Chapter 37
Chapter 37
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: Advent of the Gale Blade (2)
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The Human-Faced Spider can mimic the face and voice of the prey it has devoured.
It can also exhale a mist that shows its enemies hallucinations of its victims.
Moreover, its immense strength is more than most masters can handle, making it a high-level demonic beast.
The Two-Headed Serpent is known to be a tricky opponent, as each of its heads uses a different type of venom. But its true power lies in its incredible speed.
It injects its lethal poison with a bite so fast it’s nearly invisible, leaving its victims unaware of when they were even bitten.
Thanks to the unique power of these beasts’ inner cores embedded within it, the Gale Blade was able to fully manifest its will. Combined with Gwiyeong's tremendous internal energy, it was able to take form, if only temporarily.
***
"…Who are you?"
Yonggak’s voice was menacing as he questioned the sudden intruder.
[Who I am is not important. What’s important is that today, you die by my hand.]
"How absurd. I don't know who you are, but you're making a grave mistake."
It was clearly nonsense.
How dare this stranger speak to him, the leader of the Black Dragon Society, a man on the verge of reaching the pinnacle of the Supreme Master realm?
Yonggak channeled a great amount of energy into his Black Dragon Sword and swung it with all his might, creating a powerful sword wind.
*Fwoooosh!*
The fierce gust of wind blew away much of the smoke that filled the area.
With the smoke cleared, the man’s figure became more distinct.
"You are…"
The upper part of his face was covered by a wolf mask, so he couldn't see the details, but it was certainly someone he had never seen before.
"A companion of the Lord of the Black Ghost Guild?"
[Well, nothing so grand as that. It would be more accurate to say we have a contractual relationship.]
Seeing this, Gwiyeong, despite being drained of all her energy, widened her eyes in sheer astonishment.
"You… you can't be… the Gale Blade?"
[Can't you tell by my voice? I've made good use of your power. I will repay your faith in me.]
"This… this can't be…"
The Gale Blade picked up an ordinary sword lying on the ground, then smirked and spoke.
[This feeling of holding a weapon. It's been a long time. I’m always the one being held in someone else’s hand.]
"So this is your true form… I thought you'd be incredibly eccentric and ugly…?"
Based on the Gale Blade’s conduct and speech, Gwiyeong had pictured him as a rugged mountain bandit.
But though a mask covered the upper half of his face, he had remarkably fine features, and just the curve of his lips suggested he was undoubtedly handsome.
A frenzied aura flowed from that handsome face, giving him an air of decadent beauty.
[Hmph, surprised I'm handsome? Try not to fall for me.]
"D-Don't be ridiculous!"
Although she answered reflexively, she honestly found his appearance to be exactly her type.
Having spent her life among rugged, unkempt men, Gwiyeong was quite taken with the Gale Blade's refined, handsome features.
Though her words were sharp, a strange feeling blossomed in a corner of her heart.
It was a peculiar sensation—wanting to resent him, wanting to grumble, wanting to talk to him more, yet wanting more of his attention.
Yonggak, who had been carefully assessing the situation, spoke slowly, his eyes slightly tense.
"What is your identity? Where did you suddenly appear from…?"
[You're about to die. Why so curious?]
"You… you bastard…!"
Yonggak, already flustered by the situation, was now insulted, and his emotions flared.
Facing him, the Gale Blade let out a smirk and thought to himself.
'I had my doubts, but I never expected the body to be formed with such high fidelity. Is this the power of the Human-Faced Spider's inner core? It feels like I'm playing a first-person game.'
The Gale Blade swung the sword around a few times before speaking.
[I was always trapped in some barbaric weapon, lamenting my fate. Breathing the outside air like this is quite refreshing.]
In his lore, the Gale Blade originated from the Mount Hua Sect.
As such, he pursued the extremes of the Swift Sword and the Illusory Sword.
However, his mind had become too corrupted to follow the subtleties of the Mount Hua Sect's swordsmanship.
He could no longer execute their techniques perfectly; even if he did, they would manifest in a heavily distorted form.
But it seemed the Gale Blade’s body already knew all too well what techniques it was capable of.
'How strange. I've never learned martial arts, yet I instinctively know what techniques I can use. It feels like skills in a game.'
Finishing his thought, the Gale Blade refocused on the situation, lifting his sword and resting it on his shoulder as he shouted at Yonggak.
[Hey, leader of the Black Dragon Society. What's a mere Supreme Master like you strutting around for?]
"…What?"
[You heard me. I'm asking why you're so arrogant and conceited about reaching the Supreme Master realm at your age. Is that something to be proud of?]
"Khahahahaha! You've lost your mind! How dare you act so insolently before me, the Black Dragon Sword! You will not have a peaceful death."
[I already failed to die peacefully. I've been a vengeful spirit for a long time.]
*Saaaaa.*
The Gale Blade lowered his stance, his red eyes gleaming.
An eerie, crimson-black smoke began to rise from his entire body.
Seeing this, Yonggak instantly realized something was amiss.
'This man is dangerous.'
At that moment, the Gale Blade infused his sword with a tremendous amount of energy, wreathing it in a black and red power that crackled like electricity.
