Chapter 330

I held Jin Sojeo tightly and leapt off the mountainside.

Racing straight down the sheer cliff face from the towering peak, the wind whipping past me felt as sharp as a blade.

The time it took to reach the bottom was barely a blink.

Then, like a soaring bird, I flew over the forest canopy.

Every ounce of my focus and strength poured into this desperate display of lightness skill.

When was the last time I’d pushed myself this hard?

When I fled from Amhyeolhyang?

Or when I flew to the Seonwoo clan to save my father?

Jin Sojeo’s body pressed against mine was soaked with blood, damp and heavy.

Her warmth had already grown cold.

She’d lost too much blood.

I glanced down at her and saw the gaping hole torn through her abdomen.

It was horrifying.

Cheongyeon Sojeo—or rather, that thing—had ripped her open from the inside.

She was in a state where it wouldn’t have been surprising if she were already dead.

Maybe it was already too late.

But despite that thought, I gritted my teeth and shouted fiercely.

“Don’t be ridiculous! Who do you think’s going to save you?”

I called out to her again.

“Jin Sojeo! Don’t lose consciousness! I told you clearly—without my permission, you can’t go anywhere!”

She was definitely dying.

But at least, not yet.

And though that thing might not have realized it, the greatest healer, Elder Mukrang, was right beside me.

So it wasn’t time to give up hope.

Suddenly, the faces of Tang Sojeo and Yeo Eun flashed through my mind.

Her happy smile as she rested in my arms, her gentle kiss, her tearful farewell…

And then, as if inevitable, that thing’s words echoed in my head.

“Handsome boy, from now on, I intend to kill that Tang Yeo Eun for our Cheongyeon. What will you do? Stop me? Or save that girl?”

The monster that had possessed Cheongyeon Sojeo’s body.

Those words kept circling in my mind.

My heart felt like it would burst.

I had to save her—quickly.

If I didn’t…

“Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it, daaaamn it!”

Anxiety and impatience set my whole body ablaze.

Even I, who prided myself on having reached the Thirty-Six Realms of the World, was powerless before that thing.

How much more so Yeo Eun…

If things continued like this, I would lose her.

I had to save her before that thing reached her.

But right now, all I could see was Jin Sojeo’s pale, fading form.

The damp blood on her skin, her chilling coldness.

I couldn’t just leave her to die.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

“What do I do?! What the hell do I do?!”

My head and heart felt like they were about to explode.

I wanted to just collapse right there.

Then, Elder Mukrang’s calm voice cut through the chaos.

— Calm yourself, Jin. Are you really going to kill Jin Sojeo with your own hands? Your internal energy is too fierce. At this rate, your power will be what kills her.

“!”

In that moment, I snapped back to reality.

In my panic, the energy I was channeling to keep her alive had become unstable.

“…Thank you, Elder.”

I took a deep breath and tried to regulate the internal energy flowing into her as gently as possible.

“Huuuu…”

Her cold body, her pale face, the image of Yeo Eun that filled my mind, and that thing’s words—I couldn’t calm my heart.

But I had to.

Because that was the only way to save Jin Sojeo.

I bit my lip hard.

A sharp pain and the taste of blood followed.

Only then did I feel a slight calm.

To distract myself, I spoke to Elder Mukrang.

“Is that voice… really the Reverse Heaven Blood Demon?”

— It is. I would never forget it.

The Reverse Heaven Blood Demon, Gwayeom.

I’d heard about her from Elder Mukrang when we visited Muhwangchong.

She was the strongest and most ill-fated blood demon in the history of the Blood Sect, who had slept for five hundred years waiting for the right time to establish the Blood Sect’s dominion, only to awaken during the era of the Thunder God and Sword God.

In the end, she failed to create the Blood Sect’s empire and truly died.

— After her death, remnants of the Blood Sect tried to revive her using the Reverse Heaven Ghost Soul Technique, a forbidden art. But they failed. The body possessed by her soul couldn’t withstand her power and collapsed before us. So we stopped paying attention.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

“So… this means they succeeded this time.”

— …Yes, it seems so.

“Damn it!”

I wanted to curse endlessly.

The strongest blood demon in Blood Sect history…

And why now? Why did it have to be now?

And why in Cheongyeon Sojeo’s body?

Elder Mukrang spoke again.

— Perhaps it was only possible because of Cheongyeon Sojeo.

“…What?”

