Episode 460

The Endless Prison (1)

Ki Jin-Hwi had been operating covertly within the True Demon Palace under the stolen identity of Hwang Pyo-Hak. While staying in the True Demon Palace, he secretly searched for Gyeong Choo-Wol, but found no trace of him.

Just as he was drowning in despair, he detected suspicious movements within the Celestial Demon Troupe. They were quietly mobilizing troops to attack the Seize Fortress.

The Four Towers—Iron Blood Tower, Shadowless Tower, Soul Suppression Tower, and the Nine Formations Tower were mobilized. While the Four Towers led the direct assault on Seize Fortress, additional forces were needed to support them.

Personnel were drafted from numerous organizations within the Celestial Demon Troupe.

Hwang Pyo-Hak, whose identity Ji Jin-Hwi had stolen, was one of those forcibly drafted.

In the end, Ki Jin-Hwi had no choice but to head to Seize Fortress.

He wanted to escape and assume another identity midway, but he didn’t get the opportunity.

By the time Ki Jin-Hwi arrived at Seize Fortress, the Four Towers were already launching a full-scale assault.

The Four Towers took turns attacking Seize Fortress relentlessly, day and night.

They crashed into Seize Fortress like a terrifying tidal wave. Yet, the martial artists of Seize Fortress, led by Seo Jung-Myeong, stubbornly held their ground.

The forces stationed at Seize Fortress numbered barely four hundred, far from sufficient.

In contrast, the Four Towers’ martial artists attacking Seize Fortress exceeded two thousand. As time passed, their numbers swelled to over four thousand with reinforcements.

They outnumbered the defenders of Seize Fortress by tenfold.

And they attacked without rest.

No matter how elite Seize Fortress’s warriors were, holding out against such overwhelming numbers was impossible.

No one believed the Seize Fortress could endure. Even the martial artists of Celestial Demon Troupe were convinced they could conquer it within two or three days.

Yet, the Seize Fortress held out for seven days and nights against Celestial Demon Troupe’s relentless assault.

At the center of it all was Seo Jong-Myung.

He defended Seize Fortress without sleep for seven straight days.

Countless Celestial Demon Troupe warriors fell to his blade. His body was long drenched in blood, his appearance so fearsome that even the Celestial Demon Troupe’s warriors trembled before him.

Seo Jong-Myung moved like a vengeful ghost, disregarding his own life to reinforce the weakest points of the defense. Every time he appeared, the battlefield trembled.

“Truly, the momentum of a War God.”

“To think such a warrior existed in the Jade Heaven Alliance.”

Even the Celestial Demon Troupe’s warriors, who considered him their mortal enemy, couldn’t help but admire him.

Seo Jong-Myung was a lone star shining on the battlefield. But no star can shine forever alone.

By the sixth day of the Celestial Demon Troupe’s assault, two-thirds of his subordinates, the Shadowless Unit and Seize Fortress’s warriors had perished.

Most would have surrendered by then, but Seo Jong-Myung was different.

He fought on with unyielding resolve.

No warrior of the Celestial Demon Troupe could stop him.

They no longer called him “Heartless Demon Sword.” Instead, they called him “The Demon of the Battlefield.”

Even the most prominent experts from Celestial Demon Troupe’s Four Towers, including the elite masters, hesitated to face him directly..

Finally, Yang Gwang-Baek, the lord of Demon Palace and the “Severing Moon Demon Sword,” stepped forward.

Yang Gwang-baek, in awe of Seo Jung-myeong’s persistence, spoke to him.

“Your spirit is remarkable. Surrender. I’ll spare your life.”

“That’s impossible. As long as I live, I will never surrender to Celestial Demon Troupe.”

Yang Gwang-Baek was an absolute master within the Celestial Demon Troupe, second only to the alliance leader, Go Geom-Wol. Seo Jung-Myeong was no match for him.

Yet, Seo Jung-Myeong refused to yield.

Instead, he charged at Yang Gwang-Baek with burning determination. However, the gap between them was too vast to bridge with willpower alone. Moreover, Yang Gwang-Baek’s experience and skill were unparalleled.

Seo Jung-Myung eventually fell to Yang Gwang-Baek’s overwhelming might.

Yang Gwang-Baek urged him once more to surrender. But Seo Jung-Myung’s reply was firm:

“Do not humiliate me further. Kill me.”

“Ah! What a waste. A terrible waste!”

Yang Gwang-Baek regretted having to kill a martial artist like Seo Jong-Myung with his own hands. But he could show no further mercy.

In the end, Yang Gwang-Baek executed Seo Jung-Myeong.

At least, that was the story known within the Celestial Demon Troupe.

“But the truth is different,” Ki Jin-Hwi said.

Lee Gwak furrowed his brow.

“What do you mean?”

