Chapter 487: Demonic Assault
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The eyes of about two hundred Heavenly Demon Cult elite members all radiated heat in unison.
In each person’s gaze, a chilling murderous intent could be glimpsed.
A momentum as if they could kill someone with just their eyes.
The forest held its breath.
Furthermore, even the heavens and earth seemed to grow quiet.
That’s right.
This was a stealthy and heavy atmosphere of war.
Perhaps that’s why even the sunset, which should have been beautiful, seemed to look like blood today…
Amidst that, Gun Mu-ak issued another command.
“Prepare.”
At his matter-of-fact voice, all Heavenly Demon Cult members swiftly organized their formation.
Immediately after, Gun Mu-ak stepped to the front.
“Follow me.”
As soon as he began walking, his subordinates… The Four Dharma-Protecting Kings, Demon Heaven Left and Right Attendants, Six Archbishops, and others… Moved like a dark wave surging.
This was the moment the annihilation operation targeting the Western Heaven Division, a unit under the Heaven Emperor Society, truly began.
However, not a single person carelessly revealed their movement’s presence.
To the point where even the sound of stepping on fallen leaves was barely audible.
This was a scene that demonstrated the fact that each person’s lightness technique and footwork was at least first-rate level.
Just from that alone, wasn’t it clearly proven that they were the elite upper-tier forces within the Heavenly Demon Cult?
While everyone quietly advanced in such a manner, Gun Mu-ak recalled in his mind the conversation he’d had with Cheol Ryu-heun about the paired twin swords.
-By the way, where did those swords come from? Where did they suddenly appear from?
-On the day I attained enlightenment, they flew through the sky seeking me.
-…
-Why no reply?
-…
-I’m serious.
-What do you mean…
Upon hearing those words, he understood.
That the Gan Jiang and Mo Ye Sword transcended the ranks of ancient famous swords and were divine weapons on par with the Four Great Demonic Weapons and Ten Great Heavenly Weapons…
No.
They were essentially the supreme, strongest swords rivaling the Divine Martial Sword.
Perhaps it would be more accurate to say it couldn’t be helped but be that way.
Wasn’t it natural when considering the true nature of the opportunity Cheol Ryu-heun had acquired?
-I think it’s time to tell you. Since it’s deeply connected to the Heaven Emperor Society Lord anyway…
-What is it?
-I, Cheol Ryu-heun, am the Divine Martial Sword.
That’s right.
Cheol Ryu-heun was the one and only existence to whom the divine energy and knowledge of the Divine Martial Sword, which had been destroyed by the Heaven Emperor Society Lord in the past, had been transferred.
Though he didn’t quite understand why the spiritual ego dwelling in the sword had specifically chosen him.
Could it be that it had foreseen he would come to possess a mysterious body that displayed unfathomable secrets and wondrous uses that had never appeared before?
So it transferred its divine energy and knowledge, hoping he would avenge it in the future?
Anyway, if such a Cheol Ryu-heun were to create a divine sword using the souls of the Gan Jiang and Mo Ye Sword, wouldn’t it naturally be reborn as a special divine weapon comparable to the Divine Martial Sword?
‘No, rivaling it would be the baseline. Perhaps… A true heavenly weapon surpassing the Divine Martial Sword will be born.’
Having become certain of that, Gun Mu-ak looked toward the distant front.
The Western Heaven Division’s fortress boasting its grand form.
It was a gaze shot across a great distance.
Soon, having sunk his eyes deep and heavy, he smiled inwardly and muttered.
‘Ha. I’m more looking forward to your military achievements than ours. And also to the battle with the Heaven Emperor Society Lord that will eventually take place…’
* * *
The cliff of the eastern forest.
The Illusion Demon Cult’s forces had gathered at that spot, which overlooked the Western Heaven Division’s massive fortress in the distance.
The man at the front enhanced his vision with internal power as he spoke.
“Hmm… To find this place without ever having come here, impressive.”
