Sword God Reborn

Chapter 56 : Tactical Retreat

'Who the hell is that guy?'

The Mute Red Demon had his mouth wide open.

He had come all the way here, chasing the Ghost Tomb, but another unexpected competitor had appeared.

'To think that the Old Tiger Ghost would be knocked out so easily!'

The Old Tiger Ghost was an opponent that even he had a hard time dealing with. But he had been knocked out in one go by a strange man who had appeared from somewhere.

He replayed what had just happened.

It was the Old Tiger Ghost who had been the first to run when the news that the Sword Tomb had been discovered.

It was just like his hasty personality.

But even if his personality was hasty, his skills were the real deal. Hadn't he turned the martial artists who had surrounded him into a pool of blood in one go?

The problem was what came next.

'I didn't see it!'

He swallowed his dry saliva, sweating coldly.

The Mute Red Demon had unfortunately not seen it. How the Old Tiger Ghost had been knocked out.

It wasn't even a back-and-forth, but it meant that he had been knocked out in a single blow without being able to put up any resistance.

The muscles of his whole body were tensed with tension.

'No. The Old Tiger Ghost was just caught in a surprise attack. Does it make sense that that young brat is at least one or two levels stronger than the Old Tiger Ghost?'

The Mute Red Demon felt dizzy and tried to deny it.

'I must take the secret manual of the Red Blood Sword Demon!'

His bloodshot pupils glared at Cheon Mubaeck.

"Eum!"

The Star-Gazing Sword wrinkled his nose and looked at Cheon Mubaeck.

In his arms-crossed posture, he felt goosebumps on the back of his neck.

'What on earth is that?'

The Star-Gazing Sword, a distant descendant of the famous general Guan Yu of Shu Han, had a red face, as if to prove his lineage.

But his face was even more flushed than usual.

It was not a special expression of anger.

Curiosity and a rising fighting spirit.

'The claw technique of the Old Tiger Ghost is to the extent that one's heart could be torn out in a single blow if one is not careful...'

The Star-Gazing Sword had met the Old Tiger Ghost by chance at the Hao Faction a few days ago.

The Old Tiger Ghost he had fought at that time was by no means an easy opponent.

Of course, the Star-Gazing Sword thought that he would have been able to win if it had been a one-on-one duel. In fact, he was one level higher. But that was if the Mute Red Demon had not intervened in the meantime.

'Even so, can I knock him out in a single blow like that young man?'

The Star-Gazing Sword, without even realizing it, clenched his scabbard.

The veins on the back of his hand bulged.

A tension filled his whole body.

Unlike the Mute Red Demon, he had not missed Cheon Mubaeck's movement, although it was faint.

'The Old Tiger Ghost was not helplessly defeated. The moment he was attacked, he had used his claw technique.'

But the Old Tiger Ghost's counterattack had been swallowed by that light.

And when he blinked his eyes, wasn't the Old Tiger Ghost flying away, screaming?

'Hoo. I see the martial world is wide...'

The Star-Gazing Sword stared at Cheon Mubaeck with deeply sunken eyes.

"Who are you?"

"Could it be the Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero?"

The Zhongnan Wind Sword Jeon-hyeon of the Zhongnan sect stopped in his tracks.

"The Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero? You mean the genius who appeared at Shaolin? No, why is that guy here?"

"Perhaps he heard the news of the Red Blood Sword Demon."

"Damn it. The Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero..."

Jeon-hyeon chewed his lip.

The Zhongnan sect had also heard the news about the Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero.

Jeon-hyeon glanced at the martial artists of the Mount Hua sect in the distance.

When he used his inner vision, a clear scene unfolded, piercing through the distance of dozens of feet.

'Those Mount Hua guys are also flustered.'

Well, they had no choice.

Although he would not lose to the Old Tiger Ghost, it would take quite a bit of determination and time for the Zhongnan Wind Sword himself to face him.

To think that he had brought down such a person in an instant, even if it was a surprise attack...

'Was the rumor about the Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero not a baseless rumor?'

The skilled person who had saved Shaolin.

The best new master since the righteous-demonic war.

'The Mount Hua One Sword Gukbo of Mount Hua, the great young master of the Namgung family, and the Fighting Demon of Chongqing were chosen as the successors who would lead the next martial world, but he has surpassed their fame in one go.'

Jeon-hyeon shut his mouth.

Jeon-hyeon's position was a little ambiguous.

