Chapter 17 - 112 to 118

Some time passed.

It must have been about 15 minutes or so. Yes, it definitely wasn't a very long time.

However, the number of lives lost in that short period of time was considerable. Including those who served as escorts and attendants, the number is already over thirty.

They were all people of low birth who had a life-or-death decision with the natural order. Their deaths were extremely vain. As soon as the voice of the Guhwangyogyeom Sangmyungil, who ordered the life-or-death decision, fell, they left this world after two or three breaths.

The way that Dan-myung approached the decisive battle was always the same. He would quickly close the distance with the new method of shadowing, and then insert the poisonous needles that had been soaked in the poison of the short-ranged volcano into the opponent's opening. The poison of the short-ranged volcano was permeated with the poison of hearing, so those who were hit would immediately die with a groan of agony.

It was a repetitive method, but no one accepted or avoided it even once. It was natural. Now, they were only at the level of the late index, and although they could not properly show their martial arts skills due to the closed veins, they could not possibly be the opponent of the definite name who had reached the highest level.

"I will immediately designate the next life-or-death opponent."

Also, the three lives were saved by the sage, and the three lives were saved by the sage. Now, the Guhwan Gyogeom Sangmyeongil also did not mention the victory of the life-or-death decision or the benefits that the party could gain. This was because he had already repeated the same content several times. When the sage was designated, the sage simply ordered the start of the life-or-death decision.

"… How long do you plan on continuing this fight between life and death? It doesn't seem like it's going to end."

"If this continues, there will be no answer. Look at that sight, where there is not a single breath disturbed. In fact, we should consider it as a perfect state. If this continues, we will be annihilated. Borrowing the form of a life-or-death decision."

"Genocide…? That's a serious joke. I wonder if the Lord of the Nine-Handed Swords will just watch us die. He will step in when the time is right."

"You. Is your mind a flower garden? How can you be so complacent? It wouldn't be strange if it were your turn right away. Besides, the Guhwan Gyogeom has no reason to stop this life-and-death decision. Just as Simhwa Bangju said earlier - to follow the rules of the life-and-death decision. The Guhwan Gyogeom also said that it makes sense, so now there's no way to stop the Dangga Sogaju's life-and-death decision application. He's just following the rules…"

"We should have done a joint attack earlier… ."

"Everyone seems to have forgotten, but that guy, Dang-myung, is from a deep-rooted clan that was once called the Five Great Kings. So it wouldn't be strange if he tried to eliminate us as much as he could. The battle of life and death would probably continue."

"It's hopeless. What if the Sacheonjihoe ends in one day instead of two weeks?"

"But if he has a mind, he will stop the life-or-death struggle at some point. Think about the forces of each faction gathered here in the ten directions. There must be hundreds… no, over a thousand troops surrounding Simhwabang. If he doesn't plan on fighting all of them, he will do it moderately."

"Shh. The Dangga Sogaju is designating the next opponent…!"

"It's a super collapse."

Dang-myung didn't know most of the Apostle Factions that participated in the Sacheonjihoe. So he pointed at his opponent with his finger and requested a life-or-death decision. This time, he chose a man with an extremely thin body like Moknae-i.

The man who was pointed out, the chief of the Chobungmun branch, Yeop Cheong-gang, came out with a slightly sour face. His skin was dark, and the moment he took a step, his skin cracked and hardened, turning into a tree-like appearance. The guards and attendants standing next to him were not as strong as Yeop Cheong-gang, but they also looked like they had scales all over their bodies.

'That smart ass bitch will be useless this time.'

Yeop Cheong-gang was burning with fighting spirit inside. Since he was designated as a life-or-death opponent, there was no way to avoid it. Now that it had come to this, he planned to go into the final battle with the intention of killing Deung-myeong and seizing all the vested interests along with his fame.

Chobungmun was famous for a martial art called Gomokshinkong (格木身功). It was a martial art that the master of the school, Yeopinje, learned from an unknown lama when he was young. The more the practitioner learned it, the more his body became as skinny as an old tree. At first, the skin would become covered with scales and the body would become slightly thinner, but eventually, it would completely change into the shape of a tree. In addition, the skin would be like tree bark, and this skin would be strong enough to block even black energy.

Also, when you master the Gomokshinkong, your internal organs and bones become incredibly strong, enough to withstand most internal regeneration techniques. And although your body will become thinner, your muscle density will increase, so you will have the ability to become much stronger than before. Yeopcheonggang also mastered the Gomokshinkong to the point of almost mastery, and he possessed the incredible strength to crush even thick iron plates without any internal energy. He is also a Baekin with a special ability.

Because of these characteristics, Gomokshinkong was considered at first glance to be a branch of external energy, but in fact, the true value of Gomokshinkong was not in strengthening the body. Absorbing the opponent's internal energy was the true function of Gomokshinkong.

The Gomok Shingong that Yeop Inje, the head of the Chobungmun, had received from Lama Seung was not complete. Several of the knots for unfolding the Mystery of Absorption had been lost. So, as soon as Yeop Inje heard the rumor about Yu Gil-jun, the head of the Heuksalyeon, he moved the sect's base to Sacheon and devoted himself to the Heuksalyeon. Yu Gil-jun, who had the qualities of a great master, easily deduced the remaining knots of the Gomok Shingong and even completely modified them.

Within the Chobungmun clan, there was even talk that Gomok Shingong should now be called Shingong (神功) rather than Shingong (身功).

In any case, this ability of absorption was hardly known to the world. This was because there were once people who easily became masters by stealing the internal energy of others through the martial art of absorption of stars. Using absorption of stars, the time required to accumulate internal energy could be greatly reduced. Of course, a separate process was needed to make the stolen internal energy completely one's own, but even so, it took much less time than building internal energy through mind training alone.

At that time, these three who had reached a high level through the Suction Great Law were called the Suction Three Evils (吸星드凶), and they treated the martial artists of lower levels than them as walking elixirs. Regardless of whether they were true, false, or evil, they would kidnap anyone they could find who had learned a useful internal energy method and use it to practice the Suction Great Law. Those who were defeated by the Suction Three Evils had their internal energy, built up through constant effort, taken away, and even their innate energy, and died in a miserable state.

In the end, the three Heupseong demons were designated as martial arts heroes by all three, Jeong, Sa, and Ma, which is rare in the history of martial arts. However, the three Heupseong demons were sworn brothers and always traveled together, and two of them were already powerful enough to reach the highest level of Hwagyeong, so no one readily stepped forward to punish them. The three Heupseong demons continued to rampage through the martial arts world as they pleased, mockingly spreading the Heupseong Great Law.

Years passed, and a huge bounty was placed on the three evil spirits, and the martial arts world had almost given up on the three evil spirits. They were considered to be just some random misfortune that one would encounter.

Then one day.

The heads of the three evil spirits of Heopseong were all cut off at once. It was by a man called Geom-gwi (劍鬼). He was known as the successor of the one-man succession school, and the words he said while receiving the bounty with the heads of the three evil spirits of Heopseong were very famous.

I tried to test the newly invented sword, but it didn't work even for a second.

Anyway, the martial arts of the three evil spirits, the great art of absorption, were naturally destroyed, and after that, if anyone showed even a little bit of the power of absorption, it was difficult to avoid death because they were considered to have learned the great art of absorption. This was because there were so many people who held a grudge against the three evil spirits. I don't know how it is now that quite a bit of time has passed.

This is why it was not known that the Gomok Shingong of the Chobungmun had the ability to absorb. Yeopcheonggang had also not shown it until now, but now was a life-or-death moment. He had to mobilize any means he could to survive.

And wasn't it none other than Yu Gil-jun, the Black Lotus Master, who awakened the power of absorption that had been dormant in the old tree spirit? Even if Gu-Hwan-Gyo-Geom Sang-Myeong-Il caught his eye, it didn't seem like it would be a big problem.

'It's hard to keep up with his movements anyway. It's better to capture the moment he stabs you in the stomach.'

Yeop Cheong-gang made a quick decision. He trusted his body, which had been strengthened by the Gomok Shingong, and decided to counterattack without even thinking about evasion. He thought that if he just unleashed the power of absorption, he would win.

"You are acquainted with the Chobungmunju. Then you must be Yeopcheonggang."

"Yes. It is an honor to meet you, Grand Master of the Kuhwangyo Sword. I will greet you again after the life-and-death battle is over."

Yeop Cheong-gang clasped his hands together and spoke with enthusiasm. Compared to those who had appeared so far, he seemed to be more confident. Even though he had seen that Yuan Ming had won an overwhelming victory in life-or-death situations.

"I hope so."

Sangmyungil nodded expressionlessly and continued speaking.

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"The Tang family's Sogaju's Dangsangmyeong and the Chobungmun's Somunju's Yeopcheonggang, begin the fight for life and death…!"

As soon as the words left his mouth.

This time too, the new form of Deungmyungmyeong melts into thin air. It was a new technique that was hard to believe no matter how many times I saw it. Even though it disappeared right before my eyes, I couldn't detect it…!

'… Where are you?'

Yeop Cheong-gang was extremely tense and alert all around, so that he could move immediately if he felt the touch of Umochim.

The ones who naturally appeared were the escorts and attendants.

Ugh!

Perhaps because he had already anticipated that their scaled skin would be hard with his naked eye, Yu Myeong grabbed the neck of the guard from the front. That was why he heard the scream. He grabbed him so hard that the guard opened his mouth wide, but Yu Myeong, as if it had gone as he had intended, stuck his saliva deep into his tongue without a moment's hesitation.

The escort drone's complexion quickly turned sallow, and then he died.

"A guy like Zara…!"

