Chapter 550: He is Coming Now
Chapter 550: He is Coming Now
The swirling black smoke froze solid, turning as white and delicate as a snowflake.
The ice crystals glittered in the darkness, resembling a masterpiece crafted by a sculptor who had poured their very soul into the work.
Beyond the frost, the figure of a woman emerged.
Dressed in pristine white robes, shimmering haze-like crystals of snow rose from her palms. It was clear she was the one who had unleashed the technique.
Bi Sa-in’s eyes met hers.
Her clear, frigid gaze shone through the darkness, contrasting sharply with her porcelain skin.
How can a person radiate such purity?
He had never encountered a woman who left such an impression.
She was Han Seol, the Young Palace Master of the North Sea Ice Palace.
Behind her stood a middle-aged man and woman, also clad in white, serving as her guardians. They were the Twin Frost Swords, peerless masters of the North Sea. The Ice Palace Master had sent them along, worried about his daughter’s first journey to the Central Plains; their martial prowess required no explanation.
Bi Sa-in stepped toward her and took the initiative to introduce himself.
“I am Bi Sa-in, the Young Alliance Leader of the Unorthodox Path Alliance.”
Han Seol followed suit.
“I am Han Seol, the Young Palace Master of the North Sea Ice Palace.”
Bi Sa-in was inwardly stunned. He had heard from Geom Mu-geuk that a new guest would be attending this meeting, but he hadn't expected it to be the Young Palace Master of the North Sea.
Just as she had impressed him, Bi Sa-in’s first impression on Han Seol was intense. She had never met anyone possessing such a fearsome and overwhelming aura.
After a brief silence, Bi Sa-in turned his gaze toward the frozen dark energy suspended in the air.
With an elegant, polite gesture, Han Seol signaled for him to finish it. Bi Sa-in responded with a respectful fist salute in thanks.
Bi Sa-in drew his sword, channeling the True Qi of the Overlord Heaven-Shaking Sword Technique. A powerful, murderous aura swirled around his blade.
Swoosh!
Boom!
The frozen mass of energy shattered into fragments and scattered. Once the central core was destroyed, the energy began to vanish entirely. As it dissipated, only beautiful shards of ice sparkled in the air.
Bi Sa-in looked back at the 13 Wolves of the Unorthodox Path. He felt a surge of gratitude toward them for risking their lives alongside him until the very end. Reading the sentiment in his eyes, the 13 Wolves responded with gazes filled with unwavering loyalty.
In the past, Bi Sa-in would never have looked back at them. He would have considered their sacrifice a given. In fact, the very idea of connecting with his subordinates had never even crossed his mind.
But now, Bi Sa-in looked back. He had become a man who looked after his people—a man who could look others straight in the eye.
Bi Sa-in’s gaze returned to Han Seol.
“Thank you. You saved our lives.”
A slight flicker of interest crossed Han Seol’s eyes. Considering the momentum Bi Sa-in and the 13 Wolves had displayed while blocking that energy, the outcome might have been uncertain, but they weren't necessarily doomed.
He could have simply thanked her for the assistance, yet he went as far as saying she had saved their lives. Someone of the Young Alliance Leader’s status usually loathed being in another's debt.
“There is no need for thanks. I simply froze an ominous thing.”
The Twin Frost Swords standing behind her exchanged a glance.
The Ice Palace Master’s greatest worry had been whether his daughter could navigate the complex relationships of the Central Plains, but she was holding her own. It seemed children truly were different when they were away from their parents' shadow.
“I came at the invitation of the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. He called it a festival.”
She looked around. Everything was broken and shattered. Corpses were piled high. And then there were the Ghost-Masked Strangers, staring back at her.
Bi Sa-in spoke.
“Considering the man who invited you, this shouldn't be surprising at all.”
Han Seol found herself agreeing. After all, Geom Mu-geuk was the man who had turned the North Sea Ice Palace upside down before leaving—even her relationship with her mother had been changed by him.
“Where is the Young Cult Leader now?”
Bi Sa-in paused for a moment before answering with a voice full of conviction.
“He is coming now.”
*
A desperate struggle was underway.
They were fighting an opponent with overflowing internal energy while they were forced to conserve every precious drop of their own.
Swoosh.
The Combat King’s fist whistled toward the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon’s face.
Tak!
Geom Mu-geuk struck the Combat King’s wrist, diverting the blow just enough.
Thud! Thud!
The Extreme Evil Smiling Demon’s daggers sank into the Combat King’s stomach in quick succession. It was an attack that completely disregarded defense—one he wouldn't have dared to attempt if he didn't trust Geom Mu-geuk to protect his blind spots.
The two of them had pushed past the limits of their concentration, entering a new realm of focus. Though they had fought many battles together, they had never achieved such perfect synchronization as they did today.
Whoosh!
The Combat King, despite being stabbed, threw a frantic punch that stopped abruptly in mid-air.
Slash!
Geom Mu-geuk’s sword, flying in to sever the arm, grazed the chain at the end of the fist instead. As the Combat King’s follow-up missed, the two of them slipped out of his striking range.
The Combat King looked down at his stomach. The attacks should have been fatal, but black smoke swirled over the wounds, knitting them shut.
“Damn it!”
If not for the Dark King, this would have been another killing blow.
The Combat King was furious. Geom Mu-geuk and the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon seemed perpetually on the verge of being hit, yet they remained untouchable. His pride was wounded by the fact that he couldn't kill these two, even as they stingily rationed their internal energy.
Just then, the Dark King’s calm voice drifted out from within him.
“Stay calm. Time is on our side.”
At her words, Geom Mu-geuk spoke up.
“Is it really?”
To her questioning gaze, Geom Mu-geuk continued.
“I happen to think time is on our side. Aren't you curious about what’s happening outside?”
“Our Young Cult Leader is harboring vain hopes.”
Inwardly, Geom Mu-geuk was banking on one thing. When the four black lines connected to the carriage were severed, Bi Sa-in had not come to help him. When a man who should definitely show up does not, there is always a reason. He desperately hoped that reason was the one he anticipated.
“He’s a sharper fellow than he looks. I’m certain time is on our side.”
The Dark King replied with a gaze just as certain.
“No one can save you from this darkness today.”
The Combat King charged again, kicking up clouds of dust. His eyes were filled with a murderous obsession to end Geom Mu-geuk.
Swoooooosh!
The sand became a whirlwind under the force of his fist.
Geom Mu-geuk and the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon rolled across the ground to dodge. They didn't care about dignity or pride. This was a fight for survival that allowed for not a single mistake. If one of them slipped up, the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon would die; if the other did, Geom Mu-geuk would fall.
Because of this, the battle offered a new experience to both of them.
Extreme speed. Extreme strength.
They were facing the terrifying attacks pouring from those fists with the bare minimum of internal energy. It was the most grueling, yet most refined kind of fight—one that would surely elevate their martial realm if they survived.
They used their internal energy only when absolutely necessary. Like right now.
Papapapapapapak!
As the Chain Wind and Cloud Fist was unleashed, dozens of punches blurred toward them.
Geom Mu-geuk used the Dark Shadow Step to dodge the Gang Qi while simultaneously emitting sword energy. His target wasn't the Combat King.
Bang!
One of the incoming blasts of Gang Qi was neutralized in mid-air. The Extreme Evil Smiling Demon threw himself exactly into the space where that blast would have landed.
Bang! Bang bang bang! Bang!
The ground where the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon had been standing was pulverized.
Unleashing a major technique inevitably leaves an opening before the next move. Geom Mu-geuk and the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon did not miss the window.
Geom Mu-geuk charged from the left, and the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon rushed in from the right.
The Combat King had no choice but to focus on Geom Mu-geuk first. He didn't know when the Nine Calamities Demonic Art might be unleashed.
Geom Mu-geuk poured out his saved internal energy and attacked.
Clang clang clang clang!
Fist and sword sparked in the air.
Thud! Thud!
In that interval, the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon’s daggers stabbed the Combat King’s stomach and shoulder in succession. The black energy saved him endlessly, but the two did not relent.
The Combat King ignored his injuries and attacked like a madman. Eventually, Geom Mu-geuk and the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon were forced to block with their Body Protection Qi and were knocked back.
The Combat King pulled out the dagger embedded deep in his shoulder—the one the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon had thrown while being blown back.
Spurt.
Blood sprayed, but the black smoke soon sealed the wound and stopped the bleeding.
“You should know by now that these kinds of attacks are useless.”
At the Combat King’s mockery, Geom Mu-geuk stared at him and said, “That smoke might betray you at least once, don't you think?”
Geom Mu-geuk wasn't talking to the Combat King, but to the Dark King shimmering over his eyes.
The Dark King spoke in a mysterious, calm tone.
“Looking at your condition, I see no reason for it to betray us.”
The Extreme Evil Smiling Demon’s breathing was heavy.
“Haah… haah…”
Rough, ragged breaths came from beneath the mask.
Listening quietly to that breathing, Geom Mu-geuk snapped his fingers.
Snap!
Suddenly, the surroundings shifted.
Geom Mu-geuk and the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon stood at the edge of a cliff, with the Combat King standing about ten paces away.
“Since we’re out of internal energy, how about a cliffside tactic?”
The Dark King looked puzzled. Her gaze suggested she didn't think the Young Cult Leader would resort to such a desperate method.
Geom Mu-geuk turned to the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon. “Are you a good swimmer?”
“I am.”
With that, Geom Mu-geuk ruthlessly pushed the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon off the cliff.
“What are you doing?”
The Combat King didn't understand, but the Dark King realized Geom Mu-geuk’s intention instantly.
“You sent the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon to complete One Complete Circulation of his True Qi.”
