Chapter 397: Alliance (5)
“Huff… huff!”
Baek Sang-ah gasped as sweat poured down her face.
It felt like the blood in her entire body was being forcefully squeezed through her veins.
It was the first time she had ever drawn out her full strength like this.
She had fought with all she had against Gunggi too, but that bastard never gave her the chance to concentrate her power like this.
‘Ten? No, maybe twenty?’
Even as the wave of fatigue crashed over her, Baek Sang-ah calmly calculated the enemy’s casualties.
‘I thought I could at least wipe out half of them…’
As expected, they weren’t easy.
One-on-one, they could have been taken down with tactical force, but once they formed a unit and moved as a cohesive squad, they became exponentially more difficult to handle.
‘Still, I managed to open a gap.’
Myriad Heaven Chaotic Wave
This technique had originally been inspired by Cheon Yura’s Heaven-Slaying Qi and Jin Yeomyung’s Heaven-Piercing Annihilation.
The sight of that enormous turtle-like monster being crushed by pure force beneath Qinghai Province had left a deep impression on Baek Sang-ah.
Jin Yeomyung’s Heaven-Piercing Annihilation had a small range, but its destructive power was absolute.
‘I couldn’t concentrate my strength properly. The range was also vague. There are still many parts to refine.’
Anyone else might have coughed up blood hearing her thoughts.
But Baek Sang-ah seriously recognized that Myriad Heaven Chaotic Wave was still a technique riddled with flaws.
Had it landed properly, there was no way the damage would have stopped at just twenty.
“A c-crazy… monster…”
Ho Il-gwang shuddered as a chill ran up his spine.
Had he rushed in like usual, he would’ve ended up just like his subordinates.
“Huff! Huff!”
“……!”
Ho Il-gwang brightened at the clearly audible sound of heavy breathing from beyond.
‘She’s exhausted! There’s no way someone can pull off something that insane and remain unscathed!’
If the opponent, clearly Peak Master Level, still hadn’t recovered, it meant she had pushed herself to the absolute limit without looking back!
Ho Il-gwang tightened his abdomen and roared like a lion.
“Hey, you bastards! Look at that!”
The Yaksha Heavenly Blade Unit, who had been spiraling into panic, responded to their commander’s cry.
“The Black Lotus Union Leader is exhausted! We can easily take her head now!”
They were all elite experts who had clawed through hellish battles and earned the name Yaksha.
Though their frontline comrades had been decimated, they immediately reignited their fighting spirit at their leader’s words.
“Follow me! I, the Golden-Body Yaksha Ho Il-gwang, will lead the charge!”
Ho Il-gwang charged at Baek Sang-ah with full force, unleashing the ultimate move of his signature art, the Diamond Yaksha Divine Art.
“You’ve done well, Ryonju. Leave the rest to me.”
Hyeol Jae stepped in front of Baek Sang-ah.
He was one of the Ten Talents. Though he hadn’t reached the Transformation Realm yet, he was confident he could hold off Ho Il-gwang to some extent.
“No, I have no intention of stepping back.”
“What!? Golden-Body Yaksha Ho Il-gwang is a master of the Transformation Realm. Even if he’s only at the early stages, a tired Ryonju is no match…”
“This is Ryonju’s order.”
“…….”
Faced with Baek Sang-ah’s unwavering stance, Hyeol Jae was left speechless.
“Didn’t Euni tell you? To avoid mutual destruction.”
“But…”
Indeed, if they fought on without her now, the best outcome would be mutual devastation.
Baek Sang-ah raised her right sword and pointed it at the approaching Ho Il-gwang.
“That man ahead. I’ll step back after I kill just that man.”
If Baek Sang-ah could kill Ryonju Ho Il-gwang—or even just hold him in place—the rest of the Yaksha Heavenly Blade Unit could be easily annihilated.
After a brief moment of hesitation, Hyeol Jae sighed deeply.
“Fine. But this time, you must keep your promise. I have no desire to serve a Ryonju who treats suicide like a hobby.”
“I’ll remember that.”
Hyeol Jae and the top elites of the Black Sky Beast Guard positioned themselves behind Baek Sang-ah.
In an instant, a triangular formation was established.
“Fuuuu…”
Only then did she finally steady her barely calmed breath and exhale deeply.
