The Black Ghost Gate
Mount Wanse in Beijing was not particularly tall. It had never been a natural mountain to begin with; it was an artificial peak raised during the construction of the Forbidden City. Yet its modest height did not make it insignificant. On the contrary, because it had been shaped from the ground up by human hands, Mount Wanse possessed a uniqueness all its own.
In terms of spellcraft, Mount Wanse perfectly replicated the spiritual structure of a true sacred mountain. As a result, ordinary eyes could not easily perceive it, and spiritual energy gathered according to the formations laid down at its creation. That sacred, potent force was used to ensure the imperial family's longevity, to protect the Forbidden City, and to nurture martial artists. It explained why the imperial court possessed more masters than even the great orthodox sects that had claimed the realm's most famous spirit mountains.
But what if that same energy were twisted and turned to evil purposes?
Gwak Dan, Commander of the Jinyiwei, now had his answer.
"A vile demonic energy."
"Is that so?"
Atop Mount Wanse stood an unknown altar. Before it stood a young man clad in a kasaya. Gwak Dan clicked his tongue.
"You've rubbed me the wrong way from the start. I always knew you'd cause trouble one day."
"Then you should have acted sooner."
"Bold words, coming from a man who once desperately tried to bewitch the ministers and keep the Eastern Depot and the Jinyiwei in check. Lee Ja-ryong."
Gwak Dan made it clear he had no interest in further conversation. He drew his sword with deliberate slowness. At first glance he seemed unguarded, but that was an illusion. Anyone foolish enough to exploit the opening would find themselves caught in his sword pressure and decapitated before they could blink.
"This works out well. I've never cared for interrogations. I'll simply rip out your tongue right here."
"I wonder if you'll manage that."
The moment Lee Ja-ryong finished speaking, Gwak Dan's figure folded through space. In that fleeting instant, his sword became a streak of wind, slashing toward Lee Ja-ryong's carotid artery.
BOOM!
A tremendous crash echoed along the ridges of Mount Wanse. Gwak Dan emerged from the rising cloud of dust, flicking his wrist. He glanced down at his hand.
It didn't break.
The moment their weapons met, an enormous rebound had traveled up the blade. For a split second he had feared his wrist might snap.
A spell.
What kind of spell could block sword gang from a late-stage Transformation Realm expert?
"Is that all? For the head of the Jinyiwei, I'm rather disappointed."
Lee Ja-ryong's tone remained relaxed. When the dust cleared, not even a single scratch marred his body, despite Gwak Dan having unleashed his full power and finest technique.
"I see. You can't move from that spot, can you?"
Gwak Dan spoke with certainty, not speculation. After confirming his wrist and arm were unharmed with a few light swings, he studied Lee Ja-ryong's feet. The man had not shifted even an inch despite the defensive barrier.
Lee Ja-ryong noticed the direction of his gaze and shrugged, unconcerned.
"Denying it would only make me look pathetic. Still, your eyes are sharp. Impressive."
"Do you think I've only fought spellcasters once or twice? Your kind is all the same. Weaklings pretending to be strong. I've personally severed the heads of every last one of them."
Gwak Dan narrowed his senses. Beyond the mountain, the Sea-Dong Peerless had already begun dismantling the four pillars sustaining the barrier around Mount Wanse. Once those were removed, the mountain's spiritual energy would return to its natural flow. Time should have been on his side, yet Gwak Dan knew better.
The Ghost Gate behind that man… at least black-rank.
The gap between blue and black was far greater than the difference between Peak and Transcendent Realm. A blue-rank Ghost Gate could usually be handled by a single Transcendent expert. Black-rank was another matter entirely. One Transcendent would die in vain; at least three were required. Even then, three could only hope to stall until reinforcements arrived. Closing a black-rank gate demanded a Transformation Realm master.
I never imagined Lee Ja-ryong's spellcraft had reached this level… Spellcasters are always difficult to gauge. Annoying. And now a black-rank Ghost Gate has opened…
Gwak Dan stopped thinking. Since when had he become so contemplative?
I've spent too long as Commander of the Jinyiwei.
He cleared his mind, filling it with only the resolve to eliminate the enemy before him.
"I'll end this properly."
Once a cultivator reached the Transformation Realm, the limitations of internal energy nearly vanished. The three dantians became one, achieving the state of Five Qi Returning to Origin. Gwak Dan poured his energy without restraint. Sword gang enveloped his entire body and thickened along his blade. No matter how bizarre the spells, sword gang was the pure distillation of force. To pierce his protective aura would require an equally overwhelming technique.
"I'll grant you an arm or a leg. Consider it mercy."
Even Lee Ja-ryong's expression hardened at the sudden shift in Gwak Dan's presence. This was the full power of a supreme expert who had accepted death. Those who had stepped beyond the mortal coil and stood apart from the flow of time were not to be underestimated.
"I had hoped to save this, but it seems I have no choice."
