Chapter 569
“That bastard!”
Even though I could see it all from my clairvoyance, my hands itched to kill him. As I stared at the screen with murderous intent, the White Tiger slowly spoke up.
“Master of the White Lotus Sect. Our Dharma Protectors will do our utmost to stop you.”
Instead of getting angry at those words, the sect leader responded in a tone that felt more like resignation.
“That’s meaningless. Do you honestly think this will end on the human level? The power of the Emperor and the Imperial Palace is trivial in the world beyond. Your loyalty will ultimately be insulted and rendered utterly meaningless.”
“……”
The White Tiger suddenly bared his teeth in a grin.
“Heh heh heh!! Did you really think you could stick with us without knowing that?”
“……?”
“Hahaha!!”
The White Tiger erupted into a crazed laughter.
“Loyalty… I’m not fighting for something like that. I’ve already gained an immortal body and tremendous dark power. Once I win this fight, I will enjoy glory in an immortal kingdom for a thousand years. Who wouldn’t choose this easy path?”
“You’re nothing but trash.”
The White Lotus Sect leader said, seemingly disgusted even to be having this conversation, to Yong Bi-cheon.
“Lead that one to the Yellow Springs.”
“Yes, my lord!!”
Ku-kwak!
As soon as Yong Bi-cheon completed his command, he unleashed a One Palm strike, and the Wind Bullet produced was an incredible six-cheong in diameter. There was no way to evade or block such overwhelming power in this cramped passage, and even if one tried to defend against it, the rotating pressure would tear apart even a metal body.
As expected, the area shredded by the wind bullet was splattered with the White Tiger’s blood. Yong Bi-cheon sneered.
“So a commander of the Golden Eagle Guards dares to…”
But just then, as Yong Bi-cheon confidently stepped forward—
Shriiiik!
“Ah!”
Suddenly, dark tentacles erupted from the spot where the White Tiger’s blood had splattered. The tentacles shot up with tremendous force and attacked Yong Bi-cheon. He chuckled at the tentacles while firing another Wind Bullet to counterattack, but then something unexpected happened.
Boom!
Shuuuurp!
The tentacles couldn’t withstand the wind’s force and burst, but the black gooey mass of tentacles scattered in the air as if they were living entities and chose to disburse once more. The sight was so horrifying that Yong Bi-cheon gasped and shouted.
“W-What is this?!”
Boom!
Yong Bi-cheon hastily raised a massive wind wall to block the tentacle charge, but things were looking odd. The tentacles outside the wind wall began to squirm and extend—
Kiiiiiick!
Every time the tentacles multiplied, it felt like madness was swirling around. The presence of an evil spirit filled the space, the cries of souls echoed in hell, flashing in red.
The White Lotus Sect leader, observing the horrific scene, mumbled while stroking his mask.
“Multiplying, huh.”
“Master! What in the world is that monster?”
“Seems it fully fused by accepting the descendants of the Evil God. Truly, it’s madness…”
After pondering for a moment, the sect leader uttered something unbelievable.
“Everyone retreat except for me and the Dharma Guardians.”
“……!!”
The majority in the hall were stunned.
It was clear that the current combat power of the sect leader was stronger than that of the Great Immortal, and in terms of martial arts skill, he was undoubtedly the best in the world. For the sect leader to choose to retreat instead of fight was something no one had expected. However, Mangnyang seemed to understand the sect leader’s decision and shouted to his comrades of the Bancheon Alliance.
“Quickly retreat! Don’t look back!”
Ta-da-dat!
Ku-kwak!
Three Dharma Guardians simultaneously unleashed infinite internal power to stem the proliferation of the tentacles, and in that window, the rest of the party retreated. The sect leader didn’t pursue and seemed to keep an eye on the situation. I watched the scene through my clairvoyance and curiously asked.
“Is the White Tiger dead?”
“Seems he became a creature of darkness.”
“That weakling?”
Cheon Woo-jin glanced at me and said.
“Yeah, if any of you faced him now, you’d probably win easily. But that guy has become a being fused with demonic powers, so his combat ability is not to be measured as a human anymore. He has essentially turned into a ferocious ancient demonic race.”
“Did the sect leader issue the retreat order considering that?”
“No doubt. But whether the leader chooses to continue the fight or fully retreat is uncertain.”
“……”
Whirr! Whirr!
Ka-wooow!
The mass of constantly multiplying tentacles showed no signs of stopping. Despite the Dharma Guardians pouring out infinite internal power to obliterate them, they regenerated as if it were all a lie. The sect leader, watching the spectacle from behind his arms crossed, commanded the Dharma Guardians.
“Get back. I can handle this.”
Ku-gugugun!
“……!!”
All of a sudden, the atmosphere around the sect leader changed.
As chaos flowed from his clasped hands, a sticky gray hue climbed up his skin. The brilliance radiating from him soon began to shine like a bright star, and shortly after, it morphed into a colossal whirlwind. The sect leader’s human form remained, but the surging light from his body moved as if it were alive.
‘That’s…!!’
Hoo-oo-oo!
The swirling black and white in chaos cloaked his blood vessels and skin. In both eyes, a swirling Tai Chi was emblazoned. And amidst the clashing darkness, the sect leader’s form transformed entirely into a battle-ready state, becoming more agile.
‘Fusion of Chaos and Primordial Void!’
This was my second time witnessing it! The previous sect leader had wiped out three Great Immortals of the Celestial Realm all at once by taking this form. Remembering the overwhelming power from that moment, I couldn’t help but swallow hard.
The transformed White Lotus Sect leader let out a loud roar.
Sabhā!
As the majestic words of destruction exploded out, suddenly a feeling of a straight line being cut through the front emerged. Until now, no matter how the Dharma Guardians attacked, the multiplying tentacles kept regenerating, but they began suffering as if burned by fire.
Kiki—!!
Not stopping there, the sect leader summoned thousands of transparent arts while in his clasped state. Each transparent art swirled with Tai Chi, mixing into the space, and soon the chaos within the leader clawed up, releasing the arts.
Heart of Heaven’s Abundance
Master Incantation
Wooshhhhhh!
The arts flew forward, suddenly transforming into a wave of Sanskrit. I couldn’t explain it well, but it felt as if the power of words themselves distorted the space as if shifting dimensions. I realized the force of the Master Incantation and swallowed hard.
‘Did he transfer the power of the Primordial God directly into a spell?’
If so, that meant the sect leader could unfold the highest level of grand sorcery whenever he desired without needing to perform any other spells. As the waves of circumstance enveloped by the Master Incantation resonated in layers, the multiplying tentacles, which had been increasing, started to vanish like weeds burnt from a scorched plain.
“Indeed, my lord!”
As the Dharma Guardian Dokgo Jun was awestruck by the sight.
Pa-ji-dak!!
“Ugh.”
“Ah! My lord!!”
Black lightning crackled as suddenly the sect leader returned to his original state and stumbled heavily. As Dokgo Jun hurried to support him, the sect leader gasped for breath and said.
“…Indeed, maintaining that level of power cannot be long-lasting.”
“Are you alright?”
“I couldn’t completely eliminate his essence. He will surely resurrect with his body soon, so prepare for ambush.”
The atmosphere grew tense. Even after pushing that hard, there was still hope for the White Tiger to resurrect? Han Baek-ryeong, who had been silent until now, spoke to Yong Bi-cheon.
“Don’t just sit there—send an illusion! Are you planning to let the Twelve Joules take the initiative?”
“Ugh… don’t order me around.”
Yong Bi-cheon gritted his teeth but couldn’t help but summon his clone to send it forward. The reason for dispatching a clone was that even if the main body was occupied here, the clone could explore conditions in other locations, and among them, the one most adept at illusion and clones was Yong Bi-cheon from the Wind Spirit Sect.
Pa-at!
As the clone’s illusion disappeared into the dark distance, the White Tiger surged forth, taking on a human form, resurrecting. He grinned unpleasantly and said,“Heh heh heh… I’m managing to hold off both the sect leader and the Dharma Guardian all by myself! Isn’t the power of darkness truly amazing?”
Then, the White Lotus Sect leader, being supported by Dokgo Jun, stared at him with a distant gaze.
“Remarkable power. Did Zhuque make a contract with the Evil God?”
“Heh heh… You think I’d tell the enemy that? Hahaha!!”
“The Twelve Joules is probably also being blocked by one like you.”
At the sect leader’s words, the White Tiger let out a sneer.
“Xuanwu is blocking them. And since Xuanwu has also received comparable abilities to mine, you folks cannot easily pass through here.”
“……”
The White Lotus Sect leader thought for a moment and then said.
“To be so oblivious to being used and yet happy about it…”
“Say what you want. You will now become the food for my tentacles, ha ha!”
Shruuuu!
Once again, the White Tiger’s human form began to melt away and multiply as tentacles. If this continued, the exhausted leaders of the White Lotus Sect would be prey to the White Tiger, but at that moment, the sect leader swung his arm dramatically.
Pur-buck!
“Khaaaaaaaak!!”
Surprisingly, this time, the White Tiger was engulfed by the tentacles as they were thrown into flames, screaming! The sect leader, appearing satisfied, released his hold on Dokgo Jun and stared at the mass of tentacles.
“Foolishly receiving the blessing of the Evil God while being ignorant of its nature and restrictions… It’s certainly a powerful blessing, but there must be a weakness.”
“Kigghhh! Ahhhhh!!”
The White Tiger elongated upward like a giant tree, burning fiercely in the flames and screaming. The essence of his humanity seemed to have completely vanished, consumed by the tentacles themselves. The leader, watching the White Tiger wail in hellfire, continued his words.
“I mixed the curse of the Spirit of Illusion with the Master Incantation. If you had proper demonic knowledge, you would have recognized it immediately and fled from here to negate its curse effect. But without that, you foolishly accepted a blessing beyond your capabilities.”
“Khaaaa! P-Please… save me… it’s too hot…”
Whispered the sect leader.
“Whether alive or dead, it’s hell for you… you too are burning in the karma of demons.”