Although he was in the position of an elder, it was because of his skill and his master-disciple relationship. Since the great elder had taken him in as a disciple, his generation was one level higher than the first-generation disciples.

His skill and talent were proven that much.

He had taken the top spot among the first-generation disciples in one go, and not long after, he had been able to rise to the position of an elder thanks to his generation.

So he had become a person in an ambiguous position to be chosen as a successor. Although his actual age was in his late twenties, so he was a successor...

He was inwardly satisfied that he was not tied up as a successor, but on the other hand, his vigilance against the successors was strong.

The great disciple of the rival Mount Hua, the Plum Blossom One Sword, and the great young master of the Namgung family, who competed with the sword for the world, were definitely figures to be wary of.

In the midst of that, the Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero had appeared.

'Moreover, if the secret manual of the Red Blood Sword Demon is stolen...'

His eyes turned red.

"Let's go! Mount Hua, that guy called the Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero who appeared from who knows where, we must be the first to occupy the secret manual and stand tall, more than anyone else!"

The Zhongnan sect moved.

* * *

Kkang! Kkaang!

"Wow! My wrist is going to fall off! It's here!"

Neung-heo shouted, holding his wrist. It was a sword with a sword qi in it. If it was some kind of iron, even if he couldn't cut it completely, he could hit it and get it stuck.

But it had bounced off. It meant there was something inside.

"Move aside, Neung-heo!"

Cheon Mubaeck drew his sword without hesitation.

The internal energy that poured out from the sword body suddenly surged violently like a rushing stream.

Kugugugugu!

"Wow. He's crazy."

Neung-heo let out an admiration without even realizing it.

Cheon Mubaeck usually did not let out a stream of sword qi like other martial artists when he fought.

Sword qi was the most powerful and certain destructive power for martial artists.

The power that was released to the outside by containing internal energy.

In fact, it was the easiest evidence to distinguish between the peak and the first-rate.

Although Neung-heo could also contain a faint sword qi, he had not seen Cheon Mubaeck use sword qi usually.

It was natural.

To Cheon Mubaeck, sword qi was the very definition of 'too much is as bad as too little'.

Instead of letting out a stream of sword qi, to concentrate and compress it inside the sword body, and to swing the sword in an absolutely efficient way.

That was Cheon Mubaeck's usual theory.

But not this time.

'That guy, he must have eaten all the wild ginseng and whatever elixirs except for me!'

Neung-heo could not hold back his shock.

The large hill was being cut away in chunks as if it were tofu by Cheon Mubaeck's sword qi.

Kugugugugu!

How many times had the sword qi been swung?

The soil and stones that had filled the hill were all shattered or had disappeared. A hollow space was revealed underneath. A pit that was large enough for five strong men to enter at the same time had been created.

"My lord!"

"Let's go in!"

He felt it. A strange current. The air that was coming up from below was full of moisture, but Cheon Mubaeck felt something else.

The natural qi was so abundant that the Heaven-Shaking Soul Art was reacting.

Cheon Mubaeck's eyes flashed. He threw himself into the pit without hesitation.

"...!"

A faint light lit up the space.

Luminous pearls were embedded in both walls.

It was a corridor with both walls blocked without anything.

Cheon Mubaeck concentrated his internal energy in his eyes and used his inner vision.

A large entrance was visible beyond the faint light.

A sharply engraved character was revealed on the round-shaped entrance.

The Ghost Tomb.

"The treasure map was real!"

Neung-heo let out a sigh at the name revealed at the entrance. Greed surged on his face, which was flushed with excitement. Even he, who had thought that the treasure map was a distant story, felt a greed when the real thing was revealed before his eyes.

Cheon Mubaeck, without caring about such greed, stood tall at the entrance.

He stared at the entrance with a sharp gaze.

"It's the treasure map of the Red Blood Sword Demon!"

"Damn it! Whether it turns out to be porridge or rice, let's just go!"

The voices of the martial artists were heard from above the pit. The impatient Neung-heo urged Cheon Mubaeck.

"No, aren't you going in?"

Beyond the entrance, there was not a single point of light, to the point of being terrible.

It was to the extent that it felt like looking at the entrance to an endless hell. To be honest, if Cheon Mubaeck had not been next to him, Neung-heo would not have even thought of entering.

But Cheon Mubaeck did not budge.

He just stared at the character 'Ghost Tomb' engraved on the entrance with narrowed eyes.

'Ha. I'm starting to get a feel for it now.'

A smile appeared on Cheon Mubaeck's lips.

