Chapter 187: Infiltrating the Martial Emperor's Tomb-3
Chapter 187: Infiltrating the Martial Emperor's Tomb-3
After turning the corner twice, the entrance to the inner section would appear. Seonwoo Jin momentarily could not decide what to do.
Then, as if hurrying his decision, something was detected from behind.
'Oh no!'
It was the presence of other demon heads.
Several demon heads were approaching from the rear.
Seonwoo Jin frantically thought it over.
'What should I do? Should I retreat back through the straight passage?'
But retreating by passing back through the straight passage, which was six or seven jang in length, was certainly too regrettable.
Since there was nowhere to hide in between, the danger factor was too high both for retreating now and for coming back later.
'Dammit, what should I do?'
It was then.
Suddenly, Mukrang spoke again.
— You, would you trust my words and try an adventure?
At those words, Seonwoo Jin's ears perked up.
'An adventure? Do you have a method?'
Then Mukrang answered with a slightly uncertain tone.
— It's not a sure thing. If it weren't this kind of situation, I wouldn't mention it, but things seem extremely urgent right now, so here it is.
That meant success was not guaranteed.
But in the current situation, it was no time to be picking and choosing.
Seonwoo Jin hastily urged his words.
'Please, tell me quickly!'
— First, go straight from here. I will explain as we go.
At his words, Seonwoo Jin hurriedly sent a forward-proceed signal to his party and, instead of turning left at the four-way intersection ahead, went straight forward.
Meanwhile, Mukrang continued speaking.
— I've felt it since earlier, but the building style here is too familiar. Even though it's definitely not something I made. Then earlier when we passed the straight passage, I suddenly recalled that I once drew a blueprint of a similar structure for my older brother. So what I thought was, if my hypothesis is correct, when you turn right up there, the pillar...!
Seonwoo Jin turned the right corner as Mukrang instructed.
There, a thick cylindrical pillar stood supporting the ceiling.
As Seonwoo Jin stared at it blankly, Mukrang muttered in disbelief.
— ...It really was true. My older brother built this in a place like this?
It was a light tone.
But for some reason, Seonwoo Jin felt he could read intense longing in that voice.
So when he could not bring himself to hurry him, Mukrang, as if regaining his composure first, immediately spoke.
— Those cylindrical pillars are something like the control unit of this middle section I designed. Go closer.
Seonwoo Jin hurriedly approached the cylindrical pillar.
Then, numerous patterns engraved on the bricks composing the cylindrical pillar came into view.
— Among those, look for a wolf pattern similar to the one engraved on the Mukrang sword.
Then he could discover a small wolf pattern engraved on the lower part of the thick pillar.
It was a pattern that would not have been noticed at all with a casual glance because it was surrounded by so many varied and splendid patterns and was not even at eye level.
Mukrang said.
— Press it.
Seonwoo Jin immediately pressed it.
Then with appropriate pressure, the brick engraved with the wolf pattern slid inward.
The party members watching this looked at Seonwoo Jin with startled faces.
That was because they could not understand how he was manipulating a pillar he had never seen before.
But Seonwoo Jin had no time to spare them attention.
He focused only on Mukrang's voice.
— Move it one space to the right. Then....
Seonwoo Jin immediately tried moving it.
Then with a rough noise, that section of the cylindrical pillar rotated.
Dureureuk!
It was that moment.
Vibration began to be felt throughout the entire stone chamber.
Geureureureung!
The party surveyed their surroundings with bewildered eyes at the passage trembling as if a small earthquake had occurred.
Mukrang immediately explained the situation.
— The structure of the outer passage will have changed slightly from the manipulation I just did. It also has the effect of raising the level of the mechanisms. The fellows probably disabled all the existing mechanisms, but by now probably....
It was then.
Screams suddenly started to be heard from afar.
"Kyaaaak!"
"Wh-what?! The mechanisms have started working!"
"Uwak! What's going on?!"
Mukrang suddenly spoke with a cheerful voice.
— That's what happens.
The commotion outside grew increasingly severe.
It seemed the demon heads were being attacked by the mechanisms installed in the passage in various places.
Then Mukrang said again.
— Now, try focusing your senses on those fellows from earlier again. With this level of commotion, I suspect the fellows may have moved too.
At those words, Seonwoo Jin hurriedly focused his senses.
That was because the current Mukrang shared his senses with him anyway, so what he could not feel, Mukrang could not feel either.
Seonwoo Jin focused his attention on the transcendent peak-level masters who were near the entrance of the inner section using the senses of the Moonlight Illusion Sword Dance's second form, the Crescent Moon.
Then he could realize that they had started moving toward where the commotion was occurring.
Not only them, but the six sentries had also advanced slightly forward from their original positions.
'It worked, Elder! The bastards moved!'
— Good. Now is the opportunity. If we move that wolf pattern one more space, that wall over there will open, and the entrance to the inner section will appear directly. We must not miss that moment and infiltrate.
Seonwoo Jin immediately whispered to his party.
"Now, that wall over there will open right away. Then it will be the entrance to the inner section. As soon as the wall opens, we infiltrate the inner section as quickly and stealthily as possible."
