Kwagagagak---!!! A storm sweeps across the ground.
Swords pour down endlessly.
Like a relentless gale, it continued to turn the surroundings into a chaotic mess.
Shiiik-!! Four flashes of light draw circles with different movements.
It seemed as if they were alive and moving.
One of the circling swords raises its tip and thrusts in.
"Hah."
Namgung Bia tilts her sword and lowers the blade.
Kiigigigik-! The flying sword rubs against the sword's spine and is deflected.
Sparks fly as its angle is diverted.
The attack was successfully deflected. However, Namgung Bia's gaze remained stiff.
Because one time was not the end.
Sure enough, as she deflected one attack, two more dug in.
Namgung Bia frowned and put strength into her feet.
Pazijijik-! Thunder energy springs up and coils around the sword. With that, she detonates the energy in her dantian.
Pressure materializes, riding on her flesh. It was the activation of the Emperor Sword Form.
Instantly, the movements of the flying swords slow down. Namgung Bia didn't miss that moment.
The sword qi containing thunder energy slices through the air. The two swords are swept away by the qi and scatter. The blocked path is revealed.
Namgung Bia did not hesitate at this. She immediately dashed forward.
Her figure was like a striking bolt of lightning.
In an instant, she reached her opponent and swung her sword. If this continued, she could slash his throat.
However.
"…!"
Stopping her swinging sword, Namgung Bia hastily turned her head. A sword drove down to where her face had originally been.
Pik-! Her cheek is cut and blood splatters.
A few strands of hair were also severed. She spun around and created some distance.
"Huu…."
Namgung Bia let out a deep breath and wiped the blood drops from her cheek.
The tension constantly rises.
"Your senses are good."
The Gyecheon Munju smiled as he looked at Namgung Bia.
The old man still had his hands behind his back.
Seeing that, Namgung Bia frowned. The old man hadn't taken a single step until now.
An overwhelming difference in skill. Even if they were in the same Transformation Realm, their levels were far too different.
It couldn't even be compared to the Silver Wolf Sword.
"Just like before. What a regrettable lass."
"..."
"You shouldn't have even been able to hold your ground... How can you be this strong."
Tsk tsk. The old man laughs. With the laughter, all the swords are recalled and return to the Gyecheon Munju's side.
"The Holy King. That bastard too. Kids these days are certainly on a completely different level."
Huuu….
Namgung Bia steadied her breathing and took her stance again.
She couldn't win. She could tell that from just a single exchange.
"That's why it's even more regrettable. Oppressing a child who can shine like you so harshly."
The opponent was going easy on her. It was a clearly noticeable fact.
He was toying with her, holding back appropriately.
Namgung Bia briefly looked back. Wi Seola was still not moving.
Standing still with her gaze fixed on the tree.
It seemed like something had gone wrong.
"So, how about you just answer my questions. Then I'll spare your life."
"..."
Spare her life. Then what was he going to do with the rest?
Namgung Bia suddenly wrinkled her nose at the foul stench.
A foul smell was emanating from the old man.
"Of course. As the price for sparing your life... you'll have to become this old man's for a while and entertain me thoroughly."
A nauseating desire, vividly clear.
Seeing that, Namgung Bia's eyes grew completely cold.
It was a feeling Namgung Bia often experienced from her opponents. Things she had now grown accustomed to. Whenever she felt something like this, the words Gu Yang-cheon used to say came to mind.
-It's because you're pretty. I wouldn't mind if you were just moderately pretty. But it's a bit much.
Pretty. It seemed she was indeed pretty.
Realizing it didn't bring any particular excitement. It wasn't a part that was very helpful to her life.
She simply acknowledged it.
No, she had known since she was young. At the time, she even thought of it as a curse.
Most of her misfortunes were caused by this.
Then, wouldn't it be fine if she didn't have this face? There were times she thought that.
But.
Now, it was a little different. It didn't matter.
Those gazes too. The desires looking at her too.
Now, they truly didn't matter.
The things she only used to hate, she didn't hate anymore.
Once, she had asked. He had stared at her with dumbfounded eyes.
-You hate being pretty? What crazy nonsense is this all of a sudden?
-No, I don't particularly hate it. What? Breasts? W-why are we talking about breasts here! Hey! Aren't you going to tie your clothes quickly? Is this guy really crazy.
-I don't hate either. If anything, I like it, so stop asking and go! I need to train!
