Chapter 757: Hero Appears.

“We must find a way immediately.”

Around the time the attack was in full swing. Complex discussions were also underway in the pavilion.

The surroundings were still enclosed by a barrier. And just like before, they were anxiously struggling, unable to break through it.

Nevertheless, they couldn’t just sit idly by.

They pooled their heads together somehow to devise a plan to break through this situation.

“…U Bong-chwige…. Have you discovered anything?”

Mu O-geom (武旿劍), the sect leader of Taebaekmun, called out to U Bong-chwige and asked.

This was because he had been examining the barrier back and forth for a while.

Wondering if perhaps he had identified some weakness. He asked with such anticipation.

“…I did find something.”

“Huh?”

“Really!?”

Upon U Bong-chwige’s answer, their expressions immediately brightened.

They really managed to find something.

Just as they thought hope might finally emerge.

“I found something, but….”

U Bong-chwige added, wearing a somewhat troubled expression.

“Unfortunately, as I mentioned earlier, I’m not exactly an expert in this area… so it seems like it will take quite a bit of time.”

“Still, the fact that it can be solved is something. It’s fortunate there’s a method…”

“If it takes time, how much time?”

Since he said it would take time, maybe half a day?

Everyone thought so, but.

“…Two days.”

“What?”

“…Wha… What did… did you say?”

The time U Bong-chwige stated was much longer than they had expected.

Two days? Two days!

What kind of ridiculous statement was this?

So, everyone stared at U Bong-chwige with bewildered expressions.

“Didn’t I tell you I wasn’t confident? Aren’t you f*ing looking properly?! I feel like I’m going to be stabbed to death by your glares, damn it.”

The old man shouted, wearing a contorted expression.

“The rules connecting the barrier are too intricate. It seems like a formation, but if you mess up even slightly, it’ll all be for naught.”

Kaebang, which pursues information over brute force.

As the highest-ranking individual within it, he knew a fair amount about formations as well.

Fortunately, the barrier before them was at a level where one could figure out how to disable it with just a little knowledge.

However.

“It’s damn difficult….”

It was only visible.

If you were to compare it, it’s like a tangled skein of yarn.

It was so complex and tightly bound that trying to untangle it felt impossibly distant.

“Ugh.”

Because of that, it was beyond U Bong-chwige, who only possessed shallow knowledge, unless one was adept at formations.

It was his limit.

“Two days… Two days!”

“That takes too long.”

“Perhaps you should look for another method instead.”

The situation was urgent right now.

They didn’t know what might be happening outside. And since this place wasn’t safe either, they had to find a way to escape somehow.

“Even if the barrier absorbs our internal energy… wouldn’t there be a limit? So, how about we keep striking it for now?”

“That’s too dangerous a notion. What if the barrier reacts and the absorbed internal energy explodes?”

“No, Clan Head Cheol. What kind of baseless speculation is that? What kind of technique like that exists in the world…!”

“Is the barrier you see now a technique you’re familiar with? You’d have to be quite ignorant. To think you’d try to break it first before anything else. If you’re going to talk, at least make sense….”

“What? Ignorant? Are you calling me…-!”

While they were talking, the atmosphere heated up.

A rift formed as their opinions diverged.

Given the sensitive state they were in, it was the perfect situation to escalate.

The martial artists’ fighting spirit began to fill the barrier’s interior, as if they might draw their swords at any moment.

Just then.

“Hah!”

“…!”

A rough roar swept through the surroundings.

Everyone’s eyes widened. The one who shouted was, surprisingly, the Sword Emperor (劍帝), who had been silent until just before.

Right after the rough internal energy subdued the surroundings.

The Sword Emperor closed his eyes again as if nothing had happened.

In the calmed atmosphere, another person opened their mouth as if they had been waiting.

It was the Sword Saint.

“Sect Leader… Please try it first.”

“…You mean disabling the formation?”

At the Sword Saint’s request, the surroundings began to murmur.

“But, Leader… According to the Sect Leader, it takes two days to disable….”

“Don’t we currently have no other options?”

“…”

The person who spoke flinched.

It wasn’t just because it was the right argument, but also because the Sword Saint’s gaze was incredibly cold.

“Even if we pursue a method, we must try something for now. Whether it’s two days or three… let’s just try it first.”

“…R-right.”

Let’s think while doing something first.

Everyone nodded at those words.

“…I’m asking you.”

“…”

Seeing the reaction, the Alliance Leader spoke to U Bong-chwige.

U Bong-chwige nodded in response.

“I’m saying this again, I don’t know what happens, okay?”

It was incredibly burdensome.

He lamented the situation where he ultimately had to do something, but there was no helping it.

U Bong-chwige reached out to the barrier, holding back a sigh.

However.

Ttuk.

Suddenly, U Bong-chwige’s hand stopped in front of the barrier.

A distance that seemed like he could touch it any second.

Despite being so close, U Bong-chwige couldn’t move.

It was the same for the others.

Everyone froze and turned their heads.

Gazes converged.

