Chapter 95: The Majesty of the Blood Demon (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 95: The Majesty of the Blood Demon (2)
Haeakcheon, the Venerables, the Blood Stars, and all the cultists watched the scene before them with tense eyes, their vision obscured by crimson killing intent and swirling dust.
Within that chaos, the Merciless Blade Jeong Cheon and the Blood Demon, their Cult Leader, were locked in combat.
That brat.
Unlike the other Revered Stars, Bizarre Haeakcheon had watched the growth of the current Blood Demon, Jin Un-hwi, from the closest vantage point as his master.
The Jin Un-hwi he had observed possessed a natural martial talent so profound it was no exaggeration to say he was in a league of his own. Haeakcheon had never seen anyone grow so rapidly.
However, his opponent was the greatest swordsman of the era, a monster who had transcended the realm of superhumans.
While he believed the Blood Demon’s martial prowess, bolstered by that incredible technique earlier, wouldn't easily fall behind one of the world's strongest masters, the outcome of a true life-and-death struggle remained uncertain.
It was at that moment, while everyone held their breath and focused on the sounds within the obscured field of vision—
Rumble! Craaaack!
"The—the cliff!"
"It’s splitting apart!"
"Everyone, fall back!"
The cliff suddenly began to fracture and collapse, forcing the Blood Cultists to retreat in haste.
The Orthodox warriors of the Martial Alliance were no different. Those with their backs to the precipice didn't have time to think; they threw themselves toward the area held by the Blood Cultists as the ground vanished beneath them.
"Block the Orthodox bastards! Don't let them up!" Fourth Blood Star Do Jang-ho shouted to the cultists.
They couldn't let this golden opportunity slip away.
"Loyalty!"
"Let's wipe out these Orthodox dogs!"
"Waaaaaaaah!"
Their morale at its peak, the Blood Cultists lunged at the Orthodox warriors who were scrambling over the crumbling cliffside just to survive.
Not to be outdone, the Orthodox warriors fought back against the charging cultists.
"Damn these Blood Cultists!"
"Exterminate the wicked heretics!"
Clang! Shing!
In an instant, the mountain peak turned into a chaotic battlefield.
As the clash of blades grew more violent, Second Venerable Raging Demon Lord Seo Gal-ma hurriedly rushed to Baek Hye-hyang’s side. She was barely standing, using her scabbard as a makeshift cane.
"Vice Cult Leader!"
The hand gripping the scabbard was trembling violently. Her face was deathly pale, looking as if she might collapse at any second, yet her gaze was fixed solely on the edge of the collapsing cliff.
"It is dangerous here. Allow this old man to escort you."
With those words, Second Venerable Seo Gal-ma reached out to pick her up.
Baek Hye-hyang extended a trembling hand, refusing him.
"Vice Cult Leader!"
"Haah... haah... No. I will... watch from here."
Such stubbornness...
Seo Gal-ma was at a loss. He knew her personality well, but he hadn't expected her to insist on staying until the very end despite being so critically injured that her life was in danger.
"But—"
"...I said I’m staying."
...Ah!
Seo Gal-ma’s expression darkened. He had seen her back.
Before he knew it, her entire garment had been soaked crimson with blood, as if it had been that color from the start. She was no longer in a state where she could stem the flow by regulating her blood through the True Blood Golden Body technique.
Seo Gal-ma, who had reached out to perhaps infuse her with his own internal energy, clenched his fist.
It was already too late.
She was already in a precarious state from over a month of continuous blood loss. On top of that, the Merciless Blade Jeong Cheon’s internal energy had invaded her body, leaving her beyond help. It seemed as though even the Divine Healer of Ten Thousand Ailments couldn't save her now.
Grit!
Gritting his teeth, Seo Gal-ma drew his signature weapon, a long saber.
"Then this old man shall protect you, My Lady."
He had no choice but to grant her wish.
Even his voice was starting to fade from Baek Hye-hyang’s ears. Though her eyes were open, a fog seemed to be rolling in, and her surroundings were growing dark.
Baek Hye-hyang bit her lip hard.
I have to see it.
She had to confirm it before she closed her eyes. She could feel it instinctively—if she closed her eyes now, she might never open them again.
Before that happened, she wanted to witness it one last time: the moment the history of the Blood Cult, once stained with defeat, was finally overturned.
Then, someone screamed.
"L-Look over there!"
At the shout, everyone’s eyes turned toward the source.
From within the dust and debris of the collapsing cliff, a single black figure flew out and landed lightly on the precipice.
!!!
Seeing this, Baek Hye-hyang’s red pupils trembled.
The mountain peak, which had been a scene of violent struggle just moments ago, was suddenly washed in silence.
Gasps of despair escaped the lips of the Orthodox warriors from the Martial Alliance branches.
"This can't be!"
"...How could this happen..."
"A-Alliance Leader!"
They couldn't believe what was happening before their eyes.
Blood was dripping steadily.
In the hand of the Blood Demon, the Leader of the Blood Cult, was a severed head.
It was none other than the head of the Martial Alliance Leader, Merciless Blade Jeong Cheon.
In that moment, a thunderous roar of triumph erupted, shaking the very mountain.
