Swaek! Pa-pa-pa-pa-pat!
At that moment, sharp hidden weapons suddenly poured incessantly toward Myo Cheonwoo.
As soon as he revealed himself, another hidden assassin used a trap mechanism installed within the forest. Myo Cheonwoo, standing in the middle of the woods, evaded the attacks that poured down like a torrential rain.
Eventually, he began to strike down the oncoming attacks one by one with the longsword he held.
"..."
Before long, Myo Cheonwoo let out a short groan. The hidden weapons pouring down like rain showed no signs of diminishing, and the force contained within them was formidable. If things continued like this, he would eventually be pierced by the weapons and turned into a hedgehog.
Ttang!
At that moment, the blade of the longsword he was using to block the deluge of weapons shattered.
Pa-pa-papat!
Ultimately, struck by the hidden weapons pouring down like a swarm of bees, Myo Cheonwoo collapsed on the spot.
"Kuooh..."
Myo Cheonwoo quickly tried to stand up, but his body was already a wreck.
Ji-im.
Suddenly, a grayish-white shadow appeared before Myo Cheonwoo. It was a masked man wearing a shimmering assassin’s suit. He seemed to be the gatekeeper guarding this forest.
"What kind of lowly wretch are you to dare enter this sect at your own whim?"
He stared intently at the face of the gasping, blood-stained Myo Cheonwoo. However, because he was wearing a human-skin mask, his true face could not be recognized.
"You’re wearing a mask."
He realized at a glance that a mask was being used and tilted his head.
"Why did you infiltrate this sect?"
"You guys who live off contracts sure ask a lot of questions."
Myo Cheonwoo spoke while struggling to lift his broken sword again, gasping for breath.
"Stop talking and come at me."
"With that sword?"
The sword was snapped in two, and his right shoulder hung limply as if it were dislocated. He couldn't afford to leisurely pop the shoulder back into place, either. If he did, the masked man would strike immediately.
"Your fighting spirit is impressive," the masked man said with eyes full of ridicule. "I shall skin you alive until you tell me why you came here."
"Don't make me laugh."
Myo Cheonwoo lunged feebly, forcing his limp right arm to swing. Just as the masked man snorted and was about to reach out his hand—
Kwa-ong!
Suddenly, a radiance that dyed the entire world silver poured out before his eyes.
Myeong!
With the sound of leather bursting, the masked man collapsed flat onto the ground. Judging by how he couldn't move at all, it seemed every bone in his body was broken.
"What... is this?"
As the masked man asked while gasping, unable even to lift his head, Myo Cheonwoo smirked.
"Actually, my specialty is palm techniques."
One could use a lie to force an enemy to reveal their presence once. But one cannot deceive them a second time with the same method. Therefore, from the moment he entered this place, in order to create a moment where he could deliver a decisive blow, Myo Cheonwoo had deliberately worn the swords of the dead assassins.
By constantly obsessing over the sword and wielding it, the assassins naturally thought he was a master who specialized in sword techniques.
It was a trap that exploited human psychology; no matter how brilliant one's intellect, they could not help but be mistaken about his specialty.
As the man drew his last breath, the entrance of the forest, which had been entangled with closed branches, opened again. Then, the figures of Bu Eunseol and his comrades appeared in the distance.
U-duk.
Myo Cheonwoo, who had popped his dislocated shoulder back in, walked toward the open entrance with a smile.
"I’ve finished everything."
Pu-shut!
At that moment, blood suddenly sprayed from behind Myo Cheonwoo’s back.
Ji-im.
In that instant, a faint shadow formed beside Myo Cheonwoo, and a masked man with a large hole in his neck collapsed to the ground.
Chiiii.
White smoke rose from the finger of the approaching Bu Eunseol. He had unleashed a rapid finger strike concentrated with Ban-Geuk Method energy.
"The enemy always aims for the moment your heart relaxes."
Bu Eunseol spoke with a solemn expression.
As it turned out, there were a total of three masked men hiding in the forest to defend it. When the second assassin died, they had moved the mechanical devices of the forest to open the gate as if everything were over.
Anyone would think the situation had concluded at that point and relax their tension. They had captured that exact moment to deliver a decisive, unavoidable blow.
