Chapter 303
Chapter 303
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 83
>Chapter Title: Demonic Beast (5)
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>The Anti-Demon Pavilion Leader was so shocked that he couldn't close his mouth.
What in the world had just happened?
The other Anti-Demon Monks were the same.
They had witnessed it with their own eyes, yet they were left speechless in astonishment.
"What was that just now...?"
"W-What the hell is this?"
Mok Kyung-un had suddenly appeared from above and leaped down onto the head of the demonic beast Alyu.
It was already unbelievable from that point.
His weight wasn't even that heavy, yet Alyu pitched forward, and its head slammed into the cave floor.
That was when the Anti-Demon Pavilion Leader finally spoke.
"Benefactor, where on earth have you been?"
"The cave walls turned out to be weaker than expected. Anyway, I wasn't gone that long, but it seems things have escalated quite a bit."
"Cough, cough."
"For something you claimed to have subdued once, it sure looks like you're in a real bind, doesn't it?"
"Are you mocking us right now...? Benefactor!"
In a fit of anger, the Anti-Demon Pavilion Leader started to say something but soon shouted in surprise.
And for good reason—the tail of the demonic beast Alyu, whose head was buried in the ground, whipped toward Mok Kyung-un like a lash.
The force was tremendous, but Mok Kyung-un simply raised his arm in the direction of the incoming tail.
-Shrieeek!
With a sound like flesh being torn, the tail's tip wrapped around Mok Kyung-un's wrist.
At this sight, the Anti-Demon Pavilion Leader couldn't hide his confusion.
The tail had come flying with enough momentum to smash Mok Kyung-un's head clean off.
Yet it had merely wrapped around his wrist. Was there some other intent?
'What the hell is this guy?'
Of course, that wasn't the case.
The demonic beast Alyu inwardly couldn't conceal its bewilderment.
Unsure of what had happened, but furious at having its head stomped by Mok Kyung-un, Alyu hastily tried to lift its head.
However, it couldn't raise its head.
Thinking some sorcery must be at play, Alyu first tried to swat Mok Kyung-un away with its tail.
It naturally assumed he would be flung off upon impact.
But that assumption proved wrong.
'What kind of strength is this?'
The tail had coiled around Mok Kyung-un's arm because, despite the blow, he stood firm like a massive ancient tree rooted for centuries.
-Crush!
Even channeling demonic energy into the tail to sever the wrist was futile.
Pulling didn't work either.
What the hell was this guy?
He felt completely different from before.
Then, Mok Kyung-un's voice rang in the demonic beast Alyu's ear.
"Thousand Jin Hammer—this is my first time using it properly, but it seems quite heavy on you. You're pinned to the floor without budging an inch."
'You damned human!'
-Craaack!
Provoked by Mok Kyung-un's taunting words, the demonic beast Alyu couldn't hold back its rage.
For a mere human to stand atop its head and spout such insults—it wanted nothing more than to tear him apart right then and there.
Worried by Mok Kyung-un's provocation, the Anti-Demon Pavilion Leader warned him.
"Cough, cough. Benefactor, don't provoke the demon too much. Just keep it pinned like that for now. Reinforcements will arrive soon. Then we Anti-Demon Monks can restrain it again with the binding chains..."
-Grrrrumble!
Before he could finish.
The cave floor shook as if an earthquake had struck.
This was due to the contest of strength between Mok Kyung-un, executing the Thousand Jin Hammer, and the demonic beast Alyu, which was pushing up with its hooves to rise.
"Huh?"
"Pavilion Leader!"
The nearby Anti-Demon Monks hurriedly supported the staggering Anti-Demon Pavilion Leader in front of Alyu's head and dragged him as far back as possible.
-Grrrrumble! Craaack!
The ground shook even more violently and began to split.
Yet Mok Kyung-un remained utterly motionless atop the demonic beast Alyu's head.
-Crack! Crack!
Alyu's demonic energy surged to its peak, its red fur bristling like spines, from which a mountain of purple smoke erupted.
And it didn't end there.
Alyu's head jerked up, and purple smoke poured from its mouth.
The acidic smoke melted the floor, spreading corrosively in all directions.
"Dodge! Get away!"
"H-How do we even—?"
The Anti-Demon Monks near the dented iron gate might manage, but without lightness skill mastery, no one could evade the instantly melting smoke in that split second.
At that moment, Mok Kyung-un swiftly formed hand seals in abbreviated form.
-Pat! Pat! Pat!
Soldier! Fighter! Rend! Array!
They were the hand seals of the Nine Syllable Activation Method.
In an instant, four pillars erupted with immense spiritual power toward the spreading smoke.
-Roooar!
The Anti-Demon Monks clinging to the cave walls at the sight were beside themselves with amazement.
As Anti-Demon Monks versed in spells, they could see spiritual power and demonic energy—things ordinary eyes couldn't perceive—with the naked eye.
But it didn't stop there.
Mok Kyung-un placed the sword formula at his lips and murmured softly.
"Four Peaks Linked Chain Technique."
-Swoooosh!
Surfaces formed between the four pillars.
With surfaces created, the purple smoke spreading toward the Anti-Demon Monks was blocked by the spiritual power barrier.
The acidic smoke had been perfectly contained at the critical moment.
At this spectacle, some of the younger Anti-Demon Monks unwittingly cheered.
"Woooah!"
"Heh!"
They quickly shut their mouths upon noticing the glares from the Anti-Demon Pavilion Leader and senior monks.
But the Pavilion Leader himself was inwardly stunned by Mok Kyung-un's spellcasting prowess.
He didn't approve of sorcery, but as he understood it, spells were also manifested through harmony of spiritual power and incantations.
'Fast.'
The incantation's execution speed was extraordinary.
This was because the spiritual power had taken form so rapidly.
A moment's delay, and everyone in the cave would have melted in that acidic smoke.
But the surprise was fleeting.
'Huh?'
-Squeeze!
As Mok Kyung-un clenched his fist in gesture, the pillars shifted, gradually closing in.
The smoke blocked by the spiritual surfaces was pushed back and gathered inward.
Shocked, the Anti-Demon Pavilion Leader shouted.
"Benefactor! What are you doing? Stop this at once!"
It was madness.
Closing the pillars would funnel the smoke in one direction.
The spiritual barrier could block the demon-infused smoke, but the benefactor—a mere human body—wasn't impervious.
He could melt in the acid.
"Benefactor!"
Yet inside the Four Peaks Linked Chain Technique, it was as if Mok Kyung-un couldn't hear him.
On the contrary, as if determined to finish it off,
-Swish!
He raised his free fist— unbound by the tail—high, then,
-Boom!
Slammed it down hard on the crown between the demonic beast Alyu's twin horns, which had barely half-risen from the smoke's recoil.
"Kieeekekekeke!"
Alyu immediately ceased spewing acidic smoke in agony and let out a roar of pain.
But from outside, the scene was invisible.
The four sides of the Four Peaks Linked Chain Technique had been shrouded in purple smoke.
No one could tell what was happening inside.
The only clues were,
-Boom! Boom! Boom!
The earth-shaking explosions reverberating through the cave floor.
The Anti-Demon Pavilion Leader and monks could only watch in stunned silence.
"Kiririririri!"
Tormented by the relentless punches, the demonic beast Alyu thrashed its head to shake Mok Kyung-un off, first releasing the tail gripping his wrist.
-Smack! Smack!
"Come down! Get down now!"
Grabbing Alyu's horns, Mok Kyung-un chuckled.
Then, once more, he raised his fist high and smashed down on Alyu's crown.
-Boom!
"Kigekek!"
-Kaboom!
Alyu's jaw finally hit the ground from the punch.
Furious, it tried to endure, but the demonic beast was on the verge of mental collapse from the repeated blows to its head.
Regardless, Mok Kyung-un hammered down again.
-Boom!
Alyu's jaw dug into the floor from the head blow.
Not stopping there, Mok Kyung-un continued slamming with consistent force.
-Boom! Boom! Boom!
Amid the repeating agony, Alyu finally cried out.
"Kiririk! S-Stop! Stoooop!"
Pain overrode all pride.
But Mok Kyung-un ignored it and kept pounding Alyu's head.
-Boom! Boom! Boom! Crunch!
No matter how uniform the force, repetition would inevitably cause shattering and caving.
"Kiegegegege!"
Memories flashed in Alyu's mind.
Its kin, heads shattered and torn by the golden-furred nine-tailed fox.
Recalling this, the demonic beast Alyu—who hadn't feared even being dragged by Shaolin's Anti-Demon Monks—panicked and begged frantically.
"Kirik kiririk! Sp-Spare me! Please spare me!"
* * *
-Rumble!
'!?'
Suddenly, even more Arhat Hall warrior monks swarmed in, surrounding Mok Kyung-un's subordinates— the Defiant Monks Golden Bell Order, Dreamless Medicine, Seop-chun, Mara Manifestation— and most crucially, the Sacred Fire Command Leader— who had been waiting at the plaza's center.
'Why are they increasing their numbers?'
'Something's off.'
They had been surrounded due to the demon beast Heumwon anyway, but the atmosphere was markedly different.
The newly arrived Arhat Hall warrior monks stood with vigilant eyes, forming spell stances, ready to fight at any moment.
Moreover, their encirclement was unmistakably an array formation.
In the center, the array's energy made the air heavy, hard to breathe.
Seop-chun stepped forward and shouted.
"We don't even know if our lord has succeeded yet—what is the meaning of this?"
"Are you reneging on the promise made by Shaolin's elders?"
Dreamless Medicine chimed in support.
At their protests, Muscle Scripture Hall Leader Master Museong intervened.
"Amitabha. There seems to be a misunderstanding. Please calm down and wait a moment."
Having soothed them, Master Museong turned to the Arhat Hall warrior monks.
"The benefactor who entered the Anti-Demon Cave hasn't returned yet—why are the Arhat Hall warrior monks surrounding them? Disperse the formation at once."
At the command of Master Museong—the eldest present after Shaolin's Abbot—the Arhat Hall warrior monks hesitated before uniformly turning to look behind them.
It was none other than,
"Amitabha."
Discipline Hall Leader Master Dae-deok.
Beside Master Dae-deok stood an armored officer.
It was Imperial Guard Commander Kang Hak.
Seeing him standing arrogantly with hands behind his back, Muscle Scripture Hall Leader Master Museong couldn't hide his puzzlement.
"Why is an imperial officer here in the temple?"
Master Dae-deok responded to the question.
"Amitabha. Master, this officer is the Imperial Guard Commander from the capital's palace. By His Majesty's decree, he has led soldiers here pursuing great rebels."
"His Majesty? Great rebels?"
Even the clueless warrior monks were baffled by Master Dae-deok's words.
What did great rebels even mean?
Meanwhile, Mok Kyung-un's subordinates were mortified.
'Damn it.'
Their worst fear had come to pass.
The demon beast Heumwon had crashed into Shaolin's heart after attacking the Anti-Demon Monks, trapping them here in a precarious spot.
And now, the palace pursuit had reached them.
'What do we do?'
The mood suggested the monks would pressure them as rebels, regardless of the promise.
With their lord not yet returned, they were at a loss.
Already encircled by Arhat Monks, escape was impossible.
Discipline Hall Leader Master Dae-deok's cheekbone twitched.
He tried not to show it, but things unfolding better than hoped filled him with elation.
'Promise or not, with the pretext of great rebels, we can act by the rules. And using this to reclaim the Peerless Great Ability Formula from the Virtue Sect—two birds with one stone. Amitabha. All this by Buddha's guidance. Heh heh heh.'
Smug inwardly, Master Dae-deok pointed at them with one hand in half-palm gesture.
"Amitabha. Hearken, disciples of Shaolin. Those are the palace's great reb—"
-Thud!
Before he could finish.
A massive boom shook the plaza floor from somewhere.
What was happening?
Then, one of the warrior monks shouted.
"L-Look over there!"
Discipline Hall Leader Master Dae-deok—mid-sentence— and everyone in the plaza turned their gazes.
It was toward the path to Shaolin's rear garden.
There, a colossal monstrosity with red fur all over and dragon-like horns on its head lumbered forward with its massive body.
And atop its head rode someone.
"My lord!"
Seop-chun spotted him first and cried out in delight.
It was Mok Kyung-un.
The sight of him grandly riding the demonic beast Alyu— which should have been trapped in the Anti-Demon Cave— twisted Discipline Hall Leader Master Dae-deok's face in fury.