Chapter : 83
Yeonhwa had a dream.
She dreamt that she herself had become a single sword, drifting across heaven and earth.
With every movement she made, the terrain of the mountains shifted, and the demonic cultivators vanished before her eyes.
The more screams and blood were scattered across the mountains, the more the trembling of the peaks gradually ceased.
At some point, Yeonhwa came back to her senses.
She opened her eyes.
Her entire body was damp, so much so that she could barely recognize her own color.
Frowning, she looked around.
She was still on the same rock where she had stood that morning.
But something was strange.
Everything had changed except for her and that single rock.
And when she looked down, she sighed softly.
“Ah…”
It was as if a boundary had been drawn. The upper midsection of the mountain was a fiery red, like autumn leaves had settled there…
While the lower slopes were being swept by a shimmering black wave.
From above, it appeared as though the demonic cultivators, dressed in black robes with black hair, were desperately fleeing down the mountain.
Watching that scene quietly, Yeonhwa raised her sword.
Just as she prepared to swing it again…
Thunk!
Someone struck the back of her neck with the edge of their hand.
The person who hurriedly caught Yeonhwa before she could fall forward and pulled her into his arms was Tak Museong.
Seeing her quietly close her eyes in his arms, he clenched his teeth so hard that his jaw stood out.
Not long ago, Tak Museong had been on the verge of attacking Namchang, where Yang Baekwon, the “Single-Eyed Ghost” and the Grand Master of Jiangsu of the demonic sect, resided.
Tak Museong had originally planned to return to the Martial Alliance before taking Namchang.
He had thought he had helped enough, and his anger toward Moyong Yunhwan, who had sent Yeonhwa to Anhui to become the heir of the Nangong clan, had boiled to its peak.
But every time he tried to turn back, accidents occurred—first caused by Guardian Leader Gu Heeryang, then by some other incident.
He had even thought that killing them might stop the problems, but all of Gu Heeryang’s actions were officially justified as efforts for the Alliance.
In the end, she had recklessly risked her life to intervene in Jiangsu, which left Tak Museong in a difficult position to act directly.
“Seems like Gu Heeryang wasn’t acting with malice… it must be that guy beside her causing trouble.”
Gwaksu, was it?
The first person whose name Tak Museong, normally indifferent to others, had spoken since Samryeong and Yeonhwa.
That guy had been obsessively protecting Gu Heeryang, wrapping every action in a cloak of justice, so Tak Museong would have had to pretend it was the work of demonic cultivators if he wanted to eliminate her.
Of course, if Tak Museong wanted, killing someone without regard for reason or justification was easy.
No one around could punish him for it.
But as a member of the Martial Alliance, he could not commit murder on a whim.
The Alliance maintained a strict façade of morality. High-ranking members upheld order, and lower-ranking members followed commands—the organization functioned through this structure.
Even Tak Museong could not completely disregard human laws while living among others.
Yet when he heard that Yeonhwa was being chased by demonic cultivators infiltrating Hubei, he swore he would not let anyone stand in his way.
But Gu Heeryang opened the path for them and even relayed new information, allowing him to move faster.
At that time, Tak Museong likely realized how truly dangerous Yeonhwa was and did not even consider obstructing her.
After leaving Jiangsu, Tak Museong moved at a nearly inhuman speed, crossing the border between Jiangsu and Hubei toward Hambyeoksan.
Upon arriving, he realized that something had gone wrong with Yeonhwa.
The energy she had unleashed at the peak was sweeping across the area, wiping out demonic cultivators.
Tak Museong himself was a rare genius, renowned for his martial arts prowess.
Seeing that Yeonhwa had entered the realm of enlightenment and that her momentum had surpassed the ultimate stage to the threshold of the “Flaming State,” he grew deeply concerned.
The transition from the ultimate stage to the Flaming State was entirely different from previous levels.
One had to awaken the convictions that defined their life and endure the trials necessary to become a true warrior.
Tak Museong himself had crossed that threshold relatively smoothly, but countless geniuses had collapsed at that very point.
Even those who reached the entrance of the Flaming State but failed to contain their energy had fallen into insanity, ruining their lives.
He gestured toward the demonic cultivators blocking the way.
His intent naturally moved the energy.
The energy resonated with the world, and the world responded to his will.
The mind became the sword; the mind became the world.
If the demonic sect leader had truly reached the state of “Present State” as rumored, Tak Museong would have been one of the only two masters in that realm.
If the rumors were mere bluff and the leader had barely reached the threshold of the Flaming State, then Tak Museong would have been the only master in the world at that level!
As Tak Museong cut a path through the demonic cultivators, who were already half-frozen with fear, the remaining demons completely froze.
They could neither accept reality nor dare to react, and all they could do was take a cautious step back.
Swish… swish…
The sounds disappeared.
While the demonic cultivators desperately scattered to avoid angering either of the two, Tak Museong moved toward the peak, where residual energy still lingered.
There he saw Yeonhwa regain consciousness and raise her sword.
He had no choice but to approach her at full speed.
If she had just grasped enlightenment and exerted her power recklessly, her blood vessels could not withstand it.
Her empty dantian could even rupture.
So without hesitation, he rendered Yeonhwa unconscious.
Once she was safely in his arms, Tak Museong felt as if everything had returned to its place.
Holding her tightly with both arms, he quietly disappeared.
After the Sixth Battle Formation fell, the Seventh Battle Formation was commanded by Wei Gangcheong.
Following urgent orders from Unified Martial Commander Moyong Yunhwan, Wei Gangcheong left the Hubei–Hunan front to head toward Hambyeoksan.
“Even if their numbers are reduced, the two formations combined must still be over two thousand…”
He worried that such a force might provoke the authorities, but contrary to expectations, every place they passed greeted them favorably.
It seemed that the demonic cultivators had caused substantial damage during their pursuit of the young lady.
Ordinarily, even demonic cultivators avoided interfering with the authorities.
The authorities existed for the emperor, called the parent of all the people, and a single word from him would send the imperial soldiers against the martial world.
The soldiers were, in fact, the people themselves.
Thus, any conflict with the authorities would shake not just the martial world but the entire nation and could open a path for foreign interference.
For this reason, demonic cultivators rarely committed mass slaughter of civilians, even if they fought the Martial Alliance openly.
Still, these demonic cultivators seemed desperate.
While they hadn’t killed civilians, they frequently seized horses and stole food.
Hearing the cheers of the people, Wei Gangcheong felt his fatigue from the battlefield wash away.
He thought he could easily take on the demonic cultivators.
But upon reaching Hambyeoksan, he quickly reconsidered.
“What… is that?”
A pitch-black mass continued running toward him and the Martial Alliance warriors without stopping.
Their silent approach was chillingly disturbing.
Wei Gangcheong gritted his teeth, having already made up his mind.
“They’ve stepped into Martial Alliance territory and must pay for it! And we’ll make them answer for attempting to kidnap the young lady!”
He shouted loudly, raising his sword, and charged directly at the demonic cultivators.
Though they numbered only a few hundred at most, their wild frenzy at attacking the Martial Alliance warriors was horrifying.