“Grandmaster Seo isn’t dead.”

“You just said he died—”

“That’s only what’s publicly known. The truth is different.”

“Are you saying he’s alive?”

Lee Gwak felt his heart beating fast.

When he heard of Seo Jong-Myung’s death, he Gwak had wept alone. The impact Seo Jong-Myung had on his life was immeasurable.

Without Seo Jung-Myeong’s help, the Lee Gwak of today would not exist. That was why Lee Gwak mourned his death more than anyone.

Now, hearing Ki Jin-Hwi suggest Seo Jong-Myeong might still be alive, a sliver of hope flickered in his chest.

Lee Gwak waited impatiently for Ki Jin-Hwi to continue.

Licking his cracked lips, Ki Jin-Hwi spoke with difficulty.

“Grandmaster Seo is alive. I saw it with my own eyes.”

“Ah!”

Lee Gwak couldn’t help but exclaim at Ki Jin-hwi’s answer.

When Yang Gwang-Baek subdued Seo Jong-Myung, Ki Jin-Hwi had been nearby. He had wanted to rescue Seo Jong-Myung himself, but after witnessing Yang Gwang-Baek’s terrifying prowess, he hadn’t dared to.

Instead, he carefully observed, planning to retrieve Seo Jung-Myeong’s body. But something strange happened.

The Celestial Demon Troupe’s warriors had transported Seo Jong-Myung’s body to Kongtong Mountain. Unlike the other corpses, which were hastily cremated, Seo Jong-Myung’s body was treated differently. Sensing something was wrong, Ki Jin-Hwi secretly followed.

“And here, I discovered a prison. They called it the ‘Endless Prison.’”

“Endless Prison?”

“Literally, a prison built deep underground, so deep its bottom cannot be seen.”

“Such a place exists in Kongtong Mountain?”

“Don’t be surprised. It’s below the ruins of Kongtong Sect itself.”

“Below the Kongtong Sect?”

Lee Gwak blinked in disbelief.

Although the Kongtong Sect had been in decline for years, it had once been a powerful sect. The idea that such a massive prison existed below its ruins was hard to believe.

“I wouldn’t have believed it myself if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes,” Ki Jin-hwi continued.

“Did you confirm it yourself?” Lee Gwak asked.

“Yes, but I got caught, and that’s why I ended up like this.” Ki Jin-hwi sighed.

The past few days had been a nightmare for him.

At first, when he infiltrated the Endless Prison, no one noticed him. He moved freely, exploring the prison. But his freedom didn’t last.

Jin Ryeong, one of the Moon Shadow Six fairies, detected his presence.

From that moment, Ki Jin-Hwi’s nightmare began.

Not only was Jin Ryeong the strongest among the Moon Shadow Six Fairies in martial arts, she was also a peerless archer.

For her, archery wasn’t just a side skill, it was an obsession. She had trained under Jo Won-Tak, Celestial Demon Troupe’s greatest archer and the man known as “One Arrow, One Kill,”.

Her talent in archery was exceptional, and her terrifying focus allowed her to achieve mastery at an astonishing speed. Eventually, she reached a level second only to her master in Celestial Demon Troupe.

Mastery of archery requires keen eyesight, concentration, and observation, all of which she possessed in abundance. It was this skill that allowed her to detect Ki Jin-Hwi’s stealthy movements and pursue him relentlessly.

Despite his efforts to escape with his spells, she relentlessly tracked him down. Ki Jin-hwi had no choice but to flee for his life.

His only hope was Yi Gwak.

Praying that Lee Gwak would arrive in time, Ki Jin-Hwi fled here and, thanks to Lee Gwak’s help, he narrowly escaped death.

Upon hearing Jin Ryeong was dead, Ki Jin-Hwi sighed.

“Whew! I can’t believe she’s dead. As expected of the Squad Leader.”

“Did she have any companions with her in the Endless Prison?” Lee Gwak asked.

“I don’t know. I was too busy running from her to figure it out.” Ki Jin-hwi grimaced.

“At least I was lucky enough to survive,” he added, glancing at the painful wounds on his body.

“Ha! It’s all thanks to you, Squad Leader.”

Ki Jin-hwi grimaced as he looked at his wounds. A sharp pain throbbed through his body.

Clutching his injuries, he forced himself to stand.

Lee Soo-Ah gasped.

“Your wounds haven’t healed yet! You shouldn’t move!”

“Ugh! I know. But if we waste time here, they’ll eventually find out that Jin Ryeong is dead. If that happens, the security at Endless Prison will become even tighter, and the chance to save Seo Jong-myeong will be lost.”

“Mm!”

Lee Soo-ah let out a sound of hesitation and looked at Lee Gwak.

Lee Gwak turned to Ki Jin-hwi and asked, “Do you think you can make it to the Endless Prison?”

