Chapter 212. Heavenly Emperor Cult (5)

An intense wave of qi swirled before the Teaching Demon’s nose.

Accordingly, a barrier of solidified, massive wind was created.

Soon after, the Master’s Blade and the wind barrier collided.

SCREEEEECH!!

A series of chilling noises, as if something was exploding and being ground down, erupted.

The wind barrier was being ground away.

But the wind continued to swirl.

The barrier was newly formed every moment, while the enhanced qi condensed on the Master’s Blade gradually faded.

I knew. That if this continued, the Master’s Blade would lose its power and fall.

I watched the scene with wide-open eyes.

The Master’s Blade, still imbued with enhanced qi even after leaving my hand.

Gazing at that sword, I repeated the contents of the Sun Moon Infinite Sword in my head.

– O practitioner. Imagine the sun and moon endlessly circulating in the sky.

The Sun Moon Divine Sword had argued.

The sun and the moon circled the sky every day.

As if they were connected by some string, even though they were not connected to the earth.

– The sword is also the same. Just as the sun and moon are connected to this earth by an invisible thread, an invisible thread exists between the swordsman and the sword.

Honestly, no matter how many times I read it, it was content that made me wonder what kind of nonsense it was.

I couldn’t understand it at all with my poor comprehension.

But at this moment.

I could see it very faintly.

The hilt of the Master’s Blade, where the enhanced qi was scattering.

And my right hand, which had always wielded the Master’s Blade.

A very faint and fine thread connecting the two.

I couldn’t understand it with my poor comprehension, but my special eyes could see it.

I clenched my empty right hand.

As if there was actually a sword in it.

The thread touched my clenched fingertips.

It was a strange feeling.

I couldn’t feel anything with my sense of touch.

But it felt as if I had caught something.

Repeating the secrets of the second form in my head, I channeled my internal energy towards that thread.

The energy that left my dantian traveled along the faint thread towards the Master’s Blade.

The faint thread became taut and distinct.

Was it because I was forcibly doing something I couldn’t understand with my comprehension?

A severe headache, feeling like my head would burst, came over me for the first time in a while.

Ignoring it, I continued to pour in my internal energy.

The energy I had finally channeled reached the Master’s Blade.

VWOOOOOM!

With a rough sword cry, the dying flame of the Master’s Blade was revived.

As soon as the enhanced qi enveloping the Master’s Blade thickened again, the Teaching Demon’s eyes widened as if to burst.

At the same time, new words appeared on his face.

– W-what is this!?

Even while surprised, his spells continued.

The wind barrier continued to form to block the Master’s Blade.

“Kuaaaaaah!!”

The weapons swung by the screaming martial artists were approaching my body by the second.

Desperate screams were also drawn on their faces.

– N-nooo!!

– Q-quickly, get out of the way!!

Just as I had ignored their pleas to be killed, I naturally ignored this plea as well.

Unfortunately, it was impossible for me to perform the second form while moving at my current level.

The moment I tried anything else, my concentration would be broken.

It was obvious that this thread I had barely grasped would also disappear in an instant.

Ignoring the flying weapons and qi waves, I focused only on the thread.

I poured qi into the Master’s Blade indiscriminately.

CRUNCH!

With a terrifying noise, the Master’s Blade finally pierced through the barrier.

At the same time, new words were written on the Teaching Demon’s face.

– Damn it!!

His intention was laid bare.

As the wind swirled, the Teaching Demon’s body, floating in the air, moved to the side.

I knew instinctively.

That if the Master’s Blade continued forward like this, it would pierce his side.

But that alone was not enough.

Because it would take time for him to die even if his side was pierced.

My hand moved before my reason.

I swung the hand clenching the thread through the air.

As if I were cutting an enemy in front of me with a sword in hand.

The already intense headache raged even more fiercely.

In the midst of feeling like my head was about to explode, a very ecstatic sight was reflected in my eyes.

The trajectory of the Master’s Blade, which had been moving straight forward, twisted sharply.

Even from a distance, it moved sharply to the side as if connected to my hand.

This was the true second form of the Sun Moon Infinite Sword. Ilwol.

CRUNCH!

The Master’s Blade plunged into the Teaching Demon’s side.

