Chapter 660: The Most Magnificent Bitch I’ve Ever Seen
Chapter 660: The Most Magnificent Bitch I’ve Ever Seen
The wind came crashing in.
Howling like a beast, the gale carried his fury, his voice riding the storm.
“This is my world!”
The fierce wind felt as though it would sweep everyone off the cliff at any moment. Facing the oncoming blast, the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord spread her arms wide.
Whirrrrrrrr!
Suddenly, the wind began to rush toward her. Standing tall and firm, she weathered the typhoon-like gusts alone.
Jin Ha-gun and the warriors of the Demon Extermination Squad watched from the side. It was then that Jin Ha-gun saw it—the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord was grinning, her white teeth flashing like a madwoman’s.
She was actually enjoying the battle.
Whirring intensifies.
The wind blew even harder. The spiral pattern etched onto her cheek glowed with an even more intense light. When the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord refused to budge despite the onslaught, the wind gradually began to die down.
Once the gale had ceased completely, the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord spoke to Jin Ha-gun and the Demon Extermination Squad standing atop the cliff.
“Enjoy the view. You won’t see anything like it again.”
At her words, everyone looked around. They hadn't thought to admire the scenery while the cliff was crumbling, but the view from the summit—with clouds drifting far below—was truly a magnificent sight.
It was a fleeting gift granted by the martial art known as the Soul-Seizing Technique.
A moment later, the surrounding landscape began to shift.
Sssssss.
The space transformed, returning to the main hall where they had originally been.
His voice echoed through the air once more.
“I take back what I said about you being cute.”
The Soul-Seizing Demon Lord smirked.
“Still, I felt a little flutter. It’s been a while since I’ve been called cute; usually, I just hear people calling me a bitch.”
Jin Ha-gun let out an involuntary chuckle. He hadn't expected a Demon Lord to speak so freely. He turned to her and asked, “Can he exist like this even without a body?”
“He is using the Body Swapping Art.”
The Body Swapping Art was a type of Soul-Seizing Technique—an extremely high-level martial art that allowed a soul to move between different vessels.
“You cannot kill him unless you kill his original body.”
This meant the only way to break this illusory space was to find and destroy the man’s true form.
“He cannot use the Body Swapping Art if he is too far from his original body, so his true form must be within this space.”
“It’s in here?”
Jin Ha-gun and the Demon Extermination Squad looked around the hall in surprise. However, there was no obvious place where a physical body could be hidden.
Then, the voice drifted from the air again.
“You will never find my body.”
“What’s so special about that body that you’ve hidden it so tightly?”
As the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord’s lips moved, chanting an oral formula, a purple radiance began to flow from her forehead.
Saaaaa.
Then, an incredible sight followed.
Slowly.
The closed eye drawn on her forehead began to open.
The Ghost Art Eye.
The ghostly eye scanned the surroundings, emitting a haunting purple glow. The moment its gaze locked onto a specific point, her figure flew through the air.
Riiiiiiip!
She tore through the space with her bare hands as if ripping through silk. The air split open, revealing what lay beyond.
In a void as dark as pitch, an old man floated in the air with his eyes closed.
Swish!
Her palm, infused with internal energy, flew toward the old man’s head. She intended to kill him without a moment's hesitation.
At that exact moment, the old man’s eyes snapped open.
When her palm strike landed, the old man was no longer there. Her fist merely struck the empty, pitch-black darkness.
Thump!
The old man landed heavily on the floor. Turning his back to them, he spoke in a low, gravelly voice.
“To think you would actually use the Ghost Art Eye…”
He couldn't believe it. The Ghost Art Eye was not a simple martial art for finding hidden objects; it was a supreme technique that sought out the hidden truths within the Soul-Seizing Technique itself.
He had been skeptical even when he saw the eye drawn on her forehead. It wasn't a technique one could use so easily, even if someone else had drawn it for her.
As the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord turned toward the old man, the torn space mended itself, returning to its original state. Her third eye slowly closed and then vanished. It was a Soul Painting that could only be used once.
The old man turned toward her and the Demon Extermination Squad.
He was a genial-looking man with a kind face. He looked like the last person you would expect to meet in a world of Soul-Seizing Techniques.
“You are…?”
Hwa Song was the first to recognize him. At first, he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. This wasn't someone he should be meeting in a place like this.
But it was definitely him.
“Master Jin!”
Jin Hyu.
He was one of the two Great Masters who taught the Great Correction Soul-Returning Art.
He was someone both Jin Ha-gun and the Demon Extermination Squad knew well. In other words, the person who had been trying to kill them all this time was Master Jin—a man renowned for his good nature.
Only then did Jin Ha-gun realize the terrifying truth.
With the Heaven’s End Recluse at the center, So Jeong-rak, who used poison, and Jin Hyu, who used Soul-Seizing Techniques, had deeply infiltrated the Murim Alliance. No, it wasn't an infiltration. They had lived alongside the Alliance all this time.
What if their plot hadn't been revealed now?
What if the three of them had hatched a decisive conspiracy? These three alone were deadly enough, but what if they had brought in other enemies?
