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Chapter 339: Listen Up

Finding the target for the Black Night Princess wasn’t too difficult.

At best, it was just the peak.

Otherwise, it was simply a place filled with people who had stagnated from the top tier to the lower tier.

Fortunately, the Sword Demoness and the Shooting Star Sword were being dealt with by Taiju and the King of Demons.

What needed to be done was just to find the Poison Phoenix and take him away.

The Black Qi prepared by Taiju gradually covered the formation laid out on Mount Tai, forming a singular space.

‘What is that power?’

The Black Night Princess felt a sense of mystery as she watched the energy gradually cover the sky.

It looked similar to her own energy, yet it was distinctly different from the authority bestowed by ‘heaven.’

‘It seems that power is dealing with something.’

Since the work was being done in Hanam, the Martial Alliance and Shaolin were nearby.

Such an endeavor would certainly attract their attention if not handled carefully.

It struck her as quite dangerous.

Taiju had told her not to worry about it.

Apparently, that mysterious formation unfolding was resolving something in the process.

‘Then what remains?’

Binding the instructors scattered all around was next.

This was where Taiju’s subordinates decided to take action.

Even the Black Night Princess, once known as Samaoje, felt a grim and unpleasant energy.

‘Black Dragon Squad…’

The martial artists from the demonic faction who had long since perished, treated as the dead.

They had indeed been wiped out by the Gale Sword and the current Sword Sovereign.

For some reason, both Taiju and the members of the current Black Dragon Squad were still alive.

As the Black Night Princess pondered this, she said to herself, ‘There’s no need to worry about that.’

What she needed to focus on now was doing her job quickly and returning to heaven.

That was her only goal.

It was a request from Taiju that she needed to fulfill, and having heard that even the King of Demons was involved, she decided to take action.

Of course, there was also a tinge of curiosity.

She knew Taiju’s motives to some extent, but she couldn’t help but wonder why he wanted the Poison Phoenix from the Tang Clan.

Time passed and the black formation filled the sky.

“Shall we depart?”

The person by her side spoke up.

Upon hearing this, the princess frowned.

“Don’t you dare give me orders.”

With a click of her tongue, she stood on the edge of the cliff and leaped into the brush below.

Soon after, she spread her Qi perception.

The energy unleashed by the martial artist in the Transformation Realm covered almost the entire mountain.

It was such a coarse expansion of Qi that if the Sword Demoness or the Shooting Star Sword were here, they would have sensed it instantly.

One.

They weren’t here.

Even if they were, it wouldn’t be a situation they’d be able to move easily.

Remembering this, the princess gradually expanded her Qi perception.

‘I found it.’

As expected, she could locate her target without much trouble.

Amongst the trees, she spotted a head of thick, green hair.

The subtle poison contained within acted as a signal that this child was from the Tang Clan’s bloodline.

The level of this bloodline was not particularly high.

The Black Night Princess could kill her in the blink of an eye if she wished.

Her physical form danced in the wind, turning into a form of energy as she vanished.

Reaching her target took no time at all.

Before extending her hand, she thought once more.

“Wasn’t I told to bring her back unharmed?”

It felt like it had been said that as long as she was alive, it would suffice.

Just to be safe…

‘For now.’

The presence beside the Poison Phoenix caught her attention.

From the attire and the energy within, it was evident that this individual belonged to the Peng Clan.

There were indeed some figures she needed to handle carefully.

But it seemed this daughter wasn’t among them.

In that case—

Killing her to take her easily would be better.

In the unfolding circumstances, while the Tang Clan’s girl was eyeing her surroundings, the princess silently condensed her energy into a sharp form.

With the intent to strike and kill immediately,

Kiiing!

The energy began to whirl as per her gesture.

…

…

!

..

Without hesitation, it was shot at Peng Ah-Hee.

The thought was that she would likely meet her end before even reacting.

But in that moment,

“Ah-Hee!”

‘What?’

An anomaly occurred.

The Poison Phoenix, who she thought wouldn’t notice, suddenly moved to protect the girl beside her.

Pik!

Thanks to the Black Night Princess urgently twisting her hand to change direction, she fortunately prevented her target from dying, but—

“So…Soyeol!”

“Huff…”

The Poison Phoenix had suffered significant injury to her arm.

Facing the sudden turn of events, Peng Ah-Hee was visibly flustered, yet her priority was to stop the bleeding.

Watching this, the Black Night Princess

Tuk.

Materialized in front of Tang Soyeol.

“You little girl.”

With a voice that carried weight.

Peng Ah-Hee gasped, turning her gaze toward the Black Night Princess.

“How did you detect me? At your level, it shouldn’t have been possible.”

As the princess questioned, Tang Soyeol moved her head to face the Black Night Princess.

“…Who…who are you?”

“That’s not something you need to know.”

Her eyes filled with fear.

She must have realized the gap in capability between herself and the princess.

The Black Night Princess was deeply curious.

How had she detected her presence?

It seemed the girl’s level was barely approaching top-tier.

