Chapter 141: Chapter 141
Boom!
The impact generated by the Crescent Moon Staff did not dissipate, sending out faint aftershocks. Because of those tremors, an even more overt tension brushed across the faces of the demonic martial artists.
Soon, Cheon Woo-jin descended onto the battlefield.
As usual, he surveyed the situation with an impassive expression.
The remaining demonic martial artists numbered roughly thirty.
Fortunately, the Disciplinary Hall Master and the Sword Maiden seemed unhurt.
Thud, thud.
Cheon Woo-jin approached the Courier Hall Master. Having already exhausted all of his true qi, his breathing was so faint that it seemed it could cut off at any moment.
“Hall Master.”
At Cheon Woo-jin’s call, the Courier Hall Master squeezed out all his strength and raised his eyelids halfway. Confirming that vitality had not yet faded from his eyes, Cheon Woo-jin let out a sigh of relief.
“It will be a little hot.”
Saying so, he placed his hand near the Courier Hall Master’s dantian. Soon, the energy he stirred flowed through his palm and into the Courier Hall Master’s body.
“Ugh…”
The Courier Hall Master let out a painful groan. It was so scorching that it felt as if his entire body were burning up. However, Cheon Woo-jin did not withdraw his hand, remaining utterly calm.
Ordinarily, energy that recovers the body is warm. However, because the Courier Hall Master’s current condition was so severe, lukewarm energy could not stimulate his true qi.
When energy hot enough to scorch even qi channels flowed into the dantian, the True Origin Qi harbored by the Courier Hall Master wriggled as if struggling desperately.
The human instinct for survival was this formidable.
At the same time, Cheon Woo-jin pulled his hand away. Even so, the already stimulated True Origin Qi circulated wildly through the Courier Hall Master’s entire body, bit by bit repairing the damaged qi channels.
It would be more than enough to endure until they broke through the Inescapable Heavenly Net and reached a physician.
“What did you do?”
Watching this intently, the Sword Maiden asked. She was also a seasoned expert who had weathered all kinds of experiences in the martial world, but she had never seen such a sight before.
Cheon Woo-jin replied nonchalantly.
“I will clear a path, so take the Hall Master and escape. If it is a master of the Sect Leader’s caliber, he will soon sense the energy and join you. As long as you hold out until then, there should be no problem.”
Saying so, Cheon Woo-jin took his eyes off the Courier Hall Master and stood up. At that small movement, the demonic martial artists flinched. Having seen the Crescent Moon Staff’s strike a moment ago, their tension was palpable.
Regardless, Cheon Woo-jin reached out his hand into empty air. Then, the Crescent Moon Staff lodged amidst the dozens of demonic martial artists who had been turned into flesh and blood was pulled toward him.
Snap.
Lightly flicking the Crescent Moon Staff to shake off the blood, Cheon Woo-jin stared fixedly at the demonic martial artists. Soon, as if pondering for a moment, he repeatedly clenched and opened his hand around the Crescent Moon Staff.
If it was a matter of facing a single person like the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Cult, the Crescent Moon Staff would be suitable. But if it was simply a matter of opening a path and sweeping away all who blocked it, the Crane Feather Fan was better.
Having judged so, Cheon Woo-jin put away the Crescent Moon Staff and took out the Crane Feather Fan from his robes.
At that, a person who appeared to be a high master on the demonic side cried out in shock.
“T-The fan of the Blood Calamity Demon Immortal!”
“…What on earth is that?”
Cheon Woo-jin looked at that fellow with an incredulous expression.
Meanwhile, the Disciplinary Hall Master lowered his voice from behind to explain.
“It is the moniker the Demonic Cult bastards use to refer to Venerable White Flower Sword Immortal. They say they started calling him that ever since he charged into the Demonic Cult alone and slaughtered hundreds of them.”
Cheon Woo-jin nodded. True to being the disciple of the Beggars’ Sect Chief, the Disciplinary Hall Master seemed to know everything.
At any rate, the Blood Calamity Demon Immortal…
Just how terrified were they that they attached every single bad character to his moniker? It felt as if he could almost hear his masters’ voices.
– The Demonic Cult bastards have no shame. How dare they attach ‘Demon’ to someone’s moniker? Woo-jin, go and punish those bastards immediately!
– Hahahaha! Bwahahahaha!
Master Black Elder’s laughter dragged on as if he found it immensely amusing. And the sight of Master White Elder glaring at Master Black Elder with narrowed eyes.
It felt as though he could see all of it clearly before his eyes. It was likely even more so because he had recently seen his missed masters through Man Gi-ja’s letter.
“I will open a path.”
Cheon Woo-jin lightly fanned the Crane Feather Fan. Then, a breeze as gentle as the fluttering of butterfly wings blew in from all directions.
“I will assist.”
Gripping the Firmament Sword of the Namgung, the Sword Maiden stepped forward. However, the Disciplinary Hall Master beside her caught her arm to stop her, shaking his head with a solemn face.
‘If we step forward, it will only be a hindrance.’
It was exactly that kind of look.
Meeting that gaze, the Sword Maiden’s eyes wavered.
‘I would be a hindrance?’
Because she had lived in the shadow of a monster called the Sword King her whole life, it had simply not been emphasized, but the Sword Maiden was also a Grandmaster of the Sword. It was hard to believe that someone like her would be a hindrance to anyone.
The Disciplinary Hall Master also read her thoughts from her expression, but he did not bother to explain.
Because she would know soon enough.
Soon, Cheon Woo-jin swung the Crane Feather Fan.
Whoosh!
It was truly a gentle wind.
That whirlwind surged gradually toward the demonic martial artists at a pace neither fast nor slow.
The demonic martial artists responded in their own ways. Some poured out sword qi and saber qi, while others tried to dodge or block.
However, in the face of that gentle wind, all of it came to naught.
“Uh, uh, uh…”
Cries of bewilderment began to resound among the demonic martial artists, as if things had gone horribly wrong. They were swept helplessly in all directions. From the bottom-tier members of the Heavenly Demon Cult combat squads to Squad Leaders and Elders, they all flew away without discrimination.
“Young Hero Song, carry him on your back.”
Cheon Woo-jin spoke without even looking back.
It was the Hidden Dragon Squad members who had arrived before anyone knew it.
Song Yi-yeon, who was the swiftest of foot, immediately carried the Courier Hall Master on his back, and the Plum Blossom Sword and the Firmament Sword flanked him as if escorting him left and right.
Soon, Song Yi-yeon began sprinting like mad.
The destination was Mount Kunlun. The martial artists of the Kunlun Sect who knew the path well immediately followed alongside to guide them, while the Disciplinary Hall Master and the Sword Maiden also ran with their qi senses primed at a slight distance to prepare for ambushes from demonic martial artists.
Sure enough, after cutting down demonic martial artists charging toward the rescue squad with a single stroke, the Sword Maiden abruptly turned her head.
“W-Why isn’t he coming?”
The Sword Maiden, who always wore a cold expression, looked flustered for once. As soon as the Hidden Dragon Squad Leader secured an escape route, they had run immediately. After all, the Inescapable Heavenly Net was an encirclement that did not permit long openings.
Naturally, she thought the Hidden Dragon Squad Leader would follow along at the rear. Yet was he not standing blankly amidst the demonic martial artists?
The Disciplinary Hall Master was not much different from the Sword Maiden. In any case, wasn’t Cheon Woo-jin the successor who carried on Man Gi-ja’s will?
Just as the two were about to go help Cheon Woo-jin.
Swish!
A massive saber qi grazed past their front. Not only that, but sword qi and saber qi mixed wildly to block their path. The crack in the Inescapable Heavenly Net that Cheon Woo-jin had opened had closed once again.
In the end, what they could do was:
Simply run toward Mount Kunlun as if their lives depended on it.
.
.
.
Cheon Woo-jin watched the retreating rescue squad for a moment.
Since the Dragon Head Sect Leader would join them soon, there was no need to worry.
When the wind stirred by the Crane Feather Fan cleared, the demonic martial artists staggered to their feet, revealing ominous glows in their eyes.
They were also people who stood here after having endured the hellish training of the Heavenly Demon Cult.
“Truly foolish. Did you sacrifice yourself to save your comrades? Such a weak choice that a blood-and-iron martial artist of the Demonic Cult would never make.”
Yang Yi-seok, an elder of the Yang Clan, one of the Six Great Families of the Demonic Cult, sneered coldly.
His terrified demeanor from seeing the Crane Feather Fan just a moment ago had vanished completely.
Cheon Woo-jin knew the reason. It was because over two hundred demonic martial artists who sensed the battle were rushing toward this place like a pack of dogs.
However, there was a misunderstanding.
“I did not particularly sacrifice myself, though.”
He was merely curious. Just how sturdy and dense a net was this so-called Inescapable Heavenly Net of the Demonic Cult?
Both of his masters had experience escaping the Inescapable Heavenly Net.
Master White Elder had taken one day, while Master Black Elder said it took him two days to escape. The sight of Master Black Elder feeling sour about that fact was still vivid in his mind.
“I wonder how long it will take me.”
Saying so, Cheon Woo-jin spread his qi sense widely.
Unlike before when he had only guarded his surroundings, he seemed poised to encompass the entirety of the Hundred Thousand Mountains.
Within the widely spread qi sense, the energy of the demonic martial artists was felt. The number of demonic martial artists forming the Inescapable Heavenly Net easily reached a thousand.
If the battle dragged on, he would have to face all thousand of them.
That would be an arduous task even for masters who had reached the Realm Beyond the Heavens.
Ultimately, what mattered was speed.
The speed to tear apart a corner and break out before the net tightened.
However, because the Hundred Thousand Mountains had dozens and hundreds of steep peaks, one could not break through rapidly in a straight line.
While it might be possible for the Kunlun martial artists who knew the terrain of the Hundred Thousand Mountains intimately, or for the demonic martial artists…
To someone directionally challenged like Cheon Woo-jin, who even got confused on the paths of the hill behind his village, it was an impossible feat.
Thus, as Cheon Woo-jin stood still thinking of various methods, another misunderstanding arose among the demonic martial artists. Seemingly thinking that Cheon Woo-jin had half given up, they snickered and narrowed their encirclement.
Cheon Woo-jin thought the demonic martial artists were truly stupid. Having exchanged blows just a moment ago, did they really not know? That even if he failed to escape the Inescapable Heavenly Net, slaughtering the demonic martial artists before his eyes was hardly a difficult task.
Lightly clicking his tongue, Cheon Woo-jin suddenly looked up at the sky. A good idea had crossed his mind.
Yang Yi-seok, an elder of the Demonic Cult, sneered and spoke.
“Are you praying before dying? It is useless. The only god in this world is the Heavenly Demon…”
“Is it spread out over there as well?”
“Hm?”
“That sky, I mean.”
Yang Yi-seok’s expression crumpled furiously.
“What are you talking about, you lunatic? Kill him!”
At the same time, the hundreds of demonic martial artists who had rushed in like a pack of dogs also joined in. In the first place, Yang Yi-seok had only been wagging his tongue to stall until they arrived.
“It was a sloppier encirclement than I thought.”
Having said that, Cheon Woo-jin kicked off the ground and flew into the sky.
Clear sneers of mockery brushed across the faces of the demonic martial artists.
Like this, lifting one’s body against a large crowd was a foolish act. There was no need to chase him upward. All they had to do was wait like this and chop his entire body to pieces with dozens and hundreds of saber qi and sword qi when he fell back to the ground.
However, something was a bit strange.
“…Wait, why isn’t he coming down?”
That fellow remained floating high in the sky, standing blankly.
Not only that.
“He is even walking.”
As if there were ground in the sky, he was walking with steady steps.
In the face of that unrealistic sight, the demonic martial artists felt beyond bewilderment and were verging on terror.
In the midst of that, Demonic Cult Elder Yang Yi-seok cried out.
“H-Heavenly Ladder?!”
The Heavenly Ladder.
Surpassing the Void Steps and Soaring Through the Void where one momentarily kicked and leaped off empty air, it was the ultimate state of lightness arts where one ascended and descended freely as if a ladder existed.
