Chapter 183

Chapter 183
## Chapter: 183

### Chapter Title: Evolution (2)

—

“Mm.”

Releasing a faint, pained sound, Sima Geon gradually peeled back his eyelids, which had been shut tight as if he had transitioned to the afterlife.

“Are you feeling better, Division Leader?”

So Surin, whose expression had been clouded with intense anxiety as she kept watch, beamed with relief the second Sima Geon stirred.

“Where am I…?”

“You are at the residence of Senior Twin Swords Reaching Heaven.”

“How did I end up in a bed?”

Sima Geon hoisted his torso up while questioning her. Sharp stabs of agony radiated from the gashes hidden beneath his cloth wraps the moment he shifted his weight.

“Do you truly not recall?”

“Recall what exactly?”

“Once the Blood Cult Leader made his escape, you collapsed. We assumed you had come through unscathed, but you suddenly lost consciousness. You cannot imagine the terror that gripped everyone.”

“I really fainted?”

Sima Geon knit his brows and began to methodically sift through his subconscious.

The details of the brutal engagement returned to him with vivid clarity. Specifically, the memory of facing Yagul Jae’s suicidal final gambit caused a heat to flare in his chest even now.

He remembered dropping to a knee, using the Heavenly Demon Sword as a crutch for stability, before lunging upward for a concluding strike. He could even hear the echoes of Yagul Jae screaming something in that same heartbeat.

That marked the boundary of his lucid memory. No matter how much he strained his mind, everything following that moment was a void.

“The Blood Cult Leader got away?”

“Yes. Just as you withstood his peak technique and readied your counter, he threw his subordinates into your path and fled for his life. Neung Sohwa attempted to intercept him, but he utilized a sickening tactic to make his exit.”

“Sickening in what way?”

“The very same maneuver those Blood Cult monsters employed during the era of the Heavenly Demon Cult, whenever they were cornered by our forces.”

“Ah! They used that near the Shaolin Temple as well, and they haven’t stopped.”

Sima Geon creased his forehead. He could easily visualize the gruesome scene.

“Nearly thirty individuals exploded simultaneously. It was a nightmare. I’ve witnessed all manner of carnage across various battlegrounds, but that sight is something I can never grow accustomed to. A few members of the Sword Pavilion were caught in the blast as well.”

“Disciples of the Sword Pavilion?”

Sima Geon inquired, his voice laced with shock.

“Neung Sohwa shielded as many as she could, but two—or perhaps a few more—evaded her protection and struck the Sword Pavilion disciples. Two were killed instantly, and five others suffered critical wounds. Were it not for the White Sword Unit Leader’s rapid intervention, the toll would have been higher. It could have turned into a total massacre.”

“I understand. Those lunatics murdered innocent people for no reason at all.”

Sima Geon felt a profound, sincere grief for the loss of the Sword Pavilion’s warriors.

“How many hours was I out?”

“Roughly half a day. The sun has already dipped below the horizon.”

“Where is the rest of the group?”

“They are busy restoring order to the grounds. Even for an occupied ruin, the state of the place was quite dire.”

“Understood.”

Sima Geon gave a short nod and shifted into a cross-legged position.

As Sima Geon initiated the flow of his qi, So Surin slipped out of the chamber without a sound. Just then, Cheol Woo finished his cleanup duties and caught sight of her. He hurried over, looking startled.

“How is the chief?”

“He has regained consciousness.”

So Surin offered a radiant smile and caught Cheol Woo’s arm just as he prepared to burst into the room.

“Do not interrupt him. He is currently circulating his internal energy.”

“Oh, right. Understood.”

Cheol Woo nodded and planted himself firmly in front of the entrance.

Regardless of how formidable a master might be, one was entirely vulnerable during the process of qi circulation. With his comrades nearby, there was little actual threat, yet following the ambush by the Blood Cult, he remained on high alert just to be safe.

Observing So Surin exit and Cheol Woo take up his post, Neung Sohwa understood that Sima Geon was finally awake.

“How is Young Master Sima faring?”

“He is alert. He went straight into his meditative breathing, so his condition is better than we anticipated.”

“That is a great weight off my mind.”

