Chapter 60
Chapter 60
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: Blood Evil Cult (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Sima Geon twisted his body lightly as the iron shard flew at him like a streak of light.
It was more than quick and relaxed enough to dodge the shard. But the Blood Flame Lord's iron shard, having gauged Sima Geon's skill from the previous attack, pierced through his afterimage in an instant and abruptly changed direction.
Sima Geon swung his sword toward the shard lunging for his side.
Clang!
A sharp metallic ring echoed, sparks flying.
The tip of the shard, deflected by the sword, cunningly shifted direction again and stabbed toward the top of Sima Geon's head.
It was Flood Dragon Claw, one of the ultimate techniques of the Flood Dragon Whip Art.
Sima Geon snapped his head aside.
As the shard's tip grazed his ear and struck for his shoulder, Sima Geon snatched it mid-air.
The Blood Flame Lord smirked triumphantly.
Its sharpness wasn't obvious at a glance, but the shard was several times keener than any ordinary sword. Moreover, the black hue of the chain composing it meant it carried deadly poison. Even a tiny scratch would be fatal.
He had anticipated a tough fight from how easily the man dispatched his subordinates, but it was unfolding far too smoothly. The tension that had felt ready to burst eased somewhat.
"You have an interesting toy."
The dry voice made the Blood Flame Lord's smile vanish a thousand miles away.
"H-how?"
The taut pull on the shard answered for him.
The Blood Flame Lord steadied his momentarily reeling body and poured internal energy into the shard.
He had no idea how the man had grabbed the blade-like tip barehanded. But unless he was invulnerable like a diamond, there should at least be a scrape, and the poison would prove lethal. Even if it didn't kill, it would land some damage. He aimed to exploit that opening.
Sima Geon felt the immense force surging through the shard and grasped his opponent's intent.
There was no reason to dodge.
Since gaining his opportunity in the Ghost Gate Clan, he had fought countless battles without ever being pushed back in internal energy.
This foe was no pushover.
His internal energy was formidable enough to boldly challenge a deadly energy clash that few would dare without utmost confidence.
Sima Geon's brow twitched.
What surged through the shard wasn't mere internal energy.
A sticky aura, cold and eerie, transmitted an inexplicable disgust.
Though mere speculation, he suspected it might be the lingering resentment of victims whose vital blood the Blood Flame Lord had harvested from countless souls.
'Just how many people has he sacrificed?'
The corpses of the martial monks he'd seen earlier flashed in his mind, chilling his chest.
Sima Geon regulated his breathing and began circulating the Three Venerables One Heart Art.
The supreme internal art he'd obtained from the Ghost Gate Clan.
A colossal power dormant throughout his body until now awoke. It brooked no intrusion into its domain.
Not only the resentful thoughts gnawing at his mind but the sticky aura infiltrating his eight extraordinary meridians were swept away powerlessly.
"Gah!"
The Blood Flame Lord's eyes bulged at the flood of force.
'M-my internal energy... being pushed back?'
An impossibility unfolded.
His internal energy, exceeding three score years of cultivation, was yielding. And not just any energy—it carried the ultimate deathly qi drawn from the terror of death. No ordinary human could withstand it.
"Urgh!"
A groan of agony escaped the Blood Flame Lord's lips.
He poured every ounce of strength into resisting, but the relentless force erased his energy without trace, and worse, his own body began to be eroded by the enemy's aura.
Blood trickled from the Blood Flame Lord's eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.
His bulging veins looked ready to burst, his entire body trembling like an aspen leaf.
Feeling Sima Geon's aura, which had subdued all his power, finally reach his dantian, the Blood Flame Lord made his decision.
He knew well what yielding first in an internal energy clash would bring, but he had no choice.
"Blegh!"
He released the shard's handle like discarding it and staggered back before collapsing limply, doubling over and vomiting blood repeatedly.
The retching continued for a while, the blood turning from red to black by the end.
Finally stopping, the Blood Flame Lord crawled to retrieve the dropped handle. At that moment, Sima Geon casually flicked his hand holding the shard's tip, making it smack the Blood Flame Lord's head before falling.
Though an unbearable humiliation for a martial artist, the Blood Flame Lord barely reacted. He merely lowered his head and slowly rose. Then, the limp shard suddenly writhed and began spinning fiercely around him.
Unable to withstand the rotation, dirt and pebbles scattered, clouding the view.
The Blood Flame Lord lifted his head to glare at Sima Geon.
His pupils dilated to cover the whites, and his deathly pale skin had turned pitch black. The blood dripping from his mouth was equally dark.
"Your final struggle."
Sima Geon showed no panic at the grotesque transformation, instead sneering. He had seen Blood Evil Cult warriors, cornered after wounding his subordinates before, undergo the same change as the Blood Flame Lord.
"I'll tear you to shreds."
