Chapter 42

The overwhelming evil energy made them realize that the Ghost Gate opened on Manse Mountain was just the beginning of a much larger phenomenon.

*Kwoong—!*

With a heavy rumble, the Ghost Gate finally opened wide.

Soon after, a thick mist of demonic energy, visible even to the naked eye, began to flow out from the small crack in the gate.

“Hahahaha! It worked! It was close, but we succeeded!”

Yi Ja-ryong’s maniacal laughter echoed above the Ghost Gate, which exuded an overwhelming presence.

The sound lingered, as if bouncing off an invisible wall.

Namgung Woo immediately sensed something was off. Even without activating his Azure Tranquility Eyes, he realized from the echo alone that the space around them had begun to twist.

“The space… is closed.”

This place was no different from a prison. There were no physical barriers, but the area they were in was clearly isolated from the outside.

“Hey, young hero.”

When had Gwak Dan approached? His soft words, devoid of any internal energy, were still clearly heard by Namgung Woo.

What was happening now was something even Gwak Dan, who had spent decades in the Imperial Guards, had never seen before. But just because he hadn’t experienced it didn’t mean he didn’t know about it.

Humans learn through the experiences of others.

The senior Imperial Guards had experienced days like this and left records for future generations.

They wrote about it.

The Ghost Gate, darker than black, was no longer an invasion but closer to an erosion.

The demons that appeared from there were no longer mere creatures but calamities incarnate, their very existence painting the surrounding world in the colors of another realm.

They named this phenomenon:

“The Ghost Realm. If we don’t destroy that gate now, we won’t be able to leave.”

Namgung Woo rolled the term “Ghost Realm” on his tongue.

The land of ghosts.

The domain of those who crossed over from beyond the Ghost Gate.

“And if we leave it like this, it will keep expanding. Manse Mountain is already part of the Ghost Realm. Next will be…”

“The Forbidden City.”

“Exactly.”

The Forbidden City, located right below Manse Mountain, was the one and only imperial palace of the Ming Dynasty. Even in Nanjing, the Southern Directly Administered Region, there was no palace as grand as the Forbidden City.

Thus, the Forbidden City was the pride of the emperor who ruled the world, his sole residence.

Gwak Dan smirked as if this was for the best.

“Actually, this is better.”

“Huh?”

“The Forbidden City is a temple of countless spells in the mortal world.”

From the grand principles of feng shui to the smallest details of the painted patterns, every part of the Forbidden City was imbued with the principles of magic.

“That Yi Ja-ryong must have done quite a bit of work, but even he couldn’t completely destroy it. It will hold back the expansion of the Ghost Realm for a while. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“If we stop it here, Beijing will be safe… That’s what you mean, right?”

Namgung Woo’s answer was exactly what Gwak Dan was about to say.

Gwak Dan felt even more fond of this mysterious young master who understood him so well.

If he were alone, it would be one thing, but with someone of Namgung Woo’s skill by his side, they had a chance.

“Perfect. You, after this is over, join the Imperial Guards. I’ll fully support you.”

“Hmm. Let’s think about that after this fight is over.”

“Playing hard to get, huh?”

But that only made him like Namgung Woo more.

When was it? Gwak Dan’s memories of his offers being rejected were all blurry. They were all disappointing. A man should at least have the guts to stand by his principles.

“Don’t worry. With you and me, we can definitely win.”

The moment he finished speaking.

A massive surge of energy exploded from the Ghost Gate.

“It’s coming!”

Gwak Dan’s shout was swallowed as the Ghost Gate swung wide open, releasing another soul-scraping screech.

*Kwaak!*

A bizarre, twisted arm of bluish-gray emerged from the Ghost Gate.

The moment Namgung Woo noticed it, it was already right in front of him and Gwak Dan.

“Tch!”

*Kwaang!*

An unexpected sneak attack.

Even with the Azure Tranquility Eyes, Namgung Woo saw the entire process of the attack, but his reflexes couldn’t keep up.

‘But it’s fine. No injuries.’

Instinctively, he deployed the defensive stance of the Ten Iron Sword Techniques.

The Ten Iron Sword Techniques, which he had practiced every single day since coming to this world, reflexively activated and blocked the arm of whatever it was.

“Hey, young hero! Are you okay?”

“No problem!”

The fact that no follow-up attack came was likely because Gwak Dan had intercepted it.

Regaining his composure, Namgung Woo saw Gwak Dan swinging his sword at the bluish-gray creature.

“I’ll join you!”

Namgung Woo immediately channeled his Heavenly Thunder Divine Energy throughout his body.

There was no point in holding back. He had sensed that from the previous strike.

As the Heavenly Thunder Divine Energy coursed through his veins, platinum lightning erupted from Namgung Woo’s entire body.

The Infinite Steps footwork technique powerfully struck the ground, propelling Namgung Woo forward.

In a near-instantaneous burst of speed.

The Heavenly Thunder Divine Energy, channeled through Namgung Woo’s arms and into his sword, formed a Sword Aura.

Thirteen Lightning Flash Swords, Fourth Form: Wind and Lightning.

Riding the wind, striking with lightning.

A charging slash, enhanced by the principles of lightness, cleaved through the demon’s arm that was closing in on Gwak Dan.

*Puhak!*

No matter how tough the body, it was powerless before the starlight wish grasped by humanity.

In the blink of an eye, the demon’s gray arm was reduced to a mere lump of meat, rolling on the ground.

“Well done. But next time, prioritize attacking over protecting me. I can take a hit or two with my Protective Aura Energy. I’m Gwak Dan, after all.”

