Chapter 417

Chapter 417: The State of the War (1)

As clarity returned to the senses of those present, eyes gravitated once more toward the epicenter of the blast, where an immense crater had been gouged into the earth.

Throughout a wide expanse stretching across dozens of yards from the pit, every form of life had been utterly wiped out, leaving only the Radiant Left Emissary, Il-mok, standing amidst the desolation.

‘H-He has ascended to the level of a deity…’

While the defense forces of Shaanxi remained paralyzed with astonishment at the sight of more than a thousand adversaries being disintegrated in an instant,

A thunderous war cry split the air around them.

“Waaaaah!!”

“Lord God!!!”

The combatants from Gansu roared in fanatical admiration, deeply moved by this miraculous exhibition of power.

Directly following that.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The rhythmic beating of war drums began to echo continuously from atop the fortress barriers.

The Regional Commander had given the immediate directive.

‘There is no questioning that the blinding flash served as the agreed token…’

Remembering the Left Emissary’s assurance that he would unleash a signal of undeniable magnificence, the Regional Commander wasted no time in executing his role.

Moving in perfect synchronization with the percussion, the freshly inspired troops readied their projectiles simultaneously.

With the subsequent crash of the drums, a massive volley of arrows was launched into the heavens all at once.

Swoooosh.

“Gaaah!!”

Agonized shrieks tore through the ranks of the opposing army everywhere.

Clink!

Il-mok deflected stray arrows with rapid movements of his Ascension Sword.

It appeared a few of the marksmen had miscalculated their trajectories.

After warding off the incoming projectiles, Il-mok clenched his jaw tight.

He realized that letting his focus slip for even a fraction of a second might cause him to expectorate blood.

Naturally, this internal strain had nothing to do with the stray arrows.

‘Must I endure this agonizing toll during every defensive engagement?’

This was the lingering consequence of executing the World-Ending Soul Jade Palm.

Owing to relentless self-discipline and multiple actual combats, he no longer sustained internal harm solely from directing the spheres of energy.

The issue lay in the fact that no companion was present to shield him from the subsequent shockwave of the blast, a task Jin Ha-yeon had previously managed on his behalf.

Even so, he could not afford to display any vulnerability.

“Waaaaah!”

The supportive cheers of his comrades resonating across the battlefield would instantly dissipate like a illusion if he showed any sign of collapsing.

Suppressing his twisting entrails, Il-mok activated his movement techniques and sprinted directly into the fray.

Rip!

As the Ascension Sword sliced through and impaled the physical frames of the enemy, its edge actively drew in their vital essence.

‘Is it wise to drink in more of this energy?’

A sudden doubt emerged within Il-mok’s mind.

The reserve of genuine qi remaining within his lower dantian was depleted. Prior to launching the World-Ending Soul Jade Palm, he had repeatedly relied on Void-Step, and subsequently absorbing the brunt of the detonation had taken a heavy toll on his reserves.

-Hahaha! That’s it, let your fury overflow entirely! Saturate your cravings with the life fluid of your adversaries!!

The malignant influence tied to the Explosive Soul Demon Net Sword Art abruptly intensified.

Because his mastery over the Explosive Soul Demon Net Sword Art had advanced a fraction, the allure of the voice made it easy for Il-mok to dismiss his reservations.

‘Regain your senses!’

He refused to succumb to the deceptive machinations of the technique’s corruption.

Furthermore, drawing in an excessive amount of vital essence brought the hazard of attracting malevolent phantoms—an outcome that would prove disadvantageous in the end.

The ethereal entities residing within his Ascension Sword consisted primarily of souls originating from the Blood Cult.

This explained why they accepted Il-mok as their rightful commander, given that he was the individual responsible for annihilating the Thousand Blood Corpses and breaking the Blood Cult.

Allowing the vengeful apparitions of his current victims to accumulate within the weapon could invite severe complications down the road.

‘With two separate entities already creating turmoil within my consciousness, I will be in absolute peril if the weapon undergoes a transformation as well.’

Maintaining this strict internal vigilance, Il-mok continued to wield his Ascension Sword, while from the high battlements of An River Fortress, a relentless downpour of arrows persisted.

“Are we simply going to stand by and let the Left Emissary fight alone!!”

A collection of martial artists threw themselves from the high walls, diving headlong into the hostile ranks.

At the forefront of this charge were Hwang Bo-ak and Jin Ha-yeon, with the most capable combatants of both the Hwangbo family and the Demonic Cult following closely behind.

Only individuals possessing elite mastery ventured down—any warrior of mediocre standing would simply face an unnecessary death from the indiscriminate trajectories of friendly projectiles.

“Haat!”

Hwang Bo-ak, enveloped in a protective barrier of internal force, plowed through the opposition like a heavy war wagon, flattening anyone in his path. Meanwhile, Jin Ha-yeon slipped forward without a sound, leaving frozen corpses in her wake.

