Chapter 200: The Sword of Mount Hua, Baek Seol-rin
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 200: The Sword of Mount Hua, Baek Seol-rin
Rustle.
The sound of brushing against the grass was incredibly light.
As if she possessed no weight at all.
Her posture was reminiscent of a single plum blossom.
The elegance radiating from her pale skin and dark hair naturally elicited the word 'beautiful.'
This was Mount Hua.
A member of the Nine Great Sects of Murim, a prestigious clan renowned for possessing the most beautiful swordplay.
"I am Baek Seol-rin of Mount Hua."
Baek Seol-rin politely clasped her hands in a martial greeting.
Composure exuded from her every movement.
As expected...
It seemed the rumors of her sect surviving constant clashes with the Heavenly Demon Cult alongside the Kunlun Sect were no exaggeration.
Especially seeing how strong a young master—not even the clan leader—could be.
Sensing that their opponent's level was extraordinary, Cheon Yu-seong and Wolyeong, who had been at each other's throats just moments ago, stopped fighting.
Yu Yeon-hwa and Lee Tae-min, positioned further back, also watched the situation with tense, sharp expressions.
However.
There was one exception.
Jinhyuk had to do his best to suppress the cheer bubbling up inside him.
Damn. As expected, the fiercer the battlefield, the bigger the catch.
He had already used Gluttony's Eye to gather all information on his opponent.
Not just her name and age,
but her unique ability, skills...
and even the conditions required to copy them.
——————————————————
Name: Baek Seol-rin
Gender: Female
Age: 25
Level: 115
Strength: 51, Agility: 83, Stamina: 56, Internal Qi: 172
Unique Ability: Plum Blossom White Cloud Sword
Skills: Lv17 'Six Harmonies Sword Art', Lv17 'Thirty-Six Divine Plum Blossom Sword Forms', Lv17 'Twenty-Four Movement Plum Blossom Sword Art', Lv17 'Azure Cloud Movement Art'
——————————————————
[Copy Condition: The miraculous sword of Mount Hua possesses both beauty and splendor. Baek Seol-rin is a rising star of outstanding talent among them, and her pride in the name of Mount Hua is beyond imagination. After forcing her to draw out her full power, if you can evade all of her ultimate techniques for 5 minutes, you will be able to copy one of her unique abilities or skills.]
Blocking or neutralizing them would be one thing.
But reading their trajectories perfectly to evade them was on a completely different level.
Especially when facing a master of Baek Seol-rin's caliber.
Furthermore, she wasn't alone; several other men and women stood behind her.
They were members of the Murim whom he had met during the zombie wave.
Specifically, Jegal Cheon, Hwangbo Gun-ak, Namgung Hyun, and Tang So-ha.
"Since it looks like it'll be tough to handle them alone, we shall lend a hand."
"Hmm. To think we'd run into that Sword Ghost fellow here as well."
"I remember seeing the others too. Though that young master over there is a new face... He gives off a strange sense of familiarity for a Player."
Every single one of them was a master capable of wielding sword qi.
Slide.
Thud.
On top of that, though they were low-grade, four Death Knights and six Liches who had reached the 5th Circle joined them.
Rumble!
A dark energy slowly rose around Bayorodum.
"This is no place for you to interfere. I merely held back to amuse myself. I can easily sweep away pests like these on my own."
His pride-wounded tone dripped with a mix of complex emotions.
"We are aware. However, will you be alright?"
"What do you mean?"
"That human. He is dragging out the time with wordplay. Just as you haven't even used a fraction of your power, the same goes for him."
Baek Seol-rin glanced at Jinhyuk.
He was acting flustered and hesitant, but it was all an act.
A highly sophisticated one.
"Dragging out the time?"
"Where do you think the ancient species and the elemental spirit that vanished a moment ago are heading right now?"
Goguma and the elemental spirits of the five elements had slipped away under the cover of the chaos.
