Chapter 171

Sword Saint fixed his gaze on Blood Demon and asked in a grave tone,
“Did Jigang send you?”

Blood Demon smiled faintly and replied,
“I’m not quite sure what you mean. And besides…”

A crimson aura began to flare from Blood Demon’s entire body, flickering like flames. At the same time, he grinned fiercely and asked,
“Does that really matter?”

Sword Saint nodded slowly. Perhaps there was truth in those words. It was almost certain that Jegal Jigang was in contact with the Blood Sect, and in a moment like this, when no one knew who would survive, what difference did it make if Blood Demon had been sent by him? That was a question for after survival.

And… that might be a very difficult thing to achieve.

Though he didn’t show it outwardly, Sword Saint was in no good shape. He had expended too much internal energy all at once in the previous fight. Above all, using the Igeo Sword had taken a heavy toll.

He had wielded the Igeo Sword from the start to overwhelm the enemy, to prevent them from thinking clearly, and to quickly reduce their numbers before they could unite. But even for him, the Igeo Sword was no easy technique. Just the brief moment of exerting enough force to pierce through the Hostile Energy had drained half of his internal power.

And now Blood Demon appears. Plus, with Cheokgang, Dudang, and Guujeol all still standing…

If they combined their attacks, there was no way he would leave this place alive today. Even the warriors of the White Tiger Corps had struggled to handle just one Dudang, as he had seen earlier.

If only I could provoke Blood Demon into a one-on-one duel…

As Sword Saint pondered this, Dudang, the Black Blood Ring Demon, who had just bandaged his arm, sneered and shouted,
“Supreme One! We will assist you! Today, let us hunt down Sword Saint!”

At his words, Guujeol, the White-Faced Death Horse, and Cheokgang, the Iron God Demon, lowered their stances and prepared for battle. Having been defeated by Sword Saint before, it was only natural for them to unite in capturing him.

Sword Saint’s expression darkened as he watched them. It felt like the worst possible situation had arrived before he could even make a move.

Then, Blood Demon scolded Dudang sternly,
“You call me Supreme One, yet you try to drag my honor through the mud! Do you think I cannot defeat him? Are you trying to steal from me the chance to test my martial skill against Sword Saint?”

Dudang was taken aback.
“Y-Yes?! N-no, Supreme One. I only meant to…”

Unconsciously thinking of Blood Demon as beneath Sword Saint, Dudang scrambled to explain his mistake. But Blood Demon didn’t even listen and declared firmly,
“The fight between him and me is a noble contest of martial skill! Even if I die, no one is to interfere! Do you understand?”

Dudang and Guujeol hesitated, unable to respond. Then Cheokgang was the first to kneel heavily and say,
“Understood, Supreme One! We will obey your will!”

He seemed completely awed by his master’s true warrior spirit. Dudang and Guujeol, exchanging uneasy glances, only bowed their heads reluctantly after Blood Demon shot them a fierce glare.

“We will follow your orders, Supreme One.”

“…”

Having secured their promise not to interfere, Blood Demon turned back to Sword Saint and said,
“You’ve already used up a great deal of your strength. Even if you mock me now for pretending to be a warrior, I want to fight you properly from this moment on. Please ask your companions to hold back.”

Sword Saint looked at him with a strange expression, then turned to the White Tiger Corps warriors and said,
“We of the righteous sect cannot do what even the Blood Sect disciples would not. Do you understand?”

The White Tiger warriors gritted their teeth and bowed in response.
“Yes! Understood, sir!”

Sword Saint regarded Blood Demon with a curious gaze. In truth, telling the White Tiger warriors not to interfere was meaningless—they wouldn’t have been able to do anything anyway. So Blood Demon’s words were likely a gesture of respect.

Blood Demon’s appearance was surprisingly pure, more like a noble hero of the righteous sect than a Blood Sect demon lord. Of course, one could not judge a man by looks alone. But even from his behavior, he felt far more like a true man of honor than the likes of Woo Cha-man or Gyo Jae-gok, whom Sword Saint had killed earlier.

