Chapter 1012
"Given the investigations so far, you should already know."
At that moment, Bu Eun-seol spoke calmly.
"The White Sword Sect is connected to the Servants of the True Demon—or rather, it's a faction linked to the Abyssal Forces."
Seo Jin-ha had relentlessly mobilized the Death Soul Squad's intelligence network to track Yeop Jeokhwa's movements.
And though he had finally uncovered that Yeop Jeokhwa was the leader of the White Sword Sect, he had simultaneously stumbled upon an unbelievable revelation.
The White Sword Sect, known merely as a mercenary faction, was in truth a terrifying entity—one backed by the Abyssal Forces, a power as immense as the Three Realms or the Three Clans.
As if to prove this, all intelligence operatives who had pursued the White Sword Sect had vanished without a trace.
Even the sect's headquarters, which had been painstakingly located, had disappeared as though it had never existed in the first place.
That Seo Jin-ha had managed to find the newly reestablished White Sword Sect was purely coincidental.
It was because of those who had targeted the wanderer Seol-so—
The ones who, under the Black Divine Heavenly Lord's orders, had fabricated the existence of the Killing Ghost to assassinate Special-Grade Wanderers.
They were none other than the White Sword Sect's Masters.
"In any case, my goal was only to capture and kill that vile bastard Yeop Jeokhwa. I never intended to annihilate the entire White Sword Sect."
At Seo Jin-ha's words, Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
"The White Sword Sect is not only protected by a unique battle formation that makes infiltration impossible, but its natural terrain ensures that any outsider who enters will never leave alive."
Then, he stated firmly:
"But I can't recklessly let you go in alone and risk losing the Death Shadow War Unit's most valuable assets."
Ultimately, despite his words,
The truth was that he intended for them to storm the White Sword Sect together—to eradicate it and fulfill Seo Jin-ha's vengeance in the process.
"Don't overthink trivial matters."
At that moment, Myo Cheon-u grinned and pointed at Bu Eun-seol.
"Isn't this exactly why we've got this guy acting as our captain?"
Hearing that, Seo Jin-ha, who had been wearing a grave expression, couldn't help but let out a short laugh.
Myo Cheon-u still retained a childlike innocence in his personality, and the words he sometimes used were oddly juvenile.
And strangely enough,
That had the miraculous effect of making them momentarily forget the brutal and blood-soaked reality of the martial world.
—Our captain.
Bu Eun-seol was a peerless grandmaster whose martial arts encompassed the heavens, and the rest of them were Masters capable of becoming regional overlords in their own right.
Yet, the phrase "our captain" made them feel as if they had regressed to their carefree childhoods—
As if they were playing soldier, following the orders of their captain, Bu Eun-seol, to conquer a small earthen fortress.
—If I had met these guys in my childhood...
The same faint smile tugged at their lips.
If they had... they probably would have bickered endlessly, fought constantly, and had the time of their lives.
"Fine, I give up."
Seo Jin-ha shook his head in resignation, and Do Cheon-rin spoke in a low voice:
"Whatever. I just hope I get to drench my Phantom Demon Sword in plenty of blood."
Thanks to Bu Eun-seol, he had obtained a scabbard from the Demon Swordsmith that allowed him to perfectly control the Phantom Demon Sword's Demonic Energy.
But a demonic sword was still a demonic sword.
It needed to drink blood—at least to some degree—to maintain its power and function.
"There won't be any shortage of that."
At that moment, Yu Un-ryong spoke up.
"Not only do they have the backing of the Abyssal Forces, but they've also stationed formidable forces—strong enough to hunt down and kill Special-Grade Wanderers."
Yu Un-ryong had been tasked by Bu Eun-seol
With investigating Seo Jin-ha's past and the White Sword Sect, so he was well-informed about the place.
"So, how do we get in?"
At Myo Cheon-u's question, Yu Un-ryong explained again:
"The only way for an uninvited outsider to enter the White Sword Sect is through a hidden passage concealed between these cliffs."
Following his explanation, the group turned their gazes toward the vast, empty expanse of the cliffside.
No matter how hard they looked, there was no visible path—not even a trace detectable through extrasensory perception.
Then, Yu Un-ryong stepped forward and began running his hands over the rocks at the cliff's edge.