— Gwayeom, the Reverse Heaven Blood Demon, had heterochromia—one eye blue, the other red. According to legend, her beauty and talent were said to be gifts from heaven. So maybe…

“You mean Cheongyeon Sojeo’s body was perfectly suited for her?”

— That’s what I suspect.

I was too stunned to say anything.

The daughter of the world’s greatest swordsman, Cheongyeon Sojeo, was the perfect vessel for the return of the Reverse Heaven Blood Demon? What kind of cruel twist of fate was this?

A thought struck me.

“If only… if only I had somehow managed to storm into Yunnan Province back then and saved her…”

If that had happened, none of this would be happening.

No return of the Reverse Heaven Blood Demon, no Jin Sojeo in this state, no danger to Yeo Eun…

Then Elder Mukrang scolded me sternly.

— Pull yourself together, Jin! What kind of foolish thoughts are those, so unlike you? If you think that way, then the swordsman shouldn’t have fathered Cheongyeon Sojeo in the first place! How can you judge the process by the outcome? Back then, you did your best! In fact, it was reckless enough! Don’t fall into despair! Now is not the time to dwell on the irreversible past, but to face the present!

I took a deep breath.

“Huuuu…”

Elder Mukrang was absolutely right.

Judging the process by the result was the height of foolishness.

I had indeed fallen into despair.

I calmed myself and apologized to the elder.

“I’m sorry, Elder. I showed you my weakness.”

— It’s alright. Just remember, the more urgent the situation, the more you must guard against despair.

“Yes, Elder.”

I tried to think as clearly as possible.

The strongest blood demon in history, the Reverse Heaven Blood Demon, now possessing Cheongyeon Sojeo.

What was the best I could do?

What was the wisest course of action?

At that moment, beyond the forest, I saw the buildings of the Hyeongsan Sect.

We had finally arrived.

I gritted my teeth and charged toward my quarters halfway up the mountain.

I had to find the medicinal herbs, tools, and people to help treat Jin Sojeo.

Fortunately, my companions were gathered near the quarters.

I ran into their midst, holding the bloodied Jin Sojeo, shouting,

“Jin Sojeo is in critical condition! Brother Poong! Sojeo Yeon! Quickly, get the medicinal herbs from my pack…! Elder Son! Please lend me the Jeonseoeung!”

At first, my sudden intrusion startled them, but when they saw Jin Sojeo drenched in blood, they gasped in horror and immediately scrambled to follow my orders.

---

Jin Soeun was dreaming.

She dreamed of her mother, who had passed away when she was a child.

Jin Soeun had lost her mother before she was even ten years old, and for years afterward, she would fall asleep crying every night.

The hard days spent climbing mountains with her grandfather were even worse.

But no matter how many nights she cried herself to sleep, her mother never appeared in her dreams.

It was as if they had parted forever—not just in reality, but even in dreams.

She had never once been able to see her mother.

But now, her mother was smiling at her.

Jin Soeun could hardly believe it, her eyes trembling as she slowly approached.

“M-Mother? Is it really you?”

Her mother smiled brightly and said,

“Yes, it’s me. My sweet, kind, and beautiful daughter. You’ve been through so much, haven’t you?”

“My sweet, kind, and beautiful daughter.”

Her mother had always called her that.

Even when bedridden and sick, she would smile like that.

Jin Soeun couldn’t hold back any longer.

She burst into tears and ran to her mother.

“Mother! Mother! Waaah! Mother!”

Her mother embraced her tightly.

Tears streamed down her face as well.

“Yes, yes, Soeun. It’s me, your mother. My good girl.”

Jin Soeun sobbed uncontrollably.

“Why… why never… I missed you so much… Mother, aaaaah!”

“Yes, yes. I’m sorry, my daughter. You’ve been through so much. I’m truly sorry, my dear. Truly sorry.”

Jin Soeun cried endlessly.

As if she were the nine-year-old child who had lost her mother all over again.

As if she were finally releasing the tears she had held back to avoid worrying the adults.

All her longing poured out in tears without end.

Her mother held her close, gently stroking her back, whispering softly…

“It’s alright, my daughter. I saw everything. I saw how kind and admirable you are. I saw it all. This mother is so proud of you.”

How long had she been crying?

After a long while, Jin So-eun finally lifted her head and looked at her mother.

“Please, don’t go again, Mother. Let’s stay together, always.”

Her mother smiled gently, though there was a hint of hesitation, and shook her head.

“That can’t be, So-eun. It’s not yet time for you to come see me.”

At those words, So-eun’s face crumpled into a childlike pout.

“Why?! Why not?!”

