Chapter 248: The Root of Evil Lies in the Heart (3)
Upon arriving at the deepest depths of Mount Evil Dragon, So-mu and his party were bewildered.
“What is this? Let alone the Cult Leader, there’s not even a single ant here?”
Il-gwang looked around in disbelief. Unlike what they had expected, the area was filled with nothing but thick forest.
Sama Cheol, standing close to him, shared his reaction.
“There is no way he would have retreated just like this. Surely, there must be a clue somewhere…”
Everyone’s eyes turned toward So-mu. With his eyes closed, he looked as if he was sensing something.
As they suspected, he was reading the flow of energy. Not even the flapping of a bird’s wings ten li away could escape his senses.
A moment later, his eyes snapped open.
“Underground.”
And it was very deep. In that case, there had to be an entrance somewhere.
Soon, Yue Fei’s spear pointed toward a specific spot.
In the small gap below a pair of twin boulders, a cavern was visible. Sensing a vast space deep inside, it was undoubtedly the place.
“I will lead the way.”
There was no reason to hesitate. Led by So-mu, the party entered the underground passage of the cavern that stretched endlessly.
The passage branched endlessly like a labyrinth. And the space that gradually expanded looked like an underground kingdom.
It seemed they had artificially modified and expanded a massive natural cavern.
Night-glowing pearls were installed throughout, and marks of martial training were visible. The deeper they went, the more bizarre the sights became.
“What on earth were these bastards doing here?”
Il-gwang, who had a large build, grumbled continuously, finding the cavern suffocating.
Pondering his question, So-mu recalled what his wife, the former Leader of the Demonic Cult, had told him.
Hundreds of years ago, a faction called the Spirit Cult had been pushed out by the orthodox faction of the Demonic Cult. They were the roots of the ones now called the Divine Demon Cult.
“I think they hid here for hundreds of years, preparing to overturn the world.”
“So you’re saying generations of them lived and died inside this place? What tenacious bastards…”
While they conversed, the party finally reached the end of the cavern.
Before them was a plaza of staggering size, hard to imagine existing underground. Every path in the cavern seemed to lead here.
And at the deepest part of the plaza, they saw the figures they had been pursuing.
The Emperor sat on a throne, with the Great Protector standing on his right. Behind them, six elders stood completely still, like statues.
As So-mu stared at the Emperor, a cold killing intent filled his eyes.
“It is quite a sight—wearing fancy dragon robes while hiding in a cave.”
“We must endure this much. If it means we can capture you…”
So-mu and the Emperor stared at each other for a moment, as if testing each other’s mettle.
Although he did not show it, So-mu’s instincts warned him of danger.
However, that only served to fuel his fighting spirit.
“You sound confident.”
The Emperor leaned deeper into his throne, wearing a mysterious smile.
“Why do you think I came all the way here? I lured you to a place from which you cannot escape. From this moment on, no one shall leave without my permission.”
It seemed some mechanism had been activated in the cavern. A faint mechanical hum began to echo from the distance.
“Does that mean you can’t run away either?”
At So-mu’s words, the Emperor burst into a wild laugh.
“Hahaha!”
“What is so funny?”
After laughing for a while, he put on a relaxed expression and clasped his hands.
“I thought the world was within my grasp. Yet, every time, there were two people who crucially stood in my way. One of them has walked in here on his own, so how could I not be pleased?”
So-mu had fully expected the Emperor to view him as a thorn in his side. However, the identity of the other person was a complete mystery.
He thought it might be his wife, but she had rarely stood at the forefront of the war against the Hui Dynasty.
“Who is the other one?”
“You play dumb. Do you think we could not find out? I am talking about the old crone named So-ho. Once you die, she is next.”
So-mu tilted his head. Even as the Great General of the So State and the commander of the coalition, this was the first he had heard of such a name.
Then, a memory came to him.
Years ago, during the siege of Chang’an, a volunteer militia had been formed in Shaanxi. The leader of that militia had been famous among the Hui troops under the alias So-ho.
‘I believe her name was So-so.’
He remembered because she shared the same name as his daughter. Since her whereabouts had been unknown for years, he had not paid attention. He had never imagined he would hear that name from the lips of the Hui Emperor.
“I do not understand what you are talking about.”
The Emperor murmured, his voice laced with venom.
“Did you think we wouldn’t know when you show up on the battlefield, unleashing the Lion’s Roar after undergoing rejuvenation? No matter. Even if you do not speak, your identity will soon be revealed.”
So-mu flinched at the Emperor’s words.
‘Could it be…?’
It seemed the Emperor was completely mistaken. It was absurd, but he could not bring himself to laugh.
Just then, Il-gwang stretched his wrists and stepped forward.
“When did our So-so become so famous? I thought my name would come up. By the way, you rat-faced bastard, who do you think you are targeting?”
At Il-gwang’s provocation, the atmosphere turned icy.
The Great Protector and the six elders surrounding the Cult Leader prepared to strike.
As the Emperor slowly rose from his throne, the air in the plaza froze.
