Tang Sobaek had departed from the secluded area, leaving only the Sword Immortal and Bin Namgung behind.
The Sword Immortal remained still, lost in thought as he maintained his meditative pose.
To him, Bin Namgung cautiously addressed a question.
“Ancestoral Lord, I have something I’d like to ask. Is it all right?”
“Go ahead.”
“I heard you say that our lord is in danger, correct?”
“That’s what I said.”
“Exactly what sort of danger could be so severe as to threaten our lord? He isn’t someone to be trifled with easily.”
Though Bin Namgung had long since departed from the earthly world, he was no stranger to its workings.
The sheer number of spirits his elder brother, Namgung Cheolbin, had slain daily during the Byung Hyeol War had been enormous.
“I’ve also heard that our lord has concealed his martial skills this whole time. And now he’s known as the greatest in the Central Plains.”
“An impressive fellow.”
“Yet… such a person is said to be in danger. Exactly who or how?”
At the descendant’s inquiry, the Sword Immortal recalled his conversation with the young girl.
Nothing specific came to mind. The girl had given a vague explanation regarding the ‘crisis.’
However, the Sword Immortal had a general idea why Byul Rak might be in danger.
“Perhaps… it’s because of the spirits gathered here.”
“Spirits?”
“Although they are referred to as spirits, among them are the occasional ancient recluses from thousands of years of martial history. And because they all hold lingering resentment toward the mortal realm, they have gathered in this Ghost Cave, naturally coveting young, robust bodies.”
“Do you think they will target our lord?”
“Being young isn’t necessarily an advantage. Even if someone steps in with such a body, without any internal or external martial cultivation, the spirit won’t be able to sustain itself for long and will vanish pointlessly. Instead, they’d prefer someone with exceptional martial prowess, not too old, and probably someone like Lord Namgung.”
“Nobody fits better than our lord.”
The Sword Immortal nodded in agreement, while Bin Namgung’s expression darkened.
“Will our lord be able to handle them?”
“It won’t be easy. There will be those who were recognized as the greatest of their time, running rampant. Since the Martial Heaven Curve exists at the boundary between this world and the next, naturally, they will wield the same full power they once possessed in life.”
As he listened, Namgung Bin’s heart grew heavy, feeling as if a block of lead pressed upon his chest.
He was aware that his elder brother was someone beyond the reach of any ordinary person. Yet, to face such formidable adversaries…
Even the unparalleled Namgung Cheolbin might struggle without a clear strategy. The worst-case scenario of his body being possessed by the spirits couldn’t be entirely ruled out.
Seeing Bin Namgung’s troubled state, the Sword Immortal spoke in a calming tone.
“Don’t worry too much.”
“Excuse me? You said that the greatest martial artists of history could potentially be our enemies. How could I not worry?”
“Isn’t the Tang heir here? She will handle it as needed.”
Suddenly, the Sword Immortal remembered Tang Sobaek, the Poison Flower, whom he had just seen.
Specifically, her green eyes, glowing with a serene light.
Her eyes were precious, like jewels.
Luminous and precious. But that wasn’t all.
Their depth seemed limitless, their intensity impossible to gauge.
Even the Sword Immortal, who had seen countless human characters across multiple lifetimes, couldn’t fathom the depths of her gaze.
‘She’s merely at the peak of mastery yet was trusted and guided by that ‘girl’… I’m sure she’ll manage.’
That was also why he wasn’t overly concerned.
After all, wasn’t the current world shaped by this ‘girl’ after traversing hundreds of years of time?
Surely, she must have some plan in place.
Most likely involving Tang Sobaek, the Poison Flower.
The Sword Immortal believed so.
—
Cursed Face Art
This forbidden art was something the Rakshasa Demon General frequently employed on Byul Rak during the Byung Hyeol War whenever he ascended to the Flowering Mirror Realm.
Yet, Byul Rak had never once fallen victim to the Cursed Face Art.
This was thanks to his recollection from early cycles when, even as a novice Supreme Master, he clearly remembered the grief experienced by a monk who had been afflicted by it.
Even a monk who had lived a virtually blameless life was reduced to a disoriented wreck after recovering from the Cursed Face Art.