With a roar of rage, the Blood Flame Lord's shards moved swiftly. But not toward Sima Geon.
Like a viper hunting prey, the shard slithered oddly and wrapped around the corpses of subordinates who had fallen battling Sima Geon.
The ensnared corpse floated into the air and hurtled toward Sima Geon. That started it—the Blood Flame Lord hurled every nearby subordinate's corpse at him indiscriminately.
"The same scum after all."
Sighing, Sima Geon raised his sword. At once, the incoming corpses exploded simultaneously.
A shower of hundreds, thousands of bone fragments and flesh pieces erupted, blanketing Sima Geon amid scattering blood mist.
To the Blood Flame Lord, it was a masterstroke. Yet not a single bone shard or flesh bit touched Sima Geon. The sword aura barrier from his blade protected him perfectly. It resembled the sword barriers of the Blood People earlier but was incomparably superior in power.
The bone shards and flesh were repelled powerlessly by the barrier; those that collided directly pulverized into dust without trace.
As the thick blood mist wavered and dispersed, a sharp whoosh pierced the air—the shards flew in.
But not one.
Thirty-six strands reflected in Sima Geon's eyes.
Flood Dragon Captures the Sea, the Flood Dragon Whip Art's nine ultimate secret techniques.
'Impressive.'
Real strikes hid among countless feints.
He couldn't dismiss the feints. Each packed tremendous power, not mere bluffs. Their movements, speeds, and directions varied wildly.
Sima Geon stared intently at the shards and took a single step forward.
Boom!
The ground quaked, a gale howling. That force alone disrupted several shards, throwing them off course.
The sword in his hand began moving fluidly.
Azure sword aura rippled along the blade, and shards clashing with it vanished like mirages.
"Hah!"
A low shout.
Sima Geon's sword slashed diagonally.
The dense blood mist split in two, and every shard moving within that path submitted.
Clang clang clang!
With cold metallic clashes, the feints dissipated harmlessly, and even the real strikes concealed within shattered.
As the chains scattered, their master revealed himself.
"Impossible!"
Blood-soaked, the Blood Flame Lord stared blankly at the severed shards.
Exploding his subordinates' bodies wasn't meant to fell Sima Geon outright.
Their true purpose was creating ideal conditions for Flood Dragon Captures the Sea.
Distract with bone shards and flesh, blind with blood mist, then sever his breath with the final ultimate technique.
Real strikes hidden among countless feints. Moreover, striking from the handle's center rather than the tip meant not one, but two real strikes.
Despite fatal wounds from the internal clash, Reverse Blood Qi Art had restored his energy fuller than before.
Even if the price was his life, for the cult's grand cause against a foe like Sima Geon, he could discard it lightly. But a few movements rendered it all futile.
All gains from his subordinates' bodies were meaningless, and even the life-staked Flood Dragon Captures the Sea was perfectly seen through and blocked.
His chest burned like fire.
Only now did he realize the energy nullifying Flood Dragon Captures the Sea had sliced his heart.
Reverse Blood Qi Art kept him breathing, but only briefly. He felt the regained power rapidly fading.
Piercing his dimming mind came a despairing scream.
The Blood Flame Lord's gaze turned left.
He saw those who had attacked Il Hwang Suk on Jo Ryong's orders being unilaterally slaughtered by Cheol Woo. Only then did he recall why he was here.
'Il Hwang Suk.'
To seize the imperial palace, Il Hwang Suk had to vanish. Of course, for the grand cause, the man before him had to die too—but he was beyond his grasp now.
Instinctively, strength gripped his hand.
Consciousness nearly gone, eyes already closed.
The last power sustaining the Blood Flame Lord's body moved the bisected shard.
It wrapped the remaining rear corpse and hurled it at Il Hwang Suk.
"You mad old fool!"
Yong Su, never imagining the man would defile a subordinate's corpse to the end, spat curses and swung his sword.
Not a major threat, but letting a corpse near the imperial prince was blasphemy, so he meant to swat it away lightly.
"Idiot!"
Thunder crashed in his ear.
Struck like a hammer to the occiput, Yong Su collapsed on his rear.
Cheol Woo, who had been toying with enemies freely, had blocked Yong Su's front and punched out.
Whoom!
A heavy resonance boomed as Cheol Woo's fist aura smashed the incoming corpse.
The corpse exploded into countless bone shards and flesh bits but was caught in the follow-up fist aura and reduced to dust.
Not just Yong Su on his butt, everyone wore faces uncomprehending of Cheol Woo's sudden action. But the Blue Orchid Lord, who had watched Sima Geon and the Blood Flame Lord's battle gripping sweat, was different. She believed Cheol Woo halting his massacre to rush over had reason.
"Ah!"
An exclamation burst from the Blue Orchid Lord.
As gazes turned, she pointed.
"Look at that."
Gazes followed her hand.
