C150
When Cale suddenly took an amber-colored orb from his chest, people were puzzled but remembered the brazier he always used.
Those who had predicted it would be a similar object imagined the bead was made of sand.
Chrrr~
Their eyes widened as they watched the sand scatter and instantly transform into a whip.
They had never heard of anything like it.
But soon, people's expressions turned intense.
"We will finally see Young Master Kim and his group's abilities!"
"We should know what they are capable of."
Wrapped in a haze, Kim Haeil and his group of companions had barely had a chance to show their true abilities. While they could gauge Kim Gongja's level by the tremendous amount of energy he used, it was difficult to assess the depths of the others beyond their superficial abilities.
"Hmm."
General Commander Jegal Miryeo covered her mouth with a fan as she watched the Heavenly Demon with crossed arms, shrouded in a dark red aura.
Her lips twisted strangely.
"This is different."
The martial arts of Young Master Kim's group that she had observed so far seemed different from those of the Central Plains. Although they might seem similar with a sword in hand, something fundamental was different.
"I might understand the Young Master Kim's identity better if I knew what that is."
Perhaps they could even discover the hidden power that the Imperial Family secretly held.
"!"
Jegal Miryeo's eyes widened.
Boom!
It started with Jegal Hyung, who was in a state of fury.
He began running directly towards the Heavenly Demon.
The Heavenly Demon, with an expressionless face, casually muttered.
"I guess I was the target."
As soon as the Heavenly Demon's momentum increased, Jang Hyung rushed forward.
At that moment, the Cult of Blood's purpose in planting a Living Jiangshi in Jang Hyung became very clear.
"Are you trying to self-destruct with me?"
In response to the Heavenly Demon's indifferent words, Sect Leader In Ho immediately jumped.
"Jang Hyung-ah, you can't do this!"
He then approached Jang Hyung, as if asking him to attack instead.
Sect Leader In Ho looked at Cale and shouted.
"I'll lead the way! I'll be the decoy!"
But he couldn't finish his sentence.
Kwaang!
Between Jang Hyung and the Heavenly Demon.
A black energy pierced through.
"... A Dragon...!"
It was a Black Dragon.
It didn't have the refined and elegant appearance of a dragon. Instead, it seemed to be a carelessly created existence.
But they couldn't think of it that way.
It was wild enough to appear as if it had been created haphazardly, and it also had an explosive and violent energy.
"As I thought."
The moment the Heavenly Demon's lips curled up.
Choi Han, who had created that Black Dragon, struck the ground. The Dragon followed his movements.
It rushed toward Jang Hyung from the front, and their eyes met.
Even though his pupils were black to the point that it was hard to distinguish, the Living Jiangshi was still looking at him.
Choi Han watched Jang Hyung's body waver.
Then Choi Han spoke.
"Come."
In response, the Living Jiangshi moved. Byuk Sun, who had been observing, sighed and said:
"As much as you lose your senses, as much as you listen to the Cult of Blood, your roots are still in Kunlun."
A cloud seemed to form around Jang Hyung.
Eight Great Heavenly Dragon Techniques.
A dragon flying among the clouds.
Kunlun's proud and honest martial arts.
Even though he was surrounded by an enormous amount of energy, Jang Hyung's martial arts still retained the purity and subtlety he had cultivated over the years.
Clouds floated among the many high peaks.
Steps moved freely among them, filled with majesty and an unyielding strength that no one else could achieve.
"... Jang Hyung-ah..."
The Sect Leader's face contorted, unable to contain his emotions.
Until now, Jang Hyung had only been unleashing an enormous amount of power, but now, with the release of the Eight Great Heavenly Dragon Techniques, the people of Kunlun couldn't take their eyes off their disciple, their Sahyung, and their Sajae. (Note: Sahyung= Martial Elder Brother of the same generation, Sajae= Martial Younger Brother)
At the same time, they realized.
"Even the Living Jiangshi knows it."
Cheonma calmly murmured.
"To stop that Black Dragon, it's not enough to use brute force."
The Living Jiangshi, which had spotted the Heavenly Demon and took him as the target, could no longer die immediately to fulfill that purpose.
