At the same time.

Jin Cheonhee and Zhuge Rin weren’t the only ones observing this battle from afar.

There was one more being watching this battle.

“White Dragon Zhuge Rin… Indeed, he doesn’t get involved in that chaos. Well, whether as the Blood Scaled Crazed Killer or White Dragon Zhuge Rin, his insolence remains the same. Kekeke… I knew it wouldn’t be easy… but this makes it boring. I should peel off that pale skin of yours with my own hands…”

Drrrk-

One eyeball twisted into a strange form.

That eyeball was too alien in shape to be called human.

The whites were red like blood, and the pupils were torn horizontally like a sheep’s.

Three horns of different sizes grew wildly on his head, and scales sprouted slightly on his skin.

An appearance that anyone would recognize as non-human.

However, looking closely, traces of his former human appearance remained like vestigial organs amid that bizarre appearance.

Heavenly Commander Dong.

An absolute master who had used the Mysterious Howling Wind Divine Arts and rampaged in the Martial Righteous Alliance, and one of the Blood Immortal Sect’s top executives, the Ten Heavenly Commanders.

He was standing here now.

That was natural.

After all, he was the one who had caused this secret manual incident.

“I will… kill him. No, I won’t kill him. I’ll cut off his limbs and torture him as a toy for eternity. I’ll listen to that short-haired devil’s screams and drink his blood… Look forward to it. Look forward to it, Zhuge Rin, you bastard…”

Originally, the Blood Immortal Sect had decided to halt activities for a few years.

Yet the reason he had unilaterally caused this incident alone.

Was due to a grudge deep enough to penetrate bone.

“Because of you… I… lost my chance of ascension forever. So you too must suffer equal pain… Definitely. Definitely!”

Heavenly Commander Dong, who should have died at the hands of Zhuge Rin in the Martial Righteous Alliance, was transported to the Blood Immortal Sect and able to grasp life once more.

However. As a result, he had now completely become a non-human being.

This was both a blessing and a curse.

Revived by the Blood Immortal Sect’s secret techniques, he had clearly become strong enough to transcend humanity.

But having become like this, he could never ascend.

He could not go to the Blood Immortal’s side.

Of course, he had become a servant of the Blood Immortal, but strictly speaking, that couldn’t be expressed as being by their “side.”

Because the path to becoming an immortal was blocked.

In a fanatical group like the Blood Immortal Sect, that was truly a curse.

“Zhuge Rin. I want to tear your limbs apart and eat your disciple’s flesh in front of you while you’re still alive, but… kuhuhu…”

Killing the disciple, Jin Cheonhee, was impossible.

Because that wasn’t what the Blood Immortal desired, so he wanted to capture Zhuge Rin directly and torture him to manage his anger.

However, the opponent wasn’t easy at all.

The White Dragon Medical Pavilion had withdrawn from the beginning as if uninterested in the secret cave and solidified their defenses.

This wasn’t Heavenly Commander Dong’s plan.

He had intended to attack from behind if the White Dragon Medical Pavilion was drawn into the battle.

“Kruuururu. Though the plan has gone awry… I still have a prepared move. Night is coming soon… kekekeke. I will definitely seize you! Have are the preparations for the technique of Inner Spirit, Outer Form Technique[1] ready!”

He made a beast-like sound while looking down at the distant battlefield. His subordinates reacted to his words and began moving busily.

***

As night fell, the battle entered something of a lull.

Now the three forces had withdrawn and were in a standoff.

Du Gangja of the Blood Lotus Sect was resting with the disciples who had come with him.

Such a bloody storm is different from an army’s battle.

They don’t form defensive formations like an army or maintain a chain of command while resting.

In a way, it might be impossible given the nature of the martial world and its people.

Du Gangja and his disciples had climbed a tree and were leaning back and lying down.

Though there wasn’t a place on them that wasn’t injured from today’s battle, they looked as comfortable as monkeys perched in the tree.

Then suddenly, fog began to appear in the distance.

‘What’s that?’

The fog filled the ground deeply and then began to swell upward.

Why? The feeling started to become a bit strange.

