Soul Summoning Sword

Chapter 16: Abyssal Resonance (1)

The inner power and the soul of the Realm of the Threshold communicate with each other

Creak!

The door opened and Yeon Sohye entered.

She stepped inside, startled by the sight before her, and came to a sudden halt.

“This… how?”

Yeon Sohye’s voice trembled.

The early-stage possessed… was alive. He was sitting against the wall with a dazed expression… but his pupils had clearly returned to normal. The hollow gaze he had when controlled by the evil spirit was gone.

She had observed this process in the prison countless times. The result had always been the same.

“In cases like this, ten out of ten end with the early-stage possessed being killed.”

She looked at Gugwi.

General Madal’s residual energy was still flowing from Gugwi’s body.

“A first-level Spirit Union spirit shouldn’t be able to defeat a spirit that’s completely devoured the soul of an early-stage possessed. But you didn’t kill him—you cleanly annihilated the evil spirit?”

Gugwi caught his breath and spoke.

“It was a wicked monk named Hye Gong. He used Shaolin martial arts… and claimed he had wandered as a wandering spirit for sixty years.”

“Hye Gong?”

Yeon Sohye’s eyes gleamed.

“I know of Hye Gong. The wicked monk who died sixty years ago. He was expelled from Shaolin Temple for greed and murder… And that man had taken over the early-stage possessed?”

She shook her head.

“I wouldn’t know. That’s just what he said.”

“Hah!”

Yeon Sohye let out a stunned sigh. Her fingertips trembled slightly.

“That’s not what matters. The technique you just used… the one that draws a spirit out of the body and kills it. That’s the Soul Annihilation Technique.”

“Soul Annihilation Technique?”

“Before being deployed in the Shadow Moon Unit, we learn two techniques. What we’ve trained until now is just the foundation for a Soul-Summoner. From here on, we have to focus on battling spirits.”

Yeon Sohye explained slowly. Her voice carried a palpable tension.

“When the evil spirit’s energy is weak, we use the Spirit Return Technique to push the soul out of the body and send it back to the Realm of the Threshold. That method is relatively safe. But when the evil spirit is strong, we have no choice but to use the Soul Annihilation Technique to drag the evil spirit out and kill it.”

Her voice turned cold.

“From what I saw, you used the Soul Annihilation Technique. And perfectly at that.”

Gugwi looked at the early-stage possessed.

He still had a vacant expression. His mouth hung open, his eyes unfocused as he stared into space.

“W… Where am I? Why… why am I here…?”

The early-stage possessed mumbled with a trembling voice. His memory was fragmented.

“The method used to kill the spirit is quite violent and rough, so his mind hasn’t fully recovered. Though the evil spirit has left his body, the scars from its claws remain.”

Yeon Sohye sighed.

“These scars will last a long time. He might suffer from nightmares for the rest of his life.”

She shot a sharp glare at Gugwi. Her eyes were dangerous.

“You knew the Soul Annihilation Technique… No, you probably didn’t. The Gatekeeper’s bloodline—truly terrifying. From our Cold Wolf Sect’s standpoint, it seems we’ll only need to refine the techniques you already display.”

She slowly clenched her fist. Her knuckles cracked.

“Originally, I was supposed to teach you the Soul Annihilation Technique, but since you already know it… Gugwi, I think you need a beating.”

“What did I do wrong?”

“You did too well. That’s why.”

Urgency crept into Yeon Sohye’s voice. Her presence filled the solitary confinement room.

“This state—pulling the spirit out of the body and killing it—is… the second level of Spiritual Sensitivity. You’ve just entered the path of Spiritual Sensitivity. This state doesn’t make any sense.”

She stepped forward. Her footstep echoed against the floor.

“Do you know what others would think if they saw this? It’s bad when impossible things keep happening one after another. People are already suspicious that there’s something about you, and if it goes further like this…”

“So what should I do?”

“That’s why I’m going to beat you up now. We’ll say you were battered by the evil spirit… and that I took care of it. Or we can kill him instead. Your choice.”

