Chapter 353
With bloodshot eyes, Hae Cheong-yeon gripped the blade of the Crimson Lotus Sword embedded in her chest and shouted fiercely.
“Did you really think you could kill me with something like this?!”
At that moment, Seon Woo-jin stepped forward and grasped the sword’s hilt.
“No, as I said before, I have no intention of killing you.”
“…What?”
“I intend to seal you.”
“?!”
Suddenly, the sealing rune etched onto the blade of the Crimson Lotus Sword glowed with a deep red light.
At the same time, a powerful suction force overwhelmed the soul of the Reversed Heaven Blood Demon.
Whoooosh!
“Gyaaaah!”
The Reversed Heaven Blood Demon was horrified.
An unprecedentedly immense power was drawing its soul in.
It tried desperately to resist, but it was futile.
Even her soul, tethered to the edge of the Flame Boundary, couldn’t withstand such overwhelming force.
“No! No! Gyaaaah!”
Like a child clutching a rock to avoid being swept away by a raging current, the Reversed Heaven Blood Demon clung to Hae Cheong-yeon’s body.
But her soul was gradually shattering, being pulled deeper into the Crimson Lotus Sword.
Summoning every ounce of strength, she tried to wrench the sword out of her chest.
“Ughhh!”
But it was impossible.
Seon Woo-jin held the hilt firmly, and when she tried to pull the sword free, it felt as if her very soul would be torn out with it.
Her soul was now tightly bound to the sword.
Despairing, she screamed in agony.
“No, no!”
Seon Woo-jin gripped the hilt of the Crimson Lotus Sword tightly, a fierce smile playing on his lips as he watched her struggle.
‘It’s working, Elder!’
Others nearby ceased fighting and turned their gaze toward her.
The injured Sword Saint also returned to Seon Woo-jin’s side, eyes wide as he watched his daughter’s ordeal.
“Ahhhhhhh!”
Hae Cheong-yeon let out a terrible scream, wailing in pain.
But everyone who heard it instinctively sensed one thing:
Her strength was fading.
The soul of the Reversed Heaven Blood Demon was being drawn out of her body.
Filled with joy, the group clenched their fists tightly.
‘It’s over!’
‘Just a little more!’
Then, from the distant sky, something massive hurtled toward Hae Cheong-yeon and Seon Woo-jin.
It was an object of incredible speed and weight.
Kuwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
The first to spot it were Seol Poong and Seon Woo-jin, both using their clairvoyance.
Simultaneously, they snapped their heads upward and shouted.
“Jin!”
“Something’s coming!”
It was a large sphere radiating a dark, blood-red glow.
A meteor-sized crimson orb shot through the sky like a blazing comet.
Seon Woo-jin glanced anxiously at the still-struggling Hae Cheong-yeon.
To avoid that orb, they needed to retreat—but carrying her while dodging was impossible, and leaving the sword behind to flee alone was out of the question.
Gritting his teeth, Sword Saint Hae Woon-baek leapt over their heads and shouted.
“Stay put! I’ll block it!”
“Elder!”
Seon Woo-jin was startled and tried to stop him.
But the Sword Saint had already drawn his blade and swung it with all his might at the descending orb.
“Ughhh!”
A massive explosion erupted.
Kraaaang!
“Gyaaaah!”
Seon Woo-jin saw the Sword Saint spitting blood as he was violently thrown back, powerless.
His blade shattered into fragments from the impact, and he flew through the air like a broken puppet, seemingly unconscious.
The others gasped in shock.
“Master Hae!”
From a distance, Bi Sa-yeong flew in a beam of light, caught the Sword Saint midair, and safely landed him on the ground.
“Eek!”
Tap, tap.
“Sa-yeong!”
It was a relief.
But Seon Woo-jin had no time to worry about the Sword Saint’s condition.
Turning his head forward, he saw him standing there.
The Blood Demon Jeon Mu-gwang, who now seemed even larger than before…
The elusive Jeon Mu-gwang had finally appeared.
He looked at Hae Cheong-yeon with greedy eyes, then shifted his gaze toward Seon Woo-jin.
At that moment, a chill ran down Seon Woo-jin’s spine.
“!”
Muk-rang shouted.
Seon Woo-jin released his grip on the Crimson Lotus Sword’s hilt and threw his body with all his might.
It was simultaneous with Muk-rang’s warning.
Crack!
Seon Woo-jin moved with a speed close to a demonic phantom, retreating beyond his five viscera.
It was a blink-and-you-miss-it moment.
Jeon Mu-gwang, who had been grasping the spot where Seon Woo-jin had just stood, let out a small impressed exclamation.
“Ho!”
Seon Woo-jin had survived by sensing the danger and throwing himself away with all his strength.
His body still trembled faintly—not just from narrowly escaping death, but because the presence of the Blood Demon was overwhelmingly immense.
In a dazed voice, Seon Woo-jin spoke to Muk-rang.
