Chapter 367
Chapter 367
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 367
Chapter Title: As Long as Breath Remains (5)
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A great formation loses its power when its core is crushed.
The core of the formation formed by the demons was Chae Gyu.
Thus, the moment Chae Gyu's head fell, swept into Jeong Hyun's drawn Taiji diagram...
The formation upheld by his subordinates lost its power as well.
Paeng So-jin didn't miss that moment and opened her mouth.
"Now!"
The other Eon siblings unleashed their ultimate techniques in response.
Countless hidden weapons poured from Dang Ok-gi's sleeve.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
While the demons busily moved their hands to block those attacks...
Ting! Ting! Ting! Ting! Ting!
Paeng So-cheon's saber charging from the flank swung in a massive crescent arc.
Slaaaaash!!!
The moment those caught in that crescent were bisected in a single stroke...
For those who barely twisted their bodies to evade Paeng So-cheon's pitch-black saber...
Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!!
Eon Yong-myeong's fists and Cheon Jang-ho's palm strikes came pouring down.
Rumble!!
Boom!!!
With one side of the clashing forces collapsing entirely...
The killing intent filling the cavern had no choice but to vanish.
At that, Jeong Hyun's sword—which had been drawing the Taiji within his own flow of time—finally came to a halt.
"...Haa. Haa."
It was then that Eon Yong-myeong spoke toward Jeong Hyun, who was heaving for breath.
"...Jeong Hyun Dojang? That movement just now?! Have you broken through the wall?"
"A moment of the no-mind state arrived... Seems there was some progress."
"Then, to the Harmony Realm?"
"Unclear if it's the Primordial Heavenly Venerable's so-called Transformation Realm. This is my first such experience, so... It just felt like my body moved entirely as intended."
Jeong Hyun calmly shared his impressions, then—as if it weren't the important matter—turned his gaze toward Cheon Jang-ho.
"More than that, is Young Master Cheon alright?"
Answering that question was Dang Ok-gi.
"He needs treatment—especially after moving so intensely just now. Anyway, I'll handle Jang-ho somehow. You lot go check on Eon Yong-un. So-jin unnie, that's right, isn't it?"
"Yeah. Everyone except the demons here chased after the Black Mist Lord. There are Mosan Sect disciples and other unit members at the entrance path... So leaving two behind should be fine. Let's go help Yong-un."
As Dang Ok-gi began properly examining Cheon Jang-ho's wounds...
The other Eon siblings headed to the rear of the cavern where Eon Yong-un and Chae Hyang had vanished.
It wasn't long before a steep slope—like a slide—appeared.
"Brother and Chae Hyang must have gone down this."
"Yes. I checked the nearby walls just in case. It's a one-way path."
"Then let's go!"
"Biggest pig—you first."
After that brief exchange, the Eon siblings lined up one by one on the slope.
Swoooooosh!!!
They slid down the slope for a moment.
Plop! Plop! Plop! Plop!
Shooting out one after another from a hole on one side of Sakwol-do, they came face-to-face with a secret dock spacious enough to moor dozens of ships.
"Over there!"
Following Eon Yong-myeong's words, they swam out into the sea connected to the dock.
There, they saw Sa-gyeom's fleet—with its silken sails—locked in confrontation with Crimson Dragon Palace's fleet, bearing sails emblazoned with red dragons.
Splash—
It was then that a single fast ship approached the side where the Eon siblings were.
"Unnie. A ship's coming our way."
"It's flying a flag with a red dragon. Crimson Dragon Palace ship—no need to be on guard. More than that, that fleet reduced to wreckage..."
The remnants of the shattered fleet came into their view.
Paeng So-jin immediately grasped the situation.
"The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult fleet that slipped out from the hidden dock must have been smashed there? Seeing the pitch-black smoke... Cannon fire?"
As Paeng So-jin muttered her deduction...
Jeong Won-hae, the young palace lord of Crimson Dragon Palace who had disembarked from the fast ship, spoke up.
"Everyone's safe! But... where's the Sea Dragon?"
At Jeong Won-hae's words...
Eon Yong-myeong immediately replied.
"We followed the path down first and ended up at this dock, but you haven't seen brother, Young Palace Lord?"
"We blocked the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult fleet emerging from this area from escaping the sea domain, but we didn't see the Sea—"
At that instant.
A single hypothesis flashed through the minds of everyone present.
"...N-no way. Was Yong-un aboard that wrecked fleet?"
As the Eon siblings' faces turned ashen all at once, Jeong Won-hae quickly lowered a rope.
"F-first, get aboard! Let's head to where the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult fleet was!"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Was it that the energy of the Ten Thousand People's Blood grew stronger with every movement?
Chae Hyang's strikes extending from her hands grew ever fiercer.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh whoosh!
Slaaaaaash!
To cope with Chae Hyang's relentless barrage of attacks, I focused all my nerves and swung the hand gripping Regret.
Clang! Clang!
Kakakakang!!!
Even so, I couldn't fully block Chae Hyang's onslaught, so scratches large and small accumulated across my body.
Pik! Pik!
