Chapter 412

Chapter 412

Chapter 412: Old Body (2)

“Pay close attention, you mindless simpletons who have allowed yourselves to be tricked by those unholy demonic heretics!!!”

The piercing exclamation of the skeletal elderly figure, rising up from the base of Yungjung Mountain, sent profound shivers cascading down the backs of the warriors currently stationed at the Zhuge Clan estate as they braced for the impending clash.

Even from a physical distance so immense that human forms could not be distinguished without channeling inner energy to enhance one’s vision, the ancient monk’s declaration pierced cleanly into their senses.

“Any individual who abandons the heights right this moment and surrenders unconditionally will be granted the infinite benevolence of the Buddha! This stands as your final opening—those who reject the benevolence of the Buddha shall be cast down into the depths of purgatory!”

The elderly monastic delivered his sermon in the manner of a schoolmaster punishing undisciplined children, yet the warriors arrayed across the mountain crest primarily cast their gazes around the perimeter with highly strained countenances.

At that exact second, the Taiji Sword Sage forcibly suppressed the suffocating pressure and projected his voice downward.

“For what reason do you assert that we have been misled by the heretical forces, Senior? The ones who have been completely blinded are your own forces! The imperial court’s treacherous—”

“Silence!!!”

Before the Taiji Sword Sage could articulate his final thought, the elderly monk unleashed his devastating lion’s roar once again.

The kinetic force behind the shout was so severe that the surrounding flora and timber at the base of Yungjung Mountain instantly shattered into splinters.

“How dare you attempt to mislead my senses with such juvenile, sophisticated word games! Observing your faction, which ought to be dedicating its existence to pursuing the Dao, engage in such manipulative semantics, it is blindingly obvious that Wudang has surrendered its soul entirely to the heretical demons!!”

The ancient monastic conducted himself as though every conclusion had been set in stone long before his arrival. Taking in this display, the Left Protector of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult let out a dry, low laugh and whispered.

“It appears the Central Plains possesses its own share of obstinate old relics.”

Having ascended to the absolute peak of their respective disciplines, every master present was hyper-aware of the old monk’s terrifying spiritual weight.

The Left Protector had deliberately injected that bit of dark humor to break the paralyzing dread that was beginning to seep into his physical frame. Dispelling the heavy tension, the Left Protector focused his gaze downward toward the old monk with an unwavering expression.

‘…I had convinced myself it was nothing more than theatrical bluster.’

This individual was an authentic, terrifying force of nature.

And that precise force of nature had just dictated their collective execution.

“Given that you have all chosen to align your fates with the heretical demons, on this day I shall personally set aside my monastic vows against the taking of life!”

Bellowing his declaration as though he were an executioner sent from the underworld, the ancient monk initiated his ascent toward Yungjung Mountain.

In perfect alignment with a physical state that looked as though it required a walking aid at any second, the elderly monastic advanced with unhurried, measured strides.

Nonetheless, every single time his foot exerted pressure against the earth, the physical fabric of space appeared to fold inward, launching his body forward by several dozen strides in the blink of an eye.

The entire assembly watched in paralyzed amazement at the unnatural spectacle, where the physical effort expended failed to correspond with the impossible distance covered.

“Disciples of Shaolin, surge forward in the wake of the Ancestor Master!!”

The Shaolin Abbot finally recovered his wits after a brief delay and bellowed his command, prompting the monastic warriors of Shaolin to sprint toward the slopes of Yungjung Mountain. Peng Mu-yeol’s countenance turned a deep crimson as he added his voice immediately after.

“Warriors of House Peng, advance behind me!!”

With Peng Mu-yeol’s battle cry serving as the definitive green light, the vast army of martial artists commenced a synchronized charge up the slopes of Yungjung Mountain.

In the midst of this movement, the ancient monk who had initiated the charge had already crossed the halfway mark of the peak.

The Right Protector shifted his gaze away from the advancing monastic and directed his words toward the instructors of the Demonic Cult.

“It appears our best course of action is to execute the strategy proposed by the leader of the Zhuge Clan.”

