Chapter 74. Who is it?

“Dragonman? Hui Dragon Emperor? What does all that mean?”

The Blood Qilin, knowing nothing, asked with an innocent expression, but no one answered his question.

Jin Cheon was having a headache for his own reasons, and Wi Mu-rin was having a headache for his.

“This is bad. I requested backup just in case, but it will take at least a day or two for them to arrive.”

“Can’t we do it with our current forces?”

“We will be annihilated.”

“……!”

“The moment the formation is destroyed, it’s over.”

“Is the Hui Dragon Emperor that strong?”

“He is a giant serpent. You didn’t expect a being that has lived for nearly a thousand years to be a pushover, did you?”

“Of course, that’s true, but… didn’t you say that a significant portion of his power was sealed by the Divine Spirit Tree’s seal?”

“I said that taking it into consideration.”

“My goodness.”

“According to the records… the Hui Dragon Emperor was a being that even the founder of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult had to fight with his life on the line. If the seal is broken, the only person who can stop him will be that person.”

Listening to Wi Mu-rin’s explanation, Jin Cheon realized just how powerful a being the Hui Dragon Emperor was.

Having seen the martial prowess of the Iron-Blooded Demonic God with his own two eyes before, the feeling was even more tangible.

“This is terrible. Of all things, the Hui Dragon Emperor.”

“No matter how strong the Hui Dragon Emperor is, he can’t set foot in the Black Bamboo Forest, can he?”

“Of course.”

Wi Mu-rin nodded his head.

“But there is always a ‘what if,’ so we can’t be completely at ease. It is right to prepare for the worst-case scenario for now.”

“You mean a situation where the formation is destroyed?”

“Yes. But there’s no need to worry too much. No matter how strong the Hui Dragon Emperor is, it’s impossible for him to destroy the formation directly. Those who are bound to the Divine Spirit Tree cannot recklessly tamper with the formation.”

“Then, what about an outside presence?”

“An outside presence?”

“I mean a sorcerer.”

“No matter how skilled a sorcerer is, they won’t be able to break the seal of the Divine Spirit Tree, let alone the Black Bamboo Forest. Of course, if there are several skilled sorcerers, it might not be impossible……”

Just then.

Swaaaaaaaaaah!

A fierce sword-wind blew, and the bamboo leaves of the Black Bamboo Forest rustled, creating a sound like a downpour.

Also, various parts of the bamboo forest distorted, and a phenomenon appeared where space seemed to bend.

“……This is.”

“Is the formation breaking?”

“Probably.”

Wi Mu-rin’s expression hardened.

“It seems the saying that words become seeds is not for nothing.”

“Do you think it’s outside help?”

“There’s no other way the Black Bamboo Forest’s formation would break. It seems we have to prepare for the worst.”

“Understood.”

“You’re calm.”

Wi Mu-rin looked back at Jin Cheon with a somewhat surprised tone.

“Given the situation, it wouldn’t be strange to be a little worried.”

“Would that change anything? The worst isn’t something you can avoid by avoiding it. If we have to face it, we have no choice but to clash.”

“That’s true, too.”

Wi Mu-rin nodded his head as if agreeing with Jin Cheon’s words.

“Then I, too, shall prepare to meet the enemies.”

Wi Mu-rin took a bundle of talismans and moved around the mountain keep.

The sorcerers of the Evil Spirit Guardian Clan also began to move around the mountain keep, following Wi Mu-rin.

“Everyone, gather.”

Jin Cheon called over the martial artists of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

“The enemies will attack soon. Therefore, prepare for battle.”

“As you command.”

Jin Cheon commanded the Divine Demon Squad and the martial artists who came with Wi Mu-rin’s party, making various preparations such as setting up the wooden fences they had made in case of an emergency.

“Haa. This is going to be tiring. Anyway, the Sea of Trees and I just don’t get along.”

The Blood Qilin let out a deep sigh.

