Yin Resonance
The figure that appeared before the cave was a middle-aged man of gaunt build and a vicious cast of features.
His eyes burned with poisonous light, and the twisted smile at the corner of his mouth was nothing short of ominous.
How long has he been standing there?
At the sudden appearance of an outsider, Cheonhwa snapped his wariness to full height. He had been keeping watch with the Six Harmony Sensory Path, yet until this moment he had sensed no pursuit. Anyone capable of deceiving his senses and drawing this near was clearly no ordinary opponent.
Then a question slipped from Seol Yerin’s lips.
“You’ve lost a great deal of flesh in so short a time. What are you doing here, Blood Wolf Iron Claw?”
She clearly knew the man’s identity. From the cold energy that rolled off her bearing, one could tell theirs was no friendly acquaintance.
“Blood Wolf Iron Claw?!”
At Seol Yerin’s words, Jeokhwa cried out in shock.
“Blood Wolf Iron Claw is a Peak Expert under the Paegum Sect who specializes in claw techniques, just as his moniker suggests. I heard he mainly operates in northern Shaanxi…”
Dismay showed plainly on Jeokhwa’s face as she explained. Who would have imagined meeting a demonic-path expert based in northern Shaanxi here on Mount Taebaek?
For what reason has he come all the way to Mount Taebaek, so far from northern Shaanxi?
Cheonhwa watched Blood Wolf Iron Claw with growing suspicion. The middle-aged master chuckled and answered Seol Yerin’s question.
“Can’t you tell just by looking? I followed you, of course. No need to explain the reason further, is there?”
Blood Wolf Iron Claw’s gaze fixed on the Ice Crystal Seol Yerin held. Seeing her unharmed, he clicked his tongue.
“I went to the trouble of spreading rumors about a spiritual herb, yet you don’t have a single scratch. What a pity.”
“You spread those rumors?”
“Did you not notice? When you were about to climb Mount Taebaek, it was no coincidence that rumors circulated only in this vicinity.”
Blood Wolf Iron Claw wore a crooked smile as he mocked Seol Yerin. It had been a scheme solely to drain her strength, yet she had sensed nothing amiss—how dull she was.
“You bastard!”
Fury shooting to the crown of her head, Seol Yerin roared and charged at Blood Wolf Iron Claw. The demonic expert, as if he had been waiting for exactly that, drew up his internal energy. When their palm strikes collided, a heavy boom resounded; the snow carpeting the ground flipped over and scattered in every direction.
Cutting through the snowstorm that overturned the cave, Cheonhwa, Yeonhwa, and Jeokhwa moved to aid Seol Yerin. Cheonhwa interposed himself, striking aside the hand Blood Wolf Iron Claw thrust at her. As if taking over the exchange, Yeonhwa and Jeokhwa charged in while Cheonhwa and Seol Yerin leapt back.
“We will join you.”
“Why help me?”
“To stay alive.”
Cheonhwa answered Seol Yerin’s question plainly. Leaving her to fight alone was out of the question, of course—but more than that, a demonic expert who had come to seize a spiritual treasure would never let their party go free. Nine times out of ten he would kill every last person present to silence them. Thus the only way for the party to survive was one: help Seol Yerin defeat Blood Wolf Iron Claw. Their odds were slim to none, yet it was still better than standing idle with folded hands.
“I thank you for your aid.”
“Save the thanks until after we survive.”
Cheonhwa moved once more toward Blood Wolf Iron Claw alongside Seol Yerin. A battle of one Peak Expert against four First-class martial artists. Advantage should naturally have lain with Blood Wolf Iron Claw, yet for some reason the contest remained evenly matched.
How is this possible?
Blood Wolf Iron Claw’s movements were refined as befitting a Peak Expert. His stealthy, murderously sharp forms pursued his opponents like a wolf clinging to its prey. Yet for some reason he could not properly use his internal energy, nor did he employ Peak Expert arts such as Intent Qi Manifestation.
“That man has restrictions on using his internal energy.”
