Nok Woon’s expression briefly darkened when he faced that chilling smile.

...What is that?

Because the qi Nomon was exuding was filled with nothing but filth, he had failed to realize it.

Nomon had chosen the path of blood, so it was natural to think his qi would be full of blood-qi.

Nok Woon fixed his hardened gaze on that crescent-shaped red eye.

‘...It’s alive.’

That “thing” that had dyed Nomon’s body.

It was clearly a part of Nomon, and yet, unlike the enraged Nomon, it was smiling as if this situation amused it.

No, not just the eye.

The twisted corner of his mouth, the violet qi that expanded its territory as if devouring Nomon’s body the more he raged.

The red arm that whipped about the exploding blood-qi.

Sweat beaded on Nok Woon’s hand as he realized its existence.

That unknown being was parasitizing Nomon and observing the situation.

The repulsive qi spewing out of Nomon was also not Nomon’s—but that thing’s.

“...What in the world have you brought back on you?”

“You’re no different! You’re all the same! All of you, stuffed full of hypocrisy and lies!”

“Nomon!!”

“I’ll kill every last one of you... every last one...!”

KWAAAAAA—!!

The dark blood-red qi Nomon swung erupted like an explosion, shooting up in all directions.

“Sect Leader...!”

It was when Yu Pyo, sensing something wrong, moved toward the Sect Leader.

“Everyone!!”

Sect Leader Nok Woon shouted.

“Take your positions!”

The moment those words left his mouth, everyone of Mount Hua Sect raised their swords toward Nomon.

WHOOOOOOSH—

Dense crimson qi swirled around the Sect Leader’s sword.

“Yu Pyo!”

“I’m... going...!!”

TADAT— THUNG—

Yu Pyo leapt high into the air, and Sect Leader of Mount Hua, Nok Woon, swung his sword.

Heaven-Flow Divine Fire Sword!

Twenty-Four-Hand Plum Blossom Sword Art — Plum Blossoms Falling (Sixth Hand)!

KWA-GWA-GWA-GWA-GWAAAA— KWA-A-A-AANG—

The dense crimson Force Aura Nok Woon unleashed twisted and rushed forth like flowing flame, crashing down toward Nomon.

At the same time, Yu Pyo’s rosy sword-strike rained down on Nomon like thousands of falling plum petals.

KWA-GWA-GWA-GWA-GWAAAA— KWA-A-A-AANG—

Two similar yet different energies wove together into a seamless attack.

However.

PHAAAAAANG—!!

Just before the combined Force Auras of the two men could reach Nomon, a brutal surge of qi burst out of Nomon, raising a fierce windstorm.

“!”

“Urgh...!!”

Nok Woon, who was closest to Nomon, took the blast of unleashed qi head-on and was shoved back, and Yu Pyo also lost his balance in midair and was flung away.

TAP—

Landing on the ground nearby, Yu Pyo immediately rushed to Nok Woon and supported him.

“Sect Leader...! Are you all right?”

“I... am fine....”

Nok Woon steadied his posture, forcing his momentarily spinning vision to clear.

Blood streamed down from his right ear.

“Sect Leader!”

“I said I am fine.”

Nok Woon gripped Yu Pyo’s hand tightly and straightened his stance.

His gaze remained fixed on Nomon.

“Grrrrrrrr....”

Yu Pyo frowned.

“That’s....”

As if he were standing amid rising flames, his figure was shrouded in blazing dark blood-red qi.

At some point, his entire face had been dyed in black-violet qi, and both of his eyes were now completely blood-red.

In that brief span, the black-violet qi had spread everywhere but his right hand, reaching up his neck and right arm, and from his mouth came a sound that could no longer be called human.

“That is no longer Nomon.”

HSSSSSSS....

A long breath slipped out between O Blood Lord’s lips.

Completely swallowed by dark blood-red qi, he did not move, as if he were waiting for something.

Using that opening, Nok Woon made his decision.

“Yu Pyo.”

“Yes, Sect Leader.”

“Take your senior brothers and get them out. This is an opponent we cannot handle with our strength.”

“Then what about you, Sect Leader...?”

“The elders and I will buy time. In that span, leave Mount Hua.”

“I cannot! How could we be told to leave the main Sect by ourselves! I will fight to the end and die with you!”

“Yu Baek!”

TAP—

Yu Baek, the head senior of the first-generation disciples and head disciple of the Sect, stepped up.

“Yes, Sect Leader...!”

“Take your fellow seniors and the Martial Alliance warriors and get out of here! That is an order from your Sect Leader!”

Yu Baek had already been listening to their conversation at their side.

Yu Baek’s heart was the same as Yu Pyo’s.

How could he flee, leaving his master and martial uncles behind?

However.

“Will you cut off Mount Hua’s line? Mount Hua lives only if you live!”

Nok Woon did not allow Yu Baek’s hesitation.

At the Sect Leader’s shout, Yu Baek steeled his heart and nodded.

“I understand. Please, be careful.”

KWA-A-A-A-A-A—

Black clouds spread over the skies of Mount Hua.

It was as if the black qi were surging in one great mass to swallow Mount Hua whole.

Yu Baek immediately gathered the Martial Alliance warriors and the first-generation disciples and began preparations to leave Mount Hua.

Sect Leader Nok Woon, together with the elders and hall lords of his generation, watched as the disciples withdrew.

“I will fight to the end. Don’t try to stop me.”

Yu Pyo refused to leave.

