Soul Summoning Sword

Chapter 68: Slow Breath, Careful Steps (3)

Yeongbi Pavilion Lord’s eyes gleamed. His gaze lingered on the ground, then slowly rose upward.

“Here, they stopped.”

The place he pointed at seemed to be nothing more than an ordinary rock. Yet, his finger traced along the edge of the stone.

A faint thread.

“Black cloth. It’s from Yeon Sohye’s garment.”

The Spirit Summoners behind Yeongbi Pavilion Lord nodded. Their eyes sharpened.

“The direction of the wind!”

Yeongbi Pavilion Lord raised his hand and felt the flow of the air. The wind was blowing from the west.

“The wind blows from the west. If they went east, the scent should be stronger here, but it’s faint….”

His analysis continued.

The concentration of the scent, the direction of the wind, even the way the fallen leaves were scattered—everything was a clue.

“There!”

He pointed to a patch of moss. Some of it was slightly pressed down. There were no footprints, but something heavy had briefly passed over.

“Moss recovers quickly. But this degree of flattening means it was about one shichen ago.”

Yeongbi Pavilion Lord’s tracking skill was close to an art. He estimated a person’s height from the angle of a broken branch. He gauged the passage of time from the color of fallen leaves.

“Three people. One walked lightly, one with heavy steps, and the last with something in between.”

His eyes grew sharper.

To extract such details from bare stone without footprints was nearly miraculous.

“Move forward.”

Gugwi suddenly stopped. His face hardened.

“They’re following us.”

Yeon Sohye turned back. She saw nothing yet. But she trusted Gugwi’s senses.

“How many?”

“About ten. They’re not from the Heavenly Sound Cult.”

Jang Unhyeok’s hands went to his twin swords. His gaze turned icy.

“If not the Heavenly Sound Cult, then it’s the Cold Wolf Sect. Hah! Those Blue Blood Unit bastards… they’re sly. When they enter our land, they never come alone. They always bring shields with them.”

“This time, the shield is the Cold Wolf Sect, isn’t it?”

“They were the nearest, and the excuse to use them was plenty. The Sect Leader of the Cold Wolf Sect wouldn’t have been able to refuse. Hah! So, what now? Do we flee, or do we fight? Whatever you want.”

He said this while looking at Yeon Sohye.

If someone from the Cold Wolf Sect had come chasing, there was a high chance they were her acquaintances—perhaps colleagues, perhaps superiors. To clash with them could be troublesome.

“I’m already a traitor to the Cold Wolf Sect. If I’m caught, my Soul-Summoning Arts will be sealed. Even if I don’t fight, they’ll attack first. Fight. It’s fine. Better to make it clear this time.”

Yeon Sohye’s reply was resolute.

She twisted the grip on her dagger.

The wind stirred the leaves. Birds scattered into the sky. The air grew heavy with tension.

“They’re coming.”

Yeon Sohye drew her dagger. The silver blade glinted in the sunlight.

Dark silhouettes emerged through the forest.

Yeongbi Pavilion Lord stood at the front. Behind him, nine Spirit Summoners followed.

They saw Gugwi’s group waiting and their eyes flickered, but soon regained composure. They slowed their steps, steadying their breathing, and approached calmly.

“Yeon Sohye.”

Yeongbi Pavilion Lord’s voice was cold. His eyes brimmed with scorn.

“Did you think you could live after abandoning your sect?”

Yeon Sohye did not answer. She only raised her dagger higher. That single gesture spoke all that needed to be said.

“This isn’t a place for you. If it were within Yeongbi Pavilion, I would understand. But for the Captain of the Shadow Moon Unit to be here… did you receive the Sect Leader’s command?”

His mockery continued.

Yeon Sohye remained motionless.

Then Yeongbi Pavilion Lord’s gaze shifted to Gugwi. Greed glistened in his eyes.

“Gugwi, come back with us.”

His voice softened, but the hidden intent was plain.

“The Spirit Flow Core must be in our hands. I’ll guarantee your safety. The Cold Wolf Sect has never abandoned its disciples. You are one of us. If you wish, we will protect you for life.”

“Really? The thing is… I don’t need protection.”

Srrk!

Gugwi pulled out his spear. The tip shone brilliantly in the sunlight.

“I can only refuse.”

His answer was clear. No more words were necessary.

Yeongbi Pavilion Lord raised his hand. His subordinates moved all at once.

“Tahong!”

“Come forth! Appear!”

Two Spirit Summoners called upon Spirit Union Martial Artists for possession. But nothing happened. The spirits did not answer. As if they had completely perished.

“What?”

Shock flickered across their faces, but they quickly regained composure. Their mission was infiltration; unexpected situations were to be expected. This time, they would have to fight without spirits.

“We fight with martial arts!”

Yeongbi Pavilion Lord drew his sword.

For some reason, the Spirit Union Martial Artists did not respond. Though only two openly attempted possession, the others, including Yeongbi Pavilion Lord himself, had secretly tried.

For all of them to fail meant only one thing—Gugwi had interfered.

Understandable. The Spirit Flow Core could do many things.

Szzzzt!

Blue light streamed along Yeongbi Pavilion Lord’s blade.

The battle began.

Yeongbi Pavilion Lord and Yeon Sohye clashed. Sword and dagger struck, sparks flying.

Cheng!

The ring of steel resounded.

Yeon Sohye parried his blade with her dagger. But without a spirit, the difference in strength was evident.

