Chapter 36
Chapter 36
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: Advent of the Gale Blade
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Comparing Gwiyeong and Yonggak's martial prowess, the outlook was quite grim.
In terms of experience, pure skill and strength, and even technical ability.
In every aspect, Gwiyeong could not defeat Yonggak.
Her youth might offer more flexible thinking, but that hardly mattered when the gap in their skills was this wide.
And this became starkly clear when Gwiyeong's blade energy clashed with Yonggak's sword energy.
*Clang!*
The sound of blades meeting rang out fiercely.
"Urgh!"
The two energies tore at each other ferociously.
But Gwiyeong's energy was quickly pushed back.
Having somewhat anticipated this, Gwiyeong swiftly retreated, disengaging.
It was clear she couldn't win by stubbornly continuing the clash.
"Running away already?"
Yonggak, the leader of the Black Dragon Society, let out a sneer and slowly pursued Gwiyeong.
His steps were a mixture of leisure and arrogance.
It was as if an adult were playing with a child.
Despite their leader having started the fight, the warriors of the Black Dragon Society did not step forward.
Normally, an attack from the leader was the signal for war, so this was a rather strange situation.
As this subtle atmosphere continued, the Black Ghost Guild members couldn't act rashly either.
They glanced at Gwiyeong, deciding to wait for her command.
The reason the Black Dragon Society warriors remained still was that their leader had told them not to fight.
He had brought his subordinates simply to block the gate and prevent anyone from escaping.
Unaware of this, Gwiyeong focused all her attention on her fight with Yonggak.
'That Black Dragon Sword he's using seems much inferior to my Gale Blade, but it's still an excellent weapon. It won't be broken easily.'
Just as she thought, the Black Dragon Sword was a finely crafted weapon. Its materials were among the best money could buy, and the blacksmith who forged it was a renowned artisan in the Central Plains.
Therefore, it was a bit too much for Gwiyeong to rely solely on the Gale Blade to push through.
'Damn it.'
Gwiyeong cursed inwardly at the frustrating situation.
Martial artists can roughly gauge the difference in their skills after the first exchange.
This becomes clearer as one's skill level increases, and to Gwiyeong, who had just reached the initial stage of the Transcendent Realm, a one-on-one fight against Yonggak seemed hopeless.
Nevertheless, she gripped the Gale Blade tightly and raised it.
*Shwaaaaa—*
This time, unlike before, she infused her powerful energy into the Gale Blade, creating a vivid blue 'blade aura'.
It mixed with the Gale Blade's power, and a black and yellow energy crackled like electricity around it.
*Crackle—*
Seeing this, Yonggak smiled faintly and conjured a dark blue sword aura of his own.
Gwiyeong narrowed her eyes at the sight and spoke.
"...You use a truly dark energy. Did you learn demonic arts?"
"Well, everyone has their story. Your weapon looks quite similar."
The reason Yonggak, leader of the Black Dragon Society, used dark energy was simple.
The internal energy cultivation technique he had mastered was a demonic art primarily used by the Heavenly Demon Cult.
The more one trained, the darker the color of their internal energy became.
Furthermore, internal energy techniques based on demonic arts allowed for relatively rapid advancement, up to the point of Demonic Corruption.
This was why the talented Yonggak was able to become a Black Heavenly Apostle.
Gwiyeong corrected her stance and prepared her 'Ghostly Shadow Soul-Chasing Blade'.
It was a martial art she had developed herself, its name meaning 'the ghost's shadow chases and clings to the soul'.
*Shwoooooo—*
Her shadow began to emit black smoke, radiating an ominous aura.
"Hmm, it seems you're planning something."
Watching her, Yonggak raised his Black Dragon Sword and prepared to defend.
"Let's see what you've got."
Afterward, Gwiyeong's form blurred, a cloud of black smoke at her back.
A deep darkness fell over the area, as if a candle had been extinguished.
Masters at the Transcendent Realm and above could influence their surroundings merely by spreading their energy.
"Hoh, a curious martial art. I wonder how you'll come at me."
Yonggak chuckled and deployed a spherical barrier of energy around his body.
Enemies who concealed their presence in such darkness always attacked from outside one's field of vision.
Gwiyeong's subordinates and the Black Dragon Society warriors watching this were quite bewildered.
"It suddenly got dark. What is this...?"
"Is this the power of that Black Ghost Guild Leader?"
While everyone's nerves were on edge, Gwiyeong's blade struck Yonggak's energy barrier at high speed.
