Chapter 587
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 587
Chapter Title: Explode
“W-What is this?”
“W-What’s going on?”
The Huashan Sect was plunged into chaos.
It was inevitable. The entire Lotus Flower Peak, where the Huashan Sect resided, was emitting a low vibration like a mournful wail.
Since nothing like this had ever happened before, the Huashan Sect disciples rushed out to the grand training grounds, scanning in all directions.
Among them were Discipline Hall Lord Yu Chueun and her disciple Wi Su-yeon.
Even the Huashan Sect elders and protectors.
It was fair to say everyone from the Huashan Sect had gathered.
“Where is the Sword Immortal martial uncle?”
Yu Chueun asked Wi Su-yeon.
“He chased after Corps Leader Ha and hasn’t returned yet.”
At those words, Yu Chueun’s gaze turned beyond the mountain gate.
‘Could it be...’
Was this related to why Ha Mu-baek had dashed out so urgently?
He had definitely said he knew of the Omen King’s scheme.
He had left those words behind without any proper explanation, in such haste.
That was why Yu Chueun suspected this anomaly was connected to the Omen King’s plot.
About half an incense stick’s time after Lotus Flower Peak began its wail...
Ha Mu-baek and Gwi Hwi returned.
“It’s the Sword Immortal!”
The disciples’ faces lit up with relief.
Just as fear was starting to creep in from the inexplicable event, the Huashan Sect’s foremost swordsman had appeared.
Gwi Hwi turned to Ha Mu-baek.
‘The demonic energy is growing thicker.’
Ha Mu-baek could feel the demonic energy swirling rapidly around the formation’s key points in a set pattern, growing ever stronger.
The thickened demonic energy slowly rose from the ground, gradually gathering.
[What do we do?]
Ha Mu-baek gauged the amount of demonic energy that was intensifying and multiplying.
Demonic energy increasing exponentially as time passed.
Based on its trajectory, he calculated the amount at half an incense stick after activation.
‘I can block it.’
There was leeway.
[Explain to the disciples.]
[Is there a way?]
Gwi Hwi asked urgently.
And rightly so. Explaining the Eternal Ghost Forest Myriad Demon Formation in this situation would only cause extreme panic.
Told that they’d go mad from demonic invasion and die rampaging? It’d be weirder if there wasn’t chaos.
Yet ordering the truth be told meant he’d found a way to stop it.
Ha Mu-baek nodded slightly.
[Gather them as close to me as possible, old man.]
Ha Mu-baek said as he circulated his inner energy.
But.
There was a variable here Ha Mu-baek hadn’t anticipated.
The formation had been modified.
The formation Ha Mu-baek had scouted operated on a half incense stick cycle, but the one the Omen King had deployed now amplified demonic energy for a full incense stick.
In other words, the time variable in his demonic energy calculations was off.
“Everyone, gather here as close as possible!!”
Gwi Hwi shouted with energy-infused voice.
The disciples hurriedly clustered near Gwi Hwi at his clear command ringing in their ears.
To them, Gwi Hwi relayed what Ha Mu-baek had told him on the way back.
Their faces grew pale with shock as the explanation continued.
It was unavoidable.
Their sect leader, whom they respected, trusted, and followed so deeply.
The training cave he’d built to aid their cultivation, and the arrangements within it.
All of it had actually been the Demonic Cult Omen King’s scheme and plot to activate a formation that would drive Huashan Sect disciples mad with rampaging demonic energy and kill them.
“Ah... Aah...”
“Those damn Demonic Cult bastards!”
“D-Does that mean we, we die?”
He had said the demonic invasion would begin half an incense stick after activation.
And that moment was approaching.
There was no time for Gwi Hwi to use the known countermeasures right after activation.
Starting with the young disciples, chaos began to seep into everyone.
“Get a grip!”
A lion’s roar erupted from Gwi Hwi’s mouth.
“Corps Leader Ha says there’s a way to stop it! So pull yourselves together and gather as close as possible around Corps Leader Ha!”
