090 - The Heart Demon Vanishes.
[RAAAAAWR!!!!]
The Blood Dragon's roar echoed throughout the cavern.
The Nangong family's crown prince stumbled back in shock, and several weaker late-stage disciples collapsed to the ground, their legs giving out beneath them.
Kaboom!!
Bursting through the rock wall, the Blood Dragon lunged without hesitation at the minions surrounding the thunder prison, tearing them apart.
A storm of blood-scented energy whipped through the air.
Crunch! Rip! Tear!
"R-Run!"
"What the hell is that?!"
"Aaaargh!!"
Bones shattered, flesh ripped.
The demonic energies suppressed within the Ghost Soul Sect's headquarters.
Having devoured all that resentment and rage, the Blood Dragon now hunted the scattering minions, spewing its fury in every direction.
"W-What... is that thing...?"
The crown prince blinked his wide eyes in a daze, staring blankly at the massacre unfolding before him.
He was supposed to be the hunter today.
All he had to do was toy with these late-stage disciples a bit longer and await the next order from the First Spirit.
How had they become the prey?
[Grrrrrr...]
The thick stench of blood pushed away the rotten air.
In the blink of an eye, it had pulverized over a dozen minions. The Blood Dragon now circled the thunder prison leisurely, its crimson eyes gleaming.
It almost seemed like it was guarding the prison—but the late-stage disciples were just as terrified by the unprecedented sight.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
By the time shock and fear gripped everyone...
Heavy footsteps echoed from the hole the Blood Dragon had torn in the wall.
"...!"
"S-Someone's coming!"
Including the crown prince, fewer than ten of Ma-seon's minions had survived by sheer luck.
They all turned to stare at the pitch-black hole.
Just as when the crown prince had first appeared,
A man emerged, slicing through the darkness.
"Uncle!"
"Family Head!"
Jin Hayeon and Hongcheong cried out in delight.
It was Jin Muhon.
His face, freed from its disguise, was impassive, his deep eyes devoid of even the slightest ripple.
Jin Muhon glanced at the thunder prison and calmly spoke.
"No injuries?"
"Yes! Uncle! I'm fine, but several of the late-stage disciples are hurt!"
"I see."
Nodding, Jin Muhon stepped forward.
Whoosh—
Regaining his wits, the crown prince hurriedly unleashed his lightness skill, pressing his hand against the rock wall.
"Stop! Touch this, and they all die!"
Jin Muhon halted.
[Grrrrr...]
The Blood Dragon's blood-red eyes flashed as it glared at the crown prince.
He swallowed hard without realizing it.
Cold sweat trickled down his jaw and dripped to the floor.
Jin Muhon stood still, gazing at him silently.
Then, without shifting his eyes, he spoke.
"Cheongpung."
Cheongpung had remained composed until the crown prince appeared, but seeing Jin Muhon had rattled him considerably.
When Jin Muhon called his name, Cheongpung straightened instinctively and replied hastily.
"Y-Yes? Yes!"
"Are the Nine Great Sects and other families' late-stage disciples trapped there too?"
"Yes! That's right!"
"I see."
Jin Muhon nodded as if understanding.
The crown prince bellowed in fury.
"Are you the descendant of the Four Emperors that the First Spirit mentioned?! Don't do anything rash—back off! There's a Jin family bitch in there too! Make one wrong move, and I'll kill her fir—!"
Stab!
"...!"
In an instant, searing pain like fire engulfed the crown prince's wrist.
His gaze snapped to his hand.
For some reason, the wrist pressing the mechanism had been severed halfway.
"Wh-What?"
Whoosh—
A breeze grazed his cheek.
The crown prince whipped his head around.
"...!"
Jin Muhon's impassive face, which had been far away, was now right in front of him.
"N-No!"
Slash!
Jin Muhon swung the Sword of the Four Emperors.
A clean stroke, utterly without waste.
