Chapter 179: Fighting Ghost Unit (2)

The Rat Beastkin of the Baekmu Society, Seo Ryeom, furrowed his brows.

‘Who is he?’

The man who had crushed a member of the Fighting Ghost Unit with a single punch was someone he had never seen before.

Although Maeng Ye-ju, the Fierce-Fisted Heroine of the Beast King Sect, and Jin Ha-un, the Azure Crimson Sword Ghost, who had recently begun making names for themselves, were behind him, they no longer entered his sight.

‘It would be rude to even compare them.’

The man before him was a master on par with Mak Ya-wol, the Captain of the Fighting Ghost Unit currently fighting the Wind-Passing Great Sage, or perhaps on his own level.

“Kkyaaaak!”

While Seo Ryeom observed the man, the second challenger from the Fighting Ghost Unit was sent flying with a shattered shoulder.

‘This won’t do.’

Seo Ryeom finally decided to step in. He knew that no matter how many subordinates rushed forward, they would be no match for this man.

“Everyone, fall back. I will…”

“Vice Captain, please step aside.”

“That’s right. Wait your turn.”

“Brother, let’s keep the order.”

When he tried to intervene, the warriors of the Fighting Ghost Unit rebuked him.

Seo Ryeom couldn’t even finish his words and had to smack his lips before retreating a step.

“Argh!”

In that short moment, the fourth warrior who charged in was flung back with both arms broken. His comrades quickly carried him off to a large Flying Apparatus nearby.

Even as their comrades were being crushed, the warriors of the Fighting Ghost Unit did not lose their smiles.

Seeing the faces of his subordinates, Seo Ryeom crossed his arms again. Since no one had died yet, he decided to wait and see for the moment.

One, maybe two times. That was how many punches Jang Woo-hyun had thrown.

So far, six had rushed in, and all of them were sent flying with some part of their bodies shattered.

No matter how renowned the Fighting Ghost Unit was in the Central Heavens Martial Realm, they were no match for Jang Woo-hyun.

Jang Woo-hyun was no longer a rising newcomer. He had grown to the point where he could even exchange blows with the Sect Leader of the Beast King Sect.

Now, for ordinary martial artists, it was impossible to face him.

Unless it was one of the Seventeen Lords or the leading masters of the Ten Sects and Three Clans, Jang Woo-hyun no longer had any true opponents.

The three lines of challengers had merged into one. Those who had originally lined up behind Maeng Ye-ju and Jin Ha-un had now shifted to stand behind Jang Woo-hyun.

And while the line was merging, the warriors of the Fighting Ghost Unit continued to be smashed, bringing the total number of downed fighters to ten.

A third of the thirty-odd warriors of the Fighting Ghost Unit had already been crushed. Yet, they still smiled.

‘Truly hairless monkeys.’

Back when he first met the Wind-Passing Great Sage in the Central Plains, the creature had laughed even while its body was broken after fighting Jang Woo-hyun.

The current expressions of the Fighting Ghost Unit warriors reminded him of that.

Kwaang!

After breaking the arms of the eleventh warrior, Jang Woo-hyun stepped back slightly.

“What’s this? Is he stopping?”

Just as the twelfth warrior was about to rush in, Jang Woo-hyun told him to wait and then approached Maeng Ye-ju.

“What do you think of my idea?”

After crossing hands with them, Jang Woo-hyun had clearly realized something. The warriors of the Fighting Ghost Unit were no different from the Wind-Passing Great Sage. If so, then with the right bait, they could be reeled in.

“What idea?”

“About making those guys work for us, as I just said.”

“…”

Maeng Ye-ju couldn’t answer.

Normally, she would have immediately refused.

They were among the most insane of those obsessed with fighting and martial arts.

Even now, those who had fought first were lining up again as soon as their bodies healed or they regained their senses.

Behavior beyond common sense, half-mad mental states.

For the Fighting Ghost Unit, battle was no different from play.

Maeng Ye-ju wanted to dismiss it as impossible. But then, a thunderous roar echoed in the distance, stopping her words.

She turned her gaze toward the sound.

Each time the chain scythe traced its arc, mountaintops were sliced away, and the shattered peaks were pulverized into dust by a massive whirlwind.

‘A monster crazed by battle.’

She looked at the Wind-Passing Great Sage and then turned her eyes back to Jang Woo-hyun.

If this man could travel with a so-called great monster who was said to be insane, could it really be impossible to use the Fighting Ghost Unit?

‘If it’s him…’

It seemed possible.

