Chapter 147

The death of Byeok-un.

Namgung Woo’s eyes narrowed as he felt the faint life force behind him extinguish.

‘In the end…’

If Namgung Woo had decided to use the Qi Transfer Technique and True Qi, could he have saved him?

Perhaps he could have. Though he would have lost the immense power he held as a Supreme Peak Master and fallen to the status of a mere villager.

But neither Namgung Woo nor Byeok-un spoke of it.

What Namgung Woo needed to do now was not to save Byeok-un, but to eliminate the enemy before him.

But was that even possible?

The enemy was perfectly mimicking Namgung Woo’s martial arts.

Infinite Steps, Thirteen Lightning Flash Swords, Changgung Boundless Sword Technique—everything.

He even seemed to be imitating Byeok-un’s Wind Evasion Technique, keeping up with Namgung Woo’s movements as he used Azure Tranquility Eyes to predict his next move.

Though the enemy couldn’t mimic Azure Tranquility Eyes perfectly, the minuscule difference was compensated for by the overwhelming physical prowess of the Black Ghost Gate’s Ghost Gate Master.

It felt like playing rock-paper-scissors alone in front of a mirror.

But there was no sense of hardship, despair, or being overwhelmed.

Rather, he felt joy.

He was learning.

Through the Ghost Gate Master, who perfectly visualized even the unconscious habits that Namgung Woo couldn’t easily notice no matter how much he reflected on himself.

Deficiencies arise from learning, and learning is the process of understanding oneself.

Watching the Ghost Gate Master move exactly like him, Namgung Woo recognized his own shortcomings and found ways to improve.

Byeok-un had advised him to hold back his martial arts, but Namgung Woo did the opposite—he unleashed them even more.

And he refined them.

More efficiently. More freely. More concisely.

With each exchange of techniques, Namgung Woo’s swordsmanship also transformed.

He wasn’t swinging his sword merely to cut down the Ghost Gate Master.

He was wielding his martial arts to overcome himself, to create a better version of himself.

Byeok-un had failed to find a way to defeat the Ghost Gate Master. He had only guessed that the best course of action was to hide his martial arts as much as possible and strike with a fatal blow before the enemy could react.

But Namgung Woo saw a different path.

The solution was simple from the start.

Namgung Woo just needed to become stronger.

In the brief moment when he unleashed his sword technique and the Ghost Gate Master imitated it, Namgung Woo would leap to the next level.

Impossible? Just a hollow theory?

Where does that exist?

In a world where monsters mimic everything you do, and humans cut through mountains and rivers with their bare bodies, soaring through the void.

The enlightenment he gained from his life-and-death battle with the Demon Lord of Five Tones once again elevated Namgung Woo’s spirit, energy, and mind to a higher realm.

There is no such thing as impossible, so do not draw a line.

Believe in humanity’s limitless potential for growth, in your own will and the body that responds to it, and in your spirit that transcends limits to reach new heights.

And Namgung Woo’s belief, conviction, and enlightenment opened a new door for him.

“…What’s happening?”

Song Woojeol, who had been watching the battle between Namgung Woo and the Ghost Gate Master without blinking, muttered in a daze.

It was too fast to follow perfectly, but he could still sense that the techniques were merging, taking on a new form.

A swordsmanship that resembled both the Thirteen Lightning Flash Swords and the Changgung Great Flame Sword Technique.

The swiftness of the Thirteen Lightning Flash Swords combined with the solemnity of the Changgung Boundless Sword Technique.

Within the boundlessness of the Changgung Boundless Sword Technique, the instantaneous flashes of the Thirteen Lightning Flash Swords shone.

But the dance of swords between the two did not end.

Every time Namgung Woo took a step forward, the Ghost Gate Master followed.

Every time Namgung Woo ascended to a new level, the Ghost Gate Master copied him, matching his height.

It was clear that Namgung Woo was growing.

Even Song Woojeol, a mere subordinate, could see it clearly.

Yet, if the Ghost Gate Master was able to keep up with all of it…

“The Great Master of Changcheon Pavilion is at a disadvantage…”

Even if he had opened all three Dantians, reached the state of Three Flames Convergence, and even surpassed it to achieve the harmony of Five Origins Unity, a Peerless Master’s internal energy and mental strength were not infinite.

Song Woojeol clenched his fists, drenched in sweat, as he watched the two figures whose movements were becoming harder to follow even with the secret techniques he had learned from Gwak Dan.

‘If this continues… unless the Great Master of Changcheon Pavilion reaches the transcendent state of Peak of Ascension, surpassing even Five Origins Unity… the Ghost Gate Master will have the advantage…!’

At that moment, Namgung Woo pushed the Ghost Gate Master back with a powerful rebound force, utilizing the Eighth Form of the Thirteen Lightning Flash Swords, and adjusted his stance.

It was a different posture from what he had shown before.

Unlike the Thirteen Lightning Flash Swords or the Changgung Boundless Sword Technique, which mixed upper and middle stances, this time it was closer to a natural stance.

He lowered his sword and simply melted his existence into nature.

The power to unite with the world and make the entire world his own.

The Emperor’s Sword Form.

Namgung Woo’s strongest strike finally revealed itself.

“That’s…”

“The Emperor’s Sword Form! It’s over, this is it!”