After manipulating them for a while—
Zziing.
A transparent stone bridge materialized in midair.
As it turned out, a special battle formation had been laid across these cliffs—one that allowed entry into the White Sword Sect.
"But this transparent bridge has another formation layered within it. Any unauthorized person who carelessly steps onto it will plummet straight into the abyss."
Having said that, Yu Un-ryong turned his gaze to Bu Eun-seol.
It seemed only right to leave such a difficult problem to him.
"Understood."
Bu Eun-seol nodded.
"Follow closely behind me."
Having secretly mastered the Essence of Formation Studies from the Gongson Clan through Gongson Dan-gyeong, he had achieved significant expertise in formations.
Thus, whether it was established through ritual tools or the Art of Spells—
If it was a formation-based barrier, he could always find a way to dismantle it.
Chak-chak-chak!
Stepping onto the transparent bridge, Bu Eun-seol continuously shifted his footing, unleashing Swift Shadowless.
With every change in his stance, faint hues rippled across the invisible bridge.
'Just as I thought.'
Each stone of the bridge was imbued with the power of an esoteric spell.
But since even that was structured within the framework of formation studies, dismantling the formation would nullify the spell as well.
'This definitely isn't the White Sword Sect's own doing.'
The formation laid upon the bridge was
Utterly unique and alien—unlike anything found in the Orthodox and Unorthodox Martial World.
Moreover, no matter how brilliant one's mind might be, the formation was so profound that it could never be unraveled in a short period.
This meant the White Sword Sect possessed power far beyond what their investigations had suggested.
Crackle.
Bu Eun-seol continuously shifted his position midair as he dismantled the battle formation woven into the transparent stone bridge.
Rumble.
Finally, a massive entrance resembling a cave revealed itself before them.
Peering inside from the outside, there was no light whatsoever—not even a visible path.
"This is a place that requires a Demonic Lantern," Yu Un-ryong said as he approached.
"It's designed so that only with a Demonic Lantern can the correct path be revealed—the Demonic Lantern Magnetic Lock Art."
"So, since it's not a battle formation, it can't be undone through progression alone."
"Correct."
Zzzt—
In an instant, Bu Eun-seol wreathed his entire body in violet flames.
He intended to substitute the lantern with Thunder Essence Divine Qi, the purest and most intense of natural forces.
"Do you really think that will work?"
"Even if it can't fully replace the lantern, it should still collapse the spell."
Zzzzt—
As Bu Eun-seol, now wreathed in violet lightning, slowly advanced, the previously invisible path began to materialize clearly.
Hiss—
The constant wisps of smoke rising from the path suggested that the Thunder Essence Divine Qi wasn't merely mimicking the lantern—it was erasing the spell outright with sheer force.
After walking endlessly, an absurd sight unfolded before them.
A bottomless chasm stretched ahead, its depths swallowed by darkness.
"Did the formation not fully unravel?" Myo Cheon-u frowned as he followed behind.
After struggling this far, only to be met with an abyss they couldn't even see the bottom of?
"We're on the right path," Bu Eun-seol said.
"This is the path."
"What?"
Myo Cheon-u tilted his head skeptically and peered over the cliff's edge.
"Are you sure you're not mistaken?"
No matter how much he strained his vision, the bottom remained unseen.
"If anything, calling this a 'ten-thousand-zhang cliff' wouldn't be an exaggeration. If we misjudged this, we won't even leave behind bones—"
Thud.
A dull impact cut him off as Myo Cheon-u plummeted over the edge.
Yu Un-ryong, standing behind him, had kicked him off with his foot.
"Gyaaah—!"
A final scream tore through the air as Myo Cheon-u's body vanished into the abyss.
"My ears were about to bleed."
Yu Un-ryong sniffed once before leaping off without another word.
"You've all turned into eccentrics in the meantime."
Do Cheon-rin clicked his tongue as he glanced at Bu Eun-seol and Seo Jin-ha.
"Just like you."
Then he, too, turned and flung himself over the cliff.
—Just like you.
Seo Jin-ha shook his head as he mulled over those words.
In Do Cheon-rin's eyes, it seemed even he—along with all the other squad leaders—had grown to resemble Bu Eun-seol.
"Ridiculous."
