Chapter 357 |
Chapter 357
Arhat
'How much further will he grow? I am genuinely curious.'
These martial arts were permitted only to the Heavenly Demon: the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, the Heavenly Demon Dominion Step, and even the Heavenly Demon Sword, the sacred weapon of the Heavenly Demon Cult. If he were to obtain these, it would be the birth of an entity truly deserving of the title "Heavenly Demon."
With that thought, the Sword Demon lifted his head and directed a question towards Ou-yang Pae.
"Heavenly Demon! Is the challenge permitted only to the Young Masters?"
Understanding the Sword Demon's intention, Ou-yang Pae nodded and replied.
"I've always wanted to cross swords with the head of the Sword Clan. Come anytime you wish."
The Sword Demon, moved by Ou-yang Pae's response, bowed his head and said,
After finishing his conversation with the Sword Demon, Ou-yang Pae turned his head.
He had sensed someone approaching from a distance.
As he anticipated, some of the Orthodox Sect martial artists, who had been observing the battle from afar, were now approaching.
Clang!
As the Orthodox Sect martial artists drew near, the demon cultists rose to their feet, once again drawing their weapons.
To calm them, Ou-yang Pae raised his hand, stopping them, and then looked at the approaching figures.
Perhaps sensing Ou-yang Pae's gaze, one of the approaching figures stepped forward and cupped his hands in a salute.
"Congratulations on the birth of the new master of the Heavenly Demon Cult. I am Han-yu of the Jeongmumaeng."
Han-yu bowed his head as he spoke in an extremely respectful tone.
Although he did not prostrate himself as the demon cultists did, it was exceedingly rare for an Orthodox Sect martial artist to show this level of respect to a demon cultist.
Most Orthodox Sect martial artists were too proud to do such a thing, but Han-yu did not seem to mind.
Jegal Muhwan, knowing that Han-yu was the type of man who could set aside his pride for his mission, had sent him for this task.
"Very well. What business brings a Jeongmumaeng envoy to us? From what I've seen, you've been observing us this whole time, so it seems there's something important."
At Ou-yang Pae's words, most of the demon cultists around him suddenly seemed to realize something.
Those Orthodox Sect martial artists had been waiting from a distance even before Ou-yang Pae appeared.
Meanwhile, what had occurred among them could have been described as a civil war of sorts.
Although it was quickly subdued, if they had intervened, the damage would have been significant.
The demon cultists, who had always thought of the so-called Orthodox Sect members as despicable, found it strange that they had just been watching their internal conflict.
Whether he was aware of the demon cultists' thoughts or not, Han-yu began to speak calmly.
"First, I apologize for the sudden approach. The reason we have come is because it seems that the Heavenly Demon Cult also has a grudge against the organization known as 'Shinchun,' so we came to share information."
"Are you offering important information about Shinchun?"
"Indeed."
At Han-yu's reply, Ou-yang Pae nodded and asked,
"Speak."
"Our Jeongmumaeng currently knows the whereabouts of Shinchun's leader, Cheon-ju, as well as the main forces of Shinchun."
"Hmm."
Ou-yang Pae furrowed his brows slightly, as if skeptical, and said,
"So, you want us to fight Shinchun's main forces? It seems you're aiming to benefit from our efforts, like a fisherman gaining from a fight between a crane and a clam."
As soon as Ou-yang Pae finished speaking, a fierce aura emanated from the demon cultists.
Their numbers were significant, and many were highly skilled; the sheer intensity of their aura was enough to make ordinary people feel suffocated.
Although Han-yu was a renowned martial artist in his region, he was still from a minor sect.
He couldn't stand against the collective aura of the demon cultists, nor could he face individuals like the Sword Demon or Geum Yang-hwi on his own.
However, as his mind began to fade, Han-yu bit down on his own tongue to regain his focus.
Crunch.
As a thin trickle of blood seeped from between his lips, Han-yu forced a smile onto his pale face and responded.
"The Heavenly Demon Cult could be the ones to gain the most from this, as the Jeongmumaeng has already surrounded them."
"How can we trust the words of these deceitful Central Plains scum?"
With the power of Hwan-ma's internal energy infused in his shout, Han-yu's face turned even paler.
"Enough."
But when Ou-yang Pae spoke with a voice imbued with internal energy, Hwan-ma's oppressive aura instantly dissipated.
"To stand before our Sacred Cult with such meager skills is not courage but recklessness."
Given a brief moment to breathe thanks to Ou-yang Pae, Han-yu responded with a regretful expression.
"Most of our sect's masters have already moved to surround Shinchun's main forces. I had no choice but to step forward. I ask for your understanding."
Han-yu had just revealed something akin to a military secret.
Of course, it was something he had previously cleared with Jegal Muhwan.
"While your lack of skill is unsatisfactory, I acknowledge your courage for the sake of your sect."
With those words, Ou-yang Pae fell into brief contemplation.
He pondered whether to believe Han-yu's words.
However, that contemplation did not last long.
Instead, he asked for the necessary details to resolve his doubt.
"Is Kwon Je also with them?"
Han-yu, whose face had yet to regain color, answered with a proud expression.
"He is at the front line, facing Cheon-ju."
With Han-yu's reply, Ou-yang Pae nodded as if there was no longer any reason for doubt.
"Lead us there."
Kwon Je Mu-jin, despite being a Shaolin monk, was known for his extensive knowledge of the demon cult.
