And in the End... It Goes Pop!
“Shin Baekrim. Do you intend to keep staring me down like this?”
“Perhaps. I am still deciding.”
At Chaesan Noyao’s sinister smirk, Shin Baekrim, standing opposite him, replied with flat indifference. Neither of them cared in the slightest about those dying miserably far beneath their feet. To them, those below were nothing more than mayflies—worthless creatures that threw themselves headfirst into a roaring fire, only to be reduced to ash in an instant.
“What a cold-hearted Supreme Elder. Do the disciples of your sect down there know they are nothing but branches destined to be pruned? Compared to that, our side is far more merciful, giving them a chance to eat their fill, whether they live or die. Don’t you agree?”
“Only by pruning the useless branches can the tree grow healthier.”
“There are no other ears to hear us anyway, so why not stop the self-deception? Speak honestly. You’re just trying to cull the useless freeloaders because cultivation resources are scarce, aren’t you?”
Even at Chaesan Noyao’s blatant mockery, Shin Baekrim did not react. His expression remained placid, his aura unwavering.
“It is simply a matter of selection and focus.”
“Ah, yes. Selection and focus. Sacrifice for the future. Fine words indeed.”
Chaesan Noyao nodded in agreement at those words. In fact, no one in the cultivation world could disagree with that sentiment. Ultimately, the resources under heaven were finite. Consequently, those who could enjoy them were bound to be limited as well. Furthermore, the higher one climbed, the more resources they required. Thus, the birth of a single powerhouse inevitably demanded countless resources and boundless sacrifices.
“Hmm. Chatting with you is surprisingly pleasant, but it is about time I got started.”
Chaesan Noyao’s body split open with a sharp, cracking sound, and an immense volume of black smoke—no, demonic energy—poured out. The semi-materialized demonic energy instantly dyed Chaesan Noyao and his surroundings pitch black.
At this massive eruption of demonic energy, Shin Baekrim, who had maintained a serene countenance the entire time, reacted sharply for the first time.
“What are you trying to do?!”
If he intended to fight an opponent of equal standing, such a blatant display of power was unnecessary. This meant Chaesan Noyao’s sudden action was not aimed at him.
“The same thing as you. A minor sacrifice.”
Simultaneously with Chaesan Noyao’s brief reply, the darkness fell as rain. Countless raindrops fell, seeping into the earth and soaking into the corpses scattered across the battlefield. Realizing what was happening, Shin Baekrim’s eyes narrowed sharply, and he reached out his hand. A massive scroll materialized out of thin air.
“I don’t understand. Why are you angry?”
As Chaesan Noyao backed away with a laugh, the empty space where he had just been standing was sucked into the unfurled scroll. The space, which had rippled translucently as if plunged into a vacuum, returned to normal within a few seconds, but the spiritual energy in that area had noticeably depleted compared to its surroundings.
“Do not play your petty tricks.”
Shin Baekrim warned coldly, but Chaesan Noyao did not care in the slightest.
“You already know, don’t you? It’s too late.”
Down on the battlefield below, the dead strewn across the ground began to twitch.
Did I see that wrong?
Having swallowed another human cultivator after seizing the perfect opportunity, Jekyeong felt an urge to rub his eyes. Unfortunately, having no hands made that impossible, so he blinked rapidly several times instead to confirm if his eyes were playing tricks on him.
What is that?
A demon beast that had clearly died with its head blown apart was twitching. It pushed against the ground with broken, limp legs, floundered a few times, and ultimately dragged itself back up. All while its head remained completely obliterated.
Did it come back to life? Can that even be called living? No, this is...
His attention momentarily derailed by the shocking sight, Jekyeong only belatedly realized that the air had changed. This was not a metaphorical expression, but a stark fact perceived through his spiritual awareness. The air had changed. Even the surrounding spiritual energy had transformed.
The spiritual energy of heaven and earth, which had grown somewhat harsh and sharp under the influence of the murderous intent of over several thousand human and demon cultivators, had now turned eerie and viscous.
What on earth is this...?!
The headless corpse starting to move again was merely the beginning. Similar phenomena were occurring everywhere Jekyeong looked. The dead, regardless of whether they were human or beast, rose once more and began to run amok blindly. The resurrected dead showed hostility toward everything living, plunging the battlefield into uncontrollable chaos in an instant.
