Chapter 352

Chapter 352
Chapter 352. Escape (2)

—

The Seven Great Bizarre Arts.

Even among the lunatics who comprised the Demonic Cult, these particular techniques were viewed as the most eccentric of all dark methods.

Discovering that this vile bastard had attained mastery over the Byeon-byeon-goe-ma-gong out of all those strange arts proved he was a far more wretched scoundrel than the typical lowlife found there.

Naturally, trying to find a decent soul among the throngs of the Demonic Cult would be an exercise in futility anyway.

In any case, it was his grotesque visage and notorious reputation for flesh-eating slaughter that allowed me to pinpoint exactly who he was.

Sagun Naeng-ok-hwan.

Realizing his identity offered absolutely no comfort, however.

It sent shivers down my spine simply remembering that I had run into him inside the Heavenly Bronze Cave.

And for that lunatic to appear here with the explicit goal of wiping us off the face of the earth meant this situation was utterly disastrous, no matter the angle.

‘However…’

Having absorbed the primal energy of the frenzied Je-geum-hak, my own reservoir was bursting to the point where it felt like my dantian and physical form would literally tear apart, meaning I had absolutely no reason to hesitate.

To put it more accurately, I simply did not possess the luxury of pausing to think.

At this rate, I genuinely believed the sheer pressure of this trapped power would kill me if I failed to unleash it immediately.

*Boom! Crash, crash!*

Channeling the Seong-hwa-myeol-ma-su to its ultimate threshold, a blinding illumination erupted, entirely obscuring the contours of my fingers and palms.

With that immense force, I directed every ounce of my will and raw power straight toward the monster.

*Whoosh.*

The blazes caught instantly, consuming that unnaturally lengthy coat of hair and releasing a foul, rancid odor into the air.

Though the strands themselves possessed no nerves, the raging fire rapidly transferred its scorching thermal energy down into his flesh.

“Arghhhhh!”

Honestly, that’s what you get for fashioning yourself after a wild animal.

Seizing the brief window while he writhed in excruciating torment from the burning, I flooded the Jeok-gwang Sword with my inner force.

White Moon Ascending Heaven Three Styles.

First Style.

Extreme Speed (Geuk-kwae).

The blade sliced through the fiend with merciless precision.

*Shhhk—*

Accompanied by the sharp hiss of cloven wind, a deep, slanting trail of crimson burst across the monster’s torso.

*Rip.*

“Gah!”

The villain began to topple over backward, spraying deep crimson fluid everywhere.

Just as I prepared to deliver a follow-up strike to end his life for good.

An elongated piece of crimson fabric whipped through the air, rapidly binding itself around Naeng-ok-hwan in multiple layers.

The agonizing shrieks of the beast, who had been wailing amidst the inferno, suddenly began to muffle and fade.

Completely enshrouded from his scalp down to his feet in scarlet material, he bore an uncanny resemblance to some grotesque matriarch dressed in crimson robes.

“Damned… piece of trash. I cannot believe I dropped my defenses for a split second…”

*Rumble…*

I was already gathering the power for the Gwang-cheon-sin-jang even as those words left his mouth.

And then,

“What?”

Right before he could even conclude his sentence, I unleashed the full might of the Gwang-cheon-sin-jang.

*Thuuuuummmmmm.*

The solid ground quaked violently beneath the sheer impact of a palm strike that surged with tempestuous, destructive internal force.

“Ugh! Ho-hold on…”

Finding that my reservoirs of inner strength were still overflowing, I instantly manifested and discharged a consecutive Gwang-cheon-sin-jang.

*Craaaashhhhhh.*

Once the twin bombardments of the Gwang-cheon-sin-jang completely obliterated the area, the scarlet bindings that protected Naeng-ok-hwan disintegrated into nothingness.

Strips of muscle had been ripped cleanly from his frame, leaving him drenched in blood, with gleaming white skeletal fragments exposed underneath.

However,

“This is utterly insane…”

Nam-hwa-seong, who was witnessing the entire spectacle, couldn’t help but let out a despairing moan for one specific reason.

*Ssssshh—*

The horrific lacerations marring the villain’s frame were actively knitting back together before their eyes.

