Episode 411: Return to the Demonic Sect
Cha Jae-gang twisted his lips into a smirk.
“Old? Hmph! Do they think I’m some senile old man? How amusing. Do they really believe such provocations would work on me?”
With a cold smile, he spoke.
“And who might you be to address me so casually? I don’t recall ever meeting you.”
Of course, he had a pretty good idea.
The young man standing before him was none other than the infamous head of the Myeolma Sect, Sabi-gang. He had even heard the attendant refer to him as “Master,” so there was no mistaking it.
But Cha Jae-gang wasn’t one to simply take provocations lying down.
Just then, Dan Li-jeong, who was standing beside Sabi-gang, furrowed his brow slightly and stepped forward.
“This is the Master of the Myeolma Sect. Show some respect.”
“Ah, the Master of the Myeolma Sect. A pleasure to meet you. I am Cha Jae-gang, the head of Cheondo Sect.”
Cha Jae-gang nodded deeply, as if he had just realized, and offered a formal salute.
Despite seeing through the facade, Sabi-gang responded with a sly grin.
“I’ve heard much about the Cheondo Sect’s reputation. I apologize for not recognizing you sooner.”
“Haha, I’m just an old man in the back room. The disciples handle everything well, so I receive respect without doing much.”
It was a cleverly self-deprecating remark.
Of course, it was wasted on someone like Sabi-gang.
Sabi-gang laughed brightly and replied.
“Indeed. These days, people often waste respect on appearances alone. It’s hardly genuine respect, more like flattery and sycophancy. Truly, there are many issues with people today.”
“Haha… ha…”
Cha Jae-gang let out an awkward laugh, his brow furrowing slightly.
‘What is this? Is he provoking me, or is he just clueless?’
Sabi-gang’s expression turned serious as he asked in a businesslike tone.
“So, what brings the head of the Cheondo Sect here?”
“As you can see, we’re here to explore the summoning grounds.”
“This area is off-limits.”
“Is that so? That must be why everyone is just standing around. But what can I say… we just received permission.”
Cha Jae-gang flashed a victor’s smile.
This time, it was a rather blatant provocation.
Sabi-gang chuckled softly and replied.
“There must have been some misunderstanding. It seems this area will now be under our direct management.”
“Hmm. That might be a problem. We’ve already received permission to enter.”
“Even so, it’s not allowed.”
“I intend to go in.”
As Cha Jae-gang remained steadfast, Sabi-gang gazed at him intently.
The situation took an intriguing turn, and the martial artists gathered around began to murmur, moving closer to the entrance of the summoning grounds.
Dan Li-jeong stepped forward once more.
“Please adhere to the rules, Master of the Cheondo Sect.”
“I should be the one saying that. There are established rules, yet the Myeolma Sect shows up late and tries to overturn them at will.”
Then Cha Jae-gang raised his voice for all to hear.
“Is it right for the Myeolma Sect to monopolize the summoning grounds just because it’s a direct organization? Such actions could lead to misunderstandings that the Myeolma Sect is abusing its authority to hoard valuable spoils!”
At this point, some people began to waver.
It was a moment that showcased Cha Jae-gang’s cunning.
With just a few words, he had swayed many of those gathered to a neutral stance, if not to the side of the Cheondo Sect.
Unable to watch any longer, Gok Bo-ok stepped forward, exhaling sharply.
“Now, that’s just too much…!”
But before Gok Bo-ok could say anything, Sabi-gang raised a hand to stop him.
Sabi-gang looked Cha Jae-gang in the eye and shrugged.
“Very well. If you insist, let’s go in.”
“Go in…?”
“I mean, we’ll go in together.”
“Together?”
Cha Jae-gang furrowed his brow slightly, lost in thought, when Jang Gi-tak, standing behind him, sent a telepathic message.
[Master, it might not be a bad idea. If we demonstrate our skills, we could earn their trust. Perhaps they’ll make an exception for us regarding the higher-level summoning grounds.]
