Soul Summoning Sword

Chapter 18: Abyssal Resonance (3)

“Put this on first.”

Yeon Sohye handed over a folded outfit. It was the martial arts uniform of the Cold Wolf Sect. On the white fabric, wave patterns were faintly embroidered. The cuffs and collar were adorned with intricate silver threadwork.

It looked more luxurious than expected.

Gugwi changed into the outfit. It fit perfectly. It seemed like his measurements had been taken in advance. The waist belt was made of firm leather. It appeared to have a function to distribute weight.

“And take the sword too.”

This time, she handed over a sword. It was the standard-issue blade for Cold Wolf Sect members when they went outside. The blade was sharp. The scabbard bore the emblem of the Cold Wolf Sect, which gave it a fresh impression.

“If your Spiritual Sensitivity is above a certain level, you’re allowed to carry your own blade. You’ve got the qualifications now, so find yourself a good sword.”

Gugwi strapped the sword to his waist.

He felt the weight settle heavily. Strangely, it brought him a sense of calm.

“Alright! Next... swallow this.”

What Yeon Sohye placed in her palm was a red pellet. It looked like a tiny pill, but the color was ominous.

“Poison?”

“It’s poison and medicine at the same time.”

Without hesitation, Gugwi put it in his mouth.

The bitter taste stung his tongue and slid down his throat. Soon, a warm energy seeped into his lower abdomen.

“You need to take one every ten days. If you forget, you’ll suffer hellish pain for two days, and on the third day...”

“You die, right?”

“Right. It’s called Eternal Sustenance Pill. The name comes from the fact that it keeps you alive.”

Gugwi gave a bitter smile.

The price of freedom. An invisible shackle.

“What about the antidote?”

“You’ll get it when you return. Only the Murim Alliance has it, so don’t even dream of betrayal.”

Yeon Sohye’s voice carried a warning.

Creeeak!

As the morning mist began to lift, the massive iron gates of the Cold Wolf Sect opened slowly.

Gugwi took his first step beyond the threshold. In that moment, something surged from deep within his chest. The chilly dawn air seeped into his lungs and was exhaled again.

The scent of freedom after so long. It was sweet and bitter all at once.

Yeon Sohye followed beside him in silence.

Her footsteps still betrayed caution. Just because they were outside the Cold Wolf Sect didn’t mean they were safe.

A quiet mountain path. Birds chirped crisply.

For the first time in a while, Gugwi felt at ease listening to the sounds of nature.

“Have you ever had a drink before?”

Yeon Sohye suddenly asked.

“No. Not even once.”

“Really? Don’t all guys sneak a drink at some point?”

“Never had the chance.”

“Uncle Guun always seemed to be drunk.”

Gugwi’s steps paused briefly.

“Well, Father was...”

His voice grew quiet.

The scent of his father’s alcohol. To Gugwi, it was a warm memory. Every time his father got drunk, he’d tell stories of the past. Tales of heroes and great warriors from the murim.

Back then, he thought they were all made up.

“Sorry. Did I touch a sore spot?”

Yeon Sohye asked carefully.

“It’s okay. Hearing that kind of thing is nice. It reminds me of my father.”

“He was a good man, wasn’t he?”

“He was.”

A strange feeling crept over Gugwi.

Even now, whenever he entered the Realm of the Threshold, he met his father. They even spoke for a short while. So he hadn’t thought deeply about his father being truly gone. But... he really had passed away.

“Let’s talk about something else.”

Yeon Sohye changed the subject.

So Taeryeon sat on the roof of a hall, watching the two grow distant.

‘I really need to report this. Sending someone who just reached Spiritual Sensitivity into actual combat—this is unprecedented.’

Swish!

He moved swiftly.

Behind a large boulder in the rear garden of the Shadow Moon Unit’s quarters, there was a tiny, unvisited space. A spot where stray cats and mountain birds were fed, and no one paid much attention to it.

So Taeryeon retrieved a small box from the spot.

Inside was a mole. It had been specially trained for courier duty.

He tied a prepared message tube onto the mole’s back. The contents were brief, but critical.

