The Hunter's Decree
The entrance to the Demon Realm.>
A crimson afterglow streaked across the sky toward that point.>
Moments later, from within the glowing trail emerged a monk in golden robes.>
Not long after, golden-robed monks of Nascent Soul or even Heavenly Person level began appearing one after another in his wake.>
The pursuit squad of Gold Spirit Thunderstorm Sect, twenty-two Heavenly Person elders and forty Nascent Soul elders, together with Jeon Myeong-hoon, totaling sixty-three members, reached the entrance to the dimensional gate of Jinma-gye.>
Shortly afterward, six hundred and seventy-two monks in gray robes descended in succession.>
Two at the Four Pillars level, two hundred and three at Heavenly Person, four hundred and sixty-seven at Nascent Soul.>
All were emissaries of Bongrae Palace, and all seventeen children of the Palace Master Heon-won joined the group.>
Then yet another group of monks appeared.>
They wore robes of varied colors.>
Thirteen Nascent Soul, twenty-three Heavenly Person, one Four Pillars.>
Thirty-seven monks in total.>
Jeon Myeong-hoon gazed at the gathered monks and spoke.>
“It appears everyone has gathered. Gold Spirit Thunderstorm Sect, Bongrae Palace, and…”>
His gaze turned toward the thirty-seven monks.>
“Mercenaries as well. So this entire ‘Seo Eun-hyun Extermination Squad’ is here.”>
Jeon Myeong-hoon scanned the surroundings, then stepped forward and said.>
“First and foremost, I am deeply grateful for all of you taking such care to join us in hunting down the betrayer of our sect.”>
He continued.>
“Of course, not everyone came out of pure goodwill—some undoubtedly came seeking the enormous bounty offered by Bongrae Palace. Yet even so, your decision to assist us in capturing the sect’s villain has not changed. In particular, I extend my deepest thanks to Palace Master Heon-won for providing unwavering support in capturing that villain.”>
He bowed his head to Heon-ryang, the first law elder of Bongrae Palace and a Four Pillars-level monk.>
“I shall convey this to the Palace Master.”>
“Yes. Before heading out to hunt down the betrayer Seo Eun-hyun, I will broadcast information on him to all of you.”>
Jeon Myeong-hoon took out Jeomuldo and removed dozens of jade slips from within it.>
Paaaat!>
The jade slips that flew from his hands immediately headed toward the gathered monks’ hands.>
“These are the records from our Gold Spirit Thunderstorm Sect’s pursuit squad on Seo Eun-hyun over the past five years, detailing his abilities.”>
Jeon Myeong-hoon recalled the memories of the past five years.>
His former junior brother Seo Eun-hyun had, over those five years, openly revealed traces of his association with the ‘Goe-gun’.>
Especially numerous eyewitness accounts of seeing Seo Eun-hyun at the Wondrous Castle, and the story that the Seo Eun-hyun there had used his signature curse, which led the Gold Spirit Thunderstorm Sect to investigate the movements of the Goe-gun.>
In the process, they had learned of the power that Seo Eun-hyun had been hiding from the sect all along.>
One of the mercenary monks who received the jade slips let out a bitter laugh.>
“You’re asking us to believe this now? That the guy can use the Soul Sealing Art, puppetry, curse techniques, dual heaven-and-earth cultivation, demonic arts, and even bring demonic beasts that excel in poison?”>
“That is correct. According to our investigation, he is exactly such a person, and there is even a possibility that he is hiding something greater.”>
“His power… is it Four Pillars level? You said Nascent Soul, right? Is the information reliable?”>
The question about Seo Eun-hyun’s power drew Heon-wi, the seventh law elder of Bongrae Palace, to step forward.>
“I, the seventh law elder of Bongrae Palace, have personally experienced it firsthand. That fellow is a sword cultivator who has mastered the dual heaven-and-earth arts. He took a direct hit from the Taesan Yeolje Art and remained completely unharmed, suppressing me, and even at that moment he did not use any other power recorded on these jade slips. His power must be considered at least Four Pillars level. Moreover, he is a prodigy who reached Nascent Soul within a hundred years—our sect’s greatest genius—and so it cannot be ruled out that he has already advanced to Heavenly Person.”>
“Hmm, a monster. Forget everything else—taking a direct hit from the Taesan Yeolje Art at Nascent Soul level and still coming out alive, let alone suppressing the caster? He’s insane.”>
Wiri, the highest-level Four Pillars monk among the mercenaries, clicked his tongue.>
