A Clan With Roots (10)

Yeon-chil, the youngest of the Lotus Seven Swords who had charged forward first with enthusiasm, suddenly felt as if something had swept cleanly across his abdomen and waist.

It stung slightly, but now was not the time to worry about that. He had to enter the Mire Seat, the starting point of the Lotus Sword Formation, and become the foundation for his senior brothers.

But.

“Cheon-gyeong!”

Yeon-chil, positioned in the Mire Seat, found it strange. Why had Senior Brother Yeon-il called his real name from before he became a Lotus Swordsman?

‘Huh?’

In that instant, Yeon-chil felt as if the world were sinking at an angle.

‘What? Why…?’

Cheolpeok!

With a chilling sound, Yeon-chil’s upper body, sliced away at an angle, fell to the ground.

“Huh? Huh?”

Yeon-chil, who could only make stupid sounds, turned pale in an instant.

“Uaaaaak!”

Puhwaak!

A large amount of fresh blood gushed from the severed upper and lower halves. Shredded intestines writhed on the ground like scattered petals.

One of the Seven Swords had died before the sword formation could even unfold. Before they could feel anger or grief, the remaining Lotus Seven Swords felt extreme confusion.

‘Fast.’

Jin-hyeon glanced at Oh Gyeong.

Something invisible that had come from inside Oh Gyeong’s sleeve had severed Yeon-chil’s body.

“What is that?”

Oh Gyeong spoke as he puffed out smoke.

“Soul-Severing Thread.”

“An artifact.”

“An artifact that cannot be cut by blade qi even without mixing internal energy into it. I suffered a bit making it.”

Even though a person had been cut in two, the two of them spoke only calmly.

Yeon-il’s eyes turned bloodshot.

“Wipe them all out!”

Chachang!

The Lotus Seven Swords drew their swords and spread out widely.

At the same time, Yeon-yuk, the Sixth Sword who had become the youngest, stepped into the Mire Seat.

Hwaaaaak!

Once the formation was completed and their true qi connected organically, terrifying qi waves spread across the entire clearing.

Oh Gyeong’s face turned cautious.

“They’re quite good?”

“It’s a formation of the Nine Sects. Of course they would at least be that good.”

“Will you handle it, Patriarch?”

“Then who would?”

“Steward Han and I will.”

It was the moment Oh Gyeong finally intended to fight in earnest.

Yeon-il shouted.

“You madmen! I will kill every last one of you and avenge Cheon-gyeong!”

Wooooong!

The formation’s pressure tightened sharply, and the Lotus Sword Formation advanced.

Although one person had died, once the sword formation was completed, it was said to have such outstanding power that it could face two masters at the level of Nine Sects elders. Its momentum truly was no ordinary thing.

Hwaaaaak!

Jin-hyeon’s hair whipped wildly. It was because of the wind called forth by the formation’s pressure.

At that moment, Oh Gyeong stepped forward.

Rumble.

When Oh Gyeong stood before Jin-hyeon, the pouring pressure of the formation writhed with a strange roar, as if it had collided with something.

Jin-hyeon’s eyes flashed.

‘Finally.’

Oh Gyeong, who had not properly stepped forward until now, was revealing his true skill.

Woooong! Woooong!

The formless qi waves pouring from Oh Gyeong’s body had no particular distinguishing trait.

But they were strong. Strong and soft. When pressing an opponent, they were like steel, and when receiving an opponent’s energy, they were softer than willow leaves.

Far from feeling half-hearted, they felt like freedom that could stretch anywhere. It seemed any martial art in the world, even a poison art, could melt into that internal energy and bring out its power.

A supreme divine art that was free and natural, and precisely because that was all it was, reaching its ultimate level was difficult.

It was the manifestation of the Return-to-Origin Divine Art, the supreme art soaked in the blood and sweat of Oh Gyeong, who had been the master of Salmak, once known as the King of Assassins.

Yeon-il, tense at Oh Gyeong’s unusual energy, aimed his sword tip at him and shouted.

“Open Formation!”

Kureung!

With a roar, Oh Gyeong’s body was pushed back slightly.

The pressure of the formation was tremendous. Rather than attacking the opponent with the power of the formation itself, it was a formation that sealed the opponent’s movements through pressure while increasing the speed and power of the swordsmen.