“…Understood.”

Perhaps the demon had learned not to recklessly charge in after losing an arm.

The creature that had burst out of the Ghost Gate began to observe Gwak Dan and Namgung Woo from a distance.

Namgung Woo also took the chance to get a good look at the creature from the Ghost Gate.

A beast-man with the head of a lion. But unlike humans, its legs were reverse-jointed, and its mane was crowned with massive horns.

Its overall bluish-gray skin lacked any vitality. Some parts were darker, almost blackish-blue.

The only sign that it was a living creature was its faintly glowing eyes.

To Namgung Woo, it was a bizarre creature he had never seen before. Its appearance didn’t match any of the demons he had encountered in Chasing Deer Murim.

But Gwak Dan was different.

“Hou.”

“Hu?”

“The monsters from the Ghost Gate borrow similar concepts from this world to form their shells. Spirits and gods influence each other, and the shells these creatures wear are roughly the same. So, that’s a Hou.”

Hou.

A demon that evolves from a Jiangshi after accumulating demonic energy over a long time. Originally human, the Jiangshi transforms into a Hou, shedding its human form to take on a completely different life form, like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly.

The most common forms are lions, oxen, or horses. The lion-like head was a sign of its transformation from a humanoid demon to a beast-like form.

And one more thing.

The creature’s identity as a Hou was further proven by what was happening on the ground.

“The grass…”

The grass, lush with the greenery of July, withered and dried up in an instant. Turning brown, it crumbled into dust and blew away.

“A creature that brings drought just by existing. A demon from a black Ghost Gate, close to turning white. It’s on a completely different level from a normal Hou.”

“Exactly.”

Suddenly, Yi Ja-ryong chimed in.

“You’ve been in the Imperial Guards, so you must have heard a lot. Quite knowledgeable about the Ghost Gate.”

“Hmph, trying to buy time? You forced the Ghost Gate open, so you can’t be in good shape either.”

From the heavy injuries Namgung Woo had inflicted to forcibly opening an incomplete Ghost Gate.

Yi Ja-ryong had been pushing himself to the limit.

His right arm dangled loosely, his shoulder split open, yet he spoke calmly, his appearance grotesque.

“Buying time? No. The Netherworld Horn is not under my control. What I’m doing is actually…”

Namgung Woo ignored Yi Ja-ryong’s words.

It moved.

The moment Gwak Dan’s attention shifted slightly as he conversed with Yi Ja-ryong, the Netherworld Horn lunged at him without hesitation.

*Kiiiiing—!!*

The sound of claws scraping against a sword wrapped in Sword Aura was like grinding a blade against a grinder, tearing at their eardrums.

“You move well!”

Namgung Woo blocked the Netherworld Horn, but Gwak Dan wasn’t idle either.

Swinging his sword at the Yellow Dragon Lion, Gwak Dan shouted. His sword, like a fierce whirlwind, scattered the blood droplets the Yellow Dragon Lion sprayed.

The shockwave from his single strike was like watching a vortex.

If Namgung Woo’s sword was lightning, Gwak Dan’s was the wind.

Gwak Dan’s sword, having broken through the Yellow Dragon Lion’s attack, became a gust of wind and severed its neck.

“One down! Young hero, switch! I’ll take the Hou, you handle Yi Ja-ryong!”

Gwak Dan was clearly taking the more dangerous position.

Not because he was stronger. It was simply the most efficient.

In terms of pure martial power, Gwak Dan might be a step above Namgung Woo, but he lacked the means to counter Yi Ja-ryong’s mysterious spells.

On the other hand, what about Namgung Woo? Hadn’t he shown the ability to counter Yi Ja-ryong’s defensive spells in a matter of moments?

Then this was the right move.

Even if Gwak Dan couldn’t defeat the Netherworld Horn, if Namgung Woo could kill Yi Ja-ryong and close the Ghost Gate, they could deal with the Netherworld Horn later.

Having finished his calculations, Gwak Dan dismembered the Yellow Dragon Lion’s body with a flurry of slashes and turned away.

“Go!”

Namgung Woo used the force of the Netherworld Horn’s attack to propel himself forward.

He didn’t need to answer. Both he and Gwak Dan clearly understood what needed to be done.

Namgung Woo’s eyes blazed.

Through the Azure Tranquility Eyes, the core of Yi Ja-ryong’s spell was laid bare.

‘He’s the same.’

A body that should be dead.

Whether through martial arts or spells, there were ways to amplify life force and heal wounds, but Yi Ja-ryong’s case was extreme.

‘He’s no longer human.’

A flow of energy similar to the Yellow Dragon Lion’s body was visible within Yi Ja-ryong.

Namgung Woo steeled his resolve.

He couldn’t think of this as killing. That thing was already beyond the realm of humanity.

And what it had done had already betrayed human principles.

Even if Yi Ja-ryong was truly wronged, from the moment he summoned the Netherworld Horn and caused massive collateral damage to innocent civilians, he was no longer innocent.

‘With the resolve to kill.’

The moment his determination solidified, his spirit and energy responded.

The Heavenly Thunder Divine Energy filled Namgung Woo’s entire body, forming an inner universe, while the Sword Aura connected with the outer universe.

‘Slash.’

From the night sky, a bolt of lightning descended onto Namgung Woo’s sword.

‘Thirteen Lightning Flash Swords. Ultimate Technique.’

With the intent to destroy the enemy before him, Namgung Woo swung his sword.

‘Single Flash of Extreme Light.’

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