If this secret place can only be accessed by the disciples of Hongseong, then this place must be related to Hongseong as well.
Otherwise, the moment they entered this secret place, they wouldn’t feel this calm amidst the great challenge of breaking through.
And it seemed that others felt this way too.
“Senior Sister. This is…”
“Hmm…”
Hongryeon, who had already attempted to break into this secret place several times, felt this way for the first time.
It was as if this secret place was responding to those who had mastered Hongseong Divine Art.
Naturally, the inner energy of Hongseong Divine Art within her dantian was moving. However, it was not out of caution for danger, but rather for something that would help her grow.
“Let’s move forward for now.”
But even so, they couldn’t let their guard down. The secret place was a challenge set by ancient ancestors. A test prepared for humans who must always look up at the heavens.
Therefore, every step for them was bound to be filled with tension.
And then.
Upon entering the first room, they couldn’t help but let out a quiet gasp.
“This is…”
It was a spacious room. The floor was filled with an unfathomable black darkness, and the only way to cross it was a precarious path hovering in mid-air. It looked just like the stars in the night sky.
As soon as they saw the positions of these stars, the three realized it at the same time.
This was a method of movement.
Moreover, it was a method of movement they were already familiar with.
Hongseong Divine Art was the Red Star, burning oneself as an evil star’s martial art.
The evil star was powerful, strong, and possessed the ability to destroy everything, but at the same time, it was as fast as nothing could stop.
The method of movement that contained that speed was one of the movement techniques of Hongseong Divine Art called Seongryu-bo (Star Flow Step).
It was a step that captured the movements of a star, trained through the daily practice of walking and mountain climbing at Hongseong Clan with solid legs.
Only those who mastered that step could reach the positioned foothold.
In other words, they could only pass through here by mastering the Seongryu-bo.
“Could this really be a secret place for Hongseong Clan?”
Ryuhyun murmured, her voice shaking in disbelief. Knowing it wasn’t a statement expecting an answer, Hongryeon could only nod.
What lay before them was too obvious for her not to do so.
“Is it possible to reach that spot with just a simple jump?”
“It’s not impossible. However, there is an obstacle.”
Ryuhyun took out a small stone from her sleeve and tossed it into the air.
Clank. A sound of something colliding echoed, and the stone flying through the transparent air was sucked into the darkness. At the same time, a peculiar colored iron plate briefly swayed into view. Just as it stabilized, the iron plate cleverly hid back into the darkness.
“If we use any method of movement or technique other than Seongryu-bo… we’ll collide with that iron plate.”
And in the worst case, they would fall into the abyss below.
Of course, if they used ascending movement techniques or defenses, they might ignore that obstacle and pass through.
At Ryuhyun’s comment, Hongryeon subtly glanced at Sayoon.
“Can you do it?”
“Yes.”
“Good then. I’ll go first. Next is Sayoon, and finally, Ryuhyun.”
“Yes, understood, Senior Sister.”
Hongryeon quickly gave her instructions and moved forward.
The first stance is Geon (乾). Seongryubo is a martial technique that captures the movement of stars soaring through the sky. Naturally, one must step on the basis of the heavens.
At the same time, she glided through the air and landed at Jin (震). Hyungseong is as fast as thunder, embodying that force.
When Hongryeon fully executed the Seongryubo based on the Eight Trigrams, she arrived at the opposite end of the room without any obstruction.
“Sayoon. Come here.”
“Yes!”
With a vigorous nod, Sayoon stepped forward. Like the skilled Hongryeon, her technique had no flaws. After she crossed over, and once Ryuhyun arrived on the other side, the previously tightly shut door began to open.
Hongryeon, watching intently, swallowed hard.
“Perhaps they might test the Hongseong Divine Art in the next room as well.”
“Uh… then, Senior Sister. What should I do?”
Wouldn’t her lack of proficiency in the first half of the Hongseong Divine Art hold them back? As Sayoon worried, Hongryeon smiled.
