I controlled my mind.
With a powerful enemy before me, I couldn't afford to worry about Geukak Soma. I had to focus solely on my own fight. I would trust Geukak Soma. Instead, I had to keep my eye on Yangcheogi.
Because he was someone who could jump in and launch a surprise attack at any moment.
Goema donned gloves fitted with claws split like fingers on both hands. It was his exclusive weapon, the Heavenfall Flying Claws. A chilling azure gleam ran along the blades.
"Shall we see if your blade can keep up with that sharp tongue?"
The moment Goema finished speaking, the fight began.
Kaack! Kak! Kaaaack!
With bizarre whistling sounds, the Heavenfall Flying Claws tore through the air. It was an attack that would rip away flesh and bone with just a graze.
I advanced with Shadow Step footwork and launched my attack.
Clang! Clang! Chaeng! Clang!
My sword and the Heavenfall Flying Claws clashed countless times. I struggled to widen the distance, while he desperately tried to close in. After all, since the Heavenfall Flying Claws were shorter than my sword, the closer he got, the more advantageous it was for him.
Amidst the bone-chilling exchange of offense and defense, I met that moment.
Just as when I had fought Baekmanggi, I saw only Goema.
The surroundings fell silent, and I heard only our movements and sounds. I felt the illusion that even time was flowing slowly. But time never flowed slowly. My focus had merely heightened to such a degree.
Right then, a short scream tore through the silence!
"Keuk!"
The instant I realized the one who had screamed was Geukak Soma.
Flash.
Instinctively unleashing my Vanishing Step, I was already behind Cheolsweja, slashing with my sword.
Swhiiik.
The iron chain that had been aimed at the staggering, retreating Geukak Soma turned toward me.
Swhiiiik!
Taeng!
The moment my sword struck Cheolsweja's iron chain and deflected away, I sensed a rushing force from behind and twisted my body to dodge.
Goema's Heavenfall Flying Claws raked through the space where I had just been.
Geukak Soma, having narrowly escaped danger thanks to me, launched his Hyeorangji at Goema, who was pressing a second attack on me.
Swhiiiing.
Goema likewise twisted his body to evade the Hyeorangji.
Seizing that opening, I leaped away together with Geukak Soma, putting distance between us and the two men. If I hadn't intervened, Geukak Soma would have been injured. Cheolsweja's martial arts were stronger than I had thought.
As the battle briefly settled into a lull, Yangcheogi burst out laughing. He was confident of victory. Moreover, Goema and Cheolsweja also seemed brimming with composure.
Regulating my breath, I asked Yangcheogi.
"Are you the Cheonmyeong Hoeju?"
While he was caught up in triumphant arrogance, I tried my utmost to extract a secret.
"I am not the Cheonmyeong Hoeju."
"Then are you the Akingokju?"
"I am not the Akingokju either."
"Those two must be among the top experts in the Valley of Villains; just how were you able to make them come out?"
Yangcheogi didn't answer that. I quickly inferred.
"Then the Cheonmyeong Hoeju must have joined hands with the Akingokju as well, just as he recruited you."
A hint of admiration flickered in Yangcheogi's eyes. From that reaction, I knew my guess was correct. It was a secret not even the Tongcheongak had uncovered yet.
I had known the Cheonmyeong Hoe was no ordinary organization, but it was far greater than I had realized.
In the past, failing a mission simply meant the end. Since the restriction on Geukak Soma hadn't been released, such a situation couldn't have occurred in the first place.
But one thing was certain. Judging by how they were orchestrating matters now, the Cheonmyeong Hoe must have been active in the shadows even then.
Before fighting again, I looked at Geukak Soma. He silently nodded. His eyes told me that he was fine and not to worry.
The fight started again.
The Heavenfall Flying Claws ripped space apart, and Cheolsweja's iron chain reared its head like a living serpent and lunged.
The Heavenfall Flying Claws grazed Geukak Soma's arm and side, while the Hyeorangji grazed Cheolsweja's forehead.
Sword qi flew at close range, finger winds were unleashed, an iron chain laden with gang qi soared, and the Heavenfall Flying Claws carved dozens of claw marks. All manner of secret techniques were unleashed in rapid succession.
The battle was neck and neck. Geukak Soma and I had fought together only once before, yet we moved in perfect harmony, as if we had spent our entire lives mastering combined attack techniques. Strangely, when I fought alongside Geukak Soma, my mind was at ease, and our teamwork flowed naturally.
Then, at one moment, Geukak Soma's second scream burst out.
He crashed down onto his rear, and the iron chain flew at him.
I rushed in and blocked the chain with my back.
Tung!
I withstood it with protective gang qi, but the impact felt as though my shoulder was being torn from its socket.