The nearby attendant Mujin ran towards Dangsangmyeong with his eyes sparkling. He and the guard Mujin who had just died were close friends who had grown up together since childhood. Furious at the death of his close friend, he ran without thinking about the consequences. It seemed like he thought that if he continued like this, he would die anyway, so he was going to make a big deal out of it.

'Yes (銳)'

Dang-myeong slightly moved to the side to avoid the man who was rushing towards him, and at the same time, he used the sharpness of his Umochim to strike him hard on the top of his head. It seemed that he had learned a type of martial arts that strengthened the skin, but judging from the fact that his hair was thick, he judged that it would not have strengthened his scalp. If he boosted the sharpness of his Umochim, wouldn't he be able to pierce through his scalp?

It was just a thought that came to mind, but it seemed like he had figured it out. At the same time that the servant showed a look of bewilderment, a deep breath penetrated his crown. With a gurgling sound of phlegm, the servant also stopped breathing.

The scales that had once formed on the skin of the two dead Chobungmun figures had completely disappeared.

And Yu Myeong-myeong immediately turned his head and dodged the flying fist. A gust of wind belatedly blew. Yeop Cheong-gang had approached without him noticing and quickly threw a punch. Yu Myeong-myeong struck Yeop Cheong-gang's long, outstretched arms, including the forearm and upper arm, in a cross-step manner. It was a move that completely broke the arm using the elbow as a lever. Since it contained a considerable amount of internal energy, it was powerful enough to tear off the arm of most people.

But no bones were broken, only the sound of a leather drum breaking was heard. Surprisingly, Yeopcheonggang's thin arms, strengthened by Gomokshinkong, withstood Deokmyeong's attack.

'That's unexpected.'

Dang-myung didn't panic. He just grabbed Yeop-cheong-gang's neck, thinking that his arms were stronger than he thought. He may not know about his arms, but his neck isn't a part that can be strengthened easily. Once his Adam's apple is pressed, his breathing will be interrupted immediately. He planned to insert a needle with Danjangyeoljidok into his open mouth.

But at that time.

Dang Myeong noticed that Yeop Cheong-gang's eyes were shining with pride.

"You're caught." Yeop Cheong-gang said in a twisted voice as he grabbed Dang-myeong's internal organ on his wrist.

And then he immediately unleashed the true power of the Old Tree God, the power of absorption…! From the heart of the first-class scholar, Yeop Cheong-gang, an incredible suction power was generated to steal the opponent's true energy.

'Okay!'

Yeop Cheong-gang was secretly delighted. The true energy of the dynamism was flowing towards him. Once the absorption began, the opponent could not move at all. This was because the flow of true energy that had been flowing through the entire body's meridians according to the movement method was distorted in an instant. It was the same as being forcibly induced into a state of possession. Because he was so anxious to stabilize the raging true energy, he could not move rashly.

That was the reason why the three evil men of the famous school were not afraid of the great masters of the famous school. Once they made contact and used the great art of absorption, it was not difficult to kill them, no matter how high their level was. They just had to wait for the moment when they were using their strength to stabilize their true energy. Those with great internal energy were able to put up some resistance, but after two of the three evil men of the absorption ascended to the level of fire, even that became difficult.

Many masters lost their lives miserably and pointlessly to the Absorbing Great Law, and it was considered almost impossible to defeat the Absorbing Three Evils.

Until the Sword Demon appeared.

'It reminds me of the old days.'

Dang-myung suddenly remembered his previous life as a disciple of the Sword Demon. It was when he was learning the Sword Mastery.

A while ago, I wanted to test the power of Seomgang (繼至), so I fought against three rascals. Since the money hanging around my neck was quite large, I did it out of courtesy. They had mastered the art of stealing the opponent's true energy and making it their own. I killed the two who reached Hwagyeong in an instant, and one of the surviving rats approached me and stole my true energy.

When I asked, "What do you think would have happened?" the teacher laughed.

It can't be helped.

The breathing method that the master, Geom-Gwi, learned is the method of defeating the mind. The true energy of defeat built up through it cannot be handled by anyone other than the Yongryukji. This is because defeating power is essentially a power that weakens. A criminal will die young just by entering the method of defeating the mind.

If he had absorbed such a powerful energy, and that of a sword demon who had built it up so densely, his entire body would have died in an instant.

It's the same as committing suicide.

and.

The man in front of me right now is doing something similar to the rumor that the first-class criminal, Yeop Cheong-gang, was carrying out.

[That's ridiculous. It's clearly due to ignorance.]

The food god Cheonggyeong bursts out laughing. The poisonous request madness of the obvious name has the ability to eat poison. It is to the extent of neutralizing Cheonggyeong's own poison, so it would not be an exaggeration to call it an invincible energy.

Heung-gyeong knows that the internal energy that he has accumulated in twelve meridians for the purpose of clearing the blood vessels is enormous. Furthermore, most of the internal energy that he has stored up like that is his own poison, the poison-requesting madness that has grown in size by eating the ten poisons, so it is difficult to estimate the extent of the poison contained within.

That's exactly what he's absorbing. That guy named Chobungmun Somunju.

As expected.

Yeop Cheong-gang's eyes immediately filled with shock. It's easy to guess why he was surprised. First of all, the amount of internal energy pouring out from the internal point of Dang-myeong's wrist was so overwhelming that it was beyond his expectations and difficult to handle. Secondly…

Huh…!

Before the hearing could even continue its guess, a strange, incomprehensible groan suddenly leaked out from Yeop Cheong-gang's mouth. It seemed as if he was feeling terrible pain, but in reality, he was experiencing the sensation of his entire body falling apart.

No, at this very moment, the new form of Yeopcheonggang was collapsing. This is not some metaphorical expression.

Starting with the hand that was holding the internal organ of the name, the whole face swelled and sank repeatedly, and then the skin under the eyes sank and the eyeballs began to leak out. A liquid that was either saliva or rotten pus flowed out of the open mouth, and the whole body turned black and literally began to melt and fall. The bones that had supported the body all this time were no longer able to function properly.

In this way, Yeop Cheong-gang met his death as a handful of poisonous beasts. The clothes he was wearing were tangled with pieces of flesh that had not yet melted, and a foul smell was felt that was difficult to describe.

'… … '

At the absurd and horrifying end, everyone in the room was speechless. The participants of the Sacheonjihoe were raised as successors to the Murimbangpa. They were noble, but they did not grow up all that gracefully. They must have had many opportunities to encounter cruel and ruthless scenes since they were young. Even so, they had no choice but to keep their mouths shut. Some who were not feeling well even turned their heads away and retched.

"… This is truly a tragedy of a blind man's eyes."

Koo Hwan-gyo-geom Sang-myeong-il opened his mouth with difficulty.

"You brought trouble upon yourself with the power of absorption. More importantly, could it be that you have reached the state of a poisonous person at that age?"

Surprisingly, Sangmyungil mentioned the 'Poison Man', who was extremely rare even in the Tang family. It was known as the ultimate state that a martial artist who had mastered the art of poison could reach. Of course, Sangmyungil had reached a state even higher than that.

Dang-myung asked back with a slightly surprised expression. How do you know about the German territory? It was an ambiguous way of speaking that made it hard to tell whether it was positive or negative.

"After Bonryun destroyed Cheongseongpa. I read it in their library. It was a record of your family, Sacheondangga. As a martial arts family with a long history, they often produced masters who influenced their eras. And those masters were those who had built up their martial arts to the limit based on secret techniques and solo skills."

Mancheonhwawoo 一 Someone was heard muttering in the crowd. Sangmyeongil nodded in agreement and continued speaking.

"In the activity records of those who received the title of Dark King, the dark technique Mancheonhwawoo always appears, and those who were called Poison Kings often referred to those who realized the extreme meaning of poison and reached the state of poison. In particular, it was written that once one becomes a poison, no poison can harm them, and even a single drop of their breath or blood would contain powerful poison. There were similar records on the Army side. It was very impressive."

[How funny. Of course, comparing this guy to a mere German…]

The food god hearing said it was ridiculous. Even if he was a poisoner, hearing's own poison could not withstand it. The poisoner who reached the poison level extracted the essence of poison himself, which is none other than the poison of the ten poisons. It was the most extreme poison among extreme poisons that could kill even the existence of Hwagyeong, but it was only seven poisons. It was nothing compared to the ten poisons.

The commander of the Guhwan Bridge, Sangmyeongil, said.

"There's also a story about that. The poison of someone who has reached the level of poison can kill even a person in the Hwagyeong area. Since he is a being with that level of poison, his true energy must also be considered the essence of poison. If he has deliberately absorbed that, it wouldn't be surprising if his entire body melted."

"…Can I nominate the next opponent?"

The obvious one was about to deny that they had yet reached the point of being a German. This was because he could already sense a certain degree of wariness in Sangmyungil's eyes. If he had already been wary, it would be better to prevent him from making any rash moves. If the other party thought of him as a German, there was no need to change his mind.

"Do so."

Sangmyungil allowed the life-and-death determination to continue. The other participants looked confused. According to Sangmyungil, the Tang family's Sogaju Yumyeongmyeong possessed truly incredible poison. It was the first time they had heard of a realm called Dokin, but the poison that such a being possessed could kill even a Hwagyeong being...? It was hard to believe, but the person who mentioned it was none other than Guhwan Gyogeom Sangmyungil. They had to give weight to the possibility that it was true. The traces of Yeopcheonggang melting into a handful of poison added weight to that. To continue the life-and-death determination with such Yumyeongmyeong was like telling him to die on the spot.

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"I abstain, I abstain…!"

A man muttering in a completely contemplative state. Dang-myung's finger was pointing at him. He had designated the man as the next opponent in a life-or-death battle.