*Kraaaang!*
Yonggak quickly turned his head in the direction of the attack and swung his sword.
*Fwoosh!*
But there was no one there.
"..."
Judging by the large crack that had formed on the barrier where it was struck, Gwiyeong had clearly been there.
Just then, his barrier was attacked again, this time from behind.
*Kraaaang!*
*Fwoosh!*
He swung his sword even faster than before, but once again, his blade only cut through empty air.
*Kraaaang!*
*Fwoosh!*
He missed again.
His energy barrier was on the verge of shattering after just three attacks.
"Kukuk, you're quite entertaining."
His blood boiling for the first time in a while, Yonggak decided to fight with all his might.
"My apologies. I came into this fight thinking only of capturing you alive, but from now on, I will acknowledge you as a master and fight you accordingly."
As he finished speaking, Gwiyeong's Gale Blade descended vertically upon his head.
*Kraaaang!*
*Crack!*
The energy barrier shattered and split, and the destructive edge of the Gale Blade shot toward Yonggak.
Just as it was about to connect, an immense amount of energy erupted from his body.
*Kwoaaaaah—*
As the dark energy exploded in all directions, Gwiyeong was thrown back by the force.
"Urgh!"
Exposed to the sudden release of energy, she suffered a slight internal injury.
It wasn't a major burden for now, but if it accumulated, it would surely lead to severe damage.
Thus, she retreated a great distance to escape the range of Yonggak's spreading dark energy.
A moment later, having driven out all of Gwiyeong's dark energy from the surroundings, Yonggak stared at the black smoke in the distance with blackened eyes and spoke.
"I'll show you why I'm called the Black Dragon Sword."
*Thud!*
He stomped his foot hard, and another black wave pulsed out from around him.
The wave was too wide and fast to avoid, and Gwiyeong was exposed to it directly.
*Diiiing—*
The moment the wave touched Gwiyeong's body, Yonggak whipped his head around, his gaze locking onto her hidden form in the darkness.
"So there you are."
*Shwaaaaa—*
The dark energy surged and imbued itself into Yonggak's sword.
He then plunged the Black Dragon Sword into the ground and cupped his hands like a dragon's claws, assuming a strange stance.
Seeing this, Gwiyeong hid herself in the darkness again, but having been exposed to the wave, she could no longer escape Yonggak's sight.
"Dark Shadow Soul-Seizing Formation."
As he deployed the formation, a geometric pattern was swiftly carved into the ground.
Its range was vast enough to cover the entire main hall of the Black Ghost Guild.
Exposed to the formation, Gwiyeong instantly felt her body grow heavy.
'Ugh, it feels like my whole body is being crushed. For a formation projected over such a wide area to have this much power... did he distort space itself?'
Contrary to Gwiyeong's analysis, Yonggak's "formation" was actually just his sword energy scattered about.
Anyone who entered the pattern would experience confusion in their vision and breathing, making them feel as if their body had grown heavy. Unlike a real formation, it was a crude application of overwhelming force, which was why it could effectively deliver its power over such a large area.
But he shamelessly called his technique a formation to confuse his enemy.
"Now that you've stepped into my domain, you can't leave without my permission."
With Gwiyeong's position revealed and her movements slowed, he swung the Black Dragon Sword, firing projectiles of energy.
"Black Scale Strike!!"
As he swung his sword, he shot out dozens of powerful energy fragments like flicked projectiles.
*Pabebabababak—*
Each projectile was small and thin, but they attacked swiftly and over a wide area. Furthermore, once they embedded themselves in a body, their energy would linger and inflict continuous damage, making it an extremely tricky technique to deal with.
The black, scale-shaped energy projectiles flew toward Gwiyeong at incredible speed.
Judging it impossible to move quickly enough to dodge due to her heavy body, Gwiyeong hastily deployed a blade membrane to block them.
The moment it was barely complete, countless black scales embedded themselves in her blade membrane.
Seeing this, Yonggak let out a sneer and said.
"It's too early to feel relieved."
Just as he said, the black scales, still embedded in the membrane, began to spray dark energy in all directions.
The blade membrane, now corroded and darkened as if rotting, started to crumble.
Seeing this, Gwiyeong quickly dodged to the side.
Immediately after, the black scales that had shattered the membrane embedded themselves like thorns in the spot she had just vacated.
*Pabak!*
The ground where they struck also became contaminated as the dark energy seeped in.
