The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 690

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

Chapter 690

I furrowed my brow as I watched the blood essence surge forth with the fluidity of water.

‘He noticed.’

Despite executing the subtle art of an ambush from behind the door, the 10th Apostle reacted instantly and prepared a counterattack.
An overwhelming blood essence emanated from him—as though the ambusher would be the one to suffer instead.

‘Stopping now would be even more dangerous.’

I closed the distance to the 10th Apostle and brought the Soul Reaper Sword down toward his hand.

A deafening clang erupted.

Blade met hand with a thunderous collision as if two pieces of metal had crashed together. The 10th Apostle’s blood essence had grown even stronger than when I last saw him—so formidable that even the Soul Reaper Sword couldn’t break through it.

‘Then the second plan.’

Since the ambush had failed, I needed to shift to the second strategy immediately.

The shockwave erupted.

Just before the impact spread, I planted my left foot and moved toward the fallen Ogram.

“Where do you think you’re—ugh!”

The 10th Apostle tried to extend his blood essence-condensed hand but stopped himself. He trembled his left hand—the one that had blocked the Soul Reaper Sword—and bit his lip.

I seized the moment while the 10th Apostle remained immobilized, positioning myself to shield Ogram and turning my back to face him.

‘Perfect.’

The first plan was to kill the 10th Apostle with an ambush, and if that failed, the second was to protect Ogram so he couldn’t be taken hostage. Fortunately, the second plan had succeeded.

“Hah…”

I exhaled a short breath and examined Ogram behind me. He bore severe injuries across his body, and his breathing was faint, but he was unmistakably alive.

‘This is sufficient.’

I had worried his wounds might be too grave for him to move, but they seemed manageable enough to carry him away without major difficulty.

“Raon Zigheart. What are you doing here? And….”

The 10th Apostle clenched his trembling left hand and bit his lip.

“How did you learn Geokhae Martial Arts?”

He recognized that the martial technique which had shattered his hand was Geokhae Martial Arts, and his brow furrowed.

“A disciple cannot turn a blind eye to his master’s crisis.”
“Disciple?”
“The person who taught me Geokhae Martial Arts is right behind me.”

I answered both of the 10th Apostle’s questions at once, tilting my chin toward the fallen Ogram.

“Though I doubt he sees it that way.”
“A disciple, then….”

White blood energy surged from the 10th Apostle’s hand, and his twisted wrist snapped back into place.
It seemed he had used his blood essence to regenerate bone and muscle.

“Do you know the name of this palace?”

Pure white blood energy blazed above his palm, taking the sharp form of a spear.

“The Sacrifice Palace.”
“The Sacrifice Palace?”

I looked at Ogram again. Thin rivulets of blood trickled from his concealed neck, and his aura had diminished sharply—the blood draining was already complete.
I suppressed the irritation rising within and composed my expression into calm indifference.

“Since this palace came into being, I shall witness for the first time both master and disciple becoming sacrifices.”

The 10th Apostle’s gaze turned as sharp and piercing as a blade, resolute in his refusal to let this opportunity slip away.

“No.”

I shook my head calmly and drew the Heavenly Sword.

“This will be the first time an Apostle’s blood is spilled in this Palace.”
“That glib tongue of yours hasn’t changed.”

The 10th Apostle twisted his lips and shook his head.

“But bluffing means nothing in this place. You must feel it too.”

As he raised his finger, the flames of blood energy blazed intensely.

“This land bestows its blessings only upon those who possess blood energy.”

The 10th Apostle let out a scornful laugh and shook his head.

“You can’t defeat me at full strength, yet you think you’ll fight while protecting that old man with a weakened body?”
“One cannot grow without taking risks.”

I raised my chin, holding both the Heavenly Sword and the Soul Reaper Sword upright.

“Don’t worry about me. Stop talking and come at me.”

I snapped my fingers with confidence, but my heart wasn’t at ease.

‘Because his words aren’t wrong.’

The Demonic Phantom Blood Formation covering the entire White Blood Cult Headquarters prevented me from displaying my full strength. Even if I unleashed my complete power, the odds of defeating the 10th Apostle were low, and the situation left me feeling suffocated.
Even if I displayed my full power, there was a high possibility I couldn’t defeat the 10th Apostle, and the situation being like this made my chest feel heavy.