However, as soon as the entrance opened, Bu Eunseol had instantly detected the presence of the hidden assassin and pierced the killer's neck by firing his internal energy.
"You are not the only one who uses tactics to deceive the enemy."
Bu Eunseol spoke calmly while looking at Myo Cheonwoo.
"You must always keep in mind that among the enemy, there may be those who can perfectly suppress their vital signs and employ deceptive tactics."
Myo Cheonwoo nodded.
Thanks to this training, he was now proficient in using schemes to trick or deceive the enemy. However, there was one thing he had been mistaken about: the idea that he was the only one skilled in deception. The enemy could naturally do the same and might even deploy superior tactics.
Bu Eunseol walked past the dazed Myo Cheonwoo with an indifferent air. Seo Jinha passed by as well, lightly patting Myo Cheonwoo on the shoulder.
"You still did well."
Then, Do Cheonlin made a snorting sound as he passed him.
"The finish was clumsy."
He tossed out a single remark.
"It was always like that back in Hell Island, too."
Instantly, Myo Cheonwoo’s face contorted.
"What did you say?"
First with Yoo Unryong, and now this? He had been acting all high and mighty, giving nothing but nitpicks for a while now.
"You've said enough!"
Myo Cheonwoo rolled up his sleeves and ran forward, but Do Cheonlin only let out a cold sigh and didn't even give him a glance.
"Patient, be patient," Yoo Unryong said, holding him back. Myo Cheonwoo clenched his teeth so hard his gums showed.
Regardless, Do Cheonlin continued to walk calmly, cradling the Demon-Killer Sword in his arms.
‘Just you wait, Do Cheonlin.’
Myo Cheonwoo ground his teeth as he exited the forest. Once they passed through the woods, the landscape appearing to be the main base of the Hundred Swords Sect finally revealed itself.
Looking down from above, the buildings spread out like a giant blood-colored spider web, with sheer cliffs and a massive canyon serving as natural walls surrounding the Hundred Swords Sect. In the center stood a towering, dark-red pavilion that seemed to pierce the sky.
It was the Hundred Sword Pavilion, where the Sect Leader resided.
"That’s the place."
Seo Jinha clenched his fists.
The villainous thief who had used his father as bait to break through the encirclement of martial artists and then vanished suddenly with the Asura Sword—Yeop Jeok-hwa was hiding there.
U-ru-ru.
However, large shadows began to appear one by one between the web-like buildings. They possessed a powerful aura incomparable to those who had appeared so far, and they wore red clothes and blood-swords that looked as if they might drip blood at any moment.
They were the swordsmen of the Hundred Swords Sect.
Ku-ong.
Simultaneously, the path to exit was blocked. All gateways of the Hundred Swords Sect were designed such that the retreat would be cut off, ensuring the enemy could never escape the interior.
"I’ll handle it this time."
Do Cheonlin stepped forward with confidence. Through this training, he had entered a stable Supreme Heavenly Realm and had become stronger both physically and mentally. He intended to verify that now.
"No."
Bu Eunseol shook his head.
"They are not ordinary martial artists; they are those who have received a strange Great Law."
As if to prove his words, the pupils of the slowly approaching martial artists were turning white. They were likely the core strength of the Hundred Swords Sect—swordsmen who had refined a unique Great Law and sword style.
"It doesn't matter what they are."
Do Cheonlin spoke calmly and drew the Demon-Killer Sword with a sreung sound. He took a dignified stance in front of the swarming swordsmen.
Hwi-iiii-ng.
Even though he had merely taken a stance, a mysterious energy spread out. The Blood-Dyed blade stance—it was the supreme defensive form of the martial world created by Do Cheonlin, capable of blocking an enemy's attack with just the aura flowing through the blade and immediately counterattacking.
"Come at me."
Do Cheonlin laughed coldly as he watched the rushing martial artists.
"Unless you lot have reached the Limitless Realm and can unfold Infinite Reversal Power, my blade stance will never—"
His expression froze mid-sentence. The swordsmen, who had numbered only a few dozen, had suddenly increased to several hundred.
U-ru-ru-ru.
