Chapter 360
Chapter 360
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 360
Chapter Title: Heaven Beyond Heaven (1)
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It had been quite some time since I parted ways with the Red Dragon Palace's ship and began rowing alone.
Far in the distance, two rock islands stood symmetrically like twins.
"That must be Resting Fisher Island."
The full view of Resting Fisher Island matched exactly what I had heard from Red Dragon Palace's young palace lord, Jeong Won-hae.
"It really does look like a painting from afar."
However, the surrounding waters were incredibly treacherous.
Crash!
Splash!!!
Dark waves relentlessly licked at the small boat I was on, trying to swallow it whole.
And the whirlpools scattered everywhere wove white snares of death across the black sea.
To deal with those whirlpools, I recalled what Jeong Won-hae had said during training.
"You can't fight the waves head-on, nor can you just go with the flow blindly."
I wedged my legs into the footrests at the bottom of the boat.
Whoosh—
As the boat entered the edge of a large whirlpool and picked up speed.
I began vigorously thrusting the oar wrapped in internal energy into the sea.
Splash! Splash! Splash! Splash! Splash!
Thanks to the momentum, the boat skimmed across the surface for a moment before.
Splashing!!
cutting through the water and settling down.
I had crossed one whirlpool, but countless waves and eddies still lay ahead.
Crash!
Splash!!
Breaking through this sea was only just beginning.
As I busily rowed, a comment slipped out unconsciously.
"The name 'Resting Fisher' isn't there for nothing—even fish need a break."
Feeling the rough sea firsthand made me think of Dokgo Cheol and the True Blood Unit members I had sent ahead into these waters.
"Phew. I wonder if Cheol made it safely."
To that, my master chimed in.
- He must have arrived just fine. They were on a bigger ship than your little rowboat... Even if it got smashed, there should at least be wreckage left, right?
"If they get caught properly in one of these whirlpools!"
Splash!!!
"They wouldn't even leave bones behind!"
- But they wouldn't let that happen to you either. Did you train them a bit? They'll have crossed without issue.
With that, my master changed the subject.
- By the way, Yong-un.
"Yes?"
- Why did you let the Archbishop know that you were aware of Sakwol Island?
"As long as the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult doesn't find out that we know about Sakwol Island's existence, it's fine."
- The Blood Cult already knows about it anyway?
"Yes. But at this point, the Blood Cult and Heavenly Demon Divine Cult can't join forces."
The Blood Cult had declared independence.
From the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's perspective, the Blood Demon's flock was something they wanted to wipe out in one fell swoop.
"There's that saying about birds of a feather flocking together... but at this stage, the information I leaked won't reach the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. Instead, I expected the Blood Cult's Archbishop to get desperate."
The basis of all strategy is to create a situation the enemy doesn't want.
"While we're attacking other outposts of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, it'll look like our plan to hit Sakwol Island has fallen apart. And that's exactly what happened, isn't it? And..."
- And? Why stop there?
"I wanted to figure out what kind of person this Archbishop is."
The orthodox Murim knew where the Blood of Ten Thousand Men was being created.
"If the Archbishop was greedy enough to covet the Blood of Ten Thousand Men or chase personal merit, he would have moved alone to strike first upon hearing the information."
With that opener, I continued thrusting the oar toward Resting Fisher Island and kept speaking.
"If he were blindly loyal to the Blood Cult's hierarchy, he would have consulted the Cult Protector King above him, bypassing Dokgo Cheol."
- ...But the Archbishop called in old Cheol. So neither, right?
"Yes. He's the third type."
Loyal to the Blood Cult, but not mindlessly obedient to headquarters.
"That means he's purely devoted to the Blood Cult's banner and the power of the Reverse Blood Asura Grand Law."
For such a person, the Blood Heaven Asura Palace's obsession with the Blood of Ten Thousand Men would not sit well.
"In other words, if we can properly break this Archbishop... we can make him carry out the True Blood Unit's will."
- Wasn't the True Blood Unit's will just something Song Ho-gyeom muttered that you hastily put together?
"Anyway!"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ While Eon Yong-un, who had deliberately delayed his departure, rowed vigorously.
In the narrow gap between Resting Fisher Island's twin isles—known as East Isle and West Isle.
A large ship with silk sails and a mid-sized vessel began to draw alongside each other.