Then, a soft voice echoed through the space—familiar, yet distant.

“Jin So-jeo, pull yourself together. You can do this. Follow my words: Hyeopbaek, Eumgeuk, Sochung, Sinju…”

So-eun glanced around, drawn by the voice she couldn’t quite place but somehow found comforting.

Her mother smiled warmly and said,

“Look. The one you love has come to take you home. It’s time to return now.”

So-eun repeated the words in a daze.

“The one I… love?”

In that moment, she remembered.

Whose voice it was.

How deeply she loved him.

Unconsciously, she whispered his name.

“Seonwoo Gongja.”

When she looked back at her mother, she was already fading into the distance.

Startled, So-eun called out urgently.

“Mother!”

Her mother waved gently and said,

“Please, be happy, my daughter. Show me the happiest version of yourself in this world. We’ll meet again—much later.”

“Mother!”

And then—

As if plunging underwater, So-eun’s consciousness snapped back to reality.

Suddenly, Seonwoo Jin’s voice came through clearly, and a terrible pain radiated from her abdomen.

She couldn’t help but let out a painful groan.

“Ahhh!”

At that moment, everyone around, who had been anxiously watching, burst into cheers.

“Jin So-jeo!”

“So-eun!”

“You’re awake?!”

Weakly, she looked around.

She was seated, wrapped tightly in bandages, receiving energy from Seonwoo Jin.

Only then did she become aware of the overwhelming power flowing through her back.

Feeling her consciousness return, Seonwoo Jin let out a short sigh of relief and quickly called for silence.

“Everyone, quiet!”

Then, he sent a message to So-eun.

“Jin So-jeo, this is the crucial part. Follow my instructions and circulate your energy.”

The secret technique Seonwoo Jin had been whispering to the unconscious So-eun was the Mukrang Heart Method.

Originally modeled after the Cheonma Divine Skill—the supreme art of the Cheonma Cult—the Mukrang Heart Method excelled even beyond the so-called Immortal Divine Skill in protecting and regenerating the body.

That was why Seonwoo Jin had been the only one continuously channeling energy into her, without switching with anyone else.

He was now trying to pass this method on to So-eun.

Because without it, there was no way she could recover.

Earlier, Seonwoo Jin had asked Mukrang for permission to teach So-eun the technique.

Mukrang had replied casually,

“Why ask such an obvious question? She’s going to be your wife anyway.”

“W-what?! No, that’s not certain yet…”

“Nonsense. Don’t be ridiculous.”

And so it was settled.

Seonwoo Jin exhaled deeply as he transmitted the secret hand signs to So-eun.

But his heart remained heavy.

He couldn’t shake his worry for Dang Ye-eun.

He had given up chasing after her earlier.

Mukrang had insisted there was no way to reach her before the Reverse Sky Blood Demon.

“That fiend took off so effortlessly, unfolding the Void Technique. He’s at least on par with the Four Kings, maybe even stronger. No matter how skilled your lightness skill is, you can’t catch someone flying through the sky faster than you.”

Faced with that, Seonwoo Jin had no choice.

Rather than chasing after Dang Ye-eun—who would surely die if he left—he chose to stay and save So-eun.

It was the coldest, most rational decision he could make.

Instead, he sent dozens of flying messengers through Yu Unchwi’s Son Daesu and the Jeonseo brothers of the Hyungsan Sect.

They were dispatched to acquaintances along the Hao Gate and the front lines—anyone who could relay news.

He also asked Jeung Chil, whose mastery of the Divine Law was nearly on par with his own, to rush to the front.

Now, all that was left was to pray.

Pray that the messengers would reach So-eun before the Reverse Sky Blood Demon did.

That she would have a chance to escape danger.

It was the most rational, coldly calculated choice Seonwoo Jin could make.

Mukrang agreed, and Seonwoo Jin himself accepted it with a clear mind.

But—

The pain in his heart, as if torn into a thousand pieces, was unbearable.

He asked Mukrang,

“Ye-eun… do you think she can escape the Reverse Sky Blood Demon?”

Mukrang sighed deeply.

“To be honest, I don’t know. If he doesn’t head straight to the front lines without rest, there’s a chance…”

Which meant, if the Reverse Sky Blood Demon did fly straight to the front without pause, she was doomed.

Seonwoo Jin prayed desperately amid the agony tearing at his heart.

Please, Dang Ye-eun, be safe.

Please, escape the clutches of the Reverse Sky Blood Demon…

“Ye-eun, please…”