It instinctively realized that it was the strongest it would have to defeat to achieve its goal.
So, it attacked with the strongest movements it could muster.
The story of Kunlun. The Eight Great Heavenly Dragon Techniques.
And it looked at Choi Han, who opposed it.
Its steps and gestures caught everyone's attention.
"Hahaha-"
The Heavenly Demon burst into laughter.
And Jegal Miryeo furrowed her brows.
But their gazes turned intense.
The General Commander observed every one of Choi Han's movements.
'There's no pattern or method in his steps.'
From the motion of extending the sword to the way he summoned the dark dragon with his Inner Energy, there were no rules in any of those movements.
'Well, maybe there's something.'
There might be some very basic fencing techniques when using a sword, but even that seemed quite elementary compared to the numerous Martial Arts in the world.
Of course, Choi Han exuded a presence similar to someone she had felt before.
'The Sword Demon.'
According to what the General Commander had heard, it seemed that the Sword Demon and Choi Han were related.
But they were different.
'The Sword Demon has a more imposing presence.'
It was also quite sophisticated.
But Choi Han was different.
'He's wild and fierce.'
And free.
As if someone had wielded a sword for the first time without realizing the danger of the blade.
That was the image he projected.
However, Jegal Miryeo couldn't completely agree with that.
The shape of the Black Dragon he created with those wild and free gestures.
Within its energy was a deep and unfathomable darkness, which she couldn't determine.
'It's Evil (惡), but not of the Demon Path (魔).'
But she couldn't tell from its aura whether it was Demonic or Evil.
The Black Dragon shone with light around it.
Within that flickering light was a purity she didn't dare to affirm.
A person's energy/aura reflects their heart.
Amongst the dense darkness, what shone was something pure.
She didn't know what it was, but she was sure it was close to good (善).
From the side, the Heavenly Demon spoke a few words.
"He must have suffered a lot."
At that moment, Choi Han and Jang Hyung collided.
To be precise, Choi Han's Black Dragon invaded Jang Hyung's clouds.
Kaaaaaaaah!
A roar resounded.
The Black Dragon pierced through the clouds.
Jang Hyung tried to evade the Black Dragon by constantly creating clouds or making strange movements as if he were stepping on a cloud.
Kwaaaaang!
The Black Dragon let out a roar instead of a shout as it pursued him.
Calmly, too.
"He's screaming."
A faint smile crept on the Heavenly Demon's lips, as if he were interested.
'I'm here, he's screaming.'
Choi Han.
The sword was not silent.
It was constantly making its presence known.
It was as if a lost child in a gloomy darkness were shouting, "I'm here!"
But Choi Han didn't seem like a lost child.
'No, it's the opposite.'
Choi Han was shouting amid the deep darkness.
With a small flickering light compared to the darkness, he was saying, "I'm here!"
Therefore, it seemed like he was calling out to the lost child in the darkness beside him.
'It's interesting.'
Although he also seemed like a child, his heart was pure and firm.
Therefore, that determination was infused into his sword.
'I'd like to fight him.'
Determined to duel Choi Han at some point, the Heavenly Demon spoke.
"He will be captured soon."
And those words came true.
"Krr-!"
Letting out a strange cry, Jang Hyung's steps stopped.
Unbeknownst to Jang Hyung, the Black Dragon stood before him, its sword tip raised.
If he took one more step forward, his neck would be pierced by the sword.
"Running away won't help."
Choi Han spoke calmly, without a single drop of sweat on his face.
"Kruu!"
However, the Living Jiangshi didn't give up. Jang Hyung stepped back and twisted.
He intended to escape.
"It's futile."
But in the moment Choi Han uttered those words.
The Living Jiangshi felt a chill running through its body.
It could no longer retreat.
Choi Han looked at Ron beyond Jang Hyung's shoulder.
"?!?!"
Byuk Sun was startled.
'When...?!'
He was stunned by Ron's sudden appearance.
Even though he was focused on Choi Han and Jang Hyung, he hadn't noticed Ron's approach at all.
It was a scene that illustrated how stealthy Ron was.
He also realized something else.
Choi Han, who had been moving freely, led Jang Hyung toward Ron.