“Yes, and his understanding of formations and basic techniques is considerable. He has clearly reached the realm through the foreknowledge-and-afterthought method, yet he claims to fight using the afterthought-and-foreknowledge method as well.”>
“Huhu, this will be fun to hunt.”>
Heon-cheon, the second law elder of Bongrae Palace and a Four Pillars monk, licked his lips.>
Jeon Myeong-hoon looked at them and said.>
“For now, we will cooperate with the Human Alliance army to block the Demon Realm, but…”>
He frowned slightly.>
“For some reason, the Human Alliance is only providing one Heavenly Person squadron. In reality, we are left to handle the matter among ourselves.”>
“Hah, a Heavenly Person squadron means one Heavenly Person monk and ten Nascent Soul monks, right? That’s hardly overwhelming power.”>
“That is correct. In truth, the true power of this expedition squad is all of you gathered here. And, as I explained earlier, the betrayer Seo Eun-hyun of our sect is such a vicious and formidable opponent. Therefore, before launching the extermination, I recommend that we first appoint a commander of the squad and enter the Demon Realm.”>
At Jeon Myeong-hoon’s words, the Four Pillars monks of the mercenary group—Wiri—and the first and second law elders of Bongrae Palace, Heon-ryang and Heon-cheon, stepped forward.>
“Then we should appoint a commander from among us.”>
“That is correct, elder brother. Well, in reality it is enough for the first and second law elders of Bongrae Palace to decide among themselves.”>
Heon-cheon glanced at Wiri and let out a snicker, crossing his arms.>
Wiri smiled wickedly and said.>
“Young masters who do not know how dangerous the world is, you want to be the squad commander? That is unacceptable. You young masters who have never experienced a life-or-death battle—how can you lead us?”>
“Haha, you have not yet accumulated the required cultivation base to be the ‘no-axis’ one, yet you dare challenge the law elders of the Great Bongrae Palace? Do you not think that sounds ridiculous?”>
Heon-ryang deliberately wore a bold smile and crushed Wiri underfoot, sparks flying between the three.>
After a moment, Wiri stepped back one pace and said.>
“Well then, if the two law elders will take command, which one of you will be the squad leader?”>
At that, Heon-ryang smiled benevolently and said.>
“Hyeon-a, this crucial position should naturally fall to your elder brother, the first law elder. You are afraid of making too heavy a mistake.”>
“What do you mean, elder brother? As your junior sister, it is far too remorseful to burden an aging, ill elder brother with such a heavy load.”>
Sparks again flew between the two siblings, and Wiri smiled wickedly, trying to insert himself into the conversation.>
At that moment, Jeon Myeong-hoon stepped forward and said.>
“Ah, what I meant was simply that the strongest person among us here should take the position of squad commander.”>
At those words, smiles bloomed on the faces of the three Four Pillars monks.>
“That would be fine. Then, to settle it simply, let us have a sparring match right here.”>
By now, Wiri’s hands held three daggers.>
Dark qi flowed from the daggers, and Heon-ryang and Heon-cheon each had gauntlets on their fists and calves.>
After a moment, the three Four Pillars monks collided in mid-air.>
Kwa-kwa-kwa-gwang!>
At the entrance to the dimensional gate of Jinma-gye.>
Ten li above, the aftershocks of their spar exploded into a massive sphere of light, erasing everything within.>
Soon, Wiri was blasted out from inside the sphere.>
Spitting blood, he let out a bitter laugh.>
“Damn Taesan Yeolje Art… who would have thought its power could be this strong.”>
Kuu-guu-guu!>
A moment later, the light faded and only Heon-ryang and Heon-cheon remained in the air.>
The two law elders glared at each other for a moment, then—without waiting to decide who went first—raised both hands.>
Black-and-white spiritual energy swirled in their palms.>
“Taesan!”>
“Yeolje!”>
Instantly, yin-yang five-elements qi rose above their bodies, and they launched a tearing blow at each other.>
The sky was once again filled with light, and below, Heon-ryang fell down.>
“Kuh, hahaha… Even pure Taesan Yeolje Art cannot reach you.”>
Heon-ryang, spitting blood from his seven apertures, wore a bitter smile, and from within the light Heon-cheon also spat blood from his seven apertures while laughing loudly.>
“Huhuha! Elder brother, take some rest. This time I will lead the extermination squad and report the best results to the Palace Master.”>
“Tsk, whatever…”>
At that moment.>