Lee Ja-ryong formed a series of hand seals with practiced ease. Despite wearing a kasaya, he executed the Buddhist mudras flawlessly. In less than a second, a massive figure appeared before him, towering even over Gwak Dan.
"Go, Yellow Dragon Lion."
"…As you command."
This was not one of the four life pillars maintaining the barrier around Mount Wanse. It was the central lion Lee Ja-ryong had kept in reserve to protect himself. The beast moved to fulfill its role, its movement swift and ferocious enough to rival the Sea-Dong Peerless at the peak of the Transcendent Realm. It charged straight at Gwak Dan.
Thud!
Clang!
Two exchanges. Sword gang met fist, sparks flying. Yet the two were not equals.
"What? You thought this pathetic creature could stop me? Laughable."
Gwak Dan shook the blood from his blade. After only two exchanges, the Yellow Dragon Lion's wrist had already been severed. The gulf between one who had attained enlightenment and reached the Transformation Realm and one who had not was immense.
Still, Lee Ja-ryong had expected this much. In fact, it was going according to plan. While his expression remained calm, it was Gwak Dan who first sensed something wrong.
"This is… Cursed Blood?"
The blood sprayed when he severed the wrist during their second exchange had found a tiny gap in the protective aura that had covered Gwak Dan's body. The Yellow Dragon Lion had sacrificed its own wrist solely to land that single drop of blood.
"…So you've even dabbled in the Blood Cult's cursed arts. You've gone too far, Lee Ja-ryong!"
"The Blood Cult? What of it? Their teachings did not arise from this land, you say? I am the True Son of Heaven, ordained by the heavens to rule the earth. Why should I not wield their methods?"
A true madman.
Gwak Dan reined in the anger he had deliberately shown. He knew from experience that false performances could not deceive a genuine lunatic.
Cursed Blood… Blood Cult's Extreme Shackling Blood Poison technique. Just a few drops and it's already this potent. Now I understand why every faction in the world wanted the Blood Cult eradicated.
Even so, this much was manageable. Gwak Dan's martial arts were not so feeble that a few drops of blood could bring him down.
My senses are slightly dulled, but it doesn't matter. I can keep circulating my energy to push the curse out.
It required concentration, yet Gwak Dan had fought in far worse conditions. Lee Ja-ryong's hidden move was sharp, but not enough to reach him.
Gwak Dan kicked off the ground. The initiative was his. Neither the spellcaster Lee Ja-ryong nor the Yellow Dragon Lion, who had not reached the Transformation Realm, could match his speed.
BOOM!
CLANG!
CRASH!
Though Gwak Dan had aimed for Lee Ja-ryong, the Yellow Dragon Lion managed to intercept him. Even with one wrist gone, it used the blood flowing from the stump like a hidden weapon, pressing Gwak Dan harder than before. Between its attacks came Lee Ja-ryong's spell strikes, timed to exploit any opening created while Gwak Dan avoided the cursed blood.
Individually, neither was Gwak Dan's equal, yet together they made it difficult for him to eliminate either one. Still, the tide was slowly turning in his favor. Ever since the Heavenly First Man, Mu-geuk, had officially left the imperial court, the title of the court's strongest had belonged to Gwak Dan. He was proving that reputation true in this very moment.
Yet even Gwak Dan was only human.
UUUUUUUUNG—!
AAAAAAA—!
"Already?"
The wailing from the Ghost Gate shattered his concentration. If it fully opened, defeat was certain. Even if he had to sacrifice an arm, he had to destroy or damage the forming gate before it stabilized. With that single thought, Gwak Dan charged straight ahead.
I've been had.
This was Lee Ja-ryong's trap. Spiritual energy gathered in his hands, taking the shape of a spear that shot toward Gwak Dan's heart. Blocking it would leave the Ghost Gate undefended. Defending the gate would leave him open to the spear. Faced with this deadly choice, Gwak Dan chose a third path.
He thickened his protective aura and launched a sword gang toward the Ghost Gate. Confirming that the flying sword gang had struck true, he turned his gaze to the condensed energy spear now inches from his chest.
Could his aura withstand it? Before he could decide, a sword suddenly appeared in his vision.
BOOOOOOM!
The sword, wrapped in sword gang, cleaved through the energy spear and triggered a massive explosion. Yet the blast from a mere condensed spear was nowhere near enough to damage a Transformation Realm expert's protective aura. Gwak Dan retreated through the blast unharmed and looked at the figure who had suddenly appeared to save him.
"What? Who are you? How can someone so young…"
The intruder, Namgung Woo, ignored Gwak Dan and instead stared at the Ghost Gate radiating a sinister aura and the two men standing before it.
"The Sea-Dong Peerless sent me. I'll lend you my strength."
"What? Hm? Hah… Haha!"
Gwak Dan laughed, a mixture of relief and exhilaration. Light had pierced the darkness that had begun to weigh on him.
"Good! If that side has a monstrous fiend, then this side should have someone of equal caliber! Excellent! The world is truly vast. After the Black Martial Alliance's monster, I never imagined I'd see another like this!"