The party seemed to have many things they wanted to ask him.
But they all just nodded silently.
Seonwoo Jin grabbed the wolf pattern and turned it hard again.
Dureureureuk!
Then, emitting a rough noise, the blocked wall moved sideways and began to open.
Gugugugugung!
Beyond the opened wall, the entrance to the inner section was directly visible.
Seonwoo Jin shouted softly.
"Let's go!"
Pabak!
The party members launched their bodies following Seonwoo Jin at the highest speed possible.
Swish!
At that moment, the demon heads who were guarding the entrance of the inner section had been momentarily out front to examine the shifting passage.
"Huh?"
When they sensed a faint presence and suddenly turned around, Seonwoo Jin and his party had already passed through the entrance of the inner section and gone inside.
***
"Uheuheuheuheu!"
Po Jeogwan, the Iron Palm Demon Lord and notoriously infamous transcendent peak-level master of the Blood Cult, had been fixating for the past several days solely on the woman that Du Dang, the Black Blood Illusion Demon, had captured.
True to a demon head of the Blood Cult, he was originally excessively lecherous. Already several years had passed since he began living in this Muhwangchong under the Blood Demon's orders, and although they occasionally let him go outside to relieve his urges, that level had utterly failed to satisfy his lust.
So, already suffering from sexual frustration simply because he could not touch the blood demon woman who walked around stark naked, now even though a new, perfectly fine woman had arrived, the reality of not being able to lay a single finger on her was driving him absolutely insane.
'Somehow, I must seize an opportunity before Shi Ma Elder returns....'
Unlike Du Dang, the Black Blood Illusion Demon who did not interfere in most things, if Gu Woojeol, the White-Faced Corpse Demon who detested people touching his materials, returned, it was certain that he would not even be able to dare try anything from then on.
So somehow, he had to make a move before then.
Then today, the opportunity he had been wishing for finally arrived.
For some reason, the blood demon woman had let out a scream and run out of the stone chamber.
He was curious about the reason, but that curiosity was not greater than his joy at seizing an opportunity.
With his comrades Eo Chiram the Blood Wind Demon Lord and Yun Yungwan the Heavenly Goblin Demon Lord, he could finally enter the stone chamber where the woman was imprisoned again.
"Oooh! Cute thing! Still pretty!"
"Uheuheuheu! I have been waiting only for this day for the past few days!"
"Now, hurry before something else goes wrong...!"
It was the moment when they were just about to surround Na Seo-yu with greedy eyes.
Kugugugugugung!
Suddenly, the entire stone chamber began to vibrate slightly.
At that, the demon heads who were about to pounce on Na Seo-yu looked up at the ceiling with bewildered expressions.
"Wha, what? What's going on?"
"Is it an earthquake?"
"A, an earthquake?"
Their expressions suddenly turned grave.
It was because they knew well that if a real earthquake occurred, their lives, living deep within the underground passage, could be endangered.
So they paused their actions for a moment and focused on their surroundings.
But even after some time passed, the vibration did not cease and continued unbroken.
They could now realize that the vibration was caused by the movement of mechanisms rather than the tremor of the earth.
"It's not an earthquake. The mechanisms are moving."
"What's going on? Nothing like this has ever happened before?"
"Is Lord Hwanma doing something?"
But their curiosity about the reactivation of the mechanisms was not greater than their greed.
As soon as they judged that their own lives were not in danger, they immediately began focusing their attention back on Na Seo-yu.
"Well, we can find out the cause later, right?"
"Euhuhuhu, I suppose so."
"Now, then, quickly...!"
It was then.
Hwaak!
Five people and one beast burst into the stone chamber.
It was Seonwoo Jin's party.
The one who flew in at the very front was Seol Pung.
Having already guessed the situation inside the stone chamber with his mind's eye alongside Seonwoo Jin, Seol Pung immediately spotted Na Seo-yu lying on the floor, and his eyes turned over right then and there.
"You bastards!"
Seol Pung's eyes blazed red.
His form became a savage beast and lunged at the three peak-level masters.
"Kuaaaaang!"
Chuhwaaak!
"Wha, what?!"
"Uwaat?!"
"Dodge!"
Pababak!
It was a charge at tremendous speed, but the three demon heads were also those who had reached the transcendent peak realm.
Startled by the sudden ambush, they scattered in all directions, flying away to evade Seol Pung's assault.
At that, Seonwoo Jin, who had been following from behind, cried out low and lunged at one of them.
"Senior Jeung, take one!"
Then he immediately thrust his sword like a beam of light.
The Sail Sword Technique's First Form.
One Strike, Four Suns.
Pusyuk!
It was a thrust of incredible speed.
"Heok!"
Cheoljangmagun Po Jeo-gwan, who had been flying away to dodge, realized he could not block it and immediately drew up all the martial power in his body.
"Euhaaap!"
Hwaaaaak!
Tuwoong!
It was protective strong qi.
The protective strong qi he suddenly released had blocked Seonwoo Jin's lightning-fast thrust.
