Chapter 50: Everlasting Flame of Calamity (5)

Gugwi slowly rose in front of the altar.

His shoulders trembled faintly, and his fists clenched on their own.

“Everyone tried to kill me!”

His voice echoed through the ruins.

The broken stone gate vibrated under his fury. With fists tightly clenched, he glared at the stone plate. The inscription of the Cloud Flow Sect flickered before his eyes like a flame of burning rage.

Gugwi knelt and struck the stone plate with his fist.

Boom!

Stone dust scattered, and blood welled on the back of his hand. But he did not feel any pain.

“Father….”

His father’s face surfaced in his mind.

The father who had guided him in the Realm of the Threshold, waiting for the sprouting of the Spirit Flow Core. Everything had been planned. Not love, but calculation. He had only thought of removing the Spirit Flow Core.

“Why are you doing this to me….”

His voice cracked.

Sending him to the Cold Wolf Sect, teaching him the Soul-Summoning Arts—everything had only been a means to awaken the Spirit Flow Core.

Gugwi stood and looked around the ruins.

The collapsed pillars were broken like his heart. He kicked a stone, and it rolled away.

It felt as though the spirit of Un Serim was whispering in his head—not of revenge, but of Gugwi’s death. Yes. For someone with the Spirit Flow Core to die—that was what the people of the Cloud Flow Sect truly desired.

“I wanted to help you ascend, but you… hahaha!”

A hollow laugh burst forth.

Gugwi’s gaze gradually grew colder. Betrayal froze his chest.

He pulled out the Soul Echo Manual and threw it to the ground. The scattered pages fluttered in the wind.

“Why must I bear demonic beasts? Why must I kill? Don’t I have the right to choose?”

He smashed the altar with his fist.

Boom!

With a dull thud, dust scattered. Rage and resentment exploded in unison.

All faith was gone, washed away.

His father, Un Serim, the Cloud Flow Sect—they had never loved Gugwi. They had only used him. He was nothing but a tool.

Gugwi picked up his spear.

The cold touch of steel mirrored the change within him.

Tatatatak!

Urgent footsteps rushed closer.

Yeon Sohye ran into the altar, panting. Cold sweat beaded her forehead.

“The Bloodscent Fiend was here! We must leave right now!”

She reached to pull Gugwi’s hand, then froze.

His face was rigid, darkened. His eyes, unlike before, were cold and unyielding.

“Gugwi?”

Yeon Sohye carefully called his name. She sensed instinctively that something was wrong.

Gugwi slowly took her hand. His grip was cold—like the touch of the dead.

“If the Spirit Flow Core lost control… and aimed at the resurrection of the Manifest Demon Emperor, what would you do?”

His voice was sharp, like a blade cutting through Yeon Sohye’s heart. His eyes held no emotion.

Yeon Sohye sensed the change in him.

Her hand instinctively moved toward her sword’s hilt. Yet, without a shred of hesitation, she answered.

“I would kill you.”

Her eyes were unwavering, resolute.

Gugwi’s gaze trembled faintly.

“I don’t know much about the Manifest Demon Emperor… but it must never come into the world.”

Yeon Sohye placed a hand on his shoulder. She tried to give warmth, but he stepped back.

Gugwi smiled bitterly.

It was a face of relief and sorrow mixed together.

“Make sure you keep those words.”

“Don’t say things like that! We need to leave, now!”

Yeon Sohye tried to drag him along, but Gugwi slowly turned his head. His expression was one of resignation, as if giving up everything.

“It’s too late.”

Resignation seeped into his voice.

Footsteps echoed around the ruins. Torchlight pierced the darkness as it drew closer. More and more footsteps gathered.

Yeon Sohye drew her sword and readied herself.

“How many are coming?”

Gugwi lifted his spear and replied coldly.

“It doesn’t matter.”

The Blue Blood Unit completely surrounded the ruins.

Those holding torches encircled them in a ring.

Their number was precisely twelve. Each step they took was measured, completing the encirclement. They moved like hunters forged through long training.

Clang! Swish! Jjaeng!

The Blue Blood members drew their weapons in unison. Swords, spears, axes, even whips gleamed under the moonlight. Each weapon exuded a different killing intent. Yet all that killing intent focused on one man—Gugwi.

He felt as though he were trapped in a pressurized chamber. The force closing in from all directions choked his breath.

‘Each one of them is a top-class expert….’

The thought rose instinctively as he saw them.

They might not be the greatest martial artists, but when it came to hunting Soul-Summoners, there seemed to be none more skilled.

Each gaze of the Blue Blood warriors pierced into Gugwi, like predators staring at prey. Even their breathing was steady. They showed no tension. He could feel the weight of countless Soul-Summoners they had already slain.

Cold sweat slid down Gugwi’s back. The Spirit Flow Core sensed the danger and trembled faintly. From the depths of his heart and Dantian, it was as if warning alarms rang.

Yeon Sohye also realized the gravity of the situation.

Her grip tightened on her sword hilt. Even she had never felt such crushing pressure before.

The weapons of the Blue Blood Unit carried a special aura. They seemed to have been specially treated to neutralize Soul-Summoning Arts—crafted solely for killing Soul-Summoners.

The air grew heavy.

Even the wind of the ruins stopped. Only the killing intent of the Blue Blood Unit filled the space.

Gugwi clenched his spear more tightly.

Sweat seeped into his palms, but his gaze remained cold.

The Captain of the Blue Blood Unit stepped forward. Behind him followed Am Ilho.

“We meet again.”

A cold smile spread across his lips. Slowly, he clapped.

Clap, clap, clap!

The dry sound echoed through the ruins.

Gugwi gripped his spear and stared straight at him. There was no fear in his eyes. Only indifference.

