Chapter 350

Chapter 350
## Chapter 350. Revenge (6)

—

The circumstances could not have been bleaker. We had stumbled upon the surviving forces of the Demonic Cult inside the Muk-rim. Then, while attempting to cut our way through to the rear lines, the Ten-Thousand-Year Earth Bear blocked our path. I had been systematically depriving myself of rest, pushing my physical frame far past its natural boundaries, all while being denied any chance to recover.

To make matters worse, that final confrontation with the Ten-Thousand-Year Earth Bear had left severe, agonizing strain locked inside my dantian, the Eight Extraordinary Vessels, and my vital blood points. Speaking strictly from a medical and logical standpoint, I would have perished and rotted away a long time ago were it not for the deep, esoteric protections of the Tae-eul True Scripture (**Tae-eul-jin-gyeong**).

Yet, encountering Je-geum-hak in the middle of this disaster felt like a stroke of divine luck. The discovery that he was prepared for mutual destruction (**dong-gwi-eo-jin**) arrived like a solitary beam of sunshine piercing through storm clouds. It was the perfect opening to engineer a complete turnaround. By exploiting Je-geum-hak, I could replenish my thoroughly depleted dantian until it overflowed. Beyond that, there was a strong chance it would expand my internal capacity to entirely new limits. If everything fell into place seamlessly, I would even possess the strength required to wipe out the remaining Demonic Cultists.

The sole complication was…

“Young Master Jin!!!”

“Young Master Jin!!!”

“**Dae-sa-hyeong**!!!!”

My companions, entirely blind to my hidden calculations, were sprinting toward me like possessed lunatics to offer assistance. I threw myself forward, intending to plunge into that chaotic tempest before they could interfere. But—

*Ping—*
*Ping—*
*Ping—*

Just as I launched myself toward Je-geum-hak’s raging aura, the Flying Dragon Claws (**Bi-ryong-jo**) shot out by the Geum-Eun-Dong brothers and Mo-yong-jae-hwa snared me, dragging me backward. What on earth did they think they were playing at?

“What do you think you are doing?!” I bellowed.

“**Dae-sa-hyeong**, what do *you* think you are doing?!”

Eun-ho’s frantic retort left me completely tongue-tied. He sounded so utterly terrified, as though he believed I was throwing my life away in despair. Ah, looking at it from their perspective, I suppose it might seem that way. *Tsk*, but they had it all wrong…

“Have you completely lost your mind?! Did you honestly intend to dive into that vortex all by yourself?!”

“Eun-ho-ya….”

“To be completely honest, why must **Dae-sa-hyeong** be the one to sacrifice himself?! For whose sake are you doing this?!”

Eun-ho was operating under a massive delusion. But seeing the tears welling up in the eyes of the other youngsters, I found it impossible to bluntly explain the reality. I couldn’t just tell them that this wasn’t an act of self-sacrifice, but a calculated leap from the jaws of death into a new life. I wasn’t staring down an abyss of doom; I was standing on the precipice of a monumental, fortuitous breakthrough. I couldn’t be certain of the exact metrics, but Je-geum-hak’s Primordial Qi (**Seon-cheon-ji-gi**) was potent enough to rival the most legendary spiritual medicines in existence.

Lately, no matter what rare medicinal herbs I consumed, my body showed no significant growth. Therefore, despite the apparent danger, I couldn’t just walk away from the feast Je-geum-hak had unwittingly prepared for me. Still, watching the disciples of the Tae-eul Sect panic out of sheer devotion made me feel like a guilty father caught sneaking out into the night by his own children to commit a burglary.

‘No, that’s a poor comparison. I only steal from monsters.’

Brushing aside those moral and ethical dilemmas, my immediate task was to calm them down.

“Listen to me carefully. I am not the type of person who makes grand sacrifices.”

“……”

I caught a quiet mumble questioning everything I had done up until now, but I chose to ignore it.

