Chapter 450
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 450
Chapter Title: What a Coincidence
"Huh?"
The beauty tilted her head.
"What's wrong?"
Mu-geuk asked Gwang-hwi.
"It seems one of the fragments of my will tried to awaken the Abyss."
Gwang-hwi's will had all gathered here and taken form.
It was a decision made after Ha Mu-baek completed Gwang-hwi as the medium and united the will of Mu-geuk Ye-ui.
During the process of collecting the fragments of will scattered across the world and merging them into one.
She had detected signs that a fragment's will had tried to awaken the Abyss, contrary to the main will.
"Heh. It looks like even though it didn't seem so, a small desire still lingered."
It probably wasn't the attempt of the one with the strongest such impulse.
Gwang-hwi nodded at Mu-geuk's question.
"I'm a primordial fragment too, after all. Even if I reject that will, it can't be perfect."
"That's why I took this physical form."
Mu-geuk.
He had met a human perfectly suited to his will, gathered all the fragments, and materialized.
Ye-ui had been with him.
Thus, his will—the Abyss—now existed solely here, pure and untainted.
"Can that guy really face the Nadir?"
If the primordial will's power was called the Abyss, then the full will's power was the Nadir.
"Come to think of it, I didn't tell him about the Nadir either."
Because Ha Mu-baek had already encountered Man-hwang, he was simply told to erase that will, without revealing it was the Nadir.
"He hadn't learned the Heaven-Sensing Nadir Heart Method either..."
Mu-geuk also recalled that Ha Mu-baek hadn't mastered one of the Mu-geuk Sword Sect's arts.
"Is that related to the Nadir?"
"A heart method that senses the Nadir."
Mu-geuk answered Gwang-hwi's question.
"Well, he left after learning an art that uses the Abyss's power, so doesn't that make it all pointless anyway?"
Mu-geuk shrugged at Gwang-hwi's question.
Strictly speaking, that was true.
Ha Mu-baek had left this place with at least some of the Abyss's power.
Mu-geuk Ye-ui Eight Ultimate Sword Release.
The ninth ultimate.
The Abyss.
That.
"So this is the place."
Won Pyeong-sam's eyes gleamed with ecstasy.
The traces of Man-hwang filled the surroundings.
This power was unmistakably the power of the Great One.
Powder piled on a small stone throne.
The scent of Man-hwang was strongest there.
"What's that?"
"It was a person."
Won Pyeong-sam answered calmly.
Yeong So-hyang tilted her head at his words.
"A corpse that endured for ages finally crumbled to dust."
Won Pyeong-sam added, then examined the stone chamber closely.
'Someone came and went. Probably...'
Ha Mu-baek.
He had chased the Poison Well's master all the way to this cliff, or so he said.
He had sensed Man-hwang's traces, but...
There could be other reasons to discover this place.
Recent signs of passage pointed first to Ha Mu-baek.
"Ha Mu-baek..."
Yeong So-hyang looked at him in surprise at Won Pyeong-sam's mutter.
"What kind of man is he?"
Chasing Man-hwang's traces, that name kept popping up.
"A monster."
Yeong So-hyang answered flatly.
She couldn't forget the overwhelming sight he had shown.
Especially.
Even Yeom-sa Hwa Yu-gun, who treated the Haomun like dirt under his nails.
The shock when she heard he had been cautious around Ha Mu-baek.
"Hm. I need to learn more about him."
Won Pyeong-sam muttered to himself.
He refocused on finding Man-hwang's traces.
Someone's corpse here had turned to dust, but Man-hwang wouldn't vanish so easily.
Its power didn't fade that simply.
It must have transferred to someone.
The flame of Man-hwang igniting was proof.
After long ages, finally one had lit.
An inextinguishable blaze.
"Let's go."
Won Pyeong-sam emerged from the cavern.
He gazed at the raging rapids below.
"Should we follow for now?"
The Poison Well's master had fallen here.
Alive.
On the brink of death, but survival uncertain.
The Poison Well's master surely tied to Man-hwang's power somehow.
The highest probability now lay with the Poison Well's master.
Whoever that was.
Won Pyeong-sam leaped forward.
Yeong So-hyang followed.
"This journey might grow long. Don't neglect your training."
"Yes."
No need to remind her.
Yeong So-hyang trained relentlessly whenever she could.
She had a goal, and it was enormous.
She couldn't rest.
Mountain-Crossing Great Wall.
A group raced along the ramparts.
Righteous Heaven Alliance Leader So Hwi-woong and his entourage.
Demon-Sealing Corps Black Squad led the way, but White Squad was with them too.
Managing the spells was their duty, so when word came that Ma Jin-gi was checking the spells, they joined.
White Squad's Corps Leader personally led his squad to merge.
Ma Jin-gi checked surrounding spells as they moved.
Thus, their pace matched Ma Jin-gi.
"Hmm. No notable damage. You've managed well. Nothing beyond weathering."
White Squad's Corps Leader, running beside Ma Jin-gi, smiled faintly and bowed.
"Thank you, elder."
"No, just praising good work. No need for thanks."
