Unveiling the Dark Cloak
At first, he had felt a flicker of doubt.
Though Namgung Yun possessed deep knowledge of formations, his current vessel had sensory faculties far inferior to what he had wielded during his days as the Heavenly Demon. Yet after taking a moment to observe the subtle currents in the air, conviction settled in.
The Demon Spirit Dark Robe Formation. A technique of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
It was hardly shocking to encounter a formation of the Cult at this point. After all, the Anhui Mo Clan had already been openly slinging about techniques of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult left and right. This discovery merely reinforced his suspicion that the Mo Clan had engineered this trap.
The Demon Spirit Dark Robe Formation blinded enemies, threw their five senses into utter disarray, and cloaked allies within the shadows to facilitate lethal ambushes. However, Namgung Yun knew every formation of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult inside and out.
Back then, to attain the next realm, I scrutinized every single formation that existed.
Naturally, the Demon Spirit Dark Robe Formation had been among them. That was why he had been able to explain its mechanics to Zhuge Chim without the slightest hesitation—and why he could turn the formation against them right now.
Slash!
"Graaagh!"
Slash!
"Krk!"
Emerging from the darkness to cut down a beastman, only to vanish back into the shadows—his movements were the very definition of elusive. Perhaps enraged at having their own tactics turned against them, the beastmen howled and flailed their fists wildly at the empty air.
Naturally, none of it came close to touching Namgung Yun. If anything, their blind swings struck other beastmen standing nearby, devolving into chaotic, bloody infighting.
A few even attempted to melt into the gloom themselves, but it was utterly futile.
No matter how much weaker I've become, I won't get made by mindless beasts.
They operated purely on animal instinct. He had no intention of belittling that; the raw instinct of a wild beast could sometimes surpass the honed senses of an accomplished martial artist. It was just that such instincts meant nothing before Namgung Yun.
"Kehk!"
He slashed down one that had pathetically tried to hide in the dark. Such tricks could never work against someone who had already dismantled the formation's inner workings. Casting a fleeting glance at the creature sinking into a pool of blood, he sought out his next target.
Whoosh!
Vicious claws swept through the space he had occupied only a split second before. Naturally, it struck nothing, as he had already melted into the darkness. The beasts stomped their feet in frustration.
Which one should I take next?
It might have appeared as though Namgung Yun were toying with them at his leisure, but the reality was slightly different. He did not possess quite that much leeway.
If I did, I wouldn't have sent Zhuge Chim away first.
The moment he slipped into the shadows, Zhuge Chim would have been torn to shreds by the beastmen. Now, however, he had no baggage holding him back. Namgung Yun cut down the beastmen with merciless speed. Lacking any concept of retreat, the creatures merely wandered in search of him until every last one had met its end.
Only one beastman remained: a Peak-realm beastman.
No matter how skilled Namgung Yun was, a creature possessing the physical prowess of the Peak Realm demanded caution. Cloaked in darkness, he crept forward. Until now, none of the others had noticed him until his sword was already biting into their flesh. This one, however, was different.
The moment Namgung Yun closed the distance to within three paces, the creature's pupils snapped toward him.
Hah, figures.
BOOM!
Sword Gangqi slammed into the ground where Namgung Yun had stood. The earth caved in with a concussive roar. Even without a direct demonstration, it was obvious what would happen to a human body if struck by such a blow.
Even without its wits, a Peak-realm opponent is quite a handful.
To find a mere Peak-realm combatant—and an irrational beast, at that—burdensome was a stark reminder of just how weakened he truly was.
Still, having gained a second chance at life, I can hardly complain.
And burdensome was not the same as impossible.
The death match between Namgung Yun and the final beastman began. The beast clearly lacked the intellect to understand and exploit the formation as Yun did, yet it relied on pure, razor-sharp animal instinct to parry his ambushes and launch counterattacks. Gradually, however, the scales tipped in Namgung Yun's favor.
No matter how formidable its Peak-realm prowess, it could never match the boundless experience of the man who had once reigned as the greatest under the heavens.
