Chapter 82: Lured into the Trap (2)

‘Illusion? I’m caught in an illusion? Then even the Spirit Flow Core not bursting out… that’s an illusion too?’

Gugwi furrowed his brow deeply.

At that moment, beneath the tree roots, black orbs began to flicker. They were Blood Crystals—Sa Hyeollin’s final arrangement, the core that transformed an ordinary forest into the Poison Blood Forest.

Swish! Shhh!

From the Blood Crystals, Blood Fog erupted and engulfed the group.

‘Red mist?’

When black and red blended together, it turned into a murky, impure darkness. Their vision was completely obscured.

At the same time, thin Poison Darts showered down like rain from somewhere.

The Blood Bone Insects released by Blood Bone Insect Master—countless bugs crept through the trees, spitting their venomous darts.

Whiiish!

Yeon Sohye cast the Silver Spirit Illusion, making her form blur, but a dart grazed her shoulder.

“Ahk!”

Black blood trickled down.

The dart was coated with the Blood Bone Insect Master’s poison.

Even the Red Spearman, who had been slashing through the air, was struck by a blow from Bloodfang Whip. The serrated whip tore a chunk of flesh from his shoulder.

“Kh…!”

As the poison seeped in through the wound, his face twisted in agony. The veins beneath his skin began to turn black.

Gugwi quickly summoned a Spirit Union Physician.

“Namgung Hoyoung!”

Namgung Hoyoung immediately appeared and performed the True Acupuncture Sutras.

Silver needles imbued with spiritual energy pierced Yeon Sohye and the Red Spearman’s bodies in rapid succession.

Tatata-tak!

The Vibrating Acupuncture of Blood Points worked flawlessly. It was more effective at expelling poison than mending torn flesh. Yet, the Blood Fog only grew denser.

From deep within the forest, a lilting laugh echoed.

“Kihihihi… Welcome, Gugwi!”

It was unmistakably Sa Hyeollin’s voice—sweet yet chilling.

“I’ve prepared plenty. Make sure you enjoy yourself… kikik!”

She revealed herself atop a cliff, the Bloodfang Whip coiling around her as she smiled sinisterly.

“Last time, I was careless and suffered humiliation… but this time, I’m perfectly prepared!”

Shhhh!

Sa Hyeollin leapt from the cliff, hurling herself toward Gugwi.

The Bloodfang Whip lashed through the air, splitting into multiple strands that flew toward the group.

Jang Unhyeok drew his Twin Blades, suppressing the fury that burned within him.

The illusion persisted—the sound of his child’s crying clawed at his heart. But now he knew it was an illusion.

He ground his teeth.

“I won’t lose anyone again!”

Paaang!

The Harmony of Flame and Wind erupted—scarlet flames and azure gusts spiraled violently. The hallucinations burned away in the storm of fire.

The Red Spearman, gritting his teeth through the pain, gripped his spear once more.

Thung! Thung! Thung-thung! Thuuung!

A fierce roar resonated from his weapon. His spiritual energy surged, condensing into the spear. Unlike the Spirit Summoners, his qi coursed through his entire body before gathering with overwhelming power.

“Thanks for letting me see my wife again… though I wish it wasn’t while she was bleeding.”

Shweeeek!

His spinning spear carried the grief of his late wife. Crimson energy enveloped the blade. Though the illusions still lingered, he recognized them for what they were.

“Be careful! This is only the beginning! The Bone Formation has been activated! Soon, we’ll be surrounded by countless Stray Spirits!”

Sa Hyeollin’s laughter resounded all around them.

“Kihihihi… you recognize the Bone Formation? That Cold Wolf Sect girl isn’t useless, huh? But knowing won’t help you stop it! Come closer! The deeper you go, the more fun it gets!”

The Blood Crystals beneath the roots pulsed with light.

“Kihihihi… I said come! The deeper you go, the better it gets! Why don’t you ever listen!”

Her laughter echoed faintly from afar.

Gugwi focused on where she might be. Deep in the forest, in the darkness beyond…

Swish!

Suddenly, the Bloodfang Whip sliced through the air toward Gugwi’s neck.

Sa Hyeollin was already right beside him. The distant voice—just another illusion from the Deathly Tones.

In that instant, the spear gleamed.

Clang!

The Red Spearman’s spear struck the Bloodfang Whip perfectly. The whip embedded into a tree, scattering bark everywhere.

“You wretch! Such cowardly tricks!”

The Red Spearman snarled, twisting his spear. His technique began to unfold.

Pharararang!

His spear quivered, charged with crimson energy.

It was a pure spear art—built solely from true energy and technique, something rarely seen even within the Heavenly Sound Cult.

First Form — Blood Point Breakthrough!

The spearpoint gathered all its power at a single point, thrusting straight for Sa Hyeollin’s heart. The line it traced through the air carved a razor wind as it flew.

Sa Hyeollin twisted her body to evade, but the spear grazed her shoulder. Black blood spattered.

“Khk!”

Second Form — Bloodstorm Barrage!

The Red Spearman spun his weapon, launching a flurry of strikes. Each thrust cut off Sa Hyeollin’s escape routes, the wind screeching with every stab.

Clack! Clack! Clack!

Her Bloodfang Whip deflected the spear, sparks flying at every impact.

“Kikik! Dying with style, are we? Fine, I’ll deal with you later… for now—give me the Core!”

Psss!

Her voice slithered through the air like poison. She hadn’t spoken idly—there was intent behind every word. Gugwi sensed it instinctively.

Ssshhh!

With her voice, two shadows burst forth from the darkness—Blood Demon Jade and Black Spirit.