“But calling the Head of House isn’t a good idea either.”

Glen’s lightning doesn’t sound as refreshing as before. His senses have dulled, so he doesn’t know exactly who he’s fighting, but it means he’s being blocked by the White Blood Cult Master or someone of similar skill.

If I call him now, the White Blood Cult Master and the other Apostles will all gather here, making it even harder to escape.

“We need to wait until we’ve at least secured Ogram before sending any signals.”

For everyone to escape safely, I had to carry Ogram out of this palace before sending the signal.

“I’ll pierce that bastard’s throat right here.”

The 10th Apostle spun his blood essence spear in a wide arc. Massive amounts of blood essence began to condense between the rapidly rotating shaft.

“Haa….”

I exhaled deeply, gripping both the Heavenly Sword and the Soul Reaper Sword.

‘My heart is racing.’

Despite the dire situation, I found myself smiling. The thrill of unleashing the enlightenment I’d gained in my Mental World against the 10th Apostle made my fingertips tremble faintly.

‘It’s a shame I can’t display my full power… wait?’

As I bit my lip and took my stance, the Soul Reaper Sword released a fierce resonance, stirring a spectral wind.

Whoooooom!

The spectral energy blooming from the blade wrapped around me, dispelling the blood essence pressure that had been crushing my body and soul.

‘What is this….’

My body and senses, which had grown heavy from the Demonic Formless Blood Formation, returned to their natural flow.
No—an even stronger power surged within me.

I gazed down at the Soul Reaper Sword, exhaling sharply.

‘You did that?’

It seemed the Soul Reaper Sword had used its spectral energy to nullify the Demonic Formless Blood Formation operating around me.

Whoooom!

The Soul Reaper Sword resonated once more in affirmation.
But the resonance grew progressively weaker, as if it couldn’t sustain it much longer.

‘Good. I’ll finish this in exactly one minute.’

I decided to pour all my strength into pushing back the 10th Apostle within a minute and escaping this place.

“You… how is this possible…?”

The 10th Apostle sensed my transformation and trembled, his lips quivering in disbelief.

A deep resonance echoed through the air.

Without answering, I stepped into the Heavenly Stride. I raised the Heavenly Sword and lowered the Soul Reaper Sword, unleashing the Flame Sea Perfection technique.
Waves of blazing fire and frost erupted from both blades, sweeping across the 10th Apostle’s front.

A deafening crash split the air.

The 10th Apostle’s eyes narrowed as he watched the crimson and azure tidal waves rush toward him, burning with blood energy. The moment veins bulged across the back of his hand, a colossal sphere of blood energy surged upward, crushing the waves of flame and frost beneath its weight.

A sharp metallic screech rang out.

Before the Flame Sea Perfection’s flow could dissipate, I surged forward and thrust the Silver Sword Dream toward the 10th Apostle’s throat.

Metal clashed against metal with a thunderous boom.

The 10th Apostle twisted his spear sharply, blocking the Silver Sword Dream’s blade while his eyes turned glacial. A chilling murderous intent swirled within his cold gaze.

I met the 10th Apostle’s arid eyes and moistened my parched lips.

‘Fifty-five seconds remaining.’

*

*

*

A soft click of the tongue.

The White Blood Cult Master furrowed her brow deeply and opened her eyes.

‘What is it this time…?’

Even in the Cultivation Chamber where sound and mana flow were blocked, I sensed an external aura seeping through.
If an aura could be felt in this place, it meant the intruder was at least a Transcendent.

‘The 1st Apostle? The 2nd Apostle? No. This is….’

Not the Apostles. An outsider. And the aura of someone I knew all too well.

‘Glen Zigheart…?’

I couldn’t forget his presence—I had suffered greatly erasing his brain aura. The intense aura erupting from outside was unmistakably Glen Zigheart’s.

‘Why is he here? No, how did he get here?’

The current headquarters could only be entered by those chosen among the Blood Cult’s faithful. I couldn’t fathom how Glen had infiltrated it.

“Damn it!”

The White Blood Cult Master bit her lip and rushed out of the Cultivation Chamber.

“C-Cult Master!”

The executives waiting outside the Cultivation Chamber hurriedly bowed their heads.

“What in the world is happening?”
“Glen Zigheart has launched an attack!”