Gugwi looked at the early-stage possessed. He was still mumbling in confusion.

“How many hits are we talking?”

“Very badly. To the point I had no choice but to step in. You need to be nearly dead.”

“Fine. Hit me.”

Yeon Sohye narrowed her eyes. Her fingers began to move.

“By the way, how did you know the evil spirit’s name? There’s no way a spirit would say it out loud.”

“It did say it. Absentmindedly. As soon as I heard the name, I caught it and used the Illusory Name Command…”

Thud!

A fist struck mid-sentence. Yeon Sohye’s punch slammed into Gugwi’s solar plexus.

“Guh!”

Gugwi shuddered from the unbearable pain. Blood mixed with saliva spilled from his mouth.

Crash! Smack! Thud!

Yeon Sohye’s punches flew in rapid succession. Gugwi’s face twisted. Blood burst from his nose. His cheekbone swelled.

“Ugh!”

Crack!

His rib snapped audibly.

Gugwi clutched his abdomen and collapsed to the ground.

Thud! Thud!

Kicks followed.

Yeon Sohye’s foot struck his side. Gugwi’s body bounced off the wall.

“Hah… Hah…”

Gugwi’s breathing turned rough. His whole body throbbed in pain.

“Not enough yet.”

Yeon Sohye’s voice was icy.

Thud! Crash!

More punches came. Gugwi’s lips split. Bruises began forming around his eyes.

At last, he lay sprawled like a discarded frog.

His entire body was battered. It looked as though he’d been mercilessly beaten by five or six burly men.

Yeon Sohye caught her breath and spoke.

“Now it looks convincing. Getting mauled by a spirit is usually much worse. In most cases, people die. Just keep that in mind… and rest here for today. This is the safest place right now.”

She turned toward the door.

“See you tomorrow. You can heal, but don’t. Just lie there like a corpse.”

She exited the room.

Outside the hall, Jin Hoon waited for Yeon Sohye.

Pale moonlight shone on his face. His gaze was as sharp as a viper’s. The longer Yeon Sohye stayed with Gugwi, the colder his eyes became.

As Yeon Sohye emerged from the underground training hall, he approached.

Shhhk!

His footsteps slid silently across the ground.

“Sohae, you seem busy these days. It’s hard to see your face.”

Yeon Sohye narrowed her eyes.

“I’ve got a lot to do. What do you want?”

Jin Hoon grinned. His smile, as always, carried a dangerous undertone.

“Just wanted to spend some time together. Maybe over a cup of tea.”

His voice lowered.

“These days, the Shadow Moon Unit members are getting on my nerves. I think it’s time to flip everything upside down. They should all be summoned to the Main Alliance and thoroughly investigated. Especially Gugwi. Heh!”

“That’s your authority, isn’t it? Do whatever you want.”

“Just between us, do you know what would happen if I made up my mind and wiped out the Shadow Moon Unit? Once they’re dragged into the Murim Alliance, half of them will end up broken.”

Yeon Sohye gave a cold smile.

“Jin Hoon, I said do as you please. The members of the Shadow Moon Unit… Sure, I command them, but none of them stake their lives on my words. Don’t you know the Shadow Moon Unit doesn’t trust one another?”

“Then maybe I should just flip it all.”

“Go ahead. Just don’t talk to me about it. But keep this in mind: Soul-Summoners may be prey to the Murim Alliance, but they’re not your prey. If you mess with the wrong one, you’ll end up dead too.”

Jin Hoon stepped closer.

His eyes gleamed dangerously. In the moonlight, his face looked even more sinister.

“You’re my woman, Sohye. Don’t think you can keep running forever. How long do you think you can keep this up?”

“Didn’t I warn you that if you said crap like that again, I’d cut your tongue out? Who’s your woman? Drink some cold water and come to your senses. Or did you not sober up from last night’s booze? Get lost! The stirrings in the Heavenly Sound Cult aren’t ordinary. I don’t have time to waste chatting with you.”