“I have zero intention of dying on behalf of the academy students. That goes for now, and it goes for the future.”

My most bitter agony from my previous life was my failure to shield these exact people when the end came. In this current lifetime, I refused to suffer through that exact same remorse ever again.

“I will outlast everyone and stand as a shield before you all. Until that day comes, I am incapable of dying.”

“……Doesn’t putting it that way make it sound even more ominous?”

“Eh?”

“……It’s nothing.”

Geum-pyo scowled with deep irritation for some reason before turning his gaze aside. What was his problem? Regardless, I forced a reassuring smile back onto my face.

“So stop fretting. If I honestly believed this would kill me, I would never have charged forward.”

“……”

The swirling currents of red and blue gale swirling around Je-geum-hak were undeniably lethal. Even so, I felt no premonition that they would claim my life. I shook my head once more at the youths, who still looked heavily resentful.

“Right now, this path offers our highest chance of success.”

“In that case…… we will fight by your side.”

Good grief, I am trying to tell you that your assistance will only distract me. I gave them a stern, uncompromising headshake.

“Are you saying it’s fine if I fail to exert my maximum power because I am constantly looking over my shoulder to ensure you are safe?”

“局……”

“The absolute best contribution you can make at this moment is to move as far away from me as humanly possible.”

That was the only way to ensure they wouldn’t witness the Heaven-Absorbing Great Art in action.

“That is how you truly assist me. Do you grasp my meaning?”

“……”

“Why is everyone silent?”

“……We understand.”

That seemed to finally get through to them. As the group offered their reluctant nods, I gave them one final directive.

“Instead, I will assign you the actual task I need completed.”

The youngsters immediately perked up their ears.

When the detachment sent to retrieve Jin-so-un returned empty-handed, Seong-mo-ran and Nam-gung-seon-hwa felt their hearts sink in horror.

“Why have you returned without him?”

“局……”

Geum-pyo answered with a grim, heavy silence. Just as Seong-mo-ran and Nam-gung-seon-hwa prepared to storm forward into the fray, Eun-ho moved to block their path.

“**Nu-nim**. Rushing over there now will only hinder **Dae-sa-hyeong**.”

“What nonsense are you spouting?! We have to go back and support him!”

“No.”

A rare, dark anger shadowed Eun-ho’s features.

“Right now, we are doing **Dae-sa-hyeong** a greater favor by staying out of his way.”

The bitter realization that he couldn’t offer even a shred of meaningful aid despite his desperate desires caused him to clench his fists so hard his nails drew blood from his palms.

“Even if we join the fight, we will only be liabilities.”

“What are you trying to—”

*Kachow, boom, boom, boom!*

The moment Jin-so-un hurled his physical form directly into the howling vortex, a cataclysmic detonation shattered the air. The crimson and azure winds clashed violently, and within that chaotic epicenter, Jin-so-un’s radiant, golden Jade Clear Energy (**Ok-cheong-gi**) flared to life.

*Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop!*

Blazing infernos erupted alongside the collision, unleashing a heat so intense it eclipsed the previous thermal output of the crimson gale. It made her wonder if a single human being could genuinely harbor such an overwhelming quantity of fire energy. The spectacle resembled a lone moth diving fearlessly into a roaring bonfire. Hundreds of ethereal sword phantoms materialized to counter the assault, but the titanic storm of exploding power felt entirely divorced from the realm of mortals.

Sa-ryeon, unable to endure the sight any longer, prepared to sprint into the battlefield.

“**Sa-jeo**!”

A firm hand clamped down on her shoulder; it was Eun-ho.

“Release me! That is not an opponent **Dae-sa-hyeong** can face by himself.”

“Do you truly wish to disrupt **Dae-sa-hyeong**’s plans?”

“I only want to…”

“Are you determined to render **Dae-sa-hyeong**’s sacrifice utterly meaningless?”