Pride shone on the faces of White Squad members following.
It felt like recognition of their efforts.
"At this rate, we'll arrive tomorrow."
Ma Jin-gi nodded at Pung-geon's words.
While inspecting spells, Ma Jin-gi's gaze turned to Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest.
"Still so quiet."
"No idea what they're plotting."
So Hwi-woong answered Ma Jin-gi's mutter.
His senses extended to their maximum range.
Few rogue zombies lingered.
Instead, herb gatherers swarmed where silence fell.
'Among them must be Blood Cult remnants...'
How did they learn the forest had quieted?
Many roamed freely inside.
Even Demon-Sealing Corps cautiously scouted since the Heaven-Exterminating Zombie appeared.
Yet they feared nothing.
"It's their livelihood, so we couldn't block them aggressively. Apologies."
White Squad Corps Leader Jo Go-pung said cautiously, face apologetic.
So Hwi-woong had glanced where herb gatherers moved moments ago.
White Squad patrolled the walls constantly, encountering them most.
"Can't recklessly touch desperate measures..."
So Hwi-woong muttered understandingly.
"They're coming here now."
Dam Mu-heun, running right behind So Hwi-woong, said quietly.
"Who?"
"Dragon Training Pavilion's field trainees."
So Hwi-woong nodded at Dam Mu-heun's reply.
No incidents since the Heaven-Exterminating Zombie.
Field training would proceed as planned.
'Yeon family head. What are you really after...'
So Hwi-woong frowned slightly.
Hidden Dragon Corps trainees and Wa Dragon Corps trainees.
About a hundred grimaced as they marched along the official path.
Leading were Hidden Dragon Corps Leader Neung U-dam and over ten instructors.
All renowned as the strongest in Hidden Dragon Corps.
After Fierce Dragon Corps graduated and left Dragon Training Pavilion.
Next came announcements for Hidden Dragon and Wa Dragon field training.
Already rumored through instructors.
Trainees' focus: who went to Demon-Sealing Corps.
Those assigned there might meet today's departing Fierce Dragon trainees.
Lists released.
Of eight hundred Hidden Dragon and Wa Dragon trainees, a whopping hundred went to Demon-Sealing Corps.
One in eight—an enormous number.
Trainees were shocked, but Righteous Heaven Alliance set the allocations; Pavilion Lord Pang Do-yul had no say.
Demon-Sealing Corps got more due to danger, moving in large groups.
But if dangerous, just don't assign.
Pang Do-yul had frowned at the list, thinking that.
Yet annually, about a hundred Fierce Dragon trainees went there post-graduation.
Hard to call a hundred Hidden/Wa trainees' month-or-two stint unfair.
This many to Demon-Sealing Corps was Yeon Ja-kyeong's will.
To send as many as possible to Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest.
No one saw his ugly intent.
"What a coincidence."
Namgung Ji-yu said as they walked.
"Yeah."
Namgung Ji-hu nodded.
Of all places, Demon-Sealing Corps.
Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest.
Might run into Fierce Dragon guys there.
Maybe even meet Father.
Namgung Hwi lived in the village where he barely survived.
Near the forest.
"The assignments seem fairly balanced, though?"
She'd heard through channels it was Yeon Ja-kyeong's push.
But Baek Do Association and New Eight Gates trainees mixed evenly.
Expected mostly New Eight Gates.
Beom Il-so walked calmly too.
But most trainees' faces soured.
Naturally.
They'd seen zombies.
While watching Fierce Dragon training.
Off to the zombie-infested forest.
Training or not, they didn't want to go.
Now they faintly understood Fierce Dragon trainees' feelings.
"Where are those guys now?"
Namgung Ji-yu shook her head at Namgung Ji-hu's question.
No idea.
Different routes, probably.
They headed due north to Mountain-Crossing Great Wall, Demon-Sealing Corps HQ.
Instructors led safely.
Meanwhile.
Fierce Dragon, led by Demon-Sealing Corps, went straight to Great Wall.
Knowing west gate then along wall, or atop wall, was fastest.
Ha Mu-baek trained as always today.
Smooth upper body bare, swinging his sword.
Han Seol-bing watched impassively now.
No thoughts of her own scarred body.
Grown accustomed daily.
Han Seol-bing focused on her training instead.
She'd trained daily without fail.
But with this monster training full tilt before her.
Her approach changed.
More earnest, devoted.
Ice Heaven Daylight Sword.
Bingcheon Palace Han's signature.
Base inner art, Ice Heaven Daylight Heart Method.
Evolved further: Han's strongest, Sun Moon Subtlety Heart Conclusion.
Learned secretly from Palace Lord returning to Dragon Training Pavilion.
With order to perfect true Ice Heaven Daylight Sword.
Han Seol-bing cultivated Sun Moon Subtlety Heart Conclusion while meditating on Ice Heaven Daylight Sword.
With it, the sword would differ entirely from before.
Thus, Han Seol-bing immersed deeply in her arts.
Ha Mu-baek's sword, mid-swing, halted abruptly.
His gaze turned to Han Seol-bing.
"Hm."
Glancing briefly at her training.
He resumed swinging.