“You son of a……”

Before the Teaching Demon could finish his words, the Master’s Blade sliced through his abdomen.

SLASH!

A body neatly split in two.

The Teaching Demon’s lower half fell to the ground.

Soon, the wind that had been swirling in the air dissipated, and the Teaching Demon’s upper body began to fall.

But I couldn’t just watch that satisfying scene.

My vision was stained red.

Perhaps as a price for forcibly performing Ilwol, it seemed that my eyes were not just bloodshot but were shedding tears of blood.

Beyond that blood-stained vision, the weapons swung by the martial artists had already reached right in front of my nose.

Clinging to my fading consciousness, I hurriedly twisted my body.

This was also just a movement based on instinct.

Following the trajectories visible in the air, I threw my body, close to a state of selflessness.

SLASH!

The sound of cutting rang out wildly.

It was too close, and there were too many trajectories.

It was impossible to avoid them completely.

But at least I could avoid a fatal wound.

Ignoring the pain felt throughout my body, starting with the headache, I opened my eyes wide.

Just as I was about to move to deal with the next attack.

“Cough.”

The four martial artists coughed up blood simultaneously.

Soon after, they abruptly sat down cross-legged on the floor and began circulating energy to heal their injuries.

A deep sigh escaped me without me realizing it.

“Haa.”

It was a sigh of relief.

It wasn’t because I had escaped a life-threatening crisis.

“It seems you’ve broken free from the spell.”

I had succeeded in killing the Teaching Demon before their prenatal qi was exhausted.

For now, that was enough.

Right after I sighed, even more pain washed over me.

“Keuk.”

The pain felt even greater now that the battle was over.

Gritting my teeth, I composed my breathing.

I turned my head and looked at the Teaching Demon’s corpse.

A corpse whose upper and lower body had been separated in mid-air, now scattered on the floor.

Staring at it, I felt a strange emotion.

The Three Disasters and the Four Demons.

All the great evils that had thrown the future Central Plains into chaos were gone.

I had succeeded in eliminating all those terrifying masters whose coattails the original me couldn’t even follow.

Some became my comrades, and some I killed with my own hands.

The dream I had since returning to the past had been realized.

Was that why?

Despite the pain covering my whole body, a smile kept creeping onto my lips.

“Huhuhuhu.”

With a laugh, I began to walk unsteadily.

Next to the Teaching Demon’s corpse.

Towards the Master’s Blade, which was pitifully rolling on the ground.

Dragging my body that felt as heavy as a thousand pounds was quite an ordeal.

Yes, I had achieved my initial goal, but an even greater enemy remained.

The Demonic Cult.

And its leader.

A terrifying master I could not yet face.

But it didn’t matter.

Even if it was heavy, there was a path forward.

Above all, I had caught a clue today.

Even if it was faint, the sensation remained at my fingertips.

My fingers kept twitching.

I wanted to grasp that thread again.

I wanted to perform Ilwol and swing that Master’s Blade lying on the floor again.

But I endured it with extreme patience.

If I tried it again in this state, my head might really burst and kill me.

“Sure, I might not mind mutual destruction with trash, but I can’t die alone.”

The Teaching Demon was already dead.

The anger that had exploded had also subsided.

Even for the sake of the fight against those damn Demonic Cult bastards, I needed to avoid a dog’s death.

Staggering, I reached the Master’s Blade. I barely managed to bend down and pick it up.

“Huhuhu.”

As I was smiling contentedly, I heard Paeng Daecheol’s voice from the side.

“G-Great Hero!! A-are you alright?”

When I turned my head, Paeng Daecheol had a horrified look on his face.

Fortunately, the shamans were all corpses.

“I’m fine.”

“B-but, y-your condition.”

Unlike the shocked Paeng Daecheol, Nam Geon let out a sigh.

“Haa. B-big bro. You fought recklessly again. I-if you’re going to do that, you should just learn the I-Iron Blood Golden Skin Art, big bro.”

“Y-Young Master Nam. I-is Great Hero Jin really alright? H-he keeps talking to himself and smiling.”

“W-when big bro’s eyes go crazy, h-he’s always like that. T-that’s why bad guys called h-him a p-possessed madman whenever they saw him.”

