Chapter 247: Trap

When Jang Woo-hyun appeared, Je Yeong-jeong’s subordinates couldn’t even think of attacking—no, they couldn’t move at all.

They instinctively understood that even the slightest movement would result in their bodies being shredded and torn apart.

Jang Woo-hyun had completely dominated the space around him.

Before the cultivators could even regain their senses, Mak Ya-wol, who had followed behind Jang Woo-hyun, threw a chain. Like a serpent, the chain glided through the air and pierced through the chests of the cultivators.

“Guhk!”

“Urgh!”

Just like threading beads for a necklace, Mak Ya-wol impaled over half the floating cultivators on his chain.

The chain, now strung with bodies, swung violently. Aside from a few whose chests burst from the impact and fell away, the rest of the cultivators were hurled into the mountain range.

With a thunderous crash, a mountain peak collapsed.

“Don’t think you can just get away with this.”

Mak Ya-wol’s expression was sterner than usual.

He too was enraged by the monstrous artifacts these cultivators were using.

And he wasn’t the only one who moved.

Despite having suffered a serious injury to one arm in his battle against the Mountain-Moving Great Sage, Seoryeom swung his sword with his tail and his one good arm.

The cultivators who had dodged the chain were sliced apart, their pieces scattering to the ground.

The Ascension Cult practitioners had some skill, but they were no match for either Seoryeom or Mak Ya-wol.

Some attempted to retaliate with spell arts, but they didn’t last long—soon, their bodies were shattered and they plummeted to the ground.

While the two of them were clearing out the Ascension Cult practitioners, the Wind-Passing Great Sage approached Jang Woo-hyun.

“That’s the one.”

What covered Je Yeong-jeong’s body became visible to the Wind-Passing Great Sage.

Resentment, hatred, rage, and sorrow had taken the form of vengeful spirits that swirled around him.

“Disgusting.”

Hundreds, thousands wouldn’t even come close. At minimum, it was the weight of tens of thousands of deaths.

Clicking his tongue, the Wind-Passing Great Sage did not join the fight.

Not only was there no worthy opponent, but this matter involved humans—intervening felt off. Besides, Jang Woo-hyun wasn’t in good shape either.

The Wind-Passing Great Sage slightly turned his eyes to observe Jang Woo-hyun’s condition.

‘He’s really angry.’

Though he wasn’t rampaging like a half-mad beast as before, the way he held in his fury was obvious.

While the Wind-Passing Great Sage was reading the mood, Je Yeong-jeong rose from the collapsed mountain.

“Graaaah!”

With a bestial roar, he thrust his spear, and a massive bolt of lightning surged upward from the earth into the sky.

Maeng Ye-ju stepped forward to intercept the approaching lightning.

She threw a punch. A beastly roar echoed in all directions, and the lightning vanished without a trace.

Seeing his attack blocked, Je Yeong-jeong prepared another. This time, he was about to swing a sword instead of a spear—but before he could react, Seoryeom was already at his side.

“……!”

Before he could respond, Seoryeom stabbed his sword.

Crunch!

The shield floating around Je Yeong-jeong shattered, and the sword pierced through his shoulder guard.

At the same time, a black line descended from the sky.

Mak Ya-wol’s chain-scythe, endlessly extended, had formed a single sweeping arc that split the mountaintop in half.

Ruuuumble!

A massive gorge opened, and Je Yeong-jeong was slammed back into the earth.

“Gghk.”

A groan escaped Je Yeong-jeong’s lips.

Even just Maeng Ye-ju was no easy opponent—yet there were four others even stronger than her.

‘This isn’t going to work.’

There was no way he could win.

He had already known that the Demon-Slaying Brigade, which included Jang Woo-hyun of the Thousand Blade Alliance and the Wind-Passing Great Sage, was powerful—but this was excessive.

He now understood why Hyeonwol had lured these people away separately.

‘They’re too strong.’

They weren’t many in number, but the Demon-Slaying Brigade possessed the power to completely change the tide of battle.

Je Yeong-jeong didn’t know exactly what plan Hyeonwol had devised.

But one thing was certain—if the Demon-Slaying Brigade interfered, the success rate of Hyeonwol’s plan would be cut in half.

“Thinking of running?”

A voice from beside him cut off his thoughts. Je Yeong-jeong flinched and reflexively braced for defense.

But it was meaningless.

Jang Woo-hyun’s fist shattered yet another defensive artifact, and Je Yeong-jeong was sent flying.

BOOM!

