“What did you say?”

A strange light ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) flared in Fire Ape’s eyes.

“The Ghost-Iron Sword Gate’s heir?”

“Yes. Reports say he’s currently heading toward the eastern side of Changsha.”

Fire Ape sank into thought.

Eastern Changsha...

Fire Ape did not know how the heir had slipped out, but Changsha was the Ink Dragon Manor’s front yard. Of course he would get caught.

Bold, though.

Fire Ape had never expected the heir to show his face here. Fire Ape did not know what Kang Ryang was thinking, but if nothing else, the nerve was worth acknowledging.

The problem is...

For this Ghost-Iron Sword Gate annihilation, Black Sheep and the Black Sheep Unit under Black Sheep had been mobilized.

Black Sheep held a unique position even among the Twelve Zodiac Gods.

Black Sheep had not served Yangcheon from the beginning. Yangcheon had brought Black Sheep in from outside, and in terms of sheer skill, Black Sheep ranked near the top even among the Twelve Zodiac Gods.

And the Black Sheep Unit that Black Sheep personally commanded was elite as well—its martial strength ranked among the top three units under the Twelve Zodiac Gods. Master and subordinates alike, all outstanding fighters.

And that man, now cleanly capturing even the Ghost-Iron Sword Gate’s heir that had slipped away?

“How many of our people are closest from here?”

“Fire Ape Squad Two is returning from southern Changsha. By now, the unit should be within roughly ten li.”

The corner of Fire Ape’s mouth twitched.

Good.

The Fire Ape Unit was composed of five squads in total, and the lower the squad number, the stronger it was.

Among them, Squad Two consisted of experts who were not much inferior to Squad One. And unlike Squad One, which ran countless tasks in parallel, Squad Two moved solely for thorough annihilation of the enemy—a slaughter squad.

Fire Ape looked toward the estate at some distance.

That bastard called Jeong of the Martial Ancestor Sect still had not crawled back into the estate.

Even if he did return, I wouldn’t be able to move.

This was an order issued directly by the Lord of Ink Dragon Manor. Fire Ape was greedy, but more than that, Fire Ape was loyal to Yangcheon.

Fire Ape asked one last question.

“Did the entire Black Sheep Unit move?”

“The entire unit moved, but reports say the unit is scattered. If the unit clashes with the Ghost-Iron Sword Gate’s heir, projections say at most around fifty.”

“Around fifty.”

That was enough.

Even if numbers were against them, Fire Ape’s side had that thing.

“Pass the word to Squad Two. Tell the squad to chase the Ghost-Iron Sword Gate’s heir.”

While issuing the order, Fire Ape thought of Black Sheep.

An unpleasant bastard.

Black Sheep was not someone Fire Ape could trust.

A man disgusting beyond measure. But Fire Ape was not involving herself in Black Sheep’s work simply because Fire Ape disliked Black Sheep.

I need to get into the Lord of Ink Dragon Manor’s good graces with this.

Before the Ink Dragon Manor had been established, Fire Ape had a record of making several major mistakes.

Yangcheon had forgiven Fire Ape, but Fire Ape felt a growing sense of crisis. Fire Ape had realized that Yangcheon’s gaze on Fire Ape was becoming more and more indifferent.

Sorry, Black Sheep.

Even if it was petty, this was the only way to score points. If Fire Ape stacked merit like this, then one day, perhaps the Lord of Ink Dragon Manor might personally pass down a few moves of martial arts.

Like certain powerhouses among the Twelve Zodiac Gods, starting with White Rat.

A subordinate asked,

“If the Black Sheep Unit catches him first, what should we tell Squad Two to do then?”

“If the Black Sheep Unit is a step faster...”

A demonic gleam settled into Fire Ape’s eyes.

“If it looks possible, ambush and kill every last one of them, and steal the hostage. And if those bastards already killed the Gate’s heir, bury them all anyway.”

Fire Ape smiled.

“Then it becomes us who captured the Ghost-Iron Sword Gate’s heir.”

*****

“HUFF...! HUFF...!”

Kang Ryang’s breathing was ruined now—past the point of return.

WHOOOOM.

Slow and lingering, palm force shot for Kang Ryang’s back.

Kang Ryang’s hand moved on instinct.

SHRAAAAK!

The palm force split in two.

CLICK.

