Chapter 571
“It’s eerily quiet here.”
Jin So-cheong was gripping his spear tightly, eyes trained on the front. He inhaled deeply and took a step forward, gliding through the air as if parting water, effortlessly channeling every ounce of energy into the spear’s tip.
‘Is this a strategy?’ I wondered, clueless about the profound depth hidden within Jin So-cheong’s movement.
As he moved, the Master of the White Lotus Sect unleashed a tremendous assault on Daji, aiming his Heart of Heaven’s Abundance technique at her.
Kaboom!
The force was reminiscent of mountains crumbling! Although it didn’t match the time he became the Apostle of God in Luoyang, the boundless power emitted from his Primordial Spirit was awe-inspiring. In an instant, countless strikes hammered down, too overwhelming for any ordinary martial artist to dodge.
“Hmmm…”
The Master grunted. Despite launching a furious attack, a translucent barrier surrounded Daji, easily deflecting the Master’s efforts. The protective film glimmered like water, appearing flexible yet impossible to shatter.
Daji’s eyes flared with crimson light as a taunting laugh echoed in the hall.
[That feeble power isn’t enough to break my shield!]
Shiiing!
Suddenly, a crimson ray shot from Daji’s eyes, erupting into a wide arc that incinerated everything in its path. The range far exceeded a hundred yards, and no ordinary sorcerer could evade such an onslaught. However, in that moment, Mangnyang formed a protective bond, evacuating our forces elsewhere.
“Oh, I see.”
Pa-at!
In an instant, Mangnyang utilized advanced techniques combining spatial manipulation, staggering slightly from the strain, while the Sword Demon supported him.
“Are you alright?”
“Ugh… No time to waste on that monster. Let’s evade until this sorcery defense barrier is up!”
“Understood.”
As soon as Mangnyang’s words left his mouth, every expert of the Bancheon Alliance took position in unison. When Daji lifted her three tails and unleashed a massive column of fire, everyone holding the Seven Star formation vanished without a trace.
Pa-at!
The Bancheon members reappeared in a blink at an unexpected spot. I watched in awe and exclaimed, “Incredible!”
The Seven Star tactic allowed our forces to coordinate with the sorcerer at the center, teleporting us all together. This advanced technique, not typically taught to standard sorcerers, was a relic from ancient times documented in the Three Sovereigns’ Inner Gate. Mangnyang had mastered this sorcery during his training and finally put it to use.
‘Using the Seven Star formation minimizes our magic depletion!’
Initially, Mangnyang had to expend a lot of energy due to the sudden attack, but now he could activate the sorcery without straining too much. As long as we maintained the formation, we could likely evade Daji’s powerful, ongoing assaults.
At that moment, the Master of the Twelve Joules called upon the Cosmic Fragment, chanting an incantation while raising it high.
“In the name of Haebak, I command you: Freeze everything!”
Suddenly, the entire Void Space seemed to enshroud a gigantic ice dragon. With the formidable power capable of freezing thousands of sea beings before, Daji faltered for a moment, unable to dismiss its impact.
Crackling sounds of shifting magic reverberated around Daji’s barrier. The chill of the incantation was penetrating the shield surrounding her. Yet, in response, Daji roared in disbelief.
[As Daji, I command you: Ice, return to whence you came!!]
Spellcraft in action!
“Huh?!”
The unexpected counter caught the Master off guard, but alas, it was too late.
With a cold snap, the ice dragon lost its form, morphing back into pure coldness and, in turn, returning to the very caster. The Twelve Joules desperately swung the Cosmic Fragment to absorb the attack, but the chill rapidly creeped up her arms, visibly freezing them.
“Ugh…”
Screams erupted as her puppet-like frame slowly succumbed to the biting cold.
Just like being entombed in eternal ice, the Master of the Twelve Joules was fully encased in frost within mere blinks of an eye. Her body turned to a giant glacier, leaving the Three Masters without the slightest idea of what to do to help.
“…!!”
What in the world did I just witness?!
The Master of the Twelve Joules, reduced to such a state so easily… yet, despite being trapped in ice, she still twitched, not fully lifeless. Cheon Woo-jin, keeping a vigilant watch, commented with intrigue.
“Looks like the resistance of the Cosmic Fragment and the Lunar Shield has kept her alive.”
“What on earth just happened?!”
“With Daji’s power, she possesses enough strength to reflect divine spells without even training. Typically, such attacks would be futile against her defenses, but she managed to reflect them like this.”
“Unbelievable…!!”
My jaw dropped. How could such an ability, based on the abilities granted by the Cosmic Fragment, be reflected so easily?
‘Oh, wait a minute. Daji has retaliated against Yeodong-bin’s Fire Dragon Summon before.’ Daji had neutralized it due to its sheer force, but even then, she attempted to invalidate the attack with her roars, reminiscent of spellcraft. It seemed that she could shrug off even maximum-output attacks with ease.