“What kind of abomination is that…!”

The devastating trauma inflicted by absorbing the full brunt of the Gwang-cheon-sin-jang was undergoing a rapid, miraculous regeneration.

“Dan-ju Jin…”

“Dan-ju-nim…”

The martial artists squaring off against Naeng-ok-hwan stared in total shock and disbelief.

Facing a creature that stubbornly refused to perish regardless of how many times it was cut down was demoralizing.

It vividly brought back the sheer annoyance of dealing with the infamous Man-nyeon-to-ung.

Carving that beast to pieces had been an absolute nightmare as well. Yet, what did it matter?

I gave a completely indifferent response.

“Who cares? What’s that supposed to change?”

I had already figured out the solution during my bout with the Man-nyeon-to-ung.

When a foe’s skull refuses to crack open, your only choice is to bash it repeatedly until it shatters.

Besides, I had just completely replenished my energy stores thanks to that surprisingly nutritious tonic of a man(?), and my internal core had even grown larger.

Miraculously, every single one of my own previous injuries had been entirely mended too.

“Let’s find out exactly how much punishment you can take, you bastard!”

Executing the footwork of the Tae-eul-pal-man-sin-bo, I lunged directly at him.

The demon assumed a hostile stance, poised to retaliate the instant I entered range.

Trying to strike back while undergoing such a state?

Utter psychopaths.

The Byeon-byeon-goe-ma-gong was far more complex than a standard art that granted bodily mutation, rapid regeneration, or stubborn longevity.

‘Though honestly, those traits by themselves are already ridiculous.’

The truly horrific nature of the Byeon-byeon-goe-ma-gong lay in its ability to patch up the defensive shortcomings inherent in the highly aggressive martial styles of the Demonic Cult, while amplifying their destructive potential at the same time.

*Crack—*

While the standard Ma-ryeong-sin-gwon typically manifested as a stark, overt strike, the version executed by this fiend possessed an eerie quality that made its trajectory nearly imperceptible.

*Thud! Bam, bam!*

Dodging the shockwaves by a hair as I pressed my advance, the monstrous Naeng-ok-hwan smoothly transitioned into the Gu-jeol-bun-roe-ma-gwon.

Despite being entirely separate techniques, the transition was seamless, linking together like an unbroken, fluid stream.

Trailed by crackling sparks of static energy, pitch-black bolts of lightning arced out along the path of his punches.

*Boom.*

Bringing up my Po-sik-gap to absorb the brunt of the strike, the electrical charge still attempted to permeate my meridians and incinerate my internal system.

Discharging a superior tide of inner force to completely dispel the voltage, I launched an immediate counteroffensive.

*Rumble—*

Had the villain anticipated my exact movement?

A sharp curse escaped his lips.

“You insane bas—”

Giving him no room to breathe, I blasted him with the Gwang-cheon-sin-jang.

*Kabuuum!*

As the fiend desperately maneuvered to avoid the shockwave, I immediately rained down the Ssang-cheon-geom-gyeol upon him.

“Hell!!!”

His expression, which had briefly relaxed upon avoiding the initial blast, twisted in horror as a barrage of sword-qi cascaded directly over his skull.

*Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!*

Any ordinary martial artist would have been reduced to a pulp, but this aberration somehow threw himself clear of the strike zone.

*Thump!*

The force of his leap tore up the earth, exposing the deeper layers of soil across a wide radius.

“…”

Deploying the Bi-ryong-jo, I snared him and dragged his body back toward me.

“Gark!”

Just as I prepared to hammer the Seong-hwa-myeol-ma-su straight into the helpless, reeling opponent.

*Sssst—*

A crimson beam of Sgang darted into the opening like a striking viper.

Concurrently, the students engaged with Bing-hwa-sa cried out in warning.

“Commander! Look out—”

Before the shout could ring out fully, the scarlet Sgang collided with Naeng-ok-hwan and detonated violently.

Did that woman completely miss her target?

*Crack—*

However, I had grossly misjudged the sheer depravity of these lunatics.

The concussive blast of the crimson Sgang, which erupted squarely between me and Naeng-ok-hwan, rippled outward and slammed into me as well.