If he didn't know, he wouldn't know. When the fact that Dang-myung could be a strong man who didn't care about his age crossed his mind, the man's mind completely broke down. It felt like death was right around the corner. And it was true.

"Sang Daehyeop. This doesn't make sense. If what you said is true, then the name of the Tang family's Sogaju is already far beyond the scope of the latter index. Why are you continuing the life-and-death decision? Could it be that you want us all to die…?"

"Keep your spirit."

Sangmyungil interrupted the man and spoke with a stern expression. The Sacheonjihoe participants were all in his eyes.

"Didn't you come here to each take advantage of your own interests? If you want to gain something, you should have considered what you might lose. Are you saying that you joined the Sacheon branch without that kind of determination? If you came with the mindset of lightly grabbing some land, you deserved to die. There must have been quite a few people who were clearly aiming for the interests of the city where the Tang family was located. Since the situation is not favorable, you are now saying that you will step down…?"

It's impossible - Sangmyungil said decisively.

"Is your martial arts world really that weak? We, the Black Lotus, including Yeonju, and your ancestors, cannot lightly hand over the world of the Apostles. Rather, you should maintain your spirit as an Apostle, even if it means dying here. Furthermore, we have already decided to uphold the rules of life and death. The one who is in charge of this life and death decision is none other than me, Sangmyung. From now on, anyone who tries to avoid the life and death decision with the Dangga Sogaju will be considered to have tarnished my honor."

As he said that, Sangmyungil slightly lifted his left thumb, which was holding the scabbard. Then, with a swooshing sound, the blade, which gave off a cool aura, was revealed a little.

It's a clear threat. If you refuse the life-or-death decision, you will have to receive his sword first.

No one opened their mouths anymore. They simply watched the life-or-death battle in their thoughts. The man who had first spoken of abstinence met his death without even being able to properly swing his weapon. After he fell, Yuan Ming silently pointed out another person. And so the next life-or-death battle began, and ended again.

The participants of the Sacheonjihoe all had pale faces. They were no longer talking. They seemed to be feeling the emotions of livestock waiting to be slaughtered.

Since it's all the same whether I die this way or that way, is it because I'm thinking of keeping my spirits up like Sangmyeongil said?

The number of people standing is rapidly decreasing.

Sangmyungil was watching the life and death situation with an indifferent gaze, and Heuksahwa Yoo Yeonhee had a slightly tired expression. Yeo Seolyeon, the deep-rooted bangju next to Yoo Yeonhee, had a puzzled look in her eyes, but it seemed like she was making up her mind.

Dang Mi-ryeo and Jegal Yeong-yeong moved together without leaving a certain distance, following the signal of Dang-myeong. Since they were in the same group during the Dangga Sogaju competition, Dang Mi-ryeo was able to recognize the signal.

As the number of corpses increased, the atmosphere in the silence became more tense.

As if something was definitely going to happen.

dump

Finally, the last participant of the Sacheonjihoe collapses. With this, all the participants lost their lives at the hands of Deokmyungmyeong in the form of a life-or-death decision.

The Sacheonjihoe was originally calculated to last for 15 days.

This happened half a day after the opening ceremony. It's over."

The Gwan-Hwan Kyo-Geom Sang-Myeong-Il said.

More than fifty life-and-death battles were fought in succession. Even so, the bloody scent was not that strong. Most of them died from poison, and it was also because the Simhwabang members cleaned up the bodies each time. The gazes of the Simhwabang members looking at Dangmyeong were filled with various emotions such as fear, awe, and shock. Considering their age, it was because they had witnessed absurd inaction and even more shocking hand gestures. Considering the number of successors and followers of each faction, who were over fifty, it was easily over a hundred and fifty. How could they kill that many people overnight and not even blink an eye? As expected of the head of the Tang family, he must have a poisonous mind…!

"Hey, Ark. Is there any reason to continue the Sacheonjihoe?"

"… … "

In response to Sangmyeongil's question, Simhwabangju Yeoseolyeon remained silent.

Originally, the Sacheon branch was a place where participants—the successors of each faction throughout Sacheon—fought over their own interests. Up until now, most of these disputes were resolved without fighting unless there was a serious grudge between the opposing side, and even if there were casualties, the number was not that many.

But now, the Tang family's Sogaju Dangmyeong has killed all the other participants in the form of a life-or-death decision. There is no one left to fight over vested interests. This is an unprecedented event in the Sacheonjihoe.

The Sacheon branch meeting was originally scheduled to last for two weeks, but as Sangmyeongil said, there was no reason to continue the event any longer. It was a situation where a closing ceremony had to be held, not long after the opening ceremony.

'That's terrible. I really didn't think you'd come forward.'

Yeo Seol-ryeon glanced at Sang-myung-il and thought. Most of those who participated in the Sacheonjihoe were successors to the Bangpa under the Black Death League. I thought that if they died slowly, Sang-myung-il would stop the life-and-death decision or slightly punish Dang-myung-myeong, but he just stood by and watched until they were all annihilated. I could guess the reason. The pride and stubbornness of masters who had surpassed the realm were unimaginably stronger than that of ordinary people. Sang-myung-il himself agreed with what Yeo Seol-ryeon had insisted on about the rules of the life-and-death decision, so he must have not come forward. After all, Dang-myung-myeong had not broken the rules.

A person who is as good as the Guhwan Kyogeom Sangmyeongil is often bound by his own words. That is probably why his words carry weight.

Anyway, Yeo Seol-ryeon had no intention of ending the Sacheonjihoe like this. This was a stage created to take revenge after Mak In-hu and to somehow kill Yu Sang-myeong.

Two of the traps I had designed were already useless. Now, I had to pull out the third trap, even though I really didn't want to. Of course, I didn't hesitate, just because I didn't want to. I had already made up my mind.

"It may be a bit early, but let's end the Sacheonjihoe here."

Sangmyungil spoke as if he was declaring that he had taken Yeo Seol-ryeon's silence as a signal to do as he pleased.

"Dangga Sogaju, your family will be at the center of controversy from today onwards. It is only natural, given what you have done. I can guarantee that the process of life and death was fair, but that does not mean that the resentment will go away. I hope that you can handle it. Up until now, the main group has recognized the Holy Land as your territory and issued guidelines to make it inviolable as much as possible, but it seems that it will be difficult to do so now."

During that time, the Dangga clan continued to exist without straying too far from its original location. There was a strict order from Yu Gil-jun, the leader of the Heuksa-ryeon clan, to not invade the city because the Dangga Yakwangdang was greatly helpful to the people's livelihood, but because the Dangga clan had been living in such a quiet manner, the other Sadobang clans also tolerated their existence.

But if they learn that their successor has been killed by the head of the Tang family, will each faction quietly let it go? There will surely be those who will make a request every day.

'And now there is no more Yakwangdang.'

It was known to the world that Heuksa-ryeonju was concerned about the people's livelihood and showed mercy to the Tang family, who were well-versed in medicine, but the truth was different. Heuksahwa Yoo Yeon-hee, the adopted daughter of Yu Gil-jun, the absolute ruler of Sacheon and the great master of Sado Martial Arts, was unable to learn martial arts. This was because she was born with a special constitution and felt extreme pain whenever her energy flowed through her entire body's meridians. To be precise, it would be difficult for her to learn qigong.

This wasn't something like a disease, so it wasn't something that could be relied on for medical treatment, and it wasn't something that Yu Gil-jun could do anything about. The person in question, Yoo Yeon-hee, said she was okay and would live the life of a criminal, but Yu Gil-jun and Sado Yuk-jon looked for a way in various ways. And they came to a conclusion—if it was a party that was good at poisons and medicines, if it was a Yakwangdang, they might be able to find a way. They were martial artists, so they would have studied how poisons and medicines affected the entire body's meridians. Even a slim possibility was okay. The important thing was that there was hope.

There were these circumstances that allowed the Tang family to survive. Because at some point, they might be able to find a way to improve Yu Yeon-hee's constitution.

Recently, he had even enlisted the help of his subordinates to recruit the Lord of Medicine, Dan-il, and indirectly gave him a secret order. Find a way to save the person who feels pain every time he vomits. Of course, he did not reveal Yu Yeon-hee's identity. Even if Dan-il found a way, if he realized that it was a means to save the only daughter of the Lord of Heuksa, he might not hand it over easily.

That day, I had found a pretty plausible method. It was to temporarily dull the sensation of the meridians using a kind of paralyzing poison. However, it was said that if you do that, the poison will accumulate in the meridians and cause death. I have been researching for several years to maintain the effect of dulling the sensation of the meridians while reducing the toxicity.

From the point where the research had made considerable progress, he persuaded Dan-Hang to take the members of the Medicine King Party and join the Black Lotus. He would build a breakwater and let him become its master, and the Black Lotus Lord himself might be given the Divine Art of Conquest as a reward. When he tempted him like that, Dan-Hang quickly gave in. He had guessed that he was originally an ambitious person since he had brought down the previous Medicine King Lord.

The problem came after that. The Yakwangdang that had been put in so much effort collapsed overnight. Because of the new Sogaju, Dangmyeong. The Yakwangdang owner was entangled in the grudge of his dead father. That was the information I received.

No one knew about the research that day—the meridian paralyzing poison. This was because the existing members of the Yakwangdang were all killed. Years of waiting were in vain.

After that, I heard that the Tang family established the Uigak organization to replace the Yakwangdang, but the Sado Yukjon, including Sangmyeongil, no longer had any intention of protecting the Tang family as before. In the past, it was natural to think that Yu Yeonhui should learn martial arts, and they had been hoping that the Tang family would find a way, but now it was different. Yu Yeonhui herself was satisfied with living as a commoner, and the Sado Yukjon also thought that if Yu Yeonhui had no interest in martial arts, it would be better for her to just live happily. Why don't they just protect her like they did now?