The fact that the summons had disappeared instead of protecting their master meant they had a far more important mission.
And if there was anything here worth such an effort...
"...No way."
Realizing something, Bayorodum's voice stiffened.
Baek Seol-rin smiled gently and spoke again.
"The Life Force Vessel."
It was the most definitive way to completely destroy a Lich, and the ultimate Achilles' heel that an immortal being had no choice but to fear.
Indeed.
"What that man is looking for is your very lifeline."
* * *
Oh?
A small exclamation of admiration escaped Jinhyuk's lips.
He had tried his best to shake up the board and distract them,
but she had accurately seen right through his intentions.
In truth, Goguma and the elemental spirits were currently heading toward the location where Bayorodum's Life Force Vessel was kept.
Whether they could secure it was the key that would decide the victory or defeat of this battle.
However,
the plan had gone awry from the very start.
"You... You truly choose to do nothing but the most insidious deeds. Was it not enough to bypass the Bone Dragon and cross the Gate? Did you plan to stab me in the back the exact same way?"
Bayorodum's eyes flared with intense fury.
"I'm just someone who prefers to avoid unnecessary fights. There's no need to take the hard road when there's an easy path available."
"Do you even know where the Life Force Vessel is to speak so boldly? That is..."
"I know where it is. You'd need a massive amount of demonic qi to corrupt the Saintess, so you must have placed it nearby."
Jinhyuk cut him off flatly.
A brief silence fell over the area.
Bayorodum, who was about to say something, lost his words and shut his mouth.
Even without words, the mana swirling with a mix of shock and astonishment clearly showed how flustered the Lich was.
"...The more I see of you, the more surprising you are. Then let me ask. Why reveal all of this to me when you have yet to achieve your goal?"
A reason...
"It's simple. Even if I tell you, there's no way we'll lose. My pets will definitely complete their mission. And of course, the Saintess won't be corrupted by your whims either."
"In other words... you believe everything will go exactly as you wish?"
"Precisely."
"Puhahaha! I see now that you are merely a human driven mad by arrogance. Very well. While it would not be difficult for me to crush these insects alone, I shall employ a more effective method. Let us see how long that confidence of yours lasts... I shall enjoy watching it crumble from the Saintess's side."
Bayorodum nodded toward Baek Seol-rin and the Murim martial artists beside her.
He was expressing his willingness to swallow his pride and fight together.
At this, Baek Seol-rin also gripped her sword with both hands without hesitation.
Crackle!
Her sword, now coated in sword force, thrust forward.
A dazzling brilliance manifested.
Even at a glance, it was a realm that seemed difficult for Cheon Yu-seong or Wolyeong to handle.
Meanwhile,
Bayorodum, accompanied by several Liches, began to fly toward the location of Teresa and the Life Force Vessel.
His intention was to leave this place to Baek Seol-rin, the Murim members, and the Death Knights, while he pursued the elemental spirits that had gone ahead.
As long as I protect the Life Force Vessel and corrupt the Saintess, there are no variables that can make me lose this battle.
Bayorodum wore a sinister smile.
Confident that there was no more perfect or certain way to choke the life out of his opponent.
"As you heard, it seems you will have to remain here for a while."
Baek Seol-rin swung her sword, drawing a line on the ground five meters in front of her.
This was a warning.
A promise that she would cut down anything that dared to cross it.
"Sigh. Guess I have no choice."
Jinhyuk pulled out the Fang and one of the Twin Dragon Swords from his subspace inventory.
Two swords of different lengths were now gripped in his hands.
"Are you planning to fight instead of chasing the Lich?"
Cheon Yu-seong's eyebrows furrowed into a sharp V-shape.
He couldn't help but be bewildered, as he had expected Jinhyuk to immediately give chase, yet Jinhyuk had chosen to stay and fight.
"Honestly, I'm the only one who can defeat her with a sword, so what can I do? Even if I don't particularly like you, I'm not cold-hearted enough to watch your head get separated from your shoulders."