Having overcome the crisis for the moment, Po Jeo-gwan hastily retreated backward and steadied his stance.
At the same moment, Jeung Chil scattered three throwing weapons and ferociously lunged at one of the bastards.
Pyupyupyut!
"Where do you think you're going?!"
But Hyeolpungmagun Eo Chi-ram was also someone who specialized in movement techniques.
He instantly accelerated to dodge the throwing weapons and instead lunged at Jeung Chil, shouting.
"You monkey-like bastard!"
At that, Jeung Chil, whose expression had already twisted from his throwing weapons missing, exploded like an active volcano.
"What, you dwarf-like bastard!"
The next moment, the two men of diminutive stature collided in the air.
Kwakwakwakwang!
It was a clash between Jeung Chil, who had a similar build but was slightly taller with longer arms, and Eochiram, who was slightly smaller and stockier.
At least these two fights were battles between opponents who could contend with each other.
But that was not the case for Bi Sa-yeong and Ya Un-hyang, who had to face the remaining transcendent peak expert.
It was because, at their level, they could not yet contend with a transcendent peak expert.
Bi Sa-yeong, knowing this fact well, did not recklessly charge at his opponent.
He merely circled around him, trying to draw his attention.
Hwiiiiik!
Bi Sa-yeong's form became a streak of gale and flowed to the rear of Cheontwimagun Yun Yung-wan.
"Hmm?"
At that, even the transcendent peak expert's gaze turned backward at a speed he could not dare ignore, and in that opening, Ya Un-hyang's whip became a spear and thrust toward the back of his neck.
"Hap!"
Swiiiik!
But to the transcendent peak expert Cheontwimagun, Ya Un-hyang's desperate attack was not that threatening.
"Hmph!"
Cheontwimagun snorted, swung his leg around, and kicked away the tip of the whip that was lunging at him.
Paang!
"Keuk!"
Then, the whip snapped back with tremendous force, and Ya Un-hyang had to struggle desperately not to let go of it.
In that meantime, Cheontwimagun's chain kicks aimed for Ya Un-hyang.
"This bitch!"
But Bi Sa-yeong was faster.
The moment Cheontwimagun's body turned toward Ya Un-hyang, Bi Sa-yeong used the Explosive Step technique to leap at his back like a cannonball.
Paang!
"!"
Startled, Cheontwimagun extended his leg toward the rear like the tip of a spear.
Syuhak!
It was a back kick aimed at the head of the charging Bi Sa-yeong.
But Bi Sa-yeong had not charged at him with the intention of attacking from the start.
His fiercely charging form instantly became the wind, gently dodging the attack and passing over Cheontwimagun's head.
It was a gentle movement as if he were truly the wind.
Bi Sa-yeong once again whirled around Cheontwimagun like the wind and began aiming for his openings.
In the meantime, Ya Un-hyang had also steadied her stance again.
While their comrades clashed with the three transcendent peak experts, Seol Pung was calling Na Seo-yu's name with a contorted face.
"Na So-jeo!"
At that, Na Seo-yu looked at Seol Pung's face with a blank expression.
"...Seol Pung?"
"That's right. Na So-jeo, it's me! Do you recognize me?!"
Na Seo-yu couldn't believe this moment was reality at all.
The moment she was in danger, he had appeared again, as always.
She had thought it would be absolutely impossible this time, but he appeared once more and saved her.
Here, in this den of the Blood Cult, no less.
As if dreaming, she asked Seol Pung blankly.
"Is it really you, Seol Pung? How?"
At that, Seol Pung embraced her as she lay there with eyes brimming full of tears and said.
"Thank you, thank you so much for being alive, Sojeo!"
Only when she was held tightly in Seol Pung's intense strength could Na Seo-yu realize it.
That this was not a dream.
That he had truly come all the way here to save her.
Tears finally streamed down from her eyes.
"Seol Pung, Seol Pung, Seol Pung...."
She only repeated the name of the man she had missed so dearly.
No other words came to her mind.
While Seol Pung and Na Seo-yu had their emotional reunion, Seonwoo Jin, as if warily testing the waters while fighting Cheoljangmagun Po Jeo-gwan, did not forget to examine his surroundings using his mind's eye.
But just now, something was detected by Seonwoo Jin's senses.
"!"
It was an immense presence.
An overwhelming presence that could not even be compared to the transcendent peak experts currently in this stone chamber.
A person possessing a presence so massive it reminded him of Am Hyeol-hyang was approaching this place.
He could realize at once who it was.
'Black Blood Illusion Demon Du Dang?!'
If it was a master of the Thirty-Six Stars of the World level remaining within the Muhwangchong, it could be none other than him.
'What if Du Dang joins this situation right now?'
The situation was dire.
If it were just the three transcendent peak experts they were fighting now, they seemed manageable enough.
In fact, if Seol Pung released Na Seo-yu's and Sak Mu-heun's acupoints and they joined in, it might even be more than enough.
But what if Black Blood Illusion Demon Du Dang joined there?
It would be the worst-case scenario.
'What do I do?'
Seonwoo Jin gritted his teeth.