Soul Summoning Sword

Chapter 75: Heavenly Slaughter Soul Strike (5)

The Sixth True Army’s Jinhwa Seong led the Assassins of Death in swift pursuit. A cold calculation gleamed in his eyes.

“Chase down the retreating ones!”

The hand clad in Black Iron Gauntlets pointed toward the air.

The Assassins of Death vanished like shadows. There was no need to say aloud what the Captain of the Inspection Corps intended.

Pa-pa-pat! Pa-pa-pa-pat!

Deep footprints remained where they had passed. The Assassins of Death had deliberately left those traces behind.

The Captain of the Blue Blood Unit staggered and shouted:

“Clear the path! We need to get out of here quickly. That sly fox won’t miss this chance!”

His voice cracked with darkness.

The situation was dire.

Among those present, the Yeongbi Pavilion Lord knew the Heavenly Sound Cult’s land best. But right now, his entire body was bleeding. His clothes were already soaked through. Each breath brought up frothing blood from his chest.

Worse still, the Yeongbi Pavilion Lord had been poisoned. Blackened veins from his neck spread up to his face. His eyes had grown turbid, his gaze unfocused. Though he struggled to scan his surroundings, his vision had blurred, making it doubtful whether he could even discern the right direction.

“Th… this way!”

The Yeongbi Pavilion Lord lurched forward.

The place he guided them to was a cliff.

The sheer edge gaped open in the darkness, and below, a raging torrent roared.

The Blue Blood Soldiers and Yeongbi Pavilion martial artists stopped before the cliff.

There was nowhere left to go. From behind, the Assassins of Death were closing in. There was no sound of footsteps, yet killing intent filled the air.

“A dead end.”

Jinhwa Seong’s voice echoed out of the darkness.

He appeared together with the Assassins of Death. Moonlight cast a sinister glow across his scarred face.

“Heh! You’ve delivered yourselves well.”

The Captain of the Blue Blood Unit let out a dry laugh.

“From the moment you dared step onto our land without fear, you must have already been prepared. You didn’t really think we wouldn’t notice, did you?”

“Even if you noticed, what difference would it make? Humans clinging to spirits like parasites—don’t you have anything better to do?”

Ssshhk!

The Captain of the Blue Blood Unit raised his sword.

Under other circumstances, this fight would have been evenly matched. Martial arts-wise, the Twelve True Armies held the advantage, but the Captain of the Blue Blood Unit could inflict internal injuries with Black Flame Shatter. That was the reason the Blue Blood Unit could roam so freely. But now…

“Give it your all. May fortune be with you.”

He spoke to his two remaining subordinates and the Yeongbi Pavilion spirit summoner.

“Erase them!”

Jinhwa Seong’s order fell coldly.

At once, the Assassins of Death moved in unison.

Black daggers gleamed under the moonlight. Their motions were swift as wind, silent as shadows.

The Yeongbi Pavilion spirit summoners resisted calmly but desperately. Their main mission had been to infiltrate the Heavenly Sound Cult. They had faced countless perilous situations before and each time had survived with wit and skill.

But this time was different.

The first Yeongbi Pavilion martial artist faced off against an Assassin of Death.

“Haaah!”

He swung his sword.

But the Assassin of Death had already slipped aside. At that instant, the assassin’s dagger shot toward his throat.

“Ghhk!”

Something hot burst from his neck. Blood sprayed like a fountain. His hand clutched his throat, but it was useless. Strength drained from his body, and his knees buckled.

The second martial artist was ambushed from behind. When had his back been taken? The Assassin of Death’s fingers pierced through his spine. The dull sound of shattering ribs rang out.

“Uwaaaah!”

He pitched forward, spitting blood.

Clawing at the ground, he struggled to rise, but eventually his body went limp.

The third and fourth fell in quick succession.

The Assassins of Death moved with a dancer’s grace, yet each motion was fatally precise. Daggers struck directly at the vital points.

The Yeongbi Pavilion Lord swung his sword. But poison had robbed him of control over his body. His arms felt like lead, his legs faltered. And the assassins knew it.

“Haaah!”

His blade cut only through empty air.

The assassin was already to the side. No, his dagger was already driving into the Pavilion Lord’s side.

