Myst, Might, Mayhem

Chapter 373 – Sword, and Sword (4)

Various ancient books on spiritual arts describe it like this:

As a vengeful spirit with deep grudges passes through many years without being exorcised or leaving this world, its rank rises.

The ranks start with Red Spirit, the state of a newly formed vengeful spirit; Orange Spirit, which has enough power to possess or afflict others; Yellow Spirit, considered dangerous enough to require exorcism due to its harmful effects on humans.

Green Spirit, which has existed for decades and can even influence surrounding objects.

Blue Spirit, which has existed for over a hundred years and can affect a wide area, causing auditory and visual hallucinations.

Indigo Spirit, which has existed for over three hundred years and is difficult to subdue even with dozens of exorcists working together.

Finally, Purple Spirit, which has crossed into the realm of disaster-like evil spirits due to grudges so deep that even after hundreds of years, they remain unresolved in any way.

Grooooowl

‘Purple?’

A strange light flashed in Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes.

After overcoming several crises together, Cheong-ryeong had also surpassed her original rank and reached Indigo Spirit (nam-ryeong), and now her spiritual energy had become close to Purple Spirit.

However, since even various ancient texts including the Shan Hai Jing didn’t properly describe this being, no one knew if it truly existed.

‘Is the spiritual energy itself changing?’

Mok Gyeong-un let out a hollow laugh at the spiritual energy turning purple.

In the end, does the rank of a vengeful spirit change depending on how strong its grudge becomes?

But then,

“Blood?”

Master Ou Cheonmu couldn’t hide his bewilderment.

This was because blood was gushing out from various places in his workshop, staining the floor red from bottom to top.

‘What kind of bizarre occurrence is this?’

Ou Cheonmu’s energy sense, which had surpassed the Profound Realm, felt the surroundings being covered by an eerie energy.

If that’s the case, this must be in the realm of illusion, not reality.

If so, unless one’s sixth sense awakens beyond the five senses, it would be difficult to escape this illusion.

“Huu.”

Master Ou Cheonmu focused his mind as he drew up his true energy.

‘It’s different.’

Mok Gyeong-un turned his head at his appearance.

It was an unnecessary concern.

As expected of a peerless master at the level of a great patriarch with deep enlightenment, he had immediately grasped the Ghost Intent Realm and was calmly responding to it.

The Ghost Intent Realm is created by the strong will of a high-ranking vengeful spirit.

‘Blood Realm.’

This phenomenon unfolding before his eyes was Cheong-ryeong’s Ghost Intent Realm – Blood Realm.

However, this wasn’t intentionally created, but rather was unfolding due to her anger.

Crack! Crack!

Thorns sprouted from the blood-stained surroundings, closing in on them.

At this, Mok Gyeong-un looked at Cheong-ryeong and sent a sound transmission:

-Cheong-ryeong… Let’s calm down.

-Move aside.

Her anger had reached its peak, and it was directed at Master Ou Cheonmu.

Sensing this, Ou Cheonmu,

Woong

Raised his sword energy.

The areas stained with blood rippled around where the blue sword energy rose.

The Blood Realm created by spiritual energy seemed unable to withstand the strong energy.

However, the fact that it was withstanding to the point of merely rippling against the energy of a peerless master who had reached the Profound Realm seemed to confirm that Cheong-ryeong’s spiritual energy had surpassed its original limits.

“Master, there’s an unknown presence in the direction you’re looking. Are you sure you’re alright?”

Master Ou Cheonmu asked again for confirmation.

Mok Gyeong-un held out his palm as if to say it was fine and not to interfere, but killing intent could be felt so strongly it seemed to touch the skin.

Of course, Mok Gyeong-un was also aware of this, so,

Swish

“It might be better if you step out for a moment.”

Mok Gyeong-un waved his hand.

Then, a profound true energy pushed back the blood behind where Master Ou Cheonmu was standing, creating a temporary space for him to escape through.

“Please go now.”

“Master, are you sure…”

“Let’s go.”

“Alright…”

Rustle

It was at that moment.

Before Master Ou Cheonmu could exit through the space Mok Gyeong-un had created, Cheong-ryeong rose from the blood on the floor.

“You?”

Master Ou Cheonmu frowned at the materialized form of Cheong-ryeong.