At his words, the Huashan disciples, already nearby, pressed even closer.
Fear of death had gripped them.
The faces of Yu Chueun and the other elders and protectors hardened gravely.
Demonic energy infiltration and rampage.
The moment they heard it, they circulated their inner energy.
To resist the demonic energy.
However.
How many among the countless disciples could resist it?
No, could they even resist?
Such worries were slowly spreading among the elders and protectors.
At that moment.
Waaaaahhh...
A change occurred in the formation’s wail and vibration.
Black energy surged up, blanketing the sky.
Lotus Flower Peak was trapped in a massive hemispherical dome.
Ha Mu-baek looked up at the sky.
‘It’s starting now.’
Exactly half an incense stick had passed.
Wuuuuuung.
Energy flowed from Ha Mu-baek’s body.
Pure white energy spread slowly around him.
Forming a translucent white hemisphere.
Its range covered all the Huashan Sect disciples.
“Huh? Wh-What?”
“What’s this?”
The people were startled.
Gwi Hwi and the Huashan elders and protectors were equally shocked.
This was different from protective aura.
Even expanding protective aura to this range and manifesting it so tangibly would be shocking enough.
But Ha Mu-baek had spread energy that could resist and block demonic energy this widely and solidified it.
Divine Skill.
It was truly a divine skill.
“Hah... What in the world are you...”
Even Gwi Hwi, who thought he’d glimpsed Ha Mu-baek’s level, shook his head.
Ha Mu-baek was still gazing at the sky.
His energy sense extended across the entire Lotus Flower Peak.
He furrowed his brow.
Half an incense stick had passed.
And the formation changed.
But that was it.
The demonic energy was still amplifying.
Even after the hemisphere formed, it swirled around the key points, growing larger.
The amount at hemisphere formation matched Ha Mu-baek’s calculations.
But now it had increased further.
‘Different from what Heavenly Eye Pavilion Lord said. Did they alter the formation?’
That was the only explanation.
He’d assumed the key points marked on the map— the formation’s structure— were the same as before, but they weren’t.
Since the formation activated with the Demon Seal’s demonic energy, it implied changes to the formation.
He should have considered the infiltration timing might differ too.
Ha Mu-baek recalculated the demonic energy amount.
‘Even if it amplifies to a full incense stick like this, it’s fine.’
He reached an objective, cool conclusion.
Calculations continued.
‘Half a shichen?’
He figured half a shichen of amplification was probably his limit.
If he had half a shichen?
There’d be no reason to hold out here like this.
Plenty of time to destroy the key points.
The problem was.
‘Not knowing when that damned amplification ends.’
That kept him from moving.
Quite some time passed since half an incense stick, and murmurs arose here and there.
Because it differed from Gwi Hwi’s explanation.
As the unrest spread further.
One incense stick.
One full incense stick passed.
Kuuuuaaaaaah!
The formation changed once more.
Whiiiiiing!
Fierce winds began whipping across Lotus Flower Peak.
“It’s begun!”
Ha Mu-baek shouted.
Demonic energy permeated the winds.
Demonic winds.
The winds grew fiercer, turning the formation interior into a storm.
“Kiiiik!”
“Kyaaaah!”
“Keurheeeong!”
Demonic energy didn’t affect only humans.
The maddened beasts of Lotus Flower Peak rampaged with roars.
Gulp.
Someone swallowed dryly.
Just hearing the mountain beasts’ frenzied howls sent chills down spines.
What if it happened to them?
The mere thought was horrifying.
The demonic storm engulfed the Huashan Sect too.
Pazik. Pazizizik!
However, it collided with Ha Mu-baek’s white energy barrier and couldn’t advance further.
The Huashan disciples clearly saw it.
The clash of Ha Mu-baek’s energy and the demonic energy.
The storm intensified.
But still couldn’t pierce Ha Mu-baek’s barrier.
Then the raging storm began to change.
Following the fierce winds, rain fell.
Demonic Rain.
