Chapter 392
Chapter 392
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 392
Chapter Title: True Blood Pill ⑼
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At my words that I would make him serve as a subordinate even after death,
Jin Dong-cheol ground his teeth.
"...You bastard."
Regardless, I added one more thing.
"Seeing as you're not whining about being toyed with or anything, you must have realized I wasn't joking."
In lieu of a reply, Jin Dong-cheol twisted his sword slightly to push away Regret.
I responded immediately as well.
Clang!!!
Both Jin Dong-cheol and I had to whirl our bodies in opposite directions to disperse the force transmitted between us.
As I regained my balance and raised Regret once more, I could see veins bulging grotesquely around his eyes.
'...The telltale sign of Blood Cult demons running their blood vessel arts through their bloodlines.'
The moment I realized that, Jin Dong-cheol, sword at the ready, shot forward like lightning, kicking off the ground.
Shweeeeeeee!
Of course, he didn't just thrust straightforwardly with his sword.
As the sword in his right hand swung, scattering a thick bloody scent, droplets of blood shot from his left hand like bullets, swarming to turn me into a pincushion.
Shuk! Shuk! Shuk! Shuk! Shuk!
Any ordinary martial artist standing in my place would have met certain death in that moment, nine times out of ten.
But I was well-versed in the Blood Cult's fighting style.
'I've faced them in the original story—Dokgo Sei, Sa Gyeom, No Byeong-o, and more.'
So, dealing with it was simple.
I fiercely swung Regret, which had similarly coiled blood vessel arts around it, sweeping up the blood droplets he fired while,
Pik! Pik! Pik! Pik! Pik!
infusing it with the Heaven-Splitting energy racing through my meridians to match even Jin Dong-cheol's movements.
"That's not something only you lot can do."
"?!"
The fact that I was the real Guimian the Elder, who had ravaged the Blood Cult.
And now, using their signature arts right in front of them—I, the dog of the orthodox sects.
It was a moment that would rattle any Blood Cult demon.
But Jin Dong-cheol was different from No Byeong-o, who hadn't even drawn out half his true power amid the chaos.
'As expected of the Blood Fiend's right-hand man.'
Jin Dong-cheol's response was instantaneous.
He jerked back his steps spasmodically.
And at the same time, he wildly swung the sword in his right hand and his left, wrapped in blood-red haze.
Dozens of clashes followed in an instant, sparks flying everywhere.
Kang! Kaang!
Kang! Kang! Kang!!
Still, that didn't mean Jin Dong-cheol was completely unshaken.
'I can feel it. His agitation.'
Having reached the Flower Realm, I could fully control my mind and body.
And from experiencing the prowess of various absolute experts since, I had gained even more insight.
Thanks to that, my senses—sharpened to the utmost—could now detect even the subtle emotions of masters trying to conceal their intent.
'Blades aiming for vitals, advancing steps, clenched jaw, pupils frantically reading the battlefield even as they barely block my sword strikes.'
Those sensations told me Jin Dong-cheol was growing impatient.
'I get it.'
Jin Dong-cheol, the Blood Fiend's shadow, must have seen all sorts of combat experience until now.
But facing an ally turned enemy like this? Probably a first.
Anyway, that's enough thinking.
Kang! Kang!
Kaaang!
While busily whirling Regret,
I spoke to stoke the impatience lurking in a corner of Jin Dong-cheol's mind.
"Hey, Jin Dong-cheol."
Kaang!
Kakakakaang!!!!
"You're going to be my subordinate anyway. How about surrendering here? There's that saying about even rolling in dog shit being better than the afterlife."
"...I'll rip that foul mouth of yours to shreds."
"Jeez. I try to think for you, and you bitch. Honestly, I prefer dead guys! No betrayal, no food needed! Way cheaper to maintain!"
At that, Master chimed in with a word.
— ...You idiot. 'Cheaper to maintain'? Really? You're embarrassing yourself. Tsk. Your brothers who call you the world's biggest cheapskate aren't wrong.
'...It's a psychological ploy. To rattle him, I'm doing it on purpose.'