The man grabbed him by the throat.
"You've worked hard."
Choi Han and Ron moved away from Jang Hyung, whom they had held firmly.
No strong movement was necessary for the sand whip, made of sand, to tighten.
-Human, I will restrain him as well!
A black mana rope had already wrapped around Jang Hyung's entire body.
"Krruuuuu---!"
Jang Hyung's members trembled with the sense of danger they felt.
And the dark rope became even darker.
"Self-destruction...!"
The moment someone shouted that.
"Krrr!"
Jang Hyung's movements stopped.
Everyone's eyes turned to Cale.
The sand whip in his hand was wrapped in a reddish-golden stream.
And that reddish-golden stream had restrained Jang Hyung.
'So it's that easy.'
Cale, who had used the sand whip, spoke indifferently.
"Heavenly Demon, come here."
As long as the reddish-golden energy was on him, it would be difficult for the Living Jiangshi to self-destruct or go out of control.
During Namgung Taewi's time, when the Seal of the Fire of Destruction had barely loosened, controlling it had been complicated.
'Compared to the Heavenly Demon, Jang Hyung is a piece of cake.'
No matter how wildly Jang Hyung ran, he would be nothing in front of the Fire of Destruction's Power, which had over 70% of its seal released.
Shwaaa---
A red smoke came out of the Heater, and the Heavenly Demon stood next to Cale with a slightly discouraged smile.
To him, Cale spoke indifferently.
"I'll have to check if I can maintain his Dantian even in an out-of-control state."
Then he turned to the Sect Leader.
"Sect Leader-nim, it might be that I can't maintain his Dantian. He has already lost a large part of control."
"...I understand. Please at least protect his life for now."
"Yes. Don't worry about that. I'll do my best to maintain his Dantian as well."
Cale gestured with his eyes to the Heavenly Demon, who approached Jang Hyung and stood behind him. Then, he sent his energy.
The dark red energy touched the back of Jang Hyung's neck.
"Kruuu----!"
Jang Hyung twisted his body as if he were having a fit.
"I, I-!"
The Elder of the Kunlun Sect was surprised by that scene and moved forward, but he soon saw Byuk Sun's hand blocking his path. His eyes met with Byuk Sun's, who still looked calm.
"Don't you want to fix Jang Hyung?"
"......"
The Elder stepped back.
Then, he looked at the Heavenly Demon with intense and determined eyes. As if he didn't forgive the reckless behavior.
Byuk Sun sighed at the sight.
At that moment, the Heavenly Demon suddenly regained his energy.
"Why? Why isn't it working?"
When the Sect Leader exclaimed unconsciously, the Heavenly Demon spoke while looking at Cale.
"The Living Jiangshi's dark energy has already spread to the Upper Dantian."
Oh.
The Sect Leader, who understood the principles of purification, sighed and staggered for a moment. A moment in which Taoist Un Seon hurriedly supported him.
"So, what?"
Cale asked, and the Heavenly Demon replied.
"Not all of the Upper Dantian has been tainted yet."
Upon hearing that, Cale nodded.
"You mean there's a chance."
"That's right. It seems we should start by purifying the Upper Dantian. But it seems it will take a long time."
"It doesn't matter."
With Cale's words, the Heavenly Demon sent his energy to Jang Hyung again.
The dark red energy infiltrated the Upper Dantian.
The Heavenly Demon felt something different from when he was in the Demon Cult.
This time, Jang Hyung's body was rejecting the dark red energy.
It wasn't because he was in an out-of-control state like a Living Jiangshi; his own body was rejecting his power.
Therefore, the Heavenly Demon spoke calmly.
"Don't you have to stay alive to be able to kill me?"
People from the Kunlun Sect, including the Sect Leader, were surprised.
The Heavenly Demon smiled.
"How interesting."
Jang Hyung's body had finally accepted the Heavenly Demon's energy. Even though he had lost his senses, the resentment toward the Demon Cult that remained in Jang Hyung's body was considerable.
The Heavenly Demon continued to inject dark red energy without saying a word, finding its way.
And the reddish-golden energy transmitted through the whip permeated Jang Hyung's body along with the dark red energy.