*Crackle.*
Seeing this, the leader of the Black Dragon Society roared fiercely.
"I will make sure you—"
"Shut your mouth and raise your sword. The thing I hate most is a talkative bastard."
"You insolent—!"
In that instant, the Gale Blade's body moved like a flash of lightning, leaving afterimages as it shot forward.
*Fwoooosh!*
A surge of crimson-black energy rushed toward the leader of the Black Dragon Society.
Yonggak couldn't help but be shocked.
Because the Gale Blade was currently under the influence of the Dark Shadow Soul-Gathering Formation that he himself had cast.
'He's definitely within my formation. And yet he can move at such a speed?!'
But that thought was fleeting. Curiosity and intrigue began to overshadow the anger and bewilderment in Yonggak’s mind.
"…It seems an interesting one has appeared. Shall we see what you've got?"
*Craaaash!*
The Gale Blade's sword and Yonggak's Black Dragon Sword clashed, their energies colliding violently.
*Crackle.*
Just then, the Gale Blade's crimson-black current raged wildly, beginning to swallow Yonggak's energy.
"You use a strange technique. But it's crude. Black Dragon Soul-Capturing Slash!"
Yonggak poured even more internal energy into his Black Dragon Sword with greater force, and the crimson-black current's momentum instantly died down.
The surrounding air grew heavy, pressed down by Yonggak's internal energy.
*Wooooong!*
The Black Dragon Sword absorbed more and more internal energy, preparing a powerful strike named 'Black Dragon Soul-Capturing Slash'.
A slash that suppressed the opponent's spirit by crushing the surroundings with a fierce aura, momentarily freezing them before cleaving their very soul.
Those caught in this technique would feel an instinctive terror, as if their souls were being seized.
But the Gale Blade's expression didn't change in the slightest, as if he felt nothing at all.
Instead, he seemed intrigued that his own energy was being suppressed and prepared his next technique.
[Hoh, so you do know a thing or two about wielding a sword, eh? But what can you do? Your opponent is me.]
*Tap.*
The Gale Blade moved back, disengaging, and wrapped his entire body in a red aura.
The energy that usually sparked like electricity now felt remarkably static.
But Yonggak was surprised for a different reason.
"…How did you move? You were clearly within the range of the Black Dragon Soul-Capturing Slash. It should have been difficult to move so easily!"
His fierce internal energy had literally distorted the surroundings, making it so that those within the range would find their bodies unresponsive, as if their souls were trapped.
But the Gale Blade had moved as if it were nothing.
[Well, I guess I'm just too strong to be affected by your shabby technique.]
He said this, but in truth, the Gale Blade didn't know the exact reason either.
He had simply moved to create distance without a second thought, yet he was being asked how he could move.
"A shabby technique, you say? Don't be absurd. You must have used some kind of sorcery."
[Isn't it funny to hear that from a high-ranking member of the Heretic Faction?]
"Silence."
The reason the Gale Blade could move was actually simple.
His body was in a state completely different from that of an ordinary human.
Though it appeared human, his body was the result of immense internal energy combined with the special abilities of the Human-Faced Spider.
Its operating principles were fundamentally different from a human body.
[Now it's my turn.]
The Gale Blade spun around and swung his sword fiercely.
*Fwoooosh!*
His sword left an afterimage, and a crimson-black energy shot out rapidly.
Soon after, large, red flower buds sprouted along the path of his attack.
Surprised by this unfamiliar attack, the leader of the Black Dragon Society looked somewhat bewildered as he quickly deployed a sword defense.
Then, once they had fully matured, the crimson-black plum blossoms bloomed spectacularly.
Gwiyeong, watching this, was also captivated by their beauty.
Just then, the Gale Blade swung his sword once more, and the blooming flowers scattered their petals.
The petals, carried by the sword wind, flew toward Yonggak at high speed.
"What is this trick?"
Faced with a technique he had never seen before, and unable to predict what kind of attack would follow, Yonggak watched the petals with intense caution.
A moment later, he couldn't help but be utterly shocked.
"W-What is this—!"
Amidst the beautifully blooming plum blossom petals, a ferocious sword qi struck.
The petals touched by the sword qi exploded in a chain reaction, like a dust explosion.
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*
Each and every petal was a detonator containing a massive amount of internal energy.
The surroundings were engulfed in the explosions of the crimson-black flowers.
Yonggak, at the center of it all, grimaced as he struggled to maintain his sword defense.
"A technique like this… what in the world?"
Suddenly, Yonggak recalled the warriors of the Mount Hua Sect he had fought in the distant past.
The Taoist priests who had wielded cruel blades amidst spectacular illusory swords, making plum blossoms bloom.
"Don't tell me, the Mount Hua Sect?! Why is a Mount Hua Taoist here?!"
To his bewildered question, the Gale Blade replied with a twisted smile.
[There is no Mount Hua warrior here.]
Amidst the splendid and brutal explosion of plum blossom petals, the Gale Blade spoke, his red eyes burning.
[Do I look like a Taoist priest to you?]
The Gale Blade's appearance was like that of a vicious demon residing in a beautiful hell.