Chapter 327: You Have Already Saved Me
Chapter 327: You Have Already Saved Me
Corpses were piled into a mountain.
It wasn't a metaphorical expression; the bodies of demons truly filled the space. Atop the peak sat the Demon Buddha, his eyes closed as he chanted Buddhist sutras.
Thrum, thrum, thrum!
One after another, the demons began to vanish into plumes of black smoke. Since they had been defeated almost simultaneously, they dissipated all at once. Once the demons were gone, a door became visible beyond the carnage.
The Demon Buddha hurried toward it.
He never thought he would feel this way, but he was genuinely worried about the Pungcheon Cult Leader.
Aren't we friends? In the past, when they had only been close in words and laughter, he would never have taken such a risk to save him. But lately, he had come to understand the man. When he first heard that the Pungcheon Cult Leader had stepped down, he had thought, What kind of idiocy is that?
Now, he understood.
Was that why? He didn't want the Pungcheon Cult Leader to die in a place like this.
When he opened the door and stepped through, he found himself in a wasteland.
Whooooosh!
A sandstorm blew in, engulfing the Demon Buddha.
“Dammit.”
He was sick of these illusions and sick of this sandstorm. How was he supposed to escape this endless wasteland?
Just then, something caught his eye. It was a flower blooming in a crack between the rocks. The Demon Buddha stood before it for a long time, looking down at the blossom.
Whoooooosh.
An ominous sound echoed from behind, and the surroundings darkened as a massive shadow fell over him. When the Demon Buddha turned around, a demon of incredible proportions was looking down at him—a titan formed from clumps of sand.
Killing Art Repentance Seal!
Golden Gang Qi erupted from the Demon Buddha’s palms in a swirling vortex.
Swish! Thwack!
The Gang Qi struck the demon squarely in the chest, blowing a massive hole through it. In the next instant, however, the surrounding sand swirled upward and immediately filled the void.
Swish! Boom!
A second blast of Gang Qi obliterated the demon’s face, but the result was the same. The sand filled the gap in an instant.
Shhh!
As the demon reached out, sand poured forth with a rattling sound. It wasn't just sand; sharp Gang Qi that could tear a body to shreds was swirling within the grains. The Demon Buddha threw himself aside to dodge the attack.
Crash!
The ground where he had been standing was gouged deep, sending up a cloud of dust. As the Demon Buddha retreated, the giant demon approached slowly, as if intending to crush him underfoot.
The Demon Buddha quickly formed a hand seal with both hands.
Demonic Palm Destruction!
Suddenly, a shadow loomed over the demon. The creature turned its head back.
Above it, a palm from a Buddhist statue—far larger than the demon itself—was slamming down. A golden radiance erupted from the hand.
Rumble!
“Kueeeeeeeek!”
With an ear-piercing shriek, the demon scattered into harmless sand. As the Demon Buddha pressed his hands together in prayer, the golden hand turned into a mist of light and vanished into the storm. Only a deep, massive palm print remained on the ground where the demon had stood.
A door appeared where the giant had vanished.
As the Demon Buddha walked toward it, he saw the flower he had noticed earlier lying on the ground. He picked it up, stared at it for a moment, and tucked it into his belt. Then, he strode through the door.
*
As the Pungcheon Cult Leader gathered blue energy in both hands, the Illusion King hid behind So Baek-ta and spoke.
“I am not your opponent.”
Clang, clang.
The iron doors to the left and right of the Pungcheon Cult Leader opened, and an illusion master emerged from each.
The Illusion King introduced them. “These are the Blood Hand Guardians who protect the Blood Cult.”
The Pungcheon Cult Leader replied, “They are mere imitations made to mimic the Blood Hand Guardians. Look, don't forget—the Blood Cult is an organization that has already vanished.”
Having finished his sentence, the Pungcheon Cult Leader reached out.
Whirrrr!
With the sound of a violent wind, one of the Blood Hand Guardians was sucked into the Pungcheon Cult Leader’s grasp. It was the same technique the Illusion King had used earlier to pull So Baek-ta. Their methods were similar, yet different.
In the Pungcheon Cult Leader’s grip, the man’s body began to twist without even a chance to resist.
“Gueeegh.”
Ghostly Qi leaked from the Blood Hand Guardian’s eyes. It was not a human aura.
Crack, snap.
His entire body was wrung like laundry, and he died instantly.
“How long did it take to build this place?” the Pungcheon Cult Leader asked.
He could tell. This space within the painting was not created by the ability of the Illusion King alone. It was a preparation made over hundreds of years in hopes of the Blood Cult’s resurrection—the culmination of the Blood Cult’s illusion arts.
“It has existed since I first joined this organization,” the Illusion King replied.
“So you abandoned that long history to chase your own dream.”
“Don't you know? In life, the wind sometimes blows in unexpected directions.”
The Pungcheon Cult Leader nodded and was about to respond when the other Blood Hand Guardian lunged at him in a surprise attack. The moment he lunged for the leader’s vital points...
Shhh! Stab!
With the sound of sharp wind, something invisible pierced through his torso. The charging Blood Hand Guardian collapsed on the spot. The Pungcheon Cult Leader made a motion as if pulling something out of the body. Though invisible, his actions made it feel as if he were holding a long spear.
“How about it? I’d like to test my No-Form Qi against yours.”
Using invisible Gang Qi as a weapon was a technique that existed in both the Blood Cult and the Pungcheon Cult. Naturally, the Illusion King refused. If he were the type to accept such a challenge, he wouldn't have taken So Baek-ta hostage in the first place.
“That would be disrespectful to those waiting for you.”
Clang, clang.
The iron doors on both sides opened again, and this time, two Blood Hand Guardians emerged from each.
“How many Blood Hand Guardians did you have? I read about it a long time ago, so I don't quite remember,” the Pungcheon Cult Leader remarked.
Judging by the Illusion King’s relaxed smile, there were many prepared. The fact that they didn't appear all at once but in waves was a tactic to exhaust his internal energy.
“Isn't it a waste to throw them away like this?”
“This organization was created for that very purpose.”
The cold-hearted Illusion King had no reason to worry about the consumption of the Blood Hand Guardians. The guardians rushed forward, knowing no fear.
Whoosh!
Invisible No-Form Qi flew from the Pungcheon Cult Leader’s hand.
Thwack!
The Blood Hand Guardian leading the charge was pinned to the wall. Since the spear was invisible, he looked as if he had died while floating in mid-air. The remaining three guardians lunged simultaneously, thrusting their palms forward. Palm force filled with Ghostly Qi flew toward the Pungcheon Cult Leader.
The spot where the leader had been standing was pulverized, but he was already gone. The guardian in front had his waist snapped, the one on the left took a palm strike to the chest, and the last one had his throat pierced.
The iron doors opened again, and this time, four Blood Hand Guardians walked out from each side. They were killing machines that only followed orders.
“I take back what I said earlier. I take back the claim that the old Blood Cult would have been more bloodthirsty and wild than now. You are far worse.”
The Illusion King only responded to the Pungcheon Cult Leader’s mockery with a cold sneer.
The eight Blood Hand Guardians who emerged this time had a different attack pattern. They scattered in all directions and began to chant an oral formula in unison. Red lines extended from their fingertips, weaving a red spiderweb all around. Like an inescapable net, they pressed in and tightened around the Pungcheon Cult Leader.
“It’s dangerous, Master!” So Baek-ta shouted in alarm.
There was no way out.
Slice.
The moment the Pungcheon Cult Leader seemed to be carved into a dozen pieces, he vanished. He reappeared behind the Blood Hand Guardian attacking from the east.
Whirl. Slice.
The blue energy in the Pungcheon Cult Leader’s hands became long lines, severing the guardian’s neck. Before the body could fall, the leader’s blue lines cut through the air again.
Thud!
The forehead of the guardian in front was pierced, and he collapsed.
Whirrrrr!
