Episode 234: Return to the Demonic Sect
An old man wearing a bamboo hat looked up, a raspy chuckle escaping his lips.
“Well, well. Who do we have here? I swatted a pesky fly, and look who came chasing after it.”
“Sulbaek…!”
Sabi Kang narrowed his eyes, glaring at Sulbaek. He hadn’t expected to encounter him in a place like this.
Sabi Kang turned his gaze to the masked figure who had been fleeing. The man’s head was blown apart, dead on the spot.
‘So Sulbaek and that masked man weren’t working together?’
If that was the case, then the masked figures who had saved Sulbaek that day had nothing to do with this man. But who could it be?
As Sabi Kang pondered, his eyes fell on Sulbaek’s left hand, and he flinched.
A bloodied man was dangling from Sulbaek’s grip, held by the hair. Sulbaek followed Sabi Kang’s gaze and smirked.
“Oh, this? Wasn’t this fellow your disciple?”
Sulbaek lifted his left hand, and the limp body of Churyang hung from it. Something was wrong. There was no sign of life in Churyang.
Sulbaek’s lips curled into a sneer. “He was causing a ruckus, so I taught him a lesson. Didn’t expect him to die, though.”
”…!”
Sabi Kang’s expression turned icy cold. Sulbaek seemed amused by his reaction.
“This one claimed his master would avenge him, that you’d find me no matter where I was. And here you are, quicker than I thought.”
”…”
“The bond between master and disciple is truly something. Ha ha ha. Now, shall we have our little chat?”
With that, Sulbaek tossed Churyang’s body aside.
Thud…!
Churyang’s lifeless form slid to a stop at Sabi Kang’s feet, his eyes wide open in disbelief at his own death.
Sabi Kang knelt down, placing a hand on Churyang’s neck. No pulse.
“You’ve done well. Rest now.”
He gently closed Churyang’s eyes and stood up.
With a cold, steely gaze, he drew his sword, Berthas, and fixed his eyes on Sulbaek.
“Don’t think you’ll die easily.”
“Ha ha. Your love for your disciple is touching.”
“Even when a pet dog dies, it hurts.”
Whoosh!
Sabi Kang vanished from sight.
In an instant,
Clang!
Sulbaek blocked the incoming Berthas with his sword.
Screech!
Sulbaek was pushed back, but he grinned.
“Do you always fight the same way?”
“If it works against the likes of you.”
“Then you’ve underestimated your opponent!”
Whoosh!
This time, Sulbaek disappeared.
It wasn’t magic. He moved with incredible speed.
Swoosh!
Clang!
Another thunderous clash echoed as their swords met.
Boom! Bang! Crack!
Their fierce exchange continued, hands blurring in a flurry of motion.
To an ordinary warrior, their movements would be impossible to follow.
Boom!
Another burst of energy sent them skidding apart.
Whoosh!
A gust of wind swept between them, as if signaling a brief pause in their intense battle.
Sulbaek chuckled.
“You’re quite something. How do you wield such martial arts at your age?”
“I’ve lived longer than you.”
Sulbaek’s eyes widened in surprise. He seemed too sane to be mad, and too serious for a joke.
He shook his head.
“You’re an enigma.”
“Thinking you can truly know someone is the height of arrogance.”
Sabi Kang advanced slowly, his eyes cold and unyielding.
Meanwhile, Sulbaek pulled something from his robe.
‘A scroll?’
Sabi Kang frowned slightly.
Just like last time, Sulbaek had produced a magic scroll.
But this time…
‘Three at once?’
As if reading Sabi Kang’s thoughts, Sulbaek grinned.
“Brace yourself. I’m using all three at once this time.”
Sabi Kang’s brow furrowed.
‘Is that even possible?’
Sulbaek didn’t fully understand the nature of aura.
Tearing a scroll and absorbing its aura temporarily boosts one’s internal energy. But merging it with one’s existing energy is another matter.
That’s why scrolls are typically used one at a time.
Last time, he had suffered from absorbing too much aura, hadn’t he?
But now, three at once?
‘What’s he planning?’
Sulbaek, however, was confident.
He recalled the words of the masked figures who had freed him.
“We’ll give you scrolls. You can use up to three at once. We’ve cast a great spell on you.”
He had been skeptical at first.
They wouldn’t explain what the spell was, but assured him of one thing: his body had been strengthened to handle the use of three scrolls without harm.
There’s no such thing as a favor without a price.
And they had made their demand clear.
“Your life is in our hands. If you want the antidote, eliminate Sabi Kang. Otherwise, your enhanced body will become a corpse.”
The choice was obvious.
Eliminate Sabi Kang.
Fortunately, this aligned with his personal vendetta.
There was no reason to refuse.
“Let’s do this properly.”
Rip!
Sulbaek tore the three scrolls simultaneously.
Golden energy surged from the scrolls, flowing into Sulbaek.
“Inhale… exhale!”
