Chapter 381

A small laceration finally materialized on the flesh of the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi.

The remaining combatants, all legendary figures possessing incredible martial mastery, easily spotted the tiny tear in its armor-like skin.

“Don’t move!”

“Strike right there!”

As Il-mok was hurled through the air from the previous impact, the other five grandmasters leaped forward, each attempting to exploit the newly formed opening.

However, their lack of coordination turned into a disadvantage. Because they had never trained together in synchronized combat formations, their trajectories intersected chaotically as they rushed the exact same point.

“Graaaah!”

With their movements tangled up, the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi swung its massive right horn in a violent arc.

Boom!!

The warriors whose advances collided were forced to deploy their ultimate defensive martial arts to withstand the limb’s impact, yet they still sustained severe trauma to their internal organs and were blown backward.

Boom!!

Taking advantage of the chaotic scramble, Yang Mujia darted into the blind spot of the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi like an opportunistic hunter seizing another’s prey, lashing out with his blade toward the laceration. However, his steel edge merely deflected off the thick epidermis.

“Curse it!!”

Seizing upon this reckless assault, the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi opened its jaws wide, attempting to snap off Yang Mujia’s head. Fortunately, Crane King had managed to stay clear of the initial collision; he rapidly executed the final technique of the Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms, striking the beast across its jaw. The creature’s fangs barely missed Yang Mujia’s skull.

Pop.

Immediately after Yang Mujia—who had just narrowly escaped losing his upper half—used his high-level movement techniques to quickly back away, Il-mok projected his voice with full internal cultivation to address the group.

“Only my blade has the properties required to cut through this creature’s skin. I require your assistance, elders!”

Hearing Il-mok’s declaration, a humiliated Yang Mujia roared back in anger.

“You arrogant young demonic brat, who gave you the right to order us around?!”

Before Il-mok could defend himself against Yang Mujia’s wrath, the Tai Chi Sword Immortal intervened on his behalf.

“His assessment is likely correct! That weapon he holds shares its origins with the Blood Cult!”

“!?”

While Yang Mujia and others like Buljon, who were completely oblivious to the weapon’s history, stared in utter disbelief, Il-mok clarified further.

“The spirits of countless victims murdered by the Blood Cult are bound within this blade. I have forged a pact with these entities to eradicate the Blood Cult and lay their torments to rest.”

As Il-mok spoke, he rapidly vaulted to the side, narrowly evading a direct fist from the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi.

The rest of the martial artists were simultaneously engaged in a desperate struggle against the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi, making coherent dialogue nearly impossible.

“In that case, hand that weapon over to me! I will be the one to butcher this foul creature!!”

The moment Yang Mujia finished shouting his demand, the heavy fist of the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi flew straight toward his chest.

“Urk!! Move quickly!!”

Driven backward by the sheer force of the blow, Yang Mujia howled in pure frustration, but Il-mok gave a firm shake of his head.

“This blade selects its own master! We do not have the luxury in the heat of combat for these spirits to adapt to a different master!”

Before Yang Mujia could voice another retort to Il-mok’s refusal, Crane King boomed over the noise.

“Cease this bickering and rein in your pride! Do you honestly think this is the proper moment for an argument?!”

“You miserable beggar bastard, targeting me again!”

“Hah!!”

Before their conflict could escalate any further, Buljon released a thunderous Buddhist roar, cutting through the noise.

“Drop the useless chatter and tell us what you need us to do!”

“We might as well follow it. We were completely stuck anyway—surely we can handle a simple distraction, can we not, elders?”

The instant Hwangbo Ak finished his sentence, the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi shifted its weight and lunged straight for him.

Hwangbo Ak threw his body to the side, narrowly avoiding the incoming strike. Crane King, moving swiftly to provide backup, slammed his palms into the spine of the Jiangshi and yelled out.

“He speaks the truth! It makes no difference whether the Blood Cult Leader lives or perishes at this point anyway!”

In contrast to what Il-mok assumed, several of the masters had already independently arrived at the exact same conclusion. They had merely kept quiet about it, much like Il-mok had, to prevent the group’s determination from fracturing.

“Infinite blessings. We lose nothing by making the attempt, so there is no reason to hesitate.”

The Tai Chi Sword Immortal voiced his agreement and shifted his gaze toward Buljon, who gave a solemn nod while reciting a sacred mantra.

“Amitabha.”

With the rest of the group indicating their cooperation, Yang Mujia offered a gruff nod, his face twisted in annoyance.