“……”

Sa-ryeon froze, completely disoriented by an Eun-ho who seemed entirely altered from the boy she knew. This was the same child who had spent his entire life trotting behind her, meekly calling her “**Sa-jeo**.” Even after his height surpassed her own, he remained the type of boy who would tuck his tail and flee at the slightest hint of danger. Seeing him stand his ground so resolutely left her thoroughly shaken.

“**Dae-sa-hyeong** is wagering his very existence to hold back a deadly adversary for our sake. No, he is fully prepared to face his own death.”

“Th—then that is exactly why we must help him….”

Cowed by Eun-ho’s fierce intensity, Sa-ryeon’s voice lost its momentum and dwindled to a whisper. Eun-ho shook his head with even greater finality.

“If my own life were the only one at stake, I would have charged in. No, I would have thrown myself into the fire to drag **Dae-sa-hyeong** out, no matter the cost….”

Eun-ho’s eyes locked onto Sa-ryeon. Then, his gaze shifted toward Dong-ryong, who was pacing anxiously nearby. He forced himself to look at the crisis through **Dae-sa-hyeong**’s eyes. The adversary had cast aside all self-preservation in pursuit of mutual annihilation. Every single wave of energy radiating from him carried lethal force. Numbers held no meaning against such a foe.

“But attempting to join **Dae-sa-hyeong** now will achieve nothing.”

It was a grim calculus where one man’s doom was required to buy survival for the collective. And upon whom would that terrible burden fall? **Dae-sa-hyeong** had willingly stepped forward to become that sacrificial offering. All to ensure the survival of those behind him. To preserve the lives of Dong-ryong, Sa-ryeon, and himself.

Eun-ho understood this perfectly. Why? Because if the roles were reversed, Eun-ho would gladly surrender his own life to shield Sa-ryeon and Dong-ryong. Unfortunately, Eun-ho’s martial prowess was nowhere near the level required to even serve as a proper shield against that monstrous entity.

*Kachow, boom, boom, boom, boom!*
*Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop!*

The devastation wasn’t confined to Jin-so-un’s position. Over where Il-gak fought, and where Cheol-sun-jik held the line, the collateral destruction was expanding rapidly. Though the enemy possessed few numbers, the sheer ruinous force of their strikes was immense. Conversely, while the allies had the advantage of numbers, those capable of holding their own in true combat were far too few. There was simply no space on this battlefield where the uninitiated could safely intervene. Moreover—

“**Dae-sa-hyeong** issued a direct command.”

An explicit directive to utilize the distraction to retreat. **Dae-sa-hyeong** was executing his duties to the absolute limit, even if it was merely the role of the provisional Sa-hwal-dan Commander. Eun-ho recognized better than anyone how catastrophic it would be to let emotion dictate actions in this critical moment. Thus, he had to flawlessly execute the final request **Dae-sa-hyeong** had entrusted to them. He had to ensure that the sacrifice yielded its intended result.

“Our immediate priority is to evacuate this clearing without delay. We must ensure that **Dae-sa-hyeong** has an open path to retreat the instant he is able… as well.”

A true leader does not flee while abandoning his troops to the slaughter. Furthermore, considering Jin-so-un’s immense, almost unfathomable burden of duty, he would feel that weight far more acutely than anyone else. The most effective aid they could offer was to clear out of the vicinity so he wouldn’t be anchored down. Their responsibility was to forge an escape route before he was pushed completely over the edge.

“Let us retreat immediately.”

As those words left Eun-ho’s lips—bloody from how violently he had bitten his own mouth to maintain composure—no one present could find the words to argue. Who could possibly dispute a directive delivered with such crushing gravitas? With a profoundly sorrowful heart, Eun-ho cast one final glance back toward the tempest So-un had braved.

‘**Dae-sa-hyeong**, I beg of you, survive.’

With that silent prayer, he forced his heavy legs to carry him away.