A mixture of happiness and lingering sorrow flickered across Neung Sohwa’s face.

Reflecting on the fallen members of the Sword Pavilion, So Surin attempted to provide some solace.

“The fate that befell your disciples is truly heartbreaking.”

“I appreciate your words.”

Neung Sohwa turned her head away, a pained smile visible through her mourning.

A full hour passed before Sima Geon concluded his meditation and walked out.

As the door swung open and Sima Geon appeared, Cheol Woo—who had been standing like a statue—bolted over to offer a shoulder.

“I am fine. Move back.”

Waving off Cheol Woo’s assistance, Sima Geon took a seat on the wooden porch.

Noe Jeon, Gwa Yu, and Man Chu—who had all been pacing with nerves over Sima Geon’s health—crowded around him, their voices overlapping in a flurry of questions.

Neung Sohwa stepped forward with a heavy heart. Her opening words were a plea for forgiveness.

“Please forgive me.”

“Excuse me? For what reason?”

“I allowed the leader of the Blood Cult to slip through my fingers.”

“I have been informed of the details. Successfully capturing someone who uses such desperate means to flee is no simple task. Do not dwell on it. More importantly, I was saddened to hear about the loss of your disciples.”

“Yes.”

“I am at a loss for words to properly comfort you.”

“It is quite alright. Such is the destiny of those who walk the path of the martial world.”

Neung Sohwa spoke with a forced calmness, fighting to keep her composure.

After a heavy pause, Cheol Woo, who had been twitching his lips in silence, finally burst out.

“Boss, what in the world happened out there?”

“What are you referring to?”

“That lunatic—no, that ancient monster—was he truly that powerful?”

“You traded blows with him yourself.”

“I wasn’t focused. And ‘traded blows’ is an overstatement—I barely lasted a single exchange. You have no idea how panicked I was when you blacked out.”

Paying no mind to Cheol Woo’s rambling, Sima Geon looked toward Neung Sohwa.

“What is your assessment, Lady Neung?”

Neung Sohwa found it difficult to provide a quick reply to Sima Geon’s inquiry.

While those two had been locked in combat, had she not been mentally placing herself in the middle of it, testing her own skills against both of them?

“He was formidable. Terribly so.”

Neung Sohwa paused for a second before pushing through her hesitation.

“In truth, given my current level of mastery, he was beyond my reach.”

Everyone in the vicinity winced and turned their gaze toward Neung Sohwa.

The Sword Empress—the woman ranked at the pinnacle of the martial archives—had just conceded her inferiority without even engaging in a direct duel. Cheol Woo, who viewed her with a sense of rivalry, was particularly stunned.

“However, we are capable of surpassing him.”

It might have simply been the stubborn pride of the Sword Empress, but Sima Geon caught a glint in her eyes that suggested something deeper.

“Now that I think about it…”

It could have been a trick of the light, but the aura she radiated felt marginally altered from its usual state.

The implication was obvious.

“I trust this encounter serves as a positive catalyst for your growth.”

“It has provided more than enough.”

Neung Sohwa gave a smile that carried a hidden weight.

“Changing the subject, boss, are you certain that old man’s techniques belonged to the Blood Sea Demon Venerable?”

“I am.”

“Even if his family lineage refined the Blood Sea Demon Venerable’s arts to their peak, as he asserted, this level of power is absurd. I am well aware of what the Single Heaven Nine Forms represent.”

“It seems far-fetched, doesn’t it?”

“Completely.”

“If it feels that way to you, imagine the sensation for me, as I was actually clashing blades with him. To be honest, I still find it hard to process. What is truly terrifying is that his techniques seemed to have the potential for even more development.”

“What?”

Cheol Woo looked like he had been hit by a bolt of lightning.

“I am not entirely sure. But that was the impression I gathered. During our final clash, there was a fleeting moment of clumsiness, a lack of flow. It lasted only a heartbeat, but it was there. Furthermore, his inner strength was beyond comprehension. I had full confidence that my qi could rival anyone’s, but his was genuinely crushing. And one more detail—perhaps the most critical. There was a bizarre, unsettling energy woven into his internal power.”

