Chapter 205 - Bloodline is Everything

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter 205: The Absolute (4)

The moment the Half-Incarnate Form was lifted, the immense power vanished in an instant.

His stamina and mana were completely drained, and the powers of all the other bloodlines had fallen dormant as well.

“Ugh…”

Kwon Hanul collapsed flat onto the floor in a large X shape.

He could recover quickly when using only a single Half-Incarnate Form,

but Composite Incarnation was different.

Just like the first time he used it, the strength in his entire body had vanished.

It felt like it would take a long time to recover.

“Still… it was worth it.”

Using multiple Half-Incarnate Forms simultaneously— the power it granted had far exceeded even Kwon Hanul’s expectations.

Originally, he had never intended to fight both Mei Xiao and the Dragon Slayer at once and win.

All he wanted was to buy time until Kwon Myung-woo recovered.

The bravado he showed was just to conceal that intention.

But the moment he activated Composite Incarnation, the tide turned.

He had overwhelmed two Absolutes at once—and emerged victorious.

“At this level… it might actually rival a full Incarnate Form.”

Kwon Hanul compared his current form to the Incarnate Form he’d once seen from Kwon Seonwoo long ago.

But back then, Seonwoo had exhausted all his strength just traveling from the Hyukcheon Clan to China in record time.

So there was no way to make an accurate comparison.

“Anyway… is no one coming?”

Kwon Hanul had no strength left—not even to lift a finger.

If no one helped, he’d be stuck lying there indefinitely.

Then, he heard hurried footsteps approaching.

“Hanul!”

It was Kwon Myung-woo’s voice.

Kwon Hanul turned his head with great effort—and saw Myung-woo and the Hyukcheon Corps running toward him in the distance.

But suddenly, Myung-woo came to a halt—his eyes wide and dazed as he looked around.

Then, he spotted the corpses of the Dragon Slayer and Mei Xiao.

His mouth dropped open.

“…My God.”

Myung-woo slowly walked over and stood beside Hanul.

Looking down at him, he asked, “Did you… really take them both down on your own?”

“Honestly, I can’t believe it either. But that’s what happened,” Hanul replied casually, giving a shrug.

He couldn’t move his body properly, so even the shrug didn’t come out right.

“Hoo…”

Myung-woo slumped down beside him.

After rubbing his face and sighing deeply, he muttered, “You really… haah… you…”

Words failed him.

Then, without warning, he smacked Hanul on the forehead.

“Ow! What was that for?!”

“That’s your punishment for knocking me out, brat! You dare shield me in that situation? You’re thirty years too young for that!”

Myung-woo shouted in anger.

“Try that again, and I’ll break your legs first!”

“You’re that angry?”

“Of course I’m angry! Sacrifices are for old farts like me—not you! Get that through your thick skull!”

He continued to fume for quite a while.

Then, with a faint smile, he added, “But still… you did great, you amazing bastard.”

He ruffled Hanul’s hair with his big, pot-lid-sized hand.

Just then—

A wall nearby suddenly exploded, and someone stepped through the gaping hole.

“Phew… why the hell is this place structured like a maze?”

As the unexpected intruder entered, his eyes met Kwon Myung-woo’s.

Myung-woo’s face twisted into a scowl.

In contrast, the intruder beamed.

“You?”

“Looks like I found the right place.”

“Kwon Biryuk! What the hell are you doing here?!” Myung-woo shouted.

Kwon Biryuk gave him a sly smile in response.

“Good question. Why do you think I’m here?”

Myung-woo’s expression stiffened.

Kwon Hanul was completely spent.

Kwon Myung-woo still hadn’t fully recovered from his injuries.

In this state, if a fight broke out with Kwon Biryuk, total defeat was inevitable.

“Captain!”

The Hyukcheon Corps surrounded Myung-woo protectively, but Kwon Biryuk remained relaxed.

“Myung-woo… you’re looking rough. And your numbers seem a bit light, too.”

As he unleashed a hint of his presence, a strange pressure fell over Myung-woo and the Hyukcheon Corps.

Just then—

“Captain!”

A young woman dashed out from behind Kwon Biryuk.

