Episode 85
“Hm?”
Startled by the sudden shout, Master Saweon paused and turned toward the source.
From the direction of the main hall, a young man was flying in, shouting urgently.
“Master Magun! The righteous sect has invaded! They’re attacking the main hall!”
At those words, Saweon’s gaze shifted to the main hall, where he saw flames rising in the distance.
If the fire was visible from here, it must be a massive blaze.
‘Could it be Yangdong?’
As a complex expression crossed Saweon’s face, the young man continued shouting.
“Gwaeseon! It’s Gwaeseon! Gwaeseon has arrived!”
At that, Saweon’s rare look of surprise deepened.
“What?!”
His eyes widened just enough to reveal the whites.
The Absolute Being, Cheongseong Gwaeseon—someone who rarely moved from Cheongseongsan?
But glancing at Hwa Youngbin, Saweon quickly understood.
Of course, if the disciple came, the master would follow.
Just then, the young man suddenly accelerated toward Saweon.
Paang!
A tremendous divine technique.
Even Saweon was slightly taken aback by the speed.
The young man, already close, was launching a surprise attack, deploying sword illusions.
“Hah!”
But Saweon scoffed.
“Hmph!”
He had suspected the youth from the start—no one who didn’t know him would call him ‘Master Magun.’
Still, the fire at the main hall and the mention of Gwaeseon had made him allow the approach for a moment.
‘Clever kid. A good surprise attack, but far too weak to threaten me.’
Just as he was about to strike back, a flicker of surprise flashed in Saweon’s eyes.
The youth’s sword suddenly split into dozens, even hundreds, surrounding him.
Even after countless encounters with phantom swords over the years, Saweon had never seen this technique before.
“Ho!”
He was somewhat impressed.
But phantom swords were still phantom swords.
With a single spin like a top and a swipe of his hand, he swept them all away.
Fwaaak!
He immediately prepared to strike the youth.
But Saweon noticed the youth had already fled swiftly into the distance.
“Hm?”
A truly impressive divine technique, no doubt.
But if he was going to run away like that, why bother with the surprise attack? Just a probing strike?
Saweon looked at him with a mix of disbelief and amusement—and then realized the youth’s hands were empty.
He turned his head toward Hwa Youngbin.
The black sword that had been in the youth’s hand was now in Hwa Youngbin’s grasp.
Apparently, that earlier move was to hand the sword over to Hwa Youngbin.
The youth shouted toward Hwa Youngbin.
“Great Hero Hwa! Hold them off until Gwaeseon arrives!”
Saweon’s eyebrows twitched.
Hmm?
So the arrival of Gwaeseon wasn’t a lie after all?
Saweon felt a flicker of confusion.
Judging by the youth’s scheming so far, it seemed like a lie—but the possibility wasn’t entirely zero.
Just then, as Saweon was lost in thought, Hwa Youngbin, now wielding the new sword, charged at him.
“Hah!”
Seeing the sword aura spread like a sunset, Saweon muttered.
“This won’t matter. I’ll kill them all and find out.”
From Saweon’s hand, a vivid red energy began to radiate.
At that moment, Hwa Youngbin’s sword flashed at lightning speed.
The Red Crane Sword Technique, Gucho.
Sword Drop Like Falling Sun.
Shyaaak!
The crimson sword energy, spreading like a sunset, suddenly split in two.
A decisive strike, as if cleaving the setting sun in half—the most concise and powerful move of the Red Crane Sword Technique.
“Hmph!”
But Saweon’s response was simply to place his palm against the attack.
His hand, dense with energy and resembling a giant’s, lightly covered his upper body.
He planned to block the sword with one hand and strike with the other.
No matter how hard Hwa Youngbin tried, his energy couldn’t pierce Saweon’s.
But the next moment, a chilling pain shot through Saweon’s palm, forcing him to stagger back in surprise.
Looking down, he saw blood flowing from a cut on his palm.
Impossible.
“How?!”
At that moment, a sound came from behind.
Pyu pyu pyup!
A hidden weapon?!
Saweon spun around and slapped away the flying projectile with his palm.
Tatatatang!
It was the same youth.
He had suddenly charged from behind, thrown a hidden weapon, and was retreating.
“You filthy brat…!”
Then, from behind again, Hwa Youngbin launched an attack.
This time, a barrage of stabbing strikes.
“Hah!”
At the same time, the youth, retreating, suddenly changed direction and charged again, throwing more hidden weapons.
Caught between relentless attacks from front and back like interlocking gears, Saweon gritted his teeth.
“Grrr!”
It connects!
Throwing a hidden weapon toward the youth’s back, Saweon retreated at full speed.
He wanted to test his recent growth, but even so, facing such an ultimate monster was out of the question.