Sword Saint looked at him and suddenly asked,
“Was it necessary to capture me at all costs? Or… are you simply confident you can never lose to me?”

Blood Demon smiled faintly and replied,
“Though I am a demon possessed by the madness of Blood Sect martial arts, I am not so arrogant as to be certain of defeating you. But…”

He paused, then continued with a somewhat troubled look,
“Believe it or not, I respect you quite a bit. There was a time I wished to come from a powerful noble family like yours. But now that I’m here, I realize that even if one is born into such circumstances, not everyone lives as you do. Most people in this world cannot. Myself included. That’s why, among the many hypocrites of the righteous sect, I wanted to treat you as a warrior should be treated—man to man.”

Sword Saint couldn’t help but feel a strange emotion. Here he was, betrayed by his close friend and military commander Jegal Jigang, who had conspired with the Blood Sect to kill him. Yet the very demon lord of that sect was acknowledging his life.

Of course, Blood Demon had already weakened him by using his subordinates, so this might be a deception. But looking into Blood Demon’s sincere eyes, Sword Saint felt this was genuine.

He decided to respond in kind. Raising his sword, he bowed respectfully and said,
“I am Hae Un-baek, head of the Hanamhae family. Among the martial artists of the East, I am known by the lofty title ‘Heavenly Sword Saint.’ From now on, I will face you with my family’s secret technique—the Seongra Sword Style.”

Blood Demon’s face showed a flicker of surprise before he returned the bow with burning eyes and said,
“I am Jeon Mu-gwang, former head of the Yunnan Jeon family and current leader of the Blood Sect. Unlike you, my nature is cruel and my methods ruthless, earning me the nickname ‘Blood Demon of the Four Seas’ among the Eastern martial artists. I will face you with the Nine Heavens Blood Dragon Technique.”

Nine Heavens Blood Dragon Technique.

Hearing the name, Sword Saint tensed but also ignited his fighting spirit. It was the pinnacle of Blood Sect martial arts, second only to the Heavenly Demon Divine Skill among demonic techniques. Blood Demon was telling him he would use his absolute best technique.

Sword Saint smiled with satisfaction and slowly pointed his sword.
“Honestly… I didn’t expect to enjoy fighting you.”

Blood Demon smiled back.
“The honor is mine.”

In the next instant, their forms vanished from sight.

Simultaneously, explosions erupted all around.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The forest was instantly reduced to ashes.

Dongbang Muguk, leader of the White Tiger Corps, realized the explosions were caused by the two clashing at speeds too fast to follow with the eye. He shouted desperately to his men,
“Fall back! At least ten jang away!”

Among the Blood Sect demon lords who had already retreated, Black Blood Ring Demon Dudang narrowed his eyes and said,
“I can barely see anything. Hey, Cheokga, can you see?”

He asked Cheokgang, but Cheokgang was so focused on the battle he didn’t even hear. Guujeol, no longer expressionless, was also fully concentrated.

Suddenly, the two combatants stopped moving—only after the entire forest had been utterly destroyed.

They stood facing each other calmly, as if nothing had happened.

Blood Demon smiled joyfully and said to Sword Saint,
“Well, I think we’re both warmed up now.”

Sword Saint smiled faintly in return.

What they had just engaged in was a probing skirmish. But for Sword Saint, who had already spent so much energy, even that was a heavy drain.

Blood Demon, aware of this, was suggesting they fight properly once Sword Saint was ready to give his all.

Sword Saint had no reason to refuse.

He spoke with a hint of regret,
“I’ve heard the secret history between Jeon family and you. Perhaps sending you to the Blood Sect was the greatest mistake the righteous sect has ever made.”

Blood Demon smiled faintly.
“That’s fate, isn’t it?”

It was an acceptance of the inevitable, without regret.