Yeonhwa, with her unique senses, realized the opponent could not fully wield his internal energy. Seol Yerin supplied the answer to that mystery.
“Blood Wolf Iron Claw was bitten by a King Yan Snake and is poisoned.”
The King Yan Snake was a spiritual beast whose venom was so extreme that being bitten meant one would go meet King Yan. The extreme Yang energy contained in its venom induced heat and pain as if one’s entire body were burning, making even movement impossible.
“But Blood Wolf Iron Claw is using roughly half his internal energy to suppress the poison. That is why he cannot fight properly.”
An ordinary martial artist would struggle merely to suppress the poisoning through qi circulation and breathing. That he could fight while holding the poison at bay proved how outstanding Blood Wolf Iron Claw’s control of internal energy was.
“Moreover, the King Yan Snake’s venom differs from ordinary poisons. It can be neutralized simply by consuming a spiritual herb of vast Yin energy.”
Had it been a normal poison, he would long since have expelled the toxic energy with his internal energy. But the King Yan Snake’s venom, true to a spiritual beast’s toxin, clung to the body like a curse and could not be expelled. That was why Blood Wolf Iron Claw coveted Seol Yerin’s Ice Crystal.
“Hand over the Ice Crystal!”
With a desperate cry, Blood Wolf Iron Claw swung his hand, and a sharp blade-wind erupted from his fingertips. With a chilling sound that split the air, claw marks as if left by a beast scarred the cave wall. Even a mere energy wave differed so greatly when used by a Peak Expert. The party tried to avoid the claw wind, but the space was narrow and they could not fully evade. Clothing tore, skin was cut, and blood flowed. Even unable to use his full internal energy, a master’s skill remained undiminished—he was demonstrating that fact clearly.
The cave is far too narrow.
The interior was cramped even for three people to stand side by side, and one had to take care even swinging a longsword. Thus even with multiple people it was hard to leverage numerical superiority. Conversely, Blood Wolf Iron Claw fought alone and could freely launch assaults without regard for his surroundings. If they could get outside the cave they might reverse the situation, but Blood Wolf Iron Claw knew that well and held the entrance firmly without yielding.
Even weakened by extreme poison, he compensates through environment and tactics… Surviving in the Jianghu was no accident.
The experience he had amassed through countless real battles became a wolf-like tenacity that slowly drove the party into a corner.
To overturn the board, we must risk damage and throw out a decisive move.
Among the four, the only one who could deal effective damage to Blood Wolf Iron Claw was Seol Yerin, who unleashed ice arts based on her profound internal energy. If her Cold Yin Palm Method, laden with cold Yin energy, landed properly, the tide of battle could reverse. Of course Blood Wolf Iron Claw knew this and focused his checks on Seol Yerin. He had also wrapped himself in thick protective qi so as not to be invaded by the cold Yin energy. First they had to deal with that internal energy barrier somehow.
They had made no prior agreement. Such a thing would not work against this opponent, and Cheonhwa trusted the comrades fighting beside him. Yeonhwa and Jeokhwa had coordinated countless times and would respond at once. Seol Yerin was not a martial artist so inferior as to miss a decisive moment.
When the others retreated to avoid the energy wave, Cheonhwa charged in alone. With the keen senses of the Six Harmony Sensory Path he narrowly avoided the assaults and swung Okgyeong. The trajectory of the diagonal sword strike left no room to dodge within the narrow cave space. Thus Blood Wolf Iron Claw chose to trust his protective qi and endure rather than evade the sword strike.
Boom!
Okgyeong, still jade-hued despite its many scars, collided with the gaunt arm wrapped in an internal energy barrier, and a heavy noise rang out. Having blocked the attack with one arm, Blood Wolf Iron Claw tried to drive a counter with the other—but before that, something went wrong with his protective qi.
Crack!
From the point of contact with the wooden sword came the sound of true qi flowing in and collapsing the internal energy barrier.