Call it a love-hate relationship.
If the Sword Saint died and he had to attend the funeral, he felt like the traditional funeral soup wouldn't even go down his throat.
"Does that mean... you think I can't even defeat someone like her?"
"Huh? You can? No matter how I look at it, you look like you'd die within three exchanges."
"..."
Cheon Yu-seong gritted his teeth so hard they nearly shattered.
But it was only for a brief moment.
"Get lost already. I'll slaughter that woman and all the rest of these Murim leftovers."
Rumble!
Murderous intent flooded the space.
An ominous energy, unlike anything seen before, erupted from Cheon Yu-seong's body.
Alright, that's one hooked...
"My Lord."
Wolyeong spoke to Jinhyuk.
"Yeah?"
"I will prove that I am far more useful than a fellow like him. So, please promise me that once this is over, you will acknowledge me as your most trusted sword."
"If you fight better than that ill-tempered bastard, of course I will. Actually, I trust you the most. So go ahead and show me what you've got."
"R-Really?"
"Of course. We look out for our own, and we're both the Dark Emperor's subordinates. Our roots are completely different from ordinary Players or Murim people."
Jinhyuk nodded.
Of course, he didn't forget to whisper it quietly enough so that Cheon Yu-seong wouldn't hear.
As expected, a competitive system between employees is an excellent motivator.
Rather than incentives or work-life balance... crushing an annoying rival right next to you always brings a far more thrilling pleasure.
Nodding, Jinhyuk finally wished Yu Yeon-hwa and Lee Tae-min good luck.
"While those guys handle the Murim crowd, you two make sure the Death Knights don't interfere. Don't push yourselves too hard."
"Don't worry about us, Oppa, just go. I can smash things like Death Knights with my bare fists anyway."
"Please save Miss Teresa, Hyung."
Yu Yeon-hwa answered by channeling mana into her gauntlets. Lee Tae-min also reactivated his drones.
They were truly reliable companions.
Reliable enough that he could leave his back to them and move forward.
The sword prepared by Bayorodum,
and the sword prepared by this side.
Which of the two was sharper would be decided from this moment on.
Boom!
Activating 'Sword Demon Emperor Stepss', Jinhyuk leaped high into the air to immediately pursue Bayorodum.
A strange light flickered in Baek Seol-rin's eyes.
"I believe... I told you not to cross the line?"
Whoosh!
Her ornately decorated sword slashed diagonally through the air.
However.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sword strike was shattered to pieces in midair.
Cheon Yu-seong blocked Baek Seol-rin's path with a presence as imposing as a great mountain.
"You are not the one who decides where the line is."
"You don't know your place. Do you really think the likes of you can stop me?"
"It is you who understands nothing."
Cheon Yu-seong's gaze sank coldly.
"The one you should fear most right now is not that guy, but me."
The Sword Saint.
The one who had reached the pinnacle of the sword and realized all its truths.
In the past, Cheon Yu-seong was...
...the strongest Player, who had even defeated a 'Plum Blossom Sword Master', a peak-tier expert of Mount Hua.
* * *
Tap!
Dash!
His surroundings blurred past rapidly.
He ran so fast his heart felt like it would burst, but there was no sign of Bayorodum.
He must have used teleportation along the way.
True to his title as an Archmage, Bayorodum had undoubtedly arrived at the location of the Life Force Vessel long ago.
After running for a few minutes, Jinhyuk finally reached his destination.
However.
"...No way."
There were facts that even Jinhyuk had overlooked.
First, that Bayorodum's skill in handling the Black Horned Dice was in no way inferior to that of the past Demon King.
And second...
...that the meaning behind the description, 'He is one who is prepared to pay any price or face any danger for the sake of his intellectual pursuits,' was far removed from common sense.
His heart pounded frantically.
The sight unfolding before his eyes...
...was a literal demonic realm.