Chapter 84: Part 17 — Lured into the Trap (4)

The Spiritless Zone spread throughout the entire forest.

Sa Hyeollin’s face turned pale. The blue light continuously pressed down upon her Spirit Union spirits.

“This… this can’t be happening!”

She grit her teeth.

But there was no denying reality — at this rate, all her spirits would be annihilated.

“Black Spirit! Dark Poison Smoke! Blood Bone Insects! Deathly Tones! Return, all of you!”

She shouted urgently.

The four Spirit Union spirits escaped from the blue light and retreated toward Sa Hyeollin.

The black form of Black Spirit melted into her shadow. The poisonous smoke of Dark Poison Smoke was drawn into her mouth. The swarming Blood Bone Insects surged like clouds and burrowed beneath her skin, while the illusionary mist of Deathly Tones vanished into her pupils.

“Ghost-Feeding Art!”

Sa Hyeollin refused to retreat now. She would not accept defeat like this.

Fwaaash!

Her body blurred like black smoke and began sinking into the ground.

She hid herself deep between the tree roots.

The Ghost-Feeding Art she performed differed greatly from the version used by martial artists. In Murim, the art merely suppressed one’s breathing — but she entered a complete state of suspended animation, turning her body into a soul temporarily.

It was a forbidden sorcery that concealed oneself within the material realm.

But the price was severe. She couldn’t maintain the state for long; her life force drained rapidly.

‘Just a little longer… wait a bit more. I’ll strike the moment that bastard lowers his guard.’

She muttered inwardly.

Aboveground, Gugwi’s Soul Purification Technique continued. The stray spirits ascended one by one, and the forest’s energy grew pure once again.

Sa Hyeollin endured, gritting her teeth — waiting for her chance for revenge.

“Hoo…”

Gugwi let out a deep breath.

The last stray spirit vanished through the Realm of the Threshold, and peace returned to the forest.

The vibration of the Spirit Flow Core gradually subsided, and the pain from overexertion eased away.

“Is it… over?”

Yeon Sohye asked cautiously.

The wound on her shoulder had already healed.

“I can’t sense Sa Hyeollin’s presence.”

Jang Unhyeok looked around as he spoke.

The poison that had invaded his body had been completely neutralized.

The Red Spearman propped his spear and stood up.

“She escaped right under our noses. When did she even flee? Whew! The Twelve True Armies are practically like emperors themselves… First Ma Ungyeol, now Sa Hyeollin. Are we really going to keep fighting monsters like these?”

“Don’t forget Sasaha of the Ten Armies and Jinhwa Seong of the Sixth True Army either,” Jang Unhyeok said playfully.

Gugwi withdrew the Spiritless Zone and began walking slowly. He approached where Sa Hyeollin had been and surveyed the area.

‘Did she really vanish?’

Something didn’t feel right. He didn’t know Sa Hyeollin well, but she didn’t seem like someone who would give up so easily.

Just as Gugwi reached the spot where she had disappeared—

Swish!

A black hand suddenly shot up from the ground and grabbed his ankle.

“Ugh!”

At the same time, Sa Hyeollin burst forth from the earth.

Her face was ghostly pale, her features twisted — the side effect of the Ghost-Feeding Art.

Fwoooosh!

Sa Hyeollin’s mouth opened wide.

The spirit Deathly Tones emerged from her throat, unleashing hundreds of poison darts. It was her final attack — the Poison Mist Binding!

Whiiiiiish!

The poisoned darts flew straight toward Gugwi.

Each dart was laced with deadly venom — and since they were fired by a spirit, they carried spiritual energy that could cause bizarre illnesses no physician could cure.

Pang!

Gugwi hastily expanded the Spiritless Zone.

But Sa Hyeollin was far too close. Before the zone could fully manifest, the poison darts were already upon him. Even the burst of light from the Spirit Flow Core couldn’t completely block the spiritual assault.

Papapapapap!

He raised his arms to shield his face.

The darts embedded thickly into his arm — like a hedgehog. His forearms, his chest… wherever they struck, foul liquid began to ooze, and dizziness washed over him.

“Haaah!”

Gugwi staggered.

A surprise attack without even a moment to react — he hadn’t expected that.

