Chapter 364
Chapter 364
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 364
Chapter Title: As Long as Breath Remains (2)
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As I invoked the soul command, the energy extending from my hand shot toward the sky.
Shuuuuk!!
The energy that rocketed upward began transforming into a massive ritual formation, drawing in the yin qi from the surrounding area.
At that moment.
The Eon brothers standing behind me took a few steps closer to where I was.
The first to speak was Eon Yong-myeong.
"Eon Yong-myeong of the Pearl Eon Family. Though my talents are lacking, I will share in my brother's resolve. With this, I swear it. As long as breath remains in my body, I will never forget your grudges."
Following him, the other Eon brothers began rolling up their sleeves one by one.
"Jeong Hyeon, disciple of the Wudang Sect, swears the same. I vow to hone my own path and devote myself to purging demonic cults from this land."
"Dang Ok-gi of the Sichuan Tang Clan. I too swear to carry on the will of my comrades."
The cadets of the Righteous Martial Academy, who had formed ranks, soon followed with similar oaths and vows of their own.
Peng So-cheon clasped his large palms together and spoke up.
"Peng So-cheon of the Hebei Peng Family! I solemnly pledge my life to righting this chaotic world and saving the suffering masses!"
In response, Cheon Jang-ho gaped and made a fuss.
"What? So-cheon hyung? What's gotten into you? Words coming out of that mouth? Is the sun rising in the west today?"
Dang Ok-gi shot him a hawk-like glare and scolded.
"Cheon Jang-ho. Read the room before you start joking around. What the hell?"
At Dang Ok-gi's words, Cheon Jang-ho scratched his head.
"...Ahem. Well, you know what Yong-un hyung always says before big events, right?"
"What Eon Yong-un says?"
"Don't get too tense, and don't let anger consume you... something like that. He says it often. Everyone seemed too worked up, so I thought I'd say something to cool things down a bit... Guess it was a mistake."
It wasn't wrong.
'If he hadn't stepped up, I would've said the same.'
So I nodded toward Cheon Jang-ho.
"No, you did well. It needed to be said once."
At my words, Cheon Jang-ho looked sheepish and turned to Peng So-cheon.
"But I'm genuinely curious. Hey, So-cheon hyung. How'd you come up with that out of nowhere? Isn't your head just full of walnuts and muscles?"
"Hmph. It's from the entrance oath I memorized. Forgetting it means you didn't mean it sincerely."
"Ah? No, I meant it at the time!"
"Then maybe your head's the one full of walnuts?"
"......"
I spoke up again then.
"Anyway, Jang-ho's right about what he said. Let's channel our anger coldly. Revenge is served cold."
Meanwhile.
The ritual formation hanging in the sky was complete.
Wuuung-
After resonating briefly, the formation took hold of the soul command I'd laid down and began raining down azure lightning across the sea domain.
Rumble!!
Boom! Flash!! Kwaaaang!!!
The bolts that struck cleared away the thick fog blanketing the area and simultaneously.
Screeech-
Screeech-creak-
began raising the skeletons of the dead.
Kraaaah!
Skeletal soldiers with gleaming soulfire eyes and the cadets of the Righteous Martial Academy burning with resolve.
"Hoo."
I steadied my breath once.
Then drew Regret.
"Let's go."
"Yes!"
With that, we began sweeping through the outer islands of Sakwol Island.
Chwaak!
Chwaaaak!!!
The demonic cultists guarding the outer islands were no match at all.
Kraaaah!
It was inevitable.
The cultists deployed across the islands consisted of Monster King Division sorcerers and their guards.
"S-Skeletons are coming alive?"
Captain! We've lost control of the corpse puppets too!"
"Is this the sorcery of Eon Yong-un we've only heard about? It's like seeing Elder Reverse Heaven Demon Gu's arts... no, even beyond that?"
"More importantly, we need to retreat!"
"Eon Yong-un's skeletons are everywhere—where to?!"
They lacked the numbers to handle the swarming horde of skeletal soldiers.
"Right. Your captain's spot on. My legion surrounds you on all sides."
"!"
"The only place left for you is the afterlife."
There weren't any absolute experts deployed to confound me and my brothers either.
Chwaak!!
Chwaaaak!!!
Thus, as the Crimson Dragon Palace ships patrolled the surrounding waters to prevent the cultists from launching their vessels, we systematically captured the outer islands one by one.
Chwaaaak!!!
After some time like this.
When we cut down the last remaining cultist.
Peng So-jin furrowed her brows and spoke.
"We benefited greatly from Yong-un's necromancy, but still... isn't this too easy?"
At Peng So-jin's words.
Dokgo Cheol, who had joined the Blood Vanguard and gained some distance from the cult, spoke up.