They rushed incessantly at Do Cheonlin, who was holding his Blood-Dyed Blade Stance, unfolding a brutal sword style. As they swarmed like bees and attacked all at once, his stance finally began to crumble. Judging by the power of the sword style, they had not only surpassed the Peak Stage but their internal energy also seemed to exceed three cycles.
‘To this extent?’
The reason the Hundred Swords Sect had been able to maintain its existence as a government organization without revealing itself to the martial world was that it was a very small-scale faction.
Yet they possessed such terrifying military strength?
A short groan escaped Do Cheonlin’s lips. Those swordsmen were not unfolding their sword styles haphazardly; they were performing highly sophisticated coordinated attacks.
"The Leader of the Mercenary Corps will be changing soon," Yoo Unryong remarked. "After he jumped into the enemy camp alone without knowing his place."
Myo Cheonwoo quickly chimed in.
"What’s with that cowering turtle stance?"
He raised his voice, channeling his internal energy.
"Seeing that blade stance being unfolded so clumsily, he’s going to get beaten to death. It would be better to just be sliced cleanly by a blade."
Do Cheonlin couldn't even think of retorting despite hearing the ridicule of the two. A strange sensation felt in his mind, and a wave of nausea washed over him as if he had swallowed poison.
‘Was it a formation that triggers a Mind World?’
As it turned out, the reason the Hundred Swords Sect swordsmen appeared to number in the hundreds wasn't that they actually had that many troops. Like the masters of the Death Shadow Corps, they had been trained to unfold a Mind World.
‘Indeed, if it were a sect with hundreds of Transcendental Realm swordsmen, there’s no way they’d be stuck in a remote valley...’
Realizing the situation, Do Cheonlin released the blade stance and began to launch a direct attack, swinging the Demon-Killer Sword. While the Blood-Dyed blade stance could block any physical attack and counter, it could not block mental attacks.
Kwa-ak! Pu-shut!
They pressured him while maintaining the formation, but Do Cheonlin did not back down and bravely faced the swordsmen. However, they were executing perfect coordinated strikes in unison, and the power and momentum of their sword intent were formidable. Eventually, as time passed, Do Cheonlin’s body began to be covered in wounds.
‘Damn it.’
Do Cheonlin let out a frustrated sigh inwardly. If he were to suffer a pathetic defeat like this? Myo Cheonwoo and Yoo Unryong would tease him about today until they died of old age.
‘I’d rather die than let that happen.’
Hwa-ru-ru.
Intense heat radiated from Do Cheonlin’s body. He would rather bite his own blade than collapse in a place like this.
Watching from afar, Bu Eunseol let out a groan. No matter how high Do Cheonlin’s martial arts were, it was impossible to face that many elite swordsmen alone while trapped in a Mind World.
"Go help him," Bu Eunseol said calmly, turning his head. "He might actually die at this rate."
Then, Yoo Unryong shook his head.
"No, he can do it. Even if his weapon breaks, he’ll be able to unfold sharp martial arts with that sharp tongue of his."
Myo Cheonwoo added to that.
"Right. Knowing Do Cheonlin, even if he dies, he’ll become a ghost to cut those guys down. His pride is just that damn strong."
Since the two only ridiculed him and showed no signs of helping, Seo Jinha had no choice but to step forward.
"Ha-ap!"
Seo Jinha spread his arms and dispersed the poison arts of the Hell's Blood Fortress. In a one-versus-many situation like this, nothing was as effective as poison arts.
Stagger.
Even though they were swordsmen of the Hundred Swords Sect who had resistance to poison, they could not help but slowly collapse when exposed to the poison of the Hell's Blood Fortress, which was concentrated enough to not only act immediately on the nervous system but also break down that very resistance.
"Seo Jinha... that guy has no tact, does he?"
Just as Myo Cheonwoo was glaring and about to criticize him, another hundred swordsmen suddenly poured out from further inside. Clad in armor and holding swords drenched in poison, they did not form a Mind World formation but instead attacked Do Cheonlin and Seo Jinha using a unique unorthodox sword art.
"Are you just going to keep watching?"
At Bu Eunseol’s words as he looked at the struggling Seo Jinha and Do Cheonlin, Myo Cheonwoo and Yoo Unryong clenched their teeth with extremely indignant faces.
"We’re going!"