Though I was helplessly pushed back in the process, I wasn't simply taking it lying down.
After weathering so many exchanges that I gave up counting...
A hard-earned gap finally appeared.
'Now.'
I threw my body backward toward the rear, slashing Regret upward from below.
Swaaaaaaaa!!!
A sure-kill strike unleashed at point-blank range.
One that accounted for Chae Hyang's charging momentum in its swing.
Deep down, I thought this attack would land a solid blow on her.
'!'
But Chae Hyang defied my expectations, bizarrely bending her knee.
Kikikik.
Then spasmodically yanked back her neck.
As a result, my strike merely split the mask she wore.
Crack!
The revealed face of Chae Hyang was a devilish visage utterly unimaginable from her original appearance.
'Blood-red eyes. Bluish skin laced with prominent veins. Jagged shark teeth protruding unevenly.'
Aware or not of that fact...
Chae Hyang, who had barely escaped my limbs, grinned.
"...Whew. That was a real close call. Too bad, Eon Yong-un?"
And resumed her assault.
Kakang!
Clang! Clang! Kaaaaang!!!!
While parrying that onslaught and retreating step by step...
By the end of the continuous withdrawal, I had reached the water puddle used when entering this side chamber.
At that, Chae Hyang spun around with a smirk.
"Eung. Cornered, huh? Don't even think about jumping into the water. You really wouldn't stand a chance against me there?"
As Chae Hyang said, fighting in the water would only worsen the situation.
She wouldn't feel the constraints a human would in water, after all.
'...Chae Hyang has already entered the stage of something beyond human.'
This was evident just from how she had bizarrely twisted her body to dodge my strike moments ago.
Thinking she held a position of complete advantage...
Unlike before, she approached slowly while taunting me.
Step step.
"No, with water at your back, it's literally a do-or-die setup? Maybe you can entertain me some mo—"
But then, she abruptly halted and stared piercingly at something.
"......!?"
Looking where Chae Hyang's gaze was fixed, it was a small puddle nearby.
'...Seeing her own reflection?'
She appeared considerably shocked by her own transformed, demonic appearance.
In any case, it was another golden opportunity for me.
Dash!
I readjusted my grip on Regret and kicked off the ground.
"Finally seeing what you look like now?"
"......!"
Chae Hyang twisted her body to evade my thrust sword strike.
Her movement was so swift that...
Pik!
Regret only carved a very shallow wound into Chae Hyang's forearm.
But the significance lay in how our positions had swapped.
"Shall we start round two?"
With ample retreat space secured once more, I grinned and spoke.
"Why hide it? Perfect look for a witch who did horrific things to people."
At my words...
Chae Hyang erupted in frenzied rage.
"Dieeeeee!!!!!!!!!!"
This was the worst blunder possible.
Rage was something that gnawed away even at the minds of the sane, after all.
'For a being eroded by the Ten Thousand People's Blood ghostly energy, it would apply even more severely.'
And sure enough...
Ghostly energy began rapidly leaking from Chae Hyang's body.
Eventually, her skin started cracking like porcelain with fissures.
Crack—
At the same time, the assaults she extended grew sluggish.
'Now.'
At that point, I was certain.
It was finally time to play my trump card.
I immediately issued the order to the assassin.
'Assassin.'
- Yes, my lord.
The assassin, receiving my command, shot out from the shadows and pressed Chae Hyang alongside me.
Clang! Kakang!
"Hmph! Think I don't know why you're pulling this card now?! Eliminate this shadowy thing, and it burdens you, Eon Yong-un?!"
Kagang! Kakakang!!!
Even as she lost her reason, Chae Hyang's judgment remained sharp.
She had detected the assassin's weakness and infused qi to cleave him apart.
Shahahak—
With my internal energy draining in an instant, a nauseous surge—like my organs shifting—rose up.
But in truth, this very moment was what I had been waiting for.
'...Waited for it.'
I gritted my teeth and suppressed the churning in my gut.
Grit.
Seizing the gap as Chae Hyang's gaze scattered toward the assassin...
I unleashed the Heaven-Splitting Fierce Array technique.
Swaaaaaaaa!!!
The technique etched into my bones after thousands—nay, tens of thousands—of swings shot forth without the slightest excess, embedding deep into Chae Hyang's core.
Puk!!!
Chae Hyang perished without even a death rattle.
Her body shattered in an instant, like a broken porcelain doll.
Kieeeeeek!!!
Yet even after Chae Hyang's breath ceased, the ghostly wail echoing through the side chamber did not stop.
It was because the ghostly energy clustered in her core had yet to disperse.
Moreover, it was now trying to climb back up along Regret.
'......!'
If I could subdue and harness that ghostly energy, it might become a great serendipity.
But there was no time right now.
'...Siblings!'
There were the Eon siblings fighting Chae Gyu.
And though I'd left Dokgo Cheol behind, neither Crimson Dragon Palace nor Sa-gyeom could be taken lightly.
- Go on.
'...Will you be alright?'
'Who do you think you're talking to, asking something so obvious.'
'...Understood. Then please hold down the ghostly energies, Master.'
Entrusting the rear to my master, I hurriedly returned to where the Eon siblings would be...
And there, I encountered Dang Ok-gi and Cheon Jang-ho.
"Why'd you come alone? Where are the others?"
"That's my line? Why are only you two here? And why's Jang-ho like that?"
"Just a little scrape. The others went to help brother?"
"...Just a little?"
"......"
"We'll talk when we get home."
"......"
Grasping the situation, I rushed to the coast while organizing my thoughts.
'The fact that Sa-gyeom is under my command is known only to a tiny few.'
A single misstep could ignite a fight among our own after we'd won.
With the sole intent of preventing such a disaster, I hastened my steps.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Originally, the palace retainers of the Southern Sea Crimson Dragon Palace and the pirates regarded each other as mortal enemies.
However, thanks to Dokgo Cheol's ship weaving between Crimson Dragon Palace vessels, constantly reminding them, "Our goal is punishing the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult..."
A strange truce had formed.
"The Chairman was aboard one of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult fleets?"
But such a makeshift alliance could not last forever.
Once the returning Eon siblings informed Jeong Won-hae that Eon Yong-un's whereabouts were unknown...
A murderous tension began to blanket the sea domain.
"Form breakthrough formation!"
"Young Palace Lord's command! Form breakthrough formation!"
"You filthy pirate scum! We tolerated you thinking it was the Sea Dragon's arrangement, but we've never liked you from the start! Today, I'll sweep you vermin from the Silver River Archipelago!!"
As Crimson Dragon Palace ships formed up with their massive flagship in front, concealing mid- and small-sized vessels within...
A green flag was raised on Sa-gyeom's flagship as well.
Kikikikik!!
It was the moment cannon-armed pirate ships exposed their broadsides...
'This is bad.'
As Dokgo Cheol bit his lip amid the spiraling worst-case scenario...
'Chairman?!'
A single small boat from Sakwol-do was visible approaching them.
Dokgo Cheol nearly blurted out "Chairman" but barely composed himself and shouted.
"S-someone's coming!"
As all eyes turned to the direction he indicated...
The Ghost-Faced Elder, leisurely crossing the sea, opened his mouth.
"There's a saying in the classics: Know when to be content, and you'll avoid greed; know when to stop, and you'll avoid peril. The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's plan is crushed, and the Ten Thousand People's Blood has dissipated."
The appearance of Eon Yong-un disguised as the Ghost-Faced Elder.
"If the Southern Sea's Red Dragon and the Night Sea's King clash, it only hands the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult another chance to regain power. Let us all return to our posts."
Those who knew his identity breathed sighs of relief.
Among those who didn't, the ones harboring enmity toward the cult took his words as a command.
"Who are you, old man, to interfere with Crimson Dragon Palace affairs? In this sea, only the Palace Lord and the Sea Dragon can make me move."
But to Jeong Won-hae, the young palace lord of Crimson Dragon Palace who knew nothing of the circumstances, his words fell on deaf ears.
"This very disaster stems fundamentally from the harm wrought by the pirates who've taken root in these waters! If you're a righteous hidden expert pursuing the proper path, approach our fleet. If you're aligned with the pirates, then scram!"
It wasn't solely due to ignorance of the situation.
This stemmed from the Crimson Dragon Palace's accumulated fury not being a day's or two's worth.
The grudge of Crimson Dragon Palace—having suffered countless losses from pirates—could only run deep.
"Crimson Dragon Palace retainers, hear me! Starting with smashing that group calling themselves the Gold Panther Corps, we'll uproot them entirely! All hands, battle formation!"
Of course, a chain of resentment doesn't form from one side's emotions alone.
Sa-gyeom—who had been born a coastal commoner and grasped the cult's extended hand after endless despair—harbored no less rage in his breast than Jeong Won-hae.
"Treating us like vermin, blustering about 'harm' and such—you fat cats who've lorded over the seas and lived high now whine about 'harm'! Come at us! I'll turn you into fish food!"
Thus, as the imminent clash's tension heavily descended upon the sea domain...
Eon Yong-un, clad as the Ghost-Faced Elder, let out a lion's roar.
"Stop!"
At that voice laden with dense internal energy, everyone flinched.
Eon Yong-un extended his hand, pointing toward Sakwol-do's main island.
Hum— Humm—
Hummm—
There, pale spirits were beginning to rise into the sky one by one.
Guicheon.
The act of a grudge-bearing soul resolving it and returning to the heavens.
"......"
The sight of countless spirits adorning the sky like floating lanterns seemed almost like a thank-you gesture.
Thus, everyone afloat in this sea domain lost their words and gazed upon the scene.
"......"
"......"
"......"
Their chosen paths differed, but the destinations they sought were one and the same.
Thus, silence briefly descended upon the tension-filled sea.
Eon Yong-un, disguised as the Ghost-Faced Elder, spoke once more.
"...This is enough."
At that, Sa-gyeom's fleet lowered its green flags and began departing the sea domain.
Jeong Won-hae's tightly pressed lips finally parted.
"...We return."