Chapter 282
Chapter 282
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 78
>Chapter Title: Entangled (1)
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[Keep in mind, the time you can maintain the door varies depending on your cursed power, but since this is a one-time protective treasure, it won't last long.]
These were the words of Sorcerer Ye Su-rin from the Haeseon Pavilion.
Though Mok Kyung-un's cursed power had reached a level incomparable to before, as expected of a one-time protective treasure, there was a limit to how long he could maintain the door.
-Uwoooo!
With a strong demonic presence, Mok Kyung-un slightly furrowed his brow as he looked at the Fear Murder Sword.
It was called the worst of demonic swords, and that claim was no exaggeration.
‘It's quite rebellious.’
The demonic nature of the sword was trying to erode him with demonic energy, and when he tried to suppress it, it spewed out even stronger demonic energy, challenging him to a contest of strength instead.
It suddenly made sense why Joo Un-hyang, who possessed innate true energy, had been corrupted.
In response, Mok Kyung-un drew up even more demonic energy.
He had to completely subjugate the sword's spirit to make it his own, like the Evil Instant Sword.
-Gooooh!
With black haze rising, Mok Kyung-un gestured with his other hand.
“Come over here quickly.”
At his words, Nim Baek-ha, the Six Blood Star of the Blood Ghost Sect, nodded as the Holy Fire Spirit Lord started to move.
Then, So Ye-rin, who had been pushed back by Mok Kyung-un's counterforce, drew up her energy and shouted.
“I don't know how you're still alive or how you learned such a bizarre technique, but I can't let you free the prisoners from the underground Golden Prison!”
-Pat!
No sooner had she spoken than she launched her body toward Mok Kyung-un.
‘Annoying.’
Since Mok Kyung-un had to maintain the door with his cursed power, he couldn't move properly and had to confront So Ye-rin's oncoming sword head-on.
-Chaechaechaeng!
In an instant, their swords clashed about four times.
So Ye-rin's eyes gleamed with surprise; she had aimed at Mok Kyung-un with concise sword forms rather than elaborate sword strikes.
It wasn't her imagination.
‘How did his internal energy grow this much?’
Mok Kyung-un's internal energy was not significantly inferior to her own.
Moreover, he had always been a sword genius, so with his increased internal energy, he easily blocked her sword.
This made him far more difficult to handle than before.
‘Simple sword forms won't subjugate him. I'll have to use ultimate techniques.’
With that, So Ye-rin gripped her sword properly and unleashed a form.
Her sword traced a ferocious trajectory like a tiger pouncing.
‘The First Form: Tiger Fang Momentum Sword!’
-Chaechaechaechaeng!
Against her sword strike, Mok Kyung-un tried to counter with complex sword forms.
He had just newly created two sword techniques from the Demonic Sword Arts and wanted to test them.
But just as he was about to unleash the second form of the Demonic Sword Arts—
-Uwoooooo!
At that moment, the demonic nature of the Fear Murder Sword, which he had been suppressing with demonic energy, erupted explosively.
It felt like immense resentment or rage.
‘!?’
Feeling the sword spirit of the Fear Murder Sword, Mok Kyung-un couldn't hide his puzzlement.
For some reason, the moment Six Thousand Tiger So Ye-rin began unleashing her sword technique in earnest, the demonic nature became strangely uncontrollable.
Unsure of the reason, but with the demonic nature surging so wildly, Mok Kyung-un thought forcing it down might damage the sword itself.
‘Fine. Have it your way.’
He decided to go along with the Fear Murder Sword's demonic nature once.
The moment he loosened his grip on the sword by half—
-Hwirik!
The sword tip moved on its own, creating a sword path.
As the sword path formed, something flashed through Mok Kyung-un's mind.
It seemed like an illusion shown to him by the Fear Murder Sword's spirit.
In the illusion, the Fear Murder Sword was gripped in someone's hand, clashing with a young man.
And the sword technique that young man was using closely resembled the one Six Thousand Tiger So Ye-rin was unleashing.
‘Has it fought her before?’
It seemed so.
In the illusion, the man dueling the Fear Murder Sword displayed extraordinary swordsmanship, overwhelmingly dominating his opponent—whether host or the sword's master, it was unclear.
Here, the Fear Murder Sword revealed tremendous demonic nature.
It was clear rage.
‘Well, now.’
The corner of Mok Kyung-un's mouth twitched.
He had thought that no matter how much demonic nature it had, it was just a sword, but this was the first time he felt the sword spirit spewing rage at something it had dueled.
-Uwooung!
At that moment, the sword path created by the Fear Murder Sword rippled like waves.