"It wasn't a trap aimed at us from the start, was it? With the Chairman here, we handled the Monster King Division sorcerers easily, but the Blood Cult wouldn't have fared as well."
"Even accounting for that, it's too easy. They used the Ten Thousand Blood Formation as bait expecting to draw in archbishops or even higher."
I agreed with Peng So-jin.
"Noona's right. This isn't all there is. There has to be more."
At that moment, some of the Crimson Dragon Palace ships circling the area approached our island.
Jeong Won-hae, aboard one of them, called out to me.
"Separate from my pity for those sacrificed to that horrific pill refinement... seeing the Ghost Dragon's necromancy in action for the first time is truly astonishing. Did the Ghost Dragon also clear the fog over the area?"
"Who knows. I don't know any spells for dispelling fog, so I'd say it's thanks to everyone's resolve. But, Young Palace Lord."
"Speak."
I asked Jeong Won-hae.
"I heard you'd signal if there was movement from the main island, but I haven't seen any. No ships leaving the main island?"
"The sea is still raging, but with the fog lifted, our patrols have intensified. No ships have slipped out yet."
From the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's perspective, our raid was utterly unexpected.
"They take a raid but don't send out any main force experts you'd call elites... If they were planning to flee, that might make sense. But they're not fleeing?"
Peng So-jin and I spoke almost in unison.
"It's a trap?"
"A trap."
The moment I confirmed Peng So-jin shared my thought.
"Looks like they knew I'd come, so they've set something up and are waiting."
I chuckled and said.
"Fame has its perks at times like this. I was worried they might just run. But here they are, inviting me right in."
At my words, I recalled Master once remarking.
- Talking about killing that bastard like it's a banquet invitation... That guy's got the biggest guts under heaven.
I lightly explained the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's likely scheme to the gathered group.
"They figure since we've moved, the Blood Cult's archbishops will show up too. They think the chaos of a three-way battle will give them an opening, whether for escape or a trap."
I divided our forces onto the Crimson Dragon Palace ships and headed for Sakwol Island's main isle.
Kreuh-
Kreuuuh-
Upon arrival at the main island, the captured corpse puppets and skeletal legion I'd brought halted as if blocked by an invisible wall.
They couldn't advance beyond the beach sands up ahead.
"Eon Yong-un. What's with them?"
"Prime Celestial Venerable. Must be some sorcery. Humans can pass through."
Seeing them pacing blankly in place.
I recalled a traditional spell I'd examined with Elder Yeonghwan Taoist.
"The golden thread barrier?"
Disciples of the Mosan Sect mixed in the ranks confirmed the formations etched across the area.
"Golden thread sorcery, confirmed. Do we erase them one by one? You know that too, Chairman Eon?"
I could probably shatter it instantly with black magic.
'But that drains inner energy too fast.'
Somewhere on the main island, the twin demons and their hidden elites lurked.
'Need to conserve as much as possible.'
As I thought that.
One of the Mosan disciples inspecting the formation spoke up.
"Chairman, take a look here. The corpse puppets managed to walk a couple more jang in this spot."
Checking it out.
I saw the corpse puppets pacing in a convex shape, with a narrow outer path visible.
"Ships left docked at the pier, and they leave this path wide open... That's a blatant invitation."
I let out a hollow laugh and assessed our situation.
'Sa-gyeom's an ally now. The Hundred Thousand Great Mountains are too busy with internal crackdowns to spare a great demon lord on the southern coast... So their forces are the Black-White Phantoms, their aides, and assassination specialists from the Demon Brain Division's militants?'
Lost in thought.
I found myself scanning my brothers.
Among them, Eon Yong-myeong especially shone with determination and spoke.
"I'll follow."
"Good."
* * *
I split the ranks.
"Mosan Sect disciples, dismantle the area's formations. The rest, burn the cultists' ships at the pier."
"Yes!"
"Young Palace Lord and Crimson Dragon Palace forces, resume your duties. There might be hidden piers elsewhere."
"Understood."
Then, I took the blatant outer path up with my brothers.
Staying vigilant, we followed it for a while.
The path seemed to connect to a stream, leading into a cave where water trickled steadily on one side.
"...Chilling to the bone."
The cave brimmed with eerie origin energy that raised goosebumps the moment we entered.
I instinctively knew this was where the Ten Thousand Blood Formation was refined.
Shortly after venturing inside, a vast open space appeared, accompanied by applause.
Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!
Applauding us was a man in a long robe and a white mask exposing his jaw.
"What impressive spirits you have. I figured the more paranoid ones would break off from the group and move alone. But you all come marching in like ducklings. What the hell is this righteousness... Tsk tsk tsk."
