The Thousand Swords That Hide the Sky

The six-tailed fox spirit, Maegu, was a demon who had come from beyond the Central Plains. To demons, the lines drawn on maps by humans were utterly meaningless.

The influence of the Bokma-jeon, which had extended as far as the lands beyond the Great Wall, drew in powerful demons from every corner of the world. The combined might of the demons gathered there was certainly enough to overturn the world, yet they were in a situation where they could not exert even a tenth of their true power due to the Seongsin-gyuyak (Covenant of the Gods).

The demons had repeatedly attempted to bypass the covenant, and the most successful result among them was the utilization of human martial arts.

Maegu was a maverick who had put aside her efforts to become a nine-tailed fox to practice human martial arts, eventually reaching the Peak Realm.

'If I can replicate the Heavenly Demon through shapeshifting, I should be able to get my hands on the oral formulas of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, said to be the greatest in history.'

She would do anything to get her hands on stronger martial arts. Possessing a mindset no different from a demonic practitioner—fitting for a demon who utilized the middle Dantian—she had been eagerly awaiting the research results of the scholar Seo.

That was why she had headed straight to Hubei the moment contact with the scholar was lost.

"Now then, how should I proceed from here?"

It was fine that she had come to Hubei, but she was in a position where she could not recklessly enter the Murim Alliance. If the scholar had been discovered, it meant the Murim Alliance possessed some method to see through her shapeshifting techniques. If she were to barge in blindly and have her identity exposed in the middle of the Alliance, there would be nothing even Maegu could do.

'Those who are called absolute masters possess strength no less than a great demon. It is difficult to face such monsters while avoiding the leakage of heavenly secrets.'

Unable to use her demonic arts due to the Seongsin-gyuyak, Maegu’s combat power was literally that of a demonic practitioner at the Peak Realm. Of course, even this level would make her one of the few in the world without an equal, but the current Murim Alliance had several absolute masters.

Maegu also knew this, having practiced martial arts herself. No matter how skilled she was, if she were to fight them using only martial arts, she would not be able to overcome the difference in realms.

"If I cannot enter personally, I have no choice but to create a puppet."

As it happened, the students of the Heavenly Martial Academy were roaming about catching demonic practitioners as part of the Yongbong-jihoe. Maegu planned to leave suitable traces, seduce a student who found her, turn ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠them into a puppet, and infiltrate the Murim Alliance.

Thus, she cast her fishing line and waited repeatedly. Finally, she received a bite, and the one who took the bait was none other than Zhuge Lin.

"What a pity. I have no interest in the low-level spell-martial arts of humans."

As far as spells were concerned, no matter how great the Zhuge Clan was, they could not compare to demons who had lived since before the Seongsin-gyuyak. This was the same for spell-martial arts; to Maegu, who was practicing martial arts in a standard way, Zhuge Lin’s martial arts were even more useless than those of a minor sect.

"I have no choice but to use her position as a student of the Heavenly Martial Academy for the time being."

And so, the moment Maegu reached out toward Zhuge Lin, an uninvited guest intervened.

"Young lady, please value yourself more."

The moment Seong-jin appeared, Maegu recognized his identity. After all, Seong-jin was a member of the team that had achieved the greatest results in finding demonic practitioners recently, so Maegu had also considered him the most likely person to find her.

"Things like this should be done by someone who is just waiting for their day to come."

When she faced Seong-jin, Maegu was honestly delighted.

"At last, I shall see something new instead of the martial arts of the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Clans that I have seen until I am sick of them!"

If one were to weigh only the value of martial arts, the arts of the great sects that had led countless people to high realms over a long period would be superior. However, Maegu had already traveled the world and crossed hands with countless strong individuals, and most of them had used the martial arts of the Nine Great Sects or the Five Great Clans. To Maegu, a new martial art she had never seen before was far more valuable. To broaden her horizons, she had to encounter new things.

In that sense, the appearance of a new martial art that had at least reached the First-rate level, yet had never been seen before, made Maegu’s heart flutter.

"Ho, how bold! Even that appearance is not hateful; I like it. I shall yield the first strike, so..."

Seong-jin did not wait for her to finish speaking and struck. A sword, accelerated by thunder energy from within the scabbard, shot out like a projectile.

"Flying Sword Technique! That is a rare sight among the Orthodox sects!"

Maegu exclaimed in admiration as she dodged the sword Seong-jin had thrown. She would have liked to catch it and examine it rather than dodge, but it would be a blunder to act recklessly before verifying her opponent’s true capabilities.

"You threw your sword, yet you could not take me down. Now then, what comes next?"

Seong-jin, who had already closed the distance, entered into hand-to-hand combat. Maegu parried Seong-jin’s strikes and unleashed the Demonic Beast Fist Technique she had created herself.

The power of a martial art is only unleashed when the posture of the form and the movement of Qi align. However, Maegu, being a fox, had a different Qi-vessel structure than humans, and even if she shapeshifted into a human form, she could not use martial arts exactly the same way. Therefore, Maegu had to create a new martial art solely for herself. This was the reason she was obsessed with observing others’ martial arts and broadening her horizons. Unlike humans, who could reach the realms they had attained just by following the teachings of the ancient sages, Maegu had to build everything from scratch, not even knowing if it was actually possible for a demon to practice martial arts.