“Heh heh! Of course,” Ki Jin-hwi forced a smile.

His body felt like it was falling apart from the pain.

In his heart, he wanted to drop everything and rest. But the more he felt that way, the more he focused his mind and forced his body to move.

Already, cold sweat was pouring down his body. But despite the pain, he showed no sign of weakness and kept moving. It was truly superhuman perseverance.

“Dad!”

Lee Soo-ah looked at Lee Gwak with a concerned expression, as if she were thinking that he should stop Ki Jin-hwi from pushing himself. But Lee Gwak silently patted Lee Soo-ah on the head, and she understood his thoughts.

Lee Gwak also didn’t want Ki Jin-hwi to push himself too hard. But right now, there was no choice.

If Seo Jong-myeong was alive, this would be their only chance to save him. If they missed this opportunity, they wouldn’t know when another would come. So, even though he knew Ki Jin-hwi was pushing himself too hard, Lee Gwak couldn’t bring himself to stop him.

Lee Gwak spoke to Lee Soo-Ah:

“It might be dangerous. You should stay here.”

“I’m coming too.”

“Soo-Ah!”

“If I thought I’d be a burden, I wouldn’t even suggest it.”

Lee Soo-Ah met his gaze with unwavering determination. Seeing her stubborn expression, Lee Gwak couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Fine! You’re coming. But be careful.”

“Mm! Don’t worry.”

Lee Soo-Ah nodded.

The three of them moved cautiously through the darkness.

***

The History of Kongtong sect spanned centuries.

It had started as a humble sect, but over time it grew in strength, and by a hundred years ago, it had flourished, establishing numerous training halls and training grounds.

During the construction of its grand buildings, unexpected obstacles sometimes arose, one of which was the accidental discovery of a deep gorge.

The crack led deep into the underground of Kongtong Mountain, appearing as though it connected to hell. The Kongtong Sect’s warriors were terrified and stopped digging, and filled in the hole.

Considering the bottomless underground a bad omen, Kongtong Sect kept its existence a strict secret. But no secret lasts forever, and eventually, the Celestial Demon Troupe uncovered it.

The troupe had been searching for a location to build an inescapable prison, and the gorge in Kongtong Mountain was perfect.

The Kongtong Sect had long since fallen, leaving the mountain ownerless. And the Celestial Demon Troupe used the opportunity.

They secretly built a prison in the gorge and named it the “Endless Prison.”

They filled it with traps and mechanisms, creating a hellish space from which no one could escape.

Even within the Troupe, the Endless Prison was treated as top-secret.

Go Geom-Wol appointed the retired Giant Demon, “Blood Tower Giant Demon” Won Moo-Ak, as its warden.

Cold-blooded and immensely powerful, Won Moo-Ak was feared by many.

After being appointed as the warden, he immediately ordered his subordinates to be stationed throughout Mu-gan-ok.

His subordinates had talents for torture and tormenting others.

Because of this, the endless prison was already steeped in the scent of blood.

Won Mu-ak was currently meeting a woman in his residence.

Her face was half-covered by a veil, but her visible eyes alone were strikingly beautiful.

In contrast, Won Moo-Ak was a giant of a man. His body was so large that he resembled a towering pillar, fitting his title as the leader of the Blood Tower.

Looking at the woman, Won Mu-ak spoke.

“Has Jin Ryeong still not returned?”

“She’ll be back soon.”

“Hmm! Could she have been caught by an intruder?”

“That’s impossible. Jin Ryeong’s martial skills are among the highest of the Six Immortals. And since she took a bow with her, there’s no way she could have been defeated.”

“Hmph!”

Despite her answer, Won Moo-Ak’s expression remained stiff.

He crossed his arms, looking down at her with undisguised disdain.

The woman’s eyebrow twitched.

She had opposed Won Mu-ak becoming the warden of Endless Prison. His personality was too cruel, and he was uncontrollable, making him difficult to manage.

In fact, the only reason Won Moo-Ak had been forced into retirement was because the previous alliance leader had grown weary of his erratic behavior.  Now, the Celestial Demon Troupe appointed him as the warden of Endless Prison simply because they lacked the manpower to fill such a position.

With the war against the Jade Heaven Alliance reignited, most of their forces had been deployed there. Meanwhile, no one was willing to take the position at this place, a relatively low-priority yet harsh environment.

And so, Won Moo-Ak was chosen.

While everyone else avoided the Endless Prison, he found this environment strangely comforting.

Dark, damp, and suffocating, it felt as warm as home to him.

The Endless Prison was his kingdom.

And in his kingdom, a woman like her did not belong.

“So, when are you leaving, Saintess?”

Won Moo-Ak asked Gu Mun-Hye, the Saintess of the Celestial Demon Troupe.