Kill One Person for Me!
After bidding farewell to O Lu Ju, Yeop Hyeon entered the Gyeok Ok Tower.
Without delay, he began absorbing the three swords he had received from Yeon Man Ri.
This absorption wasn't for breaking through realms but for stabilizing his current one.
After reaching the Divine Fusion Realm, his battles against Myriad Laws Realm experts had made his shortcomings crystal clear. His unstable realm prevented his sword qi from unleashing its full power.
He had undoubtedly advanced in every aspect since the Penetrating Nether Realm, but adapting fully would take more time. If his foundation had been just a bit more solid, he could have slain the Huanhe Elder in their recent clash.
Thus, his top priority was stabilizing his realm and adapting to the Divine Fusion Realm.
Jungto Sinju.
When the Huanhe Elder returned, wounded, the warriors of the Huanhe Sect were stunned beyond words.
No one had anticipated that he would suffer such a humiliating defeat at the hands of a mere Divine Fusion Realm cultivator.
They quickly decided to request reinforcements. The Huanhe Sect Lord couldn't leave his post yet. In these chaotic times, if both the Lord and Vice Lord were absent, rival factions in Jungto Sinju might launch a surprise attack.
After roughly tending his wounds, the Huanhe Elder hurried to the Bukhanjong.
Bukhanjong. One of the top sects in Jungto Sinju. Its unique position deterred any challengers. Recently, the emergence of the North Han Saintess had elevated its status even further.
North Han Saintess!
The youngest ever listed on the Yo Yeol Bang! A genius among geniuses who had risen to the top of the rankings shortly after debuting.
The Huanhe Elder's visit to Bukhanjong was precisely for her. He couldn't mobilize the entire sect with an old favor, but securing her personal aid was feasible.
Inside the Bukhan Palace, the Huanhe Elder waited for someone. The bone-chilling cold seeping from all directions could freeze even a Myriad Laws Realm expert like him.
How much time passed? A beautiful mature woman appeared before him. The Huanhe Elder offered a slight bow and handed her a jade plaque.
The woman examined the plaque briefly before looking up at him.
"So, what is it you want?"
The Huanhe Elder bowed again.
"I came to ask the North Han Saintess to kill one person in Qingzhou."
Qingzhou?
The woman raised an eyebrow.
"That barbarian land?"
"Yes."
"I heard your Huanhe Sect sent disciples there and reaped great rewards?"
"Haha, what treasures could a wasteland like Qingzhou hold? We dispatched disciples merely to gather a few rare materials growing there."
Of course, she knew he was lying but didn't press the issue.
"Since Bukhanjong owes you, it's only right we repay the debt. But to take the Saintess, I must first ask her will..."
"Qingzhou, you say?"
At that moment, an icy voice like frozen steel echoed from behind them.
The Huanhe Elder turned to see a girl who appeared thirteen or fourteen standing there, staring at him. She wore a skirt frozen solid, exuding a deadly chill.
The famous North Han Saintess—Yeop Ryeong.
The Huanhe Elder bowed slightly.
"Greetings, Saintess."
This girl was no mere Yo Yeol Bang prodigy.
She was Bukhanjong's Saintess—the future Sect Lord.
Among demonic path sects, Bukhanjong's prestige far surpassed Huanhe Sect's.
Yeop Ryeong stepped forward.
"To Qingzhou?"
"Yes!"
The Huanhe Elder nodded eagerly.
Qingzhou?
Her hand, hidden in her sleeve, trembled faintly. With her head lowered, no one saw her expression.
Mistaking her silence for refusal, the Huanhe Elder hurriedly offered a storage pouch.
"This is a humble gift from Huanhe Sect. Please accept it, Saintess!"
Yeop Ryeong peered inside. It contained fifty million top-grade spirit stones.
This could buy a true mid-grade sword!
A faint smile crossed her lips as she accepted the pouch.
"I'll go with you."
The Huanhe Elder's face lit up.
With the North Han Saintess joining, killing Yeop Hyeon would be effortless. Then, securing that inner court woman would be simple.
Under their vastly improved Sect Lord, Huanhe Sect would rise dramatically in the demonic path's hierarchy.
And if this succeeded, they'd gain Bukhanjong and the Saintess as allies.
A perfect two birds with one stone.
Thus, Yeop Ryeong departed for Qingzhou with the Huanhe Elder. Unbeknownst to them, Bukhanjong secretly dispatched two Myriad Laws Realm experts and one Dark Laws Realm powerhouse to shadow them.
