Chapter 256: Even If You Try to Tear Us Apart (3)

The moment the Life and Death Adversary collapsed under the sudden ambush—

“……!”

Gam Unbi’s face, already monstrous like a yaksha, contorted even further.

Ku-uuuuung!

Ildodansan’s technique, which had been aimed at Jin Yeomyung, veered completely off-course and ripped apart the surrounding terrain.

Kugugung!

He deliberately dispersed the technique, then slammed his greatsword into the ground with a fierce roar.

“Ninth Heavenly Lord! You dare interfere in my duel?!”

With horns sprouting from his temples, Gam Unbi’s face had all but lost its human shape.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Unable to contain his fury, Gam Unbi swung his greatsword wildly, laying waste to the surroundings indiscriminately.

“…Seems you were enjoying the fight. You’ve even forgotten your objective.”

“You bastard! Do you want to die?!”

The moment Hwan Pyeong appeared, Gam Unbi’s killing intent turned entirely toward him.

The power of the mythical beast Tao Tie pressed down on Hwan Pyeong’s entire body.

“……Kuh!”

Tao Tie’s power, which ignored all opposing attributes through brute force, was almost antithetical to Hwan Pyeong’s illusion arts.

Enduring the pain of his bones and muscles being crushed, Hwan Pyeong attempted to stop him.

“Calm down… Are you planning to ignore the Grand Heavenly Lord’s orders?”

Flinch!

At the mention of the Grand Heavenly Lord, Gam Unbi’s overwhelming aura instantly waned.

Hwan Pyeong rubbed his shoulder and let out a deep sigh.

“I don’t particularly like this situation either. But what can we do? If you can’t get a pheasant, you settle for a chicken.”

“…You bastard.”

Gam Unbi glared at Hwan Pyeong for a while, but after a moment, he fully regained his reason and clicked his tongue.

“Why isn’t that guy moving at all? A mere stab to the gut shouldn’t be enough to completely immobilize him.”

“It’s because he was struck by the True Star Sword.”

The True Star Sword.

Not just a simple weapon, but one of the Illusion Clan’s Three Great Treasures.

“That toothpick has some kind of ability?”

“Yes. The True Star Sword has various functions, but…”

Hwan Pyeong’s lips twisted into a cold grin.

“The most important one is this—anyone struck by it will have all the inner energy and supernatural powers they’ve built up sealed away.”

“What?”

“To a martial artist, it’s a punishment worse than death. I wanted to turn that little Young Cult Leader into a laughingstock in front of the Cult Leader… What a shame.”

Of course, in most cases, just killing someone is far cheaper.

Unless they were at the level of one of the Three Supremes of the Central Plains, the True Star Sword was nothing but a massive liability.

At that moment, Gam Unbi jerked his chin toward the front.

“Then what’s that?”

“……Huh?”

“You said all energy would be sealed, didn’t you?”

Hwan Pyeong instinctively turned his head.

And where his gaze landed—

Jin Yeomyung, radiating a dazzling golden light all over his body, was slowly rising to his feet.

“Th-That’s impossible?!”

Hwan Pyeong was truly horrified.

‘Seriously, this is so damn annoying.’

Puhk!

I grabbed the blade of the True Star Sword that had pierced my abdomen and yanked it out with my hand.

‘My inner energy won’t move. Most of my activated senses have been shut down, too.’

The qi that had once flowed like a great river now felt frozen in place.

It was like all the Eight Extraordinary Meridians had been blocked—an incredibly stifling sensation.

‘The True Star Sword… It certainly lives up to its reputation.’

The Cult Leader had explained it to some extent, but actually experiencing it firsthand was infuriating beyond words.

However…

‘Hwan Pyeong. There’s one thing you’ve overlooked.’

My second special trait, Vitality, is a power with an unfair advantage far beyond that of your True Star Sword.

All the inner energy and demonic arts I’d cultivated over my life were sealed in one sneak attack.

But my sword techniques and movement arts remained intact—and the energy to fuel them was still being supplied “externally” through my heart.

“H-How…?”

Hwan Pyeong stumbled back in genuine panic.

The trembling of someone whose trump card had completely missed its mark.

Even the head of the Six Great Demonic Clans, Hwan Pyeong, was no exception to that.

I picked up the True Star Sword from the ground with a grin.

“This is great. I never really trusted the Demonic Soul First Sword anyway, but this should do nicely.”

I felt a bit sorry for Gu Chil, but let’s be honest—this was the better weapon by far.

“Bastard! Put that down right now!”

“What if I don’t?”

“Return to me, True Star Sword!”

Hwan Pyeong desperately tried to reclaim ownership.