Byul Rak would forever remember that shocking sight.
Therefore, in every cycle, he meticulously researched countermeasures against the Cursed Face Art.
Surprisingly, the countermeasure was straightforward.
Just don’t give them time to cast it.
Given the immense power of this dark spell, the casting time is inherently long. After all, cause and effect dictate such a rule.
However, time was not generous to Byul Rak now.
Uwooong!
The size of the shadowy orb forming on the forehead of the Great Strength Demon General indicated that the spell was almost complete. In other words, it had been prepared in advance to attack them.
‘Mm, I should hurry up a bit.’
In the combat between great masters, victory is often determined in the blink of an eye.
Soon, even with a difference in skill levels, a low-ranked fighter could defeat a high-ranked one if the latter let their guard down momentarily.
But such moments are rare. A high-ranked master is called such precisely because they never let their guard down.
Three seconds was the estimated time Byul Rak gave himself to subdue the Four Great Demon Generals and counter the Heaven-Sundering Demon General’s Cursed Face Art.
Since the Cursed Face Art could fall at any moment, the task needed to be completed within those three seconds.
Given the size of the orb, the need to act faster was evident.
Sip!
With a sweeping motion of his palm, Byul Rak unleashed a powerful shockwave.
This was not out of malice, but to create a diversion.
The force rippled outward from the flapping sleeve, overwhelming both the Bloodsucking Demon General and the Rakshasa Demon General.
Ka Drud!
The Great Strength Demon General, with a gaping hole in his forehead, had no time to prepare any defense. His body shattered into pieces, ending his life instantly.
Ka Ka Kong!
Though the Bloodsucking Demon General and the Rakshasa Demon General managed to summon some internal energy for defense, they were thrown dozens of yards back, colliding with stone walls. Crimson blood trickled from the corners of their mouths.
In the span of a single second.
All of it happened within that brief moment.
In that instant, Byul Rak leapt toward the Heaven-Sundering Demon General, lightly stepping through the void.
Void-Treading Step, a feat often associated with supreme masters, reputed to be a higher level than even Grass Skipping or Frog Walking.
Exactly such a high-level skill was on display with each step Byul Rak took.
– Young master, don’t let your emotions get the better of you.
Midway, a concerned warning from Jin Woo-yong reached his ears.
“No need to worry. It’s all within my calculations.”
Byul Rak gave a brief response and continued his aerial approach, covering the distance rapidly.
In another second, the gap to the Heaven-Sundering Demon General was bridged.
The Heaven-Sundering Demon General’s pupils dilated, but they didn’t focus on Byul Rak’s position.
Instead, what he saw was lingering afterimages of the past—a result of Byul Rak’s agility surpassing the speed of his perception.
“Hey, Sword Sage!”
With no hesitation, Byul Rak thrust forward with the single palm strike exactly as three seconds had elapsed.
Right as the moment struck:
Crack!
Byul Rak’s eyes widened.
Crack Crack!
Out of nowhere, something had latched onto his ankles. Quickly.
Looking down, he saw an old man with a large cross-shaped scar on his forehead grasping his leg.
Dragon-Fighting Demon Beggar, the supreme overlord of the martial world three hundred years past and the fallen chief of the Beggars’ Sect.
Though long since passed from the mortal realm, empowered by the ghost qi swirling in the Martial Heaven Curve, he clung desperately to Byul Rak’s ankle.
But that wasn’t all.
As Byul Rak hastily looked down his other leg, he saw two more old men with identical appearances gripping it.
The Yin-Yang Twin Monsters, infamous fiends who once dominated the martial world a hundred years ago and were among the Five Great Experts of their time.
And there were others too.
The Yangjiang Water Emperor, the Sorrow-Joy Sword, the Ink Demon Swordsman, and others—each and every one a supreme master who had etched their names in martial history.
Empowered by ghost qi as their internal energy, they surged toward Byul Rak.
Their lips curled with malicious and greedy grins, all coveting his body.
The robust and indestructible physique before them, forged through ways no ordinary training could replicate, was an irresistible fruit for their wraithlike forms.
Grr!
Byul Rak thrashed furiously.