Who wouldn’t be disturbed by the appearance of a being that clearly didn’t look human emerging from the blood?

“You’re making this quite difficult.”

Mok Gyeong-un clicked his tongue as he watched this.

‘…Did she move through the blood?’

Mok Gyeong-un, with his Ghost Eyes , could detect spiritual energy.

But this was different from the usual Blood Realm.

If the usual Blood Realm merely amplified Cheong-ryeong’s power and allowed her to materialize hallucinations and illusions with spiritual energy at will,

‘Has she become the Blood Realm itself?’

It felt as if this realm was Cheong-ryeong herself.

That’s why she might have transcended space as the blood melted away before their eyes.

In the meantime,

Pak!

As Cheong-ryeong stretched out her hand, blood thorns surged up, targeting Master Ou Cheonmu.

Of course, Ou Cheonmu wasn’t the kind of person to be easily caught by this.

Swoosh swoosh swoosh swoosh swish!

As Ou Cheonmu lightly swung his sword in a circle, all the blood thorns were cut down.

However, the cut thorns were literally liquid.

The thorns regrew and targeted Ou Cheonmu again.

Swoosh!

At this,

‘Is that blood-soaked woman the main body?’

Pat!

Ou Cheonmu jumped up to avoid the blood thorns and quickly closed the distance, attempting to cut down Cheong-ryeong with his sword energy.

However, before he could,

Swoosh

Cheong-ryeong’s body melted away into blood once again, and,

Swoosh

She appeared behind Ou Cheonmu as he swung his sword energy, trying to cut his back with a sword made of blood.

‘Oh?’

Ou Cheonmu hastily withdrew his sword energy and darted forward, avoiding her sword.

But it didn’t end there,

Swoosh!

The moment Cheong-ryeong swung her sword, the blood created a blade-like formation as if shooting sword energy, chasing after Ou Cheonmu.

At this, Ou Cheonmu regained his posture and raised his sword energy again to cut it down, but,

Swish!

At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un intervened,

Swish!

With a sharp energy raised from his sword stance paper, he split Cheong-ryeong’s blood sword (hyeol-geom).

At this, Cheong-ryeong consecutively launched sword techniques made of blood.

Of course, Mok Gyeong-un easily cut them down.

Swoosh swoosh swoosh swish!

Cheong-ryeong, angered at being interrupted, shouted with blood-red eyes.

-Move aside! Mortal!

-It doesn’t seem like you’ll listen even if I tell you to calm down.

Mok Gyeong-un sighed lightly and quietly moved his left fingers.

Pak! Pak! Pak!

Soldier! Fight! Split! Formation!

It was the hand seal of the Nine Characters Vivification Technique.

Despite losing her reason to anger, Cheong-ryeong seemed to be observing Mok Gyeong-un’s every move, as she snorted.

-Do you think that will work on this master?

She knew almost all the spiritual techniques that Mok Gyeong-un frequently used.

That’s why she immediately recognized that those hand seals were for the Four Peaks Linking Technique (Sa-bong Yeon-chae-sul).

Rustle

At this, she hid her body in the blood of the Blood Realm.

As her spiritual energy surged, she had instinctively grasped new ways to utilize the Blood Realm.

‘How will you trap me like this?’

This Blood Realm itself was her.

But then,

Pak!

The place Mok Gyeong-un pointed at after forming the hand seal was none other than,

Paaaa!

Four invisible pillars rose around Master Ou Cheonmu.

‘!?’

Cheong-ryeong, who could see this despite hiding her body in the blood, was dumbfounded.

What Mok Gyeong-un had trapped was none other than Master Ou Cheonmu.

The pillars erected around him gradually thickened, then surfaces appeared, creating walls to prevent entry.

Realizing that invisible something had created walls around him, Ou Cheonmu asked in bewilderment:

“Master, what is this?”

“Please stay still in there for a moment. I’ll resolve this soon…”

Aaaaaaaargh!

Just then, a scream that could tear eardrums echoed all around.

Along with it, the space filled with blood shook, creating waves like ripples.

Then the blood rose like a tidal wave, surging towards Mok Gyeong-un and Master Ou Cheonmu inside the Four Peaks Linking Technique.

Swoosh!

The momentum was extraordinary.

Purple spiritual energy was contained in the blood, looking as if it would sweep away everything before it.