The greatsword that had cleaved the palm force stabbed into the ground. Kang Ryang still held the sword to the end, but there was no strength left to lift it.

This can’t be.

Even with his mind half gone, Kang Ryang felt something unbelievable.

I couldn’t even last a quarter-hour before ending up like this?

To hone the Ghost Sword to its utmost, one needed extreme endurance and strength that transcended limits.

Meaning, Kang Ryang had confidence in stamina. Kang Ryang had often been complacent with natural talent, but as for conditioning—Kang Ryang had never neglected it for a single moment.

And yet, this was the state Kang Ryang was in.

These bastards... they’re extremely used to rotating combat.

No one rushed in alone.

Softly, slowly—yet surely.

A tactic that steadily shaved down the target’s stamina while minimizing damage. And in the middle of it, even when allies died or were wounded, a person’s composure should have wavered—yet these bastards showed none of that.

Like dolls that could not think.

They simply crushed the opponent completely with tactics drilled into the body.

“COUGH! HUFF...! You—You bastards! If you call yourselves heroes of the Dark Path, come at me head-on!”

Then Black Elder spoke.

“What are you doing. Press harder.”

The instant Black Elder finished speaking, the Black Sheep Unit advanced one step.

HOOF.

Everyone had only taken one step forward, but it felt like the encirclement tightened violently.

The pressure of that single step was immense. It was not even a burst of Inner Qi, yet Kang Ryang’s body shrank in on itself for an instant.

A movement that targeted a crack in the mind. Their tactics were all like that.

WOOOOONG.

Kang Ryang clenched his teeth and lifted the greatsword.

Do I go down this uselessly?

It hurt. Rage boiled up.

And Kang Ryang was sorry.

Kang Ryang remembered the swordsmen of the Gate, kneeling and begging Kang Ryang to kill them and go. Loyal swordsmen who stayed with Kang Ryang to the end, even as the sect was annihilated.

WHOOOOM.

Unstable Ghost King True Qi filled the greatsword.

The efficiency was not even half of normal. Even if Kang Ryang swung, it was obvious that power, speed, and explosive release would all fail to come out properly.

But Kang Ryang could not not swing. Enemies stood right in front of Kang Ryang.

The same pack that had stolen home, parents, and siblings away.

HOOF.

In an instant, the Ghost King True Qi on the greatsword sank completely into the blade.

Black Elder’s eyes flashed.

“Watch it!”

SHRAAAAK!

Kang Ryang took a powerful step forward.

It was not Ghost-Shadow Divine Step. This was footwork that revealed strength and Killing Intent.

And then, the second Ghost Sword that followed that step.

Ghost-Slaying Sword!

Ghost-Slaying Sword, chained from Ghost-Shadow.

That Killing-Intent-soaked slash poured down toward five members of the Black Sheep Unit.

CLAAANG!

A tremendous resonance rang out.

Sliiiide.

Blood ran from the Black Sheep Unit members’ ears. Their eardrums had burst.

But not a single one fell or broke formation. If anything, the eyes behind the masks were only indifferent, as if nothing had happened.

Kang Ryang’s face went pale.

“An astonishing sword.”

The one who had slipped in among the Black Sheep Unit members and blocked Kang Ryang’s strike was Black Elder.

Black Elder spoke coldly.

“You boast sharpness, but the root of your sword is pure destruction. You truly deserve the fame of the Overlord’s sword lineage.”

Then Black Elder added, even colder,

“But you’re still young.”

Kang Ryang could not believe it.

Blocking Ghost-Slaying Sword with his forearms?

A tyrannical sword form said to blow even a massive boulder away in a single strike if it landed properly.

Even if Kang Ryang’s True Qi was unstable, Black Elder crossed both arms and blocked a Ghost-Slaying Sword packed with Kang Ryang’s full strength. An impossible level of skill.

THUNK!

“URK!”

Kang Ryang collapsed on the spot from Black Elder’s kick.

Black Elder said,

“When defeat is clear, the basics of strategy are to throw a decisive move while keeping retreat in mind. Yet you couldn’t control your anger and burned everything on a self-destructive attack.”

Black Elder put both hands behind his back and turned away.

“A moron with nothing but talent.”

“COUGH! URK—!”

Kang Ryang kept hacking up thick coughs mixed with blood, and stared at Black Elder’s back with bloodshot eyes.