Most of the work of the Black Lotus is decided according to the will of the Six Apostles. The leader of the Lotus, Yu Gil-jun, simply reigns.

Since the Black Lotus will no longer protect the Tang family, the Tang family will probably have to bear the full brunt of the resentment caused by today's events. First of all, wouldn't it be a problem to leave the Shibbang where the Simhwabang is located? Aren't the escort troops from each faction setting up camp nearby? Will there be anyone who will kindly send the evildoer away after learning that their small master has died?

'I was too greedy.'

Sangmyungil shook his head internally. There are over fifty factions involved in this Sacheonjihoe. Yuanmingming, who has won all the life-or-death battles, can certainly demand enormous benefits from them, but the one who guarantees those benefits is Simhwabang, who is in charge of Sacheonjihoe. Although Simhwabang is quite powerful among the factions under the Black Death League, he lacks the ability to guarantee the benefits of all fifty factions.

In Sangmyungil's view, this Sacheonjihoe had done more harm than good to the party. It was ambiguous to say that it had gained fame. If there were survivors, their names would be properly known, but the only ones who stood watching the life and death were Tang family members including Dangmyungmyeong, Sangmyungil himself, and Yeo Seol-ryeon, the head of the Shimhwabangju, and his associates.

Oh, and Yoo Yeon-hee too.

Sangmyungil, who had been thinking about that, suddenly felt a chill. The feeling of anxiety he had felt two days before the opening—the sense of unease that something might happen at this Sacheon branch meeting—was rising again. The anxiety intensified in an instant, and Sangmyungil looked at Yoo Yeonhee in surprise.

He had been letting down his guard against Yeo Seol-ryeon, who had been acting so sweetly all along, without even realizing it…!

"…Hey, Ark. What are you doing now?"

"Don't move, Sang Daehyeop. If you startle me too much, my hands might become too strong."

"Is this what you were aiming for from the beginning?"

Sangmyungil showed anger for the first time. The sword tattoo across his face twitched slightly. His voice was soft, but there was a murderous feeling.

What is this situation?

Yeo Seol-ryeon was now holding the delicate neck of Yu Yeon-hee, the black lotus flower and the precious jewel of Yu Gil-jun, from behind. It seemed like she was using her as a shield.

Yu Yeon-hee was just gasping for breath with the back of her neck held, and it seemed as if they had put pressure on her so she couldn't speak. Her face was still covered with cotton, but her eyes were probably stained with fear. This was probably the first time she had experienced something like this.

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"If you're not crazy, let go of that hand right now. If that child gets even a scratch, how are you going to handle Yeonju's wrath? Shim Hwa-bang won't have a single blade of grass left. No, are you planning on paying back silver for won? Have you really forgotten who saved Yeo Bang-ju's life when she was dying by learning the art of martial arts?"

"… I haven't forgotten. The Lady of the Lotus Sutra is still a benefactor to me, Yeoseolyeon. Not only did she receive her life-saving grace, but she also helped me, a mere gisaeng, achieve this position by teaching me the art of the Lotus Sutra. It's clear that even if I spend my entire life repaying her kindness, it won't be enough. This room was also created to be of some help to her, however small."

"I had guessed the feelings of the Queen Mother from the tributes she sent every year. But why are you suddenly doing this? If you have a favor to ask, why don't you just say it out loud?"

"I am the head of the Simhwabang under the Black Lotus, and before I can repay the debt to the Lotus, I am a woman."

Sangmyungil expressed his doubts at Yeoseolyeon's sudden remark. He wondered if she was trying to make some grand request, but then suddenly she started talking about women…

Shim Hwa Bang Joo Yeo Seol Yeon said in a sorrowful voice.

"My old lover, Mak In-hu of the Taeeulmukgeompa, was killed by that young Dangga bastard. I have such a deep resentment towards him that I have come up with this plan, so I hope your Majesty will take it into consideration."

"… Are you asking me to kill the head of the Tang family right now? Using Yeonhee as bait?"

"Yes. If you tear that bastard to pieces before my eyes, I will let you go and commit suicide. I have no more regrets."

"My sword is too heavy to be swung against a child who has not yet reached the age of majority."

"If you can't do it, then there's nothing I can do."

Yeo Seol-ryeon wiped away her sorrowful expression and spoke with a venomous expression.

"You must know about the Red Lotus Art that I have learned. No matter how fast the sword of the Great Swordsman is, the moment I have the will to kill, you will be reduced to burning ash. I have already laid down my life, and I will kill you and then die."

Mobilizing the Guhwan Gyogeom Sangmyeongil - this was the last trap she had prepared. You really are…!"

Hwaaak!

As soon as the words that he could kill Yoo Yeon-hee came out of Yeo Seol-ryeon's mouth, an incredible energy burst out from Sang Myung-il in an instant. The hem of his clothes fluttered wildly. Sang Myung-il, the swordsman of the Guhwan Kyo Sword, was a warrior who had reached the realm of Hwa-gyeong, and had reached a state where if he put his will into it, his true energy would naturally respond.

Suddenly, the surrounding area feels dark. It was because Sangmyungil had a murderous intent and at the same time, a thick murderous intent was formed and spread out in all directions. Could it be that he, like Danmyungmyeong, was a kendo master who could embody a highly refined murderous intent?

However, Sangmyeongil's killing spirit was instantly withdrawn. The momentum was so quickly quelled that the watching Simhwabangdo thought it was a mistake. This would be impossible without the extreme use of Jinki.

'I heard she's the adopted daughter of the Black Lotus. She really cherishes her.'

Destiny thought as he watched Sangmyungil take his life.

Highly refined murderous intent directly affects the human soul. Just as a prey that encounters a predator is oppressed by the murderous intent and cannot move and is eaten alive, those who encounter the refined murderous intent that is determined and emitted by a being from a distant realm are usually unable to move or even continue thinking. It may be different if they are specialized in immovable mind like Shaolin martial arts.

I already knew that Sangmyeongil was a being that had reached Hwagyeong. It was clear that I could subdue Yeoseolyeon just by expanding the area of my life.

Even those who have mastered martial arts to some extent will have no choice but to stop thinking the moment they are struck in the heart and soul, and that kind of opening is more than enough to cut off the opponent's head for a being as powerful as Sangmyeongil. Even Yeo Seol-ryeon, the master of the Deep Fire Fang, is no exception.

however.

In the eyes of the nobles, the black lotus flower Yu Yeon-hee, the forbidden jade leaf of the black lotus flower, was a commoner who had not learned martial arts. As expected of a noble person, she had been taking rare elixirs on a regular basis, so she had a considerable amount of energy dormant in her body, but it was not enough to be called a power. It was an energy that had not been refined through breathing techniques.

It was a bit strange. Even though he was the father of the great master of martial arts, he didn't learn martial arts. It was like the son of a great master not being able to read a single line. There must be some unspeakable reason.

In any case, Heuk Sa Hwa Yoo Yeon Hee was no different from the criminal, and if she were to come into contact with the murderous intent that Sang Myung Il had decided to unleash, even for a moment, she would inevitably suffer a great blow to her soul. She might end up just passing out for a moment while urinating, but there is also the possibility that she might become an idiot. Considering that, she must have withdrawn her murderous intent.

Guhwan Kyogeom Sangmyeongil let out a long breath, as if trying to control his deep anger.

Then he opened his mouth.

"…Okay. I'll give you the circle."

"Thank you, Sang Daehyeop."

"Shut up."

Sangmyungil shot back with a sour expression. He didn't like the situation where he was being manipulated by Yeo Seol-ryeon, who normally wouldn't even be a good person.

'If it weren't for the Red Lotus Art.'

As expected by Dang-myeong, Sang-myeong-il was worried about Yoo Yeon-hee's safety and withdrew his killing intent. He wanted to limit his highly refined killing intent to Yeo Seol-ryeon, but it didn't seem easy. The two were too close together. In addition, the two mastered Yanggang Martial Arts, the Jeokyeonyeonhwaju, was also a variable. Jeokyeonyeonhwaju was a martial art that was realized through powerful images, so even if Yeo Seol-ryeon's head was quickly cut off, if she remained conscious, she could still activate Jeokyeonyeonhwaju. Either way, it was very dangerous.

So in the end, Sangmyungil made a decision he didn't want to make. He decided to kill Ji-su, who was said to be very skilled but had not yet reached the contract.

His new form blurred and then appeared in front of Dang-myung. As expected, it was an unusual new method.

"You have no face."

Sangmyungil said. He really thought so. He had reached Hwagyeong, but he was being mobilized for a woman's private revenge. And it was against a mere posthumous index. It couldn't be anything but shameful.

But this was a matter of life and death for Yu Yeon-hee. She was the adopted daughter of Yu Gil-jun, the Black Death Lord, and Sado Yuk-jon also regarded Yu Yeon-hee as his daughter, the only blood relative of the leader he had followed in the back alleys of the Black Death Sect. She was much more important than his pride or honor as a warrior.

"As you can see, this is how things have turned out. I'm sorry, but I must take your life."

"I see. I didn't intend to fight with you."

Yu Myeong-myeong spoke nonchalantly, as if it were someone else's business. Sang Myeong-il felt that Yu Myeong-myeong's tone of voice had become strangely rude, but he didn't point it out. After all, he was going to die soon.

"I don't know if it's consideration, but I'll give you time to replenish your internal energy that was consumed by the continuous life-and-death struggles. I don't know about anything else, but haven't you been absorbed? You'll definitely need luck."