The Yin-Yang Twin Demon (**Eum-yang-ssang-ma**). He was a figure widely known as the two-headed monstrosity within the ranks of the Murim Alliance, earned through his mastery of the unnatural, heaven-defying arts of Yin-Yang Qi, alongside a brilliant, malicious intellect that routinely made puppets out of men. The version of Je-geum-hak before me now fell short of the terrifying grandeur the Yin-Yang Twin Demon possessed in my previous lifetime. When our paths first crossed at the Four Black Lotus, he had posed a considerable threat, and back then, I too had to prepare myself for a mutual death blow to match him.

However, likely due to the devastating impact of the Mutual Destruction Fist (**Gong-myeol-gwon**) he sustained during that encounter, Je-geum-hak’s mind had fractured. The unhinged creature before me couldn’t even compare to his former self at the Four Black Lotus, let alone the legendary Yin-Yang Twin Demon of my past.

‘Though, that’s strictly a relative comparison.’

By completely severing his own life constraints, Je-geum-hak had morphed into an entirely different brand of nightmare. He was manipulating Yin-Yang Qi with a proficiency reminiscent of the historical Yin-Yang Twin Demon, while his hand-to-hand strikes echoed the precision of Nam-hwa-seong. The cautious martial artist who had once hidden behind his [Ice Barrier] to toy with his foes at the Four Black Lotus was now lunging forward in a frenzied, savage display of unarmed martial mastery.

*Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud!*

Whether he had subjected his own flesh to some horrific physical alteration, my internal framework groaned and felt on the verge of splintering every time his strikes connected. Fortunately, it went no further than that. Because he lacked the refinement of a true, balanced martial philosophy, I was able to narrowly dodge any definitively mortal blows. The genuine threat remained the crimson and azure gales howling around him.

*Swish—*

These currents of wind effectively compensated for the lack of martial enlightenment in his physical strikes. The moment I spotted a vulnerability and attempted to unleash the full devastation of the Ten Thousand Flowers Unrivaled Fist, the crimson wind violently surged to intercept me.

*Pop, pop!*

The instant I dispelled the concussive force and brought my blade down in a slashing arc, the azure gale had already solidified into an impenetrable [Ice Barrier]. Just once. If I could catch him off-guard for a single fraction of a second. A solitary opening was all I required. Yet, that fleeting chance refused to present itself. As he rapidly consumed his own vital essence to fuel his power, visible lines and wrinkles began carving themselves into his face right before my eyes.

‘No!! My precious spiritual medicine…… wait, *ahem*.’

Struck by a sudden wave of panic at the waste of energy, I unleashed a scatter of ten thousand swords. Simultaneously, I channeled my entire reservoir of strength into the Twin Heavens Sword Technique. As the sheer volume of attacks he was forced to parry within his own tempest multiplied, the structural density of both the crimson and azure winds began to wane.

“Perish, you wretched creature!!!”

As I dragged up and expelled every remaining drop of my internal reserves, a spectacular phenomenon manifested—one so grand it defied reality despite being born of my own technique. A brilliant cascade of golden sword-qi sliced cleanly through the roaring winds. The chaotic Yin-Yang Qi surged back fiercely, desperate not to be overwhelmed by the descending blade-force. The exact millisecond those two titanic, opposing forces slammed into one another—

*Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop!*

An overwhelming blanket of thick, blinding smoke erupted, completely obliterating all visibility within the immediate area.

*Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop!*

How long did that deafening chorus of explosions continue to rip through the air? Je-geum-hak, his consciousness entirely degraded into primal instinct, swept his vacant, unseeing eyes across the obscured landscape. I graciously offered him a target.

“Right behind you.”

The absolute moment he attempted to spin around in sheer panic.

*Grab.*

Feeling the hollow emptiness inside my dantian, I threw the entirety of my willpower into activating the Blue Dragon Bead.

It’s finally here!!!!
Come to me!!!