The underground passage connected to the main hall’s pillar led beneath the ground all the way to the outskirts of the Righteous Sect’s camp.
After swiftly moving there and dealing with the sentries, he entrusted the rescue of the captured women to Bisa Young and rushed back at full speed.
All the while, he hoped that Great Hero Hwa had already escaped.
But as his ominous feeling predicted, Hwa Youngbin was still alone, facing off against Saweon.
‘Damn.’
It was a hopeless sight.
To have to fight such a monster…
But he forced himself to think positively.
Whatever the circumstances, it was his plan that had put Hwa Youngbin in this fight.
And if Hwa Youngbin died because of it, Saweon couldn’t even imagine how he’d atone for that sin.
So just knowing he was still alive was a huge relief.
From now on, his only task was to keep him alive and get out safely.
…Though that was easier said than done.
“Arrogant fools!”
Spinning like a top, Saweon blocked Hwa Youngbin’s attacks and Saweon’s own hidden weapons.
Tititititing!
Then, with an annoyed expression, he looked at Saweon and extended a hand.
Shuak!
A powerful energy sphere.
The sphere charged at incredible speed.
Saweon swallowed hard.
But already moving swiftly around the youth, he used a sudden burst of speed to dodge the sphere’s path.
Pabak!
‘Is that all?’
Dodging what he thought was a devastating attack gave him a bit of confidence.
This wasn’t so threatening after all.
But just then, he caught a faint smirk on the youth’s lips.
At the same time, Hwa Youngbin’s urgent voice came through the transmission.
—Dodge!
Suddenly, a memory flashed.
How Bisa Young had been captured by Georyeokma.
At that moment, a powerful explosion erupted.
Kwaaaang!
Paang!
The sphere Saweon thought he’d dodged exploded just as he activated his burst step.
“Ugh!”
Thrown backward by the blast, Saweon was propelled at incredible speed.
He had narrowly survived.
In that instant, the world around him seemed to slow down strangely.
A speed he’d never felt before… and with it, a strange sense of déjà vu.
‘This is…’
Looking toward Saweon, the youth seemed convinced he had dealt with him and was turning his full assault on Hwa Youngbin.
An opportunity.
Drawing a half-circle, Saweon silently charged toward the youth’s back.
The youth’s exposed back was rapidly widening.
‘Hup!’
From three jang away, Saweon threw a hidden weapon with all his might.
Aimed at the youth’s left side, where the heart lay.
Shiiik!
The hidden weapon flew slowly toward the youth’s back.
From three jang away, the time it took to reach seemed like an eternity.
The youth flinched at the sound and hurriedly twisted his body.
Pook!
“Ugh!”
Failure.
Saweon had hoped to pierce through the left side and strike the heart, but the youth’s twist caused the weapon to embed in his left shoulder instead.
“Damn!”
Swallowing his frustration, Saweon immediately leapt away.
He had no confidence in dodging another energy sphere at close range like before.
As Saweon retreated, Hwa Youngbin, who had narrowly escaped an attack, also put some distance between himself and the youth while the youth hesitated.
Then Saweon saw the youth glance down at the hidden weapon lodged in his shoulder.
Slowly, he raised his eyes to meet Saweon’s.
And Saweon could clearly see the blazing fury filling the youth’s eyes.
The youth roared like a demon.
“You little mosquito!”
Then he swung both hands toward Saweon.
Shung! Shuuung! Shushung!
More energy spheres.
Not just one.
“!”
Four spheres flew at incredible speed in succession, forming a barrage calculated to cover Saweon’s escape routes.
“Damn!”
Startled, Saweon dashed at top speed.
He had to use his burst step twice in a row.
Papang!
Kwa kwa kwa kwaaaang!
A massive explosion thundered behind him, the shockwave crashing down.
Fwaaak!
His hair stood on end.
Barely escaping the blast, Saweon gritted his teeth as the aftershock pushed him back.
He turned again to face the youth.
He had almost died just now, and the youth was terrifying—but he had to go back.
No matter how terrifying that thing was, I couldn’t just run away and leave Hwa Young-bin behind.
At that moment, my eyes caught sight of Gyeol Han-sata lying unconscious, his limbs severed, and nearby, a sword lying on the ground.
It was a pretty decent-looking sword.
“Hmm.”
I shifted my gaze back to see Hwa Young-bin just having attacked Sa Won-yang, only to be blocked and counterattacked.
He must have rushed in to stop Sa Won-yang from throwing a strong strike at me.
Long, blade-like streams of energy extended from Sa Won-yang’s claws, wildly swirling around Hwa Young-bin.
Kwak kwak kwak kwak kwak kwak kwak!
“Ugh!”
I had to help him—fast.
Using the explosive dash, I charged behind the creature.