In truth, because it was such an absurd realm, everyone merely dismissed it as something existing only in legends. Did it make sense for a person to stay suspended motionlessly in empty air?
Yet that nonsensical thing was unfolding before their very eyes.
Looking down for a moment at the martial artists who had gathered like a swarm of ants, Cheon Woo-jin simply walked forward with steady strides.
* * *
The rescue squad that had escaped the Inescapable Heavenly Net earlier gathered on Mount Kunlun.
Though there were several crises, thanks to the Dragon Head Sect Leader who joined midway, everyone was able to escape safely.
The Courier Hall Master was immediately entrusted to the physicians of the Kunlun Sect.
Fortunately, his life did not seem to be in great danger.
However, everyone’s expressions were gloomy.
It was because Cheon Woo-jin had failed to escape from the Inescapable Heavenly Net.
Soon, the Sword Maiden leaped to her feet.
“I cannot live holding my head high with shame like this. I must go to rescue him.”
Because the Dragon Head Sect Leader was present, the Sword Maiden spoke respectfully. She was a martial artist with more pride than any other. If she returned alive through the sacrifice of the Hidden Dragon Squad Leader, who was young enough to be her son, how could she bear that shame?
Beginning with the Sword Maiden stepping forward, those worthy of being called seasoned veterans of the martial world stepped forward one by one. However, not everyone could move while leaving the Courier Hall Master behind.
The Disciplinary Hall Master, the Hidden Dragon Squad members, and the Kunlun Sect martial artists would remain here to protect the Courier Hall Master.
The Dragon Head Sect Leader, the Sword Maiden, and the Kunlun Sect Leader decided to set out.
The Kunlun Sect Leader nodded with a solemn face.
“If I drop dead, you become the next Sect Leader.”
Pointing to a Kunlun martial artist, he turned right away. Entering the Inescapable Heavenly Net again after having broken through it once was an act that required such firm resolve that one needed to leave a will.
The Dragon Head Sect Leader also chimed in.
“Mad Dog. If I drop dead, you, my disciple, are done for too. Are our beggars ordinary fellows? At any rate, work hard.”
“…”
The Disciplinary Hall Master looked at his master as if looking at a lunatic.
The Sword Maiden merely looked at her nephew Namgung Jin, then smiled with a relieved expression.
Namgung Jin’s eyes wavered. Never did he imagine the day would come when he would see that cold aunt of his smile.
Soon, just as the three who had left their wills in their respective ways were about to depart with resolute hearts.
Tap.
A single figure descended lightly.
Without the Crescent Moon Staff and Crane Feather Fan he always carried, he simply held his hands behind his back as if taking a stroll.
“Where are you all going? Is it another mission?”
“…”
A brief silence followed.
Soon, the Dragon Head Sect Leader asked cautiously.
“What about the Inescapable Heavenly Net?”
“Its reputation was not undeserved. Since it was a dense encirclement, it was difficult to escape.”
Even for Cheon Woo-jin, internal energy was not infinite, so traversing the Hundred Thousand Mountains while maintaining the Heavenly Ladder was slightly taxing.
“…That’s not something that ends with just saying it was difficult?”
“It was exceedingly difficult.”
But no one believed him.
He was far too energetic, and what was more, he had returned in less than half a day after being trapped in the Inescapable Heavenly Net.
Half-dazed, the Dragon Head Sect Leader blinked his eyes.
Soon, the Sword Maiden approached and asked.
“Just how did you escape?”
“I flew.”
“…W-What?”
The Sword Maiden’s red lips parted slightly.
Although she was someone who was never surprised throughout her life, it seemed she was surprised several times today.
“I had no knack for escaping on the ground. I wonder how my masters managed it.”
As expected, my masters are amazing.
While Cheon Woo-jin was thinking so.
The Sword Maiden kept letting out empty laughs like someone who had lost her senses.
‘What on earth is he?’
The claim that he flew was so unrealistic that had someone else said it, it would have sounded like a joke. Yet for some reason, the words coming from this fellow’s mouth did not feel like a lie.