Chapter 188
Encounter with the Black Blood Phantom Demon, Dudang.
From the moment Sun Woo-jin heard the information from No Jeok, he hadn’t completely ruled out the possibility of this encounter.
And even if it happened, he believed he could handle it.
After all, he still had two chances left to call on Muk-rang’s power.
Sun Woo-jin was confident.
If Muk-rang stepped forward and unleashed that Black Wolf Sword Technique again, he was sure he could reduce the Black Blood Phantom Demon Dudang—who was more renowned for his soul-sealing arts than his combat skills—to nothing more than a shadow, just like the last time with Amhyeolhyang.
But…
“Why now, of all times…?”
Sun Woo-jin bit his lip, facing the very situation he had hoped to avoid.
Right now, the most important thing was to save his comrades.
Second only to that was destroying the Muhwang Fortress itself—the very place where the demonic beasts were being produced.
Even before arriving here, Sun Woo-jin had that goal in mind.
But after seeing Bi Sa-yeong’s master in the workshop, his resolve had only hardened.
They absolutely had to bring down the Muhwang Fortress.
To prevent any more demonic beasts from being born here, especially the dreaded Blood Demons.
And to stop the dead—like Bi Sa-yeong’s master—from being exploited by the Blood Sect any longer.
“To do that, I need Muk-rang’s help right at the fortress’s core…”
Sun Woo-jin’s original plan was to use Muk-rang’s sword technique at the central pillar of the fortress to bring it crashing down.
So if he was going to meet Dudang anyway, it should have been there.
That way, a single call for Muk-rang’s power could have solved everything.
But now, meeting the Black Blood Phantom Demon Dudang in a place so far from the fortress’s core was throwing a wrench into his plans.
“If I use Muk-rang’s power now, I won’t have it left when it really counts—when I need to destroy the fortress.”
Of course, even if he called on Muk-rang’s power now, he still had one chance left.
But to waste both chances here would be a bitter loss.
As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Muk-rang suddenly spoke.
“I think I have a way to get through this situation.”
Sun Woo-jin’s ears perked up at those words.
Indeed, the Sword God was the most admirable figure in the world.
Muk-rang continued.
“This place…”
Listening carefully, Sun Woo-jin exchanged a quick glance with the Ironclad Demon General, Pojeogwan.
As soon as Muk-rang finished, Sun Woo-jin summoned Seolpung.
“Captain! Over here, quickly!”
After a brief reunion with Naseoyu, Seolpung entrusted Sak Muhun with the blood-sealing technique and charged toward Pojeogwan.
“I, Sojeo, will take on Brother Sak! Hyaaah!”
Pojeogwan felt a surge of electricity ripple through his body, as if a fierce tiger was charging straight at him.
Unlike Sun Woo-jin’s usual wind-like evasions, this was a direct, powerful assault.
Gritting his teeth, Pojeogwan shouted, “Come on, kid!”
In the next instant, Seolpung’s fierce attack collided with Pojeogwan’s twin fists, creating a massive explosion.
Kwah! Kwah! Kwah!
Meanwhile, Bi Sa-yeong, barely holding his own against the two demonic generals, Yawonhyang and Chun Toi Ma-gun Yun Yong-wan, let out a scream.
“Yanma! Why did you call the captain over there?! You should’ve sent him here!”
Bi Sa-yeong’s cry wasn’t just theatrics.
No matter how much his divine technique surpassed even the top masters, this situation was too harsh.
He could keep running, but Yawonhyang was nearing her limit.
But Sun Woo-jin didn’t hesitate.
Leaping toward the central pillar of the stone chamber, he called back, “Hold on a little longer!”
He pressed firmly on the base of the pillar Muk-rang had mentioned.
A stone at the bottom slid inward with a grinding sound.
Muk-rang shouted, “Turn it to the right!”
With a bit of force, the pillar’s lower section rotated slightly to the right, accompanied by a faint scraping noise.
The chamber trembled again.
Rumble…
At that moment, Yun Yong-wan, who had just been about to charge at Yawonhyang after shaking off Bi Sa-yeong, froze in shock at the unexpected turn of events.
“What… what is that?!”
Rumble…
“What now?”
The Black Blood Phantom Demon Dudang frowned at the renewed vibrations coming from the mechanism as he moved toward the chamber where Naseoyu and Sak Muhun were held.
“This isn’t the central mechanism… where is it?”
He had been preparing to transform Naseoyu and Sak Muhun into Blood Demons in the heart of the inner fortress’s Blood Demon research lab.