Teong! Tung!
The chain fell in rapid succession.
Though the chain battered my body, the protective gang qi surrounding me deflected it. It was consuming an enormous amount of internal energy.
Yangcheogi, who had been watching, exclaimed in admiration with a surprised expression.
"To raise protective gang qi at that age—you truly are something else."
But this situation was exactly what we had intended. I had sent a telepathic message to Geukak Soma moments ago, telling him to pretend to be struck once more.
While turned away from them, my sword was splitting apart before me.
It was the execution of the Flying Sky Sword Technique, Seventh Form, Floating Sky Form.
Swish-rip!
I didn't split it into many. Only two, right before my chest where they couldn't see.
The moment the sword qi blades were completed!
Swhiiing! Swish!
The two blades of sword qi shot toward the men behind me as if alive.
Fwaak!
One pierced through the shoulder of the off-guard Goema, and the other sliced the iron chain in half as it flew past.
"Damn it!"
Goema scowled, pressing on the blood point in his shoulder. If he hadn't reflexively twisted his body to dodge, his throat would have been pierced.
Cheolsweja discarded the severed chain and gripped the remaining portion short.
"Shit!"
We too let out a sigh. Our sure-kill strike had failed to kill them. Fortunately, at least we had pierced Goema's shoulder and damaged Cheolsweja's weapon.
I reached out my hand to Geukak Soma, who had fallen. He took it and stood up. Geukak Soma's eyes burned even hotter. Both he and I were blazing in this fight.
Goema and Cheolsweja chose a war of attrition. They intended to exhaust our internal energy and kill us, judging that they held the advantage. They also intended to fight carefully since Goema was injured and Cheolsweja's weapon was damaged.
As such, Geukak Soma's internal energy, who used finger wind and palm force, was inevitably the first to deplete.
At that critical moment when his internal energy ran out and his movements grew drastically sluggish.
Sssut.
Geukak Soma was looking at me with a surprised face.
We were now inside the world of the Spacetime Transference Technique.
"We are in the space of the Spacetime Transference Technique."
"The Spacetime Transference Technique, even!"
"There is no time to explain. This is a Swift Recovery Pill—take it and recover your internal energy first."
I gave him the Swift Recovery Pill I had received from Hyeolcheondoma.
"You should take it, Igongja."
"I still have internal energy left. There is no time. Hurry and take it to recover. Even in this moment, my internal power is being consumed."
Geukak Soma immediately took the Swift Recovery Pill and circulated his true qi.
Their voices could be heard from outside.
"It's an illusion technique."
"For a brat to use even illusion techniques? He truly continues to surprise."
"If it's such a supreme illusion technique, the internal power consumption will be severe, so he won't be able to maintain it for long and will reveal himself. In short, it's an act of suicide."
If I hadn't reversed and absorbed Geungnak Yohui's internal energy, I wouldn't have been able to unfold the Spacetime Transference Technique at this moment.
Shortly after, Geukak Soma, having rapidly recovered his internal energy with the Swift Recovery Pill, opened his eyes and rose from his spot.
"We must finish this within a hundred moves."
"Yes! Let's go!"
I thrust my sword forward, and Geukak Soma tapped it once more.
Tiiing!
With a clear metallic sound, the Spacetime Transference Technique unraveled.
The moment we burst out, I rushed at Cheolsweja like a madman.
Clang-clang-clang-clang-clang-clang-clang!
I unleashed extreme focus.
The surroundings disappeared, and only Cheolsweja and his iron chain were visible to my eyes.
And soon, even Cheolsweja disappeared. Only the iron chain moved brilliantly.
I couldn't hear any sound. I heard only the clash of my sword and the iron chain.
If I'm struggling, you must be struggling too. If I feel like I'm dying, you must feel like you're dying too. I don't believe it. That you worked harder than me. I believed in myself, and I believed in all my effort.
And I experienced something astonishing once more.
I was fighting at the extreme speed I was capable of, yet the speed of my sword began to increase further. It was the result of desperation. A miracle born from my desperation not to let Geukak Soma die.
I could feel the chain's movements growing frantic.
Driven into a corner, he unleashed a hidden secret technique. He trapped my sword between the chains. At the very moment it seemed like a coiled snake was wrapping around my blade, I lost the Black Demon Sword.
I saw Cheolsweja's gleeful expression.
Shick! Puoook!
The next moment, a dagger was embedded in Cheolsweja's throat.
He had unleashed his own trump card, but so had I. The instant my sword was snatched away and he let his guard down, I had thrown the dagger.
"Keuk."
The dagger embedded in Cheolsweja's throat was a ten-thousand-year cold iron dagger. Since I hadn't used dagger arts even once since the battle began, he couldn't block this sudden attack.