In truth, Baek Sang-ah’s body had yet to recover from the earlier fierce battle.
She had even gone so far as to forcibly draw out her full strength in that state—so it wasn’t strange that her energy flow was twisted and her internal energy was in disarray.
And yet, the reason she continued pushing herself on this battlefield was…
Thump! Thump!
‘Even now, my heart won’t calm down.’
Even though Ho Il-gwang was within twenty steps, Baek Sang-ah looked up at the sky through half-lidded eyes.
She was by no means slow-witted.
If anything, though her actions were blunt, she was more perceptive than most.
When So Cheon had suddenly rushed out, declaring he would assassinate the Evil Overlord, she had understood what he was thinking.
There was no way she didn’t know.
‘Damn it.’
Before she realized it, Ho Il-gwang had closed the distance to five steps.
There was a weighty pressure in his fist.
Kwaang!
Baek Sang-ah took Ho Il-gwang’s punch head-on and was pushed back several steps in a straight line.
“Fuhahaha! Is that all you've got, Black Lotus Union Leader!?”
Drip.
A line of blood trickled from the corner of her lips.
Her subordinates, flustered, tried to rush to her aid.
“Back off, all of you.”
Kugugugung!
Baek Sang-ah burst forth with raw energy, forcing them back.
“…….”
Yes, she had sensed it to some extent.
Since the day the Black Lotus Union was formed, she and So Cheon had practically lived in each other’s pockets for years.
Until now, So Cheon had felt like a puppy—eating when hungry, sleeping when tired.
There had been no romantic feelings between them. There hadn’t even been room for such things.
That began to change after they went through life and death together, caught by Murder Demon So Jeong.
To be precise…
It probably started when she had beaten the will to live back into So Cheon as he kept dying to So Jeong.
Baek Sang-ah raised her twin swords and charged at Ho Il-gwang.
Seeing an opening, Ho Il-gwang didn’t retreat either and clashed with her head-on.
In a flash, dozens of seconds passed as swords and fists carved lines through the air.
Thwack! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Baek Sang-ah clenched her teeth.
Continuing to fight a formidable opponent should have cleared her mind.
Damn it, but the distractions only got worse.
The day So Cheon returned with the severed head of the new Evil Overlord.
After pummeling him, Baek Sang-ah asked him when they were alone:
What on earth were you thinking when you did it?
So Cheon’s answer was beyond absurd.
I don’t know.
So Cheon’s actions had been purely impulsive.
There hadn’t been any calculation behind them.
It was just—
I just thought… Lady Sa would be happy if I did it…
……
From what she had heard from Jin Yeomyung, So Cheon was actually a top-tier guest at a high-level giru even within the Sun and Moon Divine Sect.
A man so used to women giving such a greenhorn-like answer?
More than a direct confession, that one line had unsettled Baek Sang-ah’s heart.
Even in the middle of a violent battle, that feeling refused to settle.
As her thoughts grew ever more clouded, Baek Sang-ah realized something.
The man in front of her, Ho Il-gwang, wasn’t someone capable of erasing her distractions.
“Fuhahaha! I’ll show you the secret art of the next of the Five Kings of the Central Plains, the Yaksha King!”
A massive red fighting aura exploded from Ho Il-gwang’s entire body.
That aura was undoubtedly the manifestation of a domain—proof of a true master.
“I’ll take your head and become the new Evil Overlord myself!”
Diamond Yaksha Divine Art
Shattered Yaksha
Thus, Ho Il-gwang boldly unleashed his ultimate technique and lunged at Baek Sang-ah.
Thwuck!
Only to have his heart pierced by Baek Sang-ah’s sword.
“…Huh?”
“…?”
“…??”
Ho Il-gwang blankly stared down at the sword embedded in his heart.
Everyone around him also blinked in disbelief, staring at him.
The strike had been so stealthy and sudden, his internal energy hadn’t even registered the injury, and his domain continued rampaging uncontrollably.
When? How? And since when—
How had a sword flown at a speed he, a Transformation Realm master, hadn’t even sensed?
For a brief moment, Ho Il-gwang met his opponent’s eyes.
A chill ran down his spine.
Eyes black as death stared back at him.
“You’re loud, useless, and nothing more.”
“What… do you… mean…?”
