Chapter 138. Trying to Row a Boat On Land (9)

Chapter 138. Trying to Row a Boat On Land (9)

Just by sensing the Spear Martial Minister’s aura and seeing how he held his spear, the Night Spear Devil could tell that the man was very much at his level. In other words, the Spear Martial Minister was also an Absolute Master.

“Fine, let’s see how strong the martial artists of the gangho are. I’ve especially been curious about how strong you are, Night Spear Devil.”

“Then, I guess you’re my opponent today,” Sang-Woon quipped.

In response to the Palm Martial Emperor’s words, the Palm Martial Minister just sneered silently. Seeing him not respond, the Palm Martial Emperor smiled and continued. “Still, I’m going to win. You can be sure of that.”

“...?”

“I got the upper hand in this game.”[1]

***

Already having gone past the first chamber, Si-Hyeon quickly reached the second.

The moment her hand touched the piece of amethyst placed on an altar in the middle of the massive stone chamber, her body rose into the air.

“Aaahhh...!”

A moan escaped her lips.

A black gauze-like aura wrapped around Si-Hyeon.

“Oh!!! The second seal is being released! Oh, Heavenly Demon!!!”

The elders and cultists of the Heavenly Demon Cult who had fought with all their might to protect Si-Hyeon shed tears of joy.

They remembered the past all too well. After the Heavenly Demon was slain by the Absolute Masters of the Central Plains and the powers of the Heavenly Demon were sealed due to Martial Heaven’s tricks, they had no choice but to lie low and spend their days waiting in anxiety. Now, this girl was their hope—the one who was destined to break the three seals and become the Heavenly Demon.

The Great Elder of the Heavenly Demon Cult, the White Blood Demon Master, gritted his teeth.

“Martial Heaven, you bastards, it won’t be long now. When the new Heavenly Demon is born, she’ll drain you of your blood, drink it, and feast on your flesh while you still breathe.”

The demonic qi emanating from Si-Hyeon’s body gradually grew stronger. Moreover, as if her body was being recast, all of the hidden injuries and impurities she had accumulated in her body throughout her life were being purged, and her already pristine skin was purified even further.

The White Blood Demon Monarch, who was watching Si-Hyeon with a devout expression filled with emotion, suddenly looked behind him and let out a loud roar, his bloodlust-filled aura blasting outward.

“Block the entrance! A horde of enemies is coming. It’s those dirty Martial Heaven bastards. They’re coming again. We must defend the Heavenly Maiden! Stop them with your lives!”

“Understood!”

The heads and elites of the Heavenly Demon Cult’s Sword Demon Cabinet and Saber Demon Cabinet rushed to stop Martial Heaven’s advance.

The Blood Heaven Asura Squadron and the Heavenly Demon Black Martial Squadron had stayed behind to hold Martial Heaven down, and even now, many of them hadn’t returned to their second defensive line, so they were assumed dead.

This time, the Twin Sword and Saber Cabinets had to step forward.

Just after they left the chamber, the demonic qi surrounding Si-Hyeon darkened further, reaching its peak.

“AGH!!!”

An incredibly powerful burst of energy exploded from her mouth, and at the same time, all of the demonic qi was quickly absorbed through the pores of her entire body.

Although her eyes were still blank, a bewitching smile spread across her lips as she fell from the air and landed on the floor.

“Now... I have to go to the third one.”

She started moving forward again as the figures of the Heavenly Demon Cult followed behind.

“Blade Faction Lord. As you may already know, we’re currently in the midst of our Cult's greatest crisis. Even the slightest mistake cannot be tolerated. Use your abilities to the fullest, lest you end up regretting it. Burn with determination and fight with ten times your strength!”

“Understood!” CHeCk for new stories on no/v/el/bin(.)c0m

The Blade Faction Lord wasn’t the only one guarding Si-Hyeon from the shadows. There was also the Dark Sword, one of the Cult’s two foundation protectors.

“Dark Sword, I’ll leave it to you. Please do your best to protect the Heavenly Maiden.”

“Understood. I’ll protect her even if it costs me my life.”

***

“Stop right there!”

This time, eleven youths blocked Woo-Moon’s path. As if they had undergone a fierce battle, three of them were even covered in blood and seriously injured.

‘It’s pretty impressive to see how they’re still able to stand on their own two legs, even with those injuries. Grandfather was right. The people of the Heavenly Demon Cult have unassailable willpower.’

Woo-Moon could tell from the demonic qi emanating from their bodies that they weren’t from Martial Heaven but rather from the Heavenly Demon Cult.

Suppressing his impatience, he spoke calmly, “I can’t stop here. Get out of the way; I have to go save my junior sister.”

Leaning on his sword with disheveled hair and blood-soaked clothes, the Blood Heaven Asura Captain Hwi Ji-Gang raised his head and glared at Woo-Moon, bloodlust flashing through his eyes.