Cheolsweja, like someone who absolutely cannot endure an itch and must scratch it, yanked the dagger out of his throat.
The moment he pulled out the dagger, blood gushed like a waterfall, and he toppled over. Not even bothering to waste internal energy pulling it back through the air, I ran forward and grabbed the Black Demon Sword entangled in the chains.
And without hesitation, I rushed at Goema.
Geukak Soma was facing Goema, who was stronger than himself, with extreme focus.
We now fought as we had when facing Baekmanggi.
The two of us pressed him like madmen. I had been wary of Yangcheogi jumping in, but for some reason, he didn't intervene.
With the two of us pressing the attack, the battle instantly tilted in our favor. They were strong, but ultimately not as strong as Sword Emperor Baekmanggi. On the other hand, our combined assault was far more in sync than it had been then.
At the very moment Goema spat out words asking Yangcheogi for help.
As my blade passed between the slightly disordered blades of the Heavenfall Flying Claws.
Puoook!
My sword embedded itself in Goema's shoulder, and.
Piing! Peoek!
Simultaneously, the Hyeorangji launched by Geukak Soma pierced through Goema's forehead.
Goema fell backward, eyes wide with resentment and fury.
"Haa, haa,"
Geukak Soma and I gasped roughly for breath. Geukak Soma's internal energy was completely exhausted, and I too had very little left.
"You really are tenacious bastards!"
I spoke to him in response to Yangcheogi's exclamation.
"You are the more tenacious one. You watched without helping them?"
"If your internal energy is exhausted, I can kill you more safely and easily. Why would I interfere for no reason?"
I felt that wasn't the reason. The variable of being left alone to face the two of us was just as dangerous.
'He didn't stop those two experts from dying? Like someone who wanted them to die. Why?'
Then, a thought flashed like lightning.
"Could it be that what you were promised by the Cheonmyeong Hoeju was the position of Akingokju?"
"!"
Since he had desired to be the Demon Lord, the Sect Leader, and the Alliance Leader, I had wondered if perhaps he wanted the Valley Lord position.
From Yangcheogi's eyes and reaction, asking how I knew, I could tell my guess was certain. He had undoubtedly used this opportunity to cut off the limbs of the Akingokju. To take over the Valley of Villains more comfortably. The villains had gathered together only to stab each other in the back.
"You truly are a person who only dreams of things that can never be achieved in a lifetime."
"That mouth of yours will be your downfall."
"You are trash."
"Yes. Save your cursing for hell."
Geukak Soma stepped in front of me.
—Igongja, now is the time to display your running skills. I should be able to hold out for a few moves.
He thought we couldn't defeat Yangcheogi. Because his internal energy had already bottomed out. He had judged that it was impossible to face him with the little internal energy I had left.
—That running skill is for when I have a rematch with Soma-nim.
—Stop being stubborn and go!
—The demonic path I walk may not even shatter a table, but neither does it abandon a friend to danger.
—!
I felt Geukak Soma tremble at the word 'friend.'
—What kind of Geukak Soma is so sentimental?
Geukak Soma's gaze, which had been directed at me, turned toward Yangcheogi. And then, truly unexpected words flowed out.
"Let Igongja go, Sabaek."
He was making a request he absolutely hated in order to save me.
Then Yangcheogi spoke with a mocking gaze.
"If you remove your mask and kneel, I will spare him."
I saw Geukak Soma's conflicted back.
Ah! Even if the whole world pointed fingers at him, calling him evil, I alone could never do so.
I quickly went to him and grabbed his arm.
"He won't let us live even if you do."
Geukak Soma shook off my hand and spoke.
"I had no intention of kneeling. I know better than anyone what kind of person Sabaek is."
"Then why?"
"I was trying to buy a little more time. Igongja is clever, so I thought he might find some way out."
Geukak Soma smiled silently. A deep regret flashed in his pupils behind the mask. Regret that we didn't have a little more time. He was sensing the end.
Yangcheogi raised internal power in one hand. I too channeled power into the Black Demon Sword. How many moves could I truly endure? Could I kill him with this internal energy?
"Go together in good company!"
He unleashed a palm strike. It was the Demonic Lightblast Palm imbued with full internal energy.
At the exact moment I tried to block it by emitting sword qi.
Kwaang!
The incoming Demonic Lightblast Palm was neutralized and vanished.
I wasn't the one who blocked it. Something that had flown in from somewhere blocked Yangcheogi's attack.
It was a dao. A great blade brimming with gang qi was embedded before us like a shield.
Astoundingly, it was Hyeolcheondoma's Annihilating Heaven Greatblade.
When I raised my head, Hyeolcheondoma was riding the wind down from the sky and spoke.
"I knew it would come to this."