Chapter 198: It's Gone!!!
Even in his half-conscious state, Yeop Hyeon felt a sharp sting in his lower body, but his awareness soon faded once more.
Meanwhile, Cheok Bal-eon and Yeon Man Ri were dragging Yeop Hyeon along by his legs, one each, heading somewhere.
Cheok Bal-eon kept turning her head to check down there on Yeop Hyeon as she asked,
"Hey, sis. I got rid of the root of all evil for him, so he'll definitely thank me later, right?"
"Probably not."
"Why?"
Cheok Bal-eon shot Yeon Man Ri a look of utter incomprehension.
"I helped him out, didn't I?"
"Hmm... Soyo, that hideous thing is indeed the root of sin, but it's also the root of pleasure. By cutting it off, you've made it so Yeop Hyeon can never sin again—but he also won't feel pleasure anymore. So he might not thank you for it!"
Cheok Bal-eon pouted.
"What's so great about pleasure anyway? I'm perfectly happy without one!"
"Hmm... You're right. That does make sense."
Yeon Man Ri agreed with her, and Cheok Bal-eon lit up, shouting excitedly,
"Then how about we uproot the root of all evil from every man under heaven?"
Yeon Man Ri pondered for a moment before replying with a serious expression.
"It's a good idea, but it'd get awfully complicated. Let's discuss it step by step when the chance arises!"
Cheok Bal-eon nodded. Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, her face darkened, and she asked,
"Sis, did you see that woman in the mourning clothes just now?"
Yeon Man Ri nodded, her own expression turning grim as well.
At that moment, Cheok Bal-eon's eyes sparkled.
"That sister was insanely strong... She might even beat Dad or Uncle... Ah, no! Long or short, you gotta fight to know. I could win too!"
Yeon Man Ri's eyes widened at her words.
"Dad always said you can lose a fight, but never swallow your pride. So even if you can't win, you have to say you can. Anyway, I'm never fighting that sister, so how would anyone know who's stronger?"
Yeon Man Ri mulled it over, then replied softly,
"You really do have a point there."
And so the two women dragged the broken Yeop Hyeon out of the arena.
What remained after that fierce battle was the ruins of Chang Mok Academy.
With this, the Chang Mok Academy of the Daeun Empire was utterly destroyed. Over a dozen peak experts lay dead, and two Hogye guardians had their souls annihilated.
But the situation was far graver than it appeared.
After that day, spiritual energy began vanishing rapidly across the entire Qingcang Realm. Qingzhou suffered the worst, as its core origin had been damaged.
The Heavenly Maiden's sword hadn't struck the ground, but it had dealt devastating damage to all of Qingzhou nonetheless.
Spiritual energy is the foundation of any world. It gathers to form the world's core—like the roots of a tree. The Hogye guardians' role was to protect those roots from human hands. But now that the core was wounded, Qingzhou would soon turn into a barren wasteland if things continued.
And when Qingzhou's final day came, the entire Qingcang Realm would be engulfed in catastrophe—it was plain as day.
High above the ruins of Chang Mok Academy, a middle-aged man tore through space and stepped out. He scanned the arena, frowning deeply. His gaze was as heavy as Cheon Geun-chu’s.
At that moment, an elder approached and greeted him.
"I never expected Yuk Jon Ju himself to grace Qingzhou."
Yuk Jon Ju, the Hogye Revered Lord of the Qingcang Realm. One of the top five powerhouses in all of Jungto Sinju. More crucially, he oversaw every Hogye guardian in the Qingcang Realm.
A single Hogye guardian reigned transcendent over the Qingcang Realm. Yuk Jon Ju, however, transcended even them.
No one in Jungto Sinju—save a few special factions—dared provoke the Hogye guardians.
In simple terms, they were like administrators managing a nation.
Yuk Jon Ju turned to the elder.
"Dean Yeo Gyeong. What do you make of the twelve Wu Realm shamans your Chang Mok Academy paid dearly to summon, only for them to die so pointlessly?"
The elder replied with a blank face.
"Just bad luck."
"Bad luck?"
Yuk Jon Ju continued in a calm tone.
"That sword cultivator damaged the Qingcang Realm's core. Especially now—Qingzhou's spiritual energy is depleting even faster. Soon, it'll all be gone. I suspect Chang Mok Academy is deeply involved. What say you?"
Yeo Gyeong chuckled lightly.
"Are you trying to pin the blame entirely on Chang Mok Academy, Revered Lord?"
"Dean Yeo, you know the rules of the Qingcang Realm. Those at the Myriad Laws Realm or above may fight, but they must never harm spiritual energy or the core. Yet your academy brought in a horde of Law Realm shamans. That's already a grave violation."
Yeo Gyeong narrowed her eyes.
"Revered Lord Yuk, but your Hogye guardians didn't stop those shamans from entering!"
"Hmph! Just because they didn't stop them means you can break the rules at will?"
Yeo Gyeong's gaze grew icy.
"Revered Lord, you're mistaken. Those shamans and our Chang Mok warriors were mere victims, standing idle when they were slaughtered. The one who harmed the spiritual energy and core was that woman! If you're assigning blame, hold her accountable!"
Yuk Jon Ju stared straight into Yeo Gyeong's eyes.
"We'll handle that woman through Hogye Meng, so don't worry about it, Dean. Regardless, Chang Mok Academy violated the rules and must face sanctions. I'll give you three days: pay Hogye Meng two hundred billion taels of gold and ten thousand Purple Origin Crystals. Any delay, and greater consequences follow!"
With that, Yuk Jon Ju vanished as if he had no more to say.
Left alone, Yeo Gyeong clenched her fists, her eyes blazing with fury and killing intent.
Yuk Jon Ju's scheme was clear: swallow Chang Mok Academy whole while it was weakened.
Two hundred billion taels of gold and ten thousand Purple Origin Crystals!
Losing that much would cripple the academy overnight. Recovering from such vitality loss could take decades.
In the fiercely competitive Jungto Sinju, a weakened Chang Mok Academy couldn't vie for resources anymore. That meant downfall—or expulsion from Jungto Sinju.
Expulsion was unbearable for Dean Yeo personally. Chang Mok Academy had endured in Jungto Sinju through countless sacrifices.
If driven out, that rage would turn on her. And Chang Mok's many enemies wouldn't let a weakened foe be.
Even neutral factions might swoop in for profit or ally to strike.
Invisible to the eye, but Chang Mok Academy's plight was utterly hopeless.
Then, not far off, an elder in black robes appeared.
This was the elder who had guarded An Ranxiu. But this time, he was alone without her.
Yeo Gyeong's gaze froze upon seeing him. He was the one who connected them to the twelve shamans. He'd boasted they could surely slay a Sword Immortal.
Yet reality had reduced them all to ashes.
After paying dearly for shamans who died without a fight—and now facing Hogye Meng's massive fine—Yeo Gyeong's chill was only natural.
"Looks like it failed."
The black-robed elder spoke, and Yeo Gyeong replied with a cold laugh.
"Didn't you say they'd catch the Sword Immortal?"
The elder frowned, shadows darkening his eyes.
"My calculations were off. Killing twelve shamans means she's no Sword Immortal—but a Great Sword Immortal at the peak!"
Great Sword Immortal at the peak!
Yeo Gyeong said nothing and turned to leave.
Whether Sword Immortal or Great, it meant nothing now. Chang Mok Academy had lost—that was all.
The black-robed elder blocked her path.
"Dean Yeo, I know Chang Mok Academy's in dire straits. Any plans?"
Yeo Gyeong replied darkly.
"Plans? What plans for a academy already in ruins?"
"Dean Yeo, hear me out. I harbor no ill will toward Chang Mok. I hear you have many enemies. If they learn of your weakness, they'll pounce. If you have no plan, I have a good idea—want to hear it?"
Yeo Gyeong stared silently, curiosity evident.
The black-robed elder spoke gravely.
"No more hiding, Dean Yeo. I am an elder of the Situ Clan from the Upper Realm."
'Upper Realm?'
Yeo Gyeong's brow twitched.
"You're truly from the Upper Realm?"
The elder nodded.
Yeo Gyeong fell silent.
The Qingcang Realm comprised many realms. The Upper Realm belonged to it but existed independently, distinct from the rest.
No ordinary force could sustain such a self-sufficient world.
The Upper Realm was forged by countless factions united. Each was transcendent, and the Situ Clan was one.
The black-robed elder continued.
"Dean Yeo, why not have Chang Mok Academy join our Situ Clan now? With us as your backers, no lower realm force would dare challenge you!"
Lower Realm.
Though part of the same Qingcang Realm, Upper Realm folk called outsiders "lower realmers" with disdain. It was biased, but their superiority was undeniable—no one argued.
Yeo Gyeong pondered the offer.
"Hmm... Such a major decision isn't mine alone. I'll consult the elders first."
The black-robed elder smiled faintly.
"Do that."
Then Yeo Gyeong asked curiously,
"Why does your Situ Clan want Yeop Hyeon dead?"
"Hmph! You may not know, but every Upper Realm clan craves marriage ties with the An Clan. Their patriarch wants to send his daughter to us. But that insolent Yeop Hyeon dares eye An Ranxiu? Even under a Sword Immortal's shadow, we won't let such arrogance stand!"
"You'll keep targeting him?"
The elder nodded firmly.
"Of course. Only his death secures An Ranxiu for our Situ Clan. We'll show him no mercy!"
Yeo Gyeong nodded lightly.
"I hope you achieve your goal."
She left the arena in a flash. Far from the elder, her face twisted viciously as she muttered,
"Join your Situ Clan? I'd sooner join the An Clan!"
Startled by her own words, Yeo Gyeong halted.
"Yeop Hyeon... An Ranxiu... Yes! That's it—the An Clan!"
Her eyes flashed, and her figure vanished into the sky.
Alone above the ruins, the black-robed elder glared coldly and bellowed,
"Great Sword Immortal? Hmph! Once she learns of our Situ Clan, she'll know how insignificant she truly is!"
In the Daeun Empire's imperial palace, Yeop Hyeon suddenly regained consciousness where he lay.
His agonized scream soon turned the quiet palace upside down.
"It's gone! That thing... it's gone! Arrrghhh—!"