Episode 500: Return of the Demon Instructor
“Rooooaaar!”
The massive demon beast thrashed wildly, its roar echoing through the cavern.
The warriors quickly channeled their inner energy to block out the deafening sound.
The creature was as large as a small palace, with three heads—one resembling a dog, another a boar, and the last a bull. It had four arms and nine snake-like tails that lashed out, shooting venomous stingers.
Many warriors had already fallen victim to its poison.
Since no one knew its true name, the hunting party called it the “Three-Headed Demon.”
The dog-like head was gnawing on the severed leg of a warrior whose upper body had been torn apart.
All around the cavern, the air was filled with the groans of the injured.
But the Three-Headed Demon wasn’t unscathed. Swords and spears jutted from its body, yet it seemed to possess an inexhaustible strength that instilled a quiet fear in the warriors.
“Leader, we can’t find its weak spot,” said Uk Cheong-pung, landing beside Neung Un-pa with a grave expression.
Mae Seol-ran rushed over, shouting, “There are too many wounded! We need to get them to safety first—”
“This is no time for that!” Neung Un-pa’s voice was cold and commanding, silencing Mae Seol-ran. In battle, the leader’s orders were absolute; any lapse in hierarchy could turn the battlefield into chaos.
“Chief Uk!”
“Yes, Leader!”
“Can you handle the nine snake tails?”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t do it alone.”
“Captain Lee!”
“Yes, Leader!”
Lee Ja-jun quickly responded, even as the hunting party continued their desperate struggle against the demon.
Time was of the essence.
“Assist Chief Uk with the tails! Be wary of the venomous stingers!”
“Understood!”
“Commander Mae!”
“Yes!”
“I’ll draw the demon’s attention. When it focuses on me, use that moment to sever one of its heads.”
Mae Seol-ran realized that “that moment” referred to using her Blink magic.
“Understood! I’ll do my best!”
“Good.”
Neung Un-pa nodded and launched himself into the air.
With a swift command to the hunting party, he shouted, “Do not retreat! Today, we will defeat this beast and remind the demons of humanity’s greatness! There are no limits for a warrior!”
“Yaaah!”
His voice, charged with inner energy, stirred the warriors’ spirits, and they charged at the Three-Headed Demon with renewed vigor.
Meanwhile, Neung Un-pa dashed through the air, heading straight for the demon.
His martial prowess alone was enough to boost the morale of the hunting party. His movements were swifter and more fluid than the Kunlun Sect’s famed Dragon Cloud Step.
“You foul creature! This is not your place! Begone!”
With a fierce shout, his sword erupted with a powerful aura.
Sensing the threat, the demon raised its sharp claws, slashing wildly.
Those claws had already torn apart more than ten warriors.
Despite the immense power, the claws clashed with the aura without breaking or being cut.
“Ugh!”
Neung Un-pa retreated, sending a mental message.
[Now!]
As soon as he sent the message, Mae Seol-ran shouted, “Blink!”
In an instant, she vanished and reappeared above the demon’s heads.
With a fierce cry, “Haaaah!”
Her sword descended, cleaving through the boar-like head.
Blood gushed like a waterfall as the massive head fell to the ground with a thud, shaking the earth.
“Commander Mae has severed one of its heads!”
“Yaaah!”
The hunting party’s morale soared once more.
But the danger wasn’t over.
The Three-Headed Demon, screeching in agony, snatched Mae Seol-ran as she fell.
“Raaaargh!”
Enraged, the demon brought her toward its mouth, ready to devour her.
In that critical moment, Neung Un-pa roared, “You beast!”
He leaped into the air, spreading his arms wide as a blue aura enveloped his sword, extending forward.
It was the Sword of Will technique.
With a swift strike, his sword pierced through the demon’s jaw and emerged from the top of its head.
The remaining bull-like head screamed in madness.
Neung Un-pa didn’t stop there. He soared above the bull head with lightning speed.
Though not as fast as Blink, his movements were too quick for ordinary eyes to follow.
“Haah!”
With a powerful shout, he channeled all his weight into a downward strike.
It was one of his signature techniques, the Thunderous Heart-Piercing Palm.
A thunderous crash echoed as if lightning had struck from the heavens, the energy coursing through the demon’s body and into the ground.
The impact was so great that cracks spread from where the demon stood, and the energy surged outward.
The warriors surrounding the demon felt a jolt of pain as the energy coursed through them, some losing consciousness from the shock.
The Thunderous Heart-Piercing Palm had reached its peak effect.
The Three-Headed Demon, now with only the bull head remaining, let out a final groan before its eyes rolled back, and it collapsed with a heavy thud.
As Mae Seol-ran caught her breath, having narrowly escaped the demon’s grasp, Neung Un-pa descended slowly, standing tall atop the demon’s corpse.
“The Three-Headed Demon… is dead.”
“It’s dead!”
“Long live the Leader!”
