Chapter 175
Chapter 175
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 175
Chapter Title: It's a Mess
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Near the rocks, numerous traces of mechanisms remained.
Though they were all crushed and sunken deep into the ground.
Seeing the sight, the Sword Demon and Hwaok couldn't help but shake their heads.
They were once again reminded of just how incredible Byeok Taesan's power was.
"It seems the formation's range extended to that rocky area over there."
The Sword Demon nodded at Hwaok's words. To be precise, it appeared the formation had been constructed using the rocks in that area.
A few of the rocks in the area were so cracked that it wouldn't be surprising if they shattered at any moment.
It was the aftermath of Byeok Taesan forcibly shattering the formation.
How could he break the rocks here from all the way over there?
Even seeing it with their own eyes, it was hard to believe.
The Sword Demon and Hwaok looked at Byeok Taesan. Wasn't it time to pull the Profound Heaven Sword from the rock?
Byeok Taesan leaped onto the rock and gazed down at the Profound Heaven Sword.
It really was the Profound Heaven Sword.
He had disposed of all the Profound Heaven Swords within the Heavenly Demonic Cult. He had destroyed every last one, leaving none behind.
In truth, the Profound Heaven Sword was no ordinary blade that just anyone could destroy.
It was the sword used by successive Heavenly Demons to train in the Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts. Naturally, traces of immense spiritual power lingered within it.
It didn't contain spiritual power itself, but it held a force comparable to it.
Of course, no one could actually wield that power.
The Profound Heaven Sword was a cursed object that devoured the souls of anyone other than its master.
Thus, not just anyone could carelessly hold it, nor could just anyone break it.
The sword stuck here now had also devoured countless souls.
It was a real Profound Heaven Sword.
Byeok Taesan grasped the Profound Heaven Sword.
A sinister energy flowed through his hand.
Byeok Taesan didn't bother to block or control it, simply letting it be.
And he pulled out the sword.
After pulling it out, he carefully examined the blade. He also calmly checked the sinister energy that had entered his body.
Below the rock, the Sword Demon and Hwaok looked up at Byeok Taesan, their bodies tense.
The Sword Demon, in particular, couldn't hide his grave expression.
He, too, was from the Heavenly Demonic Cult, so he knew full well what kind of object the Profound Heaven Sword was.
And that anyone who carelessly held it would have their soul sucked out.
However, masters who had reached a considerable level could resist it. In fact, there were quite a few people within the Heavenly Demonic Cult who could hold the Profound Heaven Sword.
'Would I be able to do it now?'
The Sword Demon suddenly wondered.
When he was in the Heavenly Demonic Cult, he hadn't been skilled enough to hold the Profound Heaven Sword.
But what about now?
Lost in thought, the Sword Demon shook his head.
Not yet. They said that when you reached the level where you could hold the Profound Heaven Sword, you would know with certainty the moment you saw it.
But since he still had doubts, he was not yet at that level.
As he thought about it, memories from his time in the Heavenly Demonic Cult began to surface one by one.
Most of the Sword Demon's memories were of training and the Sword Devil.
Just as he was deep in his reminiscence, Byeok Taesan spoke.
"So that's what it was."
The Sword Demon snapped to attention and looked at Byeok Taesan.
Holding the Profound Heaven Sword, Byeok Taesan leaped down from the rock.
The Sword Demon and Hwaok, with curious expressions, carefully examined the Profound Heaven Sword in Byeok Taesan's hand.
Just then, Bang Durip regained consciousness with a groan.
"Ugh."
Bang Durip had been propped up against a rock, but the moment he came to, he shot to his feet and warily scanned his surroundings.
He spotted Byeok Taesan and his eyes widened. He had seen the Profound Heaven Sword in Byeok Taesan's hand.
"Is that... the Profound Heaven Sword? The treasure said to contain the Heavenly Demon's enlightenment?"
Byeok Taesan scoffed at Bang Durip's words.
"The Heavenly Demon's enlightenment? Where did you hear such a thing?"
Bang Durip frowned.
"That's common knowledge. Common knowledge for anyone in the martial world."
Byeok Taesan glanced at Bang Durip and said.
"A man who can't even hold it got greedy."
Bang Durip bristled at his words. But he couldn't say anything, because Byeok Taesan had suddenly tossed the Profound Heaven Sword to him.
Startled, Bang Durip caught it.
And with ecstatic eyes, he scanned the Profound Heaven Sword.
"Now, do I still look like a man who can't hold it?"
