Episode 529: The Return of the Demon Sect Leader
A brilliant flash erupted, sending a spray of hot, green blood into the air.
Dan Li-chu swiftly leaped aside, narrowly avoiding the toxic stream.
Splat! Sizzle!
The droplets that hit the ground began to burn, releasing a foul stench.
The blood was poisonous, and many had already fallen victim to it.
Dan Li-chu flicked his sword, shaking off the blood, and surveyed the battlefield.
It was a scene of utter chaos.
The clash of weapons, shouts, and screams filled the air.
The Ilseong Sword Sect had become a living nightmare.
A dark shadow loomed over Dan Li-chu.
He calmly sheathed his sword and turned slowly.
In an instant,
Swish!
A blue flash arced gracefully through the air.
Slash!
A massive ogre was split in two, collapsing with a heavy thud.
The flash moved on, slicing diagonally through the back of a demon knight attacking a fellow warrior, then swiftly severing the neck of a cyclops.
Slash! Thud! Roll…
It was an extraordinary display of swordsmanship.
This was the Meteor Sword Technique, a secret art of the Ilseong Sword Sect and Dan Li-chu’s pride.
Like all sword techniques of the sect, it relied on the explosive power of drawing the sword to cut down as many foes as possible.
Dan Li-chu’s record was nine enemies with a single draw.
He would swiftly cut through them and then return his sword to its sheath.
Just then, he spotted an ogre raising an axe towards Yang Mun-su.
“Where do you think you’re going?!”
With a fierce shout, Dan Li-chu launched himself like a comet.
Swish, click!
In one fluid motion, he drew his sword, and the ogre’s head flew into the air.
Splash! Thud!
The ogre fell with a heavy crash, blood gushing like a fountain.
Yang Mun-su, barely alive, stared at Dan Li-chu in disbelief.
“Master… you’re safe?”
“Am I the one you should be worried about? How about you, Chief Yang? Are you hurt?”
“Luckily, I’m still in one piece.”
Yang Mun-su managed a bright smile, one that seemed out of place on the battlefield.
But then,
“Watch out, Master!”
Yang Mun-su shouted, throwing himself behind Dan Li-chu.
He used the only martial art he knew, a light-footed technique, to its fullest.
Thud!
A long sword pierced through Yang Mun-su’s back.
Dan Li-chu, turning in shock, saw the blade protruding from Yang Mun-su’s back and let out a thunderous roar.
“Chief Yang!”
As the sword was pulled out, Yang Mun-su collapsed, blood pouring from the wound.
In that moment, a murderous aura erupted from Dan Li-chu.
“You bastard!”
His hair stood on end, and he unleashed the Meteor Sword Technique once more.
Swish!
The flash danced through the air, severing the necks of enemies in the blink of an eye.
It moved like a dancer, cutting down demon knights and monsters alike.
Finally, Dan Li-chu sheathed his sword.
Swish, click!
Thud, thud, thud…
Six enemies, including the demon knight, fell.
Breathing heavily, Dan Li-chu scanned the surroundings.
Yang Mun-su lay motionless, and the demon knights and monsters continued their relentless assault.
Fewer than a hundred of his comrades remained.
The air was thick with the scent of blood, and the cries of the wounded echoed around him.
Despair and anguish filled the battlefield.
No, it was more of a massacre than a battle.
Dan Li-chu bit his lip.
He had urged everyone to fight to the death, but in his heart, he wanted to save them all.
Now, the dead outnumbered the living.
The Twelve Blades of Gui Province were now only Five.
Seven had perished in this battle.
The Phantom Thief had vanished, perhaps a corpse by now, and over eighty percent of the Black Water Gang had been lost.
Yang Bi-woong’s fists had long been stained with blood.
“These damn bastards…!”
Rage boiled from his core, despair clawed at his mind.
“Arghhhh!”
Dan Li-chu let out a fierce battle cry, channeling all his negative emotions, and drew his sword once more.
Swish!
He cut down three demon knights in one swift motion.
Swish, click! Swish, click!
One strike, three kills. One strike, four kills. One strike, five kills…
Swish! Click! Swish!
One strike, eight kills. One strike, nine kills… One strike, twelve kills!
He had reached the pinnacle of the Meteor Sword Technique.
Breaking through the barrier of ten.
But he felt no joy.
In the heat of battle, he didn’t even realize he had mastered the technique.
He was lost in a trance, swinging his sword.
Swish, click!
Finally, one strike, thirteen kills.
With a single draw, he took thirteen lives, then slowly straightened as he sheathed his sword.
Thud!
As the last demon knight fell, Dan Li-chu surveyed the scene with cold, ghostly eyes.
Only corpses remained.
The remaining members of the Twelve Blades and Yang Bi-woong of the Black Water Gang were fighting beyond a collapsed wall.
Breathing heavily, Dan Li-chu looked at them with burning eyes, then raised his gaze.
The sky was cruelly clear, mocking the carnage below.
“My son! Your father fought without regret! You can be proud!”
With that thought, he approached Yang Mun-su.
“Chief Yang…”
As he gently cradled him, Yang Mun-su’s eyes cleared for a moment.
It was the final flicker of life.
“It was an honor… to serve you, Master.”
With those last words, Yang Mun-su passed away.