‘Right, didn’t they say he even challenged his own master?’

The man before her was the same Jang Woo-hyun who had fought the Sect Leader of the Beast King Sect, and had rejected without hesitation the disciple of Haeryang, one of the Ten Thrones.

From the beginning, he had always been far removed from common sense.

“I don’t really know, but… if it’s you, it might work.”

At Maeng Ye-ju’s honest reply, Jang Woo-hyun laughed.

Their group was short-handed at the moment. For the future, they needed to increase their numbers, and here were some that could be hooked if the right bait was thrown.

“What do you think, Cho-su?”

“You’ll handle it well enough yourself.”

Cho-su had already decided not to interfere much with Jang Woo-hyun’s actions. From what he had seen, Jang Woo-hyun was someone detached from common sense.

There was no need to even ask Jin Ha-un. Only Nokgak Baekmyeon, who didn’t yet know Jang Woo-hyun well, looked puzzled.

After speaking with his companions, Jang Woo-hyun made up his mind.

‘The bait is enough.’

It was the same bait he had used to hook the Wind-Passing Great Sage. If the Fighting Ghost Unit were truly like him, they would surely be caught.

Once their talk ended,

Jang Woo-hyun walked into the air and revealed his power.

His will filled the surroundings.

Just by locking eyes with them, just by thinking of them, the warriors of the Fighting Ghost Unit were wounded.

“Fall back!”

Shocked by Jang Woo-hyun’s power, Seo Ryeom immediately drew his sword and stood in front of his subordinates.

With his long tail, he held three short swords—one in each hand and one in his tail.

Kugoong!

As Seo Ryeom raised his energy, it clashed with Jang Woo-hyun’s will, and the air around them exploded. The resulting shockwaves surged like a typhoon.

“It’s time to stop fighting. There’s no real meaning in fighting you lot. You’re too weak.”

Jang Woo-hyun, exuding overwhelming presence, prepared to cast his bait. At his provocation, the warriors of the Fighting Ghost Unit raised their energy.

Individually, they were no match for Jang Woo-hyun. But the combined force of the entire Fighting Ghost Unit was not something to be taken lightly, even for him.

Perhaps it was because the weaker ones had gone first, but among those who had yet to fight, there were some considerably strong individuals.

Looking each of them in the eyes, Jang Woo-hyun spoke.

“My goal lies in a place far beyond your reach.”

As he pushed against the force that cut across heaven and earth, Seo Ryeom asked,

“Who is it you intend to fight?”

Jang Woo-hyun raised his hand and pointed toward the sky.

“The sky? Are you saying you’ll take on the Six Heavens? I admit your skill is outstanding, but that much is…”

“True Immortals.”

Jang Woo-hyun tossed the bait to reel in the Fighting Ghost Unit.

It was the same bait that had made even the Wind-Passing Great Sage salivate. If they were truly battle-mad, they would not be able to ignore such a massive lure.

And if it didn’t work—

‘I’ll just crush them all here and leave.’

He had nothing to lose. If it worked, all the better.

“…What?”

Seo Ryeom’s reaction was delayed at the absurd claim.

It was an answer he had never even considered. The other warriors of the Fighting Ghost Unit were so taken aback that they couldn’t speak.

“My goal is the True Immortals of the Upper Realm.”

Though he spoke flatly, the words themselves carried a weight that could not be dismissed.

True Immortals. Beings called genuine immortals.

Most martial artists or cultivators never became entangled with them. From the start, none had tried to face those in the Upper Realm, a place shrouded in mystery.

Yet here was Jang Woo-hyun, openly declaring that his target was the True Immortals.

The thought—“To fight against True Immortals?”—was seared into the minds of everyone present, including the Rat Beastkin.

“Do you expect us to believe that?”

At some point, Mak Ya-wol, Captain of the Fighting Ghost Unit, who had pushed away the Wind-Passing Great Sage, approached and asked.

Faced with Jang Woo-hyun’s sudden, overwhelming aura, he had no choice but to come. After all, he was the captain who led the Fighting Ghost Unit.

“Where do you think you’re going!”

The Wind-Passing Great Sage, who had dashed swiftly through the air, swung his hand. From his fingertips, a massive blade of wind formed, aimed at Mak Ya-wol and the entire Fighting Ghost Unit.

“You crazy monkey beast! I’m asking something important here!”

Even for one like Mak Ya-wol, who loved fighting, the words he had just heard could not be dismissed. He had never met anyone who claimed to want to fight the True Immortals.

