Chapter 52: Flame Sword Alliance (2)

“This way!”

Yeon Sohye grabbed Gugwi’s arm and dashed deep into Sambong Valley.

“I’m going to use the Silver Spirit Technique. Help me as much as you can!”

Paaat!

Silver mist enveloped the two and spread wide.

As the mist seeped into the rocky surface of the valley, the rough granite gave the illusion of melting like water. The silver energy streaming through the branches made the leaves sparkle, merging with the flowing streams and blanketing the entire valley in a mystical fog.

“Thick? Or wide?”

“Thick.”

Paaang!

The blue glow of the Spirit Flow Core seeped from Gugwi’s Dantian and mingled with the silver mist.

The blue and silver twisted into a spiral, creating a strange violet hue. This mixed energy completely erased their footprints, blood traces, and even their body heat.

Even Yeon Sohye had never seen concealment of this perfection.

“To think So Ryeonghwa could become this strong...”

Yeon Sohye muttered in astonishment.

The power of the Spirit Flow Core was amplifying So Ryeonghwa’s Silver Spirit Technique severalfold.

“Blood Orb!”

The Bloodscent Fiend raised a red orb into the sky.

The palm-sized orb began to slowly rotate in the air. As the complex patterns etched on its surface lit up one by one, a Living Spirit began to awaken.

Whiiririring!

As the orb spun faster, its crimson glow intensified.

The Living Spirit within the orb detected the bloodstains left on the rocks, causing it to vibrate. Even the silver mist, a spirit technique from a Spirit Union, was caught in the Living Spirit’s perception.

The Bloodscent Fiend’s eyes gleamed.

“There.”

The orb pointed toward Sambong Valley, glowing even brighter.

The Bloodscent Fiend formed a complex series of hand seals with both hands and chanted an incantation.

“Living Spirits, emerge!”

Shadows seeped from the air.

A group of Living Spirits, varying in shape and size, emerged. Some crawled on all fours like wolves, sniffing for scents. Some flew like birds, scanning the air. Others burrowed underground like worms, searching for traces of footprints.

“The key is to find them before the Blue Blood Unit…”

The Bloodscent Fiend’s eyes sharpened.

Gugwi opened the Soul Echo Manual.

Relying on the faint light like a candle’s flicker, he read the lines written in the manual again. Each word pierced his eyes, pressing down on his chest. At this point, the manual felt like a death sentence disguised as a secret art.

“The bearer of the Spirit Flow Core must end themselves. That is the only way to prevent the resurrection of the Manifest Demon Emperor. Struggling to survive is a selfish act that endangers all three realms. You must accept the fate of the Gatekeeper’s bloodline.”

Gugwi clenched his fists tightly.

His nails dug into his palms, drawing blood, but he didn’t feel it.

Now he fully understood why his father had implanted the Spirit Flow Core in him. He intended to use Gugwi to activate the core and then drive him to suicide to annihilate it. The most foolproof way to prevent the resurrection of the Manifest Demon Emperor.

“How could a father tell his own child to die… No, my father’s the type who absolutely would. Hah!”

Gugwi’s laugh was mixed with betrayal and rage. But he quickly suppressed those emotions. Now wasn’t the time to be swayed by feelings. To survive, he needed to judge the situation with a clear mind.

Currently, he was the top target of both the Murim Alliance and the Heavenly Sound Cult.

The Murim Alliance wanted to capture him to study the Spirit Flow Core, while the Heavenly Sound Cult intended to seize it and use it to resurrect the Manifest Demon Emperor. Either way, they saw him only as a tool, not as a person.

And if he fought them head-on?

Gugwi calculated calmly.

He had told Yeon Sohye he would eliminate anyone who stood in their way… But honestly, he was still no match for elites like the Twelve True Armies, the Seven Cold Wolves, or the Captain of the Blue Blood Unit.

Escape, concealment, and waiting for the perfect chance to strike—that was the only path to survival.

“In that case…”

There was nothing more to gain from the Soul Echo Manual. The manual only revealed new truths when faced with new environments or shifts in situation. What he needed now was insight into the hidden abilities of the Spirit Flow Core… He needed to use it to its fullest potential, but how could he know more?

‘Ah! Why didn’t I think of this sooner… There’s someone who can tell me. Inside me.’

“Un Serim!”

Gugwi called for Un Serim in the Realm of the Threshold.