They joined in and began to attack the martial artists of the Hundred Swords Sect. When the four combined their strength, the power reached a level that could split the heavens and earth and even distort space. Finally, they were able to easily suppress the swordsmen of the Hundred Swords Sect.
"There’s no need to waste strength here," Bu Eunseol said, approaching where Seo Jinha was. "Let us move forward."
"But..."
Seo Jinha furrowed his brows.
He didn't know what kind of Great Law the Hundred Swords Sect swordsmen had received, but they wouldn't fall even from most attacks. Furthermore, just as it seemed they had defeated them all, more troops poured out incessantly from within.
"It’s fine," Bu Eunseol said dismissively. "If it’s those guys..."
"Umm."
Seo Jinha looked worriedly at Do Cheonlin and the others who were fighting entangled with the enemies. At first, their coordination was a mess, and they even fired energy or barriers into each other’s faces, but before long, they were fighting a desperate battle back-to-back.
Unconsciously tracing a faint smile on his lips, Seo Jinha nodded.
"Understood."
While they were fighting, Bu Eunseol and Seo Jinha headed toward the Hundred Sword Pavilion where Yeop Jeok-hwa stayed. As they entered the pavilion, even more troops poured out than those outside. These men had apparently been granted an even more powerful Great Law, as the power of their sword arts and the sturdiness of their bodies were on a level incomparable to the swordsmen outside.
Their numbers reached several hundred. Moreover, since each one of them possessed the skill of the Transcendental Realm due to the strange Great Law, it was a military force equivalent to several sects combined. Ordinarily, this would be an impassable level, but for Bu Eunseol, it posed no threat at all.
"I’ll help too—"
Just as Seo Jinha, having drawn the sword at his waist, was about to step forward with determination—
Flash!
A brilliant light that seemed to dye the whole world white exploded forward. Simultaneously, the hundred or so swordsmen positioned in front, and even the strands of Seo Jinha’s hair as he was about to run out, vanished instantly as if they had melted away.
Chiiii.
Seo Jinha, staring at his hair from which white smoke was rising, widened his eyes. Hadn't he almost died without even getting his revenge, his bones not even being found?
"...You could have at least said something before unfolding that."
"I’m sorry."
Bu Eunseol calmly sheathed the heated Silent Tiger Soul Sword.
Since Harmony was effectively a power close to Infinite Reversal Power, it could not be blocked by general martial arts unless one was a master of the Limitless Realm or deployed a Mind World.
‘Terrifying.’
Only then did Seo Jinha realize why Bu Eunseol had restrained himself from unfolding his martial arts in front of them even while they were training together.
‘Because their motivation would have vanished.’
Myo Cheonwoo, Yoo Unryong, and Do Cheonlin had currently entered the Supreme Heavenly Realm and were doing their best to achieve great progress.
But if they were to see Bu Eunseol unfolding his martial arts?
They would have lost their will to fight in an instant.
Even after that, powerful martial artists and troops attacked incessantly, but they were no threat. To put it exaggeratedly, they just fell over whenever Bu Eunseol swung his sword.
Seo Jinha felt strange as he headed into the depths of the Hundred Sword Pavilion behind such a man.
‘It feels like a martial artist going to punish some back-alley thugs.’
Originally, this was a solemn path where he was going to face Yeop Jeok-hwa by risking his life. But going with Bu Eunseol, the solemnity vanished, and it felt more like going to bully a child.
Flash! Kwa-ang! Pa-pa-pa!
Flashes of light and explosions erupted every time Bu Eunseol unfolded his sword arts. He was merely performing his sword techniques as usual. However, since the ones he usually faced were the ultimate powerhouses who looked down upon the martial world, no one in the Hundred Swords Sect could properly block his sword moves. And when they were grazed by a sword strike, their bodies weren't just cut; they were literally shattered.
"Go... go a bit easy on them."
Seo Jinha sighed as he looked at the corpses strewn everywhere. Now, he almost felt sorry for the martial artists of the Hundred Sword Pavilion.
"What sin did the low-level kids commit for you to slice them up like sashimi?"
"They’re the type who would only take useless contracts even if they survived," Bu Eunseol said firmly. "It would be more helpful for them to just not exist in this world."