He smashed through a small hill, tumbled across the ground for ten li, and came to a stop.

“Khuhk!”

Even with Dharma Treasures, it was useless. They only bought a little time.

‘I need to find a way.’

Je Yeong-jeong struggled to his feet and scanned his surroundings. Then he realized—escape wouldn’t be easy either.

At some point, the Wind-Passing Great Sage had crossed his arms and was glaring down at him from behind.

To the left was Mak Ya-wol with his chain-scythe, and to the right stood Seoryeom and Maeng Ye-ju, fully blocking any route.

Ahead, Jang Woo-hyun was closing in, each step crossing hundreds of jang.

Je Yeong-jeong searched his mind for anything he could do. But no matter how he thought about it, there was no way out. Even facing just one would’ve been hard, yet now the entire core of the Demon-Slaying Brigade had gathered.

‘Is this all I can do?’

With no other options, Je Yeong-jeong decided to use what Hyeonwol had given him.

It felt unpleasant, but he had no choice—he had no means left.

‘Even if it doesn’t help, a little confusion is enough.’

As far as he could tell, the item Hyeonwol had given him was a Dharma Treasure used for summoning something.

He didn’t know what kind of entity it would call forth, but Je Yeong-jeong planned to use that brief moment to escape.

Having made up his mind, he swiftly pulled out the Dharma Treasure, about the size of a fist, and activated it.

Click. With a sound, the treasure opened like a lotus, and from inside, blue smoke billowed outward, forming a single glowing character.

“Huh?”

Jang Woo-hyun, who had been approaching Je Yeong-jeong, was momentarily confused by the sudden development.

FWOOOSH!

From Mukya, the black sword at his waist, a storm of black smoke erupted.

It was far worse than it had been before the curse had been sealed by the Wind-Passing Great Sage.

As Mukya vibrated violently, Jang Woo-hyun gripped the hilt tightly.

And in that moment—

The world before him changed.

‘This is…….’

Memories from the time before it was named Mukya. Memories of the black sword revealed by the Dragon King’s Scale.

The first memory was of countless deaths—resentment, rage, and vengeance converging into a single black line that became a sword. That sword, held in someone’s hand, shattered the world and unknown beings, only to be broken apart and scattered.

The second memory was about those fragments.

A person consumed by immense fury found one of the black sword’s fragments. And that fragment, responding to his rage, reformed into a complete sword.

The one who picked up the fragment grabbed the sword and rushed toward someone made of Blue Smoke to take revenge, only to be killed.

The scene now unfolding was that second memory.

The difference was that this time, the one who had appeared as Blue Smoke could be seen clearly.

A handsome young man with long hair tied back and swept behind him.

He looked down at his charging opponent and sneered.

It was a face he had never seen before, yet Jang Woo-hyun immediately knew who it was.

‘Hyeonwol.’

The Sect Leader of the Radiant Light Sect, and the sorcerer who had started the war.

‘So it was you.’

Only after seeing him did Jang Woo-hyun understand everything.

The Blue Smoke had been Hyeonwol’s power, and Black Wilds Sword had reacted to that power.

‘He gains strength by using humans, just like the cultivators.’

Hyeonwol had joined hands with the Ascension Cult long ago. That meant he had already stepped beyond the ways of the Murim and lived as a cultivator.

He devoured humans. He drained their life force and claimed that power for himself.

Countless people had been sacrificed. And among them, someone had obtained Black Wilds Sword before Jang Woo-hyun and attempted revenge.

But the revenge had failed, and Black Wilds Sword had eventually come into Jang Woo-hyun’s hands.

‘Now I understand.’

Once he grasped the true nature of the Black Sword, everything made sense.

The vicious curses and emotions remaining within Black Wilds Sword. And even the first memory it had shown him.

A black line born from gathered resentment, vengeance, and fury.

And that black line had come together to form the true Black Sword before it had shattered.

The Black Sword had been forged from the resentment, grudges, and sorrow of those who had died unjustly. It was only natural that a fragment of it had been delivered to someone whose family and friends had been massacred by Hyeonwol.

‘Is that why you stayed with me?’

—A Divine Weapon cannot be used by one without fate. Sometimes it chooses its own master. That’s why they say a master is predetermined. That sword… I don’t know what story it carries, but it is no ordinary object. It clearly followed you. Keep it with you long enough, and you’ll understand.

Wind-Passing Great Sage had once said that there must be a reason Jang Woo-hyun could wield Black Wilds Sword.

Even if he had not foreseen that Jang Woo-hyun would fight Hyeonwol, one thing had been certain at the time.