A method that strengthened allies and weakened enemies. The formations of the Nine Sects were generally like that, and that was why no one could easily escape their formations.

But Oh Gyeong was different.

Peoeong!

A bead rolled from inside his sleeve and burst, releasing dense smoke.

Yeon-il’s eyes widened.

“Poison! Suppress it with the formation’s pressure!”

Kwareung!

Fine cracks split through the ground. They intended to crush the poisonous energy itself with the pressure of the Lotus Sword Formation.

But it wasn’t poison. With so many allies present who had not trained in martial arts, there was no way Oh Gyeong would use deadly poison.

Huuk!

The moment the rising smoke entered Oh Gyeong’s nose, terrifying killing intent spread from his unusually clear and deep eyes.

Flash!

It was as if he moved through shadows.

Before anyone knew it, Oh Gyeong had moved to the end of the formation, to Yeon-o’s position, and seized his shoulder.

“W-What?!”

Startled, Yeon-o instinctively swung his sword.

Crunch!

“Kuaak!”

Yeon-o’s sword could only cut through his own blood scattered in the air.

Oh Gyeong, who had torn off his shoulder with his bare hand, struck Yeon-o’s chest with his other hand.

Peoeok!

With a savage impact sound, Yeon-o’s eyes rolled back. Blood foamed from the mouth of the fallen Yeon-o.

“On the left!”

The force of the sword formation concentrated on Oh Gyeong like lightning.

At that moment, Oh Gyeong’s two hands scattered in every direction.

‘!!’

Not only Yeon-il, but even Sang-eon’s eyes widened.

‘What is this…?!’

Every place before their eyes was filled with Oh Gyeong’s hands.

His two spread hands multiplied into dozens. No, perhaps hundreds. Palm shadows beyond imagination pressed in on the Lotus Seven Swords.

It was Oh Gyeong’s special technique, the Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers Palm, which he had created through bitter effort after realizing there was a limit to an assassin’s martial arts.

Kwakwang! Kwakwakwaang!

The Lotus Swordsmen unfolded the Lotus Platform Thirteen Swords, and six streams of sword qi pierced through the shadows of the Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers Palm.

But at most, there were only six of them. The countless barrage of palm shadows pressed in on the Lotus Swordsmen with heavy pressure.

Peong! Peopeopeong! Peong!

The Lotus Swordsmen’s attacks were dazzling as well.

Receiving the power of the formation, they unleashed sword qi that had become twice as fast and sharp, and their momentum was tremendous. It truly seemed like power even an elder of the Nine Sects would struggle to receive easily.

In contrast, Oh Gyeong’s palm shadows quickly disappeared. It was a martial art fully worthy of being called unmatched in the martial world, but since he was already trapped inside the formation, it could not produce its full power.

That was when it happened.

“Danger!”

Sang-eon’s shout faintly reached Yeon-il’s ears as he encouraged the swordsmen and emitted sword qi.

“Watch your backs!”

In that instant, Yeon-il realized it. Beyond the fading palm shadows, Oh Gyeong’s figure was nowhere to be seen.

‘Where?!’

Sasasak!

Oh Gyeong, having become a single shadow, was already passing Yeon-sa, Yeon-sam, and then Yeon-ee.

He rushed toward Yeon-il, the leader, moving against the flow of the formation’s pressure. His movement was truly astonishing. Though he moved without leaving a trace of presence, his motions were dynamic, like watching a dragon climb against a waterfall.

Showing such movement while maintaining the palm shadows meant his cultivation was incredibly deep.

‘Internal energy deeper than Elder Sang-eon’s…!’

It was an absurd situation, but now was not the time to simply be surprised.

“Haap!”

Yeon-il’s sword continued into the secret technique of the Lotus Platform Thirteen Swords, Flower Fire Opens the Crown.

Flash!

Lightning stabbed down from the sky and ignited fire. The flames burst as if exploding, scattered in every direction like flower petals, then immediately shot toward Oh Gyeong.

It was an astonishing sword qi art. It was the true skill of Yeon-il, who had been appointed the next elder at a young age.

Just when everyone thought that even Oh Gyeong would find it difficult to receive it unharmed.

Kwareureureung!!

The Heaven-Shattering Saber, fully imbued with the power of the Red Lotus Divine Fire Art, swept through the sword qi of Flower Fire Opens the Crown.