Then, about three steps away, I threw a hidden blade and quickly slipped to the side.
Pyu pyu pyup!
But the creature seemed to have grown accustomed to this kind of attack.
Just hearing the sound of the hidden blade, it spun around once, easily deflecting it, and resumed its assault on Hwa Young-bin.
Ti ti ting!
“Damn it.”
It was frustrating.
If only it were darker around us, the hidden blade’s effect would have been better.
Though it was night, the burning buildings nearby lit up the area brightly.
Pyu pyu pyup!
I threw the hidden blade a third time, moving back and forth.
The creature seemed to have decided to ignore me altogether, simply deflecting the blades and focusing its full offense on Hwa Young-bin.
It looked like it was determined to finish him off first.
Kwak kwak kwak kwak kwak kwang!
“Ughhh!”
This was a crisis.
Hwa Young-bin was on the verge of collapse.
He was barely holding on with sheer willpower; we needed a different approach.
“Damn it, no choice!”
I closed in again, throwing three hidden blades.
Pyu pyu pyup!
The creature spun naturally, deflecting them.
Ti ti ting!
Up to this point, it was the same as before.
But as it spun to attack Hwa Young-bin again, I silently changed direction.
Like the wind, I charged straight at it.
Into a distance I’d never dared to enter before.
Seonwoo Thirteen Swords, Third Move.
Divine Eagle’s Descent.
The sword I’d picked up from Gyeol Han-sata plunged down onto the creature’s back like a hawk diving.
Shiiik!
Then—
The creature, having just pushed Hwa Young-bin away, spun around and shouted,
“Got you!”
Its face turned into a wide grin.
At the same time, its massive, giant-like red hand swung at me.
Puh-uhng!
“?!”
The moment the creature’s huge palm crushed my new form, a flicker of surprise crossed its smiling face.
My new form shattered and scattered like flower petals.
A movement like petals blown by the wind—Cheonpung Hwayeop.
At that moment, Hwa Young-bin charged in from behind the creature.
He had also just heard my telepathic signal and pretended to retreat, buying us time.
“Hah-ap!”
Hwa Young-bin unleashed a strike with all his might.
A single sword stroke cutting through the sunset—the Sword Drop of the Crimson River technique.
Shaaaak!
A thin line of sword energy spread like a red sunset, instantly slicing through the creature’s energy.
“How dare you!”
As Sa Won-yang hurried to defend against it, I appeared at the creature’s side and plunged my sword with all my strength.
Silent Sword Technique, First Move.
One Moment, One Thousand.
Shiiik!
The creature let out a fierce roar.
“Uhaaah!”
Fwoaak!
Suddenly, red energy burst from its entire body, enveloping it in a transparent shield.
It was the very same defensive energy used by Ji Gwang-ok of the Bloodthirsty Demon Army.
I shouted in shock.
“Protective Energy?!”
My sword, thrust like a beam of light toward the creature, sank deep into the red energy as if stabbing a massive chunk of flesh, then bounced off with tremendous recoil.
Hwa Young-bin, attacking from the opposite side, was also thrown back.
He cursed in frustration as he was knocked away.
“Damn it!”
It was heartbreaking.
We should have taken it down this time, but it seemed unlikely that such a surprise attack would work again.
Still, I quickly retreated and tried to steady my mind.
“If I give up, it’s over. I’ll create another chance!”
There had to be another opportunity.
Even the creature’s expression after dispelling the protective energy looked strained.
Just like with the Bloodthirsty Demon Army, this protective energy was clearly a limit even for it.
Moreover…
Blood was dripping from the creature’s forearm as it roared in fury at Hwa Young-bin.
“You bastard! I’ll tear you to shreds!”
It seemed to have been cut by Hwa Young-bin’s sword.
That was strange.
My own “One Moment, One Thousand” was actually faster, yet my sword hadn’t even touched the creature’s body—how had Hwa Young-bin’s sword managed to cut it?
Suddenly, my eyes landed on the sword Hwa Young-bin was holding—my sword, Mukrang.
“Could it be because of Mukrang?”
It seemed possible.
Mukrang was a divine weapon with incredible secrets, and its sharpness was such that it could cut through even the spiritual energy or sword aura of a demon.
So maybe it could even slice through the creature’s energy.
I quickly sent a telepathic message to Hwa Young-bin.
—Hwa Daehyup! My sword seems to be piercing through its energy!
Hwa Young-bin glanced at me while defending against Sa Won-yang’s attacks.
Then, without hesitation, he swung his sword to meet the creature’s incoming strike.
“Hah-ap!”
Kwang! Kwang! Kwang! Kwang!
I moved swiftly again, throwing hidden blades.