Sword Saint nodded once, focused his energy into his sword, and shouted,
“Here I come!”

In the next moment, his form transformed into a beam of light shooting toward the sky.

Shu-hak!

It was like a single streak of pure light.

At that moment, Blood Demon no longer saw Sword Saint’s figure. All he could see was a sword soaring heavenward.

Sword Saint’s body had become one with his sword.

“Ha!”

Blood Demon let out a breath of admiration as Sword Saint’s sword suddenly exploded and split apart.

The Eighteenth Move of the Seongra Sword Style: Milky Way Ascension.

Hwaaaak!

It was like the Milky Way filling the night sky.

The Sword Saint’s sword aura blazed forth like a cluster of stars bursting into radiant light, filling Hyeolma’s vision with a brilliant glow.

Even the three leaders of the Blood Sect were left speechless by the awe-inspiring and beautiful ultimate move of the Sacred Sword Technique.

“Wow…”

“Incredible.”

“…”

Then, Hyeolma unleashed the finishing move he had been preparing.

It was the final technique of the Nine Heavens Blood Dragon Martial Art, no less formidable than the Sword Saint’s ultimate strike.

The ultimate form of the Nine Heavens Blood Dragon Art.

Nine Heavens Blood Dragon World.

In the next instant, nine blazing red dragon heads erupted from Hyeolma’s fiery crimson aura.

Kyaaaaaa!

Like colossal dragons bursting forth from the depths of hell, their red light was overwhelming.

The warriors of the White Tiger Division could only stare in shock at the sheer magnitude of the sight.

“Ugh!”

“Impossible!”

“Master!”

Then, the Blood Dragon and the Sword Saint’s Milky Way finally collided high above the ground.

Boom!

The moment of impact was eerily silent.

All those watching saw was a blinding light that illuminated the world as if the heavens and earth were being torn apart.

Whoooosh!

And immediately after, an explosion erupted.

Kraaaash!

“Ahhh!”

“We’re being swept away! Everyone, hit the ground!”

“Ahhhhh!”

Even the White Tiger warriors, who had been more than ten steps away, were caught in the massive blast and thrown about like fallen leaves.

It was an explosion so immense that no one could believe it was caused by a mere clash between two humans.

All the White Tiger warriors were swept away, leaving only the three leaders of the Blood Sect, who had barely held their ground, to gaze at the aftermath of the blast.

Cough! Cough! “Master!”

“Damn it! What just happened?! Look over there!”

“…!”

There, standing tall and facing each other, were the Sword Saint and Hyeolma.

At least on the surface, both appeared calm and composed, hardly seeming like men who had just risked their lives in battle.

After a brief moment, it was Hyeolma who first turned away, like a statue coming back to life.

As Hyeolma turned his back, the Sword Saint suddenly asked him,

“Are you really going to leave it at that? I thought you said you respected me earlier.”

Without turning his head, Hyeolma paused for a moment and sighed.

“I do respect you. No, I admire you. But I have my position as leader of the Blood Sect to uphold.”

After a brief hesitation, he added his final words.

“I sometimes wonder what might have been if I had met a warrior like you when I needed help. I will never forget you.”

With that, Hyeolma slowly began to walk away.

The three leaders exchanged puzzled glances but immediately followed behind him.

They couldn’t bring themselves to ask about the outcome as they silently trailed after Hyeolma’s retreating figure.

But once they were out of sight of the Sword Saint, two of them could no longer contain their curiosity.

“Um…”

Hyeolma spoke softly.

“To establish the Blood Sect’s dominion, the Blood Demon must first be perfected. If the Sword Saint struggled so much, imagine how much harder it will be for the Sword Demon.”

A thin trickle of blood dripped from Hyeolma’s lips as he spoke.

Meanwhile, Dongbang Mugeuk, the White Tiger Division’s Grand Master, who had been swept away by the explosion, rushed to the Sword Saint’s side as soon as he regained consciousness.