「Gugwi, highly likely to be a descendant of the Gatekeeper’s bloodline. Abnormal growth. Has completed the third level of Initial Contact, and is estimated to already be on par with me. High-level proficiency in Spirit Control Techniques. Some abilities appear to surpass unit captains, but he seems to deliberately suppress his own capabilities to control his output.」

「Notable: Deployed to actual combat under direct orders of the Sect Leader, despite just attaining Spiritual Sensitivity. Requires further observation.」

「Currently en route to the Spirit Essence Mine. Once he arrives, close-range surveillance will be impossible.」

「Requesting immediate judgment.」

The mole disappeared underground. The Heavenly Sound Cult’s secret communication network had been activated.

‘That concludes the report...’

But just then—So Taeryeon, stepping back from the boulder, suddenly came face to face with the Black Phantom.

Dressed in black with his face concealed, the man had been there unnoticed.

“What were you doing?”

A cold voice.

“Oh, just feeding the cats, as always...”

So Taeryeon replied awkwardly.

The Black Phantom eyed him suspiciously. His gaze fell on the dirt left on So Taeryeon’s hand.

“Those Shadow Moon bastards... always up to something fishy.”

The Black Phantom muttered and turned to leave. But after a few steps, he looked back. His eyes seemed to pierce right through So Taeryeon’s back.

‘Did he catch on?’

Cold sweat trickled down So Taeryeon’s spine.

Gugwi continued walking, repeatedly reflecting on the contents of the Yeonghwan Secret Record.

Spirit Flow Core. That mysterious source of power.

It was definitely hidden somewhere within his body. He no longer doubted it. Especially now that he had personally witnessed the blue glow Yeon Sohye spoke of—there was no reason not to believe.

He didn’t know how it had been hidden or how it worked, but one thing was clear.

He must never reveal it to anyone.

‘What was Father thinking when he put this inside me...’

Gugwi’s thoughts deepened.

When Yeon Sohye spoke of the King of Spirits, known as the Manifest Spirit Sovereign, who resided within the Realm of the Threshold, her face had turned pale with fear. She had trembled, saying the Spirit Flow Core was the key to reaching him.

The secret within the Spirit Flow Core—he could only imagine how vast it truly was.

By midday, the group took a break at a small valley.

They shared the dried rations prepared by Yeon Sohye. They tasted better than expected.

“How long until we reach the Spirit Essence Mine?”

Gugwi asked.

“One more day. The mountain path is rough, so we can’t rush it.”

Yeon Sohye answered while drinking water.

“Is it dangerous?”

“It’s uninhabited. But that doesn’t mean it’s safe.”

“What do you mean?”

“The Spirit Essence Mine was the site of a major accident long ago. Many people died. Since then, no one goes there.”

Gugwi wanted to hear more details, but Yeon Sohye fell silent. It was obvious she didn’t want to speak further.

As the afternoon wore on, the path grew increasingly difficult. The terrain became harsher. The forest thickened, and even sunlight barely filtered through.

“Let’s rest here.”

Gugwi had been waiting for this moment.

He focused his consciousness into the Realm of the Threshold. Taking advantage of the quiet.

“Guun!”

He called with desperation.

A voice he had longed to hear. But the reply that returned was much weaker than before.

“…Gugwi.”

“Father, are you alright?”

“…Time is running out.”

Gugwi’s chest tightened. His father’s voice had lost its strength. Gugwi could sense it now—soul extinction was approaching. He understood the basics of the Soul-Summoning Arts.

“Father, the Spirit Flow Core… why, and how did you put it inside me? What am I supposed to do with it?”

It was something he had always wanted to ask. But instead—

“…Un Serim…”

His father spoke an unexpected name rather than the answer he wanted.

“Un Serim? Who is that?”

“…of the Cloud Flow Sect…”

His father’s presence rapidly weakened.

“Father! Father!”

But there was no answer. It felt like his father’s soul had disappeared once more into the depths.

‘Un Serim?’

Gugwi called the name within the Realm of the Threshold. Just in case. No—it was certain that the name his father mentioned would be here.

“Un Serim!”

Then suddenly, a faint light appeared beyond the Realm of the Threshold.

