Chapter 186 Hwasan (6)
Gwang-yeon was always dissatisfied.
'Why seek the vessel of the Blood God from the outside?'
The Blood God was a great and noble being who would purify the world with blood.
It was utter nonsense that its vessel would come from the already corrupted outside world.
On the contrary, it made far more sense to find it from within—among those of pure bloodline who had always been loyal to the Blood Cult.
It didn't even have to be him.
Gwang-yeon truly believed that.
That's why, when Ilmajon's Blood Law Envoy Jin So-cheong spoke as if the "Lord" was already confirmed, his vision went red with rage.
How dare a mere candidate for the Blood God's vessel claim to be the Lord.
Gwang-yeon couldn't just stand by and watch Jin So-cheong's attitude, as if the outcome was already set and it was only a matter of time.
So he fought.
The Eastern Sword Dragon, Kim Dong Yun.
The bastard was undoubtedly at the Super Peak realm, but with the Blood Sun Formation, that was no issue.
'Even if my head is severed atop the Blood Sun Formation, I won't die.'
And that wasn't all.
His very body had been strengthened, and an inexhaustible supply of powerful inner energy was provided endlessly.
So he unleashed his power without restraint.
But then.
"Behold."
The moment those words reached his ears, Gwang-yeon felt an immense pressure slamming his entire body into the ground.
No, it wasn't just a feeling.
Splat!
Gwang-yeon was actually smashed into the floor.
A colossal pressure was crushing him down.
'What is this?!'
It felt like an invisible giant had raised its hand and pressed down.
Gwang-yeon felt like a frog flattened under that weight.
But it didn't end there.
'......The Blood Sun Formation?!'
Gwang-yeon and the Blood Sun Formation were currently sharing life force.
That's why he could sense it.
The foundational power sustaining the Blood Sun Formation was vanishing at a rapid pace—and right in the midst of it all was the Eastern Sword Dragon, Kim Dong Yun.
It was as if he was forcibly ripping out and using the formation's energy.
'Impossible.'
The Blood Sun Formation could only be utilized by those who had practiced blood arts, and specifically those marked by Imajon herself.
For someone to forcibly steal its energy led to one inescapable conclusion.
Dong Yun's mastery of blood arts far surpassed Gwang-yeon's.
He was so far above that those below couldn't even comprehend it.
He couldn't accept it.
Gwang-yeon raised his head against the pressure.
There stood Dong Yun, arms crossed, standing defenselessly.
But that appearance was the polar opposite of carelessness or sloppiness.
Leisure!
What emanated from him was an utterly overwhelming sense of leisure.
It was hard to believe he could wield such power without so much as batting an eye.
And the massive amount of blood energy pouring from his sword.
Proof that he had mastered blood arts at the pinnacle.
At that moment, Dong Yun's mouth opened.
"Infinite power, was it?"
He chuckled softly and continued.
"Is this the infinite power you spoke of?"
Boom—!
"Gahk!"
Gwang-yeon vomited blood.
The unprecedented force didn't end there.
Once more, his body was crushed. No, not just his body—the ground around him sank deep into the earth, forming a crater.
"Is this the extent of your power, and you strutted around so proudly with it?"
"......"
Gwang-yeon didn't answer. He couldn't.
To even alleviate the pressure on his body, he had to pour every ounce of his energy into resisting.
That's why he could feel it.
'The Blood Sun Formation's energy...... it's vanishing!'
It was disappearing in quantities and at a speed hundreds of times what he could absorb.
It felt almost sinful to even compare.
Aaah—
In that instant, Gwang-yeon realized.
Who the true vessel of the Blood God was—
Boom!
"Keheuk!"
Another crushing wave of pressure struck, and blood poured from all seven orifices.
His mind grew hazy. Death felt palpably close.
But somehow, he could accept it humbly.
If one with such power was the Blood God's vessel, then the world drowning in blood was the natural course.
Gwang-yeon burned his last reserves of strength.
A corrupted, pitch-black version of his Zaha Divine Art erupted from his entire body.
Bearing it, he slowly rose to his feet.
Crack, grind—!
The chilling sound of bones grinding out of place echoed. Blood streamed from his body, but Gwang-yeon didn't stop.
Soon, his movement halted.
Gwang-yeon was on his knees.
"I...... pay my respects...... to the Lord...... Gahk!"
Gwang-yeon wore a faint smile.
His energy gradually faded. As his mind blurred and his vision darkened, he closed his eyes.
And at that moment.
Whoosh.
The Pa Cheon Sword, embedded in the Blood Sun Formation, returned to Dong Yun's hand.
At the same time, the formation's energy, which had been unilaterally drawn to Dong Yun, began flowing back into Gwang-yeon's body.
Crack, pop!
Misaligned and shattered bones realigned, torn flesh began mending.
"Huuuuh."
Like surfacing after a long dive, Gwang-yeon gasped deeply.
He patted his body in bewilderment, then his face twisted in shock.
"Lord...... why have you spared my life?"
But there was no answer.
Then.
With a face full of ecstasy, Jin So-cheong, who had been collapsed in the corner, rose and shouted.
"Lord! Please execute this wretch. Be cruel, be merciless! Show no mercy, no compassion whatsoever!"
Dong Yun didn't even turn his head toward her.