Unbelievable, these psychopaths…

They were perfectly willing to catch their own comrade in the crossfire just to catch me.

‘I suppose she knows he can just heal himself using the Byeon-byeon-goe-ma-gong? Still, that’s insane.’

It was a disturbing mindset that defied any rational comprehension, no matter how many times I witnessed it.

As I tried to evaluate the nature of the spell they had resorted to, a sudden sensation hit me.

“Gh…”

A searing agony, as though my outer flesh were being liquefied by acid, surged through me.

‘Blood Poison.’

The Si-ma-hyeol-dok, a lethal technique belonging to Bing-hwa-sa, was designed to permeate the entire system and dissolve a person’s internal organs if left unchecked.

Concentrating the invading toxins directly into my palms, I rapidly activated the Seong-hwa-myeol-ma-su.

*Fwoosh.*

As the mystical fire erupted, a dark, pungent vapor hissed away from my skin.

It required a prolonged, full-power exertion of the technique to entirely incinerate the toxic energy from my body.

Having closed the distance without making a sound, Bing-hwa-sa spoke in a piercing, mocking tone.

“Oh… you actually neutralized the Si-ma-hyeol-dok? Could you be a native of Sichuan?”

Glancing over at the students who had been holding her off, their faces were dangerously pallid, clearly succumbing to the effects of the vaporized blood poison.

While Cheol-sun-jik and Dang-gi-han were rushing over to assist me, it was obvious from a single look that they were flagging.

Even setting aside the disparity in cultivation tiers, we were struggling so heavily because our adversaries’ styles were incomprehensibly unorthodox.

There was no standard counter-strategy for this mess.

No clever tactical maneuvers to reverse our disadvantage occurred to me.

Meanwhile, that psychotic woman stood before me, giggling in her unnatural way.

These degenerates truly defied all conventional sanity.

“You just blasted your own partner, you lunatic wench,” I spat out, my mind racing as the jibe slipped past my lips.

Caught off guard by the blunt remark, Bing-hwa-sa initially stared blankly before bursting into another fit of shrill laughter.

“Amusing. You really are a fascinating specimen.”

Then, her amusement ceased in an instant.

“Hmm.”

She appraised me from head to toe, as if evaluating a prize.

“I thought you had mastered a peculiar martial art, but that wasn’t it, was it? Ahaha.”

Tapping her cheek thoughtfully with a slender digit, Bing-hwa-sa’s gaze suddenly gleamed with sharp realization.

“…!”

Locking her eyes with mine, her lips curled into a wicked smirk.

“So you’re the one who consumed the Fire Essence (Hwa-jeong).”

“What?!”

Beside her, Naeng-ok-hwan—still reeling from the lingering effects of the Si-ma-hyeol-dok—jerked his head up in utter astonishment.

“Ugh… what kind of absolute garbage are you spouting… how could some kid from the White Way possibly integrate that… *cough*.”

Before he could complete his thought, I remanifested the Seong-hwa-myeol-ma-su and charged forward.

If the blood poison was genuinely hindering Naeng-ok-hwan’s functions, this was my window.

I needed to take him down before his system purged the Si-ma-hyeol-dok.

After all, even with the aid of the Byeon-byeon-goe-ma-gong, counteracting a substance like the Si-ma-hyeol-dok would require a finite amount of time.

*Ping.*

Naturally, Bing-hwa-sa didn’t just idle by.

With a casual flick of her hand, she launched another streak of her signature scarlet Sgang.

Spurring myself to an even greater velocity, I pressed onward.

If neutralizing the projectile directly was unfeasible, evasion was the superior choice.

Maximizing my own Sgang, I thrust my weapon straight ahead.

I rotated the blade, weaving the intricate, defensive patterns of the lotus against the incoming crimson Sgang.

*Shwiiing.*

Accompanied by a strange whistling sound, the trajectory of the red Sgang skewed wide, grazing right past my temple.

Though the intense recoil tore the Jeok-gwang Sword from my grip, I didn’t waste momentum trying to retrieve it.

In this specific exchange, the Seong-hwa-myeol-ma-su was far more potent than any blade anyway.