So how exactly were we supposed to bring her down? To strike at her defenses would require breaking her sorcery barrier, which generally wouldn’t be easy, and even if we could do it, she’d simply counter!?
As I grumbled in confusion, Cheon Woo-jin spoke up.
“How much damage are we talking here?”
Catching Cheon Woo-jin’s distant gaze on his vivid screen, he murmured.
“That’s something this monster will show us now.”
Pa-at!
Jin So-cheong had already advanced to Daji’s close range. However, to the massive Daji, Jin So-cheong’s size was practically that of an ant, leaving her unconcerned.
When attacked, she was confident that an insect couldn’t breach her sorcery barrier.
Buzzing…
Lightning danced from Jin So-cheong’s body, and in a flash, he radiated brilliance—transforming into a being of light. I gasped, clenching my fists.
‘Thunder Spirit?!’
But the moment passed, and he returned to his human form.
‘Was it just my imagination?’
Jin So-cheong charged towards Daji with his spear raised, burrowing through the torrential downpour of her swirling beams—a sudden application of the Three Treasure Technique. In an instant, he thrust and then drew back.
Thwok!
[What…]
As Daji prepared to exhale some fire, she looked down, finding Jin So-cheong standing firmly, the thrust still poised. Daji remained unscathed, but most certainly her defense had thinned.
What just happened?
[This scoundrel!!]
Ka-boom!
In desperation, Daji lashed at Jin So-cheong with one of her tails, forcing him to dodge swiftly out of the way. Yet, in a furious frenzy, Daji swung multiple tails in a chaotic attack, cornering Jin So-cheong.
[Sage Cataclysm.]
In that critical moment, the Master of the White Lotus Sect intervened with the Absolute Realm’s Sage Cataclysm, momentarily slowing Daji’s assault, providing Jin So-cheong with a narrow window to escape.
As Jin So-cheong stepped back, the Master shot him a glance and conveyed.
[Young master of Thunder God Lineage, what technique is that?]
Jin So-cheong replied firmly, “It has no name.”
[I see… So you haven’t found one yet…]
The Master mumbled unknowingly, then continued.
[Let bygones be bygones; the salvation of our sect must take precedence. With me and the Dharma Protectors supporting you, find the ‘needle in the haystack.’]
“I agree.”
[Let’s go!]
With a surge of determination, the Master unleashed his immense power, channeling boundless strength into Daji. Thousands of strikes flew towards her, bearing down with ferocious strength, while the space of the Absolute Realm restricted Daji’s mobility further.
[Hah!]
“Take that!”
The Dharma Protectors, catching on to the Master’s intent, poured out their powers, launching colossal elemental attacks toward Daji. They focused fire, and even Daji, no matter how fearsome, started to stagger.
KA-BOOM!
Watching this unfold, I felt an adrenaline rush and exclaimed.
“Infinite power! At this rate, we might break her barrier…”
Cheon Woo-jin snapped back, “Fool! Have you not realized the situation?”
“What?”
“The Master alone cannot take down Daji. He may hold her, but…”
He pointed out as the battle progressed. “Watch closely. As her barrier wanes, she’s preparing something.”
“Preparing?”
“The powers of the Five Elements are gathering. Daji will strike back soon.”
Pizza!
Floating around Daji were spheres of fire, lightning, and storm. Each hovered larger than tens of yards, without attacking yet, but I finally grasped Cheon Woo-jin’s meaning.
“So, she intends to convert the backlash from the elemental attacks into these spheres?”
Cheon Woo-jin nodded.
“Daji isn’t some mindless puppet, but a cunning Demon King well-versed in sorcerous art. She would have quickly caught on to the fact that we possess infinite power, so she’s definitely plotting other strategies.”
“Once those spheres are ready…”
“When the powers of the Five Elements maximize, a huge explosion with her fire will follow. Anyone within that radius will perish.”
“……”
As I fell silent, Cheon Woo-jin’s gaze turned intense as he focused ahead.
“The Master has placed a bet. If he can pierce through Daji’s defenses before the spheres fill up, everyone can charge in and inflict damage. But should he fail…”
“We’ll face annihilation.”
“Exactly.”
My teeth gritted. “No way! I have to…!”
“Wait. We haven’t received the signal from Zhuge Sa.”
“……”
“Moreover, the Twelve Joules won’t be finished just yet.”
Ka-boom!
Explosions echoed throughout the chamber, chaos enveloping us. The Dharma Protectors wielded their infinite power, but Daji showed no signs of injury, sapping the morale from those around her. Even the Master grew weary, the dimensions of his Absolute Realm visibly shortening.
Just then, Jin So-cheong surged ahead once more. In this moment, he was the only one capable of taking action against Daji, with all his strength focused on launching himself through the onslaught of her swirling beams.
