Chapter 380

“Heh heh heh.”

The Blood Cult Leader cackled wildly, shaking the staff in his hand like a madman.

The curse bells hanging from the staff jingled with every movement, their chimes blending with his laughter to create an eerie atmosphere.

The Blood Cult Leader was utterly delighted in this moment.

‘As expected, the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi is invincible!!!’

The Heavenly Blood Jiangshi under his control was overwhelming no less than six absolute masters.

The weapons, fists, palms, and kicks they unleashed couldn’t pierce its hide, and every time it swung its limbs, they barely endured while suffering internal injuries.

On top of that, there was one more piece of delightful news.

“To think there are this many new vessels ready for a Heavenly Blood Jiangshi!!”

Only the bodies of warriors who had successfully undergone bone refinement and reached the profound realm could serve as materials for a Heavenly Blood Jiangshi.

And right here, seven such materials remained.

That was even after excluding Alliance Leader Cheok Pae-myeong’s corpse. It had been drained of all its vital energy to create the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi, leaving it shriveled like a dried corpse.

But he felt no regret over Cheok Pae-myeong’s body.

If he won this battle, massacred martial artists, and then used their blood to forge seven more Heavenly Blood Jiangshi…

Slash!

“Gaaah!!”

A slicing sound followed by a scream.

Turning his head, the Blood Cult Leader saw one of his Blood Cult sorcerers lying bisected, collapsing pitifully.

The man who had sliced him was cutting down every sorcerer in his path as he advanced toward the Blood Cult Leader.

The final vessel fit for a Heavenly Blood Jiangshi-the head of the Nangong family, known as the Sword Lord.

“Tch.”

Snapping out of his pleasant imaginings, the Blood Cult Leader clicked his tongue lightly and lowered the staff he’d been waving so excitedly.

“Raaargh!!”

At his command, the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi let out a roar filled with murderous intent and began flailing its limbs like a berserker.

Even without the Blood Cult Leader’s control, the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi wasn’t some lifeless wooden puppet standing idle.

Composed of curses, grudges, and killing intent, it was a jiangshi that would slaughter every living being in sight if left unchecked.

The Blood Cult Leader’s role in controlling it was mainly to distinguish friend from foe.

At most, it was to guide it into fighting more efficiently.

‘I might have to sacrifice a few vessels.’

Freed from control, the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi might tear those six masters into a thousand pieces.

Even for the Blood Cult Leader, using mangled corpses as jiangshi material was impossible.

So, he pulled a talisman from his sleeve and began chanting a spell toward Nangong Jin.

He needed to deal with the Sword Lord as quickly as possible and regain control of the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi.

There was a risk that the remaining vessels would all shatter, or worse, the rampaging Heavenly Blood Jiangshi would slaughter him and his sorcerers indiscriminately.

Finishing the chant, the Blood Cult Leader hurled the talisman.

It was made from human skin processed in the Blood Cult’s manner, and the red characters drawn on it were human blood refined through their sorcery.

“Bind and suppress with urgent command!”

“What foul sorcery is this?!”

Nangong Jin unleashed the Emperor King Sword Form once more, but the Blood Cult Leader’s spell ignored his intent and pressed on.

Boom!

A deafening roar erupted as the spirit, jaws wide to devour Nangong Jin, clashed with his Soaring Heaven Sword.

Even infused with sword force, the Soaring Heaven Sword failed to shatter the spell instantly.

Originally, the Blood Cult Leader’s sorcery didn’t possess such potent power.

The talisman itself harbored immense energy and grudges, amplifying its might in resonance with his own force.

But Nangong Jin paid it no mind.

He swung his Soaring Heaven Sword repeatedly at the spirit, regarding it like a filthy insect.

Boom!!

The clashes repeated several times with thunderous booms. The spirit began fading under the pressure of the Emperor King Sword Form.

However, while Nangong Jin focused on destroying the spirit, the Blood Cult Leader had already drawn another ritual tool from his sleeve to prepare a new spell.

“Heh heh heh. Let’s see how long you can hold out.”

Having staked his life on this venture, the Blood Cult Leader, like the other Blood Cult sorcerers, had brought every ritual tool prepared over decades.

Tools forged in secret by massacring innocent commoners and martial artists, refining their blood-they amplified his sorcery.

“You filthy worm, how dare you.”

Nangong Jin spat disdainfully, but the Blood Cult Leader’s successive powerful spells kept him at bay.

As Nangong Jin struggled to fend off the sorcery, someone else charged at the Blood Cult Leader from the side.

“Die!!”

It was the Clear Wood True Person.

But he exuded a different air than usual.

Gone was the pure aura of the elderly Daoist. Nor was there the tormented expression he’d worn when entangled with the Maitreya Illuminating Cult or upon learning its truth.

‘Even if it costs my life, I’ll kill that bastard!’

His eyes were bloodshot red, and though he wielded Daoist swordsmanship, his blade carried nothing but killing intent.

The prime culprit behind the Sacheon Flying Fox Blood Massacre: the Blood Cult. Dozens of Mount Qingcheng disciples had been forced to slaughter one another.

