Episode 511: Return of the Demon Sect
Count Jakart watched with a smirk as three figures charged at him. With a subtle hand signal, he commanded his demon knights.
In an instant, the knights surrounding the trio aimed their spears and launched them all at once.
Swish, swish, swish!
Clang! Clang!
The three warriors deftly deflected the incoming spears with their protective energy, showcasing the prowess of martial artists who defined an era.
But then, with a snap of his fingers, Count Jakart unleashed his next move.
Crack, crack, crack!
The ground turned icy white, and jagged ice spikes shot up, racing toward the trio.
Clang! Clang!
The warriors had no time to rest, swinging their swords to shatter the advancing ice spikes. Yet, Count Jakart maintained his spell, causing more spikes to grow.
Crack, crack, crack!
The ice shattered into powder, creating a dense fog that obscured everything. The three relied solely on their sword senses to defend themselves, but the cold seeped into their bones, slowing them down.
One stray ice spike, deflected by Huayang Zhenren, struck Zhu Jiangxian in the side. Though small, it sent a chill through his body, freezing him in place.
In that fleeting moment,
Thud, thud, thud!
Ice spikes pierced him from all directions.
“Ugh…!”
Crack, crack!
His body rapidly froze over.
“Argh!”
“Ah!”
Simultaneously, Ji Gangmyeong and Huayang Zhenren cried out as spikes pierced their legs. The cold and an overwhelming hunger sapped their strength.
The demon of hunger and cold—Count Jakart’s patron deity.
Crack, crack!
The three were completely encased in ice, unable to move.
“Huff, huff, huff…!”
Their breath came out in white puffs, the hunger and cold so intense they wished to lose consciousness.
Count Jakart approached slowly, arms hanging at his sides. The three couldn’t even twitch a finger as he neared.
For the first time, Huayang Zhenren felt true fear, staring into the face of pure evil.
Jakart raised a finger and tapped Huayang Zhenren’s forehead.
Crack, crack, crack!
In an instant, the three were entirely encased in ice.
Thud, thud…!
As their frozen bodies hit the ground, Count Jakart turned away, his voice a low rumble.
“Perfect specimens. Send them to the Black Star.”
“Yes, my lord.”
The demon knights responded respectfully, moving to transport the frozen trio.
From deeper within the estate, cries and shouts echoed. Jakart, expressionless, glided over the icy ground.
Rounding a corner, he saw demon knights and goblins dragging women and children—families of the martial artists from the Xianxi Association.
“What should we do with them?” a demon knight asked.
Jakart frowned slightly and waved a hand dismissively.
“Useless. Kill them.”
“Understood.”
As Jakart turned away, the chilling sounds of slaughter and screams filled the air behind him.
**
The construction of the Demon Palace, backed by immense funds, proceeded swiftly. By the time Sabi Kang arrived in Hyeongju, over eighty percent of the palace was complete. The remaining sections were minor facilities, not hindering operations.
Sabi Kang immediately restructured the organization, assigning key tasks to each division. The Ghost Shadow Squad continued to manage intelligence, serving as the eyes and ears of the martial world.
With the integration of the Manhwa Association and the Sichuan Society, applications to join the Demon Palace poured in from all over. It seemed poised to surpass the size of the Righteous Alliance.
Amidst the chaos, the first meeting was held.
“The Xianxi Association has been annihilated.”
Hongyeom’s report caused a stir in the conference hall.
Maeseollan stepped forward, questioning, “The Xianxi Association? We knew the demons were advancing toward Xianxi. They had time to request aid from the alliance.”
“They did, but the alliance refused support.”
“What…!”
The hall buzzed with disbelief. It was unlike the Righteous Alliance to abandon allies, even at a loss.
Though the Xianxi Association was established to counterbalance the alliance, leaving them to the demons was unthinkable.
“What of the demons’ movements?” Sabi Kang asked, his voice steady.
“They stopped after taking Xianxi,” Hongyeom replied, bowing his head.
The Sichuan Society’s leader, Yu Jayang, spoke calmly, “The demons are likely cautious about attacking the alliance’s main base. It’s the heart of the martial world. Any outcome would be costly for them, and unlike the Xianxi Association, it won’t be easy.”
Many leaders nodded in agreement.
Sabi Kang addressed the room, “We’ll distribute healing and mana potions based on your duties. Additionally, all martial artists in the Demon Palace will learn a technique to convert mana into internal energy. Even if you can’t use magic, consuming mana potions will quickly restore your energy.”
“Thank you, Lord!”
The leaders responded in unison.