Her smile resembled the trustworthy grin of the Senior Sister that Sayoon and Ryuhyun were familiar with.
As expected by Hongryeon and guessed by Sayoon and Ryuhyun, most of the secret techniques were related to the Hongseong Divine Art. Techniques for footwork, hand techniques, and eventually sword techniques.
At least it was fortunate that the secret technique was merely a test of the basics of the Hongseong Divine Art.
Perhaps that’s why? This place seemed more like a training ground than a challenge for the secret techniques.
“I wish I had brought the others along.”
The sword marks etched on the wall were identical to the ones made by the Honghwa sword technique from the first half of the Hongseong Divine Art. Hongryeon, glancing at the door that opened with a groaning sound, muttered bitterly.
“Senior Sister, have you ever seen a secret technique like this?”
“Well, I’ve seen something similar.”
Of course, it wasn’t blatantly a secret technique for testing a particular martial art, but she had seen places that seemed to assess one’s martial arts level and completeness several times.
“And the end of such secret techniques is…”
– Kihihihihihik…!!
A horrifying sound came from beyond the open door. Sayoon’s shoulders stiffened slightly, and Ryuhyun gripped her sword tightly, while Hongryeon calmly took a step forward.
“Most likely, there are enemies.”
Enemies. The monsters prepared in the secret technique.
Defeating those, who could be considered the owners of the secret technique, would allow them to break through.
Ryuhyun nodded and stepped forward. Hongryeon was behind her, and Sayoon, whose martial arts skills were relatively lower, was in the middle.
The three of them formed a line, not relaxing their tension as they headed to the final room, where they would discover:
– Kihihihihihik!!
Four arms.
A sturdy body.
What was striking on the hideously twisted face were razor-sharp teeth.
A long, drooling tongue heavy with blood-like saliva.
Its long-slit eyes were filled with ominousness, and the vertically elongated reptilian gaze regarded the three intruders as mere prey.
– Kihiiiiiiik!!
Hongryeon was well aware of the identity of ‘that’ ominous scream that was enough to go against her nerves.
Sonachal.
A monster rumored to be the most familiar and ferocious among the evil monsters trapped in this realm.
Hongryeon thought it was actually more realistic than unreal that such a terrible monster, known for devouring humans, remained in this place.
After all, the trials they had undergone until now had been rather unreal.
“Let’s go.”
With a swift motion, Ryuhyun pointed her sword at the Sonachal, which was scanning them as if to eavesdrop. The inner power of Hongseong Divine Art, hostile to the Sonachal, surged through her blood vessels, creating a bright red aura around her sword.
However, Hongryeon remained motionless, simply standing with her arms crossed as if weighing the balance between reality and unreality.
“Senior Sister?”
“Ryuhyun. Step back.”
“Wh-What?!”
“Sayoon.”
“…Yes, Senior Sister.”
“Can you handle this alone?”
“Senior Sister?!”
Ryuhyun couldn’t help but be taken aback. No matter how commonly the Sonachal was seen as an evil monster in this realm, it was still a monster.
If caught by those long, thick arms, bones would break, and if scratched by those razor-sharp claws, flesh would tear.
It was a dangerous foe.
So why was Sayoon—a mere child—being sent alone?
No matter how weak the Sonachal might seem, with its deep wounds scattered all over.
Yet Hongryeon’s gaze was serious.
“If you can catch it alone, you will grow even more. And…”
“…I’ll do my best.”
Ryuhyun tried to stop her, but before she could, Sayoon stepped forward. In her hand was a wooden sword. Ryuhyun hurriedly threw her real sword to give Sayoon at least a real weapon, and she received it with a bright smile.
“Thank you.”
“Ah… be careful! If it feels dangerous, get out immediately!”
Just knowing someone behind her was watching out for her and could protect her brought down the tension a notch.
Life and death.
Fighting with evil monsters was akin to the brutal law of the jungle.