Bu Eun-seol frowned as he watched Do Cheon-rin disappear below.
"Hypocrite, calling us eccentrics."
Then, without hesitation, he followed.
Seo Jin-ha let out a dry laugh as he watched.
"Eccentrics attract eccentrics, I suppose."
From his perspective, it wasn't just Bu Eun-seol.
Won Se-mun and the other Death Shadow War Unit squad leaders, the martial artists, the Peak Realm Members—even the core members and subordinates of the Martial Soul Society—every single one of them was an eccentric.
Because Bu Eun-seol himself was fundamentally an eccentric, it was inevitable that those around him would be the same.
Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh!
As they fell, razor-sharp winds howled past their ears.
Judging by the speed and distance, they were easily plummeting over a thousand zhang.
If they hit the ground like this, their bodies would shatter beyond recognition.
...Is this really okay?
Yet Bu Eun-seol, falling ahead of them, showed no intention of activating any Movement Technique.
He simply spread his arms and let himself drop.
Ah, whatever. Let it be.
Seo Jin-ha relaxed and did the same.
Whoosh—
Then, after falling for a long while, something strange happened.
The bottomless abyss was now directly in front of them, and the rushing winds had shifted—as if they were now standing upright in a tunnel of gale-force winds.
...Fascinating.
Somehow, the ten-thousand-zhang cliff had transformed into a long, wind-blasted passageway, and they were now standing within it.
Thud. Thud.
Passing through the darkness-drenched tunnel, they arrived before a vast Grand Hall, where a narrow gate—barely wide enough for one person—stood.
It seemed like a checkpoint meant to eliminate intruders before they could enter the White Sword Sect.
But then, a crimson mist began seeping up from the ground.
"There's poison in the mist. Raise your Internal Energy to block it."
Surprisingly, the red mist had already begun rising even before they reached the gate.
"If it's like this, wouldn't even the White Sword Sect's disciples get poisoned?" Myo Cheon-u tilted his head in confusion.
"What kind of sect releases poisonous mist before you even enter?"
"Most likely, the White Sword Sect's members have fully adapted to this poison," Yu Un-ryong remarked.
"Judging by its nature, it's not lethal—just paralyzing. Probably meant to immobilize outsiders by numbing their nerves."
"A complete fortress," Seo Jin-ha muttered, shaking his head.
A sect that deployed formations and spells on such a grand scale, even setting up a separate checkpoint just to enter—
Only a handful of major factions in the martial world—such as Shaolin—could achieve such a feat.
Yet the White Sword Sect, an obscure contract-sword sect barely known in the martial world, had erected a checkpoint of this caliber?
"Let's go in first."
Bu Eun-seol stepped through the narrow gate ahead of the others.
One by one, they entered, revealing a vast clearing shrouded in crimson mist.
Krrrrumble.
At the same time, the small gate behind them slammed shut with finality.
It was designed to allow entry—but not exit.
"Assassins are hiding in the mist."
Do Cheon-rin spoke then.
Within the thick red haze that blanketed the area, assassins lurked, their forms concealed.
Clad in black robes and crimson masks, they melted into the mist, their sole purpose being the elimination of intruders.
"Actually, this works in our favor."
Bu Eun-seol nodded as he surveyed the mist-covered clearing.
"While their surveillance system is meticulous enough to prevent even the most skilled infiltrators from slipping through unnoticed, ensuring that all intruders are hunted down and executed..."
A cold smile curled his lips.
"...it also means they themselves have no retreat. Unless they slaughter every enemy who enters, they too will be slaughtered."
In other words—
Once inside, there was no escape unless every last foe within was eradicated.
"I can't fathom what kind of confidence led them to build a gate like this."
Just as Myo Cheon-u muttered under his breath, Bu Eun-seol spoke.
"Un-ryong."
Yu Un-ryong had recently honed his Sensory Martial Arts to its limits.
That made him uniquely suited to dealing with the assassins concealed in this crimson mist.
"Understood."
Yu Un-ryong stepped forward with a nod.
As he extended his left hand, a metallic clack echoed—his Ten-Section Staff unfurling from where it had been coiled around his arm.
"I'll wipe them all out and return."
With those words, he strode slowly into the crimson mist.
Step. Step.