It was Han Cheol-sang, who had entered the formation before anyone knew it and exploded all his internal force. Because of the formation’s pressure, it produced less than half its power, but this was the saber force of the Heaven-Shattering Saber, said to reach the peak under heaven in the power of a single strike.

‘Keuk!’

At the merciless saber force, his wrist felt as if it would break. Yeon-il gritted his teeth, twisted his body to disperse the impact, gathered power again, and aimed for Oh Gyeong.

But.

‘Where?!’

Before he knew it, Oh Gyeong had already passed him and slipped to the rear.

‘How dare he toy with us!’

Enraged, Yeon-il stepped through his footwork and took hold of the center of the disordered sword formation.

“Don’t panic! Gather your sword power together again…!”

That was when it happened.

Unlike Han Cheol-sang, who dynamically swung his flaming saber, Oh Gyeong was slowly widening the distance, and seeing that, Yeon-il felt a chill difficult to express in words.

‘Why?’

Was he going to retreat?

There was no way. Before skill, that old man’s killing intent was real. One round of mockery should be enough, so he would surely launch another magnificent counterattack.

‘Let us tighten the formation’s pressure further. First, it would be better to eliminate that saber wielder.’

Kwakwang!

Han Cheol-sang, pouring out the Life-Snatching Saber and Heaven-Shattering Saber wildly, had already become a Fire God.

But he was being pushed back little by little by the rushing pressure of the formation. Though there was no need for him to face the enemy honestly, he silently received the formation’s pressure.

That was when it happened.

“No!”

Sang-eon’s urgent shout.

‘Why all of a sudden?’

Wondering why he kept acting that way, Yeon-il turned his head and suddenly saw a strange light glimmering in the air.

‘What is that?’

Shockingly, that light was connected point by point and wrapped not only around his own neck, but around the necks of Yeon-ee, Yeon-sam, and Yeon-sa as well. It was like an extremely fine thread that would not have been visible if not for the especially intense sunlight…

The moment he realized that, Yeon-il felt the strength leave his legs.

Oh Gyeong’s hand, fully imbued with Return-to-Origin True Qi, pulled hard.

Seogeok! Seogeok! Seogeok! Seogeok!

With chilling slicing sounds, the necks of Yeon-il through Yeon-sa flew high into the sky.

‘Ah…’

Only after losing his body did Yeon-il finally realize.

‘He hadn’t been toying with us.’

The reason Oh Gyeong had pressured them with countless palm shadows while brushing past Yeon-sa through himself was to wrap their necks with the same thread that had cut Yeon-chil.

‘Even so…’

Even if the thread was as thin as a spiderweb, how had he not known it was touching his neck?

‘The formation’s pressure.’

The activated formation power had been boosting his will to fight and his internal energy. Intoxicated by that powerful force, he had not even noticed the thread wrapped around his skin.

Yeon-il closed his eyes.

‘I have nothing to say even if I die.’

Puhwaaaak!

The moment four Lotus Swordsmen lost their heads, Han Cheol-sang, who had begun receiving power, sent Yeon-yuk’s neck flying with the Life-Snatching Saber as well. Thus, the Lotus Seven Swords lost their lives emptily without even proving their dazzling reputation.

“You bastards!!”

Hwaaaaak!

A scream-like shout, carrying terrifying qi waves, shook heaven and earth.

Sang-eon glared at Jin-hyeon with bloodshot eyes.

Before anyone knew it, the two of them had crossed swords. The moment Sang-eon tried to enter the fight and attack Oh Gyeong, Jin-hyeon had drawn his sword silently, charged, and blocked him.

Jin-hyeon spoke coldly.

“You came to the wrong place.”

“You bastards who deserve to be torn apart! Today, I will kill every Murim person on Sichuan soil!”

“Try it if you can.”

Jin-hyeon’s eyes were dyed vivid blue.

Hwareureureuk!!

The true qi blazing from beneath his feet swallowed his entire body in an instant. Moonlit Pack-Wolf True Qi was stretching itself with all its might.

Gagagagak!!

Jin-hyeon’s iron sword gradually pushed back Sang-eon’s sword.

Koong!

With a stamping step, Sang-eon drew up his divine art, and his sword stopped.

The moment the two men’s eyes looked straight at each other.

Jjeoooooong!

The two men, who had retreated backward with a tremendous shockwave, charged toward each other again.

The duel of leaders had begun.