Red lines and blue lines entangled in the air. However, the red lines could not catch up to the blue ones. The blue lines slipped through the complexly twisted threads. Every time a blue line tightened, a Blood Hand Guardian’s limb was severed. The Pungcheon Cult Leader’s movements, utilizing lines of Gang Qi, were truly the ultimate principle of illusionary martial arts.
The Illusion King remained relaxed even as the guardians died; he had expected them to withstand at least this much. He knew better than anyone how much internal energy each of the Pungcheon Cult Leader’s techniques consumed. No matter how profound the leader’s internal energy was, he couldn't face all the Blood Hand Guardians.
The iron doors opened again, and this time, eight guardians walked out from each side.
*
Flutter, flutter.
The moment a blue butterfly landed on a Blood Hand Guardian’s shoulder...
Slump.
The guardian slid to the ground, dead. The butterfly that took down the last guardian vanished into the air with a soft pop. It was the moment the last of the thirty-two guardians from both doors had been defeated.
The Pungcheon Cult Leader still looked relaxed and noble, standing with his hands behind his back. But So Baek-ta was listening. He heard his master’s breathing, which had previously been silent. His master was exhausted.
His master was fighting a war of attrition. The Blood Hand Guardians were threatening, but the real problem was the Illusion King. He would launch surprise attacks and interfere while the guardians were fighting. Whenever the master tried to sweep them all away with a large-scale illusion, the Illusion King would invariably step in to obstruct him.
‘...Master.’
If it weren't for him, his master would have tried to kill the Illusion King first by any means necessary.
Now, thirty-two Blood Hand Guardians emerged from each room. Sixty-four in total.
A fierce battle broke out. They swarmed like bees, and the leader faced them using every martial art and illusion at his disposal. Blood Hand Guardians were sent flying, turned into bloody pulps by the leader’s palm force.
The Pungcheon Cult Leader evaded their attacks with illusions. Every time a technique was unleashed, guardians fell as corpses, but his internal energy was being depleted just as quickly.
Boom! Bang!
Blocking the pouring palm techniques with his Body Protection Qi, the Pungcheon Cult Leader was pushed back as the guardians’ attacks rained down. On top of that, the cowardly Illusion King added his own strikes. Enduring the impact, the Pungcheon Cult Leader swung both palms. Blue Gang Qi swept through the space, crushing several more guardians.
In the midst of the frantic battle, the Pungcheon Cult Leader’s Voice Transmission reached So Baek-ta.
—Three, two...
He didn't say anything else, only counted. But even without words, So Baek-ta knew what his master wanted.
—One.
So Baek-ta slammed the back of his head into the Illusion King standing behind him. Because the Illusion King was focusing all his attention on the Pungcheon Cult Leader, the headbutt almost struck his face. The moment he took a step back to dodge...
Whoooooosh!
So Baek-ta lowered his body, and the Gang Qi fired by the Pungcheon Cult Leader swept through that space.
Crash!
The Pungcheon Cult Leader lunged toward him. Because it was a reckless charge, he allowed several attacks from the Blood Hand Guardians to land. However, the leader endured them with his Body Protection Qi and flew toward So Baek-ta.
Just as the Pungcheon Cult Leader was about to escape with So Baek-ta using the Space-Time Displacement Technique...
Whirrrr!
An invisible string pulled So Baek-ta back a step faster. The Illusion King, who had retreated, had snatched him first.
The surprise attempt to rescue So Baek-ta had failed, and the Blood Hand Guardians’ attacks poured onto the Pungcheon Cult Leader.
Boom! Bang! Crash!
The Pungcheon Cult Leader focused on the fight once more. By the time he had finished off all the remaining guardians, his breathing was ragged, and blood was trickling from the corner of his mouth. He had suffered internal injuries from overexerting his internal energy.
The Pungcheon Cult Leader felt a premonition that he might die here. He had boasted in front of Geom Mu-geuk that this was his world, but everyone has their limits. Wiping the blood from his mouth, the Pungcheon Cult Leader looked at So Baek-ta. He remembered when the boy was small—the way he had looked up at him with those clever eyes.
“Strangely enough, I liked you. Out of all those disciples, you were the only one who stood out. Baek-ta. Even if I were to go back in time, I would choose you as my successor again.”