He planned to ask Un Serim about the Spirit Flow Core. Communication wasn’t always smooth, but if he could learn something new… however—

“Heehee! Kraaah!”

The moment Un Serim’s spirit appeared, it let out a scream of madness.

“The curse of the Dark Spirit Sect… here… the curse that destroyed the Cloud Flow Sect… we must escape this place…”

Un Serim’s words echoed fragmentarily through Gugwi’s mind.

Worse, Un Serim showed signs of going berserk. Even without Spirit Union, he wildly swung his spear. Flames of hatred burned in his eyes, and the energy of the Cloud Flow Spear erupted uncontrollably in all directions.

“Calm down! Un Serim!”

Gugwi tried to soothe him with the Illusory Name Command, but Un Serim only grew more violent.

“Dark Spirit Sect! The Dark Spirit Sect… is here! Remnants of the Manifest Demon Emperor… their pure intent to resurrect… it’s infused in this land!”

Un Serim’s spirit even began to become translucent. Though faint, it was still visible to the naked eye. Just a hazy shadow for now, but the fact that it had formed a spiritual body…

“He’s going too far!”

Gugwi hurriedly severed the Spirit Contact.

“What’s wrong?”

Yeon Sohye asked urgently.

“Un Serim went berserk. I think this place is connected to the Dark Spirit Sect.”

“The Dark Spirit Sect?”

Yeon Sohye’s face turned pale.

“That means… not only did the Dark Spirit Sect annihilate the Cloud Flow Sect, they’ve also established a base here. Even though the Cloud Flow Sect sealed the Spirit Flow Core to keep them from using it, they didn’t give up and rooted themselves here for the resurrection of the Manifest Demon Emperor. Their pure intent still lingers in this land.”

“Pure intent… hmm.”

Gugwi fell silent.

What Soul-Summoners called “pure intent” had nothing to do with righteousness. Even if it was malice, if it was pursued with a single unwavering belief, it was considered “pure intent.”

“Let’s search a bit more. We still have time. If Un Serim got that agitated, there must be something here.”

Yeon Sohye said with a frown.

Kwaaaah!

The Captain of the Blue Blood Unit unleashed a soundwave across the entire valley.

The Nameless Sound Disruption Technique emanating from his mouth grew louder, gradually engulfing the entire valley. As the sound waves bounced off rocks and trees, they created subtle vibrations.

Like a bat sensing objects with echolocation, the Captain of the Blue Blood Unit mapped the entire structure of the valley through the echoes.

“We’ll begin the search from here!”

At his command, the remaining members of the unit dispersed. Each designated their search zone and began scouring the ground thoroughly.

“There are traces of Cloud Flow Step here!”

One member found footprints between the rocks.

Unlike ordinary footwork, they left a fluid trail like flowing water. The deep imprint of the toes clearly marked the “Flowing Step” characteristic of Cloud Flow Step.

“A broken branch!”

Another member pointed out a snapped tree branch at waist height. The break was jagged rather than clean, suggesting it had been hit in haste.

The Iron Fist Monk joined the pursuit despite his injuries.

One of his wrists was broken, but he used his other arm to search through the crevices for traces of blood.

“Bloodstains here! Still fresh!”

The Iron Fist Monk found red marks on a rock surface. It was blood from Gugwi’s wounds.

The encirclement by the Blue Blood Unit tightened.

They advanced systematically through the valley, drawing closer to the cave.

The Bloodscent Fiend began a more precise pursuit, led by the Blood Orb.

The patterns on the orb’s surface lit up one by one, each revealing a different kind of information.

The first pattern detected blood energy. It followed the scent of the blood spilled from Gugwi’s wounds.

The second pattern traced Soul-Summoning energy.

It identified and tracked the residual traces of the Spirit Flow Core and So Ryeonghwa’s Silver Spirit Technique.

The third pattern pursued life force.

It could sense body heat, breath, and even heartbeat.

“Living Spirits, spread out further!”

At the Bloodscent Fiend’s command, the Living Spirits scattered in all directions.

Wolf-type spirits sniffed the ground for scents. Bird-type spirits detected changes in air currents from above. Worm-type spirits dug deep into the soil, tracking the pressure patterns left by footsteps.

The Blood Orb grew brighter, pointing decisively in one direction.

Conviction settled on the Bloodscent Fiend’s face.

“This way. They’re definitely here!”

“They’ve found us.”

Yeon Sohye looked out from the cave entrance with tension.

The crimson glow of the Blood Orb crept closer. Shadows of the Living Spirits moved throughout the valley.

