Chapter 83: Lured into the Trap (3)

Gagagagak!

The barbs of the Bloodfang Whip sank into Gugwi’s neck. A sharp pain pierced through the nape and spread down to his shoulders. The poison smeared along the whip seeped into the wound and coursed upward through his veins.

“Kihihihi! Got you!”

Sa Hyeollin’s laughter reached its peak. Her crimson eyes trembled in ecstatic delight.

“Now the Spirit Flow Core is mine!”

The whip coiled tighter around Gugwi’s neck like a serpent. Its barbs dug deeper into his flesh, and crimson blood streamed down in thick lines.

“Huff! Huff!”

Gugwi’s breathing grew ragged.

His vision darkened, his consciousness fading. Yet he closed his eyes and focused solely on the Spirit Flow Core.

He did not even think of summoning the Spirit Union Spirits. Right now, he refused any external aid, pouring his entire awareness into the cold core buried deep within his chest.

‘Spirit Flow Core… you’ll protect me. If you wish to die, then die. I don’t care if you enter someone else and awaken the Manifest Demon Emperor. But if you wish to live within me, then save me.*’

Gugwi muttered inwardly.

‘And I’ll protect you too.’

Paarrrrung!

A blue vibration began to spread from his heart to his neck.

At first, it was a faint tremor—barely noticeable. But soon, it turned into a powerful pulse.

Vrrrrm…!

The resonant hum of the Spirit Flow Core echoed within Gugwi’s chest. The vibration rippled to his neck, shoulders, and arms, then burst into a brilliant light that surrounded the barbs of the Bloodfang Whip.

In an instant, blue radiance enveloped the entire whip.

Jijijik! Jijijik!

The light began melting away the whip’s surface, absorbing the poison as it did.

The barbs dissolved one by one, releasing curls of black smoke.

The whip’s movement weakened. The Bloodfang Whip, once writhing like a living serpent, slowly lost its strength.

“W–What… what is this?”

Sa Hyeollin’s eyes widened. She stared at her weapon in disbelief.

“This light… it’s melting my Bloodfang Whip!?”

Her voice trembled with a mix of shock and fury.

The weapon she had wielded for decades was being nullified in an instant. A mysterious force surged from Gugwi, pushing the whip away—no, the brilliant blue light erupted and raced along the whip, surging back toward Sa Hyeollin’s hand.

Zzrrrik!

A current-like numbness seized her arm. Her wrist to shoulder went rigid.

“Ughhh!”

She screamed and dropped the whip.

The Bloodfang Whip hit the ground, releasing thick, black smoke.

Gugwi slowly opened his eyes. Blood streamed down his neck, yet his gaze remained calm.

He stood up quietly, touching his wounded throat.

Srrrk… Srrrk…

Namgung Hoyoung was already beside him, healing his neck. To an uninformed onlooker, it would seem as if natural regeneration had begun, gently closing the wound.

“I figured as much.”

His tone was low and tranquil, yet filled with a will of steel.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Suddenly, explosions echoed throughout the forest.

Blood Crystals buried beneath the tree roots detonated in sequence.

The first crystal burst, releasing a cloud of crimson mist. Then the second and third followed, shrouding the entire forest in Blood Fog.

“Kihihihi… did you think it would end like this? I didn’t take that beating in Silver Moon Valley for nothing.”

Sa Hyeollin’s laughter rang through the woods.

Her voice spread like sticky, venomous smoke.

“Your blood and souls shall become nourishment for this forest!”

Her words flowed like an incantation, and the red mist began to writhe as if alive.

It wasn’t mere smoke—it was composed of countless microscopic scales, a deadly toxin that burrowed instantly into one’s bloodstream upon contact.

Yeon Sohye clutched her shoulder where the mist had grazed her.

“Ugh… this poison!”

Black veins spread from her shoulder like spiderwebs.

Her skin darkened as the poison coursed rapidly through her body.

Jang Unhyeok’s face turned pale; dark venom seeped from the wound on his shoulder as well.

“It’s certain. This smell… it’s the same poison that afflicted my son! Sa Hyeollin, it was you. You’re the fiend who kidnapped my boy.”

His voice trembled.

The Red Spearman gritted his teeth, clutching his paralyzed legs.

“Damn it… this poison really pisses me off. This Heavenly Sound Cult—there’s no Murim here, only a world where everyone kills or dies.”