Bang Durip said, looking triumphantly around at Byeok Taesan's group.
Seeing the Sword Demon and Hwaok staring at him with shocked eyes, he became even more triumphant.
Power surged through his entire body.
A clear, pure energy was flowing endlessly from the Profound Heaven Sword into his body.
"It seems... this sword has chosen me as its master."
Bang Durip laughed viciously and pointed the sword at the Sword Demon.
With this power, he felt he could kill a man like that in a single blow.
Watching Bang Durip, Byeok Taesan said.
"That is the result of being half-devoured. With more time, once he's fully consumed, his sense of self will change too."
The Sword Demon and Hwaok nodded at his words.
Bang Durip's current state was far from normal.
A crimson haze was rising from half of his body. The eye on that side had also turned blood-red.
And Bang Durip's hand, gripping the Profound Heaven Sword, was slowly distorting and merging with the blade.
It was a sight that truly looked like a sword devouring a person.
Hwaok shivered involuntarily. It was truly terrifying.
"So don't hold it carelessly."
Byeok Taesan said and reached out his hand.
*Crack!*
The Profound Heaven Sword was forcibly torn from Bang Durip's grasp.
*Fwoosh!*
The Profound Heaven Sword, floating in mid-air, was engulfed in crimson flames. The flames burned away all the filth and blood on the blade.
Once the flames subsided, the Profound Heaven Sword was drawn into Byeok Taesan's hand.
Bang Durip stood there blankly, watching the scene, before his eyes rolled back and he collapsed with a thud.
"Something has piqued my curiosity. Let's go back now."
The Sword Demon and Hwaok bowed their heads.
"Yes."
The Sword Demon slung the fallen Bang Durip over his shoulder and followed Byeok Taesan.
And before leaving, Hwaok cleaned up the area, so that anyone who came by wouldn't be able to easily figure out what had happened.
***
On the mid-slope of Mount Akrok, chaos was unfolding.
The fight was started by the Martial Alliance's Heavenly Sword Brigade, but now, as if that no longer mattered, countless people were tangled in a complex brawl, brandishing their weapons.
The reason the Heavenly Sword Brigade had started fighting was to prevent people from passing through this area.
However, with only forty members, the Heavenly Sword Brigade couldn't possibly block everyone in such a wide area.
After that, the Black Alliance and the Five Great Families joined in.
As they began to help the Heavenly Sword Brigade block people, the gaps were filled, making it even more difficult to get past.
But there were those who didn't want such a situation.
Suddenly, a few extremely powerful masters rushed in and began attacking the martial artists of the Heavenly Sword Brigade, the Black Alliance, and the Five Great Families.
Their skills were so incredible that to properly face them, one needed to be at least at the level of the Heavenly Sword Brigade's vice-commander.
Though there were only six of them, their intrusion instantly created a crack in the blockade.
People began to slip through the gaps.
And a few warriors from the Black Alliance chased after them, catching and fighting them.
Naturally, the gaps widened, and more people slipped through.
In the end, it became a complete mess.
There were even people, not from the Heavenly Sword Brigade or the Black Alliance, who recklessly blocked others simply because they didn't want to see anyone get ahead of them. And there were those who got swept up in the atmosphere and started swinging their weapons.
With them added to the mix, the distinction between friend and foe suddenly blurred, and the fight escalated.
Of course, not everyone was like that.
Amidst the chaos, the number of people who escaped the battlefield grew one by one.
They scattered in all directions, running with their eyes peeled for the Heavenly Demonic Cult's treasure said to be slumbering here, the Profound Heaven Sword.
As more and more people slipped away, the Heavenly Sword Brigade eventually gave up fighting there and also set out to find the Profound Heaven Sword.
The competition to find the treasure had officially begun.
In this process, the ones who stood out the most were, by far, the Heavenly Sword Brigade.
The Heavenly Sword Brigade searched in teams of five.
Whenever they encountered anyone in their way, they would immediately incapacitate them and dart about in all directions.
It was a similar story for the Black Alliance and the Five Great Families.
While not on the same level as the Heavenly Sword Brigade, they were also composed of masters who were difficult to compare with other martial artists.
Moreover, they had more members than the Heavenly Sword Brigade.
After causing such a commotion, they eventually arrived at the place where the Profound Heaven Sword had been stuck in the rock.
The first to arrive was the Heavenly Sword Brigade.
Following them, the Black Alliance and the Five Great Families arrived side by side, and unaffiliated martial artists soon followed.
