As Lee Cheonsang entered the Demon Judgment Pavilion, the surroundings transformed into the edge of a desolate cliff.
Gloomy weather. Though it wasn’t raining, the sun wasn’t shining either. The sky, filled with dark clouds, was moving at quite a rapid pace.
Lee Cheonsang’s eyes suddenly gleamed as he sipped Fen Wine in the desolate pavilion.
Flash! Rumble!
Blue lightning struck throughout the dark clouds.
Click.
Setting down his cup, he looked up at the sky.
How would this incomparably fierce sky appear in the eyes of the Divine Cult’s absolute authority?
“Jackal[1]?”
Lee Cheonsang wasn’t looking at the sky.
Beyond the sky, through this maddeningly real illusion, he traced the sky of the Solitary Bamboo Forest, one of the Divine Cult’s Three Great Secret Domains[2].
Deep interest crossed Lee Cheonsang’s face.
“Has the Solitary Bamboo Forest Master[3] abandoned the Spiritual Ground[4]?”
The times Jackal had emerged beyond the Spiritual Ground could be counted on one hand in the Divine Cult’s history.
Originally, Jackal was an existence that should never come out. The Forest needed Jackal’s spiritual energy modulation to maintain itself.
Conversely, despite Jackal having emerged those few times, the Solitary Bamboo Forest has maintained its lineage until now. Therefore, while unexpected, it wasn’t a major concern.
What was curious was this.
Why?
Lee Cheonsang closed his eyes.
Shortly after.
I can’t understand the reason.
Among the Three Great Secret Domains, only the Demon Judgment Pavilion lay under his will.
The same was true for past Cult Leaders. Without reaching the realm worthy of being called Heavenly Demon, they couldn’t even peek at the Solitary Bamboo Forest’s situation.
Of course, even reaching such a realm, knowing what happens in such a distant area would be nonsense.
The reason he, and past Heavenly Demons, could peek at the other two Secret Domains beyond the Demon Judgment Pavilion.
Thump thump.
Lee Cheonsang placed his hand on his chest.
The Dark Formation Diagram[5] engraved on his powerfully beating heart changed the Demon Judgment Pavilion’s formation at will.
Mysterious no matter how many times I see it.
The formations spread across the Demon Judgment Pavilion and the other Secret Domain were fakes created based on the formation formed by the Solitary Bamboo Forest. Thus, he could only peek through gaps, unable to see everything in detail.
He gripped the wine bottle again while keeping his hand on his chest to listen to his heartbeat.
Gurgle.
The cup slowly filling.
Lee Cheonsang’s face returned to indifference.
“The Third, is it?”
The Third.
His passionate disciple, officially the Third, unofficially the fourth he had gained.
Thought he was getting a dragon, but turned out to be a common snake more degraded than a viper, stained by murky power.
However, after miraculously surviving demonic qi deviation, his eyes changed.
More precisely…
He seems to have become a different person.
The same disciple, yet not the same disciple.
Rumors or testimony aren’t needed to understand people. Just look into their eyes, that’s all.
It was good to call him to the Demon Judgment Pavilion.
There was one reason he called the Third to the Demon Judgment Pavilion. He hoped his own eyes were wrong.
The Third in his youth reminded him of his own past.
He resembled Lee Cheonsang’s younger self too closely. His behavior, thoughts, desires, way of solving problems – everything was amazingly similar.
That was also why he was particularly disappointed in the Third’s degradation. The degradation of the disciple most like himself suggested it could be one of his many possible futures. He couldn’t accept that.
So he hoped. Hoped his eyes were wrong.
And the Third brilliantly granted his modest wish.
More precisely, half-granted it. He was neither the disappointing disciple he had seen, nor the past disciple who resembled himself.
Death…
Lee Cheonsang emptied his cup.
Did he visit the afterlife?
Though he showed somewhat servile behavior and spoke surprisingly affectionate words, this was ultimately his essence.
Death (死).
Deep in his heart, he concealed explosive killing intent that seemed capable of killing anyone in the world if he wished.
Eight months had passed since sending such a disciple to the Solitary Bamboo Forest.
The disciple was still alive and hadn’t even learned the demonic arts he had transmitted.