Everyone, including Myung-woo and the Corps, widened their eyes in disbelief.

“Why are you in such a mess? Are you hurt?”

The woman—Mei Hong—hurried over and knelt at Hanul’s side.

“Excuse me, just a moment.”

Another familiar face soon followed behind Kwon Biryuk.

As Joo Hayun passed him and noticed Myung-woo, she gasped.

“Director?! That wound on your chest… don’t tell me Mei Xiao did that?!”

“No… it’s not that…”

“Kwon Hanul! Why are you lying here like this?!”

She too rushed toward him.

Hanul stared at the two women in confusion and asked, “Mei Hong? Miss Hayun? Why are you with Kwon Biryuk?”

“He saved us.”

“That’s right! He took down the entire Plum Blossom Seven Blades by himself. It was incredible!”

All eyes turned to Kwon Biryuk.

He let out a hearty laugh.

“I was just playing around out of boredom. Didn’t expect such a strong reaction! Myung-woo, you’ve grown timid in your old age.”

“You crazy bastard…”

Myung-woo’s face contorted in fury as Kwon Biryuk laughed even louder.

“I heard the dungeon opened, so I came in to check it out. Things looked serious, so I lent a hand. You’re not gonna blame me for that, are you?”

“You… helped us?”

“Of course. First and foremost, you save lives.”

Suddenly, a flash of light burst from the ceiling.

A bolt of lightning struck the floor.

Where it landed stood Kwon Biryuk’s disciple—Raishin.

“Master, reporting in.”

“Ah, good. Did you do what I asked?”

“Yes. They’ll be here any moment now.”

Raishin pointed up at the ceiling. Moments later, two men fell through.

“Ughhhh, that was way too high. I thought I was gonna die…”

“You’ll have to get used to this level of exertion.”

It was Kwon Hudon and Gaël Garcia.

As they chatted, they noticed everyone staring at them.

“G-Grandfather? Hanul?”

“Captain! You’re here!”

They both ran over to Kwon Hanul.

Hanul, stunned again, asked, “What happened to you two?”

“Well, we got attacked by the Plum Blossom Seven Blades—”

“—but that lady over there saved us! We nearly died!”

Hanul glanced at Raishin.

She turned her head away with a displeased look.

She clearly hadn’t forgiven Ruyn Aspadam yet.

Still, he couldn’t ignore the fact that she’d saved Hudon and Gaël.

Hanul gave her a small nod of gratitude.

“Tsk. Looks like the Greatest Fist of Hyukcheon is past his prime—taking outside help for a clan matter.”

“Grrr…”

“Don’t worry. I won’t go blabbing about this. Wouldn’t want the Hyukcheon name to hit rock bottom.”

“You senile bastard—!”

Myung-woo, prideful as he was, had no resistance against this kind of ridicule.

Feeling bad for him, Hanul raised his voice.

“Granduncle Myung-woo!”

The moment he spoke, Myung-woo rushed to his side.

“What is it?”

“We can’t let our guard down yet. The dungeon still has remnants of the Mei Clan—and Aeon’s magicians.”

Myung-woo’s expression changed.

The gentle elder vanished, replaced by the ruthless hunter.

“…You’re right. I almost made another mistake.”

He turned to the Hyukcheon Corps and gave a sharp order:

“Search the dungeon immediately. Don’t let a single one escape—bring them all in!”

* * *

While the Hyukcheon Corps searched the dungeon, Kwon Hanul lay on a makeshift bed set up by Joo Hayun, resting.

Originally, he wanted to recover using medicine and join the search party. But—

–"What? You wanna come with us? If you don’t wanna get your skull cracked by my fist, lie down and stay put!"

Kwon Myung-woo's threat forced him to obediently remain on the bed.

“Alright, open up.”

Joo Hayun, sitting beside him, speared a neatly sliced apple with a fork and held it out to him.

Unable to move even a finger, Hanul simply opened his mouth and took a bite.

As he slowly chewed the apple, he turned his head to the side, where Kwon Hudon and Gaël Garcia stood, scanning the surroundings with serious expressions.

They were standing guard in case anything happened—ready to protect him.