But there was one thing certain: he was not the kind of man who would resort to trickery to lead him into a trap.
A low hill located about a hundred li from Jeongmumaeng's base in Shaanxi Province.
On that hill, usually devoid of much human activity, a significant number of people had positioned themselves, hiding among the bushes.
In the center of the group, gathered like a military formation, stood a man in a black robe, hands clasped behind his back.
"Is there still no news?"
Cheon-ju asked, and the man standing behind him, In-ju, responded.
"…None yet."
"Strange."
They were currently waiting here to strike at Jeongmumaeng.
The plan was to attack after the Heavenly Demon Cult had engaged Jeongmumaeng and both sides had exhausted their forces.
To perform the final blow, they had chosen this location, which was relatively close and offered good concealment.
Naturally, scouts had been sent near Jeongmumaeng to time the attack precisely.
But now, the time for the war between the Heavenly Demon Cult and Jeongmumaeng should have long since begun, yet there had been no news of the battle.
"It seems there may be a problem with the Second Young Master's side."
"…Should we consider retreating?"
In-ju suggested, but Ji-ju, who was standing nearby, opposed the idea.
"If there's an issue with the Second Young Master, we could lose the opportunity to eliminate the Heavenly Demon Cult's forces. Instead, we should move to support him."
"The Second Young Master has not yet fully secured his position within the Heavenly Demon Cult. If we help now, it might weaken his standing. It would be wiser to trust the Second Young Master and retreat."
After listening to their opinions and contemplating briefly, Cheon-ju spoke.
"Head towards Jeongmumaeng. The only reason we involved the Heavenly Demon Cult was to minimize our own losses."
Although Cheon-ju's decision differed from both of their suggestions, Ji-ju and In-ju immediately knelt without hesitation, showing their obedience.
"As you command!"
The two men then issued orders to their subordinates to carry out Cheon-ju's commands.
As their orders were relayed down the ranks, the martial artists positioned around the area began to form ranks and move out.
But just as Shinchun's forces were about to leave the hill,
"Who goes there!!"
Suddenly, several men emerged from the bushes in groups, and before long, over a hundred men blocked their path.
It was a scene reminiscent of an egg trying to break a rock.
Shinchun had swallowed up nearly half of the Central Plains, using hostages and poison to bring countless martial artists under its control.
While not all of them were here, most of Shinchun's skilled masters had been mobilized, along with Shinchun's own forces.
Yet, here they were, a little over a hundred men standing against Shinchun's forces numbering in the thousands.
Among those who displayed such reckless bravery, one man stepped forward from the center.
He casually cracked his knuckles like a common thug and spoke up.
"Ever heard the saying? 'You can come in freely, but leaving is another matter.'"
At the man's seemingly nonsensical remark, everyone looked bewildered.
But when someone recognized the man's face, they shouted in surprise.
"Kwon Je!!"
To think that Kwon Je, who had been silent throughout the war, would suddenly appear here.
And with only about a hundred men by his side.
While most of them reacted with disbelief, the man who stepped forward smiled slyly and replied.
"Looks like I've become famous? Recognizing me just by my face."
As someone had shouted, the man blocking their path was indeed Mu-jin.
Jegal Muhwan had deduced Shinchun's intentions through the movements of the demon cult's forces and had accurately identified that Shinchun's forces were gathering at this hill.
Of course, facing Shinchun's main forces, numbering in the thousands and including Cheon-ju, with just over a hundred men was sheer madness.
"Sorry, but you won't be able to take a single step out of here."
As soon as Mu-jin finished his declaration, one by one, the martial artists of Jeongmumaeng began to emerge from all directions.
At that moment, a deep voice infused with profound internal energy echoed, suppressing the battlefield.
"Perhaps this is for the best."
Simultaneously, a heavy presence and aura spread from the source of the voice.
The gazes of those on the battlefield naturally turned toward the source, where a man clad in a striking black dragon robe stood tall.
"There's no need to go to Jeongmumaeng. If we just kill the ones who came here, that should be enough."
His words, spoken as casually as if he were discussing an everyday task like drinking water, carried no emotion. But combined with the aura emanating from his body, a crushing pressure weighed down on the entire area.
And Cheon-ju, as if the obstacles in his path were nothing more than slaves, began to walk forward, stepping on the air as he advanced.
It was a display of air walking, a technique mastered to the highest level.
As he moved through the air, he looked down and spoke.
His gaze was fixed on Mu-jin.
"How fortunate that the one I most wanted to meet has come to me. Indeed, this is a good turn of events."
For years, Shinchun's plans, which had seemed so smooth, had begun to unravel.
And in most of the events that had disrupted his plans, that man Mu-jin had played a role.
As Cheon-ju finished speaking, he halted his air walking and began a free fall from the sky.
However, he wasn't plummeting to the ground defenselessly. By the time he was descending, both his hands were already shimmering with a violet energy.
It was as if a god in the heavens was delivering divine retribution upon the lowly mortals below. The energy in his hands scattered like divine punishment toward Mu-jin and those around him.
'Hoo…'
As the massive wave of energy poured down from the sky, Mu-jin steadied his breathing and focused his mind.
'If I falter for even a moment, everything will be lost.'
As he cleared his mind of distractions, a powerful golden aura erupted from Mu-jin's body.
With the appearance of wearing golden armor, Mu-jin charged toward the violet energy wave. More precisely, he aimed at Cheon-ju, who was descending behind the wave.