Myst, Might, Mayhem

Chapter 441

Chapter 441 – Ghost Blade (5)

-Whoosh!

The Demonic Beast Heumwon was flapping its massive wings, looking for a place to land the carriage.

Originally, Heumwon couldn’t fly due to a torn wing, but thanks to the power of Chunchu, the First Realm member of the Secret Society, it was able to recover in less than half a shichen.

Chunchu’s blood possessed a strange power that could heal spiritual beasts, which allowed them to save time.

“Hehe. Are you going to just jump down?”

“…We’re neither our lord nor that monster woman. What do you think would happen if we jumped from here?”

At the words of the fallen monk Ja Geum-jeong, Seop-chun clicked his tongue.

No matter how exceptional their martial arts were, they hadn’t reached the level where they could perform lightness technique like their lord, so they needed to descend further to land safely.

But then, the Right Guardian Ma Ra-hyeon pointed somewhere and said.

“Look over there.”

“Hmm.”

Guyang Sa-oh, the Eight Poison Snake Staff, frowned as he looked in that direction.

And for good reason – there were about three hundred people marching towards the bamboo forest.

All of them were wearing masks, clearly enemies.

Mong Mu-yak looked towards the bamboo forest.

Though it was hard to see clearly from afar, Mok Gyeong-un seemed to be holding someone presumed to be the Ghost Blade, and for some unknown reason, Chunchu was fighting something.

“We should hurry down.”

It seemed they needed to help prevent those people from interfering with their lord.

***

“Fortunately, it didn’t take long to regain control of my body after handing over the Moon Vein’s secret manual like that. However, when I went back there, one baby had already disappeared…”

“Wait.”

Mok Gyeong-un interrupted, stopping the Ghost Blade’s story.

The Ghost Blade looked at Mok Gyeong-un with confusion.

“Why are you interrupting?”

“…What do you mean the Moon Vein’s secret manual could persuade the Incarnation?”

His mind was already complicated by all the stories the Ghost Blade was telling, from the Incarnation prophesied by the Fire Faith Order turning into a human.

But Mok Gyeong-un couldn’t help but question the sudden mention of the Moon Vein’s secret manual in his past story.

From the moment the Yeon Mok Sword Manor was mentioned, Mok Gyeong-un instantly realized what the Moon Vein’s secret manual referred to.

It was undoubtedly the secret manual in which Cheong-ryeong had been sealed.

What on earth did that have to do with the Incarnation, and how were they planning to persuade with it?

To this, the Ghost Blade furrowed his brow and answered.

“You say you haven’t realized who you are yet, but wasn’t it you who released Ryu So-wol?”

“…How did you know that?”

Mok Gyeong-un’s expression hardened further.

The Moon Vein’s secret manual that had sealed Ryu So-wol, or Cheong-ryeong, was what he had accidentally obtained while looking for the Yeon Mok Sword Manor’s secret manual and official seal hidden by Manor Master Mok In-dan.

The secret manual that no one in the Heaven and Earth Society could open, called the cursed secret manual, Mok Gyeong-un had opened and was able to release Cheong-ryeong’s seal.

It was nothing more than a series of coincidences.

But what is he saying now?

“Releasing Cheong-ryeong, no, Ryu So-wol…”

-Flinch!

Mok Gyeong-un stopped mid-sentence and looked towards the east.

He could feel numerous presences gathering there.

He wasn’t the only one who sensed it.

The Ghost Blade and Chunchu felt it too.

-Clang clang clang!

Chunchu, who had been fighting the formless sword to stop what she perceived as a threat to the Ghost Blade, her father, hurriedly shouted.

“It’s them.”

“……”

“Are you going to keep this up?”

At this, Mok Gyeong-un withdrew the formless swords he had been operating while dispersing his mind.

-Swish swish swish!

As the formless swords disappeared, Chunchu, looking somewhat tired, inwardly clicked her tongue.

She had thought she could break through the formless swords quickly since she was almost entirely focused on the Ghost Blade, but in the end, she couldn’t.

He really is a monstrous human.

‘Well, I suppose that’s why he could wound Mok Gan even if it wasn’t his true form.’

Just then, about three hundred masked individuals could be seen approaching from the east as if marching.

They were no ordinary people.

Each of them seemed to be at least a peak-level master.

Among them were even some transcendent masters.

Looking at them, Chunchu said.