“Well then, it has now been proven that among the three of you, the second law elder is the strongest. So I will give the second law elder the opportunity to spar with me.”>
“…What?”>
At Jeon Myeong-hoon’s step forward, confusion filled Heon-cheon’s eyes.>
“Did I hear that wrong? You want to spar with me?”>
“That is what I heard.”>
“…You must be crazy. You are still Nascent Soul level, yet I am already a true Four Pillars monk who has accumulated one of the five elements. You seem not to know the power of Taesan Yeolje Art…”>
“Forgive me, but I believe my own technique is not so inferior to Taesan Yeolje Art.”>
Jeon Myeong-hoon smiled wickedly and stepped forward one pace, and Heon-cheon, seeing his expression, burst into laughter.>
“Huhuha! Good! Only a man with this much spirit would be worthy. Then come on, attack me!”>
Heon-cheon snapped his fingers in challenge toward Jeon Myeong-hoon.>
“You think you can defeat me…”>
The next instant.>
Pazit!>
Jeon Myeong-hoon struck Heon-cheon’s face before he could react.>
“Wha…”>
Kwaduk!>
Jeon Myeong-hoon had already driven a spear made of golden lightning into Heon-cheon’s chin.>
“Kugh, so fast…”>
Pa-at!>
Heon-cheon, who had used his Fubi Art to match the speed, immediately regenerated his chin and extended his hand.>
Yin-yang five-elements qi swirled around Jeon Myeong-hoon.>
“But the moment Taesan Yeolje Art hits…”>
However, before the yin-yang five-elements could fully bind him, Jeon Myeong-hoon quickly broke free from the shackles and charged forward, driving the spear into Heon-cheon’s abdomen.>
“Kugh, you bastard…”>
Heon-cheon’s face twisted in fury.>
‘His speed is too fast. I have to use Fubi Art constantly just to keep up.’>
Pa-at!>
Heon-cheon’s body was enveloped in the afterglow of Fubi Art and turned into a light mass, allowing him to barely keep up with Jeon Myeong-hoon’s speed.>
Spitting out a sound, Heon-cheon laughed.>
[I admit that Soul Sealing Art is a bit faster, but even so, this is enough to catch up!]>
Kwa-jijijik!>
Jeon Myeong-hoon, without a word, spat red lightning, and six flags sprang out behind his back.>
Soon, Jeon Myeong-hoon, transformed into the Six-Flag Thunder God, began swinging the flags wildly.>
[Hah, I learned that the larger the size, the easier it becomes to deploy Taesan Yeolje Art…]>
But the next instant.>
Kwa-reu-reul!>
Seven-colored lightning pierced Heon-cheon’s blind spot, and Heon-cheon’s entire body was paralyzed and unable to move.>
Taking that opening, Jeon Myeong-hoon’s lightning surged from heaven and earth, targeting him.>
‘N-no paralysis… damn it!’>
He gritted his teeth inwardly and bloodshot his eyes.>
‘If this continues I will lose! I cannot let this happen! Even if I am a genius, I am just a mere child who has not lived a hundred years, and you dare…! With only a messy Soul Sealing Art, you claim to surpass our sect’s Taesan Yeolje Art!? I will not accept it!’>
[Huaaah! ]>
Kuu-guu-guu!>
With black-and-white energy surrounding his two hands, Heon-cheon gritted his teeth.>
[Taesan Yeolje Art is a divine art personally taught to me by the Great Bongrae Palace Master after he received the respect of the God of Mountains! I will not yield even an inch to something like Soul Sealing Art!!!]>
Jeon Myeong-hoon, as a spirit of lightning, dodged Heon-cheon’s attacks back and forth while gazing at him.>
‘This is strange. I never intended to toy with him in the first place, but the moment I saw that Taesan Yeolje Art, my pride surged…’>
It felt as if his own inherited Red Lightning Heavenly Tribulation Art was itself roaring in protest, trampling Taesan Yeolje Art to death.>
Since this was the first time he had felt such a sensation while cultivating a technique, Jeon Myeong-hoon dodged all of Heon-cheon’s attacks with a refreshing feeling and prepared his next attack.>
[Here I come…]>
Jeon Myeong-hoon, truly a spirit of lightning, spat out a sound and pulled the power of Red Lightning Heavenly Tribulation to its limit.>
The next instant, Jeon Myeong-hoon had become a single red lightning spear, piercing through the body of Heon-cheon who was gathering energy in his two hands, and shot into the sky.>
Kwa-jijijik!>
Red lightning filled the sky completely.>
Thus, by proving himself the strongest member of the group, Jeon Myeong-hoon took the position of commander of the Seo Eun-hyun extermination squad.>
* * *>
Kuu-guu-guu-guu!>
Hundreds of monks flew beneath the dark sky of the Demon Realm.>
In the lead of the monks flew Jeon Myeong-hoon, dripping crimson afterglow, and behind him followed three Four Pillars monks with slightly displeased expressions.>
After a while, as they soared through the Demon Realm sky, they spotted a group of figures flying in the distance.>