The location was the center of Hannam, a bit distant from here.

Nothing could be seen, but everyone present felt it.

“…Something’s….”

“…This is…!”

Something is coming.

Dugeun-! Dugeun-!

His heart, which started beating on its own, and his instincts told him so.

An intense sense of vigilance surged.

The moment everyone began to tense up extremely upon feeling this.

Dung-!

Hwaaaaahhh-!!!

Fierce wind pressure and a massive beam of light poured down from afar.

Light erupted from a formation created in the sky.

That intense and bright light struck the ground.

Considering the distance, it seemed quite far, yet it was a violent spectacle visible even from here.

“…What, what on earth is that-!”

“What on earth is happening…?”

It was unknowable.

Though unknowable, one thing was certain.

“…We must leave this place right now.”

Whether they escaped here immediately and headed towards that place.

Or escaped and fled in the opposite direction.

They had to do one of the two.

They couldn’t stay here.

It was a thought that simultaneously occurred in everyone’s minds.

“…Damn it…!”

“We have to do something…! But how…?”

Just as everyone was flustered and showing impatient attitudes.

“Wait!”

Someone pointed beyond the barrier with their hand, having discovered something.

Only a few looked there, their attention stolen by the beam of light.

“Huh?”

“That… person.”

The reaction was unusual.

It couldn’t be helped.

Someone was crawling towards the barrier, and their condition was extremely strange.

They crawled unsteadily, approaching with difficulty.

Blood dripped behind their slow movements.

Despite the palpable pain, the figure kept approaching silently.

The problem was.

“…How could that person…?”

Most people here knew the approaching figure.

An old woman with a frail body and white hair.

A being who could be said to manage the entire alliance’s formations without exaggeration.

Bi Ma-pa, the leader of the Pungryongdae.

The master of formations was, for some reason, approaching the barrier in a heavily damaged state.

---

Kuuuuuuuuu—!!!

The pouring pillar was a spectacular sight just to behold.

I had never seen such a vast amount of light, and even if I tried to push it with firepower, it was a grandeur I couldn’t create with my internal energy capacity.

It meant it was an outstanding and yet chilling sight.

“Th-that’s…”

“Run…! Run!”

An unbelievable event was unfolding.

As if others realized it too, several began to flee in a hurry.

Most were civilians, but martial artists were mixed among them. Then again.

Seeing that spectacle, what difference did it make whether one was a martial artist or a civilian?

In the past, I might have gotten scared and run away too.

‘The direction is fine, so I don’t need to go catch them specifically.’

The direction they were fleeing was also acceptable. So I didn’t bother paying attention.

Kuuuung-!!

Now is the time to focus on what’s in front of me, rather than that.

I scrutinized only the pillar with my eyes narrowed tightly.

‘…It’s peculiar.’

It certainly is peculiar.

The fact that such a beam of light poured from the formation was one thing.

‘Such a beam of light is pouring onto the ground, yet there’s almost no damage.’

Despite shooting the ground like that, the surroundings aren’t cracking or exploding with debris.

How could that be possible?

Is it unable to penetrate inwards?

I didn’t think that was the case.

‘It’s too straight a line to be that.’

I could tell without looking that it was hitting the ground with immense pressure.

Then, is it cleanly piercing the ground and going inside?

That doesn’t seem right either.

‘…Hmm.’

I don’t know.

How that vast energy is flowing is baffling.

Even using my Mind’s Eye, I couldn’t figure it out.

All I could know was.

‘It’s dangerous.’

That light is dangerous.

Just looking at it stimulates vigilance.

Just as I sympathized with those fleeing earlier, I felt the same way.

Run away now.

Otherwise, it’s dangerous.

My entire body’s instincts were telling me so, but.

‘…Where am I going to run now?’

Running away now didn’t make sense.

I’ve made a mess as big as an elephant’s dung, so shouldn’t I take care of it all before leaving?

And….

‘If I can’t get what I need here, I won’t be able to do anything going forward.’

This is like the core of the plan.

Even if everything else can be fixed, taken apart, and modified.

This one thing is impossible.

It’s something that must be accomplished somehow.

This was one of them.

“…Young Master….”

A voice came from beside me, and I looked over.

It was one of the martial artists from the Hwangbo family.

“I just received word. It’s a report that Lady Na-hi has finished her preparations.”

I nodded.

‘Good.’

Fortunately, it seemed there were no setbacks on their end either.

As I confirmed the task, the man added another word.

“And… We confirmed the movements of the Pungryongdae leader from the pavilion side… this is….”

“Leave that be. It doesn’t matter, so tell them not to intervene separately.”

“Understood.”

It seemed the Pungryongdae leader had also started moving soon.

One by one, they assessed the situation and took a breath.

The situation itself hadn’t deviated much from the plan.

No, rather, it was flowing favorably.

But.

‘When is this bastard Nok-wang coming?’

Where the hell is this bastard doing, and what is he doing?

He should be showing up soon, but I can’t see where Dang-deok is or what he’s doing.

‘Tsk.’