“……S-so that’s why he was called the Ghost Sword?”

While Nam Geon and Paeng Daecheol were having a trivial conversation, Hwangbo Ak was angry for some reason.

“That’s cheap, Brother Jin! How can you face an enemy that even you struggled so much against all by yourself! Please give me a chance to fight a strong opponent too!”

I didn’t want to deal with a madman, so I decided to just ignore him.

Just then, I felt a presence from below.

The Tang clan guy and the two Senior Sisters were rushing this way.

“Senior Brother!!”

Senior Sister Baek Hyang’s startled cry. Soon after, the Tang clan guy spat out a curse.

“What the! You were quiet for a while, so what kind of crazy shit did you pull this time to end up in that state!”

His shout made my head ring.

“You’re loud, so treat me first.”

The Tang clan guy’s face crumpled.

“What, did you deposit some medicine with me? Why should I have to treat a guy who’ll just become half-crippled again even if I save him!”

“What nonsense are you talking about. Don’t treat me, treat these people.”

I pointed to the four martial artists who were diligently circulating energy to heal their injuries next to me.

Their condition was not good, as their prenatal qi had already been rampaged.

The Tang clan guy, who rushed over, crumpled his face.

“……Who are these people that they ended up looking similar to you?”

“The Teaching Demon made their prenatal qi rampage with a spell.”

“That’s insane!!”

The startled Tang clan guy quickly took out pills and needles and approached the people who were circulating energy to heal their injuries.

I turned my head and looked at Senior Sister Baek Hyang and Senior Sister Choyeon.

“What happened below?”

“For now, we have subdued everyone who approached. More importantly, Senior Brother’s body first……”

I nodded at Senior Sister Baek Hyang’s words.

“Yes. It’s a relief that everything is sorted out.”

Then I also immediately sat cross-legged.

My limit to endure was already approaching.

***

How long did I spend treating my injuries through circulating energy?

After managing the headache at the very least, I finished circulating my energy and opened my eyes.

The first thing I saw was the Tang clan guy’s face.

“Tsk. At least the blood coming out of your seven orifices has stopped. For now, take off your shirt.”

Saying so, he pushed forward a medicinal balm and a cloth.

“I’m fine, so please see to the others first.”

“I’ve already treated all the urgent cases. You’re the one in the most serious condition now.”

Saying so, he tore off the tattered clothes on my forearm and roughly rubbed the medicinal balm on the wound.

“It feels like there’s some emotion in that, doesn’t it?”

“What does it matter? It’s a body you’re going to use roughly anyway.”

As I was watching him, wondering what kind of person he was, shadows fell over my head.

“G-Great Hero, are you alright?”

“Senior Brother, are you okay?”

“B-big bro. D-don’t overdo it.”

I gladly smiled at their questions.

“Don’t worry. On the contrary, I feel refreshed thanks to gaining an enlightenment.”

“Brother Jin! Isn’t that too much? To hog all the enlightenment for yourself!”

Hwangbo Ak screamed.

“Well, good for you for gaining enlightenment.”

The Tang clan guy slapped my wound with the medicinal balm.

Sparks literally flew before my eyes.

I glared at the Tang clan guy as if to kill him, but he just snorted in response.

“Haa.”

For now, I decided to let it go this time.

As the Tang clan guy’s treatment was about to end.

I felt a presence from the side.

It was the ones whose prenatal qi had rampaged.

Having recovered at least a little, they got up one by one.

After turning their heads and looking around, they approached me without anyone saying who should go first.

When I first met them, they had the faces of middle-aged men, but now they were close to old age.

I cupped my fist towards them.

“I’m sorry it took so long to kill him.”

As soon as my words ended, they abruptly cupped their fists at me.

While bowing their waists deeply.

One man even prostrated himself before me.

“That is an utterly absurd statement!”

“Great Hero! We owe you our lives!”

“If the Great Hero had not saved us from that Heavenly Emperor Cult Leader, we would have lived as his slaves until the day we died.”

“Great Hero. The rest of our lives are something we gained only because of your grace.”

“That’s right. Therefore, we will live the rest of our lives for the Great Hero.”

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