The dead rise, driven by malevolent yin energy.
“What is this!”
Sagaewan, already irritated by his persistent opponent, cursed inwardly at the eerie demonic energy that filled the area in an instant. He didn't even need to turn his head to know what was happening.
“Chaesan Nogoe! What on earth is he scheming?”
“Did that old man let his guard down and take a hit from Shin Baekrim?”
Even within Sangyo Forest, rumors abounded regarding Chaesan Noyao’s origins, but no one knew the truth. Some said his true form was a thousand-year-old tree drenched in the blood of an ancient demon beast, while others claimed he was a naturally born demon spirit who had possessed the body of an unfortunate wood demon. There were countless other theories, but they were all laughable nonsense.
An ancient demon beast? What ancient demon beast? Surely they didn't mean the Demon Race? A legendary race that barely merited a single line in the oldest history books of the Changram cultivation world? And what was this about a naturally born demon spirit? Possessing a wood demon's body? Did they mean soul possession? Wasn't that also a mere legend in the cultivation world? If Chaesan Nogoe possessed such power, wouldn't he have ruled the entire Jugye Mountain Range long ago?
“Idiots always have such uselessly vivid imaginations.”
“Is that the problem right now? Chaesan Nogoe is making his move in earnest! This battle is completely different from before!”
Sagaewan couldn't help but seriously question Chaesan Noyao’s sanity. This was supposed to be a simple transaction, barely even a fight—a trade of corpses for meat. It was a sort of ritual that had been carried out since ancient times, and Shin Baekrim and Chaesan Noyao were the overseers and managers of this event.
Their role was to supervise and ensure the flames of battle did not spread too far. Yet, what Chaesan Noyao was doing now was akin to pouring oil onto an already dangerously blazing fire. Why? Why on earth was he doing this?
Boom!
A terrifying wave of Dharma power surged all the way to where they stood, far from the epicenter. The immense battle intent and bloodlust faintly laced within the shockwave were enough to make one's entire body tremble. In the deep darkness far away, divine light flashed incessantly.
Unlike Sagaewan, who had distanced himself early on, those positioned relatively close to the two old monsters' battlefield were beginning to feel the effects, their auras fluctuating violently. It was proven once again that not all Foundation Establishment cultivators were equal, and not all Great Demons were the same. At least in terms of sheer presence, the existence of those two old monsters rivaled all the other Great Demons and Foundation Establishment cultivators combined.
“This is driving me crazy.”
“Shin Baekrim seems absolutely furious too. It looks like he intends to go all out.”
Furious? Of course he was. All Shin Baekrim wanted was to prune a few branches, not uproot the entire tree.
“Does this mean all-out war?”
“I don't know. But it certainly won't end quietly.”
A violent storm raged in Sagaewan’s mind. Yet, even as countless thoughts raced through his head, his four eyes never drifted from his opponent for a single second. Thanks to this, Sagaewan immediately noticed that his opponent's already fierce gaze had grown even more menacing.
“Damn it.”
“Curse him!”
Even if they had to fight, he wanted to move further away from the old monsters first, but judging by that fierce, glaring gaze, his opponent had no intention of cooperating.
As Shin Baekrim and Chaesan Noyao clashed in earnest, the battles between the other Foundation Establishment cultivators and Great Demons intensified, making their previous skirmishes look like mere child's play. However, those fighting on the ground had no leisure to pay attention to the sky above. This was because the appearance of the dead, who attacked indiscriminately without distinguishing between former allies and enemies, had completely transformed the atmosphere of the battlefield.
The tide of battle, which had been tilting in favor of the human race, was instantly reversed. This was because the human side suffered far greater losses from the emergence of the dead. Even as they were swept up in the heat of battle, the human cultivators maintained a shred of reason, fighting with tactical thought. On the other hand, the beast race had long since abandoned reason, driven entirely by madness and ferocity. To them, the appearance of the dead was merely an increase in the number of enemies they had to tear apart.
However, as with all things, there were exceptions; not every member of the beast race was fighting mindlessly.
Ugh!
Jekyeong irritably shook off the head of a demon beast that had latched onto him. For a corpse whose body below the neck had completely vanished to cling to him with its sparse teeth... There was no way such teeth could pierce his iron-hard scales, but the problem was the unpleasant energy transferring from these undead creatures. Though it felt roughly similar to demonic energy, it was more repulsive than any filth, triggering an instinctive revulsion.