Following in their path of destruction, notable figures like Hwang Bo-yeon—celebrated as Fist Peak—and Hyeok-ryeon Seon-a finished off the surviving hostiles.

Observing that the immediate vicinity had been cleared of opposition, Il-mok redirected his attention toward the primary encampment of the enemy.

Whether this was the result of capturing absolute control of the battlefield through the World-Ending Soul Jade Palm, or because the advance unit they dispatched had been wiped out with such embarrassing ease, the main body of the adversarial forces—contrary to their strict mandates to press the assault without pausing—was wavering, refusing to deploy any back-up units.

“Phew.”

Il-mok released a deep breath, subsequently inhaling a massive pocket of air.

Disregarding the pungent odor of the field as best he could, Il-mok collected what little internal energy remained in his lower dantian and projected a deafening shout.

“The Divine Cult fights exclusively alongside the ordinary citizens!! We will eradicate the corrupt eunuchs who force them into destitution, along with every single one of their lackeys!! If there are those among you who sympathize with our crusade!! Drop your weapons and surrender immediately!! Anyone who refuses!! Will find nothing but a grave!!”

His colossal voice reverberated like thunder across the landscape, giving way to an oppressive quiet.

Il-mok remained in place, maintaining a steadfast posture, yet despite his waiting, no sign of capitulation or movement emerged from the opposing formations.

…

A couple of hours afterward, the opening clash having concluded with startling swiftness, resembling nothing more than an introductory trial.

Crash!!

“What manner of freakish heretic is that man?!”

The Central Army Commander struck the desk inside his war pavilion with such force that it shattered into tiny fragments.

The insignificant loss of their advance guard was not the primary source of his frustration.

An introductory skirmish was inherently meant for such variables, after all.

Granted, it had not been organized to conclude so poorly. Their initial strategy had been to overrun An River Fortress with a singular push, but once the psychological advantage swung completely to their opponents, they chose to suspend the assault.

Regardless, the fundamental goal of an opening engagement was to assess the defensive capabilities of the enemy.

And utilizing those observations, formulate a strategy to neutralize them.

The dilemma was that no viable strategy presented itself.

Consequently, a two-hour council of war had produced absolutely no results.

“Are you taking out your frustrations on me at this moment?”

Animosity inevitably manifested between the Central Army Commander, who was presiding over the gathering, and Eunuch Bang.

As the military officer and the palace official exchanged hostile looks, filling the interior with an icy friction, hurried footsteps approached the pavilion from the exterior.

“Report?!”

The Central Army Commander demanded in an annoyed tone, prompting a response from the other side of the entrance fabric.

“The Eastern Depot Admiral has arrived directly from the royal palace!”

Upon hearing this announcement, the features of both the Central Army Commander and Eunuch Bang contorted with anxiety.

The prospect of their initial failure reaching the ears of Grand Eunuch Tae caused them to shake with dread.

An uncomfortable quiet gripped the pavilion briefly.

Directly following this, the Eastern Depot Admiral alongside the Chief Military Eunuch, Eunuch Gong, stepped into the command pavilion.

“The news of your failure in the opening clash has already reached my ears.”

The visages of the Central Army Commander and Eunuch Bang tightened with immense stress at Eunuch Gong’s statement.

However, their internal panic instantly reversed at his subsequent remark.

“An excellent outcome.”

Initially, they perceived the words as mockery, but upon studying Eunuch Gong’s expression, they were left entirely bewildered.

“An… excellent outcome? What is the meaning behind those words?”

In response to the query from the Central Army Commander, Eunuch Gong knit his brows slightly and shot back.

“Are you truly blind to the ultimate designs of Grand Eunuch Tae? You surely did not suffer this setback intentionally out of sheer ignorance?”

Grasping the underlying context, Eunuch Bang quickly interjected to save face.

“Naturally we comprehend! The objective is the total elimination of both the Demonic Cult heretics and the martial artists of the Central Plains!”

“Precisely. Grand Eunuch Tae gave explicit directives for this primary army to regulate that mutual annihilation.”

“Regulate… Are you referring to balancing the conflict on the Hubei front?”

“Your comprehension is accurate. Should the martial artists of the Central Plains gain a decisive advantage in Hubei, we will slacken our pressure here to allow the Demonic Cult heretics to dispatch reinforcements. On the flip side, if the Demonic Cult heretics achieve dominance in Hubei, we will intensify our assault here to ensure they cannot provide assistance.”

Eunuch Bang’s thoughts spun rapidly as he absorbed the rationale provided by Eunuch Gong.

“Hahaha, I had an inkling that such was the grand design of Grand Eunuch Tae, but receiving validation directly sets my heart at ease. We conducted that opening skirmish with the sole intention of applying minimal pressure, yet I harbored anxieties that we had miscalculated our boundaries.”