— Separate from that, it's just your usual mindset showing through.
At that moment,
Jin Dong-cheol issued a new command to the Blood Wind Unit.
"Rain Blade Formation!"
At the leader's order, the sword formation they had deployed began to shift like a living creature.
With each holding a blood-red sword, it looked,
like blooming red spider lilies.
'Like flowers blooming.'
The Blood Wind Unit's formation split in two.
One half maintained its shape, pressing the Eon brothers.
Step! Step! Step!
Step! Step!
The other half fanned out in a crescent, surrounding me.
From Jin Dong-cheol's perspective, even if it meant yielding ground against the Eon brothers, eliminating me decisively was the better call.
In truth, this was exactly the moment I had been waiting for.
'Finally. The time has come?'
When facing Blood Cult demons, there were many things to watch out for.
But the most dangerous was the self-destruct Blood Thunder Strike, exploding their bloodlines to unleash all their true energy in an instant.
'Unlike ordinary mutual destruction, at close range, there's hardly any way to counter it.'
To prevent them from choosing that, I couldn't press too hard from the start.
I had to give the impression of a precarious balance, then strike to thin their numbers at the right moment.
And now it was here.
'If I wipe out the ones turned toward me in one go... the scales will tip completely our way.'
Shaaak! Shaaak!
Shaaaak!!!
Thus, amid the onslaught of murderous blades pouring in, I could afford a smile.
Of course, I didn't just smile.
Shaaaa—
I swung Regret like lightning, drawing in and deflecting the Blood Wind Unit's sword strikes.
Ching! Ching!
Chachachaching! Chaaang!!!
'Assassin.'
— Yes, my lord.
The moment I summoned Assassin,
as his sword traced a pitch-black crescent—
Chwaaaak!!
I too unleashed a stance of Heaven-Splitting Slash.
Chwaaaaaak!!!!!!!
With that, the demons encircling me toppled like felled bamboo, sliced diagonally.
Jin Dong-cheol appeared, barely dodging the slash.
I kicked off the ground straight at him.
Pat!
The surviving Blood Wind demons unleashed their sword strikes to block me,
Shaaak! Shaaak! Shaaak! Shaaak!
but in the stretched time, I ruthlessly slipped through the gaps in their blood-red sword rings.
Chwaak! Chwaak! Chwaak! Chwaak!
I evaded Jin Dong-cheol's uncertain swings by bending at the waist, sliding past,
then twisted my knee and elbow gripping Regret in one motion, thrusting at his jaw.
* * * Jin Dong-cheol, his head pierced by Regret, toppled backward without even a dying scream.
Thud.
With the fall of the one who was the core of the combined formation and the eye of the Blood Wind,
the Blood Wind Unit's famed Blood Wind Myriad Ghosts Formation began to waver.
It had no choice but to.
The main attacker, Jin Dong-cheol, was gone,
and in his place, I began mercilessly cutting down the demons.
Chwaak!
Chwaaaak!!!!
Moreover, three squads' worth had already melted away under my and Assassin's slashes.
Now, they had only a dozen or so left.
Among them was one I presumed to be the vice-leader.
"...The leader."
Realizing the battle had turned completely, he chose total annihilation for all.
"If we let these bastards live, they'll surely thwart the cult's grand plan! All of you, devote your lives to the Cult Leader!"
No sooner had the words left than,
the Blood Wind demons, like Bandit Lord Du Heung of Qing River Stronghold, jammed fingers into their chests to detonate their bloodlines.
"Dodge..."
As I stepped back, about to shout for everyone to evade,
the Eon brothers preemptively retreated nimbly.
'Good lads.'
But the demons were persistent.
Unlike Du Heung, they could control the detonation timing to some degree.
Boom!!
They charged at us desperately.
Boom!!!
Puuung!!!!!!!
Dodging the pursuing, exploding demons with their faces flushed red and blue,
Puuuung!!!!!!
we naturally spread out and reached the valley's end.
Suddenly, an immense killing intent converged in one spot—I turned to look.
"It's over."
The vice-leader of the Blood Wind Unit, his face grotesquely veined, hurled a blood orb the size of a human head at us.
"Blood Rain Burst?!"
Recognizing it as a blood vessel art variant strong orb, I warned the Eon brothers.
"Everyone, fall back and wrap yourselves in energy!"
I kicked off to cleave the incoming blood orb,
but then Yin Xia Lian ignored me outright, leaping toward it.
She spread both palms, unleashing ice spheres.
"Urgh."
White frost settled on the blood orb, freezing it solid.
Kwak! Kwakwak!!!
Immediately, Yin Xia Lian called Jeong-hyeon's name.
"Jeong-hyeon Dojang!"
At her call, Jeong-hyeon rushed forward, slammed his Songmun Sword into the ground, and began circling steps.
As his steps traced a circle, his hands drew a taiji.
The breeze stirred by his hands swirled softly, growing into a vortex.
The vortex enveloped the frozen blood orb and shot skyward.
The soaring orb soon burst with a deafening roar.
Puuuuuuung!!!!!!!
Blood rain began pouring over us.
I let out a hollow chuckle amid the downpour.
"They say even a village dog recites poetry after three years at school, but this time, your method's better than what I had in mind?"
* * * Sa Gyeom's plan to hold back the Blood Wind Unit pursuing Guimian the Elder.
It unraveled when a detachment from the Blood Wind Unit engaged Sa Gyeom and Son Cheong-jeong.
Ching! Ching!!!
Cha cha cha ching!!!!!
Sa Gyeom's prowess wasn't to be trifled with—he had risen to one of the few Great Bishop seats without coming from the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.
But seeing the Blood Wind members block their path to keep Sa Gyeom from interfering with the main unit as ordered,
Son Cheong-jeong felt stymied once more.
'...What a Blood Wind Unit.'
At that moment, Sa Gyeom sent him a transmission.
[Hey, Scholar.]
[Speak.]
[This could drag on forever. I'll carve a path somehow, so at least you go help the Division Leader.]
[I'm not chasing the Great Bishop to help. I just wanted to confirm Guimian the Elder's intentions...]
[Whatever! Isn't heading there better than dicking around here!?]
[......]
[I'll take that as agreement.]
With that, Sa Gyeom surged forward, swinging his great sword ferociously.
Kang! Kaang!
Kang kang kang!!!!
A path truly opened.
Son Cheong-jeong took it, heading to the mountain stronghold's peak.
By then, the flames had grown fiercer, thick with acrid smoke.
"......"
Naturally, Son Cheong-jeong wondered if he could find traces of those left behind.
Contrary to his worries, spotting the Blood Wind Unit's trail was easy.
"...The path they took is clear."
They had bulldozed everything—rocks, great trees—in their path, leaving unmistakable marks of their brute force group.
Following those traces downward, Son Cheong-jeong felt the weight of the Blood Wind name once more.
"No wonder they're called the other name of death among the cultists."
As his steps led to a valley on one side of Ongnyeong Mountain,
a thick, pungent bloody scent assaulted his nose.
'Even I, trained in the Reverse Blood Asura Great Law, find it overpowering—did the Blood Wind Unit deploy their infamous Blood Wind Myriad Ghosts Formation?'
Instinctual fear stirred in Son Cheong-jeong's heart.
And a thought flashed through his mind.
'Why did I come all this way?'
But he quickly shook it off.
'Having joined Great Bishop Sa's movements, running isn't an option.'
With that resolved, Son Cheong-jeong followed the seeping blood scent deeper into the valley.
'!?'
Bodies clad in the Blood Wind Unit's signature crimson blood phoenix robes littered the valley,
and at its depths stood Guimian the Elder and his aides, unscathed.
"What intruder... No, isn't that Rival Scholar?"
The Blood Wind Unit, called death's other name, an existence one dared not defy.
Facing and subduing them.
Son Cheong-jeong felt pure admiration and shame for doubting Guimian the Elder.
As that shame dawned,
Son Cheong-jeong's knee bent.
Thud.
One knee down, he abandoned the title "Guimian the Elder" and spoke.
"Division Leader. You're safe."