Chapter 246: Daoist Yin-Yang Manual[R-18] (76)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 246: Daoist Yin-Yang Manual[R-18] (76)
I had fucked Hwa Yeon-seol behind Namgung Hyeok's back, and now I was secretly teasing her right in front of him.
Completely oblivious, Namgung Hyeok was simply laughing and chatting affectionately with her.
He held her hand, smiled, met her eyes, and was even spouting serious nonsense like, "Your skin looks especially good today."
Beside me, Namgung So-ha watched them and scoffed at Namgung Hyeok.
"Wow, looking at it like this, I almost feel sorry for Namgung Hyeok."
"Really?"
"Of course I'm just kidding."
Just as I was trading jokes with Namgung So-ha, Seo Ryeo-hwa came up behind me.
"Seo-yun, something is wrong."
Her voice was low and composed, but it held the sharp senses unique to a master of the Transformation Realm.
Her abilities had grown even stronger through our multiple sessions of Yin-Yang Unity.
If someone like her felt that something was ‘wrong,’ it was no coincidence.
I immediately raised my gaze.
And in that moment, I felt a suffocating pressure of qi from the empty air.
The air stood still, and the wind ceased to blow, yet a heavy killing intent flowed down my spine.
Seo Ryeo-hwa must have sensed it too, for she immediately drew her sword and said, "Enemies."
"Sword Empress, what do you mean, enemies, all of a sudden—"
Hwangbo Yun never got to finish his sentence.
—Thump…!
In that instant, an explosive burst of qi erupted.
A crushing pressure washed over our entire party.
Hwangbo Yun collapsed to his knees, and the rest of my companions bit their lips and braced themselves against the ground.
Only Namgung Hyeok barely remained standing, but the sweat dripping from his forehead and his clenched jaw showed he was at his limit.
Amidst it all, Seo Ryeo-hwa and I silently gripped our swords, our eyes fixed on the forest beyond.
—Rustle…
The sound of parting leaves.
From within, a man slowly walked out.
He was dressed in a black robe, appearing as leisurely as if he were out for a stroll.
"Hoh… To think there’s another who can withstand it besides the Sword Empress. I didn’t expect this."
His gaze landed directly on me. He twisted his lips into a smirk and said, "So you're the Sword Empress's disciple, Jin Seo-yun."
Seo Ryeo-hwa stepped forward, her sword aimed.
"Identify yourself!"
The man slowly brought a hand out from under his robe. In it, he held a sword wrapped in black cloth.
He tilted the scabbard slightly, revealing the characters clearly engraved upon it.
Jet-Black Sword Unit.
"Son Baek-cheon, Commander of the Honcheonhoe's Jet-Black Sword Unit."
He took another step forward and chuckled softly.
"Those who know of me call me the ‘Guardian of White Lotus.’"
"Honcheonhoe…"
Seo Ryeo-hwa's eyes hardened.
I glanced at the pattern embroidered on his robe.
A black lotus, and beneath it, two crossed jet-black swords.
The crest of the Honcheonhoe, and the symbol of its most elite combat unit, the Jet-Black Sword Unit.
Just then, I heard Namgung So-ha's choked voice beside me.
"…No way… The Guardian of White Lotus?"
I turned my head.
"So-ha, do you know something?"
Her lips trembled as she answered.
"The White Lotus Cult… a sect that was wiped out a hundred years ago. According to the records, the last leader of the White Lotus Cult kept only one 'Guardian' by his side. A legendary… sole guardian sword."
"To think a young lady would know of me. I'm honored."
"So… what business does someone so fearsome have with us?"
Son Baek-cheon stared intently at Seo Ryeo-hwa before slowly shifting his gaze to me.
A strangely dense killing intent spread out. It was a real killing intent, one that seeped into my skin as if licking it.
"Wi Gwang… Did you kill him?"
"…"
"And—in that small village in Liaoning, was it you who interfered with our cult's ritual?"
That one sentence told me everything.
'He's here to execute us.'
I took a short breath and stared at Son Baek-cheon with cold eyes.
"…And if we didn't?"
He stated flatly, "You're lying."
—Shk.
The sword moved under his robe. The black-cloth-wrapped blade shifted its angle ever so slightly.
He took a slow step forward. With that single step, the ground trembled faintly.
"Anyone who obstructs the Path of Honcheon… shall be cut down."
At the same time, the surrounding forest stirred.
—Fwip…! Whoosh! Shwwww!
From the darkness, dozens of streams of sword aura and killing intent bloomed at once.
Black shadows revealed themselves.
Black robes, black lotus crests.
The Jet-Black Sword Unit.
One by one, they emerged from the forest, following Son Baek-cheon.
And they began to chant.
"In the name of Honcheon—
The black lotus shall bloom."
I let out a short breath, sensing the energy of each one of them.
'…The strongest is one Transformation Realm master. The weakest is at the Peak Level…'
This was enough force to wipe out a major clan or sect.
I glanced behind me.
Our side had varied strengths, but there were definitely weaker members.
The most vulnerable was Tang Ji-myeong.
He had just barely stepped into the First-Rate realm. In terms of pure skill, Seol-hee might be weaker, but she had talent, and thanks to our Yin-Yang Unity, her internal power was at the Peak Level. She just lacked the enlightenment to advance further.
I looked at Seo Ryeo-hwa and sent a quiet telepathic message.
[Master, what will you do?]
[I will take Son Baek-cheon.]
[Will you be alright?]
[Huhu. And who is worrying about whom?]
[If you're in danger, I'll intervene immediately.]
[Understood. In return, you will protect the others.]
As our short conversation ended, I watched Son Baek-cheon slowly unwrapping the cloth from his sword beyond her line of sight.