Seeing baffled expressions, the Blue Orchid Lord explained.
"You don't see? The plants where flesh fell are dying. And this smell..."
She frowned, covering nose and mouth mid-explanation.
"Smart girl."
Cheol Woo's hearty laugh made the indignant Yong Su leap up shouting.
"Insolent! How dare you to the Lord."
"Oh, right. You're a lord. Damn, I made a huge blunder. A real huge one."
His exaggerated tone and face showed no regret whatsoever.
"Whatever. Is it poison?"
The Blue Orchid Lord stepped forward asking.
"Yep."
Though glares shot at his rudeness, Cheol Woo never minded such things.
"Doesn't make sense. They're already dead."
"Blood Evil Cult bastards. Fought 'em once before. When facing unbeatable foes or dying, they all flip their eyes and charge madly. Some even turn their bodies into weapons for mutual destruction. Key point: their corpses themselves are poison. Boss said it's as vicious as Corpse Decay Blood Poison."
"My god. How could humans..."
The Blue Orchid Lord covered her mouth, unable to hide shock, prompting Cheol Woo's smirk.
"Not all, probably. Only specially trained or bred for it."
Cheol Woo whipped his head around.
"Get it now? What if that corpse had exploded here."
As Yong Su mumbled, Cheol Woo flailed dramatically.
"All dead. Every last one. Knew it from the start, but you're blind and dumb. Watching boss fight should've clued you in. How'd you survive this long with such dull instincts?"
Whether from shame or embarrassment, Yong Su hung his head.
"Be grateful. Spared you 'cause I saw your face a few times. I'm sentimental like that."
Chattering playfully without meaning, Cheol Woo missed the Blue Orchid Lord's eyes sparkling.
'Knew from the start? No instincts? Yong doesn't know, but he did. Then...'
Her gaze shifted past Cheol Woo to Sima Geon approaching slowly.
Behind him lay the Blood Flame Lord's corpse, split in half.
As he hurled the subordinate's corpse at Il Hwang Suk, the Blood Flame Lord had leaped to self-detonate for mutual destruction with Sima Geon. But before he could, Sima Geon's single sword halved him.
'It's over, you old monster!'
Relief filled her at the pathetic end of her master's enemy, who tried to kill her parents and her—but anger surged too. So many lives lost.
'Grand Secretary!'
As she bit her lip recalling the cunning politician behind this carnage, Cheol Woo chided.
"Got careless, boss? Nearly wiped us all out."
"Not quite."
Sima Geon shook his head calmly.
He could have blocked it easily. But with Cheol Woo closer to the prince's group, no need to intervene.
"How'd you get the old man..."
Craining his neck, Cheol Woo shut up.
"Clean work. Knew he'd pull a last gasp."
"He tried."
"Figures."
Cheol Woo smirked. No more explanation needed.
"Anyway, looks like this side's done too."
Sima Geon surveyed around. Many enemies remained, but crushed by Cheol Woo's overwhelming might, none dared charge recklessly.
With their leader Dong Cheon captured early and trussed, they hesitated on action.
"More or less. Who knows. If those join, they might rush again."
Cheol Woo pointed to a group charging from afar.
Il Hwang Suk's group, eavesdropping cautiously, whipped around in surprise.
Yong Su, spotting the banner, cheered.
"Commander's banner! Eom Cheon Ho's brought reinforcements!"
"Good. He pulled it off."
Jo Ryong nodded gratefully, then hardened his face issuing orders.
"Go at once and capture those traitors. Not one escapes."
Already crushed by Cheol Woo's prowess, the foes scattered in panic at the unexpected reinforcements.
"Understood."
Yong Su, despite wounds from the fierce battle, darted off with surprising agility.
"I am Jomun Seong. We owe you a debt."
Il Hwang Suk bowed politely to Sima Geon. After a pause, Sima Geon returned it.
"No debt. Just did what was right."
"Nonsense! You saved our lives. Without you two heroes, we'd be goners."
Il Hwang Suk expressed thanks repeatedly.
Unlike the nonchalant Sima Geon, Cheol Woo's lips curled up. He didn't revere the imperial house much, but being greeted by royalty felt good.
"Oh, and this is..."
Il Hwang Suk turned to the Blue Orchid Lord, who had been waiting eagerly.
"I'm Ju Hwa Seol. Nice meeting again from death's door. At Shaolin, you two were the suspects. You figured it out, right?"
Sima Geon startled slightly as the Blue Orchid Lord smiled meaningfully.
"Shaolin knew you as Sima Yeong and Woo Cheol. Real names or not. Faces changed a bit, but this seems true. Right?"
Cheol Woo's eyes widened.
"Gasp! How'd you... Ow!"
Sima Geon jabbed his side, but too late.
Before the beaming Blue Orchid Lord, Sima Geon and Cheol Woo were speechless.
