novelraw Chapter 193 : Trampling on the Master’s Shadow (1)
Chapter 193 : Trampling on the Master’s Shadow (1)
Chapter 193: Trampling on the Master’s Shadow (1)
‘So it succeeded.’
A glint of light appeared in Sewoon’s eyes as he confirmed the red smoke rising far up in the distant sky.
Sewoon was stationed at a camp located about half a shijin away from Jusan.
At that moment, hurried footsteps rang out.
“Huuk, huff! C, Clan Head! A signal came from Do Yecheon!”
Sweat poured down as Yeo Seon spoke while catching his breath.
In truth, calling it a camp was an exaggeration—aside from Yeo Seon, there was no one else by Sewoon’s side.
Everyone else had been dispatched on missions to other regions.
Given the distance, it would take at least another full day for everyone to regroup here.
Clang.
Sewoon set down the hammer he had been holding.
In front of him were a makeshift anvil and various tools for blacksmithing.
While Namgung Baek and Do Yecheon were carrying out their mission, Sewoon had not been idle.
“Good. I saw it just now as well. Perfect timing—the treasure weapon was just completed.”
“Oh! Then that must be…!”
Yeo Seon’s eyes sparkled.
In Sewoon’s other hand rested the item he had been working on all this time.
A single dagger, with a blue gem embedded at the end of its hilt.
Its outward appearance was unremarkable, but Yeo Seon recognized its true worth at a glance.
Even standing still, the tremendous sorcery power contained within the dagger could be felt prickling against the skin.
Sewoon slowly opened his mouth.
“Yes. This is the item that will destroy the core of the summit.”
“…!!”
Sewoon then tucked the item into his robe and turned to Yeo Seon.
“Now then, I will entrust you with a task as well.”
“Yes! Just give the order!”
“Remain here and prepare all personnel who regroup.”
“Yes?? Then what about you, Clan Head?”
Sewoon shrugged his shoulders as he replied.
“The item is complete. It’s time I put my strength to use.”
“…!!”
“D, don’t tell me you plan to handle everything alone?”
“Exactly.”
Sewoon nodded lightly, and Yeo Seon gaped in shock.
Pababat!
A single gale-like streak of wind whipped violently through the surroundings, making the earth tremble.
Its true form—something an ordinary person could not even perceive with the naked eye—was that very vortex.
‘At this rate, I will reach Jusan soon.’
Leaving behind the pleading Yeo Seon, Sewoon was moving toward Jusan while pushing his movement art to its absolute limit.
Yeo Seon had protested with a tearful face, insisting that he could not possibly send his liege alone into enemy territory, but Sewoon ultimately shook him off and proceeded alone.
‘Over there, I will be using my full power. If anything, there’s a risk they could be injured after being swept up in my strength.’
Not only Yeo Seon, but Sewoon had also instructed Namgung Baek and Do Yecheon to return immediately after completing their mission and firing the signal flare.
The enemies scattered throughout Jusan were filth unworthy of being spared.
He intended to annihilate them all in the shortest possible time, and this would also be the first day he tested Reverse Heaven Qi, which had become even more destructive after he reached full maturity of the Manifestation Realm.
Fearing that others might be caught in that torrent, he was heading alone toward the battlefield.
At that moment, Sewoon’s gaze landed on the red smoke, now almost fully dispersed.
By now, they should have withdrawn safely.
Sewoon’s thoughts turned to Namgung Baek and Do Yecheon.
But in truth, he felt little worry or concern.
‘At the level of the Heaven-Piercing Sect’s forces, there’s nothing that could truly threaten them. And even if reinforcements came from the Southern Sea Sun Palace, I provided them with treasure weapons imbued with Yin-cold properties, enough to counterbalance Yang-based energy.’
The reason Sewoon had sent those two to the most dangerous location was simple—their skills were the finest within the Jecheon Unit.
