The Demonic Cult had splintered into countless factions long ago, and the remnants had eventually been absorbed to establish what was now the Blood Cult.
Even so, many of the Demonic Cult’s martial arts and cursed artifacts far surpassed those of the Blood Cult. Because of that, their legacy had endured instead of fading away.
The Ghost Demon’s martial arts and the Soul-Summoning Bell were among those legacies. Any master of the Demonic Cult would inevitably react to the bell’s distinctive chime and be compelled to seek it out.
If only to confirm whether it truly was the Soul-Summoning Bell.
The White Snake, having once served as an elder, was no exception.
Summoning a snake with a jingle.
Before long, Jingle White Snake tore his gaze away from the Soul-Summoning Bell and looked straight at me.
Then, without warning, he asked,
“What became of his final moments?”
He was referring to the bell’s previous owner.
From the White Snake’s perspective, he was another elder. From mine, he was the Ghost Demon.
Either way, the answer wasn’t all that different.
I replied calmly,
“He fought to the very end, just as a true member of the Demonic Cult would. Then he left this behind.”
“I see. Then the Soul-Summoning Bell has found an even more rightful owner.”
The White Snake slowly nodded.
However, despite his words, the killing intent radiating from him steadily intensified.
Well, if he defeated me, he’d become an even more rightful owner himself.
On top of that, we were intruders who knew the Demonic Cult’s secrets.
There was no reason for him to let us walk away.
Of course, the odds of me actually fighting the White Snake were slim.
Sensing that the time had come, Go Hyeon-woo stepped forward and respectfully cupped his fist.
“It has been a long time.”
The White Snake studied Go Hyeon-woo’s face for quite a while before speaking.
“…I don’t remember you. If I had met someone like you, I would not have forgotten. Yet your face seems strangely familiar.”
“You once spared my life.”
“I did? I don’t remember that either.”
“It was only a brief encounter. I received no more than three techniques from you.”
Perhaps realizing something from those words, a glimmer appeared in his completely white eyes.
“Whether I remember or not is unimportant. What truly matters is that, despite the mercy you received, you have returned.”
“Yes. I’ve come to finish the duel we never completed.”
“Excellent spirit. That is how a martial artist should be.”
The White Snake looked genuinely pleased.
He then gave an order to the black-clad cultists who were still arriving one after another.
“None of you are to interfere. This is a matter between me and him.”
“As you command.”
Finally, he looked toward us, and we assured him that we had no intention of interfering either.
A moment later, the two men stood facing each other.
As they gradually circulated their internal energy, both drew their swords.
In Go Hyeon-woo’s hand was the longsword he and Han So-mi had acquired at the auction last year.
It seemed he intended to rely solely on his own abilities at first.
Partly to see how much he had grown, and partly to test how far his skills would carry him.
The White Snake, meanwhile, held a snow-white sword that matched his attire.
Its most distinctive feature was the blade, split into two like a serpent’s forked tongue.
It was the Serpent Tongue Sword, the White Snake’s favorite weapon and unique signature weapon.
“……”
“……”
With their swords lowered, the two silently stared at one another.
Then, without so much as a warning, the battle began.
Whoooosh—
Go Hyeon-woo slowly swept his sword through the air as though painting with a brush, sending an equally gentle breeze toward his opponent.
[Clear Stream]
“…….!”
The instant the White Snake faced it, he seemed to realize what it truly was.
That the gentle breeze concealed countless sword energies.
Even so, he advanced straight ahead, swinging the Serpent Tongue Sword.
Shhhk!
The pristine white blade sliced through the breeze and its hidden sword energies.
Then, the moment Go Hyeon-woo entered its range, the blade split in two like a serpent’s tongue, striking simultaneously at his upper and lower body.
Shhhhk!
Go Hyeon-woo wrapped his longsword in a gentle breeze, smoothly redirecting one of the serpent tongues while stepping away from the other with his footwork.
Then came a fierce gale rushing straight ahead.
Whoooosh!
As if riding that very wind, Go Hyeon-woo shot forward at incredible speed, his blade likewise enveloped in wind as he thrust.
[Rapid Current]
The White Snake responded just as he had before.
Using his movement technique, he weaved like a snake, twisting yet advancing swiftly toward his opponent.
Tap!
In the next instant, the two had passed each other, their positions reversed.
A small piece of the White Snake’s robe had been sliced away.
Go Hyeon-woo, on the other hand, had gained two fresh wounds.
“……”
Setting aside the fact that his opponent was wielding what was effectively two blades, there was no denying that he had come out behind in the exchange.
Yet, as though he had expected exactly this outcome, he calmly resumed the fight.
Swishh! Swish! Swish! Swish!
While the two swordsmen continuously exchanged techniques,
Han So-mi watched the battle with bated breath.
I held up my fist like it was a microphone.
“Care to give us a few words? What’s your assessment?”
“He has to win!”
“Of course he has to win. What I’m asking is how you think the battle is going.”
“He absolutely has to win!”
Apparently, she wasn’t listening to a word I said.
Giving up on the interview, I compared the two martial artists’ overall strength.
Go Hyeon-woo has a slight edge in internal energy.
The White Snake was a B-rank Hidden Boss, which would put his core rank at B+.
Go Hyeon-woo, on the other hand, had only just crossed into A-rank territory.
Not that the gap was particularly large.
In almost every other respect, though, he’s at a disadvantage.
The biggest example was their swords.
The White Snake had wielded the Serpent Tongue Sword for countless years and had likely come very close to achieving Unity with it.
Go Hyeon-woo’s longsword, by contrast, was nothing more than a temporary weapon.
He was nowhere near achieving Unity with it.
Even if they executed the exact same technique, there was no avoiding the difference in power.
The depth of their martial arts is also in his favor.
Just like with his swordsmanship, the White Snake had refined his techniques for decades.
If anything, it was remarkable that Go Hyeon-woo had managed to close the gap this much in little more than a year.
But the world of battle is unforgiving.
Once the battle had begun, excuses like inferior equipment or not having enough time meant nothing.
Only the outcome mattered.
Shhk! Shhk! Shhk! Shhk!
By now, Go Hyeon-woo’s body had accumulated countless cuts, both large and small.
He had come out behind in most of their exchanges.
Even so, his fighting spirit remained unshaken as he unleashed his next technique.
Whoooosh—
Once again, a faint breeze drifted across the battlefield.
It didn’t seem like he intended to use Clear Stream again.
This time, the currents of wind twisted together in a far more intricate pattern.
“……”
The White Snake also sensed that something was different.
He raised his aura and prepared a technique of his own to meet it.
A moment later, Go Hyeon-woo’s longsword swept through the air.
[Turbid Flow]
Shhk! Shhk! Shhk! Shhk—!
The previously erratic breeze transformed all at once into sword energy, converging from every direction.
The White Snake let out a quiet murmur of admiration.
“So you are capable of wielding sword illusions to this degree.”
Despite his words, however, there wasn’t the slightest trace of alarm on his face.
He was confident he could overcome it.
The White Snake suddenly flicked the Serpent Tongue Sword downward.
At once, the blade split into two while surging with immense power, each half stretching farther and farther like the trailing tail of a great white serpent.
It grew so long that it filled the entire battlefield, with its end nowhere in sight.
[Endless White Serpent]
Shhk! Shhk! Shhk! Shhk—!
Blades of wind rained down relentlessly, but the white serpent’s tail formed an impenetrable wall, blocking every last one of them.
Then, in the next instant, the tail that had been trailing behind whipped forward all at once, unleashing a tremendous shockwave.
Whooooooooooosh—!
Go Hyeon-woo barely managed to raise his sword in time to block it, but a thin stream of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
For the first time since the battle had begun, he had suffered internal injuries.
“…So this is as far as I can go.”
Only then did he seem willing to admit it.
That his own strength alone wasn’t enough.
He let out a disappointed sigh, but he didn’t stubbornly press on.
If he let his condition deteriorate any further, he would lose every opportunity.
Go Hyeon-woo sheathed the sword he had been using until now and placed it back into his inventory.
The White Snake also lowered the Serpent Tongue Sword and looked at him.
“I doubt you intend to surrender here. Have you prepared something else?”
“I have.”
As expected, what appeared was the sacred relic of his sect.
Go Hyeon-woo gazed at it for a moment before slowly placing a hand on its hilt and murmuring as though speaking to himself.
“Forgive me, Master. Your unworthy disciple is about to interpret and act upon our sect’s laws according to his own judgment. If you choose to punish me for it, I will accept that punishment without complaint.”
Then, as though steeling his resolve, he tightened his grip.
Little by little, the sacred relic began sliding free of its scabbard.
Kiiiiiiing—!
A piercing sword cry echoed throughout the battlefield.
The power contained within it was extraordinary.
The black-clad cultists staggered involuntarily, and even the White Snake furrowed his brow slightly.
Whooooooooooooosh—!
Next came winds as fierce as a typhoon.
They howled and spiraled violently before converging on Go Hyeon-woo.
Judging by the strain already showing on his face, the pressure was immense.
Even so, he continued pulling on the hilt.
At last, the sacred relic was fully unsheathed.
When he had first attempted to draw it, it had only emerged slightly before stopping, so I hadn’t noticed.
But now it was clear that the blade looked as though it had been abruptly severed halfway through.
Its physical length was closer to that of a dagger.
The remainder of the blade was instead formed from wind compressed to an extreme degree and given tangible shape.
Whoooooosh—!
The sacred relic finally began punishing the unworthy wielder who lacked the qualifications to command it.
Violent winds tore relentlessly across Go Hyeon-woo’s body.
The pressure was inflicting severe internal injuries as well, blood streaming freely from both his nose and mouth.
Unable to bear watching any longer, Han So-mi covered her eyes with both hands.
I spoke to her anyway.
“You should still watch.”
“I know, but…!”
Han So-mi parted her fingers ever so slightly and peeked at Go Hyeon-woo through the gap.
But the moment she saw that he was practically covered in blood, she squeezed her eyes shut again.
“I can’t watch…! …I have to watch! I can’t watch…! …I have to watch!”
As Han So-mi wavered back and forth, unable to make up her mind,
The White Snake stared at the sacred relic and let out a sigh of admiration.
“What an extraordinary blade. Even this old man is tempted by it for a moment.”
“……”
Go Hyeon-woo gave no reply, seemingly too focused on controlling the sacred relic to respond.
He even looked as though he had entered a trance.
Even so, the White Snake continued speaking.
“But you are reckless and foolish. You dared lay your hands on something you cannot hope to wield.”
In truth, he no longer had any reason to keep fighting.
If he simply left Go Hyeon-woo alone, he would destroy himself.
And it would not take long.
But the White Snake was a martial artist to the core.
Drawing up his internal energy once more, he spoke.
“In that case, it is only right to finish this before it is too late. Prepare yourself.”
As if he had heard those words, Go Hyeon-woo reacted for the first time since drawing the sacred relic.
Slowly, ever so slowly, he raised the sword into a middle guard.
In response, the swirling winds began blowing toward the White Snake.
Whiiiiiiish—!
Though far more violent than before, that was still [Clear Stream].
It seemed the battle was resuming with the same exchange as before.
The White Snake likewise appeared intent on responding the same way.
Shiiiiiing!
He advanced straight ahead with the Serpent Tongue Sword.
The gleaming white blade cleaved through the wind and sword energy alike.
Then, in the very next instant,
Rip! Rip! Rip!
Countless strands of sword energy slashed across the White Snake.
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