‘Elder, that is…’
Muk-rang’s voice was also shaken.
Jeon Mu-gwang was openly displaying his power now.
Apparently, he saw no need to hide it.
Feeling that overwhelming aura, Seon Woo-jin was certain.
That was a monster.
Compared to him, even the Reversed Heaven Blood Demon and the Four Kings were still human.
Everyone in Seon Woo-jin’s group stared in stunned horror at Jeon Mu-gwang’s every move.
Seon Woo-jin suddenly asked.
‘Elder, is that the Mythical Flame Boundary?’
Muk-rang answered.
Seon Woo-jin immediately guessed why Jeon Mu-gwang had become such a monster.
‘He’s become a Blood Demon.’
It was beyond frustrating.
They had barely dealt with the Reversed Heaven Blood Demon, only for an even more monstrous being to appear.
And the moment he showed up, he rendered the Sword Saint combat-ineffective.
It was so absurd it almost made him laugh bitterly.
The only relief was that Jeon Mu-gwang’s attention was focused more on Hae Cheong-yeon than on Seon Woo-jin’s group.
Had he attacked them immediately, they would have been slaughtered in an instant.
Seon Woo-jin also guessed why.
‘We’re not even worth his notice.’
Jeon Mu-gwang looked at Hae Cheong-yeon with greedy eyes.
She still clutched the blade of the Crimson Lotus Sword, struggling helplessly.
“Ahhhhh!”
Jeon Mu-gwang sneered and said to her.
“Want me to help? I can break that for you.”
His tone was no longer respectful like before.
But the Reversed Heaven Blood Demon was too consumed by pain to be offended.
Her soul was continuously shattering, being drawn into the Crimson Lotus Sword.
She cried out in terror.
“No! If you break this, I’ll—Ahhh!”
The Reversed Heaven Blood Demon sensed the truth.
Her soul was perfectly bound to the sword.
If the sword was destroyed now, her soul would shatter as well.
Jeon Mu-gwang frowned slightly and asked again.
“Then what do you propose?”
Despite the agony, the Reversed Heaven Blood Demon desperately searched her memories for a way out.
She had to find a method to escape this fate.
‘I can’t be sealed inside the sword like this…’
Then, suddenly, a technique surfaced in her mind.
‘The Seal of Dark Abyss?!’
It was an unfinished spell.
A method that tore open a rift in space to send the target into an unknown dimension.
A hundred years ago, the Reversed Heaven Blood Demon had studied this technique to deal with the Thunder God and the Sword God.
But she had abandoned it upon realizing it only worked on inanimate objects.
‘It’s possible! If I use that technique to send this sword away—’
She began forming the hand seals with all her remaining strength.
She had to dispose of the sword before it was too late.
As she traced the spell in the air with her fingers, crimson energy materialized along the lines, forming a three-dimensional red geometric shape.
Jeon Mu-gwang watched with an intrigued expression.
Seon Woo-jin and the others could only watch helplessly.
They didn’t dare charge at Jeon Mu-gwang.
Ye Ryeong, the Scarlet Demoness, and Nam Hae Seong-nyeo, Si Seo-woo, sent messages to Seon Woo-jin.
Brother, what should we do now?!
Lord Seon Woo, is there no other way?!
Seon Woo-jin gritted his teeth.
There was no other option in this situation.
And it seemed things were about to get even worse.
From the distant sky, Seon Woo-jin and Seol Poong looked up in horror.
Someone else was flying toward them.
Though smaller than Jeon Mu-gwang, this presence was still immense.
“Ji Jo-ooon!”
His build and voice.
Seon Woo-jin immediately recognized him.
“Cheok Gang?!”
He was Cheok Gang, the Iron God Demon, one of the Blood Demon Sect.
Ranked among the top warriors of the Thirty-Six Heavenly Stars, he now radiated a presence rivaling the Sword Saint as he flew toward them.
And the reason was obvious.
‘He’s become a Blood Demon too!’
The situation was spiraling deeper and deeper into chaos.
Originally, their side had the monstrous Jeon Mu-gwang, who surpassed the Hwagyeong level, and the Hwagyeong-class warrior Cheok-gang added to their forces. Meanwhile, Sun Woo-jin’s side was actually at a disadvantage because Geomseong had dropped out of the fight.
It felt like there was no way they could do anything at all under these circumstances.
Reaching that conclusion, Sun Woo-jin gritted his teeth and urgently sent a transmission.
“Launch a surprise attack! We need to reduce the enemy’s strength!”
Hearing his command, Son Eun-sang immediately ambushed Gachu-hak.
Gachu-hak had been staring blankly at Hae Cheong-yeon, completely off guard.
Thud!
“Gahk!”
Son Eun-sang’s crimson sword pierced through Gachu-hak’s back and heart.
Gachu-hak, who had been momentarily dazed and fixated on Hae Cheong-yeon, was caught completely off guard and fell instantly.
At almost the same moment, the Southern Sea Saintess, Si Seo-woo, sliced through the neck of the blood demon Ma Won-ung.