Moreover, he had thoroughly supplied them with provisions so they could each escape safely if danger arose.
…Yet something felt off.
‘Then… what is this increasingly unpleasant sensation?’
The closer he drew to Jusan—
Thump! Thud-thump!
—his heart pounded violently for no discernible reason.
A chaotic and ominous premonition kept disturbing his senses.
Sewoon’s expression gradually stiffened.
Something like this would not happen without cause.
The heightened perception bordering on instinct, and the sharpened energy-detection ability he had gained after surpassing the wall of the Manifestation Realm, seemed to be sending him a warning.
Crunch.
At that moment, Sewoon finally arrived at the foot of Jusan.
‘What in the—?’
He could not hide the bewilderment on his face.
As though a rain of blood had poured down from the heavens and passed through, the surroundings were completely soaked in a sea of gore.
Within this horrific scene of a massive Blood Calamity, an intense stench of blood assaulted his nostrils.
Examining the flesh of those who, just a few shijin ago, had been living and breathing people, Sewoon reviewed the situation with a grim gaze.
Judging from the belongings scattered around the corpses and the traces of martial arts they had unleashed before dying, these were all unorthodox wanderers mobilized by the Heaven-Piercing Sect.
However, Sewoon had never ordered the two of them to create such a scene.
‘…Could it be that Do Yecheon’s Heavenly-Slaying Star went berserk?’
The thought crossed his mind, but he soon shook his head.
The Heavenly-Slaying Star, the power of the stars Do Yecheon had been born with, was something Sewoon personally monitored and controlled with great care.
There was no reason for it to suddenly run wild here without any cause.
‘Something is going wrong.’
Sewoon realized it instinctively.
The ominous sensation that had been tormenting him since earlier had been warning him of this very thing.
Pabat!
Sewoon kicked off once more, surging forward.
At tremendous speed, he charged from the foot of the mountain toward its midsection.
Kwaaar!
A massive explosive roar followed in the wake of his movement.
Sewoon showed no intention of concealing his position.
There was no reason to move stealthily in the first place.
‘…There’s no life energy at all!’
No matter how high he climbed, not a trace of energy could be felt.
There were only corpses and death qi.
Gritting his teeth, he pushed past even the midsection of the mountain.
Kwaaaang—!
“……!!”
A colossal explosive roar rang out.
Without realizing it, Sewoon lifted his gaze toward the mountain summit.
It was a ferocious detonation, as if a volcano had erupted.
But Jusan was not a volcano. The cause of the explosion was quickly revealed.
‘The spell formation at the summit was destroyed…?’
An immense surge of sorcery power was being felt from the mountain peak.
It was the backlash caused by the destruction of the core of the final spell formation.
The last spell formation laid across the summit had been shattered with absurd ease.
‘Do Yecheon and Namgung Baek? No, that’s impossible.’
For a moment, he wondered if the two members of the Jecheon Unit had resolved everything up there on their own—but it was impossible.
Without the treasure weapon resting against his chest, even Sewoon himself could not dismantle that formation.
And then, at that moment—
Swaaaa!!
“……!”
Contrary to Sewoon climbing upward, a storm began to surge down from the summit toward where he stood.
Chwararar!
Faced with that dreadful vortex of demonic qi rushing toward him at terrifying speed, Sewoon unconsciously opened the Heavenly Net in both hands.
As the wave of energy emitted by the opponent drew closer, Sewoon’s eyes trembled violently, as if struck by an earthquake.
‘Don’t tell me—!’
Psssss!
In an instant, the horrifying poison qi mixed within the demonic qi melted the surrounding greenery away.
At the same time, the Divine Poison Qi dwelling within Sewoon’s body resonated like madness.
There was only one reason such an anomaly could occur.
The very same poison qi that constituted Divine Poison Qi was being felt from the opponent standing before him.
Crunch.
A blind man wearing a black eyepatch arrived before Sewoon with light footsteps.