Eunuch Bang fabricated the narrative on the spot, deliberately framing the actions as a collective choice to link his fate with the commander, and the Central Army Commander quickly voiced his concurrence.

“Quite so. Hahaha. In that case, we shall simply maintain our current position and focus on containment.”

They experienced no pangs of conscience regarding the loss of more than five thousand infantrymen who had been wiped out during the opening phase.

So long as the grand force of two hundred thousand remained largely intact, such casualties were deemed entirely insignificant.

Even losing tens of thousands more would change nothing.

They possessed the authority to simply draft replacement levies from the urban centers remaining under the administrative control of the Central Army Commandery.

To these military officers and palace officials, their personal survival and standing vastly eclipsed the lives of tens of thousands of common conscripts.

…

Yangyang.

The native inhabitants of the city were completely absent, their places taken by armed martial artists who traversed the thoroughfares freely.

The coalition formed to oppose the Demonic Cult had established its primary headquarters within this location.

Naturally, they had not expelled every single member of the citizenry. Owing to its geographic proximity to the Yunzhong Mountains, the region was functionally managed under the governance of the Zhuge family.

The Zhuge family had overseen the relocation of civilian populations at an early stage, utilizing a scorched-earth strategy to eliminate unnecessary casualties among non-combatants.

Only a handful of unyielding residents who completely rejected abandoning their properties had remained behind within Yangyang.

At present, their lifeless forms hung suspended from the city barriers, displayed as headless trophies for all to witness.

The martial artists, having sustained catastrophic casualties within the Yunzhong Mountains, had unburdened their frustrations by slaughtering the local populace.

They did so under the ridiculous rationalization that these individuals were covert agents corrupted by the teachings of the Demonic Cult.

To reinforce this, right alongside the gruesome exhibits at the entryways were notices that declared:

[Demonic Cult Spy]

Moving past these horrific displays at the periphery and journeying deeper into the settlement brought one to a unpretentious residence.

A modest property barely spacious enough to accommodate ten individuals.

It was within this structure that the remaining monks of Shaolin had congregated.

The Shaolin Abbot, making his way back from a brief strategy council outside the property, drew near the threshold of a chamber situated in an isolated corner.

“The Murong family, having mobilized from Yongning, made their entry into this sector just today. Furthermore, fresh volunteers from every corner of the Central Plains are making their way here to join our cause. Uncle Master,”

No acknowledgment emerged from the interior of the room.

“Intelligence has arrived from the scouts we deployed to the Wudang Mountains. Roughly a thousand heretics belonging to the Demonic Cult have traveled from Shaanxi to reinforce Wudang. Furthermore, accompanying that contingent of a thousand is none other than the newly appointed Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult.”

The instant reference was made to the leader of the Demonic Cult,

A cataclysmic eruption of internal force burst forth from the otherwise silent chamber.

A tempest of raw qi violently agitated the surroundings as if intent on shattering everything in its path.

Before long, the turbulent energy subsided, and the entryways to the room swung open, uncovering a emaciated elder monk.

“Uncle Master!! Have you at long last accomplished a complete recovery from your physical afflictions?!”

The Shaolin Abbot let out an exclamation of pure jubilation.

A profound intensity gleamed within his gaze.

He harbored a desperate desire to systematically wipe out the Demonic Cult without delay, and to achieve that end, he required the presence of his Uncle Master above all else—the individual who had recently earned renown as the Divine Monk.

“Amitabha. I must apologize for testing your patience, Abbot. This decaying vessel of mine mends at a significantly slower pace than you younger men.”

In reality, the choice made by the righteous alliance to remain stationed here rather than pursue the fleeing Demonic coalition was largely dictated by the physical state of Hyun-am.

Launching an offensive while lacking their primary combat asset—the Divine Monk—due to injury would have been an act of total recklessness.

Was it the case that his brittle, aging frame simply could not handle the immense sea of internal energy coursing through him?

Or had the tragic loss of over a hundred brother monks pushed his mind into the depths of heart demons?

The physical traumas Hyun-am sustained were not fatal, yet his recuperation demanded a continuous span of six days.

“There is no need for apologies, Uncle Master Hyun-am. Provided we are successful in purging those heretical hounds from our territories, and as long as we can bring solace to the spirits of our fallen brethren, the passage of a few days is of no consequence.”

“Your sentiments are entirely correct. Yet if we dally too long, we jeopardize our opportunity to bring peace to their departed souls.”

Hyun-am shifted his withered neck toward the direction of the Wudang Mountains.

“Viewed from that angle, this intelligence is a blessing. An opportunity to appease our lost disciples by claiming the life of the Demonic Cult Leader has presented itself far sooner than anticipated.”

Emulating the orientation of Hyun-am’s gaze, the Abbot similarly peered toward Wudang.

From the physical presence of both elderly monks radiated a heavy aura characterized by the scent of gore and an unyielding desire to kill.