But that didn’t mean he was just sitting on his hands.

“I guess I’ll have to earn my keep for the first time in a while. Don’t worry about me, listen to the youngest. I’ll take care of myself.”

“As you command.”

The martial artists with red eyes.

They were the Sixth New Demon Squad, the Blood Qilin’s personal guard, a group composed entirely of blood relatives from the Sacred Blood Clan.

Since the Blood Qilin enjoyed acting alone, they rarely showed themselves, but it seemed he had brought them along here in the Sea of Trees.

Thus, the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult prepared for the coming battle, centered around Jin Cheon, the Blood Qilin, and Wi Mu-rin.

Given the opponent, there was no room for doubt that it would be a tough fight.

***

Wi Mu-rin and the sorcerers of the Evil Spirit Guardian Clan tried their best to prevent the formation from being broken, but it was in vain.

Once a crack appeared in the formation, it grew weaker with time, and after three periods of two hours, it was on the verge of shattering.

“Listen, humans of the Black Bamboo Forest.”

A deep, yet metallic voice echoed throughout the entire Black Bamboo Forest.

“None of you will leave here alive. For the crime of killing my child, you will pay with your lives.”

The voice, filled with anger, was so eerie that despite its low tone, the fine hairs on one’s entire body stood on end.

“It seems he died after all.”

Jin Cheon frowned.

He had wondered why the Hui Dragon Emperor had come in person, but to think the White-Scaled Three-Horned Snow Python had died.

“What is that noise? The crime of killing his child?”

The Blood Qilin, who hadn’t heard the full story, asked Jin Cheon.

“It just happened that way.”

“We’re screwed.”

The Blood Qilin, after hearing Jin Cheon’s explanation, tore at his hair.

“So what are you going to do now?”

“Do you ask because you don’t know? Of course, we have to fight.”

“We won’t be a match for them, though.”

“We’ll know that when we fight.”

“Well, that’s true. But it’s better not to fight. Isn’t there a way for the parties involved to resolve this amicably through dialogue?”

“Do you really think that’s possible, Senior Brother?”

Jin Cheon’s face crumpled.

“I guess not, right? Hehe.”

“……”

When on earth would this man ever grow up…….

‘He’ll grow up when the main cult is destroyed.’

Jin Cheon recalled the Blood Qilin from before he regressed in time, that is, the Blood Demon, and gave a bitter smile.

It wasn’t impossible for the Blood Qilin to come to his senses and turn over a new leaf, but for that to happen, the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult would have to be destroyed.

‘Yes, I’ll just let you remain a childish good-for-nothing forever. Your junior brother will prevent the fall of the main cult.’

Jin Cheon made that promise, again and again.

He had come all this way, even turning back time, to finally settle here in the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult; he could not repeat the same mistakes as in the past.

“What, why are you looking at me with that expression?”

“It’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing. What on earth are you thinking?”

“There’s something.”

“Hey, don’t be like that, just tell me. Let me hear it too.”

“I said it’s noth—”

Just then.

Crack, craaaaack!

Craaaaack!

The bamboo trees of the Black Bamboo Forest began to split on their own.

‘They’re coming.’

Jin Cheon felt a being with an intense presence approaching from afar and braced himself.

“Huh?”

The Blood Qilin seemed to have felt it too and took his eyes off Jin Cheon.

Soon, with a monstrous roar, something terrifying came rushing towards the mountain keep.

“Kyaaaaaak!”

“Shiik, shik!”

They were hundreds of Forest Killing Ghosts and giant snakes.

The Forest Killing Ghosts, vassals of the Ghost King of the Sea of Trees, and the giant snakes, vassals of the Hui Dragon Emperor, began to pour into the Black Bamboo Forest.

***

The enemies who flooded in as soon as the Black Bamboo Forest’s formation broke tried to surround the mountain keep in an instant with the force of a raging tide.

However, the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult did not easily allow such a siege.