Gugwi could not ignore his comrades’ suffering. Enduring the pain in his neck, he focused deeper on the Spirit Flow Core.

‘I must save them all.’

The strength of a single soul like Namgung Hoyoung’s wasn’t enough. While healing one, the others would perish. A power greater than divine medicine was needed now.

Paaang! Paang!

Blue light radiated outward from his body.

At first, it spread about ten steps, then gradually expanded, forming a Spiritless Zone.

Vmmm… Vmmm… Vmmm…!

The Spirit Flow Core’s vibration spread like rippling waves.

Expanding a hundred, then two hundred steps—it began to cover the forest.

Sa Hyeollin’s Spirit Union Spirits were forced back by the waves.

The Black Spirit’s dark mist faded, retreating. The shadowy figures blurred and drew away. Blood Bone Insects dropped to the ground, writhing as if scalded. Even Dark Poison Smoke and Deathly Tones lost their power.

“W–What… what’s happening?”

Sa Hyeollin’s voice wavered. Her eyes widened, trembling violently.

“My spirits… they’re retreating? Hah! What a surprising day this is.”

It was her first time seeing such a phenomenon—her Spirit Union Spirits being repelled all at once. Such a thing had never happened before.

When Dark Poison Smoke touched the blue light, it hissed and evaporated into white vapor, its toxicity neutralized. Deathly Tones’ illusion mist shattered like broken glass.

All illusions crumbled like mirrors splitting apart.

Gugwi seized the moment.

“Haaaaah!”

He inhaled deeply. Through the Realm of the Threshold, he began summoning the wandering spirits lingering in the forest.

“Come forth… souls wandering this world.”

His voice resonated through the woods—gentle, yet commanding.

“I shall release your grievances.”

The Spirit Flow Core’s pulse drew in the wails of the Stray Spirits. Phantoms clinging to bones, hiding between trees, began to reveal themselves one by one.

‘Revenge… revenge…’

‘Help… me…’

Their whispers, once filled with resentment and fury, softened into sighs of relief. The blue light enveloped the spirits, pulling them into the Realm of the Threshold. Finally, they found peace and ascended to the heavens.

But there were simply too many of them.

“Ugh…”

Gugwi’s body trembled under the overload.

Purifying hundreds of spirits at once placed an unbearable strain on him.

Sweat rolled down his forehead. The Spirit Flow Core overheated, and his chest burned with searing heat.

“There are… still more.”

He muttered through clenched teeth.

In truth, there was no end in sight. This forest held countless vengeful souls accumulated over thousands of years.

It was impossible to purify them all in a single day.

‘So that’s it. This is the way!’

Sa Hyeollin, who had been driven into a corner, immediately found a method upon seeing Gugwi’s strained condition.

‘Move. Move! Use them!’

Her Spirit Union Spirits flitted about like restless wings. They began using the Stray Spirits as shields, obstructing Gugwi’s purification.

The Black Spirit hid behind the Stray Spirits while spewing black mist. Dark Poison Smoke spread toxic fumes, driving the spirits into violent frenzy. Blood Bone Insect Master released his venomous insects, fusing them with the Stray Spirits. Deathly Tones cast illusions that amplified their resentment.

The Stray Spirits’ malice pressed heavily upon Gugwi.

‘Kill… kill…’

‘Let us… die too…’

The amplified grudges turned into waves that crashed against Gugwi. The blue light flickered for a moment.

“Now!”

Sa Hyeollin seized the opportunity. She picked up the Bloodfang Whip that had fallen to the ground.

Swaeek!

The whip sliced through the air toward Gugwi’s back. Its barbs glinted in the sunlight, exuding killing intent.

“This is all the harmony of the Spirit Flow Core. You can only wield it to this extent, but I’ll use it to cover the world… kikik! Give it to me! I’ll spread my darkness without end!”

“No!”

Yeon Sohye shouted and leapt forward. Her body was engulfed in silver mist.

Phantom Shift!

Her figure blurred as she appeared before Gugwi.

Clang!

Her dagger clashed squarely with the whip. Sparks burst where steel met steel.

“Gugwi, hold on! We’ll handle this!”

Yeon Sohye shouted through gritted teeth.

“Hahaha! Maybe I can’t attack, but I sure can defend! Purify them! We’ll buy you time!”