“Senior Brother! Shouldn’t you have given me that rice ball you ate yesterday!”

“What the…”

The disciple suddenly began throwing punches.

He was known for being calm usually. It was impossible to understand his suddenly changed attitude.

Slash!

He narrowly avoided the sword the man had drawn by a paper’s thickness.

But that wasn’t the end. The sword drawn by the disciple grazed another disciple’s shoulder.

Tsukak!

“You crazy bastard, what are you doing!”

The other disciple who’d been cut also drew his sword, and they began attacking each other.

Du Gangja was dumbfounded.

This would never happen normally.

That’s when it happened.

“Kaaaaargh! Senior Sister! How could you do this to me!”

“Die! Die!”

Beneath the tree, countless martial artists began attacking each other in all directions.

Of course, not everyone was like that.

“Stop this! What is this madness all of a sudden!”

“Senior Brother! Stop! Why are you drawing your sword!”

Du Gangja finally realized that this fog was the cause of the phenomenon. And simultaneously, that martial artists with stronger internal energy were enduring, maintaining their reason despite the unpleasant feeling.

However, martial artists with shallow internal energy, or those who were exhausted or wounded, began losing their reason and attacking in all directions.

“Damn it all! What’s going on–!”

A shout infused with internal power echoed throughout the camp.

It was the Technique Emperor.

It was a strange thing.

Just with his shout, the Unorthodox faction martial artists began to regain their senses one by one.

The Technique Emperor looked at the unfolding situation and quickly made an assessment.

“Oh geez, damn it. Looks like someone’s using a dirty trick. The Demonic Cult? The Martial Righteous Alliance? Or…”

The thought occurred that it could be the Blood Immortal Sect.

Wasn’t there a similar incident at the Dragon Phoenix Gathering?

Eventually, the Technique Emperor shook his cane to create a bell sound.

Jeng- Jjereurueng!

“Everyone, withdraw from the battlefield! For those who’ve lost their reason, seal their acupoints or hit them on the back of the head! If that doesn’t work, leave them! If they’ve come this far, they should take care of their own lives!”

“What?”

The martial artists were baffled by the sudden retreat order.

Seemingly frustrated by their appearance, the Technique Emperor hit the head of a young martial artist nearby with his cane, making a thwack sound.

“You numbskull with dung for brains! Get out of here right now! It’s not like we have the Zhuge clan’s Primordial Square Formation[2]. We can’t stop this! Forget about the Conquering Heaven Peerless Divine Arts for now! Run, you damn fools–!”

The Technique Emperor’s curses echoed throughout the Unorthodox faction camp.

Even those whose minds hadn’t fully returned grabbed hold of their reason at those curses.

Thus, the Unorthodox Alliance began to withdraw.

However, the Minor Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult didn’t miss this opportunity.

“This is our chance. Everyone, secure the entrance to the secret cave.”

Similarly, strange fog covered the Demonic Cult, but their elites weren’t ones to be shaken by it.

Each one had powerful internal energy.

They simply advanced coldly.

“Kill all who charge at us. If you feel you’re about to lose your mind, take your own life.”

The fanatics merely nodded at the Minor Cult Leader’s order.

But the Demonic Cult wasn’t the only one maintaining their sanity.

The Righteous faction, which had established a camp at the entrance to the secret cave, shouted:

“The Unorthodox Alliance is retreating, and the Demonic Cult is approaching! Everyone, prepare for the Demonic Cult!”

“Form the sword formation, form the sword formation!”

Pitch-black midnight with nothing visible.

Without rest, the battle continued.

***

Two hours before the fog arose.

Jin Cheonhee stood on a tall tree, continuing to gaze at the battlefield.

His education as a member of the Zhuge clan under his master continued.

Though his master had answered that this was a rare opportunity, Jin Cheonhee felt somewhat bitter.

Even amidst this chaotic battle, the area around the White Dragon Medical Pavilion was safe.

This was because a powerful formation had been deployed around the White Dragon Medical Pavilion.

That formation was constructed by two geniuses, Jin Cheonhee and his master.

