Chapter 393: The Youngest Grand Prelate
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Meng Wang’s expression, which had been brutal as a murder god, completely changed.
“Ah! Sect Master Cheol! You’ve finally come out!”
Hearing his delighted exclamation, Mo Dok-jae’s gaze lightly wavered.
‘As expected!’
It was the moment of confirming that the uninvited guest’s identity was Cheol Ryu-heun.
He had gotten a sense from looking at the attire, but.
SASSAT.
Cheol Ryu-heun, having released the reins, stood on the ground.
He had also drawn his sword in a natural continuation.
A quick yet natural connected movement.
Mo Dok-jae’s instinctive sense of crisis heightened.
Countless thoughts tangled in an instant.
That fellow had called him “snake head.”
Definitely.
He knew what it meant.
That was practically the same as saying he had instantly grasped his past identity as Breaking Snake Forest Master.
But how did he know who I was the moment he appeared?
When it was their first time meeting.
It wasn’t even a situation where he appeared after watching the fight with Meng Wang.
That’s why it was even more incomprehensible.
Cheol Ryu-heun’s martial uniform was one that showed his position as White Peak Sword Sect Master to anyone who saw it.
On the other hand.
His own clothes were different from the old Breaking Snake Forest ones.
They were ordinary brown martial uniforms unique to Detached Three Army Corps members.
Moreover, everyone wore identical attire regardless of rank.
So it couldn’t help but be inexplicable…
Did he perhaps possess intuition of a divine realm?
Even so, that didn’t make sense.
Unless there had been some sort of connection in the past…
Ah, wait!
Something flashed through his mind faster than lightning.
The hegemon of the previous era of the Jianghu, the owner of the Divine Martial Sword, the first Gate Master of Dragon Martial Gate.
He recalled the existence of Ascending Heaven Sword Dragon.
Cheol Ryu-heun had obtained that fortuitous encounter.
It was a story already widely spread through countless mouths.
Right, if Ba Hun had left detailed records about Breaking Snake Forest…
At that moment, a dry voice broke his thoughts.
“The woman called Lust-Blood Seductive Ghost ran away after fighting me. Now I’m curious about your judgment of the situation.”
At Cheol Ryu-heun’s blunt words, Mo Dok-jae’s heart sank with a thud.
Ran away?
Hu-ra, nominally one of the Three Spirits?
To him who knew Lust-Blood Seductive Ghost’s martial prowess well, it was a shocking statement.
His sense of crisis peaked.
The thoughts that had been tangling in an instant were no longer important.
He had to think of only one thing.
Safe return.
Setting aside everything else, escaping Cheol Ryu-heun’s grasp was the most important thing.
If he had defeated Danmok Cheon earlier and now even Hu-ra, there was no chance of winning.
The existence of Cheol Ryu-heun before his eyes wasn’t in the category of worthy opponent.
He was clearly a warrior one tier above.
That’s right.
It meant he was too burdensome an opponent to face one-on-one.
Meng Wang was also an opponent difficult to easily subdue.
If he hadn’t attained the Nature Assimilation Realm, he would have struggled, running out of Internal energy and stamina.
But how much greater would be the power of Cheol Ryu-heun, who had presented the crisis of certain death to Danmok Cheon?
PAPAK!
He turned like a flash of light and ran.
Mo Dok-jae also chose to flee.
“That bastard!”
The moment Meng Wang shouted.
“It’s fine. I’ll handle it.”
Cheol Ryu-heun, having stopped him with a gesture, spoke again.
“Join up with Gun Mu-ak’s party over there and go back. I’ll follow after taking care of some business.”
“Your personally stepping out foretells annihilation… You told us to fight moderately but not pursue or kill, didn’t you?”
“Right. I’m just going to play moderately too.”
No sooner had those words ended.
PPIT…
With a small sound, Cheol Ryu-heun simultaneously disappeared from view.
At that time.
-I’ll go first. Follow well.
At Cheol Ryu-heun’s Secret Sound Transmission to Beasts, Divine Wind immediately reacted.
KKWAKWANG… DUDUDUDUDU, DUDUDUDUDU… !
Releasing all four hooves to kick the ground, Divine Wind also vanished in the blink of an eye.
Immediately after, a woman appeared, pushing through the bushes behind.
“Father!”
It was Meng Min.
Meng Wang, having turned his head, showed a smile.
“Yes, you’re here?”
“You’re alright, aren’t you?”