Instead.
"Ilmajon's Blood Law Envoy speaks truly, O Vessel of the Blood God. Execute me and set an example."
Gwang-yeon echoed the same plea.
Hearing this, Dong Yun approached Gwang-yeon, who was still kneeling.
And then.
Slap—!
He struck his cheek.
"Pathetic fool."
"Why......!"
"Don't you even know your own worth?"
Meeting Dong Yun's eyes, Gwang-yeon understood.
It wasn't mercy.
Those savage eyes!
The eyes of a ruler who found satisfaction only in destruction and trampling all beneath him.
There was not a shred of mercy or compassion there.
"You are Ilmajon's Blood Law Envoy, but in the martial world, you are a key disciple of the Hwasan Sect, pillar of the righteous faction. For such a man to abandon his post and seek death—isn't that cowardly flight?"
Those were eyes that inhumanely demanded utility from a person—
"I shall devote myself fully to the Blood Cult Lord!"
The perfect image of a Blood Cult fanatic, drawn as if by a master's hand.
'Unleash the Time Wheel Jade for a bit.'
At my words, Pa Cheon activated the Time Wheel Jade's power.
Previously, it had been used in short bursts due to Pa Cheon's limited stored energy, but not anymore.
[I could probably maintain the Time Wheel Jade for at least half a shichen now.]
The performance was insane.
Of course, I meant Pa Cheon Sword's performance.
If the Blood Sun Formation was truly "alive," there was no reason Pa Cheon couldn't absorb it.
Pa Cheon Sword was an extraordinary blade.
A demonic sword that could suck in energy, so it was only natural.
The issue was that the energy it could absorb was limited in type.
Before re-entering the martial world, most of the energy Pa Cheon had absorbed was from the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's Punishment Cave prisoners.
The Punishment Cave's formation dispersed inner energy, making absorption inefficient and minimal—like a mouse's tail.
A Super Peak expert might provide more, but they'd never give Pa Cheon an opening.
Pa Cheon had never filled its full capacity.
In game terms, its total capacity exceeded 100, but each absorption yielded only 1 or 2. The Red Dragon's bone fragment felt like about 10.
But now, it had sucked in 100 at once—maybe more.
Naturally, there were no restrictions on techniques. Just using Domination alone subdued Gwang-yeon.
Normally used to weigh down the body, this was on a scale that cratered the earth like a minor earthquake.
And energy still overflowed.
Even as it absorbed, I had to vent the pure energy and poison qi to prevent contamination by the blood energy.
Anyone watching would think I'd cultivated supreme blood arts with energy spilling over.
Hell, maybe that's why Gwang-yeon suddenly slammed his head down and pledged loyalty.
[It was utterly revolting.]
Pa Cheon spoke as if it had witnessed something it wished it hadn't.
[Inner energy is, even if from unorthodox sources, ultimately drawn from nature. But that blood energy...... it was filled with grudges. Resentment, longing, hatred. Had I not achieved the Three Flowers Gather at the Summit, even my mind might have been corrupted.]
'The victims' grudges, huh.'
[Likely. Now I understand why those who practice blood arts all lose their minds. Whether devoured and controlled by the grudges or overcoming and dominating them—neither is something an ordinary human can do.]
That explained why the cult's elites or Blood Cultists were all insane.
[Anyway, it's settled for now. What will you do with Gwang-yeon? Spare him?]
'Probably.'
As a true wuxia fan, I couldn't just let a Hwasan Sect key disciple being a Blood Cultist slide.
How dare the Blood Cult defile the great Hwasan!
And this raised the extreme possibility that even the sect leader was in on it.
But I couldn't just kill him outright either.
In fact, that was why I'd deployed the Time Wheel Jade.
'After this mess, someone's bound to react.'
Even screened by barriers, they'd sense the energy fluctuations. Or at least the tremors from the massive Domination.
Whether Paeng Yu-gun, Hong Su-ja, or someone else, the time until they arrived wouldn't exceed a shichen without the Time Wheel Jade. Peak experts could cover that distance effortlessly if motivated.
'Ta-da! Turns out Gwang-yeon was a Blood Cult spy! But killing him would spark political issues—no proof.'
To the Blood Cult, it was losing a prized pawn; to Hwasan, a key disciple dying.
Since I couldn't reveal myself as the Blood Cult Lord, either way spelled trouble.
'Alright, plan's set. Pa Cheon, can you leave large-scale traces with Thunder Shadow Sword? No need to destroy—just make it look like a major technique was used.'
[Possible if I use some of the absorbed blood energy. It'll blend right in atop the Blood Sun Formation anyway.]
'Good. Release the Time Wheel Jade.'
Time's flow returned to normal.
First, align our stories.
"Tell me. Are there other Blood Cultists in Hwasan besides you?"
This was crucial.
If there were more besides Gwang-yeon, the prime suspect was his master, the Hwasan Sect Leader.
"I am the only Taoist affiliated with Hwasan."
"How? No matter how well you hide or seal your energy, it'd get found out."
"In truth, I...... was granted a special constitution through Imajon's great technique."
"What is it?"
His next words shocked even me, a self-proclaimed wuxia veteran.
"I...... have two dantians."
Crazy.
Pretending to be the Heavenly Demon