It was the demonic man wearing a wooden mask… Yak Pa, the Demon Midst Illusion Emperor and current Illusion Demon Cult Patriarch.
The elder standing right behind him slightly furrowed his brow as he spoke.
“Sect Master Cheol’s secret information is accurate. However… I still can’t readily believe it. That someone stronger than the Heaven Emperor Society’s executive staff who even surpasses Great Prelate Gun was subdued by Sect Master Cheol…”
An elder in his seventies exuding a mercilessly sinister atmosphere.
He was Chi Ah-cha, the Illusion Visage Demon Overseer… The chief elder, meaning the Grand Elder, of the Illusion Demon Cult.
He was a master of fantastic disguise arts, and even now, his appearance was not his true form.
In other words, that face was a fake.
It was a transformation achieved through an exquisite and precise harmony of illusion-type demonic arts and a human-skin mask manufactured from special materials.
At that moment, Yak Pa spoke in a low voice.
“Great Prelate Gun has already acknowledged his abilities. So how could we not believe it?”
“Yes, that’s true, but…”
“Grand Elder, erase those pointless thoughts. In any case, if you meet Sect Master Cheol later… Your doubts will naturally be resolved.”
“Understood.”
Just as Chi Ah-cha nodded briefly along with his short reply.
Swish, swish…
A semi-transparent human shadow came around from behind an old tree.
It was a lightness technique as if some wandering spirit were moving.
Dressed in a brown leather cloak with cloth wrapped tightly around his face and neck, he was one of the Illusion Demon Cult’s leadership.
His name was Yang Eum, sobriquet Wandering Tree Demon Wanderer.
Ranked third among the Seven Great Instructors, the cult’s leadership, and a master of elusive movement techniques.
Whether it was stealthy infiltration or swift movement, Wandering Tree Demon Wanderer Yang Eum was a demonic man evaluated as absolutely supreme in all aspects of lightness techniques.
That didn’t mean his other skills were lacking either.
After all, if that were the case, he wouldn’t have made it into the Seven Great Instructors, the upper echelon of the cult’s leadership.
Having approached, Yang Eum bowed his head.
“Patriarch.”
“So, is it time to move?”
“Yes, we just received the secret signal from the Heavenly Demon Cult. Now our cult can also depart. When we reach that place, the Asura Demon Cult will respond by setting off firecrackers.”
At Yang Eum’s report, Yak Pa nodded and gave the order.
“Everyone, head down the cliff.”
It was a very low and heavy voice, but it was clearly audible because the surroundings were quiet.
Given the nature of the task, the Illusion Demon Cult group omitted their replies, showed only nods, and then began to move.
That wasn’t all.
The leaders of small forces included in the Illusion Demon Cult’s territory, along with their respective leaderships, had also joined.
From the frontier region, there were forces that boasted considerable history and tradition, such as the Wind Demon Gang, Bewitching Illusion Demon Cult, Iron Demon Fortress, and Flying Cloud Demon Squad…
In the midst of that, Grand Elder Illusion Visage Demon Overseer Chi Ah-cha cautiously asked.
“Patriarch, but… What about the retreat routes?”
His meaning was that while focusing solely on victory was good, they also needed to thoroughly prepare for personnel who might escape.
Wasn’t the operation name this time “Annihilation”?
It meant leaving not a single one behind… To strike down and eliminate everyone.
So it was right to prepare for the case where escapees might occur.
However, Gun Mu-ak had not given separate instructions regarding battlefield range blockade or retreat route surveillance.
Immediately after, Yak Pa wore a meaningful smile.
“They’re already here. Personnel who are thoroughly guarding all four directions… We just need to focus on the fight.”
At those words, Chi Ah-cha tilted his head.
“Pardon…?”
At that moment, a pure white figure circled through the air and descended toward the Illusion Demon Cult group.
Light and swift movements reminiscent of a bird.
Chi Ah-cha and the Illusion Demon Cult leadership, including him, flinched in surprise upon seeing him.
Because they hadn’t sensed that presence until he came close.
However, Patriarch Yak Pa displayed a calm attitude.
“Welcome.”
It seemed he had known in advance that the person would appear here.
The Illusion Demon Cult and the other demonic forces’ personnel stirred.
“What?”
“Oh!”
“Could that old man be cooperating with us…?”
The identity of the uninvited guest who had suddenly appeared was unexpected.
Why?
Because in the frontier Jianghu where the Demonic Path dominated, he was the leader of an extremely rare force that upheld the Righteous Path.
An elder reminiscent of a celestial immortal with flowing bones.
His pure white clothes embroidered with clouds caught the eye.
Only one frontier Righteous Path force used that as a symbolic pattern.
Kunlun Divine Palace.
That’s right.
The elder was Woon Ja-heon, the Kunlun Sword Scholar… The current Palace Master of Kunlun Divine Palace and a powerhouse ranked among the supreme tier of the frontier Jianghu.
Was it thanks to the opportunity granted by the Void-Star Stone Oil that Cheol Ryu-heun had gifted him?
His intangible presence felt as if it had truly become like that of a real immortal.
Woon Ja-heon bowed his head and spoke.
“The deployment around this area is also complete.”
Thereupon, Yak Pa smiled again.
“Ha. Thank you for your efforts.”
“Now, please go ahead. From this time on, personnel from our palace will thoroughly guard the mountain paths in all four directions. So that not a single one escapes.”
Having said that, Woon Ja-heon vanished in an instant.
Just as his arrival had been, his departure movements were also outstanding.
At the same time, Wandering Tree Demon Wanderer Yang Eum let out an exclamation.
Because it was high-level movement work that was not inferior even compared to himself.
The reactions of others were similar.
As if newly feeling the dignity of the sobriquet Kunlun Sword Scholar.
Amidst that, Chi Ah-cha soon composed his expression and again spoke to Yak Pa.
“Goodness… Even the Kunlun Divine Palace has participated in this operation?”
“That’s right.”
“If you live long enough, you see everything. How did that group…”
“Of course, it was Sect Master Cheol’s mediation.”
At Yak Pa’s words, Chi Ah-cha slapped his forehead.
“Ah…”
“You could call it a temporary alliance between the frontier’s Demonic and Righteous Paths. Who else could devise such an absurd thing?”
“Then before the gathering, already…”
“Correct. The plan he led was relayed to Palace Master Woon by Great Prelate Gun. Thus, Kunlun Divine Palace took on the task of guarding the final rear of the battlefield… That is, blocking retreat routes in all four directions. So that we could focus solely on the battle with the Western Heaven Division…”
“Truly… It’s one impossible thing after another.”
As Chi Ah-cha clicked his tongue repeatedly, a smile spread across Yak Pa’s lips.
‘Ha. Indeed, that’s right.’
He briefly recalled the conversation with Gun Mu-ak from a few days ago.
-That day, I heard from Cheol Ryu-heun. The locations of the Three Great Secrets of Demonic Heavens, which had only been considered vague mythology…
-Gasp! Th-that’s…!
-After we eliminate the Western Heaven Division, he’ll give me the information.
Having recalled those words, Yak Pa erased his smile and spoke in a stern expression.
“Stop being surprised, and go surprise the enemy. With our cult’s demonic arts.”
At that, Chi Ah-cha, his expression hardening, emitted a gaze full of killing intent.
“Yes… Would there be any objection?”
* * *
At the same time, atop a high cliff in some mountains.
From a cave there, a figure walked out.
The identity was none other than Cheol Ryu-heun.
Emerging from the brush connecting to the cave, he strode toward Divine Wind.
In one of his hands was a large bundle.
It was clear that he had gone into the cave and brought something out.
At that moment. The spiritual Sound Transmission of Cho-hui as Divine Wind was heard.
-Are you finished now?
Thereupon, Cheol Ryu-heun replied with a nod.
“Yes. Then shall we head to our destination now?”
He mounted the saddle the moment his words ended.
Immediately after, Cho-hui called out.
-We’re departing for the Central Heaven Tower!