Soul Summoning Sword

Chapter 21: Radiant Fusion and Shatter (1)

Destruction and creation coexisted within the battle.

A shadow of death loomed over the northern outpost.

The moment the dawn mist blanketed the Spirit Essence Mine, the air froze. The wind stopped. The sky turned ashen. The ordinary martial artists guarding the outpost raised their spears.

“Why is it... so eerie?”

Before the sentence was finished, darkness exploded. A black aura surged like a whirlwind.

Heavenly Sound Cult’s Black Wind Finger Art.

The black wind emitted from the Soul-Summoner’s fingers pierced through the martial artists’ chests.

“Gahk!”

“Aaah!”

Screams burst out nearly simultaneously from all directions—short and sharp.

Red blood sprayed like a fountain, and bodies, their souls having departed, collapsed. More than ten people died instantly.

The gloomy mountainside soaked in blood.

A path had been opened. It was a path carved open by the Heavenly Sound Cult.

Shhhhhh!

Suddenly, the mist split apart, and ten shadows appeared like specters.

Black Kill Unit. Their eyes were not human. Blue light flickered in them. It was the unique appearance of Soul-Summoners who had performed Spirit Union with spirits. The scent of humanity had been erased.

“Hehehe!”

One of the Black Kill Unit members let out a grotesque laugh and bit his lip.

Crunch! Blood spilled from the bitten lip and floated into the air, drawing red letters.

So Imbaek – Iron Spear Army Commander.

The moment the characters completed, the air tore apart as if it exploded.

A transparent form seemed to take shape in the air and was immediately sucked into the body of the Black Kill Unit member.

“Haaa!”

His eyes rolled back white. Foam streamed from his mouth, and his body went rigid.

Suddenly, all movement ceased, and he opened his eyes.

Those eyes were no longer his. They belonged to So Imbaek – Iron Spear Army Commander. His voice grew thick and rough.

“After a hundred years, I wield the spear once more!”

Iron Wall Spear Technique unfolded. The spear shaft rotated and emitted energy like a shield. But that wasn’t all. A phantom image of So Imbaek shimmered in the air. The form of a man holding a long spear.

The phantom and the body struck simultaneously.

Two spears traced the same trajectory. The Heavenly Sound Cult martial artist’s sword shattered under the overwhelming force.

Swish! Thud!

The sound of metal tore through the air. The cultist was struck in the chest by the harsh spear and was sent flying backward.

“Heh! Let me try too.”

Another member of the Black Kill Unit drew a dagger and slit his wrist.

Slash! Slice!

As blood dripped to the ground, it formed a complex blood formation. From the center of the formation, a faint spirit emerged.

Silver Moon Hermit. Her ghost wrapped around the Black Kill Unit member.

In an instant, the Black Kill Unit member’s body turned semi-transparent. Silver light seeped between flesh and bone.

“I will borrow this body.”

A woman’s voice flowed from a man’s lips.

It was bizarre. But the Silver Moon Spear Technique had already begun. The spearhead blurred like moonlight, aiming for the enemy’s neck. The phantom grazed the target’s neck first, followed by the actual spear piercing it precisely.

Splurt!

Blood burst. A Heavenly Sound Cult martial artist clutched his throat and collapsed.

The slowly advancing cultists were slaughtered in an instant. This wasn’t a battle. It was a joint attack between the living and the dead. A massacre where physical bodies and spiritual arts became one.

Their corpses piled on the stone ground. Victory belonged to the Black Kill Unit.

But the victory was short-lived.

The Heavenly Sound Cult had Soul-Summoners too. One of them drew blood from his own body. With that blood, he drew a Spirit Blood Formation in the air. Once the formation was complete, a voice echoed as if the gates of hell opened.

Rumble!

From the darkness emerged a black figure. Its identity was unknown, but its spirit reeked of killing intent.

The Soul-Summoner’s body turned black.

Veins streaked across like black lines. His eyes turned pitch-black, and black mist leaked from his mouth.

Screeech!

He drew his sword. It didn’t gleam like moonlight. It was a sword aura like the darkness of hell.

Splurt!

The sword aura pierced a Black Kill Unit member’s finger.

It wasn’t a mere wound. It was pain that sliced through to the soul.