“It is time to end this. However, it seems we have the advantage in numbers.”
It was a declaration that they would overwhelm them with numbers.
They had a Cult Leader in the peak Demon Transcendence and seven masters in the Extreme Demonic Realm. On the other hand, the coalition had only So-mu in the Profound Realm and four commanders in the Flower Realm. It was an overwhelmingly disadvantageous situation. At least, until now.
Suddenly, a clear woman’s voice echoed through the cavern.
“What bullshit.”
A woman with her hands stained red walked forward with elegant strides.
It was Yeon Seo-hwa, who had returned after wiping out over a thousand cultists. She showed no sign of fatigue.
Staring at her, the Cult Leader’s face twisted in disbelief. He realized that she was in the same Demon Transcendence realm as him.
“…You playthings have toyed with me.”
Although it was an eight-on-six fight, with Yeon Seo-hwa joining them, the numerical advantage became meaningless.
Had he known she had reached the Demon Transcendence realm, he would not have lured them here. But there was no turning back now.
Yeon Seo-hwa sneered as she prepared to strike.
“It seems the scales are balanced now. Or perhaps we have the advantage?”
Sword force erupted from the Emperor’s sword, and a suffocating killing intent surged from his body.
“It does not matter. I will kill you all here today.”
So-mu stepped forward to face him.
After another breath.
Their figures clashed like streaks of light.
Clang!
Exchanging a single blow in the blink of an eye, the two backed away, pointing their swords at each other.
The heavy impact reverberated through their wrists. Neither had gained the upper hand.
“You cannot begin to imagine how many people have wept blood because of your ambition. I will make you pay for your sins now.”
“Try it.”
Further words were unnecessary.
Unleashing fierce attacks against each other, neither showed any sign of yielding. The final clash had begun in earnest.
Around them, Yeon Seo-hwa and the four generals began their battles with the Emperor’s aides, but So-mu had no room to worry about them.
The vast plaza, which resembled an underground palace, shook continuously as if it would collapse. It was a miracle that the structure held.
BOOM!
With a dull roar, So-mu and the Cult Leader backed away again. The sword force on their blades burned even more fiercely.
Shriek—!
The blade in So-mu’s hand wailed like a beast. In that instant, the space ahead warped, and a blade-like wind swept forward. It was the Limitless Single Annihilation, the first of the three forms of the Pacheon Sword Technique he had mastered during his secluded training.
A crescent-shaped wave of energy erupted from the Cult Leader’s sword, colliding with it in the middle.
BOOM—!!!
Without waiting to see the result of the clash, So-mu immediately prepared the next form.
Simultaneously, his sword whipped through the air, slashing at empty space. Dozens of glowing petals materialized and bloomed in the air.
It looked like a flower blossoming. But contrary to its beauty, the petals carried a terrifying, lethal sharpness.
Blooming Destruction of Kalpa. It was the second form of the Pacheon Sword Technique, the very technique that had finished off the Hui general Wanyan Hui.
Engulfed by the petals, the Cult Leader struggled desperately to escape.
His sword moved like lightning, swinging dozens of times in a single breath.
“Ugh!”
Although a sharp groan escaped the Cult Leader’s lips, he was no easy opponent.
Before long, he was parrying the petals and preparing a counterattack.
So-mu intuitively realized that the Cult Leader was about to wager everything on a final strike. A massive concentration of energy gathered at the tip of the Cult Leader’s shaking blade.
Lowering his stance, So-mu quickly drew his sword to his bottom right. It was a stance resembling a draw-sword technique.
Pacheon Sword Technique, Third Form: Heaven-Destroying Stance.
This ultimate technique contained all qualities of speed, illusion, strength, and softness, making it the most perfect form. However, because it consumed an immense amount of internal energy, he had never dared to use it in real combat until now.
Staring at each other, So-mu and the Cult Leader took their final breaths.
In that split second, So-mu’s blade flashed and screamed. Although it was a single swing, the beam of light he unleashed split into hundreds, sweeping forward. It was a strike executed at the speed of light, impossible to follow with the naked eye.
A swirling red beam of energy also surged from the Cult Leader’s sword, curving forward to meet it.
BOOM—!!!
As the two powerful forces clashed, the underground plaza shook as if it would collapse.
Soon, a low groan echoed through the dust.
“Ugh.”
The Cult Leader was down on one knee. Blood poured like a spring from the slashes on his chest and abdomen.
On the other hand, So-mu was merely pale, without any notable injuries. It was a complete victory.
The tip of his sword slowly moved, pointing at the Cult Leader’s throat.
“Any last words?”
With his pupils dilated, the Cult Leader murmured in despair, “We lived in the dark, feeding on the shadows for hundreds of years. I only wanted a world of our own. I thought my goal was right before me… but in the end, it was all but a dream.”
Nodding, So-mu gripped his sword.
“A delusion must end as a delusion. Save your nonsense for the underworld.”
His sins were too great for a peaceful death.
As So-mu began to deliver the punishment, the battle around him was also wrapping up.