Chapter 374

Chapter 374

As the combatants of the Orthodox Faction sprinted forward with echoing war cries, the disciples of the Demonic Cult hardened their minds for the incoming clash.

Right at that second, a dark silhouette unexpectedly leaped high into the open sky.

This individual was recognized as one of the exceptionally gifted youths who could be counted on one hand within the hierarchy of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

“How dare you disrupt my theatrical schedule! Receive this divine retribution I am unleashing upon you!!”

Flailing his arms frantically while suspended in the air like a lunatic, a massive torrent of concealed projectiles stream endlessly out from his wide sleeves.

The grand display was so intense it caused onlookers to question if they were witnessing a revival of the long-lost Ten Thousand Flowers Rain from the legendary Sacheon Tang Clan.

Thud!

“Gaaahhh!!”

Members of the Orthodox Faction who were struck by the flying projectiles shrieked in agony, dropping to the earth across the clearing.

“Hahaha! The hidden projectile techniques of the Baek Clan stand unrivaled across the earth!!”

Upon touching down on the soil once more, the warrior persisted in launching projectiles without pause while shouting at the absolute limit of his voice.

‘Heh heh heh. Every eye on the field is fixed directly on me!’

Baek Cheon, who had spent a long period residing in Byeongryang County spearheading a cultural and artistic revival, had managed to attain the Extreme Demon grade within the Hundred Blossoms Demonic Art at the remarkably young age of twenty-five, a feat accelerated by his absolute submission to his attention-seeking tendencies.

To put it another way, he had climbed to the absolute zenith of the Peak realm. At his current age, he would normally be categorized as a developing martial artist.

Had he been operating within the Central Plains, he surely would have been granted a moniker containing the word “dragon,” a distinction saved exclusively for the most supreme talents among the younger generation.

In perfect alignment with his astonishing martial advancement, his psychological need for validation had similarly reached its absolute apex.

Naturally, the single greatest attention-seeker in the entire Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was none other than his own father, Baek Un-hak, who served as the patriarch of the Baek Clan.

Regardless, Baek Cheon unceasingly bombarded the aggressive Orthodox Faction combatants rushing toward his position with a storm of sharp weapons, causing them to fall like severed leaves beneath his relentless pressure.

“Hahaha!”

For a fleeting second, Baek Cheon, entirely intoxicated by his own combat achievements, emitted a crazed laugh.

Clang!

An older Taoist effortlessly deflected the incoming projectiles with his blade and closed the distance to him in a mere heartbeat.

“Tch.”

Regardless of how spectacular Baek Cheon’s growth was for someone his age, the vast expanse of the Central Plains naturally contained formidable experts who had left the Peak realm far behind to ascend to greater heights, rendering this turn of events completely unavoidable.

Sinking under the heavy pressure of the Taoist’s calculated sword movements, Baek Cheon was instantly forced into a desperate defensive retreat, twisting and turning to avoid the strikes.

“Damn it-!!!”

Infuriated by his own miserable performance, Baek Cheon roared out just as the sharp edge of the Taoist’s sword lunged directly toward his fatal opening.

Clang!

A female warrior materialized out of thin air, intercepting the Taoist’s weapon with fingers that radiated a strange crimson vitality.

“Retreat for now, Young Master Baek.”

Uttering these words in a completely detached, professional manner, Hyeok-ryeon Seon-a stared down the older Taoist with a completely blank countenance.

The Taoist who had just been overwhelming Baek Cheon—a seasoned fighter at the primary Transcending realm who commanded the Martial Alliance’s Fierce Tiger Unit—was utterly incapable of masking his shock.

‘No matter how closely I observe her, she cannot be much older than twenty….’

His surprise stemmed from the fact that this young woman’s martial capability appeared completely impossible for her youth.

The young man from moments ago could easily pass for a dragon back in the Central Plains, but this woman had completely transcended the boundaries of a youthful prodigy.

‘This truly reveals the horrifying nature of unorthodox martial paths!’

Reinforced in his belief that the Demonic Cult required complete eradication, the commander of the Fierce Tiger Unit drove his blade forward once more.

His weapon struck hard against Hyeok-ryeon Seon-a’s blood-red fingertips, producing a deafening detonation, and she slipped through his rapid sequences of attacks with the swiftness of a feline before striking back.

Following a series of intense exchanges between the Fierce Tiger Unit commander and Hyeok-ryeon Seon-a, the precise moment he found a chance to bring his weapon down upon her, an object tore through the air toward him with incredible velocity.

‘A projectile from a bow!?’

Panicked, the commander of the Fierce Tiger Unit attempted to alter the path of his swing to intercept the incoming missile.

“!?”

Yet right before making contact with his blade, the arrow altered its course slightly, burying itself deep into his shoulder.

It had very nearly pierced through his heart, only missing the lethal spot by a hair’s breadth thanks to his quick bodily contortion.

“Ugh….”

As a low gasp escaped his lips from the searing agony radiating through his shoulder.

“Haah!”

A crimson-haired young woman who had swiftly closed the gap unleashed an unstoppable sequence of double palm strikes upon him.

…

“Phew.”

Ascertaining that Hyeok-ryeon Seon-a was successfully keeping the older Taoist at bay, Jeong Hyeon let out a breath of relief and readied another projectile on her bowstring.

From her vantage point keeping watch over the warzone from the rear lines, the present state of the engagement was absolute madness—a living purgatory.

Looking at the overall picture, the Demonic Cult maintained the upper hand.

Unorthodox techniques were structurally rapid to develop, and the forces assembled on this field comprised a premier vanguard chosen specifically because they had achieved a high tier of strength.

Yet, as the ancient wisdom goes, sheer numbers can overwhelm even the mightiest—the core issue was the enemy’s vast host.

They faced an opposition that outnumbered them by at least fivefold, and the Central Plains possessed a significant number of authentic masters.

A prime example was the Taoist who had just been driving back both Hyeok-ryeon Seon-a and Baek Cheon.

Jeong Hyeon found herself forced to continuously discharge arrows across the field to suppress these major hazards, but suddenly, her focus became completely fixed on a particular location.

It commenced with a subtle vibration.

Slash!

A sharp, flesh-parting echo cut right through the roar of the chaotic warzone, striking her acute hearing.

Slash!

Following the second echo, a soldier belonging to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was severed cleanly in half without the slightest resistance.

The devastation was being wrought by an older man who was brandishing a massive blade with a completely indifferent, weary look on his face.

This warrior was clad in dark attire that bore the distinctive characters for [Sky Cleaver].

Slash.

Each time this individual executed a stroke with his massive weapon, a disciple of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was split apart, along with whatever defensive tool they attempted to raise.

“Gulp.”

Swallowing hard at the gruesome display unfolding before her, Jeong Hyeon braced herself and aimed her ranged weapon directly at the executioner.

At that very moment.

Clang!

For the very first instance since he joined the fray, an individual successfully halted the older man’s blade.

“Oh?”

Only at this point did the warrior lose his look of boredom, looking at the female combatant standing before him with a trace of genuine curiosity.

“To think that the Demonic Cult possesses a woman of such caliber.”

Hearing the commentary from the Namgung Clan Head, Namgung Jin, the woman merely accumulated the freezing energy resting within her core with a completely static expression.

Observing her palms turn completely pale as ice, Namgung Jin remarked.

“The Bare Hand Demon Art, I see. This ought to provide a rather entertaining pastime.”

The moment the words left his mouth, Namgung Jin lunged toward Jin Ha-yeon, executing the Emperor Sword Form—the definitive technique belonging to the leader of the Namgung Clan.

The solitary strike, packed with overwhelming internal force, represented the absolute pinnacle of heavy bladed combat.

Boom!!!

Jin Ha-yeon, focusing her freezing internal force to its absolute limit, generated a defensive wall of energy to absorb the impact, yet the sheer force pounded her back by three full paces.

A thin stream of crimson was already dripping from the edge of her lips.

Scree!!

In the meantime, Jeong Hyeon capitalized on the brief vulnerability left by Namgung Jin’s massive swing and released a swift shot.

However, Namgung Jin casually brushed the projectile aside as if swatting away an insect, his expression turning irritated.

“Oh.”

It was only after swatting it down that Namgung Jin shifted a curious gaze toward Jeong Hyeon, cutting through the intervening masses to lock his eyes directly onto her position.

Her focus had been caught by the arrow’s sudden mid-flight correction.

The absolute precision required to knock down an arrow that could alter its path sent a shiver straight down Jeong Hyeon’s spine.

“Hahaha! Truly, unorthodox arts never fail to amuse. You people possess quite a collection of entertaining playthings!”

Uttering a prideful laugh, Namgung Jin broke his gaze away from Jeong Hyeon and brought his weapon down upon Jin Ha-yeon once more.

Jin Ha-yeon likewise gathered her internal reserves anew, extending both of her palms to intercept the incoming Emperor Sword Form.

Right before Namgung Jin’s heavy blade could connect with Jin Ha-yeon’s outstretched hands.

“Hah!”

Shedding his previous hubris, Namgung Jin’s features contorted in sudden panic as he released a sharp cry and threw his weight violently to the side.

Slash.

At that exact heartbeat, a quiet cutting sound echoed, and a line of crimson stained Namgung Jin’s battle attire.

Jin Ha-yeon offered a brief, respectful gesture of acknowledgment to Seo Wan-pyeong, who had suddenly emerged directly from Namgung Jin’s shadow.

Yet despite pulling off a successful surprise attack, Seo Wan-pyeong’s face remained grim.