'From the natural qi that feels unusually full, to these characters.'

He had gotten one step closer to what he had expected. And if what he had expected was completely correct.

'I might be able to get something pretty good.'

Cheon Mubaeck immediately shouted to Neung-heo.

"It's a tactical retreat."

"Pardon?"

"It's no good to go in early. Kill your presence and hide."

"No. What are you talking about all of a sudden..."

Although Neung-heo was dumbfounded, he moved as per Cheon Mubaeck's command.

He immediately broke the luminous pearls as they came.

Kwadeuk!

The corridor leading to the entrance was submerged in a darkness where one could not see an inch ahead.

Cheon Mubaeck said as if he were dumbfounded at that sight.

"I just told you to kill your presence."

"If I could do that much, I would be an assassin."

"Hide your presence. With that much, that old man I sent flying in one blow earlier would be able to notice it."

"No, how can I hide my presence more here?"

"Sigh. You pathetic bastard."

Neung-heo was suddenly choked up. Because Cheon Mubaeck's tone was one of genuine pity.

It was then.

"I can't see anything in front!"

"Over there! The entrance is over there!"

The number of martial artists who had thrown themselves into the pit one by one increased.

"The Ghost Tomb, the Ghost Tomb, it says the Ghost Tomb! It's the tomb of the Red Blood Sword Demon!"

When someone shouted 'Ghost Tomb,' the situation instantly descended into a pandemonium.

"Move aside!"

A sword fight broke out in an instant. The one who was rushing into the entrance of the Ghost Tomb first, and the one who was blocking. And the one who was cutting them down.

Neung-heo, who had gotten used to the darkness, could vaguely see all of it.

'These bastards, they're completely crazy about the treasure map.'

Although they were right next to the wall, the martial artists passed by without even seeing Cheon Mubaeck and Neung-heo.

But as time passed, Neung-heo felt something strange.

Let's say that the so-so martial artists passed by without even noticing.

The martial artists who appeared next, who did not seem to be pushovers, also just passed by carefully.

In particular, the Old Tiger Ghost, the Mute Red Demon with a red beard who was carrying a spear on his back, and the Star-Gazing Sword with a large sword at his waist did not notice at all.

'The Zhongnan sect and... huh? That Mount Hua Taoist I saw at Shaolin?'

Moreover, the martial artists of the Zhongnan sect and Cheonghyeonjin of the Mount Hua sect also passed by in an instant.

Only then did Neung-heo realize the reason.

'Could it be?'

Neung-heo, without even realizing it, trembled. Only after all the people had passed did Cheon Mubaeck move, revealing his presence.

Only then did Neung-heo remember that Cheon Mubaeck had been right next to him.

'He not only hid his own presence, but also the presence of others?'

Although Neung-heo also knew how to kill his presence to some extent, there was a difference in level.

Half of the Mount Hua sect disciples who had just passed by would have noticed Neung-heo's presence.

But they had not. They had all just passed by without even noticing a hint.

"By any chance... did my lord hide my presence?"

Although Cheon Mubaeck did not answer, he did not deny it either.

Neung-heo's mouth fell open.

It was the first time he had heard that there was a person in the world who could hide the presence of others.

'My goodness. What else is this guy hiding?'

Although he had been impressed by Cheon Mubaeck every time, at this moment, Neung-heo felt fear.

"Well, it's nothing. I just tried it once, and it worked."

Since he knew how to control the external qi to some extent with the efficacy of the Heaven-Shaking Soul Art, Cheon Mubaeck had also tried it once.

Fortunately, it was quite successful.

"But why are you just watching without entering the Ghost Tomb first?"

"Do you see this?"

"Huh? What, it's so erased that I can't see it well."

Neung-heo narrowed his eyes. Behind the character 'Ghost Tomb,' there was a trace that looked like a character or a picture.

Soon, Neung-heo recognized that some of them were characters.

"I don't know what it says."

Cheon Mubaeck smirked.

Neung-heo, who had taken that smile as a mockery, contorted his face.

"I'm not illiterate. I can roughly make out a few, but a few are either erased or are characters I've never seen before."

Cheon Mubaeck understood. At this point in time, there would not be many people who could recognize these erased characters.

Because there were a few characters that had now disappeared mixed in.

Of course, Cheon Mubae-ck here was one of the not so many people.

Cheon Mubaeck slowly read the characters.

"The Complete Truth Sacred Altar."

It was the sacred altar of the The Complete Truth Sect, which had now disappeared.

(End of Chapter)