But I suppressed its authority by force using the power of light.

Gam Unbi watched me with admiration.

“That’s divinity completely alien to demons. Are you truly a member of the Demonic Cult?”

“…….”

“But clearly, something’s not right. That power must have limits, right?”

Gam Unbi’s words hit the mark.

This wasn’t an infinite power.

It operated under different laws—and the more I used it, the more it eroded my body and soul, eventually dragging the user to destruction.

In some ways, it was a power even more demonic than any demonic art.

If I went all out, I might be able to maintain it for maybe a quarter of an hour?

“Still, it should be more than enough to settle things.”

“…….”

Gam Unbi and Hwan Pyeong tensed up, lowering their stances.

‘My final outburst is going to be quite the spectacle.’

Just as I raised the True Star Sword and prepared to charge at them—

“No. It’s already too late.”

“……!”

Before I knew it, the awakened beings of the Heaven-Defying Society had completely surrounded me.

There were at least over a hundred of them.

Not for Cheon Yura or the delegation—but solely to capture me, all available forces had been gathered here.

But more than that—

The unidentified monstrosity standing at the front, speaking directly to me.

A face cloaked in an unnatural darkness.

The moment I saw him, I instinctively knew who he was.

“You… Are you the Grand Heavenly Lord?”

“Indeed.”

The Grand Heavenly Lord nodded casually.

“Power from beyond this world. Certainly a wondrous force, but a cheat is a cheat, after all.”

Swish!

“Once you understand how it works, it’s surprisingly easy to shut down.”

“……!!!”

The moment the Grand Heavenly Lord formed some kind of hand seal—

“Guaaaagh!”

I clutched my chest and groaned in pain.

The energy that had been flowing from near my heart began to shut off, as if blocked by something!

‘Kghh! Th-This… this is insane?!’

It felt like a massive, intangible hand had reached in and clenched my heart—utterly grotesque!

At this rate, I’d lose every last bit of energy!

“What you did in Qinghai was impressive. Even within the Demonic Cult, your actions almost threw everything off track.”

“Gahk! Kuuhk!”

The Grand Heavenly Lord gave a benevolent smile like that of a merciful Buddha.

“Being able to dispose of you here—what a stroke of luck. So now, why don’t you just quietly…”

And then—

—Jin—Yeo—Myung!!

From far away, a lion’s roar echoed faintly through the air.

At the sound of that voice, the Grand Heavenly Lord, who had been reaching his hand toward me, froze mid-motion.

I blankly muttered the name that had just called out.

“…Yura?”

Far off to the southwest riverside—

That was where Cheon Yura’s voice had come from.

Once Cheon Yura made a decision, she acted swiftly.

She recalled the Guardian Lions who had been locked in fierce combat nearby, then forcefully broke through the southwest path in a single, focused charge.

“Young Cult Leader, they’re not pursuing us.”

As the delegation rushed toward the riverbank, Wang Cheongeol, who had been guarding the rear, approached her.

“It’s like… they’ve set their sights elsewhere.”

“…….”

Cheon Yura grit her teeth desperately.

Because she immediately understood what Wang Cheongeol meant.

“This way, Young Cult Leader!”

In the distance, a large ship flying the banner of the Surow Group quietly emerged from the darkness.

Recognizing Sa Biyeon’s voice, Cheon Yura and her party instantly turned and rushed toward the vessel.

“H-Hurry up and get on! Damn it, as if the Evil Path bastards weren’t enough—what are those monstrous things I’ve never seen before….”

The current trade partner, Gal Usan, the shipmaster of the Mangyeong Group, urged them on with a trembling shoulder.

Thus, the surviving Heavenly Demon Cult delegation safely boarded the ship.

Whip!

Suddenly, feeling a foreboding chill, Cheon Yura whipped her head around.

“…Young Cult Leader?”

“…….”

After a moment of silence, she gathered her inner qi and roared with a lion’s voice toward the front.

“Jin—Yeo—Myung!!”

Kugugugung!

Her voice was so loud that ripples spread across the river and the ship rocked violently.

Even the Guardian Lions, known for their profound inner strength, had to cover their ears in pain.

“Y-Young Cult Leader?”

“W-Why did you…?”

Even she couldn’t fully understand why she had shouted.

But the overwhelming dread rising up through her entire body—

Had pushed her into a behavior that would have normally been impossible.

And then, moments later…

“Go on ahead! I’ll catch up soon!”

A small but energetic voice—just like always—responded.

However—

Upon hearing that voice, Cheon Yura’s expression grew increasingly pale.

He should have rejoined them by now.

But Jin Yeomyung was still far away, alone.

