A chill energy flowed through the indoor space.
Moyong Yeon-hwa glanced back and forth at me and the Black Cat, then lightly demonstrated her martial prowess.
“You’ve done an excellent job subduing the Saber Beast.”
“Just doing my part.”
It didn’t seem like she came just to pass greetings.
Just as I was about to ask her purpose, the Black Cat intervened.
“However, it doesn’t seem like you came just to offer such congratulations, does it?”
At the Black Cat’s question, Moyong Yeon-hwa nodded obediently.
“I wanted to discuss something regarding the Array Formation.”
“…About the Array Formation?”
Moyong Yeon-hwa nodded again.
“When I opened the letter delivered by Seo Mun-yeon, I noticed the name ‘Six Star Chen.’ At that time, I had no idea what the term ‘Six Star Chen’ meant.”
That made sense; she probably had no information about Oh Seong-jin at all.
“However, after watching the fight with the Saber Beast, I realized that the Array Formation exhibited by the five of you is indeed linked to Oh Seong-jin. I also understood the meaning of Seo Mun-yeon’s words when she said there would be no reason for her to deliver the letter to Ho Cheon-an unless I had conveyed ‘Six Star Chen’ to him.”
Moyong Yeon-hwa placed her hand on her weapon and continued.
“Everyone knows that the Moyong Clan’s spirit is the Dual Crescent Sabers, alternating between the Sword of the Broken Moon and the Saber of the Reversed Shadow. It’s rare for anyone in this world to be as familiar with rapidly changing energies and to have a knack for adapting to such situations.”
The Black Cat frowned.
She probably guessed what Moyong Yeon-hwa was about to say.
“If we apply this principle to ‘Oh Seong-jin,’ it would allow us to swiftly change the formation according to the situation during confrontation with an entity. Seo Mun-yeon must have sent me to deliver the message about ‘Six Star Chen’ to Ho Cheon-an with that possibility in mind.”
There was certainly enough potential there.
Honestly, what Moyong Yeon-hwa just said was precisely Seo Mun-yeon’s intent.
“So, did you come all this way just to inform me of this, Moyong Yeon-hwa?”
“…Yes.”
Moyong Yeon-hwa glanced between the Black Cat and me, biting her lip. Her expression seemed lost and conflicted.
…At that moment, she had to make a choice at the Shengsu Faction.
Personal feelings versus the reconstruction of the Shengsu Faction.
Moyong Yeon-hwa chose the latter.
And due to that choice, we, once again, found ourselves facing each other in the Martial Forest Alliance.
At yet another crossroads named ‘Six Star Chen.’
From Moyong Yeon-hwa’s perspective, it was inevitable that her mind would be in turmoil.
“Do you have anything else to say?”
Did the Black Cat perceive Moyong Yeon-hwa’s hesitation? Instead of a ceremonial address, she posed a question that felt more like probing.
At the Black Cat’s inquiry, Moyong Yeon-hwa looked at me.
What was etched in her eyes was a clear conflict.
Simply visiting me was entirely different in meaning from wanting to act alongside me as a member of ‘Six Star Chen.’
It was realistically challenging to join us to make a name for herself.
Currently, Moyong Yeon-hwa was already cooperating with the Martial Forest Alliance as a martial artist.
And even if she were to join the Array Formation for achievements, it would be wiser for her to return to her clan and join the Moyong Clan’s Array Formation with the Winter Gale than to gather with us.
Considering that situation, the Black Cat’s question must have sounded something like this to her:
What choice will you ultimately make?
Are you merely here to convey information, or have you come wishing to join ‘Six Star Chen’?
Moyong Yeon-hwa closed her eyes and barely formed an answer.
“Not at this moment, no.”
And that response was nearly a deferment.
* *
“The Brain Knife Outcast caught the Saber Beast?”
In response to the Blood Ancestor’s inquiry, the Blood Person nodded even more deeply. Seeing that, the Blood Ancestor’s brow furrowed.
“Details.”
“Honor!”
As the Blood Person explained, the furrows on the Blood Ancestor’s forehead grew deeper. How could individuals from entirely different backgrounds manage to form such a high-level Array Formation? Only five people, pulling in the energies from Daoist techniques, Ice techniques, and the Outcast Faction to create a formation powerful enough to defeat the Saber Beast was utterly incomprehensible.
With a critical weakness, they had previously intended to leave it be and use it as a pawn against the Martial Forest Alliance at the right time, but forming an Array Formation instead?
“Did I underestimate the capacities of ‘Ho Cheon-an’ too much?”
The Blood Ancestor shook his head.
Even a rotten statue has its worth. While it’s true that a closed vessel may be lacking, it can still exhibit exceptional martial skills and rapid achievements impossible for others.
However,
The current trajectory of Ho Cheon-an’s actions was something the Blood Ancestor could not predict at all.
Since the suggestion to become a successor, not even half a year had passed.
Who would have expected that in such a short time, a formation without parallel in the world could be assembled to contend against the Saber Beast?
Just a mere outcast would manage to form an Array Formation typically seen in larger sects.
The individual had emerged as a variable amidst the clashes of entities and major sects; it was beyond ridiculous.
“I must eliminate him as quickly as possible.”
The Blood Ancestor’s mind flickered with the current dynamics.