Seeing him, Nok Woon looked at him with pained eyes; perhaps thinking he could not stop him, he silently turned back toward O Blood Lord.

“We’re going down!”

Just then, at Yu Baek’s command, the first-generation disciples began to withdraw one by one.

SWEEEESH—!!

“!”

“...!!”

TAP— WHOOOONG—

Nok Woon and Yu Pyo swung their swords at the same time.

Nok Woon swung toward O Blood Lord; Yu Pyo swung to block the swiftly flying Force Aura.

However—

KWAANG—!! 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

“Uaagh!”

“Urgh!!”

Even though Yu Pyo threw himself into it, the energy he managed to cancel out was not enough—it slammed into the ground.

The two people ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ who had been standing there were flung away with the impact and rolled across the earth.

Yu Gang, and the Mount Hua disciple who had been supporting his injured body—Yu Cheong.

“Yu Gang!”

Yu Cheong sprang up and rushed to Yu Gang.

Just as he hurriedly tried to help Yu Gang up and escape—

“Get down!!”

KWAANG—!

“Urk...!”

At the same time as someone shoved them aside, another attack came crashing down on the spot where they had been standing.

When he gathered his wits and lifted his head, Yu Pyo was staring tensely at Nomon.

“Protect Yu Gang! Anyone who can wield Force Aura techniques, stand against O Blood Lord!”

BANG—! KWA-GWANG! KWAANG!!

At the Sect Leader’s cry, the elders of Mount Hua began to deploy their sword arts.

Here and there, the rosy qi of those who could draw out Force Aura flew through the air, while the dark blood-red qi heaved and undulated like a living thing, swatting them aside.

But as the Sect Leader had said, they could only hinder Nomon’s movements for the briefest moments; they were no match at all for him in his rampage.

‘We... we’re going to die.’

Everyone present here would die.

How could they possibly defeat such a merciless monster?

That thing was neither martial art nor martial artist. That thing was...

GRAB—!

“!”

Yu Cheong flinched and shuddered as a hand seized his own.

Yu Gang, who had been lying nearby, had somehow grabbed his arm.

“Go, Senior...!”

“Yu... Yu Gang...?!”

“That man has no intention of letting me go! It feels like he’s trying to stop me from leaving, so abandon me and go! Quickly...!”

“What? N-no! What do you think you can do in that state! While the elders are holding him off, hurry and....”

“!”

KWAANG—!

“Kh...!”

Seeing Nomon send Force Aura flying toward him, Yu Gang yanked on Yu Cheong’s hand.

The two of them rolled across the ground again, barely evading Nomon’s attack.

“If I leave, the battle will get even more dangerous! I’ll be fine, so please go!”

“I—I can’t abandon you again....”

“I don’t think of it as abandonment. I will never think of it that way!”

Yu Gang’s grip tightened on the hand of his former senior.

The young junior whom Nomon had suddenly brought one day and admitted into the Sect.

The mischievous boy who was bright in all things and whom everyone in the Sect had loved.

The younger brother who had borne his master’s sin and left the Mount Hua he had loved so much, all alone.

“...I can’t do it.”

Had they not learned together?

Had he not, coming to Mount Hua later than anyone, carved it deeper than anyone?

SSSLIDE—

Yu Cheong drew his sword and rose to his feet.

“I will fight too...!”

“Senior!!”

“Everyone here! Are we not fighting, knowing we will die? The line of Mount Hua will be carried on by the seniors who went down first!”

In other words, he would uphold Mount Hua’s spirit to the very end and die.

“As a senior, I can’t show the youngest my back while I run away.”

The corner of Yu Cheong’s mouth curved faintly.

They knew everyone would die. They knew no one here was a match for O Blood Lord.

But if Mount Hua’s spirit was to stand to the end, to swing their swords to the end, to make the plum blossoms bloom to the end—

“I’ll protect you, Yu Gang.”

“...!”

Yu Cheong charged straight into the middle of the battle with Nomon.

In Yu Gang’s clear eyes, the sight of Yu Cheong’s back entered, together with the warriors of Mount Hua standing against Nomon in that hellish battlefield.

The figures of the adults staking their lives to protect him entered his gaze.

BANG! KWAANG!

“Don’t take it head-on! Deflect the sword-trails!”

“His left arm! Watch the movement of his left arm! Don’t get swept up in the qi! Dodge!!”

They could not defeat O Blood Lord Nomon.

Everyone would die.

Even so, even so...

KWAANG—!

“Aaagh!”

“Junior!!”

BANG! KWA-GWANG...!!

It was then.

RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE....

All at once, the mountain roared and the ground began to shake violently.

It was a massive tremor that felt as if it might collapse the mountain at any moment.

Perhaps sensing something ominous, O Blood Lord’s movements abruptly stopped.

“W-what is this?”

The warriors of Mount Hua also looked around in confusion.

KWAANG—!!

“!”

All at once, something shot up from the ground beneath where O Blood Lord was standing.

PABABABABABABABAK—!

It dragged O Blood Lord up into the air and in an instant unleashed hundreds of palm strikes.

O Blood Lord could do nothing but urgently defend against the sudden assault.

PAAANG—! FWOOOSH— THUD!!

At last, unable to withstand the palms, O Blood Lord plummeted down to the ground.

“!”

Yu Gang lifted his eyes to the sun standing tall in the sky.

Master...!

It was his master, Ouyang Do.

“How is it that I can feel the Blood Demon’s qi from you?”