“Hahat! Can’t you tell by looking? I’m still hale and hearty.”
He flexed his large biceps as if showing off.
Meng Min, having chuckled, spoke while looking around.
“The old man of Breaking Snake Forest seems to have finally disappeared. By the way, was that Aura just now a horse’s hooves…?”
“It was Sect Master Cheol. He went over there with Divine Wind.”
“Eh! Really? He’s come outside?”
“Yes, he’s finally finished improving his martial prowess level. He seemed somehow more indifferent than before.”
“What a pity. I didn’t even get to see my beloved groom’s face…”
“Who’s your groom! Before dirt enters my eyes…”
“I’ve already got a handful in my hand. Shall I throw it?”
“What the…”
“My, is that something to say to your daughter?”
“Child, look at the beauty of the competing women. He doesn’t even spare a glance at Hae Su-yeon who flaunts heaven-sent beauty, so…”
“Tch! Should I learn some bedchamber arts to seduce men?”
“Ugh… Enough. Let’s not talk anymore. Let’s join up with the group over there and then go back. Sect Master Cheol ordered it.”
“By the way, where exactly is Sect Master Cheol currently…?”
“Who knows. It was only a brief meeting, so the conversation wasn’t long. He said he’d just take care of some business briefly and come back. I don’t know what though.”
“I see. Oh, nothing happened to the group over there, right?”
At Meng Min’s words, Meng Wang raised the corner of his mouth.
“Hut, what… There’s nothing to worry about whatsoever. At its center is the strongest monster of the demonic path.”
“Strongest of the demonic path… Well, he is the one who took the Grand Prelate position at the youngest age in Heavenly Demon Cult history, so it’s no wonder.”
“Shall Father speak honestly?”
“Pardon?”
“His martial prowess is at a level even I find difficult to handle. Enough that I would lose even if I exerted extreme cultivation.”
“Y-you hold him that highly? No matter what, if it’s Father…”
“It’s impossible right now. And that gap will only grow larger with time. He’s still quite young, after all.”
At that very moment, darkness descended on all sides.
That’s what it felt like.
Like an illusion, or a phantasm.
It felt as if the endless darkness of the void had arrived.
‘This power…!’
Meng Wang intuited.
That this was because of Gun Mu-ak’s heavy cultivation.
Meng Min beside him was the same.
‘Good heavens…!’
Chills ran down her entire body.
It was a feeling as if all the hair on her body was standing on end.
A terrifying power that made even a great distance meaningless.
She was freshly afraid.
Of the existence called Gun Mu-ak.
At that time, Meng Wang swiftly pivoted his body and cried out.
“Let’s hurry over! Sect Master Cheol advised not to pursue or kill, but with this level of cultivation, the enemy will be completely annihilated!”
“Yes!”
* * *
KWANG… !
An explosive sound shaking the atmosphere and earth.
The gu poison contained within a Eastern Heaven Division Young General-level martial artist exploded.
HWAAAK, HWAAAK… !
The moment blue flame fire spewed out at a grand scale like great waves.
HWARUREUREUREUK… SYUUUUUUUT!
From nearby, crimson hot flames spewed out to meet it and collided.
PEOPEOPEOPEOPEOPEOPEONG!
A giant curtain of sword energy that flames had created.
Thus the green flame fire scattered into the sky.
The person who had blocked fire with fire shouted with bulging eyes.
“Do you think that’s enough!”
The owner of the shout was none other than Solar Sword Saint Castle Lord Beop-yeol.
The curtain of sword energy he had just executed was a sublime technique called Flame Wall Sword Shield.
A defensive finishing move only usable when the Solar Divine Art reached the extreme level.
At the same time.
KKIRIRIRIRIT… CHIIIIIIING!
From the side, piercing metallic sounds rang out.
It was the sound of gray sword energy being released and traversing the space.
It was Sword Wheel Crown Prince Gwi Je-shin.
PUHAK, PUHAAK, PUHAK!
The sound of flesh being split and blood spurting followed.
KWAKWANG, KWAKWANG, KWAKWANG!
The gu poison of three subordinate blood-robed figures whose torsos had been severed caused powerful explosions.
At that time.
KIKIKIKING, KIKIKIKING!
A current resembling gray iron bars shot up in a circle around Gwi Je-shin’s body as if wrapping it.
He had employed a technique protecting his body like Beop-yeol beside him.
Iron Prison Body Protection Energy.