A Heavenly Person squadron consisting of one Heavenly Person monk and ten Nascent Soul monks.>
“We have come to provide support from the Human Expeditionary Army. Are you heading to confront the monstrous man Seo Eun-hyun in the basin ahead?”>
“That is correct.”>
“For now, let us proceed, and I will present you with the information we have obtained on Seo Eun-hyun.”>
Jeon Myeong-hoon received jade slips inscribed with information from the Heavenly Person squadron leader and read them.>
The information was a bit more detailed than what Jeon Myeong-hoon himself had investigated over the past five years.>
“…I see. Thank you.”>
Jeon Myeong-hoon handed the jade slips back and frowned.>
The power listed on the jade slips exceeded his imagination.>
‘Most importantly, the one who handles poison—Hong-beom—is the most difficult. Even a low cultivation base poison can kill if one is careless…’>
He frowned and asked the incoming Heavenly Person monk.>
“By the way, why has the Human Alliance not exterminated Seo Eun-hyun, whom the Alliance sees as a traitor and an obstacle to occupying the Demon Realm?”>
“Ah, the truth is that a direct order came from the Black Dragon Heavenly Venerable Hall, the strategic headquarters, to not touch the monstrous man.”>
“Hmm? What does that mean?”>
He frowned at the sudden appearance of Black Dragon Heavenly Venerable Hall, one of the Six Great Sects.>
‘The Great Bongrae Palace openly declared they would hunt him down, and now one of the other Six Great Sects is openly resisting? Are they preparing to start a war between the Six Great Sects?’>
The Heavenly Person squadron leader continued his explanation, as if having read Jeon Myeong-hoon’s displeasure.>
“Precisely, at the time we encountered the monstrous man Seo Eun-hyun, we received an order that we should leave him alone for five years even if it hindered our advance.”>
“Five years? I know that our Human Alliance army only recently clashed with Seo Eun-hyun…”>
“Yes, that is correct. Until then, the advance speed had slowed due to the poison that the monstrous man Seo Eun-hyun is believed to have scattered, so time was needed to meet him. That is why the other Heavenly Person squadron leaders have been holding back until the order from the strategic headquarters expires.”>
‘Five years from now… the year when exactly ten years have passed since he betrayed the sect. What is Black Dragon Heavenly Venerable Hall up to? This way, he has not directly opposed the Great Bongrae Palace, but why suddenly…’>
He felt an uneasy premonition and, following the Heavenly Person squadron leader’s guidance, advanced forward.>
After a while, a vast mountain range appeared before the extermination squad.>
The mountain range was shrouded in Demon Realm-like spiritual energy, and the range encircled the entire surrounding region in the shape of a basin.>
“That is the region where the monstrous man Seo Eun-hyun has taken his seat. No one knows what he is doing, but he has turned the area into an abyss with his Green Jade Poison and keeps the inside off-limits to anyone, causing great headaches even for the expeditionary army.”>
“Thank you for the information. Then, for now…”>
Jeon Myeong-hoon raised his hand.>
A red lightning spear formed in his hand.>
Boom!>
He threw the spear with all his strength, and it flew toward the mountain range.>
At that moment.>
Clank, clank, clank!>
From beneath the ground of the mountain range, dozens of puppets suddenly appeared and opened their mouths.>
Flash!>
For some reason, the puppets resembling Seo Eun-hyun all opened their mouths at once and spat beams, and Jeon Myeong-hoon’s lightning spear collided with them and vanished instantly.>
“…As you can see, such puppets are crawling all over the entire mountain range. Each one of their strikes is on par with a Nascent Soul monk’s, so it will be extremely difficult to break through to the inside.”>
At the Heavenly Person squadron leader’s words, Jeon Myeong-hoon briefly glanced at the mountain range and smiled wickedly.>
Kwa-jik, kwa-jijijik!>
Red lightning erupted from his entire body.>
“Well, that is good. I did not expect it to be so easy to break through.”>
‘This is the level that deserves to be Seo Eun-hyun.’>
He smiled, recalling the Seo Eun-hyun he had once felt as a distant wall.>
“From now on, we enter the hunt for the betrayer of our sect, Seo Eun-hyun!”>
Kwa-ddu-duk!>
Six flags sprang out from behind Jeon Myeong-hoon, and the extermination squad began drawing up their respective core techniques.>
Thus, the battle to exterminate Seo Eun-hyun began.