Moreover, even Jackal left the Spiritual Ground. The timing was too perfect to be coincidence.
Did Jackal see something in the Third?
Gurgle.
The cup filling once again.
Unbelievably, a deep smile spread across Lee Cheonsang’s face as he looked down at that wine cup.
A smile of pure joy. Yet within that smile lurked thick blood, thorough destruction, and unfathomable death.
“I hope this is a good omen.”
Jackal.
Unlike the demonic beasts that someone ancient who created the Solitary Bamboo Forest manifested from their imagination into reality, Jackal was a true spiritual beast that repeatedly died and revived itself.
When shedding its old body and returning to a cub, it absorbs all surrounding life energy. Because of this, it gained the stigma of being counted among the world’s top monsters.
But there was another real reason Jackal was pointed at as a monster.
When Jackal appears, war breaks out in the nation.
The legend that it brings the curse of life absorption and causes war was why Jackal was treated as the world’s worst calamity.
“…I wonder what will happen to our cult.”
***
“Hah! Haah!”
Having reached within sight of the Solitary Bamboo Forest’s entrance, Ma Dong-pil exhaled roughly while looking back.
“Young Master!”
Slash!
Thick blood painted the air.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Seo Ryang’s swordwork as he cut down all the flying Siren Birds while rushing forward was truly artistic.
Crack!
With one kick he shattered bamboo, then caught the falling tree with his hand.
Crack!
With grip strength alone, the thick bamboo split into dozens of pieces.
Seo Ryang took a big step.
Boom!
With a spirited stomp, the bamboo pieces soared skyward.
Whoosh!
Not a single piece among those many bamboo fragments missed as they pierced through the Siren Birds’ bodies.
Ma Dong-pil’s eyes widened to the point of splitting as he witnessed the Siren Birds falling to the ground with screams.
Amazing hidden weapon technique!
It was like watching Plucking Leaves Flying Flowers[6], the pinnacle of hidden weapon techniques. Even seeing it, he couldn’t believe how every single bamboo piece hit its target without waste.
That wasn’t all.
“Damn it!”
Crack!
A bamboo demon’s head exploded.
It was Whirlwind Leg[7], spinning in mid-air to strike like a whip. Though even somewhat trained commoners could use this leg technique, the timing was perfect and the power overwhelming.
Seo Ryang took out paper containing tea leaves from his chest and tore the end.
Whoosh!
The tea leaves flew left like hidden weapons.
Their heavy fragrance stimulated the bamboo demons’ sense of smell.
As the bamboo demons hesitated in confusion.
Behind them, the Lù Shǔ and Ape Beast horde charged in.
Crack!
Over ten bamboo demons’ bodies burst apart, unable to withstand the Lù Shǔ’s kicks and the Ape Beasts’ mass.
Seo Ryang cursed.
“You bastards! Have you lost your sense of smell?!”
Bang!
He tried to block their movement by throwing bamboo demon corpses at the Lù Shǔ, but it burst them apart with amazing front kicks.
Seo Ryang was dumbfounded watching the Lù Shǔ casually commit acts even the legendary Heavenly Horse couldn’t attempt.
“You cruel bastard! How are you spiritual beasts?!”
Ah right, they’re called demonic beasts.
“You know what? I’ve bitten, torn, tasted, and enjoyed each one of you bastards!”
Whoosh!
Suddenly the Maeng-guk charged through between the Lù Shǔs. Its fangs reaching down to its chin and sharp claws looked strong enough to tear through steel plates.
Seo Ryang’s eyes shook.
This one seems inedible.
Clang!
“Kuk!”
One front paw strike sent him flying back three jang.
All his joints seemed to creak. His thigh muscles throbbed as if tearing and his vision shook slightly. Blood seeped through his torn armor.
Seo Ryang was incredulous.
Why is it so strong?
If he hadn’t instinctively blocked with his blade, this strike would have torn his upper body away.
Yet the Maeng-guk’s front paw, cut by his blade, only bled slightly. Even in that instant, it was a blade imbued with demonic qi, yet that small wound was all it received.
“You oversized cat bastard!”
Whoosh!