That was enough of a catalyst for the cumbersome things to stop being hateable.
His face that would subtly redden and look away whenever she stared at him. The tiny desire that crept into his eyes. Strangely, she didn't hate them.
Sometimes she thought. She knew he was suppressing his desire, but she thought he didn't have to force himself to hold back. No, she wanted him not to.
However, this was a feeling solely for him, and no one else.
"So stop this fight with no chance of winning. And quietly... Hm?"
The Gyecheon Munju stopped mid-sentence and frowned as he looked at Namgung Bia.
"What is it. Why are you smiling."
Namgung Bia was smiling.
It was partly because she thought of him, but also because she secretly welcomed the current situation.
A fight she couldn't win. A battle with no prospect of victory. A moment where she might die.
All of that made Namgung Bia smile.
"Heheh…."
The Gyecheon Munju let out a hollow laugh as if he realized the meaning of Namgung Bia's smile.
"I just thought a beautiful flower possessed some talent... Good grief."
The swords circling in all directions suddenly stopped moving. A hint of disgust mixed into the eyes that had been burning with desire.
"Girl. You are a Battle Ghost (鬪鬼)."
They occasionally exist among martial artists. Those who go beyond enjoying fights and live madly for them. Those who enjoy killing are called Slaughter Ghosts (殺鬼). Those who live madly for fighting itself are called Battle Ghosts (鬪鬼).
In that sense, that girl was a Battle Ghost.
Smiling while feeling the fighting spirit in this situation. He was dumbfounded.
"Yeah. That's possible."
The Gyecheon Munju smirked. If she was that beautiful, so what if she was a Battle Ghost. It wouldn't change anything.
'As long as I capture her, she'll make a good card.'
How did they get here. And how did they undo this sealed gate. And.
'What is that girl in the back.'
Gyecheon Sect. To be precise, the golden-haired woman staring at the Ilcheon Cult's Sacred Tree as if entranced.
Daehwan also knew the identity of that woman.
'Sword Venerable. They say she's the successor of that old monster.'
Was it the Seomwol Sword?
Just recalling it gave him goosebumps on his back. He had met her briefly once.
The one who poured out countless swords in the middle of the battlefield and massacred the enemies.
A number incomparable to his four swords.
If she was the successor of such an old monster, she would definitely be a hindrance, but.
'For some reason, she's staying still.'
Even though a fight had broken out, she was only looking at the Sacred Tree. He didn't know the reason, but it was rather good.
'I'll capture them both.'
He would capture them both and use them as cards to deal with the Holy King.
Along with solving his doubts, it seemed he could give a good gift to his cultists for the first time in a while.
"Endure it if you can."
Daehwan smiles and waves his hand.
Swords poured down like stars once again.
At that time.
"Huu."
Namgung Bia let out a breath again.
A voice was constantly ringing in her ear.
[Draw it already!]
The old man's voice rang out as if piercing her ear, but Namgung Bia didn't listen.
Not yet. There was still more she could do.
[You stubborn fool...! This isn't something that will work just by being stubborn--!]
The descending swords reached right in front of Namgung Bia's nose.
The line of death approaches. Only then did Namgung Bia draw her sword.
It was not the Thunder Child.
Kugugugung---!!!! The sword struck and wind pressure spread.
Slash.
Simultaneously, something was slashed.
"……!!"
The Gyecheon Munju staggered and fell to one knee.
"Cough...!"
He spat out a mouthful of blood and grabbed his chest.
Something was flowing from his upper body too. It was blood.
His upper body was deeply slashed. Feeling the pain, the Gyecheon Munju glared straight ahead.
"...You bitch... How can you use the Mind Sword (心劍)...!"
With a viciously distorted face, the Gyecheon Munju spat out a curse.
Seueueu....
"...Huu."
From the position where the bombardment poured down, the same sound of breathing as before was heard.
The swords that fell to the ground. In between them, Namgung Bia stood.
She wasn't unscathed. Signs of cuts could be seen here and there.
Her uniform was torn, and blood flowed down not only her mouth but also her hands and legs.
The wounds didn't look shallow. However.
Even then, Namgung Bia smiled.
Bright and clear. She smiled as if she liked the current situation, blooming fully.
"...Senses... are good?"
Repeating the words the Gyecheon Munju had just spat out.
***************
A space located inside the underground. There, a large old man rushes in with an urgent face.
"What is going on-!!"
"...Elder...!"