“Where’s Mei Hong?”

“She left to hunt down the remnants of Mei Xiao’s faction.”

“Figures.”

Mei Hong was the exception. Driven by her grudge against Mei Xiao, she had joined the Hyukcheon Corps in their sweep, determined to take out as many of Mei Xiao’s subordinates as possible.

“By the way, Lord Hanul, you said you used the powers of other bloodlines, didn’t you?”

“I did.”

“Since you had to fight people like Mei Xiao and the Dragon Slayer, you must’ve used every ounce of power you had.”

That’s when Kwon Hanul realized what Joo Hayun was worried about.

She was concerned that Kwon Myung-woo may have figured out his secret.

“I was planning to tell Granduncle someday anyway.”

Hanul was confident that Myung-woo would accept his secret.

That’s why he hadn’t hesitated to use his power.

“No, that’s not it…”

But Joo Hayun shook her head.

“I mean Kwon Biryuk. He must’ve figured out your secret too, right?”

At her words, Hanul’s mouth fell open.

“Ah, crap…”

* * *

“What’s got you so deep in thought?”

A sudden voice pulled Kwon Myung-woo out of his reverie. Kwon Biryuk was walking toward him.

“Tch. None of your business.”

“Still sulking because I teased you a bit? You're too sensitive for your age.”

“Why, you—!”

Myung-woo clenched his fists, but Kwon Biryuk just laughed and stepped back.

“Let me guess—you were thinking about that kid, Kwon Hanul?”

The smile faded from his face.

“I wasn’t close, but I could feel it clearly. That boy definitely used not just the Black Dragon Bloodline, but also the Superhuman and Shura Bloodlines.”

Myung-woo said nothing and just listened.

“Judging by your reaction, I take it you didn’t know. Impressive kid. To keep such a massive secret completely under wraps…”

“I’d like you to keep that information to yourself.”

Myung-woo finally spoke.

Kwon Biryuk looked him in the eye and said, “Your stare is intense. If I said no, you'd probably try to kill me, wouldn't you?”

“That’s not a request. It’s an order.”

“Still throwing around authority in your condition? That pride of yours really is exhausting…”

“Pride?”

Myung-woo released a surge of killing intent.

It was hard to believe he was still recovering—his aura was ferocious.

“Does this look like pride to you?”

Kwon Biryuk’s eyes widened. Then he laughed.

“Yeah… that’s the Myung-woo I know.”

“So give me your answer.”

“Didn’t I already give it?”

Myung-woo looked puzzled.

“I told you earlier—I’m not the type to share juicy stories like this with anyone else.”

Kwon Biryuk grinned mischievously.

“Refusing your request could be fun, but I don’t want to end our little feud with something so boring.”

Myung-woo’s expression turned unreadable. He wasn’t sure how to respond.

“Ah, but I will need something in return for keeping quiet. I’m not doing this out of charity.”

“What?”

“You thought I’d keep your secret for free? Come on.”

Typical.

Kwon Biryuk nodded smugly.

Myung-woo had to restrain the urge to punch him.

“By the way, about Hanul’s team… That Gaël Garcia guy—he has the Sacred Beast Bloodline, right?”

“You’re well informed. Why do you ask?”

“Hmm… Sacred Beast Bloodline, huh… Hmmm…”

Kwon Biryuk stroked his chin in thought, then suddenly turned and walked off.

Myung-woo frowned and followed him, shouting, “Hey! Why are you asking about that?!”

* * *

“Can I step away for a moment?”

While assisting the Hyukcheon Corps in their search, Mei Hong spoke up.

They readily agreed. Thanks to Kwon Hanul, they held Mei Hong in high regard.

With her free time, Mei Hong headed to the place where Hanul had fought Mei Xiao and the Dragon Slayer.

She searched the area—until she found what she was looking for.

Mei Xiao’s corpse, lying cold on the ground.

“So you died here.”

Mei Hong gazed down at her face.

She had hated her enough to see her in her dreams, yet strangely, she felt no anger.

Probably because revenge meant nothing against a lifeless corpse.

“I wanted to kill you with my own hands.”

Not that she blamed Hanul. With her skills, even in decades she might never have gotten her revenge.