“Shut up and die.”
She yanked the sword out of Ho Il-gwang’s heart without hesitation.
The withdrawal was so clean, it barely caused any blood to spill.
But it was undeniable—this single blow had ended the life of the infamous master of the demonic path, Golden-Body Yaksha Ho Il-gwang.
“M-me… dying like this… so easily…”
Ho Il-gwang weakly groped at his chest before collapsing forward and dying on the spot.
“R-Ryonju?”
From behind, Hyeol Jae cautiously called out to her.
It had lasted only a moment, but during that time, Ryonju had seemed like a reaper devoid of all emotion.
Swoosh.
Baek Sang-ah turned to face Hyeol Jae.
Her eyes, unbelievably, had regained their liveliness.
“What are you doing? This is a perfect chance to crush the enemy.”
“R-right!”
Hyeol Jae denied the unease welling up within and shouted to the subordinates.
“Black Sky Beast Guard! The enemy commander has fallen! Sweep away the remaining stragglers!”
“Y-yes, sir!”
Regaining their senses, the Black Sky Beast Guard stormed the still-confused Yaksha Heavenly Blade Unit.
Having lost their leader in a moment of futility, the Yaksha Heavenly Blade Unit turned from fierce warriors into a pack of stray dogs, overwhelmed by the Black Sky Beast Guard.
And so, as promised, Baek Sang-ah dealt with Ho Il-gwang and withdrew.
“Damn it… I almost fell for it…”
She covered her eyes with her palm, overwhelmed with self-loathing.
The death energy she had inherited from Murder Demon So Jeong—
Of course, there was no way a power like that could be wielded without a price.
This was a dangerous power that could devour its host at any moment and turn them into a Murder Demon beyond even Cheonsalseong.
Until now, she had carefully restrained it, preventing it from going berserk, but her feelings toward So Cheon seemed to have momentarily weakened her control over the energy.
Baek Sang-ah clenched her teeth and once again thought of someone.
It seemed clear she would need to resolve these emotions soon, one way or another.
“You said… First Strategist Black Thunder?”
Monstrous Sword Lord tilted his head as he looked at the young man in the black mask who blocked his path.
“I’ve heard the name. Aren’t you the boy who made a name for himself at the Southern Murim Tournament?”
“You’re well informed.”
“Heh heh, what a strange thing.”
Monstrous Sword Lord laughed in disbelief and stroked his beard.
“When one thinks of the strategist of the Black Lotus Union, it’s usually that Wisdom Talent Seo Muwon and that wench Black Lotus Executor who come to mind. You, who supposedly played a role in founding Black Lotus Union, disappeared for years without a trace—people had their doubts…”
Snap.
At Monstrous Sword Lord’s signal, the Golden Dragon Heavenly Sword Squad members instantly surrounded me.
“I never imagined you were a stray dog bold enough to crawl into a deathtrap alone.”
“Do I look like a stray dog to you?”
“Of course you do. Some lowly military strategist who hasn't even reached thirty, daring to block my path and the Golden Dragon Heavenly Sword Squad’s by himself… you must be insane, unless—”
Monstrous Sword Lord, who had been leisurely watching me, suddenly began to speak more slowly.
“Unless you’re not…”
“…?”
The members of the Golden Dragon Heavenly Sword Squad looked at their leader in confusion as he trailed off.
Though he was someone they didn’t want to be close to due to his greed, his skill as one of the Eight Lords was undeniably real.
After a moment of silence, Monstrous Sword Lord spoke in a low voice.
“What… are you?”
“Heh heh…”
I gave him a soft chuckle instead of an answer.
If I was going to play the role of a shadowy mastermind, a subtle laugh was appropriate.
And a sudden, piercing question was essential.
“Monstrous Sword Lord Gongson Su.”
Flinch.
Monstrous Sword Lord’s shoulders suddenly stiffened.
His body instinctively shifted into a defensive posture, sensing the disparity in power.
Such intuition was certainly commendable…
But unfortunately, depending on what came out of his mouth next, I might have to kill him.
“Did you receive any separate instructions from the new Alliance Leader?”
“What?”
“Not as the Golden Dragon Heavenly Sword Squad Leader…”
Then I continued,
“But as a collaborator of the Heaven-Defying Society.”
His expression vanished.