Before they knew it, they stood before the entrance to the Great Hall of the Hundred Sword Pavilion where Yeop Jeok-hwa resided.
"We’re here."
Bu Eunseol nodded to Seo Jinha.
"Go in."
All that remained now was the revenge Seo Jinha had waited a long time for. This time was entirely his to use, and it was something that must never be interfered with.
"Yeah."
Seo Jinha opened the large doors of the Great Hall.
Kiii-ik.
A vast and dark hall appeared, and a shadow dressed in red was sitting on a grand chair. He had a goatee and eyes that were extremely cruel.
It was the Hundred Swords Sect Leader, Yeop Jeok-hwa.
"I cannot understand this."
Yeop Jeok-hwa frowned as he looked at Seo Jinha, who had entered alone.
"What exactly are you, you wretch?"
Zzz-it.
Seo Jinha tore off his human-skin mask.
His original features were revealed.
Yeop Jeok-hwa, who had been staring at his face for a long time, furrowed his brows.
"You are..."
Since Seo Jinha had become a member of the elite squad of Majeon after being in the Ten Demon Halls, and had served as Bu Eunseol’s shadow ever since, his face was entirely unknown to the martial world.
"...Who are you?"
Ultimately, he failed to recognize Seo Jinha’s face.
"Yeop Jeok-hwa."
A pure white radiance flickered in Seo Jinha’s eyes.
"You remember what happened ten years ago in Donglim Village, don’t you?"
"Donglim Village?"
Yeop Jeok-hwa’s expression turned bizarre. After thinking for a while, he looked closely at the shape of Seo Jinha’s eyes.
"Could it be... are you the son of that second-rate swordsman who ran a martial arts hall in Jeongju?"
Sparks flew from Seo Jinha’s eyes.
"You don’t even know the name of the benefactor who saved you?"
"Can you remember them?"
Instead, Yeop Jeok-hwa wore a sneer.
"The names of the second or third-rate martial artists you’ve killed or who have passed by you?"
"What?"
"Since you’ve become a powerhouse of that caliber yourself, shouldn't you know?"
Yeop Jeok-hwa laughed shamelessly.
"In the martial world, there is no one who remembers a second-rate martial artist who failed to make a name for himself."
Seo Jinha actually burst out laughing.
"Right. That’s why you’ve ended up like this."
"It’s actually the opposite."
Yeop Jeok-hwa sighed.
"I knew he had a son. But I wondered what the son of a second-rate swordsman could possibly do."
He shook his head.
"You’ve probably lived a long time craving revenge for your father’s death."
"But to me, it’s just a simple incident from over ten years ago that I barely even remember."
It was a sad but cold fact.
No one remembers the death of a second-rate swordsman. The existence known as Yeop Jeok-hwa had long been the dual identity of the Hundred Swords Sect Leader, who led a contract killing sect while hiding his powerful martial arts. Furthermore, he had reached an even more powerful level of martial prowess by taking possession of the Asura Sword, and then grew his sect to this extent by receiving support from the kin of the True Demon or the abyss forces.
As he was riding a wave of success like that—perhaps he might remember the names of the powerhouses who died under his blade—but he had never once given a thought to the death of Seo Muwoong, the second-rate swordsman who was beaten to death by martial artists trying to seize the Asura Sword over ten years ago.
Seu-reung.
Seo Jinha drew his sword without a word.
It was the sorrow of the martial world.
Nameless martial artists die in countless numbers every day. But there is no one to remember them. Martial artists who fail to make a name for themselves do not even have space to remain in people’s memories.
"It doesn't matter whether you remember my late father or not," Seo Jinha said calmly. "Just prepare to offer up your neck."
"I suppose I have no choice."
Sreung.
Yeop Jeok-hwa also drew his sword.
It was the treasure of the martial world he had obtained ten years ago and the Asura Sword his father had wanted so much. The Asura Sword, which flickered with a sinister radiance, could not only cut through anything but also contained a profound sword manual that could sense killing intent and allow one to look down upon the martial world.
But in Seo Jinha’s eyes, it appeared only as a cursed hunk of iron with countless ghosts of martial artists clinging to it.
"Yeop Jeok-hwa. Your mistake wasn't killing my father."