A defensive finishing move usable only when one had attained the Iron Star Steel Soul Technique at the extreme level.
It blocked the green flame fire that had exploded.
PEOPEOPEOPEOPEONG, PEOPEOPEOPEOPEONG…!
Successive explosive sounds along with flames dissipating.
At that moment, multiple screams burst out.
“Heoheoeok!”
“Keok!”
“Keukeuk!”
Four swordsmen belonging to the Detached Three Army Corps.
Some had large holes punctured all over their bodies, some had the entire skin of their faces torn off, and others were in gruesome states with one arm completely severed.
By the harmonious combined attack of Eun Yi-bi and Ya Baek-ji.
Following that.
“Hut.”
Ya Baek-ji, having let out a seductive laugh, waved her folding fans.
A beautiful movement connecting soft and beautiful motions, like a dance.
The eyes of the injured swordsmen became hazy.
Drawn by the demonic allure-laden bewitching energy.
“Heu… Eu…”
Each trembled their bodies.
Everyone wore a pleasantly distorted expression.
In the minds of those four, a fantasy of pleasure was now unfolding.
Because of that, they even forgot the pain and stripped off their clothes.
As if sharing pleasures of cloud and rain with a woman on a bed.
At that time, a voice as cold as ice flowed out.
“Hmph, you too are helpless men after all.”
Having so said, Eun Yi-bi swung the Demon Resonance Bells hard.
JJARARARARARANG… SSWAAAAAAAANG… !
Sound power imbued with Demonic energy shot out and engulfed the enemies.
KWAKWAKWAKWAKWAKWAKWANG!
It completely erased the four people from this world.
All that remained in that spot were countless pieces of flesh and sickeningly crimson blood.
The nearly sixty enemies at the start had virtually been annihilated.
The remaining personnel totaled only five.
Currently, they were in the middle of fighting Gun Mu-ak.
KWAKWANG, KWANG… HWAAAK, HWAAK… !
Blue flames exploded at a massive scale and covered Gun Mu-ak’s body.
It was the self-destructive combined attack of one Middle General, two Young General belonging to Eastern Heaven Division.
But.
PAHAA… PAHAA…
The large flames were torn strand by strand by an unknown force and flowed backward and disappeared.
As if water streams gently brushing past the body.
Gun Mu-ak, who had received the self-destruction with his entire body, appeared unscathed.
His clothes went without saying, not even a single strand of hair was singed.
He had protected his body with an energy barrier thin as paper.
Now only two people remained.
Danmok Cheon, the leadership of the Detached Three Army Corps, and Eastern Heaven Division’s Fourth Great General.
The gap between them was about one zhang.
Gun Mu-ak, walking forward step by step, released a voice.
“If you won’t approach, I’ll go there.”
No sooner had his words ended.
KUKUKUKUKU, KUKUKUKUKU…!
As if an earthquake had occurred, the ground shook wildly.
KUKUKUKUKU, KUKUKUKUKU… DEUDEUDEUDEU, DEUDEUDEUDEU…!
Everything visible was crumbling, breaking, and turning to powder.
It was a terrifying power.
It felt as if a giant demon god’s fierce breath was violently sweeping across the earth.
‘Uuut!’
‘Incredible!’
Beop-yeol and Gwi Je-shin retreated in shock by about twenty paces.
Eun Yi-bi and Ya Baek-ji also distanced themselves.
Soon, holes appeared throughout the surrounding ground as jet-black Demonic energy shot up like pillars.
KWAJIJIJIK, KWAJIJIJIK, KWAJIJIJIK… SYUSYUSYUSYU, SYUSYUSYUSYU, SYUSYUSYUSYU… !
It felt like burning countless enormous black sticks of incense.
A magnificent and wondrous sight.
It was precisely the Heavenly Demon’s Grand Sacrifice Ritual… a supreme technique in the form of conducting a large-scale ritual with countless incense sticks, the Heavenly Demon Grand Sacrifice Ritual, being deployed.
That wasn’t the end.
FLASH!
When Gun Mu-ak’s Demon God Sword fired black energy light, a giant dark cavern was created in the sky.
SYUSYUSYUSYU, SYUSYUSYUSYUSYU… !
It was an appearance as if a large black hole had been punctured in the sky.
Danmok Cheon’s pupils were dyed with the light of shock upon seeing that.
‘T-this can’t be! The Heavenly Demon Grand Sacrifice Ritual and Heavenly Demon Gravity Star simultaneously…!’