It was a reasonable suggestion.
If that happened, the spoils from the higher levels would all belong to the Cheondo Sect.
Cha Jae-gang nodded faintly and spoke.
“Very well. But I have a condition.”
“What is it?”
“The spoils will be divided strictly according to contribution, and since we arrived first, we’ll take the lead.”
He expected some pushback, but surprisingly, Sabi-gang agreed readily.
“Fine. If there’s any danger, we’ll assist.”
Cha Jae-gang chuckled.
“There won’t be any need for that.”
As he turned away, he muttered just loud enough to be heard.
“As long as you don’t get in the way, that is.”
**
A flash of light scattered, and a massive caterpillar-like monster fell with a thud.
Sizzling…!
The green liquid oozing from its body hissed as it burned the ground.
This creature, known as a “Blood Venom Worm” in the martial world, was originally called “Blurdin.” It was a monster whose blood was as toxic as poison.
Typically over ten feet long and thicker than an adult’s torso, it attacked by spitting venom from its mouth.
Despite its large size, it moved with surprising speed, bending and straightening its body to advance.
Yet, true to their reputation, the Cheondo Sect was dispatching the Blood Venom Worms with ease.
As Jang Gi-tak sliced through the last of the Blood Venom Worms, the surroundings fell silent, save for the heavy breathing of the martial artists.
“Hmm. Any injuries?”
Cha Jae-gang surveyed the area and heard Jang Gi-tak’s response.
“Two injured, but it’s minor and won’t affect combat.”
“Good. Gather the spoils and let’s move on.”
The members of the Cheondo Sect carefully collected the venom from the Blood Venom Worms, using vials they carried.
Cha Jae-gang glanced back at Sabi-gang and the extermination team.
Neither Sabi-gang nor his team had intervened even once.
The Cheondo Sect had been handling the summoning grounds without any trouble.
They had passed through five caverns to reach this point.
Typically, each cavern would present a challenging monster.
In this cavern, the Blood Venom Worms were the challenge.
But aside from two minor injuries, the Cheondo Sect had suffered no losses.
Considering there were thirty of them, it was an impressive display of combat prowess.
Naturally, the morale of the Cheondo Sect was sky-high.
Moreover, performing so well in front of the Myeolma Sect only boosted their confidence further.
Having gathered the spoils, the Cheondo Sect moved on to the next location.
Along the way, they encountered lower-level monsters, but with their spirits soaring, the Cheondo Sect found them trivial.
[At this rate, we’ll claim all the spoils.]
[The Myeolma Sect shows no sign of intervening.]
[It seems they acknowledge our capabilities.]
Jang Gi-tak’s telepathic message made Cha Jae-gang chuckle.
[Or perhaps they’re completely frozen in place.]
As the two exchanged telepathic messages, the group entered the sixth cavern.
The martial artists, their senses heightened, cautiously advanced, keeping a vigilant watch on their surroundings.
One of the Cheondo Sect members pointed and shouted.
“Look! There’s a door over there!”
All eyes turned to the spot.
Indeed, there was a large stone door, its surface intricately carved with indecipherable patterns.
The extermination team gathered before the imposing stone door.
“This must be… the stone chamber.”
“I’ve never seen a stone chamber before.”
As the martial artists murmured with a hint of tension, Cha Jae-gang scoffed coldly.
“It’s just a place where monsters dwell. We’ve faced strong and weak monsters alike, but we’ve always emerged victorious with the spoils. This time will be no different.”
His confident voice reignited the determination of the Cheondo Sect members.
Cha Jae-gang glanced at Sabi-gang.
“Once again, I remind you, the spoils will be divided strictly by contribution…”
“Don’t worry. We won’t get in your way. Besides, it will be a good lesson for our students.”
‘A lesson…? Well, there’s no better learning than firsthand experience.’
With that thought, Cha Jae-gang pushed against the heavy stone door.
Creak… groan!