The cavern spun wildly in the crown prince's eyes.
Thud. Thud. Thud-thud. Thud.
The upright figure of Jin Muhon receded into the distance.
The crown prince opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
And soon.
The world went perfectly black.
"......"
Jin Muhon glanced briefly at the severed head on the ground, then lifted his gaze.
"R-Run..."
"It's one of the Four Emperors! A Four Emperor!!"
The remaining dozen or so minions spun on their heels and unleashed their lightness skills in panic.
Jin Muhon stirred the inner energy of his upper dantian.
Woooong—
The world slowed.
Scattered dust and blood droplets hung motionless in the air, twinkling like stars.
Looking at a minion that had halted mid-sprint, Jin Muhon flipped his palm.
Heaven Earth Infinite.
Bead-like blood orbs floated up from the pooled blood on the ground.
Jin Muhon released his upper dantian energy and thrust his hand forward.
Shrieeeek!
Dozens of blood orbs streaked forward in crimson trails.
Bam-bam-bam!!
"Gahk!"
"Aaaargh!"
The impaled minions screamed as they toppled forward.
Silence descended on the cavern.
The late-stage disciples stared at Jin Muhon, barely breathing.
They had been helplessly trapped, their will to resist broken.
Yet Jin Muhon had dispatched them in a single sword stroke and gesture.
"...Ah."
"......"
The late-stage disciples were speechless.
Instead, they gazed at the approaching Jin Muhon with even greater fear.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Meanwhile, Cheongpung's heart settled into stillness.
His heart demon had been deepening due to Jin Muhon lately.
'He's... on a different level altogether...'
He couldn't be surpassed.
An overwhelming strength beyond reach.
Even a lifetime of sword training might only get him to the Sword Demon's toes.
With that realization, Cheongpung's heart demon vanished like dirt washed away by water.
A towering, treacherous mountain—he would have challenged it through any hardship.
But how could a man aspire to surpass the heavens?
Cheongpung's head nodded heavily.
'...The heavens.'
In the space where his heart demon had vanished, awe and admiration took root.
Halting before the thunder prison, Jin Muhon gazed steadily at Cheongpung.
Was it the Heaven Earth Infinite? The air currents around Cheongpung rippled softly.
"Cheongpung."
Jin Muhon called.
"Yes."
Cheongpung bowed his head.
"Take Hayeon and step back."
"Yes."
Without asking why, Cheongpung led Jin Hayeon and Hongcheong aside.
The other late-stage disciples followed him in a cluster.
Jin Muhon flipped his palm again.
This time, two blood swords rose from the floor.
"Aura energy? What is that?"
"Flying sword... no?"
"No idea! I've never heard of a technique like that."
Jin Muhon invoked the destructive power of water through Heaven Earth Infinite.
Water was the source of life—and the force that destroyed all things.
No matter how sturdy, nothing could withstand water's erosion.
Shrieeeek! Shrieeeek!!
The two blood swords hovering in the air began spinning rapidly.
The late-stage disciples flinched and covered their ears.
Moments later, the ear-piercing noise faded, replaced by a deep woooong filling the cavern.
The two blood swords gleamed like white discs in the air.
Jin Muhon thrust his hand forward.
Kaboom! Kaboom!
The speeding blood swords sliced through the thick iron bars like tofu and buried deep into the distant rock wall.
"...!"
"...!"
The late-stage disciples' jaws dropped to the floor.
"Uncle!"
Jin Hayeon and Hongcheong were the first to rush out of the shattered thunder prison.
Jin Muhon gently patted Jin Hayeon's back as she hugged him.
Hongcheong watched with envious eyes.
"Should we hug him too?"
Hong whispered lowly. Cheong shook her head as if it were absurd.
"Family Head. Thank you."
Cheongpung followed, bowing deeply.
"Family Head! Do you remember me? I'm Jegal Yunmyeong!"
Jin Muhon was currently undisguised.
Though Jegal Yunmyeong's memory of him looked different, he wagged his tail eagerly anyway.
"Huh? That's the Yunbong Sword Hero?"
Paeng Geuksin, on the other hand, hesitated skeptically.
"Family Head. It's been a while. I'm Ami Sect's Myeongjeong."
"Thank you! Family Head! As I thought from the first time I saw you, you were no ordinary man!"
The late-stage disciples from Sichuan greeted him warmly.
Starting with them, the prideful scions of prestigious righteous sects and families bowed one by one, expressing their gratitude.
Jin Muhon glanced at Cheongpung.
Cheongpung beamed with a pleased smile, as if he were the one receiving the honors.
"Cheongpung."
"Yes! Family Head!"
At Jin Muhon's call, Cheongpung hurried over.
Jin Muhon pointed to one side of the floor.
"Take that."
"...Pardon?"
Cheongpung looked where Jin Muhon indicated.
There lay the Nangong crown prince's head, eyes still bulging wide.
"Let's go now."
"Yes! Uncle!"
Jin Muhon walked away.
Jin Hayeon and Hongcheong followed right behind.
"Brother Cheongpung. What are you doing? Hurry and grab that."
Jegal Yunmyeong patted Cheongpung's shoulder and urged him on.
The late-stage disciples trailed Jin Muhon like obedient children.
"......"
Left alone, Cheongpung stared blankly at the departing group.
Then he quickly shed his Daoist robes to wrap the severed head.
"Wait for me!"
Cheongpung kicked off the ground.
Nangong family grand conference hall.
Even late at night, the leaders and key figures of each sect had gathered.
"What is this nonsense all of a sudden?!"
"The kids are gone!"
"There were several ominous explosions! Something's definitely happened!"
"Wait, Huashan Sect's disciples vanished too?"
"You think we're the only ones?!"
Sect leaders and family heads were no different.
Their faces flushed red with panic and confusion.
Thud—!
A heavy sound cut through the clamor.
Shaolin Abbot and Murim Alliance Leader Gongyo slammed the table and scanned the room.
"Amitabha. Everyone, stay calm."
"But, Alliance Leader, given the situation..."
"Enough! We must remain calm now more than ever. If even you sect leaders panic, how will we find our disciples?"
"...Yes."
True to his monkhood, Gongyo abstained from alcohol.
Thus, he coldly assessed the gathered faces.
"Wudang Sect Leader is absent."
At Gongyo's words, everyone glanced around for Hyeonjin.
"Huh? He really is. Where'd he go?"
"Now that you mention it, he wasn't at the banquet either!"
"Could it be Wudang...?"
Without evidence, suspicion toward Wudang sprouted in the sect leaders' and family heads' minds.
At that moment.
"Tch. You idiots. No one else to suspect, so you point at your own allies? Did you all drink so much your brains turned to mush?"
A sharp voice rang clearly through the hall.
Outraged by the venomous tongue, the sect leaders turned with glares.
"What're you looking at, you bastards?! You screw around among yourselves, start trouble, and now try to pin it on someone else?!"
"Urgh... Dao Destroyer."
"He's here too."
Aside from Gongyo, most here were at least a generation below Muheo in seniority.
Moreover, Muheo was one of the Four Freaks, called a calamity of the jianghu.
The sect leaders grimaced as if they'd stepped in dung and averted their eyes.
"What? Got something to say?!"
Muheo was already worried sick over Jin Hayeon's disappearance.
When other sect leaders suspected their own, his eyes had rolled back in rage.
Fearing what mishap he might cause, Buso-yong grabbed his arm and stepped forward.
"A moment, please."
Buso-yong's pleasant voice echoed in the hall.
Just hearing her calm tone eased the sect leaders' turmoil.
Muheo, with his arm held, clamped his mouth shut like he'd been acupointed.
"Allow me a word."
All eyes turned to Buso-yong.