The Archbishop at the front trembled as he gazed at the lightning streaking across the sky.

“How did he get in?!”
“We’re not entirely sure either. Suddenly, the Sword King, the Slaughter King, and the Heavenly Sword Master all appeared together and have been conducting a massacre….”
“A massacre….”

The White Blood Cult Master’s blood energy surged as she bit her lip. Just as the Archbishop said, the number of cult members was visibly decreasing even now.

“The 1st Apostle, the 2nd Apostle, and even the 8th Apostle have engaged, but they won’t be able to hold out much longer.”
“Of course not.”

Even with the 1st and 2nd Apostles being Transcendents and possessing the Grotesque Demon Bloodless Formation, completely stopping Glen was impossible.

‘If only he had arrived a bit later….’

Unfortunately, I hadn’t fully absorbed Ogram’s energy yet. It was frustrating that I couldn’t devour Glen, who had walked into the tiger’s den of his own accord.

‘There’s no helping it.’

I couldn’t afford to lose the 1st and 2nd Apostles like this. As I prepared to leave, irritation written across my face, a faint sound of blood energy tearing through the air reached me from the direction of the Sacrifice Palace.

‘Is the 10th Apostle fighting too? Against whom…?’

Raon Zigheart?

It was Raon’s aura—as unforgettable as Glen Zigheart’s own.

‘Now I understand.’

Now I grasped why Glen was causing such havoc and why Raon was fighting the 10th Apostle at the Sacrifice Palace.
They hadn’t come to target me—they had come here to rescue Ogram.

“Then….”

The White Blood Cult Master’s lips curled upward in a long smile.

“I might be able to consume one more….”

*

*

*

The 10th Apostle gritted his teeth as he watched Raon unleash a relentless barrage of sword strikes without pause for breath.

‘All I need to do is buy time.’

He had sent a pulse of blood energy toward the castle where the White Blood Cult Master resided.
She would instantly grasp the situation and, rather than dealing with the rampaging Glen, would come here to take Raon and Ogram as hostages. He was certain of it.

Engaging Raon head-on risked drawing Glen’s attention, which would be dangerous. Conserving his strength and enduring was the best strategy.

‘But….’

This bastard has grown stronger.

When I first saw him, he wasn’t even a Master, yet somehow he’d climbed to Grand Master and unleashed sword strikes dangerous enough to threaten me.

Ching!

Raon Zigheart’s blade curved at an bizarre angle before dropping away.

Clang!

The 10th Apostle twisted his body and parried Raon Zigheart’s cascading strikes, biting his lip.

‘It’s not just his aura that’s grown stronger.’

The caliber of his swordsmanship has changed.

Raon Zigheart’s swordplay was as precise as clockwork, yet as unpredictable as a wild beast. The boy had returned impossibly transformed.

And with his mastery of Heavenly Sword techniques on top of that, defending against him was extraordinarily difficult.
It was hard to believe this was the same one who struggled against the 7th Apostle just years ago.

Exhale.

The 10th Apostle released a turbid breath and adjusted his grip on his spear.

‘But I won’t fall for your schemes.’

Right now, Raon Zigheart was using only flashy yet fierce swordplay to draw out Glen Zigheart.
I refused to be drawn into his trap, pulling forth only the minimum strength needed to focus entirely on defense.

“Tsk.”

Raon Zigheart clicked his tongue sharply and lowered his blade.

“As expected, you won’t break easily. But you won’t face me head-on either.”
“There’s no reason to.”

The 10th Apostle shook his head calmly.

“Five seconds left now.”
“What?”
“I have five seconds remaining of the time granted to me.”

Seeing Raon’s reaction, the 10th Apostle realized he understood that time was being stretched.

“It doesn’t matter. You cannot escape this place….”
“Perfect timing.”

Raon Zigheart exhaled sharply and gripped the Heavenly Sword with both hands.

“You won’t be able to evade this.”

Golden flames ignited across the blade’s crimson surface, tracing ten arcs of light.

The moment the chaotic lines of the sword strike converged into one, a brilliance so dazzling erupted that eyes could not bear to remain open.

Swift yet slow, powerful yet gentle—a martial concept that defied all logic pierced through space itself.

‘This is dangerous!’

