Chapter 207: Natural Enemy

“Wahahahaha!”

Laughing heartily, the Wind-Passing Great Sage rammed into Gyochung with a body slam.

Boom!

With a thunderous crash, the Two-Headed God bounced off through the forest.

“Hm?”

Just as he was about to follow up with another attack, the Wind-Passing Great Sage ripped off a piece of his own side with his hand.

Chiiiik—

The part of his body that fell to the ground turned purple, then swelled up and released smoke of various colors.

“Still using those filthy tactics, huh.”

The Wind-Passing Great Sage’s eyes turned to Gyochung’s right hand. A sharp stinger protruded through his palm.

Even while being attacked, Gyochung counterattacked—forcing the Wind-Passing Great Sage to tear off a piece of himself to survive.

The stinger of Gyochung, known as the God of Stinging Insects, carried such dreadful poison and curses that even a Great Monster found it hard to endure.

【To be continued.】

【Will you do it?】

“Why ask something so obvious?”

【Cannot understand.】

【At all.】

From Gyochung’s perspective, the Wind-Passing Great Sage made no sense.

Even if summoned, there was no need to fight so fiercely. Given the level of power between Gyochung and the Wind-Passing Great Sage, their summoners would have already received enough strength.

Gyochung had used a swarm of Heumwon to attack the enemies of Gwi Ryeong. It was only one attack, but it was sufficient to fulfill the summoning contract.

Yet the Wind-Passing Great Sage was trying to fight properly. He couldn’t understand why.

【What are you】

【thinking?】

“I don’t get why you fight so disgustingly either. Wouldn’t it be cleaner to just trade blows with fists?”

【What nonsense.】

【That’s simply】

【the power we possess.】

【Just like your】

【power over wind.】

“Ugh, talk with one head at a time, will you? It’s driving me crazy. Why am I fighting? Because your babbling makes me want to punch something.”

Gyochung was reluctant to fight, but the Wind-Passing Great Sage was not.

In the Demon Beast Realm, those called gods never left their territory. Meeting someone like Gyochung even in Projection form was rare.

There was no way the Wind-Passing Great Sage would miss this opportunity.

He was simple. He fought because he wanted to fight.

“Let’s see how long it takes before I smash one of your heads.”

【That is】

【impossible.】

“Nope, I’ll do it. I’m gonna crush one of them, ehehihi!”

Laughing excitedly, the Wind-Passing Great Sage charged again.

On one side of Golden Frog Island, a Great Monster of the Demon Beast Realm clashed with a God of Beasts.

A short break

Just behind the massive dragon’s head—

From the softly glowing seven-story tower, endless streams of Monsters and Puppets poured out.

The interior of the Seven-Colored Spirit Treasure Tower was compressed space, vomiting out a force unbefitting its size.

Though Ha Do-gwang’s side had prepared to some extent, sheer numbers alone provided little help.

Seo Ryeom and Mak Ya-wol of the Annihilation Squad, Wu Hobup Im Gwan-hwa, Five Elements Envoy Woo Il-do, and Yeon Cheon-seung of the Five Elements Cult—

Five high-level experts from the Realm of Immeasurability led the charge, and the enemy’s formation collapsed in an instant.

The opposing side couldn’t just watch. Their powerful ones stepped up.

Eight of the Ten Golden ThunderS, transformed into lightning, along with Tak Sae-ak, the Five Elements Envoy who had betrayed the Five Elements Cult and followed Ha Do-gwang, and even the cultivators of the Ascension Cult and sorcerers from the Radiant Light Sect—

A force powerful enough to wipe out a mid-tier sect had assembled. But they had the wrong opponent.

“Die!”

Yeon Cheon-seung shouted and leapt forth.

Each time one of the water spheres floating around him touched an enemy, their bodies were ripped apart.

Boom!

He punched one of the orbs, and droplets of water turned into hundreds of Hidden Weapons, showering the enemies.

“Not bad.”

Watching from behind, Seo Ryeom stepped forward. His target was the approaching Ten Golden ThunderS, moving in the form of lightning.

Perhaps recognizing Seo Ryeom, they quickly moved to attack.

As he blocked the lightning blades flying toward him, Seo Ryeom’s eyes gleamed.

“Oh!”