The moment he entered, the mist thickened further.
Sssssss—
The faint movements of assassins shifting stealthily through the haze became palpable.
'Let's see.'
Just as Yu Un-ryong prepared to swing his staff—
Splurt!
Blood abruptly gushed from his shoulder.
They weren't just moving through the mist—the instant he activated his martial arts, they struck preemptively, exploiting that split-second opening with a unique assassination technique.
"So this mist itself is the assassins' senses."
If the mist acted as their eyes and ears—
No matter what technique Yu Un-ryong used, they would detect it beforehand.
And strike the moment he made his move.
"Good."
Crack!
Yu Un-ryong whipped his staff in a wide arc before they could attack, forming a circular barrier of fierce energy around himself.
Crash! Crash! Crash!
Deliberately exaggerating his movements, he carved massive arcs through the air, generating deafening noise and shockwaves.
Gradually, the mist began to disperse—revealing the assassins hidden within, one by one.
Thud! Thump!
Each time an assassin was exposed, they collapsed with fatal wounds.
Using the noise and shockwaves radiating from his Ten-Section Staff, he systematically eliminated the concealed killers.
Splurt! Splash!
But Yu Un-ryong wasn't unscathed either.
The necessity of wildly swinging his staff to generate shockwaves and noise left inevitable openings—
And the assassins didn't miss those chances, raining down razor-sharp sword strokes upon him.
Drip. Drip.
Blood streamed from dozens of wounds as he fought.
"Perfect!"
Splat! Splat! Splat!
Yu Un-ryong used his staff to fling his own blood outward.
The droplets spread through the crimson mist, gradually outlining faint silhouettes—
He had turned his own blood into a medium to track his enemies' movements.
"Haaahp!"
With a fierce cry, he swung his staff with full force once more.
Normally, he adhered to flawlessly measured strikes, considering even a single wound a disgrace.
If he predicted his enemy's movements and executed perfect techniques, he should never be injured.
But now—
He fought like a wild beast, entangled in a bloody melee with the assassins lurking in the mist.
Sssshhk!
But the assassins weren't fools.
Realizing Yu Un-ryong was employing terrifyingly precise Sensory Martial Arts, they focused solely on crippling his legs to reduce his mobility.
Thud!
Eventually, Yu Un-ryong retreated, falling back to where Bu Eun-seol and the others stood.
"This might be tough."
Do Cheon-rin shook his head at the sight of Yu Un-ryong's bloodied legs.
"If this keeps up, we'll have a crippled strategist sitting in the Death Shadow War Unit."
Though he hadn't seen the full extent of the battle within the mist—
He was pointing out that Yu Un-ryong had relied too heavily on his Sensory Martial Arts, neglecting his defenses.
Grrk.
Yu Un-ryong's face twisted—
Shwak!
His right hand now also brandished a Ten-Section Staff.
"Whether I end up a cripple or a beggar—keep your damn eyes wide open and watch!"
Whoooosh!
He charged back in.
With his left staff, he thrust like a spear, skewering assassins through the mist—
With his right hand, he was deflecting the onslaught of attacks as though wielding a silk whip.
"Haaahp!"
A thunderous battle cry echoed, followed by the sound of heavy thuds—thud-thud-thud—resounding through the mist.
A moment later,
Thud. Thud.
The sound of logs collapsing.
Hidden within the mist, the assassins now lay sprawled across the ground, reduced to nothing more than bloodied corpses.
Their number? A staggering one hundred and fifty.
Yu Un-ryong had annihilated—single-handedly—an entire squad of ghostly assassins who moved like phantoms, predicting their enemies' movements before they even struck.
Crunch. Crunch.
Drenched in blood, Yu Un-ryong returned to the entrance.
Schlick!
As he stretched out both hands, the blood clinging to his Ten-Section Staff flicked off, splattering toward Do Cheon-rin's face.
Splat!
Do Cheon-rin tilted his head slightly, evading the spray.
By then, the Ten-Section Staff had already slithered back into his sleeves.
"I've been calculating this since earlier. Making sure those bastards would aim for my lower body."
Yu Un-ryong glared at Do Cheon-rin, about to say something more—
"What are you doing?"
Seo Jin-ha furrowed his brows.