Behind him sat a woman in a pitch-black mask and archer's garb, legs dangling idly from a rock.
Guessing they were the Demon Brain Division's twin demon lords, the Black-White Phantoms, I spoke.
"You must be Baek Sang Demon Lord Chae Gyu."
"Oh ho. You know me?"
Besides them, several presences registered in my senses.
Some might survive, so I sowed doubt.
"Yeah. My informants in the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains spill everything. A good-for-nothing even more useless than that dimwit Gil Jun, just tending to the Demon Brain geezer."
At my words, Chae Hyang, the Black Phantom Lord behind Chae Gyu, threw her head back laughing.
"Ahahaha."
Chae Gyu ground his teeth in a bitter smile.
"...Just like the rumors, flapping that tongue to make me want to rip your mouth off."
"You know guys who spout crap like that in front of me always end up dead, right? As Demon Brain Division, you should know that much."
"...The cult no longer dismisses you as a junior talent. These were prepared to take out the Blood Cult's archbishops and Cult Protector Kings, but we'll use them on you. Asura Slaughter Squad—kill them all!"
At Chae Gyu's command, the presences lunged at us with gleaming blades.
Swaaaaek!!!
No need to discuss tactics—we and my brothers split like lightning.
Swaek!!!
Swaaaaek!!!
Jeong Hyeon darted east, drawing a taiji to seal one enemy thrust point completely.
I charged west, mercilessly slashing the oncoming cultists.
Chwaak! Chwaaak!!
The other brothers formed the Chain Formation centered on Peng So-jin.
Clang!
Clang-clang-clang!!
Sword lights clashed chaotically in the cave, blood and sparks flying.
Chae Gyu and Chae Hyang.
The Black-White Phantom twins shed an outer layer of clothing and joined the assault.
Of course, they stuck to my side.
Clang! Clang!
Clang-clang-clang!! Chwaaaeng!!!
"Wow, big brother. Impressive, huh? The title of world's top junior talent isn't hype! Even with the Asura Slaughter Squad and us two, can't take your head right away. That makes you a transcendence realm master?!"
"That Ghost King Division's Ear Demon Lord who first reported this guy as a total retard is the root of all this."
"...Hmm. Big brother, bad vibes. Leave it to the underlings and bail?"
"That's always your problem, Hyang! See the forest! If we take these guys down ourselves today, it'll make up for all the blunders from the divisions!"
The twins' opinions clashed.
But their movements proved they came from the same womb.
Like mirror images.
Swaek!
Swaaaek!!
Chae Gyu aimed left, Chae Hyang right.
Then both thrust at me simultaneously—dodging wasn't easy.
Plus the Asura Slaughter Squad cultists made it a real hassle.
'But doable.'
I had a trump card for that too.
But I held back, enduring patiently.
Until Chae Gyu, trusting a Slaughter Squad member charging with him, delved deep into my domain.
Then I played it.
'Assassin. Now.'
- Yes, my lord!
Assassin emerged from the shadows at my command, slashing the cultist covering Chae Gyu's flank.
Chwaak!!!
Seizing the gap, I slashed Regret horizontally at Chae Gyu's neck.
Swaaaaaaaaek-
The skilled bastard twisted back in panic.
Regret grazed his mouth instead.
Chwaak!!!!
His mouth tore open like a future ghost story horror, forcing him to retreat frantically.
I grinned at Chae Gyu, blood pouring.
"What'd I tell you? Guys who yap nonsense in front of me always end up like that."
Chae Hyang glared at her brother irritably.
"What'd I say! Weird feeling, right?!"
"Shut up!"
"Can't rely on big brother alone! You always say I can't see the forest. You watch it yourself!"
Leaving those words, Chae Hyang vanished deeper along the cave stream.
As she left, one elite aide cultist and several others followed in a rush.
'Ten Thousand Blood Formation's with Chae Hyang.'
As that thought flashed.
Clang-clang!
Clang-clang-clang!
Peng So-jin and Eon Yong-myeong, thinking the same, expanded their attack range into my zone.
"Hyungnim!"
"Chase her!"
I nodded, left the rear to them, and pursued Chae Hyang.
Deep into the cave for a bit.
A steep slide fit for a playground chute appeared.
"She went down this."
I slid down it.
Shuuuuwook!!!!
I shot out a hole piercing one face of Sakwol Island.
Splash!!!
Surfacing in the water, I looked around.
"Puha!"
I saw cultists' fast ships hastily fleeing seaward.
Fortunately, Crimson Dragon Palace lines were blocking them.
Though a few had broken through.
"Can't let those escape... Huh?"
But only for a moment.
The fleeing ships turned their prows.
A fleet flying silk sails appeared.