Just as the Leader had said, the Ten Golden ThunderS had an abnormal level of speed.

“How do you move like that with that level of skill?”

The opponent didn’t answer, continuing to attack. Seo Ryeom blocked every strike with both hands, observing his foe. He didn’t even need to use his tail.

“There are eight left. I suppose I can take two each. No, wait—since the Great Sage went off on his own, I’ll take down three.”

Having met a fun opponent, a smile naturally came to his lips. But that smile didn’t last long.

A sudden surge of intense heat—

Even a high-level expert like Seo Ryeom couldn’t help but turn his head toward it.

On one side of the battlefield, a massive Giant of Flame had formed.

And it wasn’t just Yeon Cheon-seung who was excited. Seeing the traitors, Im Gwan-hwa and Woo Il-do, the Red Bird Division Head, seemed furious too. The two powered up and moved together.

Wind and fire—an ideal combination. One side of the battlefield was engulfed in flames.

“Kill the traitorous scum!”

With Yeon Cheon-seung’s cry, the elite of the Five Elements Cult went berserk.

In terms of fighting spirit, no one on the battlefield surpassed the Annihilation Squad.

Ha Do-gwang’s subordinates were continually pushed back.

Though the sorcerers of the Radiant Light Sect and cultivators of the Ascension Cult tried to resist, they couldn’t overcome the difference in strength.

Ever since Roaring Thunder Fortress launched its assault, the tide of battle had shifted decisively.

A short break

After destroying the Heavenly Gold Thunder Dragon Armor, Roaring Thunder Fortress had withdrawn from the battlefield.

Approaching him silently was a lone sorcerer—his target, the now-isolated Antlered White Mask.

“It’s been a while.”

At the familiar voice, the Antlered White Mask, who had been watching the battlefield, turned his head.

There stood a man in a white mask and robes adorned with a turtle pattern.

Another of the Ten Elders of the Radiant Light Sect—White Mask Ghost Spirit.

“Yes, it has been a while.”

The Antlered White Mask no longer wore his mask. His gentle-looking face was colder than ever.

“Did you come for me?”

“A pointless question. The Sect Leader has ordered your head be brought back.”

The word “Sect Leader” froze the expression of Antlered White Mask.

“There is no Sect Leader in Radiant Light Sect anymore. There are only traitors and those who follow them.”

This time, the rage flickering in Ghost Spirit’s eyes cooled into icy calm.

“How foolish. Everything has already changed—what use is your stubbornness now?”

With a faint smile curling his lips, Ghost Spirit continued.

“The flow of the Central Heavens Martial Realm will soon change. The former Sect Leader would never have been able to follow it.”

“So that’s why you betrayed him?”

“Betrayed? No. We merely took a step forward to open a new era.”

“That’s some disgusting sophistry. You can’t justify betrayal with that. Opening a new era means joining hands with the Ascension Cult?”

“……”

“I heard that Hyeonwol had been cooperating with that group long before. What meaning is there in a new era you can’t open with your own hands? Ah, or perhaps this new era of yours is one someone else opens for you?”

At that scornful gaze, Ghost Spirit’s face twisted behind his mask.

“You bastard…”

His trembling hand began to write words in the air.

“You’ve always been like that.”

Yi Jeuk. San-hwi.

The glowing letters summoned two Monsters in front of him.

“Always pretending to know everything. Pretending to be pure, lofty, untouchable. Because they called you a genius sorcerer.”

The youngest ever to rise to the rank of one of the Ten Elders of the Radiant Light Sect—a prodigy who, despite living less than two hundred years, had reached the same level as sorcerers who had trained for centuries.

A genius. The Radiant Light Sect’s rising star. The one adored by all.

From the very beginning, Ghost Spirit had despised Antlered White Mask.

“I’ll be reclaiming that name, Antlered. You were never worthy of it.”

His voice was filled with killing intent. Yet Antlered White Mask simply nodded, agreeing.

“Take it. I refuse that name. I will live by my own name—Seon Tae-gyeong.”

The position of one of the Ten Elders of the Radiant Light Sect—something every sorcerer dreamed of.

Casting off that title, Antlered White Mask, no—Seon Tae-gyeong, returned to his true name.

Even that defiance made Ghost Spirit seethe with hatred.