Seo Jinha muttered lowly as he looked at Yeop Jeok-hwa holding the Asura Sword.
"From your perspective, you thought he was just a figure passing through the martial world."
A blood-light deeper than actual blood rose in his eyes as he gripped his sword.
"What you didn't know was that to someone else, he was that person’s entire world!"
The battle between the two was fierce. Yeop Jeok-hwa had obtained the profound sword manual of the Asura Sword that had been passed down for generations and had become a master who looked down upon the world with it. Conversely, what Seo Jinha had learned were the recently created, brilliantly developed martial arts of the current martial world.
The ancient sword arts passed down for generations. The new martial arts created to match the brilliantly advancing martial world.
Their clash continued for a long time, and a winner did not easily emerge. In the traditional sword arts that sustained the martial world, there was an unchanging solemnity, and in the newly created sword arts adapted to the times, there was wit and ingenuity.
Ultimately, what decided the victory was the difference in will.
One person unfolded his martial arts to kill the enemy even if he had to throw away his own life, and the other person unfolded his martial arts to defeat the son of a laughable martial artist he didn't even remember.
Cha-ang!
When the exchange of close-quarter moves continued, Seo Jinha poured out the broken sword shards he had embedded in his blood points. Although it wasn't the technique of a formal broken sword formation but rather something released like a hidden weapon, it was enough to create a momentary opening.
The moment Yeop Jeok-hwa tried to evade the attack, Seo Jinha unfolded the most orthodox single strike he had practiced. Thinking it was unavoidable, Yeop Jeok-hwa thrust out the Asura Sword for an immediate counterattack.
And the difference... was a mere inch.
Drip. Drip.
Blood flowed from both their bodies. Yeop Jeok-hwa’s Asura Sword was an inch away from Seo Jinha’s heart, while Seo Jinha’s iron sword was accurately pierced into the very center of Yeop Jeok-hwa’s heart.
And the technique that pierced that heart was the first move of the Cloud-Gathering Swordsmanship, a second-rate martial art passed down for generations: The White Rainbow Pierces the Sun.
"So it ends like this..."
Looking down at the sword stuck in his heart, Yeop Jeok-hwa shook his head.
"Because I didn't properly remove the root of the trouble, it became such a large spark and consumed me."
Kung.
In the end, Yeop Jeok-hwa collapsed with his head hitting the floor. But Seo Jinha’s gaze was fixed on the air.
His past life passed before his eyes like a revolving lantern.
His mother had died giving birth to him, and he was raised alone by his single father. Though his father was a second-rate swordsman who failed to make a name for himself, he had raised him with all his love, and thanks to that, Seo Jinha had been able to blossom his talent for martial arts.
"How many people would there be who have no regrets about their past lives?"
Ttang.
Seo Jinha placed the iron sword he was holding onto the floor. Now, the revenge was over. The sword held for himself ended with this.
From now on, he would only hold the sword for Bu Eunseol’s revenge.
Bu Eunseol, who had been watching Seo Jinha enter the Hundred Sword Pavilion, suddenly narrowed his eyes. A strange energy had brushed past the top of his head. It felt as if a demon crouching in the darkness were glaring at him.
‘Just what have they hidden here?’
Thinking about it carefully, it was truly strange.
The Hundred Swords Sect was not a faction well known in the martial world, nor did it have a powerful sphere of influence. But why did the abyss forces reach out to a place like this? To a mere sword sect that lived off contracts. Why did they invest such vast costs and manpower to create an impregnable fortress that masters of other sects wouldn't dare enter?
‘Geographical advantage.’
The only advantage of the Hundred Swords Sect was its geographical structure, which could be called a natural fortress. Located in a remote mountain valley, it was not easily accessible by anyone and was suitable for placing formations and traps.
In fact, the Hundred Swords Sect had used those to install strange gateways and traps that even an army of a hundred thousand could not enter.
‘If so.’
A strange thought flashed through Bu Eunseol’s mind. Those behind the Hundred Swords Sect ultimately wanted to possess a natural fortress where outsiders could not enter.
‘To hide something here.’
Closing his eyes, Bu Eunseol began to search every corner of the interior of the Hundred Swords Sect.
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