What bothered her was that Mei Xiao had died so peacefully.

“Hope you rot in hell.”

As she turned to leave—

“You don’t look satisfied.”

Startled, Mei Hong spun around.

Mei Xiao, who she had thought dead, had opened her eyes.

Mei Hong instinctively reached for her sword hilt, and Mei Xiao chuckled.

“No need to be so tense. I’m already dead.”

“Liar. You’re clearly still alive.”

“If I were alive, do you think that monster Kwon Hanul would’ve let me go?”

She had a point.

With Myung-woo, the Hyukcheon Corps, and even Kwon Biryuk present, faking her death wouldn’t have worked.Hayun

“I’m already dead. I just anchored my soul to my body for a little while.”

“Good. That makes this easier.”

Mei Hong's eyes filled with killing intent. She drew her sword and approached.

“I wanted to kill you with my own hands.”

“Mei Hong.”

“Begging won’t save you. Say what you want—you're dying by my hand—”

“Turn me into a GhostBlade.”

Mei Hong froze.

“…Are you out of your mind?”

The GhostBlade was a power that enslaved a soul against its will.

Once bound, that soul could never rest—trapped, tortured, and used endlessly until released.

“I’m serious.”

“What’s your angle?”

“Angle…”

Mei Xiao’s voice quieted.

“When I dreamed of reviving the Mei Clan, the first thing I did was master all its skills and knowledge.”

“Why would you bother with that?”

“Because I knew, while wandering, much of it would be lost. The others wanted to abandon it, but I believed the future of the clan depended on it.”

So she used a skill to seal all of the Mei Clan’s knowledge and techniques into her soul.

“I thought I was the safest vessel.”

Who would dare steal from the soul of an Absolute?

Mei Xiao had intended to preserve the clan’s legacy this way.

“Safe?”

“Go ahead, mock me. How could I have known Kwon Hanul would turn out to be a monster?”

She muttered bitterly.

“If I die like this, all the Mei Clan’s techniques die with me. Isn’t that a waste?”

“Not at all.”

“Don’t be so heartless. You really have no love left for the clan…?”

“Not even a shred.”

Mei Hong’s tone was ice.

Mei Xiao sighed.

“Do you think I’m stupid? You're hoping to use me so the remnants of the clan can inherit that knowledge.”

“Yes. That’s exactly why I’m offering. The chances are low, but maybe…”

“Not low. Impossible. I will never turn you into a GhostBlade. And even if I did—”

“Then here’s another idea. You rebuild the Mei Clan.”

Mei Hong was speechless.

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“You’re not going to die alone and childless, are you? Even if you marry a normal human, your bloodline won’t disappear. One day, a new bloodline will emerge through you.”

Mei Xiao continued:

“Then a new Mei Clan will form. Let that new clan inherit my knowledge.”

“Why? What’s in it for you?”

“The current survivors might try to rebuild the clan—but once I’m dead, that chance drops to zero.”

She sighed.

“So at the very least… I want to preserve the Mei name. Not start something new, but continue what already existed.”

Only then did Mei Hong start to understand her.

To Mei Xiao, what mattered most was the survival of the clan—no matter how.

That’s why she said all this.

“It’s not a bad deal for you either. If you use me as a GhostBlade, you’ll become far stronger.”

“I don’t want strength from you.”

“You sure? I admit you have talent—but even with that, you’ll never catch up to Kwon Hanul.”

Mei Hong’s body flinched.

“Struck a nerve?”

“Shut up.”

“Even with my help, I can’t guarantee you’ll stand beside him. So what will you do on your own? When he leaves you behind, can you handle it?”

Mei Hong clenched her teeth. As much as she hated it, she couldn’t argue.

“Make me a GhostBlade. Use your enemy to get stronger. Use me to reach your goal.”

Mei Hong fell silent, thinking deeply.

Then she reversed her grip on her sword and aimed it at Mei Xiao’s chest.

“…Damn it.”

At her reaction, Mei Xiao smiled.

“I’m counting on you. Just… don’t be too rough.”

Mei Hong gave no reply.

She simply brought the blade down.

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]