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
"The Blood Demon has taken the Alliance Leader's head!"
"The Merciless Blade has fallen!"
The man who had reached the pinnacle of the saber. An absolute master who could be counted among the top five superhumans. The defeat of Alliance Leader Jeong Cheon, the pillar supporting the current Orthodox Martial World, was enough to plunge everyone into shock and horror.
This battle had been a decisive confrontation for both sides. The fact that their leader had fallen in a fight that would determine their future course meant the worst possible scenario had come to pass.
"Kuhahahaha! Hahahaha!"
Haeakcheon laughed, baring his yellow teeth in pure joy.
The Blood Cult had spent twenty years grinding their teeth in preparation. Who could have imagined that their long-cherished wish would be fulfilled by none other than the boy he had taken as a disciple?
You brat...
Truly, the world was unpredictable. He had taken the boy as a disciple on a whim back then. He never dreamed that his desire for revenge against the Namcheon Sword Guest—and his wish that the man's sword style wouldn't vanish from the world—would lead to this.
"The Three Venerables had a keen eye indeed," Fourth Blood Star Do Jang-ho said, approaching Haeakcheon with an exclamation of awe.
At his words, Haeakcheon puffed out his chest. Normally, he would have made a huge fuss, bragging that the boy was his disciple, but the youth was now the Cult Leader.
...Cult Leader, are you watching?
If the previous Cult Leader were still alive, this would be a day to share a cup of wine after so long.
Do Jang-ho’s lips curled into a smile. He, too, was deeply moved.
To think that boy from back then would become a master who commands the world.
Do Jang-ho had spared him on a moment's whim. He wondered if things would have turned out this way if he hadn't sent Jin Un-hwi to the Six Blood Valley after sparing him.
Life is truly mysterious.
He was no longer the fledgling from back then. Like the other cultists, Do Jang-ho raised his hand and offered his sincere respect.
While the Blood Cultists rejoiced, the Orthodox warriors were in the exact opposite state. After the initial shock of Jeong Cheon’s death, they finally realized the reality of their situation.
"Damn it!"
"This is bad!"
The top masters of each branch had been slaughtered in an instant by the current Blood Demon. The situation had completely flipped.
We have no chance of winning.
With half their number fallen to a single stomp from the Blood Demon, they stood no chance numerically. If they didn't retreat now, they might share the same fate.
"W-Warriors of the Alliance, retreat!"
"Retreat immediately!"
As the branch officials shouted, the Orthodox warriors echoed the cry, desperate to escape. They had already judged the war to be lost and were preoccupied with fleeing.
Of course, the Blood Cult had no intention of letting them go.
"Kuhahahat! Do you think we'll let you escape?!" Haeakcheon roared boisterously.
Do Jang-ho agreed. "You're right."
"Cultists of the Blood Cult! The time has finally come to wash away our sect's grudges with blood! Kill them all!"
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
At Haeakcheon’s command, the Blood Cultists pursued the fleeing Orthodox warriors. Their morale was through the roof at the thought of repaying the humiliation they had suffered twenty years ago.
It was no longer a battle. Having lost their leader and witnessed the monstrous majesty of the Blood Demon, the Orthodox warriors had no will left to fight.
"What a sight."
The Orthodox warriors were being swept away like a receding tide. Watching this scene while standing guard over Baek Hye-hyang, Second Venerable Raging Demon Lord Seo Gal-ma felt his heart swell.
This victory was different from any before. The Alliance Leader, the very symbol of the Martial Alliance, had been broken.
An excited Seo Gal-ma turned his head toward Baek Hye-hyang. "Vice Cult Leader, did you see? The Cult Leader...!?"
Seo Gal-ma’s eyes widened. In his trembling pupils, he saw Baek Hye-hyang with her head bowed. She had her eyes closed, a satisfied smile playing on her lips.
"Vice Cult Leader!"
Seo Gal-ma rushed to her side. He placed a finger under her nose, but there was no breath.
"No. Vice Cult Leader!"
His heart felt like it was sinking. When he checked the pulse at her neck, it was barely there. It was slowly stopping.
Seo Gal-ma immediately sat her down and placed both palms on her back to protect her heart meridian. He would save her even if he had to sacrifice all of his internal energy. He couldn't let the bloodline of the previous Cult Leader die like this.
However, her body was growing cold.
"Vice Cult Leader! You must wake up! Vice Cult Leadeeeeer!"
"Vice Cult Leadeeeeer!"
Amidst the countless shouts, the voice of Second Venerable Raging Demon Lord Seo Gal-ma rang out clearly.
!?
I saw Baek Hye-hyang through the crowd. Without a second thought, I flew toward where he was.
I wasn't the only one who heard it; my master Haeakcheon, Fourth Blood Star Do Jang-ho, and Sixth Blood Star Blood Sound Demon Laugh Seom Mae-hyang were already gathering.
Master looked at Baek Hye-hyang’s slumped form with a shocked face and asked, "What happened?"
Seo Gal-ma, his voice choked with emotion, struggled to speak. "My Lady... My Lady is..."
He couldn't finish the sentence. Everyone’s faces darkened, as if they had already guessed the situation.
Master roughly pushed Seo Gal-ma aside. "Move, Brother Seo. I will connect her heart meridian to mine and try to regulate her blood flow."
Seo Gal-ma stepped aside. Master placed his hand on her back and began to circulate the True Blood Golden Body technique.
Unable to understand why he was trying to regulate her blood flow, I asked Do Jang-ho, "This wound on her back. Who did this?"
There were no cuts on her clothes. It was strange that her clothes were so soaked in blood. It meant the wound hadn't come from her clash with Jeong Cheon.
Instead of Do Jang-ho, Seom Mae-hyang answered, biting her lip. "She was struck by Killing Fiend Jue Xin’s Calamity Slaughter Sword."
Calamity Slaughter Sword?
At that moment, the voice of the Blood Demon Sword echoed in my mind.
What do you mean?
The Blood Demon Sword clicked its tongue. For even him to react like this, the power of the Calamity Slaughter Sword must be formidable.
Master continued to circulate his energy, but Baek Hye-hyang remained motionless, like a corpse.
......
Was that why she said it was the last time? How could a dying woman smile like that? It was the face of someone who had accepted everything.
Grit!
Master’s expression hardened. It seemed he had realized he couldn't save her no matter what he did.
Right then—
What?
Can I trust you?
At his words, I spoke to Master. "Master, please step aside."
"Cult Leader?"
"Hurry!"
At my firm command, Master Haeakcheon stopped his circulation and moved away. I laid Baek Hye-hyang down and placed the Blood Demon Sword on top of her.
No one could understand my actions.
"Cult Leader, why on earth..."
"Just watch quietly."
Master stopped Seom Mae-hyang from stepping forward.
Then, veins began to bulge on Baek Hye-hyang’s pale face. The demonic power of the Blood Demon Sword, which could freely manipulate and surge through blood vessels, was being unleashed. Normally, such surging vessels would burst, but—
"Ah!"
"How can this be..."
The bulging veins subsided, and the deathly pallor of Baek Hye-hyang’s face began to regain a hint of color. It was as if the blood was circulating through her body once more.
Vitality and Yoki.
I looked down at Baek Hye-hyang. The human body has 'Essence,' or vitality, which is the core of life. The moment this vitality is completely exhausted is the moment of death.
I reached into my bottomless pouch and pulled out a wooden box. When I opened it, a large pill was revealed.
Seeing this, Seo Gal-ma asked in confusion, "Cult Leader, what is that?"
"It is the Great Return Pill of Shaolin."
At those words, not only Seo Gal-ma but everyone present was astonished. They had likely expected a simple medicine for internal injuries; no one could have imagined it would be the Great Return Pill, the legendary treasure of the Shaolin Temple.
Master Haeakcheon’s eyes went wide. "The Great Return Pill? How did you get that?"
"I received it after breaking Shaolin’s 108 Arhat Formation."
"What?"
Master looked dumbfounded. The others were the same.
"Breaking the 108 Arhat Formation?"
"Don't tell me, Cult Leader, the Moon Evil Sword..."
"I will explain later."
I put the Great Return Pill into my own mouth. Since Baek Hye-hyang was unconscious and couldn't swallow it herself, I intended to chew it finely and pass it to her.
[Our sect's Great Return Pill is a spirit medicine that increases internal power, but it also possesses a miraculous energy said to bring the dead back to life. I hope this pill is used meaningfully.]
I had to hope that Abbot Jingak’s words were true.
After chewing the pill, I supported her neck and pressed my lips to hers. Then, I used my tongue to push the crushed pill into her mouth. Her cold lips made me feel the encroaching shadow of death.
I will save her. No matter what.
I placed my fingers on her lips and slowly used the Void Object Retrieval technique to guide the finely ground pill down her throat. As it moved down her esophagus—
The Blood Demon Sword stepped in. It would be possible for him.
With the Great Return Pill bolstering her vitality, my task was clear.
Rip!
I sat her up and tore the back of her garment. There was a sharp laceration on her back, and the area was stained black. Although the Blood Demon Sword was perfectly controlling her blood flow so there was no bleeding, the sight was enough to make one wince.
"Whew."
I placed my hand on her back and began to circulate the Innate Heart Method. The Innate True Qi formed through the cultivation methods of Taoists is the purest form of energy, making it effective against sinister auras.
Whooooosh!
"This is..."
Everyone was amazed by the pure energy radiating from me. Regardless, I focused on protecting her heart meridian and expelling the Yoki that had seeped in from the Calamity Slaughter Sword.
Get out. Out of her body.
Then, something incredible happened.
Sssssss!
Black wisps of smoke began to rise from Baek Hye-hyang’s wound. The discolored skin gradually returned to its original hue. Furthermore—
"Cough!"
Baek Hye-hyang, who had been as still as a corpse, coughed up black blood.
"Vice Cult Leader!"
Everyone was struck with wonder. The woman they thought was beyond hope, whose breath had stopped, began to breathe slowly once more.
Fourth Blood Star Do Jang-ho shook his head and muttered in awe, "Ha!... Just how much more are you going to surprise us?"