The sensation of cold steel tearing into flesh was all too real.

“Urghh!”

He fell to his knees, coughing blood.

With poison and wounds compounded, his consciousness blurred. Black dots danced across his vision.

For the Yeongbi Pavilion Lord to fall so helplessly before a mere Assassin of Death… where had things gone so wrong?

The Captain of the Blue Blood Unit gathered his final strength.

‘If I could unleash Black Flame Shatter just once more…’

His hand rose to his chest. But his Dantian was empty. His qi was gone. It was like trying to draw water from a dried well. He had spent it all on Gugwi.

“Haaah… haaah…”

He gasped for breath, trying to summon qi.

The veins across his body bulged, but the bleeding sapped away what little power remained.

Jinhwa Seong charged in without hesitation.

“Stop. It’s useless no matter how hard you try!”

The Black Iron Gauntlets on his hand glinted coldly under the moonlight. Sharp edges jutted out between his fingers.

“Urghh!”

The Captain of the Blue Blood Unit made one last desperate effort.

He raised his sword to block, but his movements were far too slow. His arms were heavy as stone.

Jinhwa Seong’s fist pierced straight through his chest.

The sharp ridges of the Black Iron Gauntlets shattered ribs and pierced his heart.

Puuuk!

A hot surge tore through his chest. His mouth opened, but no sound came out.

“Ghkkk…!”

The Captain of the Blue Blood Unit’s eyes widened, then slowly glazed over.

Bloody froth trickled from his lips. His body sagged limply, drained of all strength.

Jinhwa Seong drew his fist back.

Blood spilled, steaming hot, down to his wrist.

The Captain’s corpse toppled backward—slowly… but then!

“Ah!”

Jinhwa Seong lunged to snatch the body, but too late. The corpse of the Captain of the Blue Blood Unit tumbled over the cliff. His body slammed against jagged rocks, rolled several times, then was swept away by the torrent below. White spray erupted.

“Damn! I should have taken his head.”

Jinhwa Seong clicked his tongue.

The slaughter continued.

The remaining Yeongbi Pavilion spirit summoners fell one by one. The attacks of the Assassins of Death were merciless and precise.

One spirit summoner clashed with an assassin. Sword and dagger struck, sparks flying. He unleashed the Spirit Union’s force, his sword techniques bursting forth wildly, desperately pouring in his entire soul.

Chang! Chang! Chang!

But the Assassins of Death were never just one. Numbers were absolute power. While he faced the enemy before him, another dagger from the side stabbed into his flank.

“Uagh!”

The spirit summoner screamed and staggered back. He twisted his body to evade, but blood spilled from his shoulder.

The Assassins of Death gave no respite. Evade one, and another came. Dodge that dagger, and yet another flew—one blade flashed like lightning, slashing across his throat.

Cheo-eok!

A hot stream gushed from his neck.

The Yeongbi Pavilion spirit summoner clutched his throat and collapsed to the ground.

The last spirit summoner was driven to the cliff’s edge. Behind him was the precipice, before him the Assassins of Death.

“Spare me!”

He screamed. But the assassins’ expressions did not change.

Daggers flew all at once. His body was pierced like a hive. Blood sprayed in every direction.

The slaughter was over.

The Assassins of Death of the Heavenly Sound Cult began severing the heads of the dead. The cold scrape of daggers cutting through neck bones split the night air.

Cheo-eok! Cheo-eok!

Heads rolled across the ground. Pools of blood formed. The moonlight reflected off the red pools with a chilling gleam.

“Salt them.”

Jinhwa Seong commanded, his voice devoid of emotion.

The Assassins of Death scattered salt.

White crystals mixed with red blood and turned black. With a hiss, smoke rose into the air.

“Send these heads to the Cold Wolf Sect and the Murim Alliance.”

Jinhwa Seong’s voice was ice-cold.

“Make it look like Gugwi’s doing.”

His scheme was clear. To ensure Gugwi would never gain footing in either the Cold Wolf Sect or the Murim Alliance. To turn all their wrath entirely upon him and sever his path of return.

Jinhwa Seong gazed down at the river below the cliff and said:

“Search the river. Find the corpse of the Captain of the Blue Blood Unit and cut off his head. That head is worth more than a hundred gold nyang.”

He looked down over the cliff.

The torrent roared below, flowing without pause.

Gugwi collapsed in the field.

From the overload of the Spirit Flow Core, his whole body trembled. A burning pain surged from his chest. His heart thudded irregularly.

At that moment, a voice whispered from the darkness.

“Gatekeeper… do not sleep…”

It was the whisper of the Manifest Demon Emperor.

By now, the voice was almost familiar as it burrowed into the depths of Gugwi’s mind. A chill encased his brain.

“Unify… integrate… the Three Realms…”

‘What are you saying? Be silent.’

“The seal is weakening anyway… Awaken me now. Hand over your power and become my vessel. Offer your body to me.”

Gugwi gritted his teeth and resisted.

The blue light of the Spirit Flow Core surged up from his heart.

“No!”

His cry split the night sky. The blue light of the Spirit Flow Core exploded, pushing back the whispers.

The Manifest Demon Emperor’s voice receded.

“One day… you will have to choose… To stop me, or to stand with me…”

The voice faded completely.

Gugwi’s body was drenched in sweat.

Catching his breath, Gugwi called out to Namgung Hoyoung.

“Treat Yeon Sohye and Jang Unhyeok.”

A faint shadow appeared and took out acupuncture needles. Under the moonlight, they gleamed like stars.

He treated the claw marks of the Living Spirit embedded in Yeon Sohye’s shoulder. The needles pierced acupoints and began drawing out the poison.

“Ugh…”

Black poison seeped from the wound. It rose like smoke before vanishing.

The poisoned dart embedded in Jang Unhyeok’s back was also removed. The needle wrapped around it and slowly drew it out.

Color returned to his face.

“Thank you.”

Yeon Sohye rolled her shoulder and spoke.

Spirit summoners did not say “thank you” to spirits. Even if spoken, spirits could not understand. And since each Spirit Union allowed possession of only one spirit, martial artists were desperately chosen.

But the Spirit Union physician… was such a precious existence.

Gugwi looked around.

The Valley of Heavenly Slaughter was quiet. All stray spirits had been purified, leaving behind a tranquil aura.

“The Valley of Heavenly Slaughter has already been exposed… it’s no longer suitable as a hiding place, is it?”

His voice was heavy.

Jang Unhyeok nodded.

“We need to decide our next destination. So, I was thinking… in that case, what if we infiltrate the Heavenly Sound Cult directly?”

He gazed northward as he spoke.

Yeon Sohye looked at him in surprise.

“Infiltrate the Heavenly Sound Cult? With our martial arts, it’s far too dangerous.”

“They say the tiger’s den is the safest place to hide.”

Jang Unhyeok explained.

“Besides, the Heavenly Sound Cult has the greatest repository of soul-summoning texts in the world. They call it the ‘Hall of the Forgotten Souls.’”

Yeon Sohye’s eyes gleamed.

“The Hall of the Forgotten Souls…”

She too knew of it.

It was a place that held countless texts not found in the Cold Wolf Sect or any other sect of soul-summoners.

Yeon Seoha of the Seven Cold Wolves had said that the Cold Wolf Sect knew nothing about the Dark Spirit Sect. If that was the case, then no other sect likely had such knowledge either. That meant the Hall of the Forgotten Souls truly was the only intelligence source.

But Jang Unhyeok had another motive. What Yeon Sohye suspected—he wanted to find his son. Yet he kept it hidden behind his words.

Yeon Sohye knew his true intent but remained silent. A complex emotion flickered in her eyes.

Gugwi spoke.

“Then we’ll head to the library.”

The group set out toward the deep northern mountains.

Moonlight lit their path. Their footsteps rustled over fallen leaves. In the distance, an owl cried.

Jang Unhyeok approached Yeon Sohye.

“Thank you.”

His voice was quiet.

“For not opposing our path to the Heavenly Sound Cult, even knowing my intent.”

Yeon Sohye looked at him. Moonlight cast a cold glow across her face.

“For now, our goals simply align.”

Her voice was cold.

“To learn about the Dark Spirit Sect, the Hall of the Forgotten Souls isn’t a bad choice. But… when our purposes diverge, we will fight. Remember that.”

Jang Unhyeok nodded.

He accepted her warning. One day, the moment to choose would come.