Sangmyungil guessed that although Dangmyung had been efficiently continuing the life and death battle, he had expended a considerable amount of internal energy in the fight against the master of the Chobungmun clan, Yeopcheonggang. Even if he had reached the level of a poisonous being and was harboring a terrible venom, it was enough to turn a person into a handful of poisonous beasts, so he must have absorbed a considerable amount of internal energy.

Sangmyungil's guess wasn't completely wrong. Dangmyung had clearly absorbed so much internal energy that Yeopcheonggang was astonished. That's why Yeopcheonggang had melted away in such a short period of time. However, that was only from a third party's perspective, and from Dangmyung's perspective, it was only one of the twelve meridians he had filled up for the purpose of the closed veins—and that was only a small amount. The Yonglin of the Hosin Ganggi didn't even break, so what's the point of talking about it?

Even in that case, he had already recovered his internal energy by using the poison of the food spirit hearing in the meantime.

Dang-myung said it like this.

"it's okay."

"Hmm. You don't believe me? I promise that I will never touch you while you are in good health. I swear on my name. It is embarrassing to deal with such a junior, but I think it would be even more shameful to try to do it when you are not in perfect condition."

"Don't worry. I'm in perfect condition."

Moreover, Dang-Yang-Myeong continued speaking, lengthening the sentence by saying, "Furthermore, 一."

"I've already seen you being swayed by ridiculous threats, so how could I believe you even if you put your name or reputation on the line? You haven't even shown that much weight."

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Sangmyungil was speechless. He was proud that he had lived up to his title after becoming the Apostle, but now he had nothing to say. He also felt a little wronged. Even when Dangmyungmyeong killed all the other Sacheonjihoe participants in a life-or-death decision, he had not interfered much.

"Also, it doesn't seem like the Ark of the Abyss will just leave it alone."

As soon as the words of Dang-myeong were finished, people appeared from all over the surroundings. Judging from the fact that they were wearing uniforms embroidered with flame patterns, they were clearly Simhwabangdo, and almost all of them were women. The women were holding lutes, zithers, and flutes. They seemed to have taken their places and prepared to play according to Yeo Seol-ryeon's gestures.

Sangmyungil said with an uncomfortable expression.

"Hey, Bangju. What are you doing now? You left the disposal of the Tang family to me."

"I understand the feelings of the other party, but I don't want to show him unnecessary consideration. And since this is the moment when a long-cherished wish is finally fulfilled, wouldn't it be better to have some fun? Since these kids are excellent musicians, I hope they enjoy themselves."

As she said this, Yeo Seol-ryeon nodded, and the members of Simhwabang began to play their instruments. Then, a beautiful melody flowed through the room. This was Simhwabang's representative martial art, Simsimcheok Eumgong (深心刺音功). A sound art that could directly strike a person's heart and soul. Of course, it was not a threat at all to a martial artist of the level of Sangmyeongil.

The power of the Simsimcheok Eumgong varies greatly depending on where the performer, that is, the one performing the Eumgong, is positioned. The power is strongest where the sound waves produced by those who have mastered the Simsimcheok Eumgong overlap each other, and that is where Dangmyeongmyeong and Sangmyeongil are. The Simsimcheok Eumgong does not have much effect where Yeo Seol-ryeon and Yoo Yeon-hee are. It just comes across as a pleasant sound to listen to.

In any case, while the melody of the Simsimcheokumgong is being played, those within the area of influence cannot properly perform the exercises, and must also work hard to protect their souls. Those with low achievements cannot control the energy that jumps around according to the melody, and may fall into a state of possession.

There were two things Yeo Seol-ryeon aimed for. To prevent Yu Sang-myeong from recovering his internal energy through luck, and to neutralize Yu Sang-myeong's escorts and attendants, including Dang Mi-ryeo and Jegal Yeong-yeong.

I don't know the exact name of the higher-ranking female protagonist, but I think she could make Tang Mi-ryeo and Jegal Yeong-yeong fall into the trap of being obsessed with Juhwa. I don't know if she's a concubine or what, but from what I've seen so far, she seems to care quite a bit about those girls, so I think she could take a small revenge.

Even though it had only been a couple of breaths since the performance had begun, Dang Mi-ryeo and Jegal Yeong-yeong's complexions had become noticeably pale. It was understandable, because the people surrounding them and performing the Simsimcheok Eumgong were estimated to be over fifty. With that many people playing the same melody with one mind and one heart, the power of the Simsimcheok Eumgong was multiplied several times.

And due to the nature of the sound of the melody, the more powerful it becomes as it reaches its climax. Even if you can somehow hold on now, after a while, you will not be able to control the raging energy and will inevitably fall into a state of possession.

That was when Yeo Seol-ryeon smiled in conversion.

"It's noisy."

Dang-myung said softly. Surprisingly, his expression was calm, as if he was not affected at all by the boredom.

And on his hanging right index finger, there was a small lance attached like a ring.

The spear had a round ring with several small blades attached closely together. This was the Hoeseonhwan (回旋環) used when performing the Hoeseon Nanmu Pyo (回旋亂舞線), another secret martial art that Dharma King ...

However, judging from the fact that he only took out one, it didn't seem like he was going to use the Rotating Blade. It didn't fit the situation. Isn't the Rotating Blade a secret technique that was originally extremely powerful in one-on-one situations? He wasn't in the mood to fight Sangmyungil yet.

'Hwe (回)'

Dang-myung muttered to himself while raising his index finger. Then, the rotating ring began to spin at high speed, making a Shuaaaah sound. It was so fast that the blade part looked like a simple circle.

Then at some point.

At the same time that Dang-myung lightly snapped his fingers, the whirlwind flew up and disappeared. The sound it made as it spun around at high speed also became silent. Dang-myung's eyes had turned a deep green because he had activated the An-beop Shi-ryu-an.

With his green eyes flashing, he saw the 'flow'. Even without turning his head, his senses expanded to the point of a sense of emptiness, allowing him to recognize each and every one of the fifty-three Simhwabangdo members who were performing Simsimcheokumgong. His pulse, focused on the performance, was so clear that it seemed as if it could be touched.

The obvious one was a sinuous line drawn in the image. The fifty-three Simhwabangdos - the 'flow' that connected their carotid arteries.

The moment when the line drawn in your mind becomes a circle.

Even the index finger of Dang-myeong was already drawing a small circle.

The ring that was connected to the smoke wheel appeared and started to follow the flow as it should.

With blood as the melody. The ring that Dang-myeong had sent flying had already returned to Dang-myeong's index finger. This was thanks to the secret recovery, Mu-hak Yeon-ki-ryun.

Immediately after.

Phew!

Each of them was holding an instrument and playing the melody of Simsimcheokgeumgong. Almost simultaneously, blood poured out like a fountain from the carotid artery near the neck.

The music died down, and the light in the eyes of the shamans quickly disappeared. Many people fell down with a thud.

It was an unreal sight.

Everyone there witnessed the moment when the obvious person who said, "It's noisy," took out a small magic wand, flicked it lightly, and drew a small circle with his index finger.

But with that small movement, you can kill over fifty people in an instant!

It was natural that silence would fall in the hall, for the dead could no longer speak, and the living found it difficult to open their mouths.

'I guess they'll just leave this alone.'

The obvious thought came to mind as he stared directly at the Guhwangyogyeom Sangmyungil. The move he had just shown was nothing more than a simple technique using Yeonkiryun and Hoeseonhwan. It wasn't a complicated formation like the Hoeseonranmupyo, it was just a quick throw and retrieval of Hoeseonhwan. Sangmyungil's gi, who had reached Hwagyeong, should have been able to block it.

In fact, as a natural person, he had already achieved his goal, so there was no reason to fight Sangmyungil. Besides, weren't the six Sado members, including Sangmyungil, sworn brothers who had shared life and death with Yu Giljun, the Black Lotus Lord? I don't know about the other Sado factions, but I didn't want to be at odds with Black Lotus. I had decided that in this life, I would just live an ordinary life with the people I cared about.

So the best way to overcome this situation was to kill Yeo Seol-ryeon, the Deep Ark, and rescue Yoo Yeon-hee, the Black Death Flower. When Yeo Seol-ryeon grabbed Yoo Yeon-hee by the nape of her neck, Yu Sang-myeong had been thinking of assassinating her with a Umochim or Hoeseonhwan.

but.

一You must know about the Red Lotus Art that I have learned. No matter how fast the sword of the Great Swordsman is, the moment I have the will to kill you, you will burn to ashes. I have already laid down my life, and I will kill you and die too.

When Yeo Seol-ryeon put the 'Jeokryeonyeonhwasul' in her mouth, she changed her mind after seeing Sangmyung-il withdraw his life force. A swordsman as good as Sangmyung-il would surely have been able to use the Moon Sword Technique to defeat Yeo Seol-ryeon in the blink of an eye. Nevertheless, she judged that it would be impossible to save Yoo Yeon-hee and retreated.

'I guess it's some kind of mental ignorance.'

Yu Myeong-myeong guessed the reason deep down. It wasn't like you had to reach Hwagyeong to use martial arts that utilized thoughts or imagery. Like the Taeeul Mukgeompa's Mukgeomgi, which maximized killing intent and combined it with sword energy, there were martial arts that combined primitive or fundamental thoughts or imagery, such as heat or cold energy, with the sphere. If the 'Jeokryeonyeonhwasul', which was presumed to be a branch of Yanggang's martial arts, was such a mental martial art, no matter how fast Sangmyeong-il's sword was, and no matter how secretive Sangmyeong-myeong's sword was, Yeo Seol-ryeon would have been able to burn Yoo Yeon-hee to death right before her death. Sangmyeong-il would be wary of that.

