Episode 263: Return to the Demonic Sect

A fortuitous encounter.

For martial artists, it’s not just a dream but a constant yearning—a desire for that one stroke of luck. Most legendary martial masters were those who had such encounters.

Yet, Sabigang never believed in luck.

To an outsider, it might seem like he had been blessed with fortune, but in truth, it was the result of sheer effort and determination.

The fact that Bashuk’s Hammer was here was not due to luck but because he had retained memories from a past life.

Of course, surviving the hellish demon realm required a fair share of luck.

But as a martial artist, he had never stumbled upon any such fortune in the Central Plains.

And now, that very fortune lay before Sabigang’s eyes.

Indeed.

If this wasn’t a stroke of luck, what was?

With trembling eyes, Sabigang gazed at the milky liquid pooled on the rock.

The legendary Elixir of the Clear Stone!

It was said that it could take anywhere from ten to several decades for a single drop to form. Typically found deep within underground caves, discovering it was akin to plucking a star from the sky.

To find the most revered of all elixirs in such a place was beyond belief.

As the saying goes, even when the sky falls, there’s always a way out. This was precisely one of those moments.

Judging by the eye, there seemed to be dozens of drops pooled there.

To think he would encounter such a rare elixir, one that even three generations of virtue might not witness.

Thud… Thud…

Even as Sabigang was overwhelmed with emotion, the giant submerged beneath the water continued to build its staircase.

Its method was to first break the wall and then pile the resulting stones on the opposite side.

Its intelligence was truly astonishing.

‘But with this stroke of luck, the end of this battle is in sight!’

With a smirk, Sabigang bent down and drank the Elixir of the Clear Stone.

In his heart, he wished he could save some for the invincible army he planned to build, to share its power with them.

The elixir was pure and potent, beneficial to anyone regardless of their alignment.

Moreover, even a novice in internal energy cultivation could easily absorb its essence.

Considering how many have fallen into inner demons from mishandling other elixirs, the ease of absorbing the Elixir of the Clear Stone made it the pinnacle of all elixirs.

But with death looming, he had to extinguish the immediate threat first.

‘Well, I have no choice. I’ll have to drink it all.’

The liquid was pooled in a hollow on the rock, making it impossible to scoop up.

Drinking the world’s rarest elixir in such a manner, like a dog lapping at the ground, was far from dignified, but what did it matter?

Sabigang, disregarding appearances, licked the rock clean, leaving not a single drop behind.

The effect was immediate.

His mind cleared, and a refreshing sensation spread through his chest.

Though he was within a barrier, the Elixir of the Clear Stone had existed long before the barrier was formed.

In other words, it wasn’t internal energy or mana brought in from outside.

Now, he was on equal footing with the giant tirelessly building its staircase underwater.

Sabigang quickly sat cross-legged and began circulating his internal energy.

Soon, a haze began to rise from his entire body.

Though his internal energy was depleted, Sabigang’s mastery of his cultivation technique meant his meridians and dantian were unparalleled, allowing him to circulate energy without hindrance.

Before long, a peculiar phenomenon appeared above his head.

It was the manifestation of the Five Qi Converging to the Origin and the Three Flowers Gathering at the Peak, phenomena seen only in those who had reached the pinnacle of internal energy cultivation.

Yet, something was odd—the phenomenon kept changing.

At one moment, it took the form of the Five Qi Converging to the Origin, then shifted to the Three Flowers Gathering at the Peak, and at times, it even resembled the demonic forms seen in the Demonic Sect, with a sinister black hand appearing.

Regardless, Sabigang could feel the powerful energy coursing through his meridians with each cycle of his internal energy.

With each sweep of pure energy through his body, the internal energy in his dantian grew steadily.

How much time had passed?

As the energy emanating from Sabigang’s body began to wane, he opened his eyes.

A newfound vitality shone in his gaze.

‘It’s done. Four cycles!’

This was more than enough to face the giant.

If he were to step outside the barrier, he would have the equivalent of fifteen cycles.

Of course, that’s only theoretically speaking.

The world doesn’t always follow such precise calculations.

Logically, he should have reached fifteen cycles, but in reality, he was stuck at nine.

Sabigang already possessed the internal energy of eleven cycles, but when using martial arts, he was limited to nine.

Simply put, it was the limit of his vessel.

The maximum capacity of the lower and middle dantian in a human.

Expanding the dantian beyond that as a human was no easy feat.

It’s not that it doesn’t grow at all, but from that point, the growth is exceedingly slow.

This is why it’s easier for a third-rate martial artist to become first-rate, but much harder for a peak master to become transcendent.

Mana, however, is different.

Though he might not reach the ninth circle without a great epiphany, he could infinitely accumulate mana in his heart.

Of course, increasing mana isn’t as easy as it sounds.

For this reason, Sabigang planned to convert most of his internal energy into mana as soon as he left the barrier.

This way, he could fully retain the internal energy of fifteen cycles.

However, as mentioned earlier, having the internal energy of fifteen cycles doesn’t equate to using ninth-circle magic.

In other words, quantity doesn’t necessarily improve quality.

Up to the eighth circle, the circle can improve with increased mana, but the ninth circle is known as an insurmountable wall for humans.