“Khuhk!”

Yeon Sohye was forced back. Her heels scraped the ground.

Jang Unhyeok faced six Spirit Summoners. His twin blades slashed fiercely through the air. Yet, sheer numbers pressed him back.

“Haahh!”

His sword grazed one man’s shoulder, drawing blood. But the other five struck at once.

Jang Unhyeok staggered under their combined assault. Sweat beaded his brow.

Without Soul-Summoning, the advantage of numbers was overwhelming. Yeon Sohye and Jang Unhyeok were not strong enough to suppress combined attacks. Or rather, the warriors of Yeongbi Pavilion were that strong.

Then Gugwi, who had been watching, finally moved. His eyes closed and opened again.

“Un Serim! General Madal!”

Two names tore through the air.

The Realm of the Threshold answered.

Blue light flowed from Gugwi’s body. Two figures appeared at his sides.

Un Serim’s might was imbued into the spear. General Madal’s killing intent wrapped around his body.

“Go!”

Gugwi moved. A gust of wind rose from the tip of his spear.

Swaaak!

The spear shot forward, cutting through the air. It pierced straight through the chest of the Spirit Summoner pressing down on Jang Unhyeok.

“Kuahhh!”

A desperate scream rang out as the Spirit Summoner was hurled backward.

Gugwi spun. His spear carved a wide arc, cutting down two more Spirit Summoners.

“Damn it!”

Yeongbi Pavilion Lord was aghast.

Gugwi’s strength was greater than expected. No, it was more than that—he was the only one successfully summoning Spirit Union Martial Artists. Not just one, but two. With two transcendental martial artists attacking together, who could stand against them?

‘I must retreat!’

There was no time to even grasp what was happening. The only thought filling Yeongbi Pavilion Lord’s head was that he had to fall back immediately. But then—

“Pa… Cheon!”

A thunderous shout burst forth behind them!

The voice split the sky, and its sound alone was enough to shake one’s innards violently.

The Captain of the Blue Blood Unit had arrived. He unleashed Black Flame Shatter.

Bzzrrng!

The air vibrated violently.

Even while focusing all his attention on Yeongbi Pavilion Lord, a sudden wave of sound surged like a storm. The air itself warped into ripples, waves crashing down with crushing force.

Gugwi felt it clearly—the vibration, and the danger.

Baaang!

The first wave struck, and his ears went numb. A pressure like his eardrums bursting assaulted him. His chest tightened, and it felt as if invisible hands were strangling his throat.

In his heart, the Spirit Flow Core… was being crushed.

‘This is…’

The Spirit Flow Core reacted instantly.

Just like a beast meeting its natural enemy, it sharpened every sense toward the threat. It saw nothing else—only the enemy. The Spirit Flow Core shone blue, focusing entirely on the wave.

A chilling energy surged from Gugwi’s heart.

Blue light coursed through his veins, spreading across his entire body. But that light trembled—the wave was too strong.

Wiiing!

The blue glow of the Spirit Flow Core collided with the vibration. Like a tiny boat facing raging waves, it tried to push the force back. But it wasn’t enough. The wave filled the world.

“Ngghhh!”

Gugwi clenched his teeth.

A burning heat surged from his chest as the Spirit Flow Core desperately resisted.

The vibration was deflected from his body—but barely, painfully so.

The wave was so powerful that the blue glow flickered as if about to be snuffed out.

The wave drove the air sideways, scattering violently.

Baaang!

The Black Flame Shatter veered off, missing him.

Blood welled up from Gugwi’s throat and spilled from his lips.

The Spirit Flow Core had blocked the wave, but the recoil inflicted internal injuries just the same.

“Khuhh…”

His knees trembled. If a second wave came, he would not endure it.

The Captain of the Blue Blood Unit looked stunned in the distance. His Black Flame Shatter had no effect.

“How…?”

But Gugwi knew his own limits well.

‘The first one, I barely stopped. The second—I won’t.’

His hand shook. The grip on his spear was losing strength.

Even Gugwi himself was shaken by this.

The Spirit Flow Core had sensed the vibration. It was not Gugwi who had felt it. He hadn’t even realized the Captain of the Blue Blood Unit had arrived, nor heard his shout until after.

The Spirit Flow Core had already gone into battle mode before the Black Flame Shatter erupted. It had reacted automatically.

As if another living being resided inside him, one that thought and moved on its own, apart from his will.

‘Once, I held it off. Twice… I cannot.’

Gugwi knew his limits clearly.

The Spirit Flow Core had not willingly deflected the wave. It had forcefully squeezed out every bit of power it could muster. The result was a hair’s breadth of survival.

Had it faltered, Un Serim and General Madal might have been obliterated.

Heat still swirled in his chest. The Spirit Flow Core was overloaded.

It was never truly his. He could only borrow faint ripples it granted him—like scooping a drop of water from an endless sea.

Gugwi turned to Jang Unhyeok. His voice was urgent.

“Open a path!”

“To where?”

Jang Unhyeok slashed his twin swords as he spoke. One Spirit Summoner was forced back by his strike.

“Anywhere. Somewhere Yeongbi Pavilion and the Blue Blood Unit can’t follow.”

Gugwi’s breathing grew ragged. If a second Black Flame Shatter came, he would not survive.

“There’s the Land of Death…”

Hesitation colored Jang Unhyeok’s voice. That place was perilous.

“Go! Right now!”

Gugwi shouted. There was no other choice.