“Are you the Poison Phoenix of the Tang Clan?”

With the princess’s question, Tang Soyeol gulped.

“I won’t ask a second time.”

With silence reigning, the princess once again formed energy at her fingertips, aiming not for Tang Soyeol but for Peng Ah-Hee, deciding it was more effective.

Seeing this, Peng Ah-Hee shuddered slightly.

Desperate, Tang Soyeol answered.

“You already…know, don’t you? Why is the respected senior treating us this way?”

“Is it because you’re from a great house? You lay your sweet words thick.”

The name of the senior was a tested tongue, just like many of those from the righteous side.

That’s why it bothered her.

Tabaak.

As if to say there was no more to hear, the Black Night Princess took a step closer to Tang Soyeol.

Peng Ah-Hee, still holding onto the injured Tang Soyeol, attempted to protect her, but it was a futile resistance.

“Time isn’t on our side. I would prefer if you didn’t resist. I despise cumbersome tasks.”

…,

As black thorns appeared around the princess, this time Peng Ah-Hee would embrace Tang Soyeol, as if vowing total devotion.

What a hot friendship.

After all, if they’re going to die, it will be cold soon enough.

As the Black Night Princess brushed aside Peng Ah-Hee—

In the next moment,

She abruptly halted and cast her gaze across the brush.

“Familiar energy.”

She sensed that a guest was approaching.

How did they notice me? She had done her utmost to conceal her aura.

Someone was swiftly approaching from that direction.

A clear Thunder Qi.

‘Two individuals.’

The Black Night Princess directed the thorns she’d prepared to shoot at Peng Ah-Hee toward the source of the energy.

Fwooosh!

As the thorns hurled toward the approaching figure, one of them dropped and swung their sword to deflect it away.

‘Hooh.’

That wasn’t a bad judgment.

Moreover, it seemed they had a level to support such a decision.

A more concentrated stream of energy shaped itself towards her.

At the moment the heavy energy struck—

Kwaduk!

The clash of energies produced a chilling sound.

In an instant, as the energies collided, a rupture formed.

Sgregag!

The energy split and faded away.

The energy of the martial artist that had trespassed met its end by the cut.

‘Impressive.’

A sincere compliment.

Eventually, emerging from the brush, the source of the Thunder Qi appeared…

• ••indeed.

Upon recognizing the face, the Black Night Princess spoke,

“So that’s where the familiar energy comes from. The offspring of the Sword King.”

The child of the Sword King.

Additionally, she was an acquaintance from long ago.

“It’s been a while. It seems we have an acquaintance.”

A face she recognized from the Black Night Palace, where she had almost deemed her disposable.

Staying close to the Flame Ghost, she had been.

“Do you remember me?”

The Black Night Princess recalled that encounter and asked Nangong Bi-ah.

She nodded her head.

“…I remember.”

“Yet you’re drawing your sword.”

It was a kind of grievance.

That such a pathetic offspring would look so frivolous.

“Am I ridiculous?”

“…”

“Or perhaps it’s because you’re recalling how you fared against the Flame Ghost? That might make sense.”

The black energy emanating from her feet began to take a sharp form.

She felt disrespected, being dismissed by such a mere Transformation Realm figure.

“This is the Black Night Princess speaking.”

A grin appeared on her face.

Originally, she had only intended to take the Poison Phoenix, but if it was from the Nangong Clan, the Sword King’s lineage—

It was the daughter of a foolish, tongue-twisting brat.

Not bad.

After all, she owed a certain debt to the Sword King.

Thinking of this, the princess addressed Nangong Bi-ah.

“If I had ignored you and passed on… perhaps you would have lived. Silly girl…”

“…Who are you?”

“What did you say?”

“…The one who did this to her…”

“You mean the Poison Phoenix? Yes, that’s me…”

Swish—!

The moment the Black Night Princess answered, a glimmering blade appeared before her eyes.

Nangong Bi-ah had unleashed her Thunder Qi and swung her sword.

Kwaduk!

The energy collided as the Black Night Princess examined Nangong Bi-ah.

The pressure from the incoming bet was no mere jest.

‘This isn’t fitting for your age.’

Her prior praise wasn’t a mistake.

Nangong Bi-ah’s level was astonishing for her age.

Clang—! Kwaduk.

As the edge that split the energy deflected, it veered off course.

When the sword met resistance, it quickly shifted paths and burrowed forward once more.

‘Huh.’

Such clever judgment was alarming.

Moreover, it was filled with the determination to kill evident in all her movements.

The resolve to definitely achieve her goal radiated through; it was a fierceness one couldn’t find in just any Transformation Realm practitioner.

Having successfully pierced through once, she thrust forward with heavy energy binding the Black Night Princess’s feet.

‘It’s the Imperial Sword Form.’

The secret technique passed only among the direct bloodline of the Nangong Clan.

Applying the bet with overwhelming magnitude and brutal difficulty—

It seemed far from easy to employ.

But this young girl was using it with extreme ease.

As the Thunder Qi exploded all around, she wielded her sword both calmly and swiftly.