Only dragons are said to achieve it.

Yet, throughout the history of the demon realm, seven individuals have surpassed the ninth circle.

Among them, surprisingly, was one human.

What realization allowed him to surpass the human barrier of the ninth circle?

Of course, his achievement in the ninth circle was the lowest among the seven.

Just as not all peak masters are equal, not all ninth-circle mages are the same.

Still, the ninth circle is an ultimate realm that cannot be easily judged.

In any case, Sabigang had seized a fortuitous encounter, gaining a golden opportunity once more.

“Ahhh.”

With a long exhale, Sabigang slowly rose to his feet.

Though it felt like a brief moment of energy circulation, quite some time must have passed.

Boom!

The ground trembled with a heavy rumble.

The giant seemed to have risen close to the surface.

‘If I had been any later, it would have been disastrous.’

The internal energy of four cycles felt incredibly reassuring.

Finally,

Splash!

A massive hand burst from the water, sending droplets flying.

Thud!

The giant hand grasped the shore.

Soon, Bashuk’s Hammer emerged.

Crash!

The hammer struck the ground, embedding itself deeply.

The giant slowly rose above the water’s surface.

As it fully emerged, Sabigang looked up at the giant and smirked.

“Welcome. I’ve been waiting for you, rockhead.”

**

“Welcome. I’ve been expecting you.”

The leader of the Strange Shape Division, Eon Dusu, rushed out barefoot to greet Jeok Mulin.

Behind Jeok Mulin were Seok Tangang and Yu Songryeong.

With nothing else to do, the two had decided to accompany Jeok Mulin to explore the division.

Jeok Mulin followed Eon Dusu’s lead to a pavilion in the rear garden.

A table and chairs had been set up, clearly prepared in advance to welcome Jeok Mulin.

Beside the pavilion was a pond, creating a rather picturesque scene.

However, there were individuals present who made Jeok Mulin frown.

“We meet again.”

At Jeok Mulin’s words, the group of captains paled and bowed their heads.

Among them was Lee Gangju, who had lost an arm and was heavily bandaged.

As Jeok Mulin took his seat, Eon Dusu personally poured tea and spoke.

“It seems my subordinates made a mistake. I hope you can forgive them if they offended you.”

Despite Jeok Mulin having long stepped down from his position as the Martial God of the Blood Demon Sect, Eon Dusu still addressed him as “Lord Jeok.”

Technically, the division leader’s rank was equivalent to a branch leader in the main sect, making him higher than Jeok Mulin.

But no division leader would dare to disrespect a grandmaster residing in the main sect.

As long as Jeok Mulin remained in the main sect, his influence could reach even the Blood Demon Sect’s leader, and Eon Dusu was well aware of this.

“What mistake did your subordinates make?”

Jeok Mulin asked coldly, prompting Eon Dusu to cautiously reply.

“Well… they failed to recognize you and acted on their own…”

“Whether they recognize me or not is irrelevant.”

“Then…?”

“Troubles are brewing all over the Central Plains. The righteous alliance is already suspicious of us without cause. And here, I witnessed something appalling. Seeing your men act so arrogantly at the inn, it’s no wonder the righteous alliance despises and slanders our sect.”

“Such a thing would be unthinkable near the Celestial Palace.”

“Is that so?”

As Eon Dusu nodded awkwardly, feeling embarrassed, Lee Gangju, who had been standing quietly, suddenly burst out.

“I’ve heard that disputes and fights break out frequently even at the Celestial Palace.”

Jeok Murin shot him a sharp glare.

In an instant, Eon Dusu jumped up and smacked the back of Lee Gangju’s head.

“Ouch!”

“You fool! What do you know to be running your mouth like that? Have you no shame? What are you bragging about?”

Eon Dusu was just worried that Jeok Murin might return to the Celestial Palace and speak ill of the Gwaehyeong Bunta.

Jeok Murin let out a deep sigh and spoke.

“Enough. Let me handle this.”

“Oh, uh, will you?”

Jeok Murin turned to Lee Gangju, who was rubbing the back of his head, and spoke coldly.

“The fights near the Celestial Palace are all between martial artists. But you lot, you disgrace yourselves by bullying ordinary people, bringing shame to our sect.”

”…”

“Just because you walk the path of the dark martial world doesn’t mean you have to be a scoundrel. I despise those who mock and belittle our sect. But do you know what I hate even more?”

”…?”

“People like you who give them a reason to.”

There was a chilling edge to his final words, and he meant every one of them.

The warning was directed at Lee Gangju, but it was also meant for Eon Dusu, the leader of the Gwaehyeong Bunta.

Whether the warning was sufficient, Eon Dusu stammered with a pale face.

“Please, don’t worry too much, Jeok Daeju. I’ll make sure my subordinates understand and prevent this from happening again.”

“You’d better. I don’t mince words, whether here or at the Celestial Palace.”

“Of course.”

Jeok Murin rose from his seat.

“Leaving already?”

“My business here is done. It’s up to you now, Bunta Leader.”

With that, Jeok Murin turned sharply and strode away.

Seok Tangkang and Yoo Songryeong quickly followed in his wake.