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Chapter 209: If There’s No Path, Create One

“If there’s no path, create one!”

Kugugugk!

The roaring flames showed no signs of stopping, turning the surroundings into utter chaos.

As if responding to the gentle gestures of the man, the flames danced wildly without a pause.

Amidst it all, the man continued his steady march.

The mist covering the mountain ranges couldn’t hinder his steps at all; it seemed to retreat from the pressure of the inferno.

Thus, the rampaging flames that swirled around him—

Bang!

Suddenly, they halted as if blocked by something.

Seeing this, the man, Gu Cheolun, also came to a stop.

The martial artists of the Sword Team who had followed Gu Cheolun ceased their movements in sync with him.

“A formation,” Gu Cheolun stated.

He could tell just with a glance.

He had kindled the flames to find it after all.

“I’ll check it out,” said the Deputy Lord of the Sword Team, stepping forward.

He was relatively skilled in formations and often dealt with them during the Sword Team’s missions.

“No need for that,” Gu Cheolun interrupted.

There was no need to bother with such a thing, especially in a situation like this.

As the flames roared around Gu Cheolun and the expanding Technique of the Flame Wheel grew larger, his black hair slowly turned red.

Whoosh!

The winds that had been swirling around suddenly converged towards Gu Cheolun.

A small sphere gradually formed in his palm, filled with immense energy that made the surroundings shimmer.

—Bang!

Gu Cheolun, clutching the blazing sphere, said, “It’ll be enough to smash it.”

Indeed.

With a flick of Gu Cheolun’s hand, the mountain range trembled.

Kuwung—!

With a tremendous roar, the heavens quivered.

It was more accurate to say that the formation, which had acted like a barrier, shook completely rather than the sky itself.

‘…Isn’t this a bit too reckless?’

Witnessing the spectacle, I couldn’t help but marvel.

I had anticipated my father would arrive soon, but I never expected him to demolish the entire formation like this.

I never thought he’d go so far as to make the sky look like that.

I looked up at the brilliantly red sky.

‘Still strong as ever.’

That crimson sky was proof that the Gu Clan’s Martial Arts had nearly reached its peak.

Whether or not my father truly reached that peak was uncertain, but it was no different than a display of tremendous strength.

Some claimed my father had passed his prime, yet after witnessing his feats post-Demonic Sect’s emergence, I understood how absurd that notion was.

My father’s prime was far from over.

In fact, he was likely even stronger now than in his younger days when he was at his most active.

As I quietly gazed at the sky, Nangong Bi-ah turned to me with a question.

“This… is it Father…?”

“Yes, our father… huh?”

I was momentarily taken aback by her question; the way she referred to him seemed odd.

“What did you just say?”

I asked, somewhat flustered, but Nangong Bi-ah was fixated on the sky and didn’t answer.

I decided it wasn’t worth lingering on since it wasn’t crucial at that moment.

Bang!

A loud crash echoed once more.

It truly seemed like he was intent on shattering the formation.

[You’re using the same method as someone else.]

“…”

[So similar.]

After mentioning the Fog Dragon, Shin Noya, who had been silent, spoke up as if waiting for the right moment.

As infuriating as it was, I couldn’t refute him.

It was indeed too alike to my previous life’s methods.

—Move!

—To the east! The Flame Ghost has appeared!

Was it the overwhelming impact on the formation that finally prompted the forces of the Black Night Palace to make their appearance?

‘Where’s the Gungju?’

There was no need to overly search for the Gungju.

Beneath that crimson sky, the Black Fog was visibly swirling through the air.

‘Is it heading towards my father?’

I thought certainly it would head for the hostages, but for some reason, the Gungju seemed to be moving towards my father instead.

‘Well, that works out.’

Yes, if the Gungju emerged from the palace, that would indeed be a good thing.

I had no doubts that my father would not lose if faced with the Gungju directly.

I wasn’t sure how strong the Black Night Princess was, but if she couldn’t compare to the Three Eminent Beings, then my father had no chance of losing.

I confirmed that thought and rose from my concealed position.

‘It seems the other side hasn’t arrived yet.’

After setting out, not only my father but I also sent a letter towards the Hao Gate.

The letter was sent to Dou Unchuu, the Branch Leader, but it seemed he had not arrived yet.

Was he verifying the information in the letter?

‘Though I can’t be sure if the Hao Gate Master is truly at the Main Palace, the fact remains that this place is indeed the Main Palace.’

Even if he didn’t come, it was fine.

He wasn’t crucial in terms of strength.

Originally, I had considered borrowing the name of Nangong Jin, the clan leader of the Nangong Clan, to send word to the Martial Alliance.

But the Martial Alliance was too risky in many aspects.

Even if it was called the Martial Alliance, I couldn’t be sure if it was entirely composed of its own members.

‘I can’t trust the alliance itself.’

I would rather trust the Hao Gate, a Demonic Faction.

What a ridiculous situation it was.

—How… are you going to handle this?

As I stood up, Nangong Bi-ah asked through her mind.

