Chapter 371: Assault (2)

“Come in.”

I followed her into the shrine, where the chill had yet to fade.

“…That’s…”

I had seen it once before, deeper inside the shrine.

A statue of a beautiful woman with six arms forming the Mudra of Turning the Dharma Wheel.

It was none other than Heavenly Evil.

Surely, the original statue there had been one of Earth Saint, not Heavenly Evil.

‘The fact that a statue of Heavenly Evil is here… Does that mean her essence has changed?’

If so, wouldn’t this place be a death trap?

“Don’t be so wary. I have no intention of harming you.”

Han Yeong sat down in the center of the shrine.

“Why is it your former self’s personality here and not that of the Grand Heavenly Lord?”

“Didn’t I already tell you? My descendant… Han Seon is concerned about information leaking out.”

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

“But if I were to add another reason, it would include a touch of self-deprecation and ridicule toward what I’ve become.”

“Self-deprecation and ridicule?”

“That child… knows nothing of love. No, he refuses to know.”

“……”

“Because he knows I was ruined by love… and that it led to his very birth.”

Even if I didn’t know the exact details, I had a general grasp of the story.

Despite awakening as Heavenly Evil, Grand Heavenly Lord Han Yeong couldn’t let go of her obsession with her lover’s first disciple, Yoo Jeon.

And as a result, she was defeated and vanished from history.

“Though we share the same root, our dispositions are completely opposite. No—more than mere dislike, we loathe each other.”

“Then you must not know the whereabouts of the Grand Heavenly Lord.”

“Hehehe, of course not.”

Han Yeong laughed, covering her mouth with her sleeve.

“But I can tell you something else. For instance… information about a monster that discarded its body?”

“…!”

I frowned slightly.

“If you’re so cautious about leaking information, how do you know that?”

“It’s not that I know—it’s that I noticed.”

Han Yeong’s expression grew a bit colder.

“Throughout Daesan, the stench is so foul that I can’t stand it.”

“A stench…?”

Instead of answering directly, Han Yeong began to explain.

“Long ago, someone close to Heavenly Evil, wishing to create a powerful army for her, abandoned his own body and martial power to produce a force meant solely for Heavenly Evil.”

An invincible army, fearless and obedient only to orders.

A single spellcraft to create that army.

“Divine sorcery, Aksan Soul-Tainting Qi. That is the identity of the vile thing now spreading through Daesan.”

Spreading evil and polluting the soul.

As expected, my suspicions were not far off.

Still, I wasn’t sure whether the method to counter it would also be within expectation.

“Though it’s been considerably corrupted compared to the original, its essence remains unchanged.”

“…A martial artist at the Transcendent Demon Realm went missing. Could that sorcery be the cause?”

“Who knows?”

“That spell is certainly powerful when used well, but it has a clear weakness.”

“What weakness?”

“Like other mental-type sorceries, it’s ineffective against those with strong wills.”

Indeed, mental spells, as wicked as they were, had their limits.

“Was the missing person weak-willed compared to their cultivated martial prowess?”

I thought for a moment, then shook my head.

“No, that’s not it.”

The Sword Demon, despite losing one arm, hadn’t retired. He was a born warrior still striving for higher ground.

There was no way he had a weak will.

“If that’s the case, then even if he was affected by the sorcery, it likely began with subjugation through force.”

“……”

At that moment—

I recalled the enormous clash I had witnessed not long ago.

At present, there were only three people who could suppress the Sword Demon through force.

Me, the Saber Demon, and… Cheon Jumun.

It clearly wasn’t me, and it wasn’t the Saber Demon either.

Because the traces were clearly from a sword, not a saber.

Which meant…

‘It’s right to assume Cheon Jumun was also subdued…’

If Cheon Jumun had been used to subdue the Sword Demon, then what means were used to suppress Cheon Jumun?

My mind grew more entangled.

“If he was indeed affected by that sorcery, is there a way to undo it?”

“There is.”