Flare—
No further responses were heard. The spiritual flames of the Spirit of Illusion had incinerated the White Tiger along with his soul. Although the White Lotus Sect leader didn’t seem fully recovered yet, he spoke calmly.
“I’ve dealt with the guardian, but now I’ll wait here. Joona, you contact the Bancheon Alliance. Only by joining them can we surely eliminate Zhuque.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Yong Bi-cheon, report what you saw during your clone’s reconnaissance to the front…”
Yong Bi-cheon bowed silently, not daring to defy the majesty of the sect leader.
“Understood.”
I realized, seeing this scene, that the current sect leader was at his complete form. Even when faced with the grotesque regenerative abilities of demonic beings, he maintained a calm judgement and potential to counteract, clearly surpassing even the Great Immortals in power, now reaching the level of a divine existence.
One other thing—the sect leader possessed exceptional knowledge of demonic arts. It’s unlikely that ordinary reading could lead to knowing the curse delivered by the Spirit of Illusion, the former ruler. He must have studied demonic texts for decades and accumulated extensive knowledge.
Just then, Cheon Woo-jin said.
“I found the situation of the standoff with the Twelve Joules.”
“Show me!”
Pa-at!
The image of Clairvoyance showcased the Twelve Joules and Xuanwu in a standoff.
Unexpectedly, an amusing sight met my eyes.
“The descendants of the Evil God, huh? What a surprise.”
The Twelve Joules complained. Then, one of the clan members next to the Twelve Joules leader laughed and said.
“You’ve caught him, but why the long face?”
“Well, I’m just wrapping up what Musashi has already stirred up, so it’s rather unsettling.”
“Originally, that thing could destroy an entire nation, yet you’re being so greedy.”
“I’m simply a greedy one by nature.”
Hahaha!
The clan members laughed. Even though they were all wrapped in black cloaks, showing they could laugh in such a situation meant they each possessed incredible strength. Moreover, the fact that the guardians faced Xuanwu meant they also must have somehow bypassed Zhuque’s Qimen Formation!
‘The clan members must be the true elites of Ha Eun-cheon and the Twelve Joules.’
I thought about how I might have to clash with them later.
The Twelve Joules scratched the head of his puppy-shaped familiar.
“If it weren’t for the Cosmic Fragment, even I would have had a hard time.”
Xuanwu, the former Duke of Guanzhong, was completely frozen.
The entire mass of tentacles had turned into solid ice, towering high, and it seemed possible to trap chaos itself as if it were made by natural forces. Hearing the Twelve Joules’ words, the clan member said.
“So you were scared and brought out the Demon Beast, Moonlight Darkness?”
Indeed, the puppy of the Twelve Joules was now wearing a demonic armor, unlike its original form. The shimmering silver armor—with a particularly hand-enveloping form—was something I had never seen before. Growing annoyed by his comment, the Twelve Joules said.
“Quit talking nonsense, Hong Gil-dong. Just because you’re a bit strong, don’t think you can speak to the lord!”
Hong Gil-dong, the one spoken to, casually replied.
“You were scared, weren’t you?”
“… Yeah, I was scared.”
“Heh heh.”
“What are you so happy about?”
Muttering, the Twelve Joules continued.
“A descendant of the Evil God is just ridiculous. How can something out of the standard be fused with a human? Why doesn’t the Three Sovereigns say anything to those bastards?”
At that moment, one of the Three Sovereigns, Woosa, spoke up.
“Lord, someone is spying on us through clairvoyance. Our detection barrier has faintly picked up on it.”
Then, the Twelve Joules flinched.
“Really? I was so busy with the fight I didn’t notice; thanks for the heads up.”
“Should we block it?”
“Hmm. If they’ve got that level of skill, they must truly be remarkable. Let’s see… could it be the Illusory God Cheon Woo-jin or Abe no Seimei or a wandering Jewish figure?”
As the Twelve Joules mumbled, he suddenly shouted into the air.
“Don’t just watch—help us out! If you don’t, there’ll be nothing left!”
Of course, neither Cheon Woo-jin nor I had any reason to respond to that. And shortly thereafter, whether the Three Sovereigns’ barrier was indeed reinforced or not, the clairvoyance directed that way was cut off.
Zap!
Once the clairvoyance broke, Cheon Woo-jin caught his breath and stepped back, saying.
“As expected… they are indeed the two greatest powers among humanity. The Three Sovereigns’ barrier is not something to take lightly.”
“……”
I sat silently, overwhelmed. Both the White Lotus Sect leader and the Twelve Joules were indeed monstrous. The power of the White Tiger and Xuanwu, enhanced as demonic beings, was practically apocalyptic, yet they dispatched those monsters in an instant. If it had just been our Bancheon Alliance alone, we probably would have been caught and faced annihilation at the hands of the White Tiger or Xuanwu—there was clearly a significant disparity in power.
Cheon Woo-jin glanced at me and said.
“Do you really think there will come a day when you can fight those kinds of monsters on equal footing?”
“Damn. What can I do to think about that now?”
I shook my head and said.
“Reconnect the clairvoyance. We need to watch for the right moment to enter.”
“Got it.”
Now was not the time to think about the gap between us and them. Instead, I could only do my very best to live my life with what I could control!