Tears that So Baek-ta had held back finally spilled over. An inexplicable sorrow welled up within him. He could do well now. If only he could live, he could truly do well now.
Then, the Illusion King whispered to So Baek-ta. “You’re right. Now is the time to focus on the fight.”
The Illusion King felt that it was finally time for him to step forward in earnest. When the last doors opened, sixty-four Blood Hand Guardians would emerge from each room. If he joined them in a combined attack, the Pungcheon Cult Leader was finished.
“Watch closely. Watch how your master dies. Then, I will destroy your Dantian, sever the tendons in your limbs, cut out your tongue, and throw you into the dungeon. I’ll make sure you spend the rest of your life remembering today.”
So Baek-ta was in despair. He didn't care if he suffered; what he couldn't bear was his master dying because of him. I’m sorry, Master. I’m so sorry.
The Pungcheon Cult Leader spoke to his disciple. “Where in the world is there a Pungcheon Cult Leader who sheds tears inside an illusion? Wipe your eyes.”
So Baek-ta wiped away his tears.
“And what did I tell you to say when you meet someone like that?”
So Baek-ta turned to the Illusion King and spat, “You cowardly piece of shit! Why don't you get lost?”
So Baek-ta saw the apology in his master’s eyes. His master was sorry for not being able to save him. How could he ever repay such a great debt of grace?
“Master, you have already saved me.”
Because he had saved his soul, which was more precious than his life.
The Pungcheon Cult Leader beckoned the Illusion King to come forward. The Illusion King walked forward a few steps and stopped.
“Well, I’ve waited the longest, so I should at least let you get some fresh air, shouldn't I?”
He was a man who never took risks. With sixty-four Blood Hand Guardians waiting behind each iron door, there was no need for him to step forward first. Just as he was looking at the iron doors with a satisfied smile, a faint sound could be heard from beyond them. It was the sound of something colliding and vibrating.
The sound grew louder.
Thump! Thud! Crash! Snap! Crack!
The sound of wind seemed to be mixed with screams, and then the noise subsided. Then came silence.
Clang.
The doors opened, and light poured out.
The person who walked out, radiating a golden glow, was the Demon Buddha. Behind him lay the scattered corpses of the Blood Hand Guardians who had been waiting there.
At his appearance, the expressions of the Pungcheon Cult Leader and So Baek-ta brightened instantly. Conversely, the Illusion King’s face froze.
The Pungcheon Cult Leader’s gaze drifted to the flower tucked into the Demon Buddha’s belt. Yes, the word 'thank you' was not enough. No amount of gratitude would suffice. So, he grumbled instead.
“You had time to pick a flower? While your friend was going through hell?”
The word 'friend' came out naturally, and it was accepted just as naturally.
“Still, I think I arrived earlier than the Young Cult Leader,” the Demon Buddha replied.
“The Young Cult Leader is always dawdling. He only comes flying like the wind when he needs something, demanding this and that, making a person’s blood boil.”
Just as the Demon Buddha was nodding in agreement...
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
The sound of something being swept away echoed.
Boom!
The door opposite the one the Demon Buddha had come through was smashed to pieces, and something burst out. It was the six demons of the Great Annihilation Form. Not even a corpse remained in the hallway the six demons had pushed through.
Everyone held their breath. Since they were the split forms of the most terrifying-looking demon among the four demons of the cardinal directions, the sight of these six demons standing side-by-side was truly overwhelming.
The Demon Buddha pressed his hands together and bowed toward them, showing respect to the Nine Calamities Demonic Art.
As the six demons slowly vanished, Geom Mu-geuk walked out, trailing the Black Demonic Sword, which was dripping with blood. He was covered in gore, his clothes were torn, and he was riddled with wounds. One could guess how difficult the gates he had passed through were. One could tell how desperately he had broken through.
Geom Mu-geuk and the Pungcheon Cult Leader’s intense gazes met in the air. What words were needed?
“Honestly,” Geom Mu-geuk said, “my Cult Leader always badmouths me whenever I’m not around.”