“Tch.”

The issue was that Namgung Jin had managed to adjust at the final fraction of a second, preventing the strike from being fatal.

“You repulsive, underhanded killer!”

Furious, Namgung Jin immediately sealed the flow of blood from the gash on his flank and fixed a venomous stare on Seo Wan-pyeong.

Seo Wan-pyeong returned the gaze without flinching and shouted a directive to Jin Ha-yeon.

“Leave this opponent to me and go provide support elsewhere on the field.”

Jin Ha-yeon gave another firm nod and bounded off toward another section of the conflict.

“Hah. You honestly believe a pathetic shadow-stalker like yourself stands a chance against me?”

Ignoring Namgung Jin’s insulting query, Seo Wan-pyeong merely kept his quiet, analytical gaze fixed on his foe.

He understood perfectly well that attempting to defeat an elite combatant revered as the Sword Sovereign by himself was an incredibly daunting prospect.

“I shall hand your soul over to the King of Hell!”

Boom!

“Ugh….”

Evading desperately in every direction to survive the onslaught, Seo Wan-pyeong finally allowed their blades to meet once, resulting in a muffled groan escaping his throat.

‘As I anticipated.’

Had the initial stealth attack succeeded in ending his life, things would be different. However, an open, front-facing duel between a stealth specialist and a dedicated blade master was fundamentally skewed against the former.

Furthermore, while his own cultivation sat at the primary Profound realm, the man before him operated at a tier several levels higher.

He had deliberately stepped into the path of danger despite this reality for two specific reasons.

To begin with, if he failed to act, a vast number of Heavenly Demon Divine Cult disciples would be completely slaughtered by this singular force of nature.

And secondly.

‘I must constrain him here by any means necessary. That is my designated duty in this engagement.’

Because he held an absolute conviction that triumph would be theirs if he could merely prevent this warrior from moving freely.

‘Until our youngest martial brother returns after ending the life of the Alliance Leader!’

For there was no one else capable of such a feat besides Il-mok on this current field of war.

A single hour earlier, right at the inception of the hostilities.

Baek Cheon had fully expected to be the center of everyone’s focus, but in reality, a completely different figure had stolen the spotlight.

This shift occurred a mere moment after Baek Cheon had signaled his arrival with his barrage of flying daggers.

Slash.

Slash.

The rhythmic, repetitive sounds of parting flesh reverberated across the space, causing every warrior stationed along the rear lines to look toward a particular spot.

In that location stood a youthful blade wielder who was mechanically cutting down Orthodox Faction troops without a shred of emotion.

Inevitably, Alliance Leader Cheok Pae-myeong, who was directing the forces from the furthest rear command post, spotted his presence immediately.

“The living manifestation of Maitreya.”

This was his great adversary, an individual with whom he had exchanged martial strikes on two prior occasions.

In truth, during their initial encounter, the youth had been noticeably weaker than him. Yet in the span of a few brief years, this mysterious anomaly had completely closed the gap between them, and now here he stood.

Had it not been for the unique blade in the boy’s grip that radiated a sinister, unnatural aura, combined with the specific martial style he was using, the connection might have gone unnoticed.

Therefore, the Alliance Leader executed his advanced movement technique and shot forward toward the young warrior.

Observing the Alliance Leader sprint directly into the thick of the combat, Gongson Hyeon shouted out in deep anxiety.

“Alliance Leader!”

His concern did not stem merely from a desire to keep the man safe. Their overarching strategy required them to draw as many foes as possible into a fatal trap.

The members of the Jeonmyeong Clan were deliberately staying out of the fray, holding their positions in the rear just to observe.

If the supreme commander entangled himself at the very opening of the battle, there was a severe risk that the engagement would lose momentum before inflicting devastating casualties on the Orthodox forces.

Yet the Alliance Leader’s motivations operated on an entirely different wavelength.

“That particular individual cannot be permitted to leave this place alive.”

It was a profound certainty forged through decades of survival within the jianghu.

A primal premonition warning him that if this youth were not eliminated right now, he would inevitably transform into their greatest nightmare in the future.

“Haaaah!”

Breaching the absolute core of the warzone in a flash, the Alliance Leader brought his heavy staff down toward the youth.

Il-mok executed a swift arc with his Soaring Heaven Sword to meet the Alliance Leader’s sudden assault.

Clang!!

Blinding sparks erupted as the edged metal and heavy wood slammed together, and the eyes of Cheok Pae-myeong and Il-mok locked onto one another.

“Answer for your wicked deeds of causing suffering to the helpless populace, you young product of heresy!!”

Hearing the righteous condemnation from Alliance Leader Cheok Pae-myeong, a sharp smirk crept up one side of Il-mok’s mouth.

“It has been quite a while, Alliance Leader. Or perhaps it would be more fitting to address you as a servant of the Imperial throne?”