Each raindrop a crystallization of demonic energy.
Pasisik. Pasisik.
Raindrops hitting the barrier steamed but couldn’t penetrate.
Ha Mu-baek circulated even more inner energy.
And then.
The rain stopped.
Rumble. Boom!
Thunder began to crash.
Flash!
Lightning struck toward the barrier.
“Eek!”
“Kyaaak!”
Some disciples screamed at the sight.
How could they not?
Lightning falling right above their heads.
Yet the barrier blocked even that lightning.
The barrier was firm, sturdy, and intricate.
Ha Mu-baek observed and sensed every change without missing a thing.
‘It’s gathering.’
Eternal Ghost Forest Myriad Demon Great Formation.
Ghost Forest.
Lotus Flower Peak had truly become a ghost forest.
The formation targeted Ha Mu-baek’s barrier obsessively, as if possessing a will.
As if aware humans— its demonic prey— were clustered inside.
Storm, then downpour.
Now lightning.
As if that wouldn’t suffice, the demonic energy spread through the formation gathered.
Converging to a single point.
Demonic energy amassed into one point.
The hemispherical energy dome over Lotus Flower Peak had also thinned greatly.
All demonic energy concentrated in that one point.
‘Just a bit more.’
Ha Mu-baek watched the demonic energy’s convergence.
The formation gathered all available demonic energy into that point to breach Ha Mu-baek’s barrier.
Truly as if it had a will.
The densely packed demonic energy seemed ready to burst in an instant.
For Ha Mu-baek, it was actually a welcome change.
Easier to annihilate demonic energy focused in one point than swirling everywhere.
Kuaaaaaang!
Black lightning fell.
Aiming to shatter the barrier in one blow.
Terrifying demonic lightning.
Black Demonic Thunder.
‘Now.’
In that instant.
Ha Mu-baek’s sword thrust out as well.
Flying with Righteous Qi Sword Technique.
Fifth Stance. Heaven Rending.
That move collided directly with the lightning.
Kwaaaaaang!
A deafening clash resounded.
And then.
Gooooooo...
In midair, a power struggle began between the black demonic thunder and the white sword.
At first, it looked evenly matched.
However.
After a brief moment.
The white sword pushed back the lightning, ascending reversed toward the sky.
Like a white dragon piercing the lightning and ascending to heaven.
Thus overpowering the demonic energy, Ha Mu-baek’s sword reached the hemisphere’s center.
Ha Mu-baek raised his open hand toward the sky.
And.
Clenching it into a fist, he murmured lowly.
“Explode.”
In that instant.
Kuaaaaaaaaawaaaaang!!!!
With a massive roar shaking the world, white energy exploded from the sword.
Defying the hemispherical energy, it headed straight for the ground this time.
The black, translucent hemisphere turned to white radiance.
And as the radiance reached the ground.
Kwakwakwakwa! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Kwakwakwakwakwa boom!!!
The key points forming the formation’s axes exploded.
All key points thus destroyed.
Finally.
The core key point at the center.
Shattered to pieces.
With all key points perfectly destroyed.
The white energy slowly faded.
And blue sky opened over the Huashan Sect.
“Huh? Wh-What...”
After the black lightning fell.
Not even half a half incense stick had passed.
“I-It’s gone? It disappeared!”
“We’re, we’re alive!”
The Huashan disciples cheered at the dramatic change.
Gwi Hwi, standing right beside Ha Mu-baek, looked at him with a stunned face.
‘Bu-But it was a formation with no countermeasures...’
The explanation Ha Mu-baek had given on the urgent return to Huashan Sect was rendered meaningless by reality.
In the Great Martial War, they’d barely stopped its activation after bitter struggle.
Now.
Ha Mu-baek alone had annihilated the activated formation.
Ha Mu-baek closed his eyes briefly.
Because of the change in his own energy.
He had clearly annihilated all the demonic energy with his own, yet some energy was flowing against Ha Mu-baek’s emitted energy, reabsorbing into him.
‘What’s this?’