As flames of realization sparked within Jang Geuk's mind, he felt a surge of enlightenment overtaking him. He had witnessed the true form of the Giant Spirit Technique, the likes of which he’d never imagined.

“So, that single strike… That’s the real Giant Spirit Technique,” he mused.

A technique truly deserving of the name divine art, not something that a mere mountain bandit should be capable of grasping. He glanced at the family members who had followed the Saheulnyeon fighters, then immediately discarded any thoughts of them.

There was little he could do for them in this situation. If he had to sacrifice everything, he wanted to devote it all to this moment, to finally perform the true Giant Spirit Technique, even if just once.

“Please, grant me the inspiration,” he whispered.

“…You arrogant fool,” Huangbo Jun grumbled.

Jang Geuk charged at him, his body seemingly igniting as he pushed forward, chasing the very footsteps of the true Giant Spirit Technique he had witnessed.

The two Saheulnyeon martial artists, Baek Yu-ryun of North Sea Ice Palace and Geom Bi-young of Geomjongmun, exchanged quick glances.

Jang Geuk could handle the warrior from the Huangbo family while they dealt with this demonic adversary. Even with the recent complications, it was still two against one; they were confident in their chances.

However, their opponent didn’t seem to share the sentiment, as Seo-jun immediately launched himself at Geom Bi-young.

“So arrogant!” Geom Bi-young spat, lunging forward with his sword. Hundreds of sword shadows splintered off, aiming to engulf Seo-jun.

Seo-jun brought his two pairs of spectral arms together.

Heaven-Reversing Sun and Moon Art. Then, Unified Chaos Sun and Moon Art.

A blast of dark energy surged forward, hurtling towards Geom Bi-young.

“What the…!” Geom Bi-young exclaimed, quickly retracting his sword and dodging the attack.

The black aura passed perilously close, chilling his spine. One solid hit, and he’d be done for—there was no blocking that power.

Baek Yu-ryun immediately came to his aid.

Her pale hands crackled with frigid qi, releasing a blast of icy energy. But Seo-jun barely gave her a second glance, pressing the attack on Geom Bi-young with his chaos-infused technique.

“Yu-ryun!” Geom Bi-young yelled, concentrating his spirit into his sword. His technique, honed through years of practice, carved into the air, forming a protective barrier as space itself seemed to split.

Boom!

The concentrated chaos of the Sun and Moon Art exploded, creating a vortex of energy. Geom Bi-young sliced through it and charged forward.

Seo-jun, meanwhile, extended an arm, absorbing Baek Yu-ryun’s icy attack with his energy-draining technique. His innate qi-absorbing abilities rendered her attacks useless.

“Geom Bi-young is the only real threat here,” he noted. Even though Baek Yu-ryun could cause trouble, she was still outmatched.

But Baek Yu-ryun refused to acknowledge her weakness. She slammed her hands into the ground, and an enormous glacier erupted, sending Seo-jun airborne.

As he twisted through the air, he reached out, shattering the glacier to pieces. Absorbing the icy energy, Seo-jun infused it into his sword.

Snow Plum Blossom.

Blossoms of ice erupted as he slashed, surging towards Geom Bi-young.

Geom Bi-young’s gaze darkened, and for an instant, his sword vanished from sight.

Swish—!

Hundreds of ice blossoms shattered as Geom Bi-young’s sword blurred with incredible speed. Seo-jun frowned as they clashed, realizing that swordsmanship alone wouldn’t be enough.

Even with all that he’d learned from Namgung Jincheon, the time had been too short to perfect it. Geom Bi-young’s sword, honed over decades, was leagues ahead.

Shifting his stance, Seo-jun abandoned his sword and redirected his attention to Baek Yu-ryun, who was preparing a powerful technique of her own.

“You think you can ignore me? You’ll pay the price!” she shouted.

Frozen World.

Ice erupted from Baek Yu-ryun, freezing the entire battlefield as she gathered a sphere of icy qi between her fingers.

Ice Crystal.

The sphere radiated a chilling energy, whitewashing everything in its path. Seo-jun’s body was frozen solid, encased in a block of ice.

Baek Yu-ryun’s lips curled into a sneer. “You arrogant fool.”

“Be careful!” Geom Bi-young shouted.

Baek Yu-ryun’s expression shifted. “There’s no way he could survive—”

Crack!

With a roar, Seo-jun shattered the ice around him, his red eyes gleaming through the mist of frozen breath. The raw bloodlust radiating from him caused Baek Yu-ryun’s heart to skip a beat.

“What… What is that?” she whispered.

It was a cold, murderous intent that sought to destroy the mind as well as the body. Her heart pounded out of sync as the blade approached.

Every technique she had trained seemed useless against him. The prestigious arts of North Sea Ice Palace—rendered powerless by this demon.

“This has to be some kind of trick…” she muttered.