Reaching the peak and immediately using telepathy…

The more I saw it, the more I marveled at Nangong Bi-ah’s talent.

Who could have taught her? There wouldn’t be anyone available.

While I found it fascinating, I had to focus on something else right now.

—We have to go in.

—How…?

—You just made a hole earlier!

The hole in the wall right ahead.

Especially with so few guards now, it was the perfect opportunity.

Of course, there were still some guarding even in a situation like this.

‘Four, two weak ones and one strong one.’

They weren’t exactly impressive.

Swish.

Before I could even say anything, the lovely Nangong Bi-ah had already understood my intention and drew her sword.

Lightning crackled around her poised blade.

Watching her, I calmly sent a message to her.

Just to send a signal.

—On three, we go together…! Huh!

The moment I said three, Nangong Bi-ah darted ahead.

With my heart racing, I followed right after her.

“…!”

The martial artist of the Black Night Palace by the wall spotted Nangong Bi-ah and was about to shout.

｜｜…

.

…

…

Creak—!

But before that, Nangong Bi-ah’s sword was faster.

With a speed blinding like lightning, she severed the martial artist’s neck, and as her lightning burst forth, she decimated the surroundings.

Each time Nangong Bi-ah’s sword left a trace in the air, a martial artist would collapse, bleeding.

That was a guaranteed kill without a doubt.

Even as I rushed after her, by the time I arrived, the scene had already been cleaned up.

It was said four martial artists had fallen at the hands of Nangong Bi-ah without them being able to react properly.

Nangong Bi-ah shook the blood off her blade, and I stared at the scene in disbelief.

Did Nangong Bi-ah notice my gaze? She looked at me with a puzzled expression.

“…This isn’t what it looks like, right?”

“…”

I couldn’t find the words to respond to Nangong Bi-ah’s remark.

Putting that aside, there was no time to hesitate, so I moved together with Nangong Bi-ah deeper into the palace.

The interior of the palace was far larger than it seemed from the outside.

Having to suppress my presence meant I couldn’t fully gauge it, but certainly, the Gu Clan’s size was surpassed greatly. It was indeed significant.

‘How on earth did they hide such a building?’

Formations aren’t all-powerful.

Naturally, the larger the size, the harder it becomes to conceal with formations.

Moreover, for it to be blocked so effectively that it was invisible from the outside was nearly impossible.

‘While I acknowledge Taeeolgui’s expertise…’

I had never seen anyone better than that old man when it came to constructing and assembling things.

Though I recognized his craftsmanship, these aspects continued to perplex me.

It felt as if—

Though they claimed it was a formation, it seemed more like a building constructed in another dimension.

‘…Where could Gu Huibi be?’

Whatever it may be.

What was most critical at this moment was determining the location of Gu Huibi.

Having used the Orb of Heavenly Road earlier, I couldn’t utilize its light until it returned, and the previously visible scarlet light merely indicated where the goal was.

It didn’t show the path, meaning I had to seek it out myself.

‘It seems like she might be underground.’

The light was directed below now, indicating Gu Huibi must be beneath.

Swish!

While I was deep in thought, a blade whisked by my face.

Blood splattered as someone fell in front of me.

—Focus on the people!

—…Thanks.

Nangong Bi-ah had removed the person standing in front of her.

‘How did she do that?’

No matter how lost in thought I was, my Qi perception shouldn’t be lesser than hers.

Nangong Bi-ah seemed to have sensed the enemies before I did.

‘Is it a difference in perception?’

Finding a gap in the formation and noticing the opponent—was it all attributed to that difference?

It felt oddly ambiguous to just classify it as such.

“The intruders…!”

Thud.

“Grrr…!!”

The man who had attempted to shout at me fell as his neck snapped.

Even amidst my thoughts, my hands never stopped moving.

Regardless of whoever might have been distracted, there would be no lack of personnel in the palace.

In this regard, it was undeniable that Nangong Bi-ah was performing far beyond my expectations.

‘She holds nothing back.’

Nangong Bi-ah showed no hesitation when taking lives.

This was surely her first time killing another, yet she did so without a hint of remorse.

This was something that simply shouldn’t happen.

‘Even I…’

Remembering how I trembled when I took my first life in this life.

As a child, I had shivered and struggled to adapt to the act of killing.

In my previous life…

‘I must have lingered for quite some time.’

At the very least, I recall I had been in a daze for days.

Yet, it appeared that Nangong Bi-ah was completely unfazed by it.

“Ack…!”

99

Another was swept away by Nangong Bi-ah’s lightning, meeting their end.

‘She’s quite skilled with her lightning.’

She adeptly wielded the lightning pooling around her sword and body.

That was saying something.

—…Up above.

Nangong Bi-ah communicated her thoughts, the flames bursting forth.

This time, I too had caught on earlier.

Whoosh! The blazing flames shot upwards towards the ceiling.

“Gyaaah!”

Those engulfed in flames fell to the ground.

They were the ones who attempted an ambush.

As I took care of them, Nangong Bi-ah swung her sword to finish them off.