'...If I let even one of those attacks hit me, I'll be in real danger.'
It wasn't for nothing that he was called a Black Heavenly Apostle of the Heretic Alliance.
As Gwiyeong caught her breath in the darkness, Yonggak, who had been watching, leaped forward to attack.
"Did you think I'd let you rest so comfortably?!"
Gwiyeong prepared to counter the rapidly approaching Yonggak by infusing the Gale Blade with her powerful energy.
*Kiiiiing—*
Infused with immense energy, the Gale Blade once again wrapped itself in the black and yellow light that flowed like an electric current.
*Crackle—*
Gwiyeong waited for the right moment to counterattack. When the rapidly advancing Yonggak entered her attack range, she boldly swung the Gale Blade.
*Paaaaaaat!*
"Life-Ending Single Strike!"
It was one of her blade techniques, swung with the resolve to annihilate the enemy in a single blow.
With its rather long casting time and lack of a follow-up attack, it could be called a gamble.
If it succeeded, she could kill the enemy in one strike, but if it failed, she would be left paralyzed, unable to attack or defend, completely exposed to a counterattack.
The Gale Blade, cleaving through the air, flew toward Yonggak, brimming with immense energy.
But it was only for a moment.
Yonggak twisted his body bizarrely, evading the Gale Blade's trajectory.
*Fwoooosh!*
A tremendous amount of powerful energy spread out along the trajectory, cutting through the empty air.
Her blade aura, extending high into the air, reached the point where it exploded the bodies of birds flying in the sky.
*Splat! Splat! Splat!*
Blood burst and rained down from the sky.
Stunned that her attack had missed, Gwiyeong's eyes widened as she stared at Yonggak.
He was smiling.
"Khahaha! You possess truly incredible power! Despite being a similar age to my disciples, you're beyond comparison! I, Yonggak, leader of the Black Dragon Society, acknowledge you!"
Yonggak spoke with a laugh, genuinely amused.
He then imbued his Black Dragon Sword with an inky energy and said.
"But you're still far too early to face me! This is the end. Eight Strikes of the Dragon Body!"
He executed eight sword strikes along hard-to-block paths, coiling his body like a real dragon.
Eight swiftly formed energy projectiles shot toward Gwiyeong, and her face contorted.
"...Damn it."
Her body was stiff from the aftereffects of the Life-Ending Single Strike, so she couldn't react immediately.
Just as she was trapped and on the verge of defeat, the Gale Blade spoke.
[Give me all of your remaining energy.]
"...What?"
[Quickly. There's no time. Do you intend to be defeated by him like this?]
"You, what are you scheming? Don't tell me you plan to take over my body in this moment..."
[If you can't trust me, then there's only one fate left for you. Do you want to bear that bastard's child?]
Hearing those words, a chill ran down Gwiyeong's spine.
Giving all her remaining energy to the Gale Blade was an extremely risky move.
She didn't know its scheme, and even if she gave it all her energy, she had no idea what it intended to do.
However, she had no choice.
So, she squeezed her eyes shut and poured all her remaining energy into the Gale Blade.
"If you're deceiving me, I swear I won't let you get away with it!"
Having absorbed all of Gwiyeong's immense energy at once, the Gale Blade's blood-red eyes began to glow.
*Kiiiiing—*
Realizing something was amiss, Yonggak narrowed his eyes, studied the Gale Blade, then halted his attack and retreated.
'A final, desperate struggle? To pour all her remaining internal energy into her weapon.'
Light burst from the blade of the increasingly overheating Gale Blade, and blood-red smoke billowed up.
*Pwoooosh!*
The rising blood-red smoke quickly began to consume the surroundings.
Yonggak frowned and shot out a blade wind, trying to drive the smoke away.
But when he saw the dispersed smoke quickly fill the space again, he realized it was useless.
Calmly analyzing the situation, he grew suspicious.
'...The smoke doesn't seem to have any poison or offensive intent. Is she using it to escape? But my men are guarding the main gate, so that would be pointless.'
Just as he was thinking that.
[Hey, you arrogant bastard.]
Yonggak quickly looked toward the source of the voice.
"Who's there?"
It was a bizarre and sinister voice, so he grew slightly tense and peered through the smoke.
There, wearing a black wolf mask and exuding a ghastly aura with glowing blood-red eyes, a certain being was glaring at Yonggak.
[Your time for messing around with your pathetic skills is over. Now, prepare to die.]