Along with it, Six Thousand Tiger So Ye-rin, who had unleashed the Tiger Fang Momentum Sword, felt the force within her own technique rebound.
-Paaaang!
She was pushed back once more.
-Chwarureureu!
Regaining her stance after being pushed back, So Ye-rin stared at Mok Kyung-un's sword with sharpened eyes and said.
“The technique from the Energy Shifting True Scripture... That sword is the Fear Murder Sword.”
“You recognize the sword.”
“Of course. Among the swords made by the master craftsman Gu Ya-ja, it's the most wicked and dangerous one. You should drop it right now.”
Mok Kyung-un shrugged at her warning.
“Who knows. Is there any reason to let go of a sword that's already in my hand?”
“That sword's demonic nature is incomparable to the other swords by Gu Ya-ja. You could lose yourself.”
“I'll find out by experiencing it.”
“You're so reckless.”
Contrary to her words, So Ye-rin was inwardly puzzled.
She remembered that everyone except one person had gone mad after being corrupted by the demonic nature upon gripping that sword.
Yet Mok Kyung-un still seemed fine.
Was it that black, ferocious energy blocking the corruption from the demonic nature?
Whatever it was, if he hadn't been corrupted yet, she needed to make him drop the sword.
With that, she drew up more innate true energy, intending to show her true skill.
But then,
“You called them out, so how long do you plan to stall?”
Nim Baek-ha, the Six Blood Star of the Blood Ghost Sect, approached Mok Kyung-un from behind and asked in an irritated tone.
Without turning his head, Mok Kyung-un replied.
“They'll come out soon. More importantly, please take care of that sprawled-out fellow over there.”
“You mean this guy?”
The sprawled-out fellow was none other than Joo Un-hyang.
As Six Blood Star Nim Baek-ha approached the fallen Joo Un-hyang, Six Thousand Tiger So Ye-rin hurriedly shouted.
“Don't touch him!”
At her cry, the corner of Nim Baek-ha's mouth curled up.
Nim Baek-ha placed her sharp nail against Joo Un-hyang's neck and said.
“It seems you have some connection to this brat. Then you'd better step aside right now.”
“You!”
Was Six Thousand Tiger So Ye-rin enraged by the threat?
With lightning-fast hand movements, she hurled something toward Nim Baek-ha behind Mok Kyung-un.
-Taang!
Mok Kyung-un hurriedly blocked it with the Fear Murder Sword.
-Chaaang!
What she had thrown was sliced in half and fell to the ground.
-Tong! Tong!
‘What is this?’
It was none other than steel marbles.
But that wasn't the only problem.
-Taang! Taang! Taang!
While Mok Kyung-un was slicing them, three more steel marbles flew in simultaneously.
With his exceptional eyesight, Mok Kyung-un twisted his sword path to slice one incoming marble, then struck another with his left fist.
-Paang!
However, he couldn't block the remaining one, as it took an unexpected path.
-Shuk!
‘Huh?’
It bounced off the ground and flew toward Nim Baek-ha's forehead in a bizarre trajectory.
But Nim Baek-ha was no ordinary expert.
She caught the incoming steel marble with her blood-red hand in swift motion.
-Pak!
Catching the steel marble, Six Blood Star Nim Baek-ha muttered with narrowed eyes.
“Flicking Finger Divine Skill?”
Flicking Finger Divine Skill.
This was a technique of infusing an object with internal energy using the finger and flicking it.
Once infused with internal energy, it became like a hidden weapon, and with the hardness of a steel marble, it could pierce a person in one strike.
However, those who wielded the Flicking Finger Divine Skill with steel marbles were extremely rare in the martial world.
Instinctively, Nim Baek-ha thought of someone.
And then,
“Blood Jade Hand!”
Six Thousand Tiger So Ye-rin, who had launched the Flicking Finger Divine Skill at her, shouted in surprise.
She seemed to be a high-ranking woman in the Golden Guards, and recognizing her Blood Jade Hand made Nim Baek-ha's eyes gleam.
“You recognize the Blood Jade Hand? Impressive eye for a young wench.”
“Are you one of the Blood Sect's Six Blood Stars?”
At So Ye-rin's question, Nim Baek-ha ground her teeth and said.
“Yes. I am the Six Blood Star of the Blood Sect, imprisoned in the Endless Golden Prison by you bastards for all those years!”
-Sususu!
Her fury rising, Nim Baek-ha drew up more internal energy.
Her hands turned an even deeper blood-red, flowing with a smooth sheen.
“Step aside. I'll handle that Golden Guard wench.”
-Pat!
Nim Baek-ha launched her body and shouted at Mok Kyung-un to move to the side.
Mok Kyung-un, thinking it was perfect, stepped aside.