The Array Formation teams associated with the major factions within the Martial Forest Alliance were like rust-covered swords, stuck in their sheaths.
It would take time to remove the rust and restore their sharpness, but conversely, if they had time, those swords could demonstrate their true value.
If Ho Cheon-an wasn’t swiftly removed from the equation, things could spiral out of control.
As the Blood Ancestor decided to clear Ho Cheon-an from the playing field, he thought it might actually work in his favor.
Ho Cheon-an would inevitably fall eventually.
If his weight had grown larger, then the chaos resulting from his fall would too.
“I’ll expand the trap.”
If Ho Cheon-an couldn’t properly use the Saber Beast as bait to inflict damage to the Martial Forest Alliance, he would have to compensate for that loss through Ho Cheon-an.
The command fell from the Blood Ancestor’s mouth.
The Blood Person who had been kneeling down began to move to fulfill the order.
* *
We defeated the Blood Sect’s Saber Beast and reclaimed the Botamun.
While it was enough news to boost the morale of the Martial Forest Alliance, regrettably, this victory was overshadowed by the news of the Blood Sect’s attacks occurring simultaneously across various regions.
Even though the Martial Forest Alliance’s divisions, as they might be considered the margins at best, were still strong camps with substantial mantra and power, they suffered significant damage from the raids.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the affected sects were effectively removed from the active list.
Ultimately, the key to stopping the Blood Sect lay in the Array Formation.
No matter how much support the Martial Forest Alliance offered, it wouldn’t create martial artists out of thin air, nor would the skill in the Array Formations improve overnight, so it would take quite a while to train disciples and enhance proficiency.
By the time the affected sects have recuperated from their losses and assembled effective Array Formations, the fate of the Martial World would likely already have been decided.
While the Blood Sect’s entities inflicted enormous damage to several sects, they didn’t wholly emerge unscathed either.
In a world where everyone was watching the movements of the Blood Sect and its entities closely, how could they perfectly hide the activities of the entities?
The locations of the Blood Sect’s hideouts started to become clearer.
What had once been a secretive power was gradually revealing its identity, and encirclement began to form around those strongholds.
In such circumstances,
My companions and I were intensely training the Array Formations.
Daesung.
Transforming the flow centered around Miss Yeo Il-ye. The formation capable of the fastest and most responsive transitions among Array forms is undoubtedly Daesung.
After all, since Miss Yeo Il-ye holds half of the energy flowing through the Array, it certainly makes sense to say that.
Once transformed to Daesung, the Array Formation quickly changes to a new form.
Ice Form.
The Ice Form, centered around the Black Cat, is the one most frequently used in the Five Element Array. While attacking can be done using Daesung, Ilseong, Reiseong, or Heukseong, we had to rely on the Ice Form, especially for defense.
In essence, the energy levels of formations are not very high, making it difficult to fully withstand the entities’ assault without effective defensive methods.
The energy of the Array Formation is re-aligned.
Swish!!
Immediately after adopting the Ice Form, it transforms into another form.
Ilseong, Reiseong, Heukseong, and once again, Ice Form.
Training focused merely on the transitions of forms rather than detailed movements.
“Let’s stop here for today.”
Everyone, drenched in sweat from the continued intense energy movement, looked tired and took a break.
As I wiped the sweat from my forehead, she approached.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
Moyong Yeon-hwa, who had been sneaking around since earlier, came closer.
“Hmph, what excuse do you have for showing up today?”
Moyong Yeon-hwa, blushing from Dokgo I-seol’s teasing, pulled out a letter from her belongings.
“This is a letter from the Hall Master.”
“Ah, got it. Thanks.”
“Well then, I’ll be taking my leave…”
Moyong Yeon-hwa fled as if escaping. I chuckled at her retreating figure.
She had been making every excuse to hover around us lately. Whether it was messages from Moyong Seo or inquiries about various matters, she even claimed she came searching for Moyong Mo, who had disappeared for a drink occasionally.
“What a frustrating woman.”
Dokgo I-seol seemed displeased with Moyong Yeon-hwa’s indecision.
“What’s the point of lingering around without making a choice?”
“Well, it’s not an easy decision, I suppose.”
On the other hand, Hyeok Gi-rin seemed to empathize with Moyong Yeon-hwa’s situation.
He had forsaken the life of Princess Yuya for the sake of the Hongyeon’s legacy and had become the Grand Master of the Jeomchang Faction. Perhaps he too felt a connection with Moyong Yeon-hwa in her effort to suppress her feelings for the sake of preserving the Faction.
“Haah, while I can excuse Hyeok Gi-rin for being who he is… what about you, Black Cat? What do you think?”
“Honestly, I believe we should just observe for now.”
Perhaps Black Cat’s response didn’t sit well with Dokgo I-seol, as he let out a sigh.
“Alright, let’s calm down. Isn’t it more urgent to read the letter from the Hall Master?”
Seeing the mood shift, Miss Yeo Il-ye interjected, redirecting the topic. I too was just as curious about the letter from the Martial Forest Alliance.
I opened the letter to read.
One thought bubbled up in my mind.
Here it comes.
I spoke to my companions, who wore curious expressions, wanting to know what news had come from the Martial Forest Alliance.
“It says to quickly return to the Hall.”
The Martial Forest Alliance had decided to launch an offensive.
