Fighting spirit surged from the One Flower Sword Sovereign’s body.
Just as she was about to step forward.
“Wait.”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon walked over to her and held out Golden Wound Medicine.
“When you get old, wounds don’t heal so well.”
The blazing fighting spirit of the One Flower Sword Sovereign subsided.
“Why are you sapping my strength like this?”
“Loosen up a bit. You’re far too tense right now.”
Behind the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, Geom Mugeuk nodded as if he felt the same way.
“He’s an opponent I can’t possibly beat if I loosen up, though.”
At her high praise for the Sword King, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon said calmly,
“Loosen up anyway.”
How could she not know that he was worried for her?
The One Flower Sword Sovereign opened the Golden Wound Medicine, dabbed some on her finger, and applied it to her shoulder. Though she had merely slipped her hand inside her clothes to do so, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon turned his back for her.
Meanwhile, Geom Mugeuk teased the Sword King.
“What now? Brother Ak’s most charming feature is that tightly tied hair.”
The Sword King touched the back of his neck beneath his hair.
“I’ll be lucky if only my hair gets cut.”
It meant the fight was that difficult.
“So you do know how to exaggerate your pain.”
“And whose fault would that be?”
In moments like this, he was exactly like the Sword King of old.
Geom Mugeuk looked at the Sound King standing behind him.
The Sound King was relaxed. As if there were music only he could hear, he slowly swayed his upper body from side to side. His long arms swung this way and that.
Geom Mugeuk stared at him quietly, then abruptly said,
“She’s beautiful.”
“Who? That person?”
“No. The woman Brother Ak likes. I’m saying she’s incredibly beautiful.”
“Is she?”
Ak Gunhak pretended not to know who he meant, though he did.
“Yes.”
Geom Mugeuk said no more. The Sword King would know full well why he had brought her up now.
Brother Ak, I’m going to take you back to our cult. And I’m definitely going to see that awkward meeting between the two of you.
The One Flower Sword Sovereign stepped forward again, and Geom Mugeuk withdrew.
Geom Mugeuk said to the One Flower Sword Sovereign,
“Please cut off that horsetail of his.”
Then he won’t be able to prattle on about freedom anymore. I’ll even put those shoes on him.
“Understood. Leave it to me.”
The Blade King watched the scene with displeasure. The person he disliked most of all was Ak Gunhak.
From long ago, the Dark Palace Lord had thought highly of that Ak Gunhak. He had always entrusted the most important missions to him.
‘To a traitor like that.’
He had already found the Sword King displeasing all along, but seeing him exchange jokes with Geom Mugeuk right before his eyes truly stirred killing intent in him.
‘Once this is over, I’ll kill him for certain.’
Because he did not hide that killing intent, the Sword King turned to look at him.
“Don’t forget that I’m watching you.”
Until now, he had at least maintained basic courtesy, but now he cast aside that formality.
At the warning not to try anything foolish, the Sword King smiled and turned back again. At that sight, the Blade King’s expression hardened even more.
The One Flower Sword Sovereign and the Sword King faced each other once more.
The reason she had stepped forward was partly to follow the Young Cult Leader’s will and make him move aside, but in truth, it was also because she wanted to cross swords with the Sword King one more time.
She felt she would never again have the chance in her life to fight this man. Especially not while fighting with such sincerity.
The One Flower Sword Sovereign fully revealed her aura.
Her aura was a single sword.
A single sword aimed at the Sword King’s face. It was an aura that instilled a terrible fear, as if it might fly forth at any moment and pierce his face.
A sword made the opponent feel many emotions. Fear, elegance, terror, passion, loneliness……
Her aura would be felt differently depending on the person who received it.
The emotion the Sword King felt was passion.
Beyond the sword, he could see her. On her face, without a trace of makeup, was fervor for the sword. An intense yearning to become stronger.
The Sword King knew. He knew who had made such emotions dwell on the faces of these Demon Venerables.
He knew who had made them carry this absurd gift at their waists.
Sssssssss.
The Sword King also revealed his own aura. It was an aura he did not show unless he acknowledged his opponent.
In the next instant, everything around them glittered, and the One Flower Sword Sovereign’s eyes filled with surprise.