Nothing ill could befall their future— the North Han Saintess.
Moments later, a girl radiating chill boarded a cloud ship bound for Qingzhou. Peering intently ahead, she clutched a small wooden doll in her hand—now more fittingly called an ice doll.
I want to go back soon!
As if sensing her heart, the cloud ship's speed steadily increased.
Jeoguk.
After a long stay in the Gyeok Ok Tower, Yeop Hyeon exhaled deeply. An intangible energy rippled across his body before vanishing in an instant.
Refreshing!
His body felt light as if it might float away.
He extended his right hand, and with a flash of sword light, the Spirit Water Sword appeared.
It had already upgraded from true mid-grade to true high-grade.
True high-grade was the Spirit Water Sword's limit. Further growth required more than mere absorption—it needed its own enlightenment and transformation.
Suddenly, Yeop Hyeon removed his sword sheath and set it down. Inside lay the heavenly tier sword.
A vast gap still separated it from the Spirit Water Sword. Forcing absorption would backfire severely, with the heavenly sword consuming his instead.
One regret: his affinity with the heavenly sword remained low. He wielded it, but not at full potential. Mastering it fully would let him slay ordinary Myriad Laws Realm foes with ease.
This proud heavenly sword still hadn't fully acknowledged him.
Yet, after leaving the tower, it hadn't fled despite the chance—proof of its integrity.
Heavenly tier spirit items possessed their own consciousness. Some even grasped their unique "Dao."
Thus, Yeop Hyeon had no desire to force submission. That it stayed was gratitude enough.
Soon, he gathered the sheath and sword, exiting the tower.
As he emerged, Gang Gu flung open the hall doors and rushed in.
"Trouble in Kanguk!"
"What?"
"Unknown assailants are ravaging Kanguk. No survivors in their wake! Yanggye Fortress has already been massacred!"
Gang Gu's fists clenched, her face cold as ice.
"Gang Gu, let's go!"
They boarded a cloud ship and left Jeoguk. The distance was short; within less than an hour, they reached Yanggye Fortress.
A stench of blood assaulted them at the gates.
Yeop Hyeon's expression darkened as he ventured inside. The ground was soaked in blood, alleys bleeding into a central sea of crimson.
Corpses littered the streets—elders, children among them. All shared one trait: gaping holes in their chests.
"They're all missing their hearts!"
Upon Gang Gu's words, Yeop Hyeon confirmed it.
His face grew grimmer.
"Gang Gu, search for survivors!"
The deeper they went, the more twisted their expressions became. The sheer number of bodies threatened to induce vomiting.
Gang Gu, a soldier veteran, had slain countless foes—but never perpetrated such brutality.
Most victims were civilians, women, children.
Grip tightening on her spear, Gang Gu's face turned ghostly. These were her people!
At the city lord's mansion, silence reigned like a graveyard, bodies piled high. The air reeked as if inhaling blood itself.
Yeop Hyeon stood at the entrance, shaking his head.
"No survivors..."
Suddenly, he whipped around. Ten paces away stood a man in blood-red robes, clutching a terrified girl of about ten.
The man spoke in a sinister tone.
"Stay out of Blood Sect business, vermin."
Blood Sect?
Gang Gu fixed her gaze, gripping her spear tighter.
Yeop Hyeon approached slowly. Spotting him, the girl thrashed like grasping a savior.
"B-Big brother, p-please... save me... I'm scared..."
Yeop Hyeon drew a golden nameplate from his bosom.
"Hey, friend. One million top-grade spirit stones inside. Trade for the girl's life. Deal?"
One million top-grade spirit stones!
In this era of fading spirit energy, their value was incalculable.
The blood-robed man eyed the plate and Yeop Hyeon, narrowing his eyes.
"One million spirit stones for this worthless life?"
"No loss for you."
"Incomprehensible. Give me a reason!"
The Spirit Water Sword quivered within Yeop Hyeon. He could strike anytime.
But caution stayed his hand. The man was too close to the girl. And he was at least peak Divine Fusion Realm—no ordinary foe.
Yeop Hyeon could kill him, but not guarantee the girl's safety.
The blood-robed man scrutinized him and sneered.
"Not weak, so no commoner. But irrelevant. What I want to know is why waste a million spirit stones on this trash!"
"Does the reason matter? You get the stones, I take the girl. What's odd?"
"Just curious."
Yeop Hyeon inhaled calmly.
"No reason. Just pity."
"Pity? Fine. But one million's short. Five million top-grade spirit stones!"
Five million top-grade spirit stones?!