"Slowly! Slowly! Drop anchor now! What are you doing?! Lower the rope ladders!"
Watching the scene with a peculiar expression was a middle-aged man.
Sa Gyeom, leader of the Myriad Vast Blood Waves pirate gang that dominated the Silver River Archipelago.
Known to the world as one of the many pirates of the Silver River Archipelago, he was in fact the Blood Cult's South Sea Archbishop.
As he waited for Dokgo Cheol to board, Sa Gyeom mulled over his thoughts.
'...Dokgo Cheol.'
There had been a strict order from Blood Heaven Asura Palace to proceed with the Blood of Ten Thousand Men heist after contacting Dokgo Cheol.
Beyond that command, however, Sa Gyeom felt personal curiosity.
'He dared to send my message back?'
How could a mere division leader act so insolently?
'I once thought that, having settled in the heart of the orthodox Murim and rebuilt his sect, he might have grown complacent and forgotten the grand cause of Blood Flame Under Heaven.'
Blood couldn't lie, as they say.
It wasn't impossible that Dokgo Cheol, heir to a destroyed prestigious family, had mingled with the righteous factions and soured, changing sides.
However, it was clear Dokgo Cheol was loyal to the Blood Cult.
'The battle with Heavenly Demon Divine Cult in the Southern Jiang.'
Though the response from the Ten Thousand Great Mountains had been lukewarm, that fight had ended in the Blood Cult's victory.
And it was thanks to Dokgo Cheol risking exposure to leak information toward Righteous Martial Academy.
'Well, he might just be arrogant by nature.'
As various doubts swirled in Sa Gyeom's mind for a moment.
The very man who sparked those doubts, Dokgo Cheol, stepped aboard Sa Gyeom's ship.
Thud.
Dokgo Cheol and his subordinates, upon boarding Sa Gyeom's ship, bowed deeply toward him.
"White Shadow Pavilion Leader Dokgo Cheol pays respects to the Archbishop."
However, Dokgo Cheol's courteous demeanor only made Sa Gyeom furrow his brow.
"...He's not arrogant either."
In that instant, Dokgo Cheol became an incomprehensible being to Sa Gyeom.
Sa Gyeom, narrowing his brows sharply, nodded toward his subordinates on either side.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!!!!
In response, Sa Gyeom's men drew their weapons one after another.
Sa Gyeom himself drew his saber and spoke.
"Dokgo Cheol. What are you? Why are you loyal to the cult?"
To that, Dokgo Cheol's subordinates drew their swords from their waists as well.
Clang! Clang! Clang!!
Dokgo Cheol gestured for his men to lower their swords and replied.
"I believe the time for true Blood Flame Under Heaven has come, so I am loyal to the cult."
"...Predictable words. You expect me to take that at face value?"
"It may sound predictable to you, Archbishop, but it's my sincere truth and nothing more."
Both Dokgo Cheol speaking and his men sheathing their swords.
Showed not a hint of wavering before Sa Gyeom.
"Ha. Are you trying to lecture me?"
That sight left lingering doubts in Sa Gyeom's heart while scratching at his pride.
"You whelp have no fear. From Blood Heaven Asura Palace's view, you infiltrators in the orthodox Murim's depths may seem valuable. But this is my domain."
"......"
"The sea swallows many things. Even if all of you die here, it wouldn't be strange."
"......"
"And I am someone who can make that happen. Do you think I'd hesitate to drown you out of fear of Blood Heaven Asura Palace?"
"...You seem fully capable of doing so."
"Yet how can you show such unshaken eyes before me?"
To Sa Gyeom's continued question.
Dokgo Cheol quietly pondered the immediate situation.
'...The South Sea Archbishop of our cult is the Myriad Vast Blood Waves.'
Seeing Sa Gyeom's silk-sailed ship proved the nickname about dyeing the vast seas red wasn't empty.
An archbishop was a great demonic master in the absolute expert realm.
'The Sa Gyeom before me is someone who could truly carry out his threat to drown us all.'
Dokgo Cheol was now fully within Sa Gyeom's domain.
If Sa Gyeom decided to act on his words, Dokgo Cheol and his men would become fish food in an instant.
'But I'm not afraid.'
Despite the situation where his life hung on his response, Dokgo Cheol felt no fear of Sa Gyeom—strangely enough.