That's why Dang Myeong-myeong didn't necessarily target Yeo Seol-ryeon. Targeting Yeo Seol-ryeon would have seemed like targeting Yoo Yeon-hee to Sang Myeong-il. If there had been even the slightest sign of Hoe Seon-hwan heading towards Yeo Seol-ryeon, his sword would have been drawn. Even in the face-to-face situation, it felt like Sang Myeong-il's mind was completely focused on Yoo Yeon-hee and Yeo Seol-ryeon. As expected, Sang Myeong-il didn't show any particular reaction to the attack carried out by the Sim Hwa-bang-do.

one side.

'… This is ridiculous. It's understandable why I got hit like this.'

Yeo Seol-ryeon felt a sense of emptiness when her subordinates, who could be considered elite, suddenly died. And she realized that the life-or-death battle that had mobilized participants in the first place had not posed much of a threat to Dang-myung-myeong. He had such deep self-discipline that the term "Dok-in-ji-geong" came out of Sang-myung-il's mouth, and he even possessed such memorization and ignorance. His age was meaningless. Putting him in the ranks of the later index was absurd in itself.

Maybe that's why.

On the one hand, I felt fortunate. Because I was holding the most reliable talisman in my hand, the Sado Yukjon Il Guhwan Gyogeom Sangmyeongil. No matter how great his skills were, there was no way he could survive against a swordsman who had reached Hwagyeong!

Sangmyungil said.

"This is the first time I've seen this kind of dark technique. How skilled must you be to be able to do such a movement? You keep changing your trajectory and aiming precisely at the carotid artery. Honestly, I'm impressed. I can understand why your family was once known as the master of poison and dark magic."

"That's a meaningless compliment. It's just a joke that won't give you even a shred of humor."

Feeling the thickening scent of blood, Dang-myeong replied indifferently. That was the truth. If it were a whirlwind of whirlwinds, it would be different, but with just one whirlwind, Sang-myeong-il could not be helped. There were very few ways to avoid the aura of a being that had reached the state of Hwa-gyeong.

"Even so, I am called the Apostle of the Six Heavenly Kings. I can't save face if I am hit by a dark weapon thrown from afar."

Yu Myeong-myeong looked at Sang Myeong-il with a strange gaze. He felt an urge to unfold the rotatable pattern. Will he, who has reached Hwa-gyeong, be able to handle the secret martial arts created by Geom-sin?

Sangmyungil continued to speak.

"I'd like to offer you luck once more, but you'll probably decline. In any case, it's embarrassing to take the lead against a junior who has repeatedly used his hand. So, I'll give you three seconds. Show off your skills to your heart's content. I originally thought that giving up the lead in a fight between two people was something only the righteous sects would do, but now that this day has come."

"You'll regret giving in even three seconds."

"Don't worry and just do your best. It'll be your last attempt."

"Power… . Well, I understand."

Dang-myung-myeong replied with a laugh. Give it your all. That statement was somehow funny. At some point, there was no reason to give it your all. Ever since his master, the Sword Ghost, became a lowly being, the only one who could receive his all was Mother Nature. Even then, when he could easily cut down a mountain peak, he had refrained from swinging his sword with all his might.

'By the way.'

As he muttered to himself, "If it's someone like me, then it's a good match," Dang-Yang-Myeong grabbed the True Demon Sword. He briefly considered using the Hoeseon-Namoo-Pyo to fight him, but he quickly gave up. It was rare to meet a swordsman who had gone through enough hardship and enlightenment to reach the Hwagyeong. In particular, it was even rarer to cross swords with such a being, even if it meant risking life and death.

I tried to minimize the use of the sword as much as possible, but there was a swordsman in front of me who had reached the highest level of Hwagyeong with just one sword, and there was a sword that could be called a famous sword at my waist. As a swordsman, I couldn't help but feel aroused. How could I endure this?

'There are things to check.'

Dang-myung recalled what had happened a little while ago. The life-or-death battle with the man named Yeop-cheonggang, the master of the Chobungmun rumor. At that time, he suddenly realized something when he saw the man absorbing the Dokyo-cheong-gwang-gi and melting away.

The martial arts of the master, Geom-Gwi, are based on the power of defeat, that is, the power to weaken.

In all things in the universe, there is the law of yin-yang and the five elements, which are the laws of conflict and mutual generation. Just as there is light and darkness, there is prosperity and decline.

In a body that could handle the power of the evil spirit, it was possible to draw out an unimaginable force from the resistance, and the swordsman's martial arts based on that were truly unstoppable. Even if they returned the sword, those who were attacked by the evil spirit were bound to suffer serious internal injuries, so it was understandable that the swordsman was proud of being the strongest among swordsmen.

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In any case, what Dang-myeong realized was that this concept of 'weakness' could also fall into the category of poison. If something that weakens muscles and blood vessels and even slows down the heartbeat and ultimately causes a short life is not poison, then what is it?

'Yes. Even the power of the devil was just poison.'

In that case, there is no reason why the power of the fallen spirit cannot be realized. The weakening spirit is poison. And although I was not born with the power of the dragon like in my previous life, I do not need to worry about a short life due to the power of the fallen spirit. The energy that is currently filled in my body is the energy of the poisonous request madness, the energy that devours all poison.

At the same time as drawing a conclusion.

Srrreung-I draws his sword.

"Hoo. You're going to draw your sword in front of me right now? What are you planning? This is quite, no, a very good sword. I thought it was just for decoration, but you hid such a blade in a shabby scabbard. Now that I look at it again, it can be called a famous sword. I wonder what its name is…?"

Guhwan Gyogeom Sangmyeongil stopped talking. He felt something unusual from the Sogaju of the Tang family, who had not yet become a member of the contract. Even the posture in which he held the sword was unusual.

[Are you thinking of unlocking it?]

The food god asked, "What does it mean?" There was only one thing that Deungmyung could unlock. The martial arts of the young guest who had learned it in order to hide his achievements and to constantly display the self-defense technique Yongrin. The closed veins of Eunhyuk.

'Yeah. After all, he's a strong man in Hwagyeong.'

[… I could just use the poison in this body. Even if I reach the state of Hwagyeong, it would be difficult to withstand my poison.]

Cheonggyeong spoke a little urgently. If he were to release the closed vein, all the internal energy he had built up would burst at once. He would temporarily gain a huge amount of internal energy, but he would not be able to store it in his body. He had artificially forced internal energy into the meridians and closed them to accommodate the amount of internal energy that had exceeded his limit. His internal energy would evaporate moment by moment until it was reduced to the amount he should have originally held. And if Dang-myeong were to use the closed vein again in the future, Cheonggyeong would obviously be exploited for poison…!

'Just. There's something I want to try.'

With that being said, Dang-myeong immediately released the twelve meridians that had been blocked in order to release the lung veins.

A tremendous amount of internal energy begins to surge at once.

Hwaaaa ...

The momentum that was erupting from the body was also tremendous. The situation where the energy waves burst out in several layers. The hems of the clothes and hair were constantly fluttering. Tang Mi-ryeo and Jegal Yeong-yeong, who were nearby, could not hold out and retreated to the back.

Even Yeo Seol-ryeon, who was relatively far away, looked at Dang-myeong with greatly surprised eyes. It was an aura she had never seen before. Even the Black Lotus Master Yu Gil-jun wasn't like this…!

But the one who was more surprised than anyone else in the room was Sangmyeongil Koo, the head of the Guhwan Kyogeom Group.

"you!!!"

When did he pull it out? Sangmyungil was holding his beloved sword in his hand. There was a clear look of bewilderment in his eyes, and the composure he had shown until now was nowhere to be found. He looked extremely tense.

Sangmyungil opened his mouth with difficulty.

"… You've reached Hwagyeong."

Everyone was surprised by those words. Yeo Seol-ryeon, Yoo Yeon-hee, Dang Mi-ryeo, and Jegal Yeong-yeong.

Who would have imagined that the head of the Tang family, a young man who had just lost his boyish ways, would rise to the level of a peerless person?

It was something that could not be disbelieved. The person who spoke was the first member of the Sado Yukjon, the Guhwan Gyogeom Sangmyeongil.

While everyone was holding their breath.

Dang-myung opened his mouth slowly.

"Then, please give me three seconds as promised."

The anniversary of the death of the Gwanghwamun Inspector General has become a matter of reflection. There was now a huge crowd of people gathered in Shifang.

It was only natural. The Sacheon branch meeting was held right here, in Simhwabang to be exact. The successors of each faction located throughout Sacheon did not move alone. They arrived at the ten divisions with some of their faction's forces as escort troops.

The successors of each faction, that is, the participants of the Sacheon Branch, each brought with them between thirty and a hundred people. Since there were about fifty participants, there were easily over two thousand troops stationed in the ten divisions. They had to be escorted again when they returned after the Sacheon Branch ended.

Because of an unexpected mishap, the sect that was in charge of the Sacheonjihoe suddenly changed to Simhwabang, so there were not enough lodgings or inns in the Sipbang to accommodate that many people. The merchants who had previously established their establishments cheered. This was because they were receiving more money than usual and were always full, and the Sapa warriors were not causing any trouble and were living quietly.

The Sacheon branch is a place where each faction fights over their vested interests. And the one who guarantees those vested interests is the Simhwabang that manages the Sacheon branch, so there is no faction that can cause trouble in the ten-bang that is just like their front yard. It is an environment where merchants can easily make huge profits. Of course, it is natural that some of the profits they make will flow into the Simhwabang.

Anyway, the Sapa warriors who had been so quiet started to make a fuss.

"… What is this wave? Has a martial god descended? This is ridiculous."

"Didn't you hear that the Great Swordsman of the Six Sages, the Great Swordsman of the Nine Heavenly Swords, participated in the Sacheonjihoe? It was to accompany the Heuksahwa girl on her outing. It seems that the Great Swordsman of the Nine Heavenly Swords was there to show off his martial arts skills. To broaden the horizons of his disciples."