“For now, let’s monitor the alliance’s response as the demons seem to be regrouping after taking Xianxi.”
At that moment, the conference room doors burst open, and Lee Young of the Ghost Shadow Squad rushed in, kneeling to deliver urgent news.
“Lord! The demons have advanced south and taken Yunnan Province!”
“What…!”
“Already…!”
The room erupted once more. The demons’ momentum was fierce, having seized Yunnan so quickly.
Yunnan housed the Dian Cang Sect and Kunming’s First Gate—renowned martial factions. The Dian Cang Sect was part of the Nine Great Sects, and Kunming’s First Gate had played a crucial role in defeating the Demon Sect decades ago.
Yet they fell so swiftly!
Even Sabi Kang was taken aback, furrowing his brow.
“Do we know the enemy leader?” he asked.
“We captured a survivor from Kunming’s First Gate. He mentioned a name—‘Halmut.’”
“Helmut!”
Sabi Kang stood abruptly at the mention of the name.
Yu Jayang looked at him, asking, “Do you know him, Lord?”
“Ah… roughly.”
Sabi Kang replied, lost in thought. The survivor likely mispronounced the name due to unfamiliarity with the demon’s language.
Helmut.
If it was him, taking Yunnan in such a short time wasn’t surprising.
‘So Helmut has finally made his move?’
Yu Jayang murmured, deep in thought, “The situation has become one of East Humans, West Demons. We need to discuss strategies urgently.”
Hyehyeon Satae voiced her opinion sharply, “Given the urgency, we should abandon Guizhou and Guangxi. Even if we send our forces now, it would be difficult to respond effectively.”
“I agree with Satae. It’s better to focus on defending Hunan and Guangdong. That way, we can buy time to prepare,” Dang Muyeol concurred.
“But abandoning Guizhou and Guangxi would leave the sects there in ruins,” objected Cheon Saemyeong, surprisingly.
He had volunteered from Yongcheon Temple when Sabi Kang established the Demon Palace.
Dan Lijeong supported his view, “Indeed. There are sects in Guizhou and Guangxi. We can’t just abandon them.”
Dan Lijeong had a personal reason—his hometown was Guizhou. His father still led the Ilseong Sword Sect in Guiyang, the provincial capital. If the demons advanced, his family and sect would be in grave danger.
The room grew noisy with debate.
After a long silence, Sabi Kang raised his hand, drawing everyone’s attention.
“We’ll abandon Guizhou and Guangxi and focus on defending Hunan and Guangdong.”
“Lord! But Guizhou and Guangxi…!”
Dan Lijeong protested, but Sabi Kang remained resolute.
“I’ll dispatch the Ghost Shadow Squad to advise the smaller sects in the area to retreat.”
“But some will want to fight! Shouldn’t we help them?”
Dan Lijeong shouted again, thinking of his father.
His father, Dan Lichu, was a man who lived his entire life without knowing the word ‘retreat.’ His pride was almost reckless, and he never easily bent his will, even if it meant suffering losses.
“He’ll never back down…”
But Sabigang remained calm.
“If they refuse to heed our advice, all we can do is wish them luck.”
Dan Lijeong bit his lip. Rationally, he knew Sabigang’s orders were correct, but his emotions were in turmoil.
“I’ll have to send a letter to my father myself.”
“Isn’t there another way?” Maesellan asked quietly as she followed Sabigang into the council chamber.
Sabigang shook his head. “There isn’t.”
“Lijeong’s worried about his father.”
“I know.”
But there really was no other option. Dan Lichu would have to listen to his son and withdraw for now. Maesellan understood this too, so she didn’t press further. Instead, she sighed softly and muttered to herself.
“Every time the demon clans make a move, we’ll need to respond quickly. But the central plains are vast. It would be nice if we could just appear wherever we’re needed.”
“Appear wherever we’re needed, huh…”
“Isn’t there a spell for that?”
“There is.”
“Really? Not just a blink, but something that lets you travel great distances?”
“Teleportation.”
“Teleportation? Then why not use it? We could go anywhere and help.”
Sabigang chuckled. “To use teleportation, you need precise coordinates. In other words, you must have been there before. If the coordinates are off, your body could disintegrate mid-air.”
“That’s terrifying…”
“All magic is terrifying in its own way. And besides…”
“Besides?”
“It’s a ninth-circle spell. In other words, it’s at the level of the divine. More precisely, it’s the realm of dragons.”
“So, humans can’t use it.”
“Exactly. But… it’s not entirely impossible.”
Sabigang narrowed his eyes and murmured, prompting Maesellan to turn her head sharply.
“What do you mean by that?”