Overwhelming talent? No, this was beyond talent. He was a monster, an abomination defying all sense of logic.

“Aaaaah!” Baek Yu-ryun screamed, unleashing a desperate attack.

Seo-jun’s sword struck, his dark qi weaving through her defenses as effortlessly as a knife through water.

With a twist, he pierced her hand, absorbing the icy qi with his yin-yang technique.

“Ugh…!” Baek Yu-ryun groaned as her hand was impaled, while Geom Bi-young charged, sword raised.

Seo-jun didn’t bother dodging; he simply raised his arm to intercept.

Schlunk!

His arm, still holding Baek Yu-ryun, was severed. Seo-jun grabbed it with his left hand, reversing the flow of energy, and directed it back at Baek Yu-ryun.

Tenfold Yin-Yang Reversal.

Baek Yu-ryun’s left arm exploded, her scream piercing the air.

Seo-jun swung the detached arm, using it to extend his sword’s reach. Geom Bi-young barely dodged, but the blade nicked the tip of his nose.

Even that minor wound was enough for the dark and demonic qi to invade his body.

“A single scratch… and it’s this devastating?” Geom Bi-young staggered, struggling against the internal chaos.

If only that talent had been applied to swordsmanship, he thought, perhaps he could have been the one to reach the pinnacle.

“How unfortunate. What a waste of talent!” Geom Bi-young lamented as he retreated, his gaze fixed on Seo-jun.

Seo-jun reattached his severed arm with inner energy, flexing his fingers to ensure they worked before charging again.

Snap!

His demonic horn throbbed, sensitive to the flow of energy around him.

He dodged Geom Bi-young’s horizontal slash, countering with a single precise strike. Geom Bi-young withdrew, but Seo-jun’s reattached arm exploded with energy, launching it directly into Geom Bi-young’s shoulder.

“Ugh…!”

The blow left Geom Bi-young reeling, pain twisting through his insides. He lunged at Seo-jun, slashing his blade with incredible speed, aiming for Seo-jun’s neck.

Clang!

The strike was deflected by Seo-jun’s demonically reinforced horn.

Geom Bi-young let out a hollow laugh. “If only you had applied that talent to the sword…”

Seo-jun’s left hand erupted with the Giant Spirit Technique, unleashing a devastating blow that shattered Geom Bi-young into pieces.

Grabbing his fallen arm from the air, Seo-jun pressed it against his shoulder to reattach it, turning his gaze to Baek Yu-ryun.

She cowered, scrambling back in desperation.

“Stay… Stay away…” she whispered, barely able to form the words. Her shattered arm, pulsing with dark energy, left her defenseless.

“Please… spare me…” she begged, as Seo-jun’s crimson eyes loomed over her.

“The Divine Sword's Fall,” Seo-jun murmured.

“The Divine Sword…?” Baek Yu-ryun replied, trembling.

“Yes, you know about it, don’t you?”

“Of… of course…”

Crack!

Seo-jun seized her by the shoulder, causing her to cry out in pain.

“No…!” she screamed as he wrenched her shoulder, twisting and breaking it.

“Aaaah! Stop… I’ll tell you everything… Aaaah!”

Her screams echoed across the mountains.

Baek Yu-ryun’s lifeless body lay twisted, her face a ghastly sight. Seo-jun had absorbed her inner qi, and his thoughts drifted.

“Nothing?” he muttered.

She’d given up all she knew about Saheulnyeon and even the hidden secrets of North Sea Ice Palace, but there had been no mention of the massacre at the Divine Sword School.

“So Chun-bong’s condition was caused by Ice Arts… and yet, the master of North Sea Ice Palace knew nothing?”

What am I missing?

“Hey,” Huangbo Jun’s voice cut in, wary and cautious. Seo-jun met his gaze, expression unchanging.

“Still not done?” Seo-jun asked, his expression cool and unwavering.

Jang Geuk, who had been giving Huangbo Jun a hard time, now staggered over to Seo-jun, wiping the blood from his mouth. He seemed exhausted but somehow at peace.

“I don’t care if you’re using demonic arts or anything else,” Jang Geuk began, his voice hoarse yet steady. He glanced at his surviving comrades, who were hiding among the rocks and trees, still watching the battle.

“Fools…” he murmured. “I told them to run. Yet here they remain, risking their lives out of some misplaced loyalty.”

He turned back to Seo-jun, taking a deep breath. He knelt on one knee, lowering his head with a solemn expression.

“I have only one request: spare my family. Let them live, and I’ll offer you my life in exchange. I’ll do whatever you ask. If you need me to lay down my life or to serve, I’m yours.”

Jang Geuk paused, his eyes narrowing as he looked up at Seo-jun. His words came out slowly, filled with reverence and finality.

“Let me serve under you and perfect this Giant Spirit Technique. Your demonstration… it was a revelation. I realized the true potential of this technique. If you’ll take me in, I’ll give my life and loyalty to you.”