was an astonishing new technique none of us had seen before.
The Sunwoo warriors watching the duel gasped in amazement.
“Whoa!”
“Such a secret art!”
But Chuk Hotak, the supreme warrior, was not fazed in the slightest.
“Hmph!”
He scoffed, catching the returning spinning blood ring and hurling it again toward Sunwoo Jin’s afterimages.
Adding fresh force to its momentum, the attack was even more powerful than before.
Whoooosh!
The blood ring spun fiercely, sweeping through the afterimages around Chuk Hotak.
The shadows scattered in all directions instantly vanished like eyes touched by water the moment they were struck.
Swish!
Chuk Hotak’s sharp eyes caught one afterimage moving smoothly, dodging the blood ring.
His gaze flashed.
“So that’s where you are!”
Chuk Hotak’s shadow shot fiercely toward Sunwoo Jin.
This time, dozens of Eagle Claws split like the Thousand-Handed Guanyin, attacking from all sides.
Shaaah!
“Die!”
Meanwhile, Sunwoo Jin’s feet, lifted off the ground to avoid the blood ring, hadn’t yet touched down.
No matter how skilled his secret art was, there was no way he could dodge this time.
The Sunwoo warriors watching cried out in despair.
“Master!”
“Jin-ah!”
Chuk Hotak smiled bitterly.
Just as he expected, Sunwoo Jin couldn’t avoid the attack.
He could only swing his sword to meet the meteor shower of Eagle Claws descending upon him.
Shuhaaak!
“Kuhahaha!”
Chuk Hotak thought it was over.
For someone of his level to take his attack head-on was unthinkable—it had to be the finishing blow.
Kwak kwak kwak kwak kwak kwak!
The Eagle Claws rained down like a meteor shower, bombarding Sunwoo Jin from all sides.
Amid the storm of attacks, Sunwoo Jin staggered as if about to be swept away, barely managing to fend off the Eagle Claws with his sword.
Pabababababak!
A brief moment passed.
Chuk Hotak’s expression began to darken.
“Hmm?”
Something was wrong.
This kid, who clearly had only about eighty years of internal energy, was somehow holding off his Eagle Claws.
Despite being pushed back badly, staggering as if about to fall, he was defending without allowing a single effective hit.
It was like watching a fragile boat stubbornly weathering a storm, refusing to sink.
Grinding his teeth, Chuk Hotak poured all his remaining strength into the attack.
“You insolent brat!”
Pahh!
In a furious strike, Chuk Hotak’s blow sent Sunwoo Jin flying backward, his body bouncing off like a ragdoll.
Helpless, like a scarecrow knocked aside.
But Chuk Hotak’s expression wasn’t bright.
Sunwoo Jin had endured every attack without allowing a single clean hit.
Chuk Hotak muttered,
“More capable than I thought.”
Still, nothing had changed.
Because at that moment, as Sunwoo Jin was sent flying backward, the blood ring came spinning toward his side.
Wheeeeee!
The Sunwoo warriors gasped in horror.
“Jin-ah!”
“Third Master!”
Sunwoo Jin managed to raise his sword to block the blood ring’s fierce strike.
But the Blood Sect’s seasonal blood ring magic was no joke—it wasn’t something that could be stopped so easily.
Thud!
Sunwoo Jin’s shadow was blasted away like a cannonball, crashing into the ground with tremendous force.
He bounced several times, then rolled helplessly.
Kudang tang tang tang!
“Ahhh!”
“Third Master!”
He looked utterly defeated, completely powerless.
Yet Chuk Hotak’s expression remained grim.
He knew that Sunwoo Jin had just barely grazed the blood ring.
It was because Chuk Hotak had struck too hard in his last furious blow.
That had allowed Sunwoo Jin to slightly dodge the blood ring’s path.
Chuk Hotak frowned and muttered,
“Luck is on his side, that one.”
His mood was growing worse.
Though he was clearly pressing the attack overwhelmingly, he felt increasingly frustrated.
Gnashing his teeth, Chuk Hotak caught the blood ring again and swung his arm back with all his might.
This time, he intended to finish it.
“This time, I’ll pulverize you completely.”
Then—
Suddenly, Sunwoo Jin, sprawled on the ground, began to chuckle.
“Heh heh heh heh heh, huh, wahahaha!”
His laughter grew louder and more unhinged.
Chuk Hotak paused, staring at him with a baffled expression.
Though he was also a Blood Sect warrior, he couldn’t fathom what this guy was thinking.
Laughing like that in such a state—it was madness.
Then Sunwoo Jin finally stopped laughing and slowly rose to his feet.
With a mocking sneer, he said,
“You’re weak. Aren’t you?”
For a moment, Chuk Hotak was completely stunned—but the next instant, he erupted into a furious rage.
Throwing all his strength into the blood wheel, he shouted, “You crazy bastard!”