Giant Demon (3)

Bi Sayoung smiled inwardly, watching the Giant Demon fail to catch him even though he himself was not running at full speed.

At this point, it was harder to restrain his pace so the monster wouldn’t give up than it was to simply flee.

It seemed he could drag this out far longer than originally planned.

Perhaps he should even lead the creature toward where his captain was.

But his smile did not last.

The Giant Demon, focusing his inner power, suddenly kicked off the ground and accelerated like a cannonball.

Paaang!

“Wha—?!”

Bi Sayoung abruptly increased his speed and veered aside.

The Giant Demon’s hand grazed past his back.

A chill ran down his spine.

‘As expected of a pinnacle master with over ninety years of inner power—he had a hidden card.’

Luckily, Bi Sayoung had been vigilant, watching him closely.

He surged forward, widening the distance again.

But once more, the Giant Demon stamped down and shot forward like a missile, changing direction mid-rush.

Paaang!

His enormous frame moved with incredible speed, rivaling Bi Sayoung’s peak pace.

Only his turns were sluggish, like a true cannonball.

Realizing this, Bi Sayoung twisted nimbly, dodging like a rabbit eluding a charging boar.

“You…!”

The Giant Demon was a savage warlord, but not a fool.

By now, he understood—Bi Sayoung was trying to lure him.

“You dare mock me?!”

Fury blazed in his chest.

He had thought his secret movement art, Violent Charge Steps, would be enough to seize such a whelp.

But he had to admit it—he could not match his quarry’s footwork.

Each time he used his technique, the prey slipped away like a flying squirrel.

Perhaps capturing him alive was impossible.

‘Fine. I’d hoped to catch him alive and learn his identity. But I cannot. Not alive.’

If he did not need him alive, there was another way.

The Giant Demon focused his inner power into his right hand.

A spherical mass of hardened qi condensed in his palm.

At a certain level, pinnacle masters could gather their weapon-qi and release it outward.

This was called a Qi Sphere: a Sword Sphere if formed from sword-qi, or a Sabre Sphere if from sabre-qi.

Normally, only super-pinnacle masters with a century of inner cultivation could use it freely, since the cost and control required were immense.

But even though the Giant Demon had not yet reached that realm, he could manage it after long concentration—at least once.

Now, the scarlet sphere in his hand pulsed with ominous power.

He grinned at the sight of Bi Sayoung darting like a squirrel.

Then he swung his arm.

“Die!”

Shwhaaaak!

The glowing crimson Qi Sphere shot forward at frightening speed.

Bi Sayoung, wary even while fleeing, saw it—but he could do nothing as the sphere closed the distance instantly.

“!”

It was too fast.

He couldn’t dodge, couldn’t even react.

But his body moved on instinct.

The Thousand Wind Steps, ingrained into his very being, flowed of its own accord.

It made him blend with the air, riding the current instead of resisting it.

Shwaak!

The sphere, which would have pierced his heart, brushed past his chest as he twisted just so.

Even he had not realized what happened.

But it wasn’t over.

The Giant Demon clenched his fist, detonating the sphere in midair.

“Haaaap!”

Kwaaaang!

The explosion engulfed Bi Sayoung, hurling him like a leaf in a storm.

He smashed through the air for fifty feet before crashing to the ground like a rag doll.

Ku-dang-tang-tang!

Trees around the blast zone shattered.

How could Bi Sayoung have survived such devastation?

Yet the Giant Demon, landing beside him, blinked in surprise.

“He’s still alive?”

Thanks to the Thousand Wind Steps, Bi Sayoung had yielded to the flow even in the blast, narrowly surviving.

But the Giant Demon did not need to know why.

“Good. Now I can pry out your secrets.”

He hefted Bi Sayoung’s limp body and headed back toward the manor.

“Sayoung….”

I muttered in despair.

Sag Muhun quickly hoisted the Emei disciple onto his back and shouted.

“Go! We must escape!”

He had judged rightly—now that Bi Sayoung had fallen and the Giant Demon had returned, we had no chance.

Even if I had slain one superior foe earlier, there was no way such luck would repeat against a warlord at the very edge of the super-pinnacle realm.

But….

“You think I’ll let you go?!”

The Giant Demon flung Bi Sayoung’s body aside like a rag doll and lunged toward us.

His helpless form rolled across the ground, burned into my sight.

‘Sayoung….’

I never knew why I was sent back into the past.

Perhaps the clan’s heirloom, the Scarlet Lotus Sword, had something to do with it—or perhaps not.

If everyone stabbed by that blade returned to the past, that would be absurd.

So I did not know the cause, or its meaning.

But one thing I had sworn:

‘I will never repeat the regrets of my previous life.’

My former life had been nothing but regret.

Avoiding conflict with my brothers by abandoning myself.

Neglecting my clan’s martial arts, forcing me to steal techniques from others.

And losing the Seonu Clan to the Blood Cult, unable to resist.

Worst of all, I had been powerless while my friends died for me.

Friends who gave me kindness and loyalty I had never even received from my family—and I could do nothing for them.

That was the most unbearable regret of all.

My struggle against the Blood Cult now was not for vengeance itself, but to protect those dear to me.

If they were gone, I would have no reason to fight.

Of course, I did not mean to shield them from death entirely.

We were martial artists. To die as one was to be respected.

