Episode 471: Return to the Demon Sect
Yeon Woo-kyung crouched low, eyes fixed intently on the swaying reeds.
No, he wasn’t just looking. He was sensing everything with his entire being.
The enemy’s movements, the flow of energy, and even the peculiar stench in the air.
There were many of them, but in this vast field of reeds, they weren’t as threatening.
Moreover, their large size made them easy targets.
Suddenly, Yeon Woo-kyung dashed forward, parting the reeds with swift, rodent-like agility.
Swish, swish, swish!
He leaped at the goblin that appeared before him.
“Chiiit! Fire…!”
Slash!
In a flash, his Blue Ice Sword sliced through the air, severing the goblin’s head, which flew up into the sky.
Thud!
The goblin’s body collapsed, blood gushing like a fountain.
It had been holding a staff, clearly attempting some kind of spell against Yeon Woo-kyung.
“Was that… magic?”
A staff instead of a weapon was unusual.
“Could Master Sabikang have been right?”
Sabikang had mentioned that the leaders among goblins could use magic.
This one must have been one of the smarter ones.
The staff it held didn’t look ordinary either.
As Yeon Woo-kyung reached to pick up the staff,
“Whoa!”
A massive shadow suddenly loomed over him.
Startled, he turned to see an ogre, massive and airborne, descending upon him.
“Damn it!”
It was too late to block or dodge.
Yeon Woo-kyung froze, breath caught in his throat, when miraculously, something flew in.
Clang!
With the sound of chains, a scythe flew in, slicing through the ogre’s neck in one swift motion, sending its massive body crashing to the ground with a thunderous noise.
Moments later, Seok Tan-gang appeared.
“Staring at corpses is a good way to get yourself killed.”
“Ugh, don’t get too full of yourself.”
Yeon Woo-kyung clicked his tongue, and Seok Tan-gang chuckled.
“They’re starting to panic.”
“Soon, they’ll all be diving into the fire.”
“Just like Master Sabikang said, these creatures have no patience.”
Seok Tan-gang looked towards the eastern hill, where Sabikang was likely preparing the final strike.
**
“Ugh…!”
Neung So-so furrowed her brow, letting out a faint groan.
All her senses were awakening.
The scent of blood, the screams piercing her ears, even the wind brushing against her fingertips.
She was in an extremely sensitive state.
Amidst it all, Sabikang’s voice reached her.
“Your senses will become more acute and sensitive. But in the end, you’ll find yourself distancing from all of it. Let go of impatience, and focus solely on your senses. Focus and focus until you find yourself detached from everything. And then, he will answer.”
Sabikang placed his hands on Neung So-so’s back, channeling energy into her.
He was helping her expand her senses, supplementing her weak internal energy with his own, and unblocking key pressure points to aid in her sensory development.
At some point, Neung So-so’s nose began to bleed.
Her senses had developed too rapidly, causing overwhelming fatigue.
Yet Sabikang did not stop.
“Her talent is truly remarkable!”
He hadn’t expected her senses to develop so much just from unblocking a few pressure points.
Sweat dripped from Sabikang’s forehead.
Every moment was crucial.
Someone as sensitive as her could easily fall into a state of inner turmoil with a single mistake.
After a critical moment passed, Sabikang glanced beyond Neung So-so at the distant field of reeds.
The plan was working.
Most of the warriors led by the alliance leader were hidden behind the riverbank.
Instead, he had formed a special unit with the students he personally trained, hiding them among the vast reeds.
As they moved through the reeds, it created the illusion that all three hundred of them were hidden there.
The monsters, hesitating before the reeds, finally couldn’t resist and charged into the field.
The monsters were simple-minded.
If a thousand couldn’t catch three hundred, then two thousand would.
Thus, a total of three thousand monsters charged into the reeds.
“Only So-so’s awakening remains.”
Sabikang continued to channel energy along Neung So-so’s meridians.