From then on, it was a slow process.
It took a long time.
Over two hours of purification.
Both Cale and the Heavenly Demon were drenched in sweat.
-Human, are you okay? Your skin looks normal.
Raon's voice was calm as he observed. Cale's complexion was the same as before, showing no sign of vomiting blood.
So the atmosphere should have been calm, but instead, although people were silent, the atmosphere was becoming increasingly tense.
It was inevitable.
Gradually, Jang Hyung's appearance was returning.
First his face, then his arms, then his legs.
Finally, to his chest.
The black veins that had surfaced began to fade, returning to their original state.
Although the purification process was slow, it was amazing, and no one could look away.
It was evident how focused the Heavenly Demon and Cale were on healing Jang Hyung.
Finally, Jang Hyung opened his eyes.
And finally.
"Kulk!"
He coughed up a little ashy liquid.
His clear pupils contrasted strongly with the white of his eyes as he stared at the sky.
The Heavenly Demon withdrew his energy, and Cale released his whip. Raon's black rope had already disappeared long ago.
No one clapped or spoke.
Tears flowed from Jang Hyung's eyes.
He moved slowly. He stumbled a bit but didn't stop.
He bowed his head to Cale and the Heavenly Demon.
"I won't forget your grace."
At that, the Heavenly Demon spoke.
"Don't forget your resentment either."
Jang Hyung looked at the Heavenly Demon and said.
"I will become stronger."
"I'll be waiting."
The Heavenly Demon stepped back. Then, Jang Hyung approached Cale and bowed once more.
He bowed deeper than before.
"Young Master-nim, thank you."
And then he made a request.
"I want to be at the forefront of the task of destroying the Blood Cult. Please."
Cale responded.
"Oh, that's not possible."
In the face of a firm response, Jang Hyung, of course, was perplexed, as were the people around him. Cale received the gazes directed at him without flinching and replied casually.
"The vanguard will be occupied by the Sword Saint and the Namgung Family."
The Heavenly Demon exclaimed frankly.
"The Demon Cult is at the forefront."
Cale patted Jang Hyung on the shoulder and said.
"As you can see, there's some competition for the vanguard."
With a calm and carefree response, Jang Hyung might have had some complaints, but he couldn't express them.
Because he saw Cale's eyes looking at him.
He had been purified by him, and when he looked back at him, Jang Hyung's eyes came to life.
His gaze turned to the Sect Leader, In Ho.
In Ho opened his mouth with stronger determination than ever.
"It seems that the Kunlun Sect must also participate in this competition for the vanguard. We have not backed down on matters related to the Central Plains."
He then smiled at his disciple, Jang Hyung.
Jang Hyung drew a barely visible smile on his face, as if he were about to cry.
-Human! Why is everyone trying to be in the front?
Cale heard Raon's question and thought.
'It seems like everyone plans to destroy the Blood Cult on their own.'
At that moment, Cale saw Chief Eunuch Wi approaching from a distance.
Their gazes met.
He heard a Sound Transmission.
-Young Master, I have brought a Divine Medicine!
The corner of Cale's mouth curved upward.
---------------
Three days later.
All the Living Jiangshi of the Murim Alliance who had stayed in Kunlun had been purified, and Cale headed to the Evil Faction with Sima Pyeong.
"Master. Greetings."
"Disciple Evil Alliance Leader, what kind of snack is this?"
"It's something made from soy that I've prepared for you, Master."
Ha.
Cale sighed as he looked at Sima Pyeong and Raon, who had been in a frenzy since morning, and ran his hands over his face.
"Hahaha! Let's fight!"
"Grrr! Come, attack!"
"I want to fight too!"
Toonka and Nokrim's Second-in-Command, Ha Mun, and the Trash of the Evil Faction, Sima Jung. These three had been fighting since morning.
Cale closed his eyes tightly upon hearing those sounds and then sighed again.
"Gulp."
Beside him, Sima Dan was drinking liquor.
"Hehe. Should I teach you how to play dice?"
Sima Gong stealthily approached Ron to invite him to play.
'I don't want to go.'
For some reason, Cale didn't want to go to the Evil Alliance.
He just wanted to go home.
-