"Isn't that excessive? How far is it from the meditation room to here? How can I feel the energy waves all the way here?"

"What's the big deal? Let's finish the drinking. If we think about the previous Sacheonjihoe, it would take at least ten days and nights. Ah, if not now, when will I be able to drink to my heart's content?"

"I see. It's surprising, though. How much profound internal energy must one have to be able to unleash such a wave of energy? Perhaps the rumors are true. I heard that the Great Master has arrived at Hwagyeong. Even the Master Yeonju has sent words of congratulations."

"If it's true, it's amazing. I heard that His Majesty the Great began to learn martial arts properly when he was almost 30 years old. I'm sure that his master Yeonju helped him a lot, but apart from that, he must have had innate talent and put in a lot of effort."

"Anyway, this is the true blessing. The world of Sado that the Lord has created will become even more solid."

"… Wait a minute. Everyone, put down your glasses. The amplification of the waves is unusual."

"You are worrying unnecessarily. Lord. The Lord Guhwan is here…."

"You idiot. Get rid of your drunkenness and focus on your energy properly. If the one emitting this tremendous energy wave is the Great Swordsman, then who is the one emitting another powerful energy wave…?"

"Daeju's words are correct. There are clearly differences, but these two beings exude a powerful presence. It's as if they are facing each other."

"Then who else but Sang Daehyeop…?"

"We need to check first. It seems like other breakwaters are also planning to come out, so let's move together. And if something goes wrong, don't forget to prioritize the safety of the firefighters above all else."

"Your name!"

****

one side.

The protagonist of the wave that made the two thousand or so Sapa warriors who had settled in the surrounding area nervous, Yuan Mingming immediately swung his sword diagonally. A sword strike that extended from the lower left to the upper right.

'Island (continued).'

A red line was engraved in the air, as if it had always been there. It was a sword stroke as fast as a ray of light.

Wow!

With a loud noise, the floor split open and dust rose up like a cloud. Not only that, but the pavilion behind Sangmyungil also drew a red solid line and then collapsed with a thud. The phrase "a tower on sand" came to mind.

'Okay.'

The moment he unfolded the sword of his master, Geom-Gwi, he realized that he had properly embodied the nature of the power of the sword.

The internal energy overflowing throughout the body was released through the movement technique of the power of the mind method. The poisonous request madness transformed into the power of the mind method. This was originally impossible. If it was not the same kind of true energy, even if you followed the movement technique of the new mind method, you would not be able to fully obtain its function. This is common sense.

The deep-rooted great sects each have several mind methods, and their disciples learn the basic mind method and the ascending mind method in several stages according to their distribution, the degree of their contribution to the order, and the four gates. The reason why there is no problem in changing the mind method like that is because the same kind of true energy has been accumulated starting from the basic mind method.

The Sword Ghost's Fierce Heart Method and the Sacheon Dangga and Muyeonggaek's Dokyocheong Gwangsim Method were clearly different types of breathing methods. The two people's martial arts origins did not overlap either.

However, the natural name regarded the weakening nature of the Paeryukjingi as poison, making it the same as the Dokyocheongwanggi. To be exact, it was 'recognized' as such.

Hwagyeong refers to the state where the nature of things can be changed with only strong thoughts. That is the principle of realizing strong energy - the moment that the natural mind recognizes the evil power as poison, the nature of the poison-requesting madness, which is the energy that can consume poison and turn it into poison again, also takes on that of evil power.

In addition, the aging that must be endured as a backlash from the great power exerted by the power of the powerless spirit is even considered poison. Originally, it would have been a difficult backlash to handle unless one was born with a body far superior to that of ordinary people and lived a long life, but now, with the original function of the poisonous request madness, it can be made colorless. Since the poisonous request madness was originally an energy that devoured all poison.

'It'll be impossible to get to Seomgang (the end).'

Dang-myeong thought as he glanced at the state of the True Demon Sword. From the moment he opened the Sword Island (■), the True Demon Sword had already turned red as if it was burning hot.

It is more evident than when you face the Demonic Cult Cheonwoldae in Hyeonyangchon. This is probably because the power of the cult has been properly implemented.

The Sword Master, Seomcho (繼), was a single sword master created by the Sword Master, who had mastered and mastered countless swordsmanship methods, when he finally became able to execute a perfect horizontal strike in an instant without the slightest hesitation. It was certainly powerful enough to cut down even mountain peaks, but strictly speaking, it was merely in the realm of sword skills. As always, when dealing with peerless masters who had reached the Hwagyeong stage, S-gi (S-gi) must be mobilized. It was said that his master, the Sword Master, also cut down the three evil men with Seomcho (繼至) when dealing with them.

Because the only thing that can counter a strong spirit is another strong spirit.

Phew

With a very brief thought, the dust that had risen like a cloud flew away in an instant. The dust cleared and revealed itself. It was the Guhwan Kyogeom Sangmyungil. He simply swung his sword and created a wind of swordsmanship to secure his field of vision. He looked surprised, but he did not appear to be even slightly injured. Could he really be a warrior who had reached Hwagyeong?

Sangmyungil said.

"What is that swordsmanship just now? It was a power I have never heard of or seen before. It wasn't a simple horizontal strike. I could feel that it had considerable experience. Even the swordsmanship of the elders of the Cheongseongpa was not this refined. What is your identity? Is it really the Tang Family's Sogaju? No, how did you hide your achievements in reaching Hwagyeong before that?"

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"One second is up now."

Sangmyungil's face hardened at Dangmyungmyeong's words. The sword that had just rushed in from the diagonal was already threatening enough. Although he was able to block it by spreading his qi in an instant, that was because Dangmyungmyeong had not used his qi. If the sword that had just been filled with qi…? He might have been cut in two and died without being able to move. The sword strike was coming at him at a speed that made it impossible to dodge.

"… It would be rude to yield three seconds to someone who has reached an equal level. Isn't that why you didn't use your strength?"

"No offense. I'm about to use Kang-gi."

Sangmyungil looked embarrassed at the shameless words of Dangmyungmyeong. It was already a blow to his pride that Yeoseolyeon had threatened to take Dangmyungmyeong's life. Dangmyungmyeong had just fought dozens of life-or-death battles in a row, and he was still young. That was why he had said he would give up three seconds. Who would have thought things would turn out like this?

I couldn't accept the remaining seconds. Even a single second without using my energy was so threatening, so how could I handle two consecutive, determined attacks using my energy? However, it was also embarrassing to take back the words I had just said.

"it's okay."

It's obvious. It's obvious. Now, is it time to completely let go?

"I didn't expect you to keep your promise. That's what Sapa's thugs are like. Come at me with all your might. That way, you'll feel less resentful."

"… The level of the battlefield has reached a new level."

Sangmyungil's face turned slightly red as he recalled the words he had said earlier, "Do your best." Was there ever a day like today when he had been humiliated since he was called the Sixth Apostle? However, on the other hand, he also felt fortunate. After all, the three-second concession was no longer a thing. It was hard to believe, but the momentum he felt from Dangmyungmyeong was incredible. He couldn't even guess how much internal energy he had accumulated. Even if he had eaten the internal energy of the legendary spirit, Mannyeonhwari, every birthday, it wouldn't have been this bad.

'This is a total dilemma.'

On one hand, he was holding Yoo Yeon-hee hostage and demanding that the monster named Dang Myeong-myeong be killed, and that monster was strong enough to kill him. However, he couldn't back down. He couldn't give up on Yoo Yeon-hee.

'Today, I think my fate might end. I have a bad feeling about this.'

Sangmyungil let out a short sigh and gathered his thoughts. If he can't avoid it, he has no choice but to collide. Judging from the qi waves that were gushing out at every moment, the opponent's internal energy was clearly higher than mine. That meant that he could maintain the sword energy that consumed his internal energy explosively for a long time. Usually, fights between masters who reached the level of Hwagyeong were decided by the ability to maintain the sword energy.

'There is no way. A long-term battle is disadvantageous. We must go all out from the beginning. We have a chance of winning only if we pour out single-shot attacks!'

Sangmyungil thought about the martial arts he had learned and mastered. From the mind method to the sword method, it all came from his sworn brother and master, Yu Giljun.

Others admire and revere the martial arts that Yu Gil-jun created or improved in a single day, but the martial arts that he and the other six disciples learned were all carefully tailored to their individual qualities by Yu Gil-jun. It was like making clothes that fit each of their qualities perfectly. Although they entered the martial arts late, they could not help but achieve overwhelmingly quickly.

And Guhwangyogyeom Sangmyeongil learned the Hwangeom (換劍). The ever-changing sword that could not distinguish between real and fake swords was very advantageous in one-on-one battles. Since the opponent had to fight fake swords with real swords, it was inevitable that he would waste a lot of strength, and his hands and feet would get tangled up a little. If he took advantage of the gaps that were revealed like that, he could inflict fatal wounds and win even if there was a difference in skill. Didn't he take the life of the elder of Cheongseongpa that way? Even though he had a sword wound on his face.

But now the situation is one of short-term decisive battles.

Sangmyeongil is when you climb up to Hwagyeong.

As I congratulated him, I thought of the new martial arts that Yu Gil-jun, the Black Lotus Master, had created and given me.

If not, I decided that I wouldn't be able to overcome the current difficulties…! A conversation between Heuksaryeonju Yu Giljun and Guhwangyogyeom Sangmyeongil a while ago.

As a first-class member and a private brother, I cannot help but congratulate the achievements of Brother Kyogeom. I, Wooje, cannot even begin to imagine how much effort Brother Kyogeom must have put in to overcome the limitations of his natural talents and reach the level of Johwagyeong.