“Don’t go chatting with other guys. You… I’m watching you.”

His hand tightened around the hilt of his sword. His knuckles turned white.

“You get more pathetic the more I see you. Tch.”

Yeon Sohye shook her head.

She tried to avoid a direct confrontation with Jin Hoon. If he got too riled up, the members of the Shadow Moon Unit could be in real danger.

“I said go! I’ve got work to do.”

She stepped back—gently, but firmly.

Jin Hoon’s eyes darkened. He ignored her rejection. Instead, he approached more obsessively.

“Remember what I said. When my jealousy reaches its limit… Heh. Sohye. I’ll make you mine by force if I have to. And when that happens, the Shadow Moon Unit won’t be safe either.”

A threat. A blatant threat.

Yeon Sohye’s hand instinctively moved toward her dagger.

“Really, being with me is best for both you and the Shadow Moon Unit. I’ve got the power. Think it over.”

Jin Hoon disappeared into the shadows.

“Haah…”

Yeon Sohye exhaled deeply.

Jin Hoon’s threats always kept her on edge. But she was wise. For now, the best move was to keep her distance without provoking his temper.

The Murim Alliance was powerful.

The Cold Wolf Sect was like a claw forged by the Murim Alliance—when the Alliance furrowed its brow, the Cold Wolf Sect bled.

She gripped her dagger tightly.

The Shadow Moon Unit was surrounded by enemies on all sides.

The Black Phantom stood in the darkness near the Shadow Moon Unit hall.

Like his alias, darkness enveloped him.

A man in his mid-fifties… He was cold and secretive. The closest aide of Sect Leader Un Hojin and the Cold Wolf Sect’s hidden blade.

His Black Phantom Sword Technique concealed sword qi like darkness itself.

The Black Phantom Sword Technique was a martial art specialized in suppressing spirits. His blade radiated formidable power even against ordinary martial artists—but to Soul-Summoners, it was deadly.

Spirits possessed through Spirit Contact froze before his swordplay.

His sword qi seeped in like shadow, binding the spirit’s energy, and with a single slash, their souls quivered and retreated.

He had been investigating Gugwi’s Soul-Summoning Arts for several days now.

At first, it was mere curiosity, but the more he observed, the more suspicious he became.

“This power is abnormal.”

His voice was low, almost a whisper.

Gugwi’s communication speed with the Realm of the Threshold, his completion of the third level, and today’s fight with Vice Captain So Taeryeon… all pointed toward the Gatekeeper’s bloodline. But something felt off.

If he were truly of the Gatekeeper’s bloodline, he would’ve been born with the ability to commune with spirits. Such individuals could wield advanced techniques from the start. They skip the training phase and become masters outright.

But Gugwi was different. He was steadily learning from the basics. Like an ordinary Soul-Summoner. And doing so very diligently.

‘If he were Gatekeeper’s bloodline, he wouldn’t grow like this. There’s clearly something else. Could it be…’

The Black Phantom had mastered the advanced Soul Fusion Technique of multiple-spirit contact. He was one of the top Resonance masters in the Cold Wolf Sect—among the top ten. He was one of the few who could fight on equal ground with the Heavenly Sound Cult’s Twelve True Armies.

With such credentials… his judgment of Soul-Summoners was precise. Decades of experience didn’t deceive him.

Yet Gugwi was the first to truly confound him.

He saw Gugwi walking from the flower garden toward the training hall. He had heard the conversation with Yeon Sohye. He could also deduce what had occurred in the prison.

“What are you hiding, Gugwi?”

His eyes gleamed in the moonlight—like those of a wild beast.

He decided to monitor Gugwi’s every move. If he truly was of the Gatekeeper’s bloodline, he had to report it to the Sect Leader immediately. Such a lineage could pose a great threat—or become a tremendous opportunity—for the Cold Wolf Sect.

But before that, he needed certainty.

Rushed judgment was forbidden.

The Black Phantom melted into the shadows. His sword qi subtly rippled the air. The darkness swallowed him whole.