Surviving as the Heavenly Demon’s Concubine - Chapter 61

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

‘Hmm. I knew it, but there really is no path.’

Behind her, the screams of the girls still echoed like background music, while ahead lay what could literally be described as a forest of swords.

The sword blades were so densely packed that they would be impossible to avoid no matter how careful one was, forming branches and leaves that completely blocked Riser’s path forward.

‘Should I use lightness skill to make my body light and run across the blade edges like walking on water?’

No. If her internal energy ran out midway, she would only destroy herself.

Riser shook her head and thought of another method.

‘It would be better to wrap my body in protective energy and avoid as much as possible. If my internal energy runs low, I can rest in a safe place and move again.’

This was better than the first option since she could stop midway.

The problem was that wrapping her body in protective energy itself consumed enormous amounts of internal energy, and finding a safe place to meditate and regulate her breathing wouldn’t be easy.

If she kept stopping and starting after going only a short distance, there was no telling when she’d be able to escape Geomsu Jiok.

“Isn’t there another way?”

There was probably a method the Sword Master expected the girls to use.

Since the purpose seemed to be selecting girls with sword talent, surely there must be a way to break through Geomsu Jiok using swords.

‘A method using swords.’

The most straightforward approach would be to wrap a sword in sword energy and cut down those sharp sword trees one by one.

If it were Peng Guyeon, she would probably topple the sword trees with axe-like domineering techniques.

If delicate techniques were one’s specialty, attacking each leaf individually to secure just enough space to move would also be useful.

There could be various other methods, but they were all equally useless thoughts.

After all, Riser didn’t have a sword right now.

But she had definitely gotten a hint.

“The point is to get rid of the trees, right?”

Destroying metal weapons wasn’t something that could only be done through physical approaches.

Riser rummaged inside her sleeve and pulled out a ceramic bottle lined with lead. A paper with ‘Red Refining Mist ‘ written on it was attached to the bottle’s surface like a talisman.

When she gently shook the bottle, she could hear liquid sloshing inside.

“Hmm, I wonder if the amount will be sufficient.”

Dang Ri-seo’s Red Refining Mist.

The essence of saltpeter and green vitriol distilled seven times to obtain red acid liquid, with the energy of lightning extracted from thunder spirit energy compressed and added using advanced internal energy… to put it bluntly, it was a mixture of nitric acid and high-concentration ozone.

‘Shall we give it a try?’

The moment Riser opened the lid, the liquid would turn into red mist and spread in all directions.

Then the metals forming those sword trees would quickly rust and crumble into red earth.

* * *

“Of course there’s no chance of winning in a direct confrontation.”

Mujin said as he flew like the wind toward Geomsu Jiok.

“That old lady is stronger than she looks.”

“O-old lady…?”

Jegal Lin, riding on Mujin’s back, asked with a puzzled tone.

Sword Master Yeonsoha’s appearance was, well, somewhat difficult to judge in terms of age, but she certainly looked too young to be called an old lady.

“Doesn’t look like it?”

Mujin snorted as he replied.

“That’s all because of rejuvenation. Only her outer appearance is young. What matters is the inside.”

“Even with rejuvenation, can’t the aging of the internal organs be reversed?”

“Not that kind of inside… No. Never mind.”

Mujin clicked his tongue once and noticed from the gradually felt chill that Geomsu Jiok wasn’t far away.

Geomsu Jiok was adjacent to the perpetual snow area called Frozen Hell, so it was cooler than other regions.

“You’re certain there’s no other ‘Lin’ among the concubines?”

“Definitely not. I memorize all the attendance records.”

“Ugh. Got it for now.”

Just as he was about to send Jegal Lin back after hearing her eyewitness testimony, her name came up while greeting Sangwan Baek.

When he casually acted familiar by asking ‘Are you Lin?’, lo and behold, Sangwan Baek’s face suddenly turned pale as he frantically tried to send Jegal Lin away.

The atmosphere was very suspicious, so when he detained her and questioned her, it was astounding.

The young woman in green that Mujin had coincidentally met in the rear garden was Jegal Lin’s friend and the very Dang Ri-seo he had been searching for.

Sangwan Baek tried to make excuses, claiming he didn’t know either and that Jegal Lin’s friend couldn’t necessarily be Dang Ri-seo, but it was futile.

Jegal Lin had settled the situation with the sad words, ‘I only have one friend.’

‘That cunning old fox!’

Mujin, whose trust in Sangwan Baek had hit rock bottom, immediately picked up Jegal Lin.

He needed to actually confirm that the face of the young woman in green he met in the rear garden and the Dang Ri-seo that Jegal Lin spoke of were the same person, and there was also the possibility that Dang Ri-seo herself might feign ignorance. A woman who played dumb once could do it twice.

‘This time I really won’t let her get away.’

Mujin’s blue eyes gleamed sharply like those tracking prey.

* * *

The Sword Master’s test wasn’t very complicated.

The basics were the same as in Dosan Jiok.

Push the girls into a forest full of blades and make them flee by shooting protective energy at them.

Without forcing pressure from behind, they would just stand still where they were, so whipping was essential to make them do anything.

“D-did you see how the spot where I was just standing got gouged out?”

“She really intends to kill us!”

“Someone save us!”

They had to feel some degree of threat to move.

The Sword Master carefully observed the fleeing girls and began selecting those with sword talent.

Lightness skill proficiency in dodging incoming protective energy, the guts to charge forward trying to block it only to get smashed instead, the prudence to gauge the direction of the protective energy and hide silently, only raising their heads after the Sword Master had passed.

All of these were types of sword talent.

And one more thing.

“Azure Sky Limitless Sword Technique, Speed Ultimate Martial Combat Slash!”

“Twenty-Four Hand Plum Blossom Sword Technique, Plum Blossoms in Full Bloom!”

Quickly recognizing that their own skills couldn’t block the Sword Master’s protective energy,

The judgment to mobilize all their abilities to cut down as many sword trees as possible to secure an escape route.

And the sword skill to execute this was the most direct measure for recognizing sword talent.

“Are you having a sword debate? Instead of wasting time shouting technique names, cut one more!”

“Right, you pretentious brats!”

“Ugh…!”

The Orthodox Faction girls’ faces turned slightly red.

It was true that they had unconsciously shouted technique names while executing their skills, being accustomed to sword debates and instructional sparring.

“Stupid, so stupid! This is all part of training, that’s why!”

“Th-that’s right! Do you engage in real combat with trees that can’t speak?”

These were two factions that already didn’t get along well with each other.

The Sapa girls didn’t miss this opportunity to find fault with and mock the Orthodox Faction girls.

“How ridiculous. Then are you shouting for trees without ears to hear?”

“This is why people say the Orthodox Faction has become weak these days – because of attitudes like this.”

The Orthodox Faction girls, vulnerable to mockery and insults, immediately became angry.

“You wretch! How dare you mock a daughter of the Great Namgung Family! Shall we settle this in real combat?”

“Calm down, Miss Namgung!”

The sword blades that had been aimed at the sword trees began spitting fire at each other.

A clash between the girls divided into two factions was something that had been destined to happen eventually.

Just because they were fighting didn’t mean the Sword Master’s protective energy flying like meteors would stop or avoid them, but driven by the desire not to lose, none of them would lower their swords first.

‘Interesting.’

The Sword Master watched the chaos the girls were creating with a fascinated expression (though it didn’t show).

Fighting factional battles while dodging incoming protective energy in Geomsu Jiok filled with scattered blades – there was no way to describe it other than complete chaos.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————