At the old man's appearance, the people inside shouted with eyes as wide as candle flames.
"T-the formation was suddenly released."
"So how! What were the guards doing!"
"We can't contact them."
"...What do you mean."
At the report, the elder scowled deeply.
The formation was suddenly released?
"What was the time of the last shift change with the sentries?"
"...About half a shichen has passed."
"...Only that much time has passed?"
Only half a shichen? It's barely been that long and the formation was released?
It was an absurdity.
The old man couldn't believe it.
"Even if you brought that so-called great Pungryong Commander, we could hold him back for four days. Only half a shichen? Do you think that makes sense?"
Moreover, since the Pungryong Commander was said to have died in the Henan attack, those who could release this formation could be counted on one hand.
And it was released in merely half a shichen?
"Are you sure you didn't misperceive it?"
"...It's true."
"Is there a possibility that the formation itself malfunctioned?"
Could it have broken down? The elder asked out of doubt.
"When the Formation Department checked it last today, there were no problems."
"Then, it means an external attack."
"That's what we're assuming...."
"...What about the Munju? Where is the Munju right now?"
"Currently, the Munju... left to catch a rat..."
"...Tsk."
He knew someone had entered the space. He had intended to catch them early on, but the Munju had said he had a plan and left them alone.
'Is it those bastards?'
Those who followed secretly.
Could they have done something? If they did, what method?
The old man couldn't know, but now was not the time to stay still.
"I'll go check the formation. You, come with me."
He grabbed someone who knew about the formation and moved. First, they had to go outside and assess the situation.
The old man hastily rose from his seat and moved.
He practically half-ran towards the entrance. The incoming passage looked like it had multiple entrances, but in reality, there was only one.
Even the old man didn't know that path well.
"It's on the left."
Those who knew were very few. The old man moved according to their words.
Just as he was heading towards the correct entrance.
"From here, to the right...."
"...Wait."
Covering the man's mouth, the old man stopped.
"...Stop."
"Yes..."
The man wore a puzzled expression, but the old man was only looking ahead. While even sweating cold sweat.
"Elder...?"
"Who is it."
The old man asked ahead. Then, someone approached from the front.
Only then could the man feel it.
"Urk!?"
The immense killing intent piercing in.
Footsteps were heard beyond the darkness filling the entrance. Just as the silhouette gradually became visible.
Something could be seen in the darkness. A blue light was wavering in the air.
It didn't take long to realize that the light was a pair of eyes.
"You are...?"
The old man's eyes widened as he confirmed the person who appeared.
"Seong...."
"I have something to ask."
The young man cut off the old man's words.
The man saw that and felt his body trembling increasingly.
The killing intent was one thing. But even excluding that, there was something else.
'...The, the eyes?'
The blue glint in his eyes gradually changed. The color was shifting.
The radiant yet cold blue eyes. Gradually changed, and eventually turned purple (紫色).
Seeing that, his breath hitched.
No thoughts came to mind. Only terror existed for the man.
Click. Click click click.
His teeth chattered rapidly and trembled out of control.
"I'm looking for someone.... Do you know anything?"
"Ha, someone?"
At those words, the old man puffed up his muscles with all his might.
Pushing back the killing intent, he erupted with energy.
"Do you know where you dare to...!"
Fully bulging muscles.
The man saw that and unconsciously felt relieved. The Elder was a martial artist who had reached the Transformation Realm.
So, no matter how strong that guy was, until reinforcements were called, time....
Thump.
"Huh?"
The man let out a short exclamation. The elder suddenly fell to one knee.
"Elder...?"
Wondering what suddenly happened. The elder didn't answer. He just collapsed to the floor.
Kuuung-! The massive body crumbled to the ground, and the man, seeing that, tried to approach the elder.
Thud. Something dropped in front of the man. Seeing that, the man screamed and tumbled backward.
"Hiiiek---!!!"
It was a heart. A heart that was still beating slightly.
Whose was it? Don't tell me?
The man looked at the old man again.
Blood flowed from the fallen elder's chest, soaking the floor.
"E-E-Elder."
Crunch-! A foot stomped on the heart and burst it. Blood splattered on the man's cheek.
"You don't seem to have heard me, so I'll ask again."
Swipe. Fingers grabbed the man's jaw and forced it up.
Their gazes met.
"I'm looking for someone. Do you know anything?"
The hand holding his jaw felt damp.
It was the old man's blood.