“Chief Yang…!”
Dan Li-chu gripped his shoulder tightly.
He murmured softly.
“It was my honor to have your help.”
Then, he felt a chill run down his spine.
A strange presence behind him!
It wasn’t a killing intent or hostility, but something else entirely.
Dan Li-chu turned slowly.
A man sat casually on the remains of a pavilion.
He wore dazzling golden armor.
His sharp, slitted eyes and tightly pressed lips hinted at a ruthless nature.
He watched Dan Li-chu with a curious tilt of his head.
“Why haven’t you left?”
Dan Li-chu’s cheek twitched.
“Who are you?”
“Do I need to reveal myself to someone as insignificant as you?”
The man in golden armor was Helmut.
He gazed at Dan Li-chu with his gray eyes, devoid of any emotion.
No, they were more like a child’s curious gaze.
“What does it feel like?”
“What do you mean?”
“To struggle knowing you’re going to die… what does that feel like?”
“Do I need to explain such noble sentiments to someone as insignificant as you?”
Helmut chuckled.
“Interesting, very interesting.”
He looked up at the sky, then slowly lowered his gaze back to Dan Li-chu.
Then he stood up leisurely.
“I’ll let you die with that noble spirit.”
Helmut drew his sword with a calm grace.
Dan Li-chu swallowed hard and reached for his sword’s hilt.
**
Outside the main gate of the Blood Lotus Sect, Mae Seol-ran paced anxiously, then rushed towards Sa Bi-gang as he approached.
“How did it go?”
Sa Bi-gang held up a teleportation scroll.
Mae Seol-ran’s face lit up.
“You found it!”
“They planned to escape with it. Didn’t quite work out for them.”
“What about the Lotus Master? The Blood Demon Quartet?”
“They’re all dead.”
“So it came to that.”
Mae Seol-ran continued walking as she spoke.
“Things are wrapping up here. For now, it seems the Moon Island Master will have to reorganize the Blood Lotus Sect.”
“Seems so. Any word from elsewhere?”
“Not yet.”
Just then, a figure descended between them.
Mae Seol-ran addressed him.
”…But we have new information.”
The figure, Hong Yeom, bowed respectfully and reported.
“Urgent news!”
“What is it?”
“The demon army is set to attack Guiyang. The battle may have already begun.”
Considering the time the message was sent, it was entirely possible.
Mae Seol-ran’s expression turned urgent.
“What should we do? Guiyang is where the Ilseong Sword Sect is.”
“I know.”
Sa Bi-gang nodded.
The Ilseong Sword Sect was the home of Dan Li-jung, the Heavenly Extermination Lord.
Knowing Dan Li-chu’s character, he was likely fighting for his life there right now.
“If things had gone as usual, there wouldn’t have been a way. But now that there is, I have to go.”
“But you said you need to remember the place exactly, right? Have you ever been to Ilseong Gate?”
“No.”
“Then how will you manage?”
“I haven’t been to Ilseong Gate, but I have been to Guiyang.”
At that, Maeseollan let out a sigh of relief.
“That’s a bit of luck.”
“Alright, I’m off.”
“Take care. We’ll head back to the palace.”
Maeseollan wanted to insist on going with him, but there were only fifteen teleport scrolls left. In a situation where her presence might not even help, she couldn’t afford to waste such a precious resource.
‘Instead, I’ll do what I can from here.’
Sabigang gave a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon.”
With that, he pulled a teleport scroll from his robe.
In the next moment,
Whoosh!
As he tore the scroll, a brilliant white light enveloped him, swallowing him whole in an instant. The spot where Sabigang had stood was now just an empty space, with only the wind blowing through.
Churyang murmured in awe, “No matter how many times I see it… demonic artifacts are truly fascinating.”
**
A beggar, waking from a nap, stretched his arms wide and yawned deeply. Scratching his groin, he sniffed his fingers and grimaced.
“Ugh, what a stench…!”
He wiped his hand on his tattered pants and awkwardly stood up, only to freeze in place.
Whoosh!
Not a single soul was walking down the main street.
‘What on earth is going on?’
With a puzzled expression, the beggar started down the road. The street was eerily empty, as if a ghost had swept through. People peeking out from their windows quickly shut them as soon as they caught his eye.
Bang! Bang!
“What? Did I ask anyone for money?”
Muttering in annoyance, the beggar continued on. As he entered the marketplace, he gaped in disbelief.
It was truly strange. The bustling market of Guiyang was completely deserted, not even an ant in sight.
“What in the world is happening? Hey! Is anyone there? Spare some change!”
He shouted at the top of his lungs, but only his echo answered back.
Hearing an echo in the marketplace was a first for him. Just as he was starting to feel a chill of fear,
Crackle!
Suddenly, a strange energy began to gather in the air on one side of the street, accompanied by a crackling sound.
“Whoa!”
Startled, the beggar fell back onto his rear.
Moments later,
Zap!
As if by magic, a person appeared out of thin air.
The beggar’s jaw dropped, and he couldn’t move a muscle.
The person who had materialized was none other than Sabigang. He turned to the beggar and asked, “Is this Guiyang?”
The shocked beggar nodded, his mouth still agape.
“Good, I made it.”
With that, Sabigang started walking, leaving the beggar to stare stiffly at his retreating figure.