Episode 399: Return to the Demonic Sect
Swish, swish, swish!
Dozens of sword auras sliced through the air, felling the towering trees in their path.
With a swift motion of his hand, Sabigang sent daggers flying, embedding them into a wooden plank.
Thud, thud!
In an instant, a wooden coffin was crafted.
Sabigang gently placed Ong Hae-in’s body inside.
After closing the lid, he secured it with more daggers.
“Liang, we’re taking the coffin back to the Demonic Sect.”
“You heard him, right? We’re taking the coffin back to the Demonic Sect.”
Chulyang echoed the words, glancing at the sky, which earned him a slight frown from Sabigang.
“What are you doing?”
“Well, I thought this was something juniors should handle… Ah, never mind. As a senior, I should lead by example!”
Seeing Sabigang’s icy gaze, Chulyang quickly hoisted the coffin onto his shoulder.
Sabigang chuckled softly, letting it slide, while Chulyang scratched the back of his head with a sheepish grin.
Yet, a part of him felt heavy-hearted.
He had heard that Ong Hae-in was Ong Gi-seung’s mentor, and he worried about how devastated Ong Gi-seung would be upon their return to the Demonic Sect.
‘What will become of the martial world now?’
Standing at the heart of this tumultuous world, Chulyang felt a shiver run down his spine.
But he found comfort in knowing that the strongest person in the world was by his side.
“Master.”
“Hmm?”
“The Chief is waiting for us. Shall we go?”
“Let’s.”
Sabigang nodded, and Chulyang beamed with a bright smile.
As long as this man was around, the martial world would be safe, he reassured himself.
**
Traveling swiftly, Sabigang and his group often strayed from the main roads.
Instead, they traversed dense forests and scaled sheer cliffs.
As a result, they spent more nights under the stars than in inns.
One night, while camping near a valley, something stirred.
The small cat nestled in Chulyang’s arms awoke, stretching and yawning before rubbing its face against his cheek with a soft cry.
“Mmm… stop it, little one…”
Chulyang mumbled in his sleep, turning over.
The cat lingered near his face before suddenly bounding away.
It soon spotted Sabigang, asleep beneath a tree.
But then, the cat arched its back, fur bristling, and let out a low growl.
A strange energy was emanating from the sword beside Sabigang.
The sword, Veritas, seemed to pulse with a dark crimson aura, as if it had a will of its own.
If anyone else had witnessed this, they might have questioned their sanity.
The sword’s blade began to unsheathe itself, floating ominously in the air.
Thud…!
The scabbard fell to the ground, and the blade pointed directly at Sabigang’s throat.
The cat growled again, but Veritas seemed unfazed, gathering more of its dark energy.
It looked ready to strike at any moment.
Just then,
“Gasp!”
A sharp intake of breath.
Veritas hesitated, its attention drawn to the cat, which bared its teeth, and Chulyang, who watched in shock.
Whoosh…!
As if caught in the act, Veritas trembled and shot towards Chulyang like a bolt of lightning.
Swoosh!
The cat grew larger, positioning itself protectively in front of Chulyang.
But someone else was already there to intercept.
Smack!
Sabigang caught Veritas with his bare hand!
He stood firm, holding the blade between his fingers, his gaze icy.
“I warned you, didn’t I? One more outburst, and I’ll shatter you.”
Whoosh…!
Veritas quivered in his grip.
Chulyang saw it then.
A figure holding Veritas.
It wasn’t a person, but perhaps the spirit of Go Hwe-jong, or Veritas itself.
Whatever it was, it manifested faintly, visible only for a moment.
Flash!
Veritas slipped from Sabigang’s grasp, slicing through the air as it fled.
Leap!
Sabigang pursued it without hesitation.
With both Sabigang and Veritas suddenly gone, Chulyang blinked in disbelief.
“Am I dreaming?”
The cat, now small again, climbed onto Chulyang’s shoulder.
Feeling the threat had passed, it yawned and nestled back into his arms.
**
Boom!
Veritas crashed into the valley floor, sending water shooting skyward.
Sabigang descended slowly, fury radiating from him.
Splash!
Veritas rose from the water, standing upright to face Sabigang.
Behind it, the waterfall roared, mist rising to reveal a figure holding Veritas.
Whether it was a spirit wielding the sword or Veritas creating an illusion was unclear.