Black Elder said,

“He’s no longer capable of fighting, so there’s no need to kill him. Move him to the Manor. Break his limbs first, so he can’t thrash around.”

WOOOOONG.

A chilling Killing Intent poured from the eyes of the entire Black Sheep Unit.

A shadow of despair fell across Kang Ryang’s face.

Is this... the end?

If Kang Ryang had been beheaded by the enemy, it would have been less humiliating than this.

Captured by the enemy, and then to be moved to the enemy he hated most?

If that’s what awaits, I’ll take my own life!

Kang Ryang grabbed the sword edge with his left hand and wrung out what little strength remained, dragging the blade to his own throat.

CRACK!

“NGH—!”

The left arm snapped, and the greatsword sprang off to the side. One member of the Black Sheep Unit had sensed Kang Ryang’s intent like a ghost and stopped Kang Ryang.

Black Elder spoke as if it were ridiculous.

“The clumsy last flailing of fledgling brats is always like that.”

Kang Ryang clenched his teeth.

Kang Ryang had sworn never to cry, but tears spilled out without Kang Ryang realizing it—tears drenched in grievance and regret.

I’m sorry.

A fate where Kang Ryang could not even choose to die. A reality where the enemy trampled Kang Ryang’s will over life and death.

It had not even been days since Kang Ryang had collapsed into the first regret of his life—and now a second regret arrived.

Sliiiide.

A member of the Black Sheep Unit lifted a foot. The intent was to snap Kang Ryang’s leg as it was.

Kang Ryang squeezed his eyes shut.

Then—

...?

Why?

There was not even a pinch of Ghost King True Qi left, and Kang Ryang’s body had hit its limit. Kang Ryang truly did not have the strength to twitch even a finger.

Yet Kang Ryang’s senses—somehow—caught one presence faster than anyone else here.

Even if the difference was microscopic.

What...?

Before the thought even finished—

A hammerlike, formless Fist Wind pierced through the Black Sheep Unit.

SHRAAANG. THUNK!

With a terrifying tearing impact, shattered bone and blood sprayed everywhere. The head of the Black Sheep Unit member who had been about to break Kang Ryang’s leg burst apart.

Thud.

The headless Black Sheep Unit member toppled. The way the limbs kept twitching created a bizarre, chilling horror.

Black Elder’s eyes widened.

What the hell?!

And at that very moment—

A wind of divine speed slammed in—so fast that no one present could track it with their eyes.

BWAAAANG!

The air burned.

Like a single arrow—or like a flying spear.

A massive dragon flew in, blazing with a splendid blue-green radiance, and behind its back, wings of flame flashed. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Black Elder shouted,

“DODGE—!!”

THUD-THUD-THUD!

In a single instant.

Someone who closed in at monstrous speed tore off the heads of seven Black Sheep Unit members on the spot.

Black Elder’s eyes went even wider.

Black Elder could not even see what had been done. Something blasting an overwhelming momentum surged in, and then seven subordinates died.

And it did not end there.

WHOOOOM.

Splendid blue-green mist and cloud became a gust and dropped into the middle of the Black Sheep Unit.

Right where Kang Ryang had been lying.

KRAAASH!

The entire ground around the ravine shook.

A truly explosive Stamping Step. Without even lifting a leg, the stomp detonated, gathering all the body’s force into one—an extreme realm of ascent.

And the strength gathered by that crushing stomp—

Became a gust.

Became the awe of a blue divine dragon rising to the heavens.

And it spread in all directions.

BANG! THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-BANG!

Eighteen strikes whipped through in a single breath—an invincible palm technique.

People of the Jiangdong region called this palm technique the Reverse-Dragon Palm.

But this was twisted so grotesquely that it could not be called Reverse-Dragon Palm at all.

With the soft, thread-turning of Azure Dragon Qi, destructive power was maximized. This borrowed only the shape of Reverse-Dragon Palm—this was an entirely different martial art.

KUUUURRRRMMMM.

The gust died down, and the dust cleared.

The place that the explosive palm force had swept through was a sea of blood.

“Ghost-Iron Sword Gate’s heir.”

Kang Ryang lifted his blurred eyes.

...!

One person stood with the blazing sun at his back.

A monster with blue, glowing eyes poured out a dignity that far surpassed imagination as he looked down at Kang Ryang.

“...Kang Ryang. Right.”

It was Yeon Hojeong.