“Not just the Third Realm, but even the Second Realm is mixed in. Looks like Mok Gan was in a hurry too. It seems he’s mobilized all the Secret Society’s forces in the vicinity.”

“……”

“Are you going to keep this up?”

At these words, the Ghost Blade looked up at Mok Gyeong-un, who still hadn’t withdrawn the formless sword aimed at him, and said.

“I’ll tell you everything I couldn’t finish. So please withdraw this for a moment.”

“No. Keep talking.”

“Their target isn’t us. We don’t have time for this.”

The Ghost Blade subtly turned his eyes towards the bamboo forest.

The fact that Mok Gan had sent so many Secret Society masters after Destruction Emperor meant that the forbidden technique to unite spirit and soul into one was absolutely necessary for him too.

“My Lord!”

At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un’s subordinates also arrived at their location.

It was Eight Poison Snake Staff, Guyang Sa-oh, the masked Ma Ra-hyeon, the fallen monk Ja Geum-jeong, Seop-chun, Mong Mu-yak, and others.

Of course, they weren’t all.

The Demonic Beast Heumwon, who had descended to the ground and adjusted its size, was also there.

“Alyu.”

-Clop clop clop!

At Mok Gyeong-un’s call, from the southeast direction’s undergrowth, a diabolic beast that looked like a mix between a dog and an ox, with horns on its head resembling a dragon’s face and red fur all over its body, appeared.

It was the Diabolic Beast Alyu, which had been sent ahead to track Cheong-ryeong.

Mok Gyeong-un gave orders to them.

“Guard this place. I’ll be back soon after clearing things up.”

At his order, the fallen monk Ja Geum-jeong was dumbfounded.

“Hehe, isn’t it usually the other way around?”

Of course, Mok Gyeong-un was the strongest force here, so if he set his mind to it, he could clear out the enemies faster than them.

Wasn’t he even specialized in dealing with multiple opponents?

But then,

-Bang!

Suddenly, with a loud boom from somewhere, the ground shook and trembled.

At this, everyone’s gaze turned simultaneously to the source of the tremor.

It was the bamboo forest.

‘!?’

The bamboo forest shook, and from its center, a cloud of dust rose and billowed.

Seeing this, the Ghost Blade shouted with a perplexed expression.

“It’s Destruction Emperor.”

“What?”

“He must have entered the bamboo forest through the ground.”

He thought Destruction Emperor had retreated temporarily because it would be troublesome to face both the peerless warrior Mok Gyeong-un and himself simultaneously, but it seems he had let his guard down.

He thought Destruction Emperor wouldn’t approach carelessly since it was made of battle formations, but it seems he forced his way in, perhaps conscious of them.

“We must stop him immediately. Do you intend to let the forbidden technique be stolen?”

At this, Mok Gyeong-un stared at the Ghost Blade.

He had wanted to quickly hear the rest of the extremely important story that had been interrupted.

But then,

-Kiriririk! Master. It would be better to do as that guy says.

“What?”

-Kirik kirik! That high-ranking vengeful spirit you told me to follow entered the bamboo forest and hasn’t come out.

“What are you saying?”

Mok Gyeong-un turned his head with a terrifyingly hardened face to look at the Diabolic Beast Alyu.

He had sent it alone to track Cheong-ryeong heading towards the northern edge of Shaanxi Province.

-It’s exactly as I said. That vengeful spirit followed the human beneath your feet into there, but suddenly disappeared, and only that guy walked out of the bamboo forest.

-Grr!

At that moment, an enormous killing intent burst forth as Mok Gyeong-un glared at the Ghost Blade.

If the Diabolic Beast Alyu’s report was correct, it was one of two things.

Either something happened inside the extremely complex battle formation, or the Ghost Blade and Cheong-ryeong fought and something went wrong.

“Cheong-ryeong… No, what did you do to Ryu So-wol?”

At these words from Mok Gyeong-un, the Ghost Blade hurriedly explained.

“It’s a misunderstanding! I came here to prevent that technique from falling into his hands. How could I do anything to someone precious to you?”

“…You.”

Mok Gyeong-un looked down at him intently.

Only Cheong-ryeong herself knows his feelings.

So how could this person gauge and be confident about whether someone was precious to him or not?

Glaring at the Ghost Blade, Mok Gyeong-un then withdrew the formless sword.

-Swish swish swish!

Then, after looking at the bamboo forest, he spoke to his subordinates and spirit beasts.