Sa Hyeollin had turned herself into a spirit through the Ghost-Feeding Art. She was already half a ghost. No breath, no presence, no body heat — impossible to sense.

“Kihihi! You’re dying today, you bastard!”

Sa Hyeollin cackled madly.

Fwaaaah!

Deathly Tones opened its maw again, vomiting a second wave of poison darts — twice as many as before. They flew straight toward Gugwi’s head, ignoring the arms raised to block them.

At that moment, the Red Spearman leaped forward—

“Where do you think you’re going!”

Paaang!

The spear spun fiercely, deflecting the poisoned darts. The metallic clangs echoed one after another.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

But there were simply too many darts. A few slipped through and embedded themselves into Gugwi’s chest.

At that moment, Yeon Sohye dashed in.

“Triple Consecutive Kill!”

Her dagger flashed three times in rapid succession—

The first strike aimed for Sa Hyeollin’s neck!

The second for her chest!

The third for her flank!

Sa Hyeollin twisted her body desperately to evade, but the dagger grazed her shoulder and arm. Black blood spattered.

“Keuk!”

She stumbled backward, glaring at the wound.

Originally, Yeon Sohye would never have been able to injure her — the gap in martial prowess between them was vast. But the Ghost-Feeding Art had left Sa Hyeollin’s body severely weakened.

And worse— in that weakened state, every strike she took dealt twice the damage.

Chiieek!

Black smoke rose from the dagger wound.

The Red Spearman seized the opportunity.

“Taaat!”

The spear thrust straight toward Sa Hyeollin’s heart — Blood Point Breakthrough! The spear pierced through the air with a sharp whistle.

Sa Hyeollin tried to block it with her Bloodfang Whip.

Clang!

Spear and whip clashed, scattering sparks. Yet, impossibly, the Red Spearman’s thrust overpowered hers. The whip was forced back, shaking her wrist violently.

Then Jang Unhyeok joined the fray.

“Over here too!”

Shriiiing!

Sword and blade merged to create Harmony of Flame and Wind. Crimson flames and azure wind intertwined in a vortex, encircling Sa Hyeollin. The violent whirlwind sealed off every path of escape.

Sa Hyeollin gathered the last of her strength.

“Kikikik! You dogs really want to die that badly!”

Papapap!

The spirit of Blood Bone Insects erupted from her body in fury. At the same time, thousands of poisonous insects spewed out from her flesh, surging toward the group like a black cloud.

But by then, Gugwi’s Spiritless Zone was already fully formed.

Paaaaaang!

The insects disintegrated the instant they emerged. The expanding blue light spread outward, erasing everything that belonged to Sa Hyeollin.

“No!”

Sa Hyeollin screamed in despair.

She knew it now — she was finished. Every means of survival had been cut off. The Ghost-Feeding Art sneak attack had been her final chance. If she had killed Gugwi then, the Spiritless Zone would never have been unleashed.

Yeon Sohye unleashed her finishing blow.

Papapapap!

Her dagger, shrouded in silver mist, shot forward from three directions at once — an illusionary triple strike born from Phantom Shift, the Silver Spirit Triple Strike. The situation was too urgent to perform Spirit Union techniques, so she relied on her own martial arts — yet it was more than enough to corner Sa Hyeollin.

“Keuuuk!”

Sa Hyeollin screamed as she staggered back. Wounds multiplied across her shoulders, legs, and sides. The side effects of the Ghost-Feeding Art had pushed her body past its limits — she could no longer hold out.

With venomous fury, she shouted,

“You bastards! I’ll have my revenge soon enough! Just you wait!”

Her body once again turned into black smoke — but this time, it was to flee.

The smoke scattered with the wind, vanishing deep into the forest.

“Phew…”

Gugwi let out a sigh of relief. It finally seemed to be over. But then—

“There!”

The Red Spearman pointed to the sky.

A small black dot soared high above — Sa Hyeollin’s carrier pigeon.

“Is she alerting Ma Ungyeol to our location?”

Yeon Sohye frowned.

“No. When I was ordered to go to the Sixth True Army, the Heavenly Sound Cult already believed the Seventh True Army had died. Sa Hyeollin never told anyone she was still alive.”

“Then you mean… she had another motive?”

“Perhaps she wanted to claim the Spirit Flow Core for herself, rather than hand it to the Cult Leader.”

“Then what’s that pigeon for?”

Yeon Sohye pointed at the bird, now a fading speck in the distance.

“It’s not heading to the Heavenly Sound Cult — it must be flying toward an ally. I’m curious who in the Cult’s territory would still help her. Heh…”

Jin Geonmu laughed quietly.

The Red Spearman then noticed something strange at the spot where Sa Hyeollin had fought.

“What’s this?”

A torn piece of leather lay on the ground.

Drawn upon it was a complex map.

“Looks like Sa Hyeollin dropped this.”

Gugwi examined the map carefully.

It showed mountain ranges, valleys, and peculiar markings. In one corner of the map, the word “Altar” was written.

“An altar? If it’s the kind used by Soul-Summoners, there are five types,” Yeon Sohye said as she peered over the map.

“There’s the Sealing Altar, used to contain beings like the Manifest Demon Emperor.

The Summoning Altar, which calls spirits from the Realm of the Threshold—you’ve experienced that one yourself back at the Cold Wolf Sect, when you summoned a Spirit Union Martial Artist.”

She continued,

“The Heavenly Sound Cult mainly uses two:

the Sacrificial Altar, which strengthens Soul-Summoning by offering up lives or spirits,

and the Cursed Altar, which amplifies resentment to trigger curses or berserk states. The Dark Spirit Sect’s altar falls into that category.

By contrast, the Cloud Flow Sect used the Purification Altar, which guides or purifies evil spirits.

It’s tied to blue sigils, stone steles, and even the Spirit Flow Core of the Gatekeeper’s bloodline.

In a way, your body itself could be called a purification altar.”

“Then this one must be either a Sacrificial Altar or a Cursed Altar… but no one would make a map for a sacrificial one, so…”

“Ah!”

Before Yeon Sohye could finish, Gugwi suddenly gasped.

“Then this… this must be a Cursed Altar, a Dark Spirit Sect altar!”

“You’re thinking the same thing, right?”

“Am I wrong?”

“No, I agree. But if Sa Hyeollin had this… then it means the Heavenly Sound Cult has been interested in the Dark Spirit Sect for a long time. Could it be that the Cult Leader’s goal is to resurrect the Manifest Demon Emperor?”

Yeon Sohye’s eyes narrowed as she studied the map again.

It was a tremendous discovery. Sa Hyeollin had left them an invaluable gift.

The group sat around the map and discussed their next destination.

“Our plan to head for the Hall of the Forgotten Souls was also to learn about the Dark Spirit Sect,” said Jang Unhyeok.

“Then why not visit this place first? Since Sa Hyeollin had it marked on her map… even if the rest of us are blind to it, you might uncover something, Gugwi.”

Gugwi turned to him.

“I thought you were in a hurry to reach the Heavenly Sound Cult to save your son.”

Jang Unhyeok smirked.

“Tch! You knew? Yeah, I’m impatient. But this place—” he pointed at the map, “—is just a small detour on the way to the Heavenly Sound Cult.”

“We might learn more about the Spirit Flow Core there, too. That would make us stronger. Honestly, going as we are now…”

“…would be suicide, right?” Gugwi finished.

“Exactly. You’ve seen the Sixth True Army and the Seventh True Army yourself—there’s not a single easy opponent among the Twelve True Armies. Especially Heuk Amhyeolgwoon of the First True Army—he commands seven Spirit Union Martial Artists.”

Yeon Sohye nodded.

“I agree with the Head of the Intelligence Division. But we need to be careful on the way there too. The Heavenly Sound Cult is probably targeting that location as well.”

The Red Spearman hoisted his spear onto his shoulder and stood up.

“Think too long and the night just gets longer. Let’s move. I know the general direction—let me lead.”

The four of them followed the map’s path.

Namgung Hoyoung trailed behind the group, continually administering acupuncture. Gugwi, Yeon Sohye, Jang Unhyeok, and Jin Geonmu—none of them were unscathed. Each had to be treated for poison and wounds before they could continue.

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