Chapter 34 – Crimson Moon Rebellion
The temple corridors trembled as chaos erupted.
Mu-won dashed through the lower sanctum, Seo Yura close behind, her blade dripping with monk blood. From every direction, robed figures appeared—Twin Moon Sect guardians wielding flame staffs and sealing talismans, their chants vibrating through the ancient stone.
But Mu-won didn't slow.
Instead, he leapt onto a pillar, pushing off with explosive footwork. The Whispering Blade danced in his hand like a viper—curving, slashing, severing heads and limbs in fluid, precise arcs.
A sealing talisman flew toward him.
He caught it mid-air—and tossed it back.
The energy ruptured in the air like thunder, blasting a trio of monks backward into a pillar that shattered on impact.
Seo Yura looked over her shoulder. "The others?"
Mu-won narrowed his eyes, sensing. "Pinned down near the eastern vault. We regroup."
He tossed her a jade pellet. "Swallow it. Speed enhancer."
She hesitated for a split second, then obeyed. A moment later, her steps lightened, and her aura sharpened like steel drawn from scabbard.
They cut through the hallways like a living storm.
On the way, Mu-won whispered to his pendant, "Show me the structural weakness."
A red thread of energy blinked into his vision—leading him toward a cracked formation wall where spiritual energy leaked like a broken dam.
He drew a secondary blade from his waist—a short, curved dagger etched with blood seals.
Chi Strike: Piercing Fang.
He stabbed it into the crack—then infused it with pure qi.
The wall erupted.
From the other side, Gwak Rin and the remaining shadows looked up in surprise as the smoke cleared.
"Took your time!" one of them growled.
Mu-won walked out of the dust cloud, his eyes cold. "Try not to die before I save you next time."
They moved together now—seven shadows, blades gleaming, bodies moving as one cohesive unit through the heart of the enemy stronghold.
Then came the real threat.
A high priest descended from above, draped in crimson robes, his aura thick as a mountain.
He raised a palm—and gravity itself shifted.
Mu-won dropped to one knee, blood dripping from his mouth.
"Domain technique…" he muttered.
Seo Yura screamed from behind, "We're stuck—!"
The priest's voice echoed like thunder. "You dare defile the sacred Eye? I will crush your souls beneath the Crimson Moon Rebellion!"
His aura expanded.
Mu-won smiled, blood coating his lips.
"Good," he said hoarsely. "Someone worthy of testing this blade."
He rose.
The Whispering Blade howled.
He slashed—not at the priest, but at the domain itself.
His pendant surged with power, merging with the sword's core. The strike ripped the space apart with a screech that cracked stone.
The priest gasped—his domain shattered.
Mu-won blurred forward.
The next second, the priest's chest split open, a clean gash carved straight through his spirit core.
Silence.
Then collapse.
The domain dissipated.
Gwak Rin blinked. "What… the hell are you?"
Mu-won didn't answer.
He turned, holding the Eye of Divination high, its power stabilized within a binding sphere.
"We're done here," he said. "Let's vanish before they realize what we've taken."
They escaped into the spirit tunnels, using seals Mu-won planted in advance to mislead trackers.
As dawn crept over the horizon, the Twin Moon Sect mourned the loss of an ancient relic… and a high priest.
Mu-won stared at the Eye as it floated above his palm.
In its reflection, he saw not his own face—but a future version.
Crowned.
Feared.
Alone.
He smiled.
"One step closer to ruling this rotten world."
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