“Have you come to die? Or to kill?”

Gugwi twirled his spear as he spoke.

The spearhead flashed silver under the moonlight. His voice carried no emotion.

The Captain of the Blue Blood Unit’s eyes sharpened.

He too had sensed the change in Gugwi. This was not the Gugwi he had seen fighting in a fierce brawl at Silver Moon Valley. Now it was as though… he stood before the dead.

“Interesting. You look different from the last time I saw you. Seems you’ve grown weary from all the chasing, haven’t you?”

The Captain of the Blue Blood Unit raised his hand, halting his subordinates. He was observing Gugwi.

“We’re not exactly friends… words seem unnecessary, don’t they?”

“So, you mean to resist.”

The Captain raised his hand again, signaling his men to prepare.

The Blue Blood members all took one step forward in unison. The encirclement grew tighter.

Yeon Sohye moved in close beside Gugwi.

Her eyes darted around quickly, searching for an escape route.

“Why are you doing this! We can’t handle them! The Blue Blood Unit trained in the Nameless Sound Disruption. We should wait for a chance—”

Gugwi cut her off.

“You misunderstood my words.”

He spoke to the Captain of the Blue Blood Unit. His voice grew even colder, sharp as ice.

“What I meant was… if you block my path, you’ll die.”

Yeon Sohye looked at him in shock.

“Gugwi, what is this….”

His demeanor had completely changed.

It was not the cruel viciousness of the Soul-Summoners of the Heavenly Sound Cult. It was something different—a chilling indifference that regarded life as meaningless.

The mercilessness of a martial artist whose emotions had died. That was the Gugwi standing here now.

The Captain of the Blue Blood Unit clapped his hands.

“Good. Then let’s confirm it.”

He gestured at one of the members beside him. That man stepped forward, drawing his sword.

Then, Vice Captain Am Ilho could no longer contain himself and stepped out. His face twisted with fury.

“Insolent wretch! How dare you speak so impudently before the Captain! Captain, let me deal with him. He needs a bit of discipline before capture. I’ll proceed.”

Am Ilho slowly raised both hands.

From his fingertips seeped black energy. It writhed like a living serpent, spreading into the air.

Bzzzzzt!

The Nameless Sound Disruption was unleashed. But this was no ordinary sonic attack. The black energy shot straight toward Gugwi, while at the same time, it sought out the spirits surrounding him one by one.

Inside Gugwi, the spirit of Un Serim screamed.

“Kyaaaaaaah!”

Un Serim’s spirit form began to unravel, as though melting in acid.

The very essence of the spirit was being torn apart piece by piece. This was no simple erasure—it shredded their existence slowly, forcing them to suffer the pain intact.

From the depths of Gugwi’s chest came the groan of General Madal.

“Grrrrraaaagh!”

The massive spirit of General Madal staggered, his form dissolving. His armor crumbled piece by piece, the once-mighty warrior fading away.

Gugwi himself felt the agony vividly.

It was as if his own soul were being sawed apart—unbearable pain. Starting from his Dantian, it spread through his body, ripping at every nerve.

“Khuk!”

Gugwi stumbled, leaning on his spear. Strength drained from his hands, and his vision blurred.

Yeon Sohye fared no better. Her spirit, So Ryeonghwa, shattered and screamed. The silver mist-like spirits dissolved the moment they touched the black energy.

“So Ryeonghwa… she’s dying!”

Yeon Sohye’s face turned pale as paper. She felt the torment of her spirit as if her own flesh were being torn apart piece by piece—a hellish pain.

The Captain of the Blue Blood Unit spoke.

“Don’t kill the spirits. If something changes, it may be useful. We need him alive, just as he is now.”

Am Ilho sneered cruelly.

“Understood. I’ll just fix his insolent habits.”

“Khuk!”

Blood frothed from Gugwi’s mouth.

His mind was splintering. The death of his spirits felt like pieces of himself being torn away.

Bzzzzzt!

The sonic waves spread like sharp thorns. They reached Yeon Sohye as well, assailing her Spirit Union spirits. She grimaced, staggering back, her face turning ashen.

“Aaaagh!”

Yeon Sohye cried out in agony, dropping to her knees. Her spirit, So Ryeonghwa, screamed as it trembled.

At that moment, Gugwi’s spear gleamed.

“Madal!”

With Gugwi’s shout, a surge of power erupted.

General Madal’s spirit tore through the Nameless Sound Disruption and descended into Spirit Contact. The sonic waves were instantly nullified by a flood of blue Soul-Summoning energy.

An immense force burst forth from Gugwi’s body.

The martial prowess of General Madal awakened fully through him.

Am Ilho staggered back in shock.

“What! A Spirit Contact….”

Gugwi unleashed the Flying Swallow Slash with his spear. It was a breathtaking sight—executing a technique meant for a great blade through a spear. Heavy, crushing energy poured from the weapon.

Whooosh!

The spearhead cut the air, flying straight for Am Ilho’s head. The sound of rending air brought suffocating pressure.

Am Ilho twisted desperately to dodge. But the Flying Swallow Slash covered a far wider range than he expected.

“No!”

Crack!

Am Ilho’s head collapsed in an instant.

Brain matter splattered, and blood sprayed everywhere. His body fell, dead on the spot.

The Blue Blood members recoiled in horror. Some even dropped their weapons.

“V-Vice Captain!”

“Brother Ilho!”

Gugwi slowly raised his blood-soaked spear.

His face remained expressionless. As though he had merely killed an insect.

The Captain of the Blue Blood Unit’s face turned pale.

“You….”

Gugwi silently lifted his bloodstained spear.

Blood dripped down the spearhead. His eyes were void of life.

“You will all die. If you block my path.”

His voice was ice cold, utterly devoid of emotion.

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