Crunch!
"Screeech!"
A long, jagged wound opened along its flank, drawing a screech of agony. With each fresh cut, the creature's shrieks grew more frantic and its movements more sluggish. With breathing room secured, Namgung Yun raised his fingers instead of his blade.
Thud-thud-thud!
His fingers mercilessly struck the beastman's acupoints in rapid succession.
Was it merely his imagination? For a fleeting moment, the light of reason seemed to flicker back into eyes that had been drowned in feral instinct.
The Anhui Mo Clan bastards... they're far more vile than any unorthodox sect.
This was no longer a matter of respecting the strong. From the very beginning, Namgung Yun had seen through the true nature of these beastmen. Originally, they were ordinary human beings.
The Demon Spirit Divine Art turned them into this.
In that case, their identities were obvious: every single one of them had been a martial artist of the Anhui Mo Clan.
The Demon Spirit Divine Art.
Even within the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, it was an exceptionally eccentric technique. Its destructive power and esoteric principles were by no means inferior to any supreme martial art, but it carried a singular, fatal drawback: the danger of Qi Deviation was far higher than that of any other discipline.
That alone made it something martial artists hesitated to touch, but the aftermath was even more horrifying. Normally, those who suffered Qi Deviation either died, became crippled, or had their dantian shattered, leaving them incapable of practicing martial arts ever again. Those who fell prey to the Demon Spirit Divine Art were different.
They did not die. They were not crippled, nor did they lose their martial arts. Instead, they lost their sanity and were reduced to beast-like horrors—just like the beastmen before his eyes.
They were as good as dead.
No, it's far worse than death.
Namgung Yun, for one, would rather have driven a blade cleanly through his own throat than live in such a state. Yet the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult of old had sought to wring utility even out of those who suffered such a fate. The result of that endeavor was the Demon Spirit Dark Robe Formation.
One might mistakenly believe that anyone who understood the principles of the formation could turn it to their advantage, just as Namgung Yun had. In truth, however, the formation could only be manipulated by those who had practiced the Demon Spirit Divine Art.
That's why these things, driven purely by instinct, can move through the formation so freely.
Of course, if someone like Namgung Yun understood both the Demon Spirit Divine Art and the Demon Spirit Dark Robe Formation, while possessing a transcendent level of martial enlightenment, turning the formation against them was entirely within reason. But who else in the world could claim such mastery besides him?
Smack!
Namgung Yun struck the beastman once more.
"Ke... kheck!"
The creature let out another guttural whimper. But soon after, halting human speech began to trickle from its throat.
"H-hurts... ah, aah..."
The acupoints Namgung Yun had struck were specific nodes capable of temporarily restoring clarity to a mind consumed by the Demon Spirit Divine Art. Of course, this could not be done to just any beastman. Only a creature whose physique had adapted to the Demon Spirit Divine Art to an extreme degree could qualify.
And to reach that level of adaptation, one must be at the Peak Realm at least.
This was not a cure. It could never return the victim to full sanity. Yet for a brief window, it allowed for basic dialogue—on the level of a toddler who had just learned to speak.
"Who are you?"
"M-me...?"
Whoosh!
The beastman swung its claws even as its mouth continued to answer.
"I-I aaam... Mo Seooook... doooo..."
Mo Seokdo.
Never heard of him.
Still, it confirmed beyond doubt that he was a member of the Anhui Mo Clan. Yun could verify the details later.
"What is your clan's connection to the Demonic Cult?"
"De-Demoooonic Cult...? No... no relaaation... none..."
"Then how did you acquire the Demon Spirit Divine Art?"
"De-Demon... spirit... Found... it... Mount Hwaaang... Yo-Yoma... Re-Research Se-Secret Caaave..."
Yoma's Research Secret Cave?
He had assumed that Seo Won-gil had not uncovered the entirety of Yoma's legacy, but to think there was another hidden sanctuary within Mount Huang.
So the Anhui Mo Clan claimed the martial arts he left behind, while Seo Won-gil took the jiangshi refining techniques.