Boom boom! Boom boom boom! Boom! Boom boom!

Explosions roared, and the rushing enemies were blown to smithereens.

The various sorceries cast by Wi Mu-rin and the sorcerers of the Evil Spirit Guardian Clan displayed their power, annihilating the approaching enemies.

But the feats of Wi Mu-rin and the sorcerers did not end there.

Fwoooooooooooooosh!

Flames incinerated the Forest Killing Ghosts and the giant snakes.

Was that all?

The ground cracked open, and from within the fissures, crimson lava shot up, swallowing the enemies.

Scorching Hell.

It was a sorcery that manifested the fiery pits of hell, and its power was truly tremendous.

It had turned more than half of the enemies into charcoal briquettes in the blink of an eye.

‘Incredible.’

Jin Cheon couldn’t help but admire the power of the sorcery.

He could feel the heat just by being near it.

Jin Cheon thought that even considerable masters would be engulfed by that Scorching Hell and burn to death without even thinking of escaping.

However, Wi Mu-rin’s prowess did not end there.

Chwarak!

Wi Mu-rin took out a bundle of hundreds of talismans in both hands and scattered them high into the sky.

Then, an astonishing thing happened.

Swaaaaaaaaaah!

A sudden downpour.

It could be called a rain of swords.

The talismans Wi Mu-rin had thrown transformed into swords and rained down on the heads of the Forest Killing Ghosts and snakes.

“That’s… sorcery.”

Jin Cheon unconsciously clicked his tongue at the magnificent sight unfolding before his eyes.

He had thought sorcery was merely about exorcising ghosts, creating formations, or fortune-telling, but it seemed that was not the case.

Wi Mu-rin’s ability in sorcery, having reached a truly unique level, was capable of wielding a harmony impossible to achieve with martial arts.

However, even Wi Mu-rin’s feats had their limits.

No matter how many enemies he defeated with powerful sorcery, it seemed it wasn’t very effective against the strongest being.

Thump, thump!

A being with a massive physique was breaking through the fiery pits of the Scorching Hell and the rain of swords, approaching the mountain keep.

“Concentrate your spiritual power!”

“As you command!”

Wi Mu-rin and the sorcerers of the Evil Spirit Guardian Clan unleashed all sorts of sorcery on him, but it was in vain.

He moved forward without hesitation, as if unconcerned by ordinary sorcery, and reached the front of the mountain keep.

“……!”

Seeing the one who had broken through the hell made of sorcery and revealed himself, Jin Cheon recognized him as the Hui Dragon Emperor at a glance.

He had a massive physique that no human could possibly match, and he was wearing a dragon robe.

But more surprising than his massive physique was that his head was truly not human, but that of a dragon.

The words that he had the body of a human and the head of a dragon were no exaggeration.

“Who is it?”

A voice, as deep and resonant as his massive physique, flowed from the Hui Dragon Emperor’s mouth.

“The one who killed my child.”

It was a truly frost-like voice.

The Hui Dragon Emperor was a being with enough dignity to overwhelm the crowd with his voice alone.

If he was this powerful even while sealed by the Divine Spirit Tree, one could not dare to imagine what he would be like if he were freed and regained his liberty.

The words that only the Iron-Blooded Demonic God could stop a freed Hui Dragon Emperor seemed to be no empty evaluation.

If such a being were to escape the Sea of Trees and rampage through the Divine Land…….

Shudder!

Just imagining it was enough to make one’s hair stand on end.

‘Yes, this was the great disaster he spoke of.’

Jin Cheon was convinced that the great disaster Namgung Sin had mentioned was due to the destruction of the Divine Spirit Tree.

Beings like the Hui Dragon Emperor and the other cultivators of the Sea of Trees would surely be capable of burning half of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and slaughtering tens of thousands.

“I asked who killed my child.”

The Hui Dragon Emperor asked again.

“It was me.”

Jin Cheon readily stepped forward before the Hui Dragon Emperor.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep