Episode 495

Let’s meet alive (2)

Leading the Celestial Demon Troupe were the masters of the Four Pavilions, accompanied by their subordinates

 

The Iron-Blood Tower, the Shadowless Tower, the Soul-Suppressing Tower, and the Nine Heavens Tower made up the Four Towers. These warriors were infamous throughout the Celestial Demon Troupe Union for their tyrannical tendencies.

 

They were the main fighting force of the Celestial Demon Troupe.

 

Above them, the Three Courts carried out more specialized missions, while the Five Halls were mostly tasked with defense, so their nature leaned more toward holding lines than breaking them.

 

In contrast, the Four Pavilions were entirely offensive by nature.

 

Because of this, Go Geom-wol placed the warriors of the Four Halls at the front lines for the final battle.

 

“Wipe them all out.”

 

“We end this war today.”

 

The warriors of the Four Pavilions radiated madness and charged forward like maniacs.

 

It was as though thousands of bulls were stampeding. Their frenzied appearance was so intense that even the Celestial Demon Troupe warriors following behind them were intimidated.

 

Supporting them were the warriors of the Five Halls.

 

Although the Northern Sky Hall Master Je Hyeong-ik had died, the other four halls still boasted immense power.

 

The Eastern, Western, Southern, and Central Heaven Halls were spread out widely, firmly covering the rear of the madly charging Four Pavilions.

 

The Celestial Demon Troupe’s left and right wings were held by the Sword Forest Institute and the Blade Mountain Institute.

 

Yuk Jin-hon and Ju Cheon-gwang, the Hall Masters of the Sword Forest Institute and the Blade Mountain Institute, were the strongest experts in the Celestial Demon Troupe, excluding the Ten Blood Demons.

 

Naturally, their organizations boasted the strongest military might in the Celestial Demon Troupe. Until now, there had been no need for them to step onto the front lines themselves, as matters were resolved by the Four Pavilions or the Five Halls before their involvement was necessary. However, with the fate of the Celestial Demon Troupe hanging on this war, Yuk Jin-hon and Ju Cheon-gwang personally took to the battlefield.

 

Every warrior of the Celestial Demon Troupe, except for the saintess, Gu Mun-hye, had joined this war.

 

A look of anguish flashed across Go Geom-wol’s face, who was commanding the entire army.

 

Had the Myriad Merchants Troupe not collapsed so helplessly, he would have formulated a more systematic plan of attack. However, after Eun Il-myeong’s assassination, the Myriad Merchants Troupe were cut off completely.

 

Go Geom-wol and the Celestial Demon Troupe had no choice.

 

If they delayed any longer, the disadvantage would fall upon the Celestial Demon Troupe. Thus, Go Geom-wol gathered all his forces and committed them to this great battle.

 

It was a fight with no retreat.

 

There was nowhere to fall back to.

 

Their fate would be decided in this battle.

 

“Waaaaaah!”

 

The roar of Celestial Demon Troupe warriors shook heaven and earth.

 

Dust rose from the ground, obscuring the sky as they charged forward.

 

Their goal was simple:

 

To scale and capture the walls of the Heavenly Justice Alliance.

 

Boom, boom, boom!

 

The earth screamed under their mad charge. But before they had even covered half the distance, defenders appeared.

 

“Block them!”

 

“We must stop them here.”

 

“No one passes.”

 

The warriors of the Heavenly Justice Alliance had moved to engage.

 

The main forces—the Thousand Kingdom School, the Sky High Castle, the Martial Sword Troupe, and the Mad Martial Sect—along with the newly joined sects, all threw themselves into the fight.

 

The Celestial Demon Troupe’s momentum was ferocious, but the Heavenly Justice Alliance’s strength was no less formidable.

 

With countless sects joining in recent days, their morale had soared to its peak.

 

Boom! Boom! Boom!

 

The two sides clashed in the middle of the plain.

 

There were no mechanical devices or clever strategies.

 

There was no terrain advantage to utilize.

 

It was purely a contest of strength against strength.

 

“Take this!”

 

Swish!

 

A Celestial Demon Troupe warrior’s broadsword cleaved a Heavenly Justice Alliance warrior in half, spilling his entrails and blood. But before he could catch his breath, a spear shot out from nowhere and pierced his chest.

 

“Ghhhk!”

 

He fell in a spray of blood. Yet even as his body collapsed, another Celestial Demon Troupe warrior appeared from behind.

 

He charged the Heavenly Alliance warrior who had killed his comrade.

 

“Die!”

 

His eyes, saturated with killing intent, were terrifying.

 

Their eyes showed just how frightening a human filled with bloodlust could be.

 

Chop!

 

“Guhk!”

 

The Heavenly Justice Alliance warrior’s head flew off from his axe.

 

In exchange, a spear pierced his side and a sword stabbed into his back. But he felt no pain.

 

The intense adrenaline rush during combat prevented him from feeling any pain.

 

He wasn’t the only one, either.

 

Most of the warriors participating in this great battle were in a similar state.

 

They didn’t even feel pain from minor wounds.

 

In a fight where a moment’s distraction could mean death, there was no time to worry about minor injuries.

 

To survive, one had to stay alert and keep moving every instant.

 

The metallic taste of blood filled their mouths, but no one stopped fighting.

 

The only unmoving ones were the dead.

 

And their numbers only grew.

 

“Die, bastard!”

 

“Raaaagh!”

 

Madness ruled the battlefield.

 

The first clash had claimed the most lives.

 

 

Warriors who rushed blindly into opponents of unknown level fell one after another.

 

Those with superior martial prowess easily cut down the weaker ones. Those with inferior skills paid with their lives for failing to recognize their opponents.

 

So countless died.

 

After that, the nature of the battle shifted.

 

Having tested each other’s strength in the first clash, martial artists began seeking opponents suited to their level.

 

The leader of the Thousand Kingdom School, Namgung In, clashed with one of the Ten Blood Demons, Jong Ri-yeol, also known as “One Punch Falling Star.”

 

Dragon Heaven Valley’s lord, Mok Seon-wol, faced off against Blade Mountain Institute’s lord, the “Tyrant Blade of Ten Thousand Demons” Ju Cheon-gwang.

 

Boom!

 

The clash of the Jianghu’s greatest masters made the very air tremble.

 

The nearby warriors quickly retreated, knowing that being caught in their clash could mean certain death.

 

Meanwhile, the leader of the Martial Sword Troupe, Sa Yeon-hee, scanned the battlefield with sharp eyes.

 

“Before more lives are lost, I must kill the enemy leader.”

 

The enemy leader was Go Geom-wol.

 

From the very start, Sa Yeon-hee had sought him.

 

She knew only his death could end this battle.

 

“Stop right there, bitch!”

 

The eyes of a Celestial Demon Troupe master flashed as he lunged at her.

 

The qi and aura surrounding his sword were extraordinary. He too was a renowned master within the Divine Martial Sect.

 

His bearded face and madness-filled eyes struck fear into the nearby warriors. But Sa Yeon-hee, his target, did not show the slightest change of expression.

 

The man was none other than Du Shin-chung, Lord of the Southern Heaven Pavilion.

 

As one of the Five Pavilion Lords, Du Shin-chung possessed immense martial power and an unyielding fighting spirit.

 

He had always wished to stand at the very forefront for the Celestial Demon Troupe, and his wish had been granted by Go Geom-wol.

 

“Hyahhh!”

 

Du Shin-chung’s two fists, each the size of a pot lid, flew towards Sa Yeon-hee like lightning.

 

His massive fists were condensed with powerful internal energy. Because of this, even Sa Yeon-hee couldn’t take it lightly and used her qigong to evade the attack.

 

BOOM!

 

His blow gouged a massive crater where she had stood.

 

Its destructive power was enough to chill the bones.

 

An ordinary person wouldn’t have dared to resist, let alone have the presence of mind to flee.

 

But unfortunately for Du Shin-chung, Sa Yeon-hee was no ordinary person.

 

She was a heroine who had single-handedly taken over the Martial Sword Troupe.

 

A master of unparalleled swordsmanship.

 

She had even overpowered the previous sect Lord, the Southern Sea Martial Emperor Yu Mun-sang, with sheer strength. She would not be cowed by Du Shin-chung.

 

Swoosh!

 

Her sword slashed toward him.

 

In an instant, her sword seemed to split into seven or eight blades. It was merely an effect of her swift swings, but that’s how it appeared to Du Shin-chung.

 

“Such cheap tricks…!”

 

Du Shin-chung snorted and unleashed his ultimate technique, ‘Conquest of the Four Directions’. A wave of fist qi surged towards Sa Yeon-hee like a storm.

 

 

It was a technique that had already killed five Heavenly Justice warriors. It was that powerful and lethal. However, it was ineffective against Sa Yeon-hee.

 

Slice!

 

With a single swing of her sword, his fist qi was torn apart like a piece of silk.

 

“Huh!”

 

Du Shin-chung’s eyes widened in shock. He never imagined his technique could be split apart by a single stroke.

 

Thunk!

 

Her blade pierced his forehead.

 

Like a knife through tofu, it passed cleanly through, the tip protruding from the back of his skull.

 

“Lord!”

 

“Bitch!”

 

The warriors of the Southern Heaven Pavilion who witnessed Du Shin-chung’s death rushed forward like madmen.

 

But Sa Yeon-hee brushed aside their attacks and countered.

 

“Ghhhk!”

 

“Aaagh!”

 

With cries of agony, Southern Heaven Pavilion warriors fell one after another.

 

Sa Yeon-hee leapt over their corpses and swept her gaze across the battlefield.

 

Fierce battles were raging everywhere.

 

It was difficult to distinguish friend from foe, but miraculously, the warriors of the Celestial Demon Troupe and the Heavenly Justice Alliance recognized their enemies and fought accordingly.

 

The thick scent of blood and the screams of warriors filled the battlefield.

 

Then, something caught Sa Yeon-hee’s eye.

 

It was several dozen warriors attacking Lee Gwak.

 

Judging by their aura, they were hidden elites Celestial Demon Troupe had kept secret until now.

 

Their killing intent was so great that even Sa Yeon-hee could feel it from afar.

 

For some reason, Lee Gwak had not yet engaged them, but instead faced them in a tense standoff. His furrowed brow suggested an unexpected complication.

 

But Sa Yeon-hee did not worry.

 

If it was Lee Gwak, she trusted he would find a way.

 

Her gaze shifted beyond him.

 

There was her true target.

 

The figure radiating an overwhelming aura that dominated the surroundings was none other than Celestial Demon Troupe’s supreme leader, Go Geom-wol.

 

There weren’t even common bodyguards around Go Geom-wol.

 

He had even sent the warriors who were guarding him to the battlefield.

 

 

He moved forward at a leisurely pace, as if on a stroll.

 

Nearby Heavenly Justice Alliance warriors spotted him.

 

“It’s the enemy leader!”

 

“Go Geom-wol!”

 

They shouted, but none dared to attack. No—they couldn’t.

 

The moment they faced him, their bodies froze like frogs before a snake.

 

Their limbs refused to move.

 

“Urgh! No way…”

 

“Move, damn it! Move!”

 

They ground their teeth, trying to force their bodies to act. But as though glued in place, they could not.

 

Go Geom-wol’s gaze drifted toward them.

 

Pop!

 

With a sound like bursting fruit, blood spurted from their eyes.

 

Their eyes had exploded simply from meeting his gaze.

 

“Aaagh!”

 

“My eyes! I can’t see!”

 

Blinded warriors screamed in despair.

 

Their cries ended quickly.

 

Slash!

 

An invisible force sliced through their necks.

 

Heads rolled into the air before thudding to the ground.

 

Their bodies twitched briefly before collapsing like felled logs.

 

“He’s… he’s a demon!”

 

“That guy isn’t human!”

 

Warriors who had narrowly avoided the carnage screamed.

 

In their eyes, Go Geom-wol was not human.

 

A being who could burst eyes with a glance and sever necks without lifting a hand could not be human.

 

To call him merely the “Divine Demon of the Nine Provinces” was not enough.

 

He was a Demon God.

 

No other words sufficed.

 

Crash!

 

Wherever he walked, lines collapsed like broken levees.

 

No one dared stand in his way.

 

He strode through the battlefield unbothered, as though walking through an empty land.

 

And his path led straight to Lee Gwak, who was facing off against dozens of Celestial Demon Trouperyeon’s hidden masters.

 

From the very beginning, he had looked only toward Lee Gwak, running straight for him without wavering.

 

Now, the destination was within reach.

 

Lee Gwak!

 

But just as Lee Gwak came into sight, he was forced to stop.

Someone had stepped into his path.

 

The woman radiating an unapproachable dignity, like a flower blooming in the middle of the ocean—both pure and formidable—was none other than Sa Yeon-hee.

 

She had stepped in to block Go Geom-wol’s path.

 

“Stop here.”

 

“And you are?”

 

“I am Sa Yeon-hee, the sect lord of the Martial Sword Troupe.”

 

“I had recently heard that the ruler of Martial Sword Troupe had changed hands, but I never imagined it would be to such a beautiful woman.”

 

“Thank you for the compliment.”

 

“I doubt you’ve stepped in my way merely to hear empty flattery.”

 

“You’re right. From this moment on, I will be your opponent.”

 

“You are not enough. My only opponent is Lee Gwak.”

 

“Lee Gwak may be hailed as a great hero of the Jianghu, but he is not the only one. I will prove to you that the sword of Martial Sword Troupe is no less worthy to stand against you.”

 

“Hoo…”

 

At her provocation, Go Geom-wol let out a quiet sigh. But a sharp gleam flickered in his eyes soon after.

 

“I hope you have the confidence not to regret those words.”