At some point, Myo Cheon-u had crouched down, meticulously examining the dead assassins.
The sight was eerily reminiscent of Bu Eun-seol in the past, studying the scars left on corpses to analyze martial techniques.
"What, you trying to figure out their martial origins from the wounds too?"
"This'll do."
Ignoring the question, Myo Cheon-u pulled a longsword from one of the corpses and fastened it to his waist.
Myo Cheon-u's specialty was Palm Techniques—he always fought barehanded.
So why take a longsword, and an utterly unremarkable one at that?
"Why are you taking that?"
When Seo Jin-ha pressed, Myo Cheon-u grinned.
"Carrying a plain sword like this makes it seem like mine, doesn't it?"
"What nonsense—"
Just as Seo Jin-ha frowned, Bu Eun-seol spoke.
"Let's move on."
Passing through the crimson mist gate, they soon came upon a dense forest where countless trees twisted and tangled together.
At its entrance stood another gate, just like the one in the mist—wide enough for only one person to pass.
"They should've called it the Hundred Gates, not the White Sword Gate."
Clicking his tongue, Myo Cheon-u stepped forward into the forest—
Flash!
A sharp glint of light, and in an instant, a thin line of blood trickled down his cheek.
"Fascinating technique."
Myo Cheon-u exhaled in amazement.
Not only were these bizarrely shaped trees concealing hidden assassins—they themselves were components of a Battle Formation, constantly altering the forest's structure.
"This feels more like the Art of Spells than a mere Battle Formation."
"There's only one hiding. Maybe two at most."
Yu Un-ryong narrowed his eyes as he scanned the forest.
"Manipulating nature like this—whether it's the Art of Spells or a Battle Formation—the more people involved, the more noticeable it becomes."
"Doesn't matter what it is."
Myo Cheon-u drew the sword at his waist and smirked.
"This time, I'll handle it."
Without giving anyone a chance to stop him, he strode confidently into the forest.
Thud.
The moment he entered, the skeletal trees began twisting unnaturally.
Then, the entrance sealed shut behind him.
Just like the mist gate, this forest's gate allowed only one person in—and none could leave unless they died.
Slash!
Myo Cheon-u tested the closed gate with his sword.
But not even a scratch marred its surface.
"So it only opens if you destroy it, huh?"
Muttering to himself, his expression brimmed with confidence.
"Then I'll finish this in one strike and make it open for me."
Fwoosh!
In the same breath, he vanished, activating his Movement Technique.
Like the Turtle Breath Grand Art, he suppressed all biological reactions, blending into the surroundings—ensuring the forest's manipulator couldn't detect him.
But the same applied to him.
The assassin hidden among the skeletal trees had perfected the Way of Nature, concealing themselves so flawlessly that neither sight nor extrasensory perception could pinpoint them.
"......"
A deathly silence settled.
A quarter hour passed, yet no battle erupted—no one revealed themselves.
Flick.
Finally, Myo Cheon-u reappeared.
At this rate, time would keep slipping away with no progress.
"Hmm."
He closed his eyes.
Huum.
A silver radiance emanated from his sword, spreading outward in shockwaves like a storm.
Had he forged a new Sword Studies technique?
Clad in that silver light, sword in hand, he resembled a celestial being descended from the heavens.
"There you are!"
Myo Cheon-u's eyes snapped open as he unleashed a Great Roar.
In the silent forest, a single branch trembled—just slightly.
A minuscule vibration, but not enough to deceive the extrasensory perception of a Master like him.
Swoosh!
In a streak of light, Myo Cheon-u lunged.
In an instant, he unleashed the Quick Sword Form, striking the assassin who had unwittingly revealed their presence.
Schlick!
A chilling slash—the razor-sharp sword aura split the hidden assassin's body in two.
"Too easy to fool."
Myo Cheon-u grinned.
Truthfully, he hadn't known where the enemy was hiding.
But his shout—"There you are!"—and the naturalness of his gaze had been so convincing that the assassin, believing they'd been discovered, instinctively betrayed their position.
Thud.
The assassin's bisected corpse tumbled into view.
A terrifying assassin who had mastered the Way of Nature, their flawless stealth leaving no openings—
And yet, they had fallen for Myo Cheon-u's simple trick, losing their life in vain.