Jang Unhyeok unsheathed his twin swords and charged in.

“Harmony of Flame and Wind!”

Crimson flames and azure wind intertwined, sealing Sa Hyeollin’s retreat. The swirling vortex wrapped around the trees, sending fallen leaves whirling.

The Red Spearman dragged his paralyzed legs and swung his spear.

“My Blood Spear Killing Art isn’t some punching bag technique… I’ve been taking too many hits lately, and it’s pissing me off. Go ahead, try hitting me again!”

Clang!

The spearhead thrust straight toward Sa Hyeollin.

He could not sense the energy of the Stray Spirits, nor could he see her Spirit Union Spirits. Yet he still felt the killing aura they released. Still, he had a countermeasure for that.

Shiiiiing!

A fierce surge of Enhanced Qi burst from his spear, dispelling the ominous energy.

“These Stray Spirits… I’ll end them with my spear!”

Gugwi continued to purify the spirits. Although Sa Hyeollin’s Spirit Union Spirits were using the Stray Spirits as shields, making it harder, there was no hindrance in summoning them into the Realm of the Threshold.

‘Using Stray Spirits as shields, how vile!’

The Spiritless Zone gradually expanded. The spirits either hid or were drawn inward.

Then, Sa Hyeollin brought forth the Blood Bone Binding through her shield of Stray Spirits.

“Blood Bone Insect Master!”

The spirit of the Blood Bone Insect Master hesitated even after receiving the command. The Spiritless Zone radiating from Gugwi affected him as well. Yet, he finally extended both hands toward Gugwi.

Throwing the Stray Spirits as offerings, he grasped at Gugwi’s blood vessels with invisible hands.

“Ugh!”

Suddenly, Gugwi’s neck and wrists tightened. His blood flow halted, and his fingertips tingled with numbness.

“Just die already! Die!”

Sa Hyeollin’s voice was thick with malice.

Pain shot through Gugwi’s entire body, but he steadied his breath and expanded the Spirit Flow Core even deeper.

Paaang!

The blue light flared brighter. The vibration of the Spirit Flow Core resounded throughout the forest.

Light seeped between the trees, driving away the darkness. Even the shadowed areas beneath the canopy grew bright.

The cries of the Stray Spirits gradually diminished. The vengeful souls, once consumed by hatred, began to find peace one by one.

‘Stronger… even stronger!’

Gugwi cried inwardly.

He poured everything into the Spirit Flow Core, shutting off every other sense, focusing solely on the blue core within his chest.

Vrrrrmmm…!

The vibration surged explosively. The light blazed so intensely it seemed it could pierce the heavens.

At that moment, the Black Spirit began to melt away in the light, its dark form dissipating like smoke.

“T–This light!”

Sa Hyeollin’s voice quivered.

“You’re erasing my spirits? Impossible!”

Gugwi’s radiance spread to his comrades as well.

The black venom withdrew from Yeon Sohye’s shoulder wound. Her skin regained its natural color.

“How many times are we going to die and come back on this journey? It’s like life and death are just playthings now.”

Jang Unhyeok’s shoulder wound healed as the poison from the Poison Dart neutralized, and the dark veins vanished.

The Red Spearman’s paralyzed legs regained sensation.

Enduring the agony of overload, Gugwi expanded the Spiritless Zone to its limit.

The blue light spread beyond the forest, reaching the cliffs, pressing upon Sa Hyeollin’s spirits from all directions.

Dark Poison Smoke’s toxic mists evaporated, and Deathly Tones’ illusions shattered. But the number of Stray Spirits remained overwhelming. Sa Hyeollin’s spirits hid among them, refusing to yield.

“There are… too many Stray Spirits…”

Gugwi muttered to himself.

Sa Hyeollin sent forth her last remaining spirit, Blood Bone Insect Master, to counterattack.

“Let’s see who dies first!”

Her voice dripped with madness.

Venomous insects swarmed like clouds, surging toward Gugwi. Thousands of them buzzed, blanketing the sky.

Gugwi mustered his last remaining strength, focusing every drop of will on the Spirit Flow Core.

“Spirit Flow Core… with your power, drive away this darkness.”

The light directly struck Sa Hyeollin’s Spirit Union Spirits. Yet, it was not enough to completely subdue them.

The forest remained engulfed in chaos.

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