And now, that nightmare replayed here, so it was no wonder his eyes had rolled back in rage.

…not everything could be resolved by…

Boom!!

The Clear Wood True Person’s sword, thick with murderous intent, was blocked by a red energy barrier before the Blood Cult Leader.

“I’ll tear you to shreds!!”

Roaring in fury, the Clear Wood True Person swung relentlessly, but the Blood Cult Leader merely sneered and drew another ritual tool.

“Blood spirit, divine light spirit, summon resentful ghost, blood lord origin, bind and suppress with urgent command!”

As he shook a blood-soaked bell and chanted, a fierce blood-red gale howled toward the Clear Wood True Person.

“Argh!!”

Roaring back, the Clear Wood True Person flailed his sword like a madman but couldn’t block it entirely.

In an instant, pushed back several zhang, his robes tore in places, blood seeping from the gashes.

Boom!

At that moment, Nangong Jin shattered the spell and stomped forward, launching himself at the Blood Cult Leader.

The Blood Cult Leader clicked his tongue and drew yet another tool, unleashing sorcery at Nangong Jin.

While the Blood Cult Leader focused on Nangong Jin.

Screeech!

Suddenly, a chilling whoosh accompanied a short spear hurtling toward him at tremendous speed.

Startled, the Blood Cult Leader hastily formed an energy barrier with sorcery, barely deflecting it.

Boom!!

Amid the roar, the spear lost momentum and clattered to the ground.

“You bitch!!”

Nearly killed by the surprise attack, the Blood Cult Leader bellowed and chanted at Jeong-hyeon.

The new talisman he flung responded, forming a bolt in the air that plummeted toward her.

But Jin Ha-yeon had already reached Jeong-hyeon’s side, erecting an ice wall infused with 阴寒之气 to somehow withstand the blood lightning.

Only now did the Blood Cult Leader, who had been fixated on the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi and Nangong Jin, take in the battlefield.

Nearly half his Blood Cult sorcerers lay dead. Freed up somewhat, the others were now converging on him one by one.

“The Heavenly Blood Jiangshi?”

Anxious, he wanted to check the direction of the ceaseless explosions, but he had no time to turn.

Thud!

Nangong Jin had shattered another spell and charged again.

No, not just Nangong Jin.

“Fall to hell!!”

The blood-soaked Clear Wood True Person was blindly rushing at him once more.

While the Blood Cult Leader faced a pincer attack from Nangong Jin, the Clear Wood True Person, Jin Ha-yeon, and Jeong-hyeon.

Zhuge Mun, watching, bellowed with inner force toward the rear.

“The Blood Cult Leader will fall soon! Hold on just a bit longer!!”

It was meant to rally those blocking the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi, but it had little effect.

“Damn it.”

“That thing truly is a monster.”

The six absolute masters facing the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi all wore expressions of dread or fury.

“Now’s not the time to admire it!!”

Yang Muja, the only one with a face twisted in rage, roared again and swung his sword wrapped in blazing Yang force.

Not to attack the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi.

As he shouted, he urgently swung to block its sudden punch.

Boom!!

“You mangy dog!!”

Huangbo Eok’s fist hammered its back, Il-mok’s Soaring Heaven Sword targeted its abdomen. The Taiji Sword Immortal blocked its second attack on Yang Muja with Taiji Swordsmanship, while the Leg King and Fire Venerable aimed palms at its left arm and head.

Boom!!

Explosions rang out simultaneously.

“Raaargh!!”

The Heavenly Blood Jiangshi roared again, thick demonic energy rippling, forcing them back a step or two.

Absurdly, every attacker had blood trickling from their mouths.

Whether blocking or striking the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi, they always took damage.

They weren’t killing it-they were barely buying time.

Their only hope was enduring until the Blood Cult Leader died, as Zhuge Mun said.

But Il-mok vaguely sensed it. Time alone wouldn’t change anything.

‘…Its movements have changed at some point.’

He knew instinctively: it was already free of the Blood Cult Leader’s control.

Yet it attacked them flawlessly, so even if the leader died, nothing would change.

He kept it to himself-voicing it would only shatter morale.

A despairing situation, but Il-mok clung to a thread of hope.

Not blind optimism without a plan.

Boom!!

The six masters and Heavenly Blood Jiangshi clashed again briefly.

Clang!!

Seizing an opening, Il-mok thrust his Soaring Heaven Sword, wreathed in energy flames, at its abdomen.

Exactly the same spot as before, without deviation.

The moment the Soaring Heaven Sword met the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi’s hide, tougher than millennium iron.

Whiiing.

The sword in Il-mok’s hand vibrated fiercely, emitting a sword cry. As if resonating with the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi’s energy.

The Heavenly Blood Jiangshi lashed out with uncontrolled, it resembled an animal’s primal instinct.

His internal injuries worsened, blood trickling from his mouth.

‘As I thought.’

Instead of dread, Il-mok’s eyes gleamed as he stared at the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi.

On its abdomen, where the Soaring Heaven Sword had grazed.

A tiny scratch had formed.