Boom!
Before he could even recover from his disgust, a tattered demon beast suddenly slammed its body straight into him. Extremely displeased, Jekyeong easily pinned the creature down and whipped his tail, reducing its tattered body to a bloody pulp.
Huh?
Jekyeong, who had been slamming his tail down repeatedly in irritation, suddenly snapped out of it. Was this really the time to be playing around with these disgusting corpses? Why was he wasting his strength on useless emotions?
This isn't like me. This... something is wrong.
Jekyeong was certain. Something was influencing his mind without him even realizing it. It was clouding his reason and stimulating his ferocity, dragging him deeper into the frenzy of battle.
This bizarre demonic energy.
Jekyeong scanned his surroundings. The madness-stricken beasts were still fighting savagely, but somehow, they seemed far more ferocious than before. Until just a moment ago, they would at least flinch when they felt pain, but now, even that reaction was gone. They were like rabid dogs—no, worse.
This is dangerous.
An invisible wave of madness was sweeping across the entire battlefield. For now, only the beasts who had already lost their minds seemed affected, but soon, the human cultivators would suffer the same fate.
And me as well.
He could endure it for now, but as time passed, he too would eventually succumb to the madness. Therefore, before that happened, he had to escape as quickly as possible. He had to run, and yet...
It's such a waste.
Jekyeong silently approached a human cultivator he had been eyeing for a while and swallowed him whole in a single bite. The human cultivator, who had just sliced apart a former ally charging at him in grief, met his end without even noticing Jekyeong's approach.
What a waste.
Jekyeong felt the rich spiritual energy filling his stomach, but he was still unsatisfied.
Just a little. Just a little more.
Jekyeong hurriedly rolled his eyes, searching for his next target. Any thoughts of playing it safe had completely vanished. In any case, those fighting in the sky seemed to have no room to spare for what was happening below, and with chaos already erupting in all directions, running wild wouldn't cause any issues.
Three. No, just four more.
His impatient gaze swept across the battlefield.
Rumble!
Lightning flashed, tearing through the darkness. However, the darkness only wavered for a brief moment before instantly recovering its original vigor.
“You didn't think you could scare me with a lightning technique you aren't even familiar with, did you?”
Chaesan Noyao let out a sinister laugh as his body, which had dissolved into dark smoke, reformed. On the other hand, Shin Baekrim furrowed his brow, clearly displeased. Staring at Chaesan Noyao’s translucent body, Shin Baekrim shifted his gaze to the blackened sky overhead.
“You seem very confident. Do you truly believe everything is going according to your plan?”
“Of course.”
Just as Shin Baekrim said, Chaesan Noyao was brimming with confidence. It was no exaggeration to say his self-assurance had soared compared to when they first began clashing.
“We shall see.”
A powerful storm of Dharma power swirled around Shin Baekrim. An intangible flow, whose sheer power induced a sense of vastness just by sensing it, formed profound patterns, exerting immense pressure on Chaesan Noyao and the surrounding space.
“Do you still not realize it is futile? I truly do not understand you. If blood is bound to be spilled anyway, what does it matter if a little more flows?”
“That is true.”
Even as they exchanged words, Shin Baekrim’s offensive did not slacken for a single moment. Every time Chaesan Noyao reformed his shape, Shin Baekrim unleashed an attack to shatter him, yet Chaesan Noyao recovered each time as if nothing had happened.
“You know very well that this is nothing but a childish venting of anger. If it pains you that much, why not just withdraw the remaining survivors?”
Chaesan Noyao’s dark form tore into hundreds, thousands of fragments. Each fragment let out a chilling, ghostly wail as they hurtled toward Shin Baekrim. As if possessed of their own wills, the fragments flew at varying speeds and trajectories.
“Hmph!”
The scroll, enveloped in a halo of light, materialized once more behind Shin Baekrim’s back. Once again, it exerted a powerful suction, drawing in hundreds of the black shapes. Yet, even after erasing hundreds, an even greater number of black shapes continued to swarm toward Shin Baekrim. Among them were forms resembling wide-mouthed skulls, and others like freshly severed beast heads.
“Yin-Fiend Ghost Spirits. Crude as always.”