“Don’t covet what’s mine!”

With a loud shout, the Wind-Passing Great Sage suddenly reappeared and rammed his body into Mak Ya-wol.

A tremendous boom erupted, but no one paid attention to it anymore. Everyone’s mind was tangled in the words the Wind-Passing Great Sage had just shouted.

–Don’t covet what’s mine!

What else could that mean?

Now it all made sense. Why a so-called great monster, known for being battle-crazed, was moving together with these people.

No one knew whether it was due to a contract or some other circumstance. But it was clear that the man before them truly intended to fight the True Immortals, and the Wind-Passing Great Sage wanted to be part of that battlefield.

In other words, the Wind-Passing Great Sage’s words had just confirmed the claim to fight the True Immortals as truth.

In a reality too hard to believe, everyone was shaken.

All except one.

Only Seo Ryeom, the Rat Beastkin, moved quickly.

In no time, he was standing beside Jang Woo-hyun.

Jang Woo-hyun tensed at the unexpectedly fast movement. He had been wary of him, but Seo Ryeom instead glared confidently at the Fighting Ghost Unit and shouted,

“You filthy Baekmu Society bastards!”

Jang Woo-hyun’s group was startled by him cursing his own comrades, while the warriors of the Fighting Ghost Unit scowled. Some muttered, “He’s at it again.”

“Do you know where you are! Captain, should we take care of them?”

Looking at Jang Woo-hyun, Seo Ryeom spoke boldly, as if he were already one of his subordinates.

It wasn’t just because he was a Rat Beastkin that he came off as sly.

Seo Ryeom had been born a Rat Beastkin, one of the weakest beastkin races.

Compared to other beastkin, Rat Beastkin were lacking in strength and had shorter lifespans.

Seo Ryeom had ceaselessly struggled to overcome his short life and weak body. He had lived every moment to the fullest, throwing himself into countless real battles.

Thanks to that relentless drive, Seo Ryeom chose to join the Baekmu Society instead of the Beast King Sect, even as a beastkin.

And perhaps his choice was not wrong. He overcame the limits of his race, reached new realms, and extended his lifespan to grow stronger.

The Three-Armed Phantom Beast Sword, Seo Ryeom.

His abnormal martial arts, wielding three swords with his hands and long tail, was called one of the absolute styles of the Central Heavens Martial Realm. Eventually, he became one of the nine strongest of the Baekmu Society.

Seo Ryeom had thought he would continue to grow stronger.

But at some point, he hit an invisible wall.

‘This won’t do.’

No matter how many battles he fought, he could not progress further.

He needed something else. That was why he had joined the Fighting Ghost Unit, the most belligerent, battle-mad faction within the Baekmu Society, traveling from place to place.

When chaos engulfed the Central Heavens, he seized the chance to join the battles. Even within the Baekmu Society, fights against the Ten Sects and Three Clans were rare, so he thought it would be a new stimulus.

But…

Even after fighting the warriors of great sects, nothing changed.

Only his desire to grow stronger and his hunger for new battles grew.

‘I need something else.’

To advance, he now needed a different kind of fight. Something of another order entirely.

But even for someone who had lived hundreds of years, that was not easily found. Such new forms of battle would not simply appear out of nowhere.

As he grew weary, he unexpectedly heard the words today.

“My goal is the True Immortals of the Upper Realm.”

A man of unknown identity had said so.

He was unusual. A hidden master, traveling alongside a great monster and a machinist of the Nation of Mechanical Marvels.

‘True Immortals…?’

Beings who dwelled far beyond the Central Heavens, with whom one had no connection. No one ever thought of fighting them.

Even the Chairman of the Baekmu Society had never spoken of fighting the True Immortals.

Yet this man he had just met declared boldly that his goal was the True Immortals.

And the momentous figure, the Wind-Passing Great Sage, acknowledged it, making it impossible to dismiss as false.

At that instant, Seo Ryeom’s heart raced. It was as though a heart that had long stopped beating had begun to pound again.

‘True Immortals…’

A new enemy. A new battle. A fight unlike any he had ever known.

With a goal now before him, Seo Ryeom stepped over to the man’s side. Then, toward those who had been his comrades until now, he shouted,

“You filthy Baekmu Society bastards!”

His opponents looked shocked, and his subordinates scowled.

Those who had long been with him grumbled that he was doing it again.

Yet some nodded with shining eyes, and Seo Ryeom knew they were thinking the same as him.

Most who belonged to the Baekmu Society were like this.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep