The Savior of Wudang
"Our stronghold has been discovered. Shouldn't we relocate?"
"We await them here. Now that matters have progressed this far, we must thoroughly crush their momentum."
Fifth Blood King Geuk Pyeong knew an enemy master had uncovered their base. Even so, he chose battle over a quiet retreat. The fervor sweeping Hubei burned hotter than ever; if that fire spread into the rest of the Central Plains, it would inevitably hinder the cult's future campaigns.
Momentum existed only to be broken. Geuk Pyeong judged that the time had come to teach the Central Plains the true, terrifying might of the Demon Blood Divine Cult.
"Summon our cult's forces scattered across Henan, Hunan, and Anhui to this location."
"Understood, Blood King."
Though the troops currently under Geuk Pyeong's command were a mere handful compared to the cult's full strength, he believed they were more than enough to wipe out every orthodox sect in Hubei.
What he failed to grasp, however, was just how drastically the realm's supreme assassin could overturn the tides of battle. He could not fathom the catastrophe that would unfold the moment a master assassin, standing at the absolute apex of the killing arts, ran rampant across an open warzone.
Upon locating the Demon Blood Divine Cult's stronghold, Ryeong fell into brief contemplation. Should she infiltrate alone and assassinate their core figures, or pull back, gather reinforcements, and strike in one decisive sweep?
The issue was that tracking them had taken three full days, leading her all the way to the border of Anhui. If she caused a commotion here, the chance of outside reinforcements arriving in time was zero.
Furthermore, the stronghold swarmed with masters in the Transcendent Realm—no, the Demonic Transcendence Realm. It wasn't that she lacked confidence in her own blade, but these fanatics wielded all manner of bizarre, sinister sorcery.
The eerie, qi-suppressing formation they had unleashed during the raid on Mount Jongnam... its oppressive aura permeated this entire compound. Ryeong herself was immune thanks to the divine protection of the Celestial Immortal Divine Art, but that very array had ensnared none other than Taecheong Jin'in himself.
To launch a successful assault, that formation had to be dismantled. Ryeong resolved to at least locate its central axis before leaving today.
Back then, those ghostly spirits were scurrying about frantically.
If so, the formation's focal axis was almost certainly anchored in an area dense with yin energy where spirits lingered. Concealing her presence completely with the Heaven-Killing Art, Ryeong swiftly swept through the stronghold.
The heaviest pocket of yin qi lay at the very rear of the encampment. Focusing her vision to its limits, she spotted the formation's core. While taking flight with Flame Wings would have granted an easy view from above, it risked exposing her qi, so she had deliberately relied on the Heaven-Killing Art instead.
She had no intention of destroying it right away. An array like this had to be smashed at the exact moment of their full-scale assault; breaking it now would only prompt them to erect another in a hidden location.
That's enough for today.
She had already briefed Jinyeong before leaving, so an alliance force would either be forming or showing signs of rallying. With that thought, Ryeong quietly melted into the shadows. Not a single cultist detected her presence.
Her return journey was swift. Pushing her lightness skill for an entire day, she arrived back at the Dogwibang. Jinyeong happened to be there as well, allowing her to catch up on the discussions that had unfolded in her absence.
"Wudang will take the vanguard, supported by orthodox factions including the Zhegal and Baili Clans?"
"Indeed. The problem is that there are only three Transcendent Realm masters in total. One from Wudang, and two from the Zhegal Clan. That is all."
"That wasn't the final council, was it? They're holding another one, right?"
She had already warned them about how many terrifying masters lurked within the Demon Blood Divine Cult. They were opponents that could never be taken lightly. Yet she had never imagined they would assemble a subjugation force in such an absurd manner.
"The force deploys tomorrow."
"Are those old bastards completely deaf? How the hell do they expect to handle them with those numbers!"
Ryeong made no effort to conceal her foul mood. Even the enemy's squadron commanders were masters of Demonic Transcendence. And to subjugate monsters like that, they were sending a pitiful three Transcendent masters?
What was worse...
"And what is Wudang doing? Their sacred relic was almost stolen, and they're only sending one person? Just dispatching the Seven Swords of Wudang would be more than enough!"
"I was told the Seven Swords departed down the mountain immediately after that incident to carry out a top-secret mission. They claimed they must also defend their main sanctuary, leaving them unable to spare more than a single master."
"This is ridiculous. We're going to Mount Wudang."
"...Very well."
Ryeong arched a brow in surprise at how readily Jinyeong accepted her suggestion. Normally, his role was to rein in her reckless impulses. Now, he agreed as if he had been waiting for her to say it.
"How unusual. You aren't arguing?"
"I have a brain of my own. I know marching in like this is nothing short of throwing our lives away. Whatever it takes, we must persuade the Sect Leader of Wudang."
"And if persuasion doesn't work, we beat him senseless and drag him along."
"I hadn't thought quite that far..."
Jinyeong looked flustered by her rough tongue. At least he hadn't become entirely corrupted just yet. For a Taoist, it was hardly a wholesome development, but as Cheonsal's traveling companion, it was deeply satisfying.
"We're out of time. We're heading to Mount Wudang immediately, so make sure your people are prepared," Ryeong said, turning to the faction members.
"Understood," Gwi Hujin replied. "We will mobilize the entire strength of our sect—"
"Don't. Leave someone behind to guard this place. Unless you want to end up like the Hwaho Sword Sect, divide your forces properly."
Ryeong knew well that Dogwibang's support wouldn't shift the tide of battle anyway. She had no real need for their numbers. If things went sideways, all three major unorthodox sects in Hubei would be wiped out. In an ownerless Hubei, bloody strife would inevitably erupt among the remnants of the unorthodox factions. With the orthodox sects already battered by the Demon Blood Divine Cult, an unorthodox civil war breaking out on top of it would be a complete catastrophe.
Furthermore, Ryeong intended to leave Hubei once this battle ended, so she wanted to nip any seeds of chaos in the bud.
"Don't drag everyone out. That's a warning."
"Understood. We shall do as you say."
Though Gwi Hujin didn't look like someone who readily took heed of warnings, it wouldn't be a disaster even if he did bring everyone. Who in their right mind would try to swallow Hubei while Dogwibang was away? In truth, Dogwibang had practically formed an alliance with the orthodox sects of Hubei. Opportunistic as the unorthodox factions were, none were foolish enough to make such a suicidal blunder at a time like this.
And so, Ryeong and Jinyeong departed for Mount Wudang. At the Sword-Relinquishing Pond, they disarmed themselves before ascending the mountain path. Of course, with the Red Cloud Divine Sword wrapped snugly around her wrist in the form of a bracelet, the pond’s restrictions were entirely meaningless.
As if anticipating Ryeong’s arrival, the Wudang disciples promptly guided her to the Sect Leader's chamber.
"You have arrived, child."
"Greetings, Sect Leader of Wudang."
Ryeong immediately took note of his condition. Though faint, he still harbored lingering internal injuries that had yet to heal. Just what had transpired during their clash with the Demon Blood Divine Cult to leave the leader of the great Wudang Sect in such a state? But that was his problem, and Ryeong had no patience to dance around his circumstances.
"I will be blunt. The enemy's stronghold has been found, and it is heavily garrisoned by masters of Demonic Transcendence. With the forces currently allocated for the subjugation, it will lead to nothing but pointless slaughter. Please dispatch more masters."
She bypassed all pleasantries and cut straight to the core. Chongwon, the Sect Leader of Wudang, sighed wearily.
"With Mount Wudang’s strength already depleted, it is difficult to send forth more forces."
"I am aware the Seven Swords are on a covert mission. Yet does Mount Wudang not possess countless other masters?"
Wudang teemed with experts who had stepped into the Transcendent Realm. Even Mount Jongnam had most of its Thirty-Six Swords of the World in the Transcendent Realm; sending a solitary master defied reason. The same held true for the retired elders who had washed their hands of the martial world and dwelled in seclusion upon Mount Wudang. If one counted them all, Wudang might very well harbor nearly a hundred Transcendent masters.
"Every last one of them is currently incapacitated. This, too, is a strictly guarded secret that must never leak beyond these walls, but I see you will not leave unless I speak."
"Incapacitated?"
Ryeong’s brow furrowed. With so many Transcendent experts, how could every single one be bedridden?
Chongwon let out another heavy sigh and offered a brief explanation. "They were all wounded while battling the Demon Blood Divine Cult. To this day, their injuries refuse to mend."
"Are they worse off than you, Sect Leader?"
"You noticed already. Indeed. Compared to them, mine is light enough to ignore."
"In that case... might I meet them?"
Ryeong's request was daring in the extreme. Even if they shared Taoist roots within the orthodox fold, boundaries and sect decorum were meant to be upheld. Yet Chongwon could not even muster an open scowl. Fully aware of how precarious the situation in Hubei was, he understood all too well what weighed on these young Taoists' hearts.
"Even the most renowned physicians have failed to heal them. Even if you were to see them, in the end—"
"Would this suffice?"
Pure, ethereal sacred qi billows gently from the palm, radiating a divine brilliance that dispels malevolence and heals wounded meridians.
"H-How can such sacred qi exist?!"
Chongwon gasped in pure astonishment. Before his eyes, a qi so unimaginably pure that even he, despite decades of bitter cultivation, had never managed to accumulate, billowed gently atop her palm.
It was the power of the Celestial Immortal Divine Art. Befitting an art born of transcendent immortals, it held an ethereal, sacred luminescence far beyond any martial discipline in the Central Plains.
Ryeong channeled the sacred energy into Chongwon. As the pure qi circulated through his meridians, the stubborn internal trauma buried deep within him dissipated like morning mist.
"Just... who on earth are you...?"
"I assume this is more than adequate to treat the injured elders?"
"I shall guide you at once."
Having experienced the miracle firsthand, Chongwon scrambled to his feet. From the instant Ryeong demonstrated that divine wonder, his posture transformed completely, treating her not as a junior visitor, but as an honored savior.