The chill running down Jin Ha-gun’s spine told him the answer.
Jin Hyu’s gaze was incredibly cold. The presence he exuded now that he was in his own body was incomparably more intense than before. Jin Ha-gun felt a seed of doubt. The man felt so strong that he wondered if the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord could actually face him.
“Why didn't you fight in your own body from the start?”
Jin Hyu replied, “Because someone like you wasn't worth revealing my true power for.”
He smiled with an air of leisure, but the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord shattered that composure instantly.
“Bullshit.”
Jin Hyu’s eyes twitched.
“It’s because you didn't want to die.”
At her words, Jin Ha-gun understood. If he died while fighting in his original body, he would truly die. The reason he had begged to escape when he was caught in the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord’s Soul-Locking Binding earlier was simply because he was a coward afraid of death.
“You really are a coward to the end,” Jin Ha-gun added.
Jin Hyu said coldly, “Captain Jin, watch your mouth!”
Look who’s talking!
Jin Ha-gun was flabbergasted. Since the only things coming to mind were curses, he quietly brought a finger to his lips, just as the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord had done before.
Shh.
Seeing him gesture for him to shut up, Jin Hyu’s rage exploded.
Whoosh!
He charged in an instant, intending to slap Jin Ha-gun’s cheek mercilessly. But he couldn't reach him.
Clang!
Jin Hyu looked down to find that chains had already wrapped around his body. It was the Soul-Locking Binding, unleashed from the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord’s right hand.
Jin Hyu’s gaze slowly shifted toward her.
The Soul-Seizing Demon Lord wrapped the chain around her wrist with a clink and said, “Garbage like you should be fighting this bitch.”
Killing intent erupted from Jin Hyu’s eyes.
“You people really are a pair!”
Jin Hyu grabbed the chain and pulled it toward himself.
Clang! Snap!
The chain was pulled taut. Light erupted from the spiral pattern on her face. Blue light began to emanate from the surrounding space as well.
Seeing this, Hwa Song lamented.
‘The Heaven Extermination Soul-Strengthening Art is exerting its full power.’
In terms of enhancing Soul-Seizing Techniques, the Heaven Extermination Soul-Strengthening Art had effects incomparable to Soul Painting. It required much longer preparation, and a vast amount of money must have been spent on the materials.
His heart was in turmoil, knowing he had been the one to activate it.
Sure enough, the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord began to be slowly dragged forward. The flame pattern on the back of her left hand glowed. Actual flames erupted, traveling along the chain toward Jin Hyu.
Since he was bound by the chain, Jin Hyu couldn't dodge.
Whoosh!
Jin Hyu’s body was engulfed in flames. The watching Demon Extermination Squad warriors shared a single thought: ‘Burn to death!’
The next moment!
Swoosh!
A blue energy erupted from Jin Hyu’s body.
Clang!
The metallic sound of something breaking rang out.
Clink! Clink!
The chains that had bound him shattered. Jin Hyu walked out, still surrounded by flames. The blue light enveloping his body glowed even brighter for a moment, and then the fire gradually died out.
Jin Hyu brushed his singed eyebrows.
“You crazy bitch! That’s hot!”
Despite the situation turning against her, the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord was not intimidated. She was even better at cursing than he was.
“The piece of trash doesn't burn very well.”
Jin Hyu charged toward her with murderous momentum. When the two were close enough to be entangled—
Schlick!
Blade-like tentacles erupted from Jin Hyu’s back, lunging for her heart.
Grip.
The Soul-Seizing Demon Lord caught them with her bare hands. The tentacles writhed, trying to escape her grasp. Just as a second tentacle was about to burst from his back—
Swish!
A streak of sword qi swept over Jin Hyu. He was knocked back with a thud, and blood began to flow from his face. A long gash had been carved across his features.
It was the sword qi fired by Jin Ha-gun.
“That trash is our trash. We should be the ones to clean it up.”
With Jin Ha-gun in the lead, the Demon Extermination Squad warriors charged at him all at once.
Swoosh!
A transparent barrier blocked their path.
Squish.
Jin Ha-gun, who had been bounced back, charged again and thrust his sword into the barrier. He tried to tear it by pushing his internal energy to the limit. The other Demon Extermination Squad warriors also threw themselves at the barrier.
Then, invisible energy erupted from the barrier like needles, piercing Jin Ha-gun. It wasn't just one; dozens of them shot out like a porcupine’s quills. Jin Ha-gun activated his Body Protection Qi, but the needle-like energy caused excruciating pain.
However, he did not give up on tearing the barrier.
Riiiiip.
As the barrier began to tear, Jin Hyu’s attention shifted toward him.
Rip!
The Soul-Seizing Demon Lord seized the moment and yanked the tentacles, tearing them out. She hadn't missed the split second when his strength wavered.
Splurt!
Blood sprayed from Jin Hyu’s back, and a monstrous howl echoed.
“You crazy bitch!”
As Jin Hyu rushed in to try and tear her arm off, the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord’s shadow rose up and lunged at him.
Sliiiither!
As if it were alive, her shadow wrapped around Jin Hyu’s face and began to strangle him. Not missing the opportunity, her fist flew toward Jin Hyu’s stomach.