The Left Protector, alongside Hyeokryeon Cheon-gang and Yeom Ga-hwi, all signaled their consensus with firm nods.

Within that minuscule window of time, the elderly monk covered the remaining distance at an incredible velocity. The Four Great Protectors of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult vaulted over the massive stone barriers that served as the defensive perimeter of the Zhuge Clan, throwing themselves directly into his path.

The ancient monk extended his right arm, which had previously been resting behind his spine, executing a motion that resembled dismissing an annoying insect.

The consequence of that basic physical gesture proved to be anything but basic.

An immense burst of golden spiritual energy, perfectly mirroring the contours of the old monk’s palm, erupted into existence and hurtled toward the Four Great Protectors.

Hyeokryeon Cheon-gang and the Left Protector narrowly managed to split left and right to escape the concussive palm strike, which possessed enough raw power to obliterate four master fighters simultaneously. Meanwhile, the Right Protector and Yeom Ga-hwi launched themselves skyward to bypass the attack, instantly cocking their arms to unleash a counter-barrage of blade-gang and fist-gang.

“So you are the heretical deviants hailing from the Demonic Cult.”

In that identical fragment of time, the old monk’s spiritual resonance underwent a fundamental transformation.

A grand, overwhelming Buddhist energy saturated the entire environment, drowning out all other presences and imposing a crushing physical weight directly upon the Four Great Protectors.

Despite its undeniable identity as pure Buddhist spiritual energy, it did not convey the enlightened peace of the Buddha bearing down upon them. Instead, it manifested as the raw, existential dread experienced by a defenseless creature cornered by an apex predator.

Nevertheless, the Four Great Protectors, having individual reached the sublime state of unity with heaven and earth, refused to break under the immense weight.

A sound of grinding teeth echoed.

Locking their jaws tight, the four masters extracted raw internal reserves from their lower dantians, managing by sheer force of will to withstand the old monk’s oppressive aura through the deployment of their own dark demonic qi.

Refusing to grant them a single moment of recovery, the ancient monastic initiated a lightning-fast offensive.

A massive boom resonated!

Hyeokryeon Cheon-gang, who barely succeeded in positioning his weapon to intercept the old monk’s effortless strike, let out a sharp grunt as he was sent sailing backward through the air.

“Urk…”

Simultaneously, the remaining three masters broke free from the old monk’s spiritual suppression and directed their respective armaments toward his form.

The elderly monk slipped past the Left Protector’s incoming blade with an absolute economy of motion, subsequently neutralizing the Right Protector’s slashing saber and Yeom Ga-hwi’s incoming strike utilizing his left and right palms.

Even while single-handedly suppressing two high-level adversaries at once, the ancient monk’s facial expression remained completely tranquil.

In stark contrast, the countenances of the Right Protector and Yeom Ga-hwi, who had committed the full force of their saber and fist strikes, turned intensely crimson, looking as though their veins might rupture at any second.

Their muscular structures shrieked under the strain, and a profound internal disruption signaled that they would soon be coughing up blood.

“Haat!”

The Left Protector, whose initial offensive had failed to connect, let out a sharp cry and unleashed a follow-up slash with his blade.

Confronted by the Left Protector’s weapon, which was currently radiating a brilliant, razor-sharp sword-gang, the elderly monk—maintaining his dual-palm defensive position—executed a swift, backward-directed kick using his left leg.

Another boom echoed!

“Guh…”

A sharp detonation rent the air as the Left Protector was flung backward. In the precise microsecond that the ancient monk concentrated his focus on that target, the Right Protector and Yeom Ga-hwi managed to pull back with great difficulty.

As the old monk renewed his charge toward the Right Protector and Yeom Ga-hwi, a sudden projectile of energy-gang zipped toward his unguarded spine.

The elderly monastic let out a dismissive breath and redirected the incoming energy casually with his left palm, mirroring the motion of brushing away a common gnat.

Spinning around, his eyes fell upon Hyeokryeon Cheon-gang, who had been the initial warrior discarded from the clash, desperately re-engaging the fight while unleashing a sweeping wave of energy-gang.