But not now. Not like this.

To abandon Sayoung when he still had a chance to live would betray the very purpose of my return.

“Brother Sag! Go on ahead!”

As Sag Muhun leapt back with the rescued woman, I instead dashed forward, unleashing my sword arts.

The Thirteenth Form of the Seonu Thirteen Swords— Phantom Sword Realm.

Pwaaah!

My sword split into hundreds of phantom blades, encircling the Giant Demon.

For a moment, he looked startled.

“Hm?”

But only for a moment.

With a single sweep of his hand, he blasted away all the phantoms.

“Tricks!”

Whooosh!

The secret art of the Seonu Thirteen Swords was nullified in an instant.

Too quickly to attempt a sneak attack.

But that was never my intent.

In that fleeting moment of confusion, I surged toward Sayoung’s fallen body.

Pababak!

Brother Sag had already escaped with the woman.

A laugh escaped me.

So the Phantom Sword Realm did have its uses—at least as a diversion.

I reached down for Sayoung— but froze.

Something ominous prickled my senses.

I turned.

The Giant Demon’s hand was pulled back, a sphere of crimson qi glowing in his palm.

“No… a Qi Sphere?!”

I recoiled, abandoning Sayoung to dodge aside.

Pababak!

The monster chuckled.

“Ho? Keen sense, boy.”

Unbelievable.

A Qi Sphere? Only super-pinnacle masters should wield that.

Was the Giant Demon at that level already?

I bit my lip.

Now I understood how Sayoung had been captured.

The Giant Demon smirked, still cradling the orb.

“You wish to save your comrade? To risk your life for him—he must be worth much.”

He leapt, blocking my path to Sayoung.

Tak!

“Keh-heh-heh! Now, what will you do?”

My face twisted.

Hopeless.

He had seen through me.

I couldn’t run—not with that sphere in his hand.

If Sayoung, faster than me, couldn’t dodge it, how could I?

‘Damn it… what now?’

I clenched my sword.

If I must, I would fight.

“Fine then. Let’s do this properly, Giant Demon.”

From my blade Mookrang, violet sword-qi flared like fire.

Fwaaaah!

The Giant Demon sneered.

“Ho? You mean to fight?”

He waggled his fingers, the orb vanishing from his hand.

So long as I didn’t flee, he would not use it.

Very well. Then I had no choice but to clash head-on.

I lunged.

Paaang!

“Haaaap!”

The Seventh Form of the Four-One Sword Method— Black Heaven Sword Rain.

Mist-like sword-qi filled the air, pouring down like a storm.

Shshshsh!

It was the same deadly strike Ju Taegyeong had once used against me.

The Giant Demon scowled.

“The Four-One Sword? A Diancang stray, are you?”

He swept his hand lazily.

But even lazily, the gale of power that burst forth shattered my storm like raindrops on stone.

Kwa-kwang!

“Ghhhk!”

I was hurled back helplessly.

And the monster lunged, hand reaching for me.

“Got you!”

But my eyes gleamed.

This was why I had used that move—to lure him in.

The Secret of the Thousand Wind Steps— Thousand Winds Scatter Blossoms.

My form split into countless petals, scattering.

For a moment, he lost me.

Yes!

Now—

The Thirteenth Form of the Seonu Thirteen Swords— Phantom Sword Realm.

Pwaaah!

Again, blades filled the air, enveloping him.

If I could force him to expend his power shattering them, I could strike with One Breath, One Kill.

But he only laughed.

Crossing his arms, he roared like a beast.

“Huaaaah!”

A storm of qi blasted outward, scattering my phantoms and even flinging me back.

“Khkk!”

Before I could recover, his eyes locked on mine.

“A curious technique. I must capture you and pry out your secrets.”

Paaang!

He shot forward like a cannonball.

Too fast.

In an instant he was before me, hand closing for my head.

But instinct saved me again.

The Thousand Wind Steps shifted me just out of reach.

Whoosh!

The wind of his strike whipped my hair.

“Ho?”

He looked intrigued.

I grimaced, then thrust my sword desperately.

If I let this chance slip, I’d never get another.

The Twelfth Form of the Seonu Thirteen Swords— Twin-Wing Revolving Strike.

Blades like twin wings lashed forward in waves.

“Futile!”

Even off-balance, he casually swept them aside.

Shraaak!

Yet I smiled.

For in fending off the wings, his chest lay open.

Now!

The First Form of the Four-One Sword Method— One Breath, One Kill.

Fwoosh!

The ultimate thrust, sword turned to light, drove for his chest.

He was still bringing his hands together—my strike would land first.

Victory!

But—

Thunk!

My sword froze, locked in place.

“What?!”

It wouldn’t move forward or back.

The Giant Demon had trapped it with his qi alone, holding it in midair without touching it.

The sheer force left me numb.

How could anyone fight such a monster?

He grinned.

“Pity, boy. You have talent. But leaving you alive would be dangerous.”

Clamping one qi-wrapped hand on my blade, he swung the other at my head.

Whoooom!

The strike would pulp my skull.

I couldn’t dodge—my sword was bound.

I could abandon it, but without it, how could I face such a foe?

I could only watch as the blow descended.

It was the end.

Then—

A voice rang in my mind.

-Hm. Normally, interfering now would break the rules. But who knows when I’ll find another candidate I like. So be it.