Was it because I didn’t break down the orders further?

This was a bit of a problem.

‘It’ll be… fine.’

If it’s anything, this much should be okay.

For now, I decided to believe so.

Huuk-!

I expanded my ki sense.

It was to ascertain if there were others nearby.

The ki sense expanded in an instant.

Several individuals were caught within it.

‘Not civilians. Quite a few who seem to be martial artists.’

Due to the urgency, the exact number isn’t clear, but.

A considerable number were approaching this way.

They were probably coming after confirming the pillar.

I checked them to see if the person I was looking for was among them, but.

‘…Not yet.’

Unfortunately, the person I was waiting for didn’t seem to be included.

‘Tsk.’

Why is this damn woman late again?

Anyway, there’s nothing I like.

‘I should probably replace them entirely.’

I don’t need pawns that don’t listen.

I had to keep making moves.

“Hoo.”

I exhaled and ran my hand through my hair.

I feel the tension.

As my emotions waver, my body stiffens, and uncomfortable sensations seep into my muscles.

I swung my hand.

Jjjak-!!

“Y-Young Master!?”

Another person beside me startled.

This was because I had slapped my own cheek with all my might.

Jureuk-!

My lip split, blood flowed, and my cheek swelled slightly.

It was just right.

Twe.

I spat out the blood and loosened up my body.

“There.”

This is the best method when I’m tense.

If there was a mistake, it’s that I hit a bit too hard and my tooth is rattling.

Using the shock to loosen up, I took out a medicine pouch from my robes.

I picked out a spirit pill and swallowed it.

The spirit pill was none other than the Dokcheon Pill.

Ssssseeeeee—!!!

Immediately, internal energy flowed out from the spirit pill and seeped into my heart.

The internal energy that vanished while unleashing flames began to be replenished.

It was the Dokcheon Pill, a renowned spirit pill in the Zhongyuan region.

To think I’d use it as a mere internal energy charger.

Even I found it absurd, but there was no helping it.

This was the fastest method.

“Mm.”

After clenching and unclenching my fists a few times to check, the effect was certainly good.

Thanks to it, I could recover the lost energy to some extent.

There’s no luxury like this.

Just as I was managing and regulating my energy like that.

“Gyo…! Young Master!”

A powerful voice came from afar.

It seemed they had finally arrived.

I frowned deeply and looked back.

“This damned woman. I clearly told you to come straight here…!”

The moment I was about to speak, filled with annoyance.

The person I was waiting for.

Black, short hair.

Bong-sun, appearing with a polearm, came into view.

“Sorry-!! But this unni asked me to go with her… so I’m a little late!”

Bong-sun approached, smiling brightly.

She was the person I had been waiting for until just now, but my gaze turned towards the person behind Bong-sun.

“You….”

“…Hi….”

Her cyan-white hair swayed with her waving hand.

A woman inexplicably wearing my martial arts uniform.

If it were in the past, maybe.

But now, the woman who had become one of my lifelines was there.

My eyes widened at the completely unexpected situation.

This was not a place she should be.

I was sure I had told that woman never to come out here.

“Why are you here again…!”

The moment I was about to shout angrily.

Ttuk-!

“…!”

Dammit, I couldn’t even do that.

My head immediately turned.

The spot where the pillar was being shot.

I looked as if to confirm that place.

“Oh dear.”

Upon seeing it, my brow immediately furrowed.

The energy that had been pouring down so strongly was nowhere to be seen.

Where I expected a deep crater, surprisingly, only the clean ground existed.

So, where on earth did all that countless light go?

If it didn’t dig into the ground, where did that much light go?

The question arose, but it was resolved shortly after.

There was something on the clean ground.

As I narrowed my eyes to focus, I could see it more clearly.

“That’s….”

A white lump.

An unknown white lump was there.

Its size was at most that of an adult male, and its shape resembled an egg.

What on earth could that be?

Could this be the dragon sealed in Hannam that Pil-du-ma mentioned?

Isn’t its size too small for that?

As those thoughts surfaced.

Seu… seu….

A gradual change occurred in the lump.

‘Thread…?’

It was thin, fine thread.

Thread slowly emanated from the object, and it began to slowly construct a shape.

The forming outline was much larger compared to the lump.

What would happen if it were left like this?

It was what everyone present thought while watching the scene, but.

Swiiiiiik—!!!

Tung-! Kuwaaaaaaaa—!!!

Before I could even think, a strike flew out and attacked the lump.

Flames erupted, causing a massive explosion.

That wasn’t the end.

Swik-! Swik-!!!

As if one strike wouldn’t finish it, flashes burst forth continuously.

Hwareureuk! Kuwaaaaaa-!!

The consecutive explosions were intense enough to change the surrounding temperature.

Everyone looked at me as if surprised by this.

“…What?”

Why were they looking at me like that?

Seeing that, I immediately shouted.

“It’s obviously transforming, so what are you staring at? Are you crazy?”

Someone might call that romantic, but.

Romance my ass.

It was obvious my head would be chopped off if I tried to protect such things.