The Eight Trigrams Formation[3] created by Zhuge Liang. This had evolved and developed over time into what was called the Soul-Snatching Eight Trigrams Formation[4].

A powerful ultimate formation said to snatch away one’s soul upon entering.

Generally, trying to forcibly pass through this formation would result in death.

Jin Cheonhee suddenly looked up at the sky.

‘The sun has almost set.’

Night was coming soon.

Normally, when night comes, battles enter a temporary lull. From then on, the wounded come seeking treatment.

‘But that’s only what’s normal. Master said there are exceptions.’

Night raids are common everywhere.

And there are cases where one side is completely annihilated, making it impossible for patients to come.

‘Rather, I think I’d feel more at ease if many patients came and kept me busy.’

The sun continued to set, and darkness now covered Mount Heng.

‘Hmm?’

It was strange.

Along with the night shadows, fog suddenly began to envelop the entire Mount Heng.

The fog had an alien, ominous scent.

At that moment, at the boundary of the formation, the fog collided, creating crackling sparks.

A phenomenon that shouldn’t occur considering the celestial stems and feng shui of this area.

At that moment, along with a noisy sound, shouts and the clash of weapons rang out.

Enhancing his vision, he saw that whether it was internal strife or not, they began slaughtering each other.

‘This… I’ve seen this before?’

Other martial artists might not know, but Jin Cheonhee couldn’t possibly forget this.

The Blood Immortal Sect again?

Are their traps being activated?

At that moment, his master’s mental transmission rang out.

-Hee. Come down.

Just as he was about to descend at his master’s transmission, figures wearing white masks began to appear from outside the formation.

Seuseusuk-

The masks were engraved with patterns symbolizing whirlpools, as if drawn with ink.

Jin Cheonhee’s blue eyes immediately recalled the contents of “Supreme Heavenly Demon.”

‘The Blood Immortal Sect has the Ten Heavenly Commanders, each not only an absolute master but also a leader of an organization within the Blood Immortal Sect.’

The name of the organization led by Heavenly Commander Dong was the Heavenly Dong’s Blood Immortal Squad[5].

While jiangshis are basically used as the Blood Immortal Sect’s standard troops, this Heavenly Dong’s Blood Immortal Squad could be called elite.

The white whirlpool pattern was one of the characteristics of the Heavenly Dong’s Blood Immortal Squad.

This was because Heavenly Commander Dong used the Mysterious Howling Wind Divine Arts.

It seems they’ve additionally reinforced their numbers using the lowest-grade jiangshis.

‘It seems he’s been resentful all this time for not being able to bring his direct troops during the last Dragon Phoenix Gathering?’

Heavenly Commander Dong had to operate in secrecy at the Martial Righteous Alliance, so naturally, he had to fight with minimal resources.

He must have kicked his blankets every night thinking that if only he had his Heavenly Dong’s Blood Immortal Squad, things wouldn’t have turned out this way.

‘In the end, it seems the Blood Immortal Sect is finally making a move after a long time.’

There was no need to use the Profound Origin Heaven and Earth Divine Technique.

‘Are they targeting our side while the Demonic Cult, Martial Righteous Alliance, and Unorthodox Alliance are busy destroying each other?’

Naturally, we don’t intend to just watch with our eyes wide open either.

‘But how should we minimize casualties?’

Orthodox, Unorthodox, Demonic.

Jin Cheonhee doesn’t care who becomes the victor in the battle for the secret manual.

Well, in an ordinary situation where he was reading a novel, he’d be heart-pounding about who would win.

But the moment someone says, “The losers will soon come to your emergency room, doctor,” a person’s thoughts drastically change.

And when you hear, “Oh, and a few of the winners might come too,” from a doctor’s standpoint, your mind goes haywire once more.

He just wishes they’d settle it with rock-paper-scissors, regardless of who does it.

With the Blood Immortal Sect added to the mix, all talk about being a strategist of the Zhuge clan or a sword master goes out the window; the medical professional feels murderous rage rising.

‘The Blood Immortal Sect should be eradicated anyway. I knew these bastards were trouble from the time they spread cholera at Putuo Temple.’