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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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Geum-shin didn’t simply charge recklessly.
He advanced cautiously yet powerfully.
Following his White Dragon Steps, his Phoenix Pine Staff thrust forward, aiming for the Black Sword Devil’s vital points.
Thud!
The sound of the staff and sword colliding was surprisingly dull.
The weight of the Phoenix Pine Staff, crafted from the wood of Mount Guhwa’s legendary Phoenix Pine, reverberated through the Black Sword Devil’s wrist.
‘This is no ordinary staff.’
While the wood itself was high-quality, it must have a metal core.
Otherwise, it wouldn’t be this heavy.
“Haa!”
With a powerful shout, Geum-shin pushed down with his staff, propelling himself into the air.
The White Dragon Steps weren’t simply footwork; they incorporated combat stances.
His legs crossed in a blur, aiming for the Black Sword Devil’s temples.
“Hah!”
Screech—Crack!
The Black Sword Devil forcefully pushed back against Geum-shin’s staff, twisting his body.
He thrust his shoulder forward, like the Iron Mountain Strike.
Geum-shin’s foot grazed the Black Sword Devil’s shoulder, and he was thrown back by the impact.
Gong—!
The sound resonated like a struck bell.
Pain flashed across Geum-shin’s face as the impact traveled up his leg.
‘The Great Vow Heart Method’s True Qi is imbued with spiritual power… his True Qi is monstrous.’
Thanks to the Great Vow Heart Method, he had only been slightly injured.
An ordinary martial artist would have suffered severe internal injuries from that insidious penetrating energy.
His gaze sharpened.
If the Great Vow Heart Method’s protective Qi could be breached, he would be vulnerable to that penetrating energy.
“Is that all?”
“Hardly!”
His opponent was strong.
One mistake could be fatal.
The situation was dire.
The Black Sword Unit was pushing back the warrior monks of Hwaseong Temple.
But his fighting spirit burned even brighter.
“Southern Fire Buddha!”
Invoking the Buddha, he channeled more True Qi into his staff.
The surging energy crackled around the staff as he launched another attack.
His staff movements were powerful and aggressive, more befitting a warrior than a monk.
Ducking under the staff aimed at his head, the Black Sword Devil exclaimed,
“You’re a martial artist, not a monk!”
Clang—Whoosh!
The clash of their weapons unleashed a gust of wind.
The bare branches of the winter trees swayed violently.
Geum-shin moved relentlessly.
His feet executed the White Dragon Steps, his hands wielded the Phoenix Pine Staff, his mind strategized, and his heart pumped, circulating the True Qi of the Great Vow Heart Method.
He was in a state of focused frenzy.
The staff whistled through the air, grazing the Black Sword Devil’s body.
The force of the attack ripped his clothes, revealing its power.
But the Black Sword Devil’s sword was even sharper.
Slash!
A swift strike sliced through Geum-shin’s robes, grazing his chest.
He focused his True Qi on the wound and stopped the bleeding.
The cut was shallow, and he had managed to block the penetrating energy.
But the Black Sword Devil didn’t give him a chance to recover.
Another flash of black light, a follow-up attack amidst the spray of blood.
Crack!
“Ugh!”
Just as he thought he had blocked it, the Black Sword Devil’s sword cleaved his staff in two, splitting his vision.
A flash of black, and another gash appeared on his torso.
A horizontal slash followed by a vertical strike.
He had to retreat.
He instinctively executed the White Dragon Steps’ retreat maneuver.
“…You’re not pursuing.”
“Not pursuing? You’re remarkably focused.”
What did he mean?
As Geum-shin tried to understand, he felt it.
“Gah…!”
A surge of True Qi, too late to react.
How had he not noticed it before?
It was so blatant.
He had been completely focused on the Black Sword Devil.
If he hadn’t been so focused, he would have been sliced into four pieces already.
‘It’s not that I didn’t pursue him — I couldn’t!’
The presence was rapidly approaching.
He had never encountered such powerful True Qi.
Even the strongest warrior monk at Hwaseong Temple was weaker than the Black Sword Devil.
Where would he have encountered such power?
His skin tingled as it drew closer.
A terrifying wave of energy.
He couldn’t even fathom the depth of its power.
“A monster has arrived.”