“You fool! You don’t get to cast it aside on your own! I’ll take your head myself and reclaim it!”

“If you can.”

From Seon Tae-gyeong’s Middle Dantian, an overwhelming force erupted. He raised his power to face Ghost Spirit head-on.

“I’ll prove right here that you never deserved the title of genius!”

“You’d better hurry. My companions are strong. That fight will end much faster than you think.”

Ghost Spirit’s wrinkled face relaxed slightly.

“You trust your comrades that much? Don’t get your hopes up. We’ve summoned Gyochung, one of the Gods of Beasts. No matter how strong the Five Elements Cult is, they won’t take him down easily.”

“We have a monkey.”

A voice cut in from the side, as if to refute him.

Without hesitation, Ghost Spirit moved, retreating to the opposite end. He saw the Monsters he had summoned explode and die.

‘When did he appear?’

He was right beside him, yet Ghost Spirit hadn’t sensed a single trace.

Even the two Monsters that exploded hadn’t noticed the man approaching until the moment they died.

‘I can’t feel his energy…’

The man in black martial robes who had instantly slain the two Monsters felt less like a living being and more like a part of the air—like a fragment of Roaring Thunder Fortress itself.

“Radiant Light Sect?”

The man who had slaughtered high-level Monsters like Yi Jeuk and San-hwi as if they were insects asked quietly.

“You are…?”

“I’m Jang Woo-hyun.”

A name Ghost Spirit knew well.

“Cheonrin Sword Alliance.”

The leader of the Annihilation Squad—the mortal enemy of the Ascension Cult.

Even the Sect Leader had issued an order to eliminate him.

“We have a monkey.”

As Ghost Spirit stared in shock at his power, Jang Woo-hyun spoke proudly, like a child showing off.

“What?”

“You said you had some ‘Gyochung’ or whatever. We have the Wind-Passing Great Sage. Haven’t you heard the rumors?”

He’d heard whispers that the Annihilation Squad had that mad Monster among them—but never believed it. That lunatic fighting alongside humans? Impossible.

“Didn’t you see him earlier? I think he went down there to fight that ‘Gyochung’ of yours.”

“……”

Hiding within the Spirit Treasure Tower, Ghost Spirit hadn’t seen the Wind-Passing Great Sage.

Seeing his faintly flustered look, Seon Tae-gyeong stepped beside Jang Woo-hyun.

“One of the Ten Elders—White Mask Ghost Spirit.”

“Ghost Spirit? Ah, right, the one with the turtle pattern.”

Looking at Ghost Spirit’s robes, Jang Woo-hyun nodded to himself.

“Well then, shall I see just how strong one of the Ten Elders really is?”

“What—?”

Before Ghost Spirit could even react—

Jang Woo-hyun appeared before him and threw a punch.

Almost simultaneously, a translucent turtle shell manifested before Ghost Spirit.

Kwaaang!

With a thunderous impact, Ghost Spirit was blasted far back.

“Pretty sturdy.”

Intrigued by the defense, Jang Woo-hyun drew Mukya.

Again, Ghost Spirit failed to follow his movements.

By the time he realized the black sword had been drawn, Jang Woo-hyun had already vanished—and reappeared right in front of him, slashing.

Jjeoong!

Between Mukya’s descending blade and Ghost Spirit, a translucent shell appeared again.

“No matter your reputation, you cannot reach me.”

Ghost Spirit was confident. The translucent turtle shell before him was his own unique sorcery, an absolute defense that had never failed him once.

As he spoke, Jang Woo-hyun raised his energy—and his will. The will to cut down whatever stood before Mukya.

Boom!

The surge of power spread like a shockwave. Cracks appeared in the air itself—space trembling from Jang Woo-hyun’s strength.

The sheer force left Ghost Spirit speechless. The Cheonrin Sword Alliance’s strength far surpassed what he’d heard.

Crack!

“……!”

Cracks spread through the impenetrable defensive shell. The black blade aimed for the turtle hiding within.

“Ughhh!”

Caught off guard, Ghost Spirit failed to counter properly, using a teleportation spell to retreat far back.

“You insolent…!”

Furious, Ghost Spirit restored his barrier and unleashed more power.

Jang Woo-hyun simply watched, expression calm—as if daring him to try anything he wished.

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