“The Blood Orb seems to detect Soul-Summoning energy. If we use Spirit Union martial arts, we’re bound to get caught.”

Gugwi muttered, attempting to rise but dropped back down with a soft groan. His injuries hadn’t healed. The internal damage from the Black Flame Shatter was still severe.

“Calm down. Let me try something.”

Yeon Sohye clasped her hands and began drawing complex hand seals. She traced twelve different seals in succession, whispering an ancient Soul-Summoning incantation with her lips.

“Silver Spirit Illusion!”

So Ryeonghwa’s Silver Spirit Technique became even more intricate.

This wasn’t just hiding behind mist—it was a sophisticated illusion that manipulated perception itself. The silver energy seeped into the rock surface and completely altered the appearance of the cave entrance.

It was a technique mastered through the completion of the fourth level of Spiritual Sensitivity.

Tsss…

The cave entrance now resembled an ordinary rock crevice. It appeared shallow, with no space large enough for a person to hide. Even the color of the stone matched the surroundings perfectly.

“Will this fool the Blood Orb?”

“I’m not sure. But with layered visual illusion, scent suppression, and Soul-Summoning energy concealment, we’ve blocked three fronts…”

Yeon Sohye formed another hand seal.

This time, it was a technique to suppress the Spirit Flow Core’s energy.

“Try to restrain your Spirit Flow Core. I can’t block it completely, but I can reduce its sensitivity.”

Gugwi focused on his heart.

He suppressed the activity of the Spirit Flow Core as much as possible. The blue glow faded, and the energy subsided.

“Lower your breathing. Slow your heartbeat as much as you can.”

Yeon Sohye whispered.

The two held their breath and waited. Silence settled over the cave.

The Bloodscent Fiend followed the Blood Orb to the cave vicinity. The orb spun furiously, confirming the location. Its crimson light grew so intense it dazzled the Bloodscent Fiend’s eyes.

“They’re definitely nearby…!”

He inspected the surrounding rocks one by one. The Living Spirits also searched this area thoroughly. A wolf-type spirit sniffed near the rock crevice.

But the Silver Spirit Illusion deceived them, hiding the exact location. The cave appeared to be just a normal crack in the rocks.

“This is strange. The Blood Orb is reacting so strongly…”

The Bloodscent Fiend looked around suspiciously, bringing the orb even closer.

It shone violently just in front of the rock crevice.

“This is it! They’re definitely here!”

But nothing was visible to the naked eye. The Silver Spirit Illusion was working flawlessly.

At that moment, a bird-type Living Spirit flying above the cave exhibited an unusual reaction.

It seemed to have sensed something different.

Yeon Sohye grew tense. The illusion wasn’t perfect—especially air currents were hard to completely mask.

“That bird spirit noticed something.”

Yeon Sohye mouthed the words silently. She couldn’t risk making a sound.

The spirit gradually descended toward the cave entrance. It was a dangerously close moment.

Just then, the Bloodscent Fiend’s eyes flashed—and he vanished in an instant.

The Blue Blood Unit had arrived.

“Taaah!”

“Kuuh!”

Multiple members simultaneously unleashed the Nameless Sound Disruption Technique, sending powerful sound waves deep into the crevices. The illusion prevented them from pinpointing the exact location, but something felt off.

“This crevice…”

A member of the Blue Blood Unit pointed near the cave.

“What is it?”

“The echo here sounds different from the rest.”

Inside the cave, Gugwi and Yeon Sohye broke out in cold sweat. Their hearts pounded violently, but they forced themselves to control their breathing.

The Captain of the Blue Blood Unit approached the suspicious crevice and inspected it closely.

His hand was just a foot away from the cave’s entrance.

“Hm…”

He tilted his head.

“If the Nameless Sound Disruption Technique reacts this strongly but reveals nothing, then the opponent must be using a high-level technique. Shadow Moon Unit Captain… Silver Spirit Technique, Silver Spirit Illusion? I thought she was only at the third level of Spiritual Sensitivity, but she’s reached the fourth? Heh! Cold Wolf Sect… always full of tricks.”

The Captain gave a faint chuckle.

This was the combined result of So Ryeonghwa’s 150 years of experience, Yeon Sohye’s genius, and the amplifying effect of the Spirit Flow Core… What was clear was that even the Nameless Sound Disruption Technique couldn’t uncover them.

“Interesting.”

The Captain chuckled with amusement.

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