Twentieth Form
Clouds Scatter Under Heaven
The sword art reinforced by willpower mercilessly shattered the obstructing energy. It was a form that had even cracked the internal energy barrier of the Green Forest King, a Peerless Expert of the demonic path. An unexpected strike that a Peak Expert with restricted internal energy could not block.
“Khuh?!”
For the first time a groan mixed with fluster escaped Blood Wolf Iron Claw’s lips. He hastily struck Cheonhwa away with his other arm.
“Guhk!”
With a blow that landed cleanly in his side, Cheonhwa was sent flying backward. Yet as he flew back, a smile played on Cheonhwa’s lips. For Blood Wolf Iron Claw’s protective qi would no longer fulfill its role.
Into the space created as Cheonhwa was pushed back, Seol Yerin leapt. Cold Yin energy drawn to its limit gathered in her palm and blazed pure white. Yeonhwa and Jeokhwa also raised their energy, preparing to follow up. The opponents’ assault was faster than Blood Wolf Iron Claw could rewrap his protective qi. Just before Seol Yerin’s palm strike reached him—
Bang!
The qi wave Blood Wolf Iron Claw detonated swept through the cave. Not mere presence but pressure with substance shoved everyone backward. It was the art of giving form to true qi to inflict injury on an opponent: Intent Qi Manifestation.
“So you forced me to use the internal energy I had been suppressing.”
Qi waves surged from Blood Wolf Iron Claw’s body, his robes flapping. The presence that filled the entire cave became oppressive force crushing the party. At the same time his complexion and various parts of his body flushed red—because the extreme poison of the King Yan Snake he had been suppressing until now had begun to act. If he stayed like this he might not endure the extreme poison and perish, but before that, if he slaughtered the nuisances and seized the Ice Crystal, it would be fine.
Now that I have recovered my Peak-level skill, those brats are no more than a mouthful away.
Even amid the pain of extreme poison, a leisurely smile formed on Blood Wolf Iron Claw’s lips. Conversely, Cheonhwa and the other three twisted their faces at the despairing situation.
I cannot let it end like this.
Cheonhwa tried to rise somehow, but controlling his body was not easy. The blow from Blood Wolf Iron Claw plus exposure to Intent Qi Manifestation had worsened both external and internal injuries. Just as he somehow used willpower to force his body up—
Hum!
Something caught in Cheonhwa’s deep consciousness. Directing his gaze toward where he felt the willpower, he discovered the Ice Crystal that had fallen nearby. Apparently Seol Yerin had dropped it when shoved back by the pressure of Intent Qi Manifestation.
Help me.
The Ice Crystal’s spiritual nature spoke to him. Cheonhwa flinched at the sudden situation, but there was no time to be surprised now. Though not as clear as the Sinking Heavy Water Tree, the voice was still distinctly audible. It was an earnest request to lend strength in order to save its master.
“What must I do?”
Hold me.
Cheonhwa nodded and picked up the Ice Crystal. Then the Ice Crystal’s spiritual nature and Cheonhwa’s willpower began to resonate. Centered on the Ice Crystal, the cold energy within the cave was sucked in. As overflowing energy imbued the spiritual nature’s willpower, it began to take on substance. Pure white north wind wrapped around Cheonhwa’s entire body, and his body that had not moved an inch began to move freely.
“Wh-what?!”
At the sudden anomaly, Blood Wolf Iron Claw panicked. Instinct honed by decades of experience sounded the alarm. He must not leave that anomaly alone. Thus Blood Wolf Iron Claw launched a sharp energy wave at Cheonhwa, who had somehow risen—a claw form with Intent Qi Manifestation infused. An attack that could easily tear a First-class martial artist to shreds—
Crack!
The trajectory of the wooden sword Cheonhwa swung shattered Blood Wolf Iron Claw’s qi wave. At that sight Blood Wolf Iron Claw could not hide his shock. For now a blade of ice was gleaming along the damaged jade-hued sword body. That vivid presence was something Blood Wolf Iron Claw knew well.
“This is absurd—how can a First-class martial artist produce sword qi…!”
It was the art regarded as a symbol of Peak Experts: Intent Qi Manifestation.