While she dealt with the troublesome Six Thousand Tiger So Ye-rin, he could extract the Holy Fire Spirit Lord.
-Pat! Chwachwachwa!
Passing through the door of smoke, Six Blood Star Nim Baek-ha unleashed her technique toward Six Thousand Tiger So Ye-rin.
‘Blood Jade Hand, Sixth Form: Blood Jade Fierce Shred!’
Her blood-red hands unleashed a tyrannical claw technique, charging with momentum to tear So Ye-rin's body apart in an instant.
It was right then.
So Ye-rin, holding her sword, changed her grip, and her aura shifted.
Unlike the sword techniques she had used so far, a crimson edge flared briefly from her sword as she unleashed a tremendous killing technique specialized solely for slaying humans.
-Chaechaechaechaeng!
The Blood Jade Hand's form clashed with her crimson sword technique, producing a tremendous whoosh.
It was a clash with the momentum to settle things once and for all.
But that didn't happen.
Halfway through the exchange, as if by prior agreement, both women withdrew their energy and retreated simultaneously.
-Papak!
Creating distance, the two spoke at the same time.
“You truly are a Six Blood Star.”
“Ahhh! Are you Jin Ga?”
Their eyes reddened simultaneously as they spoke to each other.
Their reactions felt like they had been searching for one another for a long time.
Watching in puzzlement, Mok Kyung-un gestured to the Holy Fire Spirit Lord, who had been unable to move amid the fierce battle, since he still needed to get her out.
“Come.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
The Holy Fire Spirit Lord began trudging toward the door with her aged body.
Mok Kyung-un also hoisted Joo Un-hyang, who lay in front of the smoky door, onto his shoulder.
-Sususu!
The smoke was dispersing little by little.
Time was truly running out.
Right then.
“Captain So!”
A shout came from afar.
Someone appeared in one of the underground Golden Prison passages, fleeing desperately with lightfoot skill as if being chased.
It was none other than Im Gyu-wol, the head of the Death Line Division and a Six Thousand Tiger.
Im Gyu-wol spotted Six Thousand Tiger So Ye-rin beyond the smoky entrance and lit up.
‘Hah, heaven helps me.’
Six Thousand Tiger So Ye-rin truly had a deep connection with him.
He didn't know what the smoky door was, but seeing her confirmed it connected to the outside.
Im Gyu-wol unleashed lightfoot skill, charging toward them while shouting.
-Pat!
“Captain So, help me!”
But behind him, men with expressionless faces and bodies gleaming copper followed with lightfoot skill.
-Thung! Thung! Thung!
Each step they took rang with a metallic sound; they were clearly not ordinary humans.
Seeing them, Six Thousand Tiger So Ye-rin furrowed her brow.
“Bronze Men?”
No matter how she looked, they were unmistakably Bronze Men.
Beings born from secret arts, humanoid but without consciousness or will, moving only by given commands.
Mok Kyung-un clicked his tongue at the Bronze Men and the Six Thousand Tiger Im Gyu-wol leading them.
“You're bringing useless things.”
-Shuk!
As Mok Kyung-un crossed the smoky entrance, he made a pulling gesture with his hand.
The Holy Fire Spirit Lord's body, trudging along with difficulty due to her aged frame, floated up with a whoosh and flew toward Mok Kyung-un.
“Eh?”
With the Holy Fire Spirit Lord through the entrance,
-Shuk!
Mok Kyung-un stopped infusing cursed power into the protective treasure between his index and middle fingers.
Naturally, with the cursed power cut off, he expected the smoky door to close immediately.
But,
-Susususu!
Contrary to his prediction, the smoky door slowly dispersed but didn't vanish yet.
It lingered in a state of almost closing.
-Thung! Thung! Thung!
Meanwhile, Six Thousand Tiger Im Gyu-wol and the Endless Golden Prison's Bronze Men pursuing him reached right up to the entrance.
They might come through the door too.
Mok Kyung-un gripped his sword to block them, but then.
“I'll handle it.”
‘!?’
With those words, someone stomped heavily toward the smoky entrance.
-Kung!
It was none other than Six Thousand Tiger So Ye-rin.
Im Gyu-wol, charging toward the smoky entrance, startled and yelled in horror.
“Captain So! You, what are you...”
Before he could finish.
So Ye-rin pulled her sword strongly, then thrust it toward the entrance.
‘True Chasing Asia Vast Sword!’
-Chwachwachwachwa!
At that instant, the sword edge swirled like a vortex, then stormed toward the entrance with hurricane force.
The storm-like sword technique blocked the entrance, sweeping up Six Thousand Tiger Im Gyu-wol and the Endless Golden Prison's Bronze Men, sending them flying back.