Before Song Woojeol could say anything, a young man who had approached him cheered loudly.

When had the cleanup ended?

The Ghost Gate hadn’t closed, and the transformed ghosts were still emerging, but most had been dealt with, leaving the area a sea of corpses and blood.

Seemingly satisfied that the situation was under control, the members of Changcheon Pavilion stood beside Song Woojeol and began watching Namgung Woo’s battle.

Yang Kwae’s cheers were met with a scolding from Myorin, who looked utterly exhausted.

“Why are you so happy? From what I see, it looks like we’re screwed.”

Again.

The Ghost Gate Master was mimicking Namgung Woo’s stance again.

Dropping his sword and adopting a natural stance, the Ghost Gate Master encroached on the domain Namgung Woo had made his own.

Though neither was swinging their swords, the sound of clashing blades echoed in the void, and sparks of energy erupted at the boundary between the two.

A stalemate.

Namgung Woo, a Peerless Master, and the Black Ghost Gate Master.

The two seemed evenly matched.

Neither side gained the upper hand as they faced each other tensely.

“…If he loses…”

“Don’t say such stupid things.”

Song Chaeji sharply cut off Yang Jeong’s anxious voice.

Jegal Seon-a also chimed in.

“He can’t lose. There’s no way…”

Why were they so uneasy?

The tension, as heavy as gravity itself, suddenly dissipated like a soap bubble popping.

When had they swung?

Namgung Woo’s Bonding Sword and the Ghost Gate Master’s sword were both pointing to the sky at the same height.

The Emperor’s Sword Form.

The single strike that both beings had poured their everything into had already passed through each other.

The presence that had been extinguished. The pressure that had vanished.

Namgung Woo slowly began to approach the Ghost Gate Master.

“Gaga…?”

His steps were so calm that it felt like someone should stop him.

Returning to a natural stance with his Bonding Sword hanging low, Namgung Woo looked completely defenseless.

It seemed like he wouldn’t be able to defend if the Ghost Gate Master suddenly attacked. Unlike Namgung Woo, who had returned to a natural stance, the Ghost Gate Master still held his sword high.

But Namgung Woo, unconcerned, calmly approached the Ghost Gate Master, who stood stiffly.

Amidst the anxiety of the onlookers, Namgung Woo reached right in front of the Ghost Gate Master. Yet, even as Namgung Woo stood before him, the Ghost Gate Master showed no reaction.

Then, the moment Namgung Woo reached out and touched the Ghost Gate Master—

His body began to crumble and scatter into dust.

Namgung Woo looked down at the disintegrating body of the Ghost Gate Master and murmured.

“It seems my way was right after all.”

The power he had grasped upon opening his eyes.

The answer to how to wield that power had been decided.

No matter what, the Emperor’s Sword Form, a sword that dominated the world with pure will, could not be perfectly copied.

What it contained was Namgung Woo’s time, memories, enlightenment, and resolve.

The Ghost Gate Master, who only knew how to wield power, could not follow the depth of someone who had pondered and agonized over the value of that power.

“Now, closing the Ghost Gate will be the end.”

But before that, Namgung Woo had something to do.

He turned and approached those who were watching him.

In front of Byeok-un’s remains, which Song Woojeol was holding, Namgung Woo slowly knelt on one knee and gently closed Byeok-un’s still-open eyelids.

“It’s over. You can rest now.”

After a moment of silent prayer, Namgung Woo stood up.

“Casualties?”

Jegal Seon-a answered his question.

“Two dead, four injured, and likely more if we count internal injuries.”

“Two… who?”

“Baehwa Gangsu Mankyeongson and Swaewhondo Jeongwigwan.”

“…Their bodies?”

“We preserved Swaewhondo’s remains, but Baehwa Gangsu was completely… beyond recovery.”

It was a tragic death.

Facing death was something inevitable, but it was bitter to see it come so quickly.

“Ha-ryeong. You handle the cleanup.”

“Yes! Gaga, are you going to close the Ghost Gate?”

“I have to. If we leave it open, we’ll have to fight again.”

Thinking to close the Ghost Gate as quickly as possible and end the battle, Namgung Woo spread his energy sense to locate the Ghost Gate.

But at that moment, a wave of energy invaded his senses.

Unlike the Whispering Transmission, which mixed sound waves with energy to communicate, this wave carried malice and ill intent.

Crack!

The Spiritual Energy of the Void manifested, blocking the energy wave that tried to pierce his soul.

At the same time, Namgung Woo raised his internal energy and created a barrier, isolating himself from the others.

“Gaga?”

“Great Master?”

“Step back.”

“Huh? What do you mean…?”

Could they not feel it?

The others had no idea why Namgung Woo was acting this way. Even Yi Ho-yeong, a Supreme Peak Master, and Song Woojeol, who had been watching the battle with some mysterious technique, seemed clueless.

But Namgung Woo could see it.

“The arrival of the mastermind.”

The strange presence approaching him.

“So…”

The figure that appeared.

A robe draped over a bare upper body. The robe itself was similar in shape but entirely different in style from the clothing of this era.

“Are you the one who killed that Yi Ja-ryong guy?”

An aura that was not human.

It resembled Yi Ja-ryong.

---