“Fine, let us see if this method bears fruit.”

From that point forward, the five grandmasters altered their strategy to strictly contain and disrupt the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi’s movements.

Whenever they managed to freeze its positioning, Il-mok capitalized on the opening, lunging forward to drive his weapon into the creature’s lower torso.

Whiiiing.

With every thrust, the Ascending Heaven Sword emitted a resonant metallic hum, and the puncture wound expanded by mere fractions.

‘This is far too slow and draining.’

In comparison to the minimal progress being made on the wound, the expenditure of his inner vitality was becoming critical. At this current speed, before they could even breach the underbelly of the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi, one of the grandmasters would inevitably drop from pure exhaustion or a lapse in focus.

Crane King also perceived the impending danger, his voice rising in sheer exasperation.

“Dammit! If we are going to do this, then everyone pin down a specific limb! If you lack the capability to lock down a single leg or arm, you have no right to bear the title of the Twelve Heavenly Lords!”

Before Yang Mujia could even formulate a defensive retort to the insult, the Tai Chi Sword Immortal responded while watching the monster’s right limb swing toward his position.

“Very well, this old Taoist shall take responsibility for the beast’s right arm.”

Saying this, the Tai Chi Sword Immortal used his Pine Gate Ancient Sword to adhere to and redirect the right arm of the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi.

It was an incredible display of martial prowess. The Jiangshi contorted its frame violently to break free and swing its limb, but the sword remained completely attached. Every single second, as the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi altered the vector of its brute strength, the master adjusted his position to deflect the energy accordingly.

Because this technique demanded absolute focus and internal control, prominent veins and cords began to swell violently across the skin of the Tai Chi Sword Immortal, appearing as though they might rupture under the pressure.

At that exact moment, Buljon, who had successfully flanked the creature’s left side, called out.

“Then this monk shall take charge of the left arm. Amitabha.”

In contrast to the fluid, soft redirection utilized by the Tai Chi Sword Immortal, Buljon thrust out both of his palms to meet the left arm of the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi in a brutal display of sheer physical dominance, backed by the immense internal power of his Buddhist sect.

Even though he was countering only a single limb, thick veins began to bulge across Buljon’s entire physique as well.

“Then the left leg belongs to me!”

“Tch.”

Crane King threw himself forward into the fray, unleashing the power of the Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms to immobilize the left knee and foot of the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi. Yang Mujia, maintaining a sour expression, brought his heavy blade down with the force of a cleaver to anchor the monster’s right foot securely into the dirt.

As the four legendary masters completely bound the creature’s appendages, Il-mok made his move.

“Haaah!!”

Il-mok sprinted directly toward the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi with the absolute determination to end the confrontation, driving the Ascending Heaven Sword forward.

An aura of concentrated sword energy materialized around the tip of the Ascending Heaven Sword, hurtling straight into the existing laceration.

Boom!!

A deafening shockwave reverberated through the area—sounding less like tearing flesh and more like heavy iron plates colliding—while brilliant sparks erupted as the Ascending Heaven Sword slowly ground its way through the dense hide of the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi.

As the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi opened its mouth to unleash a deafening roar of fury, a colossal figure leaped onto its upper back. Hwangbo Ak, reinforcing his physical form with a dense layer of protective internal energy, reached around with both hands to clamp onto the creature’s jaw, pulling it backward with immense force. He did this to stifle any sonic roars and to keep it from snapping its teeth down on Il-mok.

With the five grandmasters successfully neutralizing every offensive option of the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi, Il-mok understood that this single window of opportunity would be their only chance at victory. He could easily perceive that the masters anchoring the limbs and skull were internalizing massive damage with every passing second.

Consequently, Il-mok channeled his remaining internal cultivation into the blade with absolute abandon, discarding all thoughts of self-preservation or dodging.

The sorrowful entities anchored within the Ascending Heaven Sword began to hum in unison, creating a piercing, agonizing screech of metal against the rigid skin of the Jiangshi.

Crack!

Ultimately, the Ascending Heaven Sword tore through the dense hide and underlying tissue, sinking deep into the creature’s midsection.

While this was a positive development, Il-mok could not help but clench his teeth in frustration.

‘No…’

The blade had only managed to penetrate a few inches deeper. To make matters worse, his internal reserves were nearly entirely depleted.

‘Is this where my strength fails me…?’