As the door swung open, Cha Jae-gang and the Cheondo Sect members led the way inside.
Before them lay a vast cavern, with a towering platform that could be likened to a cliff.
Atop it lay a massive creature with white feathers, seemingly asleep.
The creature was enormous, its presence exuding a formidable aura that made the Cheondo Sect members swallow nervously.
Gulp.
[That creature certainly has an unusual presence.]
Jang Gi-tak’s telepathic message made Cha Jae-gang nod.
“Indeed. But there’s no need to be intimidated. It’s just a lowly monster. No matter how fierce a beast, it can’t stand against humans.”
“Absolutely right.”
At Cha Jae-gang’s signal, the Cheondo Sect members formed a formation and approached the cliff.
The Heavenly Thunder Formation.
Originally designed for human opponents.
However, Cha Jae-kang had realized through several encounters that this formation was exceptionally effective against monsters.
So, he collaborated with a few elders to modify it for more efficient monster hunting.
When the Cheondo warriors finally perfected the Celestial Thunder Formation,
A strange cry echoed as a monster with pure white feathers stirred and awoke.
In the next instant,
Whoosh!
The massive creature leaped into the air.
Cha Jae-kang shouted like a bolt of lightning.
“Trap it in the center!”
The “center” referred to the heart of the Celestial Thunder Formation, a crucial point in their strategy.
The Cheondo warriors, seasoned by rigorous training and real battles, swiftly expanded the formation.
Finally, the monster plummeted like a meteor into their midst.
Boom!
The ground shook violently with the impact.
The monster, now at the center of the warriors, stretched its neck and let out a wail.
It was a colossal beast, with a face resembling a sheep, sturdy horns, four ears, and nine tails.
And most peculiarly, it had two large eyes embedded in its back.
Those eyes blinked and moved.
Even the usually composed Cha Jae-kang was momentarily overwhelmed by its bizarre appearance.
‘What kind of world is this becoming with such monsters…!’
But Sabigang understood the creature’s nature precisely.
“It’s a ‘Bak.’”
Dan Lijeong, standing beside Sabigang, tilted his head in curiosity.
“A ‘Bak’? Is that the name of this monster?”
“Yes. It wasn’t originally from the demon realm. It existed in ancient China, a mythical beast from the Classic of Mountains and Seas.”
“Ah…!”
Sabigang gazed at the Bak.
In truth, the Bak was considered a fortunate creature among mythical beasts, known to prevent wars.
However, with the demonic sect’s dark magic likely altering its nature and form, its auspiciousness was now meaningless.
It might have even become a harbinger of war.
In any case, this confirmed the truth of the Taoist master’s words.
The previous stone chamber’s master was a Gohwaekjo, and now, it’s a Bak.
Ancient mythical beasts were being summoned to lead mid-level monsters.
Even with the demonic sect’s advanced summoning rituals, bringing forth high or top-tier monsters from the demon realm in a short time would have been challenging.
Instead, they summoned and transformed ancient mythical beasts.
‘Cunning.’
How did they manage all this?
What kind of person is the leader of the demonic sect?
Could it be that the demonic spirit itself has manifested to aid them?
A tangle of thoughts swirled in his mind.
‘Well, the only option is to find the demonic sect’s base as soon as possible.’
Sabigang refocused on the Bak before him.
‘It’s certainly weaker than the Gohwaekjo.’
To the Cheondo warriors, the Bak might seem terrifying enough to make their skin crawl, but to Sabigang, who had faced the Gohwaekjo, it was merely a large beast.
The summoning site’s grade was only high-level for that reason.
Perhaps it was due to insufficient sacrifices, or maybe the Bak simply didn’t align well with the demonic sect’s magic.
The Gohwaekjo had been a perfect match.
Regardless, as the master of the stone chamber, it wouldn’t be an easy opponent.
‘So, how will you handle this, you greedy old man?’
Sabigang’s lips curled into a faint, twisted smile.