“Stop talking bullshit, you disgusting, dirty weed of Martial Heaven!”

Crack!!!

The demonic saber that only the Blood Heaven Asura Captain could use, the Asura Saber, cleaved through the ground, and sparks flew in all directions.

Hwi Ji-Gang’s momentum was quite ferocious as he ran toward Woo-Moon at high speed. Above all, it seemed as though a tremendous bloodlust was cleaving through his body before the Asura Saber even reached him.

‘Resentment and bloodlust... it seems you have extremely bad memories of Martial Heaven.’

Sang Moon-Jong looked nervous, but the next moment, it was as if he had hypnotized himself, falling into a trance where he responded to the attacks reflexively.

‘I can’t keep getting cornered like this!’

Sang Moon-Jong grit his teeth, preparing himself for the inevitable injury, and struck out with both fists at the same time.

Bang!

Sang Moon-Jong’s face turned pale, while Woo-Moon flew backward, his outer robe flapping in the wind as he landed stably.

Feeling as though he would lose control of his breathing technique and suffer a backlash if he spoke, Sang Moon-Jong kept his mouth shut tightly and looked over at his adjutant before turning to his subordinates behind him.

However...

Something was strange.

Of his fifty men, as many as fifteen were lying on the ground, slaughtered silently.

“What the...cough!”

The moment he opened his mouth in rage and shock, Sang Moon-Jong choked, then vomited blood. He had suffered a backlash.

Even at that moment, his subordinates still hadn’t realized that their fellow warriors behind them had been killed, and it was only when his adjutant turned around that they all realized it too late.

“W-what the hell happ—fuck, it’s that bitch who inherited the Death God’s assassination arts!” the adjutant shouted, realizing mid-sentence what was going on. This was the work of that girl who was always by Woo-Moon’s side.

As Woo-Moon and Sang Moon-Jong fought, and while everyone had been distracted, she had moved behind them and assassinated them one by one.

Woo-Moon grinned at their words and kicked off the ground, leaping toward the wall on his right and running toward the ceiling.

Raging Wind!

“Ugh!”

Already suffering from internal injuries, Sang Moon-Jong stumbled heavily as soon as he blocked Woo-Moon’s sword.

“Help Heavenly Dipper Sang!”

Following the adjutant’s orders, the remaining subordinates rushed out to attack Woo-Moon. However, crossbow bolts instantly lodged themselves into the foreheads of the three people at the forefront.

Thwip, thwip, thwip!

It was Ma-Ra’s handiwork.

As those who stood in his way fell, Woo-Moon’s sword flashed.

Squelch!

Sang Moon-Jong’s arm was severed at the shoulder, blood gushing out. At the same time, two Silver Moon Discs landed back in Ma-Ra’s hands.

“Agh!”

Each Silver Moon Disc had taken three lives along the way.

“Die!!!”

In a split second, the remaining enemies surrounded Woo-Moon and raised their weapons.

Clang, clang, clang, clang!

The Impenetrable Golden Wall spread out in all directions to block the attacks before transitioning to Golden Wall Severing Void and spinning through the air.

A gigantic golden disc formed of sword aura tore through the air!

Squelch! Squelch!

In an instant, Golden Wall Severing Void bisected almost a dozen Martial Heaven warriors.

“What do you think? Have you figured out which one of us is the one who needs mercy?” Woo-Moon said as he unleashed four Raging Winds toward Sang Moon-Jong in succession.

In a panic, Sang Moon-Jong punched forward repeatedly with his remaining fist. However, he was unable to stop the four Raging Winds in a row, as he was already injured heavily.

Squelch!

Lightflash pierced into Sang Moon-Jong’s heart.

“Ugh... To think I die...to some murim brat...”

Martial Heaven classified several groups, including the Heavenly Demon Cult, as part of the True Murim.[2]

Most of the clans and sects belonging to the True Murim weren’t active in the gangho but were instead hiding or living among themselves in an isolationist manner.

They were the only ones whom Martial Heaven paid attention to.

The ones who revealed themselves, the forces out in the real world, like the Justice Coalition, the Hegemon Clan, or the Black Bull Gang, weren’t enough to be paid attention to. That was why, until the very end, Sang Moon-Jong couldn’t help but be dumbfounded that a mere Song Woo-Moon was able to match him in battle.

“That’s the way the world is. I guess you haven’t seen reality just yet.”

Woo-Moon slowly pulled his sword out of Sang Moon-Jong’s body, making sure the man felt every bit of it while he died.

1. Yes, the Palm Martial Emperor is making a hand pun. Very humerus. ☜

2. More accurately, 裏面武林, or the “inner face of murim.” In this context, it refers to the “real” murim sects, as in, everyone not on that list is considered fake. ☜