Shock appeared on Ma Dong-pil’s face.
When he should be creating distance, the Young Master leaped into the Maeng-guk’s embrace. He had been admiring the seemingly tireless stamina when this sudden situation startled him.
“Young Master!”
Slash!
Seo Ryang’s back was stained with blood where the Maeng-guk’s claws had grazed.
Sparks flew from Seo Ryang’s eyes. The bone wasn’t injured – that was enough.
Got it!
Bang!
With a stomp, his left hand struck the Maeng-guk’s chest.
Boom!
The Maeng-guk flew back and collapsed, colliding with a Lù Shǔ.
It was a strength martial art. The sight of the enormous leopard, seemingly weighing four hundred jin, flying through the air and collapsing was truly spectacular.
But Seo Ryang’s expression actually soured.
“That, that crazy bastard!”
Growl!
The Maeng-guk rose, tearing through the Lù Shǔ’s body as if it were nothing.
Blood streaming from its nose and mouth, it looked truly savage. The fierce killing intent in its eyes reminded one of an only daughter’s hatred looking at her father’s murderer.
Seo Ryang bit his lip.
It took Mountain Explosive Force[8] and is still fine?
Mountain Explosive Force was a supreme hand technique that maximized the mysteries of hidden force, a type of internal heavy hand technique.
Unless at the realm of protecting internal organs with true qi, it was an instant death technique that killed with one hit.
Even demonic beasts shouldn’t have the ability to protect their organs. Earlier, even the Lù Shǔ he had butchered departed for the yellow springs when its heart meridians burst from one Mountain Explosive Force.
Suddenly, Seo Ryang realized the reason.
Damn it, it’s because of the spiritual bamboo.
He hadn’t yet converted the spiritual energy from the hastily consumed spiritual bamboo into demonic qi. The unconverted pure spiritual energy was lowering the emission power and diluting the concentration of his demonic qi.
I can’t do anything about it right now. Need to find another way.
The blade doesn’t work and internal heavy hand techniques don’t work. Obviously, a flick to the forehead won’t knock it out.
Then?
“Ahhh! This is fucking cheating!”
Boom!
Seo Ryang ran toward Ma Dong-pil.
“Dong-pil! Run!”
“Y-yes!”
Ma Dong-pil ran flat out. Having caught his breath in that brief moment, he employed movement techniques brimming with power.
Rumble!
The earth shook.
Led by the Maeng-guk, the remaining Lù Shǔ and dozens of Ape Beasts charged forth. In the distant sky, more Siren Birds flew in.
“Huff huff!”
Seo Ryang’s breathing also grew increasingly rough.
He had unleashed explosive killing techniques while spewing every curse imaginable. Though greatly trained thanks to spiritual energy, this wasn’t something manageable with just eight months of training.
The fact that such a body could now run alongside Ma Dong-pil showed his stamina and movement techniques were worthy of being called the era’s finest.
Seo Ryang’s eyes gleamed.
“Almost there!”
The Solitary Bamboo Forest’s entrance.
A region where spiritual energy concentration noticeably weakens. Just one chi away from the bamboo forest and they wouldn’t be able to maintain their power.
Just then.
Whoosh!
Seo Ryang’s eyes shook.
The bamboo to the left and right near the entrance had withered and twisted. The bamboo, rotted from having their moisture completely sucked out, swayed precariously as if about to break at any moment.
Damn it!
He placed his hand on Ma Dong-pil’s back.
Confusion crossed Ma Dong-pil’s eyes.
Young Master?
Seo Ryang took a short breath.
“Hup!”
Bang!
Ma Dong-pil’s speed doubled. Having no internal energy left to release fist wind, he directly threw him instead.
Ma Dong-pil passed through the entrance in an instant.
Simultaneously, five or six snakes leaped at Seo Ryang from both sides.
Whoosh!
Though their movement speed was slow, their hunting speed was three times faster than the Maeng-guk’s sprint.
“Young Master!”
“It’s all or nothing!!”
In that critical moment when the Flying Rats’ fangs seemed about to sink into Seo Ryang’s body.
Whoosh!
Seo Ryang’s body spun, creating a blood-red whirlwind.