It resembled Go Hwe-jong, yet also seemed like a demon.
Even with some of its power drained by the cat, Veritas remained too formidable to be bound to any mere human.
“If you keep resisting like this, I’ll have no choice but to destroy you.”
Whoosh…!
Veritas trembled, as if mocking or enraged.
Sabigang’s voice remained cold.
“A student of mine once said, ‘If I can’t have it, I’ll break it.’”
Whoosh!
With a fierce vibration, Veritas lunged at Sabigang.
Swoosh!
In that moment, Veritas was a living weapon.
Sabigang twisted aside, dodging the attack, and struck Veritas from behind.
Boom!
Splash!
An explosion of magic sent water spraying everywhere.
Veritas, knocked away, sliced through trees before embedding in the ground.
Whirr!
It rose again, hovering, then charged at Sabigang.
Swoosh!
Veritas flew like a beam of light, aiming for Sabigang’s heart.
“Enough!”
Sabigang roared, thrusting his hands forward.
A sonic burst of magic collided with Veritas.
Boom!
Another massive explosion sent both Sabigang and Veritas flying.
Crash!
Ice shards scattered, piercing through tree trunks.
Step, step…!
Sabigang walked back up the frozen valley.
Creak…!
Veritas pulled itself from the ice, floating before Sabigang.
Whoosh…! Whoosh…!
Sabigang stared at Veritas.
“Is this a challenge?”
Whoosh!
“Fine. I’ll show you who the master is.”
Sabigang reached out, grasping Veritas’s hilt.
In that instant,
Shhhhhh!
Countless tendrils of dark energy writhed from the blade like snakes.
“Ugh!”
Sabigang gritted his teeth, enduring the onslaught.
His energy clashed with Veritas’s, a fierce battle of wills.
Veins bulged on Sabigang’s hand and forehead as he fought to assert control.
“Haahhh!”
With a fierce battle cry, Sabigang unleashed his energy.
“Kiyaaahhh!”
Bertas resonated with the sound, echoing a wail that resembled a woman’s scream.
Finally,
Bang!
Sabigang, wielding Bertas, shot up into the sky like a bolt of lightning.
Boom! Crash! Crash!
Like fireworks exploding, the energy swirling around Sabigang’s body erupted wildly in midair. It was astonishing to see such immense power contained within a mere human form.
Moments later,
Whoosh! Boom!
He plummeted like a comet, creating a deep crater in the frozen valley, sending shards of ice flying in all directions.
Then,
“Hiyaaaah!”
With another battle cry, Sabigang swung Bertas upside down, driving it vertically into the ground.
Clang!
Despite the collision of ice and sword, a loud metallic sound rang out.
Soon after,
Crack…! Crackle!
To everyone’s surprise, a hairline fracture appeared on the blade.
Crash!
The blade shattered into pieces, revealing another sword within. Like a snake shedding its skin, the new Bertas emerged, sleeker and sharper than before. Yet, the aura it exuded was more intense than ever.
As the blade broke, the crimson energy that had spread out was absorbed into Sabigang’s body, momentarily turning his eyes a deep red before fading away.
“Inhale… exhale…”
Sabigang took a deep breath, and a dark red aura began to rise from his entire body.
Whirr.
Bertas trembled slightly, but it felt different now. If before it was like an untamed wild horse, now it was akin to a tamed beast.
Swish! Swoosh! Swish, swish, swish!
Determined to remember this moment, Sabigang immediately began to demonstrate his swordsmanship. Bertas, now perfectly in sync with him, sliced through moonlight and shattered starlight.
As he cut through the wind and slashed the air, Sabigang felt an indescribable exhilaration. Until now, wielding Bertas had made him feel powerful. But now, it felt comfortable. Strength was merely a natural consequence.
Had anyone witnessed this scene, they would have bowed in reverence. Such was the beauty and wonder of his swordsmanship.
Swoosh!
With a final swing,
Crack, crack, crack, crack, crack!
The frozen valleys shattered all at once, transforming into droplets of water.
Splash!
Like a round of applause, the melted ice cascaded down in a refreshing waterfall.
It was truly a moment of rebirth for Sabigang and Bertas.
Standing atop a rock, Sabigang lifted Bertas and gazed at it intently. A smirk played on his lips.
“Now, you are truly mine.”