“Master Sword Saint!”

But as he neared, he saw the Sword Saint standing upright, sword planted firmly in the ground, suddenly stagger and cough up blood.

“Gah!”

A gush of dark crimson blood poured from the Sword Saint’s mouth.

Though he didn’t fall, his entire body trembled as if on the verge of collapse.

Startled, Dongbang Mugeuk rushed forward to support him.

“Master! Are you alright?!”

The Sword Saint struggled to speak.

“Hurry, gather the troops. The appointed time has passed.”

Hearing this, Dongbang Mugeuk shouted in alarm.

“Appointed time? You mean the duel with the Strange Sword, Seo Il? No, Master! You can’t fight in this condition!”

But the Sword Saint shook his head weakly.

“Don’t you understand? Jegal Jigang’s forces already surround us. If I try to leave, they will attack immediately.”

The Sword Saint could feel the murderous intent thickening around them after Hyeolma’s departure.

They were already completely encircled.

The reason they hadn’t attacked yet was obvious.

“They want me to die naturally, defeated by the Strange Sword. It’s all part of Jegal Jigang’s plan.”

Dongbang Mugeuk cried out in anguish.

“Why must you go along with their plan, Master?!”

The Sword Saint smiled faintly, his face pale.

The reason he had to comply was simple: if he died at the hands of the Strange Sword, the White Tiger warriors might survive. But if he tried to escape and was attacked, everyone would perish.

He didn’t say this aloud.

“I cannot allow the disgrace of ‘fleeing’ to stain my life. I will die as the Heavenly Sword Saint until my last breath.”

That was all he said.

And it wasn’t entirely a lie.

With his current condition, fleeing was impossible. And if he tried, Jegal Jigang would spread rumors throughout the martial world to tarnish his reputation.

The Sword Saint took out a vial of elixir from his robe and gazed at it quietly.

It was the ‘Life-and-Death Pill’—a single pill of the Life-and-Death Herb—given to him by his daughter, Hae Cheong-yeon.

“Claimed to be better than the Summoning Pill, didn’t she?”

Of course, he knew it wouldn’t help.

No matter what elixir he took now—even the legendary Great Pill—he wouldn’t recover enough to fight Seo Il.

Still, he swallowed it.

He needed to regain just enough strength to walk alone in his final moments.

Feeling the medicine course through his body, the Sword Saint forced himself upright.

“Let’s go.”

In the end, Dongbang Mugeuk couldn’t break the Sword Saint’s resolve.

With a heavy heart, he followed the Sword Saint back to the Biryong Division’s headquarters.

By the time they arrived, many members of the Martial Alliance were already waiting.

Dongbang Mugeuk immediately spotted the one seated at the center.

Seo Il, the one-eyed swordsman known as the Poison-Eyed Strange Sword.

Seo Il looked up at the pale Sword Saint approaching him and spoke slowly.

“You’re late. I thought you wouldn’t come.”

The Sword Saint smiled faintly.

“Sorry. I almost lost track of time.”

They stared at each other silently for a moment.

Then Seo Il drew his sword and said,

“Shall we begin?”

The Sword Saint, forcing a casual demeanor, extended his own sword.

“Come.”

In the next instant, Seo Il’s blade flashed like a beam of light, striking with deadly speed.

Pew!

“Ugh!”

It took only a single strike for Seo Il’s sword to pierce the Sword Saint’s heart.

In his current state, the Sword Saint couldn’t even block the attack; standing on his own two legs was the best he could manage.

Seo Il slowly withdrew his sword from the Sword Saint’s chest.

He looked at the Sword Saint, who remained standing despite the fatal wound, supporting himself with his sword.

Then, turning his back with a troubled expression, he muttered,

“I should have killed that damn fool with my own hands.”

Thus fell the Sword Saint—the greatest hero among all martial artists, the brightest star of this era—meeting his end.