‘I made an enemy of a True Immortal.’

Naturally, he would also have to fight the cultivators who followed the True Immortal.

Considering the deranged conduct of the cultivators, from Black Wilds Sword’s perspective, staying with Jang Woo-hyun had likely been the best choice. The cultivators treated humans no differently than Hyeonwol did—as materials or tools.

‘The first memory was the vengeful spirits of those unjustly killed by the cultivators.’

A sword born to avenge the unjustly slain and resolve their grudges.

Because it had been such a sword from the very beginning, it had no choice but to choose Jang Woo-hyun, who fought against the True Immortal.

‘Then let’s go. Whether it’s Hyeonwol or the cultivators—let’s crush those who look down on humans.’

Wooooong!

Black Wilds Sword trembled once in response to Jang Woo-hyun’s emotions.

The scenes that had blocked his vision vanished. Though it had felt long, in reality it had been no more than an instant.

When Jang Woo-hyun returned to reality, he saw letters formed of Blue Smoke.

이팔신(二八神).

Light burst from the characters, and the surroundings darkened as if night had fallen.

Towering giants larger than mountains stood all around.

Strangely, the giants had no hands; their arms were fused into single, continuous limbs.

Eight giants encircled the Demon-Slaying Brigade.

The divine beings of the Demonic Spirit Realm known as the Eight-Armed Deities had been summoned by the Dharma Treasure used by Je Yeongjeong.

【We.】

【Fulfill.】

【The contract.】

【By the contract.】

【We seal.】

【This place.】

When the giants spoke, the surroundings resonated with a deep hum. Even the Floating Continent beneath their feet trembled. Encircling them in a ring, the giants resembled towering mountain ranges.

The most flustered by the words of the Eight-Armed Deities was Je Yeongjeong. He had been waiting for a chance to escape, and sealing this place was the last thing he had expected.

“Seal it? Wait! I summoned you! Get me out of here!”

Sixteen eyes turned toward Je Yeongjeong. Meeting their gaze from such heights, his body began to tremble involuntarily.

【You.】

【Are not.】

【Our.】

【Contractor.】

【By the contract.】

【We seal.】

【This place.】

Je Yeongjeong’s face twisted at their words.

As expected, Hyeonwol had used him as bait. No—he had abandoned not only Je Yeongjeong but also the sorcerers of the Radiant Light Sect to buy time.

The Dharma Treasure Hyeonwol had given him was meant to trap those who pursued Je Yeongjeong. Naturally, that included Je Yeongjeong himself.

The Dharma Treasure he had used on a desperate gamble had instead shackled him.

“Kyahahahaha!”

As Je Yeongjeong ground his teeth, a light laughter reached his ears. Turning his head, he saw a monkey Monster shaking with mirth.

Only then did the Eight-Armed Deities notice Wind-Passing Great Sage.

【Wind-Passing Great Sage.】

【Troublemaker.】

【Of the Demonic Spirit Realm.】

【Why.】

【Are you.】

【Here.】

“Ah! Shut up! Just one of you talk! One! Why do creatures with multiple heads always speak so strangely?”

Interrupting them, Wind-Passing Great Sage drew up his power. A massive Whirlwind enveloped his body.

“Seal this place? Seal who?”

Like the one they had previously encountered, the divine being Gyoma King, the Eight-Armed Deities possessed divinity. But they did not have their full power, and from the start, they were not suited for battle.

“You’ve been rotting in some corner of the Demonic Spirit Realm so long you’ve lost your senses.”

Sealing them was laughable.

Wind-Passing Great Sage was not alone here.

Kugugung!

Gwangnoeseong aimed the Demon-Slaying Thunder Cannon at the giant to the south.

The hundreds of Blade Scales floating around Jang Woo-hyun began to fill with power, and before Makya Wol, a massive net woven from a Chain Scythe rose into the air.

Seoryeom joined forces with Maeng Ye-ju, preparing to target one side.

“Seal us? Try it if you can! Stop us if you can! Hahahahaha! Rat, shout it!”

At Wind-Passing Great Sage’s words, Seoryeom drew in a deep breath and shouted.

“Demon-Slaying Brigade! Chaaaarge!”

Wind-Passing Great Sage shot forward like a storm, followed by a vast net of light that blanketed the sky as the Demon-Slaying Thunder Cannon fired.

From the Blade Scales, hundreds of pillars of light poured forth.

Light surged in all directions, tearing apart the divine beings known as the Eight-Armed Deities.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep