Chapter 486
Chapter 486
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 125
>Chapter Title: The Six Demons (4)
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The signal for the opening battle against one of the remaining Six Demons, the Sea-Slaying King, was fired by Grand Sorcerer Myeong-ryul and Alliance Leader Bang Shin An Gong-yeon of Song Jong-gak.
-Whoooosh!
The Imay Mangryang, with the form of a horned tiger whose lower body was covered in brown scales like a dragon, launched spheres of purple poisonous mist, which the Sea-Slaying King dodged with nimble movements that belied its massive bulk.
-Bang! Bang! Bang!
-Kwararararararara!
Not content with that, the Sea-Slaying King zigzagged toward them in a "之" pattern, charging at tremendous speed.
"It's coming!
"I see it!"
At the Sea-Slaying King bearing down on them, the two Guardian Gods—Grand Sorcerer Myeong-ryul and An Gong-yeon—clasped their hands together to form the Vaishravana Seal mudra, aiming it squarely as they chanted their incantation in unison.
"Prime Origin, offspring of the divine, heaven's deity, earth's deity, wood spirit deity, human deity, twin spirits, horse deity, horse spirit—Prime Origin, maintain heaven's deity, earth's deity, one spirit prime formation!"
*'Heavenly Horse Borrowing Power Method: Earth Collapse Containment Realm' technique!*
-Kwararararararararoom!
In that instant, as the two sorcerer-gods—called the pinnacle of modern sorcery—their vast incantation power intertwined to form the ritual, the ground around the Sea-Slaying King exploded and collapsed in a flash.
It was no mere technique to make the earth crumble and trap it.
-Rumble rumble rumble!
From the crumbling earth, hands made of stone burst forth, seizing the Sea-Slaying King's hind legs and tail, dragging them downward.
-Kraaaaaang!
In response, demonic energy bullets poured from the Sea-Slaying King's maw in rapid succession, instantly shattering the stone hands.
-Kwararararara!
Freed from the grasping hands, the Sea-Slaying King rode the collapsing earth and debris, leaping upward at astonishing speed.
*'Damn it! It doesn't work at all.'*
Just as the two Guardian Gods clicked their tongues in dismay and prepared their next technique,
-Fwut!
From within the subsiding earth, the Sea-Slaying King finally surged upward—only for two pinnacle realm experts to flash before its eyes like lightning.
"Keh heh heh! You monster! Behold the power of the Advanced Blood Golden Body!"
-Whoooosh!
There was a massive man whose entire body glowed red as he unleashed the Advanced Blood Golden Body—it was Hae Yeok-won, Second Alliance Leader of the Sarlyeon Alliance.
-Pachichichichi!
And beside him, unleashing the signature technique of the Blood Jade Hand infused with crimson lightning, was Blood Saint Dam Baek-ha of the Crimson Blood Cult.
*'Crimson Blood Golden Body: Defeating Fist Invincible!'*
*'Blood Jade Hand: Thunder Heaven Shattering Might!'*
The two men's all-out ultimate techniques struck the Sea-Slaying King's forehead with exquisite precision as it soared upward.
-Papapapapapapak!
Yet the title of Six Demons was not given lightly to these Imay Mangryang.
The Sea-Slaying King paid it no mind, merely tilting its head back lightly before snapping it forward, sending the two pinnacle realm experts flying.
-Paaaaang!
"Ghk!"
"Argh!"
"Second Alliance Leader!"
"Blood Saint!"
Sarlyeon Alliance's Fifth Alliance Leader, Asura Annihilation Blade Yu Kyung, and Eighth Alliance Leader Arhat Fist's deputy Bu Pyeon-seok caught the two flying experts.
"Hup!"
-Paaaaang!
It had seemed like a light flick, but the Sea-Slaying King's demonic power was so immense that even those catching them couldn't withstand the force and were hurled back.
-Clatter! Clatter! Clatter!
At that moment, over a thousand archer cavalry from the Sarlyeon Alliance's reinforcements arrived with bows drawn, nocking arrows at the Sea-Slaying King from horseback.
"Fire!!!"
-Shooooosh shoooosh shoooosh!
The Sea-Slaying King scoffed at the barrage of qi-infused arrows and slammed its paw into the ground.
-Boom!
-Pararacharachang!
A fierce gust of wind pressure repelled the arrows.
"Insane!"
"It doesn't even scratch it."
The startled cavalry hastily yanked their reins, wheeling their horses to create distance.
But the Sea-Slaying King had no intention of letting them escape.
Its golden mane swelled dramatically, and the hairs extended toward the fleeing cavalry and the Sarlyeon warriors trying to encircle it.
-Shooooosh shoooosh shoooosh!
From afar, they looked like mere bristled fur, but each was the size of a spear.
As thousands of golden spears flew at blinding speed, the thousand archer cavalry were swept away without a chance to evade.
Where the mane spears grazed, only blood and chunks of flesh remained.
"Nooooo!"
-Fwut!
Second Alliance Leader Hae Yeok-won, barely stopping in his tracks, urgently launched his body to block them.
Yet no matter his pinnacle realm prowess, he couldn't cross the space in time to intercept.
But at that perfect moment,
-Woooooom!
A vast, translucent hemispherical barrier, faintly glowing, appeared above the warriors, blocking the spear-like hairs raining down like a downpour.
-Pararacharacharachang!
Atop the spirit beasts' saddles in the sky, the two Guardian Gods were unleashing the Guarding Whirlpool Barrier technique.
A scale unimaginable for ordinary sorcerers, but possible only because two Guardian Gods had joined forces.
Yet as if it had been waiting for this very instant,
-Grrrrroooar! Kwarararoom!
The Sea-Slaying King, its hind leg muscles bulging, leaped skyward, aiming to tear apart the spirit beast riders with a single swipe of its forepaw.
*'Damn it all!'*
It was right then.
-Rumble kwarararoom!
Was it heavenly fortune?
Lightning struck from the sky, coincidentally hitting the Sea-Slaying King dead-on, sending it plummeting.
-Pachichichichik!
-Kraaaaaaaa!
It had taken no damage from Blood Saint Dam Baek-ha's thunderbolts, but the natural lightning's power was immense, drawing a roar of agony.
The Sea-Slaying King glared upward with fury-filled eyes.
-Rumble boom boom!
As a woman soared into the Sea-Slaying King's view, raising her sword skyward, thunder roared from the thunderhead clouds, lightning crashing down to envelop her body.
-Pachichichichik!
She was none other than Jin Ye-rin, descendant of the World's Greatest Sword.
As Jin Ye-rin, wreathed in lightning, swung her sword at the Sea-Slaying King, thunder power surged from the dark clouds, bolts crashing down one after another.
-Kwararararoom!
The Sea-Slaying King hastily dodged the striking lightning.
For the first time, an attack seemed effective—the Sarlyeon warriors roared in cheers.
*The monster's dodging!*
"Waaaaaaaah!!!!"
*'This is the power of Heavenly Escape!'*
Jin Ye-rin's eyes blazed with fighting spirit as she wielded the immense force of thunder.
On her way here, she had pored over the manual of the Heavenly Escape Life-Death Swordsmanship, left by her ancestor as a contingency, studying it in spare moments.
But the moment she opened it, she couldn't hide her shock.
She had assumed Heavenly Escape Life-Death Swordsmanship was merely a refined version of the original Life-Death Swordsmanship.
It was not.
The manual described training methods in realms no human could possibly attain.
*'How am I supposed to learn this?'*
Moreover, it contained passages related to the immortal path, making it profoundly arcane.
Even with her brilliant talent, she couldn't comprehend it.
Refusing to give up, she repeatedly recited the manual's passages inwardly to master it.
-Swaaaaa!
In that instant, her vision brightened, and she was drawn into a world of imagery.
There, she met her ancestor Jin Un-hwi for the first time.
Had it been before, she might have resented him—but after learning the truth through the evil-hearted faction leader Cheol Su-ryeon, she wept endlessly instead.
Jin Un-hwi silently embraced and comforted her.
Once her sorrow eased, having met the family patriarch, she shared many stories.
For the first time since her father's death, she unburdened her heart like a child.
After their tales concluded, she bowed formally to her ancestor and made her request.
*[Ancestor, please open the path for me.]*
Her own talent alone couldn't unlock the manual.
But there, she heard something shocking.
*[You cannot learn Heavenly Escape.]*
-Kwarararararoom!
Recalling that memory from the imagery world, Jin Ye-rin swung her sword repeatedly at the Sea-Slaying King dodging the bolts.
Jin Un-hwi had told her:
*[Regardless of talent, mastering Heavenly Escape takes eons, enduring the agony of thousands of lightning strikes upon the body.]*
*!?*
Heavenly Escape was never a power she could wield.
Then why leave this contingency?
If it couldn't be learned, it held no meaning.
To her, Jin Un-hwi said:
*[It may take long, but the manual I left will serve as the bridge linking me—the fuse—to you.]*
*[A bridge?]*
*[I will channel Heavenly Escape's energy through that bridge in your stead. I'll impart the forms' usage; it won't last long, but you can wield it for about half a shichen at least.]*
That was how she gained the ability to use Heavenly Escape.
Jin Un-hwi lamented that he could only help this much, as Heavenly Escape—an ancient immortal secret—must not remain in the world.
Learning of his dilemma, she thanked him instead.
Even if briefly, she now held power to oppose one of the Six Demons, called a natural disaster.
-Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Dodging the crashing lightning with its unique agility once more, the Sea-Slaying King charged at Jin Ye-rin at tremendous speed.
So swift that even the descending bolts missed it.
-Pachik! Pachik!
Blood streamed from Jin Ye-rin's eyes.
Though the manual in her bosom acted as the bridge, channeling the energy, handling Heavenly Escape's thunder without full mastery caused constant backlash pain.
This was an unforeseen side effect, even for Jin Un-hwi.
Yet with utmost endurance, she bore it, striving to wield Heavenly Escape properly.
-Pachik!
"Hk!"
But the agony proved too much; mid-cast, the rebounding thunder hurled her down to crash on the ground.
The Sea-Slaying King seized the opening.
-Kraaaaaang!
It charged at the falling woman.
Then, thick wooden vines erupted from the ground like whips, coiling around the Sea-Slaying King's legs and body.
It was Grand Sorcerer Myeong-ryul and Guardian God An Gong-yeon's spell.
-Craaaack!
"What!?"
But hastily cast, the Sea-Slaying King uprooted and snapped the vines, lunging to devour the plummeting Jin Ye-rin.
"Nooooooo!"
"Miss!"
Second Alliance Leader Hae Yeok-won and Blood Saint Dam Baek-ha launched themselves, but it was too late.
Just as her body entered the Sea-Slaying King's gaping maw,
-Slash!
In that instant, a massive silver full moon reflected in everyone's eyes.
-Kraaaaa!
Simultaneously, the Sea-Slaying King's snout was cleaved off as someone caught the falling Jin Ye-rin and retreated backward, landing on the ground.
At the sight, Blood Saint Dam Baek-ha exclaimed through reddened eyes.
"Moonless Empty Sword!"
That formless sword stroke evoking a full moon was undoubtedly his blade.
-Pachik pachik!
Overcoming the rebounding thunder, Jin Ye-rin regained her senses—only for her eyes to tremble.
Though his hair was white and his face etched with wrinkles, an elder with piercing eyes and scholarly dignity smiled warmly at her.
"I've finally found you."
Jin Ye-rin threw her arms around the elder, crying out.
"Grand Elder!"
The elder patted her back as one would a grandchild.
Seeing them, Second Alliance Leader Hae Yeok-won asked Blood Saint Dam Baek-ha in stunned disbelief.
"Is... is that man really alive?"
"Didn't I tell you? Compared to the Grand Elder, I'm nothing."
The reason for Second Alliance Leader Hae Yeok-won's shock was simple.
The elder holding Jin Ye-rin.
He was Sama Chak, one of the legends of the old martial world—the Moon Evil Sword.