Hundreds, thousands of sword blades surrounded her. Sharp blades packed tightly around her, as if she would be cut if she moved even slightly.
The One Flower Sword Sovereign could feel it. If she moved rashly, she truly would be cut. The blades within this aura were sharper than real ones.
‘So the true sword grave was here.’
That was the feeling the Sword King’s aura gave her.
It was truly the first time she had encountered such a murderous aura.
One sword and thousands of swords.
The two auras clashed tautly against each other.
Wooooong.
The One Flower Sword Sovereign infused internal energy into the One Flower Sword. Then pure white sword aura flowed along her blade.
But the Sword King did not raise any sword aura.
‘He intends to block my sword aura with that iron sword?’
Had it been anyone else, she would have raged, “How dare you!” But the One Flower Sword Sovereign instead grew tense. Could that sword truly withstand even sword aura?
And the result was indeed astonishing.
Kaaaang!
When the One Flower Sword and the Sword King’s iron sword collided head-on, the iron sword did not break.
‘It really doesn’t break even against sword aura?’
But the shock lasted only a moment. Looking closely, she sensed something invisible on the Sword King’s blade as well. Another shock surged over her.
“Formless Sword Aura!”
The Sword King’s sword aura left no trace at all. The Sword King, who used formless sword qi, had sword aura that was also invisible to the eye.
If one were to attack without knowing the opponent could use Formless Sword Aura, their sword would be cut in an instant, and their body along with it.
Kakakakakang!
Formless astral energy and pure white astral energy collided.
Each time the astral energies clashed, tremendous vibrations spread outward. Though it contained sword aura, it was astonishing that that iron sword withstood both the internal and external impacts. And that was not because the sword was special.
The opponent felt like a cool autumn breeze, but when he fought, he was a bitter winter wind.
‘Truly, he is this strong?’
After all, the Sword King was the strongest of the twelve experts raised by an organization that had prepared for revenge for three hundred years.
The One Flower Sword Sovereign had a premonition that perhaps this battle might become the opportunity for the One Flower Sword Art to rise from the eleventh star to the twelfth. That was how much inspiration and enlightenment the fight with the Sword King was giving her.
The One Flower Sword Sovereign displayed her signature martial art.
Her signature martial art was the One Flower Sword Art.
No longer bound by forms, she had carved out her own realm, and of the eight forms that had once existed, only three now remained.
When even these forms all disappeared, she would reach the pinnacle of swordsmanship.
The first form she had newly named was Bloom!
When the tip of her sword trembled lightly, over a dozen strands of sword qi bloomed like flowers.
Shuk shuk shuk shuk shuk shuk shuk!
The sword qi flying toward the Sword King was not some ordinary, trifling sword qi. Each and every strand contained profound understanding of swordsmanship that had reached a high realm.
The Sword King felt that unless he used his signature martial art, he could never block it.
The Sword King’s signature martial art was the Formless Divine Sword.
First Sword, Formless Return to Void.
The surrounding air changed, and the Sword King’s sword also trembled.
Whirrrrrrrr!
In an instant, a whirlwind seemed to form at the tip of his sword.
Her incoming sword qi was swept up by the whirlwind and vanished.
The One Flower Sword Sovereign was neither surprised nor flustered. That single move of his must also be a form he had honed as much as she had honed hers.
Her second signature martial art was unleashed.
One Flower Sword Art, Second Form: Falling Flowers.
Like flower petals falling in the wind, the sword qi swept down diagonally. At the most difficult angle to block!
Swaaaaaaaak!
This time as well, the Sword King responded with the Formless Divine Sword.
Formless Divine Sword, Third Sword: Formless Reversal of Heaven.
A pitch-black space seemed to appear in front of the Sword King.
Whoosh.
It swallowed the incoming sword qi in an instant and disappeared.
That was not the end.
In the next moment, darkness burst out from a tiny point, spitting back the sword qi it had swallowed.
Shwik shwik shwik shwik shwik shwik shwik!
The swords that had flown out returned to her.
She had never imagined her own attack would come back at her.
Papapapapapak!
Chang chang chang chang chang chang!
Her One Flower Sword embroidered the air. Her sword struck away the flower petals raining down.
Papak!
Sword qi she failed to block grazed her side, and blood sprayed again. It was the first time she had ever had to block her own form.
