Chapter 1 - Thunder Night !

In the midst of a thunderous night, rain poured down in torrents, drenching the land as ten Heavenly Mystic Guards escorted Yoon Haneul through the storm. She was running for her life, carrying within her a child who was soon to be born. Nine months of pregnancy had led her to this moment, a desperate escape from the Heavenly Demon Cult.

____

Lightning split the sky, illuminating the dense forest path ahead. The roar of the thunder masked the heavy footfalls of the pursuers—the Red Blood Squad. Their crimson robes clung to their bodies, drenched in the rain, but their glowing eyes burned through the darkness like vengeful spirits. Armed with blood-soaked blades and insatiable bloodlust, they pursued her without hesitation, driven by the cult's decree: Kill the traitor. Kill the child, Yoon Haneul, their former Seventh Palace Master, eliminate her and the unborn child she carried because of the cult kill order.

________

The first clash came swiftly.

The Heavenly Mystic Guards turned, drawing their weapons with their Qi flaring in defiance. Lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the battlefield as the first clash erupted. Within that bloody raining Their leader, an elderly swordsman with silver hair, let out a battle cry as his blade met the curved sword of a Red Blood Squad assassin. Sparks flew in the stormy darkness. The forest was soon filled with the sounds of clashing metal and desperate grunts.

______

One of the guards, a burly man wielding a halberd, cleaved through an enemy, but before he could withdraw his weapon, another assassin pierced his chest with a dagger. Another One of the Mystic Guards, a veteran with a scarred face, parried an incoming strike and drove his sword into the chest of a Red Blood assassin. But before he could withdraw his blade, another enemy's dagger slashed across his throat, silencing him forever.

Blood sprayed into the air, they lost within the split of seconds. A woman among the guards—nimble and fierce—twirled through the battlefield, severing tendons with precise cuts, but even she was eventually overwhelmed, three blades small pieces sinking into her back.

Yoon Haneul turned just in time to see her protectors fall one by one. The rain mixed with the blood pooling beneath their lifeless bodies. however at that time A sudden explosion of energy sent bodies flying.

He had arrived.

The strongest warrior mystic guard leader, her brother—Yoon Hwan.

As he watched the red blood squad he whispered through Qi voice transmission to his sister.

"Run, sister!"

And also he sends commands to mystic guards.

"Protect her at any cost!"

As she ran away forward yoon hwan and mystic guards protecting her yoon hwan stood between his sister and the red blood squad assassins.

The battlefield fell silent. The remaining Red Blood assassins halted and remaining started go in the direction of yoon haneul, their predatory grins faltering. The air around Yoon Hwan crackled with restrained power, his sword held loosely at his side. His black robes fluttered in the storm's wind, his silver eyes gleaming with an eerie, unshaken calm.

One of the assassins stepped forward, gripping his twin daggers. "Seventh Palace Master's brother, the famed Yoon Hwan." He tilted his head mockingly. "You could have lived in glory, yet you choose death alongside this traitor?"

Yoon Hwan slowly raised his sword, the rain washing the blood from its steel. His voice was eerily calm. "Glory? You mistake servitude for honor. You hunt a woman carrying a child. And you call yourselves warriors?"

Another assassin chuckled, spinning his curved saber. "Sentiment will be your undoing, Yoon Hwan. Do you think you alone can stop us?"

Yoon Hwan finally moved. "I know however my sword can."

He vanished.

A gust of wind followed his disappearance. Then, a wet squelch.

The scarred assassin's smirk froze as his head tilted unnaturally. He looked down to see Yoon Hwan's hand plunged into his chest, fingers wrapped around his still-beating heart. Blood dripped between Yoon Hwan's fingers as he tightened his grip.

"What…?" The man gasped, eyes bulging in disbelief.

Yoon Hwan's gaze remained emotionless. "A warrior who preys on the weak doesn't deserve a warrior's death."

He ripped the heart free. The assassin's body collapsed lifelessly into the mud.

Silence.

The Red Blood Squad tensed. Their arrogance shattered, replaced by a wary, almost fearful stillness.

The one with the curved saber snarled. "Kill him. Now!"

They charged.