While searching the vicinity and tracing the signs of the mechanisms, they would naturally converge on this spot.
There, everyone saw the bodies of the dead.
The vice-commander of the Heavenly Sword Brigade immediately spotted several noticeable marks on the corpses.
'Commander!'
Those were undoubtedly marks left by Bang Durip's martial arts.
He quickly checked the faces of the Black Alliance and Five Great Families' members and saw their expressions twist horribly.
'We're too late.'
A warrior from the Black Alliance blocked the Heavenly Sword Brigade's vice-commander and spoke in a voice laced with simmering anger.
"No matter how I look at it, the marks on these bodies... they seem to be the work of your brigade's commander. What do you think?"
The vice-commander shook his head.
"I wouldn't know. And marks like these can be faked."
"We'll find out once we investigate. Take the bodies."
Not just the Black Alliance, but also the members of the Five Great Families quickly stepped forward to collect the bodies of their own.
The Heavenly Sword Brigade could only watch.
Meanwhile, someone who had climbed onto the rock shouted.
"There's a mark here where a sword was stuck!"
Everyone rushed up onto the rock.
The vice-commander's expression darkened as he watched the scene.
Things had gotten terribly complicated.
***
Hyeokryeon Hwi had a dazed expression the entire time he listened to the report.
Honestly, he wondered if this was all a dream.
The amount of money, effort, and time invested in this plan was immense, so it was only natural that he couldn't get a grip after it all went up in smoke so pointlessly.
Hyeokryeon Hwi sat there with a vacant expression for a while before slowly composing himself and carefully reviewing the contents of the report.
"First... it's certain the Golden Moon Trading Company had other ideas. And that bastard Bang Durip, whom I could chew up and still not be satisfied, played a big role."
At least, based on the report, those two things were certain.
The problem was the identity of the person who had completely wrecked the mechanisms and formations on Mount Akrok.
The first person who came to mind was Byeok Taesan.
However, while it was true that Byeok Taesan went to Mount Akrok at the time, most of the people under his command remained at their original posts.
While proceeding with this plan, Hyeokryeon Hwi had paid very close attention to Byeok Taesan.
He considered Byeok Taesan to be the biggest variable in the plan.
Byeok Taesan definitely ascended Mount Akrok that day.
Accompanied by two people.
One was a rather old man who used a sword, and the other was a beautiful woman.
Although he did go up the mountain, Byeok Taesan didn't do much there.
At least, that's what the report said.
Destroying so many mechanisms and formations so devastatingly was not something that could be accomplished with the power of just a few people.
It would require mobilizing a great number of people, or tampering with the mechanisms and formations from the very beginning of their creation.
Hyeokryeon Hwi decided to investigate, leaving both possibilities open.
If there had been a problem from the production stage, that would be truly infuriating.
It would mean he couldn't even guess how many spies had infiltrated his ranks.
'Hyeokryeon Bigwang, you son of a bitch.'
Perhaps Hyeokryeon Bigwang was orchestrating all of this from behind the scenes.
The thought made him even more annoyed.
"But right now, there's another target for my frustration."
Hyeokryeon Hwi muttered as he rose from his seat.
His gaze turned chillingly cold.
The place Hyeokryeon Hwi headed for was the Golden Moon Trading Company.
***
Having acquired the Profound Heaven Sword and Bang Durip, Byeok Taesan returned directly to the annex of the Gakwol Inn.
The things he had set out to do here in Changsha were now mostly finished.
All that was left was to catch one particular person he had been waiting for.
Based on the information extracted from the scenes he had clearly seen while burning Yeong Seocheong's soul, he had learned quite a lot about who was behind him and where their bases were located.
Currently, Bang Durip was being interrogated by the Underworld Sect.
As always, after the Underworld Sect extracted as much as they could through interrogation, Byeok Taesan would burn his soul to draw out the remaining thoughts.
Once he extracted information from Bang Durip, he would be able to grasp his relationship with the Golden Moon Trading Company, and he would also have a rough idea of what schemes they were plotting.
Byeok Taesan sent everyone off to handle their tasks and train on their own, then remained in the room by himself.
Byeok Taesan was carefully examining the Profound Heaven Sword.
After inserting a strand of his own energy into the Profound Heaven Sword to meticulously inspect its interior, the corners of Byeok Taesan's mouth lifted slightly.
"Interesting."
The Profound Heaven Sword smells of blood.
This thing was raised on blood.