“I will enter the bamboo forest with the Ghost Blade. Stop them.”

“As you command!”

“We receive your order!”

-Whoosh whoosh whoosh!

As soon as the order fell, his subordinates and spirit beasts, as if they had been waiting, accepted the command and rushed towards the enemies presumed to be from the Secret Society who were advancing towards the bamboo forest.

The Ghost Blade looked at his daughter Chunchu and said.

“It will be difficult with just them. Please help.”

At his request, Chunchu stomped her foot on the ground and snorted.

“Hmph! You only ask at times like this.”

Although she expressed dissatisfaction, currently, Mok Gyeong-un’s subordinates alone lacked the strength to hold off those enemies.

So Chunchu shook her head and flew off.

As she too went to stop the enemies, Mok Gyeong-un said to the Ghost Blade.

“Lead the way.”

“Understood.”

-Whoosh!

They simultaneously flew towards the bamboo forest.

Matching their speed almost perfectly, the Ghost Blade spoke to Mok Gyeong-un.

“I don’t know what happened inside, but I definitely entered this place. However, that memory has disappeared.”

“Was that why you sent the same messenger pigeon to the Heaven and Earth Society Leader so many times?”

“What?”

“They said you sent the messenger pigeon twelve times repeatedly.”

‘!?’

At these words from Mok Gyeong-un, the Ghost Blade’s expression darkened.

Thanks to the wound left on his palm, he had realized that he had entered this place and encountered something, but there was a problem with his memory.

But if what Mok Gyeong-un said was true, it means he had entered and exited not just once, but more than twelve times, and those memories had disappeared.

What on earth could be hidden inside that formation to cause such a thing?

-Bang bang bang bang!

Then, another series of loud noises erupted from inside the bamboo forest.

At this, the Ghost Blade was about to say something but stopped and increased his speed towards that location.

Eventually, a clearing-like center where bamboo didn’t grow in the forest came into view.

There, unlike before, someone covered in white scale armor from head to toe could be seen.

It was Destruction Emperor.

-Woong woong woong!

Countless energy orbs were floating around Destruction Emperor, too many to count.

The bamboo forming complex formations around him was bent, and parts were broken and burning.

Seeing this, the Ghost Blade urged.

“Stop!”

No matter how urgent it was, if he tried to forcibly break the formation with power instead of the proper method, not only would he fail to find the entrance, but it might disappear forever.

Despite the Ghost Blade’s attempt to stop him, Destruction Emperor snorted and shouted.

“Try to stop me if you can.”

Destruction Emperor had no intention of stopping.

But right at that moment.

-You’re quite a troublesome fellow.

‘!?’

At the voice resonating around them, Destruction Emperor scanned the surroundings.

It was difficult to pinpoint exactly where the sound was coming from.

The same was true for Mok Gyeong-un.

Even with his Eye Power activated, he couldn’t determine where the voice was coming from, and the energies created through the surrounding formations were gradually changing.

“I don’t know who you are or where you’re hiding, but if you’re the guardian of the forbidden technique, it would be best to show yourself immediately.”

-Swish!

With those words, Destruction Emperor was about to release hundreds of energy orbs.

But at that very moment.

Before the energy orbs could move, the bamboo began to bend inward and the surrounding space started to distort.

At this strange phenomenon, Destruction Emperor tried to launch the energy orbs and burrow into the ground.

However,

-Swoosh!

At that instant, a hand stretched out from the distorting space and grabbed Destruction Emperor’s head, then,

“Huh?”

-Slurp!

His body was sucked into the distorted space.

As the space was about to close again in that state, Mok Gyeong-un, not missing that fleeting moment, extended his sword-controlling finger.

Then,

-Stab!

An incredibly transparent formless sword flew in front of the distorting space and stuck there.

In that state, as Mok Gyeong-un twisted his sword-controlling finger in a spiral direction.

-Crack crack crack!

Cracks spread in the distorting area, and that part expanded.

-Oh no?

A voice of bewilderment could be heard from within the spreading cracks.

-Whoosh!

At this, Mok Gyeong-un flew towards the crack.

-Swoop!

As his body passed through the crack, everything went dark for a moment, then with a bright light, a green meadow spread out before his eyes.

And in the middle of that meadow, a beautiful woman with blue-black hair and cat-like eyes could be seen gripping Destruction Emperor’s head.