Yet for the pieces to fit together neatly, a glaring question remained.
Wait, the Demon Spirit Divine Art wasn't Yoma's technique.
It wasn't just the Demon Spirit Divine Art. The Demon Spirit Dark Robe Formation, as well as the martial arts displayed by the Mo Clan youths during the recent duel, were the same.
Did that bastard flee the Cult with a trove of sacred arts in tow?
If so, it was enough to make his blood boil. For that vermin to lay his filthy hands on the Cult's legacy!
I only wish that bastard were still alive.
He would have loved nothing more than to slit his throat personally and make him regret his insolence for eternity.
Not that there's any chance of that.
"Where is that secret cave?"
"In... inside our claaan... groouuunds..."
Within the main estate?
Come to think of it, he recalled hearing something along those lines. The Anhui Mo Clan's estate had originally stood elsewhere, only to be relocated to its current site roughly a century ago.
He had gathered quite a bit of useful intelligence. Unfortunately, this was where it ended.
"Kh... ke-keeeek!"
Time's up.
The creature began to howl like a feral beast once more. Never again would human words cross its lips.
"KRRRAAAAGH!"
The creature lunged. Namgung Yun raised his sword, and a deep azure Sword Thread coated the steel.
"Thank you. You've been a great help. In return, I will free you from that hideous vessel."
Heavenly Spirit Exterminating Evil Sword
The body of the beastman—Mo Seokdo—was cleaved clean in two, severed at the waist.
After Namgung Yun and Zhuge Chim had been swallowed by the Demon Spirit Dark Robe Formation, the remaining members of the Zhuge Clan had somehow managed to locate the Gate of Life and retreat back to the crossroads where they had first split up. However, a sharp division of opinion erupted within the search party.
"We must go and rescue them immediately!"
Namgung Su, who led the Namgung Clan detachment, raised his voice. With Namgung Yun missing, his reaction was only natural. The others, however, showed little enthusiasm for the idea.
"Amitabha! This humble monk deeply sympathizes with the Namgung Clan's distress, yet this is not a matter to be decided in haste."
"The Great Master speaks the truth. How can we possibly venture back inside? Have you already forgotten that we barely escaped with our lives?"
Won Jin and Mo Seok-heon spoke out against it. Yet their tones could not have been more different. While Won Jin sounded genuinely pained at their lack of capability, Mo Seok-heon's voice was tinged with a distinct, lively cheerfulness that verged on glee.
Namgung Su glared at Mo Seok-heon, but Mo Seok-heon simply lifted his chin in response. The smug defiance in his posture made his intention painfully obvious: Glaring at me won't change a thing.
"Does the Zhuge Clan share their opinion?"
"..."
The Zhuge Clan members offered no reply. In their hearts, they too yearned to rush in and rescue Zhuge Chim this very second. Though other clans might scoff, Zhuge Chim was, after all, the future of their family. Yet their reason told them the chances of a successful rescue were bleak. Moreover, having failed to counter the Demon Spirit Dark Robe Formation, their voice—already frail—had been dragged through the mud, leaving them without the standing to even suggest a rescue mission.
"If you are so desperately worried, why don't the Namgung and Zhuge Clans simply go by yourselves?"
At Mo Seok-heon's mocking jeer, Namgung Su's hand drifted instinctively toward the hilt of his sword. Just as the atmosphere turned lethal and Won Jin parted his lips to intervene once more—
Zhuge Chim broke through the Demon Spirit Dark Robe Formation.
"Chim!"
The Zhuge Clan members brightened with relief.
"The Little Chivalrous Hero is still inside! We must save him at once!" Zhuge Chim urged breathlessly.
The crowd clamored around him, demanding an explanation. Soon, an argument broke out anew over whether to venture back in to rescue Namgung Yun. Their dispute, however, proved entirely pointless.
"Still lingering here, I see."
Namgung Yun strode nonchalantly out from the Demon Spirit Dark Robe Formation, leaving the entire assembly staring in stunned disbelief.