Everything was perfectly set to begin the transformation as soon as Baekmyeon Sima Guujeol returned.
But then, he suddenly heard the entire passageway’s mechanism spring to life.
“The mechanism… moving? Now?”
Dudang couldn’t believe it.
The Muhwang Fortress’s mechanisms were crafted with such advanced technology that even the Blood Sect’s long research had failed to find a way to control them.
They had only disabled the traps and left the rest intact, fearing that forcibly deactivating the mechanisms could bring the entire fortress down.
Yet now, long after they had discovered this place, the mechanisms had started moving again.
“How is this possible… Could it be?!”
His first thought was that the fortress might be collapsing.
If someone tried to disable the mechanisms incorrectly, the whole thing could come crashing down.
The very thought made Dudang shudder.
“No, no way. That can’t happen.”
Inside this place were everything they had studied for so long.
The materials to create demonic beasts, the production facilities, even the research data and secret recipes for Blood Demons.
Sure, copies of the data had been sent to the Blood Demons, but losing this place was unthinkable.
So while Dudang anxiously watched the situation from the research lab at the core, he suddenly remembered Blood Demon Il-ho, who had rushed to him earlier complaining of a headache.
“Father! My friends! My friends are in danger!”
“Hm?”
Il-ho, perhaps due to her original temperament, remained gentle and affectionate even after becoming a Blood Demon.
So even in this dangerous moment, her first thought was for her friends.
“Father! My friends! Please save them!”
She pleaded urgently.
Moved by her earnest request, Dudang decided to go with her to check on them.
After observing the situation, he felt some relief—the mechanism’s movement seemed focused only on the central mechanism, so the research lab was likely safe.
More importantly, he worried they might try to escape amid the chaos.
But what he saw when he arrived was beyond anything he had imagined.
Rumble…
Dudang muttered in disbelief, “There was… a door there?”
The door to the chamber holding Naseoyu and Sak Muhun was closing.
A door he hadn’t even known existed.
It was utterly ridiculous.
Beside him, Il-ho charged fiercely at the door.
“Yahh!”
Bang!
Despite her desperate strike—comparable to a top master’s full power—the door didn’t budge.
It was just another confirmation of how well-crafted the mechanism was.
Seeing the door close, Sun Woo-jin clenched his fist.
“Good.”
Now, Dudang and the other three top masters couldn’t join forces.
They had bought themselves some time.
Without hesitation, Sun Woo-jin launched himself at Chun Toi Ma-gun Yun Yong-wan, who was still staring blankly at the closed door while fighting Bi Sa-yeong and Yawonhyang.
Moonlight Phantom Sword Dance, Third Form.
Hyunmangwol activated.
Determined to save every second, Sun Woo-jin pushed himself beyond his limits and unleashed the third form of the Moonlight Phantom Sword Dance.
Suddenly, a sensation like an out-of-body experience washed over him, as if he were watching from a third-person perspective.
Whoosh!
Within that strange sensation, Sun Woo-jin became a beam of light, stabbing straight at his opponent.
One Sword Technique, First Step.
One Moment, Four Steps.
Shiiik!
It was an incredibly fast thrust.
Yun Yong-wan, caught off guard, was momentarily stunned.
But as a top master, he didn’t panic.
He spun his body, wrapping his foot in energy, and kicked Sun Woo-jin’s sword away.
“Where do you think you’re going?!”
Whoooosh!
His remarkable martial skill perfectly intercepted the flying sword.
But the moment his foot struck the sword, Sun Woo-jin’s form shattered like petals scattering in the wind.
It was the Thousand Wind Divine Technique’s “Thousand Wind Flower Petals.”
Fssshhh!
Yun Yong-wan was momentarily confused, glancing around at the scattered afterimages.
Then, from the exact opposite direction of his gaze, Sun Woo-jin’s shadowy figure stabbed a sword straight at the back of his neck.
It was a chilling surprise attack.
Despite everything, Yun Yong-wang scoffed.
As an ultra-elite master, he was far from someone who could be caught off guard by such a cheap sneak attack.
His eyes flashing sharply, he unleashed a flurry of blade strikes—three rapid consecutive blows—aimed at Sun Woo-jin, who had attacked from behind.
“So that’s where you are!”
Swish!
The three strikes were so fast they almost blurred together, each one capable of deflecting a blade and hitting the opponent’s body and head in near-instant succession.
But the moment Yun Yong-wang’s first strike kicked away Sun Woo-jin’s sword, he was struck with horror.
Whoosh!
The figure attacking him—the very form of Sun Woo-jin—dissolved like a phantom, vanishing into thin air.