This time, the Sword King used the next form first.
Formless Divine Sword, Second Sword: Formless Flash.
In a flash, a line of light was drawn straight between the Sword King and the One Flower Sword Sovereign. No, it was as if that line had existed there from the beginning.
At the same time, her final form was also unleashed.
One Flower Sword Art, Third Form: One Flower.
It was the final third form, to which she had given her own name.
In a flash, the two forms crossed.
There was no sound at all.
Srrrk.
As she twisted her body to dodge, her bangs were cut away.
Piiit.
A line of blood was drawn across her forehead.
Had it been intentional? The same wound she had earlier drawn on the Sword King’s forehead now appeared on hers.
Craaaack!
A long diagonal line appeared on the wall behind the Sword King.
The Sword King stood in front of it. If the wall behind him had been cut, it seemed his body should have been cut as well.
Jing.
His iron sword, thrust forward, was vibrating. He had blocked even the third form.
It was right then.
Pat.
The cord that tightly bound the Sword King’s hair was severed, and his hair came loose.
Instead of cutting his hair, the One Flower Sword Sovereign had cut the cord that tied it.
The two looked at each other. This time as well, they did not exchange a courteous bow. But their gazes already contained respect for one another.
At last, it’s over, the One Flower Sword Sovereign thought, relaxing her tension.
That was when the Blade King moved.
‘I knew you’d spare her again!’
That was why he had been waiting only for a chance to ambush her. Since he knew Ak Gunhak would never kill her, he had been aiming for the chance to kill her himself. Now was the perfect opportunity to kill her.
Swaaaaaaek!
The instant the Red Blade was about to strike the One Flower Sword Sovereign’s back.
Boom!
What blocked the incoming Red Blade was the Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s Heaven-Destroying Great Saber. The One Flower Sword Sovereign had relaxed, but the Blood Heaven Blade Demon had not. The moment the Blade King moved, he moved at the same time.
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s fury erupted.
“You dog-like bastard, how dare you go after her!”
Enormous demonic energy and killing intent exploded from the Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s body.
The Heaven-Destroying Great Saber, filled with astral energy, split the air.
Swaaaaaaaek!
The Blade King raised his twin blades to block it. Since they had clashed several times earlier, he knew the power of that attack.
Boom!
The moment blade and saber collided, the Blade King’s eyes widened. Even in their earlier battle, he had never seen a blow this powerful.
It was a strike imbued with the Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s rage.
Boom! Booom! Boom!
The Heaven-Destroying Great Saber rained down on him.
Even under powerful attacks that felt as if they would break his wrists, the Blade King was rejoicing.
‘Yes, get excited! The more excited you become, the more chances will come to me!’
Boom! Booom! Boooom!
The Blade King’s form was gradually pushed back. The Blood Heaven Blade Demon surged in like a tidal wave.
Truly overcome by madness, he brought his saber down like a madman.
‘This old man’s strength!’
Boom! Booom! Boom!
Judging that the Blade King was at a disadvantage, the Dark Blood Four Blades hurled themselves forward at the same time. Just as the Blade King had aimed for the One Flower Sword Sovereign’s back, their target was the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, who was in the middle of fighting.
At that moment, Geom Mugeuk moved. In a flash, Geom Mugeuk’s form shot out like light and swept past them.
Shiiiiik! Slice!
He cut down four people, yet there was only one sound.
The sight of them being cut was like the same scene being endlessly performed in a place where mirrors faced each other. Four different men were being cut down simultaneously as if they were one person.
“I told you not to move a single finger, didn’t I?”
Geom Mugeuk’s warning was not directed at the Dark Blood Four Blades, who were already dead.
Geom Mugeuk aimed his sword at the iron-masked man and the Sound King and said,
“Don’t even dream of it!”
He had not stopped the Blade King earlier because the Blood Heaven Blade Demon had already thrown himself forward. But he absolutely would not allow any other intervention.
At that, the Sound King said mockingly,
“You prevent us from entering, but surely you, Young Cult Leader, are not going to interfere?”
“There will be no need for that in this fight.”
It was absolute faith in the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.
Even during that exchange, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s attacks continued.
They were truly frenzied attacks, as if he could see nothing else.
Bang! Kwaang! Bang! Bang!