“Gahk!”

A scream burst forth.

The Black Kill Unit member knelt, bleeding. So Imbaek’s spirit inside him groaned. Fortunately, it wasn’t a fatal wound. He was soon dragged back by a comrade.

The Heavenly Sound Cult’s Soul-Summoners... they drove back the Black Kill Unit in an instant.

Muk Sogang stood tall at the entrance to the Spirit Essence Mine.

The Black Moon Spear rested on his shoulder.

Despite the urgency of the situation, he didn’t move, like a boulder. His eyes pierced the darkness.

From the south, a woman approached.

Her black long robe fluttered in the wind. Black steel gloves covered her hands. Black Wind Finger Armor.

‘It’s Sasa Hye.’

Black Death Commander. Her presence was chilling. As if a ghost was walking, the air trembled, and the entire world turned eerie.

Faint human forms shimmered around her. They were the Spirit Union spirits she commanded. At least three or four spirits followed her.

“Hm!”

Muk Sogang let out a low murmur and deployed all ten Black Kill Unit members at the entrance.

“Guard the entrance with your lives. Don’t open the path unless you’re dead! Protect the pride of our Piercing Moon Pavilion with your lives!”

Shraaak!

He tore his chest.

His chest was scratched by his nails, and blood gushed out. With that blood, he drew a massive blood formation in the air.

Once the formation completed, the sky split open.

As if a wolf descended from Heavenly Wolf Star, a blue light poured down. From within the light, the spirit of Noh Gyeonghwan appeared.

Sharp teeth like a wolf. Wild eyes. A master of the Heavenly Wolf Spear Technique. The spirit of Noh Gyeonghwan entered Muk Sogang’s body. A murderer who killed one hundred twenty-seven people in life.

Muk Sogang’s body swelled, muscles expanded. His eyes sharpened like a wolf’s. His teeth turned into fangs.

Muk Sogang raised the Black Moon Spear.

Awooooo!

A wolf’s howl burst from the spearhead. It was a real sound. The air vibrated and echoed—nearly indistinguishable from a real wolf’s cry.

Awooo!

The spear, with the wolf’s howl, stabbed forward like a storm. It wasn’t just a sound. A massive wolf phantom rose with the spear. Even the phantom charged at Sasa Hye.

Sasa Hye didn’t flinch.

She, too, summoned a spirit. She bit her tongue lightly—black blood, venomous blood... With it, she drew a Poison Formation in the air. Once a specific pattern was drawn, a spirit emerged.

A deceased whose body was entirely dyed green. Poison qi burst from his hand.

Splurt!

A green mist enveloped the wolf and the spear technique.

In an instant, the wolf phantom whimpered and vanished as if it had never rampaged.

Mok Sogang’s spear immediately slowed. The poison invaded his energy… and even No Kyunghwan’s soul seemed to weaken.

It was a clearly overwhelming difference in Soul-Summoning Arts.

Mok Sogang, ranked third in Soul-Summoning of the Cold Wolf Sect, was helplessly overwhelmed by Sasa Hye, ranked eleventh in the Heavenly Sound Cult.

Sssst!

Sasa Hye extended both hands.

From her left hand emerged a faint spirit. It exuded a completely different aura from the green dead soul… That ghost performed an extremely covert martial art like a stealth technique.

The now-transparent spirit approached two members of the Black Kill Squad.

“Dodge! Fall back!”

Mok Sogang shouted thunderously. But his warning was a beat too late. The transparent spirit wrapped its hands around the neck of one member. Although the hands were incorporeal, he couldn’t breathe.

“Ggghhh!”

The Black Kill Squad members froze in place.

Sasa Hye raised her right hand. Her fingers sharpened like needles.

“Dark Blood Point Technique!”

The Heavenly Sound Cult’s Soul-Summoners’ assassination technique.

Like now—grabbing the limbs with a spirit and then pressing the blood points to kill.

“No way!”

Mok Sogang struck with the Heavenly Wolf Spear Technique like a lightning bolt. But it was already too late. Her fingers slashed across the two squad members. Her real fingers pierced their torsos and extracted blood.

“Khrrrk!”

The two Black Kill Squad members collapsed, blood spraying.