The creature looked furious but didn’t press the attack on Hwa Young-bin as aggressively as before.
Whether it was wary of my ambush or simply weakening, I couldn’t tell.
But its eyes clearly searched for an opening.
I threw another hidden blade and quickly retreated, sending another telepathic message to Hwa Young-bin.
We had to act before the creature did.
I had just used my last hidden blade.
“All right, let’s go!”
With a burst of speed, I charged forward.
The creature’s eyes locked onto me as if waiting for this moment.
At that instant, I unleashed Cheonpung Hwayeop, scattering my new form like petals in the wind to confuse its vision.
“Hah-ap!”
Fssshhh!
Despite the countless afterimages, the creature’s gaze fixed firmly on my true form.
As expected…
Feeling it wasn’t enough, I immediately activated the Phantom Sword Mirror.
Chwaaak!
Dozens, even hundreds of phantom swords surrounded the creature, adding to my scattered afterimages.
Finally, it seemed to lose track of my position.
“Useless!”
The creature growled in irritation, swinging its hand to dispel the phantom swords.
At that moment, I threw a hidden blade with my left hand.
It was a silver-bladed dagger with a hidden enchantment.
Shiiik!
“Hmph!”
The creature tried to swat it away with a simple arm swing.
But my heightened senses guided the enchanted dagger to avoid its hand.
Swoosh!
Like a fish cutting through water, the dagger slipped just past the creature’s arm, drawing its attention.
“Trickery!”
Ting!
That was the moment I’d been waiting for.
I unleashed my most powerful attack.
“Hah-ap!”
Seonwoo Thirteen Swords, Fourteenth Move.
Vermilion Bird Manifestation.
A vermilion bird made of pale purple energy burst from my sword, flapping its wings as it charged forward.
It was the same technique I’d tried and failed to use against Mayu-gyeom before.
Beeeep!
The bird seemed alive, opening its beak and crying out.
Sa Won-yang’s eyes widened in shock.
“What the—?!”
But the creature was only startled, not defeated.
It swung its giant, hand-like energy to strike the vermilion bird.
Kwaaaang!
The collision echoed with a tremendous boom.
“Ugh!”
Despite the overwhelming force, the vermilion bird didn’t vanish immediately.
Incredibly, it tangled with Sa Won-yang’s massive hand, locked in a fierce struggle.
At that moment, Hwa Young-bin, who had briefly pulled back, struck from behind Sa Won-yang.
“Sword Drop!”
Shiiik!
It was Hwa Young-bin’s strongest move, the only one capable of piercing Sa Won-yang’s energy.
The creature’s expression turned desperate as it activated its protective energy again.
“Uhaaah!”
Fwoaak!
The red energy shield spread from its entire body, and both my Vermilion Bird Manifestation and Hwa Young-bin’s attack faded uselessly.
I was thrown backward, unable to withstand the recoil of the protective energy.
“Ugh!”
Even as I was knocked back, I kept my eyes wide open, watching closely.
Hwa Young-bin, who had faked the Sword Drop earlier, was now preparing the real one just as the creature’s protective energy began to fade.
“Hah-aap!”
The hazy sword energy, spread like a red sunset, split sharply up and down.
It felt majestic, as if truly cutting through the setting sun, using the last of his strength.
Puhwaak!
After unleashing the sword technique, Hwa Young-bin’s legs gave out, and he staggered.
Exhausted from manifesting the Vermilion Bird, I struggled to rise and muttered,
“Damn it…”
My gaze fell on Sa Won-yang, who had retreated about ten steps, blood gushing from his chest.
His face was pale, but he was still standing.
Because the creature had pulled back suddenly, Hwa Young-bin’s sword had only grazed him shallowly.
It was a failure.
Even after all this…
A deep sense of emptiness washed over me as I looked at the creature, still standing despite our full strength.
It felt as if I was staring at an impenetrable fortress that could never fall.
Suddenly, I heard Hwa Young-bin’s voice crackle through my earpiece.
“Sunwoo Soje, it’s time for you to stop running. I’ve completely drained my strength and inner energy—I can’t do anything anymore.”
I looked at him with a heavy heart.
Then he spoke again.
“Thank you for standing by me in my final fight. Now, please—live on, and make sure you avenge me.”
Despite his words, he smiled clearly, almost as if a weight had been lifted.
Like someone who was finally ready to die, and somehow glad for it.
It was the most peaceful expression I’d ever seen on his face.
At that moment, Sa Won-yang screamed, his face twisted like a demon’s.
“You bastard! I’ll tear you apart!”
He lunged at Hwa Young-bin like a wild beast.
But Hwa Young-bin wasn’t looking at him—he was looking at me.
He tossed me the Mukrang and smiled brightly.
“Please, take the Blood Oath for me…”