Chapter 421: Each One's Hidden Schemes
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TEOLSSOK, TEOLSSOK, TEOLSSOK, TEOLSSOK……
Those who collapsed limply onto the grass due to sorcery appeared one after another.
Those who died from having their spiritual life force absorbed each had an emaciated appearance.
Among them were the corpses of two famous masters.
Leaving Tiger Without a Trace Yan Po-Wook, the Pavilion Master of All White Sword Pavilion, and Cold Cruel Peony Sol Byeok-ra, the Sect Master of Purple Forest Seductive Sect.
Both had been warriors at the level of Anhui Three Distinguished and Sichuan Four Famed Masters, yet their greed and evil deeds toward the Divine Martial Sword had ultimately brought about their futile deaths.
Those who had followed the two were likewise.
The masters including Scorching Swords Ghost Cha-hoeng of the Tiger Fighting Four Ghosts from All White Sword Pavilion, and Seductive Ghost Sword Master Cheop-nang, the Vice Sect Master of Purple Forest Seductive Sect, also perished in succession.
Following that, Sichuan Tang Family’s prodigy Eight-Armed Divine Arrow Tang Yi-yeok and the family’s martial artists also……
There was no vitality in this place where only death continued.
The entire gorge had an atmosphere too terrifying, as if it had transformed into a dark and deep underworld.
Heuk Ma-yung watched that spectacle with extremely satisfied eyes.
Then he turned his head to look behind him.
It was because a subordinate belonging to the upper echelon of the Darkness-Craving Blood Clan had suddenly appeared.
“What is it?”
At Heuk Ma-yung’s question, the subordinate hurriedly answered.
“Ah, yes, it’s that…… Lady Yo-gwi’s condition seems not good.”
That referred to Lust-Blood Seductive Ghost Hu-ra, one of the Three Spirits.
“Not good?”
“Yes, she says the discomfort keeps not going away……”
“Tut.”
The moment Heuk Ma-yung clicked his tongue with a scrunched expression, Snake-Robed Hwa-rang also furrowed his brow in tandem.
“Since yesterday she’s been acting annoyed for no reason…… She won’t be sprinkling ash on finished rice, will she?”
Hearing those words, Heuk Ma-yung immediately shook his head.
“What, don’t worry. Would we be untrustworthy at this point?”
But Snake-Robed Hwa-rang spoke with a decisive attitude.
“That’s not the issue. It’s not quite a worry, but since the day is what it is, even the smallest matter must not be passed over lightly. Remember the proverb that even a tower built with effort can collapse from an ant hole.”
“The same applies to the Heretic Cult.”
“What?”
“Shin So-sul miraculously escaped, didn’t he. Wouldn’t he also amount to at least an ant hole.”
“How amusing. Don’t play with words. Neither you nor I expected it, that’s all. Even if my words sound unpleasant, there’s nothing to be done. Do you not know that the future fate of your clan and our cult hinges on today’s work? The goal’s completion is not far off, so hurry over to her and discipline her behavior.”
“Huhut, getting touchy, are we. It seems Hu-ra’s nerves have become somewhat sensitive. Since she suffered humiliation while facing Cheol Ryu-heun……”
“My sibling and I are the same. Our nerves are sensitive ahead of an important great undertaking. So if there are elements that could cause discord, in advance……”
“Yes, I know what you mean. My thoughts are the same. This body will go and report back. Since there’s work that must be done anyway.”
Having said that, Heuk Ma-yung disappeared below the pavilion with his subordinate.
A moment of silence.
Soon, Snake-Robed Hwa-nong let out a quiet voice.
“His presence has receded.”
Snake-Robed Hwa-rang, as if he had been waiting for it, shifted his gaze to the air.
The object where his gaze lingered was none other than Zhuge Bi.
“He’s holding up well. As expected, he was indeed a possessor of extraordinary talent.”
Hearing Snake-Robed Hwa-rang’s murmur, Snake-Robed Hwa-nong nodded her head.
“Yes, Brother. More than expected.”
“Yes, he far surpassed our predictions. That fellow couldn’t possibly be…… a Heart-Stealing Spirit-Commanding Body, could he? If handled carelessly, he could become a poison that ruins our work.”
“Even if so, it wouldn’t be perfected. If he had mastered the Heart-Stealing Spirit-Commanding Body to the pinnacle, there’s no way he would have fallen to the mental restraint of sorcery, right?”