If she could ease her tension even a little in such a place, it would keep her safer.
Ryuhyun glared at Hongryeon while watching Sayoon approach the Sonachal cautiously.
“Why Sayoon…”
“Let’s just watch for now.”
Unlike her usual playful demeanor, Hongryeon exuded an undeniable chill that no one dared to oppose.
– Kyaaaaaaah!!
You can do it.
Dodging the sharp claws aimed at her head by lowering her body, Sayoon quickly lunged with her sword. Although it wasn’t her first time holding a real sword, it was her first time actually aiming it at a living creature.
No, could that even be called living? The Sonachal, dripping with thick, black bodily fluids, showed no concern for its wounds as it attacked her?
Could that creature, filled with nothing but malice and hostility in its eyes, truly be considered alive?
Unlike her spiraling thoughts, her feet moved naturally. The tension was minimal.
Was it because of the Senior Sisters behind her?
No, that wasn’t it.
Perhaps it was because she had felt even greater tension before.
Or maybe it was just because, unlike before, there was no one she needed to protect now.
The burden of having no one to protect, unlike before, may have lessened.
But what does it matter?
The task at hand hasn’t changed.
– Kyaaaak!!
Ducking and weaving, Sayoon thrust her sword in intermittently, tripping and kicking with her footwork, which seemed to annoy the Sonachal, as its head reared back with murderous intent in its eyes.
Yet, even so, she was not afraid.
She wasn’t tense.
Sayoon tilted her head. A few strands of gray hair flared up in the air, but she suffered no harm. Instead, she used this to create an opening, aiming her sword into the Sonachal’s armpit.
– Chwak!!
Though the sequence of attacks landed a significant blow on the Sonachal, it did not stop its greed. A severed arm, half cut, tumbled down in a smooth motion.
Kicking it away, she took another step forward.
Like the movement of stars traversing the night sky, Sayoon’s small form approached the Sonachal.
A small thing.
So small that just one hit would seem to be enough to kill it.
For Sonachal, this small creature, sharp and threatening, was an unbearable humiliation.
But still, it had no intention of dodging. Therefore, the two arms that came down—
– Seokeok!!
– Kieeeeeeeeeek!!
Were cut off.
Blood Qi. It was the splendid achievement of one of the sword techniques from Hongseong Divine Art.
Of course, at Sayoon’s level, she couldn’t sever the Sonachal’s thick skin and bones in one go.
Yet the reason its arm was severed was that she had continually targeted it, weakly but surely degrading its defenses.
But what does that matter now?
What is important is one thing.
The Sonachal’s arm has been cut off.
And that a great opening had been created for her.
Thus, Sayoon quickly approached the Sonachal.
The young girl, who had until just a moment ago been looked down upon, ignored, and considered merely a toy to be torn apart, now bore a momentum that forced the Sonachal to take a step back.
It was completely suppressed by her force.
– Ke…
Then there was no reason to hesitate any longer.
Sayoon spun her sword and struck swiftly, the sharp edge of the blade becoming a streak of starlight that pierced through the Sonachal’s heart.
“Hah… Hah…”
Only after the Sonachal’s body crumbled did Sayoon take a deep breath.
In the early phases of Hongseong Divine Art, she had only employed what she had previously confirmed, and yet she was still able to bring down the Sonachal.
Having blankly stared at the crumbled Sonachal, she stepped back. Vigilant against any potential resurrection, she aimed her sword, but the fallen Sonachal did not rise again.
Finally, she turned her head and saw them.
Ryuhyun, clapping and smiling brightly.
Hongryeon, believing in her.
But what she saw was more than that.
Although they weren’t by her side like Hongryeon and Ryuhyun, there was another existence she cherished even more.
‘…Thank you, Mister.’
In her heart, she silently expressed gratitude to the benefactor, who seemed to have taught her this place to help her grow.
She thought that upon returning, she would immediately write a letter.
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