Clang! Clang!
Her fists bounced off the blue light surrounding him with a metallic ring.
“Aaaaaagh!”
With extreme strength, Jin Hyu tore the shadow apart with his bare hands. The Soul-Seizing Demon Lord was being overpowered in terms of raw strength.
In the meantime, Jin Ha-gun and the Demon Extermination Squad broke through the barrier.
Swish! Swish! Whoosh!
The moment sword qi rained down on him, the surroundings changed instantly.
Splash!
Jin Ha-gun and the Demon Extermination Squad warriors all fell into the sea. Looking around as they swam, they found themselves in the middle of a vast, open ocean. There was only the horizon in the distance—not a single rocky island in sight.
“Where is the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord?”
At Jin Ha-gun’s shout, someone spoke from behind.
“I am here.”
Turning around, he saw her standing on the water behind them. She wasn't floating using lightness skills; because this was the world of the Soul-Seizing Technique, she was simply standing as if on solid ground.
But the Demon Extermination Squad warriors couldn't do the same. To them, this was real water.
“Whoa!”
Right then, one of the warriors was sucked down into the depths. He wasn't the only one; other warriors were dragged down with him.
From beneath the surface, water-men armed with weapons appeared. They were humanoid in shape but had a grotesque appearance with scales and gills. An unknown force pulled the Demon Extermination Squad warriors down one by one.
The warriors fought them, swinging their swords underwater. But fighting in the water was an absolute disadvantage. Internal energy consumption was much higher, and their power was halved. Conversely, the enemies' attacks were much faster and more powerful.
Jin Ha-gun looked around as he fought underwater. The situation was grim. The unknown force kept pulling them down, making it impossible to reach the surface. He fought while holding his breath, but as he gradually reached his limit—
This time, conversely, everyone was pulled out of the water by an unknown force.
Splash!
The Demon Extermination Squad warriors and the water-men were all flung into the air.
“Now! Kill them all!”
At Jin Ha-gun’s command, the warriors attacked in unison. Underwater was one thing, but how could the water-men stand against the Demon Extermination Squad in an aerial battle? The water-men were all cut down by the warriors' sword qi.
Plop! Plop!
The corpses and the Demon Extermination Squad warriors fell back into the water. Everyone knew: the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord had pulled them out.
“Thank you.”
At Jin Ha-gun’s thanks, the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord smiled and said, “This fight is a real bitch, isn't it?”
Anyone else might have agreed that this damn Soul-Seizing Technique was exactly that. But he didn't want to say that to her. This fight alongside her didn't feel that way.
“No, it isn't.”
At that, she stared at Jin Ha-gun for a moment and then said with a smile, “Our Captain Jin is far too polite.”
A compliment from the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord? She truly was an unpredictable woman.
It was then—
“Look over there!”
At the shout of a Demon Extermination Squad warrior, everyone’s gaze turned toward the corpses of the water-men.
Pop, pop, pop!
The corpses burst like bubbles. In their place, new water-men were formed.
Jin Ha-gun and the Demon Extermination Squad’s expressions hardened. Against such an opponent, their internal energy would be depleted first. The Soul-Seizing Demon Lord showed no particular change in expression, as if she had already expected this.
That wasn't all.
Rumble.
A massive wave was rolling in from the distance. Jin Hyu was standing atop that towering wave. If they were swept away, they would all be scattered and picked off by the water-men beneath the surface. His intention was to divide and conquer.
In that desperate situation, Jin Ha-gun looked at the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord.
The patterns on her face had all vanished. Only the flame pattern on the back of her hand remained faintly. Her face was pale from the extreme consumption of internal energy.
“Demon Lord, please escape first.”
He believed that someone of her caliber must have a secret method to save herself. He couldn't let her die here as well.
“I suppose I should.”
When she readily agreed to leave, Jin Ha-gun felt relieved and gave a respectful fist salute.
“I will not forget the grace you have shown us until now.”
She looked at Jin Ha-gun and smiled.
“Leaving to save only myself? I really am a bitch, aren't I?”
Jin Ha-gun smiled back.
“You were the most magnificent bitch I’ve ever seen. I will see you in the next life.”
The Demon Extermination Squad warriors in the water also bowed their heads respectfully. Not a single one of them feared death.
The Soul-Seizing Demon Lord, who looked like she was about to leave, changed her mind.
“I’d like to go, but I can’t.”
“That friend will understand.”
Geom Mu-geuk, the Demon Lord did her best, so don’t be too hard on her.
Then, she gave an incomprehensible reason.
“It’s not because of the Young Cult Leader, but because I’m still in training.”
Just as Jin Ha-gun and the Demon Extermination Squad were wearing expressions of confusion, a dark shadow fell over the spot where they were standing.
Everyone turned around. They were stunned. It wasn't a cloud blocking the sun.
Whoosh.
A colossal ship was cutting through the water, approaching them. It was the largest ship they had ever seen in their lives. The wave Jin Hyu was riding looked like a mere ripple in front of that vessel.
At the bow of that ship, the Pungcheon Cult Leader stood with his arms crossed.