*Boom.*

The moment the detonation echoed behind me, I accelerated toward Naeng-ok-hwan with everything I had.

“You miserable piece of shit…!”

Still reeling from the toxins, Naeng-ok-hwan desperately retaliated with a heavy fist.

Rather than wasting motion defending against the incoming strike, I threw all my weight into offense.

It wasn’t my preference, but this was the perfect opportunity to witness the efficacy of the Vajra Blue (Geum-gang-cheong).

In that fraction of a second.

*Thwack—*

A crushing force slammed into my torso, making it feel as though my entire ribcage would implode.

The sheer violence of the blow momentarily stole the air right out of my lungs.

An agonizing sensation washed over me, as if a spike had driven straight through my frame. And yet.

‘I actually weathered it?’

My bones remained completely intact.

I had withstood the impact perfectly. A certain old master would probably weep with joy if they saw this. Regardless.

“Whew…”

Both of my arms were perfectly functional.

I quickly rolled my wrists to clear the stiffness.

“My turn now, you bastard!”

I repaid the favor instantly, delivering a blow with identical intent.

Naturally, the sheer payload of my strike was vastly superior.

*Boom! Crash, bang!*

A massive shockwave erupted, and Naeng-ok-hwan’s form was thoroughly consumed by a wall of fire.

While that happened, Dang-gi-han and Cheol-sun-jik intercepted Bing-hwa-sa to prevent her from interfering with my fight.

‘I just pray they stay safe…’

I quickly forced myself to abandon any distracting anxieties regarding my allies.

Ultimately, if we failed to neutralize these two threats right here, none of us would be making it back in one piece anyway.

“Generic screaming noises!”

The monster found himself utterly cornered, all thanks to his partner’s reckless friendly fire.

There was no way I was going to let this ideal opening slip away.

I channeled the Seong-hwa-myeol-ma-su, putting every shred of my maximum power into the strike.

*Boom! Blast shreds!*

I incinerated his thick hide and shattered his muscles with localized blasts.

Flicking out the Bi-ryong-jo, I reeled my fallen Jeok-gwang Sword back into my hand.

A vibrant coat of sword-Sgang instantly enveloped the weapon the moment my fingers gripped it.

Without a moment’s pause, I carved deep, sweeping gashes across his torso with the Jeok-gwang Sword.

*Slash, slice.*

“Wow…”

Incredibly, by the time my blade was carving out the fourth laceration, the very first cut had already begun fusing back together.

His cellular regeneration was terrifyingly robust, considering the Si-ma-hyeol-dok was actively ravaging his body.

“Oh, so that’s your trick, is it?”

Shifting tactics, I drove the explosive bursts of the Seong-hwa-myeol-ma-su directly into the freshly opened cuts.

*Kaboom!*

“Aaaaaaaaargh!”

The searing heat invaded the exposed tissue, tracking the internal dark qi like a spreading venom and subjecting the fiend to unimaginable agony.

“I’m going to rip you apart…! I’ll slaughter you!!!”

Even while sustaining trauma that would have put an ordinary cultivator in a coffin three times over, he stubbornly managed to manifest his base techniques.

Out of the corner of my eye, a bright, reflective shaven head came into view.

“Restrain him!”

Prompted by my command, Il-gak flared with a bright golden aura and securely pinned Naeng-ok-hwan from the rear.

As the thrashing beast attempted to throw Il-gak off his back, I forcefully rammed the Seong-hwa-myeol-ma-su right down the monster’s throat.

“Glaaaark!”

With his esophagus actively incinerating, Naeng-ok-hwan clamped down with feral, bone-crushing jaw strength in an attempt to sever my forearm.

*Thrummm—*

I wasted no time triggering the Cheong-ryong-hwan.

“Gr-rr-g-aaahk!”

Naeng-ok-hwan’s entire frame began to seize violently, as if suffering a massive neurological shock.

His supernatural tissue regeneration ground to a visible crawl.

Seizing the definitive moment, I plunged the Jeok-gwang Sword straight through his chest cavity.

*Thud—*

“Ugh…”

The clamping pressure of the jaws that had been trying to shear off my limb instantly vanished as his muscles went slack.