一… I guess so. His Majesty entered the realm of Hwagyeong less than five years after properly learning martial arts. It is hard to fathom the efforts of a commoner like me over twenty years. Furthermore, you call me a foolish younger brother. Isn't that a word you don't usually use? It seems you have decided to make fun of this foolish older brother. This person is truly worthy of the word 'foolish'. Didn't he only learn to read and write when he was almost two years old?

Hahaha, I'm just joking. Who else would I joke with like this if not my brothers? Everyone else is busy nodding their heads in thought.

Anyway, I am very sorry. I wish the other brothers would also quickly ascend to the throne like Brother Kyo-geom. Then, I will be able to live with my younger brother for a long time. By the way, the sword-like face remains the same, even after undergoing a complete transformation.

Thanks to the advice from Yeonju, I was able to keep my wits about me as soon as the transformation began, but my skills were so poor that it was difficult to just reassemble all my body muscles. I instinctively knew that I could repair the skin on my face, but I decided to take advantage. The swordsmanship was quite manly. Yeonhee was a bit annoyed, though… .

By the way, before the swordsmanship, Brother Kyo-geom had a delicate expression that could be considered a literary person. Back in the days of the Black Death Sect, when he got into trouble with another gang, he would intentionally furrow his brows excessively. He must have made a vicious expression, but in So-je's eyes, it seemed like he was participating in a Peking opera, so it made me laugh a little.

一When did I say that…! Hmm, you're joking a lot today, Yeonju. I thought you called me to congratulate me.

一Haha. Really, that's enough. Let's get to the point. You, hyung, followed my advice and learned the Hwangeom. I thought that your physical characteristics and tendencies would be advantageous for performing the ever-changing herbivore style. However, things are different now. As you said, you completely reorganized your muscle structure through a complete transformation. In short, it means that you have acquired the skills to use the Ganggeom (强劍).

What if it's a strong sword?

Brother Ilsang must have naturally learned the secret of the soft sword through the sword that crosses between the empty and the real. Originally, the soft sword was mainly learned in the Taoist school like the extinct Cheongseong. As you know, their martial arts focused on the softness that can overcome the strong.

But were the swords of Taoist masters who had reached the realm really that soft? I don't think so.

一… As Lian Zhu said, the swordsmanship of the Qingchengpa chieftain was as fierce as a storm. The swordsmanship of the elders I faced were not so gentle.

一If you remember, it will be easy to explain. The secret that most of these Taoist sects pursue is to bring out true strength based on gentleness. Their swords are ultimately nothing more than the cornerstone for realizing strong swords. Even they themselves seemed to be unaware of this fact.

It is amazing that Yeonju saw through it at a glance.

一Anyway, Soje had already disassembled Cheongseong's sword technique into pieces and reconstructed it so that he could immediately implement a strong sword. The modification itself was not difficult, but it would have been impossible for a normal person's body to handle it unless he had strong tendons and strong meridians from birth. Or, he would have completely rebuilt his muscle structure through the transformation he experiences while ascending to Hwagyeong.

Does something called a 1-strength delay really exist? Is it just a tall tale?

Well, I only heard about it through records. It was briefly written that a long time ago, a man named Geom-Gwi went around looking for someone with the ability to fight with dragons in order to save his descendants. I don't know if he ever found one though.

If he was a swordsman, wasn't he the one who was called the best swordsman in the world at the time? The classifications by Cheongseong and Ami matched. Now that I think about it, a thought suddenly comes to mind. Could it be that the swordsman's martial arts weren't related to the strong sword?

一That may be the case. Anyway, now that I have acquired the skills, I would like to pass on the sword to you, my brother. I hope that this will also serve as an opportunity for the other brothers to be inspired and to work hard.

****

What came to mind when Sangmyungil Guhwan Gyogeom was the story of a thousand changes returning to a single sword.

It wasn't long after he received the teachings from the master, Yu Gil-jun, that he realized that there was no other way to overcome this crisis, even though his achievements were not deep. The Manbyeon Gwiil Geomgyeol was the only sword that combined the Hwangeom that Sangmyeongil had learned and the secrets of the Yugeom that he had learned there, transforming them into a strong sword.

Yu Gil-jun told him that he should be able to perform the Manbyeon-Gwiilgeomgyeol routinely with every swordsmanship. That way, he could gain the upper hand in a showdown between Hwagyeong masters.

'If only I had succeeded in my quest…'

Sangmyungil swallowed his regret. His Manbyeonguiilgeomgyeol was not yet perfect. It was only natural. Not only had he only recently ascended to Hwagyeong, but it was impossible for him to melt all that he had learned while swinging his sword into just one sweep.

However, there is no way to deal with Destiny without a strong sword. It was obvious that he was significantly inferior in terms of internal energy.

Yu Gil-jun said that the decisive battle between Hwagyeong masters is often decided by the durability of the strong energy, that is, the amount of internal energy. This is because the destructive power and durability of the strong energy itself, including the sword, are incomparable to anything else. Since it is a collection of wills that far surpass the realm of humans colliding with each other, it is rare for them to break like weapons. This is why the ground formation is long and the amount of internal energy determines the outcome.

In other words, in order to win, you must refine your own strength to the point where you can break your opponent's strength. Yu Gil-jun chose the implementation of a strong sword as the first step in refining your sword. He asked why the masters of the old school of Jeongdo were able to gain an advantage over the masters of the Sado or Mado.

Even though the amount of internal energy itself was often superior on the part of the apostles and magicians.

'We must immediately destroy his spirit and cut off his head!'

Sangmyungil knew from experience that it would take a great deal of mental strength to unleash the Manbyeonguiilgeomgyeol. It was still difficult to continuously implement the strong sword. That was why he only had one chance.

"Come on, let's see if your skills are as great as your speaking skills."

Sangmyungil deliberately threw out words that seemed to provoke Yuanming, and began to concentrate. The paths of the swords he had swung so far—they were clearly visible. Countless lines. Each of those lines could be either a real or a false one. That free transition was the principle of the sword.

'True strength comes from flexibility.'

While repeating the key points of the Manbyeon Gwiil Geomgyeol in your mind, you also load your sword with a strong will.

Hurrruk!

The flames immediately burst out from Sangmyeongil's sword. It was the special privilege of swordsmen who had reached Hwagyeong, manifesting the sword power. He felt an omnipotence that he could break and cut anything, as well as tremendous strength. It was because he had manifested the sword power that was refined based on the strong sword. Even with his body strengthened through transformation, it was not easy to endure the burden that came with the implementation of the strong sword. How could he display this every time he swung his sword?

For him, there was only one limit. He had a strong intuition that his fate depended on the one swing of his sword this time.

one side.

Looking at the flames burning from Sangmyungil's sword, Dangmyungmyeong said, "Still the same old thing."

"I thought you would show me some messy swordsmanship since your nickname is Kyogeom. Now that I look at it, you know how to use a proper sword. A strong sword."

"!!!"

Sangmyungil was so surprised that he almost lost his concentration. The thought of, "Does this make sense?" flashed through his mind. The young man in front of him had the ability to achieve the level of a solitary person, the ability to wield martial arts that reached the level of a fire state, and an absurd level of internal energy, as well as the insight to recognize even a strong sword. For the first time in his life, he felt like he was encountering someone comparable to the master Yu Giljun. A dragon was growing in the Tang family…!

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"As I said, you have to put in all your effort. Even a strong sword has its ups and downs."

With a meaningful word, a deep green flame also rose up on the True Demon Sword. After unfolding the Sword of the Sword, the sword that had been glowing red as if it were white hot had already regained its original color. This was proof that the True Demon Sword was a famous sword. It was intact even after containing the power of destruction.

'Strong'

Yu Sang-myeong put the secret of strength into Geomgang. Yu Sang-myeong, who had reached the realm of swordsmanship, was able to freely apply the core secrets of swordsmanship, swordsmanship, and sword discipline to martial arts.

Heavy, fast, change, break, scatter, strike, cut, sharp, etc. - most swordsmanship was created with one or two of these as its extremes. However, swordsmanship that used strength as its extreme was very rare. This was because it was difficult for a normal human body to handle.

Only the weak attempt to bring strength out of softness. The defeat that you and I have learned is in itself a force that aims for strength.

The words of the swordsman who was my teacher.

In short, the story was that when weakness reaches its extreme, it becomes extremely strong, rather than soft.

This was also the reason why the strong sword of Deungmyeong was superior to that of Sangmyeongil.

Anyway.

After a split-second standoff.

The two new types of people are rapidly getting closer.

Their strengths rivaled each other_ No, actually, the word 'rivaled' was not appropriate.

As soon as we collided, one side's energy completely burst out with a "Crash!" sound. So I can't say that I aimed for something that couldn't even last a moment.

It was a sight of a blazing flame being shattered into pieces. Shards of red light were scattered in all directions.

The one that maintained its shape was the true devil sword.

Guhwan Kyogeom Sangmyeongil muttered with a vain look in his eyes.

"… Yeonhee. Yeonhee."

That was all the will said. The light in his eyes quickly faded. The sword wound across his upper body was extremely fatal. It seemed as if his internal organs, including his heart, had been burned in an instant, but not a single drop of blood flowed out. It was because he had been cut by the sword, which was no different from a fiercely burning flame.

Sangmyeongil died standing like that.

The first-class member of the Apostles' Sixth Legion, the sworn brother of Black Lotus Master Yu Gil-jun, the master of the illusion sword known as the Nine-Hwan-Gyo-Geom, and recently a man who had reached the highest level of Hwa-Gyeong, was murdered by the hands of the Tang family's Soga-ju, who was not even a young man yet!

This shocking sight was witnessed by over two thousand Sapha warriors who happened to arrive at that moment.