‘Why does it feel like everything is fitting too perfectly?’

Though we hadn’t practiced timeliness, our movements synchronizing felt just too right with Nangong Bi-ah.

‘Then again, I remember this was where we matched well in the past.’

Thinking back to my coordination with the Demon Sword Queen, who was inept in many ways.

We were often in sync during battles without needing to communicate.

At that time, we both had higher levels of experience than now, so it felt intuitive.

But now, it was genuinely about the perfect synchronization between us.

As we continued to push through the palace’s interior—

“…!”

A flash flickered in front of my eyes.

I hurriedly turned my head to dodge an incoming sword, and simultaneously, Nangong Bi-ah swung her sword, releasing a blade of energy at our aggressor.

The mixed powers of lightning were sharp, yet—

Bang!

It shattered against the aggressor’s defenses.

I gathered my energy and looked ahead. A voice floated to me.

“Who dares to shoot so sneakily?”

Cough, cough.

A voice, raspy and gravelly, curled from among the shadows.

I squinted at the man dressed in dark martial robes, sword firmly in hand.

‘This one…’

I couldn’t recognize his face, but the atmosphere suggested he was far from weak.

The uncertainty in gauging his experience was proof of his strength.

‘Has he surpassed the Transformation Realm?’

I couldn’t be entirely sure, but it was certain that he was formidable.

“You’re younger than I expected; you must be the ones. What’s your identity…?”

Before the old man could finish his sentence—

Nangong Bi-ah seized the initiative.

Her lightning-infused sword drew a sharp arc, slicing through the air.

Realizing the power contained in her sword, the man swiftly lifted his sword to defend.

BAM!

The sound was exaggerated, far too extreme for merely two swords clashing.

“…!”

Caught off guard by the unexpected strength, the man stumbled back a step, his eyes wide.

It seemed he had managed to gauge Nangong Bi-ah’s prowess from that exchange.

Seeing someone whose level on par with his own caused him to hesitate.

Nangong Bi-ah stepped forward without any hesitation.

The sword path drawn in the air differed slightly from what I had seen of her in the past.

It was faster and sharper for certain.

‘Something has changed.’

Though I couldn’t articulate it exactly without being versed in sword mastery.

Something had undoubtedly shifted in her.

[…Interesting.]

Watching Nangong Bi-ah’s movements, Shin Noya voiced his admiration.

[Truly, she is the miracle of Nangong Clan.]

He offered not just praises but added something that felt like acceptance.

But in a situation like this, I wished he could hold back.

As the opposing man received a momentary opening from Nangong Bi-ah’s fierce swordplay, I decided to close in on him.

“…This scum!”

As if he wouldn’t make the same mistake twice, the man’s gaze turned towards my direction.

The flames surrounding my form outpaced his expectations.

“…!”

The sword aimed at me shifted to a defensive posture, and before his outstretched fist could connect, it met mine.

BOOM—!

The clash of energies erupted, creating a vacuum effect sending the man tumbling backwards.

When he rolled to the ground, he quickly regained his stance.

There likely hadn’t been much damage dealt at all.

The punch had been aimed purely to knock him back.

“You dare…!! How insolent…?”

Infuriated, the man raised his energy, but his expression twisted upon seeing the flames around my hand.

“What do you think you’re planning to do here…?”

Seemingly insightful of my intentions, he readied his sword to counter.

But I swiftly pulled Nangong Bi-ah closer and detonated the mass of fire I held.

He swung his sword to intercept—

Nangong Bi-ah unleashed another blade of energy towards him, halting his actions.

Thanks to that, I was able to unleash the flames.

Boom—!

Crack-crack-crack—!

The walls burst, sending debris crashing down.

Those fragments created additional barriers as they fell.

«

* ”

…Exhaling deeply as my energy recharged.

Having drawn forth the Blue Flame took a toll on my physicality, but I had to endure it for now.

[Move quickly; you can’t hold for long.]

‘I know that.’

This was merely buying time.

From the latest exchange, it was clear they were martial artists of the Transformation Realm.

Even with Nangong Bi-ah and me teaming up, I doubted we could take them outright.

And it was obvious more of their kind would soon arrive.

‘…They must have realized our entrance from the noise just now.’

That made it all the more critical to move rather than engage.

Feeling a hint of regret at the loss of the surrounding wall, I turned to Nangong Bi-ah and spoke.

“I’m going down.”

“Eh?”

Nangong Bi-ah looked around at my words, but there were no stairs leading downwards.

To respond to that, I planned to borrow a smidgen of my previous life’s experiences.

‘…I don’t want to resort to such a barbaric method.’

Given the emerging dangers, I had no choice.

I gathered my energy, enveloping my hand in flames.

The recoil hadn’t yet subsided, and having expended more than necessary made my Lower Dantian shudder.

However, I couldn’t afford to be concerned about that now.

‘If there’s no path, create one!’

Breaking through barriers was my specialty.

Without hesitation, I reached out towards the floor, triggering an explosion of flames as the ground collapsed beneath us.

 

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