“Then…”

Just as I was about to ask her to share the method—

“Wait.”

Srrrk—

She approached and gently wrapped her arms around my upper body.

I frowned and tried to push her away.

“I belong to someone else.”

“Be still for a moment. I’m not feeling you, but something else…”

“……”

Bzzzz…

For some reason, the Ten Heavenly Record Immortal Sword, which had remained inert until now, began to tremble faintly.

She was sensing the lingering presence of Yoo Jeon through me.

For a while, she basked in that sensation before pulling away with a satisfied look.

“Yes… This warmth. I missed it… terribly so.”

She briefly closed her eyes halfway, reminiscing about the past.

Then she returned to the present and met my eyes.

“I’ll tell you the method. Listen closely.”

She explained the activation method, conditions, and conditional dispelling techniques for the divine sorcery Aksan Soul-Tainting Qi.

After receiving a few countermeasures from her—

“Still, wouldn’t it be more reasonable for you to aim for my body than help me?”

“Hehe, didn’t I tell you? This body is nothing more than a shell. Not an independent entity.”

Her current self was but a shell, something that could vanish at a mere thought of the Grand Heavenly Lord.

“Of course, if it were the will left by the original, then perhaps it’d be worth a try… hehehe.”

I looked at her quietly laughing with a reluctant expression.

In truth, just as she had said, she had indeed taken over Cheon Yoo Jeong’s body.

“One way or another, your existence is a mass of variables. Even my successor wouldn’t have foreseen events turning out this way.”

“…….”

“No matter how much he hated his successor, he wouldn’t have handed over information to the enemy unless it wasn’t the heir of Jeonui. That guy knew that, so he must have brought me forth as the surface persona.”

“Where is the other half of the Grand Heavenly Lord?”

She closed her eyes briefly, then murmured as though sensing something.

“Somewhere here, in Ten Thousand Mountain.”

“……!”

“But the incident you fear won’t happen immediately. It’s hidden away so thoroughly that no one could ever find it. Like a bear entering hibernation… it will never open its eyes until the time is right.”

Old Han had said it had been quite some time since the Grand Heavenly Lord split his soul.

“May I ask a few more things?”

Things of the past.

Matters that wouldn’t change anything now, whether I knew them or not—but still, a few questions lingered.

Han Yeong smiled gently and said,

“If you don’t mind, would that be alright? While you’ve been here, the outside world has turned to chaos.”

Ssshhk!

With a casual wave of Han Yeong’s hand, a massive screen appeared before me.

On that screen, Master was fighting someone!

“…That’s?!”

I clenched my teeth as I watched the battle.

It wasn’t anyone else—Master was being pushed back.

Even though Master hadn’t been overwhelmed while fighting the Awakened Body, Gam Unbi!

“Looks like I’ll have to return another time.”

“Hoho, I’m sorry, but after today, my persona will vanish completely. Only a pure soul remnant with no self will remain.”

“…….”

“Choose. Will you leave now, or satisfy your curiosity? If you choose the latter, I’ll answer anything you ask with sincerity.”

I hesitated for a moment at those words, but the deliberation didn’t last long.

“I’ll go. I’ve already gained what matters most.”

“Hoho… Are you certain you won’t regret those words?”

I turned my gaze back to the screen and replied,

“I trust that Master won’t be defeated. But this is ultimately a matter of our Cult. As the Demonic Faction Lord and husband to the Cult Leader, I must personally resolve it.”

“Is that so?”

She didn’t press me to choose anymore.

She merely sat there quietly, watching me walk away.

“Now that I’ve confirmed the will of Jeonui has returned to Ten Thousand Mountain, I have no regrets.”

She whispered softly, eyes closed.

“Yes, this is enough.”

“■■■■■■!!”

With a colossal roar, various parts of Eunru Valley began to collapse.

“R-Run!”

“Eunru Valley is collapsing!”

Suddenly, a massive explosion erupted from deep within, triggering a huge landslide that swept over the residential area.