Alarm bells rang in his mind.

Still crude and chaotic, yet its power transcended the bounds of comprehension.

‘Dodging means death!’

The 10th Apostle clenched his teeth and summoned every ounce of blood energy he possessed. In his desperate scramble to draw power, he could not unleash his full strength.

Crack, crack, crack, crack, crack!

The spear wavered as though it might shatter, but he gritted his teeth and held firm.

Yet Raon’s blade strike carried far more than the trajectory of martial arts.

Splurt!

The flow of Ogram’s fist technique pierced through the blood energy and twisted my bones and muscles.

“Arghhhhhh!”

The 10th Apostle shrieked in agony, bursting through the wall in a shower of golden light before being hurled outside.

Crash!

*

*

*

“Cough….”

Raon spat black blood while clutching his chest.

‘I pushed too hard after all.’

I had attempted to unfold a new Sword Realm based on the enlightenment gained from my Mental World, but it seemed premature for now.
The internal injuries I sustained were far more severe than those inflicted upon the 10th Apostle.

Yet the destructive power was undeniable. The 10th Apostle remained motionless, still reeling from the impact.

‘This will definitely become a weapon.’

Having tested the incomplete Sword Realm against a master of the 10th Apostle’s caliber, today’s experience would prove invaluable in my final confrontation with the Demon King.

‘No, this isn’t the time to think about that.’

I had to leave now.

Raon suppressed the sharp pain rising in his chest and abdomen, then hoisted Ogram onto his back.
Though the man was large, his body had gone limp, making him easier to carry.

“You… bastard….”

The 10th Apostle’s face twisted into a grotesque mask of fury. Before he could rise, I escaped the Sacrifice Palace.

Screeeech!

I immediately sent the Gwangpung Corps’ signal confirming that Ogram had been rescued. Since Rimer understood the message, Glen and the others would return through the Blood Spirit Passage they had used to enter this place.

‘Now I just need to run…’

I was about to turn my head with a smile, having accomplished all my objectives.

Rumble, rumble, rumble!

A terrifying aura approached from my right, where nothing had existed moments before.
It felt as though a celestial dragon soaring through the heavens was charging toward me.

‘The White Blood Cult Master!’

Having faced her twice before, I could not mistake her. The White Blood Cult Master’s endless blood energy surged toward me.

‘I miscalculated.’

I had assumed she would remain blocking Glen, yet she had moved here instead—her tactical mind was indeed sharp. The joy of overwhelming the 10th Apostle evaporated in an instant.

‘I cannot hide.’

The White Blood Cult Master had locked onto me completely. Concealment would be meaningless.

Boom!

I shattered the ground beneath me, executing the Heavenly Steps at maximum velocity. Even employing the fastest footwork technique, the distance between myself and the White Blood Cult Master closed relentlessly. I would be caught within ten seconds.

Whoooosh!

A harsh wind sound erupted from behind. The White Blood Cult Master had already closed the distance enough to enter my field of vision. My heart pounded as though it would burst from my chest.

“It has been far too long, Raon Zigheart!”

Delight resonated in the White Blood Cult Master’s voice. Her eyes gleamed with desire—not content with taking Ogram as a hostage, she intended to capture me as well.

“From the moment I first laid eyes upon you, I desired to make you mine.”

The White Blood Cult Master reached toward Raon’s back.

“Now you belong to me.”
“No.”

Raon didn’t even glance at the White Blood Cult Master. Instead, he looked ahead, curled his lips slightly, and turned around while shaking his head.

“I am Zigheart.”
“No matter what you do, it’s already too late….”

Just as the White Blood Cult Master began to smile wickedly and reached for the hem of Raon’s robe—

CRASH!

A colossal bolt of lightning descended, driving back the White Blood Cult Master’s hand.

“Ugh!”

The White Blood Cult Master stumbled backward urgently, staring at the towering wall of lightning before her.

Crackle!

From behind the lightning, which revealed an eerie crimson glow, an old swordmaster with golden hair and red eyes emerged. Glen Zigheart. The finest swordmaster on the Continent walked with composed steps through this space filled with blood energy as though it were his own domain.

“Who do you think you are to claim him as yours?”

His crimson gaze pierced the White Blood Cult Master’s trembling eyes.

“Do you wish to die?”

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