The Black Sword Devil lost interest in Geum-shin and adjusted his stance.
Black Qi gathered around his sword, growing denser, swallowing the light and transforming into a tangible force.
Geum-shin realized the Black Sword Devil had been toying with him.
His comment about the Phoenix Pine Staff hadn’t been empty praise.
He had been holding back, wanting to see the warrior monk’s techniques.
‘A blessing in disguise?’
That complacency had given the Black Sword Devil an opening.
As Geum-shin felt a mix of relief and wounded pride, the Black Sword Devil acted.
“Suu…”
A deep breath, followed by a sharp exhale.
Focusing all his strength, he unleashed a strike far more powerful than anything he had used against Geum-shin.
Whirr!
Geum-shin’s eyes widened.
A Sword Aura, a tangible blade of Qi.
He couldn’t even imagine replicating such power.
But despite the profound skill and insight behind the attack, it seemed pointless to Geum-shin.
It was aimed at empty air.
A black arc slicing through nothingness.
But the Black Sword Devil’s strike wasn’t for show.
He had struck at the intangible force that had been pressing down on him with its overwhelming presence.
“An upper dantian ability. Crude, but powerful.”
The Black Sword Devil murmured as he returned to his stance.
It seemed like a thought spoken aloud, but then Geum-shin sensed someone beside him.
‘He was so far away… already?’
He turned his head.
A young man.
Barely past twenty, perhaps?
He showed no signs of fatigue despite having covered such a distance so quickly.
And it clearly wasn’t his full speed.
‘Is that even possible? Unless he’s a master who has reversed his aging…’
While Geum-shin was shocked, someone else was even more stunned.
‘Heavens…’
Zhuge Seon-ah.
Her Sensory Acuity resonated and harmonized with others.
What was resonance?
It was empathy, one’s heart moving in response to another’s feelings.
It was a sincere wish reaching the divine.
But in the distant future, it also meant the influence of a field on an object within it, causing the object to take on similar properties.
Her Sensory Acuity encompassed all three aspects, but it was closest to the latter.
This made her vulnerable to external influences.
The Zhuge Family had taught her to use the Stargazing Heavenly Map to protect her mind, but her mental defenses were weakened when her mental and physical energy were depleted, as they were now.
She had been directly exposed to the Black Sword Devil’s oppressive Qi, further weakening her mental barriers.
That’s why she hadn’t been able to assist Geum-shin during his fierce battle.
Now, a clear blue sky stretched endlessly before her.
“Ah…”
It was comforting.
Sensory Acuity was a powerful but double-edged ability.
It made her vulnerable to hostile intent like the Black Sword Devil’s, but it also amplified positive influences, making her feel safe and protected.
She raised her head.
All she could see was the back of a figure cloaked in flowing robes, but that was enough to bring her a sense of calm.
He was immense.
Boundlessly so.
She felt a strange certainty that he could protect her, no matter the time or place.
While she stared blankly at his back, the situation unfolded.
The Black Sword Devil, still maintaining his Sword Aura, said,
“Let’s end this here.”
“You barge in uninvited and decide when it ends?”
“I know you’re strong. But you’re alone. More are coming, but before they arrive, these warrior monks will be dead.”
Namgung-Woo had sensed the urgency and rushed ahead alone.
This was the first time he had pushed his Thousand Li Steps to their limit.
The others were still trying to catch up.
The Black Sword Devil was right.
While he seemed a step below Han Gye-ran, the Martial Consort of Haedong, he was still a powerful Transcendent Realm expert.
While he kept Namgung-Woo occupied, his Black Sword Unit would slaughter the warrior monks.
“Great Hero…”
Before Namgung-Woo could respond, Zhuge Seon-ah spoke, her voice strained.
‘Where did that come from?’
A two-foot sword appeared in her hand.
“You don’t have to accept.”
The object in her hand wasn’t a weapon in the conventional sense.
Ornately decorated with a blunt blade, made of a strange material that resembled both bone and jade, it was a magical artifact, not a weapon.
“The Soul Anchor…! So it was here!”
Seeing it, the Black Sword Devil’s composure faltered.
His focus on Namgung-Woo wavered.
“Black Sword Unit! Retreat!”
As he shouted, Zhuge Seon-ah plunged the Soul Anchor into the ground.
“I will protect the others.”
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