Meanwhile, Neung So-so gritted her teeth, enduring the overwhelming assault on her senses.
Countless sounds brushed past her ears.
The sound of the wind, screams, falling leaves, even the sound of sand grains rolling.
And the smell of blood, the stench of corpses, the foul odor of monsters, and the sweat of humans.
All her senses seemed alive and moving.
Through the wind brushing her fingertips, she could feel the atmosphere around her.
How long did these countless sensations torment her?
At some point, she felt a sudden calm and opened her eyes wide.
No, she felt as if she had opened them, but she was floating in the middle of a vast universe.
“Where am I? Why am I here?”
Then, a majestic voice echoed through the pitch-black darkness.
The echoing voice came from an indiscernible direction.
Neung So-so was startled but soon regained her composure.
“Is this… the situation Master Sabikang mentioned?”
The voice spoke again.
“Are you the Spirit King?”
The voice didn’t answer.
No, it seemed momentarily at a loss for words.
As if amused by the audacity of this young woman answering a question with a question.
Sensing the atmosphere, Neung So-so quickly spoke.
“Oh, I’m sorry if I was rude. I’m not used to this environment yet.”
“Could you perhaps show yourself? I don’t know where to look when speaking.”
What kind of human is this?
The next moment,
Whoosh!
With a sound that seemed to tear through her eardrums, a colossal presence appeared before Neung So-so.
The being, glowing with a pale blue light, gracefully flapped its enormous silver wings, its beautiful features indistinguishable as male or female, clad in a sky-blue helmet and armor.
It was the very embodiment of a transcendent being.
Its beauty was far beyond comparison to anything Neung So-so had ever seen.
As she gazed in awe, the transcendent being furrowed its brow slightly and spoke.
Sylphid’s gaze was fierce, as if to make Neung So-so pay for making it introduce itself first.
“I am Neung So-so, Spirit King.”
“I wish to form a contract with you.”
Sylphid narrowed its eyes, transforming into a blue dragon, and charged at Neung So-so with incredible speed.
Sylphid, filled with rage, halted abruptly, eyes wide open.
Whoosh…!
It returned to its original form as if nothing had happened.
Sylphid’s gaze shifted to Neung So-so’s back.
Astonishingly, behind Neung So-so stood Sabikang, his gaze steady and fixed on Sylphid.
“If you so much as lay a finger on her, I won’t let it slide.”
His tone was nothing short of imperious.
He never imagined a day like this would come.
Two insane humans entering the realm of transcendent senses.
Yet the aura emanating from the man was anything but ordinary.
“No need to play hard to get. Her affinity is quite impressive. This would be the first contract in this realm, giving it symbolic significance.”
Even as Sylphid responded, it couldn’t understand why it was continuing the conversation with this man.
But there was something about him.
An undeniable presence.
Sabikang spoke with a cold, detached gaze.
“Then leave.”
Sylphid blinked in disbelief.
What kind of madness is this…!
To dare speak to the Spirit King like that!
Sabikang pressed on.
“Either form a contract with her or leave. And I repeat, if you so much as touch her, I won’t let it slide.”
“Oh, if you do form a contract, I can offer you some valuable information.”
“Yes, information that your kind must know.”
Sabikang smirked.
**
“We’ve all made it out!”
Yeon Woo-kyung ran up to Sabikang, reporting on behalf of the special unit.
Sabikang looked at the vast field of reeds below the hill and then turned to Neung So-so.
“So-so, get ready.”
“Yes, Master!”
In the next moment, Sabikang rose into the air.
Whoooosh…!
An immense power began to emanate from his entire being.
They were preparing for the final strike.
From the tall reeds, the monsters recognized Sabigang and appeared visibly shaken.
With a cold sneer, Sabigang muttered, “Blaze Tempest!”
Whoooosh!
A fiery whirlwind swept through the field of reeds in an instant.
“Scatter! It’s too hot here! Aaaah!”