To penetrate!
His thrust aimed high toward Daji’s neck, but just as his spear reached its target, an unthinkable twist occurred.
Ka-Ching!
[No… no way…!!]
Like glass shattering, Daji’s barrier fractured, and the shimmer of her protective aura ceased to exist. Stunned at the loss, Daji’s gaze darted about frantically, her attention caught in disbelief, as Jin So-cheong drove his spear forward in radiant desperation.
“Die, Demon King Daji!”
In an instant, Jin So-cheong unleashed an explosion of Heart Command Technique with every soul’s desire.
Ka-boom!
[Aaaahhhh!]
A beam of light pierced Daji’s form, sending her crashing through the cavern wall. Moments later, the reverberation shook the area as Daji’s massive body collided with the stone wall. Daji trembled as if pierced by a deadly arrow.
Yet after accomplishing this feat, Jin So-cheong faltered, plummeting through the air as he grew weary. He was on the brink of fainting, falling towards the earth.
“Jin So-cheong!”
At that very moment, Mangnyang, dancing gracefully through the Seven Stars formation, snatched Jin So-cheong up mid-fall. Upon landing, he bellowed with all his might.
“The barrier has broken! All-out assault!”
Crash!
In that instant, the remaining experts from the Twelve Joules and the Bancheon Alliance, having evaded danger, surged forth, unleashing their powerful attacks upon Daji like a horde of locusts.
[Kyaaaah!]
As blades pierced her being and spells hammered down, Daji struggled against the relentless onslaught. Experts like the Sword Demon and Extreme Tiger rallied together, but even with all their might, she flailed about, still unswayed.
But then the Master and the Dharma Protectors locked eyes, their resolve ignited.
[Let’s finish this!]
Kaboom!
Spectacular destruction erupted around Daji, leaving her splattered in wounds and blood. Other experts swiftly maneuvered, evading the attacks initiated by the Dharma Protectors, surging toward Daji’s vital spots.
How long did this onslaught last?
Suddenly, Daji shocked everyone by rising and roaring in fury.
“Kyaaaah!”
Ka-Ching!
Once again, a thin barrier flickered around Daji’s body. Despite her being covered in injuries and blood, she stood ready to continue the fight, raising her nine tails high, causing the surrounding heroes to hesitate with fear.
The Master frowned, watching her barrier reform.
[This monster… How much stamina does it even possess? It’s been over a meal without a shield…]
Mangnyang kneeled, conjuring a restoration spell for Jin So-cheong, shouting.
“We can’t give up now! One more round! If we break that barrier, we can finish this!”
[Agreed, never stop! The demon’s hold on this land can’t last much longer.]
For the second time, the drawn-out battle resumed. Although Jin So-cheong and Miyamoto Musashi had momentarily drained themselves and had to withdraw from the frontline, Daji was similarly on a weakening path. She found it increasingly hard to unleash fire and resisted casting spells.
As time dragged on once again…
“Kyaaaah!”
Ka-Ching!
“All-out attack!!”
“Woohoo!”
Fully determined to finish the job, everyone threw themselves at Daji, who barely clung to consciousness.
Smash!
Boom!
“Kyaaaah…”
As blades and spells punctured her body, Daji’s form began to shimmer, glowing brightly.
“No… not like this…”
With that anguished cry, Daji’s colossal body transformed into a beam of light and blasted into the air, unable to withstand the current reality’s strains. She fled back to Golden Crow Island, likely fearing for her very existence.
Thud!
“W-We did it…”
As everyone collapsed exhausted, relieved yet battered, thankfully no one had perished, though injuries were widespread, even affecting the Dharma Protectors. Only the Master of the White Lotus Sect remained unscathed, while Mangnyang looked dazed from the aftermath of the shockwaves.
It was a bloody scene, yet we all understood what it entailed.
Still, we had rid ourselves of the Apostle of God!
With this victory, the path to dismantling the shadow shrouding the Imperial Palace had finally opened.
The Master squinted at the frozen figure of the Twelve Joules, perhaps sensing his fatigue.
[I suppose he’s done for.]
Could the Master of the Twelve Joules, Han Eun-cheon, ever return after being consumed by an overwhelming spell and encased in eternal ice? Anyone with sense would deem it impossible.
“……”
No answer came from the Three Masters. Amidst the heavy silence, U Sa spoke up.
“The Joule’s breath has just been extinguished.”
The notification of the Twelve Joules’ demise came as a shock, but before we could react, it felt like a mere formality to those of us who had been immersed in chaos a moment ago. Instead, the representative of the clan emerged: Hong Gil-dong.
“Even if the Joule is gone, we will continue. The Ming Dynasty Imperial Palace shall fall today!”
[We share the same will! Let’s go.]
The Master’s eyes gleamed with resolve.
[Finally, the time to tear the claws of the Vermilion Bird has arrived.]