"Haha, are you attempting close-quarters combat against someone with a higher realm than you?"

The realm of martial arts meant the realm of Naegong (internal energy), and the realm of Naegong meant the realm of physical ability based on it. Unless one had trained in a special external art, a higher realm meant faster hands and feet. And to engage in close-quarters combat with an opponent faster than oneself was tantamount to suicide.

Seong-jin and Maegu’s limbs tangled chaotically. When Maegu, with her faster hands, moved first to grab Seong-jin, Seong-jin dodged the touch that sought to bind him. It was a battle of Geumna-su (seizing techniques) at point-blank range.

"Why is this? I am faster!"

However, the very fact that the duel was holding up was an absurd situation. "No matter how excellent one’s physical ability is, as long as one has a human body, the arms bend inward."

The basic principle of Geumna-su is to take the back. Avoiding the grip with the back of the hand, avoiding being caught on the forearm with the back of the arm. Seong-jin’s movements always circled behind the opponent’s joints. Maegu also had to keep moving to avoid having her back taken.

"Why am I, who moves faster, being chased!"

"The fastest is not the shortest, but the optimal path; sometimes, the path that goes around is the faster way."

If she continued this close-quarters combat, she would suffer a disaster. Having made her judgment, Maegu immediately scattered Qi waves and retreated significantly.

"Then let us see how you fare in a battle of strength!"

Using the distance she had created, Maegu accelerated and rushed forward with the momentum of a raging wave. It was power enough to pulverize an entire house. Receiving that head-on would be a foolish act, but Seong-jin did not retreat.

'Because this is a chance to strike by adding the opponent's strength to my own.'

Seong-jin planted his feet into the earth as if driving a stake and pulled up his thunder energy.

A new function of the Heavenly Escape Sword Technique, made possible as the realm of Taoist arts reached the Three Talents. To that, the mysteries of the Drunken Eight Immortals Steps were added. Chukji (Earth-shrinking).

The moment the divine arts of two immortals, who would not be second to anyone in the heavens or on earth when it came to martial arts, overlapped. Seong-jin, having perfectly pierced through Maegu’s trajectory, went out to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠meet her where she would arrive and unleashed a strike of Hu-bal-seon-ji (striking later but arriving first).

Thud!

A light contact, like bumping shoulders on the street. As a result of delivering all his strength completely to the opponent, the aftermath of the Bal-gyeong (release of power) visible on the outside was so faint it wouldn't wake a sleeping puppy. However, the power ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was different.

Crackle!

Maegu’s shapeshifting technique shattered. Her black hair turned golden, and the ears and tails she had kept hidden stood up sharply, revealing her true form.

"Ahahahaha! Good! Yes, this is it!"

She was genuinely enjoying being struck by Seong-jin. "Possibilities in a completely different direction from the trash of the Nine Great Sects who always show only the obvious! You are my Don-o (sudden enlightenment)!"

As Maegu’s momentum changed completely, Zhuge Lin, who had been observing the situation until then, shouted in a hurry.

"Be careful, young master! That demon has yet to use the effect of her Unity of Body and Sword!"

With her momentum until now, it seemed Seong-jin was overwhelming Maegu, but she had been holding back her strength to taste Seong-jin’s martial arts.

"Excellent. However, as the daughter of the Zhuge Clan said, I still have Unity of Body and Sword left. If you can receive even this, I shall take you as my groom!"

At the same time, the Unity of Body and Sword, which had been deployed early on, activated its effect.

When Maegu blew a breath, blue fox-fire erupted and engulfed them. "It means the nonsense about overcoming it with mental strength will not work on my illusions."

Instead of running away, Seong-jin stood in front of the frozen Zhuge Lin. "No! You must at least dodge...!"

However, despite the heat that made it hard to even breathe, the flames could not invade Seong-jin. After ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the barrage of flames ceased, Seong-jin stood there perfectly fine, wearing a bright red robe.

"A fire-rat’s fur coat? How is it that you have what the Volcano Sect possessed?"

Leaving Maegu’s question behind, Seong-jin asked Zhuge Lin with a calm attitude. "The young lady just now called that a demon."

"Yes? Yes?"

"Then, do you also know well about the Tao?"

At the sudden question of whether she knew the Tao, not even being a cultist, Zhuge Lin felt her mind go blank. However, realizing the situation, she quickly came to her senses and opened her mouth.

"The Zhuge Clan is a spell-casting family that would not be second to anyone in the world! I am confident that I know as much about the Tao as any decent Taoist!"

"Good."

In Seong-jin’s view, Zhuge Lin was at the First-rate level in martial arts and at the One-Origin level as a spellcaster. That meant the range of leaking heavenly secrets would expand in front of her.

"Heavenly Sword Summoning."

The gourd bottle opened, and countless swords began to pour out from within. The swords rose as if alive, guided by the thunder energy Seong-jin emitted.

"Moving Swords with Qi...?"

While Zhuge Lin muttered the name as if possessed by a sight that only appeared in legends, Maegu recognized the identity of the sword technique and was shocked.

"Th-that is...!"

Heavenly Escape Sword Technique. The sight of countless swords covering the sky literally realized the meaning of "hiding the sky." Standing beneath a thousand swords, Seong-jin declared to Maegu.

"Let us compare whose will or my swords will be exhausted first."