That could only mean one thing.

“…N-No. This isn’t right.”

“Huh?”

“I—I have to go back for Jin Yeomyung. H-He’s… in danger….”

Just as she stammered like a broken machine and tried to jump off the ship—

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

Dao Zun, holding a pipe, stepped in front of her.

“…Move.”

Of course, Dao Zun didn’t move aside. Instead, he bore down on her with force.

“Where do you think you’re going? You’d throw away the escape route he bought with his life?”

“……!”

Dao Zun knew as well.

Why the awakened beings of the Heaven-Defying Society, who had fought them so fiercely, were no longer chasing them.

“You’re the ‘Palace.’ If you’re caught, it’s all over. That’s why he…”

“Move. Now!”

Cheon Yura erupted with dark demonic qi and slashed her sword at Dao Zun.

“…Sigh. Utter foolishness.”

At the same moment the Ten Thousand Symbols Taiji rose behind Dao Zun—

Thud!

In an instant, Cheon Yura was subdued; her acupoints and joints pinned, her body slammed to the ship’s floor.

Having not yet undergone complete demonic transformation and on the brink of losing her reason, she was no match for Dao Zun’s skillful counter.

The Heavenly Demon Sacred Sword she had held clattered across the floor.

Even without a weapon and with her qi points sealed, she continued to scream in anguish.

“Move! I said move! Don’t stop me!”

“You kept it together until the end and lost it at the final moment. What the hell is that love of yours, anyway….”

Crushing her down, Dao Zun shouted to those around them.

“What are you fools doing?! Your lord is trying to crawl into a coffin by herself and you’re just letting her!?”

“……!”

“Even point sealing doesn’t work properly on her—damned monster.”

“Aaagh! Aaaaaaaagh!”

“Y-Young Cult Leader!”

“Hold her down! Dammit!”

Only then did Wang Cheongeol and Saber King, regaining their senses, rush to restrain the screaming Cheon Yura.

***

‘Well, she should be able to escape on her own now.’

I didn’t know how Cheon Yura managed to roar from that far away.

But I couldn’t afford to worry her any longer.

Before the power of Vitality completely faded, I gathered every last bit of strength and responded to her.

As a result, I was now just an ordinary man with no inner energy left.

“A love so touching it brings tears.”

Clap. Clap. Clap.

In the stillness, the Grand Heavenly Lord gave a brief round of applause.

“It’s like watching my previous incarnation. So pure and devoted. I respect that. However…”

Suddenly, the Grand Heavenly Lord, now colder than ever, called someone over.

“Hwan Pyeong.”

“Yes, Grand Heavenly Lord.”

Sichuan Lord Hwan Pyeong responded.

“Behead Jin Yeomyung with the True Star Sword. Finish it cleanly. Consider it a small reward for your disrupted plans.”

“…Thank you, Grand Heavenly Lord.”

Though his expression was stiff, Hwan Pyeong soon gave a sinister smile and retrieved the True Star Sword.

Now that the power of Vitality had run out, the sword returned to his hand without resistance.

“Tsk. I’m not thrilled about this,”

Gam Unbi clicked his tongue with folded arms, grumbling in discontent—but it didn’t change the outcome.

With the True Star Sword in hand, Hwan Pyeong slowly approached me and said,

“You survived even after devouring the Heaven-Destroying Poison and having the Third Lord and the True Star Sword thrown at you. That’s some damned fortune. Like the Grand Heavenly Lord said, I’ll give you that. But this is the end, you damn brat of the Jin Clan.”

“…….”

I looked calmly at Hwan Pyeong and the Grand Heavenly Lord.

Was it really over?

I had no strength left.

No—there was no strength left, but there was one final card.

If I used that, I’d suffer a pain so immense that death would feel like mercy.

But.

‘If I can take them all with me using it…’

Cheon Yura, from here on, would surely live a much better life than “that time.”

I slowly reached for the Heavenly Spirit Seal.

Then, suddenly—

“That fortune. It seems it hasn’t run out just yet.”

A voice came from not far off.

Step. Step.

“…You.”

Hwan Pyeong frowned when he saw who it was.

His originally yellow monk’s robe was now stained red with blood—whether it was his or someone else’s, it was unclear.

But more important was this—his right hand, covered in wounds, was holding someone’s severed head.

Ninth Heavenly Lord of the Heaven-Defying Society, and a senior of the Beggars’ Sect.

The Fearsome Monk of Wudang, Venerable Buddha Clear Justice, stood with one hand forming a Buddhist seal as he chanted softly:

“Amitabha. Allow this humble monk to take part in this matter as well.”

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