The Wind Sword Phantom, the Fourth Elder of the Blood Cult, gnawed on his lip. "What in the world...!?"
His confused and fearful eyes were glued to the red-haired, red-eyed man fighting the monsters of the Samsara Hell.
How could the Azure Dragon Hero have learned the Heaven Defying Divine Art?!
Thunderclap cried out in affirmation.
The moment the Azure Dragon Hero's hair and eyes turned crimson, the Fourth Elder's mind went blank. He could only stare vacantly, frozen in place. If the Bloody Monk hadn't snapped him back to his senses, he wouldn't have been able to flee.
The Fourth Elder acted on pure survival instinct. Without hesitation, he executed his movement arts with all his might, reacting like a prey animal encountering an apex predator.
The Fourth Elder could no longer deny the truth, claiming that the Azure Dragon Hero had merely learned a visually similar technique.
Even then, deep down, he wanted to dismiss the sight as a mere illusion caused by the sorcerous formation.
By the time twenty exchanges had elapsed, not a single patch of ground in the area remained unscathed.
The Heaven Defying Divine Art! We haven't even found a proper successor to the Blood Demon, yet here is the Azure Dragon Hero—the man who thwarted our plans and killed our elders time and again—using the Heaven Defying Divine Art with an astonishing level of mastery. I have to report this immediately!
The blade snapped in half with surprising ease.
He had a strong premonition that if the Blood Cult remained ignorant of this crucial information, it would face yet another crushing defeat.
Suddenly, as he fled blindly in terror, he recalled a critical fact. It was impossible to escape the Samsara Hell Annihilation Formation from the inside. Someone had to open a door from the outside. No matter how fast or far he ran, he could not escape the formation.
He unleashed the Flying Sword Technique with five swords at once, demonstrating mastery of a skill that would earn a swordsman recognition for controlling even a single blade. As if they were alive, the five swords danced in perfect harmony.
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"After I clean up the trash at the branch estate, I will personally come for the Azure Dragon Hero. You just need to stall for time and keep him from running too wild."
Remembering the Head Elder's words, a murderous urge bloomed within him. That old coot had sent him into the formation, claiming his role wouldn't be too difficult.
Well, I didn't expect to kill him in one blow, anyway.
Screw that senile old fart! I'll tear him to pieces!
Fortunately, he recalled a tip the Head Elder had given him before he entered the Samsara Hell. Chanting a spell, he summoned a horde of monsters and ordered them to protect him.
Although the Wind Sword Phantom was the Fourth Elder of the Blood Cult, the number preceding the title 'Elder' was not necessarily an indicator of strength.
Fast forward now to his second encounter with the Azure Dragon Hero.
Fast forward now to his second encounter with the Azure Dragon Hero.
SHWAAAAAK! CRACKLE! CRACK! CRUNCH!
The monsters of Samsara Hell were shredded, frozen solid, or pulverized beyond recognition. They were obliterated in every way imaginable.
Standing at the center of all this carnage was a red-haired, red-eyed man who looked as if he had bathed in blood. The sinister smile on his lips grew wider and wider, even as he was swarmed by monsters comparable to peak masters.
"Fuck..."
The Fourth Elder could no longer deny the truth, claiming that the Azure Dragon Hero had merely learned a visually similar technique. The only martial art in the world that exuded such a tyrannical aura was the Heaven Defying Divine Art.
If I can't escape anyway... I must kill him here and now.
The Fourth Elder's eyes burned with intense killing intent. Driven by his obsession with survival, his fear of his natural enemy warped into an all-consuming hatred.
He had not been born a member of the Blood Cult, but had joined as an outsider. Nevertheless, he fully understood the Blood Demon's importance. If word got out that the Azure Dragon Hero had learned the Heaven Defying Divine Art, the orthodox sects wouldn't be the only ones left reeling.
The moment Baek Suryong appeared before the religious zealots who incessantly chanted, 'Hail the Blood Demon! In blood shall we reign supreme!,' they would worship him. It wouldn't matter whether he was the Murim Alliance Chairman or the Azure Dragon Hero. The Blood Cult would be shaken to its very foundations.
His surprise was short-lived.
SHHHHHK!
The man before him was the Blood Demon.
The five swords strapped to his waist and back slid from their sheaths and rose into the air on their own.
"Head Elder, if I make it out of here alive today, I'll make you pay dearly for this!" the Fourth Elder growled between clenched teeth.
Who am I? I am the Wind Sword Phantom, the elusive swordsman who rides on wind currents!
The Fourth Elder ground his teeth.
Some thought his alias was far too elegant for a villain who had killed countless swordsmen to steal their treasured blades, but all who had witnessed his martial arts firsthand agreed that they couldn't think of a more fitting one.
He unleashed the Flying Sword Technique with five swords at once, demonstrating mastery of a skill that would earn a swordsman recognition for controlling even a single blade. As if they were alive, the five swords danced in perfect harmony.
"You use an interesting martial art," Baek Suryong remarked, glancing over curiously even as he fought the monsters. The corners of his lips curled up slightly. His tone was incomparably arrogant, as if he was a different person from before he had used the Heaven Defying Divine Art.
The Fourth Elder hissed, "This is my unique martial art, the Soul Flash Demonic Sword Technique. Let's see how you handle this!"
Sneering, Baek Suryong swung Crimson Moon against the sword in his left hand.
VWOOOOOM!
The five swords emitted a ghostly wail and vibrated as a gray enhanced qi wrapped around them.
Although the Wind Sword Phantom was the Fourth Elder of the Blood Cult, the number preceding the title 'Elder' was not necessarily an indicator of strength. Since he had made countless enemies while collecting treasured swords, he had developed a naturally cautious and vigilant nature, resulting in him being more reserved with his activities. According to the Head Elder, if he had been more proactive, the positions of the Third and Fourth Elders would have been reversed.
The five swords strapped to his waist and back slid from their sheaths and rose into the air on their own.
"Ooh, interesting. Go on." Baek Suryong beckoned with his finger, antagonizing his opponent even as he fought the monsters.
"GRRAAAAAH!"
As the five swords shot forward in unison, the monsters rampaged even more fiercely, providing cover for the attack. Two swords aimed for Baek Suryong's heart and qi center, while two others circled around to strike his spine and neck. The final sword soared high into the sky, waiting for the right moment to plunge toward the crown of their target's head.
CLANG!
Baek Suryong swung Crimson Moon, parrying the two swords in front of him. At the same time, he unleashed a wave of ice qi behind him, freezing the other approaching swords solid in mid-air. Next, he spun like a top, knocking the slowed blades to the side and narrowly dodging the one diving toward his head. Even while doing all this, he also evaded or blocked every attack from the advancing monsters.
The Fourth Elder ground his teeth. Baek Suryong's movements could only be described as godlike.
"...!" The Fourth Elder inadvertently stared into Baek Suryong's otherworldly ruby eyes.
Well, I didn't expect to kill him in one blow, anyway.
When the dust cloud settled, Baek Suryong's figure was revealed, standing proudly. He had neutralized all five swords. "Not bad," he acknowledged.
He wiggled his fingers, sending the deflected swords rose into the air again and again using the monsters as cover for surprise attacks.
SHWAAK!
Blood spurted from Baek Suryong's shoulder where a sword had grazed him. He had failed to completely deflect the vicious attack amid the chaotic battle. Even so, the sinister smile on his lips never wavered. "Oho? You're better than that monk from before."
"...We'll see how long you can keep up that attitude."
Their brief exchange ended, and the five flying swords shot out again. Baek Suryong's form blurred.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
The five swords swam freely through the air, moving in unpredictable arcs. In response, Baek Suryong moved like a possessed dancer.