Moments later,
Golden patterns appeared on Sulbaek’s body, and his eyes glowed yellow.
A demonic script appeared on his forehead.
Sabi Kang frowned.
‘Aura without a specific attribute.’
Neither cold nor hot.
But with three scrolls used at once, an immense amount of aura must be coursing through him.
Normally, one would be overwhelmed by the pain and lose consciousness…
“Haaaah!”
Sulbaek exhaled deeply, a grin spreading across his face.
“Ha ha ha ha! I feel powerful!”
He felt the aura coursing through his veins.
It was different from before.
Last time, when he used a scroll in the valley, the aura and his internal energy clashed.
He managed to merge them, but the sticky sensation of the aura was hard to get used to.
He had nearly self-destructed from the overwhelming aura.
But now, it was different.
The aura flowed through his veins like a river.
The sticky feeling was gone.
The aura moved freely, like the pure energy he had cultivated for years.
His body felt light, his hands brimming with strength.
“Ha ha ha ha ha!”
He laughed maniacally.
Even the birds in the distant forest took flight, and the sound echoed as if shaking the heavens and earth.
Sabi Kang realized something had changed in Sulbaek.
‘What happened in the meantime?’
Normally, absorbing three scrolls would be impossible.
Even for a master, using three scrolls at once was reckless.
Yet Sulbaek showed no signs of distress.
“How long will you stand there in shock?”
Sulbaek shouted,
Whoosh!
He vanished again.
“Here.”
He reappeared behind Sabi Kang, swinging his sword.
Sabi Kang spun around, blocking with Berthas.
Clang!
“Ugh!”
Sabi Kang skidded back, barely stopping.
Whoosh!
A sharp aura shot towards Sabi Kang like a blade.
It was as powerful as a martial force.
Boom!
A thunderous sound erupted as Sabi Kang was pushed back again.
Sulbaek’s assault didn’t stop there.
Bang! Boom! Clang!
He relentlessly pressed Sabi Kang into a corner.
But Sabi Kang wasn’t just taking it.
Whoosh!
Berthas sliced through the air, and Sulbaek dodged or parried each time.
Sulbaek was undeniably stronger than before.
They exchanged dozens of blows, yet neither could claim victory.
Sabi Kang seemed to be on the back foot, but then Sulbaek would find himself retreating.
If Sulbaek’s swift and powerful attacks were like a bee’s sting, Sabi Kang’s fluid and graceful swordplay was like a butterfly’s dance.
When the bee struck fiercely, the butterfly evaded with a gentle flutter.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The ground around them was pockmarked with craters, and large trees toppled with a crash.
How long had they been locked in this fierce battle?
“Haaah!”
Sabi Kang let out a battle cry, charging with Berthas.
He had been responding with soft, flowing techniques, but now he changed tactics, attacking fiercely.
Sulbaek quickly raised his sword.
“Don’t get cocky!”
Swoosh! Clang!
Their swords clashed with a thunderous roar.
In the next moment,
Crack, Clang!
The blade of Seolbaek shattered into pieces.
Though their powers were evenly matched, the superiority of the weapon was clear—Bertas was overwhelmingly dominant.
In the instant Seolbaek’s eyes widened,
Slash!
Bertas sliced through Seolbaek’s arm with a swift, clean cut.
“Ugh!”
Sabigang seized the opportunity, spinning around and extending his hand.
“Magma Blast!”
In a flash, searing balls of fire hurtled toward Seolbaek.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
“Argh!”
Seolbaek quickly crossed his arms, summoning a protective barrier.
Boom!
By the time he deflected the third fireball, his barrier shattered, and the fourth fireball exploded against his arms.
Bang!
“Aaagh!”
As Seolbaek screamed and was thrown back, Sabigang immediately began casting his next spell.
“Sonic Vibration!”
This spell summoned a sphere of vibrations moving at the speed of sound.
Whoosh!
As the sphere flew toward him, Seolbaek’s eyes widened, and he extended his palm.
But it was the worst decision he could have made.
The moment his energy touched the sphere,
Rip-rip-rip!
The air vibrated violently, tearing into Seolbaek’s right arm.
“Aaaagh!”
Seolbaek quickly reformed his protective barrier and leaped back.
Swoosh!
Sabigang charged at him with terrifying speed.
In a split second,
Thud!
“Gah…!”
Seolbaek’s mouth gaped open, his eyes wide with shock.
Bertas was embedded in his abdomen, greedily absorbing the blood that gushed forth.
“You… damn…! Ugh!”
Seolbaek coughed up blood like a fountain.
Whoosh!
Sabigang withdrew Bertas and swung his sword at Seolbaek’s neck.
But then,
Clang!
A sharp metallic sound rang out.
Sabigang frowned, staring at the tip of his sword.
Astonishingly, Seolbaek had raised his hand to block Bertas. But his hand had transformed, resembling the paw of a beast.
‘What is that…?’
Crack…!
In the next moment, Seolbaek’s body twisted unnaturally, beginning to change.