Yoon Hwan was already moving.

His sword became a storm itself, a ghostly silver arc cutting through the night. He stepped forward, the force of his movement sending a burst of wind outward.

The first assassin lunged—only to stop mid-air, his body splitting into two before he even realized what had happened. His upper torso crashed into the mud, while his legs took two more steps before collapsing.

Another one tried to stab from behind. Without looking, Yoon Hwan twisted his blade backward, impaling the attacker through the mouth. He yanked the sword free, dragging bone fragments and flesh along with it.

Lightning struck.

A Red Blood assassin tried to flee. Yoon Hwan flung his sword. It spun through the air like a reaper's scythe, severing the man's head cleanly before embedding itself into a tree.

Only three remained.

The Red Blood Squad leader gripped his weapon tightly, baring his teeth. "You're strong. But strength alone won't save your sister."

Yoon Hwan exhaled slowly, then moved forward.

The leader swung his blade with precision, aiming for Yoon Hwan's neck. Yoon Hwan dodged by mere inches, his fingers flicking forward—just a flicker of motion—yet the assassin's arm suddenly exploded at the elbow, bone and muscle tearing apart.

The leader howled in agony.

Yoon Hwan grabbed his throat, lifting him effortlessly. His voice was barely above a whisper. "You will not live to see her die."

With a single motion, he crushed the man's windpipe. The assassin's body convulsed before collapsing lifelessly at his feet.

The final two assassins, paralyzed with terror, turned to flee.

They never made it.

Yoon Hwan flicked his fingers. Thin, invisible sword Qi shot forward. A moment later, their heads slid off their shoulders, rolling into the mud. Their bodies remained standing for a second, then collapsed like puppets with severed strings.

The rain continued to fall, washing away the blood.

Yoon Hwan turned toward the forest, toward the fading traces of his sister's presence.

"Haneul… I'm coming."

_______

Yoon Haneul clutched her swollen belly, forcing herself to move as her protectors fell around her. The ground became slick with mud and blood, making each step treacherous. The pain in her abdomen sharpened, forcing her to bite her lip to keep from crying out.

Tears streamed down Yoon Haneul's face as she forced herself to move forward, the rain masking her grief. The droplets mixed with her tears, soaking her trembling form as she hid behind the tall grass. Her heart pounded in terror—not for herself, but for her child. The Red Blood Squad members prowled closer, their deadly intent palpable in the air. It was then that the pain came. Her body tensed as the first contractions hit her, a cruel twist of fate at the worst possible moment. She clenched her hand over her mouth, stifling her cries.

The squad searched, but the heavy rain obscured their sight, and they moved away in another direction. A brief silence settled, interrupted only by the rhythmic pattern of raindrops against the leaves. Yoon Haneul exhaled shakily, her respite short-lived. She found a hollowed-out tree near a rocky ledge, just large enough to conceal herself. With agonizing effort, she crawled inside, shielding herself from the rain. Her breaths came in ragged gasps as another wave of pain tore through her.

Her fingers dug into the damp earth as she bore down, silent screams locked behind her lips. Time stretched endlessly. The storm raged on, but within the hollowed tree, only the sound of her strained breathing remained. Finally, a weak cry broke through the night.

A tiny, fragile baby boy.

Tears of relief and exhaustion rolled down her face as she held him close. But then, the rustling of leaves. Footsteps. The Red Blood Squad was near.

She wrapped her child in a torn piece of her robe, pressing him tightly against her chest. Her body trembled as she peeked through the gaps in the tree. Shadows moved between the trees, searching. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears as she struggled to suppress her ragged breaths.

A member of the Red Blood Squad heard the sound and signaled the others. They turned, racing toward the source. Yoon Haneul, drenched and exhausted, cradled her child tightly. But her time had run out. A sharp whistle cut through the airas she started to run towards the cliff—an arrow, swift and merciless, struck her in the back. Agony tore through her as she coughed up blood, her grip on her child loosening.

Another arrow came, lodging beside the first. Through sheer instinct, she flinched, and in that instant, her hands faltered. The baby slipped from her grasp. Horror consumed her as she watched him tumble off the cliff, disappearing into the raging river below.

