Chapter 466 The Beginning of a Calamity (3)

“Yeah, I dare to interfere with you, you fucking parasite-eyed bastard.”

“Huh?”

Mok Gan’s expression turned cold at the coarse curse that came out of Chunchu’s mouth, the former First-rank of the Secret Society.

Whether it was a avatar or not, this mere subordinate who usually couldn’t even look him in the face dared to insult and interfere with him at such a crucial moment.

Swish!

Mok Gan raised his left hand.

As if they had been waiting nearby, bizarre winged Imaemangnyang revealed themselves.

Grooooar!

Just by the flowing demonic energy alone, these were at least Demonic-level Imaemangnyang.

As expected of the place where Mok Gan’s real body had been, there was a considerable number of flying Imaemangnyang.

There were nearly dozens of them waiting.

It seemed he had left them behind, anticipating they might come by air.

Mok Gan sneered and said:

“Foolish one. I’ll make you pay the price for betrayal.”

“Don’t make me laugh. You’re the one who betrayed me. Why did you take my father away from me?”

Whoosh!

As Chunchu spread both hands wide, dozens of fireballs formed as hot air spread around her.

Seeing her like this, Mok Gan clicked his tongue.

Having been a top executive of Secret Society, she should know well the group’s strength and how terrifying he was. Was she really willing to risk her life just because she lost her father?

Clicking his tongue, Mok Gan soon pointed his raised left hand towards Chunchu.

As if on cue, the Imaemangnyang began firing demonic energy bullets at Chunchu, opening their mouths.

Papapapapapang!

Chunchu also launched fireballs condensed with explosive demonic energy she had created.

As the demonic energy bullets and fireballs collided, explosions that seemed to shake the surroundings erupted one after another.

Kwakwakwakwakwakwakwang!

‘Now!’

In that instant, Mok Gan stretched out his right hand with all his internal energy gathered.

Then the formless sword that had been stopped by the explosions finally pierced through them and flew towards Cheong-ryeong.

Since she was trapped in the Supreme Void Sealing Reversal Technique, he would have no choice but to lose her if she got any further away.

If not now, the chance would…

Puk!

‘!?’

At that moment, Mok Gan’s expression contorted horribly.

He had thought Chunchu wouldn’t be able to intervene while blocking the Imaemangnyang, but she had flown into the trajectory and blocked the formless sword with her own body.

‘This wench, she really…!’

Was she determined to oppose him even at the cost of her life?

Of course, Mok Gan’s assumption was correct.

After stopping the formless sword that had pierced her abdomen with her body, Chunchu glanced back while grasping it with her left hand full of demonic energy.

Cheong-ryeong was gradually getting smaller and farther away.

‘Go.’

You must go there first.

That way, things won’t flow as this damned eye parasite bastard wants.

“Cough, cough.”

Although she had rapid regeneration befitting a top executive, even she couldn’t overcome the power of the formless sword, which could be called the sword’s extreme, as she coughed up blood from internal injuries.

However, her will was still intense, and the heat of her anger was burning even more fiercely.

• Swish!

• Kwakwakwakwakwakwang!

As Chunchu stretched out her hand, the halted explosions resumed, blocking the approaching Imaemangnyang.

What she had to do here was clear.

‘Even if this becomes my grave…’

She would take them all to the afterlife.

As if sensing her determination, Cheong-ryeong, who was flying away, clenched her fist tightly.

Chunchu had probably resolved herself to die.

This was likely the only path of revenge for her.

To prevent her sacrifice from being in vain, she had to arrive before Mok Gan’s real body could reach Heaven and Earth Society somehow.

‘Mortal…’

Strangely, her mind was filled with worry for Mok Gyeong-un rather than hatred.

She tried to shake it off.

She believed that if it was Mok Gyeong-un, he would surely escape the trap that bastard had prepared and come to where she was.

She drew forth even more spiritual energy and pressed forward.

***

Sichuan Province.

A valley that had become almost ruins after Jin Sik’s barrier collapsed.

It was a horrific scene of carnage, with the corpses and blood of Imaemangnyang strewn everywhere.

At the bottom of a rock wall, a single hand was sticking out from between the shattered rocks piled up.

The hand that had been motionless as if dead began to tremble.

Then,

• Shuuuuuu!

The hand turned red-hot and steam flowed out.

At that very moment,

• Kwang!

The piled-up rocks shattered into pieces and flew up, revealing someone covered in wounds all over their body.

It was Yoo Moo-jin, a member of the Yoo clan.

“Haa… Haa…”

Even in a normal state, being buried under so many rocks would have been enough to cause death by crushing. But having sustained injuries on top of that, even for Yoo Moo-jin with the supreme physique of the Yoo clan, it seemed difficult as his breathing was labored.