“We won! The Leader defeated the demon!”
The surviving warriors cheered, praising Neung Un-pa.
With a satisfied expression, he surveyed them.
‘Yes, this is the sight I want to see. This is the path I must walk.’
Mae Seol-ran approached, bowing respectfully.
“Your martial prowess is truly impressive, Leader. I’ve learned much.”
“You’re too kind.”
Lee Ja-jun also approached to report.
“One warrior was injured by the tail’s venom, but thanks to quick treatment, their life isn’t in danger. The battle didn’t drag on, thanks to you, Leader.”
“That’s a relief.”
Uk Cheong-pung joined them, offering his praise.
“Your skills have grown even more formidable. I can’t hope to match you.”
Neung Un-pa laughed, pleased by the compliment.
“Haha, why flatter me so? It was just one demon.”
Despite his words, he felt a sense of pride and satisfaction.
It had been a long time since he had seen such admiration in the eyes of his fellow warriors.
‘Yes, this is where I belong.’
His eyes shone with determination.
But then, the ground began to tremble violently.
“What? What’s happening?”
“Is it just an earthquake?”
“No! There’s something beneath us!”
Someone shouted, and all eyes turned to the ground.
The cracks from the Thunderous Heart-Piercing Palm widened.
Suddenly, with a deafening roar, a massive shadow burst forth.
Several warriors were thrown against the walls, while others fell into the widening chasm.
As the warriors regained their senses, they stared in disbelief at the new presence filling the cavern.
Mae Seol-ran, too, looked up in shock, her voice barely a whisper.
“Oh my god… what is that?”
**
The door, closed for nearly a month, finally swung open.
In the dimly lit room, a man emerged, his body steaming with white mist.
Behind him, a beast followed—Churyang and Banmyo.
After nearly a month of secluded training, they finally stepped outside.
Sabikang had specifically instructed Churyang to train with Banmyo, providing him with the necessary techniques.
As a result, Churyang had made remarkable progress.
He felt like a completely different person.
In a calm voice, Churyang spoke, “Let’s find Master, Banmyo.”
With a growl, Banmyo emitted a bluish aura before shrinking to the size of a cat and leaping into Churyang’s arms.
Churyang headed straight for the command room.
Sabikang was in the room just in time.
“It’s been a while, Master,” Churyang said, bowing respectfully with a formal gesture.
“Yes, it has. Have you made any progress?” Sabikang inquired.
“Thanks to you, I’ve made significant strides,” Churyang replied.
“That’s good to hear. Your mana levels must have increased quite a bit.”
“Almost tripled, actually.”
“You should thank Banmyo for that. Let’s verify it. Follow me.”
“Yes, Master.”
Sabikang led Churyang to the backyard, then paused and asked, “But you…”
“Yes, Master?”
“Why are you acting so serious all of a sudden?”
“Uh…?”
“Why the heavy expression? Trying to look impressive?”
Churyang chuckled. “Well, after some intense training, I had a revelation, and it just happened naturally…”
Swoosh!
In an instant, Sabikang swung his sword, Veritas, at Churyang.
Though it was a fleeting moment, Churyang sensed the intent to kill and instinctively raised his left arm.
“Hah!”
Whoosh!
Clang!
The clash of Veritas and Churyang’s mana shield echoed loudly.
Vroom! Vroom! Vroom…!
The blue mana shield vibrated with a strange resonance, refusing to dissipate.
Churyang shouted, “You scared me!”
“Attack me with the intent to kill.”
“Even so, attacking out of nowhere is… whoa!”
Swoosh!
Sabikang swung his sword again.
This time, the attack bypassed the shield, forcing Churyang to quickly step aside and counter with his mana sword.
Clang!
Another sharp metallic sound rang out, sparks flying.
“Alright, let’s see what you’ve got!” Churyang thought, his anger flaring as he instinctively channeled his mana.
Crack!
Suddenly, his mana sword fractured,
Shatter!
and dozens of mana shards exploded outward.
It was his signature move, the Shattering Sword. But now, the number and intensity of the shards were astonishingly greater than before.
Moreover, the shards were all homing in on Sabikang alone, as if Churyang could now control their trajectory.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack…!
Sabikang deftly swung Veritas, deflecting every single shard.
As the blue mana fragments shattered, a dazzling spray of light scattered before Sabikang.
Finally, Sabikang sheathed Veritas and nodded in approval. “You’ve met my expectations. Well done.”
As Sabikang turned and walked away, Churyang stood there, muttering in awe, “Wow… even in moments like this, Master is so cool.”
Clearly, being impressive wasn’t just about putting on a serious face.
Just then, a messenger rushed in, breathless and urgent.
“Urgent news! The strike force led by the leader is in grave danger. They’re facing annihilation!”
“What?”
“Also, demons have appeared at the peak of Mount Dujong in Sichuan. It’s not just a portal opening; demon knights are organizing and appearing in force!”