Though his ferocious kicks crushed the face of one of the Twin Monsters, the ‘three seconds’ opportunity had already passed.
Uuuuung!
Unaware of the true identities of these spirits, the Heaven-Sundering Demon General nonetheless seized the moment.
His forbidden art was at completion. If ever there was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, this was it.
”Sword Sage! Die!”
Above Byul Rak’s head, a massive shadow descended.
Turning reflexively, the ominous black orb was mere inches away.
“Th, these things…!”
Even in that split second, Byul Rak slashed sideways, cleaving through three spirits that dissolved into nothingness.
But it was already too late; precisely at the four-second mark, the Cursed Face Art collided with his face.
A thick, ominous force rushed into Byul Rak’s seven orifices. The purest form of ghostly energy from the Martial Heaven Curve permeated his body.
Byul Rak’s vision grew dark. Deep shadows engulfed his consciousness.
“Sword Sage! Sword Sage! What’s wrong?”
Rushing to the scene within four seconds, Jade Flower turned in defense as she drew her sword, but it was too late.
After absorbing all the ghostly force, Byul Rak collapsed helplessly to the ground. His skin was now as black as if poisoned.
His tightly closed eyelids signaled his loss of consciousness.
Drip.
“What… is this…!”
Cold sweat trickled down Jade Flower’s neck as she swallowed hard.
Aside from not understanding the sequence of events, most importantly:
“Who are you, spirits?”
“That’s what I’d like to ask.”
“These things… why won’t you all perish! How dare you obstruct me!”
As the wolf pack slowly closed in around Jade Flower, who protected the fallen Byul Rak,
‘Something’s off…’
Each approaching figure exuded a formidable aura, certainly not to be underestimated.
“Sword, do not waver.”
With a metallic click, she drew her blade, though her trembling heart refused to settle even with her own reassurances.
However, she wouldn’t step back, not even out of fear.
Behind her now lay someone who must be protected even if the heavens split.
‘This is what I feared.’
Though she didn’t know how they managed to incapacitate the mighty Sword Sage, it didn’t matter.
She would protect him. No matter what.
Despite the overwhelming odds, she resolved to uphold righteousness without deliberation.
Wasn’t that her principle?
Though she had decided to change, this wasn’t the time for a different Jade Flower.
Now, the warrior Jade Flower from the Byung Hyeol War was needed.
“You! Who are you? What interference is this!”
Amid the cacophony of spirits, the Heaven-Sundering Demon General, and the Four Great Demon Generals closing in, Jade Flower gripped her sword tightly.
From her blade, a sharp blue light emerged, cutting through the oppressive air.
—
Everything is dark. The world has faded into black and white, rendering me blind to all detail.
There’s no need to guess what’s happened.
The vivid darkness engulfing me during that last moment remains seared into my mind.
The Cursed Face Art has succeeded, and I am now trapped in an eternal nightmare.
Attempting to move despite the hope against hope, my body remains still, as if pinned in place by an invisible force.
Ha…
I can’t help but wonder how things are unfolding outside. What were those things clinging to my ankles? Has Jade Flower managed?
With only my thoughts to keep me company, the future looms heavily.
They say the most terrifying memories are those that replay forever.
Among my countless painful memories, three stand out: the death of Soeun Yu during the first cycle, revealing my secrets and watching Namgung Su-a die before my eyes, and falling victim to the Blood Demon.
Any of these three would be my worst nightmare, as each evokes horrors too terrible to even imagine.
Clump!
Just as I dwell on the future, light suddenly breaks through.
Not by my will, but by the sudden brightness of sunlight piercing through, causing my eyes to slightly sting.
Even though I hadn’t consciously raised my head, the familiar ceiling came into view.
The polished, radiant ceiling of the current Namgung estate.
…Polished? Radiant?
The current Namgung buildings underwent renovations when I was still a small child. So, this must be from that time.
Back then, I had a terrible experience, though I don’t recall it clearly now. Perhaps it’s simply been too long.
Considering the time I’ve spent suspended through regression, this event is almost ten thousand years in the past.
Which is why I worry.
If this is to be worse than the three tragic memories I’ve mentioned…
Then it could mean something far more horrifying and cruel awaits me.