As Yoo Moo-jin caught his breath and surveyed his surroundings, his expression grew even worse.

“Father?”

He was concerned for his father’s safety.

• Pat!

Yoo Moo-jin flew his body towards the valley.

‘shit.’

While fighting the incoming enemies, he had a moment of crisis due to a sharp pain in his heart.

However, the pain disappeared midway and he regained consciousness to face the Imaemangnyang again. But then he encountered the worst situation he had been dreading.

• Kwakwakwakwakwakwakwang!

A being so immense that even calling it gigantic seemed laughable, crawling up while destroying Mugan Valley, known as the deepest valley in the Central Plains.

The moment he saw this, Yoo Moo-jin experienced the emotion of fear for the first time in his life.

He knew of this being, but its actual form was beyond imagination.

• Groooooooar!
• Kwaaaaaaaaaaaah!

And the moment it revealed half its body and let out a roar, he was blown away by the shockwave that destroyed everything around and lost consciousness.

“Father! Father!”

Yoo Moo-jin shouted as he ran through the ruined cliffs.

He had never once imagined his father being defeated or killed by something.

But that being had already transcended the realm of imagination.

How could the ancestor have managed to seal such a tremendous monster in Mugan Valley?

As he thoroughly searched the surroundings, Yoo Moo-jin’s eyes reddened.

Could it be that he couldn’t even find the body?

• Thud!

After searching for a long time without finding anything, Yoo Moo-jin finally fell to his knees on the ground, tears flowing.

Did Father really pass away without leaving even a single trace?

How could that strong father…

• Flinch!

At that moment, Yoo Moo-jin’s ears perked up.

The Yoo clan, born with innate supreme physiques, recover their strength and heal both internal and external injuries quickly even without special breathing techniques as time passes.

Although this had slowed down due to the injury to his heart, his physical abilities had somewhat recovered in the process of searching for his father.

As a result, his exceptional five senses also came back to life, and

-Huu… Huu…

A faint sound of breathing coming from somewhere.

It was not far away.

‘It wasn’t there before?’

Yoo Moo-jin got up and headed towards where the sound was coming from.

It was towards the cliff edge.

Since he had to follow the sound of breathing, Yoo Moo-jin jumped off the cliff without hesitation and discovered a hole in the cliff face about thirty jang down.

• Pak!

Yoo Moo-jin hurled his body into the hole.

Judging by its shape, it didn’t seem to be a natural hole in the cliff, but rather one that had been artificially created.

In the dark hole, his eyes caught sight of someone’s figure.

It was his father, Yoo Moo-jeok, barely breathing with his right leg crushed and one arm torn off.

“Father!”

Yoo Moo-jin rushed to his father and examined his condition.

He was still breathing, but his father had used up all his strength, and even his muscles had contracted significantly.

“Father? Father?”

At Yoo Moo-jin’s call, Yoo Moo-jeok, unable to even open his eyes properly, spoke with difficulty.

“Must… stop… Must stop… Keureu.”

“Father!”

Yoo Moo-jin shook his unconscious father, then bit his lip hard before slinging his father over his shoulder and coming out of the hole.

Then he clung to the cliff with one hand.

‘I have to go. To that place.’

The only place that could save his father, who was barely clinging to life, was there.

He had to go there and inform them that the seal of the Great Strength King had been broken.

***

The main hall of Heaven and Earth Society headquarters.

Gathered there were the key figures in the victory of the internal war and the top executives under Mok Gyeong-un.

To the immediate left of the central throne, the leader’s seat, were the external recruits led by Ou Cheon-mu, the master of Spiritual Sword Sanctuary and one of the Seven Heavens, along with Sword Demon Ji-oe, and Fire Faith Order Priestess. To the right were members of the Eight Stars, including Axe-Destroying King Ho Tae-gang and Poison King Baek Saha of the Five Kings, Bright Blade King Son Yun, Shadow Clan Master Ya-seon, Defense Guardian Go Yeon-byeok, and Corpse Blood Valley Master Lee Ji-yeom.

Among the key figures, there were also those who were equivalent to or belonged to the highest ranks, such as Eight Poison Snake Staff Guyang Sa-oh, Masked Ma Ra-hyeon, excommunicated Monk Ja Geum-jeong, Seop Chun, and Mong Mu-yak, but they were not present as they were continuing their missions. Shadow Spear King Gyu Jong-sin, one of the Eight Stars and Five Kings, was also absent as he was still under investigation for alleged collusion with the enemy faction, Secret Society.

‘Hmm. Now that we’re gathered like this, there doesn’t seem to be a major drop in our fighting power.’

This was the assessment of Poison King Baek Saha as he casually surveyed the faces of the gathered top executives with his arms crossed.

There had been considerable losses in terms of manpower due to the hidden forces of Secret Society and the internal war with Na Yul-ryang’s faction.

Numerically speaking, about one-third of the entire force had been sacrificed.

However, the conclusion was that this was not the case in terms of actual fighting power.

‘The significant increase in masters who have crossed the wall into the Transformation Realm is a big factor.’

There were external figures like Sword Demon Ji-oe, Eight Poison Snake Staff Guyang Sa-oh, Masked Ma Ra-hyeon, and the renegade monk Ja Geum-jeong who was comparable to the Transformation Realm. Additionally, he and the Corpse Blood Valley Master had crossed the wall this time.

The number of supreme masters at the level of the Eight Stars had increased by six.

Moreover, fortunately, there was no loss of the two existing Five Kings belonging to the Eight Stars.

‘And the biggest factor is…’

Baek Saha’s gaze turned to Ou Cheon-mu, the master of Spiritual Sword Sanctuary.

The fact that Ou Cheon-mu, called the pinnacle of the current martial arts world and one of the Seven Heavens, had joined was tremendously significant.

While the Righteous Alliance and Evil Alliance each had only one person with the title of Seven Heavens, the newly formed Heaven and Earth Society had two individuals with that title.

Moreover, one of them had even surpassed the wall of walls, the Profound Realm, and reached the Life and Death Realm, making him arguably the closest to being the strongest under heaven.

‘Keuheuheuhe. This old one’s choice was correct. As a result, this old one’s disciple will remain the hegemon of the new era.’

Perhaps feeling satisfied for no reason, the corners of Baek Saha’s mouth slightly turned upward.

Just then, someone opened their mouth.

It was Axe-Destroying King Ho Tae-gang.

“Now that the aftermath of the internal war seems to have been sorted out to some extent, important matters remain to be discussed.”

“Important matters? Are there matters to discuss when Mok Gyeong-un Gongja, who is to become the Society Leader, hasn’t even been inaugurated yet?”

To Defense Guardian Go Yeonbaek‘s question, it was not Axe-Destroying King Ho Tae-gang but Shadow Clan Master Ya-seon who answered.

“Huhuhu. That Society Leader is one of the important matters.”

“Society Leader? What do you mean by that?”

“Although it took the form of an internal war because it happened within Heaven and Earth Society, this recent war was strictly a process of creating a new organization.”

“Do you mean…?”

“Even small units have names, so an organization befitting one of the three major forces should have a suitable name, don’t you think?”

“Ah…”

At these words, most of the top executives nodded in agreement.

Those gathered under Mok Gyeong-un were not following a new successor who would become the leader of Heaven and Earth Society.

Therefore, a new name for the organization was needed to reflect this.

“But couldn’t such an important matter wait until Lord Mok Gyeong-un returns?”

To Corpse Blood Valley Master Lee Ji-yeom’s opinion, Axe-Destroying King Ho Tae-gang replied.

“Well, the final decision will of course be up to our lord, but wouldn’t it be better to have some framework in place before he returns to make it easier for him to decide?”

“This old one agrees. Hohoho.”

Poison King Baek Saha concurred.

At this, Lee Ji-yeom also nodded in agreement.

Then Shadow Clan Master Ya-seon spoke.

“Is there anyone who would like to propose a name befitting this new organization?”

At these words, Axe-Destroying King Ho Tae-gang spoke as if he had been waiting.

“If we’re going to name the organization, let’s go with a strong name.”

“Do you have something in mind?”

“How about something like Hegemon Society that would make those Righteous Alliance and Evil Alliance bastards tremble just hearing it?”

“Hmm. Not bad.”

Bright Blade King Son Yun, whose injuries had not yet healed, agreed while stroking his chin.

He too had a tendency to prefer strong things.

However, Corpse Blood Valley Master Lee Ji-yeom disagreed with this, tilting his head as he spoke.

“The title of Hegemon isn’t bad, but is there a need to go back to using ‘Society’?”

“Why, is there a problem with that?”

“The title ‘Society’ might seem like we’re not forgetting that our predecessor was Heaven and Earth Society.”

At these words from Lee Ji-yeom, Sword Demon Ji-oe spoke for the first time.

“Even to me, an outsider, that argument seems to have merit. Is there really a need to use the title ‘Association’ that the defeated used?”

“Huhuhu. Then does the Sword Demon have any thoughts from an outsider’s perspective?”

To Shadow Clan Master Ya-seon’s question, Sword Demon Ji-oe replied with a grin.

“Wouldn’t the word ‘Alliance’ sound better?”

At these words, even Ou Cheon-mu, the master of Spiritual Sword Sanctuary, nodded as if he didn’t think it was a bad idea.

As they were from the neutral faction, they preferred something that felt solid yet rounded.

“Alliance…”

“Hmm.”

On the other hand, the top executives from Heaven and Earth Society didn’t seem too pleased with the word ‘Alliance’.

In the current martial arts world, organizations that use the title ‘Alliance’ include the Righteous Alliance and Evil Alliance.

Originally, Heaven and Earth Society was an organization formed by those who wanted to worship only martial prowess, neither righteous nor evil.

Was there really a need to follow the same path as the other two forces?

Just then, someone spoke up.

“How about ‘Cult’^[1]?”

Everyone’s gaze turned to the owner of that voice.

The one who suggested this was none other than Holy Fire Priestess of Fire Faith Order.

At her suggestion, Axe-Destroying King Ho Tae-gang was the first to snort and say:

“Cult? What a preposterous idea. We may have seated you at this top executive meeting, but this is strictly a martial arts organization.”

“I agree with Brother Ho’s words.”

Bright Blade King Son Yun also showed his displeasure.

Despite their intimidating demeanor, Holy Fire Priestess showed some tension but soon spoke again.

“This isn’t because I’m from Fire Faith Order.”

“Then what do you mean?”

“Young Master Mok is an avatar of fire.”

“An avatar of fire?”

“I mean he’s a being who should be revered as a supreme-ruler. He will lead the foolish people of the Central Plains…”

“Enough!”

Axe-Destroying King Ho Tae-gang cut off her words.

Then he clicked his tongue and said:

“I told you this is a martial arts organization. You’d do well to abandon any thoughts of coloring it with Fire Faith Order’s hues using your measly three-inch tongue.”

“I’m not trying to color it with Fire Faith Order’s hues. I just…”

“Holy Fire Priestess’s opinion isn’t entirely without merit.”

At that moment, Shadow Master Hwan Ya-seon intervened.

At this, the top executives from Heaven and Earth Society frowned as they looked at him.

Despite their gazes, Hwan Ya-seon calmly continued speaking.

“‘Society’ (會) or ‘Alliance’ (盟) clearly have limitations.”

“What do you mean by limitations? Shadow Master.”

“Although we won the war, it’s undeniable that over eighty percent of our forces are from Heaven and Earth Society.”

“So what? Is there a problem with that?”

“The top executives here decided to follow Young Master Mok, or rather our lord, of their own volition, but not everyone is like that. A considerable number fought in this war without knowing anything, simply following their respective leaders, the executives.”

“Hmm.”

At these words, Ho Tae-gang couldn’t deny it this time.

In fact, the organization’s headquarters was still in turmoil in many ways and not completely united.

This was because many of them felt the recent war lacked justification and viewed it as an internal conflict within the organization.

So among the members who had respected the leader of Heaven and Earth Society, there were some who harbored resentment or dissatisfaction.

“But that doesn’t sufficiently justify using the title ‘Cult’.”

“It could. Because unlike ‘Alliance’ or ‘Society’ which emphasize the meaning of gathering itself, ‘Sect’ requires absolute faith in the leader, just like a country that serves an emperor.”

“…Faith?”

“To change and absorb all the systems and power that the Society has built over a long time in a short period, absolute trust in the leader is necessary. In that respect, nothing is better than ‘Cult’.”

“Hmm…”

At Shadow Master Hwan Ya-seon’s opinion, everyone showed signs of contemplation.

It was a direction they had never considered before, but it wasn’t completely without precedent.

After all, there was the Blood Cult in the past martial arts world.

Just then, Sword Demon Ji Oe snickered and said:

“If we need to make the leader an absolute being, why not just use the leader’s title or name? How about Mok Gyeong-un Cult or even Heavenly Demon Cult?”

In fact, this was a joke from Sword Demon Ji Oe to lighten the mood.

However, no one laughed at his words.

‘!?’

Instead, everyone seemed to be seriously considering his suggestion, carefully mouthing “Heavenly Demon Cult”.

What’s this? Are they really taking this seriously?

As he was puzzled, that’s when it happened.

-Tatatata!

Someone hurriedly entered the main hall.

Judging by the attire, it seemed to be a messenger from the Shadow Clan’s Intelligence Division.

As soon as the messenger entered, he knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in a salute, and reported in an urgent voice:

“Urgent report! The entire force of the Righteous Alliance is rapidly advancing south towards our headquarters!”

‘!!!!!!!’