He quickly realized why.
'Because Chairman Eon Yong-un is here.'
If Eon Yong-un decided to meet the Archbishop, there must be a clear reason.
Thinking of Eon Yong-un brought back their recent conversation on Brain Lord Island.
'...He said we carry the True Blood Unit's will.'
Naturally, various thoughts clicked together in Dokgo Cheol's mind.
'I think I understand why even an archbishop like him is curious about my loyalty to the Blood Cult... and why the Chairman decided to meet him.'
With his mind clearing, Dokgo Cheol's mouth opened naturally.
"We see the path to true Blood Flame Under Heaven. There's no reason to lose our way."
"...What?"
To Dokgo Cheol, those words sounded like 'You seem to have lost your way.'
Just as Sa Gyeom's brow furrowed once more.
"What on earth is this 'true path to Blood Flame Under Heaven' you claim to see..."
One of Sa Gyeom's lookouts perched on the mast, pretending to watch, blew a horn and shouted.
Bwooooo—
"Waves! Massive waves incoming! A huge one!"
Sa Gyeom immediately turned toward the direction his subordinate pointed.
There, far off, a gigantic wave was rising.
"!"
Sea waves look distant at first but crash in instantly, swallowing everything.
Sa Gyeom sheathed the saber aimed at Dokgo Cheol and rushed to the bow.
Thud! Thud!! Thud!!!
He severed the dropped anchor and the grappling lines connecting to Dokgo Cheol's ship entirely.
Then issued orders around him.
"Move the ship! Use West Isle as a breakwater!! Dokgo Cheol! You lot, grab ropes or whatever and secure yourselves to the ship!"
As Sa Gyeom's deck grew hectic.
The lookout who warned of the wave shouted again.
"Th-there's someone on the wave!"
Sa Gyeom's gaze snapped back to the massive wave.
As the wave—tall as a city wall—cast encroaching dark shadows moment by moment.
Someone was riding it, clinging to what looked like a wooden plank rowboat, trailing a white line of foam.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The wave that carried me to Resting Fisher Island in an instant slammed down as if to shatter the isle.
Splash!!!!!!
In that moment.
I applied the principles of Water Skip to execute Shadowless Heaven-Splitting Step.
Leap!
As I kicked off the rowboat I had been relying on and soared into the air.
Sa Gyeom's ship nimbly maneuvered into the gap between the twin isles, using the western one as a breakwater.
Splash—
The response was quick and precise, but the wave itself was monstrously huge.
Kwaaaaaang!!!!!
Sa Gyeom's ship was battered by the aftermath of crashing water.
And helplessly swept toward the rocky crevices of the eastern isle.
In the process, some people on deck were flung in all directions.
The rest lost balance or consciousness, sprawling across the deck.
Land!
I safely touched down on Sa Gyeom's ship.
Then sliced my left hand, wrapping the extracted Blood Corpse Technique energy around Regret.
- The prayer beads too, and that strong blood scent clinging to the soul... Looks like the one who jammed that saber into the deck to hold on is the Blood Cult's Archbishop?
'Seems so.'
I charged straight at the man who appeared to be the Archbishop.
Screeeeech!
The archbishop's eyes widened at my sword blazing with dark red energy.
"!"
But he didn't freeze.
He swiftly yanked the saber embedded in the deck as a brace.
And wrapped it in Blood Corpse Technique energy, charging back at me.
Screeeeech!
As the Archbishop and I rushed at each other, the distance closed in a flash.
My Regret and his saber clashed wildly.
Clang! Kakakaclang!
The Archbishop's saber, wrapped in Blood Corpse Technique, was nothing like an ordinary swordsman's style.
Screeeeech!
Clang!!
With congealed blood's aid, it morphed into a greatsword and thrust in.
Drip! Drip! Drip! Drip! Drip!
The blood droplets flying one by one acted as projectiles themselves.
'He knows how to fight.'
It was evident he had properly mastered demonic arts based on blood techniques.
And countless real battles from pirate life showed too.
'Of course, even if the Blood Cult is just emerging, they wouldn't hand out archbishop positions lightly.'
But that was the extent of it.
In my eyes, the limits of the demonic art the Archbishop wielded were clear.
'Today, I'll teach you there's a heaven beyond heaven.'