They wouldn't be able to block attacks with their internal energy completely depleted.
“And the reason you chose this cliff was to make it difficult for us to find him.”
A flicker of admiration crossed the Dark King’s shimmering eyes.
“Anyone could think of this. But it is not easy to execute it in the middle of such a frantic fight. You are truly clever, Young Cult Leader.”
“You, who saw through my intent instantly, are no slouch either.”
“Regardless, it is over. By the time the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon completes his circulation and returns, you will already be dead.”
It had already been proven in the previous exchange that he couldn't win alone.
The Combat King charged again.
One on one.
Fist and sword clashed at the edge of the precipice.
Geom Mu-geuk did not retreat from the ledge. He fought tenaciously with gritted teeth, but he couldn't hold out alone. In the end, unable to last even thirty moves, Geom Mu-geuk collapsed to the ground.
Gasping for air, Geom Mu-geuk looked as though his internal energy was completely spent. His hand trembled as he tried to pick up his fallen sword, but he ultimately couldn't grasp the hilt.
The Combat King approached and looked down at him.
“Why didn't you jump off the cliff to escape?”
The Dark King answered for him.
“Because if he did, we would have jumped after him. Then the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon might have died. To choose to die first instead… truly remarkable.”
The Dark King looked down with cold admiration before giving the final order.
“Send him on his way first, as he wishes. Once the Young Cult Leader dies, the Space-Time Displacement Technique will break, and the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon will be revealed.”
The Combat King laughed, clashing his two fists together.
Clang! Clang!
Just then, the Combat King’s chains sparkled. It wasn't a spark from the fists colliding.
A streak of light flowed along the chains. The light extended, traveling up the Combat King’s body to his face.
The Combat King narrowed his eyes. It was faint, but light was definitely entering his vision.
The Combat King looked up at the sky in shock.
A ring of light began to appear around the edge of the sun. It resembled the rim of the Combat King’s own pupils. As the moon rapidly moved away from the sun, the world that had been trapped in darkness began to find its light again.
In an instant, the solar eclipse ended.
Simultaneously, the world brightened.
Shock crossed the Combat King’s face. The expression of the Dark King, who was overlapped with him, turned grave. Something that should never happen within the Space-Time Displacement Technique had occurred.
Lying on the ground, Geom Mu-geuk spoke.
“You said it yourself. Where there is light, there is also darkness. But isn't it also true that there is no such thing as eternal darkness?”
The Dark King replied calmly.
“How regrettable. If they had succeeded just a little earlier outside, you might have won, Young Cult Leader.”
“It is a shame. Under this sun, I could have killed even you.”
The Dark King said nothing. Now that the power sustaining the Dark Descent Technique was severed, that might truly be the case.
“Still, I’m glad I get to die in a bright place.”
The Combat King grabbed Geom Mu-geuk by the collar and hauled him up.
“You persistent bastard! This is the end!”
He was a man who had endured all that pain for this very moment.
Grip.
Right then, Geom Mu-geuk seized both of his wrists.
“A final struggle…?”
Suddenly, the Combat King’s expression froze. Geom Mu-geuk still had internal energy left.
Geom Mu-geuk held him tight, preventing him from moving. Was he pouring out every last drop of his energy? It was an incredible force. Why had he pretended to be empty when he still had reserves?
Why?
Then, the Dark King gasped in horror.
“Don't tell me!”
When the Combat King instinctively turned his head—
The last thing he saw was a massive palm.
At the moment the eyes of the Combat King and the Dark King widened in unison—
Swoooooooosh!
The Extreme Evil Smiling Demon’s Demon Extreme Wild Rage Palm was unleashed right in front of the Combat King’s face.
BOOM!
The Combat King’s head was swept away by the Gang Qi and vanished.
In truth, the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon’s internal energy hadn't been completely exhausted. He had just enough left to unleash the Demon Extreme Wild Rage Palm one last time.
It was their plan. A life-risking deception that would have meant death if it failed.
Below the cliff Geom Mu-geuk had created, there was a ledge he could stand on. The Extreme Evil Smiling Demon had been waiting there for this exact moment—when they let their guard down, intoxicated by victory.
And the solar eclipse ending at just the right time made the plan shine even brighter.
The two of them could be certain. The Combat King would never return.
The Combat King, whose head was completely gone, remained standing.
In the place where the Combat King’s face had been, the face of the Dark King standing further ahead could be seen instead. It looked as if the Dark King’s head was attached to the Combat King’s body.
The Dark King had escaped the vessel just before the Combat King died. It had been too close. She couldn't be sure if she could have withstood that attack even in the darkness, let alone under this sunlight.
It was the moment Geom Mu-geuk’s question—whether that black smoke might betray him just once—hit the mark.
Watching her shimmer alone under the sunlight, she who had been overlapped with the Combat King all this time, Geom Mu-geuk spoke calmly.
“I can finally see your face clearly now.”