Sabigang landed heavily on the ground and shouted, “Soso! It’s your turn!”
Nung Soso nodded, extending her staff as she cried out, “Sylphid!”
Whoooosh!
A massive storm erupted, merging with Sabigang’s flames to create an incredible display of power.
Flames roared and twisted, forming dozens of fiery pillars that churned through the landscape, as if a horde of giant red dragons were ascending to the heavens, leaving nothing but scorched earth in their wake.
The fiery columns transformed into dragon-like figures, unleashing beastly roars.
The wind was so fierce that debris from the ground was swept up, encasing the dragons like armor, creating a breathtaking spectacle.
Nung Soso’s summoned Sylphid had amplified Sabigang’s magic threefold, allowing the Blaze Tempest, which could have wiped out a thousand monsters, to decimate over three thousand.
Screams echoed as the monsters were consumed by the fiery dragons, reduced to ashes.
The intense heat was palpable even to the strike force on the hill.
The warriors of the alliance, who had been hiding beyond the hill, emerged to witness the overwhelming scene, their jaws dropping in awe.
“My God…!”
“Those monsters… those wretched creatures are finally…!”
“Hooray for Lord Sabigang!”
“Long live the Demon Slayer! Long live Lord Sabigang!”
“Serves you right, you monsters! Burn to ashes!”
The warriors raised their arms in triumph, shouting with joy.
As the fiery storm subsided, the area below the hill was left a smoldering wasteland.
The alliance warriors embraced, sharing the joy of survival.
Thud! Thud! Thud…!
A drumbeat echoed from somewhere, drawing everyone’s gaze to the opposite hill.
In the next moment, despair clouded their eyes.
“Damn it… what is that?”
“Those insane… monster bastards…!”
Another horde of monsters appeared on the distant hill, led by a creature in black armor riding a massive black ox-like beast known as a Minotaur, with sharp horns and teeth.
The rider was an Orgg, as large as an ogre.
Alongside them were goblins, orcs, werewolves, lizardmen, ogres, war tigers, cyclopes, and more—a diverse array of monsters too numerous to count, exuding a menacing aura.
Their numbers seemed to exceed five thousand.
The final battle was about to begin.
Thud…! Thud…! Thud…!
The drumbeat grew louder, signaling the warriors’ last stand as the encirclement tightened.
The alliance warriors, filled with a sense of futility, retreated to the riverbank.
In the early winter chill of the northern region, the river was icy cold.
Changshindan leader Lee Jajun gripped his spear tightly, gritting his teeth.
“Perhaps this is for the best. If we can take down even one more of them by making our last stand here, it won’t be in vain!”
His words resonated with the survivors, igniting a fierce determination within them.
“Alright! Let’s fight to the death!”
“Screw it, life is short anyway! Dying in battle is just going a bit early!”
“Those damned bastards! How dare they invade our land!”
Though they numbered only about three hundred, their fighting spirit was nearly maniacal.
Sabigang drew his sword, Vertas, and a cheer erupted from the warriors.
“Lord Sabigang has drawn his sword! Now it’s time to wipe them out!”
“Let’s follow Lord Sabigang to the end!”
“With Lord Sabigang by our side, even miracles aren’t impossible!”
Their fervor for Sabigang knew no bounds, as they rallied their spirits.
Finally, the monsters appeared at the top of the hill.
Facing death, only the sound of their breathing broke the silence.
Thud…! Thud…! Thud…!
The drumbeat ceased.
And then,
“Raaaargh!”
“Roooar!”
The monsters charged like a tidal wave.
As they closed in, a shadow darkened the ground, as if a storm cloud had descended.
The charging monsters looked up, bewildered.
To their shock, the sky was filled with thousands of iron arrows.
Whoooosh!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Screams erupted as the monsters writhed in agony.
Nung Unpa turned to see dozens of ships anchored in the river, flying the flag of the righteous alliance, fluttering fiercely in the wind.