This was the true power of the Black Death Division—Multi-Spirit Arts capable of commanding several souls simultaneously.

Sasa Hye didn’t establish spirit contact. She was a living Soul-Summoner who controlled spirits directly.

“You wicked…!”

Mok Sogang’s fury thundered across the land.

In that instant, the boundary between the living and the dead collapsed. Normal people couldn’t hear it, but to Soul-Summoners, the ghosts’ wails rang out bone-chillingly clear.

Dust swirled into the air.

Every time the souls moved, the air twisted. The sky darkened and brightened in turn.

An illusion of day and night reversing. Space-time distorted.

“Kraaaah!”

Mok Sogang roared.

He fully merged with No Kyunghwan’s soul. From his body, the energy of a blue wolf exploded.

“Not all Resonance is the same, huh? Hoho! I expected more from the Seven Cold Wolves, but is this really your level? Soul Contact can’t win against Multi-Spirit Arts. You know that well, yet you still struggle!”

Sssst!

Spirits teemed around Sasa Hye.

Masters of different martial arts—each executed their techniques simultaneously.

Black Wind Technique, Poison Cloud Technique, Silver Spirit Technique, Dark Blood Point Technique… Four attacks poured toward Mok Sogang.

It looked like four living people were fighting one dead person.

“Ugh…!”

Gugwi trembled violently.

Sasa Hye’s energy surged on the wind.

From his Dantian, the Spirit Flow Core pulsed, flashing blue.

In that moment—was it an illusion?—the resentment of Un Serim roared in his heart. The screams of his family. His wife and children torn apart by enemies, dying in agony, disciples coughing blood…

Resonating with Sasa Hye’s Soul-Summoning Arts, the Spirit Flow Core reacted.

“Ugh…!”

Gugwi’s eyes flared red.

Un Serim’s soul awakened inside the Spirit Flow Core. For some reason, the will for revenge blazed furiously.

‘What incredible spiritual energy! With this much…’

“The entrance might burst open.”

He spoke to Yeon Sohye, his voice firm as if he had seen it himself.

“There’s no one who can stop the Spirit Essence Mine now.”

Through Un Serim’s grudge, Gugwi had a hunch—he felt the strength of the Heavenly Sound Cult.

What happened to the Cloud Flow Sect was repeating at the Spirit Essence Mine. The incidents were completely different, but the resonance was strong enough to awaken the Cloud Flow Sect Leader.

It was a warning from the Cloud Flow Sect Leader. If left alone, the same tragedy would befall them.

Yeon Sohye understood what Gugwi meant. He wasn’t the only one who sensed the upheaval.

She bit her lip, drawing blood. The Blood Seal of So Ryeonghwa was drawn in the air. Though not summoned, So Ryeonghwa’s soul appeared and emitted silver mist.

A woman’s ghost… The mist cloaked the hill.

‘This is… a warning from So Ryeonghwa! A Soul-Summoning Art so powerful even she felt alarmed has appeared.’

Yet Yeon Sohye disagreed with Gugwi.

“We can’t disobey Mok Sogang’s orders. We can’t leave our assigned sector…”

Her voice was firm and sharp. But Gugwi’s gaze didn’t waver.

At some point, Un Serim’s spirit—united in Spirit Union with Gugwi—spoke through his mouth.

“Annihilation. Regret too late… blood… corpses…”

Like So Ryeonghwa, Un Serim’s spirit shuddered. A definite sign that danger was imminent.

Yeon Sohye went silent for a moment, then her eyes pierced through Gugwi. Even So Ryeonghwa’s spirit looked uneasy.

“Fine. But you must be careful. Obey my every word. Got it?”

In the end, she agreed.

So Ryeonghwa’s silver mist concealed their footsteps, and the two Soul-Summoners disappeared into the darkness.

The cave entrance drew near. The stench of blood pricked their noses.

Mok Sogang’s spear clashed wildly against Sasa Hye’s techniques. While Mok Sogang fought with all his might, Sasa Hye remained composed. Yet their fierce battle shook the heavens and the earth.

The cries of souls echoed.

Ssssst!

Gugwi and Yeon Sohye slipped into the darkness. Into the Spirit Essence Mine.