Just as that dark realization began to take root, the Ascending Heaven Sword emitted another powerful, resonant vibration. At that exact moment, an immense reservoir of external power began flowing backward through the hilt and into Il-mok’s body.

The Ascending Heaven Sword, now deeply wedged inside the internal organs of the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi, had started aggressively drawing out and consuming the creature’s underlying blood essence.

However, this influx of power was incredibly hazardous. The blood energy pulled from the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi was saturated with a profound, malevolent hatred that acted as a deadly toxin inside Il-mok’s meridians.

“Urk….”

As internal trauma mounted at an alarming rate, forcing iron-tasting blood up into his mouth, Il-mok braced himself to withstand the agony. In response, the Ascending Heaven Sword vibrated violently once more.

Stratingly, the resonance of the blade formed coherent thoughts that mirrored human speech within his mind.

—We shall support your effort.

—We can perceive their suffering! The agonizing cries of thousands encased within this abomination!

—Grant them liberation from this wretched confinement!

These were the collective thoughts of the sorrowful spirits bound to the Ascending Heaven Sword—those who had been slaughtered in Pyeongryang County, alongside those who had nearly been sacrificed to empower the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi within the treacherous trap at the Sacheon Secret Cave.

Simultaneously, a transformation took place.

—This warrior fights for your salvation!

—Unite your strength with ours to assist him!!

Answering the calls of the spirits within the weapon, the corrupted blood essence drawn from the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi began to cleanse itself as it entered the sword.

The purified energy flowing from the Ascending Heaven Sword traveled smoothly through his energy pathways, merging with his own cultivation. Re-energized, Il-mok manifested a fresh layer of sword aura and continued to force the weapon deeper.

Crack!!

This time, the Ascending Heaven Sword cut significantly further into the core of the monster.

Predictably, an even greater torrent of raw energy surged back into the weapon, causing the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi to thrash with terrifying strength in its final death throes.

“Urgh….”

“Infinite blessings….”

“Ami… tabha.”

“Finish it this instant!!”

The warriors locking down its appendages felt the immense pressure of this final, desperate struggle, shouting out as they used every ounce of their remaining strength to hold the line.

The Ascending Heaven Sword was undergoing its own crisis; as the massive influx of energy grew, it vibrated at a frantic pitch, working tirelessly to filter the corrupted essence.

—He is your deliverer!!

—Lend him your remaining power, Savior!

—Deliver us from this nightmare!!

“Uwaaaaaah!!”

Crack!!

Accompanied by Il-mok’s desperate shout, the Ascending Heaven Sword finally tore completely through the torso of the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi, its blood-stained tip emerging from the creature’s spine.

Yet, Il-mok refused to relax his grip. Keeping the blade embedded within the monster, he continued to pump the newly converted energy directly into the weapon, causing the sword aura to expand exponentially from within.

Managing such a colossal volume of external power, forcing it through his physical meridians, and reshaping the sword aura placed a terrifying strain on his consciousness. Despite a blinding pain tearing through his mind and his energy pathways crying out under the immense pressure, Il-mok pressed on.

Ultimately, the radiant energy shards exploding from Il-mok’s Ascending Heaven Sword began to completely obliterate the internal structure of the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi.

Immediately after, Hwangbo Ak, who was still gripping the back of the beast, felt a sudden shift and his eyes widened in sheer astonishment.

‘Are those… spirits…?’

As he stood momentarily transfixed by the unprecedented phenomenon occurring before him, the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi suddenly emitted a final, piercing shriek.

“Kraaaaaah!!”

This particular cry was entirely devoid of the murderous, corrupted intent it had previously possessed.

Hearing the unfamiliar echoes originating from above, Il-mok lifted his gaze toward the sky.

—Our gratitude belongs to you, Deliverer.

—Even across the cycles of rebirth, we shall remember this benevolence.

Though his perception was faltering due to extreme physical trauma and psychological burnout, Il-mok could distinctly observe the ethereal forms.

Thousands of liberated spirits were streaming out from the mouth, nostrils, ears, and eyes of the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi, drifting upward into the air. Every single entity paused to bow deeply toward him, their expressions finally radiating peace, offering a parting silent greeting before fading into the distance.

These lingering spirits, typically perceptible only to spiritual mediums, had gathered in such incredible density that even the remaining grandmasters could faintly discern their outlines.

Witnessing this miraculous spectacle, the grandmasters who were still restraining the unmoving shell of the Heavenly Blood Jiangshi lowered their guards, completely spellbound, their eyes fixed on the open sky above.