“Tsk tsk, even a maggot would be faster than this.”
“I nearly waited until my neck fell off.”
The empty sleeve of his severed left arm fluttered in the wind.
It was the moment of reunion between Sewoon and the Poison Demon.
As he faced his worst enemy—both before his regression and now—deep fury filled Sewoon’s eyes.
“Yelü Sheng.”
“Heh heh, you’re still an insolent disciple, I see.”
“How dare you casually utter the name of a master as lofty as the heavens.”
“Why are you here?”
The Poison Demon, Yelü Sheng, wore a bright smile, as though this situation delighted him beyond measure.
Seeing that madness-tinged grin, Sewoon’s expression hardened further.
“Heh heh, why else would a master personally make an appearance?”
“To come see a disciple so damned lacking in reverence.”
“Was this mess your doing?”
“Heh heh, there’s no need to thank me.”
“They were obviously pests that would only inconvenience us, so this master personally killed them all.”
“Ke ke ke, where else would you find such a devoted master who lightens his disciple’s burden like this?”
Yet Sewoon found himself unable to properly focus on the man’s words.
‘Where… where are they?’
Sewoon spread his perception wide, concentrating on sweeping his surroundings.
Naturally, he was searching for Namgung Baek and Do Yecheon.
Watching that 모습 closely, Yelü Sheng twisted the corner of his lips.
“Your expression looks grim. Seems there’s something you’re worried about, hm?”
“……!”
“Kahahaha! Yes, that very expression of yours—I wanted to see it!”
“Shut up—!”
The moment Sewoon raised his voice—
Clang.
Yelü Sheng pulled something from his back and tossed it in front of Sewoon.
Upon recognizing the objects, despair surfaced on Sewoon’s face.
“Ah.”
“Here. This is what you wanted to see.”
No.
Please, let it not be so.
What Yelü Sheng had thrown down were none other than two blades.
They were painfully familiar swords.
Blood-soaked—Namgung Baek’s sword and Do Yecheon’s sword lay scattered before Sewoon.
As Sewoon stood frozen in shock, unable to speak, Yelü Sheng continued with a delighted sneer.
“…….”
“Heh heh, I never imagined you’d taken a Namgung brat and the Mount Hua Sect’s great disciple as subordinates.”
“But next time, choose ones with more proper skill. They were hardly worth playing with.”
“!!”
At Yelü Sheng’s final words, the dull haze in Sewoon’s eyes vanished.
Within his pupils burned an unbearable fury and thirst for vengeance.
Chwararar!
As Sewoon spread both hands, dozens of strands of the Heavenly Net scattered outward.
Taking a combat stance, Sewoon roared at his enemy.
“I’ll kill you!”
“Kahahaha! Good! Come at me with everything you’ve got!”
“Let’s enjoy ourselves for the first time in a while!”
Pababat!
Ignoring the Poison Demon’s maniacal laughter, Sewoon charged forward at full speed.
He had no intention of engaging in any probing exchanges.
From the very first move, he drew upon every ounce of his power.
Kwaaaaar!
Kwagawa!
Amid a thunderous roar like a thousand bolts striking at once, Sewoon’s figure surged forward.
Across his entire body, Reverse Heaven Qi blazed like erupting fireworks.
Chwararak!
Spinning his body fiercely, Sewoon unleashed the Heavenly Net toward Yelü Sheng.
The strands extending from Sewoon’s fingertips spread like a net covering the heavens, descending upon Yelü Sheng from above.
Kikikik!
Chijijik!
Yet astonishingly, Yelü Sheng waved his single remaining arm through the air, snatching every strand of the Heavenly Net and nullifying the attack completely.
“!?”
“Your efforts until now are commendable, at least!”
“Heh heh, but surpassing your master is still a distant dream!”
Swaeaeek!
Kwaaaang!
With a tearing shockwave that split the air, the Poison Demon’s punch drove straight into Sewoon’s abdomen.