“W-what?!”
A shadow moving like a real person? It was utterly incomprehensible.
Naturally, the next two kicks that had already been set in motion sliced through empty air.
And at that moment, another afterimage of Sun Woo-jin appeared, launching a sudden assault on Yun Yong-wang.
Since Yun Yong-wang was already engaged on the other side, this surprise attack was all the more deadly.
“You bastard!”
Gritting his teeth, Yun Yong-wang twisted his body with effort and swung his blade again to strike at Sun Woo-jin’s sword.
Even in this desperate moment, his movements were sharp and precise.
But once again, the same thing happened.
The instant his foot struck Sun Woo-jin’s sword, he relived the same experience.
Whoosh!
That afterimage vanished like a ghost once more.
Yun Yong-wang shouted in disbelief.
“Again?!”
And at the very moment his stance faltered, Sun Woo-jin struck from behind once more.
The One Instant, Four Strikes sword technique.
Il Si Sa Il.
Shiiik!
“!”
The thrust was like a beam of pure light.
Its speed was incomparably faster than the first time he had faced it.
Caught off guard, Yun Yong-wang hastily tried to deploy his protective energy shield.
“Hah…!”
Puff!
But he wasn’t even granted the time to raise it.
Sun Woo-jin’s blade pierced his chest at lightning speed.
“Ugh!”
Yun Yong-wang, his heart impaled, stared at Sun Woo-jin in disbelief.
Then, with a heavy thud, he dropped to his knees.
This was the moment Sun Woo-jin single-handedly defeated Yun Yong-wang, an ultra-elite master of the Heavenly Descent Demon Army, ranked on par with Ji Gwang-ok, the Bloodthirsty Demon Army commander he had faced before.
At the same time, Seol Poong and the Iron Palm Demon Army’s Po Jeo-gwan were locked in a fierce head-to-head battle.
Kwah! Kwah! Kwah! Kwah! Boom!
Seol Poong charged like a raging tiger, his kicking strikes clashing against Po Jeo-gwan’s iron palm strikes.
His spinning elbows collided with the iron palms, and his close-range punches met the same defense.
Amid the violent clashes, Po Jeo-gwan was gradually being pushed backward.
Gnash!
He ground his teeth.
Being forced back by an opponent who looked barely in his twenties was utterly unacceptable.
“You little brat…”
Then, suddenly—
“Ugh!”
A deathly scream reached Po Jeo-gwan’s ears.
Yun Yong-wang, who had been facing Sun Woo-jin, was dead.
Po Jeo-gwan caught a glimpse of Yun Yong-wang pierced by a blade, and his eyes widened in shock.
“This can’t be!”
With the stone chamber’s door closed, Yun Yong-wang had fallen.
That meant the one who killed him would soon be coming for them.
Especially now, when the Bloodwind Demon Army’s Eo Chi-ram seemed to be losing ground to that old monkey-like man.
“This can’t go on.”
Growing desperate, Po Jeo-gwan finally decided to unleash his ultimate technique.
He was willing to take a risk to end the fight quickly.
“Hoooop!”
He focused all his internal energy into his twin fists.
He planned to release it all at once like a raging torrent.
But at that moment, Seol Poong let out a quiet chuckle and muttered,
“Well, I guess I haven’t been giving it my all. From now on, I’ll do my best.”
“What did you say?!”
Po Jeo-gwan’s brow furrowed deeply.
Suddenly, Seol Poong squeezed his eyes shut, and a burst of crimson energy exploded from between his eyelids.
Fwah!
In an instant, Seol Poong charged forward at a speed incomparable to before.
Swish!
“!”
Startled, Po Jeo-gwan instinctively leapt back.
He was preparing to unleash his strongest technique.
“Ughhh!”
Kwah! Kwah! Kwah! Kwah! Boom!
His flurry of iron palm strikes poured out like a raging flood.
The force was so overwhelming it seemed capable of pulverizing even massive boulders into sand.
But it was useless against Seol Poong, who had begun using the Red Eye martial art.
Like a fish swimming upstream against a torrent, Seol Poong weaved through Po Jeo-gwan’s relentless assault.
Pabababababap!
Deflecting every iron palm strike, Seol Poong closed the distance.
Fear finally flickered in Po Jeo-gwan’s eyes as he saw Seol Poong approaching.
“N-no way…”
And then, at point-blank range, Seol Poong’s rapid barrage struck Po Jeo-gwan with full force.
Pababababababap!
“Gahhh!”
In just a single breath, Po Jeo-gwan’s body was shattered to pieces.