“What does that imply?”

“I failed to notice it initially, but as the fight dragged on, it became undeniable. It certainly wasn’t a toxin. It felt akin to yin energy, but it’s hard to categorize. The point is, it had a physical effect on me. It didn’t strike all at once; it seeped in like a slow leak, gradually draining the vitality from my limbs—much like a slow-acting poison.”

The atmosphere grew heavy as Sima Geon finished his explanation.

The realization that a monster who had essentially fought Sima Geon—the undisputed strongest—to a stalemate still had room to evolve was utterly bone-chilling.

“Chief, we have to formulate a strategy.”

Cheol Woo’s eyes drifted to the Heavenly Demon Ring encircling Sima Geon’s wrist.

“The Final Three Moves, do you recall? You previously mentioned that even the Single Heaven Nine Forms might not be enough to ensure a win.”

“I do not believe the Single Heaven Nine Forms—which were the culmination of the Three Demon Venerables’ goals—are insufficient. It was I who was lacking. There was clearly a path to higher mastery, but I have allowed myself to become stagnant.”

Sima Geon softly brushed his fingers over the Heavenly Demon Ring as he continued.

“The secret arts the Three Demon Venerables were desperate to overcome—I stayed away from them as much as I could because of that history, believing I had no requirement for them. But I must study them thoroughly now. They will undoubtedly provide some advantage.”

Faced with an adversary so potent that he would have to risk his very life, Sima Geon’s inner fire began to burn with a ferocious intensity.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

“Are you suggesting that the Sima Geon brat possesses internal energy that rivals the Cult Leader’s?”

Yi Geuk of the Blood Cult’s Right Palace asked with a look of pure skepticism. Being intimately familiar with Yagul Jae’s level of power, he simply couldn’t wrap his head around it.

“I held a minor advantage, but the gap was negligible.”

“It’s hard to swallow. Even if one began training inside the womb, it shouldn’t be possible.”

“He must have consumed some legendary spirit medicine. There is no other explanation…”

Yagul Jae ground his teeth together, envisioning Sima Geon’s immovable posture, refusing to buckle under his pressure. For the first time in his existence, a bitter taste of defeat fueled his frustration.

“I ought to have accompanied you. You promised you would wait for me to arrive shortly. If you had only held your ground a bit longer.”

“Your presence would have changed nothing.”

“If he proved difficult, I could have at least snapped the neck of the Sword Empress instead.”

“The Sword Empress? Hmm. She is still quite green, but she is no easy target.”

Yagul Jae let out a dry laugh, remembering the way the Sword Empress had directed her fury toward him.

“You would have been well-matched with that Diamond Yaksha. He was a decent warrior—he took the full force of my strike and remained standing.”

Naturally, he was aware that the single hit had inflicted massive damage on Cheol Woo, but he saw no reason to clarify that.

“It matters not who they are. Above my own station, there is only the Cult Leader.”

Yagul Jae erupted into a booming laugh at Yi Geuk’s arrogant declaration.

He didn’t argue the point. Yi Geuk’s prowess was indeed formidable enough to justify such a claim.

“Enough talking. My state is poor—I’ve suffered significant internal damage. Is everything in place?”

“Yes. However, it was prepared in haste, so it may be lacking. Please tolerate it.”

“It will suffice.”

Yagul Jae gave a shallow nod and shut his eyes.

Yi Geuk offered a deep bow and backed out of the room.

A few moments later, Yi Geuk came back.

“Please follow me this way.”

Yagul Jae slowly blinked his eyes open and trailed behind Yi Geuk.

The chamber Yi Geuk led him into contained a massive bathing tub. But it was not filled with ordinary water.

A dark, crimson fluid, thick with a multitude of medicinal herbs, sat there—a sight that would make anyone’s blood run cold.

Yagul Jae inhaled sharply, savoring the metallic scent of blood as it filled his lungs.

“Hoo, magnificent.”

Stepping into the red liquid without a moment’s pause, Yagul Jae immediately began to circulate his inner qi. A crimson vapor began to rise like a thick mist, rapidly shrouding his entire frame.

Yi Geuk watched the process for a brief time, then silently exited the chamber.