But even while driven onto the defensive, the Saber King laughed inwardly. If his opponent had been any other master, he would already have fallen to this momentum. But he was not so weak that he would be killed by an excited foe.
For a master to become this excited meant he had already chosen defeat.
Sure enough, the opportunity came. Because he had struck down in such a frenzy, his saber hit the wall behind and bounced away.
The Saber King did not miss that instant. The Red Saber aimed for the Blood Heaven Saber Demon’s fingers, and as he evaded that attack, the strength with which he held the Heaven-Destroying Great Saber weakened.
Swaaah!
Tung!
Struck by the Black Saber, the Heaven-Destroying Great Saber flew from the Blood Heaven Saber Demon’s hand into the air.
‘It’s over!’
In a fight between masters like them, losing one’s weapon meant the fight was over. There would be no chance to pick it up again.
Swish! Swaaah!
As the twin sabers’ attacks poured in after that, the Blood Heaven Saber Demon chose not to fling himself backward to evade, but instead dug in toward him and seized both his wrists.
At that string of blunders, the Saber King smiled. Grabbing his wrists with bare hands?
Wooooong.
Saber aura began to gather on the Red Saber and the Black Saber. If he so much as moved the blades imbued with that saber aura and cut, the old man’s wrists would be severed.
“Old Demon Venerable, did you like that woman?”
His mockery did not end with a sneer.
“I’ll kill you, then tear that woman apart alive.”
He had expected to see anguish on his opponent’s face.
But an inscrutable smile formed at the corners of the Blood Heaven Saber Demon’s mouth.
“Heaven-Destroying Demonic Saber Art, Fifth Form: Annihilating Saber Direct Strike (滅刀直擊).”
“What?”
The instant the Saber King raised his head at the chilling sensation, his eyes flew wide open.
“!”
The Heaven-Destroying Great Saber, which he had thought he had sent flying far away, was hovering above his head. Pointed at him, cradling a blue saber aura.
His opponent had not been excited like a madman. He had not been an ignorant old fool. That fox-like old man had planned this, aiming for this single moment. The one who had truly grown excited at his feigned frenzy had been none other than himself.
Swaaaaaah!
He tried to dodge, but he could not. The Blood Heaven Saber Demon had drawn up his inner force to its utmost limit and was gripping both his hands tightly.
Boom!
The Heaven-Destroying Great Saber plunged down like light, tearing through his protective astral qi and burying itself in his shoulder.
Crunch! Squelch!
“Uaaaagh!”
A scream burst from the Saber King’s mouth on its own. As that enormous Heaven-Destroying Great Saber lodged in his shoulder, horrific pain surged through him.
Clang.
The Red Saber fell to the ground first. It was the first time he had ever dropped his saber in a fight.
At that moment, the Blood Heaven Saber Demon, who was gripping his wrists, pulled his arms to either side.
In an instant, the Saber King’s eyes stretched wide.
‘He’s trying to tear me to death.’
This was no longer the time to be saying refined things like “old Demon Venerable.”
“You crazy old bastard! Stop!”
He tried to raise saber aura on the Black Saber again and cut off the wrist.
Squelch!
But the Heaven-Destroying Great Saber lodged in his shoulder carved through flesh and bone, driving even deeper.
Unable to endure the pain, he dropped the Black Saber to the ground as well.
Even in the midst of this, the Blood Heaven Saber Demon began pulling his arms left and right with even greater force.
“You bastard! I told you to stop!”
The Saber King drew up his internal energy to the limit and tried to hold on, but the Heaven-Destroying Great Saber had already cut halfway through his body.
The Saber King saw it. He saw crimson demonic qi flowing from the Blood Heaven Saber Demon’s eyes. The madness he had seemed to show earlier in his excitement had not been madness. This sight before him now was his true, hidden nature.
“……Please!”
Squelch.
The Heaven-Destroying Great Saber drove even deeper. There was no mercy in the Heaven-Destroying Great Saber.
“Uaaaaagh!”
From his shoulder downward, the Heaven-Destroying Great Saber split his body completely in half and embedded itself in the ground.
Splaaash!
Boom.
Covered in blood, the Blood Heaven Saber Demon looked down at the side with the head attached and spoke coldly.
“If you catch my eye even in hell, I’ll kill you again.”