At first, it was no larger than a candle flame, but it gradually grew more intense. The light was clearly different from other spirits. There was a strong will not to vanish from the Realm.

A soul whose grudge ran deep, anchoring it within the Realm. But that very grudge seemed to have made it even stronger.

The light did not speak. Yet, like telepathy, a voice echoed in Gugwi’s mind.

It was like a telepathic message.

“I am Un Serim. Sect Leader of the Cloud Flow Sect. Who are you?”

“I am Gugwi. Gatekeeper’s bloodline. Guardian of this place.”

“The... Guardian of this place? Gatekeeper’s bloodline... I see. Has Guun died? I entrusted my soul to Guun.”

The light trembled violently.

“Guun is my father. He’s here now. It seems even spirits cannot see each other.”

“So he’s dead... Heh. A false heir to the Gatekeeper’s bloodline... in the end...”

Strangely... Gugwi sensed sorrow in Un Serim’s voice.

“I inherited Cloud Flow Tracking. Just now, Father mentioned your name. May I initiate Spirit Contact?”

“You learned Cloud Flow Tracking? Let’s see…”

Whoooosh!

A cold wind rose around Gugwi’s body. It felt like Un Serim was scanning him.

“It’s merely... an imitation.”

“An imitation?”

“Guun refined and simplified too much. He insulted Cloud Flow Tracking. I’ll show you the real Cloud Flow Tracking.”

The light moved suddenly. It enveloped Gugwi.

In an instant, Gugwi’s body began to react on its own. His arms and legs moved as if controlled by someone else. Yet he felt no resistance—rather, it felt natural.

It was a martial art completely different from what his father had taught him.

Much fiercer, much more dangerous. And far more beautiful.

The true martial arts of the Cloud Flow Sect poured into Gugwi’s body.

The internal energy method came first—Cloud Flow Heart Scripture. Qi flowed like water, smoothly yet powerfully. A warm energy rose from Gugwi’s qi center.

Next came the spear art—Cloud Flow Tracking. A technique that began from a single point and created countless afterimages.

It was on a different level from what his father had taught.

Its formal name was Cloud Flow Star Spear. The signature martial art of the Cloud Flow Sect. It became famous across the Central Plains after surpassing the foremost spear master, Gyeong Unha.

Its four forms were Cloud Star Flash, Radiant Bloom of Firelight, Starburst of Cloud Flow, and Heaven’s Pursuit of Cloud Star.

Especially the fourth form, Heaven’s Pursuit of Cloud Star, relentlessly chased the enemy until it pierced their vital points—hence the name Cloud Flow Tracking.

The sword technique Cloud Flow Sword Formula, the palm technique Cloud Flow Palm, and the movement technique Cloud Flow Steps, which felt like walking on clouds.

All of them unfolded with newfound strength. And gradually, the light began to fade.

“This is the true martial art of the Cloud Flow Sect. Master it well. And…”

“And?”

“Please avenge me.”

“Revenge?”

“The ones who annihilated the Cloud Flow Sect… must die…”

Just before the light vanished completely, the final voice was heard.

“Haa…”

Gugwi let out a sigh.

According to Yeon Sohye… the Cloud Flow Sect had been eradicated four hundred years ago. In the present day, no one even remembered that such a sect had existed.

He couldn’t fulfill the Cloud Flow Sect Leader’s revenge.

If revenge was the only key to leaving the Realm of the Threshold, then the Sect Leader would never be free.

‘Even using this martial art feels like a sin.’

When Gugwi returned from the Realm of the Threshold, Yeon Sohye was looking at him with concern.

“You alright? You suddenly zoned out.”

“…Yeah. I’m fine.”

Gugwi nodded. But deep in his chest, a new power stirred. The martial arts of the Cloud Flow Sect were awakening. The energy coursing through his veins felt completely different from before.

“You seem different.”

Yeon Sohye studied him carefully.

“Do I?”

“Yeah. Your eyes. They look deeper now.”

Unconsciously, Gugwi clenched his fist. He could feel the power at his fingertips. A strength incomparable to what he’d known before.

“Let’s go. We have to move further before sunset.”

Yeon Sohye didn’t ask further and walked on ahead.