Deprived of even a single second to clear the crimson stain from his lips, blood painted his jawline, yet his gaze burned with an unyielding ferocity. He channeled his internal demonic qi entirely into his weapon, projecting a dark, menacing sword-gang as he closed the distance utilizing high-level lightness skill.

In the moments that followed, the Four Great Protectors deliberately covered each other’s vulnerabilities whenever one found himself in mortal danger, just barely enduring the relentless pressure of the old monk’s offensive.

However, they were merely surviving—nothing beyond that. To put it more accurately, they were simply managing to avoid death for the time being. They were being systematically forced backward without pause.

At that precise juncture, a booming command echoed from their rear.

“Assist the Ancestor Master in wiping these heretical demons from the face of the earth!!”

It was the main body of Shaolin monastics entering the battlefield directly behind the path cleared by the old monk.

Yet, they were blocked from rendering assistance.

“Primeval Lord of Heaven. Defying our boundaries means your forces shall not take a single step forward.”

The forces of Wudang, having poured out from the defensive perimeter of the Zhuge Clan estate, stood firm to sever Shaolin’s path.

Recognizing that words were entirely useless at this stage, the Taoist swordsmen of Wudang and the monastic fighters of Shaolin threw themselves at one another.

Spearheading the respective charges were Wudang’s renowned Taiji Sword Sage and Shaolin’s formidable Vajra.

A radiant golden energy-gang shimmering across Vajra’s knuckles bore down heavily upon the Taiji Sword Sage, whose blade continuously carved fluid circular patterns through the air to redirect the kinetic force. In the immediate vicinity, agonizing shrieks and battle cries from the disciples of both Wudang and Shaolin filled the air without intermission.

Right at that critical juncture, a thunderous roar erupted from the rear of the valley.

“Execute every single one of those long-nosed Wudang hypocrites!!”

The voice belonged to Peng Mu-yeol.

As the forces of Shaolin and Wudang locked in combat, the combatants of House Peng smashed directly into the melee, gradually forcing the Taoist swordsmen of Wudang to give ground.

Relying heavily on their legendary defensive sword techniques, the Wudang combatants barely managed to hold their defensive wall.

Observing the elite masters of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and now the swordsmen of Wudang being steadily overwhelmed, the Leader of the Zhuge Clan pivoted his attention to evaluate a different sector of the conflict.

“How dare these self-righteous hypocrites combine forces to victimize members of the beggar brotherhood!!”

“Hmph. Before this day concludes, I shall completely erase one of the Nine Great Sects from existence on this very spot.”

In a separate quadrant, the Beggars’ Sect’s renowned Staff King had integrated his strength with the senior masters of Wudang to halt the advance of the Mount Heng Sect.

“Hmph. Do you honestly believe a collection of impoverished beggars and pampered academics possesses the ability to stall my advance?”

The Leader of the Zhuge Clan tracked the movements of the minor and mid-sized martial schools skirting the boundaries of Yungjung Mountain, alongside his own allied detachments moving to cut them off, and then unleashed a deafening command.

“Commence operations!”

In immediate response to the Zhuge Clan Leader’s signal, a piercing flare shot skyward from the heart of the Zhuge Clan compound, leaving a trail of rising smoke.

Mystical practitioners who had been concealed and waiting in strategic positions across Yungjung Mountain began reciting their incantations the moment the signal appeared.

The Leader of the Zhuge Clan had intentionally delayed this action until the opposing army had advanced deep into the geography of Yungjung Mountain.

The strategy was to entice them into the interior, subsequently maximizing the lethality of their pre-arranged tactical formations and automated mechanical hazards.

Shortly thereafter, the various mystical arrays established throughout Yungjung Mountain flickered to life, locking together to convert the entire geography into a colossal, multi-layered death trap.

Agonized screams and guttural groans erupted from adversaries caught in the teeth of the automated traps in every direction, while the disoriented cries of individuals caught within the sensory illusions of the formations echoed through the passes.

A sound of tearing flesh cut through the din!

Those caught in the psychological traps began slaughtering their own comrades, or fell helplessly to the blades of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult coalition, who navigated the terrain safely by utilizing their knowledge of the formations’ safe zones.