The two Spirit Union Spirits extended their hands, releasing black smoke that coiled and writhed.

It was the Dark Flame Binding. The smoke moved like serpents—its target: Yeon Sohye. They were trying to break Gugwi’s focus by attacking her.

“Ugh!”

Yeon Sohye, who had been concentrating on the crimson mist, was suddenly enveloped by the toxic smoke. Her face went pale, her lips turning black.

But just then—

Shrrrk.

Namgung Hoyoung appeared beside her. Silver needles glittered at the fingertips of the Spirit Union Physician.

Tat-tat-tak!

He pierced Yeon Sohye’s philtrum and Hapgok Acupoint. His qi vibrated, forcing the poison out.

“Hah… hah…”

Yeon Sohye gasped for air as consciousness returned. The dark hue drained from her lips, her color slowly returning to normal.

“What?”

Sa Hyeollin’s eyes widened.

She glared at Gugwi and shouted,

“What did you do again? This, this… you contracted with another one already? How many are you even contracting with? Kikik! Since you have the Spirit Flow Core, you form Resonance so easily!”

There was a note of confusion in her voice.

This was something she had never seen before—a spirit appearing on its own to perform healing.

Sa Hyeollin grit her teeth.

“Whatever it is, I’ll get rid of you first!”

The Bloodfang Whip split into several strands, all flying toward Gugwi. At the same time, Blood Demon Jade and Black Spirit attacked from both sides.

Shwik! Shweeeek!

The spear blade flashed.

The Red Spearman executed Third Form — Blood Wall Barrier. Spinning his spear like a shield, he stepped in front of Gugwi. The rotating spear formed a circular barrier, deflecting all strands of the Bloodfang Whip.

Clang! Clang-clang!

The clash of metal resounded repeatedly.

Gugwi left the fight to Jin Geonmu and closed his eyes, focusing solely on the Spirit Flow Core.

‘My illusion… is the belief that the Spirit Flow Core won’t respond.’

Deep within his chest, a pulse of blue light throbbed. That light began to glow brighter.

‘The fact that Namgung Hoyoung appeared…’

It meant the Spirit Flow Core was indeed active. It was like someone who could freely move their limbs but believed themselves crippled and thus could not.

Shweee!

The Bloodfang Whip lashed out again, but Gugwi didn’t move. His focus remained locked on the Spirit Flow Core.

Clang!

Jin Geonmu’s spear intercepted Sa Hyeollin’s strike.

Fourth Form — Bloodstream Reversal. A spear form that reversed the opponent’s attack trajectory by sweeping the weapon backward.

“Try blocking this one too!”

Sa Hyeollin stretched her hand forward.

In that instant, Blood Bone Insect Master’s Blood Bone Binding activated. His spirit reached toward Gugwi.

An invisible force tightened around his blood vessels, cutting off circulation.

Gugwi felt as if an unseen hand had seized his heart, squeezing it tight.

“Kh…!”

His vision narrowed. His consciousness dimmed as the flow of blood actually slowed.

The Red Spearman saw it and leapt forward.

“You witch!”

Fifth Form — Blood Heart Piercer!

He gathered all his energy into the spear tip and thrust downward, aiming at the Blood Crystal hidden beneath the tree roots. He couldn’t strike the Blood Bone Insect Master directly, so he targeted the core instead.

Boom!

The Blood Crystal shattered, scattering crimson light. One of the Poison Blood Forest’s cores was destroyed.

“How dare you!”

Sa Hyeollin’s rage flared.

At that moment, Deathly Tones appeared and opened its mouth wide.

A movement drawn by a spirit—yet when its mouth opened, thin Poison Darts rained out in droves. This wasn’t an illusion; it was a technique that allowed an attack without merging with a human body.

Whiiish!

The darts flew straight toward the Red Spearman’s legs.

“Ah—!”

He tried to evade, but there were too many, and they were too fast—thin as steel hairs.

Thunk!

A dart pierced his thigh. Paralysis spread instantly down his leg.

“Kh… this poison…!”

The Red Spearman dropped to one knee.

With no strength left in his leg, he drove his spear into the ground to keep himself upright—barely avoiding collapse.

Then Namgung Hoyoung appeared again.

Shrrrk!

The Spirit Union Physician approached the Red Spearman and drew a needle.

Tak!

He pierced the Seungsan Acupoint. His qi vibrated, forcing the toxin out and restoring sensation to the paralyzed leg.

The dart popped out on its own and fell to the ground.

Sa Hyeollin didn’t miss that brief opening. There was a clear reason she had unleashed Poison Mist Binding through Deathly Tones—to momentarily drive Jin Geonmu away and keep him from interfering with Gugwi’s death.

Shweeek!

She swung the Bloodfang Whip wide, slashing toward Gugwi.

“This time it’s over!”

The whip coiled like a snake—its target, the neck.

Still, Gugwi didn’t move, utterly focused on the Spirit Flow Core, ignoring everything outside as though trusting the Red Spearman to protect him.

The Red Spearman tried to stand again, but strength had not yet fully returned to his legs.

“Gugwi!”

Yeon Sohye screamed.

Shweeek!

The Bloodfang Whip wrapped around Gugwi’s neck. The thorned whip constricted tightly.

“Kihihihi! Got you!”

Sa Hyeollin’s laughter echoed through the forest.

Blood trickled down Gugwi’s neck as the thorns dug into his flesh.

Yet Gugwi’s eyes remained closed.

Paaang! Paang!

The blue light within his chest blazed even stronger. But it still hadn’t erupted outward—the light merely circled around his Dantian, unable to break through the illusion.

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