Watching this, Mok Gyeong-un spoke as if whispering:

“If you don’t want to get hurt, stay right in the middle of where I’m looking.”

Grooooowl!

At that moment, as Mok Gyeong-un made a gesture of gripping a sword in the air, space rippled and something faintly took the form of a sword.

It was none other than,

“Invinsible Sword!”

Ou Cheonmu exclaimed in recognition.

The realm where even energy (gi) forms a sword, said to be achievable only by those who have reached true sword extremity (geom-geuk).

That was the Invinsible Sword.

Mok Gyeong-un, gripping the Invinsible Sword, held it in reverse and struck it down into the blood-red floor that was heaving like waves.

Swish!

At that moment, centered on where the Invinsible Sword struck, blood surged in all directions, revealing the floor beneath.

From the exposed floor, eight strands of sharp, formless energy rose up.

Swoosh swoosh swoosh swoosh swoosh swoosh!

It was the Eight Immortals Sword Competition (Pal-seon-do-gyeong), one of the extreme sword techniques used by swordsmen.

Mok Gyeong-un had embodied this technique into swordsmanship and was now deploying it with the Invinsible Sword.

Its power was incomparable to the original.

In an instant, the eight strands of energy spread throughout Cheong-ryeong’s entire Blood Realm, splitting the whole space.

Crack!

As the blood-red space split, the Blood Realm eventually shattered into pieces.

Seeing this sight, Ou Cheonmu inwardly marveled and felt that his choice had been correct.

The Master was truly a monster.

If he had competed with him for the sake of pride earlier, he would have surely lost his life.

Moreover, he wouldn’t have seen such an incredible sword technique.

Crack crack crack!

In the center of the shattering blood-red fragments of the Blood Realm, someone could be seen shedding tears of blood with a sorrowful face.

It was Cheong-ryeong.

Only the spot where she stood was unharmed, untouched by the Invinsible Sword’s cuts.

Mok Gyeong-un called out to her.

-Cheong-ryeong.

-……

Swish!

Cheong-ryeong, shedding tears of blood, glanced at Mok Gyeong-un, then bit her lower lip hard and flew away, passing through the ceiling of the workshop.

Seeing this, Mok Gyeong-un said to Master Ou Cheonmu with a hardened expression:

“Let’s continue our conversation later.”

Pat!

Boom!

Mok Gyeong-un smashed through the ceiling where Cheong-ryeong had passed and left.

Master Ou Cheonmu stared blankly at this, then lowered his gaze to look at the workshop.

His workshop, split into eight parts all the way to the interior, was swaying and barely holding up.

“……”

Deep wrinkles formed between Ou Cheonmu’s brows as he looked at the workshop, passed down for generations, which seemed about to collapse at any moment.

***

On a mountain peak not far from Spiritual Sword Sanctuary.

Cheong-ryeong stood on the peak, gazing with sad eyes towards the west, which had turned red as the sun was setting.

Mok Gyeong-un quietly approached behind her.

At this, she spoke without turning her head, still looking at the setting sun.

“…Leave me alone for a while.”

Mok Gyeong-un stopped in his tracks at her trembling voice.

He had felt her grudge before, but he had never seen her look sad or struggle like this.

Staring at her like this, Mok Gyeong-un eventually spoke.

“Are you having a hard time?”

“…If it looks that way, can’t you just leave me alone?”

Cheong-ryeong was rejecting his continued approach.

To her, Mok Gyeong-un said:

“You’ve been alone all this time.”

“…You!”

“I just… I just can’t leave you alone.”

“What?”

Step step step

Mok Gyeong-un, who had stopped, walked to where she was.

As he tried to face her to see her face, she sharply turned her face away, avoiding it.

She bit her lip and held back the emotions welling up inside her.

Mok Gyeong-un, watching her trembling shoulders, eventually embraced her from behind.

‘!?’

At Mok Gyeong-un’s action, the emotions she had been holding back burst forth like a dam breaking.

With a tearful face, she shed tears of blood and spoke:

“It’s hard… It’s so hard.”

A hundred years as a vengeful spirit.

Her grudge was deep to the point of being piercing, but she was also piercingly lonely.

She had endured the long years with the sole determination to somehow resolve her grudge, if only for the sake of the Moon Vein members who had died following her.

But… But… Why are you shaking me like this when I’ve endured only for this purpose?

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