Without hesitation, without a second thought, Yoon Haneul leapt. The cold water engulfed her, numbing her pain as she fought against the current. She reached for the child, grasping him just before he could sink further. Holding him close, she surfaced, gasping for air, and swam desperately toward the riverbank.

But something was wrong.

The baby lay limp in her arms, his tiny chest unmoving. Panic gripped Yoon Haneul as she shook him gently, whispering frantic pleas. "Please, please wake up..."

Silence.

Tears blurred her vision as she sobbed, cradling him against her blood-stained robes. Desperation turned to fury, to sorrow, to bitter anguish. She screamed at the heavens, cursing fate, cursing the Heavenly Demon Cult, cursing everything that had led to this moment.

And then, from the darkness, a presence emerged.

A deafening hum filled the air, shaking the very fabric of reality. A towering figure descended from the heavens, clad in celestial radiance. His form was both ethereal and overwhelming, his eyes two blazing suns that pierced through the storm. A flowing mantle of astral energy billowed behind him, and upon his brow rested a golden halo, inscribed with sacred runes that pulsed with divine power.

A luminous figure, otherworldly and vast, stood before her. The Heavenly Spirit God.

Yoon Haneul's breath caught in her throat. The sheer pressure of his presence weighed down upon her, making her feel as insignificant as a grain of sand before an endless ocean. Fear and awe intertwined as she forced herself to look up at him.

The divine being gazed at the lifeless child in her arms. His voice resonated like the echo of creation itself. "Mortal, why do you wail?"

Yoon Haneul, blinded by grief, fell to her knees. "Please! Save him! I will do anything!"

A long silence stretched between them before the entity finally spoke. "There is one way."

Yoon Haneul's breath hitched. "Tell me! I'll do whatever it takes!"

"The Heavenly Qi Burning Ritual."

The words sent a chill down her spine. She had read of this ritual in the forbidden texts of the Heavenly Mystic Library. A forbidden art, a means of resurrection—but at a devastating cost.

Yet she did not hesitate.

With trembling hands, she used her own blood to carve the ritual circle into the muddy earth. Runes of power, ancient and binding, glowed faintly as she infused them with her very essence. Her vision blurred as she worked, exhaustion and pain draining her strength, but her resolve did not waver. When the circle was complete, she kneeled within it, clutching her child.

The Heavenly Spirit God observed her with an unreadable gaze. "You understand what this will cost you?"

Yoon Haneul nodded, determination burning in her eyes. "My life is nothing compared to his."

The divine entity extended a translucent hand. "Then proceed."

Blood Qi surged from her body, flowing into the child. The air crackled with power as the ritual ignited, burning away her life force to breathe new energy into her son. Her heartbeat faltered. The ritual took its toll.

A moment later, the child gasped, his first breath renewed. His cries filled the air once more.

The Heavenly Spirit God extended his hand, and from the void, five radiant spirit stones emerged, each pulsing with divine energy. They descended upon Hanwool, embedding themselves within his soul. The deity's voice thundered, shaking the heavens. "These are the Spirit Blessings. May he walk the path of destiny unshackled, beyond mortal fate."

Yoon Haneul smiled through her tears. But her body had reached its limit. Her vision darkened, her heartbeat slowed, and she collapsed beside her son.

Just then, her brother arrived. His wounded body trembled as he beheld the ritual's aftermath. Horror gripped him as he saw the fading light in his sister's eyes.

"Why?" he choked out, kneeling beside her.

Blood stained her lips as she forced out her final words. "Because... it was necessary. To save my child."

Her brother sobbed, shaking his head. "You should have let me—"

"No." Her voice was firm, though weak. "Take him. Away from here. Promise me... he will never return. Promise me... you will protect him."

Tears streamed down his face as he clutched her hand. "I promise. I swear it."

A weak smile graced Yoon Haneul's lips. She pulled the child close for one final embrace, whispering his name as she gazed into his bright, star-like eyes.

"Hanwool..."

And with that, she was gone.

Her brother wept, holding his nephew close, vowing to fulfill her dying wish. The storm raged on, washing away the blood, but not the memory of the sacrifice that had been made that night.