One of the Jet-Black Sword Unit members subtly lowered his stance.
His posture was low, but his momentum was soaring.
He slowly angled his scabbard, quietly perfecting the form for the first strike that was about to come.
I narrowed my eyes and thought to myself.
'The moment Seo Ryeo-hwa attacks… the pressure weighing down on the group will be released.'
Son Baek-cheon was deliberately applying pressure. Most of the group still couldn't move properly.
Suddenly, Son Baek-cheon's sword shot toward Seo Ryeo-hwa.
—Krrrrrng!
The cloth tore away, and a jet-black sword was revealed in the darkness. The moment their energies collided, the surrounding pressure exploded.
—CRACK!!
A storm erupted.
Dust rose, the ground split, and the very air twisted and tore at its center.
And in that instant—
"Hah…!"
Namgung So-ha gasped for breath.
Those who had been on their knees began to rise one by one.
At that moment, a man from the Jet-Black Sword Unit lowered his waist and lunged for Namgung So-ha.
I held the Flying Heaven Sword low, slid my left foot back, and angled the tip of the blade.
—SHIIING!
The trajectory of his sword scraped across the ground as he charged. I rotated slightly to the side and deflected his blade.
The Flying Heaven Sword precisely pressed down on the tip of his blade. Sword auras clashed, and the man's body staggered.
"…!"
He looked at me with shocked eyes.
"This is…!"
I let my sword flow downward in a smooth extension.
Simultaneously, the blade drove into his side below the waist and sliced through him. His body split apart as he died.
The surrounding members of the Jet-Black Sword Unit all turned their gazes to me.
"He's no ordinary foe. Stay sharp."
One of them said as he stepped past his fallen comrade's corpse, aiming the tip of his sword directly at me.
They are not swayed by emotion. They do not fear death, nor do they fall into rage.
They are machines that move only on orders and judgment.
But they had overlooked one thing.
'The fact that I've reached the Transformation Realm.'
I raised my sword again and took a light step forward.
In that instant.
—Clang!
One from the left.
Another from the right.
They charged almost simultaneously.
Both men adhered strictly to the fundamental angles of a pincer attack.
Their trajectories intertwined diagonally, a crisscrossing strike aimed at my knees and shoulders.
I lowered my center of gravity.
—CRASH!
The Flying Heaven Sword blocked the blade from the left.
After a short parry, I twisted my sword and deflected the strike from the right.
"Kuh…!"
The man on the left lost his balance and dropped to one knee.
The moment his sword failed to connect, he realized he had lost the initiative and instinctively shifted to a defensive stance.
But I didn't wait.
—Swish!
I spun my body, rotating into a precise thrust under his arm.
—Thwack!
The tip of my sword pierced his ribs, and his body was thrown backward, slamming into the ground.
Blood splattered. His presence vanished.
The rest of the Jet-Black Sword Unit, who had been watching, moved in unison.
This time, they didn't charge.
They crossed their swords, splitting to the left and right to form a precise encirclement.
From the very center, from the deepest position, a man walked out.
His steps were composed, different from the others. Without drawing his sword, he simply raised a hand and gave a command.
"That's enough."
The movements of the Jet-Black Sword Unit halted.
"You all deal with the ones in the back. This one… I will handle."
"Understood, Vice-Captain."
The flow of energy shifted instantly.
'A Transformation Realm master, just like me.'
He looked straight at me and drew his sword.
Shhh—
The heavy, grating sound of the blade leaving the scabbard. The sword force hidden within was slowly revealed.
"Who said you could pass?"
As I spoke, I swung my sword lightly.
—Swish!
It grazed the neck and shoulder of a Jet-Black Sword Unit member who was trying to pass me.
—THUD!
His body twisted and slammed into the ground. His neck was half-broken, and blood bloomed from his chest like a spring.
—Tap…
I spun my sword once and lightly gripped it again.
The Vice-Captain of the Jet-Black Sword Unit, who had witnessed the scene, let out a laugh. It was a quiet laugh, but it was clearly laced with killing intent.
"I see. You were in the Transformation Realm."
He slowly took a step forward. His footwork was perfectly aligned with his central axis.
There was no wavering.
"I'll ask for your name. That way, after I take your head… I can offer it to the Cult Leader."
I slowly lowered the tip of my sword and replied, "Jin Seo-yun. Disciple of the Sword Empress, Seo Ryeo-hwa."
"The Sword Empress's disciple… Interesting."
His sword cut through the air toward me. I raised the Flying Heaven Sword to meet his attack.
—CLANG!
A metallic ring echoed as a powerful shock traveled up my arm. His internal power was formidable. The Vice-Captain before me smirked.
"Jin Seo-yun… I'll remember that name."
"No need to remember it. You'll be dead soon anyway."
His expression hardened for a moment. The Vice-Captain took another step closer and held his sword horizontally.
"Arrogant bastard."
—FWOOSH!
His sword force erupted like an explosion. I raised the Flying Heaven Sword to cleave through the energy, but the impact forced me back a step.
He approached slowly, continuing to speak.
"Brat. Did you think all who step into the Transformation Realm are the same?"
At his words, I caught my breath and lowered my stance.
"…You're right about that. Now that I see you, I realize I'm on a higher level than you."
His lips twisted into a sneer again.
"My sword will shut that arrogant mouth of yours."
—Shik!
This time, it was a swift attack.
His sword, which had started as a single slash, instantly traced a triple trajectory as it flew toward me.
I twisted my sword and spun my body.
—Clang! Ching! CRASH!
Sword met sword, blade scraped against blade in a series of short, rapid collisions.