Even the Black Night Princess felt a sense of admiration.

‘The Sword King has spawned a monstrosity.’

What level did she reach?

It appeared she had surpassed the peak.

The Qi perception and the realm she could see beyond walls were unmistakably at a higher level.

She seemed to have stepped into the level of maturity.

‘A monster indeed.’

For someone barely past their teenage years to reach maturity at such a level.

That meant this talent was fit for the heavens.

As the storm of sword paths split into dozens—

Blocking them all with her own energy, the Black Night Princess thought,

‘I must eliminate her.’

At that level, she needed to be killed now.

The potential for future interference with the heavens was evident.

Kwoooosh—!

Multiple strands of Thunder Qi split again, adding to their numbers.

The energy infused in the sword took on a solid form.

The Sword Intent surged.

Moving with such speed and flourish, she remained utterly silent in her footsteps, suggesting her footwork was impeccable.

Dodging the energy that erupted all around her, Nangong Bi-ah continued to wield her sword.

It was a perilous situation where merely grazing her would mean danger.

There was no hesitation.

She created a path by slashing once.

Krumble—!

Unleashing the Thunder Qi widened the pathway.

Gaining speed, she executed the swordplay she had trained hard in.

And in that smoothness, sharpness naturally seeped through.

Swish—!

She cut through another energy.

With that, a direct path opened directly towards the princess.

Nangong Bi-ah, realizing this, fully packed her energy into the sword and rushed in.

The target was her neck.

“You’re certainly on another level compared to the others.”

As the Thunder Qi and sword were about to hit the Black Night Princess—

“That’s all well and good.”

Kwaduk—!

Suddenly, a burst of energy struck the side of Nangong Bi-ah’s rib.

“Kugh…!”

Bang!

Slammed by the barrage, Nangong Bi-ah soared through the air, barely managing to land.

Regaining her stance, she tried to raise her energy.

But there was no respite.

The Black Night Princess’s assault began to rain down.

“Even in that situation, you managed to block with your energy. Quite impressive.”

It seemed the previous attack was merely jesting.

An onslaught came with not a single gap.

Crash—!

The speed was such that marks began to form on the ground, lifting plumes of dust.

“The precision with which you’re judging each moment is remarkable. If the context were different, I would have fervently invited you to join my side.”

This was genuine.

There were hardly many with that level of talent in the Central Plains.

It made her greedily wish to bind her with a Golden Binding just to keep her by her side.

That alone was how greedy she felt.

“However, as the times are not favorable, I can’t indulge you.”

The princess realized she had to be serious in treating an opponent of such high caliber.

Fortunately, she had discovered her early and could deal with her quickly.

The harvest of only bringing the Poison Phoenix along wasn’t bad at all.

As the energies that had rained down for so long came to a halt,

The Black Night Princess gestured, feeling satisfied.

Given her age, being at the peak was astonishing.

Yet at the peak, the divide between her and those who had reached the Transformation Realm was glaringly apparent.

She thought that this would be the end.

As she attempted to concentrate her energy for the finale—

Piercing through the heavily billowing dust,

Fu-whoosh—!

A beam of sword energy shot towards the Black Night Princess’s neck.

Chak.

Blood gushed forth.

Sprayed from the neck of the Black Night Princess.

It seemed the attack had succeeded but—

“This girl…”

Unfortunately, it did not achieve its purpose.

Though the incoming attack was fierce and swift, the princess’s energy had protected her, merely grazing her neck.

Still, she had to look upon the scene with astonished eyes.

« +1 »

…Ah.

What she looked upon revealed the aftermath of a fearsome assault, and at its core stood Nangong Bi-ah, brimming with power, bloodied as she gazed over.

The emotion in her eyes was one of regret.

Seeing that expression, the Black Night Princess suppressed her astonishment.

‘Did she plan this?’

Upon recognizing right away that her opponent was not up to par, the Black Night Princess had let her guard down, only to be led into this situation by their sudden strike.

If that were the case,

She truly was a terrifying girl.

To endure the pain just to execute that one critical blow.

Had she planned everything since the beginning when she made her initial charge?

“You need to die here, girl.”

Stunned with disbelief, the Black Night Princess was once again certain.

This girl genuinely needed to be eliminated right here and now.

Just then, it seemed Nangong Bi-ah could hold no longer—

Her balance faltered, and she collapsed to the ground.

It must have taken everything she had to succeed in that strike.

The princess wasted no time, approaching the fallen Nangong Bi-ah.

With no risks remaining, she needed to execute her now.

With that thought in mind, as she boosted her energy,

Chwaak.

A sharp sound came from the direction of the Poison Phoenix.

The Black Night Princess turned her gaze to that area, wondering what was happening.

“…!”

At that moment, she had to swallow her breath at the sight unfolding.

“Right now… what are you doing?”

Staggering, Tang Soyeol, who had been leaning against a rock, suddenly stabbed her own thigh with a dagger, pulling it out and bringing it to her neck.

With eyes ablaze, she spoke.

 

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