“True…… Anyway, if we use that fellow in the future, we could dominate the Darkness-Craving Blood Clan as well. Summoning the Demon God is the top priority. After that, let’s watch for the timing and then make our move.”
“Yes.”
As they exchanged conversation, the crack in the sky widened a bit more.
JJEOK…… JJEOJEOK……
And the gaze of the otherworldly Demon God beyond it was exuded even more intensely.
But suddenly.
SSUK.
Five fingers pushed through and emerged from the gap.
Each one was an enormous size, as large as a person.
It was truly the hand of a giant god.
It was that enormous, and the entire thing was pitch-black in color.
As if black ink had been painted all over it.
Just looking at it gave the feeling of being seized by unprecedented terror.
In a flash.
The fingertips of the otherworldly Demon God’s right hand passed through the crack.
SEUEUT.
Revealed by about half, it was to the point where the wrist was barely visible.
Right at that moment.
CHICHICHICHICHIK, CHICHICHICHICHIK, CHICHICHICHICHIK… !
A sound as if flesh was being burned rang out loudly.
A heat shimmer spreading round and large along the dark sky.
It was a bizarre phenomenon caused by the imbalanced friction between great nature composing the mortal world and the otherworldly being.
Soon, a voice resembling a groan echoed and reached the ears of the gathered people.
-Ooohhh……!
Before anyone knew it, the Demon God had withdrawn its right hand back into the dimensional gate.
It was a reaction as if it felt pain.
Immediately after, the Demon God’s voice was heard like a magnificent Sound Transmission.
-A shell that defies principles is…… needed. Is it…… still far?
Snake-Robed Hwa-rang smiled and responded with Sound Transmission.
-Yes…… I understand well your desire to come out quickly. Please wait just a little longer. The real work has begun.
-Very well…… I shall be…… expecting it.
Meanwhile.
Zhuge Bi, restrained in the air, had his eyes closed but was aware of the entire situation.
Why.
Because unlike the restraint on his body, the restraint on his mind had been released.
No.
From the beginning until now, it had maintained perfectly.
It was merely an act to deceive the enemies here.
With his two eyes closed, he recalled again the words he had exchanged with Cheol Ryu-heun.
-So, the lacking parts have now been understood?
-Yes! Thank you, Sect Master Cheol! I have finally mastered the Heart-Stealing Spirit-Commanding Body to its pinnacle.
-Good, now your mission is to be captured by the enemy.
-Then…… what will happen?
-You’ll become a scarecrow unable to move your body. However……
-However, what?
-The mysterious divine power of great nature will strengthen your mental power. So that you’re free from the mental restraint of sorcery.
-Ah……
-I’ll teach you that technique right now. And until we appear, don’t let that power be revealed. If you endure…… you will win.
-Yes, I understand. The enemy…… plans to use me to fully open that gate, don’t they?
-That’s right. Of course, I’m also aiming for that.
-Pardon?
-That I intend to act when it’s about to open, that’s what I mean. They’ll come to realize that you, whom they thought was prey, were actually bait.
Having recalled up to that point, Zhuge Bi spoke internally.
‘I can feel it. It’s wildly reaching my body. The secret changes of various formations within the Shiwan Mountains…… You have no idea. What we’re trying to do…… In the end, you will despair, keenly feeling that it was all a futile dream.’
Thus, he waited only for Cheol Ryu-heun and his party to come.
In an instant, a terrible pain was transmitted within his body.
‘Keok!’
It was because the corrupted soul energy of the fallen warriors, absorbed as night was created, arrived and infiltrated into his body.
It was the enemy’s arrangement to use Zhuge Bi as the final key to opening the dimensional gate.
‘EUUK! That was…… dangerous! I almost……!’
He barely managed to hold back the agonizing sound trying to burst out.
Superhuman patience.
That is, with the help of the mental power protected by the mysterious divine power of great nature, he controlled his physical reactions.
‘CHIIK! Go ahead and do as you please! I will wait until the end and deceive you……!’
* * *
“Why…… won’t it go away? This inexplicable discomfort……!”
Hu-ra clutched her head and let out a shrill voice.
Currently, this place was another gorge.
In the center, a large pond was visible.
With a cliff wall standing in a row like a folding screen as its backdrop.
Yet unlike ordinary ponds, it was entirely blood-colored.
Moreover, the smell of blood even lingered.
Indeed, the pooled water was blood.
GULLEOKGULLEOK, GULLEOKGULLEOK……
An object playing eerie sounds could be seen at the very center of the pond.
The appearance of that thing, positioned on a black rock, was too bizarre.
Precisely, it had the shape of a heart.
Larger than an average bear and colored pitch-black, it ceaselessly produced blood.
That was why this blood-red pond had been created here.
That’s right.
The bizarre object was none other than the Ink Blood Heart.
Someone approached the side of Hu-ra, who was positioned on the land by the pond.
“Hut…… Looking like that, you’re exactly like an ill-tempered female cat.”
It was Blood-Craving Fighting Demon Tae-pa, one of the Three Spirits.
Hu-ra whipped her head around and wildly exuded a murderous gaze.
“What?”
“It’s probably just your imagination. So moderate yourself.”
“Don’t I know my own body?”
“You don’t, so I’m telling you to moderate yourself.”
“You……!”
In the moment Hu-ra was about to slightly move her hand while glaring with both eyes.
“Enough.”
A calm voice flowed into her ears.
At the close proximity of the two, Blood-Robbing Deep Ghost Gin-gyun, the chief of the Three Spirits, appeared.
His mouth opened again.
“Exercise restraint.”
“Tsk, but……”
“Today you must conduct yourself properly more than ever. Do you not know?”
“Yes, I know. I know well. But what am I supposed to do when this feeling inside my body keeps bothering me? I took the Ink Blood Heart’s blood and even bathed in it……”
“Might it not be just your imagination, as he says?”
“I thought about that too, but something still seems wrong. This is the first time something like this has happened……”
But at that moment.
SEUK.
There was a figure who appeared without even a presence.
It was Heuk Ma-yung.
When the three saw him, they immediately bowed their heads deeply.
“You have arrived.”
Heuk Ma-yung received the greeting with a hand gesture and looked at Hu-ra.
“Come forward.”
“Yes.”
When Hu-ra quickly approached, Heuk Ma-yung extended his hand.
“The flow of energy has no abnormalities. Still, if the discomfort remains, there’s one way to resolve it. Drink the blood of the Ink Blood Heart directly. Then you will probably feel refreshed.”
At his words, Hu-ra’s eyes went wide.
“Pardon? Those words mean……”
“Not the blood that has flowed outside, but drink the blood inside that thing.”
“Ah…… Is, is that permitted?”
“Certainly. Today is a special day, after all.”
At that time, Gin-gyun spoke with a worried expression.
“Great King, that is quite dangerous. If she takes the living blood inside the Ink Blood Heart without the filtering process, she could……”
“No, it is not dangerous. I have made secret arrangements in anticipation of today’s arrival.”
“……!”
“The Heretic Cult is also a target that must eventually be eliminated. So last night I implanted sacred blood of the royal clan inside the Ink Blood Heart. In the form of an inner core……”
The sacred blood of the royal clan meant, in other words, Heuk Ma-yung’s own blood.
“I’ve arranged it so that the inner core reacts the instant you three drive in your fangs, so don’t worry. Through my blood, you will taste a temporary martial power enhancement.”
“Thank you, Great King!”
The Three Spirits shouted in unison then flew across the pond like birds and arrived at the Ink Blood Heart.
KWAK, KWAKWAK, KWAK!
Thus, the three without hesitation drove their fangs in deeply.
Then the inner core that Heuk Ma-yung had arranged reacted.
A separate blood channel was created inside the Ink Blood Heart and supplied to the three.
The three drank it to their hearts’ content until their stomachs were full.
Soon, Hu-ra, having finished drinking blood, wore a bright expression.
“Ah! New power is settling into my body. So this is the true power of the royal clan. I am satisfied. Even if it’s temporary…… Great King, thank you again!”
“It will be maintained for about a day. Then even if an unexpected variable arises, you’ll be able to adequately respond. Now, distribute your blood to the subordinates. Hut, we must plan for an overall strengthening of combat power.”
At Heuk Ma-yung’s words, Hu-ra slit her wrist.
“Yes, I receive your command.”
Her blood soon wet the surface of the Ink Blood Heart and then, seureureuk seeped in.
* * *
Around that time, at the battlefield where pitch-dark night was rapidly approaching.
Before the dazzling exploits of the warriors’s alliance of Orthodox, Unorthodox, and Demonic, the Eastern Heaven Division and Detached Three Army Corps had finally been completely annihilated.
In that midst, Cheol Ryu-heun spoke while stroking the Zhurong Fire-Controlling Bead.
“I wonder if they’ve evenly shared and drunk my blood? Foolish things.”