His massive, hulking frame tipped over backward.

*Thud.*

Conjuring the Seong-hwa-myeol-ma-su once more, I buried it into his ruined chest while concurrently setting his entire head ablaze.

*Pant, pant, pant.*

I drew in ragged breaths, watching the fire consume his remains.

It was over. I had actually put down that monstrous Sagun.

“…You.”

For the very first time, Bing-hwa-sa’s composed facade completely hardened.

That look suited her a whole lot better.

Her obnoxious smirking had been grating on my nerves since the moment we crossed paths.

I gestured with my chin toward the blazing pyre that used to be Naeng-ok-hwan.

“This guy’s death is entirely on your hands. You realize that, right? Your own moronic toxin is what finished him off.”

The retort she delivered to my mockery was truly something else.

“It simply means his actual capabilities were far more pathetic than I anticipated.”

“…Of course. You lunatics always viewed things that way.”

I took measured steps toward Bing-hwa-sa.

And then,

*Rumble*

I instantly let fly a Gwang-cheon-sin-jang strike.

*Boom!*

Yet, Bing-hwa-sa had completely vanished from her spot.

In the next heartbeat, an icy voice echoed through the clearing.

“Regardless, the ultimate ruler of this realm has already been determined. Your actions only dictate whether your demise will be agonizing or swift.”

The words drifted over from the exact position where Naeng-ok-hwan’s remains lay.

Just when had she shifted over there?

It was an agility that would easily startle the most seasoned experts of movement techniques.

I had suspected her fundamental martial arts foundation was incredibly deep separate from her dark magic, and this confirmed it.

“Your partner is already a corpse.”

Facing my derision, Bing-hwa-sa merely offered a deeply unsettling smirk.

“You remain completely ignorant of the true nature of the art that man cultivated.”

“What?”

“Heh.”

What on earth was there to smile about?

With this outcome, every single objective your faction aimed for had completely collapsed.

“It matters not. The Little Demon (Soma) will actually find this turn of events far more entertaining.”

There wasn’t a shred of grief for her fallen companion, nor any irritation over the botched operation.

Her demeanor suggested nothing more than a simple conclusion to a routine assignment.

That utter lack of emotion sent a deeper chill down my spine than any threat could.

The familiar crimson fabric shot out from Bing-hwa-sa’s palm, quickly enveloping the body of Naeng-ok-hwan.

The gathered students along with me let loose a barrage of throwing blades and waves of sword-qi in her direction, but every single attack fell short.

Before my final burst of Sgang could bridge the gap, the vile woman had already scaled the rock face, hauling Naeng-ok-hwan’s remains along with her.

“This was quite amusing, Black Flame Dragon (Heuk-yeom-ryong). Until our paths cross again.”

Black Flame Dragon… to hell with that name.

Leaving those haunting words behind, Bing-hwa-sa vanished into the upper recesses of the ridge.

“Ha, amusing, huh…”

Il-gak stepped forward, questioning me as I muttered her parting phrase.

“Black Fla… excuse me, Unit Commander Jin… what are your orders? Shall we give chase?”

I fixed my gaze intensely on the crest of the precipice.

When it came to sheer mobility and speed, I refused to take a backseat to anyone.

If I took the lead alongside Il-gak and a few select fighters, tracking her down was entirely within our capabilities.

However, I shook my head in refusal.

“No. We need to retreat.”

“Retreat?”

I cast my gaze out toward the far horizon.

“The reinforcements for the ambush are closing in.”

The oppressive signature of dark demonic qi radiating from the distance was steadily intensifying.

Given that Bing-hwa-sa had fled toward that precise sector, there was little room for doubt.

I turned around to face the assembled students.

“Tend to the injured! We are setting out immediately!”

“Yes, sir!”

“Understood!”

Watching the students scramble to patch up their wounded peers.

I stared one last time at the ledge where Bing-hwa-sa had slipped away, carving a promise into my soul.

A day would absolutely arrive when those fiends would no longer find fighting us to be an amusing game.

I would ensure that reality came to pass.

I branded that oath deeply into the permanent recesses of my mind.