Shhhhk!
“!”
Two of the enemy’s Hwagyeong-level masters were dead in an instant.
The attack was so sudden, and both Son Eun-sang and Si Seo-woo had deliberately held back their strength until now to maintain balance, making this swift strike possible.
The enemy, caught off guard by the sudden speed of their assault, had no chance to defend.
Startled, the opposing Hwagyeong masters, including Mo Yong-gum, snapped back to their senses.
They immediately fled, diving behind Jeon Mu-gwang for cover.
Crack! Crack!
Son Eun-sang and Si Seo-woo couldn’t bring themselves to follow behind Jeon Mu-gwang.
His overwhelming presence was simply too intimidating to approach.
Though they had killed two in a moment of carelessness, that seemed to be the limit.
“Tch!”
“What a pity.”
At that moment, the Iron God Demon Cheok-gang landed beside Jeon Mu-gwang like a meteor.
Boom!
The impact bent one of his knees, but he slowly rose to his feet.
His steel-like body strained against his clothes, radiating an almost unbearable presence.
Once a massive, muscular beast, he had now become a full-fledged monster.
A monster with the power comparable to the former blood demon Jeon Mu-gwang.
He bowed sharply toward Jeon Mu-gwang and said,
“Supreme One! Apologies for the delay! Please allow me to serve you!”
Even now, transformed into a monster, he remained the epitome of loyalty to Jeon Mu-gwang.
But Jeon Mu-gwang kept his gaze fixed solely on Hae Cheong-yeon, not even turning his head as he replied casually,
“It’s fine. It’s only natural that you can’t keep up with me yet.”
He showed no interest in anything but Hae Cheong-yeon.
The arrival of Cheok-gang and the deaths of the two Hwagyeong masters meant nothing to him.
Meanwhile, Sun Woo-jin coldly assessed the current power balance between the two sides.
“Jeon Mu-gwang, an untouchable force, plus four Hwagyeong masters—Jeon Mu-gwang, Mo Yong-gum, Seo Il, and Gyeol Heo-sa-tae. On our side, only three Hwagyeong-level fighters able to fight, plus me, Brother Poong, and Lord Yong as support?”
The disparity was absurd.
There was no way they could stand against that.
What was worse, the situation still had the potential to deteriorate further.
Hae Cheong-yeon, who had been drawing some kind of formation with a red energy, had finally completed it.
Around the Hongyeon Sword, a dense, three-dimensional web of crimson light now shimmered.
With a pale face, she let out a fierce shout.
“Haaah!”
At that moment, the formation she had drawn burst with a bright red glow in midair, and the Hongyeon Sword vanished as if sucked into thin air.
Whoosh!
“!”
“!”
Sun Woo-jin and his group could only stare in horror.
Despite all their efforts to extract the Reverse Heaven Blood Demon from Hae Cheong-yeon, their last hope—the Hongyeon Sword—had disappeared.
This was yet another failure.
“The Reverse Heaven Blood Demon too…?!”
Sun Woo-jin felt his world darken.
Not only had they failed to save Hae Cheong-yeon, but now the enemy’s forces had gained the Reverse Heaven Blood Demon as well.
The despair was overwhelming.
Fortunately, it didn’t seem like the Reverse Heaven Blood Demon would immediately become part of their enemy’s strength.
Hae Cheong-yeon had collapsed to the ground, utterly exhausted, gasping for breath.
Jeon Mu-gwang sneered coldly and asked her,
“So you’ve finally awakened, Gwayeom?”
At his words, Hae Cheong-yeon glared fiercely up at Jeon Mu-gwang and spat,
“Gwayeom? How dare you address me that way…”
But before she could finish, Jeon Mu-gwang suddenly moved beside her like a twisted phantom, grabbed her by the hair, and pulled her face close to his own.
“Now I can finally have you.”
His eyes blazed with greed.
“Ugh!”
Whether from exhaustion or intimidation, Hae Cheong-yeon didn’t resist his grasp.
Instead, a faint glimmer of fear shone in her eyes as she looked at him.
Unable to contain himself any longer, Jeon Mu-gwang slowly caressed her face with his other hand.
Even her frightened expression was unbearably beautiful.
He wanted her—right here, right now.
“Uhehehe! At last…”
Then, someone spoke up.
“That’s strange. Why does the act of one who’s become a beast himself seem even less human than a beast?”
Jeon Mu-gwang turned his head toward the voice.
There stood the young man who had slipped away from his grasp earlier, holding a sword engraved with a black wolf—Sun Woo-jin.
Jeon Mu-gwang frowned slightly and said with annoyance,
“How troublesome. Cheok-gang, you…”
At that moment, Hae Cheong-yeon cried out in shock,
“That voice…! The Sword God?!”
At her words, Sun Woo-jin—or rather, the manifested will of the Sword God, Muk-rang—smiled faintly.
It was time to burn his final moment to the fullest.