Those who lived deeper inside Eunru Valley abandoned their homes and fled from the unexpected natural disaster.

And the two beings who caused that cataclysm—

“I’m sure we’ve met once before.”

Old Han pointed his sword at the monstrous figure, breathing heavily.

“That arm—I distinctly remember taking it from you. Am I wrong?”

“■■■!”

The masked monster, Sword Demon, didn’t answer.

Instead, he exploded with killing intent and sword intent, charging at Old Han.

Seeing the overwhelming wave of sword qi, Old Han frowned slightly.

“A reckless force like the horn of a charging bull. No doubt it’s powerful, but…”

His sword traced a half-moon arc.

“You weren’t this kind of swordsman.”

The Sword Demon’s massive wave dispersed in the wind stirred by Old Han’s sword.

“Looks like I’ll have to knock some sense into you first.”

Old Han deflected the Sword Demon’s blow, and his sword began drawing fierce strokes.

Soon, the two Supreme Masters who had reached the Transcendent Demon Realm clashed once again.

‘Amplifying internal energy doesn’t mean much to people like us. But this output…’

As Old Han collided with the Sword Demon, his expression gradually twisted.

“For someone like you, what sort of power have you laid your hands on?”

The amplification of sword intent always correlated with one’s attained level.

Even if Sword Demon and Old Han had both reached the Transcendent Demon Realm in the past, there had been a difference of about two stages between them.

That was why Old Han had been able to sever his arm and take it.

But now, he was the one being pushed back.

“Did you fall into despair, thinking you couldn’t ascend any higher? You never seemed like the type…”

Despite losing reason and panting heavily, he showed no openings.

That, in itself, was proof that the opponent’s skill was no mere fluke.

Which only made Old Han more perplexed.

‘Do I need to bet my life on this fight?’

Considering the opponent’s capabilities, a half-hearted mindset would only lead to certain defeat.

And then it happened.

Was it because he had focused too much on his opponent?

‘Damn.’

Before he realized it, another swordsman wearing a mask had appeared behind Old Han.

A tall, burly man at least a head taller than the Sword Demon.

But the composed sword intent radiating from him was by no means inferior.

A cold bead of sweat rolled down Old Han’s forehead.

‘At this rate… today might very well be my death anniversary.’

He could run if he wanted.

But his disciple was still inside, tending to business.

Until that business was finished, he could not back down.

Then—

“It’s been a while, Second Heavenly Lord.”

Old Han immediately scowled.

His appearance was quite different, but somehow Old Han knew who it was.

“…You, are you the Doctor?”

Doctor.

A mysterious monster who always hid in the shadow of the Grand Heavenly Lord.

He rarely took part in Heaven-Defying Society’s events and instead focused solely on creating Awakened Bodies.

Even Old Han had seen him only a few times.

During the days when Old Han worked as a contract rogue for the Heaven-Defying Society, he had occasionally taken on the Doctor’s commissions—that was the extent of their connection.

The Ten Heavenly Lords who knew him called him the Doctor, or sometimes, the Military Advisor.

The Doctor, Cheon Juchun, spread his arms wide with a fishy grin.

“How is it? My greatest masterpieces.”

“…Masterpieces, you say?”

“Of course, they’re masterpieces. My finest creations, with the power of the Heavenly Demonic Divine Art transplanted into them. They’re still being calibrated, but once tuning is complete, even you, Second Heavenly Lord, will find it difficult to face them one-on-one.”

“……!”

This bastard didn’t bluff. I could sense that instinctively.

Those two would become enormous obstacles in my disciple’s path.

Crack!

Old Han’s aura suddenly quieted.

And before long, a cold, dark blue aura—colder than eternal ice—began to flow from his sword.

“Ho?”

Just as Cheon Juchun’s eyes narrowed slightly—

“Then, I’ll just kill you first.”

At the moment he received that icy gaze, Cheon Juchun involuntarily took a step back.

“…Kill him.”

At that command, both the Sword Demon and Cheon Jumun charged directly at Old Han.

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