“Argh! You treacherous, underhanded cowards!!”

Elder Yang of Two Mysteries bellowed in absolute fury, his face turning a dark purple as he witnessed his personal pupils being pathetically slaughtered within the mystical arrays.

Namgung Jin directed a look of intense revulsion at the frontline warriors of the Zhuge Clan who were obstructing his path.

Taken individually, they were unremarkable opponents, yet he found himself unable to easily shatter their defensive line.

Reinforced by the grand arrays of Yungjung Mountain, which had been intricately woven directly into their collective sword configurations, the Zhuge martial artists were operating at several times their authentic physical capacity.

Wudang, heavily supported by the active formations and hidden hazards, managed to withstand the combined physical pressure of Shaolin and House Peng with relative ease.

The high-level masters managed to navigate the chaos, but the average tier of warriors were systematically neutralized by the combinations of arrays and mechanisms without offering any meaningful counter-performance.

Yet, despite the grand engagement progressing precisely in accordance with his pre-war calculations, the Leader of the Zhuge Clan did not display a look of satisfaction.

A massive detonation echoed!!!

Instead, his gaze turned intensely serious as he focused on the origin point of a colossal shockwave.

The exact sector where the ancient monk was currently trading blows with the elite masters of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

That specific quadrant had been outfitted with numerous specialized arrays designed to tilt the odds in their favor.

The high-level Cult combatants had not simply been pushed backward without a plan—they had intentionally guided the elderly monastic to that exact destination from the very beginning of the engagement.

Another boom echoed!

“Insignificant parlor tricks!”

Uttering his remark with a contemptuous snort, the ancient monk proceeded to pulverize his immediate environment with every single swing of his limbs, utterly laying waste to the terrain and causing the spiritual structures of the arrays to shudder violently.

Even with the most capable masters of the Cult actively resisting his movements, he dismantled the complex arrays with zero visible exertion.

“Shatter!!!”

Accompanied by the old monk’s definitive, thunderous lion’s roar, the already fractured mystical arrays dissolved into nothingness.

It stood as a physical demonstration that minor tactical maneuvers were completely irrelevant when confronted by absolute, peerless dominance.

The ancient monastic, entirely unmarked by the clash and with golden spiritual power rippling across his physical frame, caused the Left and Right Protectors to lock eyes in total silence.

As individuals who had survived countless mortal engagements, they understood the reality of the situation perfectly.

Should this confrontation maintain its current trajectory, that solitary old monk possessed the capacity to reduce their entire strategic plan to ashes.

This statement applied not merely to the immediate engagement taking place on Yungjung Mountain.

‘Had our Cult Leader Wi Jin-hak managed to bring the Heavenly Demon Divine Art to its absolute zenith, there might be a chance. As things stand currently, however, even the Cult Leader would fall short against this opponent.’

The elderly monastic was an anomaly operating on an entirely separate tier of existence.

For a brief flash of time, mental images of their departed Supreme One materialized within their consciousness.

If only he were present to wield his blade.

However, that wave of sentimentality proved short-lived.

‘We cannot stand by and allow the grand domain that the Supreme One sacrificed his entire existence to build be reduced to cinders.’

‘Even if the price required is our absolute destruction.’

Capitalizing on the exact microsecond the ancient monk demolished the active arrays, the Left and Right Protectors synchronized their physical movements perfectly.

A rapid succession of soft punctures resonated.

Merely moments after driving their fingers into their own vital spiritual acupoints, a torrent of incredibly volatile internal energy erupted from the depths of their beings.

A surge of vibrant life force, making them feel as though they had suddenly regained decades of lost youth, saturated their internal pathways.

This was a variant of the forbidden Reverse Blood Great Law, a technique that violently unleashed an individual’s latent potential for the duration of a single stick of incense. Once that brief window closed, absolute demise was guaranteed.

Given their advanced ages, which hovered near the century mark, their physical bodies might fail to endure even that standard duration—they would perhaps survive for less than fifteen minutes.

Consequently, they lacked the luxury of misplaying a single second of the remaining time.

“Haat!!”